July Medicine Cat Meeting

Her breathing was labored as she finished the final steps to Mothermouth, collapsing in a raggedy heap atop a nearby stone. She winced as a loose stone pierced the pad of her paw. Turning it towards her, she regarded it without much emotion before lapping at the slightly oozing wound slowly. Thoughts of the last moon swam through her mind, and the stress from everything recently had only heightened her exhaustion. She was still recovering from her illness, and wasn't totally back to her normal self, but as she looked to Daisybloom she smiled slightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to introduce you as a full medicine cat to the others... I'll try to make it up to you this time. Thanks for all of your help...."

Daisybloom knew the path well by now, and had walked alongside Mossbloom. The sick she-cat was still not up to her normal energy, and the long walk must have been draining. She wanted to be able to physically support the calico if needed. As they reached their destination, the older medicine cat collapsed. The tabby jumped back in suprise, but turned back as the wiser cat began to speak. ”It’s fine...I don’t really enjoy attention anyways. And I did what I had too, you would do the same in my position.” she sat down, still a bit worried. ”If you ever need to take a break, you know, I can handle it. I don’t want you getting more sick.” A world without Mossbloom would be a hard world, but it would be a world like that some day. Mossbloom wasn’t terribly old, but she wasn’t very young either, and she could leave to Starclan from many other causes, not just old age. For example, sickness.

For once, Sagelight wasn't the last cat there.

He was truly alone this time. Honeysong had fled SkyClan and hadn't returned. She hadn't been found either, so when several days passed, the Clan feared the worst and began the process of moving on. The older tom was still grieving from the loss, often staying away late worrying about where she was, how she was doing. He could only hope she was in StarClan, and that he would see her again someday.

This time, he carried only himself to Highstones, mind racing with what prophecy he would get next. Hopefully it would be more information about the last vision he had received, which had been very troubling to say the least. He padded up the remaining slope to the entrance to Mothermouth, noting the fresh scent of ThunderClan. Sagelight arrived just in time to see Mossbloom collapse and he let out a gasp, trotting over to see if she was okay. He knew she had been sick for a while. The sick-scent was still on her, he noted, but it seemed to be getting better, as far as he could tell. Daisybloom got to his mentor before he did and he hung back a moment, letting the younger molly do her thing. Finally he stepped in, crouching beside the calico and giving her forehead an affectionate lick. "Mossbloom, are you okay? I've heard you've been sick, are you alright? It's good to see you again, though, we missed you at the last meeting." He looked up at Daisybloom, smiling wearily. "Thank you for staying with her, Daisybloom. How are you doing? How's ThunderClan?"

At last, Mothglow took the last few steps toward Highstones: the journey was longer than it often took her, the heat making her pace slow and almost sluggish. Her frown evaporated as she spotted her friends, however, and she picked up the pace for those last few steps as her eyes lit up. "Mossbloom!" she greeted happily, thoughts of the lingering heat and mosquitoes all but forgotten. "You made it!"

Aspenheart grinned as he heaved himself up the last of Highstones, wheezing a little and shaking the icky feeling off of his thin coat. He was showing his age much more than the other medicine cats, to be sure. He was coming down with something, he though. He was often dizzy and nauseous, but he had no fever and was still able to carry on. Maybe it was nothing, but he was almost sure it was something.

He was pleased to see Mossbloom had made it to the meeting, and though she was not in perfect shape, she was smiling. Aspenheart had grown used to worrying, especially with Mothglow, who was just as old as him. If he was feeling like this, then what were they going through? Admittedly, Aspenheart had always been a little frail. His bones showed on his skin, which hung loosely on his narrow frame. If anyone was going to show their age, it would certainly be him. Aspenheart purred as he approached the group of medicine cats. "It's good to see everyone together," he rasped, bumping his cheek against Mothglow, Mossbloom, Sagelight, and Daisybloom in succession. "You're all looking better than me, at least, heh."

Spiderquill smiled as he took his last few steps up the hill. It was becoming easier to traverse, maybe he'd gotten more used to it? Whatever the case, his legs only ached a little bit as he approached the others with a lopsided grin. "Hey! Good to see you all." noticing a familiar calico pelt, he added, "Mossbloom! I'm glad you're alright. How's Greenleaf been treating you?"

"Well, we came here for a reason - and as much as I love to see all of you, that's not all of it." That said, Mothglow swiftly made her way into the Moonstone's cavern - the cool darkness, however brief, a welcome respite from the heat outside - pushing aside any doubts that may have still plagued her as she touched her nose to the stone.

She wasn't sure she'd ever be used to seeing StarClan, exactly - everything bathed in starlight, the very things themselves shimmering in the fur of the cats that dwelled there - but it was familiar to her now. As was the cat to greet her: the gold-and-white of Sunpaw's fur and her mischievous smile were the same as ever, as if no time at all had passed since they saw each other last.

The smaller cat didn't say a word of greeting, though her eyes sparkled with friendly recognition - she just waved with her tail for Mothglow to follow. And follow she did, as Sunpaw led her to a riverbank: the water rippled as she gazed into it, an unfamiliar figure reflected within. At a second glance, however, this wasn't an unfamiliar figure; but rather one she hadn't seen since her mother's death, recognizable with enough attention to detail: Timberkit; though far larger than a kit now.

