Sunset

[Staggy]

The sun seemed to be burning out that night, more than it seemed possible.

The sky burned with vivid oranges and golden yellows which supremely rivaled even the coats of the fabled Tigers and leopards of the first clans. As it passed over the treetops which surrounded the territory of Riverclan, it seemed to be setting them on fire, though they did not burn, for not one plume of smoke rose into the sky. However, one could hardly imagine looking at this brightness and imagine that it should soon fade into almost complete darkness.

One she-cat pressed her belly against the cool ground of the clearing of Riverclan camp. She seemed rather peaceful, her head resting on her paws, seemingly oblivious that the ground below her was wet with muddish ground. It was not like it would matter much anyways, seeing as her pelt was nearly the same color.

Behind Murkystar's slightly bemused expression, her thoughts were affectively muddled. For one, and basically formost, she supposed, she was running her mind over those warriors of her clan who were possible candidates for mentors, seeing as two of their apprentices of the clan were missing warriors to teach them. Should she take one upon herself? Would Razorclaw like to take a crack at another one? Was Evefang up for assistance? Would it be best to give them to regular warriors? Probably so, because the undertone of what was in her mind kept rushing forwards as soon as she wandered to far away from it.

The storm had been troubling. She couldn't help but let a ticklish question work it's way through her mind. Would the river runn it's banks? That could be considered a bad thing, for although her cats were usually superbe swimmers, if the river grew too fat and deep, as well as too fast, they would risk losing cats to its chilly depth and raw and raging power of an increased current. If the river was flooded, then they should take a step back on fishing. And there was the other possibility that the bank-dwelling voles were also washed out of their homes and probably drowned. That would be two prey sources down.

"Oh...Morningstar...you wily kit, you...why'd you have to leave before this!" She hissed under her breath, half angery, but only letting it even pass her muzzle, for she knew that the elderly she cat would not find offence in it as she watched from afar in Starclan.

"I know your up there laughing your tail off, you and my mate, having a good old joke about 'hey, lets leave the already stressed Murky incharge of a clan she was not read to lead...and then force her into a possible crisis situation!" She mutter quick apology afterwards, in case she had angered some past clancat looking down on her. She did not need anything else, and nor did Riverclan.

[Foosiferth]

Rolling over on her bed of heather and sage, Evefang yawned widely, revealing her sharp teeth and long fangs, coming out of the afternoon nap slowly and peacefully. No one had bothered her, seeking some cure, and according to StarClan, all was well, though her old mentor and the previous Medicine Cat had warned of problems to come and cautioned her to watch the river. However, there were no cryptic messages within his words; he had told her nothing more than any RiverClan cat knew. When the River rose because of a storm, it was dangerous. However, the warning of problems in thier usual life could mean anything... a serious battle between two clans, the death of a Leader or Medicine Cat, the loss of a warrior, an unbalance of toms to she-cats, lack of food, or perhaps just the trivial little problem of too many kits or apprentices. Or perhaps the "problems" were not even for RiverClan, but would afflict another clan, perhaps setting RiverClan at an advantage... such as ThunderClan losing the Sunningrocks.

It could even mean that a kit would merely get a thorn in its paw or a sliver on its nose. The possible meanings, if any one of them were intended, were endless.

But StarClan was always much more specific at night, when she slept and dreamt of them, if they ever said anything she need relate to anyone at all. During the day, her dreams were not always messages from StarClan, however minor they might be, but more often just dreams based off of memories. However, this dream was haunted by cats with pale silver pelts, though sometimes she got close enough to identify their colors; a tortoiseshell here, a ginger there, perhaps a tawny or a tabby here and there, some smoky pelted cats, solids of every hue...

