Escorting an Elder, (One-day Time-skip)

[PickeBicke]

Shadowstar lay beside Crowsight, each of them working on a separate side of a large rabbit while Mothkit nibbled on the tasty middle. At five moons old her kits were eating more and more fresk-kill every day. Though the black-and-white queen missed nursing them, she also felt a sense of relief. Her teats had been rubbed raw from their new sets of sharper, more permanent teeth.

As her mate chewed the queen conversed with Willowtail. They had just finished burying Wolftail earlier that morning. "Do you believe Dewfoot should be taken to RiverClan now or should we wait until sun-high? The clan will just be waking up I'm sure."

Mothkit looked up, muzzle stained red and cheeks full of food. Jaws working furiously to chew she swallowed at last and said, "We should let them wake up first so they don't think we're attacking them."

Shadowstar purred indulgently. "I hardly think a patrol of three warriors and an elder will seem as much of an attack. But you may have a point."

(( Herp, pointless post is pointless. Just needed to get everyone into a new day. ))

[Minou]

[[ Tinyleaf ]]

Tinyleaf stuck his head out of the den, yellow eyes narrowed unsurely. When he saw the sun was up they grew large, and he smiled. He nodded to the sky happily, as if saying good morning before shuffling himself outside.

He saw Shadowstar and Crowsight, Mothkit at their side. They all looked healthy, the dark tortoiseshell kit was growing quickly, Tinyleaf was glad to see that. They were all eating, even after the flood the medicine cat apprentice worried. The thought of Shadowstar’s latest litter starving made him shiver, he couldn’t picture growing Mothkit skin and bones, wide yellow eyes full of despair. Unable to enjoy the fresh kill she was munching away on right now. We better not have another flood anytime soon.

Licking his pelt with a raspy tongue he cleaned away all imperfections. Then looking back up at the fresh kill pile he made his way over, grabbing a small bird in his clenched jaw and taking small bites. “Good morning.”

He gave Shadowstar and Crowsight a large smile, then looked over at the kit and lightly ran his tail over her back, as if measuring her body. "You've grown. Almost bigger than me."

He waited a moment before laughing, fluffing out his fur before taking another bite. "Not like that's saying much."

[PickeBicke]

Crowsight flicked his ear in acknowledgement of the medicine cat apprentice, mouth too full of rabbit to speak. Shadowstar gave him a smile and moved over to give him more space. "Good morning to you too. It looks like you slept well." The bi-colored queen gave a thankful sigh when he mentioned how much her daughter had grown. With the shortage of prey lately she'd worried about her kits starving.

Luckily, that didn't look like a problem anymore. They would be well-fed by the time leaf-bare rolled around.

Mothkit smiled up at Tinyleaf, purring when he mentioned her size. Swallowing her last morsel she began to lick her face clean. "You're still bigger than me, don't worry," she meowed. "Snakekit and Brackenkit are much bigger than me, though. I guess it's cuz they're toms. Me and Briarkit are still small."

[Minou]

Tinyleaf took a seat beside Shadowstar, his tongue rolling out to clean the blood from his upper and bottom lip. “You're still bigger than me, don't worry,"

Grabbing out a feather and twirling it around with his tail, the tom temporarily amused himself. Forgetting about his breakfast he watched it spin, slightly hypnotized. “Snakekit and Brackenkit are much bigger than me, though. I guess it's cuz they're toms. Me and Briarkit are still small."

The apprentice stopped spinning the feather with his tail, glimpsing around the camp curiously, his attention getting back on track. “She-cats often are smaller than toms. Makes it easy to be quick, quiet,” He lowered his gaze to the kit, “and fast.”

The whiskers above his eyes wiggled, impersonating waggling eyebrows. Noticing the bird at his paws he quickly returned to eating, the wind picking up the feather and lifting it high into the air. Chewing he noticed it take off, floating above his head.

[Evangelion]

(Got permission from Aeria)

Greystorm had to get used to this new dependency soon.

He'd been engrossed in conversation with Dewfoot before falling asleep the night before, discovering more about her relationship with his late clanmate and more about Ravenflight, who had always been a mystery to Greystorm.

