the princess returns.

[Darkangel]

What kind of a leader was she? A shadow moved into the new camp, her tail held high, emerald green eyes narrowed. Her long tail flicked at the tip, rattling just slightly. Her first thought: Bane. Where was her father? Sharpfang? The moonlight bathed the ground in silver. Pripyat and Spiderlilly? Darkangel even wondered if Barbwire would care that she was back.

She galloped after the latest scent trail that she immediately knew was Bane. But it mingled too much with the scents of the other cats'; she picked up little Panic's heading into the nursery. Why on earth would he be going in there? Darkangel couldn't imagine him having kits; she didn't even realize at first that he wasn't a little kit himself anymore. "Bane!" she cried. Her voice had never sounded so helpless, even in her head.

Darkangel wondered if any of the cats of Boneclan would even care that she was home. She had abandoned them; she worried that Sharpfang would hate her now. And Whitedevil, what had become of him? She wondered what had happened with Heartless, how Goldenblaze was. "Sharpfang?" the thin black she-cat called.

[Panic]

Carrying three mice by their tails, Panic was taken by surprise as he crossed a new scent, one he hadn't smelled in a while. He gasped, dropping the dead rodents. Could that really be...Was she really back? Panic left the mice where they were and ran into the camp, where a slim black cat was standing in the center. Those unmistakable golden lines along her sides; it was Darkangel.

The little black tom immediately thought, "Ohdearwhere'sPripandBarbwire." He looked around for the two of them; Pripyat would probably be in the nursery with his kits or out doing some shenanigans, and Barbwire; well, she was an unpredictable she-cat, off getting in to some kind of trouble. Then he stepped forward and mewed, "Darkangel?" in the tiniest voice. Then he wanted to scratch himself; that was stupid. He probably sounded like a tiny kitten. He padded a few steps toward her, slightly afraid that she was insane and would turn on him. But no, she couldn't; this was Bane's daughter. She wouldn't turn on a fellow Boneclanner?

He sighed and padded forward, more relaxed, but confidently. He definitely was not the same cat he had been when she had left. He was bigger, obviously, and stronger. Less of a...well, less of a wimp. With help from Prip and Spiderlilly, Panic had grown into quite the Boneclan warrior. He smiled a bit at the thought of this. Then he realized, oh, maybe Darkangel wanted to see her father, not some kit she'd known. He stepped back and looked frantically around for Barbwire.

[Kestrel]

I believe in people dying.

A bolt of pure black burst from the entrance of the nursery. For an instant, all four slim paws touched earth, and the form coalesced into a tall, lean jet-colored tom with bright blue eyes--and then he blurred into motion again.
The cat crossed the space between the nursery and Darkangel in less than half a second, stopping so abruptly in front of her that an onlooker might be suprised he didn't collapse.

"Darkangel!" Pripyat cried happily, just as cheerful and welcoming as ever.

Pripyat did not particularly care where Darkangel had been.
The important thing was that she was back!
He curled his tail in excitement. "Darkangel, you've come home! I thought you'd left us! I'm glad you're back."

The black tom turned in the direction of the nursery. "Here, come here! I want to show you something!"
She was leader once, right? And anyway, Pripyat was so rediculously proud of his kits that he jumped at the chance to show them off.

Pripyat padded toward the nursery, gesturing for Darkangel to follow. "Come on! I want to show you my kittens!"

He was dancing a little on the spot, grinning that old grin.

[/blockquote]

[Barbwire]

<sub>Goldenblaze was ominously absent from the camp, but in his stead remained Barbwire. She loped lazily into camp, tail flicking to and fro with every step across the dusty floor. Her honey-gold eyes flicked across the camp with a lazy smile. She truly was growing at ease with this new camp.

There was Panic, back from hunting; there was Whitedevil, lazing in the shade. There was Pripyat bouncing around the camp, probably showing off his new litter to... Darkangel.

Darkangel?

Barbwire's eyes widened in mild surprise. She hadn't seen the dark princess in all so many months, and it was good to see her again. She padded with a proud assurance across the clearing towards her. Good to see ya back, Darkangel She remarked, but it was a kind gesture. She flicked her tail over Panic's shoulder reassuringly; he seemed so self-conscious. You should go see his kits; they're real healthy and fit, and.. I guess they are pretty cute She said with a nod.

Which was a lot, coming from the proud Barbwire. Though she was no princess of the Clan Leader, she was a princess of one of the warriors. She trotted away to laze in the shade.

Whitedevil was resting in the shade of a rock overhang, curled with his back to the sharp-tongued Misery. He let his breath softly inhale and exhale, his back arching and falling. His eyes fluttered open as an old but familiar scent breezed past him, and he glanced about with his silver eyes. Was that...?

Darkangel? His ears shot forward as she entered the camp. At his sudden tenseness, Misery glanced over his shoulder, yawned, and went back to sleep. Whitedevil was about to rise to his feet, but it appeared Pripyat had already seen to her. He deflated slightly, ears leaning back, and he forced himself to relax back down. He'd see her later.

With a pointed yawn, he rested his chin back on his paws and closed his eyes, but his ears remained alert and perked.

