Won't you take me home? (Ice patrollers)

[Asterheart]

(Okay, so as approved by Robinstar, Asterheart is going to track through Iceclan in search of her father. She doesn't know the clan is gone, but she's heard rumours and has her own suspicions. Please only post if you are an icelcanner that will take her to where the clan is. Or she could follow your scent to the farm, I guess...whatever goes for you.)


Aster couldn't help it. Something just didn't feel right to her. No matter how happy home life was, and how proud she was of all her precious kits and their children, she still felt as though something was missing. Namely, her past. She'd been having flashes, that often times would control how she'd react to something. These flash backs had started ever since she'd fallen in the river and come face to face with Robinstar as an apprentice. That was one memory still fresh in her mind. Since knowing him, her memories had picked up pace in their slight flickers, and though unsettling, they always left her wanting to know more. And yet ever since the scent line faded on the other side of the river, the flickers of memory had become hazy, and very sparse. Like he was one connection to her past she just couldn't quite place. She knew him from somewhere, of that she was certain. Even he had seemed to have that spark of recognition in his eyes, no matter how uncertain. It's as though he is her only tie to her past, especially since her mother died. So, she does the only thing she can think of to quiet her restless mind. No. Not poppy seeds. She decides to go find him.

The air is slightly warmer in the approaching green leaf. In a few moon phases, the humidity will be nigh suffocating. Yet for now, it is comfortably pleasant, and the den is a tranquil place. Her blue eyes peer around the dimly lit den, eyeing each cat one by one for signs of wakefulness. She doesn't want to be caught, yet she doesn't want to seem suspicious either. And so, she yawns somewhat audibly, stretches as though she's just awoken, and slinks past each sleeping feline. The night is much cooler out in the open, and Aster releases a sigh of mild pleasure as a slight breeze ruffles her fur. The warrior is glad she doesn't have an apprentice at this time. She'd abandoned an apprentice once before, and the guilt of that has still yet to leave her. She hadn't ever gotten to apologise to the child, as they too had disappeared, like so many seem to be doing. Shaking off the thought, she slips out of the camp, dipping her head to the guard as politely as possible as she passes. The wind rattles the leaves of the higher branches, and she has a strong desire to travel by treetop. And so, she launches herself off the ground onto a sturdy lower branch, and climbs to where to branches twine together, crossing over into the arms of the next.

It doesn't take long, travelling at a steady pace, to reach the border. The sound of rushing water from the Rockclan waterfall announces her location to her, and she smiles. The scent of the leaves around her are soothing as she prowls along her branch to peer down at the river. From up here, no scent wafts across the border, and she feels a pang of something deep down. Almost like lonliness.  She shakes it off, and rather than following her route as an apprentice, she bounds from branch to branch toward the ground. The second her paws hit the dirt, the feline trots over to the pebbly bank until her fore paws are planted firmly in the river. "Here goes nothing..." she murmurs to herself, before wading into the water. It's like the ground falls away suddenly beneath her paws, and she's mighty glad she thoght to learn how to swim after falling into the river oh so long ago. Her swimming is a bit clumsy and awkward, and not for the first time she wishes her mother had taught her when she was young. Yet still, she makes it safely to the other side, and is certainly glad to feel the ground beneath her paws once more.

Wading ashore, she shakes out her pelt, and peers around. Cracking her mouth open just slightly, she sucks in a deep breath. What little Iceclan scent here, is stale. "That can't be good..." She has no idea why she's talking to herself all of a sudden, but the sound of her voice seems her only comfort in this seemingly barren landscape. Shaking out her pelt, she sets off in the direction she'd always seen Robin head in, hoping to find some form of life, and perhaps their camp. She'd walked a long ways, and had just begun to think this a bad idea, when Iceclan scent finally wafts toward her, causing her to freeze in her tracks. Yet a slight twitch of her nose and some almost obsessive searching informs her it must be her imagination. Or she's got a very skilled stalker on her tail.

