Return of the Forgotten(All EC)

[~bright~]

It had rain that day. No. More like storming, with pouring down rain and lightning streaking the sky, threatening to set fire to anything it hits. But the storm had just ended. Now there was only a light sprinkle, nothing too severe. Nothing was untouched by the rain and the ground was wet with mud.

A lone figure struggled its way through terrain created by the storm. Occasionally the lean feral would get stuck in the mud and would have to fight to loosen out of the mud's grasp. The figure was that of a cat. And it was obvious to those who would see that the feline hadn't had a good meal in quite a few Moons, despite it being Greenleaf. Ribs could be seen sticking under the darkened and unkempt pelt. And every time the cat lift a shaky paw to move forward, it would staggered. But the feline refused to rest, and continued to trudged through the territory of EastClan.

this was no ordinary trespasser, though. The feline used to be here long ago. She's to the clans as Brightstream, Medicine cat of EastClan. Well, most likely former by now. She had left the Clan in search of someone, planning on returning in just a few Moons. But after so long of looking, her search came back with nothing.
How many moons has it been? She didn't know. Brightstream doesn't even know if her Clan would even remember her. She could feel the weight of her life on her shoulder, but she knew she wasn't old enough to be an Elder. But still, EastClan was the only place she called home. And after being gone so long, she's finally returning to the clan.

As the once yellow she-cat slowly approached the camp. So many thoughts began racing through her head. She noted, while glancing around the territory, that not much has changed. Except for the wet and muddy terrain that the storm left behind. At the same time, more darker, worrying thought crept into her mind.
Will anyone remember me? Have I been replaced and forgotten? Will they hate me for leaving and coming back with nothing? But one thought overpowered the rest. Will they except me or will they chase me out? She immediately shook away the uncertain thought and pressed on. Her blue eyes glowing with determination.

Brightstream was standing just several pawsteps from the entrance into the camp. She let out a sigh of relief, knowing that her journey will soon come to an end. But the feeling of uncertainty still lingered in the air. As she took a step. she let out a startled yelp as her body suddenly collapsed. She was able to move into a sitting position, but felt that if she tried to do anything else, she'll fall over again. Brightstream had been traveling nearly nonstop for the past three days, so it was no surprise that this happened. But why now, when she was so close to camp? To her home?
No need to panic She tried to calm herself. afterall, she was sitting just outside the entranced in plain sight. Surely someone would appear and see her. But with her dark, matted pelt, and frail-looking frame, she looked so different than she did all those moons ago. And most of the warriors now probably barely remember her, if not at all. She took a deep breath and waited. It didn't matter much who came out, so long as they help her the rest of the way into camp. Only then can she make for return.

[mysteryfaith]

Darkwing's silver tabby pelt was matted with rain, heavy on his skin with the retained water that was falling all across his territory. After such a violent storm, the elder felt thoroughly drained - not just of physical energy, which came so very rarely to lighten the weight of his limbs, but of emotional energy, too. He wasn't the bubbliest of characters at the best of times - always considering reality, putting things into perspective before he let himself dream of the future - but today, he simply felt foul.

This change of mood had caused him to risk a trip outside the camp. His bones were fragile and his body was delicate, his body constantly weakened by harsh and unrelenting age. The odds were stacked against him; few cats would expect him to leave his nest, let alone leave the camp, without supervision. It was more than likely that he would be struck down with a bout of fatigue before he took three steps beyond the camp entrance, but he wanted to risk it - anything to try and recapture his youth. It was useless, and he knew it, but in his haggard heart he had a grudge against sitting down and accepting his age with grace. He would fight against it for as long as he could - mentally, if not physically.

With these thoughts in his mind - the only place that wasn't sopping wet from the onslaught of rain - he set out, wobbling past the camp entrance and only taking a few steps before stopping in his tracks. Any onlooker would assume that his fears had been correct; he was incapable of going any further, because of his weak body. However, he knew what had stopped him - he felt perfectly fine, but the cat he had caught a glimpse of through the undergrowth wasn't.

Feeling a surge of excitement and fear, he hobbled towards the figure - definitely a cat, he asserted before reaching it, so safe to approach. Female? Yes, her scent confirmed that. Her pelt looked quite yellow, underneath the rain and mud that appeared to have collected on it; Darkwing couldn't help but think this cat was in rather poor condition.