She rolled onto her stomach, stretched once more, and daintily rose to her small paws, her light azure eyes glinting in the light that drifted through the entrance into her den, located within the trunk of an ancient, long-dead oak. Walking over to her supplies where they were neatly organized within her den, she took a quick inventory, knowing that she would, yet again, have to go out and gather more supplies

Well, perhaps that was just how it was always going to be. As an apprentice, she had learned of the various useful items and such, and then been sent out to gather them. Evefang was used to it, but on top of her duties as Medicine Cat... it was a bit of a handful. Hopefully, no one would become ill, and then she'd manage just fine without losing any precious sleep or, even worse, dreams and speaking with StarClan.

Stretching once more, Evefang turned and padded slowly out of her den, her blue eyes flickering around the RiverClan camp, everything clearly as it was meant to be... right? She turned her eyes skyward, her frequent sky-gazing habit drawn by the vivid colors burning across the sky in such a splendor of color so as to hardly seem real. Evefang gazed, her twitching tail completely still for once, her azure eyes looking skyward in complete awe. She wondered if such a glorious sunset could be a sign from StarClan... they so rarely worked with the sunset, and usually it was with the stars, but perhaps it was some veiled message.

The colors seemed to set the sky and everything that touched it ablaze... perhaps it was a warning of fire? No, no, Evefang shook the thought off. Her thoughts wandered to the first clans, strangely following a paralell of her nearby leader, as she questioned if it was at all possible that it was some message about the first clans and their magnificent pelts... But where was the meaning in that? Dismissing the thought that it was a cryptic message from StarClan (when StarClan wished to be cryptic, they were usually quite openly so, giving strange messages, the meanings of which only became apparent at the right time), Evefang unwillingly pulled her gaze from the sunset-stricken sky to look around the camp once more. Her keen eyes could not miss Murkystar, despite the similarity in the color of their leader's pelt to the ground beneath their paws.

Evefang walked slowly and delicately over the wet ground, the thought that it was wet completely escaping her; she was no longer some delicate siamese kit, she was RiverClan, with the sleek, glossy coat and the certain like of water, or at least a tolerance for dampness far beyond other cats. She was sure to approach Murkystar from the side, not from behind, as Evefang was always wary of any cats who had been warriors and the possible consequences of disturbing them while they thought. The occaision where one would attack a clan member by accident was rare, but even if it was just a playful or cautious bat with a paw, claws sheathed, Evefang was a delicate cat, and always wary.

The absurdity of the thought struck her a moment later; no member of their clan would ever harm another unless they had broken the warrior code or betrayed the clan. But Evefang was always dismissing absurd thoughts; there was no point.

"Murkystar," she meowed, her voice soft and calm as ever. Naturally, she had not been able to hear any of Murkystar's words before she came along, as Evefang had been otherwise occupied. "The sunset is beautiful, is it not?" She sat beside her leader, curling her tail about her paws and fixing her pale azure gaze upon Murkystar. It was only then that she registered the expression on Murkystar's face. "Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice still calm, though her thoughts wandering to new absurdities, some of them not so absurd. Had StarClan warned Murkystar of something and bypassed the Medicine Cat completely. However, knowing the problems that faced the Clan already, Evefang dismissed that thought, deciding that there was no use in worrying about such things.

OoC{{So... I started this. And then I wrote. And I kept thinking of things to put in, for no reason whatsoever. So it's long. Heh. No real reason why, of course, other than the fact that I've got homework to do and I don't want to do it, so I write really long posts. Hope it's fine for me to jump in here!}}

[Staggy]

The brown she cat did not answer for the first few moments after Evefang spoke, instead, although her sharp brown ears seemed to prick upwards. Eventually, with a small sigh, Murkystar rose to her paws and stod, shaking herself as if she were dislodging sleep, before she turned to the medicine cat.

"To true, Evefang, it is beautiful. "She said, finally, peering over the siamese with a friendly eye and an upturned muzzle. "Expecially after such a storm with all its dullness."

