June Medicine Cat Meeting

The sun was setting steadily, and the first stars had begun to show themselves, faint and flickering, like they might burn out at any moment and fall to the ground. Aside from a soft breeze occasionally stirring the undergrowth, nothing moved. It was as if what was left of the forest was holding its breath, watching, waiting, until it was sure that the flood was gone. Little reminders were everywhere- a pile of debris, empty spaces where trees once stood. No birds sang. The world was in mourning.
But no matter how still the world was, time didn't stop. Cats from all over the forest had made the journey from their homes to Highstones. They brought nothing with them, save for a promise that they'd get this trip over with and return to their clans where they were so desperately needed.

Medicine cats made the trek to the Moonstone to converse with their ancestors, just as they had, and just as they will for ages to come. But something was different about this journey. After everything the clans had been through; the flood, the wars, and Lichenmask, who was sent from Starclan itself, it seemed like Starclan had turned their backs on the forest. Although some medicine cats refused to believe that their forefathers would subject them to such terrible events without a reason, others were certain that their ancestors had abandoned them. No matter their expectations, every medicine cat had made the journey, some to ask for answers, and others to merely see if Starclan would even be willing to speak with them. Either way, they were here.

Mistlepaw was among the first of the medicine cats to arrive, head down and ears flattened as she padded towards the opening of the cave. This would be her first medicine cat meeting ever; she should've been excited. But the coppery scent of her mentor's blood and the image of her mangled body sprawled across the sand of Riverclan camp still haunted her. It didn't matter how much pressure she applied to the wound or her vain cries begging her to wake up; Fallowlight had still died. When she became a medicine cat apprentice, she had vowed to never let any cat die under her watch, and yet...she couldn't even save her own mentor! What kind of medicine cat was she?! 

The young gray and white tuxedo angrily wiped at the tears slipping down her cheeks, but she couldn't stop them from coming. Starclan, she was causing a scene. What would the other medicine cats say if they saw her like this? "Pull yourself together, Mistlepaw. You couldn't save her. Jaystar himself told you that," Inhaling deeply, the gray and white tuxedo tried to reassure herself. She had to hold it in for now. She could imagine the what if's and if only's when she was back home, curled up tightly in her nest and crying late into the night. With a few more sniffles and some mental encouragement, she had successfully reached a more presentable state. Yes, she would break down when she was home. For now, she would have to swallow the grief. Plastering her bravest face, Mistlepaw patiently awaited the arrival of the others.

Pricklebush was silent as he walked, pawsteps retracing familiar steps, focusing straight ahead of him rather than on the destination. These meetings were never his favorite... time to go be forced to talk to their ancestors, have another prophecy or forbidden romance gossip shoved on him and be expected to tattletale to Leopardstar. It felt like he was nothing more than a message cat, seeing as how StarClan never respected his wishes or opinions. Why did he even come to these?... His answer came as he felt his new apprentice, Mosspaw, brush his side. He glanced down to give her a slight smile before returning his gaze forwards, toward Highstones. It was for the cats like her... young, innocent, who needed protection and care. That was his job. Healing. It seemed like he hadn't done a very good job, what with all the chaos swallowing the forest and the fact that he could barely see past his own prejudice to put herbs in place. But if a cat like Mosspaw liked him, then... well. How bad could he be?

This meeting would be somewhat different from the others. He felt more nervous than he had at his first meeting- okay, to be honest, all he had felt then was put-upon and misused. But now he felt a small amount of anxiety, bringing Mosspaw to her first gathering with the other medicine cats. There were sure to be many new apprentices, knowing how many of his... colleagues would be busy taking care of their Clan after the flood. Hopefully, none of them had died- he hadn't seen any of them besides Briarpaw since before. But one never knew what StarClan's plans were. They didn't discriminate between the good cats and the bad- they took, and they took, and they took. His brother, his friend, tiny kits, senior warriors... his mother. He shook off the invasive thought again and returned his mind to the step in front of him. And the next step. And the next step.

