July Medicine Cat Meeting

Mintwhisker was one of the first cats to scramble up the narrow path and arrive, short of breath, at Mothermouth. Windclan was remarkably close to Highstones, which was a lovely change from the trek across the forest that the taupe tabby was used to. “Stay close, Aspenpaw,” Mintwhisker mewed.

Pricklebush walked slowly up to Highstones, wearing a stoic expression despite the emotional turmoil he consistently felt. He'd always had a messed up life, but since Ridgelight, something permanently didn't sit right within his stomach. He had trouble eating, trouble thinking- he lost himself in his piles of herbs and training his apprentices without thinking about himself. Thinking was the problem. However, ignoring the problems he had wasn't helping him much, too. It was easier to be in RiverClan with Mistlepaw- that way he escaped most of the pitying looks, escaped Beartooth, escaped the innocent eyes of Houndkit who didn't deserve the family he'd been born into. The ThunderClan medicine cat let out a sigh as he reached Mothermouth and saw Mintwhisker, who had seemed remarkably eager to leave last time. Not wanting to acknowledge her, he instead glanced back to see how close Mistlepaw was behind him. Hopefully, she would be all right during this meeting.

Amberdawn had really hoped she wouldn't be having to go to the Medicine Cat meeting alone again that night. The previous day she had waited anxiously, hoping without real reason that perhaps Mintwhisker would return so they could travel together. The day came and went and of course the taupe she-cat hadn't returned, and on the day of the half-moon Amberdawn sighed, prepared the traveling herbs for herself, and admitted that, if she were staying in WindClan, she wouldn't want to walk all the way to SkyClan and then back to Highstones again. She tried to rationalize it as she ate her herbs and exited camp alone, but sadness didn't care about reason. She hated feeling so selfish when Mintwhisker was only doing her duty.

The golden tabby she-cat had taken off the way that she and Mosspaw had walked home after the previous meeting, and though she didn't realize it at first, Amberdawn found herself searching for the she-cat. They both had somewhat preoccupied mentors, but the SkyClan cat hoped Pricklebush had been making more time for his true apprentice than Mintwhisker currently was. As she walked past ThunderClan's territory she scented the air, checking for signs that either of the ThunderClan medicine cats had passed through; however, she found none. Amberdawn glanced up at the sky, thinking, Surely Mosspaw will be coming soon? She walked slowly for a while until, at last, her suspicions were proved correct, and the pretty calico apprentice joined her on their way to Highstones.

The two walked together and arrived at the Mothermouth at the same time. From a distance Amberdawn recognized Pricklebush and Mistlepaw and, with a pang of sadness, Mintwhisker. She forced a smile and turned to flick Mosspaw's tail with her own, mewing, "Oh look! Pricklebush is here. I wonder if Mistlepaw is feeling a little better?" They closed the gap and joined the other medicine cats, but Amberdawn didn't meet Mintwhisker's eyes. She felt so... ashamed, but also neglected. What could she say? She opted for saying nothing.

Aspenpaw's spirits were quite high, as of late. Things in WindClan were good, almost too good, considering what had been brewing in the forest all around them. It felt as though they were a tree rooted in the middle of a stream, unmovable. He hobbled up Highstones with all the grace and elegance as a beached fish and made his presence known with a loud mew. It was good to see everyone again, though he felt a rush, a stinging nervousness, when he couldn't at least hear Mothpaw coming. He prayed that she would arrive soon. "StagClan" apparently didn't take kindly to cats who spoke with StarClan, and that gave the silver medicine cat reason to suspect that they weren't as fixated on the greater good as they claimed to be. How come ShadowClan had to be ousted?

Then again, why did ShadowClan allow themselves to be ousted, anyway? It was all topsy-turvy, a great big mess. He hadn't heard such great things from ThunderClan, either. What a terrible thing, to send your kits to the slaughter. He felt bad for Pricklebush and Mosspaw, but he wasn't quite in any position to help. His standing with the medicine cats was quite undetermined. "Is the air that much thinner up here," he huffed bemusedly, "Or am I just really bad at walking?" He gave himself a moment to chuckle and sit, pawing at his ear awkwardly. It was a nervous tic he had developed, rubbing behind his ear as if he were washing his face. "Good to see everyone!"

