He's not dead...

[wolfkitten]

Snowpelt had not been herself for so long now... It had been almost a year since the Gathering where she had heard of Sharpfang's dissapearance... And she knew nothing since... Every Gathering she would find some ShadowClanner and ask them about the whereabouts of her beloved brother... Of course most of them still hardly had any clue that they were kin... But every moon it was the same... No news and no brother...

Well this fine day she lay silently beside the pond, gazing into it's crystal depths. She trembled slightly as she thought of her brother, his strong face rising up into her mind's gaze. She shook her head and ducked her head against her shoulder slightly, fighting back a cry. She had been quite dead and oblivious to what went on. She went on autopilot... As far as she knew, her Apprentice had completed his training and went on to be a Warrior, but honestly she wasn't sure.

Every day she would go hunting and go on patrol, even talk with her Clan mates, but they could see she wasn't really all there. It was sad really... The young Warrioress had so much potential... And yet here she was, hardly a shell of her former self... And this is how one would find her at the pond side today...

Well that was until, her ears suddenly shot up and her tail leapt up as well, her head raising and eyes looking around wildly. What was that?! She had gotten a feeling... A warm presence! It was him... Sharpfang! He wasn't dead! She leapt to her paws and yowled out loud. "He's not dead! He's not dead..." How in the world did she know this... Well she had no idea but she had to find out! But there wasn't to be a Gathering for a while yet... She hissed slightly to herself and began pacing along the pondside, debating. She couldn't be caught on ShadowClan lands... But she had to know... What a dellima...

[flower]

Memoryleaf

It had been an exhausting day. First dawn patrol, then a hunting patrol, and all with so little sleep. And a beaming sun can always take a lot out of a cat. It was all unbearable. But Memoryleaf felt a surge of pride, for everything he was doing, and his exhaustion, meant WindClan was taken care of. He sighed as his tired paws carried him to the Hidden Pond, perhaps the one place in this whole forest where the cool waters could sooth him and he would be perfectly at peace.
Just before he reached it, he heard a joyous yowl and peered cautiously at the cat who was pacing along the water's edge. He had seen her at Clan meetings, but didn't exactly know her. "Snowpelt..." he murmured too low for her to hear. Now how to approach this lovely she-cat, he wondered. Her stunning white pelt was reflected off of the pond's smooth surface, and in her reflection he could see the brightest ice blue eyes he had ever beheld. He was star-struck for just a moment, but then shook his head to clear his mind and stepped forward. "Um, may I ask who isn't dead?" Memoryleaf inquired with an amused purr. He leaned over the pond's and saw his ginger and white form appear beside Snowpelt's. Her snow-white pelt made his look almost dull.

[wolfkitten]

Snowpelt paced back and forth beside the pond, her eyes alight with excitement. He wasn't dead... She gazed into the pond, finally pausing for a moment as she gazed in at her reflection. But... How in the world did she know that? How could she? How could she explain it... Well it was a good thing she didn't have to... Or so she thought...

It was not long before her pretty little reflection was joined by one of a tom she didn't know well... Heck she didn't really know most of the cats in her Clan. She had been shut off to everyone for nearly a year now... Her gaze wandered over the top quickly as she surveyed him, trying hard to find his name in her mind. Who was he... Then it hit her. This was Memoryleaf! She purred lightly to him and dipped her head in greeting, but suddenly winced a little bit. No one really knew about her brother and herself... And she really wanted it to stay that way for the time being...

"Um..." She started... "That fish right there! I thought he was dead, but he ended up moving and swimming away." She finished lamely... Oh goodness her excuse didn't even sound good to her... But she gazed into his eyes willing him to believe it and not press her further. Goodness before her brother had dissapeared, they were still trying to figure out what it all meant and what to do about it... She didn't need this WindClan tom coming in on it and running to Bluestar about it...

