{L0S0V0}7.13.11 MEDICINE CAT MEETING

[Pyro]

It was hard to pretend he was interested in going to this quarter moon's meeting. As an apprentice, they had been his bane, almost as much as the gatherings. Medicine cat meetings had been just another way for him to make a fool of himself through his nervousness and seemingly incurable stutter. Now, he should be glad to go to them. He was StreamClan's medicine cat. He was confident enough now that his stutter had largely gone away. There were still instances when his old pattern of speech would surface again, but they were infrequent enough that they no longer worried him. It was his chance to show the other medicine cats of the clans how far he had come. So why was he so reluctant to go? It was StarClan, really. He was finding so many reasons to not deal with them. Storkflower didn't want to go to the Moonglade and have them reassure him that he was ready to be Medicine Cat--no matter how much they said he was, it didn't change the fact that he hadn't completed his training. There was still so much to learn...Now he'd have to learn his lessons through botched experiments...The only other thing he could see StarClan doing was lecturing him for feeling sorry for himself--not exactly something one jumps for. But what got his goat most of all was the actual journey to see his oh so wonderful ancestors. It had been difficult for him as a frail apprentice. Now it was made twice as difficult by the painful limp a loner had been kind enough to give to him, and unfortunately, poppy seeds weren't apart of the herbs allowed to be eaten for journeys to the moonglade. That didn't stop him from sneaking some though. He might have even gotten Cinderpaw to carry some in a leaf with her if he hadn't already told her the strengthening herbs a cat was allowed to take when going to meet with the ancestors. Damn it. What a huge missed opportunity. And speaking of certain chipper apprentices. "Cinderpaw, keep up. If you go any slower the snails might get offended." Cinderpaw was, of course, ahead of him, and his words dripped with his newfound sarcasm. Speaking [bg=f9fdd9][atrb=width,467,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[ambird]

Cinderpaw raced ahead, adrenaline pumping from her very being. Tonight she would yet again go and dream of StarClan! Since her first time, Cinderpaw had lost much of her fear of the supposed ancestors. She had even begun to think of reasons for everything that had played out before her medicine cat apprentice position. Someone had to help her escape the horrid life of a kittypet! Almost none was just luck. Other forces must have came to play. What would she learn of StarClan tonight? "Cinderpaw, keep up. If you go any slower the snails might get offended." her mentor said, sarcastic as ever. She slowed her trot down to a walk and followed beside her mentor, tail still bouncing and green eyes gleaming. Nothing could dampen her spirit, especially not tonight. Cinderpaw wanted to bombard Storkflower with questions about the other medicine cats. Not that he would know the answers to. She had heard that medicine cats hear what's wrong with the other Clan's occasionally. Asking for tips on herb mixtures for some sort of sickness, or something of the like. Even in her line of work she was a bit snoopy. Last medicine cat meeting she had irked almost everyone attending. After that, Storkflower had given her this to think about: Speak when spoken to. He knew she was just excited, but even Cinderpaw couldn't hold back what had kept her unable to sleep for sunsets at a time. These meeting meant social activity. Of course, the main thing was the discussion with StarClan. Something she hadn't noticed before was how poor her mentor looked. She must have been too giddy before to notice. Storkflower looked nervous, and exhausted. He must be...after all, he was made medicine cat not long after she had come around. But there was something else. He hadn't purred at how she acted whenever she got the strengthening herb mixture right. Storkflower had just sort of looked....tired, and ready for it to be over before it even began. "Storkflower....are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Cinderpaw hoped he was just tired, and it wasn't something else. She wasn't sure what she would do without him. Whatever doubts he had in himself, she trusted him. He was far more experienced then she was. [bg=2f1e0e][atrb=width,500,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[/quote]

[Glowy]

