[IC] Trial of Shadows | Warrior Cats

[Marlowe]

Prologue

---

The moon hung like a silver claw scratch in the sky. The grassy fields, usually emerald green and verdant in the sun, was washed silver and gray by the light beaming from above. Four cats, lined with stars, watched over the plains from their stony perch that overlooked the fields. They calm but expecting eyes, and none of them moved. It seemed like they were frozen in time, that was, until the largest of them, a silver and white cat with ethereal amber eyes, swiveled his ear to the right.

"They're coming," he meowed.

The black she-cat to his right huffed. "About time."

It happened in a moment. Cats streaked out from the neighboring woods, one or two or even three at a time. All of their pelts were filled with stars. Their eyes glowed with spectral energy and pierced through the night like multicolored flashes of lightning. Slowly, they approached and clustered about the base of the short stone with the rounded top, where the four cats watched from above. A long-furred cat huffed as he shuffled closest to the base of the stone as his berry-pink tongue hung out from between his jaws.

"They're all here, Thornstar," he panted.

Thornstar glanced over the gathered cats. There were about fifty of them, and they all stared at the four cats on the stone with nervous gazes. He shuddered a little. This reminded him of the Gatherings he used to attend back when he was still alive. Nostalgia flooded his chest for a moment, but he swallowed it down. No. He couldn't be thinking about when he was still living. This was about the cats that lived now.

"These might not be all the cats in StarClan, but asking you to gather all of them would be impossible. Thank you for your help, Swiftrunner," Thornstar nodded his head down at the cat before he turned back to the waiting cats. "We've called you here to inform you of our decision. The Clans stand at the edge of a precipice, and one wrong move may plunge them into the abyss."

The cats at his feet remained silent. The cats beside him shuffled nervously. Thornstar swallowed.

"There may not be any leader in StarClan, but we believe we are the four that know our Clans the best. That we will make the best choices for the Clans of the valley-- that this decision will benefit everyone in the long run," Thornstar continued. "And so, Duskstar, Miststar, Birchstar, and I have decided that StarClan is not to intervene with what fate has in store for these cats. This means no dreamwalking and no prophecy giving."

There was an uproar. The starry cats yowled and screamed and hissed up at the four cats. Thornstar cast a glance at the cats next to them. The black cat, Duskstar, snarled down at the lot.

"Don't you see? The Clans cannot depend entirely on us to guide their way. Living cats, not the dead, must guide the living!" Duskstar snarled.

A light gray she-cat next to Duskstar nodded. "The Clans will not get anywhere if they rely solely on the word of their ancestors. It is time for them to lean on their clanmates and friends in order to survive these treacherous times," Miststar murmured.

"This will surely bring about their destruction, then!" a sandy-colored she-cat howled. Thornstar recognized her as one of the first medicine cats of DuskClan, Leopardbrook.

"No," Thornstar persisted. "Not if they do this correctly. Surely you remember the times when StarClan has remained quiet during your life, Leopardbrook. Did you not survive your ordeals with your own paws and your own mind?"

Leopardbrook glared at him. "Do not compare those times to now."

The cats no longer hissed and yowled, though they stared at each other helplessly. Thornstar noticed there were some that sent glares as sharp as fox's teeth in their direction. He suspected that this decision would divide StarClan into factions, no matter how necessary this was. A long sigh left his jaws before he lifted his head again.

"StarClan has been walking at the Clans' side ever since they arrived at the valley. There must come a time when they must learn to be independent and strong-willed in order to survive. Do you not have any confidence in your Clans? Have you not seen how they have flourished in the midst of droughts and cold leaf-bares? They have the strength to walk their own paths and guide others, as they've shown in the past," Thornstar raised his voice again. "Any cat that is caught sharing tongues with the living will be sent to the Place of No Stars. Any cat that is caught delivering warnings or visions of the future will be sent to the Place of No Stars. Any cat that is caught visiting the dreams of their kin will be sent to the Place of No Stars. Is this understood?"

More bristling and growling. Mistystar's tail rested on his shoulder. Duskstar and Birchstar remained silent. Yet, there were no further outcries or words of anger. Thornstar nodded his head.

"Then this meeting is finished. May Silverpelt light your path," Thornstar meowed as he leapt off the rock.

Slowly, the cats drifted away and stalked over the hills or back into the starry forests not far from them. He watched them leave as his tail flicked to and fro, yet his expression remained as stoic and stern as when he was atop the rock. Guilt and worry wash over his bowels, and then came the doubt again. He looked over at the other leaders.

"Well?" he asked.

Duskstar shrugged. "We did what had to be done. It went better than expected."

"The Clans will have to learn to deal without us for some time," Miststar murmured. "It's the truth of the matter. Besides, we have our own issues to deal with..."

"Your big mouth did a good job of keeping that under wraps. Silverpelt forbid what would have happened if StarClan cats start to panic," Duskstar pointed out. Then, she arched her back and stretched. "Anyways, I'm going to go back to napping. Try not to have a panic attack, alright, Thornstar?"

The two she-cats went their own way and left Thornstar and Birchstar alone. The dark tabby tom stared at him with large, solemn eyes.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Birchstar shook his head. "I'm just wondering if you made the right choice."

Thornstar flattened his ears. His pelt prickled and he lashed his tail. "I'm sure of it."

Birchstar frowned, then nodded as if in affirmation. "Very well. I trust your confidence. So long, Thornstar. Make sure to get enough rest." The other tom didn't even give him a chance to bid farewell. Within a heartbeat, he was already bolting towards the dark horizon, over the hills where the other cats went. Thornstar was left alone.

He rushed off in the opposite direction, running as fast as he could. It was kind of hard to believe that, despite him being dead, he still had issues with running for a long amount of time. Then again, it wasn't like they were immortal. There was something past StarClan, he believed, something that actually let cats rest and remain unworried for eternity.

Thornstar ran and ran for a long while, until the skies became black and empty. He streaked towards the shadowy forest in the distance, but was careful not to get too close. His eyes narrowed as he attempted to peer in between the branches. He saw pairs of eyes glimmer at him from the depths of the blackwood.

"I did the right thing," he growled, lashing his tail once. "There's no other way. I did the right thing, and they'll know soon enough."

