[Demosthenes]

    Weaving through and over and mess of logs and branches wasn't Aspenleaf's favorite thing, but he knew the terrain well enough to make it bearable. Besides, he needed to find Meadowstar. He could see how someone could get lost in this area...afterall, it was quite a mess with all the dead plants scattered all over. Still, the leader should of known the land better than any other, and would of been able to navigate easily. He carried himself with as much confidence and poise as he could muster, though he twitched occasionally and his eyes were scanning the area like a mad man's. Hopefully he and the others could find what they came here for.

[vividcolors]

The wreckage wasn't her favorite place, of course, but Sedgepaw quite enjoyed the feeling of the dead plants and wet grasses under her paws. She had only been a apprentice for a moon and the territory was still quite confusing sometimes, so she often got lost when she went out alone. To Sedgepaw this was probably the hardest to navigate through. A deathly stench caught her nose as they passed a fallen tree- not a big one. It must have fallen in one of the recent storms. She twitched her nose at the smell- probably a long dead thrush. Not something she would want to eat- it seemed to have been dead awhile. She looked back up at Aspenleaf, hoping he had seen a sign that Meadowstar had been here. When her hope was false, she glanced around with a quick sweep. Nothing.

[GlitterFlame89]

(Yay! A new member, and another apprentice at that! Hellow Vividcolors!!!)

Thunderpaw kept pace with Aspenleaf with some difficulty. He hadn't been out here too often yet, but enough to have a bit of a hang of the terrain. His normal small smile was replaced with an intensely serious look that appeared as if it should belong on a cat suns older than he was. He paused every now and than to scent the air for the Leader. So far there was nothing, but it was difficult to scent here, there were so many trees in various stages of rot. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as the smell of an animal already dead awhile hit him. "Blech, Crow-food!" he muttered, shaking his head.

"Aspenleaf, do you think we should try calling for her?" he asked. He didn't want to say it, but if the Leader were hurt, if she had fallen, they might not see her easily, and among all the dead trees they might not smell her so easily either.

[vividcolors]

(Hello, Glitterflame! Or what do you prefer to be called?)

Sedgepaw slowed down a bit, falling in step next to her denmate. She nodded in agreement. Calling out for Meadowstar might or might not be a good choice, as she could be being held captive nearby and they could ward off the intruder... But she didn't smell any rouges or anything, and if she were being held captive it would've been somewhere out of the territory anyway. The rough weather would probably keep away loners and rouges. "The rain could have washed away her scent, so maybe it would be the best way to finding her." Sedgepaw added. Honestly, she hoped that Meadowstar was only injured and couldn't make it back to camp, because anything worse happening to her would be hard to think about. She looked back at the ground, watching that her paws didn't step on anything sharp. She's got to be alright. Sedgepaw thought. Got to be. Holding in a sigh, she lifted her head, avoiding bumping into Aspenleaf.

[Demosthenes]

    Aspenleaf spared a glance back in the direction of the two apprentices, but then returned to scanning the area with his eyes. In his head he was wishing the same as he didn't want to find that anything bad had happened to their leader. He spoke slowly, thinking over his words. "I dont...I don't think it's rained since she's gone missing. But, still, the smell of rotting plants could also cover the scent of her-or anything-really well. I guess it's best to call. Listen closely for any responses and keep your eyes open for signs of movement in the foliage." He paused for a moment to gather his voice, clearing his throat as well. He didn't want to attract rogues or anything, but they probably wouldn't be anywhere close. The terrain is impossible to navigate even for some StormClanners, so he doubted a rogue made it this deep into the territory. "Meadowstar! Meadooooowstar!"  He called nervously, his ears flicking around to hear for any response.

[vividcolors]

Sedgepaw nodded. After Aspenleaf called, she paused, listening for any kind of response. Next, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Meadowstar?" She called. When she heard nothing, she let out a deep sigh. She paused her trot, leaping onto a log that was close by lightly. Straightening her back and stretching her legs as for as she can, she looked around the wreck that they called a graveyard, wondering if they should move on. We could be wasting our time searching here. But then... she could have been crushed by a tree, but that's.... hopefully... unlikely. There were no storms or rains. Scanning the area with her green and blue orbs around the fallen trees, she saw no sort of movement. Miserable, she bleakly returned to the group. 

[GlitterFlame89]

(GlitterFlame, Glitter, Glitz. Anything is fine Say, would you be interested if I made an RP where we wander off into the forest alone, maybe get into some mischievous trouble exploring or something?)

Thunderpaw waited for the echos of his Clanmates calls to fade and than bellowed himself, keeping his eyes and ears as open as possible. But there was nothing, absolutely nothing. Just a rustle of the grass now and than from an insect or the wind. There was no scent of her, no paw prints of her or anything else. No sign at all. She can't be, dead. Thunderpaw kept this thought to himself, refusing to speak it aloud. Aspenleaf's distress was clear, and he didn't want to upset his mentor any further, or Sedgepaw either. She still has all 9 of her lives, so she can't have died. Maybe lost one, two at very most, but she can't have lost them all and no one klnows. Thunderpaw shuddered slightly, suddenly. If they couldn't find Meadowstar, what was going to happen to StormClan? Who would be in charge? Thunderpaw picked up his pace and yowled again for the Leader as loud as he could.