It was the first time that Crowflower had taken the journey to the monthly meeting by himself, and, to be honest, he wasn't quite sure what to think yet. It had been odd traversing through PineClan territory by himself at night, knowing that he was leaving his den completely abandoned. For a few fleeting moments, even, he had considered turning back (in the instance that anybody at home developed a dire needs for medical attention during the night, of course), but in the end he had just shook his head and gone onward. It would look strange to the others if PineClan was not represented, despite the fact that they all knew of his reluctance to believe. So he went and trusted his clan to the protection of... whatever was out there. The shadows were long and ominous- mutilated reflections of the scraggly pines that made up his territory. If not for the calming breeze and his steady heartbeat, Crowflower might have been inclined to actually become nervous. But, as it was, the scent of his home soothed him. His mind began to drift back to his first journey to the Meeting- he had doted upon his mentor's every word, stuck by his side relentlessly, and had even tried to talk to one of the other medicine cats, offered him a flower because he'd seemed out of sorts! Ah, how different this journey was to be. The responsibility of his clan's welfare, a responsibility that he was seemingly running from for a night, weighed heavily upon his heart, dragging him down. It was a strange state of being for him, all things considered, but his promotion had instilled in him a new sense of the gravity of his position. He was now solely responsible for the medical care of his clan. He'd used to rely on more experienced cats being there, even if they generally ignored his presence, but now that safety net was gone and he was left flailing for control. Not that he would let anybody know how he was struggling with this. No, they could not know. Because, honestly, who would care? His family had not spoken to him in moons, he hadn't seen any of his old friends in moons, and the rest of his clan just looked at him like he was still the carefree little apprentice he had been. He had to let them believe that, because they trusted that happy-go-lucky black poofball who would get up in your face and ask if everything was okay, drawing you in with innocent eyes and freshly picked flowers. Honestly, this was the first thing that Crowflower had ever cared about to the extent that he allowed it to bother him. For him, that's saying a lot, you know. So he sidled up next to Storkflower, another recent appointee, possibly as premature an appointee as Crowflower was himself, and his apprentice, Cinderpaw. He hardly noticed them there, being lost in his reverie as he was. But, once he noticed them, he backed off and let them continue to speak to each other. He wasn't so far gone that he failed to notice the murmur of their voices. Still, he wondered if the same worries plagued Storkflower. They were leaving their clans unattended for an entire night! "Easy, Crowflower," he whispered to himself, taking a deep breath. "This happens all the time. Your clan is safe. Nobody is going to die while you're gone." He wished Finchpaw would show up already. They had so much to catch up on, and hardly enough time to do it. Really, Crowflower just wanted to see his dear friend again. He had worried about him with the state FogClan was in, what with all the madness involving Miststar and Volepelt and the Council and what-have-you. There had been rumors whispered around the borders of Miststar disappearing without a trace, but that just seemed too outlandish for Crowflower to give it any credence. At least, until he spoke with one of the only cats in FogClan with any freaking common sense left in his brain. With nobody to talk to, he felt out of place for the first time in... probably his whole life. Finchpaw, please come. I need you. His eyes squeezed shut, but his paws kept moving his body forward, and he let himself be hypnotized by the rhythm of his pawsteps combining with his heartbeat and the melody of Storkflower and Cinderpaw's voices. When would they get there? [bg=5f8219][atrb=width,469,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Pyro]

Storkflower blinked in surprise as Cinderpaw listened. The feeling of being a mentor--that wonderful additional responsibility he had thought would be a brilliant addition to what he was already trying not to drown in--was even newer to him still, than of being medicine cat. He wasn't even sure he could advise his own leader, let alone an impressionable young cat who would depend on him these coming months to teach her all she needed to know. The way she looked at him...like she was confident he could do just that, made him feel guilty. He'd be sure not to leave her unprepared like Badgernose had left him, but how he was going to do that was beyond Storkflower at the moment. 'Perhaps StarClan might have some advice on that matter', he thought, begrudgingly. He had been told, once upon a time, by the FogClan medicine cat, Brightnose, that StarClan was there to observe and clarify. Maybe they could observe his struggle and clarify what to do. But not just for him. Storkflower shuddered to think what would happen if, or rather when there came a time when a cat really needed his help and he was at a loss for what to do. That was why he had studied so hard, that was why he had tried so. hard. not to daydream or lose focus. He didn't want to be the reason a cat died. He didn't want to see the eyes of one of his clanmates, kit, warrior, elder...or his leader, 'StarClan forbid', looking at him with the same conviction as Cinderpaw's, hoping that he had the answer, when he didn't. Storkflower desperately wanted to have the answer. Perhaps not all of them, but enough. "Storkflower....are you okay?" Oh, well, he had that answer: no. No, he was not okay. But hopefully, he would be. He studied his apprentice out of the corner of his eye, trying to find a good way to put just how 'not okay' he was. But as he opened his mouth to tell her so, he closed it. No. He wasn't okay, but he couldn't say that. He couldn't shatter the illusion that he was the ~totally confident, come to-that's right- me for help~ medicine cat of StreamClan. "Just my leg again, Cinderpaw. It'll pass." Fat chance. He didn't think a day went by that it didn't pain him. Thanks, loner! If he ever saw that cat again it would be too soon...not that he could actually do anything to the tom. He might be medicine cat now, but he was no more a match for Stripes than a mouse. Storkflower's nose twitched as he caught a familiar scent. He turned his head to look behind him and was surprised to see Crowflower there. He smacked himself mentally. Why should he be surprised? They had just passed PineClan's territory, so of course they were bound to meet up with the black tom. He was, after all, PineClan's new medicine cat. "Hey, Crowflower!" he called."Don't be a stranger...come on up here with us. Or are you afraid you'll catch The Cripple?" Speaking [bg=f9fdd9][atrb=width,467,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Cloudbat]

Brightnose was glad she'd left early, not only to be on time but to get away from her Clan that was slowly turning insane. Miststar had been bad enough - good riddance to her - but Volepelt was almost worse. It was convenient that Finchpaw would come with her - it would be good to have extra support in case the other medicine cats were curious about the workings of FogClan.

