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WEATHER
🍂
Leaf-Fall
Year 01 — Fall Moon This season is the wettest time of the year, with the most rain falling. The moisture is bringing out all sorts of moss and fungus. Fog is often dense in areas. The leaves are magnificent colours of auburns and golds. The salmon are running upstream now, and are plentiful. Temperatures vary, but it tends to get no warmer than 51°F/11°C and can get as low as 23°F/-5°C.
synopsis: this thread takes place approximately 3 moons prior to current site time. it is early evening but still very hot. goldenstar died in the morning and elktalon has not chosen a deputy yet. he and the medicine cat, mallowfrost, are going to the starlight cave for elktalon to receive his 9 lives.
for more info on the starclan cats listed, check out the guide in my tracker.
content warnings: none - realm events: no - skip rate: ~72 hours - music: strut by emeline - notes: please keep posts brief (100-400 words). “i say these words before the spirit of juniperleap, so that she may hear and approve my choice.” in elktalon’s memory, goldenstar had seemed to pause dramatically. time had slowed down and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. ”elktalon will be the new deputy of summitclan.”
it had felt like only a few sunrises since that night when he’d stood in the gloom of summitclan camp, the tang of blood in the heavy air. the elders had paused in preparing the bodies of those who had died in the battle; the moon was nearly at its full height, and rumblings that starclan was surely already angry enough had preceded goldenstar’s announcement. elktalon had stepped forward, hesitantly at first, then with confidence, to receive goldenstar’s gift. he ignored the murmurings of doubt and scoffs as he raised his head and surveyed the clan- his clan. he was young, yes, but he still felt the promotion was deserved. no warrior had fought harder against the invaders.
goldenstar had seemed so fragile that night, but everyone was sure she would recover. even a cat as ambitious as elktalon would be surprised to serve as deputy for just a moon before rising to leadership, but that was exactly what would happen; when he’d stepped out of the warrior’s den that morning an older cat had ushered him to the leader’s den. goldenstar had slipped away with barely a whisper to her loved ones, and then summitclan was left in chaos.
even as the sun began to fall behind the jagged peaks before the two traveling cats, the night only seemed to grow hotter. it pressed in on his fur, making him feel out of breath. elktalon’s jaws parted slightly and he panted as the starlight cave at last came into view. he glanced at the calico who had been his less than savory companion for the entirety of the journey from summitclan camp to the sacred cave.
the young deputy expected mallowfrost to offer some special instructions or words of encouragement. when none came, he simply walked on. the surprising chill of the cave broke his purposeful stride, and he shivered in spite of himself. he located the small pool that lay near the center and wordlessly approached, crouching down. may as well get this over with…
the cool water eased the pain in elktalon’s parched throat, but the relief was gone as fast as it came. he felt his muscles go rigid as death, his body as cold as ice. was there something in the water? elktalon tried to look around for mallowfrost, but he couldn’t move. he would have abandoned all pride and cried for help like a kit, but his mouth wouldn’t work and he felt his heart clenching tighter, tighter, tighter… until it stopped beating all together.
when elktalon opened his eyes, he was surrounded by cats. a thrill of fear went through him from nose to tail tip and his lip curled instinctively into a snarl. the cats‘ bodies cast long shadows as tall as trees, and their fur seemed to glow with an unearthly light. at first, elktalon couldn’t make out anything other than their ears and tails, but gradually details came into focus.
he recognized martenthroat, the unpleasant tom who had been medicine cat before mallowfrost; and there, the striped tom at martenthroat’s left was chipmunkfur, elktalon’s uncle who had died when elktalon was young; his eyes widened to see juniperleap, a graceful looking she-cat with blue-gray fur; and close by, there was a broad shouldered brown tabby tom who elktalon didn’t recognize. the brown tabby had an air of self-importance about him, and elktalon noticed the tom sharing a look with the deep gray she-cat who stood at his side.
elktalon got to his paws, casting around with hostile eyes at the other cats gathered: a muscular white tom that looked eerily familiar; a tiny striped she-cat with a prominent scar; the sleek cream she-cat he knew must be lemonstar, the leader before goldenstar; and countless others who stood just beyond his seeing, their features shrouded in mist.
