An adventure in itself.

[{darkles}]

It was nearing sunhigh, though you couldn’t tell by looking. The clouds, thick with snow, were blocking every inch of sky, including the sun. It cast a gloomy grey look over everything. No leaves rustled joyfully in the boughs of the four oaks and there was no birdsong to be heard. Leafbare was indeed the killing season. The cold winds ruffled the tomcats fur as he waited by the great rock, eager for his travelling companions to arrive. His apprentice, Stormpaw, had found the life of a Clan cat too difficult to manage and had since vanished into the wilds of the forest. Russetstripe missed him dearly but he understood that not all cats can take an outdoor lifestyle. So it was that he sat alone, shadowed by the hulking rock that the four Clan leaders would stand upon once the full moon came. He shivered, wishing he could get moving and warm himself up with a nice run across the snow-bound moors. Being the tom that he was, he had sat and waited for the other medicine cats to show up before making the trek to the Moonstone. He was expecting two to come from ThunderClan – Wolfpelt and Frostedpaw - and two from RiverClan – Sunmist and Otterpaw, the two WindClan cats – Commetdance and Everpaw would most likely meet them halfway there.

The ginger tom was both anxious and excited about sharing tongues with StarClan. They had been silent ever since the prophecy they had shared with him, the day by the river. What worried him most about it was that he hadn’t a clue what the prophecy meant. He also wanted a chance to talk to his old mentor, Beechflight, about the ever persistent Leafbare. Perhaps she would know where he could find more catmint.. if not, lives would surely be lost. The bitter season had crept up on Russetstripe, appearing early and catching him unawares. The small supply of catmint that he did have would treat five cats for ten suns, or ten cats for five suns. Compared to other Clans, this was perhaps a lot – but Russetstripe’s experience told him that if one cat were to fall ill, plenty more would follow. ShadowClan could not risk contracting greencough.

Another flurry of snow fell at his paws. With a short 'Mrrow!' he gave in to the cold and started to pace backwards and forwards across the hollow, trying to get some feeling back into his backside. His mind whirled with many different trains of thought, both of the future and the present, the pressing problems and the ones that could wait a while longer. Always the energetic cat, he couldn’t wait to get moving.


[OoC: So it's not much, but I couldn't find anything to say without you guys joining in. ^^ Welcome to the trip to the moonstone by the way!]

[hawktail]

Out from the snow, popped a shaggy gray cat, flanked by her apprentice. "Keep up with me, Frostedpaw," she meowed through chattering teeth. She did not want her apprentice falling behind. The weather had become worse, seeming to deepen the wound on the world. It was as if claws were tearing through the air, slicing away the warmth like flesh. The shaggy cat shivered and pushed through the snow. The ground was frozen beneath her numbing paws. Her jaws clattered together noisily against her will. She just wanted to share tongues with StarClan, get home, and sleep in her warmer nest. The ThunderClan medicine cat just wanted sleep.

Pausing briefly, Wolfpelt waited for her apprentice to be at her side before continuing. She scented the air: ShadowClan. Bounding ahead a few paces, the gray she-cat entered the clearing and hurried over.

"H-h-hello, Russetst-stripe," she managed through her chattering teeth. "I expect th-that the cold is taking its t-toll in Sh-ShadowClan?" Wolfpelt herself had lost weight, her bones showing lightly through her thick fur. Prey was growing near impossible to find nowadays. The Clans were all suffering.

"I know it may seem rude, Russetstripe, but, ThunderClan is running out of herbs. We have greencough already. It's coming very early in the season..." She allowed herself to trail off, her amber gaze fixed elsewhere.

[Sunmist/Tessa]

The trail was long and winding and Sunmist could feel his bones freezing already. He neglected to take the herbs normally reserved for these kinds of trips due to the recent decline in usable herbs. He kept them for mothers who were in need of that extra boost in energy, or elders... Sunmist's head drooped and his heart tightened as he remembered one-eye. Ever since that time he had been asking himself, what did he do, was there something he could have done different, did starclan frown upon him for fsailing? He shivered slightly as the other medicine cats came into sight and his tail rose in polite greeting, despite himself.

