Medicine Cat Meeting 18/2

Sparkpaw stood before the Mothermouth, awaiting the arrival of the other medicine cats. It was to be her first time attending a sacred meeting like this, and she had to confess she was excited. Sharing tounges with StarClan? It was something most others only dreamed about, and yet here she was. This was her life - the one of a medicine cat. A lonely one, but it was so rewarding to see the results of her care. The she-cat sighed, batting at a small rock as she waited. She glanced up at the orange-hued sky, dusty red fading into the deep inky blue of the night, casting a golden glow across her ashy pelt. The moon would soon appear, and the others had plenty of time to arrive.

Beetlepaw's head buzzed with excitement as he made his way towards Mothermouth. The best part was that it was in his territory, and close by, so aftr a quick bute of fresh-kill, the tom had set off through the cold moor. When he arrived, he greeted the gray she-cat, Sparkpaw, with a big smile. He was lucky to have such close friends a ongst his Clan, and other cats.

Bouncepaw started up a slope, seeing Mothermouth gleam. He was always so quiet, but now, he felt like yowling out his pride. He stumbled over to them, clearly being the youngest. He nodded to them, his fluffy tail thudding against the ground. He then stood up, huffing silently. His eyes twinkled as he gawked at the indigo sky, trails of sunlight ribboning around the stars. Grinning, he looked over his shoulder to see if Cloudstone was there. But his excitement was quickly quelled by something else... he shook his mind of it. He thought it queer to be imagining such things at a meeting! Purring, he stood straight.

Honeydrop made her way up to Mothermouth, still limping slightly from her twisted paw. But she was very ready to see the other medicine cats again, especially Rabbitfoot. And this would be Puddlepaw's first meeting. "Come on, Puddlepaw," she called out to her apprentice. "You wouldn't want to be late to your first meeting, would you?" There was a slightly teasing tone in her melodic voice. She walked up to were three of the medicine cat apprentices already there- WindClan's, RiverClan's and ThunderClan's. Huh, where were Cloudstone and Dreamleaf? SkyClan wasn't here yet, it seemed. "Good evening," she greeted them, dipping her head.

Dreamleaf settled down beside Sparkpaw and looked around.
"Greetings, Honeydrop, Bouncepaw, Beetlepaw," Dreamleaf said with a big smile.

Bouncepaw looked at Honeydrop and Dreamleaf as they cantered up to meet him. He neglected his anxiety, bowing to them feebly. "Dreamleaf, H-Honeydrop," he mewed. He turned his seeing to Beetlepaw, indeed thinking it unitary that he be present without a mentor. He waited most hotly for Rabbitfoot, excited to see if she had gained an apprentice yet. For her unceasing skill with herbs, a kit must've indulged in interest for her works, right? He groomed his coat, the fur running along his arm thinner than the rest. He gave a small yawn, as he waited for his ebon-furred mentor to trot up.

Oceanlight padded in. She sat down and said nothing.

Beetlepaw greeted all of the other medicine cats in turn as they arrived, but Oceanlight's silence was eerie. He slithered up to her side, his eyes searching hers with concern. "Is everything okay, Oceanlight?" he asked with a dry meow.

Puddlepaw scrambled after her mentor, the young cat's tail waving side to side in a comical way. The Gathering had gone badly for her—first her father, then her sister had practically ruined it for her—so she hadn't gotten a chance to speak to the other medicine apprentices. Now her ears were pricked with interest, blue-grey pelt gleaming. She'd groomed it for a long while, wanting to look perfect. She hoped they would have time to talk.

"Coming, Honeydrop!" she chirped, landing beside the she-cat. "…Hey," she added, shyly, toward the others. They were all much older than her. "I'm Puddlepaw."

Bouncepaw smiled shyly at Puddlepaw. He nodded his salutations to her, then turned to Oceanlight. His eyes were disquieted, a restless ruffling of his fur signalling concern. He almost exchanged a glance with Beetlepaw, but he couldn't tear his scrutiny from the she-cat's body, to make sure her requisite was met. She didn't seem well, her silence jarring. Oceanlight? thought Bouncepaw worriedly, crouching down. He drew back, as to halt his nosiness; perhaps Oceanlight didn't feel up to sharing news with the other medicine cats this fine meeting.

Oceanlight smiled a bit. "Yes, everyone is fine. A while ago, we had a quarrel in the camp. Only one injured, but one of our warriors has gone missing. The clan is still getting by." she said.

Bouncepaw feared for the quarrel; not only of common sense, but he could feel a wave of adoring concern wash over him. Pansyface! he mentally cried. Bouncepaw then curbed a snort—the pretty bi-color molly wasn't the only cat in that clan! Besides, he'd never see her again. "I-I-I'm sorry," he meowed, grief sparking in his heart.

Sparkpaw nodded a polite greeting to each of the arriving cats. Only Cloudstone and Rabbitfoot were yet to come, but there was still plenty of time. No need to fret about it. The sun had nearly set as the last hues of dusky reds and oranges streaked across the sky, but the moon still hung low. "ThunderClan is running as well as ever. We've had lots of new kits!" she smiled, fiddling with her paws. This was a rather large group, wasn't it? She was all one for being social, but she preferred smaller circles. She glanced over to Beetlepaw, the other medicine cat she knew the best. "How's your training going?"

Cloudstone trotted up to the group of medicine cats. He'd become distracted by a sprig of pansy by the edge of their territory, pushing through the rough pebbles. It was an odd sight, but it brought him a bit of hope that this season would finally be over. He finally reached the other cats, nodding to them in turn. "Who else are we waiting for?" The black tom was unaware of the conversation that they were already having.

"Rabbitfoot," informed Bouncepaw formally, knowing that he was probably the most suited to apprise his mentor, Cloudstone, about the tabby she-cat's absence. It wouldn't last for much longer, right? Bouncepaw's ginger ears perked as he sat straight, waiting for Beetlepaw to tell his news. Envy incised Bouncepaw's veins—the two medicine cat apprentices, Sparkpaw and Beetlepaw, were so familiar with each other!