The feeling of Silverpelt being disrupted wasn't a new one. A cursory peek through the mist and tangling trees sent a very brief tingle of curiosity down his currently nonexistent spine. Pinestar let himself noiselessly slip into the mists, molding himself to the nonexistent bark of the trees. He didn't quite take the shape of a feline yet, he wanted to take a peek at who was arriving. It didn't take long for the sheer sensation of SummitClan to bestow itself upon the stars.
Pinestar let himself flow into a more solid looking shape next to his first deputy, Rueberry. He sat back on his haunches, peering down at the newcomer critically before sharing a look with the dark grey she-cat upon seeing the young, cinnamon-colored face of a tomcat with scarred shoulders. It was like looking into a mirror image of himself when he was younger. Elktalon, the younger tomcat's soul whispered to him. PrideeagernessfightPASSION.
So this one was to be the new leader. Alright. Pinestar had an idea of what he could give him.
The brown tabby sauntered over to Elktalon, still studying the slightly smaller tomcat critically. A deep 'hrm' escaped Pinestar, turning his eyes upon Elktalon's. After a moment, he leaned forward to lightly touch his nose to the tomcat's forehead. He let a small bit of his energy flow forward through Elktalon. "With this life, I give you humility," Pinestar rumbled, releasing his nose to study Elktalon with piercing eyes once more. "Use it well, as you will need to take advice from others if you wish to get through the coming times. Learn to accept help, young one. I was you, once."
Pinestar dipped his head to the other, and turned back to sit next to Rueberry. His eyes still intently studying the tom.
elktalon had expected his words to echo, and he wasn’t disappointed. “well?” asked the tall trees. “well?” demanded the rings of silent cats, their eyes glowing. he rolled his eyes. ok, starclan, nice touch, very dramatic.
the ginger tom tipped his head to the side as the tabby he’d noticed first strode up to him, getting right in his face. he bristled, but elktalon felt like he couldn’t make his tongue cooperate when he went to speak again. as the other cat leaned in even closer, blue-green eyes met their mirror image and elktalon started. if he’d had a father, this cat would be him- powerful, charismatic, yes, he had to admit it, handsome. elktalon bowed his head without meaning to, and the other tom’s nose touched his forehead.
”with this life, i give you humility.” the power flowed into him, rippling through every hair on his pelt. yet a part of him felt smaller, and he hated it. when the cat drew away, elktalon found that he knew him: it was pinestar, leader of summitclan moons before elktalon was born. elktalon felt he had walked beside the leader; memories of hunting, fighting, patrolling, pride, grief, first love and bitter hatred swirled, making his heart clench in agony.
“thank you, pinestar,” he managed through gritted teeth, surprised his voice didn’t shake. learn to accept help. pffft… he looked expectantly at the blue-gray she-cat beside pinestar, who now stepped forward out of the mist.
Next up: immortes with rueberry! (Or, after 72 hours elapse, someone else may post!)
[attr="class","roxclass"]She hadn't expected this to happen so soon, and yet, as she paused to groom her pelt - she could not help but feel overwhelmingly excited. Goldenstar had been a good leader, for a time, but times would come to an end, and change was meant to happen. Licking her paw, she watched Elkthorn with a curious expression, and before she could offer guidance the warrior took the step forth. She peered into the darkness, standing vigil over her leader. While she knew some medicine cat's of the past would accompany their leaders on this journey, she had no desire - the stars were loud enough as it was.
"one, two, three... no no there was four of these."
[attr="class","roxclass"]One, two, three.. no no there was four of these.
The rustle of the woods around him was doing nothing to the calm the nerves of the tom. He had been endlessly counting, pulling each herb from it's place - not that they were of any use in the great scheme of things. Starclan cats did not bleed, they did not need healing. He grumbled once more, pulling the catmint to his side, counting again to ensure there was truly four pieces of the precious herb. His precious herbs.
He could hear the shifting of paws, someone had risen to the stars. He wondered if it was his former apprentice, come begging for guidance, or perhaps it was Goldenstar, how foolish they had been to argue with a healer's judgement. He rose, the catmint hanging loosely in his jaws as he made his way through the brush, and soon he spotted them. His shook his head, closing his eyes and nestled between the gathering cats. Goldenstar is dead. He mused.
"well?"
