Epilogue
"There, that should do it."
Smokesong patted Moonflight's injured shoulder gently as the blue-black tom got slowly to his paws. He stared out at the exit to the Medicine Den, where the dying light poked through the vine entrance.
"Thanks," he mumbled. Then, he hesitated as though he wanted to go on, but was uncertain if he should.
Smokesong blinked in Moonflight's direction as she picked up the herb dressings, and began putting them away. She'd found a lot of relief in doing those menial sorts of tasks. After everything, she wasn't entirely comfortable being as out in the open in FalconClan as she had used to be. It had been only a half moon since the final battle where so many cats had lost their lives, and emotional wounds were still taking a long time to heal.
"What is it, Moonflight?" Smokesong murmured softly as the FalconClan warrior continued to stare off at the entrance to the den.
Moonflight glanced at her, and then sighed. "Have you had any word from them?" Everything from his head to his tail to his bright blue wings seemed to droop as he stared at Smokesong through desperate eyes.
I should have suspected. A blade of grief shot through Smokesong, and she felt black dots swirl in her vision. Memories, all too vivid of Flamepaw and Adderpaw dying, flashed through her mind. Moonflight had not only lost their mother, his mate, but also his two kits, just when he realised he'd had them.
"Nothing, since the nine lives, Moonflight. I'm sorry."
Smokesong padded up to Moonflight, wondering what sort of comfort she could offer him, when she suddenly saw a figure at the entrance to the den. She let out a relieved purr when she realised that it was Roseflight.
The cream she-cat was laden down with fresh supplies, her long, gorgeous, rosy pink wings spread wide to keep the herbs from falling off her back. As soon as he saw her, Moonflight rushed forward, offering the she-cat some help. Roseflight seemed to realise how depressed her clanmate was, because she purred gently in thanks as Moonflight grabbed a bundle of marigold. Smokesong blinked as Roseflight gestured to where the precious herbs were meant to be placed.
After the battle with Dawnclaw, the cream she-cat had come clean that she had always wanted to be a Medicine Cat. Dawnclaw's father had put his daughter in the spot, even though Roseflight had been the natural healer among them. She was a natural at making cats feel as though someone cared for them and they weren't alone. After the battle, many had come to the Medicine Den for their physical wounds, but had come out of it with their side mental healing as well.
Roseflight turned to Smokesong just as the last of the herbs were being put in their specific places. She dropped a tail over Moonflight's flank.
"Hawkblaze, Snowlight and Fadedpaw just got back from patrol," she offered in her gentle tone. "I think Hawkblaze wanted to speak with you."
"Thanks," Smokesong blinked appreciatively at Roseflight..
As she padded towards the exit of the den, she saw Roseflight and Moonflight murmuring quietly to one another. Tears were beginning to form in the tom's eyes, and he fell gratefully into his clanmate's soft feathered wings.
As Smokesong surveyed the Medicine Den one last time, she felt icy claws grip her chest. Something about it still made her think of Dawnclaw, even though she and Roseflight shared the den now. It was just that the Medicine Cat had always been there, ever since Smokesong had been a kit. Even though she'd completely changed the den around, Dawnclaw's sinister aura still seemed to wreathe around the place.
That's not all that's changed, though. As Smokesong pushed herself through the vines that screened the entrance to her den, she surveyed FalconClan camp once more. She had lived and slept here almost all her life, but it was the most recent, painful memories that seemed to cling onto her belt like stubborn burrs.
Smokesong glanced at one corner of the camp, remembering how her littermate, Coalfang had played games with her as kits. They had pretended that they were fierce falcons trying to attack the camp. Smokesong had always won against her scrawny brother.
Then, another memory came. It hurt as though some cat was dragging their claws down Smokesong's heart. Coalfang, looming above her, eyes narrowed to slits. In one paw, a vine that would never come off Smokesong's neck. In the other, a bloody paw from where he had just scarred he-
"Hey, look everyone! It's Smokeysong!"
Smokesong looked up to see Specklepaw bounding toward her through wide blue eyes. The kit waved his paws at Fadedpaw and Squawkpaw excitedly, as though great Falconstar himself had just risen from the dead.
His mother, Silvermist, held him back with one forepaw from where she sat with her older kit from another litter, Snowlight. "Be polite, Specklepaw," she reminded him.
