The Starcave

[graves]

Originally Posted by The Eye Of The Storm

{Ahhhh Surgestorm; You jinxed it, also, did Luna/Ray allow us to have our cats have conversations with STC cats?} @Zero to Hero
Wheatfur walked into the cave, it was quit large, the ceiling glittering like stars in the night sky, and the massive crystal in the middle was quite impressive. The golden medicine cat felt odd being here. He had once sneaked in here when he was a 'paw, but his mentor dragged him out by the ear. He felt a little anger at Starclan for keeping this place to themselves, How come you get to claim a place is yours? Was did you do, most of you are normal, but dead cats. Wheatfur disliked Starclan, how come everyone worshipped them? He knew they existed, thanks to the dark-forest and his mis-sept apprentice-hood, but why did cats thing they were so great?
Wheatfur turned to look at Surgestorm. The Windclan cat was staring at him, and Wheatfur knew that it wasn't friendly. Your friend was a coward and resigned Don't blame me, a true clan cat doesn't whine and moan when something doesn't go their way. They fight silently against it, or deal with it. The golden cat took in a breath and started to talk. "Hello. Surgestorm isn't it? How are things in Windclan?"

Originally Posted by Zero to Hero

Surgestorm wandered toward the gaping mouth of the Starcave, looking around with surprised yellow orbs to see that he was the first to arrive to their designated meeting place. He let out a soft sigh as he settled into a sitting position, missing the times when he would always be the second to arrive. Zerosight would usually get here way before all of the medicine cats, leaving way earlier to make sure that his blindness didn't hinder his fellow healers. Of course he usually made it just fine after moons of making the small journey, and just arrived way earlier than needed every time. Surgestorm would try to get here earlier as well, to have a conversation with the older wiser cat, and now it was just habit that he found himself in.
He closed his eyes as a small breeze wafted through the small clearing, enjoying the warmth of early new-leaf. The tom was glad that it was finally beginning to look green again; everything was growing and that meant that he would have plenty of herbs to pick from soon. He opened his eyes and gaze out into the trail leading here, watching for any of the other medicine cats. The tom silently hoped that Wheatfur wouldn't be the next to arrive, his dislike for the new medicine cat making his thoughts turn sour.

@Clover @Lilly @Brooklyn Trees

Daypaws ears twitched as they entered the cave. With no mentor to show them around, it was quiet hard to find this place having not been here before. Though they followed their instincts, warm breeze running through their fur and the scent of a musky cave had lead them here. It took them awhile, but they finally made it. As they entered, they took small steps in the cave before seeing the other med cats. They saw no reason for this, for them to come to a meeting. Seeing as they didnt have faith in Starclan, nor had the motivation to walk that long walk every half moon. They sighed. Their body was laced with exhaustion from not sleeping well, and having not eaten earlier that day. They didnt say a word in greeting them, instead sitting down across from the others. They were the newest med cat of all of them, only being appointed a few days ago life had been pretty new and hectic, cats needing their constant attention where ever they were was annoying. Today was going to be their med cat ceremony. Was is really necessary? Would Starclan really accept them after all the rage Daypaw held against them? They frankly didnt care. If Starclan dared showed themselves in a dream they would give them a piece of their mind. ¨Shadowclans doing well.¨ Daypaw budded in the conversation.

[spade]

@The Eye Of The Storm @Zero to Hero @Brooklyn Trees @Clover

Excitement filled every inch of Cricketpaw's body as she found herself making her way up the slope towards the Starcave, it's shadowy entrance making her heart beat faster. It gave her kit-like joy to see the sacred place once more, as she hadn't been here since her own ceremony. Then, the other medicine cat's hadn't been there - it was just her and Geckoleaf. But now, with Daypaw emerging as the new ShadowClan medicine cat, with no mentor to guide him, they had all gathered here to welcome him into their world. Finally, I'm not the newest medicine cat anymore she thought with a slight feeling of relief. She had been nervous before, but now she felt more confident.

