MistClan

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( The general rule is that whenever there is any sort of opportunity for him to (usually inadvertently) get himself in a bind, he's probably going to.  xD ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        Hawkpaw finally broke from his slight stupor at Sandpelt's voice, and, standing, he shook his pelt out vigorously, looking more canine than feline, then bounded to catch up to his mentor.

        Having reached him once more, he slowed his pace to walk alongside the orange tom, looking much less enthusiastic than he had before.  "Sorry... I guess I should've stopped, huh?" the apprentice mumbled sheepishly, his head down and eyes averted.  His tail, though by now smoothed down once again, was also drooping, instead of sticking straight up as it had been since they'd left camp.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( ... ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        Despite Sandpelt's calm tone, Hawkpaw's head lowered even further as he spoke.  He wanted to please his mentor - really, he did - but it was just so hard to focus, especially when they were outside!  There were so many sights and sounds and smells, and not nearly enough time to focus on any of them, let alone narrow in on just one!

        At the older tom's suggestion, he perked up slightly, though his ears pulled back a little and his eyes flickered with uncertainty.  "...Do... do you really think I can do that?" he asked in a surprisingly soft voice, clearly unsure of himself, before he gained a small smile and nodded.  "I'll try, Sandpelt!" he piped up, a bit more loudly this time. He was going to make his mentor proud!

        As they continued onward, he made an extra effort to keep his ears pricked, his nose alert, and his eyes scanning the terrain ahead.  An oak tree here, the scent of some sort of herb he couldn't hope to identify there, and somewhere off in the distance, the sound of a jay's harsh call could be heard.  Maybe this wasn't so hard, after all!

        Unfortunately, with his focus so intently fixated on paying attention to what was located in a wider area around him, he failed to notice what was right in front of him, and stumbled slightly as one forepaw slipped into a divot in the ground.  It was a small error, but it was enough to make his ears burn, and he tried to pull his attention in slightly, searching for a balance he could manage.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( The unidentified plant he saw was juniper, by the way~ ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        Hawkpaw happened to notice as Sandpelt walked through a small plant, and his whiskers twitched with amusement.  Well, at least he wasn't the only one running into foliage today, he thought.

        He continued scanning their surroundings as they walked on, and, a short time later, they arrived at the Sandy Hollow.  Hawkpaw bounced eagerly into the little clearing, turning around so he was facing his mentor, his eyes bright and a grin on his muzzle.

        "So I heard a jay, a squirrel scuffing around in a tree, and a flock of sparrows chirping," he began to spout eagerly, kneading his forepaws in the sand, "and I saw an oak tree, a holly bush, and... some sort of big, spiky bush with lots of round, purple-y berries."  He frowned thoughtfully.  "I don't know what it was, but I think Seedpelt gave some of the berries to me once when I ate too much fresh-kill.  So it must be an herb."

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( Yeah, I figured you'd probably be able to guess it, but also figured I should make sure xD ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        Hawkpaw gave another bounce as Sandpelt confirmed what he'd seen and heard, happy he'd apparently done well, though he stilled again as his mentor explained what the unidentifiable bush had been, his eyes widening as he made an effort to absorb the information.  "I bet they'd be happy about that," he purred, nodding at the suggestion to bring some of the berries back for the Seedpelt and Fennelpaw.

         As Sandpelt stood and walked a little further inward, Hawkpaw trotted after him, stopping about two tail-lengths away and beginning to knead his forepaws again in anticipation, feeling the granules of sand shift beneath his pads.  "What are we going to do first?" he asked eagerly, crouching down and waggling his hindquarters.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( ... ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        The light ginger apprentice's gold eyes narrowed thoughtfully at his mentor's instruction, watching his movements carefully before sitting and attempting to raise himself up to balance on his hind legs.  He stumbled a little, tail lashing as he attempted to right himself, and was forced to place his forepaws back on the ground.

