#>hailthrush

Mothgrowl had always loved Newleaf. The long-awaited sound of birds singing and the warmth of sunlight on her fur always calmed her nerves, as if the world was coming back to life after a cold, dead winter.

She raised her head and took a deep breath, letting the smell of blooming flowers, fresh green leaves, and the distant trail of passing squirrels and rabbits wash over her senses. She always liked to take her first official patrol of Newleaf alone, to soak in each moment at her own pace and get away from the weight of her responsibilities, even if just for a moment. Of course, her clan came before her relaxation, but what was the harm in enjoying the day when she wasn't needed?

She exhaled slowly, gently, purring softly as she shook herself a bit and scanned her surroundings. She'd already looked around the sparsely wooded patch closer to camp and didn't find anything to harvest just yet-she knew the importance of letting herbs grow a bit this time of year all too well. A search of the denser foliage wouldn't hurt, especially since most predators would still be in their dens at this hour.

It was only a few tail-lengths into the thick forest when something caught her eye, her tail flicking curiously as she padded across the fallen leaves. A small sprout poked out from a spot between two trees, lighter green than the grass around it. Mothgrowl leaned down, carefully cupping it with one paw to sniff at it.

Hm...maybe an elder bush? That could prove very helpful once it was grown, her stock was beginning to run low...

She glanced up.

The Shadow stood tall, motionless, as rigid as the trees around it. Its drooping, pale eyes bore into her from every angle, leaving nowhere safe from its gaze, no respite from its presence. Its form wavered and flickered, like a misty, half forgotten memory, though the grass bent under its paws the same as any other living cat.

Mothgrowl raised her head, fur standing on end and legs locked firmly in place. It didn't look too threatening, it at least almost had the normal proportions of a cat this time, but she knew better than to lower her guard.

"...It's been a few moons since one of you has shown up." she mumbled, half to herself, never once taking her eyes off of the half-formed being. She'd almost forgotten she could see them, it had been so long. Maybe this was a punishment, a reminder that she could never escape the role she was dragged into. At least, that's how it felt sometimes.

"...Well?" Mothgrowl huffed, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Do you have anything to say? Or can I go back to my clan now?"

The shadow said nothing.

Something moved through the trees behind it. A distant roar began building, overtaking the sounds of the forest in an instant.

The tidal wave thundered through the forest, engulfing everything in sight. The shadow was swallowed in a sea of white froth.

Mothgrowl braced herself.

...The water was gone.

The birds sang. The dry grass rippled in the gentle breeze. The warm sunlight glazed over her back. Yet she shivered with a sudden chill.

The elder leaf at her paws dipped slightly, letting a single droplet fall to the dirt.

Mothgrowl turned and darted back to camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ghoststar? Are you here?"

"Mm. Yes, Mothgrowl. What is it?"

"...Be careful around the river."

The sun was just barely poking over the horizon as Frozenpelt headed out for the dawn patrol, Hailthrush flanking his side as they weaved through the trees, despite the wraps around their injured tail. Even if he was a bit offput by their delight in tormenting their prey they caught, he would never admit it, but...it was less stressful than dealing with Blizzardpaw.

Not that he had any grievances toward the poor apprentice, but as he watched Hailthrush swing a squirming mouse from their jaws by the tail and lightly reminded them that prey was to be respected, all he could think about was trying to get Blizzardpaw to hunt at all, to creep up on a squirrel without startling the moment it made any sort of movement. It was exhausting, even if he cared deeply for Blizzardpaw and his struggles. Especially after Thistlepaw...

He could still see the look on his face, terrified beyond words, and it made Frozenpelt sick to his stomach to think about what he might have seen. He could still feel the dread that seeped through the tips of his ears all the way down his tail before Blizzardpaw had even barreled into him, he could still hear his frantic pawsteps thudding in the grass...

"...Frozenpelt. Do you hear that?"

The deputy startled out of his memories, ears perking up. Those pawsteps were real. He could still hear them.

He whipped around, just in time to spot something brown dart behind a bush. Hailthrush started forward immediately, but he placed his tail on their back to stop them, slowly creeping forward and taking a deep breath. A cat, not from Greyclan. He slunk toward the bush, though he kept his steps loud enough to show he wasn't planning an ambush, hesitantly calling out. "Hello? Who's there? You're on Greyclan territory!"

No response. His pelt bristled slightly, and he flicked his tail for Hailthrush to back him up as he slowly approached the bush and began to pull back the leaves-

Only to barely dodge a swipe to the cheek, yanking his head back just in time as the cat in the bushes hissed and scrambled back for cover. "STAY BACK!!! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU-...you..."