Her blue eyes flashed in the glowing dim lighting, adjusting to her surroundings as she paused outside the cave. From within the winding tunnel she could detect voices, signaling that the other medicine cats had already arrive. Scents from ShadowClan, ThunderClan, and WindClan drifted upwards, and the bengal took a moment to prepare herself. She had met them all before at the Gathering, but this was the first time she would be interacting with them outside of normal Clan settings. Geckoleaf had told her before that the borderlines meant nothing when it came to the medicine cats, and she hoped that would be the stepping stone to finally being accepted and finding a group in which she belonged. With Russetstar, the leader of RiverClan, being her dad, she had been expected to be a great warrior someday. Now that she was following Geckoleaf into the world of medicine and StarClan, she didn't have much in common with her old friends. Often, Cricketpaw found herself isolated and alone, really only socializing with her sister Rabbitpaw, her father, and Whisperblaze. A soft sigh left her lips as she glanced to her side where Geckoleaf was beside her. "Time go head on in," she mewed, smiling a bit before decending into the cave.

She let her paws lead the way, feeling the smoothness of the rock surface beneath her, worn down over many moons by countless paws of the medicine cats before her. In the distance, the glow from the cavern where the others were waiting radiated the way to follow, allowing a warm feeling to flow through Cricketpaw. Soon, she founded the final corner and blinked a few times, settling her gaze on the others that had already gathered there. "Hello," she purred, dipping her head to her fellow medicine cats, a smile dancing across her face. She paused beside the cavern entrance, waiting for Geckoleaf to join her as well - after all, she knew the three cats standing before her better than anyone.

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Lilly

@The Eye Of The Storm @Zero to Hero @Brooklyn Trees @Clover

Excitement filled every inch of Cricketpaw's body as she found herself making her way up the slope towards the Starcave, it's shadowy entrance making her heart beat faster. It gave her kit-like joy to see the sacred place once more, as she hadn't been here since her own ceremony. Then, the other medicine cat's hadn't been there - it was just her and Geckoleaf. But now, with Daypaw emerging as the new ShadowClan medicine cat, with no mentor to guide him, they had all gathered here to welcome him into their world. Finally, I'm not the newest medicine cat anymore she thought with a slight feeling of relief. She had been nervous before, but now she felt more confident.

Her blue eyes flashed in the glowing dim lighting, adjusting to her surroundings as she paused outside the cave. From within the winding tunnel she could detect voices, signaling that the other medicine cats had already arrive. Scents from ShadowClan, ThunderClan, and WindClan drifted upwards, and the bengal took a moment to prepare herself. She had met them all before at the Gathering, but this was the first time she would be interacting with them outside of normal Clan settings. Geckoleaf had told her before that the borderlines meant nothing when it came to the medicine cats, and she hoped that would be the stepping stone to finally being accepted and finding a group in which she belonged. With Russetstar, the leader of RiverClan, being her dad, she had been expected to be a great warrior someday. Now that she was following Geckoleaf into the world of medicine and StarClan, she didn't have much in common with her old friends. Often, Cricketpaw found herself isolated and alone, really only socializing with her sister Rabbitpaw, her father, and Whisperblaze. A soft sigh left her lips as she glanced to her side where Geckoleaf was beside her. "Time go head on in," she mewed, smiling a bit before decending into the cave.

She let her paws lead the way, feeling the smoothness of the rock surface beneath her, worn down over many moons by countless paws of the medicine cats before her. In the distance, the glow from the cavern where the others were waiting radiated the way to follow, allowing a warm feeling to flow through Cricketpaw. Soon, she founded the final corner and blinked a few times, settling her gaze on the others that had already gathered there. "Hello," she purred, dipping her head to her fellow medicine cats, a smile dancing across her face. She paused beside the cavern entrance, waiting for Geckoleaf to join her as well - after all, she knew the three cats standing before her better than anyone.

Geckoleaf drifted into the cavern quietly, her paws silent against the ground. Her injured leg was unbound now, but still sensitive; she tried not to put weight on it, but she knew that to strengthen the bone where it was injured she had to strain it. Her ears flicked lazily, and she smiled; she was calm here, with the peaceful medicine cats surrounding her. She knew they were under no chance of attack; any other opposing clan cat would leave the risk of injury. She let Cricketpaw lead; her apprentice had grown much since her officiation and was strong and capable. Geckoleaf had been self-reliant and independent for far too long. She felt an unexpected surge of pride swell behind her breastbone, powerful and almost overwhelming. It was like watching a blood daughter grow up, blooming into a beautiful and strong young she-cat. Her tail twitched with joy, and she stopped by her apprentice's side.

