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For being a cold, frozen wasteland, IceClan's territory still holds many wonders. Every moon, when the nightsky's only light comes from the thousands of stars shining down, the fireflies come together to dance above the snow, glowing brightly in the near perfect darkness of night. And without fail, every moon, a brown tabby warrior named Beetleskip leads his beloved mate Beeflower to a small hill overlooking the icy fields, stalks of yellowed grass sprouting up despite the chill.
A tradition that had held strong for many seasons, from rivalling apprentices sneaking out of camp to prove themselves braver than the other, to friends sharing fond memories of their days as apprentices, to a tentative relationship, all the way to now, with hearts full of love and two little kittens in the nursery.
They'd asked another warrior to watch over Thistlekit and Bluekit for tonight, leaving camp with only one goal in mind. The fireflies were always a sight to behold and Beeflower had been thrilled when she'd found them for the very first time.
The golden warrior, an apprentice back then, had been arguing with the others, claiming that she was not afraid to go out of camp at night, alone. Her younger brother Petalpaw, named Petalstone as a warrior, had scoffed and boasted he dared to walk all the way to the nearby twolegplace on the edge of IceClan territory, at night, with his eyes closed.
Beeflower had rolled her eyes at him, that wasn't brave, that was just stupid, she wasn't planning on going that far out. Or falling into an unseen ditch.
Silverpaw, now Silverstride, had been certain that it was not a good idea at all and urged her to just stay in the den, you never knew what could be out there in the dark.
Beetleskip who was much more adventurous as an apprentice than the calm warrior she knew him to be today, offered to sneak out as well. They would go their separate ways, and meet at the Frosted Fields, a prime hunting spot of IceClan's. If either cat didn't show up, the other would be able to call for a search party. It would prove both cats' bravery while still being relatively safe. Silverpaw didn't like that either but knew there was no stopping the two of them and Petalpaw had already dozed off, so Beepaw and Beetlepaw went ahead with their plan.
Luckily, everything went smoothly, and both apprentices met on the same hill they were standing on now. The dancing bugs still as mesmerizing as that first time, glowing like tiny suns.
The mated pair pressed close to each other, tails intertwined and purrs echoing across the fields. With any more luck, they'd be coming back here for many moons to come, the shining lights lighting a warmth inside their hearts. Maybe, hopefully, when their kits were old enough they could take them here as well, a night of dancing fireflies for the little family to watch together, staying until the sun peaked its rays over the horizon.