Some Nights

"Some nights I wish my lips could build a castle. Some nights I wish they'd just fall off." -Fun

Lichenpaw sat at the edge of the swift moving river, his bright white paws almost glowing in the starlight. His weight shifted slightly in his paws, his anxiety bubbling in strange ways in his stomach. His leader had died. Lichenpaw had looked up to the beautiful she-cat since a very young age. In fact, she was one of the cats he listened closely too. Most of the other's had silly opinions. They thought with their own minds, and not with their hearts with StarClan. Lichenpaw's lips curled in disgust. StarClan was the only way to live. When he was medicine cat, he would make sure the clan depended more on them.

Lichenpaw stood, a crackle reaching his ears. His pale green eyes swept across the reeds, searching for what made the sound. "Hello?" he called softly. He couldn't really see anything; his eyes weren't the sharpest at night--or even during the day. Maybe he was imagining the sound too. He was absolutely exhausted, yet sleep never came to him. After a moment of silence he shrugged, sitting back down. His tail curled around his paws and he looked up. Sparkling stars twinkled down to him and he closed his eyes, trying to see if he could reach his dead leader.

"Lichenpaw?"

Reedheart blended in among the reeds, and the only tell-tale sign were the glowing green orbs in the night. He had just been prepared to go when he had spotted the young apprentice by the river. The young medicine cat had taken the news hard, as everyone else had. Poor thing.

"Reedheart?" he murmured, opening his eyes after a few seconds. He looked around, and he spotted the eyes finally. He stood, dipping his head. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I was just trying to see if I could find Froststar. Maybe she would talk to me." He sighed softly, shrugging. "Probably not. Care to join me? If you're not busy I mean."

Reedheart shook his head. "No, that's alright. I'm the one that was disturbing." He padded to Lichenpaw's side, gazing over the river. "I can't stay long. I'm going to Highstones tonight, and I have to leave soon if I want to make good time. I'm just waiting on Morningfur for the traveling herbs." he said, and the fear in his chest was making him feel like a little kit again. He'd already walked from ShadowClan territory and back that day, and now over WindClan territory. He'd wear his paws into little stumps at this rate.

The deputy looked down on Lichenpaw, sadness lingering in his eyes. "I know you miss Froststar, Lichenpaw. We all do. But death comes for all of us, and most times there is not enough time to say goodbye." he paused, glancing up at the sky. The night was clearing again after the earlier rainstorm, he noticed. Perhaps StarClan wanted to guide him with their light? "Froststar is up there right now with everyone she has lost. She may come to you one day, but you must let her go now. StarClan is elusive and only give messages when they're needed. There's nothing Froststar could say to you right now."

Lichenpaw shrugged, letting out a sigh. "I suppose that's true. I just... I was hoping that maybe they could prove that I did have a connection with them. I love and admire StarClan so much, and I'm a medicine cat, yet I have received nothing from them. Not a dream, when I do sleep, not an omen. Nothing. I was praying to them that maybe Froststar could just whisper something. Anything really. Maybe not even Froststar. Just someone." Lichenpaw paused, realized that he was ranting and rambling to a cat that had much better things to be doing. "I'm sorry I ranted to you, Reedheart. It is just very frustrating to me."

Reedheart nodded in understanding. "StarClan works in mysterious ways. Even if it seems like they're ignoring you, just know that they're there. They will speak when they're needed, not on a whim." he mewed. "They do not always speak in dreams or visions either. They're in the trees, the wind, the river, the sky. You just must be watchful, and one day you will see them." He stood back up and gazed into the distance, where Highstones was. Perhaps... "You can come with me to the Moonstone tonight, Lichenpaw. Maybe StarClan will speak to you there."

Lichenpaw priced his ears, suddenly leaping up. "Really, Reedheart? You would let me? That would be so fantastic!" Lichenpaw burst out in a round of purrs, and stepped closer to rub cheeks with Reedheart. "I would be honored to join you."