         His eyes narrowing further in concentration, Hawkpaw tried again, and this time, was able to balance shakily on his hind paws just long enough to perform the move - first one forepaw, then the other, and then both together.  His movement was shaky, and his blows not very strong, but he was nonetheless pleased he'd been able to keep himself stable for the exercise as he lowered himself onto his front paws once more.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( ... ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        Hawkpaw nodded, thinking about some way he could possibly work to strengthen his sense of balance.  Playing moss ball catch would probably help.  He wondered who he could talk into playing with him.  Swiftpaw likely would agree, and he could probably persuade some of his friends to join in, he thought eagerly.

        As Sandpelt asked him to attack him, Hawkpaw's eyes brightened.  "Okay!" he chirped as he dropped into a crouch, lashing his tail a couple of times before stilling it, concentrating hard as he tried to decide the best way to proceed.  He remembered the last time they'd practiced battle training - he'd simply tried to rush his mentor and pounce as quickly as possible, but Sandpelt had dodged him easily; he'd need to be a bit more innovative this time.

        After a few more heartbeats of consideration, he darted forward, feinting to the right before making a sharp turn back to the left, jumping into the air, intending to drop down on the orange tom's shoulders.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( Can't decide whether or not Hawkpaw should have discovered his power yet, or, if not, when he should. P: ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        Hawkpaw was sent sprawling into the sand as his mentor batted him away, but he managed to roll with the impact and pop right back onto his paws, if a bit clumsily.  He looked slightly miffed that Sandpelt had managed to counter his attempt so easily, but brightened immediately once more at his praise, his tail lifting so it was sticking straight up in the air again.

        "Thanks!" he piped up happily, then, a mere heartbeat later, dove forward once again, hoping to catch the older tom off-guard.  This time, he aimed for his mentor's paws, counting on Sandpelt repeating the swipe move so he could sweep his hind legs out from under him.  The apprentice knew it would be a bit foolish to repeat the same move twice, but he was still hopeful that his second approach might work.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( "Doverstar"... lol.  "The white cliffs of Doverstar" xD ))

Hawkpaw's POV

        Suffice it to say that Hawkpaw was quite surprised as his blow hit, knocking Sandpelt to the ground.  He just barely managed to dodge and avoid being taken down along with the ginger-furred tom, then backed up a pace, staring at his mentor with wide yellow eyes.  After a moment, however, he beamed.

        "I did it!  I actually did it!" he cried excitedly, bouncing around a bit.  "I didn't think that would work, but it did!"

Sunwhisker's POV

        After checking around the rest of the camp for Stormfall, and, to his slight confusion, unable to locate him - the scents in the cave were so muddled from all the constant moving about of his Clanmates that it was nigh-on impossible to pick out one particular scent - Sunwhisker finally picked up his brother's voice emanating from the elders' den.  With an amused huff, he padded toward the hollowed-out cave, Stormfall's animated meows growing louder and the words becoming discernable as he grew closer to the den.  He stepped inside to find Stormfall chattering away to Foxpelt, while Birdleap looked on with an expression of vaguely disgruntled amusement.  Sunwhisker's whiskers twitched.  Trust Stormfall to talk the ear off of the chattiest cat in the Clan.

        "And this one time, Sunwhisker got his head stuck in this hollow log, see, and by the time I was able to pull him out, he was so full of bee stingers that--  Oh, Sunwhisker!"  The blue tabby broke off his recantation with a slight squeak, his previously waving tail, along with his whiskers, drooping as a guilty look flashed across his face.  "I, uh... I didn't hear you coming."

        "Yes, I gathered," Sunwhisker responded, giving his brother an unamused look through half-lidded eyes, though inwardly he was trying not to purr with laughter at Stormfall's shamefaced expression.

        Stormfall shuffled his paws uncomfortably for a few long moments in silence before changing the subject, raising his white chin as if trying to pretend the awkward moment had never happened; Sunwhisker couldn't keep his eyes from gleaming and his whiskers from twitching amusedly once again.

        "So, ah... did Nightsong say she was alright with you tagging along for a hunt?"  Usually, Stormfall would have taken the opportunity to tease him for asking 'permission' from his mate to leave camp, but it would seem he still felt guilty for divulging one of Sunwhisker's embarrassing mishaps, or else was just distracted by the awkwardness of being found out.