She wanders a long way, detouring toward tpwhere she assumes there camp is, only to find it snowed in completely, and maintaining only a stale scent of the clan. A prickle of unease causes her to shudder slightly. Though perhaps it was merely the cold getting to her, so she fluffs up her surprisingly long coat against the frigid air. Deciding it might be time to give up her hunt, she begins to pick her way back down the mountain, and yet she remains unaware of the fact she is headed in the wrong redirection. The snow had both effectively stolen her scent away, as well as buried her slight trail. So she was forced to guess her way home, however innaffectively. It isn't long before she's well and truly lost, her eyes skimming around her rather than the seemingly steady path ahead. This caused her to slip on an ice covered rock buried beneath the snow. Letting out a slight startled yowl, she tumbles down through the loose frozen power, coming to rest only when she is tossed painfully against a scraggly tree clinging to the last threads of its miserable life. Huffing in irritation, only just disguising her fear and uncertainty, Aster tries to clamber to her paws, only resulting in searing pain through a hind leg. She must have sprained it in her tumble. How delightful. She's just about to force herself onwards anyway, when a noise causes her to freeze and curse whatever came to mind under her breath. This wasn't going to end well.

(Do not feel you have to match me in length. I had a peak in my muse, so this happened...hehe)

[Lilypad]

The Fireclan territory had a large border to the loner territory where she was. She had just met up with Speckflame which always put a spring in her step. She truly loved him. After all he was really her only friend. But alas she was headed to Iceclan's old territory. It was a place that only held her past depression, her mother, the coma. This was new a fresh start a second chance at life. And she was headed back to pay respects to that life given to her by Badgerpaw.
. She knew she deserved to die and she had been right no one would miss her and Crevicefrost missed Badgerpaw. He was her best friend. He was good happy innocent and young. She had been trying not to put his sacrifice to waste. She had been happy friendly and confident. Her life was good. Her life here not so much. Al she remembered was the pang of a rock hidden in the falling snow and darkness. She couldn't run because of her broken leg. And the por kit bled to death un burring her. She owed him her life

It was rubble now. The ledge were she would sulk. The spring. It was all hurried in rock. But it was dry. The stone was smooth from the melted snow but still Col on her pink paws. Lily paws bright amber eyes couldn't help but tear up. Her mother who she never met was living here all her life. So many of the dead lived here but were now gone.
. She found a spot where she could feel was probably about where she tumbled to and sat. Her long white and grey patched fur holding clashing against the dark rubble. She sat and mourned be for sobbing "I'm so sorry."

She stopped what was that I a den near by she could have sworn she could make out a cat. "hello?" She called out. She couldn't die not yet.

[Asterheart]

(Thank you! *hugs* I haven't rped Aster in ages)

The noise soon turned out to be sobbing. A soft and sorrowful echo she was oh so well accustomed with. Her ears flutter flighty, catching the faintest words of apology. What happened here? What happened to this grieving cat. One could swear the other feline was mourning, and so Aster had no heart to interrupt. Yet she needed to speak to someone. She wasn't sure why, yet she just had to know what happened. Needed to see Robinstar again. From her whole forgotten past, merely meeting him along the border had brought back memories she didn't even know she had. And since then, she'd had those memories more and more often. They'd make her act accordingly, the emotions from them so real and strong. A strong emotion in those memories was part of the reason her and Spruceclaw had kits at all. Yet ever since whatever it was that happened here, that caused that awful rumbling part way through the night, it had chased those slithers of memory. Of who she was, away. And now she needed to see him, or she'd likely die without ever having known what happened to her. Who she was. She had to see him, and that was that.

The second the cat called out, she clenched her teeth and prowled forward, trying to look sleek and healthy, whilst also appearing friendly. Basically trying to act like she wasn't scared and worried and in pain, but instead like she belongs here. Though her uneven footing on that strange and slippery terrain, and the way she favours her hind leg sort of belie all attempts at acting. And so once she approaches the feline and sits down before her, it's all she can do not to cry as she bows her head in greeting. "Hello. You're from Iceclan, right?" That was a good question. She had Iceclan scent, yet she also smelt...different. Like Aster when she was adoptipednas a kit. It took longer than most kittens for the scent to cling to her and rid her fur of wherever she'd come from. She'd always looked back on those memories fondly, yet now...they were all but a blur. She decided not to bother pretending she belonged here. Her Treeclan scent was obvious. More than obvious. Her eyes flicker hesitantly up to meet the other warrior's gaze, and she tries for a smile. The expression is frail and hinted with pain.