Somehow it did not bother him that his daughter's mate had been half-RiverClan. It must have been that he was far too old to care. He only remembered Ravenflight's loyalty and devotion to Cloudwhisker.

Yet he kept being reminded of Gustpelt and his conscious choice to leave WindClan. That tom would've been a great WindClan warrior...Oh, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be. He seems happier in RiverClan...

After a good yawn, the elder yowled towards the camp, "I hate to interrupt, but some of us are looking forward to a good meal this morning!"

[PickeBicke]

Mothkit grinned roguishly at the medicine cat apprentice, waggling her own brows at him. She liked the idea of being faster and sneakier than her brothers. "Well then I can't wait to start my training! I'll be so quiet they'll never hear me coming anymore when I'm trying to stalk them!"

She reached out to swat at the feather that escaped Tinyleaf's grasp, whiskers and face now clean. The soft white thing wriggled out of her claws and flit happily away along the breeze. As Graystorm approached the tortoiseshell kit grinned even wider. With a new elder came new stories to be told before bedtime! Or dinner! Or breakfast!

Actually, Mothkit loved stories at any time of the day.

"There's still lots to eat," she informed him, puffing out her chest. "My brother Oakstripe caught this rabbit for us earlier! He's a great hunter."

[Minou]

"My brother Oakstripe caught this rabbit for us earlier! He's a great hunter."

“Oakstripe is isn’t he?” The medicine apprentice was pulling out another feather, holding it between his teeth gently. Upper and bottom lip raised, he held the tip of it, waiting for another breeze.

When it came he opened his mouth and spat it out, watching the breeze lift it a little before falling. He grunted. “What comes up must come down.”

His gaze scanned the sky; clouded eyes murky and invisible as he lost himself in thought, watching a bird soar high above his head. “What comes up must come down.”

His voice was barley audible, like his eyes he was far-gone. How come something as light as feathers fall after a moment, when a bird covered in them floated in the same breeze for hours?

He shifted nervously, still staring into the sky, still mumbling unclear words under his breath. Birds were alive. Feathers were not. Feathers couldn’t propel themselves up, while birds could. What if what came up never came down?

Birds had to come down after awhile, but what about the clouds? They stayed there forever. Were they alive? Did they propel themselves up?

Tinyleaf stood, not looking down at the family as he raced off into his den, still mumbling.

Mousetail yawned, brown fur spotless. She spent her morning washing. It made her feel nice during the day.

She took one look at Tinyleaf and stumbled back. He was advancing to his den, muzzle down and grumbling something she didn’t understand. “…clouds don’t fall. What comes up goes down. It’s a rule. I don’t understand.”

The she-cat gave him unsure look before looking over the rest of the clan. No sign of the Panthertail. She frowned, her mood taking a turn for the worst.

It was only when her stomach growl did she know what to do with herself. She walked towards the fresh kill pile, whispering a shy hello to Greystorm as she past.

Quickly grabbing a mouse she ran back to the safety of a tree, munching on it in peace. She had no interest in joining the others in conversation.


This post has been edited by Minou on Mar 11 2012, 01:40 PM

[Silver]

((From The Beginning of a Friendship))

Lilypaw padded back into camp, not wanting to talk or see anyone. Just being in camp reminded her of how trapped she actually was, like a bird trapped in a cage. She remembered how Hawkaw helped her, how he taught her to swim, and how good the water felt. She had felt free, swimming with him, like she belonged in or near the water. I belong on the moors, but I belong in the water, I guess I could use the moonpool stream for swims. She thought as she walked to the corner of camp.

She could see her mother padding toward her when she looked up. "Don't even bother the whole concered parent thing, we all know you didn't even notice I was gone until I walked back into camp." She said, getting up and turning away so she didn't see her mother. "I know you, dad. Featherpaw, Brackenpaw, and Birchpaw only pretend to love me because if you didn't you'd look bad."

She listened to her mother pad away, not even bothering to turn around. Maybe if she did, and she saw how upset her mother was when she said that she would have apologized, maybe she wouldn't have.

