Falconblaze leaps into camp, and is greeted by friendly mews from almost every cat.
"Falconblaze! Is that really you?"
"Oh! How you've grown!"
"Have you come to stay?"
"Are you hungry? I'll get some fresh-kill!"
Falconblaze chuckles and shakes his head.
"Calm down! Calm down! First: Yes it is me. I really do hope I have grown! Sadly I can't stay for too long. No I'm not hungry; I ate right before I arrived." he tries to calm his old Clanmates. "Now, where's Mistyflight and Brackenclaw?" he looks around, but is unable to spot their familiar pelts.
"I'm here Falconblaze." a cat mews behind him. Falconblaze whipps around, and finds himself looking into the joyful blue eyes of Mistyflight. He burts into a purr and pads forward to greet his sister. He nuzzles her soft fur and licks her ear.
"Where's Brackenclaw?" He asks at last. Mistyflight just purrs and points with her tail. Falconblaze recognizes the nursery; a sweet milky scent comes seeping out from it. At first he couldn't see anything, but then the leaves started to wave madly and 3 young cats explode out.
"FALCONBLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZE!" they cry and leap ontop of him. Falconblaze is taken by surprise and lands heavily on his side, laughing.
"Hey kits! Oof, you're squishing me flatter than a leaf!" he chuckles, unable to shake them off. He felt a paw sliding on his stomach, tickling him. He shivers and laughs harder.
"Hey! You're tickling me now!" he gasps between burts of laughter. Naturally, the kits act as if he didn't say a word.
"Ravenkit! Falconkit! Hawkkit! Where have you gotten to now?" a golden tom comes padding out of the nursery with a frustrated sigh.
"Brackenclaw! Brackenclaw, come and see!" the black she-kit calls to her father. Brackenclaw pads over and the kits move aside. Brackenclaw laughs.
"Good job kits, you found Falconblaze! And squeezed him flat too." He added, after taking a quick look at Falconblaze's dusty tabby pelt. Falconblaze swats him with his tail.
"Thanks a bunch." He growls good heartedly. "Now will you help me up?"
Brackenclaw laughs and drags him up by the scruff. "It's good to see you Falconblaze!" he purrs. Falconblaze shakes himself.
"Good to see you too!" he smiles. "But now I think it's time for you to intrdouce me to the little ones!" he grins as Brackenclaw shakes his head with amusement.
"Same old Falcon, eh? Always right to the point. Anyways," he meowes, turning to the kits. Somehow they had managed to give themself a quick groom and line up neatly. The sat with he backs straight and heads high; clearly proud.
"This is Ravenkit." he purrs at the Black she-cat. Her fur was all black, except for one golden paw. Her eyes were a clear amber.
"This is Falconkit." the young cat grins up at them. His fur was ruddy brown with black tabby stripes. His chest was ll black, and his paws and tail were slightly paler than the rest of him. His eyes were deep blue. An exact copy of himself in fact.
"And this is Hawkkit!" he finishes. Hawkkit was a pale brown tom with dark tabby stripes and shining green eyes. His chest fur a was a darker color too, blending in with his tabby markings. He smiles and looks up with hopeful eyes, as if he was afraid of being rejected by his kin.
Falconblaze smiles and nods. He takes a step back, gazing at all the apprentices. He feels a purr rumble in his throat; these were strong, good cats. This was his kin!
"It's good to finally meet you!" he meowes to them. Ravenkit steps forward.
"We have been waiting for you!" she admitted. "Mistyflight and Brackenclaw have told us about you and all your adventures before you came here. We never get tired of them." she mewes. Falconblaze chuckles.
"It's nice to know you already know abit about me, so I won't have to explain everything!" he smiles. Falconkit and Hawkkit stand up beside their sister.
"Mistyflight says that one of us are allowed to come with you." they say quietly, not wanting the rest of the Clan to hear. Falconblaze nods.
"Yes. That was her wish. But who is not up to me I'm afraid." he nods. Looking up he can see Dreamstar watching them with a smile. He stands up straight, hinting at the kits to do the same. They quickly catch on and dip their heads respectively to their leader. Falconblaze dips his head too.
"Greeting Dreamstar. It has been long since I last saw you and the Clan." he meowes. Dreamstar nods.
"Yes," she replies, "Too long." she smiles. "I suppose you have returned to meet your kin?" she nods at Ravenkit, Falconkit and Hawkkit. He nods. "Very well, come with me." she leads the way to her den, and Falconblaze follows. He beckons with his tail for the others to follow.
____________________________________________________________________________________
"All cat old enough to serve and defend the Clan, gather beneath the Snakerock for a Clan meeting!" Dreamstar yowls to summon the Clan. It doesn't take long for most of the cats to gather. Goldenheart, the medicine cat, sat just outside her den. Bramblefire had moved into the nursery, her mate Windchaser sitting beside her.
Falconblaze felt a rush of pride for his formewr mentor. She will be a good mother. he thought. Emberheart's kits had become apprentices by now, and where tumbling out of the apprentices den trying to get to the Snakerock first. Falconblaze tunred his head as Dreamstar started speaking.
"Today is a wonderful day for NightClan! Falconblaze, out former warrior, has returned to meet his new kin." she called. The Clan cheered loudly, taking FAlconblaze by surprise. He hadn't expected such a warm greeting after he had left them.
"While he is here, he will be treated as one of us. He will also be joining patrols." she looks at him, and he nods. I have no plan to act like a self-centered kit. he promised her silently. Draemstar nods and turns back to her Clan.
"Also, we have 3 cats ready to begin their apprenticeship! Ravenkit, Falconkit and Hawkkit; please step forwards. You are 5 and a half moons old, but we have no more time to waste before tyour apprenticeship."
NightClan looks up with surprise. Low murmuring erupted from the group, clearly worried. Isn't that braking the warrior code? But Dreamstar just raises her tail for silence.
"I know what you think, but you will understand." The cats become silent, and gaze expectantly at their leader.
"Ravenkit, Falconkit and Hawkkit.," she continued. "From now on, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be know as Ravenpaw, Falconpaw and Hawkpaw.
"Rippledstream! You will be mentor to Ravenkit. I trust you to pass on all yur knowledge to your new apprentice." Rippledstream purrs and touches noses with Ravenpaw, before they step back.
"Swiftclaw! You will mentor Falconpaw. Teach him what it means to be a true warrior of NightClan." Swiftclaw dips his head and touches noses with Falconpaw. Now only Hawkpaw remained.
"Hawkpaw, step forwards." Hawkpaw stepped forwards confused. Falconblaze felt as if the whole world was crashing down beneath his paws. What? But I was supposed to take Hawkpaw with me! Why did she change the plans? He looks desperately at Hawkpaw, and saw his own feelings relfected in Hawkpaw's eyes.
"Hawkpaw, your mentor will be Falconblaze."
The whole of NightClan gasped with shock.
