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Post by berryjuice on Mar 26, 2021 7:12:36 GMT -5
Brightfrost looked up at Jasminefur. Her eyes bore into his as he tried to determine whether he was being sincere. There was something to his demeanor that felt different when he was just trying to prevent her Clanmates from attacking him. Was he impressed? She wanted to believe that was true.
She sighed heavily. “He’s always been like that. He listens about as much as the elders do- and he especially doesn’t like listening to me.”
She felt warm when Jasminefur called her brave. Courage was important to her; she always wanted others to see her as a brave, heroic cat. But coming from Jasminefur...she wasn’t sure why, but his kind words felt extra pleasant. Maybe it was because he was a cat who was blessed by StarClan, so she knew he was special. “...I’m glad someone thinks so.”
She watched him, thinking about how their destinies were intertwined. She knew there was a reason why StarClan had chosen him. “You’re pretty brave too, you know? I bet a lot of cats would be pretty nervous to be in an enemy camp.” She smiled wryly. “I’d like to see Paleheart do something like that without freaking out.”
--- Stoneheat walked alongside Autumneyes, a bit surprised that she didn’t seem concerned about the dogs. She knew that Autumneyes had probably had a paw in convincing Brightfrost not to run off to WindClan territory, so surely the medicine cat must be aware of the dangers- and a cat who hadn’t had much training in how to fight would be especially vulnerable. She kept very alert for any sign of the dogs, since it seemed the medicine cat was rather...preoccupied.
Herbs were an area that Stoneheart had very little knowledge in. She was more interested in causing wounds rather than healing them; she seldom visited the medicine cat den unless it was absolutely necessary. She trusted that Autumneyes knew where she was going and would be able to find the horsetail just fine, but it was important to know what part of the territory they would be in so that they would know what dangers they would have to be prepared for. “Where can we find horsetail?”
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Mar 31, 2021 7:26:00 GMT -5
Before she said this, Jasminefur could read that there was some sort of history between Brightfrost and the two tom-cats--though, it seemed clear that Paleheart was really the one that Brightfrost had a true rivalry with. He was the one who started their previous problem, and the one ready to fight Brightfrost. When she mentioned the cat had never liked listening to her at all, it wasn't shocking to Jasminefur.
Jasminefur blinked, staring back at her as she returned the same compliment back to him. What was she saying? He was brave for running away like a rabbit from a warrior? He was about to say just that when she joked at Paleheart's expense, and he let his own feelings of incompetence go in favor of having a moment of levity away from the other warrior's ears.
"It would be a laugh seeing him try to stay peaceful if he had needed our help," A half-spirited smile draped over his face, and he turned towards the nest made for him and daintily padded for it. "I wouldn't be able to stick up for him the way you have for me," he remarked honestly. "Not with his attitude."
---
Autumneyes quickly realized that she had neglected to explain where they were headed, and after realizing that, she took account of the fact that they were in the early paces of headed towards the WindClan-bordered side of the territory. "Mouse-brain..." She muttered almost silently to herself. "Right," she meowed more loudly. "We ought to head towards the other side of the territory," she remarked and turned to face to her right. "Horsetail might be a little more difficult to find, but we'll just have to look a little harder." She murmured quietly, setting off in that direction. She briefly described it to Stoneheart, though her irritation hadn't left her voice since she began speaking. "Do you understand? Surely you have seen the horses? Just...it looks quite similar to their tails."
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Post by berryjuice on Apr 1, 2021 7:00:58 GMT -5
Brightfrost considered Jasminefur’s words. She watched him settle into the nest. She supposed he was right; he was consistently rather passive. And she had often heard how cowardly WindClan cats were- though she had heard them called all sorts of things that didn’t always make sense with each other. Still...he was a StarClan-approved cat, and that must mean that he was something special. “Maybe you’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of.” He had to anyway- surely, it wouldn’t be long before they would have to face down the dogs.
She was quiet for a few moments as she thought about their linked paths. Surely he must know more than he was letting on, if he really was like her. And yet he had seemed so surprised and resistant when StarClan had sent their sign. For Brightfrost, she had been waiting for this sort of thing for her entire life; she couldn't remember a time before her mind was inundated with thoughts of prophecies and destiny and the like. “Haven’t you always known that you were special? Hasn’t StarClan talked to you in your dreams?”
---
Stoneheart walked beside Autumneyes, making sure that she was between the medicine cat and the direction of WindClan’s territory. “...I’m familiar with horses.” She narrowed her eyes at Autumneyes’ irritated tone. She was certainly the wrong cat to judge another for being unsociable, but this was out of character enough for the kind medicine cat that it aroused suspicion. “You’re agitated. Has StarClan sent a warning?” She glanced into the forest and pricked her ears, as if expecting dogs or enemy warriors or any other threat to leap out at them at any moment.