After a moment of silence, Aster allows her gaze to scan the rubble and fallen snow of the mountainside. It looked unlovable, in her opinion. And any sptrace of a Iceclan scent was stale and long since forgotten. She bows her head a moment in silence, reflecting on her moments with members of this clan, which were few and far between. Then she peels her eyes black up to meet the other feline's. "C-can you tell me what happened here? A loved one of mine is part of your clan and I..." She hesitates a little on loved one, yet she feels that that's who he once was, and she needs to know more. If she uses her tools well enough, this cat will tell her what became of him, hopefully. She was just dreading the thought that it might be something awful. Then she realises she forgot to introduce herself, and her eyes widen a little. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Asterheart. But most just call me Aster..." Her ears twitch forward hopefully, hiding the pain of her leg.

[Lilypad]

((same I really love lily's story so if she went totally is I would be heart broken))

Lillypad was shocked with the cats poor footing on the mountain's terrain. She certainly wasn't a iceclaner a loner probably.
"there was an avalanche two cats passed many were injured me included" she said with a sad look and a sigh.
Looking for a loved one? Poor thing. She hoped she wasn't looking for cheetapaw or Badgerpaw. "oh do you know their name? I can take you to them I bet" she smiled sympathicly to the older shecat.
Asterheart? So she wasn't a loner " what clan are you from? Oh I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Lilypad." She purred.

[Asterheart]

Aster's heart ached for what had happened here. For what reason, she could never be sure. She was born a loner, perhaps even a rogue by many perspectives, and then raised by a completely different clan. And yet still, the sorrow of what had happened to this clan - what could have happened to him - hit her so hard the she nearly staggered, holding back any outward look of her pain by offering the other femme a sad smile, her eyes flicking briefly to her own nervously shuffling paws. The dainty appendages blend in so perfectly against the soft powder, and her own grey tabby pelt blends in well with the rubble around her. The thought that this rubble was one a home to many sent a pang through her that caused her to shake her head harshly. "I'm sorry for your loss..." She murmured, yet the words were forced from her suddenly parspched throat, coming out scratching and almost as a strangled gasp. She clears her throats slightly, gathering her thoughts and trying to force her heart back down into her chest from where it had lodged into her throat. He was probably fine. He'd be well protected, being the leader and all. She keeps that in mind, masking a shudder as a slight shiver from the cold.

At the question of whom it was she sought, her mind almost causes her to blurt out Robin. How informal and disrespectful of her. Yet from her short bursts of memories, and how she thought of him when he wasn't this imposing leader to her, that was who she thought of him as. She forces her words calm and even, offering a hopeful smile. "Robinstar, actually" she responds as calmly as possible, yet her eyes looked no doubt a little daunted by the task she'd now set before herself. Would this she-cat truly take her to him now that she knew of his name? She should have chosen her words more carefully, the use of loved one was to iencourage sympathy, not curiosity. And yet it seemed she'd acquired both. Oh well, she could manage this. Somehow. Yet referring to the leader as a loved one had not been her best move, especially since she wasn't sure how he felt of her. And yet...the words seemed almost sincere upon her lips.

At the younger warrior's next point of curiosity, and hurried introduction, she couldn't help but smile and echo the rumble with a half hearted purr of her own. "Its nice to meet you, Lillypad. And I must thank you dearly." She dips her head slightly, shuffling her pained leg out of sight a little more, causing herself to wince. She hurried to cover the expression with a glance toward the clan she wasn't sure h deeply she cared for before returning her attention to the warrior. "Treeclan. Yet I was not born there" she admits, her voice smooth and clipped from habit. A touchy subject she did not wish to revisit, yet she needed this cat on her side, so she tries her best to soften her expression, adding a little bit of sadness in there that certainly wasn't faked. "My mother was killed so long ago, I remember little of my kithood. I was lucky the clan thought me worthy to take in, I suppose they needed someone who could hunt more than squirrels and birds, perhaps?" She offers a slight shrug, as though this particular part does not concern her, yet she still allows her gaze to slip to the ground, as though not wishing to gain pity from the feline. She was glad she'd found someone willing of her cause. Whatever it was.