When they finally reached Highstones, he was prepared to introduce Mosspaw to the others- but no one else was there yet. No one, except a small apprentice who looked younger than his own. She smelled of fish and mud and reeds... and salt. He began to approach with a slight smile, ready to introduce himself, but he stopped at the look on her face. He knew that look all too well. The grief and self-loathing in her eyes, angry that she couldn't stay happy. She was trying to hold herself together, putting on a smile, but the tear trails on her face said otherwise. No self-respecting mentor would have allowed a brand new apprentice to journey here on their own. All other thoughts flew out of his head at the realization of what this young she-cat must have gone through. Oh StarClan. Fallowlight...? He didn't even need to ask; he knew how much that would hurt. It was apparent. Instead, Pricklebush just silently walked over and enfolded the tiny apprentice in a hug. His strong, warm tail swept her into his bushy fur, offering comfort. "It will be okay," he whispered hollowly, staring off into the distance.

Amberdawn kept glancing over her shoulder, watching for her mentor and hoping to see her on the horizon near WindClan, as she made her journey across the forest to visit Highstones. She hadn't seen her mentor since she'd gone to WindClan to start training their new medicine cat. She wondered what Mintwhisker thought of the journey the medicine cats were making that night. Amberdawn had been one of the lucky ones; her faith in StarClan was shaken only a little by the events of the flood. She felt certain that the flood was out of their control, that the suffering the Clans had undergone was not of their own choosing. She had been blessed by dreams and signs from StarClan at several points throughout the heartbreaking journey and so was certain they were doing their best to guide them home the whole time. It was hard to act from in the stars, but it was easier when someone was able to listen. Amberdawn had been the one, it seemed.

The sun had fallen by the time she arrived at Mothermouth. When she was a short distance away, Amberdawn saw three cats: one was clearly Pricklebush, his pale, thick fur apparent in the moonlight, but the other two were smaller and the SkyClan she-cat didn't recognize them from far away. One was held against the ThunderClan tom's thick fur, and as she cleared the final distance between them she realized that the other was...

"Mosspaw?" Amberdawn asked, shocked, but delighted to see her friend again. Then she hesitated, her dark amber eyes landing on the pair that sat with mourning in their eyes. Pricklebush sat comfortingly beside a small RiverClan she-cat whose eyes were glassy with sorrow, and Amberdawn whispered softly, "Oh..." The small cat was decidedly not Fallowlight. Amberdawn's heart raced with dread. But... But I came home with Fallowlight! We journeyed together, I-I helped take care of her on the shore, Amberdawn protested in her head. M-Maybe she's just sick again, or busy at camp... but... Her thoughts followed the same process Pricklebush's had without knowing. Any good mentor - and Fallowlight would have been a good mentor - would have accompanied their apprentice to their first Medicine Cat Meeting.


... if they could.

Mosspaw walked in step with her mentor, keeping pace with him as they made their journey away from ThunderClan territory towards Highstones. Their pelts occasionally brushed against each other and she tried to contain her emotions, swinging wildly from anticipation and excitement as she looked forward to seeing the other medicine cats, especially Amberdawn, and sadness as she thought of how things remained at home. Several sunrises had passed since Flintfang's abandonment, but the pain of it was still fresh. When Pricklebush looked down at her with a smile, she looked up to him, and quickly gave him one of her own, even if it was smaller than usual and a little forced looking.

The only medicine cats she had met were Fallowlight and Amberdawn, and from afar Mintwhisker. Panic at who all she might meet filled her momentarily as their journey started to come to an end, the rocks of Highstones were just in front of them now. Her eyes fell upon the lone figure standing, waiting by herself. Confusion and concern washed over her, the apprentice looked to be hardly out of the nursery, why was she here alone? Stepping closer, Mosspaw recognized the look on the other she-cats face, and her expression softened. She followed after Pricklebush, smiling warmly at the other apprentice. "Hi, there. I'm Mosspaw." She gently touched noses with the other she-cat in greeting before pulling away as more paw steps reached her ears. She looked up as the two figures approached, and her tail waved in greeting. "Amberdawn!"

She ran over to greet the SkyClan she cat, a purr rumbling in her chest. "You'll never believe what happened. But I think that's a story for another time..." She trailed off, looking back to Mistlepaw where she was wrapped in Pricklebush's embrace.

Mothpaw made her way to the Moonstone slower than she might have otherwise, trying to memorize each step of the path. Willing it to burn into her mind, a trail she could follow without thinking twice, to become as natural to her as breathing. She couldn't afford to get lost on the way to the Moonstone when it was just her, with no one to guide her or keep her company.

The thought of company, though, reminded her: she was meeting the rest of the medicine cats, not as a wide-eyed warrior's apprentice, but as an equal. She was here to represent her Clan as a medicine cat, and wanted to make a good impression on the others. That she was nearly a mirror of her father in size (and the rest of her appearance) would be helpful, she hoped; other cats respected Scorchstar as a leader, so if she looked like him maybe they would respect her, too?