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Apr 8, 2021 18:27:57 GMT -5
Autumneyes gave a quiet huff when Stoneheart bluntly mentioned the state she was in. "They might as well have, if Brightfrost is guiding all of us. She'll dive headfirst into anything that tosses a pebble at her," It was unusually harsh for the medicine cat, likely Stoneheart's largest adversary in adminstering proper discipline to young Brightpaw when she got into continuous trouble.
Autumneyes sighed heavily as a slight pang of shame struck her almost immediately after she spoke that way about Brightfrost. Stoneheart wasn't known for warm displays of comfort affection and as a result Autumneyes was struggling to open up about anything to her. "I didn't mean that. Brightfrost is a good warrior," She murmured quietly as she padded on in the general direction of the ShadowClan border. "But she has a lot of pride, and won't let a single bad word go. If she is supposed to guide us, she is going to have to learn about humility, or we're all doomed to follow her to an early departure towards StarClan."
--- Jasminefur faced her as she ruminated about his potential whilst she thought about his StarClan-favored status. It was hard, even for him, to deny that had meant something. But he felt a prickle of irritation as Brightfrost insisted that he might be undervaluing himself. She had never known him--beyond the possible occassional scrap on their territories, though he doubt they had met one of the two times he was sent to skirmish.
The point was, she didn't know who he was--if only he could show her before all of this, how criticizing his lackluster abilities was half of WindClan's favorite sport after chasing rabbits and running. That would have been a much easier way to explain why her faith in him was misguided.
Jasminefur was ruminating on whether he should say something to further deny what she was saying, or if he should just wait for their future assignments to catch prey and the like. But his thoughts were interrupted by two questions he had never imagined he would hear.
His flat fur spiked up slightly as she asked if StarClan had ever bothered to give him their time of day. His eyes widened, and he almost looked...offended, as if it was an afront to their starry ancestors to suggest they would be in contact with him. "W-what? Talk to me in my dreams?" His mew was incredulous, dripping with his honest confusion at her question. "N-no! They'd sooner talk to a badger than me, and they've never done that!"
He was trying to collect his flabbergasted self to respond with a little less shock, but he realized her question was...extremely unusual for a warrior. Wasn't this something a medicine cat would say? Was Autumneyes speaking with Brightfrost about dreams, or was Starclan...?
He stared at her, tilting his head to the side with his mouth half open. "Is Autumneyes...talking to you about dreams, or something? Why would you think StarClan would be speaking with me?" Each word was a quiet murmur, filled with a mixture of disbelief, and more incredulousness as he was feeling relatively certain that what she had asked him wouldn't be coming from a normal cat. Still, there was the voice in the back of his head, which was buzzing at him to ask if StarClan was talking to her, but he didn't have the guts to ask such a bold question back to her.
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Post by berryjuice on Apr 11, 2021 7:54:27 GMT -5
Stoneheart blinked in surprise at Autumneyes’ harshness. Indeed, she had not expected to hear her to speak so angrily about Brightfrost. Autumneyes had always been much too soft on the brash young cat, in Stoneheart’s opinion.
“...I don’t disagree. She still has much to learn about what it means to be a warrior. And...she has always struggled with restraint.” Stoneheart had always pushed Brightfrost to prove herself- not to mention, she had always been proud when her apprentice had gotten the best of Goldenspots’ apprentice. But now that Brightfrost was a full-grown warrior, her competitive nature seemed to get in the way of her acting as mature and rational as Stoneheart would have liked.
She paused as they got closer to the ShadowClan border. She peered into the pine forest, searching for any sign of enemy warriors sneaking about. She didn’t notice any, allowing her to glance back towards Autumneyes. “I’m not sure why StarClan has chosen her- or why they would have her associate with that WindClan cat.” For a moment, she looked to the medicine cat in an appraising way that was not entirely different from the way she had looked into the dangerous territory. “But our ancestor’s wisdom is not for me to understand. She must be ready...if you are confident in their message.”
---
Brightfrost frowned at Jasminefur’s incredulous reaction. She definitely believed him; he seemed completely shocked at the idea of StarClan talking to someone other than a medicine cat. Part of this seemed to be a continuation of his resistance to accept that he was part of StarClan’s plan. But she did wonder if he would believe that StarClan had not only spoken to her, but had been doing so throughout most of her life. To him, she must appear as a regular warrior. The thought of being seen as undeserving of StarClan’s attention made her skin crawl.
How would he react to her trying to tell him that she had been visited by his dead mother? Brightfrost couldn’t imagine how she would feel if a WindClan cat began claiming that they were in contact with Icestorm.
She flicked her tail. “Because they obviously see something in you; they must be guiding your paws. Both of us need to make sure we pay close attention to anything that they might use to communicate with us.”
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Apr 11, 2021 8:47:38 GMT -5
Autumneyes sighed with frustration as Stoneheart ‘didn’t disagree’ with something she had said more out of frustration than really meaning it. Brightfrost being so unbending and not being able to really hear what Autumneyes was trying to tell her. Of course Autumneyes knew that Brightfrost was right for this.