Not that she wanted to hide things from them...on the contrary, it made sense to inform them of the atrocities being committed in StarClan's good name. But she knew there was very little she could speak freely of - and it was terribly illogical, all of it.

It wasn't just illogical, it was...wrong. Yes. Wrooooong. Such a heavy, ponderous word, like a large raindrop on a thin branch. It was strange to think of things in such terms again - yet refreshing somehow.

The short grass tickled her pads as she smelled the night birds and heard the quiet chirping of crickets as she made her way to the meeting place. She sighed - it was so lovely, yet so off when she couldn't speak freely. Volepelt surely wouldn't approve. And as much she hated to admit to herself, she still wasn't entirely sure she could trust Finchpaw.

Still....Storkflower must have some inkling, after her warning to him many moons ago. And Crowflower was no fool either. It would be interesting....good....to see them.

You know what, damn it. She wasn't going to hold back for fear of Volepelt - these toms were intelligent enough to keep things to themselves. She wouldn't reveal everything - but it only made sense to have allies. They might need them one day in the future, when StarClan willing this madness ended.

They finally caught up with the three - three? - shapes. The calico sniffed in surprise as an unfamiliar scent of a small gray tabby she-cat reached her. She looked at the little cat curiously, then looked at Storkflower; she must be his apprentice. Good; Finchpaw wouldn't be entirely lacking in company of his own age, though - she chuckled at this - she was the oldest cat here, since the MeadowClanners couldn't attend. And Storkflower and Crowflower were very young for full medicine cats.

"Good evening, comrades. It is fulfilling to meet you once more - I congratulate you both on your new positions, though I send my regards to Badgernose and Lynxpelt as well." She inclined her head. She nodded at the little gray tabby. "It is good to meet you too; I regret I do not know your name." She turned to Storkflower. "I did not know you had an apprentice; StarClan bless you for finding one so quickly. It is sad that the MeadowClanners cannot join us, but on we must go. If you have....questions of a sensitive nature, I may be able to answer, at least in part."

She hoped they would catch the veiled invitation to ask about FogClan's regime.

[Glowy]

All Crowflower really wanted right now was to get this over with. He had no idea why he wanted to get back to his clan so badly, but he did, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had a commitment to his clan, but he also had a commitment to his colleagues. He couldn't skip his first meeting as a full medicine cat. It would be rude. So here he was, walking along, just trying to mind his own business until Finchpaw got there. Apparently, Storkflower had other plans. So he looked up and smiled at his... well, acquaintance. They weren't close enough to be considered friends. Despite his behavior to everybody, Crowflower did place a lot of stock in the word 'friend.' It was not bestowed lightly. So he could not say that Storkflower was a friend, not yet. He sped up, though, at the tom's invitation, and began to walk alongside him. "Haha, hello, Storkflower. I see you've already found yourself an apprentice? Congratulations! And what's your name, my dear?" He smiled reassuringly at Cinderpaw, dipping his head to Storkflower in turn. And now Brightnose was there, making not so inconspicuous offers to tell them about Miststar's regime and the trouble they were causing. Intriguing, but he'd heard Finchpaw talk about how she tended to be unfeeling, so she might not be able to grasp the full... impact of the Council. How could she see the breaking of hearts if she refused to acknowledge her own? How could she be a good reference if she did not feel sympathy for the breaking hearts? He'd rather hear it from Finchpaw, but he was apparently lagging behind this time. That was strange. Was there a reason? It worried him. Maybe he was injured. "Evenin', Brightnose. How are you tonight? Is Finchpaw with you?" She would probably be disappointed by is lack of curiosity about her clan, but he would rather talk to Finchpaw about it, and he wouldn't be able to ask her the right questions. He and Finchpaw had discussed FogClan and its goings-on many times before. He trusted his friend to be a good source of information. He felt the suffering of his clanmates, so he would be able to provide the kind of information that Crowflower wanted. Storkflower could talk to her about it. He would stick with his best friend- in fact, one of his only friends in the entire forest, come to think of it. [bg=5f8219][atrb=width,469,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[ambird]