"Greetings Russetstripe," he nodded to the thunderclan she-cat, "Wolfpelt." his eyes shone in a warm welcoming, showing his neutrality towards the medicine cat circle. He was loyal to Riverclan, there was no doubt about that but he would not even think about touching a medicine cat. Not in the least. He came to a stop in front of the others and sat, sweeping his tail over his paws, and turned to his apprentice.

"Otterpaw, this is Russetstripe and Stormpaw. They are the Shadowclan medicine cats." he gestured to Wolfpelt and Frostedpaw, "And these are the Thunderclan Medicine Cats: Wolfpelt and Frostedpaw." He nodded to them. "It is good to see you all here safely," he said to them. The hooded tom looked about him, scenting the wind and noticing that Windclan had yet to show up. He cocked his head to one side. "Have you seen Windclan?"

[/blockquote]

[featherstorm]

Commetdance run through the snow. The snow was as white as her fur, maybe a bit darker. She was a little late to leave the camp because one of the queens had fallen ill. Commetdance though that Pebble fur had whitecough but she didn't know yet. She had an of catmit to last the rest of the winter, but that depends on how many cats get sick with whitecough and greencough. She was worried about pebblefur, but she had to go to the meeting. She was thinking about having Everpaw stay, but Pebblefur insisted that we both go.

She could see fourtrees for where she was on the moor. Snow had started to fall again. It was going to be a long could night. She shivered, 'please starclan, let us get to the moonstone safe' thought Commetdance. She looked behind her shoulder, at Everpaw. " Come Everpaw we need to get to fourtrees" Said Commetdance. She started to run again. They were very close to fourtrees.

She ran a little bit more she was now just a couple of fox lengths for fourtrees. In just a couple of minutes she was at fourtrees. She slowed down to a walk. She saw all the other medicine cats here already. "Hello, sorry we are late we have a sick queen" said Commetdance. She bowed her head in a polite manner.

[hawktail]

Wolfpelt nodded in greeting to each new medicine cat. "Don't fret too much about it," she meowed at Commetdance. "ThunderClan also has a sick queen. Her kits are assisting in her healing, but I'm not sure we can do much with our supplies so low." The shaggy cat lowered her head some in shame. It was her fault that she didn't gather the herbs she needed. She could have stocked up and given the Camp a stronger survival against leafbare. But did she, no.

The ThunderClan cat sighed. "Has StarClan spoken with any of you? They have been silent to me." She lowered her gaze to her freezing paws. "The last I heard of them was before the snow moved in, but since then, nothing."

[{darkles}]

The ginger tom stopped his pacing as Wolfpelt came haring across the clearing to greet him. He nodded respectfully towards her and was just about to reply to her unasked question when the rest of the travelling group appeared, the medicine cats leading the apprentices, who seemed too cold to utter a word.

'Greetings everyone' he meowed, to cover all the faces, 'I suggest we walk and talk at the same time, it would keep our feet from freezing over!' No matter what the situation, or how worried he really was, ShadowClan's medicine cat couldn't help himself from throwing jokes around. He grinned and turned tail, heading towards WindClan's moors, and the well trodden path to Mothermouth. It would take them the rest of the day to reach the cave, where they would then have to sit and wait for moon-high before sharing tongues with StarClan. Briefly, he wondered how many of the apprentices had made this journey before, and whether or not they were nervous at all. He knew he had been on his first trip, but Beechflight had always been there to encourage him.

'StarClan have been silent towards me also. The last time I heard from them.. I will not share it with you now, but they spoke a grave message. It is as though the snow is a barrier, that they cannot get through..' He broke off on this worrying opinion, putting all his efforts into wading through the thicker flurries of snow that had settled.

[Sunmist/Tessa]

Sunmist turned his head bitterly toward a coming, freezing wind.
"Or," he reflected with a self induced numbness, "Perhaps there is nothing they can say." he waited for a tense moment, his ears twitched once to the back as the wind switched directions and caught him the side of the face. Then the tom turned, assuming his apprentice was in tow, and followed the train to the Moonstone.