The voice echoed through the trees, and his beady eyes lifted to the sound, and his eyes narrowed. Lips curled in annoyance. What possessed Goldenstar to name a warrior so young, what foolishness. It was Pinestar who rose first, and with the life of humility, Martenthroat felt his own lips curl up. He rose, his paws flexing as he padded forth, catmint still hanging from his fangs as he flashed a half crazed smile the new leader's way. He dropped the herb at his paws, before pressing his nose to the tom's forehead.
"With this life, I give you dedication." He meowed, sounding confident, not like he had in his later moons of life. "Use it well to provide for your goals. But remember to dedicate time for your clan, or you will lose yourself to your obsessions." His voice trailed off, eyes glazing once more as he bent to grab his catmint, that same half-crazed smile returning to his face, he padded backwards, settling beside Chipmunkfur - the soft whispers of "one, two, three..." fading into silence.
before the she-cat could reach him, another cat, closer, stepped forward. elktalon watched the cat he knew to have been summitclan’s medicine cat before mallowfrost. he would have preferred the she-cat over the strange tom who looked at elktalon like a mouse he was half-contemplating keeping alive for fun. the young tom couldn’t stop the prickle of revulsion and mislike that rose on his skin.
the pleasant aroma of catmint in the air that precipitated the tom’s touch did little to make his fur lie flat. “dedication?” he echoed boldly. he’d thought the life was for dedication to his clan, but the healer’s words seemed to imply a dedication to his own interests as well. elktalon wondered for the first time, abruptly uncomfortable, how much starclan knew about some of his interests. did martenthroat mean those interests?
the ginger tom tried to resist it, but the feelings associated with the healer’s gift overtook his body nonetheless. he understood martenthroat’s words as the tom’s life became his own, sweeping him up in blaze of feeling. elktalon felt, for a moment, the bond between mentor and apprentice that was unique to medicine cats. his paws itched from walking unfamiliar paths through groves and jagged scree fields, searching intently. the life exhausted him in a way that pinestar’s life had not.
chipmunkfur still remembered it like it was yesterday. one moment there was pain, a realization that he was slipping away, and the next moment, stars lay before him. it was then he realized he had ended up in starclan. all these moons later, it still felt like yesterday. and at the first sight of elktalon, his nephew, he almost feared the same fate had befallen him. he was only a kit the last time chipmunkfur saw him, but he recognized the tom in an instant. elktalon reminded him of his sister in appearance, but him in personality. he remembered those first few months, how difficult that leafbare was. elktalon had always been a fighter. he overcame the hunger and sickness of that unfortunate leafbare, and here he was.
the tom padded closer, looking at elktalon with a gentle, almost fatherly gaze. it was warm, gentle, almost as if he were trying to make up for the moons he missed. he had always wanted kits of his own, and while elktalon wasn't his, he had always intended to be involved in his niblings' upbringing. it was unfortunate his life ended when it did.
chipmunkfur couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized those eyes. that passion, that desire, that arrogance. it was similar to his own, the thought that he was capable of anything. impatience and overconfidence had gotten him killed. he was not about to let the same happen to his sister's son.
"with this life, i give you patience," chipmunkfur began, "use it well. sometimes, the best action is inaction. the path forward often isn't clear until it has time to reveal itself. and who knows how dangerous it may be?"
"you remind me of sagecloud," the tom finished softly. "tell her i say hello."
with that, he stepped back, allowing room for others to speak. he looked forward to seeing his nephew as leader, but something still unsettled him, a feeling prickling in his paws. hopefully his gift would serve elktalon well.
chipmunkfur stepped forward next. the familiarity of it struck elktalon. he remembered the golden light shining bright through scraggly alpine trees, the day gently fading. his mother's sad but knowing expression when they'd carried the striped warrior back to camp.
how could the best action, be inaction? elktalon thought, feeling irritation prick his pelt despite the fond feelings he still had for his uncle. why did death make every cat so cryptic?
at chipmunkfur's touch, the life rushed into him, steady as a river. elktalon felt his paws and heart turn to stone. if this was patience, he was glad he hadn't been given a life for indecision or, say, paralyzing fear. elktalon straightened with a frown. "i will. thank you, uncle."
that was the third life. patience, dedication, and humility. where were power, bravery, strength in battle? what was next, submissiveness? bowing to starclan? elktalon kneaded the ground in frustration. the patience that chipmunkfur had injected into him had already dissipated.