[flower]

Memoryleaf struggled to stifle a purr of laughter. It was clear to him that Snowpelt wasn't actually concerned about a fish, but he respected her enough to leave that thought alone. He decided to take this conversation to a new direction.
"Well I hope you aren't too concerned about that little goldfish," Memoryleaf meowed playfully as he flicked his tailtip in the direction of the happily swimming fish. "Because he looks so appetizing!" With that, he leapt clumsily into the pond, splashing Snowpelt with the chilly pond water. He locked his brown eyes on the panicked little fish, determined to catch it for Snowpelt. For the next few minutes, he floundered about in the pond, disrupting the smooth water, in a silly attempt to catch a tiny fish. This was the most fun he had had in a long time, plus his pelt was cooling off from his long day in the sweltering sun. He glanced up every now and then to catch Snowpelt's kind ice blue gaze.
He eventually gave up. Memoryleaf hoisted his soaking body up onto dry land and sat down tiredly, prentending to be ashamed of not being able to catch a measly goldfish, when really he was just toying with it for Snowpelt's amusement and some of his own. "That's the fastest little fish I've ever chased!" he joked amiably. "I hope you didn't get too wet." he teased, and shook out his soaking pelt just like he'd seen dogs do.

[wolfkitten]

Snowpelt could have sighed with relief that Memoryleaf didn't press her further. It wasn't that she didn't trust her Clanmate... Not at all... She just wasn't certain what they would all thing... Snowpelt had been questioning many things... Her beginnings mostly... Neither her nor her brother could remember much... Snowpelt didn't remember anything as drastic as being uprooted and moving to another Clan though... She always remembered being of WindClan... Well she would put those thoughts aside for now, if she wasn't careful she would end up spilling her guts to Memoryleaf, he seemed like such a nice cat...

Well soon enough she heard his words about the Goldfish and she couldn't help but snicker gently before dipping her paw lightly into the water in a gesture to go ahead. "Not at all, just wanted him fresh for catching... Already dead prey just doesn't taste quite as good as the fresh stuff..." She snickered a little bit. She wasn't saying anything about the Clan's way of storing food, it worked very well, but it always was best if you got the kill just after it was killed, just a known fact.

Well it was not long before Memoryleaf flung himself into the pond. Goodness gracious! She stepped back in surprise as water splashed over her paws and up her front. She laughed lightly, her eyes squinting a little in delight as she watched him, amusement obvious upon her maw and in her sparkling eyes. She watched as he floundered about in the pond after that poor little terrified fish, it was amazing that it had not keeled over from a heart attack! That silly tom... Goodness he reminded her of a side of her brother, only she had been able to see... The playful side... She sighed gently, but couldn't help but giggle a little at his antics.

Well she soon watched as he hoisted up out of the pond and sat down. She moved over to comfortingly press her nose into his shoulder, half taking his acts for real. But she giggled a little at his words and shook her head a little bit. "Not at all." She giggled a little, though in reality she was quite soaked from all his splashing, though not nearly as bad as he was. But that seemed to be about to change further! She watched as he began to shake out his pelt, all over her! She let out a yowl then a burst of laughter. "Memoryleaf!" She giggled all the more, well great now she was about as soaked as he was as he seemed to deem it right to share.

[flower]

Memoryleaf glanced sidelong at Snowpelt. She was almost completely soaked as he was. Only her tailtip remained dry, but he could let that go. Already her words were spinning around in his head, confusing him as to what their meaning was. "Not at all, just wanted him fresh for catching... Already dead prey just doesn't taste quite as good as the fresh stuff..." she was taking this little fish excuse slightly too far, and though he was quite curious, he wouldn't want to give this lovely warrior any reason to mistrust him.
"My, my, that was a good swim. It feels good to take a dip after such a long day. But I'm sure you are feeling exactly the same as I am!" he joked, indicating her drenched white pelt. Already, his dripping fur was starting to perk up a bit. How funny he must look with his whiskers sticking straight out and his normally fluffy pelt nearly plastered to his body. He listened to the cheery sound of her laughter as he licked his paws and groomed himself behind the ears. Surely, those previous thoughts of hers were still spinning around in her head like a frantic starling, but there wasn't much he could do about that since she didn't seem keen to talk about whoever wasn't dead, and besides, he had made himself a nice distraction! His tailtip flicked happily and he couldn't help letting out a long purr of laughter as well. What a show...

[wolfkitten]

Snowpelt would cast another light glance back at Memoryleaf, meeting his gaze. She would give a light giggle and glance down at the ground in between her paws. Her tail tip, the only dry part of her, snapped a little as thoughts continued to dart around her mind. She knew she was laying it on too thick, and there was no way he would believe her story, and she didn't want her Clanmate thinking she was hiding this deep dark secret... Well she sort of was, not a deep dark one, but a secret nonetheless.

She couldn't help but grin up at him as he spoke of what a good swim it was, and she nodded a little bit as she licked at one of her paws as well, then moved to give her shoulder a couple quick licks, smoothing the fur there. She glanced up at him again and couldn't help but giggle softly as she saw his whiskers all perked up and the rest of him decidedly not.

