flowers of the field [Arrival Topic]

To Zinnia, the closer the refugees of the forest drew to the Garden, the more familiar the landscape became. These were places she had seen before, and just when she had started to think she would never return. She could only wish it were under better circumstances.

She found herself rehearsing an introduction in her head. There was ceremony and ritual to this, technically - in practice, there wasn't that much of either in their day to day lives, but she thought there was certainly something out of the ordinary with the current situation. It was easier to fall back on tradition than it was to hope they would be happy enough to see her again that they might overlook the entirety of a shaken civilization appearing on their land.

They reached their destination as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon. It was a place that had no meaning of its own, but one she knew well; a tree with marks she and her sisters had made, in a memory so distant it felt almost like it belonged to someone else. It was easily recognizable, if not by the claw-marks then by the strange stone structure a short distance away.

Zinnia wasn't accustomed to raising her voice, but she yowled as loud as she could manage; hoping her announcement would reach one of the evening hunting parties. "Cats of the Garden, my name is Zinnia! I am one of your own, once a drifter, returned to you now in the good company of the forest Clans - we come seeking sanctuary!"

As they drew ever closer, Eevee could not contain her excitement.  As each breathe they drew nearer, she felt more and more like Daisy again. Her time living with the Garden had been one of peace and tranquility, like most, but most of all she loved the land and their names. Flowers and plants were things of beauty. Beauty, grace, fragility, durability. The Garden had the essence of each of these captured perfectly.


Daisies woven between her brown fur, and her dear sapphire jewel hanging around her white chested neck, Eevee padded forward. A kitlike innocent radiated around her, and a prance practically graced her step. I'm back! she thought gleefully, delight in her amber eyes. The terrain was as familiar to her as if she'd been here yesterday, and she bounded ahead, stopping only when she heard Zinnia's call.

In her excitement, she'd forgotten tradition, and she skidded to a stop, though she looked ready to dash towards any cat she recognized. I missed The Garden so much.

Foxglove paused, ears pricked - was that the sound of someone nearby? No one else was hunting this way, last she'd heard. Then came the call; surprisingly... Well, traditional in phrase. "Did you hear that? You heard that, right? It wasn't just me?"

Amaryllis twitched her tail. "I heard that."

Zinnia. That was her mother's sister's name, wasn't it - the one that had left in a season long past. A drifter, now returned to them... Still, even if the cat's identity wasn't a secret, there was plenty of mystery left in her mind. For instance - what, exactly, were the forest Clans?

Foxglove wasn't waiting around long enough to actually hear any of their answers, though - she simply sped off toward the source of the sound, leaving the rest of the hunting party to follow in her wake.

Amaryllis followed after her, wondering what her aunt might be like. "Foxglove! Wait for us!"

With slow, deliberate, winding steps through the trees, and with two of her fellow garden members by her side, Clover wandered along the boundary of the camp, content. The cold had loosened its grip on the world and the warmth of the Waking Flowers season had come to grace the land once again. The older she-cat was enjoying the delicate new growth that had sprung up following the melting of the snows, and she took her time as she meandered through the trees, until a familiar voice broke through her thoughts. Her two companions took off towards the sound.

Her ears perked up as she heard the familiar call of the return of one of their own, and with a smile, called back, turning to race towards the sound, following Amaryllis and Foxglove.
"As the ancestors have led you back to the place where your journey began, we are honored to welcome you home!"

She slowed as she saw the sheer numbers of the cats that had gathered behind Zinnia, and she stepped forward to touch her nose to her fellow garden cat's with a purr.
"Welcome home, Zinnia. I'd love to hear about your travels and all that you've seen, but I see that there's more pressing matters at hand."

"Clover!"

That was the only warning The Garden cat received before a brown and cream blur barrelled into her, sending the pair tumbling. Daisy stared down at her joyously, a purr in her throat. "Clover! It's me, Daisy! Oh, I've missed this place so terribly!" She mewed, getting off the older she-cat and bumping her shoulder with her head. "How is everyone? Poppy, Lunaria, Primrose? Oh, it was so dreadful that I couldn't stay to meet Primrose's kits! But once a Drifter, always one, I suppose." Daisy chattered away,  "Oh, dear, it's so good to be back! Oh, Clover! You simply must meet Oleander! She's such a dear, you'll like her quite well I think. Oh, and darling Softbreeze and Olivestar as well!"

---

Shyfawn padded forward, dipping her head to what appeared to the oldest cat present. "Greetings, Clover, I believe your name was? I am Shyfawn, an elder of WindClan. Our homes were destroyed by fires, floods, and trembling earth. Sweet Zinnia suggested that we come to her homeland to seek sanctuary and regroup. This is Olivestar, our only surviving leader," Shyfawn paused as she nodded to the lean gray tabby leader, standing not too far behind her. "We mean no harm, youngster, but I understand if you have to speak with your group's leader before allowing a group of strange cats into your home."

