✩｡°°｡✩ he . . him ➔ massive white tom with black splotches and floppy ears. scars cover his neck. x-marks on his shoulders and his left hindleg is covered in burn scars
╭₊˚purrks﹕monkey's paw, the collector, herb knowledge ₊˚੭ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘∘₊✧─ ────✧₊∘∘₊✧──────
⌦ .｡.:* ✮ @Alchemist Kitsune || powerplay permission was given
Bloody hell. Cowtuft gave a small nervous look to Lightningpaw as she quipped about stormy tempers. Well. That didn't help his nerves. He's come to accept his chest might always be buzzing, slightly, in times of importance. His fluffy tail swished back and forth, giving a small nod in agreeance if only to let the topic drift away. Despite everything, he felt hope. Giddiness to reveal this secret to her. Cowtuft had never explained to her about the messages StarClan had sent him. (it always slipped away and briefly he wondered if had ever truly happened. his faith was a question, drifting until called upon.)
He took a small breath, wasting no time lingering by the entrance. To make small talk. It felt unnatural when it was only them. It had never been only them. Cowtuft wasn't exactly sure how to ask for advice on these things. He thinks he could settle if he just made Lightningpaw understand how proud he was, how wonderful it was to witness her journey. To offer something firm, good in these times of brewing tension. Something to celebrate.
A laugh falls from his lips as Lightningpaw smirks, shifting the tone into friendly, casual banter. Something familiar and nice. "D'aww, aren't you the sweetest..! Your feather is lovely, thank you very much, " He insisted, this was her day. Even if she didn't know it yet. Ehh.
He shuffles into the cave and spares a swift look to the cave, taking in their ridges. The stone and the illuminating light. Cowtuft always feel likes he's holding his breath in it. As if waiting for something to happen. "Well.. let's take a second. It's not quite time, not yet, " He gestured in amusement, taking a tail-length back from his apprentice. "Lightningpaw,, After witnessing how you acted in the last battle we faced, how you took charge .. acted confidentiality in your role and firm. It confirmed .. well, something I knew was coming. The day where I had nothing m..more to teach you,, Not really, maybe a few obscure tricks hiding my fluff .." He gave a playful wink at that part, a small jest. He clears his throat quietly.
"I have known you for many ,, many moons now. Goodness,, it takes me by shock sometimes realizing how .. you've grown,, and I am so proud of you. Lightningpaw, StarClan sent me signs .. all those moons ago but it was also you. When ,, the plague hit us you were always there to lend a helping paw. Eager, and I could see you cared.. The most determined little thing I've ever met..!! I'm telling you .." He bursts out into a grin, unable to stop the belly chuckles from escaping his mouth. His anxiety beginning to drift away into pride. He knew this had to be the right thing.
"And then, then.. blimey, one night .. the stars — they showed me you. At a gathering, even. I ,, don't know how to explain it but my only thought was you. The stars .. aligned to form a shape.. of a lightning bolt .. it broke the sky in two.. I had been ,, confused on what to do.. that time wasn't a good time,," Cowtuft confesses softly, the memory simmering in the back of his head. He had remembered the way it made him feel. The sense of tranquility and the loss of control. He wasn't sure if others had noticed it. Could see it.
He never revealed himself, always simple facts. Nothing too vulnerable. He wanted to share this part of him to her. He knew she was always willingly, there if he needed it. He always had been stubborn (and he would still be. he loved her fiercely and protectively, he never wanted his concerns to be hers. ) "I ,, well,, wouldn't say I'm old,, by any means but uhm, I was young.. Barely earned my name — and that ,, did not go well.. A lot of things shifted for me. A story for another time,, perhaps,," he'll tell her. one day. but not on her day. "but .. then StarClan gave me an idea. Couldn't shake it, either,, never been the best at.. trusting. Especially after that. I waited. "
"I think I would have came to this ..choice down the line eventually.. maybe a little later, perhaps, you were always a spark, Lightning,, .. and then after, a long while .. when the plague had its grip firmly .. there was a storm.. As if the skies were weeping, and then later I saw you .. helping patients and it clicked into place. You care .. so deeply for each and every one of your clanmates .. " He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling air into his lungs as he straightened himself up. "Your mother would be proud.. I am sure she always has been .. but how far you have grown.."