[Marlowe]

Shadestar & Mottledpaw

MENTIONS: N/A

---

Morning dew dripped from the edges of the reeds that littered the fen, adding a sheen to the fog that hovered above the water. The sunlight caught the moisture in the air and flooded it with a yellow light, much of the territory seemed to be coated in a thin golden mist. It really was a beautiful sight, especially in leaf-fall, when the distant trees turned just as gold or a more dilute brown and red. Shadestar watched from the opening in his den, ducking his head to avoid the water from dripping off from the edges of the reeds and onto his head. He had just groomed-- no need to seem wet in front of his Clanmates, especially on such an important day.

There was little movement in the clearing, or at least, not as much as there would be when it was sunhigh. Some warriors clustered around the fresh-kill pile, and he saw that Badgerlurk and Ravensong had brought back a couple of fish to add to the cluster of food in the midst of camp. He smiled lightly. He enjoyed seeing his clanmates work together, even if they weren't from the same litter. Sure, it wasn't like they had any other choice. Lone cats were more likely to get eaten by crocodiles or bitten by snakes, but oh well. It wasn't like anyone in the Clan hated each other, as far as he was aware, and he appreciated them for that. MistClan was the best he's seen it in ages. Even with the murders and such going around.

His smile diminished and he found himself growing moody again. Shadestar had done all he could to get down to the root of these strange assassinations, but none of the Clans had any leads. The deaths weren't clean or pretty, either. Every time they found a body, the throat was literally ripped out or they had been mangled with scratches. It was hard to believe that one of these days, an apprentice might not make it back from a hunting patrol, or a warrior might not come back from marking the borders. A chill ran down his spine. I can't think about this now. Today is a special day, one that's supposed to be filled with happiness. And it's also the half-moon, so maybe StarClan will actually speak to Eelpond or Tinypaw...

Shadestar shook out his pelt and bounded over to the Poolstone before leaping upon it gracefully. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Poolstone for a Clan meeting," he yowled. He saw several cats perk up and turn their attention to him before they padded forward, their eyes alight with curiosity. There were some that knew exactly what the meeting was for-- for instance, Mottledpaw who came bounding over to the front with her fur unkept. The apprentice was probably in the middle of washing herself when he sounded his call.

"I think Skykit is gonna get his mentor today!" Mottledpaw said a bit too loudly as she leaned close to the closest cat. "Aww, that means that there's gonna be less room in the apprentice's den!"

Shadestar let out a little purr of amusement. His green eyes searched the crowd of cats, trying to find one certain tiny kit that was far too old for his mother's milk. "Skykit," he mewed, waiting for his approach.

[skitts]

---

MistClan camp

---

The loud call from the Poolstone rang in Dawnstep's ears as she shook her head and stood up, stretching sleep from her muscles in the comfortable warriors' den. A Clan meeting? Must be Skykit's ceremony. Oh, she hoped it was. The patrols couldn't have returned long before, so there was another option… another death. But Shadestar had not sounded distressed.

She crept outside and settled by the den entrance with her tail wrapped over her paws. The clearing in the camp was slowly filling with cats, some moving past and around her on their way from the warriors' den, most buzzing with excitement and glancing at Skykit from their spots. The kit's energy made her remember her own eagerness to become an apprentice, to serve the Clan at last, to become a more important and useful Clanmate to all. This kit was, though, more likely to be excited at the sole prospect of being allowed out of camp paired with finally fighting and hunting, like her brother Flamepelt used to be when they were kits. Her whiskers twitched in amusement. Skykit was known for his many kithood escapades, and now he would finally have permission for them... sort of.

At least there hasn't been another death. The invading thought came again. Dawnstep could not stop herself from wondering when the next announcement about another dead cat would come. Would she be the cat to come across it, to have to report it? The one time was more than enough for her. She shuffled her paws and flicked her ear as if flicking the dark thoughts away like a fly. She had to focus on the ceremony.

Just then, Shadestar called for Skykit. Dawnstep nearly jumped higher than the warriors' den after she noticed a cat now close by her side, ears flattening for a split moment and a hiss escaping her lips.

---

---

MistClan camp

_{Mentions: @LetMeDoStuff}

---

Greeting every cat in passing, Flamepelt tried to pad through his Clanmates over to his sister, Dawnstep, who did not seem to be quite aware of anything around herself. On his way, he kept an eye out for Branchfall, finally beckoning to him with his tail to join him before continuing to the warriors' den.

He purred as he approached Dawnstep, her absentmindedness a common occurrence in the recent days, and settled beside her when Shadestar called Skykit's name to begin his ceremony. When she returned to the present again she flinched, looking ready to claw his fur off. The hiss was not welcoming, either, but Flamepelt stroked her back with his tail while suppressing mrrows of laughter. "It's only me." Though it was somewhat amusing to see her like that, it was even more worrying when he knew what was behind it, but worry was not something to discuss during a kit's important moment.

She snorted, eyes fixed away from him in embarrassment. "I can see that, thank you." Ever since they had first heard of a mysterious cat death, Dawnstep was becoming less and less her usual self. It made sense, since she had turned inwards when she used to go about thinking about the Clan and its needs and problems, trying to fix and organise everything like a leader or deputy. However, after the first couple of conversations with Flamepelt about her worries back when it all started, she had stopped sharing her thoughts on that topic with him. Sometimes it felt like she was going to doubt and suspect even him, and it was not a welcome feeling.

He pressed himself closer against her and dragged his tongue over her ear. "A new apprentice! We need more elders for them to take care of." He relaxed some more when he heard her quiet laugh.

"Shush, we're not respectful," she whispered afterwards, nodding towards Shadestar and Skykit.

---

[Apoalo]

---

The marshlands were relatively quiet that morning. Golden rays had just started to start peaking out from behind the clouds and sent a golden mist to surround Froststorm as she trotted along back towards the Mistclan camp. Within her jaws was a medium yield of fresh kill. It was a common occurrence for Froststorm to go out early, oftentimes being the first Warrior out fo the den. It was nice to go out and patrol the territory when the sun starts rising, the scenery and feeling of peace rushing over her. She knew that it was more dangerous with the killings going on, but she was confident of her fighting ability, especially against a single opponent. But this was the last morning of her routine, she had an Apprentice to focus on now and if anything did happen to her, it wasn't just she that would suffer those wounds. Nightpaw would lose precious instruction and training.

