Edited ✔️
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"Streamflower!"

"Streamflower!"

"Streamflower!"

Snowdrift's yowl rose above those of his clanmates as he chanted Streampaw's warrior name, his heart feeling as if it would burst from pride. His eyes enlightened on the figure of the she-cat, her gray fur groomed perfectly. Her head was angled towards the sun, tilted lightly in a comfortable resting position. Her paws were tightly pressed together, her tail wrapped neatly around them while her honey yellow eyes glowed in joy as her new name rang around her in the cheers of her clanmates. However, the only thing that disturbed the overflowing joy that rushed through Snowdrift was the clear scratch on Streamflower's shoulder, and no matter how much Snowdrift tried to ignore it, his attention, once more, was roused to the blood.

The voices of the clan trailed off as Pebblestar signaled with his tail, clearing his throat to continue on with the ceremony. "Mosspaw." He meowed, addressing Streamflower's brother. "You have trained hard and well under the guidance of Quietwish and Snowdrift, and earn the name of a warrior in turn." Pebblestar growled, his voice deep and powerful as he let his gaze sweep through the clearing. Mosspaw stepped forward, his gray and white pelt rippling uncertainly, however he firmly held Pebblestar's gaze. Pebblestar then rested his chin on Mosspaw's head, speaking loud and clear. "By the powers of StarClan, your new name will be Mosspounce. You have shown stealth and efficiency in your training, and have earned this name in honor of your skills."

Mosspaw, now Mosspounce, stretched his muzzle forward to give Pebblestar's shoulder a respectful lick. Instead, Pebblestar backed away before Mosspounce could get relevantly close, and the new warrior stumbled slightly. Pebblestar's claws unsheathed, glinting momentarily in the sunlight before he lashed out, harshly catching them in Mosspounce's shoulder. Blood glittered from a fresh wound as Pebblestar tore his claws away, bringing a clump of fur and flesh with his paw. He flung it to the ground, and dipped his head at Mosspounce. The gray and white tom hadn't even flinched.

"Mosspounce!"

"Mosspounce!"

"Mosspounce!"

Chants roused from the gathered clan as they yowled Mosspounce's name at their leader's permission. Snowdrift was silent for a few moments before joining in, shouting the tom's name in sync with his clanmates. The brief hesitation he had shown was small questioning in the reasons of Mosspounce's name, but he brushed them away almost as quickly as they had entered his mind. Stealth and efficiency is an interesting choice. He did show efficiency, however not enough stealth as would be moderately pleasing. Snowdrift shook out his pelt, ignoring the thought as the clan began to disperse.

Snowdrift noticed Mosspounce looking at him with a frown, and he returned the gaze with a raised eyebrow, before searching for Streamflower amongst the horde of cats congratulating the two newly made warriors. Finally, he spotted her gray pelt through the crowd, and made his way towards her. The chants died down and the two locked gazes, time seeming to slow down for a brief moment as he drew close to her.

"Congratulations!" He purred, brushing his muzzle along her cheek.

Streamflower blinked at him with a smile, her expression warm. "Thank you." She responded, her voice thick as she too let out a rumbling purr. Snowdrift felt a stir of butterflies erupt in his stomach as he stared deep into her honey yellow eyes. He couldn't quite place what he was feeling, but it felt like it lasted forever, swelling in his chest like a blossoming flower. But the feeling was ripped away the moment his gaze flickered over to her blood soaked shoulder, the affectionate smile he wore fading to a frown.

Streamflower's brow creased in concern, and she gently nudged Snowdrift's shoulder. "Snowdrift? What's wrong?" She mewed, her voice soft and comforting to the ear.

Snowdrift glanced down at the ground, swallowing. "I-It's nothing." He lied, his tone hard and uncomfortable. He parted his jaw to change the subject, but instead Pebblestar interrupted, his gray flecked fur rising in irritation.

"Streamflower! Over here, now." The leader snapped, his freckled tail whipping against the freezing ground. Streamflower respectfully dipped her head, and with one last glance at Snowdrift, she obediently bounded off. Snowdrift's heart sank at the memory of the warrior's vigil, his tail trailing against the ground. I'll speak to her tomorrow. He assured himself, watching as Streamflower settled down beside Mosspounce, their fur mingling together in a spiral of gray and white as they silently guarded the camp.

"Snowdrift!" A voice called, and the white tom turned around to see Yellowtuft approaching him in a swift stride. "Would you like to go on a border patrol with me and my sisters?"

Snowdrift gave a half-hearted shrug. "Sure." He replied numbly, his gaze returning to Streamflower by the camp entrance. He shook his head, and replaced his dazed frown with a confident smile. He should be happy instead of upset — besides, Streamflower was finally a warrior! He felt a warm burst in his chest as he padding alongside the creamy yellow tom, his tail raised into air. The group of cats filed out of camp, cool air batting at their faces as they emerged into the forest.

