A Returning Like None Other...

[» Sacrifice]

The grey blue tom raced along the forest, ears flattened as he ran, but slowing as soon as he got to the borders of which MapleClan rested. He and his brother... they had been gone for so long. Would they ever be able to get back into clan life? Everything out in the rogues had been amazing, and several friendships had been formed, although a few enemies had been made. Some of the most interesting cats ever had been found as well, and the trip, for what it was worth, had been amazing. The feeling of doom that he had felt though, had been with reason, as both toms had been attacked as they were leaving, and had the scars to prove it. Battle wounds, they were going to be a source of pride for at least the light and agile Gyr, whom, with some bitterness, knew he was going back to be nothing but a lowly apprentice, when everyone else he knew would probably be warriors. Except for maybe Covepaw, she was their sister, so if they weren't past the limit, then maybe they wouldn't be alone. Taking a deep breath, Gyr walked over to the border, and took a deep breath...

And froze. Auburn eyes growing wider, he took another deep breath, and began to shake his head rapidly. This was not the scent of Honeystar, or even Shadeflower. It was the scent of Nimbleflash, but at the same time, not. It was filled with power, something that although had always been lurking in Nimbleflash, had never been this dominant. Ears flattening, he turned toward Badger, his brother, and spoke in low, swift sentences.
"Something has happened while we are gone. Something that may be good, but at the same time, may be bad."
Ears still flattened, the ginger toes of the apprentice were the first things to creep over the edge of the border, followed by the thin apprentice himself. It was painfully obvious what he thought about going here, when everything was so off, but he had to see what had happened, it was just typical curiousity. Walking lightly, almost so not a sound was heard, and blending with the shadows as though they were one, the habits of which rogues walked with, it was obvious that they would never really fit in with the clan cats again. From the way they were toned, to the way they walked, to their very being, at least, Gyr had changed.

Ears suddenly springing forward, eyes narrowing, Gyr took a defensive stance in front of Badger, before calling out to the form he had scented and heard, even if he couldn't pinpoint the exact location, he knew that another creature, feline at that, was there, probably watching them. It made his fur bristle slightly, and his orbs widen as he took on every detail there was to see, all the while missing the obvious as to what had happened. Well, at least, part one of what had happened.

"Whoever is lurking, should I know you or not, I ask you to come from the shadows of which conceal you from sight. We, although in apperance may differ, are MapleClanners as well. Sons of Talonfang and Mountainbrook, we come to you in peace, looking to return back to our family after our learning experiance."
Smooth, relaxed, inviting, Gyr was a master with words, when he chose to be. He had to be though, at least, in the Canyon. Lacking the bulk of Badger, he would have made an easy target, and almost had been several times, had it not been for his charming grin and slick words. Maybe that could be used to his advantage here...?

He would hope. If not, well then, the canyons really weren't such a bad place after all.

[*Sinister*Dreams*]

At first, she was glad to see them. And then, she was absolutely furious. Perhaps Covepaw was bipolar, perhaps not, but in her rush to see them the she-cat dashed over, a yowling mess of long-grown legs and brown fur, mint leaf dropping from her jaws.

"Wow...It's you...It's....GYR! BADGER! WHY IN THE NAME OF MAPLESTAR DIDN'T YOU COME HOME FASTER!"

She was circling them like a hawk circles prey, winding around her siblings with a terrible expression on her maw. Covepaw rarely got angry, but siblings could do that to you.

"Do you have any idea how irresponsible you were? I won't be surprised if Talonstar makes you live in the nursery for life! Although I doubt it, he's always up for adventure...Oh, if only I weren't medicine cat apprentice I'd be a warrior and StarClan knows I'd have your fur!"

She meowed, doing a multiple of things from rolling her eyes, to stalking, and bristling, to smiling. And odd combination indeed.
Behind her a bemused looking Mountainbrook had come, having had some maternal instinct that her children would be home today. She saw calmly behind Covepaw, smiling lightly.

"Oh my sons...You have missed so much...How can I even begin to fill you in? Your father's PewterClan leader now, Nimbleflash is now Nimblestar of MapleClan...So much has changed...I expect you'll get the full story back in camp. We live here now, with PewterClan. Of course I'm sure Nimblestar would take you back if you'd rather leave us..."
She wasn't usually a cat of low confidence, but she could not deny the difference the canyons had made on her kits. She was tentative at how to treat them. Part of her wanted to scoop them up again and lick their fur into place, the other part wanted to stare in awe at their size.
"Come with us back to camp. We'll explain everything, and then the family can go out hunting or something. I can't wait to hear about your adventures! You must be so brave!"

