The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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With the slightest hint of hesitancy between each pawsteps as she walked, Fawnshine led Mottlestar back to her medicine den, allowing them a more secluded space of privacy for a much-needed conversation. The evening sky shone through the leaves and ferns that scattered across the entrance of the den, the last rays of sun peeking through the cracks where herbs had been loosely stuffed in. She had been delaying the talk more than she should've, though, through all personal experiences considered, she knew better than to let it linger longer than it should've without going mentioned.
"I apologize for the sudden call of a personal talk. As much as I recognize the situations lately have created such a burden on you, it is important I tell you what vision I received last medicine cat meeting, in case I may not be able to foretell you of future prophecies like Burdockroot and Leopardsun's entry earlier. That was a message I've received from Starclan as well, though I've only recognized the meaning of it when they have already arrived." The medicine cat frowned, her voice soft, yet bitter with guilt. Perhaps, had she connected the dots a bit quicker, she'd at least be able to tell Echopaw or Mottlestar then. " 'Chaos will erupt and storms will worsen as dark clouds overtake clear skies.' That is what the stars have told me. I watched as the vision showed me of the sky disappearing, replaced with storm clouds as they roll in from over the forest. The clouds thickened with the more sky that is covered." She shook her head slowly, sitting down. "After that, they showed me nothing more. I'm afraid I'm unsure of what the vision means, though we'll have to look out for it."
Guiding the tortoiseshell she-cat toward a moss bed in hopes of relieving what little stress possible on her physical state, she gently nudged her down, reaching over for a few herbs stuffed between the cracks of stone. Heterochromia eyes flickered towards the mangled injuries still in the process of healing, deep teeth marks carved into Mottlestar's back leg from the vicious canine's jaws of a past patrol. She couldn't help but flatten her ears at the sight; just the imagination of what had gone on in order to cause such a wound caused her to grow uncomfortable. "While we talk about that, I'd also like to check on the state of your leg. How has it been so far since I've last tended to it?" She whispered softly, leaning down to take a closer look at her wounds.
Characters : Murkyriver ♀ | Snowvixen ♀ | Hollowgrove ♀ | Mountainpaw ♀ | Loonkit ♀ ~~ Copper was here Clan/Rank : Riverclan | Windclan | Shadowclan | Thunderclan Number of posts : 4989 Gender : She/Her - ash was here :3 and Ro! Age : 21
Subject: Re: Confiding Prophecies [c] Sat 17 Jun 2023 - 8:40
Mottlestar
“May the stars light our paths.”
Tortoiseshell steps followed dutifully behind the medicine cat in front of her. It wasn't often that Fawnshine directly requested her for a meeting, but of all times, this was perhaps the best. It was overdue, to say the least. There had been a lot to go on in the camp, a lot to talk about, but it just felt like time was continuously ripped away from the both of them. Guilt sunk into her shoulders with each step about the fact that it was Shadowclan that had delivered their prophecy about Starlingflare, not to mention what a blow it must have been for Windclan to have also been the one to receive the revelation about her evening with Nightstar.
Swallowing the venomous bile towards the stars, it was a kind-hearted look that seemed to permanently rest upon her features as she now faced her medicine cat. For all the change that Thunderclan had seen, Fawnshine was always there. Much like her sister Comfreyheart. They always were there. Stagnant, safe, someone she could rely on. Current times served as the perfect reminder to not take that for granted, and for just a fleeting moment, the fear of losing them sent a jolt through her like a lightning bolt. "Never apologize, Fawnshine. You know just as well as I of the chaos that has gripped our Clan, and the forest, in recent times." She attempted to soothe the molly's guilt. Close, they were close. It often didn't take hardly a breath between the two of them to know how the other was doing at this point.
As her most recent prophecy was shared, though, Mottlestar couldn't help feel her anxiety once more well. More chaos? Starclan, have we not been through enough? The bitter thought raced through her mind before she could stall it, though it didn't dare slip past her lips. It was of no fault to her medicine cat - she was simply the messenger of the Stars. Their vessel to deliver warnings wherever they deemed fit. For not the first time, she didn't envy the molly in front of her. Taking a breath to consider what was told, she dipped her head in gratitude to fill the silence between the two of them. "Let us both hope that in this case, Starclan is simply warning us of a very rainy season ahead. The only other thing I could possibly think of with that prophecy is some sort of war, one that I hope we can stay out of." After all, the idea of 'chaos will erupt' only seemed to bring the idea of a fight directly to the forefront of the leader's mind. "We've certainly seen Starclan give prophecies about other clans, we can only hope in this case it's a similar situation." A meek smile punctuated her words. It was hope. Small hope, but that was all she could give.