She quickly turned about to face Stoneheart as the medicine cat sensed the much lesser opinion the former mentor had of the warrior, or at least that’s how it had always seemed to her. She was a much older cat judging the skills of another barely out of her apprenticeship. “Would you have been ready to guide a whole clan in the face of a dog threat with 14 moons?” It was an obvious, rhetorical question. “No, she isn’t ready. Nor would I be, nor are you, and neither is Specklestar. This isn’t normal,” She turned her gaze up to the warm sky. “But StarClan has identified something special in her, and if we can keep developing her maturity, then she will be ready.”
Autumneyes had to let Stoneheart’s gaze, which almost seemed to be evaluating her in a way that made her uncomfortable. “StarClan guided Jasminefur to her for a reason,” Her meow dropped in volume to a hushed conversational tone. “ThunderClan may not want to hear it,” Her inflection of ‘ThunderClan’ was fairly poignant; she was quite clearly referring to the cats resistant to there existing a WindClan cat who StarClan favored. “But they chose Brightfrost because they believe she will be able to prevent the destruction of WindClan...” She looked back down to Stoneheart. “...since StarClan has never renounced the need for four clans.”
She turned away, continuing in the direction they were heading, giving a swish forward of her tail to signal Stoneheart to continue following with whatever she had to say.
—-
And Brightfrost was circling around to what she had said before; that StarClan ‘saw something’ in him. It did not make any sense to him, why their grand starry ancestors would spend any of their time thinking about him when there were clearly sl many much bigger issues. With little audible response, Jasminefur just looked away and down to his side, voicing his doubt in what she said more clearly than his words would have.
On the other paw, he would have been lying if he said that he wasn’t paying more attention now—to whether StarClan had some sort of...special use for him. Of course, it was a cynical way for him to think about it, but if they really were paying attention to him, he wouldn’t be worth any more than a tool for StarClan to use, certainly.
“I’m sure they’ll communicate with you if that ends up happening,” he mewed quietly, a fairly obvious deflection of what she was telling him. It wasn’t the same submissive deferring agreement he seemed so used to, but it didn’t seem much better either, managing to still put himself down by implying again that they would never speak with him.
He tried to shift the subject before she would keep drilling this into him. “Do you think we should bring up me hunting to Specklestar today? Or should we wait until I’m ready to actually do it?”
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Post by berryjuice on Apr 13, 2021 7:56:53 GMT -5
Stoneheart nodded, seeming to accept Autumneyes’ answer. However, she was obviously tense as Autumneyes brought up the idea of Brightfrost needing to save WindClan. Like nearly every cat in ThunderClan, her hatred of their enemy Clan ran deep through her. Simply knowing StarClan’s decree for four Clans could not change that. It seemed like she was going to say something about this, but did not.
She remained close to her as they walked, obviously ready to pounce on anything that threatened her. She was quiet for a few moments, considering her next response carefully.
“Then perhaps her need to rise to every challenge will prove useful to StarClan. It is a problem when she wastes time attempting to spar with Clanmates. However…” She paused, looking faraway for a moment. “I remember when she was a young apprentice, she was a poor hunter. Many sunrises into her training, she had yet to make a catch. I questioned whether she had the skills to be a warrior.” Stoneheart and Brightfrost had both attempted to hide this, but it had likely been clear to Autumneyes that Brightpaw was frustrated and confused at this stage of her apprenticeship and that there was tension between her and her mentor. “Then...one morning, I woke to see her waiting for me with the fattest squirrel I’ve seen.”
She turned her attention back to Autumneyes. “Perhaps Brightfrost was chosen because StarClan knows that she will not back down from anything.”
--- Brightfrost supposed he was right. She expected to receive more messages from StarClan. And maybe she was better equipped to act on them than Jasminefur was. She supposed there was a reason why StarClan hadn’t talked to him before. There must be something useful about him- otherwise he wouldn’t be here- but he often seemed to lack the confidence that Brightfrost felt was needed to carry out StarClan’s missions. So she would let it go- for now, at least.
She considered his question. Maybe they didn’t want to have Jasminefur promise to hunt too soon- if there was a significant delay before he could actually do it, then her Clanmates may think he was all talk and no action. Still, she thought it was a good idea to at least get clearance from the leader ahead of time, so they could bring back prey as soon as Jasmienfur was ready. “We should ask now.”
Not too long later, Specklestar showed up at the medicine cat den as if he had been summoned by Jasminefur and Brightfrost mentioning him. But in reality, he was stopping by with the intention of speaking to Autumneyes and apologizing to her for the way he had handled- or not handled- the situation with Paleheart.
He poked his head into the den. “Oh-” He looked around and noticed that the cat he had come to see was not there. “Has Autumneyes stepped out?”