Cowtuft had only spoken this much when he had encountered Twilightstar that day. He had been so nervous, so young. Confused with messages sent to him. Words were never something gifted to him. They always sat at the pit of his stomach, thick brambles that wrapped around his tongue and choked him. He's gotten better and they flow easy in this time. He know what he needs to do.
"You are no longer a small spark — you are a brewing storm,, and while you always be little lily to me — it is clear you are ready, " His smile softens, and the tom is grateful for this moment of privacy with his apprentice. He couldn't have done this with the others around. Not in the way he wanted. Not in the way Lightningpaw deserved.
"I, Cowtuft, medicine cat of WindClan... call upon my ancestors to look down at this apprentice.. She has trained hard to.. understand the ways of a medicine cat,, and with your help.. she will serve her clan for many moons. Lightningpaw,, do you promise.. to uphold the ways.. of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between clans ... and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life..? To seek out ways to care for your clan..?" He fell back on what Dogbark had done for him. (Ignoring the way his skin begins to prickle in apprehension. )
He waits for something of an agreeance and his apprehension falls away. Nothing would be happening. Lightningpaw was safe. Cowtuft would keep her safe — keep WindClan safe until the end of his life.
"Then by the powers of StarClan .. I give you your true name as a medicine.. Lightningpaw, from this ..moment forward.. your name shall be Lightningstorm.. StarClan honors your courage, determination, and intelligence.. We welcome you .. as a full medicine cat of WindClan .. may you continue to burn like a star and your journey be full of light ... You are going to do so much good — " his voice cracks softly, tears of simple pride swelling up in his round hues, he shakes his head gently.
Cowtuft makes a small gesture for her to come forward and tilts his head down, letting the flower crown slide onto the top of her head. A little bit lopsided perhaps but he thinks it looks stunning. "There,, Now who is outshining who,?" A rumble rolls out from his throat and he thinks this is what true happiness is. If he does anything good in his life it would've been this.
__________________
❝ hold on tight to this time,
this place 'cause everything you know will be erased.
you were born inside your head.
and that is where you'll be when you are dead. ❞ -- currently on a hiatus until further notice --
꒰ pronouns.cc꒱
Last edited by wolfie; October 7th, 2023 at 09:29 PM.
| Lightningstorm |
Flock Together [Tier 3] - Inactive
The young molly let a giggle escape her as her mentor responded in his usual, kind way, his laughter infectious. At least her remark had seemingly taken some of that tension away, if only for a little while. Shuffling into the cave in amicable silence, Lightningpaw turned her head towards the ceiling, undisguised awe in her almond shaped eyes. This place was simply so different to most anything WindClan offered. To the wide, open expanse of the plateau. Even the healer's underground den did not hold a thing to the odd, cold, stony grandeur of the cavern. How many paws had come here? During generations past... for guidance from the stars.
As Cowtuft sat a tail length away from her, the lithe calico got comfortable as well, blue hues on the tom as he gestured away. A brow quirked as she gave the black and white feline a curious look at his choice of words. Not quite time yet? Was StarClan taking a bit of a snack break between messages? She knew the lot of them had a flair for the dramatics, but that seemed a bit much, even by their standards. Surely if there was something so vital that they had to come here before the half moon meeting the snack could bloody well wait? Or perhaps... Were they waiting for somebody else? Oh, that would definitely be unprecedented, but if her mentor had suddenly gotten a bit of an adventurous streak she would not be about to complain about it! Plus, she could always start claiming she had learned from the best the next time she decided to sneak around. It certainly helped in making rule breaking seem like a much more potential possibility.
Whiskers twitching in mild amusement as the decided to not go down that rabbit hole of thoughts, Lightningpaw's good humors slowly dampened lightly, a flush of self consciousness and embarrassment rushing through her. She didn't think she particularly excelled in that last battle. She had... only done what she had been trained to do. And potentially had noticed she might need a little bit of training outside of her own medicinal lessons to learn how to better defend herself. To receive such high praise from her mentor, however... It made her feel warm... and fuzzy, truly. If she had done right in his eyes... if she hadn't just not messed up but genuinely surpassed his expectations? The petite she-cat could ask for nothing more from herself.
She would, of course... She would always strive for perfection as far as she could, to avoid any lives lost due to her own incompetence. But she would take the small victories and hold them dear. If only to give her the strength needed to face the next calamity. Because there would be a next one. There would always be a next time.
