colors that you shine—

[attr="class","name"]LEOPARDFLIGHT

[attr="class","jay"]

[attr="class","quotemark"]

[attr="class","texty"]⚜If there was one good thing that could be said about leaf-bare, it was that it – and all the hardships that it had wrought – would eventually come to an end. The savage chills and violent frosts that had once torn across the forest were already beginning to fade into memory, swept away in waves of warmth and light as the sun steadily regained its former strength and vibrancy that would entice the once barren landscape into life once again. The familiar rains that had long since forsaken the territories in favor of snowstorms were already beginning to return with a vengeance, sweeping in from all corners as new-leaf’s arrival slowly crept ever closer. Very rarely did the clouds allow any light to breech through their cover, though upon this morn they seemed to have chosen to cede their claim of the heavens for the time being, allowing the first rays of the new day to stain their facades in a kaleidoscope of roses and lavenders as they gathered in the still brightening horizon. One by one the eyes of StarClan faded from view as the sun’s influence spread out across the forest, chasing away the remaining shadows of the night and easing the world into awareness with tender caresses. The last remnants of yesterday’s storms that still clung to the budding foliage were transformed by the touch of the golden light, reshaped into precious gemstones that sparkled in tune to the white symphony of the bubbling streams that flowed nearby.

A few songbirds had already returned early from their migrations, dancing among the breezes overhead to their own joyful melodies as they paid their tributes to the rising dawn in tandem to the faintest rumble of thunder off in the far distance; an ominous reminder that this reprieve would not last forever. The frigid sting of the season still hung heavy in the atmosphere, a brittle and broken presence that seemed almost threatening to those it touched, but already its iron-grip was weakening, becoming less prominent as the days lengthened. Within the next moon or so, it would be little more than a bad memory – lost to the sweet scent of the wildflowers that would blanket the forest floor and all the promises that would accompany the new season. The promise of new life, of new starts, and in the case of ReedClan, the bittersweet promise of a new era under new leadership. It had all started with Pikeleaf, the Clan’s young and beloved medicine cat. At the start of leafbare’s arrival, an unforeseen accident had stolen the molly from her Clan, leaving her apprentice Silverflame to take up her mantle in her place. And now, on the cusp of new-leaf, the Clan had also lost their leader; it had only been mere days since Hawthornstar’s body was laid to rest among the riverbanks, the once proud and powerful leader having lost her last remaining life in a vain battle with green-cough, and her former deputy Torrentstar had risen to take her place in the midst of their mourning.

This was the world and the reality that welcomed Leopardflight as she slipped from the edge of the Lodge Pond, her vibrant colored pelt glistening in the morning light as she padded across the sandy bank. The stale water that clung to her body felt uncomfortably cool against her fur in the chilly air, sending a stinging chill up through her legs as gravity caused it to puddle around her white-tipped paws and cause each step she took to echo with a wet ‘squish-slosh’ that sounded far too loud in her ears. When she reached the border of the bank where the sand met grass, she stepped carefully onto the still brittle grass and gave her pelt a harsh shake, resolutely ignoring the shiver that threatened to race down her spine. Moments later, she settled down into a seat position and began rub at her eyes, a tired groan rumbling from her throat as she chased away the last shadows of sleep from her still groggy mind. Rest had been hard won for Leopardflight the previous night; it had been the first time in a long while that she had slept among her Clanmates in the Warrior’s Den instead of in her favored hollow log out near the BranchClan border, and quite honestly the den had felt a bit too crowded and someone had snored loud enough to drown out the storm outside through most of it.

In light of recent events however, the bold warrior had not felt comfortable straying too far from the camp – and in comparison, a little discomfort on her part for the knowledge that she could act if needed was hardly an unfair trade. [’Besides,’] she mused to herself, amber gaze sharpening as the world around her came into focus in a literal of rainbow of colors. [’There truly is no place more beautiful to wake up to than home,’] she conceded with the barest twitch of her muzzle. Most of the Clan still had yet to awaken, but already several warriors and a few apprentices were out and about among the camp, and though the mood was still somber the flash of colors that lit up the air were as bright as ever. Overhead, the rogue violet song of a robin flowed like a river across the skyline, twisting with the barest wisp of silver that whispered from the wind. Every now and then, a blue jay would pipe up in tones of vibrant gold would ripple out across the air or the occasional sparrow would trill in bright blues that sparkled like stars, providing the molly with a truly spectacular show. However, it was always the voices of her Clanmates that drew her attention, and today was no exception. From her position, she could just make out the softest utterance of Jaypaw talking with his mentor Brightfoot from across the camp, their amber and hazel tones twisting together in almost perfect harmony, whilst near the fresh-kill pile the familiar light greens of Blackhowl flashed brightly as he scolded a couple of kits for attempting to play with a mouse.

For as long as she could remember, these colors had been a part of her life – for whatever reason, only she alone could see the color of a cat’s voice; an ability that had its ups and downs, but was as much a part of her as a bird’s wings or a fish’s fins were a part of it. Over time and with the help of Turtlespots during her apprenticeship, she had even been able to turn the ability into an asset for her Clan – using it to discern lies and emotions from the way a cat’s tone changed the shade and movement of the colors they spoke with. Over time, this skill had even gained her a good deal of renown among not just her own Clan but the three beyond as well, though the secret to her success was known only by four specific cats… however, not even her special sight could explain the horrid vision she had witnessed at yesterday’s Clan Meeting. All at once, the tortoiseshell molly’s expression fell into a more serious one, her plumed tail curling tighter around her hind limbs as she considered the implications of what she had witnessed. During that meeting, as Frozenfox – a cat that Leopardflight had once shared the Nursery with and had been apprenticed in the same Ceremony so long ago – had been announced as the new deputy, Leopardflight had glanced back at her sister Ivystream by chance – and in that moment, she had never felt such terror.

Before her eyes, Leopardflight had watched as her sister had transformed into something grotesque and monstrous, her pelt turning a sheer inky black and her eyes burning like plumes of fire as the most sinister expression stole across her face in a wicked grin. The vision lasted no more than a moment, but for Leopardflight it had felt like moons before the creature vanished, leaving the familiar form of her sister in its place. What had actually occurred, she still couldn’t say – a vision from StarClan, a hallucination from grief – but the entire experience had left an unsettled feeling in her gut regardless of the reason why. It didn’t help that she had been suspicious of Ivystream for some time as well regarding certain happenstances either… however, the dark thoughts that swirled in Leopardflight’s mind faded just as quickly as they had come as a familiar, delicate scent reached her nose, announcing the arrival of the one cat who could soothe Leopardflight’s troubles. [“Well,”] she purred softly, turning her gaze towards the approaching figure. [“Good morning. Or at least I hope it’s a good morning for you in that I hope you had a better sleep than I did – do you think anyone would mind if I stuffed a water vole into Bitternwing’s muzzle at night? I almost forgot how loud he snores…”] as she mewed, the purring laughter in her voice and the twinkle of her eyes told that she was joking… though that idea did have its appeal.