She didn't smell like a Clan warrior to him, although underneath her many varying scents, he did detect a slight hint of EastClan. He couldn't tell if that was just a scent she had picked up whilst in the territory, or if it was something deeper, more long-lasting than that. It certainly seemed to be deep-rooted on her skin; surely, if she had picked it up simply from the territory, it would have been washed away by now.

Anyway, that wasn't important - what was important was that this cat looked like she needed help, and Darkwing was the only tom around to provide it. She could well be a loner, but even so, he couldn't just leave her out there to die; she had trespassed, but as a loner, perhaps she didn't think about the borders she was crossing. He pushed his weight against her - he wasn't all weak and fragile, like the Clan seemed to assume - and tried to prop her up against him. It was no use; she was just too heavy for him, despite her underfed appearance. Maybe he was just too fragile for her.

Unable to move the loner by himself, Darkwing sat beside her, and tried feebly to comfort her, cajole her back into life - anything to help her. "Help!" he called out; his voice was strong and thick, having stayed just as deep and loud as it had been in his youth. The elder hoped it was strong enough to reach back to the camp, and call other cats out to come and help him.

As he sat by the stranger, waiting for either her to get up or for a helpful warrior to come and assist him, he examined her face. Darkwing couldn't help but feel a slight twist of recognition - it was faint, and he couldn't be sure that it was recognition or just him confusing her with someone else, but . . . something told him that long ago, he had known this cat. Not closely - even in his state of old age, he would recognise a close personal friend, even after seasons of separation - but vaguely. Perhaps the loner had strayed here before, when he was a warrior, and he had been part of the patrol to send her away?

766.

[~bright~]

The yellow she-cat didn't have to wait too long. It only felt like a few heart-beats until she caught a glimpse of a feline figure leaving camp. Her heart skipped a beat when the gray cat spotted her. She could tell by scent that the cat was a tom. But seeing his pelt covered in scars made her feel nervous. This cat had obviously seen many battles in his life. She just slouched there, trying to not as non-threatening as possible.

What the tom did, though, completely took her by surprise. Instead of alerting the Clan or questioning her, he immediately came to her side with a look of concern in his eyes. Without a word he started to try to get her off the ground and leaning on him. This immediate act of kindness shocked her so much that her body was frozen. After a while the tom gave up and sat next to her, yelling for help. All the while comforting her, telling her that it'll be okay.

Brightstream soon recovered from her shock and began to studied the tom. Judging by his frail-look and whitened muzzled that he's probably an Elder. Could that be why he was so quick to help her. Or maybe he recognized her from the past? His voice and appearance now seem so familiar to her, but she couldn't place his name. As they sat in an awkward, yet tensed, silence, a name suddenly came to her.

Darkwing...

She turned to him and smiled. Something she hadn't done in a long time.
"T-thank you," She mewed in she usual quiet voice. Her voice cracked for not being used in so long. She glanced at the entrance to camp. "I think I can get up now. I guess I just needed rest." She slowly started to rise, her legs shaking as she staggered onto her paws. She stared once more at the tom and politely mewed, "If it's alright, I'll head into the camp. You can help me so I don't fall again."

Normally, Brightstream would wait for a reply. But she was so determine to finish her journey that she started to stagger her way to the entrance. She was no longer aware if Darkwing was by her side, or even helping to support her. She was so wrapped up in all the familiar and new scents of her Clanmates. Finally, she found herself inside of EastClan's camp. A gasp escaped her mouth as so many memories came flooding back to her. The camp has barely even change since she had been gone. She began shaking as relief began to engulfed her.
She stood there, next to Darkwing, as she waited for her old Clanmates to noticed her arrival. She was nervous as to now they'll react, along as to what they'll do. But at the same time, she was glad that it's finally over. She even let out an excited whisper:

"Finally. I've returned. I'm home again."

[Smith]

[bg=black][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,300,true]Icebriar - Icebriar's fur prickled when she sensed that there was someone in the camp. She looked over. There was a cat with unfamiliar scents but a familiar face. She narrowed her eyes. //"Brightstream,"// she murmured. She was surprised that she recognized the former medicine cat, but she somehow knew. She'd vanished, when Hollowstar had vanished as well. No cat knew she was still alive, and for a moment Icebriar wondered if Hollowstar was alive too. She ran over to her old clanmate, looking at the former medicine cat. //"Is Hollowstar with you?"// she asked urgently.

[mysteryfaith]

The she-cat seemed to have a miraculous recovery, and so Darkwing quickly escorted her into the camp, whether she needed his help or not. She seemed quite determined to get there - normally, with a veritable stranger about to enter his camp, he would be defensive . . . but something told him that this she-cat belonged in EastClan territory. Maybe that scent on her fur was more than something she'd simply picked up from the boundary markers.

