Finding Family

Goldenstorm raced over the heather filled land. He felt like the wind as cool breezes rushed through his short fur. He could hear the wind echoing in his ears as his paws hit hard on the ground, sending him forward. He was smiling all the while, an exhilarating feeling flowing through him as he raced with Vixenstep just behind him. It would only be moments before they reached the empty border.

Vixenstep raced alongside Goldenstorm, feeling exhilarated as the wind blew through her fur. "You think she'll be there?"she murmured to him, eyes gentle. She didn't want him to get disappointed or hurt if his mother wasn't there.

Goldenstorm turned his head out of the wind to face her as he sprinted through the grassy meadow. "I don't know, whether she is or not I'm sure this is a lot funner than sitting around camp." he smiled at her. The border was coming up in the distance now. "Come on we're almost there." he pushed forward, his eyes narrowed and focused on his destination.

Vixenstep nodded and picked up the pace, sprinting alongside him. "Do you know what she looks like?"

Goldenstorm thought hard, a she-cat with a long tail and white paws came to his head, soon to be replaced with Moontail. She had been one who had taken care of him. He frowned, "No." he stuttered as he shook his head, it choked him like a piece of bad fresh-kill.
He skidded to a stop at the border, gazing outward. "Are you sure you're up to this? We could run into something." he asked Vixenstep one last time, in case she wanted to back out. He didn't blame her. They could be running into a family of foxes or a stray badger, not very fun to face off with.

"I'd go anywhere, if you said to." She looked around the moor. "And if something happens, it will be because of my own free will." She turned to him with a smile. "Come on."

Goldenstorm sighed with relief. "Thanks." he purred, stepping of his home territory and out into the unknown. "They'll probably in some sort of shelter. Let's look for some dens or something like that." he suggested, peering over the grasses for a den.

"Yeah." Vixenstep looked over the grasses hopefully, and, not finding anything, shook her head.

"I don't see one. Let's go a little farther." Goldenstorm suggested, stepping further into the grasses. He saw the stream, "Why don't we try following the stream? It would be the best spot for a den to be." he turned to her, waiting for opinion.

"Sure." She jumped over a small hedge, landing beside Goldenstorm.

Goldenstorm trotted over to the gurgling stream and stopped. He licked up a few drops of the icy cold water that seemed to refresh him. He looked around again. "See anything?" he asked.

"I thought I saw a rabbit, but nothing else."she mewed, looking around again.

The young tom grunted, losing hope as he looked again. He saw a few rocks, windblown trees, and a mud pile. Wait, that's not a mud pile...He sprinted foward, "Come on!" he called over his shoulder, racing toward the seemingly wet soil.

She raced after him. "You think they're there?"

"Might be!" he smiled, his tail winding out behind him, as long as the winding stream he ran beside. He pulled to a halt beside the mound, "I was right! It's a den." he mewed excited, though his discovery could go both ways. There could be a badger inside just waiting to rip into his fur, but then, his family could be waiting for him.

A noise echoed from the den. It sounded almost like a scratching on dirt, moving continuously and quickly. Suddenly, it stopped... A sniff sounded, and then another, after that silence. The only thing hear was the song of the moor. All that existed was silence, and for long moments, there seemed to be nothing other than that...

Suddenly, golden, black-spotted fur pounced from the den. The pattern bleong to a large cat with rounded ears. He hissed as he soared towards Goldenstorm in the air, his claws outstretched and his teeth bared in a menacing growl.

Goldenstorm jumped back, startled by the cat before him. He crouched with his claws dug into the ground and his ears flat against his head He held his neutral stance as he looked at the tom. A strong looking cat with golden fur, as his own, and awkward shaped ears and long legs. Square shoulder and unique leopard spots covered his golden fur, giving it a wild cat look. A well sized head sat upon a sturdy neck, his amber eyes seemed to growl at him all on their own.
"I-I'm looking for Heatherpelt?" he asked, wary of the tom's claws in the air.

Vixenstep crouched beside Goldenstorm, her eyes bright with caution. "Yes, is this where we can find her?"she queried, keeping her tail low to the ground and her ears flat against her head.

Goldenstorm remembered he was with Vixenstep, and not wanting to look like a coward in front of his crush, he stood up straight and took a firm stance in which he was proud of. He made his face look defiant, though he wasn't at all afraid of this newcomer cat. He just didn't want to get into a fight and loose the chance of finding his mother.

The tom's eyes darted from Vixenstep to Goldenstorm, his guard never down. His eyes narrowed at the request of Heatherpelt, his Heatherpelt. What did they want with her? They had no business with her! His pelt bristled with hostile anger, ready to pounce on these cats with they made a sudden move. "No, she's not." He growled, his tail lashing.

Goldenpaw smiled, a bit relieved. "So she's alive." he murmured to himself, looking down at his paws. "Can you tell me where to find her?" he questioned, desperate to find his lost family. "Sh-She's my mother."

He lifted his head and tilted his head. Related to.. her? He couldn't remember having kits with Heatherpelt, not at all. Who was this cat? He narrowed his eyes. Heatherpelt, she really was here, but he was starting to think that these cats weren't talking about her, maybe another one? There could be... a million Codys out there, no?

"I don't know," Cody said suspeciously, "maybe you should check one of the clans, it is a clan name after all. What do you want with her anyways? If you don't know where she is, she would hvae abandin'd ya. I would think you'd get the message." He growled at Goldenstorm, not taking his eyes from him.

Vixenstep glared at the tom, her pelt starting to bristle. He was lying, she could tell! Mainly because she'd had to force Birchpaw to tell the truth many times before. A cat with a scent similar to Goldenstorm's was around here.

Goldenstorm shook off the words, knowing better than to get into a fight just because some cat was picking on him. He wasn't a kit anymore. He caught Vixenstep, but he brushed against her and gave her a look to silence any words she might throw at the tom. He too could tell he was lying, but he wanted to see if he could get the tom to tell him without threatening his life.
"No, they told me she left the Clans. She'd be out here. Do you know where I can find her, her and my father. Please, I could give you something in return if you wish."he pleaded.

Cody growled. Why must this cat persist? Why couldn't he just give up and go away? He didn't want him to have anything to do with his mate. "I don't want any of your possesions." He hissed with a dismissive flick of the tail. "I don't know where she'd be. How about you check ThunderClan or something. How do you even know she wants you? I would see why any cat would dump throw you away."