It was flawed logic, but she didn't pause long enough to see the faults. Instead, once her end was in sight she charged forward, racing toward the waiting unknown. There were friends to be made and concerns to be shared. She'd thought about Flamestrike's words to her during her first visit to the Moonstone, weighed her choices, and eventually decided that she should mention it to the other medicine cats rather than worry Scorchstar with alarming words regarding the fate of ShadowClan.

But even that concern was only a distant thought toward the back of her mind. She was ready to meet her fellow medicine cat apprentices, and the mentors of those that had them. Were any of them like her? She'd chosen this path, knowing what it meant... RiverClan had a medicine cat, last she'd heard. What was her name...? Fall-something? Well, they'd probably introduce themselves anyway, right? Regardless, she pushed through the last stretch of the journey.

She was greeted by the sight of a familiar face in the form of Amberdawn, and bounded in her direction at full speed. What Mothpaw had failed to consider, though, was the other cat standing between herself and her SkyClan friend; and as a result crashed directly into the smallish calico who was speaking to her. Confused and startled by the sudden impact, she froze in place, but beamed at Amberdawn. "Hello, Amberdawn!" Then she looked down at the cat she'd bowled over with a still-bright smile. "And hello, other cat I don't know yet! I'm The Magnificent Mothpaw! Let's be friends, okay?"

Regardless, Mothpaw made no move to release her newfound friend, if she even realized that she was still pinning her down.

Mintwhisker padded over the crest of the hill much later than Amberdawn, limping slightly. Her leg often acted up on warmer days, and it had swollen the previous night. She tried her best to smile when she caught her breath. There were so many faces missing- Featherlight, Goldeneye.
Fallowlight. The taupe she-cat's heart stopped. No. She looked around wildly, her smile quickly replaced by a concerned frown. No, no, no... A small gray she-cat, her worn face peering out from a mass of thick, prickly fur. Tears trailed down her face, dripping off her chin, and the Riverclan she-cat sniffed furiously.
Mintwhisker knew the hollow pain in her eyes too well. Oceanlight, Nettlesting, Featherlight, the mentors who'd left her. Tyr, the cat she couldn't save. She'd been young then, but not this young. What could she say? How could she possibly help, when she knew that there was no way to heal this type of wound?
"I'm sorry, dear." She said softly, sitting near the apprentice and trying to push away the sinking feeling in her chest.

She waited for the other cats to introduce their new apprentices before moving towards the cave, her fur prickling. She struggled to find a way to connect with the others, everything felt... empty. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. She'd gone through everything the Riverclan apprentice had, and yet she couldn't say anything but empty words. It felt like she was floating above her own body, staring at the dusty stone, unable to control even her own breathing.
Everything was normal. Everything was fine. She wasn't a murderer, she wasn't a terrible cat.
"I need to go." It took a momentous effort to even say those words.

When she reached the cavern, Mintwhisker felt like she'd traveled leagues farther than she actually had. Tail-tip twitching, she looked at the empty tunnel behind her for a moment before wordlessly approaching the Moonstone.  No matter how tired she was, she knew that she would only experience worse in Starclan. She could only assume that every medicine cat experienced the crushing pain, the terrifying nightmares, the horribly realistic situations she'd been put in every time she'd received a prophecy. Drowning, falling- Mintwhisker had experienced it all in Starclan. Taking a steadying sigh, she touched the Moonstone with her nose and settled down beside it, trembling.

---

A heavy blow across the head sent Mintwhisker flying. She sprawled on the ground, blinking as shapes and colors danced on the edge of her vision. The young she-cat struggled to stand. "Not fast enough- again!" Something heavy hit her cheek and knocked her to the ground, skidding on the ground for a foxlength or so, a cloud of dust streaming behind her. She scrambled to her paws, spitting blood out of her mouth, only to be greeted by a flurry of strikes on her face and neck. A final blow on the top of her head sent her crashing to the earth once more. "You are weak."
Mintwhisker didn't move, tears tracking down her dusty fur. "Stand up and face me like a true warrior, you coward!" Something grabbed her roughly by her scruff, thrashing her back and forth before tossing her as easily as a ball of moss. Mintwhisker hit a tree with a crack and slid to the ground, a shower of pine needles and twigs raining around her. Her murky eyes were dull slits, so swollen that she couldn't open them more than halfway.