Once in there, a she-cat who Darkwing didn't recognise rushed over to the loner, and asked her whether Hollowstar was still alive. Ah, Hollowstar . . . that name rang a distant, rusty bell. If this warrior had asked the newcomer about a Clan cat, then the stranger wasn't all new, perhaps - she must be a Clan cat!

"Excuse me, stranger," Darkwing murmured softly to the yellow she-cat, trying not to intimidate her - although she looked as if she'd seen troubles beyond his wildest dreams, judging by the state of her pelt. "Were you . . . are you . . . is this your home?" the elder finally managed to splutter out; it was certainly awkward, asking someone if they'd returned home.

Darkwing was sure he'd heard the she-cat utter something about returning when she entered the camp, but he couldn't be sure - her voice seemed to be naturally quiet, which meant he couldn't hear her properly. He made sure to lean in close to her now - not to appear hostile, or to invade her personal space, but to made sure he heard her answer. Although his memory was fading, he thought he had vaguely recognised her when he found her, and the warrior who had approached her a few moments before appeared to know her.

What was it that the other she-cat had called this stranger? Something quite distinctive - to do with light and water, he seemed to recall . . . he had been too overwhelmed by the recent events to properly listen to the warrior. He barely even recognised the she-cat - she clearly didn't visit the elders' den much, for her hadn't seen her face around. However, he believed he'd heard her name a few times, whilst passing her in the camp perhaps. Icebriar? Yes, Icebriar was the name of the warrior who had approached them earlier.

Icebriar had addressed the stranger with a warrior name - Darkwing was sure of that much. So that confirmed his suspicions; this stranger, whatever her name was, had been a part of EastClan, but for some reason had left for such a long time that the elder was struggling even now to recognise her. Faint memories came to his mind - memories of herbs especially.

The elder decided to sum up his findings; this she-cat was yellow, but looked as if she'd been on a long journey, and from the way Icebriar had approached her, it looked as if she'd been gone for a long time. She reminded him of herbs, and was associated in some way with Hollowstar - a cat who Darkwing knew had disappeared quite a few moons ago. In his wisened mind, he tried to connect the dots . . . and came up with a startling conclusion.

"Brightstream!" he exclaimed loudly, blinking furiously as he took in the she-cat's appearance once more. Yes, it all made sense now! The herb smell, the long absence - the name of light and water . . . it was the rather estranged former medicine cat of EastClan. He was sure of it this time. With a frenzied glance between Brightstream and Icebriar, he let out a small yelp of excitement.

"This is a most joyous occasion!" he called out across the camp, hoping his voice would carry to everyone curled up in their dens or out across the territory. "Brightstream, former medicine cat of this Clan, has come home!"

667.

[VineStar12]

Tigerflight
Eastclan Deputy

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The tom walks out of his den, muscles rippling under his handsome tabby pelt. His green eyes scanned across camp until his gaze rested on three cats; Icebriar, Darkwing, and an unknown she-cat. Seeing as he was deputy, he should go check it out. Tigerflight gives a quick yowl up to Ripplestar's den, a way of telling him something was going on. He pads over to the trio, his expression serious. "Don't strain yourself, Darkwing. And, hello, Icebriar. Who is this?" his voice strong and steady as he nodded towards to mud-covered stranger.

(Fail. Lol.)

[~bright~]

Just as soon as she entered the camp, a small white warrior approached her. It didn't take her too long for her to recognized the she-cat warrior. Her name was Icebriar, a unique name which fitted well for a unique cat. Brightstream had seen her around camp quite a bit. When Icebriar asked her a question, the yellow she-cat was startled, yet pleased that the white she-cat quickly remembered her. Perhaps I haven't been gone long as I've thought? Then she remembered the question.

"Is Hollowstar with you?"

Her tailed drooped and she lowered her head in shame as she was reminded of her failed mission. Moons ago, she left the Clan in search of the Leader. but she also had another reason. In her delusion state when Hollowstar disappeared, she thought that the Leader left along with StarClan. They've been silent for a long time, before Hollowstar went missing. She thought if she found the Leader, she would find their warrior ancestors. But she failed to find either.
Brightstream knew she would have to explain all of this to the Clan, and hope for forgiveness for leaving them on such a stupid reason. But for now, all she could do was shake her head in reply to Icebriar's question.

