To be o.n.e. with the *stars [Med. Cat Gathering]

[c e d a r *]

Cedarclaw stepped lightly onto the worn, trodden path, that so many other cats had stepped on, generations before her. Her head spun, just thinking about what wonders the Moonpool did to so many cats in history. Her eyes glanced up at the sky, toward Starclan. This was her first time introducing her newly appointed apprentice, Mudpaw, to the other medicine cats, from all four clans. She hoped, and prayed silently to Starclan, that they would accept Mudpaw, and greet her warmly, to the position she was chosen to have. Cedarclaw's blue eyes were unmistakable in the fading, frigid leaf-fall night, as was her tan, and light, creamy colored pelt. Her steps were silent, the murmur of leaves dancing on the trees, singing in her ears.

She sat down, looking around at her surroundings, and focused her eyes on Mudpaw. She curled her tail over her paws, and wondered when the other cats were due to arrive. She and Mudpaw were early, she made sure of that, she didn't want to be late, with her first gathering with the medicine cats, and her new apprentice. She was, as well, new to the life of a medicine cat, and she didn't know the medicine cats of each clan personally, so she hoped to increase her friendship with them, during the crisp night. She sneezed quietly, burrowing her head into her soft white, creamy chest fur.

A cold wind blew over the silent clearing, chilling her to the bone. The waves of the pool gently lapped the white sand of the shore. Cedarclaw sighed, smiling to herself, loving the peacefulness that was settled into her right at that very moment. Once again, she gazed at Mudpaw,smiling encouragingly, even though she too, was nervous, her paws warm with sweat. She kneaded the ground, trying to make it unnoticeable. "How are you feeling?" Cedarclaw asked her apprentice, her blue eyes warm, inviting. "Nervous, happy, excited, scared out of your fur?" she added the last saying, just to see how she wold reply, but she felt that way, maybe that was an understatement, but she was extremely scared.

Cedarclaw never really had many dreams with Starclan, and hoped to do so, tonight. As she sat on the chilled ground, visions engulfed her mind, taking her out of the real world. She envisioned herself, on nothing, just the glimmer of black, against a screen of glowing white stars. It was extremely frigid outside, in that particular vision, but the stars gave her inner warmth, as if reassuring her. Cedarclaw purred, and snapped back into reality, the stars still set in her mind, the warmth still thick in her body, and head. She felt the nervousness flow out of her in one great motion, a great weight seeming to life off her shoulders.

[maxxy]

Dark red figure came into view and his foot steps were soon heard. He had not bothered bring his apprentice, for she didn't deserve to come on this expedition, she had been a pain in his butt, and he didnt want to bring her. He found himself accompanied by Cedarclaw and her apprentice. His bright green eyes looked blocked and stern, like usual, and he growled his greeting. Cedarclaw. Thats all he said, its all he meant to say. He didn't say too much when he didnt need to. He looked at her apprentice and did the same thing, growling his greeting. Mudpaw. He looked behind himself and let out a hiss. If the rest of the cats dont get here soon, I'm moving on without them. His voice sounded harsher than the wind blown into the ears of cats on a mountain top. He looked through Cedarclaw to beyond her, and he looked back behind him again.

He was a very impatient cat, and when kept waiting, he could become dangerous. Darksoul always stood at his tallest, and he looked untouchable. He was a powerful cat, and he could have been a great warrior, but he wanted to 'help' cats, actually, he wanted to make his clan less kit-ish. They complained too much and acted like wallowing kits when hurt. Darksoul's eyes were most dangerous of all. They seem to peirce even the toughest heart, and soul, even if he cant see anything, his eyes can still get to you.

[OOC: Awww.. I have no muse for him...]

[mudmask]

The tortoise shell she-cat apprentice padded closely behind her mentor, shaking half from the frigid cold of leaf-fall, and half from the nervousness that made her bones seem to clatter together in fear. Not so long ago had she held her head high, happy she was learning her new skill, prouder than a new apprentice who had caught an eagle for their first kill. Now she felt so young and inexperienced, like a kit that had wandered to far from her mother. As her eyes diverted to the earth beneath her paws, she saw the many paw prints of cats that had walked here before her time, leaving their imprint on the earth to remain there forever.