---

Padding alongside Foxglove, Clover, and her cousin Amaryllis, humming softly. The gentle she-cat's ears perked up when an unidentified voice filled the air...and said its name was Zinnia. Instantly, her pale yellow eyes flew over to Amaryllis. "Zinnia as in.. our aunt?" She mumbled, eyebrows scrunched.

Then Foxglove and Amaryllis took off, and Lavender gasped, running after them.

Foxglove and Amaryllis stood behind Clover, curiously observing the cats before them. Foxglove simply stared at them, obviously trying to look at least a little bit intimidating, while Amaryllis studied them carefully. One of them bore a striking resemblance to both her mother and her aunt Primrose - surely that must be Zinnia?

That thought, and any questions she might have asked, where lost when another cat leapt toward Clover; talking about a number of the cats she knew. So this cat - Daisy? - had been here before.

---

Meanwhile, from her place by the tree, Zinnia nodded. "I am glad to see you're doing well, Clover... On my travels, I came across the WindClan cats; and after some time there I made my home with them. Then, just a few moons ago, disaster struck the forest - the very earth shattered under our paws, and those of us that stand before you now are lucky to have escaped. We must seek a new place to call home, but... We have lost many of our own. For now, we must take time to recover, and to prepare for a long journey. This was the safest place I could imagine to do such a thing."

She took a few steps back, looking for Olivestar; she felt rather nervous being something close to the center of attention in such a large group. She had said her piece now, anyway - best let someone else speak.

A mass of brown and cream fur bowled over the she-cat with little warning other than a squeal of her name and a whiff of familiar scent, and Clover found herself laughing and purring as she got her bearings from the tumble. She looked up at Daisy, and purred,
"Welcome back, darling."

Pushing herself back to her paws, she shook out her long, pale orange fur, and turned back to Zinnia, and the newly-introduced Olivestar. She dipped her head in respectful greeting to the leader, and listened as Shyfawn and Zinnia explained the situation.

"I see. It's a shame that disaster has befallen you all." she dipped her head for a moment, before gesturing for Olivestar and Zinnia to walk beside her, and for the shattered remnants of the Clans to follow. "Come, come, we can talk more on the way."

Turning to Amaryllis and Foxglove, she instructed,
"Go on ahead, let the others know what to expect."

As Clover turned, Olivestar stepped forward to fall in step beside her, and spoke, with a tired smile and aching paws.
"As previously introduced, I'm Olivestar, the last remaining leader of five. Before the disasters, I led WindClan alone, but now, I act as the leader of all. The shaking ground destroyed our homes and scattered us to the winds, and this is all that's left of us. Zinnia told us about you all, and suggested that we head here for temporary shelter. Thank you in advance for your kindness."

Clover nodded sagely, and led the way back, responding,
"Of course. We could never turn away those in need."

Spotlake let out a sigh as she drew to a stop, taking in the area around them. It was so pretty. A smile appeared onto her maw, as she drew closer to Shyfawn. Soon a group of cats appeared, and Spotlake softly waved her tail at them, meowing a soft hello. This was mostly it. Days of travelling brought them here. I wouldn't mind staying here till my final day.

Petalkit happily skipped, staying close to Duskwolf, per his request. She didn't mind though; it was a good day. It was nice, and sunny, and bright, and she saw a flying feathery thing Duskwolf called a bird, and the grass was super soft- wait why was everyone stopping? Petalkit felt confusion overtake her. She opened her mouth to ask Duskwolf why, when something else caught her attention. It was a pink color, like the sunset, and was on a blade of grass. Petalkit's eyes widened with wonder, as she slowly padded towards. She softly booped it with her nose, with it tilting a bit, before going right back up. How silly! Petalkit could this all day!

A smile appeared onto Duskwolf's maw, as they all drew to a stop. They were really here. Now Petalkit could rest, and be a normal kit again, and not have to worry about moving every moment. "Petal, we're here!" He said, breathlessly, as he took it all in for a moment. A moment where Petalkit should've answered, as she was always so good at answering quickly. He quickly turned his gaze towards where Petalkit should've been, to find that she was gone. Waves of panic overtook him, as Duskwolf frantically looked around. He finally saw her, and ran over to her, while she was playing with a flower. "Petalkit, why'd you run off like that?! Something could've happened to you!" Duskwolf hissed under his breath. Petalkit looked up at him, her wide green eyes apologetic. "Sorry Duskwolf. I just saw this and it was suuuuupeeeerrrrr prettty!" Duskwolf nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, the flowers are very pretty, but we have to get back to the group! Plus you can always see more later." He then ushered Petalkit back to the group with his tail, while Petalkit stayed starstruck.

So that's what flowers were! Her momma had been right, they were super pretty! And Da-Duskwolf said there'd be more! I love this place already! Petalkit though, a grin appearing onto her face, as he and Duskwolf rejoined the group.