[FIN] Dreams of the Future (Silverstreak/Stormsong)

[belloblossom]

Silverstreak had been worrying up a storm about the oncoming split - the gathering... the final gathering of MountainClan as she'd always known it, had been more difficult than she could voice. She'd been so caught up with making sure that Dawnbreak and Duskwing knew that they could stay or go, and that she'd support them however, that she hadn't seen where her brother, Stormsong, had placed his rock. Surely he was staying with her, right? She didn't want to seem entitled and she certainly didn't wish him any harm or suffering - Littleflower certainly seemed to assume the worst for the fate of the Clan - but... they'd always been together. She couldn't imagine Stormsong suddenly leaving and - he loved the mountain territory. Sure, they'd face challenges, but they'd get through them together, wouldn't they?

With a nervous, tight knot in her stomach, Silverstreak began to search for her brother. She wanted to spend time with Dawnbreak and Duskwing before they left in the morning, but it was very important that she met with Stormsong first. It will be fine, she thought. I'll make sure he's staying here with me and then we can give our sisters a snuggle before they leave. After Dawny and Dusk are gone, then we can brainstorm about how to help MountainClan to its fullest.

She didn't find him easily within the camp, but she was able to find him in the riverbed. She paused, staring at him for a long moment. He looked deep in thought - but... he would have plenty of time to think things over tomorrow. For the time being, she needed to speak with him. Taking a deep breath, she approached, scaling down into the riverbed beside her brother and running her flank against his, before she sat.

"Stormsong," She breathed a sigh of relief as she settled next to him. "It's going to be difficult, with Dawnbreak and Duskwing leaving. I didn't see which way you cast your vote, but..." She turned her head to look at her brother, older by only a few moments than herself. They used to fight over who was the older sibling, who was the more mature, or responsible. At this moment, she felt insecure and timid; she was happy to look up to him as an older brother, even if it was by mere minutes between them. "I'm staying here, you know. I can't leave, not with our history here. You... you understand, don't you? I mean, you must be staying too, right? I feel so silly for even asking when the answer is surely so obvious." She flicked her tail, her anxiety showing. "I suppose this whole situation has my nerves on end today." @DragonGirl1031

 

[DragonGirl1031]

The fact they had to do this at all was torment. How could they split up the clan like this? The elders wouldn't survive here on their own. Stormsong heaved a deep, sad sigh. Why SunClan had it come to this?

As a warrior of the clan, he knew his responsibilities were to the greater clan as a whole. If indeed they left a few elders behind, he needed to care for the majority. Stormsong had lost track of his sister in all the shuffling of the clan. With a heavy heart he went to place his stone. He moved back to allow others forward and headed to the edge of the river, delicately wrapping his tail around his paws as he brooded.

Stormsong was surprised to feel someone brush against him. His nose told him almost immediately that it was his sister, Silverstreak. He pushed his nose against her shoulder for a moment and purred. While he hated when others compared them together, he did value his sister.

Silver eyes gazed at his sister with apprehension and his tail fluffed out. "You're staying Silverstreak? But why?" Heartbreak flashed across his face. "The rest of the clan needs protecting too." What could he say? Should he try to convince her to leave? That staying was a death sentance?
@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Silverstreak relished the feeling of her brother pressing comfortingly into her side. She could make it through this, so long as he stayed behind.

But then she felt her brother stiffen and she turned her gaze to him, unable to fully comprehend what his questions meant.

“Why?” She echoed. “Because we grew up here. Our parents and their parents grew up on the mountain. We cannot simply leave it so fast, just because Twolegs make our lives difficult. My… my mentor, Thistlefur, and the other elders are staying behind.” She looked imploringly at her brother, eyes pleading. “Yes, our Clan needs protecting, but those who are leaving are far greater in number than those forced to stay. The elders would not survive the journey, and I cannot leave them to struggle alone. I…” She blinked slowly. “They carry the history of MountainClan with them. I am not going to leave them or the mountain that’s protected us, behind.” She flicked her tail with unease and bowed her head, admitting something that had been eating at her for some time.