Suddenly, the cat went quiet, and a brown head poked out from inside, yellow eyes cautiously scanning the two startled cats. "...You're normal."

"We're...normal??" Hailthrush growled, hackles raised. "Of course we are!! Normal enough to chase out dirty trespassers-"

"Hailthrush, wait." Frozenpelt interrupted, crouching down slightly. "Are you injured? We can offer you care if you need it."

The cat was silent, glancing between the two with furrowed brows. Then he slowly slipped out from under the brush, shaking himself off a bit. He was skinny and his fur was still slightly bushy, his tail tucked low and lashing dangerously, but he looked unharmed.

"No, I'm fine. I apologize for trespassing, I didn't know cats...lived here."

"That's alright, if you truly didn't mean to." Frozenpelt mewed, his ear flicking to Hailthrush as he felt them bristle beside him. "If I may ask, why are you here? You seemed like you were trying to hide from something."

The rogue stiffened, hackles raising as his gaze wandered into the distance, staring at something unknown. He was quiet for a moment before he seemed to drift back to reality, glancing back to Frozenpelt as his eyes swirled with fear.

"I...was attacked. By someo...something. I don't know what it was, but..."

"...It wasn't a cat. I think."

He nodded in the direction he had been running from, pelt finally beginning to lay flat. "It was back that way-not close by, but close enough that it might wander over here, so be careful."

Frozenpelt stiffened. He knew strange things lurked on the mountain, though he'd never seen one. He'd only heard tales of rabid animals and twisted cats haunting the edges of the territory, and as much as he tried to accept that they were real, he couldn't help but hope they were just tall tales...

"Thank you for the warning." he smiled, dipping his head in gratitude. "If you're not hurt, we can escort you to the opposite side of the border so you won't run into it again."

The cat's face remained stoic, but his eyes softened. "Actually...you seem to know what you're doing, are you offering shelter? That...thing destroyed my old home, and I'm not sure where to go."

That got Frozenpelt to perk right up, and Hailthrush to sigh, perhaps disappointed they didn't get to chase off a rogue. "Of course! You'd be safer with our Clan than out here on your own, anyway. What's your name?"

"Lilacfeather." he hummed, far more relaxed than he had been. "You?"

"I'm Frozenpelt, and this is Hailthrush. Come on, we'll take you back to camp to speak with our leader."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghoststar was speaking to Mothgrowl when the dawn patrol returned, whiskers twitching curiously when he saw a new face alongside the two warriors. With a short goodbye, he stood and stretched, padding over to the group as the new cat stared at the den behind him. "Welcome back Frozenpelt, Hailthrush. Who is this?"

"This is Lilacfeather," Frozenpelt nodded toward his guest with a soft smile. "He had a rough encounter in the woods and requested shelter."

Ghoststar was silent, looking the new cat up and down. Lilacfeather shifted. Something about Ghoststar felt...off to him. The same strange feeling he'd sensed while the thing in the woods chased him, but so faint he could hardly be sure it was there.

"...So long as you can provide for our Clan, we have more than enough prey to support more cats. Welcome to Greyclan, Lilacfeather."

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, ears drooping with exhaustion. "Thank you..."

Movement behind the leader caught his eye, and he watched Mothgrowl bring some herbs from the den, laying them out in the sun to dry.

"...If you're in need of another healer, I've been practicing for a very long time, and I know most basic remedies for injuries and illnesses. I would be more useful assisting her than hunting."

Lilacfeather had expected gratitude, or at the very least, a quick nod and an escort into the healer den. He couldn't have predicted the flinch from Frozenpelt, the sudden coldness in Ghoststar's gaze, and how Mothgrowl perked up from her herbs, watching him with her ears pinned back. Her expression was unreadable, but it almost looked...pleading.

"...I know how important it can be to have extra paws to-"

"No."

Lilacfeather recoiled slightly at Ghoststar's firm rejection, ears flattening against his head. "Wh-what?? What do you mean, no-"

"The role of medicine cat is not one to be given freely. Can you hunt?"

"I...enough to support myself, but-"

"That is good enough. Frozenpelt will show you around camp."

Before Lilacfeather could protest further, Ghoststar had already turned away, slinking back between the roots over his den. Lilacfeather started forward, anger bristling over his pelt. "Wait-!"

"Leave it be." Frozenpelt sighed, looking toward the rest of camp. "I'll...explain it to you later. Let me give you a tour of the camp first."

...Lilacfeather's fur laid flat, and he turned around, sneaking one last glance as Ghoststar's tail slipped from view. "...Fine."

The Clan welcomes Lilacfeather, a former rogue, as a new warrior.