Are You There? (Lion)

[Magicheart]

Moonpaw raced towards the clearing overhanging Skyclan's camp, and much of its territory. Please be there. he thought, anxiety weighing even more on his chest than the exhaustion of training with Ravenfeather.

On his way to the clearing, Moonpaw halted abruptly, picking up Cursedangel's stale scent. He bristled as he followed it toward the river, picking up traces of fear scent and...? Moonpaw sniffed around more and let out a low growl. Another cat. A tom. Moonpaw's spirits fell, and he racked his memory to try to remember who the scent belonged to. His eyes narrowed in anger and confusion as he realized it was that bumbling idiot, Gatheringclouds. But I thought she wanted to spend time with me? And what could he have done to make her afraid?

Glancing up, Moonpaw realized his paws were right at the edge of the river. What had happened here? Were his clanmates safe? Moonpaw circled around anxiously, unsure of what to do. He could swim if need be- the Tribe lived just above a waterfall and all cats learned to swim in case they fell off the slippery rocks into the water below- but he saw no trace of the cats anywhere. So he waited...and waited...I'll stay here forever if I have to. He vowed to himself miserably, his thoughts and emotions confused.

[.:Lion:.]

Cursedangel was breathless by the time she reached camp. It was difficult to keep the panic out of her expression, for each moment she spent away from her injured sister was one of agony. She hadn't completely forgotten about her meeting with Moonpaw, but a part of her was so worried about Lilithnight, there wasn't much room to be concerned over anything else. Even so, when she saw him pacing on the bank, the she-cat felt a harsh pang in her chest. He waited for me all this time? She thought, touched. Without another thought, Cursedangel threw herself into the river and began striking out towards shore. She climbed onto the bank, dripping. Curse really wanted to stop and talk to Moonpaw, but she didn't want to be away from Lilith for long.

"I'll explain later," she called over her shoulder, marching towards Lastsong's den.

[Magicheart]

Moonpaw continued to pace, his frustration and despair mounting. He cast a final glance on the other side of the bank just in time to see Cursedangel leap in. Alarmed, Moonpaw's fur bristled, his eyes rapidly scanning the water. He leaned in toward the water and grabbed her scruff, gently helping her climb to safety. He opened his mouth to speak, but Cursedangel beat him to it. Her eyes were full of concern, and her pelt smelled of fear.

What is going on!? he wanted to scream as she raced away. Should he follow her? Morose and stubborn he thought to himself that she didn't deserve it. That's all I get after she stood me up for so long? Still, the bold dash into the river, the fear scent...something legitimate must be going on. He sighed and raced after her, but she beat him into Lastsong's den. He paced outside of the den, his tail lashing in frustration.

[.:Lion:.]

Cursedangel burst into Lastsong's den. The tom was sorting through his herbs, his eyes narrowed as he plucked a berry up with one claw and examined it closely for bruises. He started when she arrived, turning to look at her with his shrewd green eyes.

"My sister fell, Lastsong. I've looked after her but she's trapped out in the woods near Skywatcher's den with the flood keeping us from bringing her back. She hit her head." The words streamed out of her mouth in a flurry, and she was rather surprised that Lastsong seemed to have understood her. He began gathering herbs from his stores, his gaze calm but focused. Picking up the bundles, he nodded.

"Lead the way." He meowed. Cursedangel nodded and turned to dart out of the den. She almost collided with Moonpaw and started in surprise to see him waiting anxiously for her. Lastsong slipped out from behind the she-cat, his eyes narrowed.

"Any other mishaps I should know about?" He asked Moonpaw, speaking skillfully around the bulky package of herbs he carried.

[Magicheart]

"Uhh...um, no...no" Moonpaw meowed, stumbling over his words before regaining confidence. "Do you need assistance?" he asked the medicine cat, trying to catch Cursedangel's eye. He wanted them to want his help right now, but he was sure he could do very little to help the situation...

[.:Lion:.]

Cursedangel glanced at Lastsong and met his eye. She wanted Moonpaw to be with her so badly - his presence always helped to calm her. But she wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to have more than a few cats around her sister. Lastsong set the herb bundle down and nodded towards it.

"You can carry that if you feel like it. That'll free my jaws up for any herbs we might find on the way." He meowed. Turning to Cursedangel, he narrowed his eyes, "Well, then, lead the way."

