SEARCH PARTY

Fawnpaw bolted into the woods, trying to catch her mother's scent on the undergrowth. Hopefully the other cats were behind her.
Because she'd left before getting Silverstar's permission.

ooc: bad kitty!

Raindapple trotted after the apprentice,blue eyes gleaming. "You won't be able to catch her scent. Look for signs of fur on the brambles."she suggested lightly,not bothering to sniff the rain-laden air.

Fawnpaw blinked. She hadn't thought of that. "Thanks," she mewed. Her (ALSO) blue eyes locked on anything fluffy and orange caught in the surrounding bramble patches. A ginger tuft caught her eye. Bounding over to it, she recognized the comforting scent of her mother. When she sniffed it, the tuft was vaccuumed to her nose. "Ack!" she sneezed loudly, rubbing her pink nose. "Th-this way," she pointed with her tail.

"Alright."Raindapple nodded,sprinting after Fawnpaw. "Sunflower?"

"...It's stale, Raindapple..." she squeezed under the thicket, clumps of her own fur coming off in the brambles. "But..." she found another ginger tuft. "But I think we can find her."

"Your right,"Raindapple murmured,brushing her nose past the ginger clump of fur. Then her fur bristled,then relaxed again. "Mistpaw? What are you doing out here?"

The silver apprentice poked her head out of a fern,a moss ball clamped in her jaws. "Just collecting moss for the elders." Her mew was muffled by the moss,which was dripping wet.

"Mistpaw!?" Fawnpaw's fur fluffed out excitedly. "Did you maybe see Sunflower anywhere? I know she's been gone since a few hours ago, but..."

"Yeah,I saw her passing through here at about....Sunhigh? But she's been gone for several hours. Why?"Mistpaw mewed,setting the moss down and swiping her tongue around her jaws.

Silverstar breathed in the forest aroma, sniffing for faint whisps of Sunflower's smooth scent. Having no luck, and knowing she was not likely going to find anything else scent-wise, focused on the other cats' discovery; a tuft of fur, clamped to the side of a bush not touched by lightning. A clue. Although hard to follow; they should be able to find the she-cat ... at least with Whisperpaw's help, knowing he was a great tracker.

---

Whisperpaw, eyes closed and nose perked into the air, barely noticed when the other cats found fur. No scent came to him. No comforting scent. Nothing to be found. Blinking his eyes slowly, the tom padded over to the group, staring at the clump of his mother's pelt hanging on limply to a bramble bush. Still, very little smell came to him. Although Fawnpaw pointed one way, Whisperpaw had a feeling it was the wrong. Looking cautiously over his back, being sure no one was watching, he flicked the tip of his tail, sending a tunnel of wind at the area, hopefully carrying scents of Sunflower.

Bingo.

It came fast, although extrememly faintly, like a mouse scurrying through the bushes. He doubted any other cat would be able to sniff it out. A smell most definitely coming from ... Ah-ha. It was coming from a different direction. The grey tom spoke up, his voice trailing like wind over grassy plains throughout the small clearing, surrounded by shrubbery. "She went this way," Whisperpaw murmured, flicking his tail in the direction, sending a leaf or two twirling through the air. "I'm sure of it."

Sandfur followed her clan mates. "Then we should head this way. We have to find her.", she mewed.

A mouse scurried through the bushes and off into the other undergrowth in the trees. Branchpaw cursed under his breath as he watched it go away. Why? Why did that have to happen? The wind was so still moment ago and then, suddenly, it decided to move upwind, push his scent towards the mouse, and let it get away. Thanks wind, I appreciate it.

Fawnpaw blinked as she saw her brother came along with Dilverstar. She raced after the group as they headed in the opposite direction, where her brother pointed.
"What do you think might've happened...?" she asked Whisperpaw.

Aspenleaf had seen a group of cats leave the camp as he was waking up to the pale light that filtered into the camp. He had followed them out and noticed Silverstar was among them.
Bounding up to the silver she-cat, he acknowledged the worried faces of his Clanmates, especially Whisperpaw and Fawnpaw's.
"What's going on?" he asked Silverstar.

ooc: @Naru: Sunflower left near evening... :3

OOC: Is Fawnpaw Sandfur's apprentice now?