        Sunwhisker finally allowed a look of humor to fully show on his face, deciding to let the incident slide for the time being, though he'd likely have words with Stormfall later.  "Yes, she did," he meowed.  "I'm ready to go now if you are.  ...As long as you're okay with me stealing your blabbermouth of a conversational partner, Foxpelt?"

        Stormfall managed to peep out a soft "Oi...!" before Sunwhisker flicked his tail around and into his open mouth, giving him a cheeky grin.  Stormfall glared at him with a vaguely disgusted wrinkle of his nose; Sunwhisker, still grinning, whisked his tail out of reach before his brother could bite down on it.

        Foxpelt regarded the two with a clearly entertained twitch of his own whiskers and, after a moment, gave Sunwhisker a languid flick of his dark-tipped tail.  "No problem at all, sonny.  Just be sure to bring somethin' tasty back for us old folk, ya hear?"

        "Of course, Foxpelt," Sunwhisker purred, dipping his head to the red-furred tom, as well as the other elders, before following Stormfall out of the den and back into the main cave.

        They brushed past Fennelpaw and Seedpelt on the way to the camp entrance, and, with brief mews of greeting, traveled with them down the path to the base of the cliff before parting in different directions.  The medicine cats headed southeast, while Sunwhisker and Stormfall made their way east and slightly northward, hoping to pass by the edge of the Northern Woods and nab some land prey before making for the river to catch some fish.

        It wasn't long until Sunwhisker had caught a starling, and Stormfall sniffed out and managed to capture a mouse.  Giving each other looks of satisfied approval, they buried their catch under a holly bush and continued onward, heading closer to the river.

Spottedpaw's POV

        Spottedpaw looked up in surprise at the sound of Bubblepool's voice, not having expected the silver-shaded she-cat to appear.  Where was Shellspots?  Her answer was supplied only moments later.

        "Oh... um... Okay," the tortoiseshell mewed, frowning a little in concern.  She was a bit nervous about training with a cat other than her mentor - social skills were not among her strengths, after all, nor was coping with any sort of change - but she was even more worried about Shellspots' apparent injury.  "Is she okay?  What happened?"  It was possible that Bubblepool didn't know, but the apprentice felt she should ask, anyway.

Dovestar's POV

        The silver-ticked leader, who had set to grooming her pelt for the morning, looked up at the sound of approaching pawsteps, shortly followed by Watertail's greeting.  She regarded him with knowing amusement, having been paying attention as he had led Shellspots toward the medicine den - she'd have to make sure the tortoiseshell warrior was alright, though whatever had happened, it didn't appear to be serious; Seedpelt and Fennelpaw would not have left camp otherwise.  Dovestar was well aware of the relationship between the Watertail and Shellspots, as well as the pair's seeming obliviousness to their own feelings.  Then again, most of the Clan was aware of it; it seemed that practically everyone was more in-the-know about the situation than Watertail and Shellspots were.

        "No need for formalities, Watertail - we've known each other since you were a kit," she told him with a purr of humor, her whiskers twitching.  "I don't need anything important from you.  In fact, I'll take care of the patrols for today - you just go back to Shellspots, keep her company."  Another flicker of a knowing look flashed through her copper eyes, but a moment later she blinked, and it was gone.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( Go to sleep gurl gosh what are you still doing up it's like almost 4:30 over there, isn't it?  XD
...But yes.  Go ahead and have her lurking, if you want to xD
Also I'll reply to Eagle on the next post~ I need to go to bed, too xD ))

Spottedpaw's POV

        "Oh," Spottedpaw breathed, her frown deepening a bit.  How had that happened? she wondered.  Shellspots was always so aware of where she set her paws...  The small she-cat shrugged; she'd have to visit her mentor about it later, see if she, or anyone else, would divulge any more information on the incident.  She didn't really want to question Shellspots about it directly - the tortoiseshell might not appreciate that too much.

