Strong Belief by WydClaw

Plot: one-shot. Whitewing and Bramblestar talk after Dovewing leaves for ShadowClan in River Of Fire. I i don't own Warriors. I don't recall if Dovewing said anything to her mother before she ,left with her kits and mate so i'm making it up. I made up the part about Goldenflower and Bramblestar's talk .

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No matter how hard she tried Whitewing couldn't sleep that night after Dovewing left. The small snowy white soft furred ThunderClan she-cat kept hearing her pale grey furred green eyed daughter's words bouncing around around in her head- like a kit with excitement at getting out of the nursery for the first time:

"i love my mate and kits with all my heart,. I can't bear to be apart from them. My loyalty lies with ShadowClan now. I'm sorry i won't be able to come and visit goodbye.…"

She lay her head on her paws on the edge of her nest and sighed. She tried closing her eyes and letting the scents of her Clanmates in the warriors' den wash over her, listening to her kin's sound as they slept and even hunting prey in her dreams- but no such luck . It's going to be one of those nights she thought as she got to her paws. the moonlight streaking through the branches of the beech tree that made up the den turned patches of her white fur silver. .Maybe some fresh air will help me out with sleeping .

As quietly as she could, Whitewing stepped out of her nest and made her way toward the entrance . As she did, she saw the head of her glossy brown furred mate Birchfall raise his head up from his own nest and open his eyes sleepily at her. "Wh-Whitewing? is s-something wrong?"

she shook her head. " Just need some fresh air ." she replied. " my mind's thinking about .. Dovewing

"Ah.." He nodded. He had accepted his daughter's decision readily. he closed his amber eyes and fell back asleep.

She slid out of the den on silent paws and went outside, a warm light breeze ruffling her whiskers and fur. She sat on the leaf dappled earth and looked up at the claw-moon in the star-speckled night sky. "Oh StarClan … how could I have missed the signs that Dovewing loved Tigerstar? " She quietly asked the light breeze that touched her pelt.

somewhere up in StarClan she could imagine her younger white pelted brother Snowbush rolling his amber eyes, and calling her a mouse-brain. She thought hard. She recalled after she got back from the journey to to retrieve the water Dovewing had seemed .. different. she recalled how she would wake up in the night to see her daughter's empty nest in the den a lot but assumed she just went on a night walk to get fresh air. She also remembered that despite Bumblestripe wanting to be mates with her Dovewing had turned him down. I should have guessed she and Tigerstar were more than friends when he and his family took refuge in the Clan. "Great StarClan.. I'm a huge dumb mouse-brain Why didn't i see it until now…" She said aloud.

"No… you are not a dumb mouse-brain Whitewing," A deep voice said- sousing loud in the silence said nearby and she jumped.

She saw her broad-shouldered dark brown tabby leader pad quietly as he could over the leaf covered earth from outside the leader's den over to her. "Bramblestar…" She dipped her head as a sign of respect as he sat down next to her. "I didn't realize you were out here…"

His whiskers twitched as he fixed his amber eyes on her as he shook his head. "sometimes I come out here at night to think if there is a lot on my mind or if I need fresh air. "

"You mean like the problems with Darktail and his Kin, SkyClan coming here and the Sisters?" she asked and he nodded.

"yes. " he paused for a few heart beats. "I guess you had things on your mind as well. Dovewing's reappearance with Tigerstar and her kits then leaving us for ShadowClan."

now it was her turn to nod her head. "you hit the bird's eye correctly. " She admitted. "I.. I kept on hearing Dovewing's words echo in my head. . Not to mention i realized that i was a total fool not to see the signs they loved each other."

"You're not in the least bit a fool Whitewing." Bramblestar reassured her. "We were all a little shocked to her that declaration. I had my suspicions when my nephew and his family spent time here that those two were close but i also didn't realize how close."

"Poor Ivypool .. she was furious at her sister for betraying the Clan like that." The she cat mewed and then added, "I thought my family and my heart would be healed when Dovewing returned and then… she had to drop that revelation… and on top of all that to discover i have three grandkids with ThunderClan and ShadowClan blood … "

Whitewing cried into Bramblestar's side, letting out soft mews of distress for a little while as her Clan leader consoled her with kind words, like a mother to a kit after they had a bad dream . He had been in the position of both losing his sister Tawnypelt when she ran away to ShadowClan as an apprentice and later one, losing his foster daughter Hollyleaf then regaining her only to lose her a second permanent time. Even though it wasn't at the same time the two losses had left him heart broken. Then he recalled something his kindhearted mother Goldenflower had told after Tawnypelt had left. "Whitewing, I'm going to tell you you something my mother Goldenflower told me when Tawnypelt- well then she was Tawnypaw- left the Clan."

The she-cat lifted her face from his pelt and stared up at him. "I r-remember Goldenflower. She gave wonderful advice."

