Bluestar's ears twitched as the sound of returning apprentices reached her ears, and she was out of her den before they'd entered the camp.
Fernpaw and Swiftpaw had returned without their mentors, Bluestar noted curiously, and they veered towards her upon sighting her, fur spiked with excitement.
"We ran into two loners on patrol," Fernpaw mewed, almost bouncing on her toes before she composed herself. Her next words came out slightly more controlled. "We came ahead to tell you while they took their time."
"Two?" Bluestar mewed, ears tilting forward curiously.
"Gingers," Swiftpaw meowed. "I think one is that one that lives on the farm, given Longtail and Dustpelt seemed to recognize him, but the other doesn't smell like he's from around here."
"I see," Bluestar mewed, before dismissing them, then beckoned Redtail over to her with a flick of her tail.
"Seems that Jake has returned," Bluestar mewed, flexing her paws against the hard ground.
"Curious," Redtail murmured, fur rippling against the chill in the air. "Wonder what brought him back here."
"Many reasons," Bluestar mewed in amusement. "The most likely being nostalgia, or that his paws have led him where the stars lead."
Redtail tilted his head, but Bluestar refused to elaborate.
The sun was high in the sky by the time Longtail and Dustpelt returned to camp, the loners in tow. The clan cats deposited the two in front of Bluestar and went off to groom themselves.
"Welcome back to ThunderClan, Rusty," Bluestar mewed. "I'm glad it's under less stressful conditions."
Rusty nodded, aware that the statement was rhetorical and Bluestar's eyes then landed on Jake.
"You haven't changed much since we last met," she remarked after a few moments. "Welcome back to you as well."
Jake returned the bow. "You've grown into quite the splendid leader." His ears flattened. "I imagine it was a lot to take on."
"It was," Bluestar mewed, arching a brow. "Yet like every leader before, and every leader after, we rose to meet the hardships and have thrived."
Jake took in her lean Leaf-Bare appearance and didn't say anything out loud. Bluestar didn't miss the look and purred in amusement.
"I've always admired the clan's tenacity at surviving against the odds," Jake meowed. "Stories of the sickness reached even to the far north where I was at the time."
"Is that why you came back?" Bluestar asked.
Jake's ears twitched and he shook his head. "I left the west and first came here because I was restless, which led to me leaving here after a while to go north, and then back south. I might very well head east in a few months."
Bluestar nodded, before glancing around the camp, noting the curious stares from the clan cats who were trying not to eavesdrop. "You might as well satisfy the curious cats here, because I doubt they'll let you go otherwise."
Jake's ears went flat. "Ah…well…" He looked at Rusty for help, but the other ginger had long since made himself scarce, and Jake saw the tip of his tail vanish through some ferns at the far end of the camp. "Gee, thanks," he muttered under his breath before giving himself a subtle shake. "No reason not to, then."
Bluestar didn't even bother hiding her amusement before she padded back towards her den.
Padding down the fern tunnel, Rusty passed by Fireleap, who blinked at him in greeting.
"I was wondering what had the camp stirring," she mewed. "It's nice to see you again."
"And you as well," Rusty purred. He flicked his tail back the way he came. "I brought a storyteller with me, and he's about to start."
"I can see why you'd rather be with Spottedleaf," Fireleap mewed with a grin. Rusty shrugged as she chuckled. "Take care," she added as she disappeared into the camp.
Rusty nosed his way through the ferns and emerged in the medicine cat clearing, and he took a moment to sniff the air, taking in the scent of the flowers and herbs that permeated the air. Spottedleaf's scent hung thickly among the aromas and he could hear her moving around within the rocks further in.
"What is it?" came her gentle voice, shortly followed by the fela herself. She blinked in greeting, only the tip of her twitching tail betraying her surprise at seeing Rusty standing there. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully then smiled slightly. "Welcome back," she mewed, stepping forward to touch her nose to his, before she pulled back to look him over. "Well, you don't seem to be in any immediate trouble that I need to tend to, so what brings you here?"
"Showing Jake around," Rusty mewed. "He's currently being held hostage by the clan and won't be released until he's told them a few stories."
"And to think, before, we had to come to you for that luxury," Spottedleaf mewed with a dramatic sigh. Her gaze softened and she gave him a more affectionate nuzzle. "It's good to see you nonetheless though."
A sound above them caused both cats to look up and they leaped apart in alarm as a pile of snow thudded down to the ground where they had been standing.
Spottedleaf stared at it wide-eyed for a moment before giving herself a shake. "Third time this week," she sighed, shaking her head. "One of the hazards of the weather getting warmer."
Rusty grimaced. "That certainly seems like it'd be a problem, especially if it happened in the night while you were asleep." He peered back at her den curiously. "Has anyone ever been trapped by snowfall in there?"
Spottedleaf's whiskers twitched and she shook her head. "Not in my lifetime. This place is usually well-protected from the elements. As long as there's leaves to catch and divert them."
She looked at Rusty and blinked in surprise. Sunlight was filtering down into the small clearing from the newly-created hole from the snow and it had caught Rusty's fur, making it shine beautifully.
Rusty stared at Spottedleaf, watching the sunlight play across her dappled fur, setting it ablaze with subtle movements, seeming to catch itself in the soft strands.
"Jake's likely to be a while with his stories," Spottedleaf mewed softly. "I think you're going to be here for a while."
"I don't suppose you'd mind if I kept you company in the meantime?" Rusty mewed, eventually finding his voice again.
Spottedleaf's throaty purr was all the answer he needed.