Hawkblaze trotted back up to her apprentice after having deposited her sparrow and vole onto the freshkill pile. Her long scars glittered in the dying sunlight Smokesong felt happiness ring through her pelt as her best friend rubbed the neck of Specklepaw affectionately. Having Specklepaw to care for really helps Hawkblaze not focus on...everything, Smokesong thought.
She blinked as she saw the last FalconClan patrol swooping in overhead. Duskfang was at the lead, followed by Ezra, Lavenderheart and Raccoonmask. As they dived toward camp, Smokesong reflected on where all the former Ferals had ended up.
Wave had gone to AquaClan to be with the new deputy, Lilywave. Oh right, Smokesong though. The new leadership cats. An older AquaClan cat named Waveclaw had gotten nine lives. In CometClan, Breezestar had returned, having been held captive by vines that Nightstar put on her.
Dart and his kit had left the clan territories altogether. Most of the former rogues had stuck pretty close to the clan territories, though. They had all banded together, forming their own unique group. Icicle and Mountain had gone off on a journey to see some new parts of the world, though they promised to return.
Smokesong thought that was pretty cool. She enjoyed the new FalconClan, though, in spite of everything that had happened. Now, Smokesong could easily list the names of all the cats in FalconClan. After all, it had gotten so much smaller.
Cloudstorm. The cat was old enough to retire, but FalconClan had so few warriors that he had stayed on. Moonflight, Silvermist Snowlight, Hawkblaze, Racconmask, Lavenderheart, Ezra, Duskstar.
Those were all the warriors that remained in FalconClan. The other cats, Roseflight, Fadedpaw, Squawkpaw, Specklepaw, and me, all had different roles.
They were a small clan, but they were hardy, and driven. As Smokesong stared out at Hawkblaze and the other warriors, she felt convinced that FalconClan would survive their hardship. Even though all our wounds may never heal...at least we have each other.
"Hey, Smokesong."
Blinking, Smokesong looked up to see Hawkblaze standing a mouse length from her, eyes round with concern. Smokesong wondered how exhausted she must look; every cat had had to work extra hard to ensure the survival of their small clan.
"Are you good?" Hawkblaze asked, wrapping one wing around Smokesong.
"Yeah, I'm good," Smokesong blinked up at her friend. Hawkblaze's face was like a sun's brilliant ray to Smokesong, in spite of all her scars. "Just...reflecting."
Hawkblaze stared out, keen eyes surveying FalconClan camp. While they had mostly cleaned up the mess from Dawnclaw's reign of terror, it still triggered horrific memories in every cats' mind.
"I know what you mean, Smoke," she meowed at length. "Things haven't been easy...nor for any of us." Hawkblaze lifted her muzzle to the sunset sky. "But we just gotta keep on going, keep on reaching for the stars, keep on dreaming."
Smokesong butted her friend affectionately. "You're so wise," she purred.
Hawkblaze's eyes glittered warmly. "Yeah, but then again, you still beat every cat at Legendary Snow Monsters last night. Specklepaw was practically singing your praises all day long when you pulled a win for your team."
Smokesong laughed, but it still seemed to come out wrong in her throat. It always did, whenever she was in FalconClan camp. It was meant to be her home...yet the bright white of the snow and the meticulously made dens always seemed somehow ominous. Hawkblaze seemed to pick up on her emotions.
"Hey," she meowed. "You wanna go for a flight?"
Smokesong hesitated. She hadn't really used her wings for long distances, not since...everything. Using her wings reminded her too much of her littermate, Coalfang, who had always aspired to be the greatest flyer ever, even when they were kits.
"You don't have to," Hawkblaze meowed. Her friend hesitated as though she was trying to find something to say
"No, I do," Smokesong interjected quickly. "It'll be fun." She paused. "Race you to the clouds!"
With that, she bunched her muscles, and sprang into the sky. Her injured hind leg twinged slightly in her leap; it would never fully recover it's old strength. Smokesong felt exhilaration as she pumped her wings, propelling her higher and higher into the sky.
She was gasping for air by the time she turned to look for Hawkblaze. Her friend swooped towards her. Smokesong did a little flip in the air, feeling freer than she had in moons. She felt almost giddy, as though she was a kit in the nursery once more.
"Come on," she purred to Hawkblaze, wind whipping her face. "Let's swoop around to the Starlight Rock!"
"You're so fast at flying," Hawkblaze sighed as she flew through the air.
