Contemplation [Open]

[Kin]

Shimmeringrocks were gloriously warm in greenleaf. The heat they absorbed from sunlight radiated out from their myriad gray and brown surfaces. Many RiverClan cats enjoyed sunning themselves on the rocks, and Lilystar was no exception.

She had doled out duties for the day and consulted with the warriors whose apprentices were nearing their twelfth moon. A few were almost ready to become warriors themselves, while the others still needed training. According to the mentors she'd spoken with, combat in and next to the river was a skill that the apprentices needed to master.

Lilystar had privately winced with sympathy. Even as long as she'd been a warrior- then deputy, and leader after- she'd never gotten over the idea of sullying her pelt for longer than necessary or a less than exceptional reason. In her mind, Shimmeringrocks was always an exceptional reason in greenleaf.

The cream-pelted leader stretched out on a large gray slab of rock, closing her sky blue eyes and purring softly. Heat poured into her left flank from below while sunlight warmed her right. She flexed her claws and yawned. Sleep had eluded the flame-point lately, a problem that telling most of her warriors, including her brother Snaketail, would just inspire good-natured worrying over the health of their leader. Lilystar still could hardly believe that she had won the Clan's respect back after the rumors spread- most likely by a tom she'd rejected just prior from ShadowClan- had nearly labeled her an available lay for any tom for life.

Her purring stopped for a moment, and Lilystar cracked open an eye to watch the water shimmer. She hadn't let him do it, and now no cat would believe the jaded tom if he tried again.

Satisfied with that line of thought, Lilystar returned to basking in the sun and enjoying the fair weather. Not a single cloud blocked the sky.

"Wonderful day..." she murmured to herself.

[Legacy]

The long-legged, not to mention long-pelted, she-cat padded softly into the clearing, her loose white mackerel tabby stripes gleaming in the sun. Her melted-chocolate eyes, usually kind and welcoming, were hard with worry, for her marigold and chervil supplies were low. Those herbs grew well here with the clean, clear water and the plentiful sunshine. Unaware that her leader was relaxed on the Shimmering Rocks themselves, even though the shade Lilystar's fur was nowhere near close to that of the rocks, Lunarsong was preoccupied. The usually regal angles looked sharper in her face, lending it a haughty look. Her nostrils flared, seeking out the scents of marigold and chervil almost without her having to think about it. For the first time she caught the scent of her cream-pelted and flame-pointed leader. Turning her head, Lunarsong nodded politely to the other she-cat. "Hello, Lilystar." She greeted her in her usual strong, clipped and businesslike tone, touched with a strong Egyptian accent. "I hope you are well today?" She inquired even as she harvested the nessecary herbs the medicine cat needed for her store.

OOC: Eh...yeah. Kinda a fail lengthwise.
Word Count: 219

[Kin]

"Hello, Lilystar. I hope you are well today?"

In the time between admiring the beautiful weather and Lunarsong's greeting, Lilystar had dozed off. The little bit of rest had done wonders for how she felt, but left a sleepy haze in her eyes and mind. She squinted slightly against the sunlight to see what her medicine cat was doing. The gray tabby appeared to be harvesting herbs.

Lilystar recognized the scent of marigold, but could not place the other's smell. She, like most RiverClan cats, had been to Lunarsong and her mentor before her for various and sundry injuries. Sometimes, they received lectures about what a drain they were on such-and-so herb, because it only grew ever-so-specifically.

Realizing that she must have taken more than a moment just gazing uncomprehendingly at Lunarsong, Lilystar blinked away the haze over her vision and responded. "Hello Lunarsong. I seem to have found a bit of sleep, StarClan knows it's been elusive lately." The medicine cat was the only one who knew about Lilystar's bouts of insomnia.

A cloud passed over the sun, temporarily robbing Lilystar of her right-flank warmer. She glanced at the sky, surprised to find that several fluffy white clouds had ambled into view. The sun shone brightly and renewed its efforts to warm her as the cloud passed on. "Low on herbs? I trust you are merely stocking up, or has some silly apprentice stepped on a sharp stone?"

Though her words were in jest and humor sparkled in the she-cat's eyes, Lilystar was absolutely serious about having her question answered. Her tail tip flopped up and down as she regarded the medicine cat, just her head lifted and angled to speak with her. Lunarsong might be deserving of Lilystar's respect, but the half-Clan tabby was not motivation enough to move from a position that had afforded her some precious little sleep.

[Legacy]

The dark gray lynx points of the medicine cat were a dulled a bit by a light breeze the kicked up and and settled a fine blanket of dirt and dust over them. She flicked her ear, though it did little good, for the dust just settled again as she moved suddenly, abandoning usual grace and proper movement to grasp the herbs as the breeze tried to carry them away. The herbs safely pinned gently yet firmly under her paw, Lunarsong nodded as Lilystar began to speak. "It is good to hear you have found rest." She agreed, and chuckled at Lilystar's jest. "No, though I'm sure it won't be long before one of them does. Stocking up the herb store is the sole reason that we need chervil and marigold, for we were getting uncomfortably low on the said herbs." The black she-cats loose white mackerel tabby stripes gleamed in the afternoon sun. "Though I most likely would have come her eventually anyway." She conceded. "It's too lovely of a place to stay away, especially this time of year." The soft breeze died away and Lunarsong checked to see if she had picked enough. She had, which was good. As much as she loved this spot, it would be tedious to make a return trip, especially through her own blunder. That would just be simply embarassing.