She shook her head, and seemed to drop her voice to a whisper. "Oh, many things could be utterly unright...probably most to do with that storm. Tell me, Evefang, you are a common speaker to those in Starclan- have they told you anything that is to be unaverage about this flood. Anything about a loss of kits, warriors, anyone, to the floodwaters. How long will it last, how far will it run it's banks?"

She paused suddenly, then apologised quickly.

"I'm sorry, I should not get hyped up so much-but have they said anything. I'd hate to loose anycats right now...and there also the matter of apprentices. If we lose warriors, that means less cats avaliable for training, and I'm still trying to decide for two of our own which have long since needed they training to beging. We could definately have done without the storm."

[Foosiferth]

Evefang waited patiently for the response of Murkystar, the very tip of her long tail twitching slightly. She purred softly, her eyes glittering friendily; Murkystar was not one of the cats of the Clan Evefang was always so brusque towards. "The storm was indeed dull, unless you seek to find beauty in such a thing," she replied thoughtfully, settling on the muddy ground. "I find the storm dull, beauty wise, though if you whould think of it in terms of excitement, the storm would win. And I do not mean that excitement is good," she added warningly. "I consider 'may your life be exciting' both a blessing and a curse."

Evefang strained to listen to Murkystar's whisper, her eyes growing puzzled and contemplative at her words. Should she tell Murkystar? It was not necessarily a warning she recieved from the old cat, but it very well could be... however, needless worry was as dangerous as anything that could befall RiverClan. Opening her mouth slightly, Evefang's response was cut off by Murkystar's rapid apology. Evefang replied, her voice low and soft, as reassuring as she could make it.

"StarClan has sent no word of direct danger to the clan," she said, and after a short pause, continued. "However... I warn you before I go on, for they have delivered no prophecies or direct warnings and I often dream of my mentor, some of it memories, and some of it idle wishes..." She paused, phrasing her next words, before closing her pale azure eyes and going on in a soft and somewhat ominous tone, as much as she tried to keep such things out of her voice.

"I came upon a forest clearing, walking in my dreams, only just as this glorious sun began to set. It was there that my mentor confronted me, but he was not alone. Many cats of StarClan stood behind him, arrayed in rows as numerous as the shining spirits of Silverpelt, their pelts as soft a hue as moonlight, though occaisionally one would take on a tabby sheen... a ginger... many colors. And I spoke with my mentor. He did not deliver direct warnings, and certainly nothing about the flood. He merely said, 'Problems and trouble comes nearer.'" She opened her eyes, shaking her head slightly, her ears flattened in a meek, unhappy manner.

"I don't like it... It makes me feel uneasy. I doubt its validity as a warning, as it could not even be speaking of problems for RiverClan, but nevertheless..." Her voice trailed off, before she spoke again, softening her words with a gentle purr. "Nevertheless, we should be wary of the River, I believe, though StarClan has said nothing... yet. Indeed, we could have done without the storm."

She hated bringing bad news, but Evefang knew that keeping secrets from her leader would anger StarClan--at least, keeping secrets that were not meant to be kept by the Medicine Cats alone. She set her eyes upon Murkystar, and despite the slight worry that gleamed there, her face was relaxed and friendly.

[Staggy]

It was Murkystar's turn to sit and wait with patience, intent on what Evefang had to say. It was only after the medicine cat had finished that she spoke.

"Thank you, Evefang." She said, deliberately keeping herself calm, though her paws shifted her weight and showed her own unease away at her telling of Starclan's warnings. "It is very good to know. Prehaps I shall go out with a patrol later, and we can check how the river runs, as well as patrol the territory for othre misgivings. If there is even a whisker of a chance that more danger should befall our clan, than we sha'll know that we were warned at least."

Her eyes turned to the sky for a moment once more, the image Evefang had painted of the ghostly cat figures which had appeared to her as well as her mentor blossoming in her mind, a memory that was not hers yet described vivid enough, and holding something similar around her now in the form of the sun before her making it seem as if she'd experienced it herself.