Pricklebush had been spending more and more time in RiverClan with Mistlepaw since Ridgelight's exile, and if she was being honest Mosspaw didn't blame him. She would have wanted to get away as well, and she was sure that everything in ThunderClan's territory only served to remind him of times past. It didn't stop the slight disappointment as he didn't return in time for the meeting, so it was with heavy paws that she returned the second herb bundle she had prepared to it's rightful spots and quickly took hers. Taking some time before she left to poke her head in on Leopardstar and Marshstorm, informing them she was leaving, and into the nursery to make sure Dustcloud was faring well with her kits, including Houndkit, it was slightly behind schedule that the calico finally left the camp. Moving quickly through the forest, she recognized the fresh scent of Amberdawn and sped up, racing through the undergrowth. At least her friend would keep her company while her mentor was away. Speaking of mentors.... Smelling the air again, it was only Amberdawn's scent. Was Mintwhisker still in WindClan? 

It wasn't long before she caught up, and she breathlessly nodded to the SkyClan medicine cat. They walked side by side in relative silence, and it wasn't long before they were able to see the distant figures of Mintwhisker, Aspenpaw, and Pricklebush. Forcing a small smile back, she agreed. "I hope she is.... Pricklebush too. Things in ThunderClan have been pretty rough recently..." She trailed off, feeling as though if she said any more the thin veil of peace that she had created would be shredded. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Aspenpaw. "It's good to see you again too, Aspenpaw. I hope all is well in WindClan?"

Mothpaw trailed a ways behind Pricklebush and Mistlepaw, feeling even more out of place than usual and not wanting to intrude on them any more than she already had. Should she even be here, she wondered... First she was barely a medicine cat apprentice, and now she was barely even a ShadowClan cat, because there was barely a ShadowClan to be a part of. Still... This was a chance to see her friends, at least, and maybe get some answers. As the other medicine cats came into sight, she forced a bright expression onto her face - she'd cried enough at her first medicine cat meeting, they all had their own problems to deal with and didn't need hers, too.

"It's good to see all of you again," she said, the small bit of genuine happiness she felt seeping into her voice. Unlike her last meeting, she didn't seek out any one cat in particular; instead she kept her distance, as if her saddest thoughts would somehow be shared with any cat that got too close. It was best to try and give everyone something good to think about, right? Something small but positive that they could focus on. Like spending time with friends was for her.

Mintwhisker's tattered ears twitched as the other medicine cats arrived, either in pairs or alone, and gathered near the tunnel entrance. Once everyone had arrived, the taupe tabby spoke."Shall we?" She mewed, standing and gestured towards the cave with one paw.

The plump she-cat made her way into the darkness, her tail-tip twitching. She wasn't entirely sure she was ready to receive her next prophecy- training with Aspenpaw left little time for any sort of forgetting work, and the pain of her previous prophecy was still fresh in her mind.
Mintwhisker emerged into a large cavern that was bathed in a pale white light. Without a word, the taupe she-cat padded towards the Moonstone, tapping it lightly with her nose and settling down in a dark corner. She always made sure to sleep apart from the others, in case she woke suddenly and needed to leave without waking them.
Ready or not, this was her duty.

When Mintwhisker awoke, she was standing in thick, oozing mud. She tried to move but found that the more she struggled, the deeper she sank. It was already halfway up her legs.
"They are not lost." A soft voice sounded from everywhere and nowhere.
"What?"
A lithe, thick-furred tom stepped lightly towards her. His sleek white fur was clean, his white paws showing no trace of mud. "They are a new generation, born of war and death, grown in a devastated landscape torn by faith and rejection, simultaneously. They have grown tired of our ways."
Mintwhisker was sinking deeper- the mud was up to her belly. "Can't you help me?!" She mewed, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
The white tom looked at her, his beautiful, clear green eyes holding nothing but distant disdain, like a queen watching a slug crawl helplessly on the nursery floor. "They will leave,"

The mud was halfway up her chest now. "Help! Please!" She cried, struggling to lift her paw, to reach him. He watched her struggle silently.
The mud reached her chin, her mouth, her nose. She watched helplessly as the white tom began to walk away. He looked over his shoulder and opened his mouth to speak. "but they are not lost."


Mintwhisker jumped to her paws, looking around wildly. The others were still asleep... The taupe tabby shook out her numb limbs, taking a deep breath. There were no wounds to tend to, no blood, no claw marks, no new scars. She should consider herself lucky.
The Skyclanner sat down, feeling her breathing beginning to slow, and waited for the others to stir.

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

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'StarClan Revelation' :

No one seemed in the mood to chat that night. Amberdawn did not try to meet Mintwhisker's eyes, and Mintwhisker did not try to meet hers, and without any more hesitation her mentor began to descend. Amberdawn felt herself deflate slightly, and she silently followed her mentor, leaving a notable gap between them. She was grateful when the darkness swallowed her whole and hid her from prying eyes of her fellow medicine cats. She didn't truly think of them that way, not usually... but stars, they were all dealing with so much. She and SkyClan weren't dealing with nearly so much. Her fears and concerns felt so trivial compared to, say, Mothpaw, whose Clan had dissolved under her paws, or Mistlepaw, who had failed to save her mentor and was relying on Mosspaw's, Pricklebush, instead.

