[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ WOLFFANG OF WINDCLAN ~

Large, muscular, dappled gray tom with light fluff on the front of his neck and chest; amber eyes.

Wolffang's gaze flitted to Leopardsong as they beheld the beautiful, sacred meadow. A solemn feeling had settled over him upon learning this was WindClan's new burial ground, the former deceased lost in an ash-covered territory. Pain hovered over his heart, squeezing it with claws dripping in deathberry juice. The freshly-turned earth that covered Maplepaw's body didn't help. For a moment, his eyes glazed over as he thought about all that had been lost. So many dead... So many missing... Not just from the fire, but before that, too. Wolffang's friends, kin... and so many cats he'd hurt with his viewpoints and harsh, reckless decisions. He wasn't sure why his mind flitted to this - was it because of Twistedpaw, Ashfeather incarnate? - but he remembered when he'd exiled Specklepaw, her son, for failing to complete a patrol. He'd exiled an apprentice. Yes, he'd had to crack down on the rules, but... really? An apprentice? He knew he would've done it to other apprentices, too - had done it - but he'd also harbored more dislike toward the young tom for his relation to Ashfeather. Even when I had learned so much, I was far from perfect. Wolffang still wasn't perfect, but he'd learned so much.

The pain of the past might have been destroyed by flames, might have been soothed by the words whispered by StarClan when Wolffang fell from the stars and back to the living world, but it would never truly be gone, nor should it be. Whether they wanted it or not, it was a part of their lives. So much pain to WindClan, and so much pain to me, too. He was going to be better. He was going to keep living his life, learning from his mistakes and making up for them as best he could. He couldn't change the past; he knew that. He couldn't excuse them, either. The best he - and WindClan - could do was move forward. And as he gazed at Leopardsong, now talking to Littlekit, he felt some of the burden in his heart lift. No matter his worries, no matter what he'd done... he had her. And his Clan. But duty wasn't the only thing that had brought him back from that brink of despair and mistakes. Leopardsong was the driving factor.

Once more, he wondered how he could've ever doubted her, ever worried that Leechscar would steal her from him. No matter what, she'll always be my closest friend. And she should spend time with anyone she wanted to, even if it was a rude, disloyal, inconsiderate brat like Leechscar. I just hope... oh, StarClan, I just hope she likes me back. If she rejected him, he wouldn't resent her for it. It would hurt - especially if she had somehow fallen for Leechscar, as unlikely as that was - but... he wouldn't judge her. Her feelings were her feelings, and Wolffang would always want to be by her side, even if they were just friends.

These thoughts were important, but they'd circled around the large warrior's head for a while during this tour. It was time for him to focus on the present and not lose himself in his thoughts. Wolffang blinked, his amber gaze clearing from his constant resolutions and pain of the past, and found Littlekit's gray-and-white tabby shape carving a path through the flowers. He blinked, having completely missed Leopardsong's interaction with the kit, but his attention was taken by another tiny shape heading their way. It was Owlkit, his black fur ruffled and sticking up as it dried in the warm greenleaf sun. It really was a pleasant day; Wolffang should be enjoying it more. He breathed in the cloying aroma of wildflowers and the familiar scent of Leopardsong as a cool, gentle breeze teased his drying fur. He still felt unpleasantly damp, but the golden sunlight remedied that.

Wolffang's eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed that Owlkit carried a little yellow flower. No, two flowers. He gave one to Leopardsong and the other to Littlekit. His fur prickled uncomfortably, and he opened his mouth, about to inform the half-drowned scrap that this was a sacred burial ground. But Leopardsong spoke first, encouraging the pair of kits. Wolffang shut his mouth and glanced at her, mildly surprised. However, he didn't get a chance to speak as she replied to him, so he kept his mouth shut, planning to say something after this conversation. He wanted to talk to her, but kits desecrating a burial ground wasn't something to be ignored. Her words about Moorpaw reassured him, and he felt his tense, bulging muscles relax - though they continued to bulge, of course, as they always did. He loosed a breath and leaned down to lick her soft-furred cheek. "You're right," he admitted. "But... well, I can't stop thinking about all the time I spent standing or lying around with nothing to do, yet I never talked to her. Or Bravebird, or Barleybite." Wolffang sighed. "But I'm going to talk to Moorpaw the moment we get back." No more waiting.

Thankfully - or not thankfully? - the topic changed to something allusive to Wolffang, a concept shrouded in mystery and intrigue, something little-known to hardened, serious warriors such as he: "fun." By the mercy of StarClan, Leopardsong didn't burst into laughter at his awkward, embarrassing question, though she did chuckle softly. Wolffang felt a funny feeling in his chest as he looked at her beautiful striped face, his paws tingling like a swarm of ants were crawling along the skin on its insides. Was it love or ignominy? Despite this, he listened intently, his amber gaze oddly serious and his singular notched ear pricked. So, "fun" could be different for each cat... They did it because they liked it and it wasn't... work-related? This was baffling, and Wolffang's astonishment showed on his face like clouds uncovering the sun. Yes, "fun" didn't relate to work, but cats did it because it wasn't work-related? He shook his head slightly. That is so weird. Thank StarClan he had Leopardsong to explain it to him.