For all the pride that seemed to flow in her veins, she showed no resistance to the medicinal molly's desire to check on her wounds. Out of near-instinct, she even shifted to allow Fawnshine to get a better look. "I can put more weight on it than before. Jumping still causes it to seize up, but it's getting there. I think I'm just a bit impatient." Mottlestar attempted to diffuse with a lick of humor. While it still bent inwards at a slightly awkward angle, it wasn't nearly as crumpled as it had once been. She stretched it out, certainly not to the full length she should have been able to with a normal leg, but it was progress. "Thankfully, it doesn't hurt during most of the day. Stars knew I couldn't be around the kits if it hurt like it had first after the battle." She'd practically swore up a storm as Fawnshine had first set her leg in place. Certainly uncharacteristic of the motherly leader, who hardly uttered a foul word in her life. "I appreciate your work, Fawnshine. I probably wouldn't have been able to go back to even using it if it wasn't for you." The statement was nothing but truth.
Characters : [F]awnshine, [Fe]nnelbreeze, [T]hrushnose, [H]arrierpaw Number of posts : 1477 Gender : Gender fluid, She/They Age : 15
Subject: Re: Confiding Prophecies [c] Sat 17 Jun 2023 - 21:43
Fawnshine
Fawnshine highly doubted such a prophecy would carry the simple burdens of a heavy season raining down upon them. By any means, she wished not to worsen both of their stress levels as high as they already were, and it'd only heighten the severity of Mottlestar's leg if left to reckless ignorance—that is, in the case of other matters swarming her too much for her to care for such injuries. Of course, they were no longer as grave as when the leader had practically staggered in her den, another life lost due to the jaws of a beast. Her eyes darkened at the visualization of what the fight at the time must've been like; and if in another plot twist of faith where she had been trained as a warrior instead of a medicine cat, the she-cat wouldn't have hesitated to snap the life out of those twisted canines' eyes for being the cause to such an injury. Though she had skepticism of the dogs' durability against Thunderclan's own warriors and the feral felines they brought back to camp. It was an easy assumption to make: if not killed in battle, then from grave injuries they'd also succumb to their own deaths.
Shaking her head to snap out of the thoughts that clouded her mind, Fawnshine nodded, her gaze softening as a result of Mottlestar's words. Though, unfortunately, it wasn't long before her gaze hardened again. "I can only assume the same. It's a wonder how Batsong still has such the audacity to attend the medicine cat meetings as per usual like she supposedly hadn't just stirred the whole forest to chaos." Her eyes narrowed, tone harsh with spite.
Shaking her head slowly, she bent down to inspect her wounds, taking note of their healing state. Chewing comfrey roots and nettle for soothing the pain, she reapplied the poultice on top of the leader's back leg, her movements slow, but cautious so as to not cause her pain. "I wouldn't blame you for being 'impatient'. If the stars granted herbs with magical healing properties, I'd use them to increase the speed of healing for you as well." Fawnshine chuckled, shaking her head slowly. Her own laughter was something that had nearly surprised her, having not heard it for herself for such a long while. Perhaps because she had no recent reasons to laugh, but Mottlestar had managed to diffuse the tension with some simple words. With some cobwebs replaced and rewrapped around the she-cat's back limb, it was looking fresher than before. "It is my duty as a medicine cat, Mottlestar. You don't need to thank me." She smiled, genuinely. "I only hope to alleviate the pain as best as I can." She meant that both as a friend and a fellow high-ranking member of the clan.
Before she could even dare stifle her own reaction, Mottlestar's whiskers twitched in a particularly strong rope of distaste when it came to Windclan's medicine cat. It was a sentiment that the two mollies no doubt shared, which made the tortoiseshell feel just a little bit better about how she reacted, but it was still somewhat embarrassing of the leader to have such a visceral indication of how she felt about the particular molly that had shown up on her border to her clan and demand answers from her not too long ago. To say that there was still some resentment harboring in her heart... Oh, how that was an understatement. At the very least, Fawnshine's tone told her that she wasn't about to get an earcuff for daring to dislike a medicine cat. They may be the tongues of their ancestors, but that didn't mean they were always good cats. For a moment, her mind wandered to one of the few in the stars that she trusted anymore. He'd been a medicine cat. Had he ever encountered one that had the controversial likes of Batsong?
