Epilogue

Hollyfrost finished packing down the dirt beneath her paws until the surface lie flat and smooth. Sliding her paw over a final time, she padded the earth with a resounding smack to emphasize its completion.

"Good job," Sagebrush mewed, padding up beside her. "That officially accounts for everyone, I think."

"Everyone that we're sure of anyway," she replied a bit grimly while inspecting her dirt caked paws.

"By this point I think we'd know if there were anymore survivors." A hint of sadness crept into Sagebrush's voice as he stated it. "It's better we do this by honoring them now, rather than never."

Hollyfrost reluctantly acknowledged it was probably true. Over the course of a rather harsh two moons, the remnants of their Clan had slowly been reconstructing their home in the wake of the fire's furious tirade. It'd decimated over hundreds of foxlengths worth of forest, eradicating a majority of BoulderClan's territory and more along with it. Although harsh, the forest's former glory would eventually recover and return, but there was one sort of loss they'd sustained that wouldn't.

A score of neatly compact mounds of dirt lie sprinkled throughout the area around them. Part of rebuilding their home involved them burying the dead. Death was an inescapable reality in the face of such dire destruction as the fire that'd razed the land. They'd lost many irreplaceable and cherished Clanmates, many of which hadn't left behind a body to actually pay tribute to.

She recalled the tense half-moon of grief for the living, as they held out hope more of their Clanmates would resurface still safely among them. Hollyfrost thought she'd experienced what true sorrow was with Falconpaw's death, but it'd paled in comparison to the weight of so many cats she'd personally known since her kithood rendered ghosts of the past now. After a while it only became more painfully obvious it was ultimately in everyone's best interest to treat those who hadn't returned as living amongst the stars now.

"Looks like you've got a visitor," Sagebrush said, drawing her attention to the approach of an incoming cat.

They stood short haired, fur pure white as snow, and at least a full tail-length taller than her and even Sagebrush. Hollyfrost recognized the she-cat instantly, the bottom half of her face splitting into a smile, as she moved to meet her halfway. The two of them greeted each other with a quick exchange of muzzle brushes.

"Good to see you're doing well," the tall she-cat mewed, smiling in turn. "A few of us decided to organize a hunting patrol and share some of the catch with you. There's around a dozen pieces of prey dropped off at your camp. Our medicine cat also sent some herbs along for Fernleaf and Lilypaw."

Hollyfrost dipped her head gratefully. "Thanks, Whitefur. That will definitely help out big time. You and CloudClan have been a really big contribution to us."

This was the silver lining that shone through the smear of smoke and smog that overcast the sky. In their darkest time where she'd thought BoulderClan would have to fend for itself, something of a miracle occurred. Led by former members of their once secret alliance, cats from CloudClan, SwampClan, and MeadowClan banded together to aid them in their time of need.

She'd later discover that word had gotten out and around about her selfless act to help cats, regardless of allegiance, escape the burning BoulderClan camp. As a result, Amberstar issued a halt to hostilities against their Clan and a vow to refocus efforts on benefiting the cats of the forest. It seemed to have an impact on the others, spurring them forward to act, and sparking interaction among them for the first time outside a gathering to decide over what they could best offer BoulderClan in the form of help.

Instead of worrying over the complexities of right and wrong, territorial ties, and the Warrior Code, they'd decided to just do what they wanted. It overwhelmed her to the verge of near hysterics to witness what she and Falconpaw had always hoped for accidentally come to pass due to a tragedy. She found liberation in this new reality, thankful their efforts seemingly amounted to something in the end.

"You're welcome," Whitefur mewed graciously. "I'm only too glad to even be able to help in the first place. We're all in this together, after all." She paused to quietly glanced around the burial grounds. "It almost doesn't feel real to be standing here. How many cats have you guys had to bu–"

"I'd rather not think about it," Hollyfrost quickly interjected, which instantly caused Whitefur's face to grow sullen with shame.

"I'm sorry, you're right! It was wrong of me to ask that here while it's still fresh in everyone's mind."

"It's okay, it's fine," Hollyfrost said in as reassuring of a tone as possible. "I know you weren't asking to be rude."

She leaned forward, giving the taller she-cat's shoulder's a playful nudge. It appeared to help alleviate some of Whitefur's guilt. They continued chatting for a bit longer before Whitefur indicated she should probably start heading back to her own Clan.

"I'll stop by in two sunrises to visit again," she called to her. "If there's anything you guys need before then don't hesitate to come by the border and ask."

Hollyfrost saw her off with a farewell while remarking back that they would. Sagebrush came walking up alongside her.

"We should probably head back too. Ready?"

"Sure," she mewed.

It was around sunhigh when they entered the site of the newly relocated BoulderClan camp. For the time being, they were allowed to share in land provided to them by the other Clans, with this specific spot being around the fringes of land between them and SwampClan.

It lie in an enclosed, intimate patch of shadowed land surrounded by dense thickets. A whiff of the nearby marshes lofted gently in the air. There were a small gathering of cats milling about, some giving out orders to others to move nests across camp or help drag out fallen branches. One of the cats in the middle of helping to oversee a particular long branch being pushed out noticed them.

