Chapter 39: Return
The sun breached the horizon turning the sky red and painting the clouds a shade of pink. Today we'd finally get to go home. I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I'd get to see everyone again. Brambleclaw decided to give a rousing speech before we returned, reminding us the importance of our mission and the need for us to properly convey how dire it was that we leave the forest.
"Listen up! I know you are all excited to get back to your clans. I know I am, but before we go back I must remind everyone that we left our clans for a reason. They're still counting on us. As we saw from the mountain top, the clans are likely not fairing very well. Windclan has already lost a lot of territory. The river between Thunderclan and Riverclan has likely been poisoned after what the twolegs did. Thunderclan has lost territory. Shadowclan has likely also seen their territory shrink a bit as well as seeing their resources strained due to accommodating for the less fortunate clans. We will come to them bearing a message. The forest is lost, but the clans will survive. As much as I detest Midnight the prophetess, we only have her word to rely on. When the clans are unified together, a dying warrior will guide the way. As we all know, prophecies are mysterious and often annoyingly indirect. What this dying warrior will be could be anything. It will likely only make sense when it finally occurs. I must remind everyone that when we go looking for a new home, we will not find paradise or a land of ease. There will be trials and tribulations from moving territories, but we are the clans of the forest. We will persevere through this. Now, let's get back and give them the news." Brambleclaw proclaimed, gesturing for us to follow.
As we followed Brambleclaw into the edge of Windclan's territory, there was an obvious tension between Feathertail and Crowpaw. It was strange because the two used to be so affectionate with each other. Now, it looked like Crowpaw was stressed while Feathertail looked away, as if she was making some hard decision to not associate with Crowpaw. There wasn't time to solve the issue either because a Windclan patrol spotted us.
"Crowpaw! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Called a molly from the patrol. "Looks like the Journey Cats have returned. Onewhisker, you mind running a message to Tallstar that they're here?" The molly asked.
"I was hoping to talk to Darkpaw a bit but fine. This takes priority." Onewhisker answered before bounding off.
"It's good to see you Nightcloud. I'm eager to report what happened. Unfortunately, it isn't all good news." Crowpaw answered back.
"You seem happier than before. Maybe that journey did you some good." Nightcloud commented. "I like this change so far."
We let Crowpaw chat with Nightcloud for a while longer while we waited for Onewhisker to return. Onewhisker made the trip pretty quick. With him were two more cats, Tallstar and my father Smudgefoot. I ran and tackled my father over with affection. He just laughed as I pressed into him. Despite all his time not being Thunderclan, Father still smelled like Father. He still smelled of Dad's lavender scent, which Dad had from always putting a stalk of it in his nest. As much as Father despised it, he still had that same undercurrent scent of mint clinging to him since his sensitivity to it made him ideal in finding the stuff. Most of all, Father still smelled like, still felt like home. Though, it was a little strange. Before we left on the Journey, I was shorter than Father. Now I was a whisker's length taller than him. Had I really changed that much in all that time?
"It's good to see you, my son. You have no idea how relieved I am that you got back alright. Though, I do notice that your group seems to have lost and gained a member. I hope that there wasn't an incident on your trip." Father pressed gently.
"No. No one died. Stormfur decided to stay behind with a tribe we met, and Dawn's Early Light, the molly over there, decided to join us because of what occurred at the tribe. It's… not a pleasant story. I'd rather not talk about it right now." I mewed to him.
"That is perfectly alright, my son. You may tell me whenever you are willing. I will not press. Though, she seems somewhat attached to you. Is there a story to that?" He probed again.
"Well, I promised her brother that I'd take care of her. Her brother wanted to come too but…" I mewed, sadness tinging the edge of my voice.
"You need not say more. It's alright." He consoled me before mewing to the rest. "Alright. Let's get you cats back to your clans. I'm sure Tallstar and his warriors are willing to escort us to what's left of Fourtrees. From there we'll all go back to our clans. I know this will possibly come off as clan favoritism, but I'll see if Thunderclan is willing to host Darkpaw and I for the time being. He deserves a chance to rest with his original clan after that long journey. Dawn, I will extend an invitation for you to join Darkpaw and I since we are functionally clanless for the time being, and you are not born of the clans."
Dawn seemed to be sizing up Father before answering. "Not much to look at are you? I mean, you're pretty big, but you're short with short legs. I think I could take you." She commented aloofly.
A couple Windclan warriors gasped at the disrespect. Though it was Tallstar that came to Father's defense. "You best check your tongue missy. You're talking to Smudgefoot, a cat who fought the tyrant Scourge to a standstill and only lost an ear in the process. All the clans know that if you try and hurt something Smudgefoot cares for, you will feel his wrath."
Dawn scoffed at the defense. "Please. We took down Jaggedtooth, a monster cat. There's no way that this Scourge could ever measure up to that." She countered.
While Tallstar looked ready to beat the sense into Dawn, Father actually let out a laugh before mewing. "Quite a spitfire, aren't you? The forest could use more cats willing to question our ways and challenge us. Maybe we can spar later. Though, I do advise you to keep your bragging in check. I'm one of the more friendly cats here. Piss the wrong one off and you will be trading claws with their whole clan."
With that, we left for Fourtrees. I was pressed into Father's side the entire time, feeling that familiar warmth only family could bring. I felt the nub of Father's ear twitch as we drew closer. Father always joked that when it did, his ghost ear was hearing something in Starclan. Despite how we knew the trees were gone, seeing it in person was horrifying. The four great oaks were reduced into merely four stumps. Tracks of some twoleg monster marred the clearing, tearing up the grass and leaving bare earth exposed. It looked so wrong, so tainted. If there was ever proof that the forest was lost, this was it.