a relationship with "starclan"?

[jayfeatherfan]

Swallowpaw stood at the edge of the sheer cliff, staring up at the full moon. According to the rumors she heard, (though she had been told often not to believe everything she heard) the stars where supposed to represent something. “Starclan” they said. According to the clan cats, every star in the sky was a departed cat. Swallowpaw wasn’t sure what to believe, but she had to pretend she believed in them. As a medicine cat apprentice, she was supposed to have some kind of relationship with them. “How can you have a relationship with dead cats?” She muttered to herself. “What non-sense.” Now what would Sunpelt say? He would lecture me on something or the other, she thought.
But then, he was trying to help. Though she never complained out-loud, being constantly lectured did get old sometimes. But, she loved the old fur-ball. To be honest with herself, she loved all her clan-mates. And she loved clan life. The fellow-ship and the feeling of not being completely on her own.
She cast her eyes to the sky once more, feeling the moon-light reflect off her dark eyes, turning them from grey to white. “Starclan, “she whispered, “if you’re really there, give me a sign.”
She flicked her ears, feeling a bit ridiculous despite her out-of-character solemnity, and turned to go back to her den, Sunpelt would be furious if he found her wandering about this late.

[Deleted]

When Sunpelt had stirred in her den, she felt a cold draft blast the fur on her back, waking her up instantly. Her eyes opened slowly and she lay quietly for a few moments before stretching her body luxuriously. She wasn't ready to be up and around, as it was late - but something didn't feel right.

She turned her multi-colored head to the left and saw what the problem was. Her apprentice wasn't in her den. Curiously, she stood up on all fours and stretched once more, before giving the air a quick sniff. Swallowpaw's scent was still fresh, so she hadn't been gone for long. Perhaps the apprentice just couldn't sleep and needed to wear herself out a bit more before retiring. Still, she felt the need to check on her anyway in case the wasn't the real problem.

The pretty she-cat took a quick look around camp. All was quiet, peaceful. It reminded her of the old SkyClan, and a sorrowful pang hit her heart hard. She missed those days. And even though they had abandoned them without shame, she missed some of the old friends back in the old Clans. Red-eyes of ThunderClan... Silverclaw of ShadowClan... Old Treepelt, the medicine cat of WindClan.

But what she missed the most were her StarClan companions. She hadn't shared dreams with them in moons, and felt more distant than ever from her old reality. There was bitterness in her heart for them, too, and couldn't decide if SkyClan would be better off without them - or if they desperately needed them. She took peace knowing that they would reconnect with StarClan soon, except this time, it would be strictly SkyClan ancestors walking the skies above them.

Through all this thought, Sunpelt hadn't realized that she had traveled a ways out of camp, and was wandering up the cliffs. She continued on her pace, paying careful attention now to where she stepped. This was the place she wanted to be and she suddenly forgot that she was looking for her apprentice, Swallowpaw - until she caught a whiff of her scent.

Her ears perked. She was here, alright. Strong, fresh scent. Had the medicine cat apprentice been unconciously led here in the same manner?

She rounded a rock and then saw the light orange tabby, feeling relieved to see her. She was headed back towards Sunpelt, back towards camp, probably.

"You're out late," she spoke quietly, blinking softly. She suddenly felt so serene, so out of character. What was special about this place? She felt something stirring in her heart, but couldn't understand it.

[jayfeatherfan]

"You're out late." Said Sunpelt, coming around a corner.
“Oh, yes, I’m sorry Sunpelt.” She said, waking from her trance-like state. She hadn’t thought much about what to tell Sunpelt about why she was out so late. But then, she hadn’t expected Sunpelt to be out late as well.
With the way Sunpelt was watching her, she felt she should probably say something. Judging by the serene look on his face, Sunpelt was in the same state she was in, before he had scared her out of it.
“I was just thinking about this whole starclan thing.” She said, for some reason feeling like she should admit it. After all, Sunpelt claimed to have converged with them himself. Who better to ask?

[Deleted]

Sunpelt curled her tail around her front paws and rested on her rump. She had almost forgotten that most cats in the Clans had not been able to get close enough to StarClan to assured of their prescence. They were, after all, loners and kitty-pets before the four Clans formed, and Cloudstar had been the one to restablish Clan life.

What would have happened if SkyClan hadn't formed three more Clans? They probably would have lost many, many traditions and the warriors would slowly have softened.

At the young apprentice's question, Sunpelt's blinked slowly and took a glance at the stars above. Another twinge of sadness made her ears fall back and she lost herself in a memory, of romping in the nursery with her brother. Was Moonheart hunting with StarClan now? Would he be the first cat to contact her from StarClan?

Her gaze rested back to Swallowpaw.

"What were you wondering?" she asked, perking her ears forward. She was glad to see her apprentice curious of StarClan, as it would soon be the biggest part of her destiny, as a medicine cat.

[jayfeatherfan]

Swallowpaw twitched her ear at the medicine cat’s question. ‘What were you wondering?’ That was a very good question… Really Swallowpaw was wondering EVERYTHING. What was starclan? How did you come to meet them? Where did you go to meet them? What happened when you did? Her fur ruffled in a light breeze, warm with the heat of new-leaf. She looked back up at the moon, as if she expected it to tell her what to say.
Swallowpaw decided to ask the simplest question; she didn’t want to bug Sunpelt.
“What happens when you meet Starclan?” She asked, turning back towards Sunpelt. Before Sunpelt had the chance to answer, she thought of another question. “And, does any cat go to Starclan, or… Only clan cats?”