[Lilypad]

lillypad was shocked. Robinstar? sh barely knew the tom he was far above her. "he's alive and well" she said still slightly shocked. "treeclan? oh I hear its lovely" she purred. her eyes suddenly went downcast with Asters talk of her mother. "my mother passed before I opened my eyes. " she said quietly.

[Asterheart]

A blind elder could tell the shock this warrior was experiencing right now. It was not often that a member of one clan says they knew the leader of another, let alone referred to them as a loved one. Oh, how she knew she should have held her tongue.yet the words seemed so...true. Aster flinches slightly and peers at the other warily, lest she change her mind and leave. The treeclanner would have a hard time even making it home in such a condition as she was now. Yet Lilypad's next comment sends such a pang of relief through her that it's clearly visible on her face and the slight relieved glow in her blue gaze. "Thank you. That means more to me than you could know" She referring from addding that not even she understands how much it means to her. How much he means to her. It makes very little sense to Aster, and yet he means so much to her. Like they're family. Perhaps it's because she remembers him, if only slightly. And the fact she can't even remember her mother, or even herself, saying she remembers this cat is certainly saying a lot.

As the other she-cat continues on, moving from her obvious shock to utter a slight purr, Aster relaxes slightly and offers a smile. And yet it's slightly impassive. Compared to this frozen wasteland, she'll admit that Treeclan is quite lovely, and yet...there's something about it she just doesn't seem to like. Perhaps she misses some other place she doesn't remember. That would make sense, right? One can surely have homesickness for where they were born, whether they remember it or not, right? "It is, might I ask where you're living now?" She wasn't sure if that was the best move, yet she had hope that this cat was more accepting to her curiosities.

As the other's expression fell, so did Aster's. Her gaze traces her's until it falls upon the ground where the tabby warrior can not follow lest she lie down at the other's paws. She planned to do no such thing for anyone, be it for any reason. Yet still, she felt a pang of guilt for bringing up such a subject. Had she known..."I'm sorry. I spoke too freely, I should not have brought up such a subject, and I sincerely apologise for upsetting you." Since when had she become so polite? Perhaps she'd always been this way, and her words had merely fallen upon deaf ears. Yet she distinctly remembered insulting a few cats, threatening some, or speaking far too casually to others. Honestly, this formality was starting to put her off, yet she needed this cat on her side. Again, she wondered when it was that she'd become so deceiving. Surely she hadn't been like this before, had she? She shrugs it off and tries to smile at the other. "Tell me, how does your clan fair? Are the injured well?" She hoped she didn't seem suspicious to Lilypad, she merely needed more information lest the warrior decide to turn her down.

(Edit: Lilypad )

[Lilypad]

Lilypad got up and started off making sure the older shecat was with her. She was shocked with Asterheart's apology. "oh no its fine. I'm used to it at this point" she assured her awkwardly.

((sorry its sooooo short))

[Asterheart]

(No problem)

Aster found she liked this cat. Like they had something in common. Many losses, hard to understand and unwillingly accepted if only to quell the pain. But pain never went far, always dwelling around the next corner just waiting for you to catch up so it can swallow you whole once more. You could only ever give pain a head start. Yet though Aster liked her, she found herself vastly underwhelmed. Not because she'd done anything unexpected, no, she'd acted just as Aster had hoped. No, it was because she was so easy to manipulate. To lull into some false sense of security. Not that this was false, no, Aster had no wish to harm the feline, and truly was eternally grateful for her help. But had this been false, had Aster been spreading lies in hopes to gain Lilypad's confidence...this cat would be screwed. Good thing Aster's own motives were sincere, and she truly only needed a trusting guide.