The air was charged with electricity with the procession of the sacred ritual. A hive of starry bodies formed a ring around the ascender, pale eyes scrutinizing his every character. Combined, Starclan's presence added light and dimension to an otherwise meaningless void. The pompous character of Elkstar was quite familiar to them; having followed him from a kit to warrior to the deputy today. Whereas Goldenstar led with diplomacy Elktalon lived up to the stubborness and aggression of his namesake. Where she was a beam of sunlight, he embodied the chaos of elks fighting for mates in newleaf. The young leader's sins were many;
Aggression, pride, ambition, implusivity... The air crackled dangerously. Glances were exchanged and fur bristled on their haunches. Elkstar commanded respect in battle, a stark contrast to Goldenstar's benevolence. His lean, corded body reeked of the stench of arrogance. Worst of all, his paws had been bloodied in the past. How many more will follow once he is made leader?
Rueberry frowned, rocking back on her slim haunches. Not for the first time since the ceremony started, she found herself questioning the collective decision. What if they were giving lives to a tyrant? We are doing this for the betterment of Timberclan. A change in power was natural, like the onset of leaf-fall and the cruel gusts of leafbare. She took a deep breath as Chipmunkfur strode forward, blessing Elktalon with patience, succeeding Martenthroat and Pinestar.
The grey she-cat fought a snort; Starclan knew that patience was one of many positive qualities Elktalon was lacking in. Deep down, Rueberry dryly noted she could think of a few more virtues to add to the list of patience and dedication and humility. Those should be qualities taken for granted in every leader with nine lives. And here they were, lauding these traits as if it was some sort of accomplishment. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Martenthroat step back from Elktalon, giving her a polite nod.
His fur glowed in the sacred clearing, the light of wisdom and kindness in his eyes. A tight knot wound in her chest; Am I as wise as him? Can I set Elkthorn on the right path for his clan? She had to give the life carefully. They could only mess this up once. The grey she-cat took her place in front of the leader, fixing him in her beryl gaze. "I give you the life of intuition and insight." Rueberry mewed. Bending down, the grey she-cat's nose touched his crown, energy flowing into his being. The feeling of this life was cold and clear, like the rush of a wintry stream. "Use it to make judgements free from grief or passion, excitement or lust. Guide your clan with a mind still as a newleaf pond. But don't be swayed by the vices of others."
Her judgement passed, the grey she-cat returned to the crowd. Her starry pelt fading into the sea of stars and pelts before him.
the air around him seemed to shift, growing heavier as before a thunderstorm, and then the she-cat who had stood beside pinestar stepped forward at last. he lifted his chin, meeting her gaze with his own narrowed eyes. "i give you the life of intuition and insight," the cat, her fur the deep gray of wet stone, pronounced. surprising- he hadn't expected to get a life that represented more than one virtue, following the others.
before he could step away, the starclan cat's nose touched him and he was again frozen to the spot. elktalon grit his teeth as his lungs seemed to fill with cold water, making his heart pound in panic. then, the feeling cleared and he felt a chilling clarity wash over him. the ginger cat shook himself as though wet. as before, he knew the she-cat now. rueberry- she had been deputy to pinestar for a time. what does she know about leading? she never even became leader. leader or not, her moons were his now, as much a part of him as his own pelt.
"i will. thank you, rueberry," elktalon meowed, giving a slight dip of his head before the starclan warrior vanished.
Artemis (juniperleap) then nifty (lemonstar and/or quailscar- it's ok to do both at once or split up!!) then immortes (glacierbloom) and then shelby (goldenstar).