All things considered, the trek was beautiful. The stars glimmered like jewels in the chrystaline snow, while the pale moon sat like a perfectly rounded river-stone, or a soft gray eye. He left his body for a moment and walked amongst the stars, his feet as delicate as a feather over snow and carried on the wind. He sighed and lifted his face to it, taking in the crispness. But with snow also came death and disease. His own fur was listless and hung off him like old rags on a poor beggar. He always ate last. Elders, kits, queens and the infirm were priorty for food. Then apprentices, then the warriors, Ebonstar, Otterpaw and finally, when everyone was fed, Sunmist. By that time there was nothing for him to eat, save for whatever he could find last minute, which was usually some stale herb. He was lucky once and in the ice he found a hibernating frog. He sent a special prayer to starclan as thanks for its life, feeling bad for killing it when it was helpless, but it was either kill or be killed in the wild winter wilderness. And this medicine cat, though a cat of healing and peace, was still a hunter. A killer.

Sunmist walked silently for the rest of the trek, lost in his own, tired thoughts, and wouldn't notice their arrival at the Moonstone until he felt the hard-packed trail under his paws, and the soft persistent tug of his ancestors, calling his clan name; Sunmist. Sunmist.

[hawktail]

Wolfpelt sighed as she fell in step slightly behind the ShadowClan medicine cat. "Perhaps you are both right," she murmured to the toms. "Maybe StarClan cannot get through to us, but they just don't know what they would tell us if they broke through." Wolfpelt flicked her gaze behind her to check on Frostedpaw, and them looked over to Russetstripe. "Am I making sense?" she asked softly. She knew that when things made perfect sense to her, they could be as clear as mud to another cat. It was odd to her, but somehow it happened.

"What I mean is that, sometimes if we want to say something, we just can't find the words, right? Maybe StarClan is powerless against this weather. Maybe they're being pushed away by it. Maybe they just don't know what to say." She shrugged, making a small flurry of snow fall from her shoulders. If the others didn't get that one, she would mark them off as very dim cats and leave it at that.

[{darkles}]

Russetstripe padded along beside Sunmist, happy to be in the other cats company. At times he felt somehow estranged from his clanmates, knowing the things he did and thinking the way he did. The enimosity between him and the other three Clans was lesser, still strong, but more directed towards peaceful ways of sorting problems as opposed to the warrior's way of ripping fur and clawing ears. It was good to be with cats of his own calling for a change. He took each of their views into consideration, weighing the thoughts in his mind for a long time before he spoke again, the effort of walking through the deep snow already taking a toll on his weary food-starved body. There had been no spare herbs for him to travel with today. Those herbs were needed to keep the kits and queens strong and healthy.

'It makes sense to me' he replied to Wolfpelt, smiling at her uncertainty - a feeling he often had himself, 'It just troubles me sometimes..' Focusing ahead of himself his pale green eyes could see a narrow strip of black against a pure white background. The twoleg monsters had kept the thunderpath free of snow with their stench and constant noise. It marked the end of WindClan territory and the beginning of the slow uphill march to reach the Moonstone. It also brought about a problem for some of the younger members of the group.

'Has every cat crossed the thunderpath before?' he enquired, aiming this question more at the mentors than the apprentices themselves.

[featherstorm]

Commetdance listened to what wolfpelt was saying about a thunderclan queen being sick. She nodded to show that she was listening. There was one problem to what Wolfpelt had said. Pebblefur had two kits that aren't able to eat freshkill yet, and there are no other queens. Commetdance looked up at Wolfpelt " Windclan was some catmit to spare, I would gladly give you some, if you want" said Commetdance she didn't want to see any cat die from this weather.

Commetdance thought about what Wolfpelt asked. She hadn't heard anything from starclan. She thought she would at least hear something from them. " I have not heard anything from them either, I hope that would change when we go to the moonstone" She said. She nodded to russetstrip " greetings, your right we should get going or we won't be there before moonhigh" said Commetdance. She looked up at the sky, the sun was already down, and the moon was starting to come up over the moors.

She followed Russetstrip to her clans moors. " maybe your right, lets just see what happens tonight" Said Commetdance. She didn't want anyone to worry. She looked up at the stars she loved the way the stars looked, they seemed so peaceful up there where no one else could go. Commetdance listened to what wolfpelt said, she nodded to show she understood what she was saying. "We both had crossed the thunderpath before" said Commetdance.

