In the end, Redmire had chosen to leave.
She didn't belong there, that much was clear. Despite all that Stormstar had said and tried to do, she no longer had a place in RiverClan. Fadingstar had loaded the gun; Goldfish, Owltalon, and Adderstrike had taken turns pulling the trigger. Despite all the moons she'd spent there, despite all the blood, sweat, and tears she'd poured into her home... it was no longer that. Not a home at all.
She wondered if it ever had been, or if she had been disillusioned the whole time.
Redmire was thin now. Without the security of a Clan in leafbare, hunting wasn't easy, and she found herself going without meals often. Her aching shoulders didn't much help - they interfered with what little catches she had the opportunity to make. Her ribs pushed against her sides and her once-sleek fur had lost its sheen. It didn't help with her emotional state. Despite her grievances, she found herself yearning.
Maybe she could see them... just one more time. Check with Stormstar about how things were doing.
Her paws hesitated at the border. Redmire stared past it at the marshy expanse that greeted her. It smelled like safety. It smelled like home. Her heart clenched, and with a short exhale, she stepped over the scent markers. Best case scenario, she ran into Stormstar directly and could talk to her. Worst case scenario, some other patrol found her and chased her back out.
Fingers crossed she at least had the chance.
[ @
Marigoldwhisper ]
in the end, it doesn't even matter [p]
