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	Mentions: [@Ambra] [@LetMeDoStuff]

Silverflight gave Shadestar a gentle smile as she settled down nearby, tucking her paws underneath her chest, [color=00aeef][b]"Let's hope so. We need their help more than ever and suddenly they've decided it's better to be silent,"[/b][/color] She frowned looking down at the ground in front of her, [color=00aeef][b]"Maybe the other medicine cats will have some idea, or will at least be able to tell Eelpond if Starclan has been silent for them as well."[/b][/color] In the days growing closer to leafbare and the silence of their ancestors she could feel her faith in them wavering. If they wouldn't help with the murders then would they help them during the colder seasons? She couldn't recall a time in her life, or the lives of the elders, that Starclan had ever abandoned them so completely. She let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head to banish the negative thoughts. The clan needed their leader strong and it wasn't her job to worry him more than he already was. 

[color=00aeef][b]"The sunhigh patrols have been sent out. I imagine they'll be back before too long with news,"[/b][/color] she glanced towards the freshkill pile, [color=00aeef][b]"and more freshkill."[/b][/color] She settled deeper into the reeds and let her eyes slip closed for a moment, enjoying the fainter warmth of the late leaf-fall sun and the sounds of the camp going on around her. She could hear the quiet murmurs coming from the medicine den and the sounds of shuffling paws around the camp from the warriors and apprentices that hadn't been sent out on patrol. 

Her ears pricked slightly at the sounds of rushing pawsteps coming towards the camp. She let her eyes snap open as the slender form of Branchfall pushed through the entrance to camp in a rush. She sprang to her paws, her fur beginning to bristle slightly at the mixed emotions she could feel coming from the younger tom. She had sent him with Flamepelt and Rainstripe to the Birchclan border, had they been attacked and he was coming back for help? She didn't see or scent the rest of the patrol nearby as she quickly padded up to meet him at the middle of camp. [color=00aeef][b]"What's happened Branchfall?"[/b][/color] she meowed, concern coloring her voice, [color=00aeef][b]"Where's the rest of the patrol?"[/b][/color]

She could feel the nerves prickling across her pelt. They couldn't afford to loose anyone. Not with leafbare this close and tensions already running high. It would crush the rest of the clan if one of them got killed on patrol or by this murderer stalking the valley. Even the smallest thing that went wrong could spark a war between the clans.


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	Mentions: [@skitts] [@Apoalo]

Nightpaw nodded at Dawnstep, [color=9a9a9a][b]"She has. I just wanted to make sure we wouldn't be too close to the border patrols or anything."[/b][/color] He watched as she slipped off into the plants in the direction on the Birchclan border, proabably to check in on Flamepelt. Sometimes he wished that he had a sibling that he could have a close relationship with like Flamepelt and Dawnstep did. He wanted to get to know them as his older siblings, but they were so much older than him it felt...weird. There was no way they'd want to spend time with an apprentice when they could just be with each other. Of course, he had Mottledpaw, who was kind of like a sister, and now Skypaw, but it wasn't really the same. He turned to follow Froststorm who began to head off in the opposite direction. Not far enough away that they couldn't hear each other, but enough that any noises wouldn't disturb the others prey. He kept his ears pricked for the sounds of scuffling paws or rustling feathers and leaves. 

His ears swiveled to the side as they picked up the sound of smaller feet in the shrubs close to one of the smaller streams that ran throughout the territory. He flicked his tail to alert Froststorm and dropped into a hunter's crouch. His kept his steps careful as he crept around the shrubs and reeds so none of them broke underneath his paws. Slipping through a small break in the undergrowth he could see a good-sized lizard perched on a large, dark stone soaking up the every growing warmth of the day. It had it's eyes closed as it rested on the rock, giving him the perfect opportunity to get close enough, and with a strong push of his hind legs he landed directly onto the lizard and sunk his teeth into its neck.

He trotted back through the brush and found a place to bury it nearby.[color=9a9a9a][i]Maybe it'd be worth it to look for some fish in the stream...[/i][/color] His mentor had slipped off somewhere else, likely hunting for prey of her own, so he returned to stream and settled onto the rock that the lizard had been sunning itself on. His own dark pelt soaking up the sun and he couldn't help the slight purr that worked its way out of his throat. Looking down into the clear waters he kept an eye out for the telltale flash of scales in the sun that would signal a fish. He let his mind wander slightly to the state of the valley. Birchclan was more hostile than usual but he supposed it was within reason with everything that was going on. Blame was already being thrown around between the clans and he didn't know how much longer, or how many killings, they'd be able to last without things escalating into violence. He knew he would protect his clanmates with his life if it came down to it.

He shook his head, [color=9a9a9a][i]Gotta stay focused on hunting. I can worry about that later,[/i][/color] He looked back to the stream, hoping for the sight of a fish. He remembered hearing Mottledpaw say to her mentor that she would catch the biggest fish for Skypaw and chuckled slightly. [color=9a9a9a][i]We'll see who gets the biggest one.[/i][/color]