[Decimah]

He was a complete and utter ball of nerves. There wasn't anything anyone could say that would mkae him feel any better really. He stuck like a sleek brown burr to his mentor's side, the only comfort he would allow himself in this situation. How could he hope to one day confront countless injuries and solve any prophecy their ancestors decided to throw at him, if he couldn't even make it to moonstone without becoming a blubbering pile of nervous fur? No matter, he forced thoughts of his demise from his mind, focusing more on the forms of the cat's that Sunmist was introducing to him. Russetstripe, Wolfpelt, Frostedpaw,Commetdance (a name which he rolled around his mouth for a few moments) and Everpaw. Each would be cataloged into his mental organizing system, and each would be given a small, jerky bob of a nod. Otterpaw was afraid he would sound like a frightened kit if he tried to speak at the moment.

The thought that their ancesters would have abandoned them, well the young male just couldn't believe that. The Theory that Commentdance presented, or the few sentences Russetstripe had uttered before the she-cat had said it made more sense to him. Simply because it meant they weren't alone.

He doubted he was the youngest of all these apprentices, but most likely youngest at the job. He had spent almost a half moon longer in the nursery before receiving his name, and even then had waited longer than usual before Sunmist had chosen the young tom as his apprentice. He hadn't had much experience, though the last few days he'd been doing everything possible. Everything that is, except cross a thunderpath. crap.

There would be a moment of awkward silence, along with an uncomfortable shifting of feet. "Ah...I.." a rough swallow, because without a doubt it had come out in a squeak of almost fear. "Haven't" another shifting of paws, though it could have been that they were almost entirely numb. His awkward moment would only be interrupted by frequent shivers, or anyone else if they would decide to speak.

[{darkles}]

Two green eyes blinked in Otterpaw's direction.

Warmth and understanding filled their gaze as Russetstripe acknowledged the little tom with a flick of his tail. He had sensed the apprentices unease when the pair were introduced, but he hadn't wanted to embarrass the young cat by making him speak in front of the other medicine cats and their apprentices. Now it seemed he had found his voice, be it a shaky nervous one.

'That's alright, don't worry about it.' he smiled at Otterpaw, 'There's a first time for everything. I remember how nervous I was when I first crossed the Thunderpath.. nearly tore my claws out from running so hard!' he laughed, his eyes clouding for a moment as he re-lived the memory, flexing his foreclaws as if feeling it all over again too. He slowed his pace a little to walk beside the apprentice, allowing Sunmist and Commetdance to draw ahead if they so wished. His ginger ears pricked as the first roaring sounds of monsters hit them.

'When we get there, keep well back unless instructed to get closer. Monsters scare every cat, but you need to keep a level head when you're near them, okay? We'll cross in small groups, I'll go first with you and Sunmist if you want? Get it over and done with.' the ever present grin matched the understanding in his eyes. They'd all been there, Wolfpelt, Sunmist, Commetdance and himself.. Their mentors had helped them through it, and now it was their job to help the next generation of medicine cats.

[Sunmist/Tessa]

Sunmists day-dreams drifted away from him as the scent of the thunderpath invaded his sesnes. He seezed at them and his gut sunk with disdain. He hated the smell that came off of you when you crossed it. It was disgusting. But he needed to do it, in order to get to the highstones. He slipped in beside his apprentice and flicked him re-assuringly with the tip of his tail, his eyes sparkling. "The thunderpath wont bite, " he explained, "It is the monsters that you have to worry about. They usually do not run as much at night. I have crossed this path many many times, he looked left and then right down the path, listening for any kind of monsters running along the path. He heard none. "And I am still here." he raised his tail for his apprentice to follow and, with a few short bounds, he made it across the thunderpath. He turned to search for his apprentice.
"See," he said calmly, "No monsters." the path was silent.

[hawktail]

Wolfpelt laughed lightly as Sunmist bounded across the path. Something about that cat just made her laugh. She smiled back at the nervous apprentice, then looked back at Sunmist on the other side of the path. "Sunmist, we;re just lucky tonight," she called. "I haven't even heard any monsters. Maybe they're being wise and staying where they belong: Off the path." Flicking her tail for Frostedpaw to follow, the shaggy cat smiled at Russetstripe. "Mind if I cut?" she meowed. "Or would you like us to follow you and Otterpaw? It might reassure him to have cats in front and behind him." She turned her amber gaze back to the RiverClan medicine cat. It should be the mentor's decision.

OOC:: GAH! So short... I'm just super busy with my own site lately...