How are you feeling? Nervous, happy, excited, scared out of your fur?

Cedarclaw’s voice startled Mudpaw, and she snapped her head back up, a look of surprise in her eyes. She was about to reply when she heard a new cat come up, a dark red tom. Darksoul. She didn’t want to tell her mentor that she was excited, but also as nervous as a cornered mouse. Instead of revealing her weakness to Darksoul, she pressed up against Cedarclaw, hoping her anxiousness and excitement would run through her and tell her mentor what she was thinking.

Then Darksoul spoke again. You weren’t supposed to leave cats behind, were you? She didn’t know much about Darksoul, but her knowledge of him was growing every minute. She decided that it would be best to remain silent, besides, it was her first time, she didn’t want to make a mistake that might cost her, her dignity.

[streampaw]

<sub>Quickly, now! I have to hurry! Blue paws struck the ground softly as the slender cat glided away from the camp. Her long strides were unmistakeable, even in the darkness of the night. Streamheart, Riverclan's Medicine Cat, was on her way.

Bonding along, her gray-blue eyes searched for the outline of the other cats, for their shadows against the ground, but alas. Nothing was seen. Her gait slowed to a trot as she neared the path. Suddenly, the scent of Thunderclan rushed to her, then Shadowclan. But, so far, Windclan's scent had yet to be found.

The young cat sped up suddenly, finding her gait longer than usual. She leaped across the beaten path, claws scarring the earth beneath dainty paws. Soon, she slowed once more, seeing what she had sought from before.

Three shadowy figures stood before her. One was apprentice sized, the other two, full grown cats. The delicate cat walked forward, paws silent against the path. She drew closer to them, seeing who they were. Cedarclaw, with what seemed to be her apprentice, and Darksoul. She shuddered at the thought of the Shadowclan Medicine Cat. He was so harsh. She couldn't help but to think what Starclan saw in him.

Streamheart walked closer, her long body swaying ever so softly. "Hello, Cedarclaw. Darksoul." she purred, giving each a curt nod. She looked to the tiny cat. "Who might this be?" she asked. Streamheart sat down, her tail curling over her paws. Silverpelt reflected off of her, giving her blue-gray pelt a more silver color.</sub>[/color]

[target]

[ooc: sorry if I shouldn't have posted here, but my muse increased and I felt like a post ;] ]

As she limped steadily through the exit of camp, she glared at the forest beyond her face in a fiery defiance. 'Rotten, no good, good-for-nothing mentor' ran through her mind several times but never once did she speak his name in vain. She wouldn't do such a thing, not in front of camp anyway, not in front of other cats that depended on him and wouldn't have wanted to hear such things come from the apprentice's mouth.

She picked up her pace, looking like a mauled rabbit who couldn't use it's back legs as she skipped. Her tiny legs looked like they were going a million miles per hour, though she was only moving at a leisurely pace. Her mind wandered as she scented for her mentors trail.
Thinks he's going to leave me? HA! I wouldn't miss my first medicine cat gathering for StarClan.
Her little legs moved faster yet as her face brimmed with determination.

It was quite a journey to get to the Moonpool. It was, in fact, exhilarating for the little blind apprentice. She enjoyed listening to the rushing waters, and navigating around trees as she bumped into their roots. Her eyes, though not looking at anything in particular, were in a wild frenzy. She grinned as she ran and finally, the wafting smell of boarders hit her scent glands.

She hopped from slope to slope as the smell of other cats did too hit. She gained a curious face about her as she lost her mentor's scent. Where in the world was she? It was like a crossroad between the cats of all the clans. Paw prints spattered the ground beneath her paving a worn down path. Her long-furred, calico pelt dappled in the moon light becoming nothing more then a pale ghost.

She inhaled again and gained her mentor's scent once more. A tiny trail of whispered words hit her ears and she trained in on him. His training did pay off- though she didn't really notice, she was only concerned about getting to the desired location. What would she do once there though? She grimaced; surely he wouldn't tell her to go back would he? She'd have to listen to him then… she knew that it was one thing for him to just leave her, but it was another if he told her to leave… heck maybe he wanted her to find him. A smile plastered her lips, before her face turned solid once more.