Coralnose padded away from her daughter, the hurt clear in her eyes. I failed as a parent... She thought, hanging her head, ashamed at herself.

[Minou]

Birchpaw laughed, moss dripping from her muzzle. “And Badgerclaw thought she was punishin-”

The tom smelt his sister, and turning around to see her he felt Brackenpaw tense at his side. Both brothers turned and watched, not curious but frustrated, anger prickling their pelt, unable to do anything but spy. "Don't even bother the whole concerned parent thing, we all know you didn't even notice I was gone until I walked back into camp."

Brackenpaw yowled. His head spun, his claws unsheathed, but Birchpaw did nothing. Watching their mother all but ran away pushed him over the line, he could kill his sister for the first time. She wasn’t being the Lilypaw he knew. “What is wrong with you Lilypaw?”

“Brackenpaw. Lay off.” Birchpaw tried to coax him to be quiet. To just leave the she-cat alone, but there was no stopping Brackenpaw once he was angry, and Lilypaw needed to hear what he had to say.

“We can’t win with you. I try to keep you safe, so you rebel, you run off. I went to the border. I knew you would do it again. I wanted to make sure it was safe." That was the first time Birchpaw had heard that news. Flicking his tail the smaller tom's eyes grew double in size. What did that tell Lilypaw? He cared more about her than himself? Brackenpaw was messed up.

"It isn’t safe there! I saw blood on the border, and it was too much to be from prey. It was everywhere. I lose my mind constantly trying to protect you. You know what Badgerclaw said about that, her amazing advice? She said that I was a lost cause. There was no fixing it. I care about you both too much. I can’t think when you and Birchpaw might be in danger. I’m a screw up. I’m wired wrong, something in my head, something far beyond what Tinyleaf or Silverstone could fix, it’s not right, I just can’t, I can’t be-”

“Brackenpaw.” Birchpaw’s sincere terror made the tom quickly changed the direction of his rant.

“You broke yesterday. You ran off. Birchpaw went to find you but he got lost. We all came back to camp but him. He was still stumbling in the moors, trying to find a way out, to find you, to bring you back. Badgerclaw had to find him, it was a miracle we did. What if he had ran into a badger? Or a fox? He would have died trying to find you.”

“It’s okay Brackenpaw. We should finish with the bedding.”

“Worst of all Lilypaw, you just hurt mother. She loves you. Birchpaw and Featherpaw love you. This entire clan loves you, but you are so blind-”

The look Birchpaw gave him made him cut the sentence short, and slightly ashamed he looked back at the warriors’ dirty moss that he was replacing. “I have work to do. Me and Birchpaw.” That was his goodbye. He turned around with his head down and prepared to work.

[Silver]

Lilypaw didn't even turn around when she heard Brackenpaw's yowl, it wasn't important to her. Just like I'm not important to them. She thought bitterly. When Brackenpaw asked her what was wrong with her she wanted to scream, ask him where he had been recently. "I could ask the same thing to you, Bigpaw." She snapped, trying to keep the pain out of her voice. She had to lash out, it seemed like the only way to her to relieve herself. I hope to get out tonight and see Hawkpaw, he knows how to make me feel good about myself.

"You know what you do, you suffocate me, you try so hard to keep me safe, you drive me away. And you know, I was understanding of it, it's your flaw, we all have than, but I realized something yesterday fighting with you, and Birchpaw, and Shadowpaw, and you know what, I just don't care anymore, there's blood at the border, great, maybe whatever caused it would do me a favor." She said, frustrated. 

She than turned around sharply, all the pain, the anger, the sadness, all the emotions she had been trying to hide from her brothers clear in her green and blue eyes. She just listened to her brother go on.

It was clear in her eyes that she gave up, that she found the situation she was in so hopeless it was beyond repair.

[Stormheart]

Moonfoot was wandering around the camp, dead tired. Though she had gotten a good nights sleep, she still felt weary. The open moorlands were calling her, practically begging for her to go out. So, Moonfoot started out the entrance. I may be able to find food, She thought to herself as she bounded out of camp.