"Hollyfrost! Sagebrush! Welcome back," Roseblossom called out. "CloudClan dropped off some prey earlier. Help yourself to some."

"Thanks, we will," she replied.

Regardless of the past how ever many sunrises it'd been, Hollyfrost still felt a momentary flash of relief at seeing her former mentor. Roseblossom was someone very important to her and it was good to still have her alive and in one piece here with them. Many others hadn't been as lucky in that aspect.

She cast a sidelong glance at Sagebrush, feeling her stomach churn uncomfortably. He was an example of a cat who hadn't. Not only were there still thin patches across his pelt from where it'd caught fire, but Ashfur was one of the cats who hadn't returned. Likely, he'd ultimately ended up joining StarClan as several of their other Clanmates had.

They traveled over to the freshkill pile and partook in two sizable mouses. She relished the taste of the still warm mouse while also getting to rest, having spent the better part of her day at the burial grounds with Sagebrush. Her eyes slowly trailed around their camp, pausing on each cat present, sometimes focusing on the minor to major burn marks they had, to the makeshift dens still being assembled.

"We still have a ways to go before it feels like home, but things are finally starting to come together," she remarked aloud.

"Who knows?" Sagebrush mused. "Maybe in another four moons this place really will be our new home. There's no telling how long it'll take the forest to grow back to how it was, if it ever will. Staying here for good might not be a bad idea."

She thought so too. Although, they were definitely going to need more space then, as the Clan would eventually start to grow in size again. A hope bloomed in her chest. The future was slowly growing clearer in their favor.

"What're you up to after this?" she asked Sagebrush, after finishing the last bites of her mouse.

The russet tom's gaze drifted over to a wooded part of the camp. "I was thinking of visiting Crowstar for a while. You?"

"Stop by the medicine den to see Lilypaw," she began before adding, "But hey, would you mind if I tagged along a moment to see Crowstar with you?"

Sagebrush offered a shrug in reply and she got to her paws to follow after him. They crossed over into the wooded area Hollyfrost noticed him looking at prior into a part of camp even further shrouded in shadow. Ducking his head, Sagebrush slipped into a near unperceptive opening amidst the foliage, disappearing. She ducked her head as well, following where she'd last seen the tip of his tail vanish.

"Crowstar?" she heard Sagebrush call as she entered the den. "Are you up? Hollyfrost and I have come by to visit."

Her ears perked at the sound of a low groan and the rustling of fur against a nest. As her eyes quickly grew accustomed to the lower light of the small den, she caught sight of the slow moving flank of the BoulderClan leader Crowstar.

"It's good to see you two," he rasped out in a low tone. "I'm assuming the burial grounds are finished by now?"

The previous luster of the tom and his glossy pelt had suffered significant damage during the fire. Even now, two moons removed, she could still see the noticeably red and seared parts of his skin thickly covered in cobwebs. She'd never dare ask him to his face, but Hollyfrost strongly suspected he'd lost a minimum of two lives that night. Out of every cat who'd survived that night, Crowstar easily sustained the worse damage.

Sagebrush dipped his head in respect. "Yes, Crowstar. We just got back a bit ago. How are you holding up?"

"I've certainly been better," he mewed goodnaturedly, despite wincing after slightly moving in his nest. "Fernleaf and Lilypaw have done their best to help me stay comfortable and rested while I recover."

"Well, we look forward to the day when you're able to stand beside us again, Crowstar, so don't keep us waiting, frailpaws. You're not old enough for the elders den yet," Hollyfrost teased playfully.

A low purr rumbled in his throat. "I eagerly look forward to that day as well. We fell once before as a Clan and we'll rise again just as strong. BoulderClan is quite resilient."

Hollyfrost smiled before dipping her head to Crowstar and excusing herself. She quietly exited the den and padded directly back across camp, this time passing the freshkill, before standing in front of the location of the new medicine den.

"Hello?" she called, poking her head inside the entrance. "Lilypaw, are you here?"

"Hollyfrost?" a voice came calling from the back. The sound of approaching paws made her ears perk. "Hey, you made it back!" Lilypaw mewed in surprise as she appeared.

"Yep," she mewed, sliding her way inside. "I talked to Whitefur earlier. She said they dropped off some herbs for you guys."

Lilypaw's eyes lit up. "Yeah, they helped a lot. We were really running low on our stores of comfrey for burns. Fernleaf wants to think of someway to properly thank them for it, but I've been trying to tell her that she doesn't need to."

A light laugh rumbled in Hollyfrost's throat. "I guess even a cat like Fernleaf feels guilty after a while of having so many cats looking out for her when it's usually her duty to do the opposite."

Lilypaw joined in her laughter, the two of their voices taking up the space in the den. After a few prolonged heartbeats, Hollyfrost quietly motioned her head to one of the side chambers near them.

"How's he been?"

Lilypaw's whiskers twitched with acknowledgment. "He has his moments where he'll still try and seclude himself off somewhere, but Fernleaf's been keeping a close eye on him. She's actually back there with him right now."

Hollyfrost's eyes trailed near the chamber's entrance. "Mind if I...?"

