Post by Fireflake on Mar 8, 2021 7:52:40 GMT
Twigleaf padded toward Moon's Maw at a brisk pace. Her limbs stiffened as she heard the repetitive, unnerving sound of the snow crunching under her paws. At first, the young IvyClan warrior had been glad for the continuation of Leaf-Bare. Her thick brown fur made life difficult for her when she was constantly dodging sunlight or grabby plants. As time crept on, though, and the clouds failed to reveal the sun, reality set in.
Twigleaf brushed past the frail remains of a bush. The Gathering place was up ahead now, lit only by a dim silver glow. Would the other clans even come this time? IvyClan had stayed at home last moon, and there had been nobody else present the moon before. What were they expected to do, when the full moon never gave full light? Maybe she'd get a chance to ask.
The she-cat arrived finally. She'd hoped that the pit in her stomach would melt away once she settled into the familiar neutral territory, but it didn't. Even if the other clans did show up, she had no guarantee of safety, and much less guarantee that she would be able to speak to one of their medicine cats. That's why she had come before her clan, after all. It had finally set in how quickly cats could just not be there anymore, and there was nobody else left that might know who had kitted her. Nobody but Daisypetals.
Pricking her long ears, Twigleaf ventured tentatively toward the dead monster. The feeling of apprehension that had been weighing her down before now stopped her completely. Her paws seemed frozen to the ground, despite the ice slowly melting around them. She'd always followed the warrior code. Even over these past few moons, when hunger drew them all to unorthodox solutions, she'd never set a paw down in any other cat's territory. She'd always stayed in her place. Always.
The she-cat's paws shuffled forward. It was a small movement at first, but then, decisively, she stood up straight and stalked into the monster. This was where the medicine cats would sit, when they came. If they came. This was where she could sit and ask whomever came in not to tell anyone she was there, because it really was very important to her. Would that work..? A cold breeze cut through the night air, weaving in and out of the holes in the monster. Twigleaf puffed up her pelt. She leaned over and peered out of one of the holes in the side.
Through the clouds, there were patches of stars. Her warrior ancestors. Twigleaf took a slow breath. Up there was the leader that this place was named after: Mothstar. Somewhere, some star was Rookstar, and another was Owlstar. She remembered fleeting encounters with the former IvyClan leader as a kit, but had later learned that Owlstar died before she was born. Had the memories been real? Had she just made them up, out of solitude? Twigleaf wondered on these matters often, somehow feeling that her older siblings had kept her from that kind of loneliness.
Twigleaf's eyes glazed over a little as she got lost in her thoughts. Did she have biological siblings? Littermates? The thoughts tumbled about in her mind for a bit, then focus returned to her gaze and Twigleaf squinted at the sky. Clumps of white began to fall once more. The wind was louder now, whipping weak plants around like a battling cat. Disappointment set in. Few others would venture out in this kind of weather. She was safe only because of her shelter in the monster. As the snow and clouds blotted out the remainder of the stars, Twigleaf kept her head to the sky, trying to remember that her ancestors were with her.
The other leaders that she'd heard of drifted through her mind. She had never known, and likely would never find out, just how accurate a description "ancestors" was for two among them. A piece of snow as fat as her paw was blown through one of the holes in the side of the monster, flying straight at her face. Twigleaf ducked away and crouched against the bottom of the monster, pressing herself to the side despite how cold the metal was. StarClan hadn't sent this storm, had they? They wouldn't do that on the night of the Gathering! But then, the thought started to creep in once more... StarClan wouldn't have done any of this to the clans.
Maybe StarClan weren't in control anymore. Crouched in the cold and darkness of the monster, listening to the wind howl outside, Twigleaf shivered. She couldn't help but feel that there was something she should have done.
Twigleaf brushed past the frail remains of a bush. The Gathering place was up ahead now, lit only by a dim silver glow. Would the other clans even come this time? IvyClan had stayed at home last moon, and there had been nobody else present the moon before. What were they expected to do, when the full moon never gave full light? Maybe she'd get a chance to ask.
The she-cat arrived finally. She'd hoped that the pit in her stomach would melt away once she settled into the familiar neutral territory, but it didn't. Even if the other clans did show up, she had no guarantee of safety, and much less guarantee that she would be able to speak to one of their medicine cats. That's why she had come before her clan, after all. It had finally set in how quickly cats could just not be there anymore, and there was nobody else left that might know who had kitted her. Nobody but Daisypetals.
Pricking her long ears, Twigleaf ventured tentatively toward the dead monster. The feeling of apprehension that had been weighing her down before now stopped her completely. Her paws seemed frozen to the ground, despite the ice slowly melting around them. She'd always followed the warrior code. Even over these past few moons, when hunger drew them all to unorthodox solutions, she'd never set a paw down in any other cat's territory. She'd always stayed in her place. Always.
The she-cat's paws shuffled forward. It was a small movement at first, but then, decisively, she stood up straight and stalked into the monster. This was where the medicine cats would sit, when they came. If they came. This was where she could sit and ask whomever came in not to tell anyone she was there, because it really was very important to her. Would that work..? A cold breeze cut through the night air, weaving in and out of the holes in the monster. Twigleaf puffed up her pelt. She leaned over and peered out of one of the holes in the side.
Through the clouds, there were patches of stars. Her warrior ancestors. Twigleaf took a slow breath. Up there was the leader that this place was named after: Mothstar. Somewhere, some star was Rookstar, and another was Owlstar. She remembered fleeting encounters with the former IvyClan leader as a kit, but had later learned that Owlstar died before she was born. Had the memories been real? Had she just made them up, out of solitude? Twigleaf wondered on these matters often, somehow feeling that her older siblings had kept her from that kind of loneliness.
Twigleaf's eyes glazed over a little as she got lost in her thoughts. Did she have biological siblings? Littermates? The thoughts tumbled about in her mind for a bit, then focus returned to her gaze and Twigleaf squinted at the sky. Clumps of white began to fall once more. The wind was louder now, whipping weak plants around like a battling cat. Disappointment set in. Few others would venture out in this kind of weather. She was safe only because of her shelter in the monster. As the snow and clouds blotted out the remainder of the stars, Twigleaf kept her head to the sky, trying to remember that her ancestors were with her.
The other leaders that she'd heard of drifted through her mind. She had never known, and likely would never find out, just how accurate a description "ancestors" was for two among them. A piece of snow as fat as her paw was blown through one of the holes in the side of the monster, flying straight at her face. Twigleaf ducked away and crouched against the bottom of the monster, pressing herself to the side despite how cold the metal was. StarClan hadn't sent this storm, had they? They wouldn't do that on the night of the Gathering! But then, the thought started to creep in once more... StarClan wouldn't have done any of this to the clans.
Maybe StarClan weren't in control anymore. Crouched in the cold and darkness of the monster, listening to the wind howl outside, Twigleaf shivered. She couldn't help but feel that there was something she should have done.
