#larkheart

MOON 33 Part One FIRST LAST NEXT

“If you would promise me your heart and love..”

“And love me for eternity.”

Larkheart lay in the Elder’s Den. It had been seasons upon seasons since she lost her dearest Duskpaw and had her kits. All of her kits grew into respectable warriors and served their clan dutifully and honorable and had kits of their own. She was very much proud of them, but she felt like her time here was coming to an end. She had moved to the elders den seasons ago, and watched her friends and family come and go. Her bones ached, her eyesight was dimming, and her hearing was starting to go. But, she was afraid. What if she died and Duskpaw wasn’t there? What if Starclan banished him to the Dark Forrest where she would never see him again? Her heart ached at the thought. She never took another mate, not from lack of the toms trying though. Her heart belonged to Duskpaw only.

She closed her eyes one night during a freezing leaf-bare, the cold wind whistling through the den making her shiver in her nest. She felt herself slip into a sleep, but she thought she smelt a familiar scent, but before she could place it, she lost consciousness. The next moment she opened her eyes, expecting to see the hazy blurriness of the Elder’s den, only to be greeted by the crystal clearness of a dense green forest. Bird song and the warm breeze filled the air instead of the muffled sounds she had grown accustomed to. She sprang to her feet, her body clear of aches and pains. She felt young again.

“Larkheart...” A deep familiar voice caught her attention and she whirled around, tears immediately coming to her eyes. “Duskpaw..”

There before her stood Duskpaw in all his glory. Oh how different he looked than how she last saw him, deranged and out of his mind in anger, or laying covered in his own blood, dying. His dark ginger tabby fur was neatly groomed, and his orange eyes glowed with warmth. Starlight glistened around his paws. She choked on a sob and barreled into the tom, burying her face into his chest fur, breathing in his scent.

“Actually..it’s Duskshade now.” A hint of sadness was in his mew, “They gave it to me after the battle. To remind me of what I had done. But, I have finally gained back their respect and have been waiting and watching you and our kits faithfully. I’m so proud of you all.”

Also was ragged not there to call her out or did he just stay silent?

Spiritually they are Oakfall's. However, I don't believe the timing lines up for them to be hers. Also she couldn't biologically be the other parent as I don't have same-sex litters turned on. I think Larkheart shacked up with a Clanmate in her grief following Oakfall's death (she would have learned about it via a Gathering), and then left FireClan, had the kits, and didn't feel like she could care for them adequately. She wants to travel some distance and doing so with young kits wouldn't be ideal. Not sure why she didn't leave them with her own Clan - I imagine she has some History there - but in my mind she chose to leave them with DaisyClan out of all the rest of the Clans because of how highly Oakfall spoke of her Clanmates, especially Sunstar and Raggedveil as leader-figures, which is why Larkheart sought Sunstar out specifically.

Raggedveil was not present and Larkheart was keen to get away before she could regret her decision, so he never realised that she was Oakfall's secret mate. Larkheart didn't mention her relationship with Oakfall while speaking with Sunstar, because she didn't want to get Raggedveil in trouble for keeping their secret.

Hell, whats Larkheart doing now anyway? I like to think she's doing some Indiana Jones stuff in the background

Yes the girls would have been told about Larkheart, though they probably don't remember her very well. Because DaisyClan's attitude to these things is quite liberal, I don't think they feel strange about it, but I will probably have them reckon with their FireClan roots at some point, and hey, maybe Larkheart will make a reappearance one day. I have no concrete plans about that though.

Larkheart doing Indiana Jones stuff is canon now for sure. Owlpaw, Frozenpaw and Sagepaw are like "man growing up is tough!" meanwhile their biological mother: