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Description
Pebbles gave way underpaw, and Morningflame panicked for a moment as his mother’s footholds slipped. She managed to catch herself easily enough and Morningflame felt like he could breathe again once she shook her head and laughed nervously. He quickly darted to the other side of her--the side closer to the cliff-face, pressing his pelt against hers to keep her from tumbling over the end.
“Let’s just rest for a moment,” he murmured, stepping away from the crowd of cats so that she could sit. Amberleaf wasn’t old, but the slow way she moved to sit down made her appear closer to an elder than a warrior, Morningflame breathing in slowly at the thought of that. Once she was sitting, he stepped closer to his mother, peppering his face and chest with quick licks, trying to comfort her however he could. After a moment of grooming, he could hear the faintest purrs from her, and he sighed with relief and pressed his cheek to hers. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. You worry too much,” she purred, finally grooming her son in turn. The mountains were rocky but also somehow dusty, and his once brilliant white pelt had gotten dingy and gray with filth. Since being appointed Reedstar’s deputy, the young tom hadn’t seemed to find any time to groom himself. There wasn’t a lot Amberleaf could do, but she tried her best still, even when her son nudged her face away.
“Regardless…” Morningflame huffed, giving his own chest a sheepish lick. “You don’t need to fuss over me. Look after yourself first, please.”
Amberleaf didn’t reply, looking him over for a moment before glancing away towards the cats that were still continuing past them. Even as far into the journey as they were, it felt like they’d never seen so many cats. Morningflame could remember his first Gathering, and how big the forest suddenly seemed when there were so, so many more pairs of eyes gleaming in the moonlight than he ever could have expected. He was starting to get used to the numbers, but when he found himself sitting still and watching them pass, it was hard to believe there were so many of them; it was a bit humbling.
“Where do you think Nightpaw is?” Amberleaf suddenly asked, Morningflame suddenly looking back at his mother and breathing in slowly. It was hard to come up with comforting stories for her when even he was worried about his sister. She looked back towards him, the tom looking down awkwardly when he saw the way her eyes had glazed over. “Do you think she’s safe?”
“I’m sure she’s safe,” Morningflame replied without skipping a beat. “She’s somewhere far from here, where the lakes are still full. Maybe she’s living on the other side of the thing the Twolegs made,” he joked, but it was clear that Amberleaf was hanging on his every word. “Nightpaw is… in a field where all the plants are still green. She has all the prey she can eat, right? A nice den where she can rest safely every night. She’s safe, and she’s happy. I can feel it,” he lied, his claws flexing into the stone for a moment before he looked back up at Amberleaf. “Can’t you too?”
“She’s so far away from us now…” Amberleaf murmured, hanging her head sadly. Morningflame nudged his face against hers, trying to get her to look up from the ground again.
“She’s far, but mom, she’s under the same sky. She sees the same sun rise every morning as we do, and we’re all under StarClan’s watch at night. Even if we’re far away, she’s with us still.”
Amberleaf seemed to puzzle over this for a moment, leaving Morningflame to watch her silently, hopeful that his words would get through to her. After a moment, she nodded, leaning her weight against his. He sighed in relief, giving her cheek another quick lick. “Are you rested? We still need to find our green field, filled with prey, right?”
“Right,” Amberleaf agreed, slowly getting back to her paws as her son did the same. “Thank you, Morningflame. Lead the way.”

morningstars sister, nightpaw! who knows where she is. obviously somewhere nice. rip

Description
Pebbles gave way underpaw, and Morningflame panicked for a moment as his mother’s footholds slipped. She managed to catch herself easily enough and Morningflame felt like he could breathe again once she shook her head and laughed nervously. He quickly darted to the other side of her--the side closer to the cliff-face, pressing his pelt against hers to keep her from tumbling over the end.
“Let’s just rest for a moment,” he murmured, stepping away from the crowd of cats so that she could sit. Amberleaf wasn’t old, but the slow way she moved to sit down made her appear closer to an elder than a warrior, Morningflame breathing in slowly at the thought of that. Once she was sitting, he stepped closer to his mother, peppering his face and chest with quick licks, trying to comfort her however he could. After a moment of grooming, he could hear the faintest purrs from her, and he sighed with relief and pressed his cheek to hers. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. You worry too much,” she purred, finally grooming her son in turn. The mountains were rocky but also somehow dusty, and his once brilliant white pelt had gotten dingy and gray with filth. Since being appointed Reedstar’s deputy, the young tom hadn’t seemed to find any time to groom himself. There wasn’t a lot Amberleaf could do, but she tried her best still, even when her son nudged her face away.
“Regardless…” Morningflame huffed, giving his own chest a sheepish lick. “You don’t need to fuss over me. Look after yourself first, please.”
Amberleaf didn’t reply, looking him over for a moment before glancing away towards the cats that were still continuing past them. Even as far into the journey as they were, it felt like they’d never seen so many cats. Morningflame could remember his first Gathering, and how big the forest suddenly seemed when there were so, so many more pairs of eyes gleaming in the moonlight than he ever could have expected. He was starting to get used to the numbers, but when he found himself sitting still and watching them pass, it was hard to believe there were so many of them; it was a bit humbling.
“Where do you think Nightpaw is?” Amberleaf suddenly asked, Morningflame suddenly looking back at his mother and breathing in slowly. It was hard to come up with comforting stories for her when even he was worried about his sister. She looked back towards him, the tom looking down awkwardly when he saw the way her eyes had glazed over. “Do you think she’s safe?”
“I’m sure she’s safe,” Morningflame replied without skipping a beat. “She’s somewhere far from here, where the lakes are still full. Maybe she’s living on the other side of the thing the Twolegs made,” he joked, but it was clear that Amberleaf was hanging on his every word. “Nightpaw is… in a field where all the plants are still green. She has all the prey she can eat, right? A nice den where she can rest safely every night. She’s safe, and she’s happy. I can feel it,” he lied, his claws flexing into the stone for a moment before he looked back up at Amberleaf. “Can’t you too?”
“She’s so far away from us now…” Amberleaf murmured, hanging her head sadly. Morningflame nudged his face against hers, trying to get her to look up from the ground again.
“She’s far, but mom, she’s under the same sky. She sees the same sun rise every morning as we do, and we’re all under StarClan’s watch at night. Even if we’re far away, she’s with us still.”
Amberleaf seemed to puzzle over this for a moment, leaving Morningflame to watch her silently, hopeful that his words would get through to her. After a moment, she nodded, leaning her weight against his. He sighed in relief, giving her cheek another quick lick. “Are you rested? We still need to find our green field, filled with prey, right?”
“Right,” Amberleaf agreed, slowly getting back to her paws as her son did the same. “Thank you, Morningflame. Lead the way.”

morningstars sister, nightpaw! who knows where she is. obviously somewhere nice. rip