Another bout of giggles escaped her, a cheeky grin on her face as Cowtuft lightened the mood once again. "You'll always have those lush locks, love. The amount of tricks you can hide in there will probably keep me on my toes for a lifetime."
The tom always did this. Lightningpaw had noticed as much during her apprenticeship. Like she wasn't the only one with anxiety tearing down at the fringes of her mind. She always had that nagging feeling. The one that told her that she wasn't enough. That she would never be enough. That she was just a placeholder. A test for when the real deal came along. Waiting to be cast out. Replaced. By the cat that was deemed worthy of working next to the black and white tom.
And yet for all her doubt in herself... for all her certainty that she was not the one that would be besides him in the end - that she would be cast out when it was realized just how meaningless she truly was - it always felt like she wasn't alone in her feeling. Because the look in those heterochromatic eyes mirrored her fears back at her at times. Small flashes and hints of this fear. Blink and it was gone... making her doubt if she'd even seen in after the fact. It was only these little moments, these little remarks that made her certain of what she had witnessed so many times before.
It didn't seem to hold him back this time. Whatever it was that had caused his sentiment before to surface. The one of him having no more to teach her. For his voice soon sounded through the near empty darkness, coaxing large ears to perk up at the softness of it. At the fondness in it. The warmth that returned. The unfiltered pride that matched that grin. It was contagious, for without her noticing, she found herself grinning back. An earnest grin, filled with nothing more than overflowing mirth. Not because he had stated that StarClan had sent him signs. She'd learned long ago that StarClan hadn't the foggiest clue what they were up to half the time. No. It was because of him. Because StarClan or not, he had chosen her. And not only did he not regret it, he was proud.
It was one of those rare instances. The ones in which Lightningpaw found herself without a voice. Without words to respond. For all her sass and cheek, for all her argumentativeness... when it came down to it, when it came down to having a heart to heart, the young molly was out of her element. It wasn't just hard... it was downright impossible to open up. To expose herself, whether it be a joyful admission or one of pain and doubt. It was too slippery a slope. Start with one, and suddenly it would all be out there. No longer just her problem but someone else's, and how could she do that to anyone? Everyone had their own burdens to bear. It was her job to make those loads a little lighter, not toss her own in addition to theirs.
And so she remained quiet. Listening. Grinning from ear to ear. The closest she came from dropping her cheeky mask for earnest glee. She hadn't a clue what had coaxed the tom to speak now... perhaps it had been that one break she'd had after the battle... when she'd come face to face with her mistake? Maybe he wanted to boost her confidence. She had figured her little clean up after the mess had not fully worked. Whatever it was, she could most certainly live with the compliments. At least for tonight. Or so she thought.
"Your mother would be proud.. I am sure she always has been .. but how far you have grown.."
Her grin finally faltered, eyes growing rounder for only a second. Her mother... She hadn't thought of her... not outside of her nightmares. Whenever she was visited by the grotesque vision of her, blaming her for all that went wrong with her life. For being the reason she had to leave the clan. She had always wanted so badly to apologize. For what she had done. For what she had failed to do... but Gingerheart was gone. And here was Cowtuft... Letting her know so surely that she would have been proud of her now. That she had always been proud.
Lightningpaw felt the sting of tears before they released, forcing a smirk upon her face as she raised a paw and waved it in the air. "Best be careful with those compliments, Tufty. You keep them up, my head might get too big for our den. Don't think even Dustbunny could make tunnels wide enough for it," she teased, the words flowing easily as she went back to what was comfortable. Words of denial and diversion. Her specialty.
Except it obviously did not work this time. Cowtuft kept speaking, the fondness still in his eyes. When had this happened? When had her mentor gotten so verbose? He always had fun with words. His vocabulary was quite vast, actually, ranging from the silliest of words to the most clever. But he never spoke so much. So openly. For so long. And to think he was making this rare instance all about her. Why? What could possibly-
It snapped together. Too late, really. He'd already stated that she was ready... and only a fool would not understand the meaning behind those words. For the second time today, her mask broke, her maw parted slightly in an admittedly befuddled, surprised look. Even as he called forth upon the ancestors she blinked... because when had she grown so hare-brained? How had she not pieced it together sooner?
"I... I do," the apprentice nodded, only half aware of the fact that she was speaking, her heart slowly picking up in pace as her mind brewed a million thoughts a second, each one vying for her attention, making it impossible to settle on just one.