Golden tabby eyes blinked, the starlight danced in them, along with a flicker of emotions - sadness, happiness… and acceptance. Living among StarClan’s ranks was not something to be sad about, to be sure, but a little piece of her couldn’t let go of the mortal feelings such as despair for being ripped away from her life too early. Despair that she couldn’t serve her clan as deputy longer. But no longer was it about her. The living moved on, their paws set to walk the path regardless of her own death. Regardless of the death of those around her. Now, her duty was to pass on wisdom to those who succeeded her. Her duty was still to the living, just in a different capacity.[break][break]
Juniperleap had been the deputy right before Elkthorn had been, so in this capacity, she felt a sort of closeness to him to be able to pass on one of his lives, and with it, the responsibilities she never had to endure. She never made it to leader, but Elkthorn did. Her responsibility now was to help guide him and see him through. Help shape him to be a better leader. She had her reservations whether Elkthorn as Elkstar would lead with the same compassionate hand as Goldenstar, the leader she had served while she walked the Realm as a mortal. Nevertheless, she could hope. All she could do was pass her wisdom and her life to Elkthorn, and hope that the gentleness may be passed along with it.[break][break]
The group of starry cats had gathered among the deep ginger furred tom, and as he casted around with hostile eyes, Juniperleap felt the unsureness resurface. However, she had to believe they were making the right decision for SummitClan. This is how it had to be. Goldenstar perhaps was too kind, too gentle. It left them open to vulnerability. Pinestar led, gifting the tom humility. Once he stepped back, Martenthroat moved forward to grant Elktalon humility. Chipmunkfur went next, gifting him patience. Rueberry was next, the gray she-cat seemed as reserved as Juniperleap was, but still touched noses with Elktalon with intuition and insight. Now, as the stone gray she-cat stepped back into the starry ranks of mist shrouded cats, it was her turn.[break][break]
The graceful tabby she-cat moved forward, the starlight clinging to her pelt like a shroud. Her starry golden eyes searched for the blue-green ones of Elktalon, hoping there she might find some humility. Some kindness. Patience, maybe? Despite whatever she may find reflecting there, she knew it was her duty to give her life and something very important that came with it. Mercy. A gift that she would have shown, even though the bitterness of her untimely death still coated her tongue. Still, she knew she would show mercy. The realm was too unstable for another great war. And with this gift, she hoped Elktalon would take the understanding that he needed to show mercy and temper his aggression towards the others.[break][break]
Before she could think any further on the matter, she dipped her head in polite recognition of the tom before her. “Greetings, Elktalon,” She mewed, her voice taking on an ethereal wisdom that could only come having spent moons in StarClan. She may not have been here the longest, but she had been here long enough to cultivate the wisdom to pass to him today. “With my life, I pass to you the gift of mercy. With it, I hope you show forgiveness and compassion to others, especially those to which you now hold authority over.” Juniperleap continued, her stare steady. Without much hesitation, she padded forward to touch her nose to the tom’s head. Once finished, she stepped back softly and sat back on her haunches, her tail wrapping neatly around her as she waited for the next life to be given.
The mist parted around her paws as Lemonstar stepped forward. Her cream fur, dotted with stars, was well-kept and clean. Her amber eyes were bright and clear. Her form was lithe and healthy. And above all, her mind was sharp. She was a complete contrast to the Lemonstar at the end of her reign. She suffered at the end, but for SummitClan, she would do it all again without hesitation. Her clan meant everything to her.
The end of Goldenstar’s leadership was already here. The time was fleeting and at a standstill at the same time. The heaviness in Lemonstar’s expression was brief as she examined Elktalon.
“You’ve done well so far.” Her tail swayed as she drew closer to the soon-to-be leader.
“With this life, I give you fairness. Use it to judge situations without bias. You will be challenged, you will be uncertain, but let equity guide your decisions.” She touched her nose to his forehead.
---
Even in death, within the glory of StarClan, Quailscar’s scar parted her fur. It was part of her namesake after all, so she displayed it with pride. Walking among Silverpelt couldn’t heal everything it seemed, but Quailscar didn’t quite mind.
Once Lemonstar retreated into the crowd, Quailscar made her way forward.
“Elktalon, my kin,” Quailscar said with a smile. “With this life, I give you instinct. Trust yourself above all else, and let no one threaten your rule.” She leaned forward to brush her nose against his fur. “Lead well.”
juniperleap was unique among the cats gathered around the young tom in one way: she was the only one whose death he had personally witnessed. the she-cat who stepped forward now moved with ease and graceful strength. his eyes met hers and softened a fraction. the memory of her death was clear as day in his mind: he'd been entangled with a broad shouldered black she-cat, his claws raking down her sides, when he'd seen it. the intruder leaped while the deputy was distracted by another looming threat. she hadn't seen the fluffy tom coming. by the time elktalon had broken away from his own opponent, the battle had already taken a turn for the worse. that was the day he saw juniperleap die.