Brightfrost frowned, thinking of the argument that was still fresh in her mind. She hated that her good friend was so upset with her- but she still felt she was right to stand up to Paleheart. She wished Autumneyes would just trust her; she didn't really think of the medicine cat being worried for her. “She needed to get herbs.”
“I see.” Specklestar looked worried. Brightfrost seemed in a bitter mood for some reason- though maybe that could be attributed to the fight she had nearly had. And he was concerned for Autumneyes; he hoped she had the good sense to take a warrior with her. He would have to make sure. “When she returns, will you tell her…” He trailed off, unsure of what he really wanted to say. Maybe it was best that the medicine cat wasn’t here. “Nevermind- it isn’t urgent.”
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Apr 13, 2021 16:00:42 GMT -5
Autumneyes replayed Paleheart and Brightfrost's confrontation in her mind as Stoneheart brought it up. She knew that for the sake of maturing, Brightfrost needed to learn not to let such cats get to her, but the more selfish part of the medicine cat just didn't want Brightfrost in any danger, and that was beginning to feel more difficult now that StarClan had clearly sent a sign upon her and Jasminefur.
Autumneyes breathed a heavy sigh as she remembered the memory Stoneheart was calling back to now. She remembered the day so clearly, how frustrated Brightpaw had been before and the absolutely unconquerable demeanor that took her after such a stellar catch. She couldn't help but smile even as she felt so frustrated with Brightfrost, having the same unconquerable and unmoveable countenance as back then.
But Autumneyes didn't feel very comforted by the idea that Brightfrost wouldn't back down from anything. "What happens when she won't back down from a pack of dogs? When she starts into a combat she isn't ready for? What good will that do her then?" She gulped, her voice echoing with concern. It was pure worry, but an outsider might think Autumneyes was the bigger doubter between the two of them just from this conversation.--- Jasminefur didn't feel too strongly either way, and he quietly acknowledged her choice, though when she didn't make any immediate move to find the leader, he didn't either. He was comfortable with a bit of quiet for now, and he was about to settle his head on his paws for a bit when Specklestar appeared.
He turned to the leader and listened closely to what he had to say, wondering if this was some sort of update from him, and he hoped for a moment that some cat had discovered something--but it turned out to be nothing, and he tried hard to bury the disappointment that had manifested itself on his face.
He tilted his head slightly at the leader as he indecisively backed off his request to send the medicine cat his way. It had been important enough for him to come here--certainly it was important? Oh well. Hopefully she is back soon. He thought to himself, before his gaze drifted to Brightfrost, thinking she would bring the offer up right now. He hoped she knew what to say; he certainly didn't know how to offer his hunting while avoiding sounding like it was a gift. Even his diplomatic experience didn't really cover this.
Brightfrost looked in a bit of a lump, and it wasn't hard to guess she was a little bothered still by Autumneyes' criticizing--though he didn't want to acknowledge that his reaction to her strange question, and more, the fact he didn't want to accept what she was saying about his potential, might be affecting her mood too. "Uhh...S-Specklestar..." He blurted suddenly, feeling a quick rush of panic run over him as he did so, awkwardly moving the subject away from his search for Autumneyes. "We were...t-talking about...u-uh...the..." He glanced back at Brightfrost, blinking in short intervals with wide eyes as he didn't know what to say.
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Post by berryjuice on Apr 15, 2021 6:53:06 GMT -5
Stoneheart was quiet for several moments- long enough that some might assume that she had dropped the conversation. But then she spoke again, “Would StarClan have chosen this if she were destined to die before doing anything of value?” She paused, looking to Autumneyes. It didn’t seem like this was a conversation she expected to have. Though- she rarely spent much time chatting with Clanmates, so most conversation was unexpected. Still, it seemed additionally unusual for Stoneheart to be reassuring Autumneyes’ of Brightfrost’s destiny, when it was usually Autumneyes who seemed to have the most faith in the young cat. Stoneheart was generally resistant to the idea of her former apprentice being special beyond simply being a skilled warrior who would serve ThunderClan well.
“And...she will not be alone.” For a moment, one might think that Stoneheart was talking about Jasminefur- but of course not. Trusting StarClan’s message that Jasminefur would not actively destroy their Clan was one thing; having faith in Jasminefur to help the situation was another thing entirely. “She can rely on ThunderClan.” There was a hesitation before she said this. Barely noticeable, especially with her normal pauses between her statements, but it was there- despite Stoneheart typically showing nothing but the utmost faith in her Clan's strength and honor. As usual, any emotions she may have were difficult to parse, so it was unknown exactly what Stoneheart was thinking. However, it wasn’t exactly a secret- especially for the Clan’s medicine cat, especially when she had just witnessed a near-battle between two Clanmates- that ThunderClan was far from a unified front. For many moons, the cats of ThunderClan had forced themselves to cooperate in order to accomplish two main goals: become the strongest Clan in the forest and get revenge on WindClan. Now that the relevance of the latter was called into question, it was hard to know how and when the tension would burst. --- Brightfrost looked to Jasminefur in confusion and a bit of annoyance. At this time, his diplomatic abilities seemed to be failing him. Maybe it was a result of being in the presence of a Clan leader- the cat who was technically the one who had the power to decide what would happen to Jasminefur. Though, in Brightfrost’s opinion, StarClan was now the authority on that.