"It is good to meet you too; I regret I do not know your name." the calico cat, who she assumed was Brightnose greeted Cinderpaw, and turned to Storkflower, once she was done, Cinderpaw would introduce herself. "Haha, hello, Storkflower. I see you've already found yourself an apprentice? Congratulations! And what's your name, my dear?" Cinderpaw felt giddy just knowing these cats wanted to know who she was! Sure, it was because they had not met her yet, but the excitement did not leave her! These cats were the real deal! Real medicine cats! Storkflower was of course one, but he was her mentor, with out a doubt he was one. The others whoever were completely new to her. "Cinderpaw," she exclaimed, realizing she had been pawing at the ground. She stopped this in embarrassment. First meeting and she already seemed like a crazed badger! "I mean..my name is Cinderpaw. You must be Brightnose and Crowflower, correct?" she asked, telling herself over and over again in her head to be controlled, but cool about it. Good going! First impressions are lasting! That was the first thing she had learned when among the Clan. Which, probably explained why a few of the apprentices were a bit scared of her. She had come on a bit strong, to excited and overall far too hyper for her own good. Now as a medicine cat apprentice she had mellowed, knowing that in her role she had to be, but every now and again she just became that crazy little fluffball. She was only an apprentice! The fun had to last, right? But, then she realized Cinderpaw could be an apprentice far longer than many of her friends. Depending on how long Storkflower stayed the medicine cat. And she could only think of one way she would have to gain that position. No! Why on Earth was she thinking of this in the first place? Cinderpaw was barely a medicine cat apprentice, he was a brand-new medicine cat! Cinderpaw shook her head, chasing out her crazed ideas. Her mind always went to worst case scenario, didn't it? Forgetting whatever had been dwelling in her mind beforehand, she went back to goggling at the medicine cats, while listening to their conversations. What was that? Another apprentice? Could they be here tonight? She wouldn't be alone! Except, then she realized that that Crowflower fellow kept asking about him. Maybe they were friends. Barging into things was something she was good at...and that wasn't always the best thing to do. So, she decided to stick with Brightnose and Storkflower, Brightnose seemed to be hinting at something, and let's face it, she was a snoop. From her tone, it was something big. Cinderpaw had hear that Fogclan was a bit obsessive when it came to Starclan from one of her den-mates, but had no experience with a Fogclan cat. But Brightnose didn't seem...crazy. Was it her Clan? Whatever it was, it sound interesting. And, let's face it. Cinderpaw is a definite snoop. [bg=2f1e0e][atrb=width,500,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[/quote]

[Whiskers [Archive]]

The half moon glowed furiously as Finchpaw walked slowly behind his mentor, drinking in the fresh air as though it were water. It had been too long since Finchpaw had breathed-- truly breathed. Since Miststar had mysteriously vanished and Volepelt had taken over, the clan felt like a cage. The camp was no longer the bustling place it used to be, with noisy apprentices and conversation. Everything was muted. Everyone whispered. No one dared to step a toe out of line.

Well, not everyone...

Finchpaw's eyes lowered to the dark forest floor, the images of Frostpaw and her constant disobedience so powerful in his mind that it forced his head down. Her punishments happened nearly every day now. They weren't so bad yet, but they were getting worse and worse. She wasn't the only one; Otterclaw also rebelled, along with some apprentices. But for the most part, Frostpaw remained the main threat to Volepelt's twisted idea of a "pure" clan. It was physically hurting him to just stand and watch as she took blow after blow.

But it hurt to watch anyone. Everytime blood splattered Fogclan camp ground, Finchpaw felt his heart leap and his paws ache. He found himself listing off the herbs that would help-- the procedure to heal the poor individual-- yet he could not move and act. For once in his life, he was yearning to heal. And because he could not, he could not sleep, could not eat and could not breathe.

Now, out of the camp and away from the violence, he could. His head felt clearer than it had in days and he could think again, and his thoughts raced. He needed to see Crowflower. Needed to talk to him about what was happening and about-- about the crazy idea he had, this insane, suicidal idea...

It wasn't long before they arrived, Finchpaw lagging behind as his paws were slowed by his busy mind. But he quickened his pace to catch up with Brightnose and caught Crowflower's question just in time.

He grinned and stepped out from the shadows, truly, sincerely excited to see his friend-- a full medicine cat now. Finchpaw was old enough to be one surely, but Brightnose was strong and healthy and so he was stuck in his pseudo apprenticeship, though his knowledge of herbs was now as vast as his mentor's. He did not envy Crowflower (or Storkflower for that matter) his position however; he was quite content to study under Brightnose and be free from the heavy responsibility of full medicine cat.