As she entered she noticed a few other early risers and dipped her head in greeting. She placed her hunting spoils upon the fresh-kill pile and picked out a nice piece for herself, carrying it off towards the Poolstone having expected that any day now Skykit would be getting his chance to join the Apprentices of the clan. Her head moved over towards Shadestar who was just getting to his feet, dodging some water from the reeds. Froststorm felt a pang of humor hit her as she watches this but said nothing, instead just carefully halving her fish for her Apprentice and settling down.

And then the call came out. Froststorm picked up her fish and padded over to the Poolstone, keeping her eye out for her Apprentice so she could tell him she had his breakfast. She was planning a heavy training that day and wanted the young cat to be prepared. She chuckles a bit as Mottledpaw came bounding up and spoke about the lack of room and then carefully placed her head down upon her paws to wait for Skykit to be prepared.

---

---

Skykit

---

"Skykit! Please hold still, I haven't finished your bath. Do you want to appear a muffed up kitten up there or the next great warrior?" Skykit laughed happily and rubbed his body against his mother who let out another sigh of frustration as he messed up her work. "Hold still." She commanded, even with a bit of humor in her voice. Skykit rolled his eyes but did his best to remain still. Those that knew him would notice that while he did seem to be still, his front paw continued scuffing around on the ground. Skykit was almost physically incapable of being still, even in his sleep which his fellow Apprentices would soon find out.

Finally, he was ready, his fur groomed perfectly, and looking like a fine upstanding young cat. His mother, Gingertalon nodded to him and then moved to stand outside the den to wait for the call.

Within the den, all by himself, Skykit could feel his heart beating quickly. He swallowed the lump in his throat and started pacing back and forth. It was getting faster and faster until finally, he heard the yowl of Shadestar and his blood ran cold. This was it, and sure enough not long after his mother moved down the tunnel and nodded to him. Skykit slowly padded out of the den and his eyes widened as he saw all of his Clanmates sitting around and waiting for HIM. He took a deep breath and then narrowed his eyes. This was his time, he was ready and he would hold himself well.

After taking a moment he took his first steps to become a Warrior by padding forward towards Shadestar. His sleek coat gleamed as he moved, tail up in pride and ears flicking occasionally. He only stopped when he was within the area he had seen other kits stop and fought down the urge to shrink back, and instead sat with a straight back, his right paw occasionally messing with the dust.

---

[PrankFox]

Silverflight was already up and about doing her usual rounds of the camp in the early morning light, checking in with various other warriors as they came back from the morning's hunting and border patrols. She past by Badgerlurk and Ravensong giving them both a nod as they placed their catches on the freshkill pile. This leaf-fall had given them a fair amount of prey and thankfully no incursions by any other clans or beasts. Other than the murders they were now contending with, and Starclan's concerning silence, they season had been pleasant so far.

Her eyes snapped to the Poolstone at Shadestar's call for a meeting. She wove through the crowd of cats that were beginning to gather to her usual spot on the ground next to the stone, nearby their leader. She glanced up to where Shadestar perched on the rock and gave him a respectful nod as she settled onto the slightly damp ground. She was still somewhat unaccustomed to her position as deputy, but she found a natural comfort in organizing the patrols and offering her aid to Shadestar with whatever he needed. We still need to figure out what to do about these killings and Starclan's silence... I should speak with Shadestar when all of this is over.

She could feel both excitement and nerves mingling together, but she wasn't sure exactly what was causing it. The murders or the upcoming ceremony. She gave a small smile to her brother Kestrelclaw who had settled himself nearby who immediately returned it. She could tell that the issues that all the clans were dealing with at the moment were still swirling around inside her leader's head. The amount of stress he must be feeling, she couldn't even imagine it, but this was a ceremony for a new apprentice and that was something to be celebrated. She shook her head with an amused smile at Mottledpaw's exclamation, and her eyes swept across the cats as Shadestar called for Skykit.



Nightpaw's eyes snapped open at the call of Shadestar outside of the apprentice's den. He quickly stood and shook out his fluffy, black pelt not really caring for the bits that were sticking up in various different directions. Pushing his way out of the den he could feel excitement bubbling up, even though this wasn't his own apprentice or warrior ceremony it still meant a new friend in the den other than Mottledpaw. She'd been complaining about losing space in the den but there was only two of them right now, how much of a difference could one more apprentice make.

He bounded quickly out of the apprentice's den and glanced around at the growing crowd. He could see his father nearby with one of the other warriors Badgerlurk. His older siblings were sitting and having a quiet conversation with each other near the entrance to the warriors den, but he couldn't hear anything that they were saying. Probably nothing that interested him anyway. His ears swiveled around as he heard Mottledpaw's familiar voice and chuckled slightly before he saw his mentor, Froststorm settling nearby the Poolstone. He began to weave through the crowd towards her, "Excuse me," he nearly bumped into Ravensong, "Sorry dad." He flashed his father a grin as he stepped past him.

"Morning Froststorm," he settled down near the silvery she-cat, keeping his voice fairly quiet as they waited for Skykit to approach, "Who do you think is going to mentor Skykit?" His tail flicked back and forth excitedly as he attempted to sit still. He could remember the excitement and pride during his own apprentice ceremony, so he could only imagine how Skykit was feeling right now. He looked around through the crowd for the smaller tom, and caught sight of him making his way through the throng of cats looking well groomed with excitement gleaming in his eyes.



Lionfang was in the midst of grooming out his fur when the familiar call of Shadestar summoned the clan to the Poolstone. He stood and pushed his way out of the warrior's den brushing past Dawnstep and Flamepelt who were sitting nearby, "Morning Flamepelt, Dawnstep!" he chirped to the two of them as he found a place to sit among the gathering of clan cats. Shadestar had sounded stressed, but excited, so he could only guess that this must be Skykit's apprentice ceremony. He himself felt a great deal of excitement. He had no idea who was going to mentor Skykit, but he hoped it would be someone capable.

He hated the amount of sadness and uncertainty that mingled with the gentle mist and dew in the air, but an apprentice ceremony was sure to up the spirits of the clan. He could see many of the clan now gathered around including their deputy and the other two apprentices. It seemed like everyone felt at least a small trill of excitement for the kit. The clan had been thriving with a fair number of apprentices and warriors with little trouble finding prey and protecting their borders. If only they still had those that they'd lost over the past several moon here as well.

