You should've seen it in color (open)

[Pie]

Stormflower observed the camp with her tail twitching and mind weaving a list. With the streams frozen and the waters so cold it was near impossible to get drinking water. Not to mention incredibly dangerous for the kits and elders.

Sighing heavily the pretty tabby looked at the fresh-kill pile and felt worry stab her heart. Food was getting harder and harder to find and with the weather gettin worse... Stopping herself before she got to the possible death toll she made more lists.

The Deputy wanted three cats for soaking moss, not including herself. That would help with quenching thirst for a day or so, as long as the waters were stored in a den in a dug out hole they wouldn't freeze. Then she wanted three or four to hunt and stock up. She had learned a trick from her old mate about storing food in the ground to help it last. They could dig two holes by the pile...she'd need aprenrices for that. Two would work and then one more for gathering fern leaves. Yes, perfect. Now if only she could gather the needed help quickly...

[glowlynose]

"D'you see that, Ember? It's a starbug. Some nights, you can see hundreds of them out there."

Briar nestled closer to his mate, perched comfortably in the midst of hay bales in the loft of their barn. Their kits scurried about, and the young Briar chuckled. The were such cute little balls of fluff. That little silver tom might grow up to be like his brother; he was already showing some of the personality traits that Flare had had.

"Yeah, they're great," Ember murmured in his ear, snapping him out of his peaceful reverie. He looked at her, smiled, and looked out at the mob of starbugs. Their glowing yellow abdomens held him captive. What could make them that way? What purpose was their glow? It must make it easier for predators to find them. Ridiculous, but pretty.

Briar let out a gasp. One of the starbugs had flown into the barn! The kits batted at the tiny, glowing insect with wide eyes and even wider smiles.

As much as Briartail would have liked to have woken up to the morning after he met the starbugs, the present chose to be months afterwards. As he blinked the fog of sleep away from his bleary vision, he found himself in the StreamClan warrior's den. Luckily for him, it was barely past sunrise when he awoke from his memory. With a frown on his face, he turned around and stared at the empty space behind his back where Ember had always lay. It was cold and shadowy, just a frigid clump of moss. No bit of heat lingered to provide any comfort, nor were there any signs of a shimmering ginger pelt. His ears were vacant of the squeals of his kits as they played; the emptiness echoed with a strange finality. Briartail shook his head and rose to his paws, blinking slowy as he did so. This would never do. He couldn't go out and meet his clan acting like this.

So the spotted tabby warrior put on a smile and injected his usual cheeriness into his step, but it bothered him. The lies bothered him. Ah well. They wouldn't understand if you told them the truth. You had a dream about starbugs so you're sad. They just wouldn't know. They didn't know Ember. They didn't know Minnow and Barley. They wouldn't understand. He nodded to himself and told himself that what he said was right. Just like in his dream, something pulled him abruptly from his thoughts, but it was different this time.

Stormflower was sitting by herself, seemingly unaware that she was sitting in a shaft of pale morning light. The light itself was barely infused with the gold that Briartail was so used to, but what little gold there was danced across Stormflower's silver pelt. It almost made her seem as if she was a warrior from StarClan that had descended to grace the humble grounds that Briartail walked upon, but there was something else. There was life there, and warmth. Briartail had scarcely seen anything so breathtaking in his life. It was even better than that blue butterfly!

"Morning, Stormflower. Have you ever seen starbugs?" he queried, eyes twinkling. A content smile pulled the corners of his lips upward. Although today was cold, prey was low, and most of their water was frozen solid, it would be a good day. Every day would be a good day so long as Briartail could go to sleep at night and see his beloved. "Sorry, that probably made no sense at all. I had a funny dream last night is all. Anyway, is there anything you'd like me t' do?"

[/center]

[thistle.]

