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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He'd been putting this conversation off, there was no doubting that, but who could blame him when what he was going to say would end up tearing him away from his home and his family - likely for the rest of his life? If it were up to him, he'd simply lay down and forget any of this mess with Starclan had ever happened. He had tried that, however, and doing so only ever resulted in his dreams being plagued by open moor and windstorms that seemed to grab him in a vice, tearing him away from the familiar forests of Skyclan's territory.
The meaning behind these dreams were clear enough. Go to Windclan willingly - and soon - or Starclan would intervene and take care of it for him. Hemlockfox wasn't sure how they intended to do so, but if the tales of Starclan's wrath held any truth, he didn't want to find out. It didn't sound fun to have angry ghost cats strike him with lightning. Still, there was hope that Birdstar would put a stop to this, right? He may not know her very well, but they were kin - albeit distantly.
Hemlockfox blinked slowly, his gaze locked onto Birdstar's familiar pelt. He'd been staring at her for the better part of the morning, waiting for the perfect moment to pull her away for a private discussion. Now that the sunhigh patrols were out and the camp was mostly empty, he would have his chance. Hauling himself to his paws, the seal point tom shook out his thick coat and sauntered towards the leader, his jaw set. "Birdstar." He growled out. "A word...in private?"
Though he'd been hesitant to accept the existence of Starclan, Hemlockfox quickly realized that he had been foolish not to believe in them. They were real, very real - but that didn't mean he had to like them. These dreams...were they signs? Would his ancestors truly punish him and Skyclan if he didn't do as they bid? He couldn't take that chance - not after all his clan had been through. If this was the only way to protect them, then so be it...he would leave.
Hemlockfox took a step towards Birdstar's den, then turned back to look inquisitively at her, silently asking if it was alright. Then, with a grimace, he realized it would likely be helpful if he explained that this was something worth her attention. "It is...important. Starclan has shared something with me." What did it matter that they had shared this news moons ago? He was coming clean now which was really all that mattered.
Subject: Re: No Time Left [C] Mon 5 Feb 2024 - 21:05
"Some days end when I need a few friends."
Birdstar SkyClan | she/her
Having Hemlockfox approach her was a surprise. She didn't speak to him often, despite being related; Birdstar felt he might have been a bit sour with her for sanctioning the transition to the life of a medicine cat, but he'd taken to it... as well as Hemlockfox could, she thought. He'd earned his name, and Birdstar was proud of him, though she could think of little reason to approach. There was the nervous wonder if he hadn't seen a prophecy or an omen already as she blinked toward his brusque summons-- and no sooner than that thought came did Hemlockfox confirm her suspicions. Birdstar's ears lowered, but she bid him a nod before tipping her head towards the den. "Of course. We can talk whenever you need." As she brushed past him into the den, she flicked her tail against his shoulder and added, "StarClan or no."
After she'd taken a few steps into the secluded space, Birdstar turned to settle back onto her haunches, tail folding loosely at her side while she watched Hemlockfox follow in her pawsteps. Once he'd joined her and gotten settled for himself, she nodded again and leveled her attention squarely on him. Her gaze was firm, set for business, though not judgmental or unkind. "What does StarClan have to say?" There were any number of things their ancestors could've chosen to berate SkyClan for now... likely things she didn't even have knowledge of. The very depths of Birdstar's stomach churned, but she squared her jaw and ignored the squirm of dread. "Hopefully they have good news, for once." Birdstar scoffed bitterly. When had that ever happened? But, judging by the tautness in Hemlockfox's shoulders... "That isn't the case though, is it?"
It was sad to admit it, but the surprise on Birdstar's face was not unwarranted. They may be kin, but they'd never been particularly close since he'd always been so absorbed in training. Besides, in all honesty, Hemlockfox had never felt very strongly about the she-cat. She was a fine, strong leader for Skyclan, and he appreciated her looking out for everyone, but that was the extent of it. As far as he had seen, Birdstar was a little too complacent with their position among the clans.
Not only that, but he wasn't sure he could so easily forget how little of a fight had been put up to prevent his switch to a medicine cat apprentice. Surely, every cat could see what a promising warrior he was - he had killed foxes and bested Thunderclan cats in battle with a smile on his face! That was not the kind of cat one usually wanted to see in the medicine den. Regardless, it was all in the past now and, if Starclan had anything to say about it, would remain that way.
As she brushed past him, leading into her den, he blinked uncertainly. "I'll remember that." He said eventually. Starclan or no. Would she still mean that when he told her the news? What about when he lived in Windclan? Would she still be willing to talk to him then? He worried that the answer would be no and, worst yet, that she wouldn't be the only one who wanted nothing to do with him after this. Dismissing the concerns with a sigh, Hemlockfox followed Birdstar and sat down in a comfortable dip in the floor of her den. He had never been in here before; it was almost like a sacred space - maybe even more so than the Moonstone.