The quiet conversations and chattering that were going on around him began to settle down a bit as Skykit made his way through the crowd, looking both excited and terrified, with his fur reflecting the early morning light. No doubt expertly groomed by Gingertalon. He gave the kit a reassuring grin as he passed by to stand just in front of the Poolstone where Shadestar looked down across all of them. The silence that covered the clan was one of anticipation, especially for the warriors who didn't have an apprentice yet.

[The Elvenqueen]

__________________________________

MistClan Medicine Den --- MistClan Camp/Clan Meeting

Mentions: @blindwoofer

Eelpond had just begun a lesson with his new apprentice, Tinypaw, where he had been teaching the young tri-colour she-cat the appearances of the most common herbs they would be using and testing whether she could identify them herself just by looks after he had shuffled their order around a bit. Patiently, the black and white tom reached out to tap the poppy gently with his paw, deciding he would start her out with an easy one. “So, what’s this one? Can you remember what it’s used for, too?” he prompted, then sat back to wait for his apprentice to answer. The medicine cat’s tail absently stirred the floor of the den as he waited. Truthfully, he was using this as a sort of form of distraction for himself, too.

StarClan had always been a beacon of guidance for the Clans, but now...they had gone utterly silent. Eelpond had tried his best to contact them in his dreams, murmuring words to their ancestors before he drifted off to sleep at night and hoping beyond hope to awaken in that star-speckled forest, but he never had. It unsettled him terribly. As the Clan’s medicine cat, Eelpond knew he of all cats should have the easiest time contacting StarClan. And if they weren’t even speaking to him....well, it was enough to make every hair on his pelt want to stand on end, that was for sure. He could only hope that the half-moon meeting that would be happening any night now might shed some light on it. They would have to try and speak to them, and hope they’d have more luck in StarClan’s sacred place than they did in their own den.

Thankfully, he didn’t have too much time to dwell on it (for now, at least, he supposed Silverflight and/or Shadestar were going to come to him about it at some point), for it was then that their leader’s call for a Clan meeting rang out. The tom’s ears pricked, and he chuckled softly - whether from nerves or happiness was unclear - leaning over to prod Tinypaw gently towards the entrance to the den as he proclaimed. “That includes us, c’mon, let’s go sit in on the ceremony. We don’t have to sit with all the other cats if you don’t want to, we can stay just outside the medicine den.” so far, he’d found Tinypaw to be rather short-tempered and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel co-erced or forced into something, even as simple as sitting amongst the rest of their Clanmates, if she didn’t want to. He wanted to make sure the young she-cat understood there were other options she could take, hopefully before she became frustrated with the first one that was offered.

[Jeep Wrangler]

_{Interacting with: @skitts}

---

The residue of the aquatic night left him restless. A mist of the morning sky, with somewhat vile humidity, had been coated in the golden tone of the falling leaves. He blinked once - twice - three times until he cleared his vision. Fatigue had caught up to him. Several nights of just gazing at the contorted trees in the midst of twilight had countered his complete focus that early on in the day. Given a few minutes, a meeting perhaps, then he could've awoken himself to his better self. Luck had been on his side. Such a meeting was called, with the sun-kissed earth spotlighting Shadestar's way forward. Branchfall skirted the edges of the clan, idly rolling his emerald eyes in their sockets. Tiredness was a crutch holding onto him, refusing to let him walk upon his own four paws. It took but a second to remove, yet he took things slow. Anxiety had ruptured his schedule and pattern. Talks of murder never played nice with his mind. The only ones comfortable with the news were those who'd done the same, or worse: held themselves ignorant.

Skykit? Truth be told, it took him a second to remember which one he was. The little silver one, right? Right. Quizzing himself was a necessary tool to correcting his foolhardy intuition. He needed to work on his initiative, he thought to himself, as only time could tell where his missteps would be the result of intense scrutiny. And speaking of such scrutiny, his motioned eyes caught glimpse of another pair staring straight back at him. He felt at odds with meeting one's gaze, until he felt the uncertainty fade within its familiarity. A certain blank-and-red tom gave him a glance he found camaraderie in, a rare yet brilliant commodity he yearned for more.

With Flamepelt waving his tail, gesturing for Branchfall to join him, he couldn't help but seize the opportunity swiftly. He groomed the last bit of disfigured fluff on his pelt and stretched himself out. No time like the morning, not that he wished there was. A slog and a half was all it was. Either way, he tensed up along the way when he noticed the all-too familiar sibling beside him: Dawnstep.

It wasn't that he was scared of her presence, just not as well adjusted. How it'd taken that many moons to come even with just a single cat was already a testament to his social abilities. Extending that reach was another issue entirely, considering he barely provoked the change himself unless he truly felt daring. The tom of the two was more of a saving grace than anything else. Couldn't have had it any other way, really.

His strides lacked pride, but were built on sturdiness. His expression took a short second to soften. Yet, soon he was back on track. With a final breath, he took to his side and let out a slight smile. He relaxed his face and tapped the tom with the tip of his tail. It wasn't too common to see him beam so honestly, but with the golden dew of the brilliant morning, he felt as if it was warranted for the special occasion. It didn't take the most obedient of cats to realise how important the days like these were. A kit was on the road to warriorship. A new cat to fuel the ranks, to feed the desire to survive and thrive in a world that had been so cruel, with droughts, frozen wastes, famines and now the crisis of conspiracies and murder. The thought alone sent shivers as to how he'd made it so far, and how DuneWind hadn't.

"Hey," he began with a slight nod of the head, "sprightly as always?"

He missed the other warriors greeting the siblings just as they'd missed him. No worries, it had been like that for the longest while. A tom can get used to anything as long as he's subjected to it long enough, so they say. Well, if that were true he'd have been fully okay with being a MistClan cat. He was one of them, no doubt, but was he part of them. Oh, by starclan's sake, he let himself drift away from such dire thoughts at a time like this. It was supposed to be celebratory of all things wonderful. Life, the coming of age, and the excelling of the clan's bright and prosperous future. Shadestar was sure of it, so he should've been sure of it. What wonderful news. All so bloody wonderful~

"Uhm, hey." With some hesitation, he looked over Flamepelt's back to catch a small yet clear glimpse of his sister, Dawnstep. As eloquent in visual awe as always, much like a few specific others. Bound by circumstance, unlike Flamepelt, he couldn't bring himself to break that small barrier. Instead he just tried his hardest to give her a genuine smile that he'd given her brother and keep his words strong. And so, he addressed her with a lowly whisper, so as not to disturb the balance of peace and quieted respect for the ceremony's prelude.