Well... Her mind continued to reel a bit... What was up with her? She hadn't even seen him, how in the world did she think she knew he was alive? Well... She glanced at Memoryleaf again. Somehow she felt she could trust him... She would speak softly to him, scooting a little closer. "Memoryleaf... I-I wasn't exactly worried about the fish... Do you... Do you promise not to tell anyone if I tell you?" She perked her ears up as she looked hopefull up at him. She hadn't told anyone, except perhaps her best friend Amberstar, but she was long since gone... And she wasn't even sure if she had told her... But goodness she hoped she could confide in Memoryleaf, and somehow she felt she could... Goodness she was acting like a kit...

[flower]

As the silence continued to grow between them, Memoryleaf felt a new connection, a bond, forming. He didn't know how, though. Again, she was lost in her thoughts. He was just about to roll over onto his back and stretch out in the sunlight to dry his soaked pelt off when suddenly Snowpelt spoke. Cautiously. Like when a cat is climbing a steep, rocky slope and they must test their every pawstep or at any moment the ground might give way beneath them and they would tumble to their deaths. "Memoryleaf... I-I wasn't exactly worried about the fish... Do you... Do you promise not to tell anyone if I tell you?"
As if his reply would need any thought. "Of course I won't tell anyone! If it troubles you, then it should stay secret. You can trust me." he purred, and caressed her flank with his tail comfortingly. You can tell me anything. Memoryleaf thought. He was beginning to have strange emotions about this she-cat. Only adding to his happiness was the fact that she was willing to trust him.

[wolfkitten]

Goodness Snowpelt felt the silence between them begin to grow slightly awkward, but it really didn't occur to her all that much, considering she was so lost in her own thoughts. And yet she too felt a certain bond growing between herself and this Clanmate of hers... Which was odd because before today she hadn't really spoken to him... Or anyone lately for that matter. But now as she spoke softly, she was feeling more and more as if she could trust him.

His next words merely reaffirmed such a feeling, and she nodded gently. It was as if, in her heart, she knew that already... But she had to have him convince her mind with his words. She gave a gentle smile as she felt his tail slide lightly against her flank, and she nodded slightly in response to his words. "Well... This is going to sound strange... But there's a cat in ShadowClan... Perhaps you know of him? His name is Sharpfang..." She paused for a moment, searching Memoryleaf's face for any recognition or any feelings toward such cat. But she would then go on, nodding a little bit. "Well... He's my brother... We don't know exactly what happened that seperated us... But he is my brother... My littermate. We were the only surviving ones out of our litter, but something happened and we were seperated... Well we found eachother almost a year ago, and just after we found eachother he dissapeared... I was terrified that he had been killed but today... Today I had this feeling... This feeling that he was closer than I thought, and he is alive and well... But I cannot figure out a way to see this for myself... I-I cannot tell if this is just wishful thinking on my part or true... But yes... He is the one that I spoke of earlier..." She dipped her head slightly, uncertainty shining in her eyes, not certain how Memoryleaf would take all this.

[flower]

Memoryleaf paused, his eyes squinted, searching his mind for this cat called Sharpfang. Yes, had heard of Sharpfang at the Gathering.. how he and Whitefoot, another ShadowClan warrior, had kits. Her brother? They shared no resemblance! But from her seriousness, he couldn't help but believe her. Why would she lie about such a thing, anyway?
It was clear to him from the look in her eyes and from the tone of her voice that right now, she wanted nothing more than to be sure that her beloved brother was alive and well. Even if he was ShadowClan. He sighed, and looked her straight in the eyes, seriously. "I know this would be err.. breaking the code, but no one has to know if we.." he lowered his voice and ducked his head. "If we snuck onto ShadowClan territory to find him. We would have to disguise our scent of course, but that's the simple part. " Normally, he shuddered at the concept of disloyalty to WindClan, but this wasn't exactly disloyalty. Just breaking the rules. But he would go anywhere to make Snowpelt happy, and if this was what she wanted, he would help her. "Do you want me to accompany you?" he meowed, dipping his head politely. Please say yes! he urged silently. In his mind, he was already crossing the border with her at his side.