And here was Cowtuft, commending her courage, determination, and intelligence. Honestly, Lightningpaw would have snorted had she not been so speechless right now. No... not Lightningpaw. Lightningstorm. She wasn't an apprentice anymore. She was a full fledged medicine cat now. It was the crack in his voice that finally got to her. That finally coaxed the tears to flow. Heading towards him, she feels the weight of the flower crown on her head, and she laughs, a wet, choking sound that is hard to distinguish as such as she wipes her eyes with her paw.
"Oh don't you get smart with me," the Abyssinian mix half giggles half mock hisses out as she attempts to wrap her mentor in a hug. "It don't matter if I am a spark or a storm, that'll always be my job around here, you hear?"
It wasn't what she really wanted to say. The words of gratitude that bubbled within her, wishing to come out, yet staying stuck halfway. Unable to be expressed. Because she didn't know how to. How did you say thank you for being you? How did you thank someone for being everything that everyone needed at every moment of every day? It was too much, the amount of love she felt for this tom, the joy she felt at having made him proud. The giddiness at having her name! Lightningstorm! It felt right. Like it was meant to be. Like it had been her all along. Now it was her job to live up to it. To continue to make him proud.
✩｡°°｡✩ he . . him ➔ massive white tom with black splotches and floppy ears. scars cover his neck. x-marks on his shoulders and his left hindleg is covered in burn scars
╭₊˚purrks﹕monkey's paw, the collector, herb knowledge ₊˚੭ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘∘₊✧─ ────✧₊∘∘₊✧──────
⌦ .｡.:* ✮ @Alchemist Kitsune
The gentle giant never guessed for a second that she would say those words but it was still wonderful to hear. To have it be official. And then she was crying and by golly, it was just really hard to control his own eyeballs if she was having a hard time too!! He laughs with her, making no comment about her tears. If they didn't speak about it maybe it wouldn't be so silly. Cowtuft didn't think he minded as he wrapped Lightningpaw up in a hug. He gave her a tight squeeze, resting his head on the top of her shoulders.
"C'mon now.. it's your day, " He pulled back, gesturing the statement as his whiskers twitched in amusement. It was a small prompt, refusal to let her deflect this back onto him but he wouldn't press. Besides. Cowtuft was vibrating with happiness, excitement. All the adrenaline from him started to fade, legs a little bit like jelly. He smiled, "Alrighty.. now let's go say hello.. to those stars now, shall we..?" He prompted, turning to the Moonstone. The blue light illuminated the cave. (He missed his token from the stone, maybe one day he would find it.) He shuffled forward and laid down.
Cowtuft nuzzled closer towards the Moonstone, coldness washing over his body at the slightest touch. Eyes beginning to flutter close as his mind drifted into a hazy nothing. He thought perhaps the stars would stay silent. They did not always come, after all, but it was wishful thinking. Cowtuft slowly awoke to find himself standing in a vast meadow. He blinked slowly, vision clearing in and out. The skies above them were grey and crackled with light. The loud thundering followed a few minutes after. It reminded him too much of a familiar cheshire smile.
The medicine cat glanced towards Lightningstorm and took a step in front of her. "Stay close, " Cowtuft warned in a hush whisper, floppy ears pulled back. The fur near the end of his back starting to rise up. It was foolish to fight the dead but oh by starlight would he keep her safe. Wind blew at him harshly that his eyes started to water as it became more intense.
He took a breath and the sky broke into two once more. The wind started to pick up and something started to form. The speed picking up that he could see dust, gravel, the very ground beneath them begin to be torn up. Cowtuft had never saw such a thing.
The meadow beneath them started to fall away. The ground shifted into something wet and moist, squishing in-between his toes. He didn't have time to think until the screams started. Cowtuft stood in the entrance of a camp he could only think to be ShadowClan's or RiverClan's. He saw something approaching in the distance, ripping the the trees. The trees. He looked around for Lightningstorm, opening his jaws to let out a cry before someone knocked into him. He hadn't even realized the cats running past.
Cowtuft landed against the ground with a crash, squeezed his eyes shut and suddenly he was drowning. Water filled his lungs and his eyes shot open with panic. He was going to die, he was going to die -- Paws lashed out desperately to try and catch onto some time of fur but he couldn't see. If he succeeded, he would try and tug the fur up to the surface with him.