[blindwoofer]

Mentions: @The Elvenqueen @nyoom

---

Tinypaw

The young she-cat looked to her mentor then down at the poppy when he asked her. She tilted her head some and her ears went back a bit in thought before she looked up to Eelpond. "They're poppy seeds. You chew them to ease pain or shock or to help sleep." The little calico answered confidently. She didn't know all the herbs yet but she was learning and excited to learn. Still there was part of her that looked to her mentor to make sure she'd gotten it right. Tinypaw wanted to be as good as her mentor one day and while she'd only been an apprentice for not even a full moon she was still hard on herself for mistakes while her mentor was kind and gentle with her. It helped the little she-cat relax. Though her temper was still there of course.

With the half-moon meeting coming up soon she was excited to join her mentor and had asked him a few times when her dreams would come. His answers had been more confusing then anything in that he said he wasn't sure. Still she was excited for him and her tail swayed behind her as she waited for him to quiz her on the herb. The sudden call though had her turning to look over her shoulder at the mouth of the den. Blinking she looked back to her mentor and smiled at the prod. Jumping to her feet she moved towards the mouth of the den but paused and looked back to Eelpond. "I won't get into a fight again.." She said softly as her ears went back in shame. Of course she'd gotten into a few squabbles since becoming an apprentice but she was trying to work on that.

"I'd like to sit where you normally do." Tinypaw told him hopeful that he'd trust her. If had been more then a week since the last fight and she was learning to control her temper.. Slowly. Eelpond was doing well teaching her and helping her learn to redirect her frustrations. Moving out of the den she'd follow her mentor to a spot of his choosing and would sit next to him with her tail wrapping around her paws. HEaring it was Skykit's turn to get a mentor she became excited for him since it hadn't been long since they shared a den themselves.

---

Brindleshade

Brindleshade had been on patrol that morning and was glad there hadn't been anymore deaths. She was still shook by her sister's leaving even if she tried not to admit it. Roxy as she was now called said she was sure their other siblings had been killed by the murder and wasn't going to let herself be killed by whatever it was. The bi-colored she-cat understood the fear but didn't know how her sister could just up and leave her clan. Grooming herself near the warriors den she saw Shadestar move to the Poolstone. Hearing the call for a clan meeting she shifted herself upright and smiled softly. Another apprentice to be named? That would be good.

As the other warriors gathered out near the den she waved her tail at them in greeting. "Good morning, everyone." She called to Dawnstep, Flamepelt, Branchfall and Lionfang. She was just off to the side of them as they greeted each other. When a fluffy black and white tom caught her eye. Smiling some she looked over. "Cloudstep!" She called and nodded at him to come join her. The tom cat was always by himself and when she'd learned of his past she truly felt for him. She'd taken to becoming his friend since after her sister left she felt very alone even with all the other cats around.

It wasn't anyone's fault and in time she would maybe get past it. Still Cloudstep had been the one cat that she'd been more open to and trying to get better for. It seemed like he could use the friend and she knew she could. "I'm excited to see who Skykit is going to be mentored by." She commented. The little kit had been nothing but trouble for some time but she liked that about him. He was curious and ready to work to become a warrior. She'd watched him a few times and enjoyed his spunk. Whoever was going to be mentoring him would have their paws full but she couldn't wait till she had an apprentice of her own to train. She hoped they'd be as excited to learn as Skykit was.

[nyoom]

Interacting with Brindleshade -- @blindwoofer

---

Most MistClan cats had already returned from their morning patrols and whatnot. Not Cloudstep, however. He had taken a bit longer than usual. When he finally did arrive that dewy morning, his paws dragged and he kept his head low, looking rather tired and restless. He tread around the brunt of the camp as to not get in anyone's way before taking a somewhat secluded seat near the warrior's den. The tom hadn't gotten much sleep, his anxieties getting the best of him these past couple of nights. He had joined MistClan only (almost) four moons ago, and still had a heap of adjusting to do. Normally he was good at change.. but with the talk of murders happening all around them, it had become much, much harder for the tom to completely integrate into his new lifestyle. The only thing on his mind everyday was his dear sister, Spider. They left things in uncertainty, and although he had no regrets of choosing clan-life, he yearned for his beloved sibling and wished she could have joined him now, more than ever. Where was she? Was she dead? Alive? Victimized by the murderer, or was she long gone, far away from here?

"Relax, Cloudy," a gentle and familiar voice whispered beside him. Cloudstep didn't need to look to his left shoulder to see that the elderly Creekwhisper had taken a seat next to him. She licked at her forepaws and then proceeded to wipe her face, wishing to get clean after this morning's meal. "And how many times do I have to tell you, you don't need to be so tense when in camp. We are your family now." The female asserted with a tender yet firm tone.

Cloudstep nodded once in agreement, but kept his eyes forward, flicking his tail once in slight frustration. "I think the others need more time getting used to me. They'll come around eventually," he responded patiently. Creekwhisper was truly the only cat he had been completely comfortable with since joining the clan. He had always intrigued her, as she had offered to mentor him as soon as he joined the clan. Despite this, they didn't speak much since he became a warrior, but still had an understanding.

She shook her head softly at his response, which was uncertain in her opinion. "Friendship is two-sided, Cloudy. If you put forth the effort, they'll return it." Creekwhisper then cut their interaction short. She headbutted him gingerly in goodbye before forcing herself onto her paws once more to mingle with the other cats that morning, doing her usual rounds of greeting the clan. Cloudstep was left to absorb her words, which was a common occurrence. She may be right. He would have to work much harder to form lasting bonds with his new clan mates.. it would take time, though. Right now, he would continue to worry about what became of his sister, and only hope she is thriving on her own, or with other cats she may or may not have met along the way.

Seconds later, his attention was caught by Shadestar atop the Poolstone, calling a clan meeting. Cloudstep stood and started to make his way towards the rest of the cats, but again, keeping his frame to the back of the crowd to not disturb the "true" clan cats. Just before he was about to take his seat, he was called over by a demure yet slightly unrecognized voice. It took him a couple of seconds to pick out who exactly was speaking to him, his eyes soon setting onto the physique belonging to the she-cat, Brindleshade. He hoped he had remembered her name correctly, anyway. He hadn't spoken to most of the clan, but had time to observe, so he believed he knew almost everyone's name by now. Cloudstep made his way towards her without a second thought and plopped beside her, smiling subtly. He may be quiet, but he certainly wasn't very awkward. An admirable characteristic of his.

