[solo - plot] Dawn Shines in Distant Skies

It had been many days since the Clans had arrived at the lake shore. Some semblance of Clan life had been restored: Scorchstar of ShadowClan had acted as the leader for most, although a WindClan she-cat Amberdawn didn't recognize had stepped in to take charge of her own Clan. Hunting patrols were organized and cats fed; "border" patrols were called to inspect the Clans shelter and surrounding territory for dangers and predators; ceremonies were held for apprentices and warriors alike. It was a shame that the Moonstone was so far, but... somehow, it didn't seem to matter that the young cats couldn't make the journey. Apprentices here and there had whispered softly of dreams from StarClan - gentle reassurances from their warrior ancestors - and yet Amberdawn had heard nothing herself. The SkyClan medicine cat didn't think too much of it. She didn't take their silence to heart. She worked quietly and patiently with her head down, healing the sick and the injured survivors of the flood.

When Scorchstar fell ill, Amberdawn had to worry more about StarClan's silence. Though ShadowClan - and really, all the Clans on the shore - were safe in the paws of the senior warriors, how could they make the journey if one of StarClan's chosen leaders were ill? He had helped them plan and prepare... How could they figure out where to begin without his guidance? Burntstag had stepped in, and Amberdawn was grateful; he'd shown an exceptional level-headed coolness when Dewpaw had been preventing Mosspaw from getting the care she needed. Still, StarClan hadn't ever talked to him. That was what they really needed. In the last day, some patrols had reported sounds of twolegs, but thus far the Clans had been free of them. How much longer could that last?

Exhausted from another long day of herb-hunting, sorting, and healing, Amberdawn slunk into her nest in the abandoned twoleg den and curled into a tight ball, burying her face in her moonlight-washed golden tabby fur. Sleep overtook her slowly, but at last the peaceful darkness overtook her. She didn't think of StarClan as she fell asleep.

---

When at first Amberdawn awoke, the SkyClan medicine cat couldn't tell that her dream was anything special. One moment she was floating blissfully in the void and the next, with no transition or memory of how she got there, Amberdawn was strolling along the edge of a large, shimmering body of water with pale stalks of reeds and rushes sweeping past her pelt on either side. The transition didn't seem strange, but slowly Amberdawn began to realize that there were lights glimmering in the air. Stars flickered all around her, shimmering like dew on every surface. The realization that she was in StarClan hit her suddenly. Amberdawn's dark amber eyes shot wide as she broke out of some rushes to find herself face to face with a StarClan cat - one she'd seen in her dreams before.

"Silverplume!" she gasped, staring at the massive silver tabby tom with the sweeping feathered tail. The ancient SkyClan tom sat with his paws just at the edge of the Wishing Pond, his pale yellow gaze meeting hers evenly.

"Amberdawn," he responded with a relieved sigh, "it's good to see you. I'm glad I was finally able to get through."

Amberdawn tilted her head and responded, "What do you mean?"

The StarClan cat shook his head and replied, "It's a bit difficult to explain; I would have come to you sooner, but dreams can be... tricky, especially when you're dreaming in skies are so far from home." His thick tail swept once behind him, making the grasses rustle. "What matters is that I have found you. The Clans must come home, and I am sure you are eager to do so. The timing of Scorchstar's illness is unfortunate..." Silverplume paused, his eyes flickering with a darkness that Amberdawn couldn't understand.

"I-I convinced him to stay here with all the Clans so we could stay and rest... I th-thought that we needed time to let everyone heal..." Amberdawn murmured self-consciously, shuffling her paws. "I should have kept him from staying with all the ill cats and made sure he--"

"You are wasting time with your fears," Silverplume interrupted, his tone firm but patient. Still, it cut Amberdawn, and she went silent, staring at him anxiously and with hurt glimmering in the back of her dark amber eyes. "When you awaken, look towards the shore in the direction you came. Follow the light of the brightest star; it will guide you, but it cannot protect you from the shadows it may cast."

As Amberdawn stared at him wordlessly, she realized she was beginning to see the water grasses through his pelt. "Wait - Silverplume, don't go! How long must we travel? How far? How will Scorchstar make it - or Sunpaw, Graybriar?" The StarClan tom had nearly disappeared with a small gust of wind, but Amberdawn ensured his disappearance when she leaped desperately upon his vanishing form, crying, "Don't go! I can't lead the Clans home if I don't know where I'm going!"

The SkyClan medicine cat's paws did not hit solid ground; with a wordless cry she fell through the earth and into darkness once again, and she wished she could find peace with her uncertainty as the waking world rushed to find her.