        As the silver-ticked she-cat continued to speak, Spottedpaw nodded a little in confirmation, shifting slightly on her paws.  "Yeah, I think so.  That, uh, that sounds good."  Bubblepool's... well, bubbliness... could be a bit overwhelming to the laid-back tortoiseshell at times, but she knew the silver-shaded she-cat only meant the best, so that helped to soothe her nerves a little.  And besides, a little change would be good for her... right?

Dovestar's POV

        Dovestar shook her head in amusement as Watertail bounded away, clearly excited to get back to the tortoiseshell in the medicine den.  Hopeless, that one, she thought to herself, giving another soft purr of laughter before resuming her grooming.  She'd take care of the patrols once she was finished, and more of the Clan was awake.

Shellspots' POV

        Shellspots looked up in surprise at Watertail's quick return.  "Well, that was fast," she noted.  "I thought Dovestar needed you?  Don't you need to sort out the patrols for the day?"  She didn't want to keep Watertail from his duties as deputy... though she was undoubtedly happy for his company.

Hawkpaw's POV

        "Okay," Hawkpaw agreed, nodding vigorously and dropping into a crouch once again, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he tried to come up with another tactic.  After a few moments, he had it, and darted toward his mentor, but instead of attacking him head-on, he veered off to the left, making a full circle around him before leaping again, attempting the first move he'd tried and hoping Sandpelt would be too thrown-off to repeat the rear-and-bat this time.

Fennelpaw and Seedpelt's POV

        Fennelpaw trailed along behind Seedpelt as his mentor padded through a patch of tall grass.  As they went, the cream tabby sniffed along the path for any of the herbs they needed.  He caught the scent of thyme, and looked up to see a small patch of the short, bluish-flowered herb growing at the base of an old, rotten stump, but he ignored it.  They had plenty of thyme in storage.

        It was a short time later when the medicine cat apprentice heard a satisfied purr from the brown spotted tabby she-cat, and he hastened his step to pull up alongside her, following her stare to a healthy-looking patch of tansy growing under a broad-branched old oak.
        "We haven't picked this patch for a while.  Looks like it's growing well," Seedpelt meowed with a smile, sounding pleased as she stepped toward the dark-leaved plant.

        "Yeah, I hope the saffron and raspberry bushes are growing this well - we'll need them on paw when Swanfeather has her kits," Fennelpaw agreed happily, hurrying forward to join his mentor in nipping off the tansy stems.

        "Mm.  Let's just hope we won't need them," Seedpelt murmured, taking a quick glance around before bending to nip the stems as well, making sure to collect plenty of the flowers as well as the leaves.  They had used much of their supply of tansy flowers during the bout of Greencough that had struck the Clan about half a moon ago, and were still using the herb to settle the throats of the remaining few cats who still retained coughs.

        Halfway through her task, however, the brown-spotted medicine cat heard a whisper of a noise from somewhere a short distance away; her right ear flicked, and she lifted her head to stare in the direction it had come from.  "Did you hear that?" she asked Fennelpaw in a soft tone.  "It sounded like a kit mewling."

        "Yeah,"Fennelpaw returned quietly, having stopped nipping tansy stems and lifted his head, as well.  "We should check it out." He got to his paws and turned toward where the noise had come from.

        Seedpelt flicked her tail out in front of him, holding him back.  "No.  You stay here, keep working.  I'll go," Seedpelt ordered, standing up and padding cautiously toward the noise.

        "But..." her cream-colored apprentice began, uncertainty shining in his eyes.  "We're supposed to stick together.  Dovestar's orders."

        Seedpelt turned to look at him with a small frown.  "What could be dangerous about a kit in trouble?  Besides, it sounded like it was just beyond those bushes; I'll still be well within earshot if I need you.  You keep gathering tansy - we should get back to camp as soon as we can.  Swanfeather could start kitting any time now."

        "...Alright..." Fennelpaw agreed reluctantly, settling back down and turning toward the tansy once more.  "Just... be careful."

        "I will," Seedpelt purred, amused, watching him for a moment before turning back toward the bushes.

        She slipped through the dense undergrowth, adjusting her course slightly as the mewl sounded again, and emerged shortly thereafter into a small clearing.  Looking around and raising her nose in the air, she frowned again, puzzled, as she detected no evidence of any cat-scent - just a faint trace of lavender and mint.  Strange...  There wasn't any lavender or mint growing in this part of the forest...