Everything felt a mess, but the thoughts were at least momentarily washed away as the golden tabby stepped into the silver light of the Moonstone. Amberdawn felt some of her tension ease at the sight of it, and she sighed quietly and stepped towards it and to her own little place. She settled down, trying to calm her thoughts. Save your energy for what matters, Amberdawn told herself softly, and then she pressed her nose to the glimmering stone. Darkness immediately followed, and she slipped into sleep.

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The stars were glistening in the grass around her as Amberdawn awoke in StarClan, and she realized she was now crouching in SkyClan territory - or a starry version of it - when she had been crouching in a cavern in Highstones only a few moments before. She slowly rose herself into a sitting position, gazing around with her dark amber eyes afire with the glow of Silverpelt. She searched for signs of StarClan, but she could neither see nor scent the presence of anyone. Was she alone?

"Hello?" Amberdawn called quietly. A voice sounded behind her, and she turned with a look of surprise.

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ooc; this part was written by Ripped at my request, thank you frond <3

Rippedstar wished that the afterlife had provided more rest. He had been contented to retreat into the ethereal lands of StarClan and live alongside his late mate and kits. But it seemed that his heart and passion for the Clan he had loved could not be satiated as times of turmoil sat over the horizon. The black and white leader had hoped for more in his passing. Poplarstar’s lives had been cut short, a tragedy for the forest, even if it had reunited the tom with Mumblefoot. And then there was Tinystar. Short-legged and small statured, the SkyClan warrior had been known for his size. Now, he was to be known for far more.

Upon the former WindClanner’s arrival to SkyClan, Tinylegs had followed his brothers in obvious displeasure for Crowstar’s choice to allow him entry. Yet it seemed they had come to some semblance of understanding. By the time the former leader had been torn to shreds by that dog, he had believed that there were measures of respect between the pair of them. And Rippedstar had never thought less of the other tom for his size; in fact he respected the elder cat’s wisdom and admired his dedication to Moonlight.

But something was wrong.

Maybe leadership, or the many sudden deaths, had awakened something in the little white-coated cat. He seemed protective and closed-off in several ways, neither of which were particularly bad traits, but both had the potential to be abused. And it appeared that situations had arisen in which those aspects of his nature had been untamable and dangerous. It had cost SkyClan a life. The Clan seemed to be shrinking and growing, certainty out of sight. No longer could the Clan constantly grow with the seemingly ever-changing security of life. Sparrowpaw now resided in StarClan. And perhaps other cats would also if he did not step in. Tinystar’s care for his kin was a hard thing for any cat to match, which was a perilous path to walk.

Rippedstar hoped to secure the future of the Clan he cared for and save the lives of innocent young cats. It was the very reason his paws had carried him from the depths of StarClan to stand before a medicine cat at the half-moon. He’d been watching the clan for some time now, mostly after Sparrowpaw’s life had been stripped from her and sent her to an early grave. Most of the former Skyclan StarClanners had watched her trail before the Clan. And watched as blood stained the current leader’s claws. Since then, his blue gaze seldom left Clan life. His mind was troubled.

Amberdawn was the particular cat he sought, given Mintwhisker’s troubled past with his former apprentice, and the undeniable peace about the younger she-cat. She possessed sense and was a cat he believed he could trust with this particular mission. As soon as her nose touched the Moonstone, Rippedstar was there before her. He had never been particularly awe-inspiring with size and his leaner frame betrayed his true origins. But the scars he had earned defending the Clan had not faded from his coat, and his maw.

The black and white pelted warrior greeted her with a formal dip of his head, “You may have heard my story, or you will someday, but I am Rippedstar. There is something I must show you, Amberdawn, something only you can know.” He turned and flicked his tail for her to follow and the world shifted around them. They were at Highstones. Against the rock were two intertwined pelts ahead. Any cat could have easily picked out Firflower from the stone, and at her side was a ginger-patched loner, a coat Amberdawn would have never seen among the clans at a gathering. Around the pair danced three shadows of kits, with indiscernible coats.