"You said that storms may be dull and beautiful, or exhilerating at once, before." mewed said, almost idly. "It seems there a similar connection between those words and your talks with Starclan. The times the speak to you could be for warnings, prophecies, dangers for all the clan, some more tedious than others, mind...and as you seemed to say yourself...some for pleasure. I envy you, Evefang."

She turned back to the medicine cat, her eyes regarding the slender siamese with light jelousy which held no real threat behind them, almost a dull mix of wistfulness and prehaps some form of curiosity.

"You see the faces, or at least your mentor's face, from Starclan often, due to your connection with them."

She didn't say exactly what she she was thinking. She though of how, if she had a connection like that with their beloved Starclan, if she would be able to see Morningstar again, even ask the wise old leader and her old friend about things which plagued the clan personally.

Would she...did she dare think about seeing and speaking with Bankfoot once more? The last time she'd seen the dusky brown tom who'd stolen her heart years ago had been at her leader ceremony, and that was beginning to feel like too, too many moons ago.

[Foosiferth]

Evefang could hear the deliberate calm in Murkystar's voice, an almost repressed sounding tone that worried her far more than if her leader had shown anger at StarClan for not telling them anything, or if her leader had denied Evefang's vadlidity. "Yes," she said softly, "a patrol would be wise. Indeed, we will be forwarned, at least, and not caught entirely unawares. I certainly hope that StarClan did not mean that anything terrible would happen..." She lowered her eyes worriedly, willing herself to be calm before her fear-scent would worry any of the other cats of RiverClan.

She listened to Murkystar speak, almost surprised at her last words. Evefang was often tormented by the murmurings that StarClan sent her. Many times, she wandered her dreams, lost in a sea of silver-pelted cats, hearing their conversations, their words and memories, some of them relating warnings, some of them relating their life stories, and some merely trapped, it seemed, within an endless circle of memory... "And at the Gathering, we learned..." "...fire can save..." "...why did you have to leave us..." "...he was the traitor..." "...shall rule the forest..." She closed her eyes, clearing the swarming memories forcefully, willing them away.

"Yes," she meowed, "it is often for pleasure that they come to me, though some cats... One or two kits, I will see frolicking, and it pleases me until I see that they were kits that fell ill and did not become well again in the winters of my apprenticeship, and then it becomes bittersweet... And sometimes, I become too reliant upon StarClan for my undersanding of life, and then they do not come to me for some time..."

Evefang trailed off, her tail twitching uncomfortably. "Envy me as you will, for indeed, seeing my mentor and the faces of the dearly departed is touching, but it makes waking all the more painful. I do not understand how I am connected to them, for never before did my mentor speak of having dreams of StarClan so often..." Yet again, Evefang fell silent, before adding, "Murkystar, if you should ever wish to travel to Mothermouth to share tongues with StarClan in order to gain some insight into what is coming, do so, because clearly, this is a time of trouble... but do so only for the good of the clan." She spoke with warning in her voice, knowing well how StarClan did not approve of selfish reasons for wishing to speak with them.

"Be wary of what you think you desire most," she murmured.

[Staggy]

Murkystar nearly jumped to her paws at Evefangs last words, she couldn't have known of the thought in her mind of the desire to see the face of her would-have-been-mate...but..no, of course she had. It had not been that though specifically, but that desire at the mere though, accompanied with her questioning, would have been enough to signal to a kit that she was thinking of her own devices.

"I am...sure you would be the one to know, Evefang." Was her light reply, as she began to banish those thoughts in her mind. "With this chance that the clan could be in trouble, I should not be doting on some of my own fancies that may not be what I truely wish at all."But at a last though, she asked.