[Decimah]

It felt better to be understood, though the sympathy was rather hard for Otterpaw to take. That and the awkwardness, which still hadn't lessened one bit, maybe that was because of the nerves though. Russetstripe's encouraging words helped, marginally so, as did Sunmists a few moments later, and his mentor's demonstration across the path. It was a rather ugly thing, it's length stretching away in either direction as far as Otterpaw's eyes could see, much like the river. Though obviously, this was no river as his mentor had just ran across it ! Pale green eyes watered at the subtle heat that ran from it, despite the outwardly cold weather that sat upon everything else. Its surface was rather slick looking, wiped clean by the passing of a monster he assumed, though he had yet to see one. It was silent when they had approached, and even from his foxlength away position he could feel the soft rumblings. Another cautionary step would be taken backwards, just taking Russetstripe's warning to heart, limbs curling upon themselves as he reluctantly crouched against the snow, wetting his once dry and warm underbelly.

It passed in a putrid cloud of scent that left him wanting to cough, or rub his face in a patch of garlic. Anything really that would get the stench from him. It was gone in another second, only the ringing in his ears and weeping of his eyes to tell him it had even exsisted. Silence would soon settle over again thickly, as it seemed only to do in winter.

A paw would be inched forward, smacking against the charbroiled surface with a quiet sound, It would withdraw a moment later, nose wrinkling in disgust. "What idiocy" came his mumble a moment later. Two-legs and their radical ideas. He turned to glance at Russetstripe. the words to ask if the elder tom would cross with him, as Sunmist already had formed in his mind. He didn't want to say it. Like anyone trying to prove himself, he wanted to look anything but dependent. And at the moment, that is exactly what Otterpaw felt he looked like.

However, he really didn't want to cross alone.

[{darkles}]

[OoC: Dw, a post is a post =3 Mine'll be lamer I betcha.]

Russetstripe also stifled a chuckle at Sunmist's gallivanting about by the thunderpath. He should really be taking it a little more seriously, but as there was little amusement to be found elsewhere, the ginger cat said nothing, merely turning to Otterpaw with a raised brow and a humoured glint in one of his eyes. It was true that the path was quieter tonight, perhaps the snow caused problems for monsters and twolegs as much as it did for the Clans? He enjoyed that idea - monsters had never been his favourite creature. Striding confidently up to the edge of the black strip he stopped and signalled at the line with his striped tail.

'It is quiet tonight, but you may not always have such good luck' he told the apprentice, 'Aim to get as close as possible without endangering yourself, it'll give you less distance to run when the time comes. You should always scout before you run. Never ever run blind, understood?' The tom broke off from his list of tips and pointers, perking his ears and looking down the thunderpath with slitted eyes. Unless he was very much mistaken, there was a monster on it's way. The dratted snow, it muffled the sounds of the world and frustrated the tom greatly. He remained as he stood until he could be sure of what he heard, but he placed his tail across the apprentices chest as a warning not to run.

'Another thing to note, never make a dash if you're unsure of the situation' he grumbled, still frustrated with his ears which were usually better than this. Within a couple of heartbeats however, the telltale rumble grew from the silence, signalling the approach of one of the dreaded monsters. Even in the snow the ground seemed to shake with it's approach and the stench was fouler than the stink of crow-food. Russetstripe pressed himself to the floor, backing up a single pace just for certainty and praying to StarClan that the others did the same.

[featherstorm]

Commetdance just walked along. It seems Otterpaw was having an of cats telling him the thunderpath. "It's not so bad once you cross it for the first time, but even then it's not as bad as it seems" she said. She had to put her own words into it. She looked around it was quite to quite for her liking. Half of her wanted to get this night over with the other half wished it never started.

She looked at the others. Everyone seemed calm so did she. he only cat that didn't seem calm was Otterpaw which she could understand. Commetdance nodded her head when Russetstripe said they should cross in small groups. She walked in the back of the group. They were at the thunderpath now. She listened and waited as Russetstripe gave Otterpaw a few tips on how to cross the thunderpath. Soon she heard a monster coming their way, and it seemed that Russetstripe heard it too. She backed away a bit. She watched the thunderpath for signs of the monster. With in heatbeats it came and passed the cats. She waited for Russetstripe to lead Otterpaw to the other side.