Journey to the Past (Jest)

Moonshine was now an older warrior and grew more beautiful every day apparently. She needed a break from her clan today. She was skinny to this day yes but as badly as the other clan were starving. Moonshine sat on the bridge looking out into the river. She told herself she was on patrol but also just to spend some time for herself. It was mid day and the sun was shining and prey was sort of starting to pick back up again. Feeling her stomach growl her ears flattened against her head. She just ate this morning. Now giving a long yawn she shook her head and stretched. The death of the deputy cat still weighed on her mind and wondered what the medicine cats knew that the other leaders didnt know. It had still been a while since the death but wasn't there a good reason for this to be happening right? Sighing the she cat lied down and let her coat just blow with the wind that past by. Dozing off her eyes got heavier and heavier and soon she was in a light sleep just enjoying her world and surroundings. 

Flamestrike opened his mouth to take in the scents of the moorland, he was out on a solo-hunting quest, the clan needed as much prey as it could get. He slashed his tail and mused at how his scrawny frame probably reflected that, lately all prey was either just bones and pelt or sick, awfully sick if memory served. He sighed, the wind was blowing in his face yet not a trace of rabbit or bird or even mouse lingered in the breeze, at this rate he would never find any prey. Moons had passed since that fateful gathering and things had just been worse and worse for WindClan, he suspected it was the same for every clan. The tom continued his search through the territory, inching closer and closer and perhaps unconsciously towards RiverClan. His mind drifted from the prospect of prey to the prospect of catching a glimpse of her.

He would be lying if he said his thoughts didn’t drift back towards the she-cat from time to time. Sometimes worriedly and sometimes wistfully, there where times when he tried to convince himself it had been for the best, a sweet and short memory that would live on in his mind but nothing more than that, a memory. Yet he continued to stare at the border with RiverClan, thinking and drifting away to the land of possibility. It was hope what always dragged him towards this side of the territory even if there was no scent of prey around.

He continued to dwell in his thoughts when what he thought was nothing but a mirage or a figment of his imagination appeared on the other side of the border. There she laid, in the grass sleeping, her fur being tenderly caressed by the wind. Moonshine. The name sweetened his mind and made his worries light, but seeing her so close and yet so far stung at his heart. Would his thoughts finally be put to rest if he listened to her voice once again? Before he could reach a satisfying conclusion his paws had already carelessly crossed he border through the bridge where they met. Flamestrike looked at her frame, the moons had treated her with kindness and if anything she was even more beautiful now. The orange tom hesitated before gently prodding her side. “You’re going to catch a cold,” he whispered, finding an excuse for his intrusion.

Moonshine lied on her side and felt the breeze gently carry her away. So much peace was in her when finally she felt something poke at her side and voice not far from it followed. She didnt have to run, get scared, panic anything like that. She knew exactly who he was. With a smile on her face she still lied still and gracefully mewed, ''Long time no see..'' Giving it a few moments she collected herself and forced her body to stand up and sit. With her long fur she gave a shake to get off the wood and anything else that might cling to her. Turning to face the Windclan tom it shocked her to see... how much he had changed. Blinking gnelty she scanned him over to see how much bigger he got and his fur color was now coming in nicely. Strong built and Moonshine had to admit he looked great. Flattening her ears she looked down at her paws and mewed, ''I'm very sorry for your clans loss Flamestrike.'' Deciding to lighten up the mood she mewed, ''Excuse me for moving into the future so fast but I'd say you would fit perfectly to be deputy.'' Eyes sparkled with laughter but also being serious. She was able to see it. Flamestar. Had a nice ring to it in her eyes. Hearing the birds chirp in the distance Moonshine looked down at the river undergoing the bridge and asked, ''So how have you been lately? It's been...forever it feels like since I've seen you. I wasn't chosen to go on the past two gatherings sadly.. so I have no idea what the other clans are doing. I sure hope you were able to go.''

When Moonshine sat up Flamestrike felt relief, she didn’t run away, claw at him like any other warrior would, in fact she seemed happy to see him. He knew RiverClan was by far the clan that had faired the better in this past moons, her fur and build looked healthy, she was well-fed and for reasons he couldn’t understand he felt like part of the weight he carried in his shoulders was lifted. Did he really worry about her to that extent? He did, in the corners of his mind she always occupied a spot. She flattened her ears and mentioned the loss, the orange tom tried not to flinch at her words, at times the scent of Morningstreake’s unmoving body came back to him and he couldn’t help but shudder. He was grateful when she changed the subject but he sure didn’t expect it. Deputy? Him? It never crossed his mind, not in the slightest so he chuckled just a bit. “I don’t think it would suit me,” his words spoke truth, he was not being humble, he honestly couldn’t picture himself as deputy much less leader. In fact he couldn’t really picture his future, every time he tried to do that his mind would go blank.

That’s why it was strange and refreshing to be at Moonshine’s side, he could picture a future with her. He sometime thought about reasons they couldn’t be together; it would be hard, maybe she didn’t like him, they would be breaking the warrior code, and loyalties would be questioned… but then a small voice in the back of his head would whisper ‘it will be worth it’, ‘she does like you’, ‘we’ll find a way’, and finally ‘your loyalty is to your heart’. Naturally he’d angrily shut the voice down, it was the voice he avoided at all costs. It was the voice that thousands upon thousands of suppressed and bottled up feelings had managed to create. He would dismiss it, put it off ‘till next day but then his eyes would wander to the RiverClan border and part of his resolve would chip away.

He smiled at her words; he had been able to go to both gatherings since his pelt made him look less scrawny than the usual WindClan cat, plus his muscles till held on. In short he didn’t look as hungry as most of his clanmates did. “I did go, to both Gatherings actually,” he paused to choose his next words carefully. “The clans are… coping… with the current state of the forest,” he did not mention the sorry state his clan currently lived in or that his pelt and muscles hid the clawing and gnawing of hunger pretty well. He didn’t want to worry her. “WindClan will manage, we always do,” his voice was more hopeful and thoughtful than confident, but he quickly drifted from the subject and instead tried to rein the conversation in a different direction. “How have you been?” he smiled, it could be considered playful but Flamestrike was not very good with smiling, he felt just a little awkward. “Any thorns attacking you lately?”

Moonshine sat tall and proud listening to every word this tom was telling her. Nodding here and there she really didnt feel the need to speak. Just being in his presence was enough for her. She really hadnt realized how much she missed him until well this moment. The question was then asked how she was doing and if any thorns attacked her lately. Giving a little laugh she mewed, ''Well I have been doing well I suppose. Sadly I just got out of a...relationship well I'm not sure you would even call it a relationship seeing I didnt. He was just rude and nasty and didn't treat me that great so we went our different ways sadly we are still in the same clan but I just see him as another warrior.'' Giving a quick pause she opened her mouth again, ''Well if any thorns were attacking me lately would you be there to help again?'' she laughed a bit as she got up and stretched. ''Come on lets go for a walk, i'm so sick and tired of sitting and doing nothing.'' Turning around she headed down the bridge and waited for the tom to get into the steps she had. She was in no rush to go anywhere really. Just enjoyed this toms company. Once he had caught up to her she gave a little laugh and mewed, ''Tell me something about you that no one else knows.''