Heliosis [OPEN]

Had it alays been so unreasonably hot in greenleaf? Days of early dawn and late dusk patrols had not allowed the leader to escape the unrelenting fire of the sun, though she had tried. At best, the long-furred leader found herself uncomfortable and exhausted. At worst... It couldn't get worse, Wolfstar had decided, and simply pushed on. She had a clan to feed, to protect, and marking the borders wouldn't happen by itself. Prey wouldn't just magically show up on the fresh kill pile.

Cats could disappear with far more ease than either of those, she thought. Too many had recently for the leader to accept sitting idle. Hornetpaw, Crookedlight, Rainfrost... I'm sorry, Bird. I failed them too. And those only the latest in the seeming dark forest that Skyclan was plagued by.

With each clanmate to disappear, the leader could feel her own endurance faltering, much as she tried to ignore it. Or maybe it was this stars-cursed heat. For days her breathing had been labored, her stumbling paws heavy as she leapt from branch to branch. Her stomach seemed as disgruntled as everything else, though at least seemed to have calmed enough for her to go one the next dusk patrol. Given the option, she would not have taken up laying in her nest while Thymelight fretted over her. As it was the clan had lost too many cats. She needed to push on. For them.

It didn't matter that she was dizzy. She'd been dizzy a lot lately. It would pass, as it always did. She could patrol from the ground just as well as the branches. One paw in front of the other, wasn't that what she'd been taught? The rocky soil of Skyclan's forest seemed to burn her pawpads, though her clanmates seemed to think it an improvement from the day's heat. Granted, she'd spent the majority of the day hiding from the sun's scorching rays when her stomach had stopped rebelling. Not that it had done much. Even in the shadow of her den below the tallbranch, the greenleaf sun was relentless.

Perhaps she'd have to reluctantly pay Thymelight's den a visit after all. Her paws feltso burned that walking hurt, and, she thought panting, she might be coming down with something after all. It could wait just a little longer, once this patrol was finished.

Bringing up the rear of the patrol, it was like the shadows of the setting sun seemed to close in around her. Her paws slowed, allowing the patrol to drift further ahead. That was fine. She'd catch up in... Just a... Moment. She just... Needed... to catch her breath.

The white and tabby she-cat sank to the ground, the faint rise and fall of her flanks going still.

Wolfstar is losing her first life.

Lighttail had been near the back of the patrol, keeping an eye on Wolfstar. The other she-cat, who she’d come to see as a friend, was clearly ill. Lighttail didn’t let Wolfstar know she was being watched. Sometimes the truth could hurt, and she knew better than most.

When the pawsteps behind her stopped, Lighttail turned around to a sight she never wanted to see. “WOLFSTAR’S DOWN!” she yowled, not another thought in her head.

The first thing Wolfstar noticed was that her pelt no longer felt as if she'd been sitting under the sun. The exhaustion she had been trying to combat was gone. The forest around her was dappled with bright starlight. Immediately, the leader stiffened, rising carefully to her paws. No wave of dizziness washed over her.

She wasn't in Skyclan territory. This was Starclan, but...

A bright silvery pelt appeared among the trees. "Wolfstar." Beechfang' voice was as disapproving as it had been in life, "Next time you have a belly ache in that sort of heat, and are getting dizzy spells... Maybe. Just maybe you ought to think about visiting a medicine cat and drinking more water instead of going on a patrol." Of course the former medicine cat would lecture her... And Wolfstar would not admit to her mother's face that she was probably right. "I lost a life, didn't I? You have to send me back, mom. Please."

"So eager to get rid of me already? The stars are healing you, but it's not instantaneous. That old barn cat gave you a life of patience... I suggest learning from it."

"But the patrol-" "-can wait for you to wake up." Wolfstar's eyes narrowed at her mother, tail lashing once. Beechfang's gaze remained steady, impassive. "I imagine you're giving them quite the scare. They'll get used to it if you're anything like the cat I named you after. Walk with me." Wolfstar was left sputtering, unable to form a reply as her mother turned, padding through the trees. With a huff, Wolfstar followed the silver and white tabby. The cool breeze that ruffled her fur was something she had truly missed since the onset of greenleaf. She almost wished that she could stay in this paradise... But wasn't truly a paradise when the clanmates she'd swore to protect were in the waking world.

For a few moments the two walked in silence.

"Mom... So many of them have gone missing recently. Are- Are they here, now?" Beechfang glanced her way and shook her head, though her expression softened slightly. "They aren't. I don't know if that makes it easier for you. There's nothing you could have done to prevent it. You have to take care of those who remain." Her clanmates were grieving too, she knew. Creamsky and Firepaw especially. Wolfstar made no reply, silently padding alongside her mother through the rocky forest.

"Alright, I have to send you back. Be careful, Wolfstar. Just because you have more lives doesn't make them any less precious to those who care about you."

---

Between one blink and the next, Wolfstar's senses were assaulted by the sounds of the territory around her, lungs filling with humid, hot air once more. The leader coughed, struggling as she lifted her head. She was on the forest floor, she'd been walking before... Before.

Fox. Dung.

"I'm... I'll be okay, Lighttail." Wolfstar managed to cough out. She was still weak and struggling, but it seemed as if Starclan had in fact healed her to some extent. She was a little mortified that she'd caused a scene like this on patrol, but she'd be fine in no time, she was sure of it.

Lighttail felt like time stopped as Wolfstar lay still on the ground. Of course she would come back, she couldn’t possibly have lost her lives this fast, but then again that’s what everyone said about Froststar. Time only began to move again as Wolfstar took one unsteady breath, then another. Lighttail took a step back to give the leader’s grandson space. If only she’d been able to have this with her grandfather.

“I’m glad to see you recovering,” she finally mewed.

Another voice, frantic, a head pressing against her shoulder. Foxdung, no cat should have had to see her like this, but least of all her grandson. Wolfstar nearly cringed, but instead forced herself to move. She was fine. Perfectly fine. All she'd done was take a little nap... That was all.

"I'm alright, Hickorypaw." She mewed softly, pressing gently against her grandson, "You don't have to worry about me - I'm fine." She'd gotten lectured and everything! "I'm sorry I scared you." She added softly, glancing between Hickorypaw and Lighttail. The apology was meant for both of them.

"Come on, let's get moving. It will do none of us any good to sit here." Wolfstar mewed, attempting to rise to her paws somewhat unsteadily. She was, of course, heedless to how bad of an idea trying to continue her patrol immediately was, but she was nothing if not stubborn. And if Hickorypaw saw her up and moving, maybe that would ease his mind a bit.

Lighttail stepped forward quickly. “Hickorypaw, I think Wolfstar can probably handle herself.” She watched with unease, though, as Wolfstar seemed to stagger on her paws.

“Wolfstar,” she finally sighed, “I know I can’t give you orders but we probably should go back to camp. I… know all too well that leaders can lose multiple lives in rapid succession and I don’t want to see that happen to you. Please, we should all rest.”

"You're starting to sound like my mother." She muttered to Hickorypaw. Thymelight had enough to tend to without her adding to it, Wolfstar wanted to say, but a look between her grandson and her friend hinted that neither of them were going to budge on this issue. Beechfang's words rang in her mind, 'you're giving them quite the scare. They'll get used to it if you're anything like the cat I named you after.' She wondered at what sort of trouble her great-grandfather had gotten into, but likely she was living the answer to that question. Lives lost, and for what? To draw the concern of clanmates who shouldn't have had to worry after her? She had a duty to lead them, to protect them, and she couldn't do that if she was on the ground.

"Foxdung, I... Okay. Okay." She mewed, "Back to camp, it is."