Owl Oak

[AMBER xx RAIN]

A cool breeze rose and fell across the scarlet plateau, sending up swirls of chocolate brown dust, which twirled in the air and then dissipated into nothingness. The night was young, and a huge round moon edged over the horizon, spilling silver light across the ground like water spilling over a dry streambed. The effect was dazzling on the reddish-brown earth of the plateau, which stuck out above the scrubby plains below like a jagged brown tree stump. Stars glimmered in the sky, twinkling on and off, some until they were almost invisible, before winking back to life again as tiny pricks of white in the blue-black sky.

A fiery she-cat perched on her belly, right on the edge of the cliff of the plateau. Her paws were kneading the gritty earth with tiny bone-white talons. Her deep molten gaze was fixed on a black splotch about a league in the distance, which twisted against the sky like a gnarled creature among the dry bunchgrass of the plains below. Her golden-tipped tail twitched back and forth, as she debated something in her mind. She blinked with finality, as if coming to a decision. Standing, she arched her back in a huge stretch, her front paws outstretched, claws extending to caress the soil once more. The stretch worked it's way down her back, through her hind legs, and finally to her tail, which curved into a question mark before she straightened once more. With care, the slight female picked her way down the slope of loose scoria, her paws sliding a bit against the rough, airy stones.

After trotting across the plains for an hour or two, weaving between clumps of sharp dry grasses, she reached the foot of the looming black figure that stood on the border with Treeclan. Farther away there were more black figures standing like sentinels against the night, their bristly bodies scattered at first, and then banding more closely together the farther back one looked. Most of the trees were evergreen, but a few tan oaks and laurels were interspersed among the towering pines.

The tree that Amberpool gazed up at now was a majestic live oak, it's blackened branches spreading out like arms across the sky. It's sable color was not an illusion of the night, but a true color attained from a lightning strike many years past. The moonlight bathed it in a glow, where it seemed almost as if possessed by a spirit. A wry grin stole across the red she-cats face. "The spirit of the forest," she joked to herself with amusement. Her eyes flicked lovingly over the branches, as if taking in the details of a long-lost friend. Amberpool's eyes misted over with nostalgia as memories flitted about in her mind. Remembering her good times with friends here, she became less vigilant, and stopped paying attention to her environment. She didn't hear the gentle padding approach of paws in the night.

[ℱirepelt]

Staring at the moon gave the black cat a sense of familiarity. It use to be when clans would gather after all, in what now felt like a distant tradition. Of course, it wasn't the only thing that felt familiar to Firepelt on the full moon, but the memory of all the gathering clans was certainly a strong one. And the Medicine Cat certainly knew of the days she walked with Aurorastar and many others to the gatherings. She missed her so much since those days and missed other cats as well.

With how isolating this place felt, Firepelt had to wonder many times why and how even she was still here. For what purpose? If anything aside from being lonely, she was tired. As though to further point that fact out, Firepelt rested her side against the wall of the empty leader's den. She closed her eyes, if only briefly, before opening them and gazing out the cave's mouth.

Why now did she feel restless? Despite being tired..here she was unable to sleep right away.

The cat stood on all fours, her emerald eyes still fixated on the mouth of the cave, where the moon was visible in the distance outside. She walked out the cave not a minute after having tried to sleep. The breeze was certainly cool and it felt nice on the fur.

Firepelt moved on, entering the well known Scarlet Plateau. The she-cat was mostly silent as she walked,unaware of that brought her there nor as to why. She kept going anyway, in a way hoping she'd see someone. She would have honestly been overjoyed if suddenly Aurorastar or someone came "from nowhere". Overjoyed to the point of trailing tears.

The she-cat then stopped walking, thinking she saw someone ahead. It was a surprise, for expecting anyone to be out and about. The color of their fur reminded her of Aurorastar, but alas, Firepelt knew it not to be her. It was alright though, Firepelt felt a surge of excitement. She knew this cat!

She walked towards the cat, not realizing that she might not even be welcome for all she knew. Firepelt had a feeling she was forgotten for a time. Perhaps though, it was just her feeling isolated. Maybe it was to change....

"Amberpool...?"

Firepelt stopped walking as she hoped not to have startled her. She meowed again, softly, almost worried, "Do you..remember me....?"

[AMBER xx RAIN]

Amberpool started slightly, her head swinging around to face the blaze of green eyes in the night behind her. Blinking slightly to remove herself from her reverie, a black form melted out of the darkness to reveal a familiar face. It was an old friend who she had conversed with occasionally in Lavaclan camp, although had never been particularly close with. "Firepelt!" She said as recognition dawned on her, "I didn't hear you coming." A slight sheepish grin stole across her features at having been surprised. Long ago, she had been trained as a medicine cat, and so had never been very skilled as a warrior. She had some trouble paying attention to her surroundings at all time. There were many moments where it seemed like her thoughts floated in Moonclan, with her ancestors. "Yes, I remember you," she added with affectionate overtones. "How have you been? It's been so quiet lately around camp...Too quiet. Like the calm before the storm."

She distractedly peered up at the branches overhead once more, and her brow furrowed with slight concentration. About halfway between the ground and the split of the first great limbs of the tree, a large hollow yawned in the wood, like an eerie mouth in the darkness. After listening to Firepelt's response, they sat in silence for a few moments. "Would you care to join me in the hollow above? It's been many moons, but I used to spend many a day up in this tree with a friend of mine in Treeclan. I'd love to see if our old haunt is as I remember it." Her eyes twinkled with excitement, waiting to see how the she-cat would react.

ooc- I couldn't remember if we called it Starclan like the novels, or Moonclan. I thought I remembered it being the latter, and I'll change it if I'm wrong.