Hello?

[Magicheart]

Firetail flicked his ears and turned towards the nursery when he heard Honeysquirrel cry out. He bolted towards the entrance and almost collided with the queen on the way out. "Oh, sorry!" he muttered clumsily, "Are you ok?" he asked, regretting that he had left her alone for the past hour.

[Magicheart]

Magicheart twitched her tail in agitation and left camp to hunt. She tasted the air and her fur began to stand on end. She could small her son, Inkpaw, but she thought she detected another scent as well. Phoenixpaw? Magicheart pictured her daughter with longing, closing her eyes. Had she come this way to see Inkpaw, and not visit her? And where were they now?

[darkangel]

Gingerstar paced the forest ground agitatedly. She also perked her ears when she heard Honeysquirrel's yowl, so she raced on over and stopped in her tracks right before colliding with the other two, Firetail and Honeysquirrel.
"What happened?" she asked. "I heard yowling..."

[Seraphinu]

Sootbird poked his head out of the elder's den, looking annoyed. "So noisy out there," he grumbled. "Where are those apprentices? I've got ticks," he muttered, his voice slightly raspy. He grumbled some more, retreating into the darkness of his den, curling up and trying not to think of the leeching bugs on his back.

Lionfire, who's eyes did not miss much that went on in the camp, sighed. Where were the apprentices? he thought to himself. Littleflower, his mate, pressed into his side for comfort. So much had happened lately. He swore he could almost see a dark shadow cast over the high stone walls of the camp.

((purely fluff and filler. haha))

[darkangel]

((hehe. So can you like...take patrols and stuff?))
Gingerstar shrugged, looking at Firetail and Honeysquirrel. "Well, as long as you're alright..." she mumbled uncertainly as she backtracked and padded away. She looked around. Maybe she would organize a patrol. She cast her gaze around. Usually the apprentices were already up and ready. Where were they?

[Seraphinu]

((yes, you can organize a patrol if you so wish ^^))

[darkangel]

Gingerstar looked around and yowled loudly "Dawn patrol starting! Any participants?" she added hopefuly. She cast her gaze around to see if she could spy the apprentices, btu she couldn't see them either. "Anybody?" she repeated.

[Seraphinu]

At this moment, Inkpaw and Starpaw appeared at the camp's entrance, jaws laden with herbs. Starpaw was much quicker about it, since Inkpaw had to watch his steps carefully. He had filled her in about his meeting with Phoenixpaw and Rockfang, telling her that they were headed to ShadowClan to meet with their members of the Eight. She seemed concerned. ShadowClan wouldn't be in the best of moods, given all that had happened. Then again, none of the Clans were in high spirits at this point. Inkpaw's ears pricked as he heard Gingerstar calling for a patrol. He still didn't feel confident about patrolling since he hadn't mastered his half-sight yet. He was worried about bumping into things and tripping, making a fool of himself. He blinked his one good eye, his head low as he picked his way across camp towards the medicine den to help Starpaw sort the herbs she had collected.

Lionfire's eyes softened with sympathy at the spotted apprentice. He stood up and padded over to Gingerstar, Littleflower following quickly.

"We would be glad to accompany you, Gingerstar," he said.

[darkangel]

Gingerstar dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Lionfire and Littleflower. I am grateful, but I want to get those apprentices out too." her eyes twinkled. "Just for an extra bit of training." she led the group over to Starpaw and Inkpaw. "I would like you two to come on patrol with us. We need to be on alert, and also...well, it'll be an extra bit of experience. We can never be too careful out here, anyways." she added as an afterthought.

[Seraphinu]

Starpaw set the herbs down and glanced up at Gingerstar and the two warriors behind her.

"Thank you Gingerstar, but these herbs need sorting, and Inkpaw has volunteered to help," she said, looking apologetic, and Inkpaw scuffed his paw on the ground, looking embarrassed that she was making excuses for him.

"With all due respect, I would be too busy watching my paw steps to be any sort of help on this patrol," he sighed, looking nervous and embarrassed. Lionfire's eyes glimmered with sympathy for the young cat. So young to have so many worries on his shoulders.

[darkangel]

Gingerstar dipped her head, cursing at herself for forgetting. This was NOT how a leader should be acting. "That's right. Understood, Starpaw and Inkpaw." she padded off, waving her tail at the other two warriors to follow her. The dawn patrol began, and the warriors and the leader wended their way through the forest, first traveling towards the Ancient Oak.
((I see that you make topics for every othe rplace you journey... should I make a topic in Ancient Oak if you have anything in mind that could happen here?))