[Deleted]

Deep questions. None of them surprised the medicine cat at all, though. There were few cats that the Clans could turn to that had actually seen StarClan, and Sunpelt was one of those few. She knew she had a special relationship with StarClan since she was born. She just hoped that Swallowpaw would get to feel that connection as well, as soon. It was just such an important part of being a medicine cat.

She sensed that the apprentice had more to ask but was taking her time. They were hard questions to answer in the right words, so she was a bit grateful for that.

"Well," Sunpelt began, turning her memory back to one of the first dreams StarClan had sent her. "Being that you'll be a medicine cat, you have a special relationship with StarClan. They will often walk in your dreams to talk to you. Sometimes, however, they will send you signs, in your reality, like a fluttering leaf, or a falling star. And you'll have to do your best to interpret what they are saying, for it's likely a prophecy for the Clan that something is about to happen."

Her green gaze lowered to the dirt at her paws as she twitched the tip of her tail. "Back in the old territory, medicine cats went to the Moonstone together every moon to talk to StarClan. When we met with StarClan, we'd then disperse back to our Clans," she mewed, "but, our dreams were always meant to be sacred and we were not allowed to speak to anyone else about what went on during those meetings, unless StarClan meant for it be so."

She wondered if she was answering the she-cat's question in the right way, or if she understood any of it. More bitterness welled up in her - she shouldn't have to be explaining this right now. StarClan should have been in the apprentice's dreams long ago. But it was no use fretting over it, so Sunpelt shook the thought away and continued on to the next question, an even deeper one.

"As for that question, Swallowpaw, no one can truly answer that. We can't be sure of all the cats who walk with StarClan. But I will say that I've only ever had my ancestors and my former Clanmates ever appear to me in dreams. Never a loner, or a kitty-pet," she reasoned, looking thoughtfully at the apprentice. She wanted to be careful with her words, in case Swallowpaw had any relatives not living amongst the Clans. "StarClan is meant to guide the Clans in their darkest hours, so it is appropriate that we are watched over by former Clan cats, yes?"

[jayfeatherfan]

Swallowpaw nodded slowly. Sunpelts answers made sense, sure. But she still felt a biting feeling of sorrow at her second answer. Though Sunpelt was obviously trying not to say it, she didn’t think anyone except clan cats went to starclan.
“That makes sense.” Swallowpaw said, trying to keep her disappointment from her voice. But then, she had admitted to not knowing for sure, so it was possible. Swallowpaw was silent a few minutes, struck with sudden thoughts Fika. Old images passed through her brain of her oldest friend, rolling in the flowers of her two-legs garden, play fighting in the same garden, teasing the yappy little canine next door. She found herself with a sudden longing to see Fika again. She flicked her ears in surprise; it had been a long time since she had missed her this strongly.
“Well, when do you think I might have these dreams?” She asked Sunpelt, heading back towards her den. (Though she knew she wouldn’t be getting anymore sleep either way.)

[Deleted]

The medicine cat suddenly got the feeling she had been right to be gentle with her answers. She sensed Swallowpaw wasn't completely satisfied with her explanations, and by the looks of Swallowpaw's face she had fallen into deep thought. Sunpelt had never known the pain of being seperated from cats or had never had to think of the possibilty of being seperated from friends eternally - she had always been in a Clan, following StarClan faithfully as a medicine cat with no ties. None but with her brother, really, who had gone missing a few moons ago. Sunpelt wondered, if Moonheart was dead now, was he walking with StarClan? Was he walking over the skies of the old territory, or could he find his way here, back to StarClan? Back to his only sister?

She sighed, laying her tail over Swallowpaw's.
"Don't worry about it yet, Swallowpaw. No cat truly knows the mystery of StarClan."

She glanced up at the stars when Swallowpaw asked her next question. Part of her hoped that StarClan would send a sign right then and then, showing that they were listening, and that they longed to talk with Swallowpaw. Back in the old territories, medicine cat apprentices had to be approved by StarClan. Swallowpaw hadn't even had one dream.

Sunpelt was scared, but she wouldn't give up faith. They just needed to a place like the Moonstone.

"Soon, Swallowpaw. It won't be long now. I feel it in my bones," she replied quietly, and then bent her head to lap at her chest. "Don't you?" she asked, looking up at the apprentice with a small smile.

[jayfeatherfan]

Swallowpaw nodded slowly. Sunpelt was right, after all.
“Thanks, Sunpelt. I’m going to head back to camp, though.” She said.
She padded back to camp slowly, almost wishing she had stayed on the cliff. But for some reason she just wanted to go back into the den and sit. She sat at the mouth of the den, licking her paw, deep in thought. As she drew it over her injured ear, she felt it twinge with sharp pain.
She paused, confused. It had been quite a long time since it had hurt… She shook her head, went back into her nest, and went to sleep.

[Bear]

I'd help for sure! Too be completely honest i've never ran a contest, but I know how, and have an extreme passion for art and writing! Also i've been on the forums for a long time. a VERY long time, so I think i'm really trustworthy and on basiclly everyday, and I know what to look for in a piece of great art. I have a lot of time on my hands, especially at weekends, and to be honest, I just love helping out! Well, thats it for me, and I know my chances of being picked are slim, but hey, theres still a chance! Love you guys! ^^
Deedee