"Go ahead," Lilypaw mewed. "I was actually about to grab something from the freshkill pile, so if Fernleaf asks let her know for me, okay?"

Hollyfrost padded towards the side den as Lilypaw slid out the entrance. There was a low murmuring of voices being exchanged as she drew closer. Peering inside, she saw the visage of Fernleaf seat across from Redoak. The ginger tom's expression was dull as the medicine cat spoke to him in a soft, comforting tone.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," she mewed out, garnering Fernleaf's attention, who proceeded to look up then.

"Oh, Hollyfrost, hi. I didn't hear you come in."

"Hello, Hollyfrost," she mewed, dipping her head. Her eyes fell on Redoak, who's expression hadn't shifted once.

Fernleaf silently followed her line of eyesight before suddenly standing to her paws. "I just remembered its been nearly three sunrises since I changed Crowstar's bedding. I should head over there now."

Before exiting the den, the cream colored she-cat paused directly by her and lightly placed the tip of her tail on Hollyfrost's shoulder. Without a word she departed, leaving her alone with Redoak.

This was the first time she'd been alone with him in quite sometime. A lot had occurred since she'd given him the order to continue living. For her, it'd meant suddenly shouldering even more responsibility than she had in past, not just because of her new found reputation amongst the other Clans for saving cats indiscriminately, but the fact BoulderClan was short on capable warriors and cats like her fit the position needed. And for him?

Not much since then. Despite being cleared to engage in low stress level activity around camp by Fernleaf, he'd basically become another patient within small medicine den. During these sorts of moments, either Fernleaf or Lilypaw would busy him with some task, getting Redoak to help sort through herbs or prep nests for any incoming cats. By all accounts, he'd done the bare minimum of participation, largely if not outright only acting if asked. It was the exact reason why she'd not issued any orders of him since then. There was no point in making a cat work who had no motivation to do so to begin with.

It has to be voluntary.

She padded further into the den until there was only a tail-length separating them.

"You know, my offer still stands for you to be the one to oversee Oakclaw's burial," she began slowly, picking her words carefully. "I purposely didn't give him one, so you have the choice of picking the spot. There's no other cat in camp who was closer to him than you, anyway. I'm not saying it'll suddenly make everything better, but it might make accepting it easier... It has been for me with the others," she admitted after a pause.

Redoak slowly lifted his head and met her gaze. The listlessness apparent in his eyes was palpable. She'd thought maybe being around Fernleaf, who actively cared for him, would've awakened something but it seemed she put too much consideration into that.

"Are you ordering me to do it?" he asked flatly. His voice bore little emotion.

She shook her head. "No. That does nothing. The day you walk outside this den will be because you wanted to, not because someone told you to."

"Exile me then. I'll leave immediately to somewhere I can never tarnish a living thing again."

She only shook her again in response. "We're all that's left of BoulderClan, which also means we're not in a position to exile any cats. So even if you feel like you don't belong here, you're not going to be told to leave. Fernleaf, Sagebrush, and Crowstar would also be against it. They want you here."

A halfhearted snort suddenly left his nose. "No one wants me here. I'm a plague, remember?"

"Oh? Then what has Fernleaf been doing all this time, playing nice?" she prodded him. "What about Sagebrush who comes here after sundown every night to visit you? Is he pretending too?" she pushed forward with another provocation. "How about Lilypaw going out of her way to find things to include you in around the den? Or your Clanmates waiting outside these walls, needing the help of every available Clamate able to help build our new home? I can guarantee they wouldn't turn away your help, especially not now."

A heavy silence fell over them. They stood there simply staring at each other, honey yellow making contact with dull brown. Despite so much time having transpired since they were kits, something about this exchange felt oddly nostalgic. The kits of their past selves still dwelled inside them both, even now.

"And what about you then, Hollyfrost?" Redoak softly asked. "What do you think?"

"Me? If I've learned anything since becoming a warrior it's that there are some things you can't change or fix. It doesn't mean you have to stop trying though. One misstep is just another chance to attempt something else. Life doesn't stop moving just because you failed, Redoak. Whether you one day decide to leave or ultimately stay, that's all I want you to know." She slowly stepped aside then, leaving the exit to the den open. "It's your choice, your life. Only you can decide how you live it from this point onward. Not me, Oakclaw, or the Warrior Code."

She observed him curiously, clueless to what his final decision would be. Redoak's eyes drifted from the exit, back to her, to the exit again, only to fall on her face again. His gaze then fell to his paws, seemingly in embarrassment, a near pitch perfect rendition of the first time they'd properly acknowledged each others presence for the first time.

Redoak closed his eyes and took three deep breaths. One. Two. Three. He lifted his head then and took a step forward.

A/N: Thank you. For several years, off and on, I never thought I'd reach this ending. But hey, six years later, here we are. Thank you for the years of support, encouragement, and reviews. This ending wouldn't be possible without it. And with this ending also comes another. Broken officially marks my final story written for this site. I've been a part of fanfiction in some way for the better majority of a decade now, I believe. Time to proceed forward with the experience I've accumulated for something more. Who knows, you might stumble across something published by me in the future. Be easy and take care, everyone. One final time, thank you and signing out.

-Lightning