Together or Not At All //OPEN//

[Kathryn]

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[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=e8e8e8] SPIRITGUIDE Silver mist seemed to drift among the stars, descending towards the earth with dreamlike qualities. Rippling like the fur over a leaping animal, the calm puddle water swayed under the moon. Chilled, wintery winds sung their eerie tune throughout the land, and howled as it swerved around the trees and headed up toward the tall pine trees. No prey strayed from their nests at this time, or if they did they were restless. Lunar light gently covered the soft emerald green, dew-blessed grass which danced over the earth, pushed by the wind as it moved. The most distinctive feature of this incredibly beautiful night was the bright, glowing full moon, which gazed down silently from the heavens. Basked in its blessing, the she-cat’s feet tiptoed gracefully over the earth as she walked. She was light-footed, elegant and peace reflected beautifully in her icy blue irises. Slate grey fur rested over her thick, medium-length fur and parted brightly to turn into white over her chest and muzzle. Wisps of white flame glowed in the whiskers that strayed over her eyes and she paused in mid-stride to tilt her head, her ears turning like radars to scan the Territory around her. All was peaceful; the odd owl hooted, but the sky was freed from the tainted gaze of crows. Unlike most Clan cats, she did find Crows a bad omen, but she found Ravens as good luck. She kept various feathers lying on a flat rock in her den, and they almost acted as charms, but no cat challenged her choice to have them in there. Her den smelled beautiful with the Eagle feather standing in the middle, as well as the pieces of spare, shredded catnip that she scattered around the edges of the den. Twitching her whiskers, she headed back toward FrostClan Territory and returned to lie in her den, touching her nose to the feathers as she walked past them to her stone-decorated nest. Such a peaceful night was rare in FrostClan, but there were lots of patrols out who didn’t think the same... War was coming; Spiritguide knew that, because she had heard the calling of her Spirit Guide in her dreams. She could see in her dreams, such beauty that others took for granted, which she rarely got to see. It was heartbreaking when she finally got to walk and see where she was going. Most of the time the land was shrouded in black, endless mist which showed nothing; spoke nothing, and showed little to the she-cat, who was blind and terminally ill... Well, the Clan didn’t know she had Tuberculosis; not even the Medicine Cat, because she kept it well hidden. It was still in its early stages and, even though sometimes her fits were violent, it wasn’t serious. She knew, however, that it was an incurable disease, and that one day it would claim her life. She just had to make the most out of what little time she had left. As she crouched in the clearing to clear her mind, she reflected on the day; she had found a batch of Catnip growing just on the outskirts of camp which she would inform the Medicine Cat about later, when the moon had gone down for the night. She still was unsure of what a sunrise looked like, because all of the time she had been walking with her Spirit Guide, it was at night, each on a full moon. Perhaps the next time she would see the orange skies that she had heard so much of, but still, the she-cat thought she would prefer the moonlight. It was a breathtaking array of silvers, greys, blues and blacks that made her heart soar with wonder and her paws tingle with excitement. The wisps of whiskers above her eyes blew gracefully in the wind and her ears twitched. Deathkit was rising from her nest, she realised, from the soft vibrations that tickled her pads. She could smell the little Tabby, as she picked her way through the tunnel and poked her head curiously out of the tunnel entrance. Well, FrostClan did live underground, so a cat would never see the light until they were apprenticed, right? Smiling to herself, she beckoned for the kit to join her, where she curled her thick grey tail around the small kits side and rested her head on her paws. “Can’t you sleep, Deathkit?” The blind she-cat meowed, allowing the kit to press against her for warmth. It was a cold night, and Deathkit was still growing her fur. Sure it looked quite thick, and indeed it was for a four moon old kit, but compared to an Apprentice’s coat, it was still quite thin and fluffy. One day, however, that coat would grow into a luxurious fur coat which toms would admire and love to run their paws through. But why had the kit been given a prefix that meant the end of life? Deathkit had barely begun hers and Spiritguide doubted it would end anytime soon, because there was such light ahead of the small kit. She hadn’t seen the little one before, but she had heard that her eyes were just about matching to Spiritguide’s – but a bit dimmer in colour, but still shining with light, but also with a cold aura that sent shivers down the spines of Apprentices, and fear through the hearts of brave Warriors. Even so, Spiritguide wasn’t sure what would lay ahead for the little Tabby; she sensed bad things were going to happen soon, and if she didn’t have her Spirit Guide to guide her, she would probably be scared. But she wasn’t, that was what mattered, and for FrostClan, she would continue to be brave. There was no doubt in her mind that the four Clans were going to pull through whatever it was, just like they had resisted and refused to submit to all of the harsh Leaf Bares they had endured. It’s together, or not at all. OoC; Anyone is welcome! Word Count; 1000 Comments; Long post. XD Tags; Open, Spiritguide, Together, FrostClan Doing Speaking Thinking "Your cat talking"

[autumn]

The calico paws wandered aimlessly through the territory, curious as to where they were really heading. The moon shimmered brilliantly above her- perfect for the gatherings that Robinfeather was never invited to. Scowling, she swished her tail and continued walking on the grass that bathed in the light of the orb in the sky. Perhaps the largest eye there was, the moon looked down on her in consideration. He cast her shadow on the snow, but she ignored his games. Robinfeather was simply not in the mood to play, and the moon would just have to accept it. One way or another, she knew he would.