OOC:Getting better. *celebrates minorly
Word Count: 252

[Kin]

The breeze that sighed through Shimmeringrocks tried to rip the herbs that Lunarsong had gathered away from the medicine cat. She responded quickly, pinning the herbs gently underneath one paw. "It is good to hear you have found rest."

Lilystar smiled to hear Lunarsong laugh. She considered it a victory every time RiverClan cats' days improved in some small way because of her. "No, though I'm sure it won't be long before one of them does. Stocking up the herb store is the sole reason that we need chervil and marigold, for we were getting uncomfortably low on the said herbs. Though I most likely would have come here eventually anyway. It's too lovely of a place to stay away, especially this time of year."

"That it is," Lilystar agreed. The heat of the sun finally succeeded in making her drowsy enough for her head to feel much heavier than it usually did. She lowered it back to the rock and sighed contentedly.

Her blue eyes scrutinized Lunarsong, and an idea popped into her head. "Why don't you find a little crack between some rocks to stash those herbs in and sun with me for a bit? Since there aren't any cats who need tending just yet, you deserve to take a bit of a rest."

The cream-colored leader yawned and stretched her forelegs, claws flexing."We both do. Duties taken care of, next should be ourselves...." her voice drifted off, and Lilystar's eyelids fluttered. She was trying to keep herself awake for the conversation with her medicine cat, but damn her to the Dark Forest if she wasn't finally struggling to stay conscious.

[Legacy]

The black and white she-cat hesitated before nodded. "I think I'll take you up on that offer." She murmured, the sharp planes and angles of her face relaxing, giving her a softer look, taking her carefully plucked herbs and storing them securely beneath a rock overhang, surrounded naturally by stone. They would be perfectly fine there, she reasoned, until she had finished her sun bath with Lilystar. Selecting a warm place where she could see the herbs in her peripheral vision and watch the softly singing river next to the Shimmering Rocks. Ah, Shimmering Rocks, so warm beneath her pelt. Shimmering Rocks, so inviting and lovely these warm sunny days of greenleaf and the gusting days of leaf-fall when the sun was warm and the breeze was cold. Shimmering Rocks, the place of warming stones. Shimmering Rocks, the unofficial social gathering spot for RiverClan. The she-cat's chocolate eyes blinked slowly. Oh, Shimmering Rocks, the place of relaxation, lovely waters, and warm relief. Oh, Shimmering Rocks. Oh, Shimmering Rocks, how she'd missed them from her den at camp. Lunarsong smiled inwardly. The only downside was it was so hard to leave Shimmering Rocks. The tabby may call it by another name- Shimmering Rocks, two words, rather then Shimmeringrocks, one word, but she believed it sounded better that way, somehow...more inviting, maybe? Poetic? She wasn't really sure, but she did like the sound of it that way, that two-worded way. Shimmering Rocks. It had a more lilting tone to it, somehow. Oh, bother trying to explain it all. She couldn't! She merely liked it that way.

Word Count: 274

[Kin]

"I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Lilystar's eyes squinted happily, though her muzzle only quirked slightly. She closed her eyes again and sighed. The breeze ruffled her fur. Days like today were what she missed about being an ordinary warrior. It had occured to her, shortly after becoming deputy, and many times since, that she could be happier as a normal warrior. However, RiverClan needed a leader, and the cream-colored she-cat trusted no other like she trusted herself to guide the Clan successfully.

After all, if she wanted something done right, she'd have to do it herself. But, then again, that was the beauty of being leader. Lilystar decided what was right and wrong for her Clan, with the opinions of others considered, but not required.

On that note, Lilystar admitted that she'd been following her brother's advice as to how to de-stress; Snaketail had told her to occupy her spare time with her hobbies to relax. And while his advice worked to an extent, it would not suffice for anything more.

She sighed. As relaxing as sunning herself on Shimmeringrocks was, she had not asked Lunarsong about StarClan in a while. Lilystar knew she would forget to ask if she did not bring it up now. "Has StarClan walked in your dreams recently?"

The words felt awkward and almost formal in her mouth, out of place in the soothing setting. Lilystar felt bad for bringing up business just as she'd gotten the austere medicine cat to relax with her. One eye cracked open, and the leader readied herself to command Lunarsong back down if she tried to sit up.

[Legacy]

Lunarsong stirred but did not rise at her leader's question. She shook her head. "No, Lilystar, they haven't. You would be the first to know if they did." She replied worridly. "It-their silence-wouldn't bother me if everything was all right, but herbs-especially catmint and burdock-are running oddly low, when they should be at prime picking time right now, but there are so few..." She trailed off, chocolate brown eyes alight with worry as she mused over this. Why were the herbs so scarce? What was StarClan trying to tell them? "No signs either...nothing to say why or what or how of this. It is...most troubling." She meowed, brow creased in a puzzled, worried frown. The black and white tabby just shook her head helplessly. "I just don't know. StarClan hasn't chosen to share anything about this with me." Lunarsong sighed in frustration and resignation.

(Sorry...reallly short post, I dunno what else to put.)