She looked to Specklestar and swished her tail over Jasminefur’s mouth, not-so-subtly telling him to shut it and let her handle this. “Specklestar, I feel like it’s been too long since I’ve provided prey for our Clan. But of course it’s my responsibility to watch Jasminefur, so could I take him hunting with me?”
Specklestar paused, wondering a bit what the others would think of this. But his deputy and trusted warriors were off doing various duties. “Well…”
“I know it’s hard to stomach letting WindClan get to know our territory. But Stoneheart thinks Jasminefur can’t stay here without contributing anything,” said Brightfrost, hoping to convince Specklestar that this was something that the Clan wanted. “The kits and elders could always use fresh prey, right?”
“...yes...that is true.” Specklestar nodded to Jasminefur. “Take him hunting- but let someone know before you leave. Otherwise, I worry that there could be a...misunderstanding with our border patrols if they pick up the scent of a trespasser.”
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Apr 15, 2021 8:09:22 GMT -5
If Autumneyes was older and had more experience, she might have been able to speak more confidently to the mindset of StarClan, but as she was now she was wholly unconfident in the point that Stoneheart eventually brought up. She hoped that the answer was a resounding 'no,' but did StarClan control dogs? And badgers? Twolegs? She didn't believe every ill that came their way was sent by StarClan, and that would mean what a dog did was out of their control as well. Brightfrost needed to watch her step, of that much Autumneyes was certain.
She didn't respond, letting the silence linger between them as they continued on at a relatively unhurried pace. Until the warrior spoke up again, the only sound she made was the occassional twig cracking beneath her paw--she was very worried.
"Of course not," She murmured quietly, more a promise to herself than a response to Stoneheart. No matter how much Brightfrost's pride frustrated the medicine cat, Autumneyes was never going to leave her side. But she gave a sidelong glance at Stoneheart as she brought up ThunderClan having each other's backs, thinking to the same conflict as the warrior.
She let it lie, though--at this point, there wasn't any point to repeating her doubt and risk slipping into a pessimism that thwarted any productive thinking. She needed to find a way to temper Brightfrost's pride--it was becoming the most important objective in the medicine cat's mind. "We can certainly help by not allowing cats like Paleheart to fight her," She murmured, thinking back to the part of the sign she might have made up--the cloud heading for the sun--still uncertain whether it had been a piece of the sign or pure coincidence. "Mouse-brain that he is. Wanting to give me more wounds to patch when there are dogs about."
---
Jasminefur's pelt shrunk three sizes as Brightfrost made him eat her tail to stop him from saying anything else. It was a clear sign he had botched bringing the subject up, his nerves speaking to such a powerful cat certainly having got to him. As he slumped down he tried looking down at his paws, but found only a fluffy tail. So, instead, he just stared at the wall of the den listening to the ThunderClan cats speaking, figuring if he was meant to speak she would remove her tail.
But he did feel a sense of relief as Specklestar approved the idea, and his eyes flicked back over to the leader, listening a little more intently at Specklestar's orders. They seemed intelligent orders, to prevent any...hostile reactions to seeing them on the territory. Though, Jasminefur found himself doubting that, with certain cats, knowing beforehand was going to make any difference. Hopefully Specklestar would make his position on the subject clear.
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Post by berryjuice on Apr 16, 2021 6:06:53 GMT -5
“Yes...Brightfrost is not the only warrior who needs a lesson on maturity.” There was clear irritation in Stoneheart’s voice; Paleheart’s anti-WindClan fervor was something she normally respected, but turning on a Clanmate, disobeying the leader, and potentially wasting herbs were all disgusting to her. “Unfortunately...it does not seem likely that he will be punished appropriately.” There was some irritation here, too. Stoneheart’s loyalty to ThunderClan and commitment to the warrior code wouldn’t allow her to speak ill of Specklestar. But it was easy to guess that she felt he was too soft, especially compared to their previous leader.
“Perhaps instead of going yourself, you ought to send Paleheart to fetch your herbs if he seems keen on wasting them,” said Stoneheart, believing the warrior wouldn’t be overly pleased at being given a task suited for a medicine cat apprentice.
--- “...yeah. We’ll make sure of that.” Brightfrost thought that her Clanmates would likely take any opportunity to ‘teach Jasminefur a lesson’- she hated to think what a patrol led by someone like Goldenspots may do if given the chance. She wouldn’t let something like anyone get away with something like that, of course. StarClan seemed to want her to look out for Jasminefur, so she would.
“And make sure you ask Autumneyes first, of course,” Specklestar added.