“One of the kits knows who they are now, and the parentage they bear, but the rest do not. And the Clan does not. This is your secret to guard, for the Clan’s sake and for all of theirs.” He gestured towards the ghostly image of the SkyClan queen, who smiled softly in their direction, as if the memory knew it would one day go before a medicine cat, “This is all I can share with you for now. But I trust that you are the right cat for this. You know what must be done, and you know why.” As his sentence finished, the scene faded away leaving them in StarClan once more. Everything seemed a little darker, the stars were dimmed, further away perhaps. Some cats would not be happy with what he was doing. But StarClan was a funny thing. The cats here were as fickle in death as they had been in life. If that had not been proven by the life of Lichenmask, he was not sure what would truly show it.

This was for their ears only. He did not need any cat listening in on the words he had to share with Amberdawn. They were as guarded as the precious lives of Firflower and Starlord’s offspring. The brothers were a great asset to the Clan, and innocent in nature. Only Sandpaw was no longer naive to his blood. But it was not their disloyalty that truly concerned him. Rather, what would happen if their parentage was called into question. Would they too soak the sands of camp? Amberdawn understood what he meant, he was sure of it. She shared in his fears. And it was up to her to help defend those precious lives against uncertain possibility.

ooc; end ripped's piece <3

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Amberdawn's head shot upright as she realized she was awake again in the Moonstone. She was still crouched on her belly, and when she stood her legs were stiff and shaky. She really felt as though she'd run all the way back to SkyClan and then to Highstones once again in her dream. She wanted to be awed that a leader of old, Rippedstar, had visited her, but there was little joy to be felt in the face of his vision: Firflower had kits with a loner. Indeed, she understood exactly why the former SkyClan leader had warned her: they needed to be protected. Unable to process everything in that moment, Amberdawn stood, face furrowed in thought as she exited the Moonstone and waited for the company of her friend Mosspaw.

The member 'Grandmaster Suma' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'StarClan Revelation' :

"Very well, Mosspaw," he said politely, "We're discussing the opening of the tunnels. We're hoping for success... A lot of the older clanmates are afraid of the cost. I believe in it." He shrugged a little. It was still a hard thing to get used to, speaking so openly about his clan with "outsiders." Being unbiased in clan rivalries was the most jarring part of going from warrior apprentice to medicine cat apprentice.

Mintwhisker initiated the walk into the cave, and the silver tom happily hobbled after her. Aspenpaw's mentor was starting to grow on him, which he hadn't expected to happen. He was eager to follow her down into the cavern, escaping the awkwardness of the entire situation. Everyone was just so... sad. He didn't know how to approach them about it. He silently prayed that Mothpaw was okay as he touched his nose to the stone, shutting his eyes and forgetting all the fear and anxiety that the forest brought.

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He was met in StarClan with a trail of... blood? Where was he, anyway? Aspenpaw looked around quickly, wondering what it meant, and decided to follow the red path. As he walked along, he became somewhat aware of a presence just beyond his whiskers. He stopped and meowed out into the night, listening for signs of movement. Out of the ground came a familiar dark pelt, pushing past a bush out of seemingly nowhere. "Howdy, Jigglylegs!"

Aspenpaw laughed and greeted his dead friend warmly, touching his nose as if he'd known Nightrunner his entire life. "Well, partner, I don't have fantastic news to tell ya today. You best follow that trail down yonder. Be careful with what you find." With a grave seriousness, Nightrunner retreated into the tunnel he had emerged from, leaving the silver medicine cat to walk alone. Was this ShadowClan territory? Where was he going? The questions only grew as he hobbled along and the blood became thicker, mustier. The yowls of battle, beginning softly, hummed in his ears. They grew louder as he approached ShadowClan's camp. The sight inside was horrific.

Blood coated the ground, the walls of the dens, the silhouettes that stood on the outskirts. The camp was turned scarlet. He turned away and fought the urge to wretch. Feeling a tail lift his chin, he met Nightrunner's yellow eyes once more. The starry cat stood over an unidentifiable body, in the middle of a pool of blood. It was the same blood that he had followed just moments before. Nightrunner flicked his ears to signal Aspenpaw's attention to just beyond the corpse. A huge calico paced back and forth, with a scarlet maw and paws coated in blood. The silhouettes whispered, heads following his body. Murderer. Martyr. Messiah. Nightrunner's expression faltered, and he took on an echoed voice: the voice of StarClan, speaking to Aspenpaw alone.

"Stag's Antlers Are Cracking. In The Red Glow of Morning, Shadow Must Come To Claim Their Home."

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Aspenpaw woke with the same feeling of falling backwards and immediately searched for ShadowClan's medicine cat in the darkness. She couldn't leave until he talked to her. As his eyes adjusted, he saw Mintwhisker had already woken up. "Mothpaw!" he whispered softly.