[Magicheart]

"Sure!" Moonpaw meowed, glad that he could be helpful and confident that he could do this task well. He padded over to Lastsong eagerly, but slowed to gingerly pick up the bundle of herbs. A concoction of different tasks and smells filled his senses, almost making him dizzy. How do they learn all this stuff? he thought regarding medicine cats, baffled. Still, he thought it rewarding to save so many lives.

The cats padded along, but shortly, Moonpaw's shoulders drooped in dread. The river. How could they cross it without losing the precious herbs?

[.:Lion:.]

Cursedangel padded towards the river.

"Wait a bit," Lastsong called. He sniffed around the base of his den for a moment and then dragged something out from a niche in the rock. It was a large, smooth piece of tree bark.

"Glad I pulled this away from the water yesterday." He meowed.

"Go ahead and use it for the herbs." He said to Moonpaw. Cursedangel shifted her weight from paw to paw impatiently, wondering if Lilithnight was okay.

[Magicheart]

Moonpaw shook his head in uncertainty and sighed as he gently set the herbs in the half circle of bark. Would this really work? "Who should take it?" he asked. It would take extreme skill and concentration. While part of him wanted to rise to the occasion, the last thing he wanted was to be the one to blame if the herbs should be lost in the swirling river. Still, with his background in the tribe, he probably was the best swimmer.

Taking ownership, he held his ground near the piece of bark. "Can you swim, Lastsong?" he asked curiously. How is this going to work? he wondered.

[.:Lion:.]

Lastsong glanced at Moonpaw.

"Yes, I can swim. I hope you can swim...?" By the inflection in his voice, Lastsong was giving Moonpaw a last chance to back out. The medicine cat didn't want the apprentice to push himself. But why exactly Moonpaw wanted to help so bad was difficult to tell. Glancing at Cursedangel, the tom noticed her expression as she looked at Moonpaw. Oh, he thought smugly, turning back to Moonpaw.

[Magicheart]

Moonpaw nodded and flicked his tail self-consciously. "i'll go first...in case anything falls, you two might have a chance to grab it." he tried to say the words in a practical sense and keep the dread from creeping in his voice. He nodded to Lastsong and bent to pick up the bark. Lifting his head back up, he caught Cursedangel's eyes. I can do this. She's counting on me. he thought, his chest fluttering.

He stopped himself just before he let out a long sigh, which would have blown the herbs off the leaf. Eagle feathers! he thought crossly to himself. Moonpaw regained composure and began to wade into the water until he felt nothing between his paws. He couldn't risk turning to see if the others were following. This was it.

[.:Lion:.]

Cursedangel slipped into the water a little downstream, with Lastsong on her other side. If any of the herbs fell off the leaf, they probably wouldn't be very useful anymore, but she would try to save them if she could. Paddling strongly through the water, the she-cat kept a close eye on Moonpaw, feeling concern pricking at her heart like thorns. She hoped he really knew what he was doing.

[Magicheart]

Moonpaw began to struggle. The water was taking great effort to swim through due to the current, and he was running out of air for fear that his breath would blow the precious herbs off. He tried focusing on breathing in through his nose and out the corner of his mouth, but doing so made him move more slowly, and he was getting tired. A fierce flash of determination jolted through him, and he struck out with his arms and legs as hard as he could, holding his breath as much as possible. He struggled up the other side of the bank, gasping for air as he set down the herbs. He cursed himself as he saw one leaf swirling down the bank, but the rest of the medicine had made it safely.

He fell to his side, flanks heaving, and closed his eyes a moment, waiting for the others to catch up.

[.:Lion:.]

Lastsong made it to the bank a little ahead of Cursedangel. He shook himself off just as the she-cat pulled herself out of the water, her fur clinging to her skin in little spikes that made her wide, concerned eyes look somewhat crazed. She felt as if little spikes of energy were shooting through her paws, hoping that Lilithnight was still okay.

"Good work, Moonpaw," Lastsong meowed to the tom, examining the herbs and noting that there were very few that would be unusable. With a decided nod, he turned to Cursedangel. "Let's get on, then." The she-cat nodded and then turned to lead the way into the forest.

[Magicheart]

Moonpaw sighed, the short rest feeling not nearly long enough. He struggled to his paws and stumbled after to the two older warriors, hoping things would be alright. The fear scent of Gatheringclouds and the soft tang of blood hit his nostrils. "They're close!" he meowed, mustering some energy to lope forward.