"I wonder if Addermoon would be faster than me," Smokesong commented softly. "She grew such large wings near the...the end." Her voice broke off, and she had to focus on steady wingbeats to stop herself from sobbing. She had loved watching the brown spotted cat bloom to have courage and a personality as big as her wings.
"Well, she'd have to, to keep up with Flamespirit," Hawkblaze meowed quietly. "StarClan, that tom can zoom over the ground."
Smokesong sighed as she kept on beating her wings, Hawkblaze keeping up with her.
"Will we always miss them this much?"
Hawkblaze's eyes glittered. "The grief's pretty raw now," Smokesong wondered if she was thinking of her brother, Blaze. "But I think it's good to remember them. I think they'd like that. But I also think they'd want us not to mourn forever."
Smokesong nodded as the two of them banked left, the Starlight Rock coming into view. It glittered brightly in the dying light, blue and majestic. Smokesong still found it hard to believe how recently the battle had taken place here.
"CometClan said they'd cleaned up the leashes," Hawkblaze muttered. "And put them back in their cave, which still has the same supply as before the powers were lost."
Smokesong did a double take. "Foxdung," she cursed under her breath. "I forgot about that." She touched her neck gingerly, remembering the leash all too clearly. "You mean...that stuff still exists?"
Hawkblaze hesitated before nodding. "The Dawn of the Claw too. It was in that cave where we had the final showdown, if you remember."
Smokesong did. She remembered how her littermate had dug his claws into her pelt relentlessly. How he'd tried to push her down to her death. Smokesong also remembered seeing wings sprout from Coalfang's back, just as Hawkblaze had started to fall from the sky.
"Speaking of which," Hawkblaze rubbed a paw along her neck. "Did he...regain his wings by any chance? Duskstar never found his body..."
"Yeah," Smokesong sighed. "He did."
Hawkblaze cursed under her breath, muttering calculations in a voice too quiet for Smokesong to hear. She tilted her head in confusion at the panic and rage that sparked across her best friend's expression.
"Why?"
Hawkblaze eyed her gravely. "Some of the Dawn of the Claw is missing. And...if Coalfang got his wings back," she stared deep into Smokesong's horrified gaze. "That means your brother will likely return one day for vengeance. I don't doubt he stole some of the flowers."
Smokesong took a deep breath, the world swaying around her. Her brother...returning. Would he be as wicked as Dawnclaw? Or would he be worse? Or maybe I can find a way to heal him, a small voice whispered. Seeing Hawkblaze's grim expression, though, Smokesong knew that her friend certainly doubted that.
"It won't be for a long time, though," Hawkblaze meowed as they wheeled away from the Starlight Rock. "Your littermate knows he's defeated. He won't be able to come back quickly. Maybe he'll forget his path of vengeance and won't return at all."
You don't believe that, though. The FalconClan deputy looked deeply unnerved.
Gradually, as the two of them powered their wings away, Smokesong felt the worries of her brother flow off of her like a soft breeze. Right now, Coalfang's fury didn't matter; there were more important things to do. If all Smokesong did was worry or feel sad, she would forget about all the beauty of the world around them.
"Hawkblaze, can I say something that might sound a little crazy?" Smokesong asked. Before Hawkblaze could even open her jaws to speak, Smokesong went on. "I know everything hasn't been perfect, and won't ever be perfect. But, I've loved spending every moment with you. Being together. I think we might one day find happiness and security, if only because cats like you exist."
Hawkblaze turned to her, blue eyes glistening with love for her best friend. They'd been through so much together, and they would continue to go through it, together.
Hawkblaze purred as the two of them beat their wings towards the distant horizon. "From the good to the bad, we'll always have our friends to stand by us. Dawnclaw couldn't defeat us because of it. Even when she renamed us, tore into scars in our pelts, and tried to bring us to the ground, we rose above her, together."
Smokesong touched wings with Hawkblaze, red and orange touching deep shades of blue. Two cats, flying towards their future. The sunset sky blazed as Smokesong and Hawkblaze flew onwards.
I understand now, Smokesong thought. It was never about our wings, it was about having one another. That's how we rose above Dawnclaw and her allies. Having friends to lean on and build you up...that is truly our reason for being here. Hawkblaze and the rest of the cats will be together forever, even though distance and the stars may try to separate us. Having friends is what it truly means to live, what it truly means to be...
Gaining Height.