Is Anyone There? [Closed for Reaper and Arcana]

He knew the path very well, even underground. With no horizon and only relying on memory and scent, the young medicine cat apprentice travelled through Windclan territory hoping their Dark Forest guests wouldn't follow. It wasn't like he was trying to escape but... he needed advice. And the one who could give it to him didn't belong to his clan. The ginger tom emerged from a hole hidden under a bush. He shook off the dirt out of his fur and continued his journey to the Thunderpath. Flashbacks of him walking half-blind in the middle of a snowstorm came to him, as a painful reminder of a lost dream.

Once he arrived, the former warrior looked at each of the Thunderpath to check that no monster was coming. He dashed through the dark-coloured ground in a second and almost lost the herbs he was carrying. A long sigh came out of his mouth, as his heartbeat slowly returned to normal levels. Fawnsong then waited, looking into the Thunderclan woods with narrowed eyes. Now that snow was starting to melt, Dovefrost would be easier to find.

"Fawnsong?"

A voice called out from the forest, a large white tom appearing shortly after from it's shadows. "What brings you here? Is Windclan okay?" It didn't matter if the Dark Forest was here, if Windclan needed him then he would go without hesitation even if they lingered all over the forest.

Green eyes looked back to the forest for a moment, knowing Fawnpaw wasn't too far behind him. He was glad to have someone helping him out these days. If he had to go to Windclan, then she could look out for Thunderclan for the time being. She was certainly capable of doing it.

Even behind his squinted eyes, a glimmer of happiness appeared in his amber gaze when he finally saw Dovefrost. Fawnsong respectfully nodded at the older medicine cat before speaking up. "Windclan is fairing as well as we can be with the Dark Forest among us. I am thankful for your concern, but no massacre or tragedy has yet happened within our walls. I hope, even with this madness, Thunderclan is surviving as well."

His eyes darted behind his territory for a second, hoping no Dark Forest cat would interrupt them now. He fidget the herbs he had brought for Thunderclan between his paws as he tried to collect all the questions that had bubbled up in his mind since the 'blackout'. "Have you... any idea what happened? I've been trying to contact Starclan but it has been useless... I don't know whether it is me and my lack of expertise or the dissapearance of the stars. I don't know what to do."

This was a new pathway. She'd carefully scan the territory, making sure to remember where she was as she followed Dovefrost's scent to the new area. The closer she approached it, the more odd scents she scented. Her tail raised as she exited the woods, now out to a wider landscape. What was known as The Thunderpath stretched afar, roaring monsters occasionally passing by, though there weren't very many around. However, the monsters weren't the detail that she was focusing on right now. As she approached Dovefrost, another cat was also there.

Seeing no signs of aggression, despite the cat coming from another clan— WindClan, by his scent, Fawnpaw offered a small inclination of the head to him. He too bore the scent of herbs, just like Dovefrost, and she quickly came to a realization that he could've also been a MC. "Sorry if I'm interrupting," She quickly gave an apologetic mew, blinking at the WindClan cat, "I'm Fawnpaw, Dovefrost's apprentice. Has your clan been unable to connect with StarClan, too..?"

The tom's focus suddenly shifted when a young she-cat came to his mentor's side. When Fawnpaw introduce herself, his ears perked with curiosity by the coincidence of their names, though his expression remained mostly serious and emotionless. Fawnsong nodded back at the apprentice and mewed. "I'm Fawnsong. Dovefrost is also teaching me to become a medicine cat." He frowned when Fawnpaw confirmed to him that Windclan wasn't the only one having trouble with communicating with Starclan. "I see... so it is not just me but also you two." He said with concern as he looked back at the older tom, hoping to find some sort of advice that would help them find answers within their ancestors' wisdom.

"As time goes on, Starclan being gone seems to be more of a reality. I don't want to give up hope though. I'm sure they are out there.. somewhere.." The tom said. Dovefrost wasn't exactly sure what advice to offer his two apprentices. What else to say.. It wasn't something he had run into before. Even with the Asylum around all those moons ago, Starclan was still there to offer advice.. There was no one he could turn to about this.. He was the most experienced medicine cat after all.

"All I can really say is to keep trying. Eventually they will have to reach out to us, one way or another." He didn't know when this Dark forest reign would end, but it would have to, one way or another.

The remaining light from Fawnsong's eyes faded when Dovefrost revealed the harsh reality. So it was true... Starclan was gone and they were alone, under the Dark Forest's claws. There was no certainty that they would come back and though the more experienced tom seemed to be more hopeful, Fawnsong was pessimistic. What could cause them to come back? If they haven't been able to communicate with them until now... then what was going to change in the future? Was there anything... they could do? Depressed, the ginger tabby pushed the herbs he had brought from his clan. "I guess then we are alone for now... but we have to stick together. I brought you these. Goldenrod and burnet had been growing a lot lately in Windclan territory. Maybe your clan could use them in an emergency. The Dark Forest is... unpredictable."