Cricketpaw was much larger; tall and willowy, surprisingly strong for a medicine cat. The fiery tabby gently rested her feathery tail over the Bengal's flank, comfortingly and reassuringly. "I'm so proud of you, darling,"she mewed gently, nuzzling the furry cheek of Cricketpaw, now at head height instead of her having to lean down. "Don't worry; none of them are as scary as they look. Well, maybe Surgestorm."

As one of the three oldest medicine cats, she had gotten to know Surgestorm and Ebonyfrost very well. They were close friends of hers who she saw unoften enough. They ewere both reasonable, smart cats, who were always gracious and kind. She was excited for Cricketpaw to attend half-moon and meet them; but she wondered if her apprentice would get along better with Daypaw, the youngest and newest of the strange medicine cat alliance.

[Zero]

@The Eye Of The Storm
@woly
@Lilly
@Clover

(We're gonna move on for the moment without Ebonyfrost, but they can join in a bit later if they want to.)

Surgestorm admired the inside of the starcave whilst he was by his lonesome. The glittering of the ceiling reflected in his yellow eyes, giving them an almost eerie supernatural look to them.

He had just began to move past his shallow thoughts about Wheatfur, when behold guess who shows up? The dark golden colored tom himself. He knew who he was looking at even without ever having spoken to the cat, having seen him quite clearly at the last gathering. Instantly, the atmosphere of the suddenly small seeming cave became thicker with tension. He didn't know what to expect from this new ThunderClan medicine cat, so he kept his jaw clamped shut at first, just studying his from afar. At first, he thought maybe his dark pelt made him blend too well into the shadows, so he was a bit surprised with Wheatfur greeted him normally. "Yeah, that's my name," He surprised himself by sounding almost normal, though his words could have been chosen a little better. "You must be this Wheatfur I've been hearing about." His lips curled upwards in a half smile, and he forced himself to relax. He had to put away his pettiness, especially in such a holy place. "WindClan is doing well under my care. Is ThunderClan well?"

The next to arrive was somebody he didn't know very well either, for they were the newest to the medicine cat rank; Daypaw. There was something about the young cat that seemed to draw Surgestorm's gaze, and just a bit of his concern. Maybe it was how tired the cream colored cat seemed, or maybe it was because he could tell how done the cat already looked. He honestly didn't know. However, he was probably just a bit surprised not to see any little bit of excitement in their gaze. He blinked when the small apprentice just sat and added a line to the conversation, so Surgestorm took the initiative. "Welcome," He meowed smoothly, dipping his head.

A few moments later, Cricketpaw and, following closely behind, Geckoleaf arrived. He was a bit relieved to see the two she-cats, for he at least knew them. The tom was close friends with Geckoleaf; they were both the oldest medicine cats here and had seen much of eachother throughout the moons. "Welcome, welcome," He meowed, dipping his head to both of them in turn. He took a moment to observe her apprentice, having spoken very little to her. "I'm not really that scary," He added with a chuckle, his half smile easily shifting into his easy 1000-watt beaming. After a moment, the tom turned to look at Geckoleaf next, his observant gaze catching her slight limp as she tried not to put weight on one of her paws. "The journey went well, I hope?" His gaze moved back up in an attempt to catch hers.

[spade]

@woly @Clover @Zero to Hero

Cricketpaw smiled as her mentor and Surgestorm greeted each other, she was happy to see her mentor looking at east. She'd noticed the injury to one of her hind legs but hadn't said much about it, knowing that Geckoleaf was much stronger than any strained muscle or bruised bone. The bengal turned to look at the WindClan medicine cat, returning his beaming smile with a dazzling one of her own. "I don't think you're that scary," she teased, flicking her tail behind her as she joked with the medicine cat. She knew that her and Surgestorm would become good friends if he was already close with Geckoleaf; Cricketpaw wanted to get to know all of those cats who were close with her mentor. Thankfully, her new title gave her the ability to do just that.
Sensing that the two older cats wanted time to catch up, Cricketpaw flicked her tail softly against her mentor's shoulder, signaling that she was going to go around to meet the other medicine cats. Her pawsteps soft and light, barely making any noise in the hushed cavern, Cricketpaw let her gaze land on Daypaw. They seemed about her age, and were definitely the newest of the pack. Tasting the ShadowClan scent that hung around the feline, shock initially registered with the bengal; just last Gathering she had met the former medicine cat of ShadowClan, Kestrelberry, but he had no apprentice with him at the time. So this must be the cat of honor, the ceremony they were all gathered here to do today. With a little bit of a hop in her stride, the bengal smiled and dipped her head in the cat's direction, stopping as she neared them.
"Hello!" she purred, waving her tail in greeting, her radiant blue eyes vibrant with warmth and joy. Maybe since Daypaw was around her age, she would connect with them more than the older medicine cats. Aside from Ebonyfrost, she was the youngest here - but now that Daypaw was being inducted into the medicine world, she at least had one age-appropriate companion. "I'm Cricketpaw - RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice. Geckoleaf is my mentor," she added, flicking her tail to where the fiery ginger she-cat stood talking with Surgestorm. Turning her gaze back to Daypaw, she cocked her head to the side, studying him. "You must be Daypaw, ShadowClan's new medicine cat. I'm sorry to hear that Kestrelberry resigned, but I'm sure you'll do great!"