Brightfrost felt a rush of mixed feelings at the thought that she would certainly have to talk to the medicine cat again- she would be back sooner or later. She did want things to be okay between them, but she wasn’t willing to admit that she was wrong. And she hated the idea that Autumneyes didn’t trust her fully- even with StarClan’s backing. “Of course.”
Specklestar seemed to pick up on her misgivings. He looked to Brightfrost sympathetically. “She’ll want to make sure that it’s safe for both of you. You know her- dedicated as ever to the cats under the care.”
Brightfrost knew that he was trying to subtly share some wisdom. But what did he know about what was going on? I’m not under her care; I’m not sick or anything. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Specklestar smiled softly. “Good luck in your hunting.” He nodded to Jasminefur, seeming to not really know how to interact with him, before leaving to speak with a recently-returned patrol.
Brightfrost turned her attention back to Jasminefur once her leader was gone. She moved her tail away from his face and rested it by her paws. “Well, that’s taken care of. You’ll be impressing the Clan in no time.” Teaching a cat how to hunt in territory they weren’t used to would surely take some time, but surely Jasminefur was a good enough hunter to catch on...she hoped.
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Apr 16, 2021 7:27:40 GMT -5
Autumneyes tried to hold her tongue as the warrior pointed out the likelihood of a just punishment for the outburst, feeling her own frustration at the leader's handling, or lack thereof, of that situation. Of course, as a medicine cat she was meant to be a guide to the leader to some extent, but it was strange when she was such a young medicine cat, and the idea of verbally chewing out a much older leader was a little uncomfortable for her.
Autumneyes gave a huff as Stoneheart pulled her back out of her thoughts. "Paleheart wouldn't know catnip from a fox's nest," she said, then gave a glance around them as she remembered the cat had departed the den after her intervention. Not seeing Paleheart anywhere, she continued on. "I'm certain he wouldn't listen much to any descriptions I gave him, and who knows if he'd treat the herbs StarClan gives us with any respect?"
Still, the idea certainly made sense. If he was going to cause headaches for all of them he might as well be useful and take a weight off of the medicine cat's shoulders. After complaining enough of Paleheart's behaviour, she gave a simple nod. "I think I might, though."
--- Jasminefur blinked as Specklestar mentioned running it past Autumneyes first--nothing particularly surprising, but definitely awkward given the argument that they had just had. If Autumneyes was concerned she was throwing herself into conflict too eagerly, how was she going to react to them trailing through the territory with all the news of dogs, and Paleheart about?
Perhaps it would have been better if he kept his mouth shut and let Brightfrost bring it up later, when things had cooled off. He cursed himself silently, wishing his normal tactical servility hadn't completely washed up as soon as he was around the leader of the clan.
He swallowed his regret to hide it for the moment, picking up on the implication under Specklestar's reassurance that Autumneyes' concern came from a place of care. Of course, he wasn't wrong about this. Jasminefur could see it plain as day after spending just one in the clan. But with a sidelong glance at Brightfrost, whose expression seemed fairly unmoved, he knew she didnt want to hear that right now, and though he wasn't going to say anything about it, he felt a little bad for Autumneyes.
He realized with a start that the leader was partially speaking to him now as he wished them luck, and he awkwardly glanced back with the same wide eyes as before, and he gave a quick nod and mumbled a thanks into Brightfrost's tail.
He looked awkwardly back at Brightfrost when she pulled her tail away, and he didn't react much as she commented that they'd be out on the territory soon. He couldn't read whether there was anything behind her mew, and he was trying to understand whether she was angry with him for speaking up. But, being too uncomfortable with voicing his feelings, he just nodded and neutrally commented "I hope so," standing back up and then resettling into the nest, settled down on his four paws. "At least he really didn't seem to have any issue with it," He commented with a little bit of positivity, noting the leader hadn't needed much convincing.
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Post by berryjuice on Apr 18, 2021 4:24:03 GMT -5
Stoneheart nodded in agreement; she didn’t doubt that Paleheart may not give the proper care to collecting herbs. But he needed to be taught a lesson somehow- and clearly Specklestar wasn’t going to be the one to give him proper punishment. Paleheart couldn’t just keep getting away with causing trouble for the Clan.
She stayed very alert as they reached the area where the horsetail grew. She kept close watch on the border, prepared to deal with any ShadowClan patrols that came by. And while the dogs were apparently on WindClan territory, she wasn’t confident that they didn’t need to worry about them out here.
---
Brightfrost figured that if Autumneyes said no, they might be able to sneak out. But she did think that they should make sure that Jasminefur was well enough first. She thought that he was improving, but she didn’t know very much about medicine or whatever internal injuries Jasminefur might have. And Brightfrost certainly couldn’t save WindClan with Jasminefur if something happened to him.
She hoped that Autumneyes would be understanding when Brightfrost told her that they needed to have Jasminefur hunt in order to improve his standing with ThunderClan and make sure they were able to fulfill their destinies. But she wasn’t sure anymore if Autumneyes would trust her.