A lazy contentment had misted the she-cat's thoughts even as the biting cold nipped at her thin pelt. All of her duties were done; hunting, patrolling, giving the queens fresh-kill... A pleasant sigh escaped her lips and she settled down onto the den floor, her head barely peeking out of the entrance as she inspected the camp. Everyone was busy, which wasn't a surprise with the dreaded leaf-bare season upon them. Sleetwhisker made a mental note to hunt later on in the evening; right now, she simply wanted to rest undisturbed. She snorted. Like she would be allowed a few minutes sleep with warriors charging in and out all day. She closed her ocean blue eyes and let noises become a faint buzz in her ears and her mind drift into unconsciousness.

She couldn't sleep.
Shaking her head, the gray-and-white cat rose from the ground and padded out, wincing at the harsh sunlight. How it shone so brightly and yet never stopped the cold, she had no idea. When she adjusted to the light, though, the thought swiftly left her mind. "Greetingz, Stormflower, Briartail," meowed Sleetwhisker formally in her thick accent, approaching her deputy and clan mate with a waving tail. "You zeem razzer troubled today. Eez anyzing wrong?" She directed her next words at Stormflower, not acknowledging Briartail other than a curt nod.

ooc: First time roleplaying Sleetwhisker isn't going well. :c /no muse[/size]

[Cloud of Diamonds]

Kitewhisker had up for a little bit, hunched in the elders' den, shivering. A usual way for him to begin his day.

That splinter he'd seen when he first woke up...oh, the sheer panic it caused! What calamity it might induce! For what if he or somecat stepped on it, and then it got infected, and then it got them sick, and then they got other cats sick, and then Badgernose didn't have enough herbs because it was leaf-bare, and then cats died, and then more cats died, and then they ALL DIED! Horror! And poor Kitewhisker, why, he'd be the only cat left to mourn, as he had known it would happen.

Right.

His green eyes were wide, as they often were, as he lay in his den, staring at the splinter.

The sound of voices carried to the old tom, and he wondered who they belonged to....only one he recognized among them, Sleetwhisker's, because of her distinctive way of speaking. From the sound of it, Stormflower and some other cat...Briartail, yes. All that the black-and-white cat remembered of the latter was that he was a brown tabby. But who cared? He could warn them of the great danger he'd foreseen.

Stepping carefully out of the elders' den, the small tuxedo StreamClanner made his way over to the trio. "It is a terrible morning, indeed!" He meowed in a grave tone. "There is danger in the elders' den!"

[Pie]

Stormflower's left ear swivled toward Brairtail as he approached. Giving him a small, warm, smile, the silver tabby's tail twitched ever so slightly. "Starbugs? I can't say I have..." Then, after a sweet memory, Stormflower laughed quietly. "Actually, I may have. Starbugs...my kits used to chase Glowbugs. I think I like Starbugs more." Giving a tiny purr coated her throat at the memory of her babies.

But then, the sounds of cats stirring and Brairtail inquring about help, shattered her past. Later, she thought and fluffed out her short coat by shaking her body. Sitting back on her haunches, Stormflower looked to the tom, his eyes striking her past once more. Blinking slowly Stormflower forced herself to think about StreamClan. "If you wouldn't mind I'd like you to join me in gathering soaked moss for the Elders, kits and Queens. We need one more though...ah, Sleetwhisker." Incling her head as a greeting, Stormflower nodded.

"Yes, all is well thank you." Shifting her light frame, she wad becoming restless. "I know you've done a lot last night, however I am hoping you would be able to assist Briartail and I." As usual Stormflower hid her small amount of sadness by keeping busy; and what better way to do that than help with an Elder crisis.

"Kitewhisker, what seems to be the trouble?"Her voice was fresh, kind. A true happy glint filled her blue eyes, covering the shine of rememberance.

[thistle.]

Whatever this 'starbug and glowbug' business was about, Sleetwhisker didn't know and doubted that she wanted to know. Useless frivolity... one of her favorite words nowadays. Frivolity. It suited Briartail perfectly, which was the reason she always had reservations about him. She let out a barely detectable sigh of impatience and her tail tip twitched. She didn't have to wait long. "Of courze, eet vill be my pleazure. Tiredness eez no excuze for neglecting any duties," she replied, casting a disapproving glance over her deputy's shoulder at a couple apprentices idling beside the fresh-kill pile. Even collecting water seemed like an important task to her. "Vee can alzo hunt along zee way, correct?"