She moved forward carefully, under bushes that may have been tight for other cats. The short legged female flattened her ears once she got there. "I'm sorry Darksoul, but I didn't want to miss this medicine gathering."
Her mind tempted her to fire off a slew of angry defiant string of words, but the fact that other medicine cats stood before her intimidated her. That is not to say she wasn't out going.

She pricked her ears and nodded in the direction of the other Medicine cats. "Hello, I'm Tacticpaw." She mewed forwardly. She could tell that there were more cats that should come… there were four others there, but she wasn't sure if the other, younger smelling, cat was a medicine cat or an apprentice… she certainly carried the scent of the other cat next to her so Tacticpaw gathered it was her apprentice.

She fluffed her fur and turned her head back toward her mentor. "Sorry for any trouble," she mewed huffing and catching her breath. She grinned and then flicked the stub of a tail she had in pure excitement.

[c e d a r *]

Cedarclaw's eyes became wide with happiness as other cats' began to arrive. She let out a purr, as she saw Darksoul emerge. Even though the dark red Shadowclan tom had a curt attitude. "Hello, Darksoul," the she-cat meowed, returning the curt greeting. She dipped her head, wanting to be polite. "How is the prey running?" she meowed, her voice trailing off near the end, as Streamheart came into her field of view.

"Streamheart," the she-cat meowed, her orbs shining delightfully. "I'd like you two to meet my new apprentice," she meowed, her head high. "This is Mudpaw," Cedarclaw purred, gesturing her tail toward the tortoiseshell she-cat. "Training to become the next medicine cat of Thunderclan," she purred, pure joy expressed in her tone.

Just then, another medicine cat apprentice came into the clearing. Cedarclaw smiled. "Hello, Tacticpaw," she meowed warmly, her eyes twinkling. "I'm Cedarclaw," she meowed, brushing her tail against the little apprentices flank, a gesture of saying hello. She purred, and sat back down, near Mudpaw, waiting for another one of the medicine cats to speak. Cedarclaw made sure not to drift off into her imagination. She kept her blue eyes in focus of everything around her, and her ears pricked.

Ooc;; Sorry for shortness. I've no muse, for I'm slightly off wack, being sick and all.

[maxxy]

.:[T]he breeze ruffled the toms fur, and he turned to face the wind, bringing with it the scents of the other medicine cats. Streamheart was comming. The pretty she-cat always seemed to be in a cheerful mood, and that made Darksoul's mood even worse. If its one thing he hates more than a mopping apprentice, is a cheerful warrior. Then he caught it, the scent of his mouse-brained apprentice. His green eyes turned to slits as he watched her small form limp up the the rest of them. Her voice was breathless, and she looked at Darksoul with a ha-ha look. She introduced herself and then huffed a few words to the large tom.

.:[H]is eyes narrowed on her, turning into an icy green glare. He looked back to the other cats, and he didn't even acknowledge his own apprentice. He looked at the other two clans and wondered when Windclan would get there. They always seemed to be running late. Even if they were considered the quickest clan, they were never on time. The chilled breeze blew again, this time in a different direction, seperating darksoul's aburn pelt, and sending a chill straight to his bones. He stretched his hind legs and stood up, and shook the cold from himself. He looked to Cedarwing and Streamheart and grumbled cold words. If Berrypelt and his new apprentice dont get here in the next moon, I would like to move on. He said grumpily. Darksoul's eyes scanned the land that led to Windclan, but no scent came to him of the Tom, nor the sight of his figure. He turned back to the other medicine cats. It was law that if all the clans don't show, you could either go back to camp, or go on to the Moonpool without them, inorder to get the monthly dreams that Starclan sends them, or just a good rest before the journey home.

.:[D]arksoul had such intentions if Berrypelt didn't show up soon. The tom was patient when he wanted to be, but he showed up hanging on to a few threads of keeping calm, and when his apprentice showed up when he purposfully meant to not bring her, she snapped a few more, and if there was another prophecy that need be told, then Darksoul needed to know it, to sooner figure it out.