(Off to the border)

[Aeria Gloris]

Dewfoot sat outside the elders' den, staring at the Clan apprehensively. She had received a generally warm welcome from WindClan, but what of her birth Clan?

What did Flowingstar know about her? Did Ashkit--Ashstripe--tell her anything about her?

She was also afraid of what she would find out when she arrived, especially about how Ashstripe and Troutstripe died.

Silverstone walked towards her, kindness in her green eyes. "Is everything alright, Dewfoot? Do you think you can travel today, or would you like to stay for a while longer?"

Dewfoot shook her head, deciding to face her memories at last. "I can't keep running away from my Clan. I have to face my memories there and answer to my ancestors. I've been a coward my entire life. I won't die a coward."

The medicine cat nodded and padded towards Shadowstar, taking a moment to watch the care-free Mothkit play happily. Turning to the leader, Silverstone meowed, "Dewfoot said she is ready to travel to RiverClan."

Inside the elders' den, Dewfoot gently pressed her muzzle to Darksong's and gave Graystorm's shoulder a friendly touch with her tail.

"You two have been so kind to me...Darksong, thank you for telling me all you could. Graystorm, I am grateful for everything you've told me about Cloudwhisker and Ravenflight. I will forever think of you as my friends."

[Whitestream]

Darksong looked over at Dewfoot, for a few heartbeats she had hoped that the elderly she-cat would remain in WindClan so they could reminisce about days their Clanmates didn’t even remember but her place was in RiverClan, with the rest of her kin, she pressed her muzzle back against Dewfoot’s and smiled warmly.

“There will always be room for you here, I’ll hide from Shadowpaw if I must.”

She meowed mischievously, her whiskers twitching, she turned her head to glance at Greystorm and her eyes gleamed.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let this furball take your nest.”

She told Dewfoot, nudging Greystorm good naturedly, she was well pleased with him joining the elders den, last night it had felt more vibrant than it had in moons. Her son was seated outside the warriors den and watching them both carefully, he was smiling so she assumed he could tell how much better she felt now that she wasn’t so alone anymore. A wash of sympathy for mateless leaders and apprenticeless medicine cats struck her, to live their life alone in a den with such responsibility… She shivered and sat back on her haunches, tail curling neatly around her paws.

[PickeBicke]

The bi-colored leader smiled, getting to her paws at Silverstone informed her of Dewfoot's decision. "Thank you for telling me," she meowed. "I will get a patrol ready. It shouldn't take long." Tilting her head to dismiss the medicine cat, she walked over to the warrior's den and looked inside. Most of the warriors would still be there so early in the morning.

"Croweyes, Badgerclaw, Acornfur. I need you all to escort Dewfoot into RiverClan territory. This is a peaceful mission, so I don't want to hear about any attacks. Is that clear?"

Mothkit had her own ideas about bringing the elder to RiverClan. Her confusion at Tinyleaf's muttering and hasty retreat were washed away in excitement. "Will you give her some traveling herbs?" she mewed to the medicine cat. She had heard warriors complain of the taste sometimes. "Do you think that would help? Elders need herbs, right?"

[Aeria Gloris]

Silverstone answered the kit, "I think I'll only give Dewfoot travelling herbs. The journey from here to RiverClan isn't that far, but Dewfoot needs the strength."

The elder padded up beside her, looking at Shadowstar graciously and respectfully. "I want to thank you for everything. For being a clanmate to my son and...and for Harefoot..." She could not hide the pain that appeared on her face at the thought of the WindClan tom. "He made me so happy, and I thought I'd finally found some luck.

"But...I think I'm ready to go home now."

[Minou]

“This is a peaceful mission, so I don't want to hear about any attacks. Is that clear?"

“Of course!” Badgerclaw shook out her fur, her butt in the air as she stretched. Fluffy gray pelt getting extra volume as a gust of wind blew in. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

Her single yellow eye filled with promise, and she returned to normal position, smiling happily.

[Evangelion]

"You're leaving already?"

Shellfur had seen Dewfoot exit the elders' den, expecting her to perhaps partake from the freshkill pile. But he hadn't expected her to leave so soon, not after he'd learned so much about his father.

