Asking For Advice (Tagged)

[Lionhearted]

Tagged: Midnight

The ginger-and-white deputy made a circle around the camp, giving each den a quick peek to make sure everything was in order. Thrushleap had planned to go to StarClan to ask for some help; Cedarpaw was strangely idle, as was Fangstar; so far, Thrushleap didn't have the time nor comfort to pry. He wished Frostberry, the darn tom, wouldn't wake up to find the deputy missing, and somehow usurp the Clan. He gave a small sigh, gazed at his Clan once more, and headed out.

It was a clear night, and the stars seemed to shine cheerfully. He paused, recalling the path in his head briefly. He traversed the tall grass, and raced up the slope, relishing the breeze blowing against his fur. He stopped, and slunk along the border, disappearing into the bushes, but having to cross StormClan territory nonetheless. but it would've been better if no one saw him at all; he still had to keep WhisperClan looking strong. This was going to be a secret trip.

Following the river, he walked on, determined not to hunt. He had not wanted to chew up the travelling herbs without Cedarpaw's consent and guidance. His stomach rumbled, but he pushed on silently, now out of Clan territory. He stopped to drink and rest, his eyes sliding a bit. It was, at regular pace, a day's trip; however, he had walked and ran, and he could tell that he was almost there.

+++

The Skyfield was up ahead, and the large crystal's light illuminated the grass within a 20-yard radius, bathing them in a sort of holy light. Thrushleap swallowed, and headed quickly towards the center.

The crystal still have him a bit of fear. It was just a rock; but at the same time, it wasn't as simple as that. The crystal held thr connection between the living and dead. It was the link to the stars. He could already feel the powerful pull, and his eye lids willingly drooped. He almost stumbled towards the crystal, collapsed on the side of it, his energy spent. He closed his eyes, and a while later, opened them...

[Midnight]

Ah, a Clan cat. It had been a while since she'd seen one of those. Silverstar stretched slowly, making sure each claw was prepared for the possibility of a fight breaking out. Ooh, what fun this would be! Should she try to trick this cat into thinking she was a StarClanner, or tell them who she really was?

Eh, what was the point in hiding? Silverstar had never been one for beating around the bush anyway.

Silverstar broke from the woods in a trot, ears perked, whiskers turned outward. "Hello there," she purred smoothly, leaning toward the cat, whose scent indicated that they were a tom, and tried to touch her nose against his. She then backed away a few paces and sat down, wrapping her tail neatly over her paws. "It's interesting that you're here, because I don't think you're supposed to be in this place. You're definitely not an apprentice, and that leaves ... leader, maybe? Medicine cat?" Silverstar commented, tilting her head to the side and blinking in confusion. He was meant to be here, though. She'd called him here. StarClan stopped listening, stopped watching, and in that moment, Silverstar switched the tom's path toward the Dark Forest, and his spirit apparently took it.

(Hope that last sentence is okay? I never understood how Mapleshade, for example, was able to sneak into Crookedpaw's dreams, so this is kind of my interpretation.)

[Lionhearted]

Tagged: Midnight [Silverstar]

When the silver she-cat appeared before him, he was jolted by sudden flashbacks of nursery tales told by the elders. This cat was hauntingly familiar in her appearance, but he couldn't place her name.

"Hello there," she said, moving forward immediately. He resisted the urge to wince afterwards when she padded forward and almost forcefully pressed her nose upon his. "It's interesting that you're here, because I don't think you're supposed to be in this place. You're definitely not an apprentice, and that leaves... leader, maybe? Medicine cat?" 

At once, Thrushleap frowned. What StarClan cat didn't know who came and went? They were watching all the time, right? And why would this cat jump all the way, as she correctly assumed he wasn't an apprentice, to him being a leader, instead of a warrior, or deputy? Could he trust this cat, and assume she was from StarClan? She was walking in his dreams, right? If she wasn't from StarClan, then where was she from...?