Brindleshade sparked conversation, and the tom's eyes searched for the kit in question. He caught a small glimpse of the little one and couldn't help but smile a little harder. For a moment he was reminded of his own kithood, and was excited for the little bugger to finally become an apprentice. Something about the young ones moving onto the next stages of their lives made Cloudstep gleam wholesomely. "I hope whoever he ends up with can keep up with him," he commented in amusement. Cloudstep wondered what it was like to have an apprentice. He hadn't received one yet, and truthfully wasn't entirely sure if he'd be able to handle it. At least not anytime soon..

[sassy1085]

---

The sun shines on to Rainstripe face, she groans as she stands and lay out a big stretch, it's a brand new day for mistClan. Rainstripe walk out of her den, she then sees some warriors returning from the forest and putting their pray into fresh-kill pile, Rainstripe wave her tail at the warriors, try to tell them good morning, some of them wave their tail at her and some of them didn't. Rainstripe then spot Shadestar at poolstone, worded all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the poolstone for a Clan meeting, Rainstripe wonder what the meeting is going to be about, she did spot one of her clanmates talking about killings around lately, Rainstripe have been worry that her clanmates could be next but all of them are fierce warriors, they can take on anything.

As she approach toward the poolstone, Rainstripe greet her clanmates with a nod, she then spots the two warriors siblings, Flamepelt and Dawnstep. Dawnstep have been jumpy lately by the looks of it, probably due to the murders going around but Flamepelt just stay clam during the whole thing, she even wonders if the two are even siblings at all, due to them having different personalities and all. Rainstripe then look up at her leader, see the words that says Skykit, her eyes then move toward the young kit, Rainstripe sighs, it seems like yesterday when he was a very young kit, ready to see the world like she did once, now that young kit is all grown up and ready to train to become a warrior.

[savannahssu]

Riversong: MistClan Camp

Riversong stretched and shook the sleep from her pelt as she rose from her nest in the warrior's den. She noticed she was the last to leave the den and padded quickly out into the camp to find everyone gathered beneath the Poolstone. From glancing around at her Clanmates, she knew what had prompted the occasion; it was time for Skykit's apprentice ceremony. She purred in amusement thinking about the kind of apprentice Skykit was going to be. That kit is going to scare away every piece of prey in the forest for moons before he learns to control himself. Looking around at her fellow warriors, she knew that any of her Clanmates would train Skykit to be the best warrior he could be; but she secretly wished it would be her that Shadestar picked to mentor the rambunctious kit. Truly, she would love to spend her time teaching Skykit discipline, self control and loyalty to his Clan; instead of sitting around wringing her paws. She knew that her disciplined, controlled and watchful demeanor would lend very well to Skykit's opposite and would give him a strong example to follow. However, she had to admit to herself that other than wanting to be Skykit's mentor for her Clan's sake, she also felt it would be good for herself as well. She needed to be HERE, present with her Clanmates and devoting her attention to them, instead of being trapped in her thoughts day and night. Other than her remarkable hunting skills, Riversong felt that she hadn't really done much to earn her place in her Clan and she wanted to change that. Putting fish on the fresh kill pile does not a warrior make. . . she thought to herself with insecurity.

Realizing she was doing it again, she licked her paw and drew it over her eyes in an attempt to wake herself more, and directed her attention to the Poolstone where Shadestar was looking down on the nervous kit with amusement and pride. Her paws itching with nervousness, she glanced carefully in Cloudstep's direction and tried to keep her pelt flat as she sauntered up a little closer to him and wrapped her tail around her paws. As her tail came over her paws, she stumbled slightly and made sure her paw landed on top of his, only for a heartbeat. "Sorry. . ." she purred as she regained her posture and looked up at Shadestar, making sure to watch for Cloudstep's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

[Marlowe]

Shadestar

MENTIONS: N/A

---

Shadestar watched over his Clan as they all approached. He couldn't help but feel a little proud for his Clanmates. Some of them grew up with him, while others were born shortly after he became a warrior. Others, like very eager Skykit, were born only six moons ago and itching to prove themselves as a warrior. He twitched his tail as he thought. He already knew what mentor to give him, but she would have to take her time with him and mold him into a wonderful warrior. Purring, he dipped his head in respect to Skykit.

"Skykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Skypaw. Your mentor," he added, glancing up in the direction of the black and orange she-cat not far from him, "will be Brindleshade. I hope that Brindleshade will pass down everything she knows to you. Brindleshade, you have received wonderful training from Newtspeckle, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. As Skypaw's mentor, I expect you to pass on everything you know to him."

He remained quiet as Brindleshade walked up beside Skykit and touched her nose to his. Cheers rang throughout their little clearing, and warmth flooded in his chest. Seeing happiness flow about in his Clan made him almost forget it was the half-moon. He cast his eyes up to the sky, noticing that some clouds began to roll in. He didn't know if it would rain, but it was best to get his Clan on their way just in case.

"The meeting is dismissed!" Shadestar called out again as he leapt off the stone. Several of the cats began to disperse, some moving towards the tunnel leading out of camp and others shuffling close to the cats they wished to speak with. His eyes drifted to Eelpond and Tinypaw. The fur along his spine prickled. Would StarClan remain quiet as they did last time?

[The Elvenqueen]

__________________________________________

MistClan Camp/Clan Meeting

Mentions:@blindwoofer 's Tinypaw, @Ambra's Shadestar

As Tinypaw insisted that she wanted to sit where he usually did, the black and white tom's whiskers twitched, whether in amusement or discomfort was unclear, but nonetheless he nodded and bumped her flank gently with his tail in order to guide her to the spot near the front of the gathering Clan where he usually sat. As the medicine cat, it meant he usually could find an important spot out the front, though there was also another reason that he couldn't share with anyone, not even his apprentice. Keeping those thoughts to himself, Eelpond settled next to Tinypaw, the end of his tail curling up off the ground as they watched the rambunctious Skykit skitter forward to be named Skypaw, and joined in with the chant of his new name that the Clan took up once Brindleshade joined him and Shadestar had finished speaking.