She then heard a whisper next to her. She glanced over to see Darkwing, trying to ask her something. She waited in slight amusement as the Elder stuttered out his question. It was if this was her home. She realized that the Elder, despite that fact he would've seen her before she left, couldn't remember her. This saddened her, even though she knew that most elders don't have the best of memories. Just as she was about to answer his question, she noticed a glow of realization in his eyes.

"Brightstream!"

The sudden exclamation made her jump. Seeing him happy and made a warm glow in her. She watched as he let out an excited yowl, announcing her return to the Clan. She noticed cats appearing out of their dens. They stared in wondered, some in hostility. This made her feel uncomfortable and she looked down and stared at her mud-covered paws.

She stole a glance at the gathering crowd and noticed a brown tabby going near the Leader's den and letting out a urgent yowl inside. So, they've replaced the Leader? she wondered. It shouldn't be no surprise to her. the former Leader has been gone for so long now. The tabby then approached them. He had an air of authority as he told Darkwing to settle down. She didn't recognized this cat at all. Perhaps he came to the Clan after she left? He stared at her with pale green eyes as he asked who she was.
Despite his intimidating stare and voice, she knew she'll have to address herself who she is, or was, to him and to the Clan. The yellow she-cat was never used to speaking in front of many cats. But she'll have to this time. She took a hesitant step forward and stared at them.

"I'm...", Her voice came out squeaky and small. She knew that she'll have to sound better than that. She took a deep breath and forced herself to keep her voice steady. She tried again, this time her voice was louder and more confident.
"My name is Brightstream. Medicine cat of EastClan. I've disappeared, yes. But now I've returned."

[mysteryfaith]

Darkwing recoiled at Tigerflight's words; don't strain myself? "I'm an elder, Tigerflight," the grey tabby tom snarled, feeling his fur prickle with indignation, "but I'm not senile yet. You'd do well to respect your elders." He had spoken before with the deputy, but that didn't stop him from being a little hurt by the brown tabby's words. In private, they had been allies - friends, almost - but now, he had to prove his authority to everyone, and put a stop to him simply announcing the return of a much-loved medicine cat.

Something inside him quivered with fear; that's the Clan deputy! Would he be scolded just for asking for some respect? No, he decided - he was an elder of the Clan, someone who had seen more days and battles than Tigerflight had. His scarred pelt proved that - it was no crime to ask others to observe it as well.

The elder sighed, and shook the incident aside; enough was enough. He had to let it go now, even though he retained a little of the anger within himself. Why did youths always resent elders? He'd thought that Tigerflight had been different - but maybe he was just like every other young cat in this Clan, too busy having fun and fighting battles to notice the cats left behind. With a self-pitying shake, he turned back to Brightstream, and forced a smile.

"It's wonderful that you've returned, Brightstream - I recall being treated by you many times," he purred, whiskers twitching with delight. He made sure to keep his voice down - even though he didn't feel strained in any way, he didn't want this Tigerflight business to go any further. It was better to simply comply with the deputy's ageist rules than resist them, no matter how much he wished he had a younger body and mind so he could put up a better argument.

Darkwing sat down, his tail swishing happily. Brightstream didn't seem so jolly - thinking about Hollowstar, perhaps? It seemed that she had come alone to the Clan - there was no one else with her when he'd found her outside, just a short distance away from the camp - so it could only be observed that Hollowstar had been lost forever. It was a shame; he was a good and fair leader to the Clan, before he had deserted it for whatever reason he had. He guessed that something had drawn him away - romance, perhaps? - but it was only innocent speculation. The elder guessed that EastClan would never know now.

With a vague lick of his paw, he cast his keen gaze upon Brightstream, inspecting her dirty pelt with wonder. Her travels must have been harsh for her to have sustained such physical abuse. "You must tell us the tales of your adventures, Brighstream," Darkwing prompted, his eyes gleaming with interest. He had never traveled far from Clan territory himself, so he was distinctly intrigued by the stories of a cat who must have gone far beyond the EastClan border.

The elder shut his eyes for a second, and imagined far-off lands with roaring mythical beasts that flew around looming mountains, their fat, ugly wings swishing through fluffy purple clouds. This fantasy land couldn't possibly be real, and he knew that - but perhaps Brightstream had seen something a little more exciting than the familiar shrubs and oaks of EastClan? "Let me guess," he mewed, excitement flickering in his old eyes. "I bet you saw the big waters."