"But even a bittersweet seeing can be considered a good one. I mean, those kits who...who passed into Starclan's paws during your apprenticeship, after seeing them so ill, and then seeing then completely healed and happy once more, as they were before they grew ill, before anything could touch them, timeless and together, living on in Starclan-"

She stopped and mentally snarled at herself. She knew where he mind was trying to take her, and she already knew the answer. She'd seen Bankfoot already, she'd touched noses with him and Morningstar, as well as the spirits of her parents and fallen comerads, when she'd traded in the mantled name of a warrior for that of a leader, timeing her live ninefold so that she may watch the clan for, hopefully, many moons to come. She'd seen that Bankfoot no longer held the bleedish gashs around his neck nor the rest of his pelt, but he'd been as handsome as he had been in live, even moreso with the silvery qualities to the just recodnisable muddied pelt, so like her own. She did not need reassurance that he was happy, or safe, or unhurt. For the moment, it was Starclan's job to do so watching the cats of Riverclan, watching over herself. And they spoke through Evefang.

"I am sorry, Evefang. Ignore my last few queries, for I'm not thinking straight. I will not travel to moonstone at the moment, but I'll wait a few days, to see if we can notice anything out of the ordinary happening with the regular rising of the river after storms. Besides, I've still things to do in the camp."

She couldn't help but think of something else, that what would happen if she left Razorclaw in charge, left for moonstone, and danger came while she was away? No, she would not leave now, and if nothing seemed irregular out of the normal water's rise, then she would not leave at all.

[Foosiferth]

Evefang didn't even twitch as she watched Murkystar's obviously slightly shocked response. She breathed in deeply, before heaving out a long and unwavering breath as she wondered what she should say, if anything, about her leader's wishes. Murkystar... well, Evefang didn't need to chide her or anything of the sort as she would scold a kit, because Murkystar was not some helpless kit, but Evefang felt some minor obligation to remind her that the warriors of StarClan were still with them if you took the time to look.

"Loss is a stranger to no clan cat," she said sagely, her voice touched with a soothing purr. "Niether is the wish that we had never lost what we loved. And though it may be unwise to dote on any fancies, it is also unwise to dismiss your own hurt and fears as insignificant. Perhaps seeking out comfort for them is indeed wise, though the manner in which you seek it must not be too rash."

"Indeed, it touched me and pleased me to see those kits so at peace with the world. They were with StarClan, and therefore in so wondrous a place such as that we do not understand the extent to which it goes." She paused thoughtfully, her ears twitching slightly as she looked around the camp. "I know that you understand the peace that the cats who now hunt with StarClan have. It is best, then, to remember them with fondness, but not with sadness." Silent for a few moments, Evefang thought over what she knew, and she believed that she knew precisely what Murkystar had thought.

"The past is behind us, and let us think of them fondly and carry on with our life, that we may be welcomed all the more when we join StarClan after a hopefully long life," she said softly, her voice still touched with the soothing purr.

"I think you have chosen well; leaving the camp is not wise," Evefang said, looking up at the sky once more and deciding, once and for all, that there were no omens hidden in the burning sunset. "There are things that need doing, on the parts of all clan members, and we must be there to manage them." Shifting her position on the muddy ground, Evefang thought of her constantly short supplies and the work she would need to do in order to replentish them all... as well as her own wishes to speak to StarClan and learn more of what the floodwaters might do.

However, her thoughts did not stray only to her own tasks, but also to the thoughts of what the rest of the Clan needed, beyond her connection with StarClan and her tasks as Medicine Cat. There were apprentices without mentors, quite a troubling prospect, and the Clan certainly needed more warriors. Evefang, if need be, could train an apprentice, but most certainly not in how to be a warrior; she would train them in the delicate duties of a Medicine Cat. However, Evefang did not need an apprentice, as she was still young and entirely self-sufficient with her work, and the Clan did not need two Medicine Cats. But she could not train a warrior, and that... that, the Clan did need. Warriors. Kits. Everything.

Deciding not to trouble Murkystar further, Evefang decided it was best not to mention any of the thoughts of the apprentices to her leader. Let Murkystar worry about it; unless she wished for Evefang's advice, whether from her own experience or from StarClan, Evefang would not say anything.