[Seraphinu]

((Yes, it's fine if you want to make a topic in Ancient Oak for the patrol =3))

[darkangel]

((thx I made post there ))

[darkflower]

Starpaw moved towards Honeysquirrel, a fresh mix of herbs in her mouth. SHe set them down at the queen's feet and gave a sympathetic mrrrow. "I'm sorry about your kits, Honeysquirrel.." she trailed off. What do you say to a mother whose lost her children? For a breif moment she closed her eyes, and a faint, collective scent wreathed the air. She breathed deep; roses she smelled, sweetly fresh and just at their peek. A soft, starry outline appeared before her, hazy but remembered. Her breath caught. "M-m-mother" she whispered in awe. Suddenly Honeysquirrel tipped her head up, green gaze peircing.

"What did you say?" She snapped. Her anguish burned like a flame in her eyes, and for a moment she half expected a sharp cuff to the head. But the starry warrior was at her side, and moved with startling grace. In one swift movement, Rosemoon had her tail resting comfortingly on the dismayed queen's shoulder. "Peace, Honeysquirrel," she murmured. "Let your pain rest." She nelt, sniffing the herbs at Starpaw's paws. Starpaw felt as though she couldn't move- was frozen with shocked delight. Rosemoon whispered her daughter's name softly. "Starpaw..Starpaw. She needs to eat the herbs."

"Oh, right," she mumbled, dazed. She nosed the herbs towards Honeysquirrel. "Here, these will help you. Eat up." The queen looked down as though she was trying to find a mouse that was hidden between her paws. Reluctantly, she lapped up the leaves and berries, then choked out a thank you. Numbly, she padded away, abck into the nursery to sleep. Starpaw watched her go, her heart sinking. "Mother, how can I help her? I don't know how to heal hearts." Rosemoon's form shivered, suddenly another stood beside her. The pelt was unfamiliar, brown and marked. For some odd reason, looking at the tom, his penetrating, strong gaze, she thought of Thornpaw and Firepaw, her brothers...

"Starpaw." His voice was as strong as his form, commanding attention. He stood tall, proud. "You have a path ahead of you that no cat can travel. You cannot help every cat who has fallen ill. There are ailments that only love can cure." His gaze traveled to Rosemoon, who purred affectionatly. Starpaw's heart thudded in her ears. She knew who this nameless tom was. "Father?" she asked. He nodded. The sounds of her clanmates seemed to be fading away the more into the vision she was drawn. But she could not gaze on her parents forever. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Father, I need to know. Who is it that killed you? Some of the clan still think it was Shadowclan..."A lump lodged in her throat. Such a terribly question to ask your father, after never seeing him, never growing up with him from kithood, never feeling a rasping tongue or the kindness of his warmth. His gaze held hers for a moment, startled. Then he smiled.

"That's my girl. I'm so proud of you, you and your brothers. You've all grown strong in such a short time. Stick with them; no one will love you as much as family." He frowned then, preturbed. "As to my murderer. You've met him before, when you were very small. The same cat that your mother died to save you from as a newborn." Starpaw blinked, confused. Save her? A cat she had met before? She had heard her mother drowned rescuing her from the lake, but not much else. But she could tell her time was up. Both parents shivered, seeming to fade like stardust. She let out a cry of dismay. "Don't go! I just finally was able to see you both!" The trees around the camp shook as the wind rippled through, sending a shower of dead leaves into the camp. The air carried her mother's scent.

"To save the new forest find the eight who are marked; you know this is your destiny, Starpaw. Follow it well...."

And then they were gone, disapearing with the wind that'd brought them. For the first time in moons, she felt the deep, aching emptyness that had once consumed her so long ago. The memories flickered like fireflies, threatening to emerge. Her gut forced them down. Turning away, she swallowed, and hurried into the medicine den before anyone could question why she'd been talking to herself once more.

[Seraphinu]

Darkpaw, a mostly black tortoiseshell she-cat, came padding up to the medicine den, surprised to find Inkpaw laying out herbs. Darkpaw crinkled her nose.

"Since when are you a medicine cat apprentice, Inkpaw?" she grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I decided to help Starpaw today," Inkpaw replied smoothly, after rolling his good eye at her. Only the twitching of his whiskers gave away that he knew she was just teasing him.

"Well, Starpaw can finish that later. Sootbird has ticks, and I'm going out with Whitefire, Icecrystal, and Spottedpaw to collect moss and to hunt a bit. So guess who gets to rub mouse bile in his paws?" she grinned again.

"Just remember not to lick your paws afterwards, oh wise medicine cat!" she added one last jab before running to join her mentor at the camp entrance. Inkpaw sighed. Sometimes that Darkpaw went too far. Where on earth did she get that personality? She should be more like Spottedpaw, her sister. Inkpaw was broken out of his thoughts when he became aware of Sootbird's grumblings.

"Coming, Sootbird!" he called, grabbing the mouse bile soaked moss with disdain and padding to the elder's den to see to the prickly elder's ticks.