Gatheringclouds looked up when he heard a voice of a clanmate, and his spirits rose. "Hurry! Her breathing has gotten shallower and she won't speak to me!" he yowled from the entrance of the cave.

[.:Lion:.]

Lastsong followed Cursedangel to her sister's side. He stooped down and began sniffing and prodding, watching for the she-cat's reactions. He closed his eyes and listened to her breath, feeling her ribs with his paw. He turned to Moonpaw and motioned for him to set the herbs down beside him with a flick of his tail.

Cursedangel looked down at her sister who looked so weak. Fear pulsed through the she-cat's body, laced with a terrible agony at the thought of losing her sister. I can't lose her, too! Please, StarClan. If you really look out for everyone here in SkyClan, look after my sister! Please! She begged, staring at Lilithnight with big, sad eyes.

[Magicheart]

Gatheringclouds stumbled out of Lastsong's way and to Cursedangel's side, hanging his head. "I feel horrible." he confessed. "I guess we should have just waited out the storm...then this never would have happened." He winced, shutting his eyes tightly. Thoughts raced through his mind and his heart ached. How could his feelings for her seem so strong already? No one has ever been close to me the way she has...and I was hoping we could become closer... he wanted to wail the words aloud.

Moonpaw grunted and shoved Gatheringclouds out of the way so he could set down the herbs for Lastsong. Clumsy furball! he thought, grouchy with exhaustion. One look at Cursedangel's pained and fearful eyes made him forget all of it. He padded over to her other side and pressed against her. "We've done all we can to give her the best chance. If she's your sister, she must be a fighter. I'm sure she'll be ok." he brushed his tail along her flank, hoping his words would take away her sadness, which pained him too.

Gatheringclouds stumbled and shot Moonpaw an indignant glare before his mouth fell agape, stupefied, at the young tom's kind behavior and gentle tone toward Cursedangel. You've got to be kidding me! A cat was actually able to unearth some kindness in him? That's a first! Gatheringclouds thought, snorting aloud.

[.:Lion:.]

Cursedangel didn't noticed Gatheringclouds' attitude towards Moonpaw. Her attention was fixed on him, listening to his words. A fighter... She thought. Was that what she was? The she-cat glanced away, back at Lilithnight. A fighter. She supposed she hadn't killed herself, which was a start. But was what she'd been doing, hiding behind her walls all this time, been a form of strength? I feel like I've always been running away. She thought sadly. But Lilithnight was different. She was definitely a fighter. She had sought to overcome her difficulties.

"You're right," Cursedangel meowed finally. "She's strong." It was all she felt like saying. She didn't want to voice her fears--that, maybe, Lilith was tired of fighting. Curse wished that she had made peace with her sister before this accident. If Lilithnight knew that she was willing to finally move on, maybe the she-cat would fight harder to live now? Cursedangel sighed quietly. Then, turning to Gatheringclouds, she fixed her sad gaze on him.

"And you," she said quietly, "Don't blame yourself. Lilithnight would personally cuff your ears if you did." With a slight smile that seemed more like a grimace, the she-cat turned her attention back to her sister.

Lastsong listened to the voices behind him as he pressed some herbs onto the wound on Lilithnight's head. It was small, and would heal well. It was the damage on the inside, the wounds he couldn't see, that Lastsong feared. He looked down at the young she-cat and felt an old unhealed wound of his own. Wounds of the head and wounds of the heart... He thought. They're both difficult to deal with. Sometimes impossible. The tom turned to Cursedangel finally and tipped his head to the side.

"She should be okay if she wakes up soon. I've dealt with her wounds, but we can't be sure that it will help. Even so, she is breathing all right and doesn't seem to be in pain, so we can hope." After speaking, the tom bit the inside of his lip, mulling over the injured she-cat as he remembered another cat. Whitefeather... if only I could have sat by your side and waited for you. He thought sadly. Even if I couldn't have helped, I would have at least wanted to be with you.

[Magicheart]

Gatheringclouds smiled sweetly at Cursedangel, knowing she was trying to comfort him and lighten the mood. He was so glad that she didn't blame him for her sister's condition. He felt chilled to the bone at Lastsong's prognosis, however. "IF she wakes up soon? You can be sure?" The young tom furrowed his brow and twitched his ears. He looked at the medicine cat half apologetic and half confused. "You always seem so certain when you are treating cats, Lastsong. Haven't you dealt with anything like this before?" Gatheringclouds realized he was trying to keep a tremble out of his voice.