An impossibly large she-cat stood in front of her, her face twisted into an expression of pure hatred and disgust. "Here's your stupid prophecy, since you worked so hard to hear it: Firflower broke the code, and half the kits in her litter are rogues." Mintwhisker was incapable of moving her face. She stared up at the she-cat and took a rattling breath. "I don't care what you do with this information. I'm just passing along the message. Now get out of my sight, murderer."

---

Mintwhisker groaned. Her head was pounding and her body was so sore she could hardly move. She raised one paw to touch her face, only to be greeted with the feeling of dried blood. She couldn't breathe through her nose and she held her mouth was half-open. Her breath wheezed. Her eyes were nearly swollen shut.
From what she could see, smell, and hear, the others were still fast asleep. She carefully stepped around them and made her way through the tunnels, limping. It was still night- the moon had barely made it halfway up the sky. She'd take the long way to Windclan and clean herself up during the journey.
Without a backward glance, the taupe she-cat dragged herself down the slope and into the forest, picking herbs as she went. Marigold, burnet, chickweed, comfrey root... everything was normal. Everything was fine.

The member 'Drippy' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'StarClan Revelation' :

The calico ThunderClan cat immediately called back, confirming her suspicions. It really was Mosspaw! Amberdawn was truly surprised to see her friend present. Pricklebush hasn't needed a warrior escort before - surely he hasn't chosen to start now. Is Mosspaw his new apprentice? she wondered, and excitement tingled her tummy. Amberdawn gently touched her nose to Mosspaw's when the she-cat approached, and the calico began to speak excitedly before her tone became a little hushed. "I think that's a story for another time..." Both she-cats looked towards Mistlepaw, and the SkyClan cat sighed softly. She hoped that Fallowlight really was just sick even though all her wisdom said otherwise.

"You're right," Amberdawn murmured, turning her eyes hopefully back to her friend, "Can we talk after? On our way home, maybe." We live in the same direction, after all.

A dark shape moving swiftly across the landscape caught Amberdawn's eyes, and she stared through the darkness with a furrowed brow. "Who's that?" Amberdawn wondered aloud. The cat came closer, and closer, and thick black fur became distinct from the shadows of the evening while vibrant orange eyes began to glow in the dark face. "Oh, it's Mothpaw!" she chirped, her tail raising in greeting.

As Mothpaw of ShadowClan began to approach, she didn't slow down. A quick moment of calculating thought determined Mosspaw was in the way, and before Amberdawn could finish taking in a breath to let out a warning call the inevitable occured. Mothpaw, one of the largest cats in the forest at the time most likely, slammed directly into Mosspaw. One moment the calico she-cat was upright and the next she was on the ground, unwittingly pined beneath Mothpaw's massive frame. "Hello, Amberdawn!" the ShadowClan cat called cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the dilemma she had caused for Mosspaw even as she addressed the cat beneath her. "And hello, other cat I don't know yet!"

Amberdawn was utterly speechless, choking out small bits of sound for several moments before finally she managed, "Mosspaw, are you alright?" And then she lifted her eyes awkwardly to Mothpaw and greeted, "Magnificent Mothpaw, that was a, um... magnificent entrance." And her eyes continued to flick between Mothpaw and Mosspaw, a bewildered and concerned expression on her face.

As figures approached in the distance, Mistlepaw forced a smile onto her face. "Crying won't leave a great first impression," She thought to herself, thin gray tail flicking as two cats came into view, one cream and the other calico. Both were definitely twice her size, and the Riverclan medicine cat apprentice immediately felt significantly smaller. She probably looked fresh out of the nursery..then again, she was; her ceremony took place a few sunrises prior to..Fallowlight's demise. Tears pricked at her eyelids at the thought of her late mentor, but she quickly blinked them back. No, not yet. She couldn't cry again. Pushing all of her grief to the back of her mind, Mistlepaw forced a purr and said in the sweetest voice possible, "Hi, I'm Mistlepaw. It's a pleasure to-"