His lungs wheezed for air when he broke through, looking around to see their camp. Cowtuft saw his clanmates. He knew it was them. He knew their home. Something was coming. Thump. Thump. Thump. (so cold, so cold.)
He squeezed his eyes shut and was thrusted into a battlefield. The ground was sturdier, firm. Grass nipped at his ankles but storms of cats flooded into a camp. (The trees, what did the trees look like? Not pine? Not pine, was it Oak? It was overgrown.) Cowtuft could not make out the pelt colors. They were black as night. Someone leapt at him as he turned to look at them. His eyes widened but he accepted it. This time he let the ground fall away. He did not close his eyes. You will not watch. You will not rest.
There were pine trees. ShadowClan. Smoke clouded the air and suddenly he felt thrusted right back into those flames. The pain. The screams that had filled his ears had started to reach their peak. It was all he could focus on. The desperate cries of help as the lightning struck the ground, enlightening the pine needles on fire. Cowtuft looked towards his apprentice, forced to witness it all. He closed his eyes quietly and let the flames take him. They did not hurt.
He saw himself in the mists of chaos. He knew this was at the Seastones as he watched hoards of cats attacking each other. The brutality, bodies strewn across the floor. Something dark swarmed in the distance. It was as if the sun had been swallowed hole by an abyss. Would they be swallowed whole? The apprentices. Their children, their elders. Destruction would not spare them. Destruction would not spare WindClan and Cowtuft knew. He knew it in his very bones what was to come. The brewing tensions, the wars amongst the horizon. Shamefully, he thought WindClan would escape it.
Cowtuft awoke with a silent cry, jerking away from the Moonstone. Images blinking rapidly in his mind, replaying and shifting and twisting and curling inside his head, rooting themselves into his heart. He felt foolish, stupidly foolish. It made him want to laugh. How foolish he could be. Tears started to prickle but alas, his own dispersing would have to be done privately. "Lightning, lightning,," Cowtuft meant to coo softly but it came out as a croak, voice cracking. His head did a woosh as he shuffled towards the calico molly. "Must ..Leave, leave.. so sorry, so sorry.." He raised two paws and had them flat before taking them away in a scrunching, dragging away motion. "Home,, " He curled his left frontpaw and touched his cheek near his mouth before pulling back and touching his cheek again but at a distance form the mouth. He would start to try and nudge her gently.
They could not wait anymore. He wished they could stay and focus on her name. Her accomplishments. They would, Cowtuft promised to himself. No matter what he would get this figured out but he would do something to make it up to her.
__________________
❝ hold on tight to this time,
this place 'cause everything you know will be erased.
you were born inside your head.
and that is where you'll be when you are dead. ❞ -- currently on a hiatus until further notice --
꒰ pronouns.cc꒱
| Lightningstorm |
Flock Together [Tier 3] - Inactive
The hug was every bit of warmth and love she always felt from the black and white tom, and she could feel the purr bubbling up within her. While the calico desperately tried - and sometimes most certainly failed - to control emotional outbursts, she couldn't help it this time. It was an accomplishment she knew she had to reach at some point - if only because the alternative was unthinkable - yet she couldn't believe she had. Did she truly deserve it? To have her name? If Cowtuft believed so, then she would chose to do so as well. Her mentor usually knew best.
Another bout of laughter escaped the molly at her companion's words. Yes, she supposed the old gray-pelts were owed a visit. She wouldn't be surprised if they somehow tried to claim ownership of the name her mentor had just given her in the process. That was all StarClan seemed to do. Claim that completely unrelated events were done by their paw. Brought about by their immense power while it seemed they were in a constant state of floundering, incapable of giving an accurate message if their lives depended on it. Well... that checked out, Lightningstorm supposed. Hard to have your life at stake when it had been forfeited so long ago.
Following Cowtuft's example, the lithe calico touched her nose to the Moonstone as well, almond shaped eyes instantly becoming heavy. It was hard to remain standing even, and as she struggled to not collapse, she closed her eyes, shaking herself awake. Opening blue orbs, the molly found herself not at the Starcave, but in a meadow, her confusion only apparent for a moment before she realized what had happened. It wasn't the first time this had occurred. It wasn't her usual dream state, but she'd been pulled out of her nightmares enough times by the star clad warriors for her to understand where she was. The lightning above was not out of place for her. The few times she was given a respite from the horrors that hunted her at night there had always been lightning flashing all over the cloudscape of her mind. The thunder, on the the other paw? That was new, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.
