Dusk began to set as Bright Stream watched the the stars with Willow.
The pale-furred she-cat was nice and kind. She was different from her brother, Cricket who was always wanting to do something. Slate, the third littermate, she didn't have an opinion on her just yet, she dark-furred she-cat haven't left Gray Wing's side for the whole day.
Willow lowered her head and looked at Bright Stream, "I have a question," she murmured.
"What is it, Willow?" Bright Stream asked.
"You are expecting, but all day you haven't talked much about your mate. Who is he?"
Bright Stream flattened her ears. It would be nearly impossible to find Clear Sky, and she wasn't gonna go find him when Gray Wing is unable to travel, she wouldn't leave a friend behind with these strange cats when she didn't know that well.
'They did save us from our fall, they seem nice, but I'm not leaving without Gray Wing.'
Bright Stream looked up at the moon. "His name is Clear Sky, a light gray tom. He is the bravest cat I know and one of the best hunters in our tribe. He also so happens to be Gray Wing's littermate."
"Tribe?" Willow asked confused.
The expecting queen let out a purr, "That's our group, we are, or were, the cats of the Tribe of Rushing Water. Half of us left to find a new home and we were on our journey when eagles attacked." Bright Stream looked back and glanced at the deep hole in the land. Reed is in there with Gray Wing and Slate. That's what he calls their Healing Den. "Me and Gray Wing got separated by our tribe, taken by the eagles."
Willow moved closer to Bright Stream. "How big is your travelling tribe?"
"Bigger than your little group."
Slate came out of the hole and padded to the talking she-cats.
"We should go to our nests. Bright Stream, you can sleep in the nest that belongs to Reed, the one closest to Minnow. Reed is staying with Gray Wing for a while. At dawn, we'll show your our part of the moor and make your a nest of your own." Meowed Slate.
Bright Stream followed the sisters. They were brought to several patches of piles of moss. Tiger was sleeping with her kits, Blazing Stem and Starlight. A few nests back was Minnow, already fast asleep with her only kit, Sorrel.
She crawled into the nest. Bright Stream wasn't tired just yet, she just stared at the stars. It took a moment, then she fell asleep in the pile of moss.
"Wake up!"
Bright Stream winked open one eye. Cricket was crouching in front of her. Willow and Slate was a little ways behind him.
"Wha.." Bright Stream lifted her head tiredly.
"We're going to show you our moor! Come on!" Cricket purred then pounced away.
"I want to see Gray Wing before we leave" Bright Stream spoke to the sisters as she sat up.
"Of course." Willow mewed before she padded away toward her brother, who was already at the other side of the camp.
Slate followed Bright Stream as they ducked into the Healing Den.
Reed was still in here, he was watching his kit, Sorrel as she started nibbling on a minted leaf. Gray Wing was still asleep. Bright Stream hasn't seen him woken up since she woke up and found Reed. Gray Wing had webs splattered on his sides. This could be the first time Bright Stream saw him look this weak.
"How is he?" Bright Stream asked Reed.
"He woke up last night." Gray Wing stopped watching his kit and put his attention on the ill tom. "He was confused why he was alive, just as you were. He didn't speak much but he does know he's now safe."
Bright Stream flattened her ears. "Does he know I'm here?"
"I told him but he didn't respond, he just fell asleep a little after."
"Thank you, Reed." Bright Stream dipped her head. "I'll be back later today. I'm going to look at the moor with Slate and her littermates."
Reed nodded. "Stay clear of other cats living on the moor." The silver tom looked at Slate, "but you should probably introduce her to River Ripple. I'm sure he'd like her."
"Yeah." Slate murmured. "Bright Stream, we should head out. If I know my brother, he's probably getting restless."
The she-cats exited the hole. Willow and Cricket were waiting by the entrance of the camp. Willow was watching the hole as they appeared. Cricket was turned, looking at the moor, his tabby-striped tail flicking impatiently.
Cricket spun around to face Slate and Bright Stream. "You guys took too long! I've been waiting for forever."
"Well, we're here now." Slate mewed.