The cream cat stopped to analyze her, and she suddenly felt exposed. The words died on her tongue as she watched the small smile on his lips fall. It was like the tom had just stared into her very core and seen the pain she tried so desperately to conceal. "No, no...they aren't supposed to see. What do I do?!" Mistlepaw's ears flattened and she shrunk even more, turning her head to avoid his gaze. Not even a second passed and he was embracing her, his warm, thick fur practically swallowing her up. The gray and white tuxedo blinked, too dumbfounded to react. What was happening? Was this the way medicine cats greeted each other? Had he not noticed anything after all? "It will be okay." Instantly, it clicked. Her stomach dropped as she realized what he was doing; he was trying to comfort her. "No..I'm okay.." She stammered as the emotions began to resurface. She could no longer control the tears as they slid down her cheeks, wetting them once more. Sniffling, she buried her face into his fur in a futile attempt to hide her sorrow. It wasn't long before quiet sobs wracked her tiny frame, and she shook with the intensity of her crying. She latched onto him as his bushy tail wrapped around her, clinging to him as if the wind would carry him away if she let go. Even though she remained as quiet as she could, a torrent of tears and pain rushed out of her and into Pricklebush's unfortunate pelt. She barely registered Mintwhisker's words of condolence as she cried her heart out, right there in front of Mothermouth.

"I-..I-" she stuttered, looking up at the Thunderclan medicine cat with wide, tear filled eyes, "I tried so hard to save her. I-I really did. But I wasn't enough. She's gone, she's gone a-and it's all my fault." Her voice cracked at the last word and she burrowed into his pelt again, attempting to muffle her anguished filled cries. When she had collected the remnants of her resolve, she continued the tale, "a-a fox..it was a fox. Sh-she was bleeding and I tr-tried to stop it but I wasn't enough. I don't deserve to be here. I-I'm not a good medicine cat. I c-couldn't even save my mentor..." The pain from watching her mentor bleed out on the sand was still fresh despite her best efforts to convince herself that it wasn't her fault. Yes, the attack wasn't her fault, but any good apprentice would've done something! Instead, she stood there, helpless as Fallowlight drew her last breath. She truly didn't deserve to be here, unlike the medicine cats around her that trained tirelessly to earn their positions. She was a useless burden to everyone around her; her friends, her family, her clan, she had failed them all. She should've died in her mentor's place. Fallowlight would've gotten a new, worthier apprentice, and most importantly, she'd still be alive. "Useless...useless.." The word bounced around in her mind as she pictured her mentor's broken form. "That's all you'll ever be, Mistlepaw. Useless."

Blinking happily as Amberdawn touched her nose, Mosspaw nodded. "Yes, of course! With us going the same way I can explain every-" Her statement was cut off as the sudden thunder of quickly approaching pawsteps filled the air, ending in a sudden pain and collision directly in her side. Before she knew it, she was on the ground, the breath knocked out of her, staring at the stars. Were they... moving? Surely not, but she could have sworn that they were.... The air left her lungs in an oof as the other figure stood, and Mosspaw stared up at them in surprise. ...."S-Scorchstar?... What are you doing here?..... I'm... I'm alright, don't worry." Confusion filled her face as she tried to get her breath back, still pinned to the ground. She shot a quick smile to Amberdawn, determined to appear as though she wasn't completely taken off guard. Upon closer examination, once she had some more oxygen, she realized that this wasn't quite Scorchstar. Who was this then? Looking to Amberdawn, she said in a meek, breathless voice. "That's not Scorchstar. You're not Scorchstar." She looked back to the figure standing on top of her with the latter statement. Her unasked question was answered as Amberdawn said the cat's name again. The Magnificent Mothpaw?... Well, her entrance was certainly magnificent, as Amberdawn had said. With a light laugh, Mosspaw mewed. "Well, Magnificent Mothpaw, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mosspaw - do you think you could maybe get off of me, please?"

The turmoil of everything going on had completely pulled her attention away from Mistlepaw, although with Pricklebush by the small apprentice's side the she-cat knew that she was in good paws.

Pricklebush was almost surprised that the small she-cat didn't recoil from him- a strange, large tom trying to comfort her. Instead, she buried herself in his fur and sobbed. Tiny, heart-breaking cries, full of much more pain than a cat that small should be allowed to bear. StarClan, why do you do this to us? He just held her tight, pangs inside his heart empathizing with her own, staring at Mintwhisker as if challenging her to say anything. He'd never liked that she-cat, and he wasn't about to start now because she offered empty words of comfort to an apprentice. But at a single sound from the RiverClan she-cat- Mistlepaw?- and his attention was back on her. He listened intently, and at each word the sorrow and the quiet anger grew. No one should have to suffer this. Least of all an apprentice this young. "It wasn't your fault," he told her, looking down into her eyes, sympathetic but firm. "It was not your fault, so don't you dare believe that. No one could have saved her if the bleeding was that bad. StarClan saw fit to call her home, but you were chosen for a reason. I'll make sure that you are the best medicine cat RiverClan has ever seen... and that nothing will happen to you. I promise. My name is Pricklebush, I'm ThunderClan's medicine cat. I have the authority to train you, if you're willing." He took a deep breath, and a slight smile touched his face. Though he didn't feel happy, they both needed the comfort, and he couldn't help but feel that maybe things would be okay. "It wasn't your fault, and you'll be all right, Mistlepaw."

