To Meet the Stars (Tagged)

[Lionhearted]

Tagged: Phantomspirit

The pale white-and-ginger tom stepped gingerly from the warriors' den, and made his way to the medicine den. He sniffed through the herbs, and picked out the ones for travelling; they would be eating those for their trip. 

"Wolfpaw," he said gravelly as he made his way to the apprentices' den, "it's time for the trip to the Skyfield. It's an all-day trip, and we'll be meeting StarClan tonight. I hope you're ready."

(ooc: I'll be having a StarClan cat of mine talk to her ^^)

[Phantomspirit]

Wolfpaws eyes fluttered open at her mentor's words. She looked up in confusion. "Wait, /the/ Starclan? My mother used to tell me stories about it, but, I never imagined it to be real..." She stood up and padded to her mentor, "I am ready to meet them though..." Her paws prickled in anticipation.

[Lionhearted]

Thrushleap nodded, impatient to get the journey started. "It'll be an all-day trip along the way, and we'll have to pass through StormClan territory, and then follow the river up to the Skyfield," he said, more to himself than to Wolfpaw. "We could, of course, go through the Fields, but it's more safe to go onto Clan territory, even an enemy's knowing that there's cats, at least, to protect the two of us on this sacred mission.

"Before we start, however, do you have any questions?"

[Phantomspirit]

"Hmmm, nope." Wolfpaw answered. She noticed the impatient look in her mentors eyes and began to pad out of the den entrance. She looked back over her shoulder and, gesturing to the herbs in her mentors mouth, asked, "I'm guessing that I'll need to eat some of those plants, right?"

[Lionhearted]

"Yes," said Thrushleap, showing her which ones to eat. "I've already eaten mine, they'll prevent you from getting hungry- we're not allowed to eat anything but these on the journey." The ginger-and-white tom took the lead, walking out of the territory. "Halt. We're about to cross StormClan land. I just want to wait for a patrol so I can tell them."

A while later, a white tom and a small white-and-black-spotted she-cat emerged from the woods.

"All well, Thrushleap?" asked the older tom, Hailfeather, eyeing the deputy lazily.

"Fine, Hailfeather," replied Thrushleap crisply, "this is Wolfpaw, my apprentice."

"This is my daughter, Havenpaw," Hailfeather introduced, nudging the small black-and-white she-cat forward. "And what are you up to today?"

"We're going to see the Skyfield, so we need to pass through," said Thrushleap, and instantly, he wished he could reword it. Hailfeather was not a trusting type; the white tom's eyes narrowed immediately.

"A likely story," he snapped, turning to Wolfpaw. "How old are you?"

[Phantomspirit]

Wolfpaw's eyes went wide. "A-almost eight moons, H-hailfeather!" she nervously squeaked. She shivered and stood up straight to face the Stormclan cat. This was her first time meeting a cat from a different clan, and she was pretty nervous considering that she felt nervous enough in her own clan's territory...

[Lionhearted]

Hailfeather looked upon Wolfpaw haughtily. "Huh. Quite young to be meeting StarClan, but Thrushleap knows best..." his gaze switched to the deputy, who stared back, unblinking. Havenpaw shifted nervously beside her father, and gave Wolfpaw a tentative and polite smile. "My daughter is fifteen moons," he drawled at the two of them, for no particular reason. "I do hope they do not have the misfortune of meeting in battle one day." he said darkly. "but if they do, we'll see who's trained better, hm?" Nodding with a jerk of his head, he stepped aside, pushing Havenpaw as he did so, and causing her to stumble. Thrushleap nodded silently to the white tom, and gestured for Wolfpaw to follow.

Once he was out of earshot, he muttered, "cheeky fox-face. We'll see who is the better teacher- Havenpaw isn't even his apprentice! Wolfpaw? Wolfpaw! Come here. Now, we'll be needing to-"

Just then, an escaped house dog sprang out of the bushes, its large teeth gleaming in the sunlight. Thrushleap screeched as it jumped onto him, and the dog growled, grabbing the ginger-and-white tom with its teeth, as if he was a rag doll.

[Phantomspirit]

Wolfpaw, who had froze at the sight of the dog, her eyes wide and scared. The dog was shaking her mentor by the scruff of his neck. Memories of her mother's death flashed across her vision. She shook them away when she saw the blood on the ground. The white she-cat's blue eyes narrowed, and she ran forward to rake her claws across the dogs black hide. It yelped, dropping a stunned Thrushleap to the ground, and turned towards her, baring its yellow teeth. She backed away, but was cornered by a small oak sapling that was too short and skinny to climb. Thick bushes were to her left and right, blocking any sort of escape. The dog had filled up the only exit, still glowering at her. Thrushleap's blood dripped from it's mouth like slowly falling raindrops. The young apprentice hissed and slashed it across the muzzle. This only proved to make the persistent mutt angrier, for it pounced straight at her.

