Colors in the Wind

[Ki]

"Keep up, boys!" she called back to the toms behind her.

She smiled and continued trotting along. Her mood was bright, despite the melancholy weather. The skies had been dark gray with clouds for the past few days. It had sprinkled from time to time, but the clouds didn't unleash the torrent of rain they threatened. She was enjoying herself. Most of the cats were out of the medicine cat den. For the first time in moons, it was just her in the den. Which was good. It meant she was doing her job. Cats were staying healthy. There were only minor injuries, nothing too serious. So despite the dark skies, she was happy. There was only one thing that was missing. Perhaps the den was a tad too empty. And this was the perfect time for her to get an apprentice. When things weren't bad, before leafbare rolled in. She could teach her apprentice so much...and then when newleaf came again, it would be wonderful.

Besides. It could get lonely in that den. She could use a bit of company. Which was part of the reason why she'd brought Twistedclaw and his brother. Gathering herbs was easy for her. But it went faster with help. And she could use the conversation. She trotted ahead of both of them for a bit more, her tiny paws barely sinking into the mud before she hopped up on to a rock to look out over the reeds. The marshes had their own definition of beauty. In her eyes, they were more beautiful than the glades of WindClan, river of RiverClan, and the forests of ThunderClan combined. Give her marsh any day. Her amber eyes gleamed and she looked back at them.

[Yoko]

"Yes Twistedclaw, hurry up," Snaketail teased, bushy tail flicking his sibling's nose as he bounded to the Medicine Cat's side.

What better way to spend a gloomy day then in pleasant company? The ominous gray clouds had failed to dampen the fluffy she-cat's mood, which was more than he could say for some of his more paranoid clanmates. If the one destined to read the signs is not troubled? Why should they be? He eased his stride to match Feathercloud's pace. With his long legs, it wasn't at all difficult. [b"]Lovely weather for a stroll through the swamp isn't it?"[/b] this was sarcasm of course, but in such a airy cheerful voice it might be taken seriously. "So what is the goal of our merry quest? Are there any particular herbs we've come to fetch?"[/color]

Twistedclaw's nose twitched and he growled but his brother ad already raced away. It wasn't that he didn't like Feathercloud's company, she-cat problems aside, but his sibling's teasing wasn't helping things. Although he was tempted to hang back, he did realize that he was genuinely behind. He didn't want to hold them up, nor did he like the idea of Snaketail up ahead pestering Feathercloud a billion pointless questions. And although he couldn't quite put a claw on it, there was something unnerving about watching them move side by side.

Reluctantly, Twistedclaw stretched his own legs and picked up the page. Being so small, he didn't even brush the two cats as he slipped between them.

Snaketail's juvenile and immediate response to Twistedclaw's coming between them was to hop backwards and trot to Feathercloud's other side, still listening for the she-cat's response.