Ashwings legacy

Chapter 15

   Ashwing walked leisurely through a bright forest. He was dreaming. He looked around at the familiar scenery around him. I'm in Starclan... but how?
  He was far away from the clans, surely starclans hunting grounds didn't stretch this far out. He suddenly spotted a figure through the ferns, a cat with a black pelt, and heart leapt. Shadowstar!
   He raced forward with a big smile, eager to see his best friend again. He burst through the ferns into the clearing and his face instantly changed to one of shock as he skidded to a halt in front of the cat. "Y-Yellowfang? What are you doing here? I could have sworn I saw..."
   Yellowfang scoffed at him, her flat muzzled face glaring at him. "I might not be as pretty as other she-cats, but you should be just as happy to see me!" She berated.
   Ashwing folded his ears back and dipped his head in apology. "Right... I'm glad to see you. So I am in Starclan then..."
   Yellowfang lowered her voice with a sigh but kept her same nasty glare. "Yes, you are. I've only come to check up on you." She said.
   Ashwing tilted his head. "Check on me? What for?" He asked.
   Yellowfang rolled her eyes impatiently. "So we can be up to date on your current mission. Have you found it yet?"
   Ashwing groaned, thinking back to their instructions to find something, Somewhere, that only he would know of. "No I haven't." He replied.
   "Why not?" Yellowfang asked irritatedly.
   Ashwing had to force himself to keep cool, knowing he shouldn't raise his voice to someone like Yellowfang. "Well maybe if you just told me what I was actually looking for I could make some progress." He offered with a rather unimpressed look.
   Yellowfang matched his energy, scoffing at him again. "I already explained that we can't do that... only you will know what it is when you find it. If you don't find it then I guess you'll never find out what it is. For all you know, you could've already encountered it, completely unaware that what you've been looking for is right there in front of you."
   Ashwing rolled his eyes. "If I'm supposed to know it when I see it, then how is it possible for me to walk right past it without even realizing it?" He challenged.
   Yellowfangs face didn't change at all. "Just keep looking..." she said flatly.
   "Fine I will..." Ashwing replied with a glare.
   He turned to leave but stopped. He really didn't want to keep talking to the ragged old medicine cat but he just had to know... "How is everything back in the clans?" He asked, turning back to face Yellowfang once more.
   She hesitated, flicking her ear before responding. "Everything is fine. Don't worry about the clans right now, what matters is your mission."
   Ashwing narrowed his gaze. She was clearly not telling the whole truth, but he decided not for pry for now. "And Shadowstar? How is she doing?"
   He'd been thinking about Shadowstar a lot recently, thinking about how she'd love the view of the sunset from Kades camp. He wished he could talk to her again so he could tell her all about it.
   He listened intently as Yellowfang answered. "Shes alright, but she has been pretty quiet recently. She doesn't want to attend any gatherings or meetings, mostly keeping to herself."
Ashwing frowned. Was something wrong with her? "What about you, how have you been?" Yellowfang asked, sounding sincere.
Asking stared at her surprised by her question. Yellowfang blinked at him. "What?"
"I just, didn't think you cared..." He said.
"I don't." She said flatly before sighing. "But Shadowstar would be upset if I didn't bring back some kind of news about you..."
Ashwings eyes lit up. Is that why she's acting strange? She misses me? Ashwing gave a small smile before answering. "Well, I'm good. I miss everyone in Starclan... but I feel good."
He looked up at Yellowfang and she returned his gaze with a content face, giving a small nod of acknowledgment. "Is being in the living world all you imagined it to be?" She asked.
Ashwing looked up thoughtfully, having to consider his answer for a moment. "It's more than I expected... in good ways and bad..." he said. He briefly relayed the events of his journey so far, starting with meeting Kade and his group, up to his recent meeting with Beta. "...it's been an experience to say the least."
"Ashwing... I truly am glad you're experiencing life. It's what your mother would have wanted..." Yellowfang said.
Ashwing was still kind of surprised by her unusual sincerity. She was even smiling faintly. He returned her smile with one of his own, though his was more purposeful. "You know Yellowfang... you're not so bad after all..."
Yellowfangs faint smile faded as she returned to usual grumpy self. "Just worry about completing your mission. See you later kid." She said, turning to walk away. "Tell Shadowstar that I hope I can see her again soon!" He called to her.
She nodded without stopping or turning back. Soon she was gone, and Ashwing could feel himself waking up. He thought about Shadowstar again. Her voice, her eyes, and her smile filled his mind. I hope you feel better now... Shadowstar...

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When he woke up, he had gotten up to eat something, sitting beside Owlnose and Firesoul. The two were already bantering about something, but Ashwing wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying. As he took small bites of the prey between his paws, he thought about them, how he'd grown close to them over the past few moons. Both were younger than he was, yet he felt the least mature out of them. Owlnose carried himself with a certain degree of realism that made him stand out. But he was also witty and still childish enough to have fun.
As for Firesoul, Ashwing saw something in her, he couldn't quite say what, but he knew from the moment he'd met her, that she was perfect for this journey. He thought of them as the siblings he never had, and he'd protect them with his life if need be. He wondered what it would be like to have real siblings. Cats he could call his littermates... though he would never wish his fate on anyone else. Being raised in Starclan hadn't been bad by any means, but after seeing what it's like among the living world, he believed every creature should have a chance to experience it, from birth to death.
Owlnose and Firesoul continued to bicker as Ashwing looked up at the sky.
Hollyleaf... Mother, wherever you are watching over me from... I hope I'm making you proud... I promise to make sure your legacy is remembered for generations to come...