That didn't matter. Dutifully, the tortoiseshell forced her leg to stretch out just a bit more to best allow Fawnshine to apply the mixture of herbs that would help soothe her aging injury. "Maybe that could be your next bargain at the medicine cat meeting. Ask if they can make your herbs just a bit more special in exchange for the fact they seem to refuse to keep Thunderclan's business to... well, Thunderclan." They hadn't had much of a chance to talk about it, but it was rather understandable that both mottled mollies shared a particularly strong bout of frustration in regards to the way the stars had seemed to treat the Clan as of recent times. "I'll still thank you anyways, because you deserve to be recognized for your duties." Mottlestar affirmed, giving a nod of her head that said she wasn't about to take any no's to heart.
The tip of her tail flicked, indicating that there was another set of thoughts stirring beneath her pelt. "While I'm here... I suppose I want to ask you two things, Fawnshine." Her voice grew just slightly more hushed. Even with the tension that seemed to be palatable inside the camp walls, they no doubt still had the meeting that had just occurred freshly in their minds. Starlingflare was now dead, Thunderclan's longest-standing warrior that wasn't the leader herself now in... truth be told, probably the dark forest. Their deputy now demoted, now replaced by a much fresher face who was quite literally more bushy-tailed and bright-eyed. It wasn't the worst thing to befall Thunderclan in most recent months... though, that really could only be applied to Acornstem herself. It was definitely for the best that Darkspirit wasn't in the den at the moment as the leader glanced around, thankful that Fawnshine had brought her to a more secluded area where she kept some of her herbs.
"Be honest with me... Do you think Starlingflare was the one who killed Dovefrost?" Her ears pinned halfway back towards her head as she finally spoke it out loud. For some reason, it made her heart thunder. She had always had a soft spot for the former medicine cat, even once he left to pursue is heart in Skyclan. "I... I know Darkspirit's reaction certainly muddies things. But I just... I can't shake the feeling that it was Starlingflare who had killed him. And I'm... I'm frustrated that I didn't notice it sooner. That I couldn't have... have maybe... saved a few lives." Her voice grew weaker as she spoke. It was guilt. Guilt that addled her, addled her straight to the point of tears. Frustration, and tears. No doubt had that trial been hard for Fawnshine as well. Dovefrost had been her mentor, the one to teach and guide her into the position that she now held for so long. Through every test of time, trial, and tribulation that the forest seemed to spit directly in her path. The dark forest, the loss of her mentor, the murder of that former mentor, the earthquake, the twoleg's invasion... So much had happened. Yet Fawnshine had stayed by Mottlestar's side through it all.
That second thing on her mind could wait. At least, it felt so tiny at the moment, especially as thoughts of the former Thunderclan tom seemed to swirl beneath them. Shaking her head and swiping at the tears with a golden-flecked paw, her amber gaze searched that of the molly she deeply trusted. If Fawnshine, too, believed it had been Starlingflare... perhaps Mottlestar could settle that mental debate. All evidence pointed towards him, and yet the doubt of the situation lingered. Perhaps that was for the best. Such a decision, declaration, wasn't to be taken lightly.
It's almost ironic how Starclan just doesn't seem to understand the concept of privacy. Then again, they were rumored to be 'all-knowing' and watching over the forest day and night, keeping an eye out for incidents like a hawk. It made her wonder why they didn't punish Batsong earlier for all the chaos she had caused; were they really so righteous, after all? Or perhaps, it was just Windclan's medicine cat that aligned with their presumed morals? The afterthought left a bitter feeling in her throat.
"Thank you, Mottlestar. I could only wish the stars share what brief sense of empathy they own towards us, and our clan." Fawnshine sighed, her ears pulling back in subtle frustration. She wouldn't be able to fully encapsulate the mottled molly's stress; of what it would be like to have the clans up and against you for something you had done wrong in the spur of the moment. But her kits were already here, and the timeline was fixed. They couldn't go back, no matter how many times they have to repent to Starclan. In the end, it is only fair if they lessen the weight pressured onto both her shoulders and mine. She nodded back down at Mottlestar, a small frown resting on the edges of her maw. It wasn't often that Fawnshine deliberately let her emotions run free, not especially in front of another cat; though the she-cat in front of her was someone she knew whom she could trust, and vice versa. They've both known each other for most of their lives.