Her mentor's voice almost making her jump out of her fur, Lightningstorm turned wide eyes in his direction before she nodded. Alright. This was also far out of the norm. What was Cowtuft doing here as well? Usually whenever he made his presence known in her unconscious mind, his form was much more... grotesque. Menacing. Filled with naught but vengeance and hatred. This was no doubt the real deal, as she knew her dreams would never allow such a concerned looking Cowtuft to visit her. Not of their own volition, in any case.
The newly named medicine cat wanted to ask what was up. What was happening. Because... call her feather-brained, but she was pretty sure this wasn't exactly a warm reception from StarClan celebrating her naming. Did they disapprove of her as a medicine cat? No. It couldn't be. According to Cowtuft they had specifically chosen her, and if they had changed their mind, she was certain they would have made their discontent known before now. Ahead of the ceremony taking place. They would have ensured the storm fizzled before it reached its fated place. And yet she was silenced as the gale crept upon them, buffeting them every which way.
It seemed it wasn't just her feeling as though her pelt was being ripped from her body. The meadow itself seemed to disintegrate, and soon her toes were wet. Mucked up. A familiar sensation that she'd most felt by their border with ShadowClan. Not daring to raise a paw to investigate, keeping her claws unsheathed and gripping as much as she could, Lightningstorm stared with horror as a wave of cats suddenly appeared. The stampeding felines bumped into them until she lost sight of Cowtuft, tossed and turned as she was. Finally, she relented, falling to the ground and plunging deep inside, surrounded by what she assumed was water. The tricolored molly had never been underwater before, but if this was it, she was over it. The lack of oxygen driving her mad, she twisted and turned, unable to tell up from down in this empty realm until she broke free.
Never had anything felt better than the sweet air that now filled her lungs, her claws desperately gripping to a shoreline she could have sworn had not been there. Was not there. The water was gone. She was... home? It had to be. She knew the clearing well enough. But something was coming for them. A loud, booming sound. A force that left little to the imagination in terms of its strength. She saw her mentor once more and opened her maw to call him, only to be silenced again, thrust to a new scene. A new battlefield.
What... what was this? So many cats. Too many cats. She couldn't make them out. Lightningstorm felt her fur bristle, ire consuming her. If this was a joke, she didn't find it funny. If it was a message? Even less so. Bloody arseholes just had to send the most cryptic message ever on the day of her naming, didn't they? Well, if they wanted to be difficult, two could play that game. She was done. All she had to do was find Cowtuft and-
Lightning fell from the sky, lighting it all on fire. The inferno paralyzed her, memories that had never died down consuming her. The shrieks and laughter of the burned, mangled copies of her loved ones - Cowtuft, Mothflower, Gingerheart - all echoed in her mind, reminding her of how useless she'd been. Of how she'd run. Of how she'd left them all to burn, just like she'd done to Featherfoot. Gritting her teeth, she rushed forward, trying to make her way through battling cats. Trying to find the tom she'd gotten here with. She would not leave him again. Not like this.
Lightningstorm saw him, eyes wide with horror. He was burning. She'd left him to burn again. She hadn't changed. Not one bit. She had to save him though... she just had to! Setting her jaw, she closed her eyes, leaping forward if only to feel the flames against her own pelt, to not let him burn alone again... and yet... nothing came. Blue hues flying open, the healer could spot the Seastones looming above her, a cacophonous battle taking place all around. Ears flattening, she took a step back, noticing the strewn out bodies. The code was gone. Everything the clans stood for was gone. They were naught more than rogues playing at some honor bound game whose meaning had been long lost. In the distance, she could hear someone calling her name, and she shook herself, unwilling to listen. Whatever it was, she didn't want to hear it... She just wanted to find her mentor and be rid of this nightmare. At least in her own, it was only her getting her just desserts. This... this was brutality for the sake of brutality, and she wanted out of here.
Bright blue eyes fluttered awake, Cowtuft's croak of a voice finally getting through to her. It took her a moment to gather herself. Confusion was clear in her expression. Had it been a dream? Had she somehow fallen asleep? It didn't seem to be the case... at least not judging by her mentor's expression. Worry chewing at her insides, the Abyssinian mix nodded, unwilling to divulge the storm that had let loose in her mind. Getting up as swiftly as she could, she followed after the black and white tom, knowing they had to get home.