"I-I'm Thrushleap. I came here to talk to StarClan. You didn't see me make the trip?" he asked, frowning. He had bad vibes about this, and trepidation was making his fur spike. Shivering, he instinctively took a step back, and gasped immediately. He wasn't in StarClan. And this she-cat wasn't a StarClan cat, either. She'd drawn him into her, forced him to look at her, to focus on her. Now, his gaze broke, and he looked around, eyes wide with horror. The trees around them were dark and rotting, smelling of death. This was the Dark Forest. And her name fell into place. "Silverstar!" he said in a suffocating gasp, as if he had been plunged into ice water. "H-how did you...? No! I'm supposed to be in StarClan!" his claws unsheathed themselves, and he snarled at her, his legs far apart in a defensive, hunched position. "Let me out!" 


OOC: That's okay. I guess a Dark Forester's soul/spirit can sort of invade a living cat's, and I guess StarClan would do the same. 

I'm also assuming that the setting is the Dark Forest?

[Midnight]

(Yeah, this is the Dark Forest. c:)

Silverstar opened her mouth to remind the tom of her words: "I don't think you're supposed to be in this place", but he gasped, and she broke into a purr again. "It's been a while since someone has said my name with such direct fear," she said, a chill rolling down her spine. "I miss it, in fact." The she-cat's gaze flicked up toward the dark trees above for a moment. The days where she led LeafClan were long gone, and a pang of nostalgia hit Silverstar. The old she-cat's nose twitched as she took in the tom's scent a little more. He smelled of flowers. WhisperClan? "Tell me, is Fangstar still alive? And what of TalonClan? Oh, please tell me that TalonClan got destroyed. That thing was an abomination, a disgrace to the real Clans," Silverstar growled, lashing her tail.

Oh, look he was prepared to fight. Silverstar snorted and flicked an ear. What was he going to do, kill her? "Everything happens for a reason. You're a WhisperClanner, right? Let's see... last I heard, your Clan was without a medicine cat. Have you considered the fact that StarClan has abandoned you? Your Clan's medicine cat disappeared, and he was only an apprentice himself. What does that say to you? If WhisperClan is meant to survive, then surely StarClan would've sent your leader a sign, rather than forcing you to come to the Skyfield. Look where you ended up. StarClan did not answer your call, and so I did. If they really cared, would this have happened?" Silverstar meowed casually, circling the tom with her tail high in the air, a gentle purr rumbling in her throat. "Come now, look into your heart and think about it: your warrior ancestors are giving you the silent treatment, are they not? Have they ever done so before? They're betraying you, abandoning you. Why do you look like you want to attack me when I'm the one who answered to you in your time of need? How do you know that the Dark Forest is all bad? Is it because StarClan, the very group of cats who left WhisperClan without any healer, told you so? Hmph. Those are not the ancestors I would worship," Silverstar finished, sitting back down in front of the tom.

[Lionhearted]

Tagged: Midnight [Silverstar]

Thrushleap growled again, but he could not help taking Silverstar's words into consideration. What if she was right? What if StarClan had abandoned them?

She was circling him, and he felt like a trapped piece of prey. What could he do? Run? No, he would definitely lose. He was a living cat, and he had an energy limit. Silverstar, on the other paw... he shuddered. Plus, he risked getting lost in the Dark Forest, and then his soul would be trapped there forever. He would be as good as dead.

So he remained planted in the ground, his claws out, but refusing to dig into the soft, rotting ground.

"How do you know the Dark Forest is all bad? It is because StarClan, the very group that left you without a medicine cat, told you so? Hmph. Those are not the ancestors I would worship." She sat down, and he whirled about to face her. His eyes had unconsciously widened when he listened, giving away the fact that he had actually thought about her speech.

"The first Clans did not have a medicine cat until the right cat came along," he responded with a scowl. "StarClan will sent a medicine cat soon. It is just that none of our warriors have the potential yet," he added, realizing how weak his response was. "Also, it's not like they don't make mistakes. They've offered us endless moons of guidance and wisdom, and what do you Foresters do? Sit around wallowing in your own despair and trying to plot the revenge that will never come. If you were so great, then why don't you start by sending us a medicine cat?" The young tom had to close his eyes momentarily to stop the panic that was starting to overwhelm him. He rocked on his paws, glaring at Silverstar.

"Why exactly did you come here?" growled Thrushleap. "To try and tell me something I won't even listen to?" This was a lie. He had known it was one the moment it tumbled out of his blabbering mouth. The words of the thought bubbled up, and it slipped his mind's defenses at last:

What if she's right?