Gleaming irises reflecting the dimming light of the evening sky set upon the flickering of Mottlestar's tail, a subtle, yet clear expression that there was something else on the leader's mind. Fawnshine recognized herself to be able to identify emotions well, no matter how brief the sensations showed themselves to be. And this was especially toward Mottlestar, who she had known for long. Her brows creased as the first question was asked, the mention of her mentor's death causing a particularly unpleasant feeling to relive from inside her stomach. Even the sour memory of Starlingflare's last words caused her fur to bristle with discomfort, considering the two of them had seen his not-so-gracious death just moments ago before matters have been brought up.
"It is not you who should feel at fault. If anything, I should've known, myself." For the first time since they've gotten to know each other, Fawnshine let her head hung low in front of the leader's presence, bitter disappointment clawing at her throat. The feeling made her chest tighten with spite, knowing she could've predicted the events through some sort of omen or prophecy from the stars sooner and prevented his death. I am a medicine cat, am I not? So why won't the stars enlighten me on matters which should be shown? A small, very small part of her doubted if Dovefrost had made the wrong decision appointing her as the one to take after him in medicine. She knew not of how the process went for the other medicine cats in deciphering the stars' omens and prophecies sent to them—but if anything, she feared her predictions would always come far too late. Not that the stars seemed to spare any sympathy for her or Thunderclan, anyway.
"The stars are... an interesting force of power. I believe the prophecy, along with the vision Burdockroot received speaks for itself. We know who the murderer is, as twisted as his words may be in an attempt to manipulate our minds." Fawnshine narrowed her eyes, finding a frustrated sigh to escape from her lips in the midst of the heavy atmosphere. She took notice of the tears that fell from her eyes, and the medicine cat's heart sunk a little at the sight. She leaned down, gingerly licking her ear, and brushing her tail across the molly's back in an attempt to comfort her. "My brother's reactions were certainly unhinged, though I recognize his rage being blamed as the perpetrator of it all. After all, Starlingflare had taken half of his sight before he finally passed. But it doesn't necessarily justify his act." She frowned, shaking her head. It was fortunate that Darkspirit was not in the same space as they were in the current moment. "Perhaps, it is both of us to blame. But I wouldn't dare to push it all on you—never. Things like that are not our fault to control. Do not get me wrong, I am still maddened over the revelation of my mentor's death. But his murderer is gone, and things shall not occur again. The best we can do is to make sure events do not repeat themselves."
We will not allow a murderer who had killed our kin to roam peacefully and free in the same space as we do again. Not now, not in the future. I won't let that happen. It was a mental promise Fawnshine made to herself, and she would keep to it as best as she could. But for now, there was another question she needed to answer.
Comforting words came forth from her medicine cat, words which Mottlestar surrounded herself in like a blanket. For the great façade of mightiness that she had to perpetually show, it was a relief to once and awhile let that all slip. To show that she was truly just another one of them, just one who had to shoulder a heavy burden. For just a moment, her mind flashed to her kits. How they had always seemed to paint her in some invincible, permanently-reverent light. It seized her own chest to know how that image had been shattered, but in one way or another... she was thankful it had. After all, everyone had an inner kit. One who never grew up, who always was there. Who could be hurt by the world and react to it without fear of how others reacted back. That was the part of her that she was trying to nurture in recent times.
But it was time to put the brave face back on, to once more be the leader that Thunderclan knew.
An exhausted nod paired Fawnshine's sigh, only to brush her head in gratitude against the flecked molly's shoulder at the comfort. They all had so much on their minds, their plates. Heavy weights and burdens in their minds. "Thank you, Fawnshine." Her gratitude was whispered at first. There was so much more to it than just simply the fact that the medicine cat had agreed with her conclusion that it was in fact Starlingflare who had taken the late medicine cat's life. No, it was the declaration of support that came alongside it. That, despite the nagging voices of the leader's mind, it wasn't something that fell solely to her paws. Such conclusions were easy to make by an outsider, but when it came into the paws of the one who was in charge of protecting her Clan... It was easy to understand why she felt responsible. Presumed responsibility, figured out how to navigate it.
"I hope Starlingflare rots in the Dark Forest," She spat. It was certainly unleaderly of her to cast such a curse, but between the two of them, it was a sentiment they shared. Mottlestar had felt the need to say it, to allow herself the release of emotion in one way or another.
Clearing her mind as she curled her tail gently around her friend's body, part of her knew she could never let go just what Starlingflare had done. But there was nothing else she could do to bring him to justice. It was cruel that he had taken Darkspirit's vision in a last-act, but as much as she hated to admit it, it would also serve as a good reminder to Darkspirit for what deep anger could cost him. Could cost everyone.