Whitedevil wasn't the only one that was resting on this fine evening. Sharpfang was curled up on the top of the rock overhang, his tail resting over the bridge of his nose, keeping a sharp ear perked for trouble in the camp. At the mention of a Darkangel, he opened his bright gold eyes and raised his head, tufted ears flicking forward just moments before Whitedevil had below him. He lazily brought himself to his feet, stretching out and yawning before jumping down to the floor, legs soaking up the impact. Still, he trotted forward, head raised as he watched Darkangel speculatively.

You've been gone a long while, Darkangel He mewed cooly, raising a brow. When Bane had left and his daughter absent, it was Sharpfang who took up the reigns. At least BoneClan continued to exist. Still, Sharpfang couldn't deny he wasn't happy to see her; he was faithful to Bane and to his daughter, almost blindly so. But it kept him as deputy, and it had kept the Clan together. It is in fact good to see you He murmured when Barbwire had trotted away. You should see Bane, he'll be pleased to see you, I assume.</sub>

[Grave]

Spiderlily had gone out earlier that evening, thankful to just be able to stretch her legs some, and left her mate to look out for the fluffballs she left behind. Even so, one little tom stirred and woke at the sound of his father’s voice, blue eyes blinking slowly as his world righted itself and he was capable of understanding he was now, currently, awake. Sprawled around him were his brother and sisters – they looked to still be asleep – but where had Dad gone? Raising to still shaky paws, little Grave hopped forward to the entrance of the nursery, peeking out with tail waving high in the air above his amazingly scrawny self. “Dad?” He called, stepping forward and looking around.

He hadn’t been so far outside before, although that hadn’t been for not trying [and, generally, annoying the daylights out of his mother in the process]. The little boy smiled when he saw his father padding back towards him, moving as quick as his wobbly legs could take him over to the tom.

Regretfully, Grave hadn’t quuuuite learned how to stop yet – he careened over his own paws and face planted the ground with a loud yelp. Graceful, wasn’t he? The kit scrabbled ungracefully back to his paws and tried to wipe the dirt from his face, nose scrunched up. “Daaaad dad, that-” He stopped, looking around his father at the other Boneclanners. Some he recognized, like Panic and Barbwire, others he knew by scent. But there was someone new there he hadn’t met yet. Instead of waiting for her to come over, the little tom was back to his paws and running over to her; “Hi. Hiiiiii! Imma Grave, who you?”

[Darkangel]

She scented Panic behind her. “Darkangel?” he mewed, and she had to hold back a giggle. He still sounded as tiny as ever -- but she turned and, wow, he was a full-grown cat. His silver eyes grew warm as she smiled at him. Before she could say anything, another voice cut her off, and she saw the black cat before her smile at another behind her.

Oh, Pripyat. Such a...cheerful guy, Darkangel couldn't even try and stifle the purr that rose from her chest. “Darkangel! Darkangel, you've come home! I thought you'd left us! I'm glad you're back,” he told her. She flicked him lightly with her tailtip. “Here, come here! I want to show you something! Come on! I want to show you my kittens!” That's when her emerald eyes widened. Kittens? Pripyat? Oh my. After getting used to the idea, she realized who the mother must be, and wondered where the assassin was.

Before even moving, she saw Barbwire come up beside Panic. “Good to see ya back, Darkangel. You should go see his kits; they're real healthy and fit, and.. I guess they are pretty cute.” She noticed Heartless' daughter flick her tail over Panic's shoulders. And then she thought about what the she-cat had said: she'd called the kits cute? Hm. Obviously, she'd changed...matured, at least. “Thanks, Barbwire,” Darkangel purred.

And then, the cat she'd been waiting for. “You've been gone a long while, Darkangel. It is in fact good to see you. You should see Bane, he'll be pleased to see you, I assume.” Darkangel turned to him. He was like her uncle, or even another father. “Sharpfang I'm so sorry can you ever forgive me?!” she blurted out, the words all coming together as one. At the mention of Bane, her tail rose just a bit higher. Happy to see her? He damn well should be! She purred and rubbed her cheek against Sharpfang's rough fur.

Then she looked past the others to where Pripyat was, by the nursery. A little tomkit was hobbling about and it was impossible for her to push down the purr that came up again. And one day these kits would be strong fighters of Boneclan. “Daaaad dad, that-” The kit seemed to be distracted by her. “Hi. Hiiiiii! Imma Grave, who you?” Darkangel purred again as Grave came up to her. “My name is Darkangel. I'm Bane's daughter,” she told him, wondering if any cat had let the newcomers know about her.

[Bane]

Bane's daughter indeed.

The dark tom was pretty sure nobody had seen him. He sat in the shadows by the rock the signalled the entrance to his den, his gleaming eyes observing the situation coolly. The joy as everyone came to greet Darkangel, it made Bane's chest hurt. Yet his eyes remained emotionless, and his gaze didn't falter.

He wanted to feel angry at her. She had abandoned the clan to do... goodness knows what, when everyone had needed someone to guide them and give them hope. But, hadn't he done the same thing too? His anger was unjustifiable, and as such he had to keep it hidden deep.

Besides, the anger was only a minor role to play in what the wisened leader felt upon his daughters return. Affection was something that Bane never made a show of, his feelings were quietly recognised rather than openly flaunted. Despite the urge to step forward and reveal himself to Darkangel, he remained where he was. Almost all the clan was present, and he'd rather not make a scene. Not for this reason, at least.

He did, however, take one small step forward, so that light outlined his face and made his emerald eyes difficult to miss. He kept his gaze calmly focused on Darkangel, waiting patiently for her to notice him.[/size]