The orange tabby purred and raced out of the entrance and into the open moor. Willow raced after him. Slate and Bright Stream just walked from behind him.
"Let them race. It has been a while since they had fun." Bright Stream could tell something was wrong and Slate wasn't going to say what.
"Did something happen?" Bright Stream asked, wondering that she'd at least try.
"Did you have a family?" Slate looked down.
"Well, not really. My sister, my only littermate died when i was only a kit. My mother died a couple seasons ago, during the last cold season. Never knew my father, he must have died before i was born. I never had a family but Gray Wing, Clear Sky, he's my mate, and our friend, Turtle Tail treated me like family when I had none left.
Slate looked up at the sky as they walked. "Willow, Cricket and I didn't like to stay close to any cat other than our mother. Only three moons ago, our mother died from a sickness. Reed and Minnow found us alone on the moor. Tiger's kittens were just a couple moons old then. Sorrel was a tiny kit, she must've not been born that long before we were found."
The dark-furred she-cat put her gaze on her littermates. They were a long way ahead, from where Bright Stream is walking it looks like they're sitting next to a river.
Slate continued, "I think having the kits around made Cricket and Willow a bit more cheerful. Willow loves having Sorrel around, and Cricket enjoys to entertain the kits while Tiger and Minnow takes a run around the moor."
"What about you?" Bright Stream got a bit worried for her new friend.
"I haven't forgotten her and it may take me a while to be happy again but i am recovering."
Slate and Bright Stream had caught up to Cricket and Willow. Bright Stream could see them more clearly.
Willow sitting near the river, watching the fish swim by. A thick-pelted silver tabby sat near her. Bright Stream didn't recognize him. Cricket was waving his tail happily as they caught up.
"You two are too slow." Cricket complained.
Slate growled back, "haven't you forgotten? Bright Stream is expecting, she can't run all the way from camp to the river as fast as you two can."
The sliver tabby tom turned his head to look at Bright Stream. "So you are expecting."
The tom had kind and shining bright green eyes as he looked from Bright Stream's eye then to her belly.
"How long have you known?" The silver tabby asked.
Bright Stream didn't know what to say. 'What a weird question to ask. I've only just met this tom!'
After a few heartbeats, Bright Stream answered. "Just a half moon ago."
She fluffed up her fur. "Anyways, you ask about me expecting before you even introduce yourself? Is this what you do with every expecting she-cat you meet?"
"Oh, then you will have to excuse me. My name is River Ripple. You?"
"Bright Stream."
River Ripple lifted his head. "Well, Bright Stream, it will be nice to have new kits after newleaf begins.
"Newleaf?" That word was unusual to Bright Stream.
"The season after this one, when everything starts to warm up again." River Ripple looked confused. "What would you call it, or do you not name your seasons?"
"It must be different because I live so far away." Bright Stream spoke. "We just call it the warm season."
River Ripple sat down on the rocks and curled his tail around his paws. "How did you get here? Not a lot of cats pass around here who don't already live nearby. From what Willow told me, it looks as if you're not just passing by."
'Should I tell him? He looks nice enough and if I trust I should trust River Ripple, right?'
Bright Stream took a breath before she answered. "Me and my friend got caught by eagles, I plan to leave after he recovers."
"I hope I can meet your friend one day." River Ripple dipped his head once more. "I have to leave now but I'd like to see you once more before you leave."
When the river cat left, Willow walked away from the river and nuzzled Slate, who was past them to the opposite side of the moor.
"We should leave, I can see other cats and Reed doesn't want us to get into any fights today. He has enough problems with worrying about Gray Wing." Slate meowed, though she didn't look away from the moorland.
"Okay, let's head home." Cricket raced past them and toward the way back to camp.
A little note, I haven't read the Dawn of the Clans books in probably over a year, so I may get things wrong about some characters. River Ripple may seem a bit out of character to some people because I forgot how he acts. Only thing I really know about him is that he's intelligent and he used to give advice to Gray Wing in the later books of the arc.
I am currently re-reading this arc, now at the end of The Sun Trail. I might get ideas on how the characters should act while I re-read the arc again.