Danger in the elder's den, huh. As if any danger would've gone unnoticed by the rest of the Clan. But she was used to Kitewhisker's constant predictions of doom. Was he even sane? It would be rude to mention that, of course, especially to a, well, not really respected, but the old tom was an elder nonetheless. At least Stormflower could handle him without wearing her patience out thin. Sleetwhisker's gaze slowly wandered around camp, her mind drifting.

[glowlynose]

Briartail's brows pulled together in a pensive expression. Stormflower had said that... that she thought she understood what he meant. She thought she knew what Starbugs were. But how could she? Since the spotted tabby tom had come to the Clans he had not seen a single telltale teardrop of light in the sky; the Starbugs left little droplets of light hanging in the air for a few seconds after they flew away. If one stared at them for long enough, the drops started to congeal into paths. Allowing his facial muscles to relax, Briartail smiled and nodded his assent. Of course he would go and collect water for the elders.

"It is a grave morning indeed. There is danger in the elder's den!"

Briartail raised a skeptical brow and ran his gaze over the frantic elder. He did not appear to be outwardly distressed, but the young warrior thought that he detected a gleam of terror in the old codger's eyes. Oh dear. It must be pretty drastic if Kitewhisker's warning us. Maybe this time it's a bit of bark sticking into the wall. Ooh, maybe it's a scary looking bit of moss! He shook his head. It made him think, though. What could have happened to Kitewhisker to have made him that way? Had he been injured in battle, or had it just happened naturally over time? Briartail knew that he didn't want to end up like that. He found himself feeling some pity for the poor old tom.

"Kitewhisker, would you like somebody to investigate the den? I could do that before our patrol leaves. Wouldn't take me but a second. Then it would be safe again." Briartail looked around at the cats in the group, pausing his questioning gaze on Stormflower. He wouldn't dare do this without her say so. That would be rude.

[/center]

[Cloud of Diamonds]

It was....unusual. These cats seemed to be taking him seriously. How refreshing. Yet it also was the cause for a pause in the tom's train of thought.

Most often when he gave advice it was either ignored altogether or some cat spat something at him. It wasn't so much the fact that he was being insulted, it was that these inexcusably rude felines would probably die because they had ignored the warnings given by him! Were they suicidal?!

His face had become contorted in shock and annoyance at these recollections. However, the black and white StreamClanner managed to snap out of it for a bit to reply to the deputy and...uh...Briartail! That was his name.

Putting a brave and noble face, (or so he thought) Kitewhisker spoke.

"Ah. The problem, as you say, is a splinter...a very sharp and dangerous one. But it is so small, it is so easy to ignore and step on. But it could eventually lead to deadly illness!

Which is why, kind as your offer is, Briartail, I can't let you do that. I must simply cope until the time of caution against the possibility of horror has passed. No cat shall be harmed by what may occur!"

He finished his little speech with a sneeze.

[Pie]

Generally, Stormflower was snappy, irritable, but whenever it came to Elders and Kits, well she was soft. "Well, reguardless we'll get rid of it. In fact I'll do it myself." Winking at Brairtail, the lithe she-cat worked her way to the Elder's Den. Sniffing the ground carefully her blue eyes scanned the dirt closely.

"I don't know if I -" Then, she saw it. Smirking lightly she allowed her claws to peak from between her toes, moving the splinter off the path and our of harms way. "Okay, everything is clear. Kitewhisker, thank you for informing us." nodding toward the old tom she focused back to her small group. "If one of you can find an apprentice for me that would be splendid."

As she spoke, StreamClan's Deputy focused her words toward Sleetwhisker. "Brairtail, if you could come with me. I have moss balls ready to go." Flicking her tail in thought she then added to Sleetwhisker, "Please meet us by the fresh-kill pile when you've found someone. I'll explain what I'd like to have happen then." Tipping her head in thanks, Stormflower started off toward the entrance of the camp, her tail brushing Kitewhiskers shoulder.

[Cloud of Diamonds]

OOC: When some cat goes to find an apprentice, I offer Duskpaw as the one to be found.