[graves]

Originally Posted by Lilly

@woly @Clover @Zero to Hero

Cricketpaw smiled as her mentor and Surgestorm greeted each other, she was happy to see her mentor looking at east. She'd noticed the injury to one of her hind legs but hadn't said much about it, knowing that Geckoleaf was much stronger than any strained muscle or bruised bone. The bengal turned to look at the WindClan medicine cat, returning his beaming smile with a dazzling one of her own. "I don't think you're that scary," she teased, flicking her tail behind her as she joked with the medicine cat. She knew that her and Surgestorm would become good friends if he was already close with Geckoleaf; Cricketpaw wanted to get to know all of those cats who were close with her mentor. Thankfully, her new title gave her the ability to do just that.
Sensing that the two older cats wanted time to catch up, Cricketpaw flicked her tail softly against her mentor's shoulder, signaling that she was going to go around to meet the other medicine cats. Her pawsteps soft and light, barely making any noise in the hushed cavern, Cricketpaw let her gaze land on Daypaw. They seemed about her age, and were definitely the newest of the pack. Tasting the ShadowClan scent that hung around the feline, shock initially registered with the bengal; just last Gathering she had met the former medicine cat of ShadowClan, Kestrelberry, but he had no apprentice with him at the time. So this must be the cat of honor, the ceremony they were all gathered here to do today. With a little bit of a hop in her stride, the bengal smiled and dipped her head in the cat's direction, stopping as she neared them.
"Hello!" she purred, waving her tail in greeting, her radiant blue eyes vibrant with warmth and joy. Maybe since Daypaw was around her age, she would connect with them more than the older medicine cats. Aside from Ebonyfrost, she was the youngest here - but now that Daypaw was being inducted into the medicine world, she at least had one age-appropriate companion. "I'm Cricketpaw - RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice. Geckoleaf is my mentor," she added, flicking her tail to where the fiery ginger she-cat stood talking with Surgestorm. Turning her gaze back to Daypaw, she cocked her head to the side, studying him. "You must be Daypaw, ShadowClan's new medicine cat. I'm sorry to hear that Kestrelberry resigned, but I'm sure you'll do great!"

Daypaws nose twitched at the immediate strong smell of fish entering the cave. They figured it must have been the riverclan medicine cats of course. Eyeing them as they entered, they figured their must have been a bond between the shecat,Geckoleaf and Surgestorm based on their actions. Daypaw knew nobody here, it was rather intimidating not knowing anyone, and not having a mentor to lean on. They had to mentor, having to look to Starclan of all cats for help in training, facing new challenges alone. That wouldnt stop the stubborn feline though. Noticing a younger cat next to Gecko they figured this must have been Cricketpaw. They havent spoken before now, but they knew their general status from gatherings and all. The apprentice was much bigger then them, Daypaw being smaller in size from genetics despite a similar age. The enbys ears twitched at the bow of the head in greeting. They had never received so much respect before. It was better then what they were facing at home, gender shaming cats who they were required for healing. But Daypaw was generally respectful towards others unless they needed to make a snarky comment of the sort. "Names Daypaw, new medicine cat of Shadowclan," the smaller cat greeted,"hopefully so, some dont think I can be anything back home." their tone was a bit more bitter, thoughts going back to Auttumpaw. "AM I even suppose to be a med cat?"