[wolfkitten]

Snowpelt watched Memoryleaf hoping he wouldn't be upset with her, it wasn't exactly her fault that she had kin in another Clan... Honestly... But it was such an odd thing... A sweet little WindClan she-cat had a brother in Bloodthirsty ShadowClan... At least that was how the WindClan cats seemed to see them. She dipped her head slightly, knowing it wasn't likely for her to see her brother until the next Gathering. But oh how she wanted to! She gazed at Memoryleaf as recognition shone in his eyes. Yes... Sharpfang and Whitefoot had had little ones...

Well she would gaze off to the side for a moment, until Memoryleaf spoke again. She listened intently to him and paused. Snowpelt had always been the good little cat... Always doing as she was told, and living by the Warrior Code as well as she could. But now... Her desire to see her brother was so strong, that Memoryleaf's idea was so appealing... She thought about it... It was possible... They could enter ShadowClan territory... Perhaps roll in some fox dung or something to confuse their scent... And perhaps they could find her brother! With any luck he would be on patrol... And yet she didn't even know for sure that he was even there...

But she looked up to him as she heard him ask if she wanted him to accompany her. "Memoryleaf... I would love you to, but there's so much danger... If we're found by a ShadowClan patrol... If Bluestar finds out..." She winced slightly, shaking her head a little in uncertainty. But oh how it shone in her eyes, letting him know that she wanted nothing more...

[flower]

Just as he had suspected, Snowpelt refused. Of course. They were both very obedient to the Warrior Code and loyal WindClan cats. He wanted nothing more than to help her get this off her chest, and getting caught by a patrol or possibly being exiled, or worse, by Bluestar wouldn't do either of them any good. But still, the Gathering was a long way off.
"I suppose you're right..." he trailed off, deep in thought. A plan was formulating in his mind. Now how to proceed, he was unsure. "But, we could always wait right by the ShadowClan border, with our scents disguised of course, and wait for a patrol to pass. Then we can tail them from a distance until they come to the camp. There's a possibility Sharpfang will be on patrol, and if not.. then we can lay low and follow the patrol..." But now he was having second thoughts. There wasn't much of a chance of Bluestar finding out, but being in the wrong place at the wrong time could give them away. He looked down at his paws, shaking his head, considering the possibilities... Oh this was all so wrong! He was beginning to question his loyalty! Not only his, but he was dragging Snowpelt into it with him!
"But if you really want to do this," Memoryleaf said, nearly regretting every word, "then we'll just have to push our luck." He looked up, his brown eyes boring into Snowpelt's ice blue ones, searching for an answer, but he only found equal uncertainty.

[wolfkitten]

Snowpelt hadn't flat out refused... She was merely worried about dragging Memoryleaf into this... Heck, plans were already sparking in the young she-cat's mind as she thought on the plans Memoryleaf had already uttered. Yes. Snowpelt was going across that border to meet her brother... She longed to be certain that he was alright!

Yet she perked her ears up suddenly as she heard him speak of waiting on the border for them... Goodness how many time had she and Sharpfang met at Fourtrees? Her eyes lit up with excitement and eagerness as she thought about this, her gentle blue eyes snapping with delight. She moved over to Memoryleaf and purred bright to him, nodding a bit. "That would work just fine I think!" She nodded all the more, grinning as she heard him speak again. "Yes... I really want to do it... And I really want you with me. Let's try this, I'm sure it will work out." She nodded eagerly once again, her eyes bright with excitement instead of with frusteration. "We can do this..."

[flower]

Memoryleaf had longed to be certain of himself. He was breaking the code, trespassing on enemy territory, and at any second there was the possibility of capture and death. And there wasn't anything in the world he hated more than disloyalty to his Clan. Yet, once Snowpelt agreed to his plans and he saw the certainty and determination in her eyes, he was already too involved with this to back out. In fact, up until this very second when she said she really wanted him with her, he had felt as though he was invisible, and he was a tool in her plans. As though she could see straight through him and her brother waited for her on the other side. But now he felt involved. Committed. He wanted to be with her and she wanted him with her too. He couldn't be more sure of anything. And if they died, they died together.
Swallowing all his uncertainty, and the scared tremor in his voice gone, he spoke. "Well then what are we waiting for?" He got onto his paws, shook out his now-dry pelt, and beckoned her with his tail. This time, he murmured a little lower, too low for anyone but Snowpelt to hear. "To ShadowClan!" And with that, he padded in a crouch through the beech trees that sheltered the Hidden Pond in the direction of the Thunderpath. Away from the safety of WindClan.

[Silver]

(Is this thread finished, guys? Cause I could neatly tuck it away into Archives...)