Granted, Crowfang wasn't a father himself- maybe it wasn't really his place, maybe he was overstepping by trying to offer Lynxstar some assistance with the raising of his kittens. But he couldn't help but to be worried about them- he was a worrier by nature, and knowing his brother...well, Lynxstar wasn't the most gentle of sorts. He never had been- that was always Crowfang's job.

And being that he was the last of their family, who else was to offer assistance? Crowfang hadn't seen Hollyfoot in what felt like moons, and Mouseclaw...stars, maybe she was gone now, but the mere thought of what his sister had become sent chills running down Crowfang's spine. Where had they gone wrong with her? What had happened? What if Lynxstar started to become like that- what would happen to the kits?

Crowfang's eyes had been locked on some rock off in the distance, and he hadn't noticed the pale queen approaching him from WindClan's borders. "O-Oh!" The aging black smoke gasped, taking a small step back in surprise when he heard her voice and realized that she lingered near.

The ThunderClan warrior cleared his throat. No, he didn't recall ever seeing the molly before, and he had definitely been to a lot of Gatherings, given his age. While she certainly wasn't as old as him, she wasn't exactly an apprentice, either. And based on her scent, he could assume that she was a queen. She must've spent most of her time in the nursery, hence him never noticing her at a Gathering before. "I'm afraid we haven't met before, no. My name's Crowfang, I'm a senior warrior." The gentle tom responded with a small smile, sending an acknowledging dip of his head in her direction.

What was he doing so close to the border? Well...that certainly would be a story to tell, and he was sure that this poor molly didn't have all the time in the world to listen to him. He didn't want to force her to be his therapist, for crying out loud. "Ah, well my paws just carried me here, I suppose. I was just talking a stroll to think- I wasn't quite paying attention to where I was going." The silver-and-black tom slowly seated himself by the border to prove that he wasn't a threat. By the stars- he'd rather chew off his own leg than harm a queen, of all cats. Lynxstar was the...well, militaristic one of the family. Crowfang was the diplomat (and a failed on at that). "What about you?"

Thorne

The black smoke thought on it for a moment. He did recall a pair of WindClan apprentices temporarily taking refuge in their camp- one had broken their leg, hadn't it? "Ah- I remember them now. Sounds like you have your paws full." Crowfang remarked with an amused twitch of his tangled whiskers. He could relate to that on a spiritual level- he had to look after Lynxstar and try to keep the impulsive leader out of trouble. Which...was difficult. And more often than not, his attempts to guide him in the correct direction were unsuccessful. Apprentices were still malleable, but seniors like his brother...

Rooted in their ways.

"It's alright though- apprentices specialize in being stubborn, troublesome little ones, don't they? Unfortunately, it would seem that my brother never grew out of that stage..." The warrior trailed off before offering up a nervous, light-hearted laugh. It was followed by a heavy sigh. "...But I guess that's why we love them, eh?" He couldn't help but wonder if Lynxstar ever felt the same. Did he enjoy having Crowfang as a brother? Did he love him unconditionally, just as Crowfang loved him?

An elder looking after her kits- he wondered who it was. As much as he hated to admit it, he probably would've recognized the elder by her name, given that Crowfang was...well, he was getting old. He was easily retirement age, but with Lynxstar still running ThunderClan as leader, he couldn't give up his warrior duties. Not yet. "Briarfish..." The silvered tom echoed thoughtfully, going through his several memory stores as he attempted to recall the name and place it with a face. He'd heard of that name before, he swore by it.

Oh StarClan- he really was getting old. "I met Briarfish at the gatherings before! She always seemed like the admirable type." Oh stars, she wasn't even that much older than him. What was he now- a relic?

Kits. Crowfang was taken back to his moments spent in secrecy lingering dangerously close to DarkClan, when he had met a dark element molly. If Lynxstar had ever figured it out, he would have surely killed his brother on the spot. Alas, the relationship never blossomed into much more, save for Crowfang hopelessly longing for her. "Nope, I suppose I've been married to nothing more than my duty for the past several moons. My brother did have a litter, however. I'm hoping to be the best uncle I can be."

Thorne