The big waters were something he'd heard about as a kit; far, far away, where no Clan cat had ever gone before, there was a huge mass of water that never ended. No cat would ever dare to cross it, for it was clear that it was endless; however, some had seen floating vessels on the water, with Two-legs on board. Darkwing could only imagine such frightful things, but surely Brightstream had seen them in the flesh! "So, did you see them?" he prompted her eagerly. "Did you see the big waters that never end?"

724.


(OOC: He's talking about the sea, by the way. xP)

[Firefly]

Windsky looked up, alarmed by her Clan's attention being turned towards something. She wondered what was going on, so she went out to investigate. The blue tortoiseshell saw many cats standing near a stranger. She squinted until her eyes became nothing but bright orange slits. She wandered towards the stranger, sniffing the air for a trace of scent.

She didn't find the cat familiar, but she heard others whispering a name that did ring a bell: Brightstream. She was the medicine cat of the Clan, but disappeared around the time that Hollowstar had. Wintersong had taken over in her place. She hadn't thought that the medicine cat would ever come back, in fact everyone thought she had gone missing and died.

With a look of surprise, her eyes now opening wide, she bolted towards the medicine cat. "Brightstream!" she cried. "You've come back to the Clan! Where did you go? What happened?" She asked her questions rapidly, eager to hear about what had happened to the former medicine cat.

She couldn't help but wonder what would happen now that Brightstream was back. Will she be the medicine cat again, or will Wintersong remain in her place? she thought. Perhaps only Ripplestar would have the answer to that question. Windsky wondered where the Clan leader was. He was missing something very important.

[dallas]

Wintersong treaded along through the mud and rain towards the elders den to check up on them. Some times the eldest cat's joints ached when they got wet so it would do them good if she paid a visit, even though it was pouring outside. Her paws sunk in the mud softly and her fur was now soaking and very heavy. Hopefully it wouldn't take to long to make sure everyone was comfotable.

As she continued on something caught her eye. There was a large gathering of cats near the entrance for some reason, Icebriar, Tigerflight, Darkwing, Windsky, and a stranger that was very under weight. Oh my goodness that poor loner! she would have to bring this loner something to eat, but first she should probably help her into the medicine cat den, after all the loner could be very sick.

She bounded over and stopped when she noticed that they all were very pleased and saying a name that sounded familiar. 'Brightstream.' Why was this name so familiar? Was that the she-cat's name? She started searching back recalling everyone she knew, then it hit her. That was the former medicine cat! How exciting! Brightstream had disappeared when Wintersong was only an apprentice. Then another thought hit her. What if Ripplestar wanted Brightstream as medicine cat again? She obviously had more experiance then herself; she was clearly the better choice. All of the excitment that had once swelled in her was fading away as she looked at Brighstream. She raised her head and swallowed the lump in her throat and moved towards the medicine cat. "Welcome back," She smiled awkwardly."Do you need something to eat?" Well duh! Judging by how she looked she would probably be very hungry.

[VineStar12]

Tigerflight
Eastclan Deputy

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The deputy's pale green eyes looked at Darkwing, a mix of concern and apologizing within their depths. He didn't want the elder to strain himself so that he wouldn't get hurt or extremely sore by the end of the day. Tigerflight's gaze turned to the yellow she-cat who called herself Brightstream. The name did ring a bell, and she looked a lot like the medicine cat just about at the time he was an apprentice. Of course, she probably wouldn't recognize him, the tabby tom had changed a bit over the seasons. "Ripplestar will want to see you, Brightstream. But, not right now. After your journey you will need to rest and eat." he meows.

(Bleh. Fail again, lol.)

[~bright~]

Brightstream found herself being bombarded with questions from all sides. a blue tortoiseshell she-cat came over with excitement and added her questions to the mix. She felt overwhelmed with so many voices going on at once, that all she say was an "um...", but deep down, she felt a sense of relief that, so far, her Clanmates have welcomed her. It felt that she's already part of the Clan once more, and that she hadn't been gone for too long. Maybe I haven't given them much credit." She thought as she smiled at her Clanmates.

Then she saw a pure white she-cat approaching them. The on-going drizzle making her pelt appear like she had gray patches. She had a look of concern on her as she padded up to Brightstream, and there was a distinct scent of herbs on her.That's when she guessed that this she-cat must be the current Medicine cat! Brightstream stared at her, not sure what to think at the moment. She did feel sad and guilty for having to be replaced. That must mean she really had been gone for a long time.