When the Clan was dismissed, Eelpond tilted his head up to look at the sky, feeling unease settle in his gut as he noted the clouds rolling in. That's not a good sign for tonight...will the clouds cover the moon? was StarClan angry? With him? Was this his fault? He was about to turn back to Tinypaw and distract himself with the purpose of preparing her for the half moon meeting, when he looked up and noticed the black tom on the Poolstone looking right at them. Eelpond exhaled a long breath, mumbled to his apprentice, "Go on back to the den and put those herbs away in the places I took them from. I need to have a word with Shadestar about the medicine cat meeting tonight." before getting to his paws and weaving his way through the crowd of cats towards the leader. "I know that look, Shadestar. Want a word?"

[blindwoofer]

Tinypaw

Mentions: @The Elvenqueen = Eelpond

Tinypaw looked to her mentor but smiled when he bumped her with his tail. Walking out of their den she moved to the front of the group and sat with her tail wrapping around her paws. Watching Skykit go to get his new name and mentor she smiled and was excited for him. IT wasn't so long ago she'd gone through the same ceremony. The little apprentice let out a purr when Skypaw and Brindeshade touched noses. It was exciting and she wanted to go over and bump shoulders with the new apprentice but then the little calico noticed their leaders eyes on them. Tilting her head she then looked to her mentor. At the order she nodded some. "Okay, Eelpond." She agreed and turned to go back to the den.

It took a minute for her to get through the crowd of cats but she shook herself once through and slipped into the den. She was excited for the meeting tonight. Her first one! Her paw pads itched to get going but she knew Eelpond had to speak to Shadestar first. Carefully the young she-cat started to put the herbs away. Making sure not to crush any poppy's in her teeth or sink a tooth through a leaf. Putting them all back correctly, thanks to smell and sight she would then move out into the opening of the den. Looking up at the sky her ears went back some. Would that affect the meeting? She knew Eelpond said it was a long trip. Having to do it in the rain didn't seem very ideal. Looking back towards the Poolstone where her mentor and leader were last spotted she sighed and her tail twitched impatiently. None the less she'd wait there. A cat might want something. She of course couldn't give them anything yet but they could ask her and she'd go get her mentor.

---

Brindleshade

Mentions: @nyoom = Cloudstep @Apoalo = Skypaw

The bi-colored faced cat purred when Cloudstep spoke and nodded in agreement. "Maybe he'll be less trouble now." She commented but she had a feeling the kit was going to run his mentor ragged. Hopefully they would run him enough to not get in enough trouble. When Riversong came over to sit on the other side of Cloudstep, Brindleshade nodded to her in silent greeting before looking up to the Poolstone. Smiling she remembered her own ceremony and knew this was a big deal for the little kit, now apprentice. When Shadestar's eyes landed on her and spoke her name though the she-cat froze and blinked. Her? She was getting an apprentice? She looked at Cloudstep with a look of excitement and worry before she got to her feet and walked to Skypaw.

Once she got in front of him she leaned her head down and touched noses with her apprentice. As she did she'd purr at him. Pulling her head back she felt pride that their leader had picked her for this. "Well, Skypaw, I'll give you a choice in what to do. Would you like to make your nest in the apprentice den or shall I show you the territory?" It did look like it was going to rain but she wasn't to worried about that. They would come back if it got to heavy. She had no plans on letting her apprentice get sick right after being named his mentor.

[PrankFox]

Silverflight smiled at the newly named Skypaw and his mentor. She'd leave it up to Brindleshade what the two of them did to get Skypaw acquainted with the territory and start his training. She gave a nod to Eelpond as he stepped up towards Shadestar; she hoped that their medicine cat had an idea of what was going on with Starclan. If Eelpond could do something to ease Shadestar's mind that would be ideal. She pushed herself to her feet and began to scan the crowds and mentally put together the patrols for the morning. She glanced up at the clouds rolling in, hopefully it wouldn't rain on them.

"Flamepelt, Branchfall," she flicked her tail at Rainstripe, "and Rainstripe patrol the Birchclan border to the Oak Dens. Irisstar has been a bit prickly lately and we don't want him getting any ideas. Riversong, Cloudstep, and Haileye take the Duskclan border. Dawnstep, Froststorm, and Nightpaw you're on hunting patrol. The rest of you can do as you please." She gave a nod to the patrols, "Watch each other's backs out there."

She breifly turned her attention to Shadestar and Eelpond for a moment before trotting to the freshkill pile and picking up a small fish. Settling down on the reeds she tried to let herself relax for at least a moment as the clan scattered to do their duties for the day.



Nightpaw could feel the excitement coming from Skypaw and he sprang to his feet to go greet the new apprentice before he heard Silverflight call out for him and Froststorm to go on hunting patrol with Dawnstep. He sighed, he'd just have to say hello to Skypaw later. He'd probably be busy learning the territory anyway, but maybe he and Mottledpaw could help him get settled in the apprentice den later. He finished the half of the fish that Froststorm had gotten him with a few quick gulps so they could get moving. "Thanks Froststorm!"

He bounded towards where Dawnstep was sitting with a group of other warriors. "Morning everyone!" he called to all of them. He looked up towards the sky as the clouds began to roll in and grimaced slightly. He hoped it didn't start to rain, that would scare all of the fish into the deeper pools and any of the other prey into their dens. He turned to Dawnstep, who he presumed would be leading the patrol, "Where're we going to go hunting?"



Lionfang smiled brightly at Skypaw and Brindleshade. Hopefully she'd be able to reel in the wild personality of the young cat. He trotted up to the two of them, "Congratulations Brindleshade, hope you can handle this one," he grinned down at Skypaw, "Have fun, don't run your mentor ragged Skypaw."

As Silverflight began to call out assignments he felt a bit disappointed that he and Mottledpaw weren't given something to do, but he needed to burn some of the energy off his apprentice anyway. He looked through the slowly dissipating crowd and caught sight of the spotted pelt of Mottledpaw. He pushed his way through the dispersing cats to where she was and bumped his larger form gently into hers. "Ready for a day of rigorous training?" He didn't really have any particular plans for what they were going to do that day. He could always leave it up to his apprentice.

"What do you want to work on today? Fighting, hunting, something else?" He snagged a bird from the nearby freshkill pile to share with Mottledpaw, "We're not on patrol so we can really do whatever we want for now."

[Marlowe]

Shadestar

MENTIONS: Eelpond

---

Shadestar listened to Silverflight's assignments and nodded his head in approval. He was glad that his deputy was competent enough to assign patrols. Any other cat would just match cats together and not really care about how well they worked as a unit. He flicked his tail, watching as the cats clustered together and prepared to go on patrol. His heart was still raced, and he really didn't want to think about what was to come later that night. He started to make his way towards the freshkill pile, finding himself hungry but without an appetite. But if the Clan saw that he didn't eat, they would start to grow anxious.