Strangely, though, she saw him wandering away from ShadowClan's territory; and she found herself turning to Sunpaw to try and make sense of the images she'd been given.

Sunpaw's voice, softer than it often was, reached her ears: "I'm sorry, starlight. He won't be coming home to you."

"What... What do you mean?"

Now the playful lilt she associated with the gold-and-white tabby returned. "Oh, a home is what you make of it, don't you think? He'll shine in time, I'm sure - just like you do!"

Before she could say anything else - why are you showing me this, where is he, will he be alright, why isn't he coming home - she felt the scene beginning to fade; and before she knew anything else she was blinking in the light of the Moonstone once more.

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

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'StarClan Revelation' :

"Hey, Spiderquill, it's good to see you too," Aspenheart chirped. "Are we all ready to go?" He hobbled after Mothglow, seeking out the stark light of the stone. As soon as he touched his nose to it, he felt the familiar fuzzy, dizzy feeling take his body as he slipped out of consciousness.

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A red rose wavered in the thick darkness, swayed by the wind that tickled Aspenheart's ears and whiskers. He reached out to touch the dark scarlet flower, only to flinch back as the thorns pricked his pawpad. Before his eyes, the thorns began to move, morphing on the briar's stem, turning to... claws? The claws began to flex upon the leaves and petals, and around the single rose, a thicket was growing at unimaginable speeds. His eyes flickered as the thicket grew to eye level, the claw-thorns surrounding him. Aspenheart did no speak, but watched with baited breath as the rose seemed to orchestrate the growing of its twisted garden.

A grey cat moved past him, like a ghost. She smelled like reeds, fennel, and marigold, sleek tail swishing as she stared hauntingly at the flower. The thick scar that parted her back was familiar to Aspenheart, from moons of watching it as the she-cat ascended the Great Rock at Gatherings. Their neighboring leader, across the gorge, Ivystar. She was fixated on the rose, legs moving of their own accord, and she, too, reached out to the flower.

Great vines from the thicket swung out and snatched Ivystar's paw. Aspenheart could do nothing but gasp as she cried out in agony. The thicket grappled her flanks and legs, pulling her in towards the center rose, with all the claw-thorns puncturing her flesh, coating her silky pelt. Ivystar tumbled, struggling against her floral assailant, until her pleading eyes met Aspenheart's. He heard Nightrunner's voice just beyond his face: Every briar has thorns," he spoke, "No matter the petals of his past."

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Aspenheart lurched up, the sunrise coming through the hole in the cavern's roof. As the rest of the medicine cats blinked awake, their night of prophecies ceased, he poked Spiderquill in the side. "I think Ivystar is in trouble," he whispered. "Please tell her: Every briar has thorns, no matter the petals of his past. I... I don't know if that will help you. But I have a feeling it has something to do with my clan." His eyes turned dark with worry. "There's really only one cat who it could be about. I'll let Ravenstar know what I saw tonight. If a russet tom trespasses on your border, see to it that he gets what's coming to him, okay?"

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

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'StarClan Revelation' :

Daisybloom nodded and approached the Moonstone. Last time, she had seen a vision of her father being bit by a snake, but tonight something different would greet her. She squeezed her eyes shut and touched the glowing stone with her nose nervously.

Tonight, she was thrust into a forest, one she didn’t recognize. Maybe it would have been more recognizable if not for the fact it was in flames. The fire surrounded the medicine cat, unable to move. As it starting to engulf her, she heard the shouts of Twolegs. It was brief and frightening.

She woke up and joined the others. ”There was a fire, and shouting Twolegs.” she gasped nervously.

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

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'StarClan Revelation' :

After greeting all his friends, Sagelight padded after the others down the dark tunnel, the floor worn down by hundreds of thousands of pawsteps. He shifted into the comforting light of the Moonstone and laid down before it, quickly touching his nose to the stone. He was whisked away, darkness pulling him down into the depths of sleep. As much as it hurt to witness it, he hoped he would receive more information on the Twolegs invading SkyClan territory.

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Unfortunately, StarClan had other plans for him tonight. He found himself in a forest, one he hadn't been in too often but something he had encountered during his medicine cat training. This was ThunderClan, the heavy foliage and underbrush was recognizable. Sagelight was not walking through the forest himself, rather, instead he was watching from afar as a brown tabby molly crossed the border between ThunderClan and the path to Fourtrees. Fourtrees, hm? Was she meeting someone there?

Sure enough, there was a small, fluffy tom waiting for her in the clearing. Sagelight didn't recognize either of the cats, but he somehow understood by the nature of dreams that one was ThunderClan and the other was from WindClan. Interesting. As he looked closer, it became obvious the molly was swollen with kits. Oh dear, that complicated everything. This dream was, fortunately, much calmer than his last prophecy, and after some time of observing the forbidden romance, he was pulled awake.

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The SkyClan medicine cat stirred and blinked his eyes open, giving a wide yawn. That was a surprisingly restful dream, but he did need to alert Mossbloom, Daisybloom, and Aspenheart. Forbidden romances were against the Code, after all. Sagelight got to his paws and prodded his three colleagues in turn, waiting a moment for them to wake up. "Sorry to bother you," he hissed, "I've got some news for you. Mossbloom, has there been any litters lately? By a brown tabby, I don't know her name. Maybe she was being secretive about it?"

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

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'StarClan Revelation' :