        Abruptly, without any warning, a heavy weight crashed down onto her back, slamming her to the ground.  She opened her mouth to give a yowl of terror... but no sound came out - none whatsoever.

        Scrabbling desperately, she tried to twist around, but the weight on her back kept her pinned in place no matter what she did.  There was no way to reach her attacker with either claws or teeth - not in this ungainly position.  In one last desperate attempt, she wrenched her neck and shoulders round, trying in vain to throw whatever was on top of her off-balance... only to freeze and gasp in shock as she recognized the face peering back down at her, twisted in a sinister, triumphant grin.  Memories of a badly-mangled gray-and-white body flashed through her mind as she stared up at that hauntingly familiar face, her green eyes round as full moons, pupils dilated in fear.  She'd never thought she would see him again, but there he was, plain as day.

        Shadowstep.

        And with that, the dark tom plunged his fangs deep into her throat.  The world began to swim around her as she choked, gasping in vain for air as blood bubbled in her throat, before everything faded to black.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( Yeah, but sometimes you're on central time, and I thought you said you were recently XD
Also, I lied.  Sorry.  xD  Will have Shadow come to Eagle in the next post.  Gotta eat dinner now - I'm starving.  xD ))

Foxpelt and Swiftpaw's POV

        Foxpelt watched the pair of brothers leave, giving a soft purr of amusement, before looking over to the corner where Moss lay, apparently having been dozing.  "Startin' to get hungry, sweetheart?  I sure am," the ginger tom asked her kindly, seeing her look around and getting an idea of what she was searching for.  With a grunt of effort, he got his paws under him and started to heft his aching bones upward, but was waylaid by a much younger voice.

        "Oh, don't worry, Foxpelt - I can get you something," Swiftpaw meowed, pushing his way into the den. "Adderpaw and the others are out getting new moss for your bedding.  We spun the stone claw, and I got chosen to start cleaning out the old bedding."  A tone of amusement entered his voice, his white whiskers twitching as he began gathering up the old moss.  "Anything in particular you'd like?"  He glanced over at the apprentice-aged she-cat in the corner of the den with an air of curiosity; she was fascinating, and the urge to quiz her about her former life was almost overpowering, but he held back, not wanting to frighten her.  He remembered how scared she had been when she'd first been brought back to camp about a quarter-moon earlier; she'd run straight into the elders' den by mistake, having lost track of where the exit to the cave was, overwhelmed as she was by all the unfamiliar faces and cat-scents in camp.

        Foxpelt gave a rough laugh at the golden-furred apprentice's words, nodding knowingly; he and his fellows had used the stone claw to choose how to divide tasks amongst themselves when he'd been an apprentice.  Cleaning out the elders' den while the rest of the apprentices gathered the moss was usually seen as the less desirable task, but he knew Swiftpaw always enjoyed seeing the elders, regardless of the reason for the visitation.

        "Well, I'm always up for a good water vole, me, but a mouse'll do in a pinch," he told Swiftpaw warmly.  "What about you, honey?" he asked Moss, turning to look at her again.  Swiftpaw waited expectantly for her order, a sizeable mass of moss under one forepaw.

Hawkpaw's POV

        The golden apprentice, bogged down slightly by the sand, missed his aim as he leapt, falling short by a good two tail-lengths.  He stumbled as he landed, shaking himself out clumsily and looking a bit confused by his grandiose failure.  "Oh... okay," he agreed, picking his way back to his starting position and crouching once more.  Well... if Sandpelt wanted him to take a direct approach, that's what he would do.

        With as big a burst of speed as his now somewhat tired legs could manage, he sped directly towards his mentor, aiming to strike a soft-pawed blow at his face.

Sunwhisker, Stormfall, and Fennelpaw's POV

        Sunwhisker and Stormfall had almost reached the river when a young rabbit darted out from under a cluster of bushes, crossing the path only tail-lengths in front of them.  Wordlessly, both toms immediately broke away from their trail and gave chase, following the rabbit - that was, perhaps, in its state of panic, too inexperienced to remember the way back to its burrow - toward the southwest as it zig-zagged through the sparse undergrowth.