His amber eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "She sure did. She told me that despite being in a different Clan now my sister would always be my fkin no matter what. She and i may be far apart now but we will always be connected at the heart. She also told me that we both would be able to over-come our father's dark legacy but that it would be a long hard path. But…" he purred in amusement.. " If Firestar-well he was my mentor Fireheart back then- could make cats forget that he was a kittypet and create his own legacy then i could as well. Despite the fact that Tawnypelt and I are in different Clans and have our own families now , we are still family. Look at Greystripe and Feathertail and Stormfur. "

The white she cat let that last sentence sink into her mind . The gray warrior's kits from his first mate had gone to RiverClan-their late mother Silverstream's Clan- with him when they were tiny kits since they were all Crookedstar had left of his daughter. Greystripe had gone with them but when Leopardstar exiled him he returned to ThunderClan while his children stayed in RiverClan. Even though it broke his heart he knew that he belonged here and they belonged with RiverClan. But it didn't change the fact they were kin. " I understand where you are getting at Bramblestar." she mewed and then sighed. " I… just wish I had seen the signs that she loved him.. I know they broke the warrior code before she decided to return to ShadowClan with him but.."

"It was still a sharp claw-strike to your heart when she announced it." he finished for her.

"yes. "

"Unfortunately, even the warrior code -or StarClan themselves- can stand in the way of true love." He admitted and changed the subject. "As painful as dovewing's departure is for and the entire Clan think of this: you and Birchfall now have six grandchildren instead of three."

Whitewing blinked a few times. No wonder Birchfall had accepted Dovewing's choice so quickly. "Oh.. I hadn't thought about that." She admitted.

"I saw the disbelief in Birchfall's eyes." The tom leader admitted. "I think … it was hard at first for him to accept that his daughter's mate is related to to the tom that killed his grandmother. " He looked up at the sky for a few heartbeats. Whitewing had heard the tales of how the first Tigerstar had killed Brindleface-ferncloud's mother and in a way her foster grandmother as Brindleface had adopted Cloudtail when he came to the forest- to give the dog pack a taste for cat blood. He averted his gaze from the sky back to her. "But once he saw her kits love and understanding replaced the shock. "

Whitewing louvered her voice. "He must have thought Ferncloud and Dustpelt's legacies will live on in our newly discovered grandkits. He's the last surviving kit of his family. "

"Poor Birchfall. " Bramblestar mewed and changed the topic. " I think it is good for Bristlekit, Flipkit and Thriftkit to have a chance to meet their kin."

Whitewing purred loud at the thought and chuckled. Her fur tingled as she recalled Dovewing's kits looking at Ivypool's litter. "you know …I completely forgot about that. "

He smiled. "the next time you are having a tough time sleeping just remember that moment and picture all of those kits playing together with their parents and you happily in a sunny green leaf meadow."

She smiled. "I sure will. thanks for the idea."

he twitched his whiskers in satisfaction. "Tawnypelt will dote on Lightkit, Pouncekit and Shadowkit just as much as you and Birchfall will dote on Bristlekit, Flipkit and Thriftkit. I think it ill be good for her to have tigerstar back home after.." his voice lowered. " what happened with Darktail and his Kin."

Whitewing nodded. Her leader's sister had lost a lot recently. Her daughter's Dawnpelt mate Crowfrost had died of yellowcough while Dawnpelt had been drowned by Darktail when she had tried to escape his Kin. Not to mention Tawnypelt's mate Rowanclaw-the former ShadowClan leader- had sacrificed himself to save Yarrowleaf's kits-Hopkit and Flaxkit. "She will be surprised to know that Tigerstar is now leader and a father." she paused and he nodded. they looked up at the star-dotted sky knowing that their kin were under the same sky in ShadowClan . She was a firm believer in StarClan. . oh StarClan .. please watch over Dovewing and her new family .

"I hope Dovewing is happy in her new home. I'm sure StarClan will watch over her. and her new family. "

Bramblestar purred with amusement. " you are such a firm believer in StarClan. how you keep a strong faith during these tough times is beyond me. "

She felt her face burn for a heartbeat at the compliment. "Thanks. I think I got it from being around Brightheart, Brackenfur, Sorretail and Ferncloud. I certainly didn't get it from Cloudtail. "

The two cats softly mrrowed with laughter. They both knew that the senior white warrior didn't believe in their warrior ancestors. "you probably got it from your mother and maybe Birchfall . you didn't inherit that from your father."

"My m-mother is v-very wise and my mate is strong hearted c-considering wh-what he's gone through. " she ended in a yawn.

Bramblestar yawned as well . He jerked his head to the entrance to the warrior's den. "go on and get some sleep. " he smiled warmly at her.

she got to her feet and he did as well. She dipped her head in respect to the great dark brown tabby leader. "I will. And i'll take your advice about the dream. Th-thank you Bramblestar."

"You're welcome. Any for what its' worth.. I think you and Birchfall will make wonderful grandparents and your daughters are going to be incredible mothers. "

she purred at the thought. "Thanks. I think so too. Fernsong is going to be a wonderful father-he's so gentle with k-kits..I th-think he takes after his namesake in that respect." She looked up at the stars briefly and smiled. Somewhere up in StarClan Ferncloud was watching them smiling. "I bet Ferncloud and Dustpelt are smiling up there. Despite the fact that they are no longer here their spirits live on in Birchfall and in memories. Their legacies will live on in their kin and they are always watching over us."

"I couldn't put it better myself." Bramblestar agreed.