Fixing a solemn look on Birdstar, Hemlockfox shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Birdstar, but I have received no word of a greater threat. Not one we aren't already aware of anyway" His thoughts briefly drifted to the mounting tensions between Skyclan and their former allies before he resumed. "Though..." Mousedung, why was it so hard to tell her the truth? "Starclan has decided that...that Skyclan isn't where my path lies." Every time he said it, it sounded harder and harder the believe. He was Skyclan through and through, Juniperheart and Sunfire were his parents and his kin extended deep into Skyclan's very foundation!
For the life of him, Hemlockfox couldn't understand why Starclan would make this decision. "I spoke with a cat...Dovefrost I think, and he told me that." The tom paused for a moment, mouth dry and body tense. "They want me to go to Windclan - permanently." There, he'd said it. However, the medicine cat was certain Birdstar would laugh, dismiss the whole thing, and chide him for having feathers in his brain. Who, in their right mind, would willingly let him leave Skyclan? He was a talented medicine cat who just so happened to know his way around a battle - he was family for Starclan's sake!
Subject: Re: No Time Left [C] Tue 6 Feb 2024 - 17:27
"Some days end when I need a few friends."
Birdstar SkyClan | she/her
Birdstar's ears twitched once at the intended relief of hearing no further threats lurked on the horizon. She wanted to be put at ease by the statement, but Hemlockfox said himself it wasn't good news the ancestors shared with him. It never was. Birdstar watched his jaw work, gnawing out hesitant words, and his reluctance was understood at once when the announcement finally fell from Hemlockfox's mouth. Birdstar's eyes narrowed scrutinously, but otherwise, the sharp tightening in her chest didn't taint her features. Even if they weren't closer than being kin necessitated, Hemlockfox was still just that--kin. How was StarClan going to cast him here, give him family here, only to later decide they'd changed their minds? Birdstar's tail thumped the ground once, though she remained quiet for the moment, ears turned forward to listen as he continued.
She nearly broke her silence at once to echo Dovefrost? when Hemlockfox uttered his name, but she bit her tongue. She wasn't sure if the ache she felt was from hurt or the warmth of Dovefrost's life residing within her. Birdstar closed her eyes, lids creasing and brow furrowing when Hemlockfox clarified his home was with WindClan. She remained like that for a few heartbeats longer, just enough time for her expression to smooth, before her green eyes fell upon Hemlockfox again.
"What did Dovefrost say to you?" She asked first. Her tail beat again, and again Birdstar bit at her tongue. She felt hot suddenly, dizzy, with frustration. Was her family meant to lose everything? Shaking her head, Birdstar went on, "Dovefrost was Wolfblossom's and my father before he... passed. If it was him that delivered the message... I trust his judgment, but-" Birdstar let out a huff through her nose, teeth snapping around nothing, "sometimes I think StarClan drains the good sense out of cats." Her tongue prickled with insulting her father, but seeing as lightning didn't blast through the roof of her den on the spot, she saw fit to carry on.
"I don't intend to just give my Clanmate--medicine cat--nephew away. And who's to say Tigerstar would accept?" Before everything went to ash, Smallstar had mentioned being without a medicine cat... but hadn't they appointed one now? It was awfully late for StarClan to command them into charity, if that was the case. Finally, the uneasy plane of Birdstar's ears went flat, pinning to her head. "Do you think you could speak with him again, to see if he's certain? To know why?"
The young medicine cat forced his expression to remain calm as Birdstar digested his news. It was a large, dry bit of crowfood to swallow, he knew that for certain. His reaction had been less than pleasant, and though Sunfire hadn't lashed back against the news as strongly as he'd expected, the golden tom still had plenty of choice words for Starclan. Though, he supposed that's why Birdstar was the leader of Skyclan and not his father, who's fiery temper often got the better of him. It was, admittedly, a trait Hemlockfox had somewhat inherited, though he was proud to say that he did a better job of hiding it.
Then, as Birdstar continued and explained her...his relation to Dovefrost, Hemlockfox was tempted to take it back. Who cared about being level-headed when your own kin - your own ancestor - was the one who insisted that you had to leave your home? The tom's smokey-brown tail lashed against the floor of Birdstar's den, his blood racing at the revelation. Dovefrost, Wolfblossom's father, was his great grandfather. The information alone made Hemlockfox's fur prickle with betrayal. Was Starclan keen on seeing him suffer? Had his angered them so badly, somehow, that they saw fit to remove him from everything he had ever known?
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the tom averted his gaze. Looking at how calm Birdstar was made his pelt run hot, but at least she was trying to find a way out of this. "He said that they would need me and that I..." He paused, felt a whole new rush of anger, and narrowed his eyes. "Hah - that I need 'experience' with the other clans, whatever that means." A small part of Hemlockfox wondered if it might have something to do with his distaste for every clan but Skyclan, but that was preposterous, right? It wasn't as if he would one day decide to eradicate them from the forest...well...not unless he had to.
With a huff, Hemlockfox turned his attention back to the she-cat and tried to ignore the jolt of intrigue that shot through him. What did it matter, anyway? Starclan was a bunch of fox-hearted mouse brains. Birdstar, at least, had the good sense to search for an alternative solution. "Dovefrost also told me that whatever I decided to do, they wouldn't let this go...and I've been having odd dreams lately of being dragged away by windstorms to the moor. No matter how hard I try in the dreams, I can never stop it" He growled wryly.