"So..." Firesplash began, a teasing tone to her voice as she acknowledged Snowdrift. "Is there something going on between you and Streamflower?" The she-cat's dark ginger fur rippled in amusement as Snowdrift's ears pinned back, his face growing warm.

"I bet there is." Yellowtuft pressed, exchanging a joking glance with his sister.

The fur rose along Snowdrift's scruff, and he bit his tongue. "N-No!" He blurted, his tail standing on end.

Firesplash let a laugh burst from her muzzle, her paws bouncing into the air. "You so have a thing for her!" She exclaimed.

Willowbush's white tipped tail brushed against Firesplash's muzzle, her head inclined lightly to the side. "Stop teasing the poor tom." She meowed. "Besides, we should be patrolling WindClan's border, not gossiping like elders."

Firesplash huffed a laugh, and butted her head against Willowbush's shoulder. Willowbush bristled, and shoved her sister away. Firesplash flung herself back at Willowbush, letting out a yowl as the two began tussling, sending snow soaring into the air as they play-fought.

"Willowbush, Firesplash! Cut it out!" Yellowsplash pushed his way between his two sisters, casting a frown once at both of them. "We need to continue this patrol. Pebblestar will be furious if we goof around and can't complete it." His voice was low in a growl, his eyes narrowed sharply in the seriousness of the situation. Firesplash ducked away, her head hanging guiltily. Willowbush on the other hand tilted her head towards the air, regaining herself a serious posture.

The four padded along, growing evidently closer to the WindClan border. The sound of rushing water reached Snowdrift's ears, and he scraped his spine against the bark of a tree, loose fur clinging to it and allowing his scent to linger on the mark. Snowdrift trudged forward, shaking scraps of snow from his feet as he emerged into the open, a river streaming past his paws. He was shoved back a pawstep by a whistling, ice cold gust of wind, his ears forcing back against his head as his eyes squinted against the blasting wind.

Yellowtuft arrived a moment later, taking a moment to breath in the scent of WindClan before acknowledging the patrol with a twitch of his tail. "We're running a bit off schedule," he began, glancing at his sisters for just a moment before continuing. "Willowbush and I will head to the right, Snowdrift and Firesplash, you'll head to the left. We'll meet back here." The remaining cats murmured their agreement, before splitting their own ways.

Snowdrift and Firesplash headed off, keeping close to the river's bank as they marked the border. Firesplash followed behind Snowdrift, checking to make sure the white tom hadn't forgotten to mark anything. Once they had completed checking the border, the patrol regrouped, before padding back towards camp. Yellowtuft caught himself a scrawny shrew on the way back, and he proceeded in carrying it to deliver the prey to the freshkill pile. The sky was illuminated by a pink glow cast by the setting sun, the fluorescent color bleeding into navy blue. Entering camp, the four cats departed, padding off to do their own thing.

Snowdrift's stomach rumbled, and the tom swiftly approached the freshkill pile, fetching himself a scrawny cardinal and carrying it to the side of the clearing. He finished eating the bird in a few small bites, spitting out the feathers so he could reach the meat. He rose to his paws, ready to pad to the warrior's den. But before he did so, he glanced in Streamflower's direction. He watched as she shifted on her paws, blinking as she stared up at the sunset sky, her fur reflected the sun's light, glowing like it was on fire.

Snowdrift forced his gaze away, and walked drowsily towards the warrior's den, his paws dragging against the snow laden ground. Once he had curled up in his moss nest, his eyelids instantly slid shut, his breathing growing still as he drifted off to sleep.

A yowl rang in Snowdrift's ears, and immediately, he scrabbled to his paws, his heart pounding against his chest. He bolted out of the warrior's den, not caring if he woke any cat as he burst into the moonlit clearing. Moss clung to his white fur as he flipped his head in Streamflower's direction, his gaze locking with her startled eyes. He ran towards her, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Snowdrift!" Streamflower purred in surprise, clearly forgetting the rule to remain silent during vigil. "What in StarClan's name are you doing?"

Snowdrift tipped his head to the side, finally catching his breath. "I–I heard somebody yowl." He meowed, confusion hinted in his words.

Streamflower blinked lightly at the tom, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "I heard no yowl." She murmured, concern lighting her gaze. "Are you alright, Snowdrift?" Her voice probed softly at Snowdrift's mind, and he nodded.

"E-Everything's fine." He stammered slightly, swallowing, however his uncertainty was clear. If it wasn't a yowl... what could it be? He shook out his pelt, and gave Streamflower a forced smile. "A-Anyways, I'd better get back to sleep — Er, good luck with your vigil." Without waiting for Streamflower to react, he whipped around and ducked back into the den, sinking back down into his nest with a long sigh.

Snowdrift's muzzle buried beneath his paws, and he felt himself fall into a comfortable sleep. However, a troubling thought flickered in the depths of his sleeping mind, and unease prickled at the tips of his paws.

Where was Mosspounce?