[spade]

Originally Posted by woly

Daypaws nose twitched at the immediate strong smell of fish entering the cave. They figured it must have been the riverclan medicine cats of course. Eyeing them as they entered, they figured their must have been a bond between the shecat,Geckoleaf and Surgestorm based on their actions. Daypaw knew nobody here, it was rather intimidating not knowing anyone, and not having a mentor to lean on. They had to mentor, having to look to Starclan of all cats for help in training, facing new challenges alone. That wouldnt stop the stubborn feline though. Noticing a younger cat next to Gecko they figured this must have been Cricketpaw. They havent spoken before now, but they knew their general status from gatherings and all. The apprentice was much bigger then them, Daypaw being smaller in size from genetics despite a similar age. The enbys ears twitched at the bow of the head in greeting. They had never received so much respect before. It was better then what they were facing at home, gender shaming cats who they were required for healing. But Daypaw was generally respectful towards others unless they needed to make a snarky comment of the sort. "Names Daypaw, new medicine cat of Shadowclan," the smaller cat greeted,"hopefully so, some dont think I can be anything back home." their tone was a bit more bitter, thoughts going back to Auttumpaw. "AM I even suppose to be a med cat?"

Cricketpaw was taken aback by the disdain that seemed to lace the undertones of her fellow medicine cat apprentice's words. Though she had been doubtful at first as her father had announced her new position in the Clan only just a moon ago, she was in a firm place of belief now that this was her destiny. She couldn't picture going back to the tedious, mundane life of a regular apprentice now. The Bengal had already been exposed to enough to where she couldn't see any other life that was right for her. Blue eyes swimming in concern, she rested her tail-tip softly on Daypaw's shoulder before withdrawing it, not sure how they felt about personal contact. "Of course you are. StarClan called upon you for a reason. Our warrior ancestors are never wrong," she reassured him, not letting her gaze waiver as she spoke. The feline hadn't a clue as to what would cause him to say that, but if no one else was going to believe in the younger apprentice, than she would take the task upon herself to fulfill.
Deciding to change the subject to a more light and airy matter, a smile stretched across her gentle face. "Have you had any rude patient's yet?" she asked, her voice noticeable more quiet as she spoke on this topic. Of course, she loved her position in the Clan, helping others and rehabilitating them physically and mentally. But she was alive and breathing, and had her moments where certain patients got under her skin and rubbed it the wrong way. A flash went through her sapphire eyes and a giggle escaped her. "You'd think by how some of them moan about a thorn in their pad that they had just fended off a whole badgers nest from the Clan!"

[graves]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Cricketpaw was taken aback by the disdain that seemed to lace the undertones of her fellow medicine cat apprentice's words. Though she had been doubtful at first as her father had announced her new position in the Clan only just a moon ago, she was in a firm place of belief now that this was her destiny. She couldn't picture going back to the tedious, mundane life of a regular apprentice now. The Bengal had already been exposed to enough to where she couldn't see any other life that was right for her. Blue eyes swimming in concern, she rested her tail-tip softly on Daypaw's shoulder before withdrawing it, not sure how they felt about personal contact. "Of course you are. StarClan called upon you for a reason. Our warrior ancestors are never wrong," she reassured him, not letting her gaze waiver as she spoke. The feline hadn't a clue as to what would cause him to say that, but if no one else was going to believe in the younger apprentice, than she would take the task upon herself to fulfill.
Deciding to change the subject to a more light and airy matter, a smile stretched across her gentle face. "Have you had any rude patient's yet?" she asked, her voice noticeable more quiet as she spoke on this topic. Of course, she loved her position in the Clan, helping others and rehabilitating them physically and mentally. But she was alive and breathing, and had her moments where certain patients got under her skin and rubbed it the wrong way. A flash went through her sapphire eyes and a giggle escaped her. "You'd think by how some of them moan about a thorn in their pad that they had just fended off a whole badgers nest from the Clan!"

"Starclan hasnt done anything for me but riddle my sight everytime I close my eyes," the other apprentice mumbled. They didnt have a belief in Starclan. Well, they did, but they didnt exsatly hold them up high above everyone else like the other cats who held their faith close to them. They didnt mind the contact, not commenting on it. They might seem standoffish, but they did like any comfort and affection they could get. Their eyes went into slits at the mention of an annoying patient. The thoughts swelled in them of Auttumpaw, how she spoke to them, how she told Daypaw they were nothing, that their gender was stupid, that they werent fit to be a med cat. "Ive had a few," to the point I had to get Halestar involved... They frowned at the thought. They didnt want to go home, to face Auttumpaw and her harsh words. Though they gave a smal smile at Cricketpaws joke. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. The enby didnt smile often, so this was a rarity.