"To not let that hang in the air much longer, though... what do you think of an alliance between Skyclan and Riverclan?" She had proposed it at the previous gathering. With the next one looming, it was time for her to sort out the pieces. To ensure her own clan wasn't about to consider she had made a reckless decision. "With the way the forest seems to be constantly prodding its claw at Thunderclan, I would feel more secure to have allies. Perchstar- she's shown her support even before I was leader. Birdstar's been good to us, too. But I wanted to know, Fawnshine, if you would be in support of this. Of the potential of sharing herbs and helping out their medicine cats. Under the condition they would assist us, of course." Part of her had felt a deep sense of protectiveness and possessiveness over their herb supplies. It was a precious resource, one she didn't want tossed around flagrantly. At the same time, that made it a precious bargaining stone.
"I'm not entirely sure how your relations with Skyclan and Riverclan's medicine cat are, which is why I wanted to make sure to ask you before I consider offering your support on your behalf in any discussions. As well as to just simply know if you think it's a good idea or not." A gentle chuckle punctuated her words as she gave the molly a warm smile. "Out of all of my clanmates, I think you and Comfreyheart are the most qualified to tell me if I'm about to make a stupid choice."
Fawnshine "Of course. Thank you, too, Mottlestar, for staying by my side while... this, everything is happening." Fawnshine dipped her head to the tortoiseshell molly, her gaze solemn and still, yet with a deep sense of reverence. The more she got to know the leader, the more she found that perhaps, they were not so different in their mentality as she might've assumed from the start. In a way, it made things both easier and thought-provoking for the medicine cat.
The bitter venom in Mottlestar's voice was undeniable as she spat out the curse meant for Starlingflare, and while it was much out of character for her to usually act in such a way, Fawnshine did not disagree with it. He could rot in the Dark Forest forevermore in his afterlife for all her care. There was not even the briefest hint of sympathy in her gaze for such a murderer; not to mention the possible number of lives he may have taken earlier on in his life would be unknown to them if the stars never foretell them of it. The thought was unnerving on its own.
"An alliance?" This made her raise a brow in thought. It had not been left unknown to her that Mottlestar had been discussing some matters with the other leaders at the previous Gathering, though the chatters of various cats left her unacknowledged of what it was—well, until now. Now she knew. In all honesty, an alliance would benefit them greatly with the support of the two mentioned clans; it'd make sure they had support in case conflict would escalate, involving their clan in Shadowclan and Windclan's already entangled mess. It would allow her to grasp the intentions of Skyclan and Riverclan's medicine cats too, and perhaps, break through the barriers of being simply 'acquaintances' at medicine cat meetings.
She thought of her apprentice, Echopaw, and figured he may also be able to learn a thing or two from interacting with fellow cats of rank. The molly was quite wary when it came to the idea of having to share their herb supply; things could easily plunge to disaster if left to be wasted in the wrong paws, though she'd never personally allow that to happen. The idea made her frown—but if Skyclan and Riverclan had agreed on their sides to allow herbs to be shared, she found not many reasons to decline.
"In that case, I have no personal disagreement against the idea, although I cannot speak for Echopaw himself. I believe he would be open to the suggestion of an alliance, however. I'll try to speak with him about it soon." Fawnshine nodded, returning Mottlestar's warm smile with a small, yet similar one of her own. "Thank you, Mottlestar. I appreciate your concern for my consent." There was a small pause between her words, a subtle, yet more serious look overtaking her gaze. "I would say my relations with Skyclan and Riverclan's medicine cat stops at our duties at most, though the majority of us are on neutral terms. While it's not necessarily negative in any way, I could... attempt to get to know them more if that would be beneficial." She thought that may be what Mottlestar hoped for.
In all honesty, she had only made a few, brief attempts to get to know them despite meeting them for various times throughout many medicine cat meetings. She had not interacted with the ones who took over their mentors as much as she would've preferred to. Sandyshell, Plumleafm, and Smokepetal were strangely unfamiliar to her eyes. Not for their appearances, but because of the few interactions shared between them all. Still, she figured she should at least give them a try.
"Ah, me and my sister, is it?" The reminder of Comfreyheart brought a soft smile to rise upon her maw. Fawnshine shook her head, chuckling. "Well... I'm glad you trust us both enough to ask for advice. I'm sure Comfreyheart has some qualitied ones. But of course, I trust you're very wise on your own, too." She smiled, curling her tail back around the leader's body. "Not that I would mind offering you any anytime."
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