Bramblestar continued his journey through Twolegplace, the snow becoming big piles as he progressed through, looking for a certain firey orange pelt.
I must bring her back to ThunderClan, make things right with StarClan.
A blizzard started to brew heavily, making Bramblestar begin to lose sight of what was ahead, hissing in frustration.
He saw lots of cats retreat to their nests and desperately looked for Squirrelflight with no luck. He ran needing to find an old burrow or anything to stay in till the blizzard stopped.
He saw a certain gray and white she-cat digging snow up in one spot towards the forest. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"Cinderheart?" Bramblestar meowed, voice shaken.
The she-cat looked at him in shock.
"It's Cinder now." She meowed blankly, then continuing digging. "My mate and kits are still in the burrow, I got to dig the entrance out."
"Let me help." Bramblestar said, joining Cinder in the digging.
"Cinder?" A tom meowed from the snow. "The kits are getting cold."
She's already moved on from Lionblaze and their kits, I can hardly believe it.
"Bruno, we're almost there." Cinder purred.
"We're?" Bruno echoed.
"An old friend of mine has showed up." Cinder meowed. "My first litter is alright?"
Bramblestar curled his nose up at the blatant lie, thinking back to her pregnant daughters, who now seem to be dead to her.
Cinder pushed back the last clump of snow, revealing a orange and white tom with four kits at his belly.
Bramblestar blinked at took a minute to look at Cinder's new litter outside the Clan: a tortoiseshell she-kit, a dark orange tom, a grey and black tom, and a gray and white she-kit.
"That's a plentiful litter." Bramblestar commented. "What're their names?"
"Sun for the orange tom, Jay for the gray tom, Cream for the gray she-kit, and Dandelion for the tortie." Cinder explained.
So she hasn't completely forgotten, but she no longer cares.
"They're beautiful." Bruno purred. "I'm so glad to have the privilege of being a father."
"I bet." Bramblestar meowed, holding back bitterness in his voice. "I need a place to stay till the blizzard passes."
"Well, you're more than welcome!" Bruno chirped. "It'll be extra warm with more body heat in here."
Cinder gave a slow nod, moving to Bruno's side with their kits.
"Have you seen Squirrelflight Cinder?" Bramblestar finally asked.
"I try not to." Cinder muttered. "Her and her new friends are always stirring up trouble, it's why I had to move to the forest."
"Best decision you've made, dear." Bruno said lovingly. "You met me here."
"Yeah, true." Cinder meowed dully, making Bramblestar raise his eyes at her in surprise to her unenthusiastic tone.
He turned away from them and curled up in an attempt to get as warm as he could.
StarClan, I hope I'm making the right decision bringing Squirrelflight back to ThunderClan.
Gemlight woke up with her kits happily pawing at her belly, oblivious to the events that shook Bumblestripe to the core.
She hadn't had actual time with her kits since they were born, only to sleep beside them after a long day. But Stormcloud had been persistent on her not going on the patrols and spending some quality time with her kits.
It slightly annoyed her that he was doing this, stubborn on the thought that Bramblestar wouldn't keep her from hunting.
But he went on a journey to find Squirrelflight, he probably wanted them to be mates again and believed that he made the wrong choice.
It stung a little, but Gemlight believed that Stormcloud filled the holes in her heart.
She watched Twigkit's amber eyes flash awake and he nudged hid sisters awake.
"Stormcloud." Gemlight meowed tiredly. "They're waking."
Moments later her mate entered the burrow and moved past the other queens. His eyes were bright as he enjoyed every waking moment of the kits like they were his own.
He was insistent to Bramblestar on that.
Bramblestar woke up after a well needed sleep and saw that Cinder was not in the burrow, but fortunately the entrance was only partially covered in snow, leaving a crack of light.
He tiptoed around Bruno and his kits and left the burrow.
He sniffed the air for Cinder and tracked her till he found her chasing a squirrel across the snow. She leaped and caught it, spending snow flying.
"Hey Cinder." Bramblestar meowed.
Cinder stopped and looked up at him.
"Hello Bramblestar, what brings you here?" She asked quietly.
"Wanted to hunt, talk some as well." Bramblestar replied.
"There's nothing to talk about." Cinder meowed dully. "I was a rogue all my life before I met Bruno and we settled down and had kits."
"We both know that's not true." Bramblestar snarled. "Who are your parents then?"
"Bracken and Sorrel." Cinder sneered.
"Who's Lionblaze then?" Bramblestar hissed.
Cinder flinched and Bramblestar had gotten the reaction he wanted.
"Well?" Bramblestar persisted.
"I...I don't know what you're talking about." Cinder lied.
"No one's here, Cinderheart!" Bramblestar hissed. "Not even you're new mate! So just tell me why you did it!"
"Did what?" Cinder narrowed her eyes at her former leader.
"Left your pregnant daughters when they needed you." Bramblestar whispered. "Not protecting them when that monster who attacked them is on the loose."
"Then why aren't you there?" Cinder retorted. "Since Thornclaw was so terrible and bad, why aren't you defending your precious Clan from him?"
"It was your Clan too!" Bramblestar snapped. "Born and raised in it! I know somewhere in your blackened heart that you still care!"
Cinder looked at him indifferently and began sniffing the air.
"What about the kits names?" Bramblestar pointed out. "Jay? DandeLION?"
Cinder disappeared and Bramblestar decided that it was no use when he had bigger issues to deal with. Cinder would live with pain for her stubbornness. He tried to reach out to her, but for now, he failed.
Bramblestar headed back to the burrow and saw that Cinder wasn't back from hunting yet.
"Hey Bruno." Bramblestar muttered. "Let Cinder know that I left, to go find Squirrelflight."
"Squirrelflight? Okay buddy." Bruno smiled. "Say goodbye kits."
"Bye Brambly!" The tortie squeaked, the other kits ran around Bramblestar and it painfully reminded him of his own back with their wonderful mother.
No doubt that Gemlight will raise our kits to be skilled and amazing warriors, butI must find Squirrelflight, I'm destined too.