Speak to the stars... {Newleaf's Tears} (OPEN)

The winds subsided slowly. Broken branches lay near where the cats of the western shore had sought shelter. The lake water lapped gently at it's shores once more. No longer a roaring beast from the winds. The only thing that broke the peace was the sound of a few early crickets chirping. The gentle glow of moonlight shining faintly through the wisps of clouds, stars glittering around it.

A dark tabby tom moved away from the cats temporary encampment. His amber eyes bright in the darkness, constantly watching for signs of danger, but he had a goal in mind. A simple task, that he dared not stray from. In the distance, he could see the bright star that had guided him home once before. It shone peacefully, untroubled by the ailments. Undisturbed by the stench of death that came from the bodies being dragged around. It felt so ominous, he wasn't certain what to do as he looked at the shining stars. They had never betrayed him. They shone in the sky as they always had, gentle and bright.

StarClan. He wrapped his tail around his paws as he ducked his head. Ears listening for danger, but the only sound on the small hill he found was his own voice.
"StarClan... we don't know what to do. Our patrols have looked, but they haven't found any others of our clans." His throat tensed in worry. "We're... we can't be all that's left. Are we? Is this to be our home now? So far from the forest that you guided me home to once before?" He paused, taking a slow breath to calm himself as tension rose in his chest. He wanted answers, but he was distinctly aware that he was not a medicine cat, nor a leader. "Even if it's not to me... please, send us something. Just so we know."

The crack of a stick in the distance broke him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at the forest behind him, puzzled at a brief flash of white. His muscles tensed. It was likely an owl... but owls didn't break sticks. The white flashed again, distinctly cat-shaped, and Marshstorm eased himself. It was probably a clan mate wondering why he had strayed so far. He twitched his tail in a beckoning.

The starry pelt that stepped forward bewildered him. The orange tom regarding him was one that had died many moons ago. When Marshstorm was just gaining acceptance into ThunderClan. The gentle tom who was quick to comfort, yet faded before the clan's very eyes until he had eventually died despite Mapleleaf's help.
"Featherheart." He padded forward abruptly, then paused. Uncertain about approaching the young tom, who looked far better than Marshstorm had last seen him. All traces of illness gone, the starry light in his pelt and eyes the only thing to remind Marshstorm that he was dead. For a second, panic filled him. Had he died? Featherheart smirked in amusement.

"No Marshstorm. You're not dead." Featherheart stated simply as he padded forward, stopping only a mouse length away. Vague ThunderClan scent drifted into Marshstorm's nose, clearer than any other cat's currently. With the clan's grouped together, their individual clan scents were fading... but this one almost made him believe he was in the forest. In ThunderClan's territory once more. "We want you home..." Featherheart cut through Marshstorm's thoughts clearly. "Follow the northern star... it will guide you home again." The tom gestured towards the brightly glowing star that Marshstorm recognised the same second. As he turned to look back, he blinked in confusion. There was no sign of the orange tom.

---

He startled awake in his nest. The stars glittered brightly above him, but for once Marshstorm paid them no mind as he sat up. Confusion as he tried to figure out if what had happened did so. Dawn was close to breaking, he could see the faintest lines of colour that washed the edge of the night away. With a firm nod to himself, he stepped away from his nest and padded over towards where the golden pelt of Leopardstar was laying. He nudged him gently, trying to coax the other tom out of sleep.

"Leopardstar. I have a message... from StarClan." He told the other tom quietly, not wanting to disturb any other cats from their sleep.

Leopardstar's large paws twitched gently as he dreamed, soft snores escaping from his curled lips.  After the storm had subsided and the clans had found a new spot to camp, the ThunderClan leader had crashed hard, exhaustion hitting him like a raging Twoleg monster.  Everything, from being in foreign terrain to the constant stress over wondering what had befallen the rest of his clan and family - including his mate, Lichenfang - had taken a toll on his strength these last many sunrises, but he had forced himself to remain strong.  The ThunderClan cats here needed him to guide them...for now, there was nothing he could do for those he could not see and had to trust in StarClan and Grasswhisker to watch over and keep them safe in his absence.  He slept more soundly than he had in a while, running from a windstorm being a quite tiring task, so it took many nudges from Marshstorm to finally wake the leader, his mud-dotted face tensing as one hazel eye opened with a low groan, staring up at the blurry shape he recognized as his deputy.  "M...Marshstorm...?"  His jaws cracking with a wide yawn, the large spotted tabby tom slowly clambered to his paws and twitched his ears towards the other sleeping bodies around him, wordlessly saying Let's not talk here.  Every joint in his body creaking in protest, Leopardstar led the way out from under the large rock ledge and into the cool, watery moonlight.  At any other time, he would've considered it great weather for night-hunting, but at the moment all he wanted to do was crawl right back into his nest and not get back up until sunhigh; though the fact that Marshstorm had woken him up at a time like this at all both intrigued and worried him.  He could not see any sign of panic though on the brown tabby tom's face, so his nerves remained unshaken.  Moonlit eyes blinking, his raspy still-not-awake-yet voice rumbled out into the air, disturbing the peace of the lakeshore.  "What's wrong?  I didn't hear what you said, I was too deeply asleep...something about a message?"

