An Unexpected Meeting (Stormwing/Oakleaf only)

[Cinder]

ooc- Couldn't think of a good title. Sorry.

The setting sun threw huge shadows of the tall oak trees across the grass. The small grey cat, padding along the rim of the hollow, passed from cool shadow to still-warm sunlight and back again without even a change of expression. Her head hung low, and her tail drooped until it nearly brushed the grass.
Stormwing raised her head abruptly, although for no clear reason, and winced as a shaft of sunlight struck her straight in the eyes. Hissing, she averted her eyes, and seemed to realize for the first time where she was.
A faint smile touched her face as she gazed at the four tall oaks, their spreading canopies blanketing the entire hollow in a cool, almost comforting dimness. For a moment she found herself remembering her first Gathering, as a wide-eyed clumsy apprentice who was always underpaw.
But that led her to memories of cats she had seen, cats she had talked to. Which led her to...
Oakleaf.
The name was a cruel blackthorn piercing her heart. Stormwing choked back a soft cry, her mind racing to find another subject, to take her away from the anguished feelings of love and loss.
He died in the fire. You'll never see him again. Now stop being such a baby.
The grey she-cat dug her claws into the ground, fighting the tears that she knew were coming. Some small, cynical corner of her mind whispered that it was ridiculous to still be weeping over a cat that she hadn't seen for three long years, but she ignored that jaded voice. Sitting alone in the shadow of Fourtrees, Stormwing reflected that the wound left by Oakleaf's loss was still as raw as it had been the day after the fire.

[ash]

(sorry this took so long!)

I said I'd never forget you...

... and I meant it with all my heart

Bounding along a newly worn trail, Oakleaf's multihued pelt caught the last golden rays of sunlight. He'd been meaning to check out other hunting areas, but had gotten caught up admiring the scenery. That led him to chasing a squirrel, which led him to the sacred grounds. Once there, he'd gotten curious and since he'd never been here before, he wanted to look around. He'd prowled around the area and followed an old rabbit trail a quarter of a mile up into the woods before realizing time was getting away from him. Now he was sprinting back down the trail and hightailing it back to camp before the Leader noticed he'd been absent for awhile. Oakleaf had a thing for not liking to be away from camp too long after the fire 3 years ago. Perhaps it was silly in a way, but he had started viewing time away from camp as a possibility he might miss something and he didn't want to miss anything anymore.

As his long strides carried him into the area, he spotted another cat and hit the brakes. Loping to a stop, his tail tip twitched curiously as he stared at the cat. The cat was a little ways from him, but he could pick out the coloring and it made his heart ache. Stormwing had looked like that, but not as dark. But then, that had been 3 years ago. There was no telling what she'd look like now. No use wondering either, she'd died in the fire. Oakleaf's tail slowly dropped until it was brushing the ground behind him. He couldn't tell if the other cat had seen him or not, and he was strongly tempted to keep going so as to avoid having to talk to a cat that resembled Stormwing so much. But as he was going, he stepped on a pine cone and yelped. So much for going unseen... He thought glumly before dutifully trudging over to the strange cat. He had a duty by the Warrior Code to challenge all trespassers. Well, he wasn't on his territory true, but this cat was on sacred land...

Coming to within a few yards, he sterned up his voice and fluffed out his fur to look more intimidating. As if his huge size wasn't intimidating enough, but if he could avoid fighting, Oakleaf very much wanted to. "You there. What is your business here? This is clan territory now." He said, his tones ringing loudly across the gathering dark. His voice carried more bravado than he felt and he was having a hard time looking at the strange cat. He then realized he was upwind of the cat so they could smell him, but he couldn't smell them. Great. Way to go Oakleaf! Make sure they can identify you but not the other way around. He grumbled to himself mentally before gazing at the other cat again. It sure looked like Stormwing, but it couldn't be. She was dead, wasn't she?

[Cinder]

Stormwing flicked an ear back as she heard a faint cry from the trail behind her. Well, not a cry, really; it was more of a yelp. The she-cat ignored it, however; if some cat had fallen down a rabbit hole, that was hardly her problem.
But a few moments later, the wind shifted, bringing the strong scent of cat to her nostrils. It was a Clan cat scent, she knew, but she couldn't identify which Clan. She jumped as strident voice spoke from behind her.

"You there. What is your business here? This is clan territory now."

That voice... It sounded so familiar, but Stormwing couldn't place it. Without turning, she growled, "My business? I'm just sitting here feeling sorry for myself, that's my business. What's it to you?"
Instantly she wanted to snatch the words back. She was on Clan territory, after all, and it wouldn't do to anger a warrior who might chase her off or try to attack her.
Getting up, she turned in a small circle to face the cat that had accosted her. Unsurprisingly, the warrior's fur was fluffed out, but beneath the exaggerated size she saw a cat that looked startlingly like Oakleaf.
Stormwing flinched away involuntarily. This cat looked so much like him! But it couldn't be him; that was impossible.