Moonpaw narrowed his eyes slightly and flattened his ears. He was also expecting that more could be done, but understood the limitations of any cat in this situation. He pressed against Cursedangel in quiet comfort.

[.:Lion:.]

Lastsong glanced at Gatheringclouds, his thoughts still a little distant.

"I've seen this time of thing before, yes," he meowed tartly. "Head injuries are not uncommon, considering the amount of cliffs and crags that exist in SkyClan's territory. I have had cases where the injured cat suffered head trauma. He was an apprentice." Lastsong shut his mouth quickly, not wanting to say anything more. He remembered Willypaw well. The kitty-pet had wanted nothing more than to please his new Clanmates. He had been relentlessly teased, and finally had tried to out climb one of the Clanborn apprentices as a show of strength. The apprentice had tumbled off the side of the gorge and had injured his leg and hit his head. He'd never been the same. The tom had walked about yammering on and on about useless things, talking about snakes in the swamp and how the mice always were looking to kill him. He withdrew from the Clan and only sometimes showed up around camp. Most cats didn't remember him because he killed himself shortly after Lastsong had been apprenticed. He remembered helping Whitefeather to treat the crazed cat, though...

"Will Willypaw get better?" Lastkit asked as he sat down beside Whitefeather. The medicine cat looked down at him.

"Maybe," she sighed. "But I don't think so, Lastkit. He hurt his head, and there are some injuries that a medicine cat cannot help to heal." The two sat side by side, watching the chestnut-colored cat staggering around the clearing, talking about butterflies roosting on the chicken's eggs or some other such nonsense.

"He was always so nice," Lastkit murmured. "It's not fair that he had to get hurt."

"Life isn't always fair, Lastkit," Whitefeather said. "In fact, it rarely ever is."

Lastsong turned to Lilithnight and willed the she-cat to wake up. He remembered well how long he'd sat in the medicine den, watching over Willypaw. It had taken the tom too long, Whitefeather said. The quick healers usually had the least amount of damage. Two days, he thought glumly. Any more than that and I won't dare to hope for better than butterflies and chickens' eggs. The thought left the medicine cat feeling deflated.

[Magicheart]

Gatheringclouds' eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in suspicion. There was something the medicine cat was not sharing. Gatheringclouds closed his eyes, seeing if he remembered a cat getting injured in his clan...but the warrior was young still. If only my parents were still here...they would know... he thought sadly.

He sulked over to Lillithnight and bent over the she-cat. He nudged her gently. "Come on, Lillithnight. You have to wake up now. The rain has stopped and we can go back to camp." he droned sadly.

Moonpaw glanced at the tom, his deep blue gaze unwavering. Unexpected emotions stirred in him as he watched Gatheringclouds whimper over his clanmate. Not long ago, he might have thought such a display was pathetic-- not because he didn't care for his clanmates, but because he disliked Gatheringclouds so much. Now that he had feelings for Cursedangel, however, he couldn't help wondering if he'd feel the same way if it were her lying there unmoving, and not her sister. He let out an audible sigh of sadness. "Is there anything else we can get for you, Lastsong? I assume we will spend the night here...? Shall I look for moss or something to make dens?" the young tom was still too immature to deal with his feelings completely, so he tried to make himself useful, as many toms would do in a similar situation.

[.:Lion:.]

Lastsong glanced at the apprentice. Moonpaw had some sense, and of course he was handling this situation well. Out of all the cats present, the youngest was probably the most reliable. With a soft sigh, Lastsong turned back to Lilithnight.

"That may be a good idea." Glancing around, he looked for any bushes that could be used as adequate shelter. He noticed some fern bushes resting against a nearby tree trunk. "Why don't you check those bushes out?" He suggested, gesturing to them with his tail. "They look like a good place to get out of this damp, at least."

Cursedangel watched her sister without much expression on her face. She had retreated back into herself, remembering the times she had spent without her sister. The only moments in her life that they had been apart where the moments that had nearly driven her to give up on life. I can't live without her... Cursedangel thought, feeling a pang in her chest. What will I do? I was only just able to forgive myself for my... my kits' deaths. What will I do if I lose my sister, too? Just then, Moonpaw spoke, bringing Cursedangel back to reality. She turned her head slightly and looked at him, studying his expression, the planes of his face, the sound of his voice and how it was so much more mature than she would have expected from an apprentice. Cursedangel relaxed. She could live. Now she had someone else that meant something to her. She and Lilithnight weren't alone anymore. Glancing at Gatheringclouds, Cursedangel willed her sister to live for his sake. You can't leave him alone. She thought. I have Moonpaw, but who does he have? So wake up, Lilithnight. Wake up.