As he watched Leopardstar wake up, Marshstorm felt a pang of pity for him. The younger tom was trying hard to keep everything together. They both were, but there was little doubt that most of the burden fell to Leopardstar himself. He obliged to the wordless request. Following in silence until they reached a location far enough not to disturb the other sleeping cats.

"I spoke to Featherheart." He explained slowly, wondering for a brief moment if Leopardstar remembered the young tom. He looked towards the star that he had seen so brightly in his dream. It shone in the sky, despite the oncoming dawn. "StarClan wants us to follow them, back to the forest." He turned towards Leopardstar. His amber eyes gleaming with delight, though he tried to appear calm. "We finally recieved our answer."

One of them at least. He wished Featherheart could have elaborated on whether Dustcloud, or any other cats of ThunderClan were safe. It seemed impossible that none of them weren't simply elsewhere... perhaps further down the shore, yet they had searched. Leaving meant leaving any shore cats behind that weren't found yet... still, their scent and tracks, surely that would guide them?

"Featherheart?!"  Instantly, Leopardstar was shocked into alertness, the deceased ThunderClan warrior's name ringing through the air containing all the hope and faith he had left.  StarClan finally spoke to us!  I didn't expect the message to come through Marshstorm, but it doesn't matter; we're going home!  The golden-pelted tom followed his deputy's gaze up towards the brightest star in the night sky, pointing north.  So that was the direction they must take?  As the realization began to dawn upon him, he lowered his face to gaze at Marshstorm, to see that the other tom's eyes gleamed just as brightly as his own, and the aging leader felt a kit-like energy rush through his veins.  He grinned.  "Ha, it's just like them to make us wait for so long...Grasswhisker was always prompt with her messages.  Shall we wake the Clans?"  He could see now that dawn was on the horizon, faint pink streams of hopeful sunlight dancing across the surface of the water.  It was early, but he didn't think he could bear to keep news like this inside, not to mention sleep.  They were finally going home...and the very thought brought an ever wider smile to his usually downcast face.

"I think we should tell Scorchclaw and Mintwhisker first." Marshstorm pointed out with a smile. Seeing so much joy suddenly in the tom's eyes filled him with relief. "We could wake the clans now though, it's about the usual time for dawn patrols. Perhaps we should have one last hunt to gather prey before we leave. The storm is bound to have left some prey injured or nestless." He suggested, though he dipped his head politely to keep Leopardstar aware that they were merely suggestions. His eyes continued to glimmer as he turned back to look at the sleeping cats in the distance.

"Soon it will finally be over... We'll be home Leopardstar." again he added in thought. Though this time, he would not make the journey alone. He would be surrounded by other clan cats. All looking for the same forest, all seeking the sanctuary their territories provide.

Leopardstar nodded in agreement, his eyes growing a bit duller at the mention of the other clan representatives.  Dealing with Scorchclaw, in particular, was a special kind of annoyance he never wished to face, but as the only leader, he knew it was his job to keep the peace.  "Thornbriar as well.  I'll speak to them.  Can you wake our cats, as well as the other clans?  A hunt is a wise choice, and I'm sure the other representatives will want to hold a meeting as soon as possible."  His tone was businesslike, but the hopeful glow remained as he listened to Marshstorm's wistful words, smiling softly.  "Yes...and soon, we'll find those we have lost.  StarClan will lead us to them as well."  Blinking as he bumped his forehead reassuringly against his friend's shoulder, he looked out across the large group of cats sleeping a few fox-lengths away, trying to make out where the other representatives had settled down.  Soon, we'll return to the ravine...my true home, my inheritance.  I swore to keep it safe, and all the cats that live within it...and that's what I'll do, until the end of my days.

"Of course." Marshstorm agreed, padding up to the various sleeping cats and beginning to rouse them with nudges and calm meows. Unwilling to make them unsettled or alarm any cat. "It's time for morning patrol. We all need to gather prey." He told everycat as he nudged them, smiling down at a couple pairs that were nestled close with a soft chuckle. "Come on. Every cat." He reaffirmed, leaving only the four that Leopardstar himself wanted to wake alone.

Dapplekit awoke to the sound of a mew that she didn't immediately recognize, and blinked open her blue eyes to be greeted with the sight of the ThunderClan deputy, Marshstorm's figure in the gloomy dawn. The sun hadn't quite risen above the horizon, but promising rays of light peaked over it, in anticipation of the day. The next thing Dapplekit realized was that the other Clan's deputy was saying something about a morning patrol to go hunting. Wishing that she was an apprentice already to help, she pressed against Thornbriar's warm side, purring lightly. Soon she would be an apprentice, able to join the others to go hunting.