<!-- AFTER WAITING A WHILE -->

.:[T]he large tom huffed and he stood up, towering over the other medicine cats. I don't care whether you guys come or go home. I must know if there is anything needed to be known. With that, Darksoul bounded off towards the direction of Mother-mouth. He knew that his little apprentice would come after him, limping away like usual, but he didn't care about the disobedient apprentice. His large paws traveled easily up the slope, stepping in crevices made by cats much before his time, and he kept his balance. When he saw the opening to the tunnel where the moon-pool lay, he slowed his pace to a fast paced walk. He didn't care about what the other Medicine cats thought, all he knew is that something could be wrong in the forest, and if they waited till next quarter moon, they might be too late.

.:[H]e entered the large cavern, and his instincts kicked in as he moved through the tunnel, almost knowing where each turn and curve and stone is from memory of past meetings. The crystalized blue water came into view, like the light at the end of the tunnel, and Darksoul went to the back of the cave, his favorite spot, and he lapped up a small portion of icey water. It slid cooly down his throat and he layed down. He looked towards the tunnel, and placed his head in his paws, and closed his green eyes, and waited for the dreams to come.

<!-- STARCLAN! -->

Word Count ; ; 659
Post ; ; Complete//Incomplete
Muse ; ; Fair
Notes ; ; I wanted Tacticpaw to join in as a roleplayer, and as that roleplayer, I purposefully meant to have Darksoul not want her there.

[maxxy]

<!-- I believe that we should move onto the Moonpool, for I do not believe that the Windclan Meddicine cat Roleplayer is even active. So, I'm going to modify my thread and move on, because we (fernie and I) want the Plot to get going. -->

[streampaw]

<sub>She uttered a soft sigh. "Always in a hurry, aren't we, Darksoul?" she asked, slightly annoyed. She watched him as he bounded away. She looked in the direction of Windclan's camp. It did seem that no one would be coming... Steamheart looked at the other medicine cats. "We should go. We shouldn't keep Starclan waiting any more than we have already." She turned and bounded after Darksoul.

She loped up the slopped hill with ease, leaping after the Shadowclan male. She didn't stop to wait for the others now, she had to go. The Moonpool was calling to her. She had never gone to a meeting without Sweetfeather, so she was weary of where she was going. She followed Darksoul's scent partially, then her memories longed to take control. Willingly, she followed them. She soon found herself in the presence of the silver light.

Streamheart trodded quickly to the side of the Moonpool where she had always sat and looked at Darksoul. He was waiting for the dreams. Streamheart looked at the water, at her reflection. Her eyes grew wide in wonder. Was this cat that she saw on the water really her? She looked so young and beautiful, yet wise. How could someone as young as Streamheart be this cat? She pulled her eyes from the reflection and layed down. She cautiously dipped the tip on her left paw into the cold water. A chill shot through her spine. Keeping that paw in the water, gray-blue eyes closed and her head lowered. What happened next was up to Starclan.</sub>[/sub]

[mudmask]

Mudpaw stiffened as she felt the presence of the new apprentice. She had thought she would be the only one here tonight, but alas, she was mistaken. Mudpaw stood with her chest and head held high as the Riverclan medicine cat asked her name. The apprentice dipped her tortoise-shell head respectfully to Streamheart and then turned her eyes back onto her peer, the other apprentice. She sat and waited for Berrypelt and his apprentice, as Darksoul called them, whoever they were.
Probably the Windclan Medicine cats.
She deducted, and then watched as Streamheart and Darksoul left to go to Moonpool. After they had disappeared over the ridge, she looked back to her mentor, Cedarclaw, as if to ask,
Should we wait, or follow?
Then she picked up her weary feet and padded over the smooth stone and dirt to meet this new, Tacticpaw. The apprentice padded all the way over to her and said,
“Hi. I’m Mudpaw. I’m the new medicine cat apprentice of Thunderclan.”
Then she shifted her weight from paw to paw, waiting for an answer that might be friendly, or maybe not so friendly. Then Mudpaw noticed her eyes, they were, sightless, like shining orbs with no purpose. A wave of shock washed over her, she had never seen a blind cat before, especially an apprentice! Usually cats were blind from old age, or wounds to their eyes in battle.
She must have been born that way, we haven’t had a battle for ages!
Mudpaw quickly settled her ruffled emotions so that Tacticpaw wouldn’t feel them and be offended. After all, being blind was no good reason not to be a friend. A cold wind from the north came gusting in, blowing her fur in all directions. Mudpaw shuddered, the sooner they were back in their warm dens, the better.