He looked to Shadowstar and saw the confirmation on her face. Swallowing, he stepped towards her and asked, "With your permission, I'd like to accompany her. Perhaps...perhaps I'll meet my brother again, at the border."

Willowtail's face filled with glee, and she gave Shadowstar a hopeful look. So he's finally going to forgive Gustpelt.

Graystorm lay on the nest beside Darksong, and meowed to his new denmate, "You know...say what you like about her leaving her own Clan and choosing the loner's path...But Dewfoot seems kind. I admire her willingness to face her Clan after such a long time."

[PickeBicke]

Shadowstar returned Willowtail's look. Hopefully the two toms would be able to reconcile their differences. She gave the tabby tom a short nod. "Very well, you may join the patrol as well, Shellfur. Give Gustpelt my regards if you see him, will you?" She gave a soft smile.

At Silverstone's answer, Mothkit nodded, wrinkling her nose. "I guess that makes sense," she mewed. "Thank you for telling me." Lifting her tail she trotted up to Dewfoot and gave the elder a smile. Puffing out her fur she meowed, "It was nice meeting you! I hope Flowingstar is as nice to you as my mom. If not, just come back to stay with us! I would like that. You can tell me stories!"

[Silver]

Lilypaw just watched what was going on from a far, not getting up to say goodbye. She just wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone right now. I could go for a nap. She thought, getting up and heading to the apprentices den. She curled up in her nest, shutting her eyes tightly.

Now, Lilypaw dreamed, but it was normally of little petty things, like catching a big rabbit. Dreams were important, she knew that, but some just weren't mentioning, so she didn't. The one she was in right now, she had a feeling was different, however.

Lilypaw had no idea where she was, although it seemed like a nice place to be. It reminded her of a green-leaf night, and she smiled a little.

"Hey Lilypaw, This is Fourtrees, or at least, the Starclan version."

She turned quickly, seeing Wolftail padding towards her. "Oh please tell me I'm not dead..."

"Not yet, I'm not here to just chit-chat and show you how cool Fourtrees was. You might want to sit down for this." The starry-gray she-cat said, padding and sitting down next to the little white apprentice.

The white she-cat sat down, "Alright, I'm sitting. What exactly do you need Wolftail?"

"Normally I’d give you some annoying, challenging prophecy, but, I’m too lazy to play mind games, so, I’m going to come right out and say it. There’s this group of cats who don’t live far from here, they’re in trouble. Don’t worry, they’re not one of the clans. Blah, Blah, Blah, you were one of the cats picked to help them. Bye!”

Lilypaw woke up then, confused. Picked to help? But who are they and what am I helping them with? I need to talk to Brackenpaw! She thought, before she remembered that she was not on speaking terms with her brother. I’ll bug Tinyleaf, than, I don’t want to involve Shadowstar yet, I wouldn’t put it pass Wolftail to pull on my leg. She left the den, and looked around for Tinyleaf, spotting him she walked over to him. “Tinyleaf, can I talk to you in private about something quickly? I need your help.”

[Minou]

Tinyleaf tilted his head in curiosity, watching the pretty apprentice stumble his way. He was sitting calmly outside his den, obviously calmed down from his the-sky-is-falling phase. Strange bug-eyes blinking happily he gave her an encouraging smile. “Tinyleaf, can I talk to you in private about something quickly? I need your help.”

“Sure, sure, Lilypaw. Is everything okay?” He glared at her a moment longer, deeply, as if expecting to suddenly see she only had one eye, or was missing a leg. Finding nothing he let out a disappointed exhale, turning his back on her, wild fur scrunching up as he prepared to go inside. Not giving her anytime to respond until she was in private. “Into my den we go.” He wiggled his shoulders before wedging himself into the entrance, the familiar smell of herbs calming him quickly. It was such a strong smell, one he learned to love. He took a couple, deep, rigid breaths.

He looked everything over. Making sure every fleck of dust was where it should be. He remembered Lilypaw and twisted awkwardly to acknowledge her with a wave of his tail. “Welcome to my den.”