Lilithnight sat in a clearing, purring as soft light flooded onto her shoulders and soaked into her skin. She closed her eyes and sighed happily. This little clearing was unfamiliar to her, but it seemed so peaceful and nice. She liked it.

"Lilith?" Lilithnight turned towards the sound of a voice. She saw a dark tabby standing beside three little figures.

"Father?" Lilithnight asked quietly. The tom smiled. "And are those Curse's kits?"

"We are," one of the kits replied with a mischievous smirk, just like the look Curse always used to have when she was up to something. Before they'd been separated. Before she'd lost her kits.

"What's wrong? Why are you here?" Lilithnight asked.

"You've been asleep a long time," her father replied, "It's time for you to wake up."

"Yes," one of the other kits said, and Lilithnight nodded slightly. The kit's voice seemed to fade as she said, "It's time to wake up now..."

"...back to camp."[/i] Lilithnight frowned slightly. Back to camp? What was that supposed to mean? Suddenly her head hurt a lot. What had happened? She slowly opened her eyes and saw a familiar-looking cat standing beside her, his head turned as if he were looking for something. He mentioned some bush or other, but Lilith's head hurt too badly for her to concentrate on his speech. What's going on? She thought, resisting the urge to groan aloud in pain. Where am I? What happened?

[Magicheart]

A purr erupted from Gatheringclouds as Lillithnight stirred and opened her eyes slightly. "She's waking up!" he yelled stupidly, unaware to Lillithnight's heightened sensitivity to sight and sound. He rubbed his cheek against hers, surprised but happy by how ecstatic he was.

Moonpaw shook his head and sighed at Gatheringclouds, then nodded at Lastsong with a wink. "I'll go check them out then." he meowed, figuring Cursedangel would want some time with her sister, if she in fact was awake. He sniffed around the bush, finding dried grass and leaves under the bush. He began to claw out some clumps, pleasantly surprised when he found a couple feathers of a bird that must have been prey to a larger animal.

"How are you feeling?" Gatheringclouds mewed, giving her forehead a couple swift licks. "We've all been so worried! We never should have tried to climb so high when it was so wet." he rambled on.

[.:Lion:.]

Cursedangel's eyes lit up. She moved forward, her pawsteps hesitant. Lastsong watched her with a neutral expression on his face. He had never seen her discomposed, and all in one day he'd seen pretty much every conceivable emotion from her. Now, she seemed to him as tender as a mother looking down on one of her kits after it healed from a belly ache or a sore pad. She really loves her sister. Lastsong thought, wondering not for the first time at the bond that existed between some siblings.

Lilithnight winced as a loud voice rang over her head. She felt something soft against her cheek that nudged her head a little and made a little slice of pain shoot down her skull. She lost her cool for a moment and squeaked softly, surprised by the sharpness of the pain.

"If you must celebrate, Gatheringclouds, try not to upset my patient while you do so," Lastsong meowed a bit sarcastically, though he was pleased to see Lilithnight responding to the pain in even a small way. He saw her open her eyes fully and look up at Gatheringclouds.

"I fell," she muttered, looking grieved, "What a clumsy paws I am! I'm sorry to worry you." Her speech was slow and hesitant, but it did not resemble the crazed jumble of words that Lastsong remembered from Willypaw. She'll be okay. He thought with a relieved sigh. She's okay.

[Magicheart]

Gatheringclouds flattened his ears in embarrassment, realizing his error. "Oh, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to make things worse." He took a couple clumsy steps backwards and tumbled onto his rear end. He avoided eye contact, unsure of what to do with himself.

Moonpaw walked back into the overhang, his mouth full of dried debris. He twitched his tail in irritation and sighed at the sigh of Gatheringclouds looking to be an awkward furball, as usual. When he sighed, the feathers sailed from his bundle, rocking slowly back and forth in the air before brushing the ground. His eyes lit up in surprise as he followed the feather down with his gaze and saw the bright eyes of Lillithnight, open. "I see you've been able to work a miracle while I was out." he meowed at Lastsong with an amused grin on his face.

"If I get injured, I won't be able to vacate the premises, however." he continued as he focused on spreading the bedding out on the ground.