#lichenpaw

Hazelstreak had been very persuasive. This forest also used to be her home- but also a home to many cats. The orange-furred cat gestured a paw to the roots of the tree Finch had used as her home, eyes glinting.

"You," Hazelstreak had said, glee in her aging blue eyes, "have taken residence in what was once the Leader's den." Her look got a bit far away at that point, and a laugh that sounded more sad than anything came out of her. "I was only an apprentice before things fell apart."

Finch had asked what she meant. Hazelstreak didn't answer.

But the thought of the Clans, of being together, having a collective group to care for each other... She was already doing that with Lichen. Lichen, a small cat with light brown fur and a darker brown stripe going down her back, was following behind her, eyes glancing around the new pathway the two had never taken before. Finch made sure to be a little slow for her- and Lichen was happy about it.

Finch had happened upon Lichen, alone in a tree trunk, and had cared for her ever since. 

If that could happen on a wide scale? Caring for each other? Having something to be their own, instead of fighting over small little things? Finch would like that. And she wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

Finch pushed through the last of the bushes, dark brown fur brushing against leaves as she finally made her way to the meeting place that Hazelstreak described. Lichen followed closely behind, only for her eyes to widen as she spotted... other cats.

In the center of a large pool, across a series of rocks, was Hazelstreak... and three other cats. Two of them seemed about as old as Hazelstreak, while the last of the quartet seemed about as old as Finch, except... he seemed to struggle to walk at times. There were old wounds wrapping around his legs.

Around the pool sat multiple small groups. 

Finch did remember what she was told- to gather the cats open to the idea. Seems like she wasn't the only one told that.

One of her group bumped into Lichen- Lightning, almost fully grown, but not quite done growing. Orange fur with dark orange stripes at the side of his face and tail, highlighted by dark blue eyes. One of the others laughed at this, and Lightning turned back to roll his eyes.

The group of cats closest to Finch's group was led by a cat Finch had seen more than the others- one who often ran across the plains that were the closest to the forest. Her eyes were mismatched- blue and yellow staring back at Finch.

"You, as well?" She asked, voice low. She glanced to the cats in the center of the pool, then to Finch. Next to her, similar to Lichen's own position, was a small brown cat with a few darker brown tabby spots lining their body. 

"I suppose so." Finch's eyes glanced over across the pools. It was clear which cats were called by the cats in the center and which cats were simply following those cats- One cat was mostly white with gray ears, and another was a truly battle-scarred tom which she had never seen before, who was mostly white with black patches coming down from his ears to cover his eyes. 

The youngest of the quartet in the center stood up straight. "Loners and rogues, thank you for believing in our chosen four!" He yowled, which immediately drew Finch's attention. His plain light brown coat reminded Finch of Lichen. "If you're here today, I am sure it is because you're curious about what Clans mean for you!"

"... Some of you..." One of the other cats, mostly white with brown tabby patches, opened her eyes. They were barely seeing. "May have had strange dreams. Or a gift with herbs."

Finch sensed one of her own, Speckle, a tom with black speckled fur, tense up. 

"A Clan is not complete... without one who can care for those injured." A smile. "I was... once... one of them."

Hazelstreak nodded, orange tail flicking. "Our Clans fell due to fighting, spreading to the winds. We are their last survivors." A pause, and she slammed her paw down. Finch even saw the wince. "Today, we are not reviving their clans. Today, we are making new ones." Hazelstreak lifted her head up. "Today! You will become something new! A start of a new generation! Fighting for a group is truly an experience you will not want to miss out on!"

"From a group of loners, a group of clans rises. Friendship and fighting, but nothing quite so life and death like the lives you may have been living before." The last of the quartet spoke, his voice soft but still reaching. He was mostly gray, with a speckled gray tail. It wrapped over his paws. "Our lives are ending soon."

Finch felt her eyes going to the youngest of the quartet. Judging by how said cat lifted his head up, so did the other cats.

"Even me, yes." The light brown cat said. "It is... a miracle of Starclan I got this far."

Confused stares.

"You all can determine for yourselves what your clan names are. But whatever it is, it must represent your clan in some way." The quiet one spoke.

"But not Starclan." The barely seeing cat closed her eyes again. "Starclan... are your guides. Your dead companions, littering the sky at night." A laugh, choked. "I will soon meet with my family again."

Hazelstreak nodded. She pat the rocks she and the others were sitting on. "This place, we have determined for a meeting place. Every full moon, the leader and a group of selected cats go to the gathering to discuss clan going ons. It's peaceful, or else..."

The other cats shivered.

"Speaking of leaders..." The light brown cat glanced towards the battle-scarred tom. He blinked back. "Will the four who have gathered the grouped cats today please step forward? Alone."

Finch glanced to Lichen. Lichen nodded her head forward. Finch stepped forward. As she expected, the cats she noticed leading each group stepped forward with her. Hazelstreak's smile grew bigger.

"Starclan works in mystical ways." They all said, at the same time, and the overlapping voices held so much more power in it than Finch thought. Finch shot a glance to the gray and black swirl cat next to her, who gave a worried glance back. Hazelstreak approached, and instead of the dark blue eyes she was used to, they were filled with stars.

"These cats are your leaders, the one who will continue to guide you." Again, a chorus. Again, an echo. Finch couldn't look away from the starry eyes staring back at her.

Hazelstreak touched noses with her, and-

---

"...Finch... Finch!"

Finch's eyes opened blearily, to a worried Lichen over her. Petunia, with his dark gray coat, was a comforting sight.

Barely next to her, Finch saw the gray and black swirl cat lift up her head to a few other cats gathered around her.

Finch pulled herself to her paws.

She understood a whole lot more, now. Her limbs felt like they could've run a hundred more miles, and that they already had. Her head pounded. 

"... You know, I never really understood why Hazelstreak had two parts to her name." Finch said, shaking out her pelt. Lichen looked relieved. "But... While I don't have everything... I now am confident in saying that it's related to being a clan." Finch glanced down at Lichen, who was staring up curiously at her.

Her and Lichen. Mentor and Apprentice.

"Related to being a clan?" Petunia questioned, ears perking. "So... we'll have names like that?"