<->Word Count;; 303<->
<->Comments;; Mudpaw is back!<->

[c e d a r *]

Cedarclaw sighed, and pushed herself up onto all four paws, defeated by time. "I suppose if she comes, she comes, and if she doesn't, she misses out on meeting with StarClan," she meowed, starting to walk off. "You two, come, come, follow along," she purred, although slightly distraught. One medicine cat not here. And WindClan, of all the clans, WindClan? They were almost never tardy for a Medicine Cat Gathering.

As they neared the Moonpool, Cedarclaw gathered her thoughts, the cool ground chilling her, but not in a bad way. The wind was quiet, as it stirred around the water of the pool. The other two were there, and she decided not to disturb them, and quietly settled herself down, closing her blue eyes. She tucked her two paws in front of her chest, took a deep breath, and leaned her moist nose toward the pool. She gave her eyes one tight squeeze, before her nose touched the water.

Her whole body was engulfed with the feeling of chills. Not bad, not good. She could see nothing, hear nothing. She was enveloped in a world of darkness. She felt like herself, and she wasn't panicking. She wondered what it would be like, meeting a, or more than one, cats of Starclan. Would they tell her something, or would she just be engulfed in the wave of blackness, until another cat stirred?

[mudmask]

The young apprentice dipped her head, and forced her paws into action. Wind blowing against her face, she trudged forward into the chilly weather and up the ridge. Then she turned back and touched Tacticpaw's shoulder with her tail, as a friendly gesture. "Coming?" she asked, and then drew back her tail and turned back to the wind. Cedarclaw was up ahead, so the she-cat hurried forward to follow her mentor, making careful notice not to slip and fall on the steep surface of the earth. But the glazed and worn footprints held strong, and she pulled herself up by stepping in the marks of the Starclan cats.

When will we get there? I really will be so tired by the time we arrive, I'll fall asleep before my nose even comes close to the water! Just as she was about to open her maw and ask Cedarclaw how much farther, she clawed her way up and on top of the ravine and gazed at the sight below her. Streamheart, Cedarclaw and Darksoul had already closed their eyes and were walking paths with Starclan. The apprentice quickly stumbled down the ridge and tripped over a few protruding plants, falling on her face.

Embarrassment stinging her cheeks, Mudpaw quickly cleaned all of the fresh dust off of her face, she didn't know if dirt and things would show in the Starclan territory but she didn't want to look like a scruffy maggot, and padded calmly over to the surface of the water. Settling behind a small bush and between a rock, she stretched out her muzzle as the other cats were doing and pressed her nose into the starry waters. Instantly she was no longer at the pool, but swirling around and around, her head swimming with fantasies of the stars.

[target]

Her eyes, though pointless, scanned along the area beyond her. Her emotions were dry, but at the same time, not hostile. She raised an eyebrow as she heard the other apprentice step closer. When the apprentice talked, Tacticpaw was taken aback. Someone talking to her was unusual sure, but someone being friendly about it was surely something different... right? Then again, she'd never wondered about how many nice apprentices had talked to her back in the ShadowClan camp, maybe there were a few that she just chose to ignore.

As a gesture of ... good faith, the she-cat smiled to the other apprentice. She could almost sense a feeling of awkwardness as the other apprentice stood by her. Had she figured it out already? Tacticpaw's site was already depleting, it was never good, but at one point it was hard to tell that her eyes weren't just lightly colored, now they were nothing but aimless orbs. She shrugged and began to open her mouth when this "Mudpaw"'s mentor came by to hurry them along. It wasn't surprising that Darksoul had given up his patients though, she was almost, unusually, used to such a thing. She gave a brief sigh as she rolled her eyes.