It had been several moons since he'd spoken with Dovefrost at his ceremony...another detail he had yet to disclose to Birdstar. "In all honesty, Dovefrost told me this when I first became a medicine cat apprentice, Sunfire and I just thought that we could handle it on our own. I'm sorry to have kept it from you for so long." He wasn't really sorry, but the Birdstar needed the whole truth if he wanted any hope of them figuring out a way to fix this.
Though, at this point he wasn't sure that was a possibility. The starry cat had alluded to something bad in Windclan's future, but Hemlockfox really couldn't bring himself to care about the distant clan on the other side of the forest. Regardless, maybe Birdstar was right. Maybe he could speak with Starclan once more to get to the bottom of this. "It couldn't hurt to try." He admitted after a moment. "If you'd like, I can go to the moonstone tonight - see what I can find out."
Subject: Re: No Time Left [C] Fri 9 Feb 2024 - 14:27
"Some days end when I need a few friends."
Birdstar SkyClan | she/her Birdstar's tail swept sharply back and forth, disturbing the padding that made up her nest. She hadn't expected anything more--if Hemlockfox said StarClan spoke to him clearly, she would have been more distrusting. However expecting of it she was, the vague instructions Hemlockfox relayed still made her ears feel hot with frustration. "Helpful," Birdstar huffed curtly, squinting at nothing before her eyes flicked back to her nephew as he went on. A softer growl echoed is. "It would be too smart to tell you something reasonable instead of tormenting you with dreams," she spat. She wanted to deny Hemlockfox's word outright, just to spite the will of their ancestors--spite Dovefrost, who had been quiet to her since her ceremony and only spoke again to separate her family, but... StarClan's word was uncompromising. She didn't want to find out how his dreams would manifest if she didn't at least consider him.
Her expression briefly creased at the admission that he and his father had kept this knowledge from her, but Birdstar released any irritation with a sigh. She was in no position to condemn anyone for secrecy, especially not as an attempt to stay with family. She had a feeling Hemlockfox wasn't really sorry, either, but she understood that too. "It's alright," Birdstar said wearily, and after a brief pause amended, "No--you or Sunfire should have spoken to Smokepetal or me, even Wolfblossom. But I don't fault you."
Birdstar nodded pensively to Hemlockfox's suggestion. "You would have to leave at sunrise to get there in any decent time. And whether you follow the river or the Thunderpath..." she sighed, then carefully finished, "I wouldn't want you to make the journey alone." Birdstar was quiet for a few beats, thinking, before finally she offered: "The two of us could go together--we would leave straightaway in the morning tomorrow. And... we have to cross WindClan to reach the Moonstone." Birdstar's brow furrowed with clear distaste for the situation before them. "Should we encounter a patrol, either on our way there or returning home, we could request an audience with Tigerstar. Their medicine cat, too--they have one now, don't they? Either way: we'll have the opportunity to consult StarClan for clarity and hear from WindClan themselves."
The tom huffed in agreement, his fur prickling with annoyance as well. It was one thing if StarClan at least gave clear instructions or reasons with their silly little omens and decisions. It would make their lives and the lives other the other clans so much easier, yet they didn't. Those stupid, star-speckled cats in the sky insisted on making things complicated. Over and over again in a never-ending loop. Now that he thought about it, had he ever heard anyone say anything good about StarClan? No, not really...probably for good reason too.
Even when he was an apprentice, he'd never been a big fan of StarClan...and not just because of Sunfire's stance on them. Blinking thoughtfully, Hemlockfox fixed his attention back on Birdstar, a bit surprised by the venom in her voice. The dreams honestly weren't even the worst part. He could handle those just fine if it weren't for what the meant. "I don't mind." He bit out after a moment. "The dreams don't scare me and neither does StarClan." But maybe they should.
Slowly, after she spoke again, he dipped his head in acquiescence. He'd expected more of a tongue-lashing, but thankfully, Birdstar's ire was focused elsewhere. With a breath, he shrugged, chest tightening with unease. "I wanted to. I just wasn't...I didn't-" He stopped, shrugged once more, and looked away. "I wasn't sure how you all would take it." And by that, he meant that he wasn't sure if they would encourage sending him away or not.
Mousedung, how he hated conversations like this. Luckily, Birdstar didn't linger on the topic much longer and took quickly to his suggestion. "I don't mind being up a little early if it means getting to the bottom of this." He briefly considered asking to go alone, to handle things himself, but thought better of it. He had already excluded Birdstar too much from all of this - it would do him no good to continue icing her out. So, with a flick of his tail, he agreed.
"I think that's a good plan. We'll leave in the morning then, and follow the Thunderpath..." His ears slicked back uncertainly at that, though. They would be walking through ThunderClan, but at least that was better than traveling along the river where they would be sandwiched between ThunderClan and RiverClan. "It'll take longer, but we won't have to risk running into Riverclan." He didn't want to imagine what would happen if they crossed paths.