Her tail like a large flag, Robinfeather kept it low. She didn't want her large shadow to awaken anyone still sleeping. The she-warrior often spent her days out of camp, not bothering to take part in patrols or hunting parties. She lived in the camp, and she was considered a warrior, but she didn't act like one. Most of the cats just thought she went out to hunt every day, or they didn't even notice. She didn't notice them either. Well, except for Skyheart. Ah... Skyheart... she thought dreamily, hoping to see him tomorrow. But though she figured she was in love, in the end Robinfeather preferred to stay alone. She was born a loner, and even with her friends surrounding her, she'd die a loner. Even in a clan, she'd die a loner. Because you could put a loner into a clan, but to take the loner out would be impossible. It was forever who she was, and Robinfeather was certainly not about to change herself for a bunch of other cats that she was "friends" with.

Seeing a shadow step into the dens, Robinfeather grew intrigued. She continued on, following the figure she scented to be Spiritguide. Though Robinfeather was alone, she couldn't help but feel compassion toward the she-cat. Spiritguide was seemingly alone. You're alone all the time, Robinfeather argued with herself. But that was different. She was a loner. Spiritguide was meant to be in a clan, and yet she stayed by herself increasingly recently. So, feeling sorrow for the she-cat, Robinfeather headed in and looked for her.

The dark world took a moment to adjust to as Robinfeather's amber eyes switched from the blinding light of the moon to the dark tunnels of the camp. It took longer than expected. The calico warrior had to sit down, in fact, because the darkness made her grow dizzy. She usually returned long before moon-high, so the adjustment was something she was not used to. But once her eyes fixed to the new environment, she saw something else she was not used to. Spiritguide and Deathkit were snuggled together in Spiritguide's den. Her shadow taking up the tunnel, Robinfeather ignored her instinct to get out of the tunnel's path. Spiritguide needed a friend, and that was what Robinfeather had to be.

The she-warrior sat her thin figure beside Spiritguide, her fluffy fur just barely touching the fur of the blind she-cat. Robinfeather's red fur still glowed slightly int he faint shimmer that the moon provided, but her brown patches seemed totally black. Her breathing slowed to soft as she closed her eyes and remembered her mother sitting beside her, and Robinfeather cuddling to her mother as they looked out the window of the twoleg den. That was only a day before her mother was murdered by a twoleg.

"Beautiful night, huh?" Robinfeather whispered in a raspy voice, her eyes opening to gaze at Spiritguide. "Spiritguide... I'm not one to get into other cats' business. Frankly, I'm not one to care about other cats. But you... I care about you, and you have seemed different lately. Is everything all right?" Robinfeather glanced at Deathkit, unsure if the kit was asleep or not, her gaze was full of kindness either way. She looked back at the warrior after a moment's time, her amber eyes not full of concern.

[Kathryn]