Poking her head up over the ShadowClan queen, her eyes sought out the tortoiseshell pelt of Wasppaw, and the black and white pelt of Magpiepaw. She hoped that at least one of them might come to visit, but wasn't sure if they'd be able to if they had to go hunting. She sat up, gazing around at the large group that surrounded her, and wished that she was larger, and able to help.

Lynxtail's ears twitched as cats around him began to stir, some groaning as their makeshift bandages shifted on their wounds. The brown tom pushed himself to his paws. "'Morning, Marshstorm." He rasped. Starclan, is it really morning already?
He shook his head, trying to dispel the darkness that was gathering at the edge of his vision. "Strom, Mothpaw," He mewed, turning to his companions who were sleeping nearby. "Time to go."

As Marshstorm began to wake the cats around him, Leopardstar stepped carefully to make his way towards the other clan representatives, waking each with a gentle but firm nudge and meowing "I need to speak with you, urgently." into their ears before finding a secluded spot beside a large stone, where he settled down to wait for Scorchclaw, Thornbriar, and Mintwhisker.

---

Magpiepaw awoke to the sounds of many cats stirring, and the little patched tomcat stretched his jaws in a wide yawn before pricking his ears, listening to the chatter around him.  Hunting...oh StarClan, help me.  For a long time, he had managed to duck out of hunting patrols by volunteering to watch Dewshine's litter of kits, and he prayed that the same would be true today.  Exploring unknown territory with a group of cats I don't know and watching them laugh at me as they realize I'm a middle-aged apprentice who doesn't know how to hunt?  I'd rather go through the flood again!  As the thought came to him as he rose from his nest though, he mentally slapped himself back into sense.  No...once we find Adderfeather, I'll learn to hunt!  Then I can be useful, and help RiverClan, I promise!  Until then...  Gazing around, he noticed Thornbriar being called away by Leopardstar, leaving the kits guardianless once more.  With a purr, the black and white apprentice trotted towards his friends, realizing suddenly how big they had gotten in recent weeks as he barely had to dip his head to nuzzle Dapplekit's ears.  "G-Good morning."  Yawning once more, the small tom sat down and began grooming his chest fur, one eye watching the three kits as they slowly woke up.  "D-Did you three s-sleep well?"

A flash of black and white pelt accompanied by the sound of approaching paw steps caught Dapplekit's attention and she turned, recognizing Magpiepaw in a flash. Standing up as he made his way toward her and her siblings, she purred at the friendly nuzzle to her ears, sitting back down next to the apprentice. "Good morning! I slept well, how did you sleep? Are you going to get to go hunting?" She smiled up at Magpiepaw, eyes shining with excitement as she watched him momentarily, before raising a paw to begin grooming her ears and face.

Mintwhisker leaped to her feet, her tousled fur rising in spikes and her chest heaving. She had clearly been deeply asleep. "What is it?!" She gasped. The taupe she-cat swung her head around, her tattered ears flattening against her head as Leopardstar strode off, waking the others before quickly striding towards a stone. "Ugh." She trotted awkwardly through the makeshift camp, her tail-tip twitching with every step she took. This had better be good.
Despite her irritability, she knew that Leopardstar wouldn't do something without reason. He did say it was urgent after all. With that thought in mind, the murky-eyed tabby increased her pace, blinking rapidly in an effort to force her mind awake. "What is it, Leopardstar?" She mewed, reaching the stone and settling down near the golden-spotted tabby.

The conversation with Flurryshine over, Scorchclaw returned to find the clans beginning to stir from sleep. The large tabby was in no mood to converse with anyone. One look at his shadowed expression would have been enough to ward most cats off. His muzzle was torn with three scratches, still fresh and wet with blood. He gave no explanation for the wounds and received no questions. A few curious glances, however, were cast his way. Rather than approaching his clanmates, the fluffy deputy ascertained from a distance that there was no trouble. Magpiepaw was with the kits again, a sight that had grown rather common in recent days. The black-and-white apprentice had definitely grown on Dewshine's litter. At any rate, Scorchclaw supposed they were in safe paws. Almost immediately, his sharp green gaze made out the gathering of clan representatives across the makeshift camp. A low growl rumbling in his chest, he strode over. It was doubtful that they would gather for no good reason. That meant it had to be something important. "What is going on?" He asked emotionlessly.

Once all the representatives had assembled, Leopardstar launched into an explanation, a smile on his face.  "Last night, Marshstorm received a message from StarClan.  A former warrior of ThunderClan, Featherheart, visited him and told him that to find our home again, we must follow the stars - the northern star, in fact.  We've finally found a way!"  Elated, the golden spotted tabby looked up towards the sky, his hazel eyes gleaming in the pale dawn light.  Finally...we're going home.