Roleplay

@WillowtheWisp
@Blizzardwing

"I saw a cat that was willing to end a kit's childhood to force her into a position she might not have wanted, even if she excelled." Fallowstar said plainly. As much as she wished to comfort Softfoot, she had butted heads with the old medicine cat several times. They had often bounced between perfect harmony and teamwork to heated disagreements over the future of the clan. "You must understand that as a leader, I am responsible for following the Warrior Code, and I must encourage all of Thunderclan to do the same. A four moon old apprentice is against what I stand for."

She shook her head, "Starclan works in ways that I can not understand- I trusted Fallingleaf and I will come to trust you with deciphering their will- but the code is our law, our past, and our foundation."

(That's fine! It was supposed to start an argument. Not every cat thinks the same way and that makes things more interesting.)

@Blizzardwing
@superpapershark (k, lol. Conflict. Yup. I agree with you there. :P)

Softfoot's ears flattened very slightly, but she did her best not to snap at Fallowstar.
"I love my work," she mewed simply. "It's all I ever wanted to be. And my kithood was lonely, Fallowstar. My siblings died in leaf-bare. And you know what?"
Softfoot halted and faced her leader, almost nose-to-nose with the older she-cat. "That is when I realized there was no way I could take another cat's life. And when I decided I would do everything in my power to save them."
She kept her green eyes level with Fallowstar's amber ones, silently challenging her to contradict her.

@WillowtheWisp
@Blizzardwing

"I have been alive for long enough to see many litters die young one." Fallowstar shook her head sadly. There was a reason she insisted on staying and helping when queens gave birth- despite having grown up too ugly for a mate or kits of her own, she cared for all of them. She liked to know her clan as well as she could, and seeing the clan's future was a large part of that. There were also no words to tell the medicine cat that no true warrior sought to kill their opponents- to her, a good fight was one where the loosing party limped away to tend to their wounds. "You will grow, and you will learn more. Ask your mentor, if she appears to you."

@Blizzardwing
@superpapershark

"I," meowed Softfoot, with a definite coolness behind her words. "Know where I'm meant to be."
With that, the she-cat turned and padded towards the camp, pulling herself away before she said something she would regret.
Once in the safety of her den, she took a deep, shuddering breath.
She really shouldn't argue like that with Fallowstar.
Floatingleaf did.
Softfoot sighed. I'm not Floatingleaf.
But you ARE the medicine cat... No one else can really get away with it.
Flicking her ears in both annoyance and frustration, the she-cat turned to her stores, measuring them with a practiced eye.

Swallowpaw yawned widely and rolled over on her back, displaying her soft stomach for the sun to see and caress gently.
"That feels good," she groaned happily, flattening her ears against the ground and stretched out tiny paws to the sun.

@WillowtheWisp
@superpapershark

Lightningtail held her paw steady, then lowered it in a flash. She growled. Missed. In a frenzy of anger, she leapt in the river and pounced onto the fish that had avoided her claws. With a twist, she delivered a powerful kick, forcing the fish onto the bank. Following after it with her own twist and push off the bottom of the river, she pinned it the ground. She bared her teeth and killed it. A little excessive but I caught it. Her belly growled with hunger as she bit into the fish and began eating, savoring the salty taste and memories that came with it.

@Blizzardwing
@superpapershark

Softfoot hesitated, staring at the stores.
However, when she glanced outside, she noticed that darkness was rising, pushing the moon upward on dark blue waves.
Time to go.
Swallowing hard, the little she-cat padded out of her den once more, struggling to prepare herself to meet the other medicine cats.
And tell them that she was the ThunderClan medicine cat now. Her alone.
Lifting her head high, mint-green eyes sparkling with an odd mixture of fear and determination, the tiny calico marched off towards the Moonstone, flicking her tail at Swallowpaw and Shadowstrike as she did so.

"Wow," meowed Swallowpaw, her eyes all aglow. "She's going to meet Floatingleaf in StarClan!"
She bounced to her paws, running in excited circles around Shadowstrike. "I wanna do that!"
She frowned, pausing, one paw lifted in confusion. "But I don't wanna be a medicine cat... I know!"
She bounced around again, fizzing over with energy once more. "I'll become leader!"

@WillowtheWisp
@superpapershark

Shadowstrike watched as Softfoot walked past them. Heading to the moonstone I presume. Swallowpaw distracted him. His eyes returned to her. A purr began building in his throat. Ambitious goals, little Swallowpaw, but you might achieve them. Hold them near and work hard for them and you'll succeed even if others fail.

@Blizzardwing
@superpapershark

Swallowpaw purred, apparently understanding at least part of his message.
"I will!" she mewed, bouncing around, her tail waving like a happy, plumy flag.
"Will you become leader, Shadowstrike?" asked the little apprentice, coming to a halt and giving him a wide, awed look from huge blue eyes.

Softfoot padded steadily onward to meet the WindClan medicine cat.
"Softfoot," mewed a quiet voice. "So nice to see you again. Where's Floatingleaf?"
The pretty calico took a deep breath and turned to face the silver tabby.
"Floatingleaf... Is dead, Grayfang."
The tom's eyes widened. "Dead?" His voice was harsh, but Softfoot stood her ground.
"Yes. She died of greencough."
Grayfang stared at the young medicine cat for a moment, then bowed his head respectfully. "I'm sorry, Softfoot. For you and all of ThunderClan."
She dipped her head in acceptance, but said nothing, not trusting herself to speak.

@WillowtheWisp
@superpapershark

Shadowstrike silently laughed. Little one, there is no way I could ever be a leader. Who would listen to a mute cat's orders? Barely anyone can understand me as it is. Leading would be difficult if not impossible for me. I'd be overthrown within a sunrise. His eyes adverted down to his paws. He couldn't deny he found the thought of being a leader appealing but no one would ever elect to follow a mute cat.

Lightningtail finished her fish and buried the remains. She had forgotten that fish had so many tiny, delicate bones in them. With her belly full and the sun lowering, it would be good to at least bring something back for the clan. She'd have to return anyway before they panicked and sent a search party after her.

@Blizzardwing
@superpapershark

Swallowpaw cocked her head, intently reading his expression and body language.
She snuggled up against him, curling her tail around herself.
"I'd follow you," she mewed, shyly averting her vivid blue eyes to the ground.

Softfoot trotted on towards the Moonstone, the other three medicine cats behind her, murmuring to themselves.
Probably about Floatingleaf, thought Softfoot, ears laying down slightly in sorrow.
But I'll be seeing her soon!
At that thought, Softfoot quickened her pace, darting into the cave before the others.