But he was proud of his friend nonetheless and it shined on his face as he came forward. "Well what do you think, you big dolt?" Finchpaw purred and cuffed Crowflower on the ear affectionately. "This is a medicine cat meeting and while I may not be a full medicine cat yet-- how you beat me I'll never know-- I still know a thing or two about herbs."

Then in a quieter voice, he murmured to his friend, "We have much to talk about. It's been a while." And Finchpaw's eyes relayed the urgency of this statement, a silent asking for help.

[/size]

[Glowy]

"Yes, Cinderpaw, you would be correct. I'm Crowflower." The muscular tom chuckled, pleased to see her energy. She would be a welcome addition to their league of medicine cats when the time came. "You'll have a great time learning all about herbs and healing and all the good stuff in the world. And I can't think of a cat better suited to teach you." He smiled at Storkflower in what was most likely a vain attempt to offer a little encouragement, but nothing ever happened unless you tried, right? Crowflower nearly jumped out of his pelt when his friend snuck up behind him and gave him an affectionate cuff on the ear. He'd just stepped out of the shadows, decided to talk out of nowhere, and then hit him! It was mildly reminiscent of the time where Crowflower had done a stake-out at the PineClan-FogClan border for the sole purpose of talking to his friend. Yep, those had been good times. Still, once he got over the initial shock, he was quite happy to see his friend. A broad smile found its way to his face, and he was transformed into his old self again. That bright, smiling, flower-giving cat was, for some reason he couldn't pin down, slipping away. Perhaps it was his newly found isolation, the responsibility of being PineClan's only medical professional, or maybe it was something else entirely. Yeah, something like worrying about Finchpaw in his crazy clan. That would do it, for sure. "Well, I just didn't see you. That's all. But I'm glad you're here, my friend." He hoped that Finchpaw could detect the depth of his happiness at seeing his only friend. He got along well enough with his clanmates, but there wasn't anybody that he considered to be his friend. Not even Juncopaw, since they barely knew each other, was a friend of his. Perhaps he was too harsh, or expected too much out of friendship, but he always had been the idealist. That wasn't important right now, though. So he nuzzled his head into his friend's neck and let his mind stop working for a few heartbeats. It was nice- he decided he ought to do that more often. "I'm here. Whatever you need," he replied in that same muted tone, barely a whisper. He slowed his pace, falling further behind the other medicine cats. "I've just got a thorn in my paw. You all go on without me, I'll catch up," he called to the other three cats up ahead while examining his paw for show. Hopefully that would buy Finchpaw and himself a little bit of time. The journey to the Moonglade didn't last half as long as anybody would expect it to, and it was imperative that he and Finchpaw got as much time to talk as possible. [bg=5f8219][atrb=width,469,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Pyro]

Storkflower allowed himself a smile. Cinderpaw's energy was, in a manner of speaking, contagious. He recalled when he had been wide-eyed and innocent, which really...wasn't so long ago. Then again, hadn't his father said once that there came a time when you had to grow up and grow up fast? The medicine cat shivered a little. His father probably hadn't meant becoming medicine cat to what he would consider nothing less than a blasphemous bunch of heretics. His gaze hardened as he mentally shook away thoughts of his father. He was beyond done thinking about what that piece of foxdung thought. He'd been right though. There most certainly were times where you had to put your big boy pants on and soldier forth. Owait, Crowflower was talking. "I see you've already found yourself an apprentice? Congratulations!" "Thank you. She bounced right into the den, wouldn'tcha know? Cinderpaw's a pawful but..." he looked down, smiling a little again. "I think she'll be a good medicine cat when the time comes...and hopefully that time won't come as soon as our's did, eh?" Then and every time since. Cinderpaw was quite literally a ball of energy with fur and a mouth. At least she was eager. Eager pupils probably learned quicker than if they weren't. Her brand of eagerness, though, was a bit overbearing at times, and the old Storkflower in him cringed as she all but danced around his colleague. Hoping to distance himself from what could turn into a very awkward situation for him, he started to continue on toward the Moonglade. He was stopped, however, by another voice--Brightnose. And boy did she seem...chipper...about something. The tom turned around again, a somewhat confused look on his face. "I did not know you had an apprentice; StarClan bless you for finding one so quickly." "Ahaha, yes. A blessing." Because it was so totally an awesome idea for them to give him an apprentice when he was just barely out of his own apprenticeship. "You'd know more about that than me, I suppose." Ugh. He just wanted to go to the Moonglade and get this shindig over with. Maybe he'd just take a nap when he got there. Might makes things go quicker than if he had to share a dream with StarClan. But oh darn, what if Cinderpaw something and needed his help deciphering it? He'd probably be able to help her better if he had seen it himself. "If you have....questions of a sensitive nature, I may be able to answer, at least in part." The forces of the universe were intent on making this a very long meeting weren't they? What sensitive questions would he have to ask Brightonse? Other than could they get a damn move on? His eyes drifted upward t stare irritably at the stars above. Sensitive. Sensitive. Sensitive. He was brought back, once again, to the conversation he had had with her at the border. Hadn't she said something along the lines of FogClan not being as it appeared? Well. It appeared to be a clan of wackos and extremists. Maybe it was really a clan of daisies. On a more serious note, he'd never gotten a very good vibe from Miststar. And Volepelt? He might as well be a stone statue at the gatherings. Storkflower was inclined to trust his instincts when it came to judging cats. And the two of them seemed like a bad pair to have about. But what concern was that of Streamclan's? Unless FogClan had plans to invade, Storkflower couldn't see anyway that the state of FogClan could become his business. He barely had any friends in StreamClan let alone any of the other clans. Sure, he knew Brightnose and Finchpaw... but the three of them could hardly be called the 'three musketeers'. FogClan could fall to the ground tomorrow, and while it would be a tragedy, Storkflower didn't have enough emotional stock in that particular clan to even begin to give a damn. Still. It couldn't hurt to humor Brightnose. If she wanted to talk, then it was best to let her. "Questions, yes. But perhaps they can wait until after we visit StarClan? I didn't hike all the way up here to shoot the breeze, so I'd like to get this over with before anything else. If you don't mind?" Speaking [bg=f9fdd9][atrb=width,467,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Whiskers [Archive]]

