Atop the roof of the old Horseplace barn lay a dark ginger tom cat, his light brown eyes half-lidded in laziness as he basked in the sunlight streaming in through white, puffy clouds. There's nothing to do.. nothing to dooo.... I wonder when Roseclaw or one of her cute kits will come to visit again?

:whoosh:

Clambering over the fence, Shadowstar took a pause at the top to survey the area before nodding in satisfaction. The bi-colored she-cat lifted her tail to signal her cats to follow and made a bee-line to the big red barn. Poking her head inside WindClan's leader took a deep breath and meowed, "Hello? I'm looking for Hawk. Roseclaw said I could find you here..."

Stoneface followed his leader slowly into the barn, his rime gray pelt blending with the darkness inside. Round green eyes scanned their surroundings as Shadowstar called out for the loner, trying to find a hint of trouble. When no one answered the warrior mumbled, "Do you think he's even here? He could have gone out. I mean, no one actually told him we were coming."

Roseclaw padded alongside her bi-colored leader, mouth wide to get a whiff of the unique scent of her brother. She gave up a few moments later, the smell of horses far overiding almost everything else. "Hawk? Show yourself!"

:simba:

Hawk's ears twitched. The dark ginger tom sat upright just as the scent of WindClan ran over his nose and open mouth. Moorland grass, rabbits, and Roseclaw's unique scent of daisies, milk, and blood. With a catish grin appearant on his face Hawk leapt off the roof, easily using the open window shutters and the fence as stepping stones down to the ground. He landed just fox-lengths from the barn entrance where the Clan cats had gathered, obviously looking for someone.

"Looking for little o' me?"

Smokepaw jumped in surprise as the loner appeared out of nowhere, her wide eyes taking in the scars on his body. "Oh wow," she breathed. He might be a loner, but he looked like a warrior.

Trying to make up for her slight burst of fear the gray tabby sat down and glanced at her mentor, head held high. Stoneface wasn't afraid so why should she be?

The gray furred warrior's yellow eyes widened at the sight of the ginger tom. He looked almost exactly like...Graystorm turned to look at Roseclaw.

The resemblance was unbelievable. This tom was the kit that had been lost all those moons ago...

Padding closer to Roseclaw, Graystorm meowed quietly, "This really is Foxkit..."

Shadowstar held her head high as the loner appeared, taking in the startling similarities between him and her own warrior, Roseclaw. Sandy ginger fur covered them from head to food and their eyes glowed with the same fierce determination. "So it is true," she meowed gently. Shaking her bemused head the bi-colored leader had to smile.

"Yes, we've been looking for you, Hawk from the horseplace. I am Shadowstar, leader of WindClan. I have heard from one of my warriors that you wish to become part of us, and that you used to be known by the name of Foxkit."

Her golden eyes assessed him as she waited for a response. His shoulder were powerful, the scars along his body proving him an already capable fighter. How had he escaped so long ago? How had no one found him until now?

Hopefully, the large ginger tom would have answers to those questions.

Hawk tilted his head down slightly from it's previously proud position, a spark of happiness gleaming in his light brown orbs. "A pleasure to finally meet you Shadowstar, though I think we have met once before a long time ago... hmm... What you have heard is true, I'd love to join WindClan. From what Roseclaw has told me it sounds like something I've been missing, something fulfilling in life." He paused, eyes narrowed as he looked away in thought for a moment before staring back at Shadowstar right in the eyes. Sincere in the very tone of his suddenly soft voice he continued "I would be honored if you would accept me."

:nod:

Roseclaw glanced from her leader to her brother, silently praying to StarClan that Shadowstar would not change her mind and leave after now having met Hawk, though that was unlikely.

The she-cat stared back at the taller tom, eyes searching. The tone of his voice and his posture spoke the truth, as did his startling resemblance to Roseclaw. With a small sigh Shadowstar turned her back on her warrior and began to pad away. Thoughts turning inwards to her own feelings she stopped before the half-open barn door and stared outside at the moors of her homeland.

She'd accepted Crowsight and Appleleaf when they had been loners...

Her golden eyes tracked the rise and fall of the hills and raised to watch the endless sky above them team with clouds. Hawk, though having lived as a loner all these moons, had been born of WindClan. He already knew how to fight if his scars were any indication and from the way his pelt glistened with health he could hunt as well. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Shadowstar spoke.

"If you truly wish to join my Clan then I have no right to deny you. Loner you may look, kittypet you may be called but Clan-born you are at heart."

A small smile touching her lips the she-cat glanced over her shoulder at the waiting cats. Tail swishing to motion them forward she meowed, "I will accept you one two conditions. One is that you will train with our apprentices, learning our ways as they do. You will be taught the warrior code and told about our borders and alliances with the neighboring clans.

Once that is done, you will be commended a warrior of WindClan in your turn. My other condition is that you decide if you will keep your loner name until you become a warrior, or if you will choose to be called Foxpaw until that same day.

What say you, Hawk?"

Hawk nodded, eyes twinkling with happiness. "Suits me just fine, Shadowstar."
The ginger tom paused, looking around for a minute in thought. "I would like to keep the name Hawk for now, it's kind of grown on me, you know?"

Roseclaw purred, stepping up to rub her brother's face with her own affectionatly. :nohug:

(( Sorry this is short but she technically is already at the gathering lol ))

Shadowstar smiled. Things had gone a lot smoother than she had planned. "Very well then, we shall return to camp and inform everyone of the latest addition to the Clan. I have a gathering to get to by sundown so your full introduction will have to wait."

Flicking her tail to signal her cats to follow, the bi-colored she-cat padded out of the barn and set out at a run back towards the moors.

(( To camp/gathering. ))