AllegiancesLeader
Honeystar / 21 moons / molly / X
Medicine Cat
Crowcloud / 20 moons / tom / X Story
A moon had passed since Crowcloud had become Forestclan's medicine cat, and he had grown comfortable with Honeystar. He was eager to take on the role as both healer and seer, because while he wasn't entirely convinced that Starclan existed, he was glad that as more cats joined, he would be able to help them. Helping was what he had done his whole entire life, after all. But today, he and Honeystar were hunting, because though there were only two of them, there never seemed to be enough prey.
"Would you consider yourself a good hunter?" asked Honeystar, breaking through Crowcloud's thoughts.
His whiskers twitched. "Not really, no," he admitted.
"That's what practice is for!"
Crowcloud laughed. "How true. And yet between searching for herbs and cleaning out the camp, there never seems to be enough time to hunt."
"You aren't missing much. You know how the weather's been."
"I still remember how you found me: hiding under a rock."
"And now you're Forestclan's medicine cat! How the times have changed."
Honeystar and Crowcloud kept chatting as they moved through the forest, avoiding the river and streams. Though the constant rain had let up, the swollen waters were still dangerous. As they patrolled, Honeystar noticed movement. Someone was shadowing them, it seemed.
"Who's there?" she called. Crowcloud looked confused before she flicked her ears to the bushes, where he too caught the movement. The bushes rustled as a pale brown molly emerged.
"I-I'm Dusty," the molly stammered. "I've been looking for a group to join, but I've been chased out of the other territories and I heard that the loner groups are vicious. I was hoping to join you."
"You're heard of Forestclan?" asked Honeystar, surprised.
"N-no, not by name," Dusty said. "But I've heard that some groups are accepting new members and I wanted to join. You know, to survive. It's a dangerous world out there."
Crowcloud nodded in agreement. He remembered quite well what it was like to be a lone healer. Everyone tried to press him into service until he joined Forestclan as a means of escape. While he like to help others, he hated being forced into it.
"Well," said Honeystar, "you can join my clan but you'll have to change your name."
"Anything!"
"Then until you've passed the trials, you'll be known as..." Honeystar paused to think of a good prefix. Something better than Dusty. Finally, she settled on one. "You'll be known as Duck." The newly renamed Duck gave a shy smile and lowered her head as a gesture of acceptance and submission. She would be a loyal warrior, Honeystar thought. And with a little boost to her confidence, and outstanding contributor.
***
A quarter-moon later, Duck had recieved the suffix of -pelt because while she, like Crowcloud, wasn't outstanding in any single skill, she was well-rounded and determined to do her best. Honeystar was proud of the warrior and took to chatting with her while Crowcloud organized his herbs or hunted for more.
"How did you end up here?" asked Honeystar as the two mollies lay in the center of camp. There was some sun out, a pleasant change from the seemingly endless rain.
"I just wantered around until I came here," replied Duckpelt. "No one really told me to go anywhere. Why did you found Forestclan?"
Honeystar had to think for a moment before she answered. "It's been my calling my whole life," she said. "Even as a clowder kitten, I had visions of Starclan calling to me."
Duckpelt snorted. "I don't know what to make of Starclan. They certainly haven't helped me."
"But you ended up here, no?" Honeystar pointed out. Duckpelt's tail waved in acknowledgement and Honeystar continued. "When I was old enough to leave, I looked for the Moonpool and when I found it, asked Starclan if I could become the leader of a clan. They showed me to this territory and here we are."
"In a few generations, I'm sure that the story will be wildly different," said Duckpelt wryly.
Honeystar laughed. "The great Honeystar battled loners and rogues to claim the land, only to find that badgers had settled! And then she fought them herself to prove herself worthy of Starclan's aid."
"Something like that."
"Can you make it any wilder?"
"I'm not sure; your story seems crazy enough!"
Honeystar and Duckpelt laughed and continued making up stories that they'd tell the kits of the clan. By the time that Crowcloud had come back, they were laughing so hard that he even asked if they were alright. When he was ignored, he simply put down the prey and went into his den to rest.
***
Honeystar coughed and her ears flicked backwards with annoyance. Duckpelt was out hunting, and Crowcloud was searching through his herbs to find something that could ease the cough.
"How bad is it?" he called, voice echoing through the still-unblocked tunnel that connected his den to Honeystar's den.
"Not"--she coughed again--"too bad. Just annoying."
"Mhmm."
A few moments later, Crowcloud stepped into Honeystar's den, carrying in his mouth a golden droplet with a few yellow leaves on a shiny leaf. "Honey won't cure the cough, but it'll soothe your throat," he mumbled through the leaf. "Eat all the tansy. That should help." He placed the leaf in front of her and waited until she had eaten all of it to continue speaking. "It probably won't work right away; you'll been to keep eating tansy for a couple more days. But it should get rid of the cough soon."
"Thanks," Honeystar said. Her throat felt better already and she managed to suppress the cough she felt coming up her throat. A moment later, however, it escaped and she coughed.
Crowcloud laughed. "I told you it doesn't work right away!"