The warrior had to admit she was a tad surprised when Lilypad stood and began to walk away in favour of answering Aster's questions. Perhaps it was a sensitive subject for the she-cat. Or maybe she didn't truly trust Aster as much as she thought she did. Smart. Gingerly, the tabby lifts herself to her paws and strides after the other feline, who seemed clear in her intent of Aster following without offer or command. Clearly favouring her hind leg, yet not wanting to be left behind, Aster grits her teeth and trots after Lilypad, pulling up along side her and trying to force her limp even as she struggle to keep the stride. Pain and injury always healed, she did not want to be left behind to freeze out here. As her guide speaks, she nods slightly, not allowing her gaze to stray from the landscape they crossed for a mere second. If she had to return without a guide, she needed to know her way back. Though hopefully they set up camp somewhere she can navigate from. "One should never have to be used to such impudence. Though I suppose in this day and age, there is little we can do." She offers the other a light smile, delicate and a tad frail thanks to her current condition. She could have masked this, yet she deems such a thing unnecessary seeing as it could yet gain her favour.

[Lilypad]

"true" she nodded. "it should take us two days to get to the barn"


((no muse))

[Asterheart]

(Hehe, fair enough. It's alright, I'll do the musing for both of us )

Aster finds herself still unsure, and certainly a little hesitant to go to the barn. 'What will Robin think? What will I do when I get there? What if Spiderstar finds out?' So many thoughts run through her mind at once, and she finds herself in a turmoil. And yet she somehow finds the energy to put one paw before the other, limping along at the other warrior's side. Her ears twitch toward her as she speaks, and she finds her eyes widening ever so slightly. She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again, lowers her head, and trudges on through the snow. Her limp is slowing her down more than she'd like it to, and it'd be worse by the time she gets to the barn. Yet that isn't what's on her mind right now. 'Two days?!' Her ears flitter slightly and she finds her eyes drawn toward the general direction they came from, wondering just how far away her clan is right now. Then she turns her gaze forward and gives herself a firm nod. 'Ive got two days to figure this out. Two days.' She assures herself, returning her attention to the path and task at hand.

(Shall we keep with the thread or end it here, or we could time skip in the thread to them being a lot closer. I don't know, up to you what we do here)

[Lilypad]

Lilypad worried about this she cat. She was limping why? Lilypad just kept her eyes set south and walked. She'd ask later.

((tha'd be great))

[Asterheart]

(Which one? Do you mean skip? If so go ahead, just like a break and an extra paragraph set a while later or something. If you mean end then sure)

Aster truly isn't sure what to think, what to believe. This cat seems a little worried, seemingly eyeing her limo before turning her gaze forward. Aster waits a moment, padding carefully after her, before speaking up. "I slipped on some ice, guess I must have sprained it or something." She shrugs and pauses a second, stretching it out and wincing a bit before lengthening her stride a little to catch up, padding carefully and favouring her right hind. Her ears twitch slightly, curious, and she watches her guide carefully. Yet she keeps her attention around them as well. A patrol could attack her, or Lilypad could be leading her into some kind of trap. She brushes the thoughts off, deciding it to be in her best interests to trust the other feline. Especially if she was to spend two days in her company. 'Perhaps I can get her to relax enough to tell me some things?' Aster switches her blue gaze to the Iceclanner, eyeing her briefly, before deciding against it. She may be friendly, but she still seems a little dubious of Aster. Fair enough. Aster too would be skeptic if some other clan warrior traipsed across her territory seeking her leader. Her tail twitches slightly, but she find she herself keeping pace well despite her sore hind. Hopefully this feline plans on being a bit more communicative, otherwise this would be a long journey.

[Lilypad]

"what's up with the limp?" She asked abruptly. Her face red. "if its personal that's fine I just cant realm help but worry"

((well for the time skip I would suggest making a new thread in the plains BC that's where they would technically be in a while))

[Asterheart]

(Okay, I'll set it up)

At Lilypad's question Aster finds herself frowning slightly, ears twitching a little as she turns her head to inspect her leg as though just having noticed it, before continuining continuing on their course. Had the other not just heard her? She raises a slight brow at the other, before smiling softly at the other's embarrassment. "Don't worry about it, just a sprain." She offers sweetly, not bothering to point out that she's said this already. "Not used to the mountains, slipped on some ice and must have done something to it. It's fine though, and I guess the cold sort of helps." She shrugs slightly, feigning disinterest in her injury. It's hirts more than she's letting on, but it doesn't matter. And she does prefer not to apppear weak before a stranger, it's bad apenough that the other noticed it at all.