OOC: Let me know if you don't like being tagged everytime :3

[Midnight]

Silverstar glanced up during her wash for a split second to see that the tom's eyes were wider than before. He was buying it, then. Classic Clan cat: you tell them anything and they'll believe it, no matter how ridiculous it sounds from an outside point of view. You tell someone that their way of life has been wrong the whole time, that they'd been taught incorrectly from the start, and most were bound to question it. He couldn't have been the most confident cat if something as little as Silverstar's speech had the ability to persuade him. but then, hadn't most cats followed her when she was leading LeafClan? Some cats were just too easy to influence.

"Mistakes? This is a medicine cat you're dealing with, not a warrior! Get the wrong medicine cat and your Clan is doomed. Get no medicine cat and your Clan is as good as dead. It's a fragile thing, yet look at how you're treating it! Leafbare is coming, is it not? What happens when your Clanmates get sick without anyone to heal them? And what's StarClan doing about it? Oh, right, ignoring you. I was a leader, and maybe most cats think I was a poor leader, but at least I knew what I had to do to keep my Clan alive," Silverstar spat, baring her teeth. Did this tom not understand anything? "You know, I've forgiven myself for the way I acted when I was alive. I regretted it for many moons when I came here, and I've since apologized, but StarClan refused to let me in. You make a few mistakes in life and you suffer with the consequences until you disappear. Never mind the idea of being forgiven. StarClan is much too snobby for that, yet they won't grant a medicine cat to a Clan in need. Normally, a full medicine cat would receive StarClan's blessing on their choice for an apprentice, but you have not even that, so how will you get an apprentice? If you get one, who will train them? StarClan. StarClan would train a medicine cat apprentice for a Clan that they cared about. It looks to me as though they do not wish to deal with WhisperClan any longer."

When he asked why Silverstar came and admitted his own stubbornness, she merely shook her head slowly, staring at his eyes.

[Lionhearted]

Tagged: Midnight [Silverstar]

Thrushleap knit his face into a snarl, waiting for more sass to come out of Silverstar's mouth. 

but it didn't come. Instead, she started ranting about how StarClan had rejected her. He almost laughed at her sudden outburst, but he bit back, and hid his smile by turning away briefly. It wasn't funny, really, but he found the sudden turn of emotions humorous. 

After a pause, he rolled his eyes, and shook his head. Did she think he was some mouse-brained kit who still was ignorant of the world? "You did what you had to do to keep your Clan alive. Okay," he said somewhat calmly. He did not even know what he was feeling at the moment, but his voice sounded controlled; even. "So you did. Congratulations on your part. but like you said, some cats didn't like it. There's many ways to lead a Clan, Silverstar; you just have to know which method both keeps your Clan alive and happy. Happy with you and with the Clan's health. 

"And you say you forgave yourself for what you did? Sure, you can do that. Sure. but the cats who hated you didn't forgive you. You know why? You haven't shown them your remorse. You haven't made amends with all the cats you harmed." He sniffed, frowning. I bet all Dark Forest cats 'forgive' themselves for what they do. It's their dumb excuse. "You've broken the code, and you didn't give your apologies for breaking it. You just kept them to yourselves- if you ever were apologetic in the first place!

"I also never said that being medicine cat would be so easy. That cat has to accept their fate as future healer first. but destiny isn't set in stone, Silverstar. Any cat in WhisperClan has a chance to change. And so did you. but you never took the chance, and look where you've ended. Drowning in your regret. If you had tried, then maybe StarClan would've let you in." 

OOC: When should we end this thread?

[Midnight]

"Forget about me!" Silverstar spat. "You have your own Clan and your own life to deal with! Why do you care so much about what I did? It's none of your business, really, so you should shut up and be happy that I told you anything, you ungrateful little..." Silverstar snapped her mouth shut. Her fur bristled and her claws itched, and Silverstar found herself desperately wishing for a release.

"You didn't bother listening to much of what I said about your medicine cat issues, I noticed. You were too focused on my actions in life to bother. Great. The Clans really need a cat like you around. Best of luck, you filthy WhisperClanner," Silverstar hissed after (mostly) calming down. She padded forward, spat on Thrushleap's face, and sauntered into the misty forest beyond.