That said, he belatedly remembered that there was another reason he was here. As the second oldest cat here, he did have a responsibility- especially now that Mintwhisker had fled into Mothermouth. Without removing his tail from its secure place around Mistlepaw's shoulders, the ThunderClan tom turned to the other group of medicine cats- seeing familiar faces as well as a new one. A mini-Scorchstar was on top of Mosspaw, while Amberdawn looked on with bemused concern. Wonderful. He'd walk over and remove the other cat, but he didn't want to leave the RiverClan apprentice by his side. Instead, he spoke up. "Everyone," he said loudly, "I would like to introduce my new apprentice, Mosspaw." He gestured to the calico she-cat who was currently pinned. "Though she was in training to become a warrior, StarClan saw fit- in the middle of her ceremony- to tell me she was meant to train to be a medicine cat, instead. So we went to the Moonstone and I am now officially her mentor. Dear ShadowClanner, please get off of her." He then made eye contact with Amberdawn, the only other fully named medicine cat he trusted. "This is Mistlepaw," he said, softer. "She is now RiverClan's sole medicine cat. With Jaystar's permission, I am going to take her under my wing, though you are free to help train her as well. Who is that other cat- and does anyone know where Briarpaw is?"

Aspenpaw had been silent, awkward, and unwilling to make eye contact. He felt as though Mintwhisker had just thrust him into this... as she thrust him into all things. It was frustrating, of course, but her other apprentice, Amberdawn, seemed to have turned out just fine. Then, his dear old mentor disappeared into the cavern with extreme haste as every other cat watched. Then, Pricklebush brought the attention to the grey tabby. His ear-tips burned with embarrassment.

"Well, with great thanks to Mintwhisker for so graciously introducing me!" he jokingly shouted into the cavern as she left. He looked at his now comrades with a sheepish grin and chuckled a little. "Briarpaw was called by StarClan to a new path... the path of a warrior. I've taken his place for WindClan's sake. We sort of switched places. I was injured in the battle against the dogs, permanently injured. I couldn't finish my training." The words kept spilling out before he could stop them. "I mean, I thought I walked like a broken-legged badger cub before, and you saw me coming up the hill just now, so maybe this was in the stars after all." He wondered if he should mention the seizures, but he was getting very sick and tired of telling every cat and their mother about how not to react if he collapses in the middle of camp.

“It really is nice to meet you all, though. Can’t wait to not fight each other’s clans for the rest of our lives.” He scanned the many faces with a tiny smirk at his own wit and humor. Aspenpaw always tended to make himself laugh. His teal eyes met the new ShadowClan medicine cat’s bright orange ones. His brain churned, trying to think of where he had seen her. Mothpaw was her name? His memory was foggy the farther back he went from his head injury. He felt a little bad for not remembering, but those eyes caught his memory quite clearly. “I… know you…”

At Mosspaw's request, Mothpaw seemingly realized she was holding ThunderClan's medicine cat apprentice down, and swiftly stepped off of her. "Do I really look like Scorchstar...?" she wondered out loud. She was almost as big as him now, too; enough that Mosspaw had actually mistaken her for him for a moment. It was a thought that made her feel rather proud of herself, if only for a moment. "Dad's gonna be so proud when I tell him about this!"

She listened as Pricklebush introduced himself; his apprentice Mosspaw - the cat she'd knocked over; and RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice Mistlepaw; but WindClan's representative was what caught the most of her attention.

“I… know you…”

As swiftly as she'd barreled into Mosspaw, she made her way to the cat that smelled like WindClan, with just as much enthusiasm but much more fine motor control than she'd had then. So, instead of knocking over the WindClan cat, she stopped just in front of him with an incredibly bright expression.