No matter what anyone, even Leopardsong, said, Fallownose jumping into the pond would always be featherbrained. "She might not have said it, but still," he grumbled. "How was I supposed to know he could swim?" Wolffang's still-damp fur was a humiliating reminder of that whole incident, though it was good that he'd been willing to put his life on the line to save a Clanmate. Though in front of Leopardsong, after what happened with the dogs... He shook himself. Now was not the time, and Leopardsong hadn't been angry at him, so that was that.

He focused on Leopardsong as she finished talking about snow. He blinked at her. "I wasn't saying you shouldn't-" he began quickly before he teased her. He glanced at his huge broad paws. "Well, maybe I'll try it next leaf-bare," he meowed. "Until then..." He frowned slightly. It felt awkward to be talking about such a concept at a burial site, but he wasn't going to leave off the conversation here. "What else do you consider 'fun' that can be done in greenleaf? Like... hunting?" He frowned. "But that's work-related, and cats do 'fun' things because they aren't work-related... for some reason..." He shook his head again, voicing his thoughts. "Thank StarClan you're here, or I'd be completely lost." He was talking about fun, but the words went deeper than that. Without her, I'd truly be lost. She'd taken him out of dark recesses and taught him so much. Suddenly wishing to convey his affection without launching into a lecture in front of all of their Clanmates, Wolffang moved to press his solid, thick-furred side against Leopardsong's. His heart thundered, and he prayed Leopardsong couldn't detect it.

Leopardsong looked at Twistedpaw when he did and commented on her name suggestion: Starry Meadow. Trying not to think of the shadows of his past, every feature that screamed ASHFEATHER!!! to him, he offered the scrawny apprentice a nod. It was a good name, he had to admit. More than good, actually. It represented the place and its purpose perfectly. Would Ashfeather have had this chance to show her creativity if Rosepaw and I didn't spend so much time tormenting her? he wondered with a pang of guilt.

The dappled gray tom drew his gaze away from Twistedpaw, about to search for Littlekit and Owlkit among the flower field, when Twilightstar spoke. His attention was redirected to the small lilac-gray leader. She accepted Twistedpaw's name, and now this burial ground was officially Starry Meadow. He dipped his head to the apprentice again, who looked like she wanted to melt through the ground, but quickly averted his attention once Twilightstar spoke again. So, the wildflowers could be picked. Good thing I didn't berate the kits. But Wolffang hadn't been sure whether to disturb the burial ground, and even Twilightstar was telling them to pick the flowers sparingly, as there were many others in their new territory. Wolffang felt too uncomfortable to disrupt the territory here, so he didn't plan on taking any. It won't be hard finding others for Leopardsong. Thinking of the time when he would propose to her made his heartbeat pick up again.

Twilightstar called the Clan together, so Wolffang went over to her, making sure not to leave Leopardsong or the kits behind. As he did so, he heard Twistedpaw's distorted, stuttering voice humbly explaining why she'd chosen the name. A jolt ran through him as he realized how much she resembled Ashfeather. She seemed so nervous, so scared. Wolffang's throat tightened. Were there cats bullying her like he and Rosepaw had bullied Ashfeather? I wouldn't be surprised, he thought grimly. Or maybe, by some miracle, there weren't. It could be because of her family situation. Wolffang knew her brother had been stillborn, her father had left, and her mother had gone crazy and attacked her at a Clan meeting before being exiled. She'd also gotten the harsh grump Batglare as a mentor. Batglare was a good warrior, but he certainly wasn't kind. Wolffang made a mental note to find time to talk to him - and perhaps Twilightstar. Maybe even Leechscar, although he dreaded another interaction with the massive dark gray tom.

Wolffang briefly felt surprised that he cared so much about how Twistedpaw was being treated. Then he realized it was because he didn't want the cycle repeating. He might still not like Ashfeather, but most of his opinions on her had been clouded by hate and prejudice. That had to stop. No matter how uncomfortable Twistedpaw made him, no matter what memories of Ashfeather she brought back, he knew how he and Rosebriar had mistreated and abused Ashfeather... It hadn't been right. And he didn't want Twistedpaw to go through the same thing. Wolffang didn't want to be completely involved in her life. He knew he wasn't the right cat for her, what with his history with Ashfeather and everything else he had going on. However, he wanted to make sure the cats who were a part of her life could prevent another from being treated as he and his kin had treated Ashfeather.

@Moonraven (Leopardsong and Batglare mention) @Leafie (Littlekit) @Woodlow (Owlkit)