"Oh, hello, Eelpond," Shadestar managed to stammer out when he saw the medicine cat approach. His heart only raced faster. "I certainly have the time. Let's go to my den." He offered as he turned away and motioned with his tail. He led the way there, knowing that Eelpond was bound to follow.

Mottledpaw

MENTIONS: Lionfang

---

Mottledpaw was bouncing around back and forth as soon as Skypaw got his name. This was so exciting! Even though they'd have less space in the apprentice's den, there were now more cats she could show off to. Nightpaw didn't seem that amused with her tales of grandeur, anyway. At least Skypaw would be easier to impress. Her eyes became brighter when she watched Lionfang approached, and she waved her tail eagerly. "Let's hunt!" she answered. "I wanna treat Skypaw to the biggest fish I can catch! Wouldn't that be great?"

[nyoom]

Interacting with Brindleshade -- @blindwoofer; Riversong —- @savannahssu

---

The tom watched on in curiosity, still not entirely used to these clan meetings, but at the same time they managed to make him feel like a true member. There was no judgement here, no side-eyes of disagreement with his presence... at least he hoped so. He was observant but didn’t like to stare too long at the others for fear of them becoming offended. He kept his head down and his ears perked. But these meetings were one of the few times he could, quite literally, keep his head up and observe everyone a little harder, since the cats were focused on Shadestar. Using this to his advantage, one cat in particular caught the attention of Cloudstep, and it had been that way for a short while now. He turned his head softly as his gaze fell upon Brindleshade, slowly shifting to the cats next to her until his eyes rested on Branchfall. The tom didn’t know much about him. What he did know is this male in particular had come from another clan, which was the main factor leading to Cloudstep’s intrigue. Maybe he could find the time to chat and ask him about this?

Perhaps he would, eventually. Sometime soon. It was time to start taking steps towards making himself feel more welcome in the clan.

And speaking of steps, it has seemed as thought one particular she-cat had in fact mis-stepped. Cloudstep was quickly thrown back into reality at the feeling of a paw landing atop his. Startled, he jumped ever so slightly and swiftly shifted his observations to the empty spot next to him, which was no longer empty. There sat Riversong. He had seen her around before, but didn’t remember speaking to her. Her mumbled apology confused Cloudstep for only a moment, but he nodded once in acceptance. “You’re alright,” he responded warmly. She didn’t have to feel bad for a simple mistake, and he didn’t want her to think he was angry or bothered at her. He left it at that, as Shadestar had begun to announce Skypaw’s new mentor. At the sound of Brindleshade’s name being called, the tom chuckled in amusement. “Good luck!” He quickly wished as the she-cat made her way towards her new apprentice. As they mingled a bit, he grew excited fo her, and greatly hoped the two would have a pleasant time training together.

With the meeting being concluded, Cloudstep rapidly centered his awareness into Riversong once again. Before she could move onto any activities planned for the day, he turned his figure to face her and chimed, “Riversong, right?” Normally Cloudstep wasn’t the first to speak to others first and spark conversation. But he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her at her very minor mistake. Technically, she DID initiate him first, which may be why he suddenly felt inclined to keep the conversation going. He may not be a conversation starter, but he did enjoy learning about others and wanted to make some friends.

“I don’t think we’ve formally met. I wouldn’t be offended if you didn’t know my name,” Cloudstep chuckled quietly, although it was true. He was a bit of a wallflower.

[sassy1085]

@Apoalo@LetMeDoStuff@skitts

---

Huh, Brindleshade is going to mentor Skypaw, with a personality like Brindleshade, she will be a great mentor to young Skypaw. Rainstripe does wonder if she gets a apprentice soon but she doubt it, she worry that the kits won't understand her or she won't understand them, due to their lips moving too fast. Rainstripe walk toward the young kit and give him a pet on his head with a warm smile.

After the meeting, Rainstripe see a flick of Silverflight tail and informed her, Flamepelt and Branchfall to patrol the Birchclan border to the Oak Dens, she give Silverflight a nod and then move her ears toward the entrance, instructing Branchfall and Flamepelt to follow her.

[savannahssu]

Interacting with: @nyoom

She chuckled at his timid assumption. "Of course I know your name mouse-brain! I do pay attention you know." Riversong rose to her paws and gestured with her tail towards Silverflight who was assigning the Clan's dawn patrols. When she heard her name called in the same patrol as Cloupstep, she couldn't help but let a small purr escape. She had been looking for a chance to talk with him for a while now. She glanced at him over her shoulder and began padding towards the camp entrance to wait for Haileye. "Come on slow paws, we have borders to patrol."

[The Elvenqueen]

__________________________________________

MistClan Camp ---> Shadestar’s Den

Mentions: @Ambra's Shadestar

As Shadestar acknowledged his request, the medicine cat dipped his chin politely, ever formal in front of the rest of the Clan, as was to be expected given his rank. As the black tom headed up to his den, Eelpond sprang up after him gracefully and ducked inside the alcove, some of his formal posture relaxing the moment they were inside, though it wouldn’t vanish completely until he was sure they weren’t being eavesdropped upon.
“I just wanted to...check in, I guess, before we start getting ready to go to the meeting.” he mumbled, glancing over his shoulder and waiting, checking for other cats.

When he was sure neither Tinypaw, nor any of the rest of the Clan had followed them up into the den, Eelpond shuffled forward slightly to push his forehead against the other tom’s gently.
“I’m worried, Shadey, and...I don’t know if I’ll come back with answers for you. But I can promise you that I’ll try my best.” the medicine cat sighed heavily, stepping back so he could sit down and wrap his tail around his paws in an attempt to stop it from lashing back and forth and giving away how worried he really was about the meeting. “If StarClan won’t talk to me...I’m hoping, maybe, they’ll talk to Tinypaw, at least. She hasn’t...done anything to make them angry.” of course, he would never blame Shadestar for the way things had happened. And he would never, honestly, regret it either. But still, the Like we have… was implied and hung heavy between them, though unspoken. “You be careful while we’re gone, alright? I don’t want to come back to a long line of injured warriors and you looking a state.” was what he said aloud instead, only half teasing.