Hawkbite passed over the ShadowClan border with trepidation. It was a testament to how deeply ingrained Clan life was in his blood that doing so even with permission caused the hairs on his neck to bristle disconsolately.
He waited patiently until a gray shape parted the ferns. In the relative darkness, it took more time for his eyes to discern who it was.
“Juncostar.” He stood and nodded, feeling some respect was due. Had he ever even spoken to another clan’s Leader? He didn’t go near their section at the gatherings, mainly to avoid Firestar. Not that a Warrior of ThunderClan like himself had much cause to approach them in the first place.
“I’m…I'm impressed you came to deal with this personally. You have my gratitude.” He meowed and motioned for them to begin walking. Hawkbite didn’t know their territory, but he knew his son, and had a gut feeling about what he might consider a suitable hiding spot. And he was impatient to find Coldkit as soon as possible.
“Still I’m….sorry about all this. Coldkit has run off before, but we will definitely be having a talk with him.” He shook his head.
“Have you any children?” He then asked conversationally, as he scanned the woods for the dark pelt of his son.
Juncostar
shadowclan leader
Drawing his lips tight, Juncostar hummed a quick agreement, glancing at Hawkbite through the corner of his eye. "Somethin' like that," he agreed, leaving it at that to avoid going too much into detail. He didn't really feel like getting all worked up again, especially so soon after having to tell the story to his son. There were few things that could get the tom genuinely angry, but that whole situation with Darkberry was at the top of the list.
Thankful for the change of subject, Juncostar simply nodded in response to Hawkbite's mention of the Code. "'Good thing it is, too; kits get in all sorts'a trouble." He looked away as the other tom seemed to become a little distant. Even if he was the one helping, he knew that on principle Clan cats were wary of how much they shared with outsiders. It didn't make any sense, of course, but that's just how it was. Juncostar had never understood hard borders and cautious conversations, but there wasn't going to be any change any time soon.
Brushing off the last of the discomfort from the earlier conversation, the grey tom once more had a bounce in his step. "Don't worry, we'll find him. He couldn't have gone far-- little legs 'n all," he soothed, hoping a little humor would help ease Hawkbite's nerves. Turning his attention to the scents surrounding them, Juncostar attempted to pick out any ThunderClan scent. It was a little difficult to get past the other tom's own scent, but soon enough he found a trail that must've been from Coldkit. "Smells like he went this way," he announced, turning his paws to follow the scent.
"Would he have gone into the water?" he asked, voice becoming quieter. A twinge of anxiety sparked in his gut, remembering his own experience in the swamps as a kit. Though he tried to hide his worry, he didn't know if he could hide this very well.