*-Larkwing-*
She/her | 17 moons | Mind Reader - ACTIVE A sleek dilute tortie she-cat with green eyes
She listens carefully, soaking in the words said to her as if her very life depends on them - because it’s true, because if she does not comply or does poorly, the ancient tom will kill her as easily as catching a mouse. Though, working herself ragged does not feel like the most efficient way to run a clan. If she’s bone tired, how is she expected to be useful?
Either way, she is ejected from the Dark Forest, from the boiling water beneath her paws, and finds herself blinking her eyes open back in the StarCave. It’s disorienting at first, and she doesn’t quite feel like she’s in her own body for a few heartbeats. But then the fatigue sets in… she’s exhausted, her muscles ache. It’s all she can do to not curl up and go to sleep right here and now. But she forces herself to stand up and makes her way outside the cave on wobbly paws, where she finds PebbleSplash waiting, just like she said she’d be.
Forcing a weak smile, Larkwing walks up to her friend and sits down for a minute, sifting through her mind and her thoughts on all that had just happened. She hadn’t gone to StarClan, she’d been detoured to the Dark Forest where she did not receive so much as a single new life or the customary name. Part of her doesn’t want to share what had happened… part of her wants to lie and hide it all away. To cower behind a title she does not have and boast about extra lives that are not hers. But doing so would make her no better than Beanstar had been so she pushes the impulse to the very back of her mind.
She’d made a promise to do right by her clan, to do the most she possibly could to return them to their former glory, and that was a vow she intended to keep. And, just as she’d said, she’d start by reclaiming Cattail Pond. Before that, the clan would need to be trained up some… she was certain cats would die in the fight even if they didn’t get extra training, and that left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Those deaths would be on her paws. How do leaders cope with that? With the knowledge that good, innocent cats will die because of the decisions they make? How does the knowledge of that not cripple them with guilt and fear?
”I’m back,” she says weakly, the pause between when she returned and when she spoke entirely too long. ”I, um, I didn’t get any lives. Or a name. Or go to StarClan.” Larkwing’s gaze is on the dirt beneath her paws, shame coursing through her. Pebblesplash had believed in her, believed she was worthy and… Larkwing couldn’t help but feel she had let her down. ”Let’s go back now, there’s a lot to do.” Mind troubled, Larkwing waits for PebbleSplash’s answer, but she’s not really listening, instead running through worst case scenario after worst case scenario for how things might end for her, how she might raze RiverClan to the ground, how she’d fail to reclaim the pond and risk countless lives in the process. How she’d prove that ancient cat right and be nothing more than another mistake and disappointment.
RiverClan ~A beautiful scarred white mollie, pale gray and ginger torbie markings with blue eyes~
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@FrostyGalaxy ——————
She listens, and I mean she genuinely listens… She nods along to her dear friends words, and could see the fear, the sadness behind LarkWings eyes… Without hesitation, PebbleSplash gives her a friendly nuzzle to the shoulder as she smiles…
“It’s okay, Larkie. You have what it takes, even without extra lives… You’re a strong and independent mollie with great ideas and even greater desires for our clan. Make no mistake, with dedication and determination, RiverClan will be what it once was. Time will assist with that…”
Pulling away from LarkWing, Pebblesplash nudges her playfully. “You were great before your ancestral visit, and you’re still just as great. You don’t need a fancy title or extra lives to lead us to victory! Just use that brilliant brain of yours. RiverClan wants a leader that dedicates themselves to the clan, like a big clan mother! Think of it that way- you’re RiverClans mom now-“
Pebblesplash giggles, hoping that LarkBestie would giggle too. “I do have a strategy with cattail pond, however… So, They want us to be stronger, yes? They never said in what way! I suggest we use what’s in our heads to our advantages, to your advantage… I’ll tell you about it as we walk… Lead us home, Miss Leader.” ——————
FALCONFEATHER
slender silver cat with stark green eyes
Herbal knowledge t3 (perm), silver tongue (perm, disabled/activated)
he/him – RC medicine cat – 34 moons
He couldn't explain how he knew, or why he knew, but he just did. The stars had a soft glow to time, but he still felt as if they mocked the two healers as Falconfeather and Tansypaw neared the Starcave, laughing in his face at the destruction RiverClan faced in the coming moon. He didn't exactly want to come here, but knew it was something required of them that they had to do. The last thing on his list was coming to this recheted place. StarClan could burn down the sky for all he cared, and not once would he look up. He had to say though, the Starcave was impressive. Beautiful as it was, the recent events had Falcon holding no liking to it. "Welp, looks like we're the first ones here. Might as well get comfy, we are pretty early?" He crouched in a loaf position, tail curling tightly around his body.