She smiled at Jasminefur’s comment; her mood lightened as he reminded her that they had accomplished something. “Yeah- now that Specklestar is on our side, maybe it’ll be easier to convince the others too- especially when we're bringing back mouthfuls of prey.” She had her doubts, but she could hope. “And if not, it’ll at least be nice to get out of camp for a little while.”
She laid in the nest, already looking forward to being able to leave it. She assumed that Jasminefur must be sick of staying in the medicine cat den too- weren't WindClan cats used to running around the moors all the time? It must be a stark difference from staying cooped up in a ThunderClan den.
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Apr 19, 2021 3:06:50 GMT -5
Jasminefur had no issue agreeing with that, as he had been cooped up here for a whole day and was itching for a boring patrol or some trivial apprentice task that could get him out of the den and out of camp. With a dull sigh though, he kept himself situated in the temporary nest made for him, left to sit in silence with his thoughts.
It was quite a while before Autumneyes retunred, carrying a plentiful amount of horsetail, along with Stoneheart of all cats. After it was deposited into the herb stores, Autumneyes quietly thanked Stoneheart, then proceeded to her nest and flopped down without a word to either of the other cats, trying to settle in for a bit of a nap.
---
She didn't sleep very much, and eventually Autumneyes rose, a little after the sun had hit sunhigh. She checked on the elders and did other busy work, but was feeling particularly stuffed up in the camp. When activity was settling down for the night, she moved to slip out of camp, although the extra guard posted due to the dogs made it impossible to do so without being noticed. She talked her way out of camp to say she was making dirt, denying the escort offered--though she knew she needed a walk to clear her head, and she wouldn't be back as fast as to make dirt.
When the sun was settling down, Fernkit was brought back, looking exhausted and barely able to stay up on her paws. She certainly didn't have the energy of the other kits, but she had played too and collapsed into Jasminefur as soon as she reached his nest, not even responding to Jasminefur's query of whether she had had fun before she was asleep.
---
There was the raging sound of innumerable dogs barking ferverously intermixed with yowls of alarm and complete desperation, though everything around the ThunderClan warrior was dark. Not only was the air thick with the scent of blood, but it felt as if the substance was flowing down her own pelt in waves, causing her fur to feel drenched and sticky in a mixture of auditory, olfactory and physical sensations that were extremely uncomfortable, enough to make one's skin crawl.
The darkness gave way slowly from a blink of light, starting at a point and beginning to expand out in all directions. As it did it become clear the bright point was the center of camp, and eventually the corpse of a cat, the back legs of a dog, and soon, the whole camp, was in view.
It might have been possible to count the dogs if they weren't so large compared to the cats, but as it was, the utter sense of panic in the camp was impossible to escape, even waking to this as if in a dream, where no cat or dog seemed to notice her.
"Mom! Thank StarClan you're okay! I heard a-and...Where's Rosepelt?! Is she-" There was an outburst from behind Brightfrost, before it was cut off as a savage dog leaped on a she-cat near who was clearly Jasminefur, closing its jaws over her neck as Jasminefur reared back in horror, paralyzed for just a moment before leaping at the dog.
Jasminefur bravely lashed at the dog before soon being joined by another cat, an older senior present in a lot of skirmishes. From where she was Brightfrost could she the she-cat, now clearly recognizable as the she-cat who came to her in her dreams, scrabbling at the ground, pulling herself tiny lengths each time closer towards Jasminefur, before her pawing at the ground slowly stopped, and her head laid back with her terrified eyes fixed on her son.
"Mom! Are you okay? I thought that you might have-" Jasminefur turned away from the dog to look at his mother, before he froze and stared down at her. "M-m-m-mom?"
The savage and horrid combat continued around them, as cats continued dying and dogs, for the most part, delighted in the attack. But it was clear that Jasminefur wasn't hearing any of it--not until there was a cry from between his paws, begging him to protect her.
It took him a few moments, and a glance around the camp to see how hopeless it all was, and soon he had scooped the kit up in his jaws and was pelting out of camp. He cast back one final gaze, his gaze filling with even more horror after a few moments, before he pelted away.
Suddenly, a snow-white cat was rushing past Brightfrost to a dog who had just killed Lightpaw, and the snow-white cat, in the strangest gesture ever seen, let out a series of gutteral and ugly barks to the dog, who quickly whipped around and rushed out of camp, supposedly after Jasminefur.
The white cat was short-haired with dark blue eyes that were filled with hate as he turned around to look around the carnage of the camp. For some reason, the dogs seemed to ignore him just like they were ignoring Brightfrost.
The carnage around her continued for about half a minute, before a whine near her sounded out. "Petalfur..." The croak sounded with layers of pain, and upon gazing in the direction of the sound, she could see the tom-cat had crawled, a trail of blood behind him from multiple large wounds, all the way to the cat who was Jasminefur's mother, his eyes filled with terror, horror, and pain as he stared down at who must have been his dead mate. He pressed his muzzle into her chest, letting out a whine that, slowly, died off, and he didn't move anymore either.