Wolfpaw yelped and leaped towards the side, pressing herself against the prickly bushes. The dog crashed into the sapling, bringing the tree down to the ground with it. Wolfpaw took this opportunity to rush to the side of her mentor. She placed her black paws on her mentor's chest and shook him, "Thrushleap!" she pleaded, pressing down once more. The barking of the dog interrupted her, and she looked up to see the dog coming at her again. She ran, but it was faster. It tackled and pinned her to the ground, preparing to make a finishing bite. Wolfpaw closed her eyes, and a single thought crossed her mind

At least I'll die a warrior's death... Fighting for my clanmate...

Ooc: No, I'm not killing her...

[Lionhearted]

Thrushleap leapt onto the dog, and pried it off of Wolfpaw. The wolf turned on Thrushleap, and pinned him down as well. Shielding his face with one paw, he slashed viciously at it with the other.

Suddenly, a powerful paw forced the dog off of the deputy. Hailfeather's smirk hovered above Thrushleap as Havenpaw hissed and leapt at the dog, clawing its eyes. Beaten, it howled once, and crashed through the bushes, pelting back to its Twolegs.

"Well, well," sneered Hailfeather. "So, the great Thrushleap couldn't face-"

"Shut up," Thrushleap scowled, "it took me by surprise. I'm not perfect," he added hastily, extending a paw to help Wolfpaw. Havenpaw leaned against her father's side, panting.

"Sit up straight," he snapped at her, and she instantly straightened, though still visibly battered. "Best be on your way then, old Thrushy."

Rolling his eyes, Thrushleap gestured to Wolfpaw. "Let's get out of here. Who knows what other fox-dung lies in StormClan territory?" Feeling Hailfeather's sardonic smile burning through the back of his head, Thrushleap raised his chin high and padded away. "It's going to be a long trip," he warned, "but we'll need to make it in one day. Do you have any questions about StarClan?"

[Phantomspirit]

Wolfpaw slightly limped after her mentor, but straightened herself a moment later, "N-no, I'm good..." she answered. She was a bit flustered that no one had seen her fight with the vicious dog, but got over it. The only thing that mattered was that Thrushleap and herself had escaped safely...

[Lionhearted]

Tagged: Phantomspirit

Thrushleap nodded curtly. "Right," he said stiffly, and flicked his tail, beckoning for Wolfpaw to come. Looking back with narrowed eyes, he said, "if you need to rest, just shout. but we're going through the Fields, and it's always necessary to take caution. Passing warriors know not to disturb us, but in the case of out-of-Clan cats and predators..." frowning, he looked ahead. "but we're almost there. We'd better hurry."

-AT THE SKYFIELD-

Thrushleap lead his apprentice to the pond. "This is the Skyfield," he announced gravelly. "D'you see that large, white crystal up ahead? That's how we communicate with StarClan. Touch your nose to the crystal, and you'll meet your ancestors..." stalking across the grass, he laid down and touched his own nose to the holy rock, and closed his eyes.

[Phantomspirit]

Wolfpaw nodded, and walked up to the stone to copy her mentor's actions. Her vision was taken over by darkness, and a gust of cold wind seeped through her white and black fur. Her eyes opened, and the young apprentice saw herself standing in a starry forest. There was the small of many cats, yet it also had a good smelling scent as well. She looked around with wonder at the strange new world around her.

[Lionhearted]

A chocolate-brown tom stepped out of the misty swirl. "Greetings," he said in a deep voice. "My name is Fallen-night. I was once a SunsetClan warrior, but I watch over all the Clans now. You are Wolfpaw." It wasn't a question. Tilting his head, he looked into Wolfpaw's eyes. "Times are getting dark," he said in a cryptic voice, "you just know who the enemy is, Wolfpaw."

"Hello, you two," said another voice. A smaller cat, no older than Wolfpaw, slid out of the bushes. This cat was brown-and-white. Brushing up against Fallen-night in greeting, the smaller tom peered up at Wolfpaw (who was taller) with an unblinking gaze. "I am Ferretpaw, and I also walk among the stars. Watch your Clanmates, Wolfpaw. Stick with the right cats."

[Phantomspirit]

Wolfpaw flicked her ears in confusion, "I-It's wonderful to meet you both, and, I will help my clan through whatever's coming, no matter the stakes." She blinked her blue eyes at the two Starclan cats, "I may not be from the clans, but I want to be a loyal warrior in the future." She sat down with defiance, "That's a promise. I don't know who it is that will turn to this "Dark Side" but I know that I will stay with the right path..."

[Lionhearted]

"Right," Fallen-night said, flicking his ears. Leaning forward, his green eyes glistened. Ferretpaw looked on with mild interest, still a beginner at prophecies. "Don't forget," he said in a hushed voice. "And now... wake up. We will visit you when we need to."

-Morning-

Thrushleap's head spun as his eyes opened. StarClan had warned him of something... his mother had come to remind him of his true loyalties. It's WhisperClan, duh, he thought, irritated. Standing up, he waited for Wolfpaw to wake up.

(ooc: I will make the thread for the final assessment. After that, please PM me with the thread of two patrols, if you want to finish this. Thrushleap does not need to be on the patrols.)