Old friends, are we not?

The large, strong ginger male, Firewind, glared at the intruder. His ears were drawn flat. Yet there was something about this Bloodclanner... something familiar. He wasn't sure what... until she spoke.

"S-silverclaw!?" Firewind sputtered. "Is that really you...?"

Firewind's fur bristled slightly as Silverclaw drew closer, but other than that he gave no outward expresson to his emotions.

"I go by the name Firewind now." he said, a little brusquely. "Why are you here...?"

When Silverclaw had left, Firewind, then still Firekit, although apprenticed the day after she had left, had felt abandoned and couldn't wait to be old enough to go out to find his friend. Now he had found her... and she wore the collar of the Bloodclan like a badge of honour.

Firewind shook his head, his dual coloured eyes (one brown, the other green) were narrowed slightly. Not in anger or aggression, but in an attempt to figure out the older she-cat's motives..

"That's not what I asked, Silverclaw." he said, a little less gruffly. "I asked you why you are here? Why now... after all these years..."

Firewind sat down and waited for his old friend's answer.

Firewind sighed heavily.

"You should know that you wouldn't be welcome here, Silverclaw..." he said softly. "Windclan is no place for rogues... particularly not one who is a traitor to the clan."

He looked pointedly at her, then glanced over his shoulder in both directions, then twisted his head to the side, as if watching for prying eyes. He got to his paws.

"Come, I might know a place where you can stay until you get back on your paws." he murmured, leading her down a barely visible path.

Firewind brought Silverclaw to an out-of-the-way part of the Windclan territory, a place furthest from the camp, and thus rarely visited. There was a fresh water supply nearby and there was plenty of game and hiding places. He knew she would be safe here. For now. Firewind turned back to Silverclaw. She had been his protector when the other kits had teased him about his eyes. Firewind gave a small chuckle.

"You remember how you used to look after me when we were young?" he asked her. "Well, now I guess it's my turn."

Firewind let out a mrrow of laughter.

"I wouldn't know about that..." he said. "I guess I'm too busy worrying about the clan and keeping it safe to take a mate yet."

He grinned at Silverclaw. She had always been a very pretty cat because of her fur coat, but she had grown into a gorgeous she-cat.

"But what about you?" he teased back. "Bet the Bloodclan males were more than happy to tear each other up to get to you."

Firewind watched as she buried her dog tooth collar. It seemed clear she had no intentions of ever returning to Bloodclan. He grinned.

"Well, guess that makes us two of a kind." he quipped. "Being mateless, I mean."

He sighed as he turned to return the way he had lead her.

"I've got to get going before they send someone to look for me." he told Silverclaw. "It's... good.. .to see you again, Silverclaw."

Sighing and shaking his head slightly, Firewind headed back towards his clan. It seemed somethings would never change.

As he walked back into the clan camp there was a small meow of "Get him!" and Firewind was tackled by what seemed like a way of fur but was the 6 clan kits and 3 apprentices. Firewind mrrowed with laughter as he gently batted his 'attackers' off him with a soft paw. Although the adult cats seemed to accept him for the most part, it was the youngsters he was close to, continuing what Silverclaw had done for him with each new generation. It had been the one way he could always feel close to his missing friend.

Once everything was settled in camp, Firewind returned to the warrior den. He watched as the sun set and sighed, memories of watching the sunset with Silverclaw running through his mind. He wondered if his old friend was alright where she was.