"Aspenpaw! It's so good to see you! I didn't think I'd see anyone I knew here - well, except Amberdawn, but that's not really the same thing - but you're a medicine cat now, too? That's great!" She paused just a moment, and his words caught up to her. "Of course you know me! We were all lost in the Twolegplace together!" She said it with more cheer than most cats might have, but then again; besides her sister, that misadventure was the first time she'd really had friends, and so it stuck with her as an overall positive experience. "...It's really nice to have a friend here," she added, a little quieter. Each of the cats she'd been stranded with was a dear friend to her, and it was good to know that if nothing else she'd see Aspenpaw slightly more often. "I'll be able to see you more now! This is wonderful!"

The reminder of why they were here, though - to receive omens from their ancestors - reminded her of what she'd nearly forgotten. "Oh, right... I had a question, for all of you," she said, hoping she sounded brighter and less nervous than she felt. "Or... A concern...? At my ceremony, when I spoke to StarClan... Um, something happened..." No, that vague statement almost sounded worse than the actual omen she'd received - she needed to be more specific. As she continued, her voice wavered, and despite her massive size she felt incredibly small. "A warrior spoke to me, and he told me... That ShadowClan is going to die..."

At last words finally came from the winded Mosspaw. Her eyes were wide with surprise and cloudy with confusion as she said, "S-Scorchstar?... What are you doing here?" Amberdawn furrowed her brows and looked at Mothpaw. That's not Scorchstar, she thought. Surely Mosspaw didn't get hit that hard... The ThunderClan cat turned her head to Amberdawn and smiled, but a few moments later she seemed to realize her mistake. She stated the obvious: it wasn't Scorchstar. Amberdawn continued to wait, nervously, as Mosspaw laughed lightly and requested Mothpaw move. As if she hadn't realized she was pinning the ThunderClan cat at all, Mothpaw stepped off.

Pricklebush seemed to have noticed the commotion, and he called over to them, "Everyone, I would like to introduce my new apprentice, Mosspaw." Amberdawn flashed a grin to her friend, now freed from Mothpaw's weight. Her story was amusing, and Amberdawn was grateful she'd not had to experience such a thing. She was such a natural at the lake, Amberdawn thought. It's no wonder she was chosen.

Then Pricklebush spoke directly to Amberdawn, and her golden ears perked as she met his gaze intently before looking to meet Mistlepaw's weary, worried gaze as he introduced her. Amberdawn dipped her head in greeting and looked back to Pricklebush as he explained, "She is now RiverClan's sole medicine cat." So it was true; Fallowlight was gone. The ThunderClan tom went on to explain that he wished to take on her training as well as Mosspaw's, though he extended the offer that Amberdawn could help. She smiled, a sparkle in her eyes and a warmth in her stomach; Pricklebush really was her friend. Oh how he trusted her... The tom then asked about the ShadowClan cat and Briarpaw, and before Amberdawn could introduce Mothpaw a voice interrupted them.

"Well, with great thanks to Mintwhisker for so graciously introducing me!" it called, and Amberdawn's head whipped around to first view the speaker and then search hopefully for her mentor. The she-cat's scent lingered in the air, yet it had already disappeared down into the tunnel.

Disappointment sat heavily in the SkyClan cat's heart and she instead turned to look at the new arrival, a slender gray tabby tom with piercing eyes. His whole body trembled, and as he explained Briarpaw's absence he also explained his condition a little and why he had been chosen to become a medicine cat. Amberdawn knew the story - her mentor had left her to assess and train him, after all - but now she had a face to attach to the name. She laughed nervously at his jokes, for they were dark, but she still understood the humor. He then seemed surprised by Mothpaw, but she didn't seem surprised by him; rather, she seemed delighted.

She sprang up to him like an old friend while he stared at her like a half-remembered dream, and Amberdawn remembered what she knew of his injury and how it had impacted his memory. Still, Mothpaw barely seemed fazed by his spotty memory and stuck by his side rather swiftly.

The mood of the ShadowClan she-cat changed, however, when she declared, "Oh, right... I had a question, for all of you." Amberdawn turned and looked curiously at the she-cat, noting the tenseness in her voice. She continued, looking fearful, "A warrior spoke to me, and he told me... That ShadowClan is going to die."

Amberdawn sucked in a breath. "They what?" she squeaked out before she could control herself. Her mouth shut immediately and her pelt flushed with embarrassment, but more than that she felt worried for Mothpaw. What kind of omen was that to receive during one's ceremony?