"And hey, I know we are in quite hostilities with the other clans, so try your best not to, uh, get at them? Not that you'd do that, just fair warning you. We should try to make..not friends but, I guess, acquaintances with them. It'll be better for us down the road." He'd hoped himself that he could get along with the others, much to his disliking of social interaction.
It was near moonhigh now, so he guessed the others would be joining them soon.
Tansypaw wasn't sure she even believed in this Starclan. Being raised a loner and then as a kittypet, she had never heard of such a thing. Dead cats that lived amongst the stars... Deciding the fate of the poor souls below... It didn't seem fair. It wasn't her place to say whether or not those cats existed up there or not but it was her place to say that the dead shouldn't have any kind of effect on the living. If the star cats truly were the ones that were causing all this misfortune... What exactly had Riverclan done in it's recent past to deserve this treatement?
Falconfeather goes on about niceties and acting cordial and it takes all her strength to not roll her eyes. It's not like she needed to be told how to act-- and even if she did, she was going to act how she wanted to. Truth of the matter was the fact that every other clan's medicine cat was more experienced than them. They needed more information. More experience, more connections. And the young cat was determined to get that for Riverclan.
She nods in response to his words anyway, just so he knows she was listening. Good thing she chewed on some thyme on the walk here... This was going to get stressful.
Tired. Another halfmoon, another trip on his own. This had to be, what, the third trip to the Starcave since Ivysnake's murder? He wasn't old and he knew his time serving Shadowclan was long from over but the weight of possibly bringing on a new apprentice was ever present though daunting. He pushed the thoughts from his mind as he drew closer to his destination. The fishy scent of Riverclan met him first, but that was the only scent he picked up. Interesting, the two newest additions to the medicine cat group were the first and so far only medicine cats to arrive. He hadn't decided a full read of the two just yet so the night may have plenty to offer. Stonepaw had just begun growing on him and now it was to start anew. Lightningstorm was promising and Cowtuft was intriguing in his own way. Drizzlecloud and Springpaw were as underpawed and slimy as the rest of their pretentious clan. He could only hope that Falconfeather and Tansypaw would turn out to be tolerable. As he moved out of the brush, he looked over the two new medics and nodded a silent greeting before sitting down to wait for Windclan and Thunderclan's medicine cats.
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Active Purrks Elmshadow - The Collector Cougarivy - Beefed Up Sunsetpaw - Biligual, Flock Together:Tier 2
- - - - - Character Site
- - - - - Elmshadow
- - - - - Shadowclan Healing
Although she and Springpaw had been Thunderclan’s medicine cats for the last few moons, this would only be their second visit to the starcave. She still didn’t know much about the sacred place, and as much as she wished to know more about it, there just didn’t seem to be much time to do so. At least, there hadn’t been. Perhaps that would change now.
“Try not to strain yourself, okay?” Drizzlecloud advised Springpaw gently as they approached, catching the scents of Riverclan–surprisingly, they were here before the Windclan healers were–and Shadowclan. “Let’s try to enjoy this little meeting–we aren’t the newbies anymore, so I suppose we can be proud of that.” That last bit there was a tease, gently bumping her side against Springpaw as she cast a grin down towards her.
When they got closer to the trio that awaited them, Drizzlecloud dipped her head. “Elmshadow, hello. Falconfeather and Tansypaw, I hope your trip here went well. No troubles, I would assume?”
Drizzlecloud didn’t have any strong feelings about Falconfeather right now. On the other hand, Tansypaw reminded her of Springpaw, so she liked the apprentice more than her mentor–not that she disliked him, she just didn’t really have a good read on the guy yet. When it came to Elmshadow, she felt the same way that she felt about him during the last gathering between the clans–and to refresh your memory, it wasn’t anything good.
☁️ ੈ✩‧₊˚ the eye of the storm
Re: The Starcave