“I am like the elders in a way, the drought has been hard on me, Stormsong. I don’t know if I would be able to survive the journey even if I went. I would still be putting all my efforts to Dawnbreak and Duskwing’s happiness, rven though they are far from the apprentices we raised together. I don’t have the strength for a long journey… but I might have the strength to remain in my home and care for our elders.” She left the rest of her thoughts left unsaid. The implication that she didn’t know how long she would make it through, if she did. Were her chances of survival any greater than Thistlefur’s or Swallowtail’s?

There was something more to be addressed, however.
“Stormsong… are you leaving?” She couldn’t help the anguish in her mew. “I… I told Dawnbreak and Duskwing that they were free to start their new lives, if they had a better chance, so I cannot tell you in good faith to stay, but… I need to hear why, if you are considering leaving in earnest.” @DragonGirl1031

 

[DragonGirl1031]

The moment of tranquility quickly passed between the two siblings.

"And we'll all die here," he said bitingly. He didn't want to see the Clan die a slow or fast death. Stormsong looked at her, the fur along his shoulders puffing up a bit. "And would you leave the queens and kits to the mercies of whatever lays out beyond our borders for a few elders?" His expression softened a little bit. "I value the elders too Silverstreak. I'd rather not leave anyone behind." But the lives of the queens, kits, and future kits weighed more upon him than a few elders sadly near the end of their lives.

"The drought has been hard upon us all." He nuzzled her cheek. "You are strong, I know you'd survive easily." Stormsong sat quietly for a moment. "Dawnbreak and Duskwing are warriors now. You wouldn't need to care for them."

He took a deep breath. He had already put his stone in. "Yes," he told her simply. "Because the lives of a few elders who may or may not survive the next Leafbare doesn't out weight the lives of all the other warriors, queens, kits, and apprentices of the Clan." It was a hard choice and one he wished he didn't have to make. If the presence of one more warrior ensured their survival then it was a choice he would make over and over.
@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Silverstreak flinched away from her brother at his stern words and rising fur and she broke eye contact with him. She suspected that many cats felt the same as her brother did, clearly she was in the minority here, but she couldn't bring it in herself to abandon the elders, regardless of how much or little time they had left. They had done so much for MountainClan, it wasn't right to leave them behind after how much they'd sacrificed for the Clan. To leave their most respected cats behind in such a time... How could their warrior ancestors accept them into SunClan after such judgement?

He continued on about kits and queens - what kits, what queens? The last litter had grown into apprentices by now, some younger than others, like Petalpaw, Palepaw and Poppypaw, but they had been old enough to make their choices. Silverstreak flicked her ears... well, except for Palepaw, who's choice had been taken from her.

She didn't want to be the family member that begged Stormsong to stay. His mind was made up, she could hear it in his voice. Nothing she could say would sway him and she didn't want his final memory of her to be of her arguing with him. She could talk to him about how anyone could die at any point - a bad fall during a hunt could lead to even the most youthful warrior to die, nevermind an elder of old age, but... She had felt so tired the moment that she'd discovered that their paths to walk were different.

"I wish we could stay together, but... My mind is made up. I can't make this journey; I can't leave the elders, and the warriors who remain, to starve on their own. You may call me a mouse-brain, Stormsong, but the mountain is my home and I will not leave it so easily." At last, she returned her grey eyes to that of her brother's and she gave him a small, sad smile.

"But tonight, we can be together. Let us go find Duskwing and Dawnbreak. I would like to spend as much time together as we can, before you leave in the morning." She proposed to him, hoping, praying, that his pride would not get in the way of one final peaceful moment together. @DragonGirl1031

 

[DragonGirl1031]

For a moment he couldn't understand his sister. She was willing to give up her life for a couple of elders? Stormsong was sure the warriors who stayed to care for the elders would quickly follow them to SunClan. It seemed they were destined to go go separate paths.

The tom was almost ready to walk away and spend the remainder of the night by himself. But the sad eyes of his sister stopped him. He sighed. "Alright Silverstreak. Let's go." He rose to his paws and waited for her before heading back towards the Clan.
Fin
@belloblossom