The member 'Grizzly [frisbee bear]' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'StarClan Revelation' :

Mistlepaw, who padded alongside Pricklebush, was not in a talkative mood that night. Shadowclan's arrival at Riverclan camp left a toll on the young medicine cat apprentice; she hadn't seen the light of the sun in days! She was so busy treating wounds and infections that..that she barely had time to live and enjoy her life. Not to mention, the last time she was here She sighed, sitting near the edge of the clearing and neatly resting her tail on her paws. Such was the way of a medicine cat. Although the job was strenuous, she loved it very much. It was the least she could do for her clan, in return for the protection and love they gave her. A purr of satisfaction rumbled from her chest as she watched the medicine cats mingle, sharing stories and news with each other. For now, she was content with just watching; perhaps she'd join the festivities later.

Eventually, the medicine cats descended into the cave. Mistlepaw promptly followed, keeping close to the other cats so she wouldn't get lost. After some walking, they padded into the cavern, bathed in the Moonstone's white light. Even though she had been there often, the stone never failed to leave her in awe. She crept towards the crystal and made herself comfortable, before pressing her muzzle against it. She laid her head on her paws and instantly fell into deep sleep. 

~~~~

Mistlepaw awoke in the all too familiar glimmering plains of Starclan. She paused for a moment, her yellow-green eyes absorbing the landscapes for a moment, before she pushed herself into a sitting position. She was slowly getting used to the sudden change in environment, but she always took a moment to adjust to it. After sitting there quietly for a moment, thoughts gently buzzing in her mind, a voice spoke out. The voice was fierce and unfamiliar, but had a hint of sympathy to it. Mistlepaw turned around, briefly startled by the newcomer. Usually, Torrentstorm would speak to her, but this time..

"You were probably expecting someone else, right?"

The tortoiseshell meowed, dark amber eyes shining with amusement, "that's ok. We all expect someone specific to talk to when we're in Starclan. I'm Specklestream, a former warrior of Riverclan. I lived long before your mother, Jaystar, and even the leader before him, Ivystar." Mistlepaw's mouth hung agape, and the Starclan she-cat chuckled. "Yeah, I'm really old. It won't be long before I fade, but I've come to terms with that long ago." The young medicine cat apprentice opened her maw to speak, but Specklestream quickly stopped her, "We don't have much time, so let me make this quick. When I was around your age, I met and fell in love with a tom from a different clan. Of course, our romance was discovered, and after a while he..well, he moved on. As did I," the tortie's eyes glimmered with sadness. Although she tried her best to hide it, Mistlepaw could see through her facade. The tuxedo's face hardened as the former warrior continued to speak, "I eventually had kits. Two of them belonged to him. I tried my best to keep quiet about it, but I couldn't bear it and sent two to Thunderclan. I couldn't bring myself to raise them, so my former lover made sure they had a wonderful queen in Thunderclan waiting for them. The green-eyed apprentice nodded, wondering what this could all mean. What was the moral of this story? Why was Specklestream telling her this? "You know about the cat that got exiled recently, right? Ridgelight? Instead of passing her kits to another queen like I had, she chose to murder them." 

Mistlepaw gasped, eyes widening, "B-But what kind of cat would do such a thing? Wh-what kind of.." she sat down, dumbfounded at the news that she had been told. As she did so, the Starclan's glistening beauty turned into the forests of Thunderclan. Specklestream stared at her for a moment, before turning to a bush. The bush was battered, and blood coated the forest floor beneath it. The Riverclan medicine cat's breath hitched as she watched the Starclan cat pull back the leaves to reveal the motionless body of a kit. The amount of blood suggested that..that there were many more that had been there. Yet, the bodies were nowhere to be found.

"Murder...them? But there's..only one." 

Specklestream chuckled, eyes glowing with hatred not for her, but for the rogue scum who committed such a heinous crime, "that's because the fox got to them."

As she said these words, a flash of ginger darted past her, and before she knew it she was thrown to the grown. Gasping for breath, Mistlepaw looked around wildly for what had just knocked her down, when she saw it. The large, russet furred creature, hunger shining in its eyes. Before she had time to react, it charged forward; the last thing she saw was its white, sharp teeth, wrapping its teeth around her neck and snapping it faster than she could scream. 

~~~~

She jolted awake back in the cavern, trembling and gasping for breath. Several other medicine cats began to wake up from their dreams, but she had no interest in sharing her experiences. Instantly, she dashed out of the cramped cave, eager to feel the gentle night breeze while she could. It was so much to take in; everything that Specklestream had just told her was so..overwhelming, and she wanted time to herself to think about it. The loud beating of her heart and the sound of claws scratching the earth was all she heard as she scrambled out of Mothermouth, her eyes brimming with tears.

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

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'StarClan Revelation' :