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[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=e8e8e8] SPIRITGUIDE Spiritguide’s mind wandered; wandered back to the soft silver mist that she remembered, back to the moon that gazed at her. She breathed slow and deep, her eyes distant and serene. The wind was peaceful, the water rippled, the prey ate in peace with all of the predators. The mice and the eagles, the cats and the ravens, all gathered in a beautiful array of blacks and browns. They talked under the watchful eye of the moon, and parted to let Spiritguide through as she walked. Smiling at them all as she walked past, she wished that it could be like this on the earth, but there was little chance of that. This night, with the moon blessing each step she took, was unlike any other. Passing through the trees, she looked to the stars, watching as they moved with her, almost leading her somewhere, until she reached a huge lake. Light grey stones brimmed the edges neatly, almost as if it were holding the water there, and Spiritguide bent her head to touch the gentle water. And a shadow reflected on the surface. Its muzzle was long and pointed, but smooth. A grin graced its features, even though it didn’t smile. Its ears were long, but smooth and neatly curved, and it was blessed with the most beautiful silver fur that she had ever seen. Her irises flicked aside and she turned, but nothing was there. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was that her Spirit Guide? She could smell the scent of wolf around her, calming her, almost calling and reaching out to her, but as she was about to accept, thunder roared over her head and she found herself gazing blindly out to the sky, unable to see once more. Beside her, Deathkit had fallen into a light slumber, her paws covering her nose almost as though she were trying to keep her pads warm with her breath. Spiritguide shifted her tail so that the fur draped all over the tan tabby kit. She didn’t want the little one to freeze now. Suddenly her ears twitched; another cat was approaching. It was hard to differentiate the sounds of the cat’s paws from the distant sleeping forms of the rest of the Clan, but she could feel the soft vibrations in the earth and tell who it was by scent. It was undoubtedly Robinfeather; a former Loner, like herself, who had experienced the tragic death of her parents. Spiritguide’s had been killed in a fox trap, whereas she had heard that Robinfeather’s had been killed by a Two-leg. Even so, a two-leg killing a cat was a strange thing to hear. She didn’t know why a two-leg would perceive a cat as a threat of some sort, nor did she find that violence was the way to drive anybody out of their home. Tilting her head down to lick her paws, Spiritguide straightened up slightly when Robinfeather approached and lay next to her. Having another Clan cat around was always a good thing; something that Spiritguide appreciated, even despite cats thinking she was strange. Undoubtedly Clan cats believed in their Ancestors called StarClan, right? A Clan or Tribe of cats that were the ancestors of those living; those who had died somehow and their spirits descended to the heavens for their final resting place. Like Spiritguide, they looked for guidance in times of trouble, but their methods were very different. Spiritguide didn’t believe in StarClan like most Clan cats did; she believed that her Spirit Guide would lead her, even though she wasn’t familiar with him. Only when the darkness drew nearer and nearer would he reveal himself to advise her, and she had no doubt that he would. Like FrostClan cats walked the path of the stars, Spiritguide could just as easily go on a Spirit Quest; a search for answers, even though there was no guarantee that they would be found. Even so, Spiritguide had wondered what it would be like to go on one sometime and ask about Deathkit’s mysterious past. Life and Death were two completely different things, Spiritguide knew. But wasn’t there a Lifekit in one of the other Clans with just as much a strange past? Secretly, she wondered if the two were connected. Lifekit was a tabby, too, but with different eyes. Were they possibly kin? Something soft brushed against her slate-grey fur and Spiritguide’s beautiful, yet sightless eyes turned toward Robinfeather with a look of such warmth, love and gentleness that it was hard to believe that this cat was truly blind. Turning her head, she planted a greeting lick on the she-cat’s shoulder and dipped her head gracefully. She wondered what Robinfeather looked like. She had seen one before in her dreams; a small bird, blessed with beauty and soft but love-filled colours. From what she remembered, it had a red chest and face, a grey ring around that, a white underbelly and an earthy brown back. Robinfeather was probably a Red Calico, but it would still have been nice to actually see the fellow Warrior. Even so, Spiritguide found herself unable to answer when Robinfeather inquired as to the aesthetics of the night. Well, she had seen a different night; one filled with soft, drifting mist and cool, cloudless skies. It couldn’t be the same here, could it? Even if it was, Spiritguide didn’t want to trouble Robinfeather, or make her feel stupid that she asked about something that she couldn’t see. Even so, Spiritguide did find all nights to be beautiful, even though she had never seen the dawn before. But why was she so distant recently? Well, she didn’t expect Robinfeather to understand her or her belief – in fact, cats thought she was mad for thinking that she was being guided by someone other than StarClan. Even so, it was her culture, and she didn’t feel she should abandon it because other cats didn’t like it. “I have been trying to communicate with my Spirit Guide,” she said gently, her voice like the chorus of birdsong. Somehow her voice always managed to inspire other cats, to soothe their hearts and allow them to think straight. Some say she even sounded different to the others because of her flowing accent, but she didn’t mind. Perhaps she did sound different. “War is coming. The wolves howl the calls of rising, but it falls onto deaf ears. The crows take flight to the skies and sing their songs of death and disease. Somehow Deathkit is the central figure in this, but how I am unsure. Have you been feeling anything, Robinfeather...?” Word Count; 1, 103 OoC; Tags; Spiritguide, Deathkit, Robinfeather, FrostClan, War. Comments; I love Spiritguide. X3 Link to her profile, and picture can be seen in profile. Doing Speaking Thinking "Your cat talking"

[autumn]

"Have you been feeling anything, Robinfeather...?" Spiritguide asked. The question was simple enough, but far too complicated for Robinfeather. After the distinct, clear explanation that Spiritguide had just said what she had been feeling, what she had been seeing that was ahead for the clans, Robinfeather had absolutely nothing to respond with. Well, she did have a few things, but nothing strong enough to identify.

Spiritguide. Such an interesting name. From what Robinfeather had gathered, it was due to the she-cat's firm beliefs in her own spirit guide. Robinfeather wasn't one to believe in StarClan, either. Perhaps that was why she was so easily able to befriend the blind she-cat. Being born a kittypet, she never had strong beliefs in the starry cats, or the Dark Forest, for that matter. No, you were born a loner. You'll always be a loner. A strong emotion of the past lingered in her heart, and she tried to blink away tears. But a silver one escaped from her eye anyway, and she let it fall, allowing the cool drop to slide down her fur and hit the floor with a graceful plop.