Crowflower was different.

The last time Finchpaw had seen him, Crowflower had been Crowpaw, the happy-go-lucky, pure-hearted tom with eyes much too wise for his face, and a soul much too kind for this world. Finchpaw had often enjoyed his lazy afternoons with Crowflower, talking about whatever, whether it was important or nonsense. No matter the topic of conversation, those times has filled Finchpaw with energy and vibrancy. Similar to Frostpaw, Crowflower always had the ability to challenge Finchpaw. But they were different in that Crowflower acted more like a sun-- illuminating thoughts-- while Frostpaw chased them out from where they were hiding.

But the friend that talked with him about nothing, the friend that dropped him forget-me-nots and laughed and brought him joy-- that friend was not here today. Finchpaw could tell just by Crowflower's muted eyes and smile. He was tired, any cat with eyes could see that. And while Finchpaw could tell there was sincerity in his tone and his words, Finchpaw longed for...more. For his old Crowpaw, to bounce up and down or smile with all his teeth, words spilling out of him like sunshine.

For a moment, though, his friend returned, as Crowflower moved forward and nuzzled him softly. Finchpaw nuzzled back, his heart warming. He really had missed Crowflower. When his friend pulled away and quickly made up an excuse to lag behind, Finchpaw eagerly took the offer to do the same.

"I'll help him get it out-- hard to pull a thorn out of your own paw. We'll be but a moment," he told the rest of the medicine cats, making brief eye contact with his mentor, almost asking her permission, though he would act either way. Ducking his head to the medicine cats in respect, he turned back to his friend, huddling close to him and pretending to inspect Crowflower's paw, until the others were far enough away.

His eyes flicked up from Crowflower's paw, amber eyes meeting green. All the thoughts that had been building up inside him for the past few moons bubbled up from his stomach and came tumbling out, in a fevered murmur that lacked his usual thoughtfulness and care. Instead, his words were urgent and rambling-- and scared.

"Fogclan is falling apart, Crowflower. It's...it's insane. It's all so insane. The kits are locked up in the nursery, apprentices are treated as though they're lower than dirt-- and the injuries," Finchpaw's breath hitched and died as the images of those poor cats flew into his head. " No one can speak a word against Volepelt or they're punished severely and...and I'm not allowed to heal anyone anymore," he blinked desperately. "I-- I need your help, Crowflower. More than ever."