Sandfur heard Fawnpaw whisper to Whisperpaw. "She will be okay, don't worry", she mewed.

OOC: Didn't Sandfur JUST get into the clan? Because she would know nothing about battle moves and hunting and more crap that you learn when you are an apperentice....>>

Whisperpaw stared at his sister, breathing in the faint scent of Sunflower. He noticed how it pointed in the exact direction of RiverClan. No other cat was with her though; so he doubted anything terrible of her. "I don't know. But by the scent, I can conclude that she didn't go through force." Although his voice was strong, his insides were trembling. How could he loose his mother?

---

Silverstar spotted Aspenleaf, questioning her softly. The silver she-cat murmured, eyes determined. "Sunflower went off somewhere. Have you seen her?" She couldn't help but remember the ShadowClan battle ... when he had attacked the queen while Whisperpaw and Fawnpaw were being born and Silverstar had slashed at him and drove him back. Old times. Simpler times really.

The she-cat raced through the forest after her clanmates, not waiting for Whisperpaw, him moving quite slowly compared to the other cats. His nose was still in the air, eyes closed, and paws moving slowly, yet unusually surely through the undergrowth.

---

Whisperpaw still had the same scent, but the wind created earlier was beginning to slow. Another flick of his tail carried the same one, still faint, but slightly easier to sniff. The tom followed it diligantly, leading to the RiverClan border.

OOC: Because of Lillyflower's travel scene and so one we had a little time skip. Sandfur knew some things before she joined, then Raintalon taught her everything and now she's a fine warrior. :D

Sandfur followed Whisperpaw and the rest of the party. The apprentice led the cats toward the Riverclan border. What would Sunflower want in Riverclan?, she thought. Has she been captured? By the scent in the air she was not wounded. It was a faint scent, but there was no blood mingled with it.

Branchpaw frowned as another gust of wind came up. Goodness, are we going to have wind and rain? Honestly. He glanced to the side and saw other cats. He recognized Silverstar immediately, he had to wait a while before the images of the other cats, and the cats names matched up in his mind. He pricked his ears as he saw who they were clearly. It was Whisperpaw and Sandfur and the others and them. Yeah... What were they doing here?

Branchpaw padded up to them slowly, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Mistpaw padded after the group,her silver pelt shining faintly with a flash of lightning. "Why don't we ask the loner that lives at the RiverClan border? He may have seen something."she mewed quietly,blue eyes flashing. She'd only ever heard of the loner in nursery stories,as The Mysterious Loner that lived on the ThunderClan and RiverClan border. But she'd wanted to talk with him ever since she'd first heard of him,and her curiousity showed in her bright gaze.

Fawnpaw sighed. "I hope she's okay, though...."

Aspenleaf shook his head. "No, Silverstar, I haven't. But," he remembered something. "she seemed real skittish near sundown yesterday. I recall her leaving right when it started getting dark..."

"The loner? Do you think we could trust him? I'm not that sure... Better follow our noses and eyes...", Sandfur mewed.

"I'm sure we could trust him. After all,what buisness would a loner have in Clan affairs as long as we leave him alone?"Raindapple mewed.

"Then we should try it out. Every hint could help." She looked over the faces of the party members.

A chuckle came from behind the group,and Raindapple whirled to see a huge black-and-white tom sitting in the tree behind them,his eyes shining and his long tail drooping from the branch. "Who are you?"she growled. "Who were you just talking about?"said the cat,a grin spreading out on his face.

Sanfur hissed and went into battle position. "What do you want and who are you? You are on Thunderclan land, get a move on!", she spat.

"Oh come now!" The loner's voice was as smooth as silk. "I am the Mysterious Loner,Danai. How may I help you?" He leaped down in a smooth movement,his muscles flexing powerfully under his blotched pelt. His green eyes flashed with intelligence,and he sat,curling his long tail around his paws.