[So you know Daypaw goes by they/them ! <3]

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Zero to Hero

@The Eye Of The Storm
@woly
@Lilly
@Clover

(We're gonna move on for the moment without Ebonyfrost, but they can join in a bit later if they want to.)

Surgestorm admired the inside of the starcave whilst he was by his lonesome. The glittering of the ceiling reflected in his yellow eyes, giving them an almost eerie supernatural look to them.

He had just began to move past his shallow thoughts about Wheatfur, when behold guess who shows up? The dark golden colored tom himself. He knew who he was looking at even without ever having spoken to the cat, having seen him quite clearly at the last gathering. Instantly, the atmosphere of the suddenly small seeming cave became thicker with tension. He didn't know what to expect from this new ThunderClan medicine cat, so he kept his jaw clamped shut at first, just studying his from afar. At first, he thought maybe his dark pelt made him blend too well into the shadows, so he was a bit surprised with Wheatfur greeted him normally. "Yeah, that's my name," He surprised himself by sounding almost normal, though his words could have been chosen a little better. "You must be this Wheatfur I've been hearing about." His lips curled upwards in a half smile, and he forced himself to relax. He had to put away his pettiness, especially in such a holy place. "WindClan is doing well under my care. Is ThunderClan well?"

The next to arrive was somebody he didn't know very well either, for they were the newest to the medicine cat rank; Daypaw. There was something about the young cat that seemed to draw Surgestorm's gaze, and just a bit of his concern. Maybe it was how tired the cream colored cat seemed, or maybe it was because he could tell how done the cat already looked. He honestly didn't know. However, he was probably just a bit surprised not to see any little bit of excitement in their gaze. He blinked when the small apprentice just sat and added a line to the conversation, so Surgestorm took the initiative. "Welcome," He meowed smoothly, dipping his head.

A few moments later, Cricketpaw and, following closely behind, Geckoleaf arrived. He was a bit relieved to see the two she-cats, for he at least knew them. The tom was close friends with Geckoleaf; they were both the oldest medicine cats here and had seen much of eachother throughout the moons. "Welcome, welcome," He meowed, dipping his head to both of them in turn. He took a moment to observe her apprentice, having spoken very little to her. "I'm not really that scary," He added with a chuckle, his half smile easily shifting into his easy 1000-watt beaming. After a moment, the tom turned to look at Geckoleaf next, his observant gaze catching her slight limp as she tried not to put weight on one of her paws. "The journey went well, I hope?" His gaze moved back up in an attempt to catch hers.

Geckoleaf smiled at Daypaw, dipping her head in a deep manner, respectful yet simultaneously polite. She looked at them warmly, glad to see another friendly face. But her attention drifted away; Daypaw and Cricketpaw seemed to be getting on well, so she would leave them to it.

The molly refocused towards Surgestorm, relieved and happy to see the tom, healthy and vivacious. He seemed comfortable, but a bit worried about Daypaw; she mentally noted to inquire about that later and tucked it into the back of her mind. She took a few steps towards the lean WindClan cat, arriving at a comfortable distance, her gate still a bit odd, as she favored the leg but used it nonetheless. With a sigh, she sunk down to a sit, her limbs weary and aching; the journey had not been kind to her healing body, the scars along her sides being tugged at, her calloused bone tested and pulled.

The fiery tabby looked up at the liquid black tom, his pale yellow eyes glowing eerily in the oddly lit cave. Though he normally appeared as black as pitch, he now looked more like the night sky when clouds drifted through it. Her own deep sapphire orbs were misty with exhaustion, bags underneath her eyes and a watery smile showing her lack of energy. Training Cricketpaw had been stressful, not because the apprentice was tenuous or frustrating herself, but because Geckoleaf never quite felt prepared.

She caught his eyes glancing at her leg, as he had noticed the limp from moons of training, but they quickly shifted to her own. His question was soft and gentle, quiet in the presence of their ancestors. "Dare I say, no? It was fine. Cricketpaw seemed especially excited; she has always loved it here. It wasn't kind on my leg; aging has it's drawbacks,"she mewed in reply, grinning weakly, feeling drained of any efforts to put towards a smile that he would see through anyway. "In reality, being a mentor is exhausting. I just want a night of sleep!"

[Brooklyn Trees]

(Holy cannoli. I saw the mentions for this and the I completely forgot to actually post something. Should I still have Ebony join and be late or have her stay out of it?)