bloodlust singing through him, he'd torn into the tom, ripping with tooth and claw. it was no heroic rescue. it was pure desire to hurt, maim, kill, driven by his basest instincts. those golden eyes had blinked up at him one last time as the deputy lay bleeding in camp. how much of the fight had she seen? elktalon hadn't stopped until the intruder lay still. by then, it was too late for juniperleap. he was no medicine cat, and mallowfrost was nowhere in sight. elktalon had felt bitterness rise in his throat and turned away from his kill in disgust, leaving the body of the dead deputy where it lay and plunging back into the fight.
now, the deputy looked less like a ghost walking his nightmares and more like the cat he'd known in the waking world. "with my life, i pass to you the gift of mercy. with it, i hope you show forgiveness and compassion to others, especially those to which you now hold authority over." at this, elktalon tossed his head. summitclan? his clan? "they will get the utmost compassion from me," he mewed. "but everyone else better watch out!" the ginger cat added, sinking his claws into the ground just as the starry cat touched him.
his ridiculous boast still hung in the air as juniperleap touched him, sending a shockwave through his body. he felt pure, hot rage in his veins, burning him up. he wanted to hunt, he wanted to kill. then, as quickly as it had come, it melted away and he felt tranquil. he blinked to clear his vision as juniperleap stepped away, leaving him feeling lost. the praise and confident wisdom in the voice of the leader who stepped forward next was a welcome relief. elktalon felt hollowed out and exhausted. although lemonstar had died before he was born, he recognized her anyway and dipped his head slightly. "thank you, lemonstar," he murmured after she spoke, clearing his throat to try and cover the shakiness in his voice. the former leader's life filled him with certainty, strengthening him. he'd looked up at his mothers with stars in his eyes as they told stories of lemonstar's short but prominent leadership, ending just a few moons before his life had begun.
lemonstar's gift of fairness made elktalon feel steady again. at the same time, he was tired and simply wanted this to be over. elktalon clenched his teeth to stifle a yawn as the tiny striped cat padded forward.
kin? he wondered at her words. the she-cat wasn't one that he knew. yet as her nose touched him, he shuddered and memories flooded him. her time had been moons ago- the mother of his mother's mother might remember her time in summitclan. yet for all the time in between, her life wasn't unlike the clan life he knew. elktalon understood her gift- no matter how many seasons passed, instinct would always guide the paws of warriors. leader or not, elktalon was a warrior through and through. he had to trust his gut. "thank you, quailscar," he meowed, more strength in his voice now.
cosmic with glacierbloom & then shelby with goldenstar :3 Roxanne 🍂 with mallowfrost anytime if desired!
One by one, his idle eyes glanced with each star-lit cat that approached the newest ruler of SummitClan, the clan that he once called his own. Despite his admiration of hunting in the stars and living without worry, he dearly missed those that he left behind on the earth. Watching his kin grow up without his involvement made his stomach turn, but the sweet feeling of being able to watch over them satisfied his craving for the time being. It warmed his soul.
His focus snapped back to the reality of the situation when he knew that it was his turn to give a new life to this tom in front of him. If it wasn't his duty now, he would have certainly hesitated. Being that he lived in Silverpelt and observed everything in the clans, he knew that secrets that Elkthorn and one of his kin kept between them. Though he would never spoil what happened between the two, his cheeky demeanor shined through as he approach the deputy.
Carefully, lingering too long in a stare with Elkthorn, he placed his nose to the tawny cat before him. "With this life, I give you love." The tom paused no longer than a heartbeat or two. "Cherish your Clan as you cherish your own kits, for now they all are your kin."
Glacierbloom held his nose a moment longer than necessary after the life transferred, raising his head and still giving the stare into Elkstar's eyes. The muscular warrior then turned away, before padding toward the original position in the line-up. This ceremony was almost over, as the stars continued to dance along them. But, hopefully, his mannerisms (or there lack of) would convey the StarClan cat's feelings precisely.
She hadn't expected this to happen so soon, and yet, as she paused to groom her pelt - she could not help but feel overwhelmingly excited. Goldenstar had been a good leader, for a time, but times would come to an end, and change was meant to happen. Licking her paw, she watched Elkthorn with a curious expression, and before she could offer guidance the warrior took the step forth. She peered into the darkness, standing vigil over her leader. While she knew some medicine cat's of the past would accompany their leaders on this journey, she had no desire - the stars were loud enough as it was.
One, two, three.. no no there was four of these. 