Then, a clap of lightning sounded alarmingly close overhead, and the scene dissolved, the two dead cats in front of her fading into vapor with the rest of the scene.
There was complete darkness, and complete silence, yet somehow, it felt just as uncomfortable as the horrid scene in the WindClan camp. It must have been a moment before there was a quiet, sad sigh beside Brightfrost. "Be ready for what you're going to see....for him." Petalfur was standing beside her, her eyes filled with pain as she spoke. Noticeably, her voice had dropped some of the hostility that had been present in her voice the last time they spoke. "....please." She added with a sorrowful glance to Brightfrost, before she too faded.
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Post by berryjuice on Apr 19, 2021 6:58:17 GMT -5
Brightfrost was content to let the silence linger between her and Autumneyes. She knew that it couldn’t last that way forever. And she wouldn’t want it to. She would find a way to resolve things, so that it least wouldn’t be so tense. But she wasn’t ready yet.
Stoneheart padded off wordlessly after bringing Autumneyes back to camp. As annoyed as Brightfrost was at them both, deep down she was relieved that Stoneheart had been with Autumneyes in the forest. She didn’t like the idea of the medicine cat being entirely alone in the forest when there were dogs about, and she thought Stoneheart would make a competent escort despite being rather poor company. But Stoneheart wasn’t around to see Autumneyes leave again.
Quickbird made sure that Fernkit made it back safely to the den before heading back to his own. Brightfrost was glad that Fernkit went to sleep so easily; she wasn’t someone who enjoyed dealing with kits very much, and it always seemed harder to talk freely when they were around.
---
Eventually, Brightfrost got to sleep. She hoped that StarClan would send her a dream; she could use their guidance now that ThunderClan had their eyes on her more than ever.
It was soon clear that she was getting her wish as she was bombarded by unpleasant sensations before she found herself in the WindClan camp again. She remembered the last time she had seen this attack in her dreams- she had learned a lot since then, so she felt like she could understand what she was meant to be learning much better this time. Her claws dug into the ground as she tried to focus; she didn’t want to shield herself from experiencing any of this, but she couldn’t let emotion overwhelm her when there was so much she needed to fully comprehend.
Avoiding being overwhelmed was no small feat, of course. It was disturbing to watch an entire Clan of cats be so helpless against a foe. Even if it wasn’t her Clan, it was easy to imagine that it could be. She searched for Jasminefur in the crowd- it was difficult to find him in the chaos, but she managed. She felt sick as the cat she now recognized from her dreams died. It was his mother- she could imagine how awful he must feel, having watched her die when maybe he could have saved her. She had found herself wanting to yell at him when he hesitated, urge him to strike faster and harder. She longed to fight in this battle with him, but she knew she couldn’t. She would get her chance to make things right one day- she hoped. But what was done was already done. There was no saving these cats; she could only watch as Jasminefur fled.
She thought that perhaps that was the point- to learn better what sort of cat Jasminefur was. She would need to understand him if she was to fulfill her destiny after all. But the dream didn’t fade; she remained in the camp, made to continue to watch the slaughter. Despite the screaming of her regular cat instincts to run or fight or even look away, she forced herself to stay in place and keep her senses open to the carnage. There must be something more.
She felt a release of tension as she saw a flash of a short-haired white cat. She rushed towards them. Icestorm!
But the brief feeling of hope was quickly dashed as she got closer. No, this was certainly not her mother. She felt annoyed with herself for thinking so, even if it was only for a moment. She couldn’t let herself be distracted from StarClan’s message with silly things like that.
And there was quickly something curious that replaced Brightfrost’s prior thoughts. She had assumed that this was a WindClan cat running in to save their Clanmates- to avenge Lightpaw, perhaps. But why weren’t they helping? And what were those strange sounds? She had never heard a cat make them. They sounded more like they came from...a dog. And they felt so unnatural coming from a cat.
She felt a chill as she looked into the strange cat’s hateful eyes. Who- or what- were they? Whatever the answer, she would have to deal with them; she was sure of it. She would need to be ready.
She watched the pitiful scene before her, of Petalfur’s mate finding her. They must be together in StarClan now.
She was finally able to sheathe her claws as the darkness returned. And yet she knew she was far from able to relax. The silence was deafening, especially with the savage uproar of the battle still so fresh in her ears. She was relieved, albeit startled, to hear a StarClan cat beside her.
She looked to Petalfur, noticing immediately that she was less hostile than she had been in the previous dream. Maybe she trusted Brightfrost a little more now that Brightfrost had seen more of what Petalfur had suffered?
She looked into Petalfur’s sorrowful eyes. Her own were filled with exhaustion and frayed emotion after all she had experienced- and yet a clear spark of focused determination remained. “I’m ready. I promise.”
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