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[Glowy]

Poor, poor Finchpaw. Oh, Crowflower's heart went out to his friend, his dearest, only friend. He wanted to comfort him, but Finchpaw seemed to desperate and so hurt that he knew not how. His friend's eyes burned- not with passion, as goes the cliché, but with pain. Yes, a pain so fierce that it threatened to ravage his heart and burn all that was left good, green, and alive. Then his heart would be the color of Crowflower's fur, and the world would be less bright because a blackened heart has no room for friendship, light, or love. Crowflower wanted to stop the fire right then and there. He wanted to so, so badly, but for once he was at a loss. To prevent a healer from healing? That was... disgusting. It was infuriating. Oh, it made his blood boil! If Miststar had been bad, Volepelt was already a million times worse. Volepelt was small and flighty- if Crowflower had the mind and the heart, he could crush him like a rotten juniper berry beneath his paws and bring an end to FogClan's evil reign once and for all. Unfortunately, that would require digging up all the seeds, too, and Crowflower just couldn't bring that much pain to anything, not even if it was evil and wrong. Sometimes all you can do is let the poison or the infection run its course, ravage the body, so that it can mend and be strengthened. Oh, but how he wished he could call forth the hosts of his clan and smite Volepelt and the Council from the face of the earth! He would do anything to help Finchpaw. Anything at all. "Hey, it's okay," he murmured, looking his friend in the eye. "No matter how hard Evil works to try and take over and destroy, it will never win, not in the end. We see it every time that we save a patient's life, yeah? And don't you dare try and throw out the 'oh, sometimes they die though' argument, because you know what? If they die, they'll be happier not being in pain, so even when Evil takes someone away, it's still a loss on its part!" Crowflower pressed his side against Finchpaw's, trying to be a comforting presence. Kits always buried themselves into their mothers when they were scared, and the way he figured it, that basic need of physical contact when one was fearful did not diminish with age. And Finchpaw was afraid. He reeked of it, his eyes screamed it. "What's going on in your clan isn't right, though. Volepelt... I never had a good feeling about him. That's disgusting. Has he no feeling at all?" Crowflower's claws dug into the ground and his jaw clenched tight. Volepelt was hurting his friend. That, more than anything else, was NOT. OKAY. No, sir, it was NOT! "What do you want me to do to help, Finchpaw? I'll do anything I can." Oh, yes, he meant it. There could be no question about that. His face was grim, intense, and his voice was even more so. There was no time to play games and talk about the clouds and butterflies and beauty of flowers now. Something needed to be done. Finchpaw needed him. And he was going to be there, even if he had to bring down the entire sky to do it. [bg=5f8219][atrb=width,469,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[ambird]

"I see you've already found yourself an apprentice? Congratulations!" "Thank you. She bounced right into the den, wouldn'tcha know? Cinderpaw's a pawful but..." he looked down, smiling a little again. "I think she'll be a good medicine cat when the time comes...and hopefully that time won't come as soon as our's did, eh?" Cinderpaw's eyes gleamed at how they were talking about her. It was amazing, while warriors saw achievements gained by learning to fight, she was being praised by just being good at less...outrageous things. Herb sorting, learning to heal. Cinderpaw understood that the warrior's were the protectors of the Clan, but after her short time as a warrior apprentice, she wondered how much good they really did. It was all perspective, of course. As soon as something life threatening to the entire Clan occurred, she assumed she'd see what made them the lifeblood of the Clan. "If you have....questions of a sensitive nature, I may be able to answer, at least in part." Brightnose made a hinted comment, obviously by how Storkflower had picked up on what she was saying. Cinderpaw, however, was baffled. What could she be worried about? Her entire Clan had this creepy obsession with Starclan. Surely that didn't mean anything was wrong? Or....wait, Fogclan was the crazy ones, right? Oh, great Starclan! Could this she-cat be crazy too? Didn't seem like it. It was funny, the only sane ones being like....the medicine cat? Odd. Ooh! Finchpaw was the medicine cat apprentice, what was his take on everything? Cinderpaw, being Cinderpaw, of course had to figure this puzzle out. "I've just got a thorn in my paw. You all go on without me, I'll catch up," Crowflower and Finchpaw lagged behind. Would anyone notice if the...second apprentice was not there, as well? Most likely, but she could make up some sort of excuse. Maybe. With a gulp she realized she was a horrible liar. Oh well, if the time ever came, she could....well, that was later. Quietly, Cinderpaw decided to hide behind a bush close to the Moonglade, but still where she could hear anything those two were saying. She hadn't thought of the possibility of those two finding her eavesdropping...gulp. "Fogclan is falling apart, Crowflower. It's...it's insane. It's all so insane. The kits are locked up in the nursery, apprentices are treated as though they're lower than dirt-- and the injuries," They were the crazy ones! Cinderpaw had heard enough. Those...those monsters! Apprentices as dirt? How? Why? They become warriors! And from what every cat had told her about Clan life, warriors were so very crucial to Clan life. You couldn't have warriors without them. Otherwise, all current warriors would be come crazy old-farts! The different Clan philosophies were.....unnatural. One wanted one thing, another wanted another. This was kind of annoying. If they all just thought about it, they wanted the same thing. Their Clan safe. Why were those kind of things difficult? [bg=2f1e0e][atrb=width,500,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Rolo]

STAFF NOTE!