And Mountainbrook promptly freaked out.

[H-a-w-k-i-e]

Trotting steadily after his smaller brother, Badger almost marvelled at how soft the undergrowth was beneath their paws. After moons living in the rocky canyons and tunnels, it was rather soothing to pad on grass and herb. When they'd first started living as rogues, the large tan tom's paws were constantly being cut and cracked from the hard and rough rock that covered much of the canyons. Badger even winced at the memory. It wasn't exactly comfortable, getting cuts on your cuts. Not to mention bleeding all over the place didn't help them lay low either.

Badger stiffened almost at the exact same moment Gyr had, and quickly scented the air again. If he'd learned anything that was vital during his time off as a clan cat, it was that two noses were obviously better than one. Judging by the scent markers...Honeystar's were stale, if not gone, replaced by that of Nimbleflash's. Only it was different. Somehow. Stronger? Though the tom kept a seemingly more casual and calm demeanor that reflected his father's, Badger's steely gray gaze sweeped their surroundings.

Ears flicking in annoyance as Gyr took the defensive stance IN FRONT of him, the tom eyed the general direction of where another feline was supposedly watching them. And Badger would've attacked the whirlwind of fur that had flown towards them, if he hadn't recognized the scent, one that he'd grown in the nursery with.
"Hi Covepaw. Missed you too...I guess."[/color]
Grinning, the oversized tom lept at his sister, claws sheathed, of course, and knocked her over, playfully, but carefully wrestling with her. Hey. Just because he wasn't exactly a kit, didn't mean he couldn't have fun. But as soon as Mountainbrook showed up, Badger pushed her off, and mewed a greeting to his mother, putting in the right amount of sheepishness in his voice. They'd snuck out of camp towards the rogues without telling anyone, other than Covepaw, after all.
"...Pewterclan...? Talon...star? We've missed somethings while we were gone, haven't we...?"[/color][/size]

[» Sacrifice]

Smiling ever so faintly as the pile of fur rushed by that was his sister, Gyr sat on the sidelines, watching the two siblings wrestle with each other, a faintly amused expression on his features. Having never been one to really wrestle, even as a kit, Gyr was more then content to just watch the two, knowing that beneath her rage, Covepaw was really happy to see them home.
"Ahh. You'll make a fine Medicine Cat someday Covepaw. And it is good to see you as well."
Ears flicking forward, he could not deny the fact that the scent on both his sister and mother were ones of PewterClan, not MapleClan. That concerned him, for he had been born in MapleClan, he knew nothing about PewterClan, other then the fact that they were to be avoided, as they were another clan. Ears pricking forward as he turned to face Mountainbrook, he regarded her with a touch of warmth in his aburn eyes, another faint grin flickering along the edges of his maw. And as soon as he registered her words, suprise danced in his orbs for a moment, before it was gone, hidden, as he had learned too in his time away.

"PewterClan is now the place where we reside. That explains the scent, and part of the reason why we are here. I think it would be better if we got the full story though. Plus, it will be good to see Talonstar. Did he choose one of MapleClan for a deputy? I suppose that it would be a PewterClanner, they know everyone in the clan better, but it might have been easier to choose a MapleClan warrior. Or, ex-warrior, I should say."
Standing up, Gyr looked at Mountainbrook, then gestured for her to lead the way to camp.

[*Sinister*Dreams*]

Covepaw chuckled, pushing her fur back into place contentedly after being tackled to the ground.
"Thankfully Dad er-Talonstar, chose Havoccrypt from PewterClan to be his deputy. Goodness knows if he'd chosen an ex-Mapleclanner we'd be out of cobwebs to fix all of those wounds! Some of them weren't too pleased to be infiltrated by cats who climb trees...Some of them have even tried rock climbing!"

Covepaw looked pointedly at Mountainbrook, who only chuckled and bit her lower lip. Mountainbrook had opted to leap ledge to ledge on her way back into camp. It ended with Covepaw speeding after her attempting to tend to her bruises, while Mountainbrook glared and said she was fine. Like most cats, she didn't wish to admit defeat to a rock.

Before either of the cats could say more, the group had arrived in camp. Mountainbrook leaped to the entrance to Talonstar's den, purring out once.
"Talonstar? Why don't you come out and enjoy the sunlight? Someone wants to see you. Actually two someones, now I get to counting."
She grinned melodically, resisting the urge to tackle her children.

Covepaw was secretly beaming with pride. She so badly wanted to be a medicine cat, and the words of her brother had made her feel rather happy.