[vividcolors]

(Okay! Yes, that sounds real fun!)

Sedgepaw sighed softly as Thunderpaw yowled for the lost leader. "Maybe we should try somewhere else." She meowed. "If she were here we would know." Unless she were unconscious or asleep. She thought. Or dead.. No. She's not. She's just missing. "Maybe we should ask another clan's patrol if they have seen her, too." She meowed. Unless she were being held captive in another clan and they lied about it. But these were such peaceful times. Why would any clan want to abduct Meadowstar and start some kind of war? Sedgepaw quickened her pace slightly, catching up to Thunderpaw.

[GlitterFlame89]

(Alright cool I'll make one today or tomorrow and tag you in it )

Thunderpaw glanced over at his Denmate and tried to hide the concern in his eyes, although there was some comfort to see it reflected back in her eyes. "She can't have been here... We'd have seen or heard or smelt SOMETHING, wouldn't we?" he asked the other apprentice. He immediately looked up and brought Aspenleaf back into focus. He felt almost paranoid about losing track of another cat. A flash of lightening in the distance signaled another storm was coming in. Thunderpaw groaned at the sight of it. If it rained, much of the traces Meadowstar had left behind would be washed away.

[Demosthenes]

    Aspenleaf was silent for a few more moments, looking around sadly. He had almost given up hope already. He was quick to do that, it seemed. He looked back at the apprentices and stopped in his tracks. "I don't think she's in the territory," he started saying slowly, "We will have to talk to the other Clans...ask them, I guess. They probably would tell us if they have her, although they may not make it easy to get her back. But I don't know why any of them would take her. The next time a patrol passes, we'll have to ask..." His voice trailed off.

[vividcolors]

Sedgepaw nodded in agreement. "Yes, we would've." She mewed. When they first started out she was so hopeful, but now it had been washed down the drain and the chances of something horrible having happened to the leader were high. It left her distressed. Her optimism had been swallowed up by a black hole of concern. There wasn't much to say. "We should head home first," She replied to Aspenleaf. Sedgepaw glanced at the sky, dark clouds covering every inch of all she could see. Rain was beginning to poor down on them. "We don't want to lose anyone in this storm." The thought of walking home during the storm even frightened her. The storms they had could be pretty harsh. What is a tree fell on someone? Or a fire started, or they got separated? She started shoving these thoughts away quickly. No. She thought. She's alive. She's got to be. And we're going to find her.

[GlitterFlame89]

Thunderpaw jumped as a fat rain droplet splattered on his nose. The Graveyard was a bad place to be during a storm. The way many of the trees were situated spoke of being pushed along by flooding waters. Sometimes the trees acted like a dam in places, creating turbulent pools of water behind them. It would be easy enough for a grown experienced Warrior to drown here in bad enough weather, to say nothing of smaller, inexperienced apprentices. Still Thunderpaw didn't want to go. What if Meadowstar was here, and just injured or unconscious. They'd be leaving here to drown if they went back to camp. A flash of spidery lightning overhead followed almost immediately by a loud crash of thunder that seemed to shake the ground beneath their paws suggested that the time for decision making was almost spent.

[Demosthenes]

    The warrior bowed his head, flattening his ears as the rain dropped onto him. He reluctantly nodded as he listened to Sedgepaw. "Yes, I think you're right. We should probably head back home." He knew even if he wanted to stay, it would be irresponsible to bring them out further with him considering their age and the storm brewing overhead. He began to turn around, back in the direction of the camp. He didn't have any consolidating words to offer if Meadowstar was indeed out here. But, considering they couldn't find her in the clear weather, it was unlikely they could do so in the storm. 

[vividcolors]

Sedgepaw close her eyes as raindrops splattered on her face. Of course she hated having to abandon the search party to go home, but it would be what's best. They could always go search again another day, but all the storms made it difficult. As a flash of lightning struck somewhere nearby, lighting everything up for just a second, she jumped. Immediately, she turned and started walking back towards camp, the muddy ground soft and squishy on her paws. She paused to wait for Aspenleaf and Thunderpaw. She was reluctant about going back to camp, but in the brewing storm she knew they had no time for arguing. No time to waste.

[GlitterFlame89]

Reluctantly, Thunderpaw followed his ClanMates back towards camp. He was silent and brooding, but each crash of thunder and vivid display of lightening hurried his paws along more quickly. The rain was picking up strength quickly, reducing visibility to ten foxlengths, to five, to two, and than barely to one foxlength. And still it seemed the storm was building up rather than dissipating. A half inch or so of muddy water was running over the ground where they stood, and Thunderpaw found his feet sinking farther and farther into the mud whenever he was forced to walk on bare ground. "Hey, maybe when we get back to camp Meadowstar will be there waiting for us!" he screamed into the wind and rain, trying to cheer his companions up and renew some of their hopefulness.