True, though, she was happy he'd decided to move on. The other's seemed too nice to speak up, but frankly she knew they must have been getting tired, in some way at least. She was tired from running, but they'd all come a long way. She almost yawned but refrained. This was her first Medicine cat Meeting and she couldn't make a bad impression upon the others of the group! Especially the one cat that actually felt like talking to her, for starclans sake! Her mentor was peeved that she'd even come. -she couldn't blame him.

The young she cat felt Mudpaw's tail breeze by her momentarily. 'Coming?'
Her eyebrow raised and she stood up abruptly. "Yeah!" She bounded along quickly.
"I'm the new ShadowClan apprentice," she murmured. She wasn't going to ignore the cat like she would have normally. That would have been rude (though she's not opposed to being rude) but certainly not to a possible friend.
She tilted her head toward the entrance, she could already smell the moist stones and the cool water beyond. Her heart pounded as she moved along. The others, or most of them, had probably already tilted their heads and awaited their dream. She did as she was told wondering if she was actually supposed to have a dream, which would mean falling asleep, or if she was supposed to obtain a conscious vision.

She smiled. 'Lets finish this thing please... ' thought the nervous bundle of wreck.

{are we going to finish this? And I know I haven't posted, I forgot my password }

[Fernear!]

It had been moons, StarClan and the clans seemed so distant. The medicine cats and their apprentices had finally come. Now, for one cat the news that has to be delivered will bring curiosity as well as confusion, or so her ancestor thought. the Moonpool reflected the wondrous light of the stars, for tonight's sky was as clear as the water and as crisp as the air. The she-cat who had come to meet this apprentice was a ShadowClan warrior, one who had had a lustrous coat, extreme loyalty but an ambition that could overpower it. In due time her ambition had shown, it had not cost her life but it had cost her her respect from her leader and many clan-mates.

The she-cat had been pacing the starry forest, waiting for this day to arrive. She had felt it in her pelt and in the dead wind that this moon would be the moon to tell the apprentice, and for whatever reason, it would be her. She had been hanging over-head the cats whom had traveled to the moonpool as many cats have. It felt good not to be forgotten, but to be remembered instead. She smiled as the cats entered their dreams. She could see the tortoiseshell apprentice hidden behind a bush; its little green leaves stuck out at the StarClan warrior, like a signal if you must. The she-cat was obviously in her dream state, for the cat could feel her being near and she was sure she would in a short moment. As she got closer the warrior dipped her head and made a polite greeting;

"Hello, Mudpaw. My name is Aldertail. I've something to show you; you may tell whoever you'd like if you wish"

Aldertail's eyes were clouded, what she was to say was not only for ShadowClan's ears, but the forest's. This was why she wasn't speaking to Tacticpaw or Darksoul. But she had also been watching the ShadowClan pair. She began to feel bad for Tacticpaw, maybe she should deliver the message to her. It was her first time, after all. It was too late now, she had already begun to speak with Mudpaw. As she awaited a response she sat down near to the water and the bush. Aldertail was on the opposite side of the bush to Mudpaw. Ominous crackling sounds echoed in her ears, she knew there was no fire, but in turn there was an invisible fire that could burn.

[ooc: Sorry for the wait everyone]

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[mudmask]

The small she-cat opened her eyes, feeling a bit dizzy after being swept off her feet. She expected to be back by Moonpool, but instead, saw a shining cat, padding toward her. "So this is what a Starclan warrior looks like!", she thought, and rose to her feet, walking cautiously over to the starry ancestor. Mudpaw wasn't sure of anything now, she didn't even know if she was in the skies, and maybe the ground could fall beneath her. A pit of nervousness filled her stomach, and she cringed slightly. "What are you?! Where's that adventurous kit that climbed the Ancient Oak at only five moons?"

Swallowing her fear, she dipped her head and opened her mouth to reply, but no words escaped her lips. "Aldertail... Such a pretty name..." Mudpaw finally said, "Yes, I would like to see..." She knew it was her duty to report these prophecies to her clan. She couldn't be scared, because it would be her life's work to do this. Then another question came into her head, where were all of the others? Where were Cedarclaw and Streamheart? Were they having the same dream somewhere else? She sighed and turned her gaze back on Aldertail, waiting to be shown what Starclan permit her to see...