        Bursting through a patch of tall grass, they emerged onto a fairly open field, and, with no foliage in their way, the brothers began to gain on the rabbit as it started to tire.  In one last desperate attempt to escape, the rabbit dove to the right, but Sunwhisker quickly split away after it, blocking its course.  He lashed out, managing to claw a pawful of brown fur off of its rump as it squealed and turned back on its path, darting back out of his reach... and straight into the waiting jaws of Stormfall.

        The blue tabby finished the kill quickly, his fangs burying deep into the back of its neck.  Sunwhisker was about to congratulate him on a job well done when a scent drifted into his open mouth.  His panting breath hitched in alarm.

        "Do you smell that...?" he asked Stormfall softly, muscles tensing and pupils dilating.

        Stormfall stared at him in puzzlement for a moment before releasing the rabbit and opening his mouth to take in the scent.  A heartbeat later, his eyes widened.  "Yes...  It smells like... blood.  Cat blood."

        "Come on," Sunwhisker urged, turning with a flick of his long tail and beginning to creep in the direction of the scent.  Stormfall followed cautiously, keeping both ears and both eyes out for danger, hardly daring to breathe despite his racing heart.  What were they about to find beyond those bushes...?

        Both their hearts plummeted as they stepped through.

        Seedpelt lay on her belly, neck wrenched sideways and jaws parted in a silent wail of desperation.  Her eyes were open wide but glazed over with the veil of death, and blood dribbled from her mouth onto the ground below.  Her throat had clearly been torn, the fur surrounding the wound soaked with crimson.

        Before the stunned pair could say anything, they heard footfalls approaching, and both bushed out in further alarm before Fennelpaw's confused voice sounded a short distance away.

        "Seedpelt?  Is everything okay?  Did you find--"  His meow was cut short as he stepped around a bush, abruptly halting mid-stride and staring, wide-eyed, at his mentor's body.  He stayed frozen, stunned, for a few heartbeats before rushing forward with a desperate cry of "Seedpelt!", frantically nudging the medicine cat onto her side and pushing his nose into the side of her neck, obviously searching for a pulse.  Despite knowing what he would almost certainly find - or rather, not find - both brothers held their breaths.

        Finding no signs of life, Fennelpaw took a step back, his head reeling.  He couldn't breathe.  The most important cat in his life... was lying there, dead, in front of him.  Seedpelt had become almost like a mother - or perhaps, more aptly, an aunt - after his mother had died of an untreatable infection just before he'd been made an apprentice.  She'd taken care of him, taught him everything he knew.  And now, she was gone, just like that.  He couldn't believe it.  I never should've let her go off by herself, even if it was just a short distance away... he thought, guilt and regret flooding through him and causing his dizziness to increase.

        After a few, long moments, he managed to tear his eyes from Seedpelt's body and look up at the two toms standing at the opposite edge of the little clearing.  An unwelcome flash of fresh fear rushed through him as he saw the blood on Stormfall's mouth and chin, and, looking more closely, tufts of brown fur stuck between Sunwhisker's claws.  He took an involuntary step backward.  "W-w-what...  What happened?" he stuttered, his voice thick with emotion and anxiety.  Certainly they couldn't have...?

        It was more than clear to the brothers that Fennelpaw was afraid - afraid of them.  Stormfall's tongue flicked out nervously to lick at the blood on his lips, and Sunwhisker followed the younger tom's gaze down to his paws, noticing the rabbit fur still trapped there.  His heart sank even further, if possible.  It was exactly the color of Seedpelt's fur.

        "I...  We don't know," Stormfall started, his voice bewildered.

        "We only arrived a few heartbeats before you," Sunwhisker added softly.  "We had just chased down a rabbit, and then we smelled--"  He trailed off, his gaze drifting over to Seedpelt, honey-colored eyes filling with sadness.