"Are...are you the Medicine cat?" She finally asked. she then bowed her head in respect. "If so, then I'm grateful that you've took care of the Clan...where I couldn't" The last part was more of a whisper. the yellow she-cat knew that she'll always feel guilty for abandoning her Clan for her silly mission.

Then she remember her question about food. In all of the excitement, she had forgotten her hunger. Now she can feel the stabs of pain in her belly for being empty for quite a while. during the last three days of her journey, due to her determination to return to EastClan, she had not eaten anything at all. And even before that, hunting on unknown lands had proven to be difficult. She was unsure of taking food right now since she had not been fully excepted into the clan, yet. But her hunger, along with the reassurance of the brown tabby, won her over.

She nodded her head vigorously, "Y-yes, please," she could barely stand on her paws anymore and asked, "Where could I rest for now?"Before waiting for an answer, she remember all of the question from the others. She looked at them with a tired smile. "I'll answer all your questions in due time." She then glanced over at Darkwing. the gray tabby was so nice to her and was so willing to help, that she felt the need to answer his question at least. She nodded her head.
"Yes, I have. Water as far as the eye can see." She, too, heard of the big waters as a kit, and that was her first destination on her search. Though she didn't find any trace of what she was looking, the sight alone was worth it.

She then padded shakily over to the medicine cat. She'll have to remember to ask what her name is later. She glanced over at her Clanmates once. I'll tell you more later. but right now, I need to rest." Another smile crept onto her face. she felt so much at home here. She knew that she'll have to speak to Ripplestar, whom she assumed was originally Ripplestep, about what her place will be in the Clan. But right now, she's just happy to be back in the clan.

[Firefly]

Even though Windsky was excited to hear about everything that had happened to Brightstream, she knew that the poor medicine cat had to rest. She had heard murmurings about Hollowstar, but it was painfully clear that the previous leader of the Clan would not be coming back. It was that Ripplestar was a bad leader, but every EastClan cat wanted to know what had happened to the leader who had come before.

She dipped her head to the former medicine cat. "Understood, Brightstream, you need your rest. I still want to hear about everything later though." She knew that Brightstream would have so many stories to tell them. She looked over at Wintersong briefly, wondering what the current medicine cat thought of the old medicine cat's return.

[ink]

x - - RIPPLESTAR



The rain poured down the forest incessantly, layering the earth with moisture. Well, more like drenching with water. Every so often the hazy, gray sky was illuminated by a shock of lightning and thunders rolling in the distance. It was probable that the kits- and maybe apprentices- would stay close to their mothers.

Ripplestar enjoyed such a weather...though not as extreme with thunder and lightning bouncing off the sky; he wondered if StarClan was angry. He had hoped not. Azure eyes followed the flash of light- between the matted leaves- gone quicker than it had arrived. But yes, he enjoyed the moist, crisp air that heightened his senses as the forest seemed much clearer. For a long time the EastClan leader sat there, eyes closed and breathing in deeply the fresh air.

A commotion stirred within the camp, spreading like wildfire as he heard his clanmates clamor and exclaim words. Eyes snapped open and Ripplestar glanced over, wondering what was going on. Quietly he headed over to where everyone was. Familiar scents lingered about but a strong, particularly pungent one stood out. But how odd...the scent smelt slightly familiar as well.

"What's all this commotion about?"

"Brightstream!"

[/b]

"You've come back to the clan! Where did you go?"

His mouth suddenly felt dry, throat suddenly parched as the tom froze, shocked. Was it possible? Ripplestar shouldered his way through the crowd of cats, heading to the front where, plain in sight, stood a familiar she-cat, creamy yellow fur standing out with those bright blue-green eyes he had seen before in memories.

"B...Brightstream? Is that really you?" Ripplestar blinked, wondering if this was some sort of illusion, some kind of cross between memories and reality. But no, he stood there before EastClan's former medicine cat whom the clan believed had disappeared.
"You came back," Ripplestar murmured softly in shock. He remembered when he was a trouble-making apprentice that he often went into the medicine cat's den. Although he wasn't particularly close to Brightstream, he had been healed by her before. A rush of warmth and disbelief filled him but the lanky tom was reminded to act upon his duty as leader when several of his clanmates suggested she rest and eat.

"Yes, please rest first, Brightstream. We'll get you some food and water." His eyes softened. "I'm so glad you've come back. EastClan is glad to have you back."

((i'm so, so sorry for the late reply guys! it wasn't fair of me to make you guys all wait! i'll try replying sooner when i have more time! ><))[/blockquote][/size]