This thread has been temporarily locked. Temporary DON'T WORRY, CHILLAX.

Before I start, no one is angry or being stern or whatever right now. Please don't read this post in a 'OMG WE'RE BEING TOLD OFFFFF' way. If you're having difficulty remembering this, please imagine my face looks like this:



This has been posted publically because I know it'll be asked about by everyone if it's dealt with privately, so we'll tell you all now.

This rp has been very fun so far and it's obvious it's a busy and important thread, and I'm aware that a lot of you have had fun in OOC discussing Crowfeather and Finchpaw's relationship. I've enjoyed these convos as much as you have, however the staff believe a line has been crossed when it comes to OOC and IC overlap. Cinderpaw's 'revelation', based upon the evidence of it in the rp (she saw cats confiding, which isn't a blatant sign of a relationship) and the situation they're in (the cats are medicine cats on the holiest night), inappropriate and doesn't entirely make sense. Looking at it logically, it's very out of the blue.

Glowy has said that she feels uncomfortable with such a blatant reference to the pairing in rp. Although she's perfectly ok with crack pairings OOC and talking about it there, she chooses not to make it a reality in character through personal preference. She does not want to spoil anyone's fun out of character and she is 100% fine with it there, but does not want the OOC ramblings to spill onto IC. She respectfully asks for this blatant in character reference to the pairing to be removed (which would be sensible to keep in mind for future posts), which is her right as the character is hers.

No one is upset, no one is angry and no blame is placed Glowy understands the situation, and no guilt should be felt, but let's just fix this up and get this rp back on track.

Amber, do not be upset or feel guilty, there's no need . Please remove all heavy hints to CrowxFinch from your post (including 'Could they be more than that? GASP!). You're free to add whatever you like there in it's place.

This thread will remain locked until a moderator/admin has seen the post changed and finds it suitable to unlock (please prod one when it's done). Sorry for the interjection, but we need to respect the wishes of every member

[Cloudbat]

Evidently, no one cared. Brightnose felt disappointed before she reminded herself that why should they? It wasn't their Clan. It was her problem. No one cared. It didn't matter. No one cares, Sunny...you cared so much more for your plants than us, freak... And now she reaped her reward. "I'm fine." She'd answered Crowflower as warmly as possible, lying as much as she could. "He should be along shortly." She gestured with her paw to the ginger and white apprentice a few fox-lengths back. Ah, so Storkflower's apprentice was called Cinderpaw. "Indeed, my dear. I am Brightnose." She managed a true, small smile as she gazed at the little gray tabby. She seemed enthusiastic, which was good. More than Finchpaw was... Think of the devil and he appeared. Up came her apprentice, happier than she'd seen him in moons (who could blame him?) to see his large black friend. Brightnose felt a small pang of jealousy as she looked at him, bitter jealousy laced with sorrow. She had never had that...never let herself dream anyone could like her... But she quickly set her face back to neutral as Crowflower spoke to Cinderpaw, and though she still felt those hated emotions, she grinned faintly. The little StreamClanner did seem enthusiastic. Hmm, Crowflower had a thorn in his paw. But Storkflower seemed happy too, so that was...satisfactory. She tried to avoid feeling-words. This was no time to wallow in her own stupid emotions. Wait! He was...sort of...paying attention to her offer. Was he? No. Obviously he was just trying to humor her, which made her irritated. She didn't need to be humored like some fanciful kit. If no one cared, fine. They shouldn't anyway... "Naturally, Storkflower. Forgive an old she-cat's foolish fancies. Ignore me; I don't know what I'm saying." She pasted an apologetic look on her face. She wasn't that old, but he had a point. I'm so stupid, the calico thought. Oh, and Finchpaw just had to help Crowflower, didn't he? The PineClanner was a fully qualified medicine cat, he should know how to pull out a thorn. She prevented herself from raising an eyebrow as her apprentice made his excuse and dropped back. She kept walking, and though she couldn't make out the words, she could hear them talking in low murmurs, and she could guess what about. Oh, so her apprentice was good enough to ask for information, but not her? Oh, why did she care anyway? Because of said apprentice who'd cracked open her mind...she still couldn't decide if she loved him or hated him for it. To get her mind off things, the calico entered upon a happier topic. "So, Storkflower, how's the watermint in StreamClan? The mist helps nurture it in FogClan, but how does it grow in your territory with a direct source? Is it better in fast-running water or stagnant sources?" And...why had Cinderpaw mysteriously disappeared as well as the other two? [bg=090806][atrb=width,469,true] [atrb=border,0,true]