        Fennelpaw closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to clear it.  "We...  We should get her back to camp," he stammered, voice still full of overwhelming fear.  Despite his words, he made no move to get any closer to the brothers in order to approach Seedpelt's body.  Their rabbit story made sense, but...  What if they were lying?  What if they had...?  In his state of shock, he couldn't be sure.

        Stormfall nodded, his eyes darting around with uncharacteristic nervousness.  "And we should get back, as well," he murmured.  "Whatever - or whoever - killed Seedpelt could still be lurking around, waiting to take us down, as well..."  He waited for a few awkward moments for Fennelpaw to step forward first, but when he kept his paws rooted to the ground several tail-lengths away, the blue tabby glanced helplessly to Sunwhisker.  The golden tom nodded almost imperceptibly and moved cautiously over to Seedpelt's body, gingerly taking the scruff of her neck in his mouth and lifting her up.  Stormfall followed him over, crouching down and nosing gently under her shoulder until the front half of her body was over his back; Sunwhisker lowered his head again, letting her neck droop once more.  Then, Sunwhisker switched sides and squeezed in to Stormfall's left, supporting the medicine cat's lower half.  Together, they stood, and, with another quick pair of uncertain glances at Fennelpaw, turned in unison and began to pad back in the direction of camp.

        Fennelpaw hesitated for a moment longer before following, trailing behind slightly.  He'd completely forgotten about the pile of tansy he and Seedpelt had picked.

        As they exited the clearing, Sunwhisker could swear he felt eyes boring into the back of his head, but, turning to look over his shoulder, his eyes picked up no trace of any other creature.  There was no scent, either- in fact, there was no scent on Seedpelt's body other than her own, and now theirs, as well, a fact which puzzled him greatly.  He took one last wary look around before he had to turn forward once more.  Probably nothing, he told himself... but he couldn't bring himself to believe his own thoughts.

Shadowstep's POV

        In a tree at the edge of the small clearing, crouched, unseen, on an overhanging branch - the same branch, in fact, that he'd pounced down on Seedpelt from - was Shadowstep.  He'd observed the entire scene, unnoticed, and now, watching the trio leave with the body, and seeing the medicine cat apprentice's reaction to Sunwhisker and Stormfall, he was beginning to get a new idea, one that would take his revenge to the next level.  The brothers' presence at the discovery of the body had not been planned, but it certainly wasn't an unwelcome development.  With any luck, the Clan would now be even more afraid of the two.  If he could just push it even further, perhaps...

        A sinister grin crept onto his face, his eyes lighting up as plans began to formulate in his twisted mind.  This was going to be perfect...

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out.  'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline.  The curse can't tie us down.  We've waited so long...  We've waited long enough...

(( Gonna work on the Shadow post in between posts, since you're not here right now xD
Also, I tweaked Spotted's last post because for some reason I thought it was a good idea to have them start walking before Bubblepool actually did so.  2:22 AM me wasn't thinking clearly, apparently.  xD
Also also, that's not why peeps are doting on you Shell... lelel ))

Spottedpaw's POV

        Spottedpaw followed Bubblepool toward the camp entrance as she spoke, smiling slightly in amusement at the other she-cat's apparent excitement.  She knew Bubblepool had to be exaggerating, but hunting rabbits could prove quite fruitful.  While the tortoiseshell did not have good stamina, she was quick on her paws, and a rabbit would feed multiple cats.

        "That sounds good," she purred, her whiskers twitching.  "I haven't gotten a chance to catch too many rabbits yet, so it could be good practice."

Shellspots' POV

        "Oh, she did, did she?" Shellspots replied, feeling her ears burn slightly with embarrassment.  Everyone seemed to be making quite the fuss about such a silly little thing as a mildly sprained paw, and the tortoiseshell didn't like others doting on her on a good day - not because she was too proud, but because she didn't want to be a bother and keep others from more important duties.  "Well... that was nice of her."  She didn't address his initial words, his wink sending a wave of heat flooding through her pelt and causing her fur to prickle uncomfortably.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history.  Ten million roads turn into one.  This is our fight, where we belong.  No one can take away destiny.  So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...