"No," she said in a raspy voice, finally getting around to answering the question. "No, nothing... nothing in particular..." She cleared her throat, attempting to knock all of the sorrowful sound and feelings in it. Spiritguide undoubtedly detected it, but Robinfeather hoped that Spiritguide wouldn't say anything.

"So, what exactly is a spirit guide? Could you explain it to me?" The words were smoother this time as Robinfeather asked out of true curiosity.

((Sorry it was so short, I was having trouble finding stuff to type about))

[Kathryn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,600,true][atrb=height,500,true]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=e8e8e8] While she waited for Robinfeather to reply, Spiritguide lifted her nose to scent the air. It tasted slightly of salt from water, mainly of trees and a bit like owls. Of course, Owls were nocturnal, so they would be out hunting the remnants of the creatures which had, of course, not retreated to their nests. Owls she had heard were fairly large creatures which preyed on mice, generally small rodents like voles and rats, even squirrels. She had also heard that some even snatched up kits from the camps of Clans, but she doubted there was any danger around now. Even so, she checked to make sure Deathkit was not visible as she slept, covered by beautiful grey fur. The tan tabby kit’s scent was mainly overlapped by Spiritguide’s, and with two cats around, there was no problem. It seemed like it had been a long time for Robinfeather to reply, but Spiritguide didn’t speak. She needed as clear an answer that she could get, so while Robinfeather thought about whatever she was, Spiritguide’s mind wandered to her past. She remembered how she had been given the same name as her mother; how awkward it had been for them both when one was called. Her father was fairly distinctive when he spoke, though. He had always used a serious tone with her mother, and a softer one with her. Chewing on her lip gently, she felt that Deathkit had something to do with the future of the Clans, even if her Spirit Guide was reluctant in telling her. And then her nose picked up the stronger scent of salt; it wasn’t like the sea water in the distance, it was closer... Closer, no, it was a lot closer. Twitching her nose, she realised that the salt water had come from Robinfeather, and that it was a tear. Even though, it seemed like the air was tense around the she-cat, like she was trying to hold her bearings rather than let it out. Perhaps it wasn’t the best thing to just ask her straight out why she was crying, but every cat knew that Spiritguide was the best cat to go for when it came to seeking advice or counsel. Instead, she listened carefully what Robinfeather had to say, and blinked slowly in thought. So she hadn’t sensed anything? Or had she, but she didn’t feel it was important? Perhaps Spiritguide should have gone with her instincts, but she still felt like whatever Robinfeather was hiding was of some importance. She considered probing for more information, but decided that Robinfeather would tell her if something was wrong and she should be patient. Spiritguide still detected the sadness in her voice, but was confused as to what she could possibly have been upset about. Was it something that Deathkit or she had done, or was it just from a feeling of nostalgia that the female felt sadness? Whatever was wrong with her concerned the grey-and-white she-cat, who carefully leaned over and pressed her nose into her Clanmate’s fur. She wondered how would best to explain what a Spirit Guide was, because to her there were so many words, and not enough at the same time. She sounded more cheerful though, which pleased Spiritguide, and she continued to think about how she could describe it. “A Spirit Guide is a guardian that guides and protects your spirit as you live,” the she-cat said softly, her voice was filled with wisdom and forethought. “When you are in times of trouble or something is going to happen, your Spirit Guide will call your soul up to the Spirit World and show you things. You can go to them also, if you desire answers for questions that you cannot answer on your own. They give you hope when all is lost and give you answers to even the hardest questions, but often in ways that you must decipher on your own. This is called a Spirit Quest, and even though you search hard, you may not always get the answers you seek.” Even with such a basic, detailed answer, Spiritguide didn’t feel that she had given Robinfeather all of the information that she would have liked to know. So for a moment she thought and then smiled, continuing with her explanation. “They guide you on Spirit Quests,” she murmured, “Which may be self-induced, but sometimes a cat is injured and unable to wake, and this is thought to be a time when the soul is lost or misplaced. We use a special kind of method to help the Spirit Guide to bring them back, but that path has challenges which the cat has to push through on their own. Tests... Of strength, bravery, loyalty and compassion, and they are for your Guide to see if you are worthy of living once more. But they give you the comfort in knowing that they will never abandon you. You can also talk to them about anything, and they will not judge you, or discriminate you.” And then she stopped. Any more information than that... Her parents had taught her that a cat had to be willing to believe to know more, to learn of their ways. “That is all I can tell you. But you can talk to me about anything, Robinfeather. I'm not going to laugh or tell anybody else anything. Why are you experiencing distress?” She ended. Doing Speaking Thinking "Your cat talking"