it's been a long time coming |enter:the prophet|

[pretzel]

The sun slowly rose over the horizon, chasing away the darkness of the night before. Clouds hung lightly in the sky, transluscent and white. The she-cat flicked her tail lightly in anticipation, amber eyes darting across the terra that lay before her.

It wouldn't be hard, finding the MarshClan cats' headquarters or camp or whatever name they had given their home. The ginger Prophetess glanced at her companion Sin, the tomcat steady at her side. Risa padded lightly into the territory, easily recognizing where she entered into the Clan's borders. "Keep alert, Sin," Risa mewed lightly, claws unsheathed and digging into the wet, marshy ground. "They wouldn't be in the wrong to attack us here; we're trespassing on their territory."

It didn't take the Daughter of the Moon long to pick up the trail of MarshClan's scent. She tracked the cats fairly easily through the territory, keeping pace with Sin Against Song.

It took her longer to find the entrance to the camp, as it was fairly well hidden. But once she did, she stood at its entrance, sending a quick prayer up to Queen Twill, the Prophetess known for her protection of those who came after her. Taking a deep breath, the Outcast cleared her mind if fear and trepidation, padding down into the camp, head and tail raised high. She was careful to keep her claws sheathed, as to not seem threatening to the Clan.

Risa glanced around the camp, noting the early morning activity and bustle. "Hello," she meowed, waiting for the Clan to react. "Who is in charge here?"

[Rebecca]

The sun shone down over the gray-stoned MarshClan camp, making the usually cool rocks warm and perfect for sunning. Hawkstar lay on a segement of this heated rock near High Ledge, the camp meeting place. His muscles were relaxed and his eyes were closed, but the great golden brown tabby was not asleep. No, he was merely "resting".
Hawkstar was recovering from the Gathering. Nothing had prepared him for PineClan's speech and Sparrowstar's compelte disreguard of it, and he felt that StarClan was compelling him to do something about since Birchstar obviously wasn't going to take action. The clouds had been his warning, his sign to act. StarClan had never led him down the wrong path before, so why shouldn't he have trusted them then?
However, most other cats had decided that it wasn't MarshClan buisness. Hawkstar scoffed at the notion.
Of course it was MarshClan's place; it was every cat's place. If a war broke out between PineClan and OakClan, it was quite obvious that the other two uninvolved Clans would need to do something. Hawkstar had merely been preparing for this war, he had unofficially chosen MarshClan's side early.

These thoughts ran wild in the leader's head until a new, forgein scent filled the Clan. He opened a dark blue eye: a trait he had inherited from his ginger-and-white pelted mother.
Ah, great. Two loners, rogues, whatever they were wanted an audience. Usually he wouldn't grant one, but they didn't seem hostile and he would rather get the Gathering off of his mind. Sitting up and giving his chest a quick lick, Hawkstar raised his voise over the other MarshClan cats.

"That would be me."

[kin]

Dawn clung to the sky, gilding the marshes through which Sin Against Song travelled with Risa, the prophetess whom he proudly followed. The cat-scents here were all foreign, and the gray tabby was hyperaware that any of the scents' owners would be in the right to attack them.

His claws were unsheathed, ears swivelling to meet every little sound. Sin's broad tail was held tall and stiff, thick muscles rigid with tension under his pelt. "Keep alert, Sin. They wouldn't be in the wrong to attack us here; we're trespassing on their territory." He nodded, padding closer to Risa.

The two padded through a hidden entrance and emerged into a bustling camp. It was filled with the scents Song had noted, and he sheathed his claws, stance becoming relaxed- but still alert. "Hello," Risa meowed, waiting for the Clan to react. "Who is in charge here?"

A brown tabby tom emerged, and spoke. Song's yellow eyes were locked on the tom, watching his every move. "That would be me."

[pretzel]

"That would be me.

Risa nodded. She glanced around at the cats gathered around Song and herself. She felt herself pull in against the tomcat; the gypsy wasn't used to being around so many cats at one time.

It took her a moment to realize that her trepidation could be viewed as uncertainty and fear. She mentally berated herself, moving away from Sin's broad side. She shook her dirty pelt lightly, straightening to look the leader in the eye. "I am Sunrisa, Prophetess, Wandering Gypsy, Daughter of the Moon. I am here to seek an audience with you and the other authorities of this Clan." She lowered her voice slightly, very aware of the other cats converging around the leader, Song and herself, their curiousities apparant. "I have a Prophecy for you. It concerns the future of your Clan."

[Rebecca]

Hawkstar's eyes narrowed. A prophet? A rogue prophet? He had never heard such madness! The medicine cats were prophets enough; Hawkstar didn't even know if this rogue was sent by StarClan or not.

"By which diety due you owe this prophecy?"
He meowed quickly, curious about her anwser. Most rogues didn't believe in StarClan. In fact, quite a few enjoyed to make it known how idiotic they thought the idea was. Hawkstar then promptly chased them off of MarshClan's territory with wounds as a special souvenir.

[pretzel]

"By which diety due you owe this prophecy?"

Risa gave a low chuckle, amber eyes boring into the tomcat's. "Don't you think I should learn your name first? Or is common courtesy wasted on the Children of the Stars?" Shaking her head, the Daughter of the Moon cleared her head, resolving to answer the leader's question.

"If you mean your foolish StarClan," the word was filled with contempt; it dropped from her jaws like yew berries, "then no, I do not bear a message from them." Glancing around, the ginger she-cat peered at the cats whom had gathered around herself and her tomcat companion. "May we speak in private? I assure you, it is of the utmost importance."

[Rebecca]

Hawkstar's eyes narrowed. Who did this Sunrisa think she was, insulting him in his own camp and on his own territory?
"Sunrisa understand that you are trespassing on my territory. It would be wise for you to hold your tongue and refrain from insulting me, my Clan, and StarClan."
Hawkstar snapped, taking a step forward.

"SACRILEGE! YOU HAVE SOILED THE NAME OF STARCLAN! FOR THAT YOU MUST PAYY!!"
"If you are not sent from StarClan then what demons do you descend from? The Children of the Stars I have not known or even cared for... why should they do that for me?"
The brown tabby growled, put off from the start.

"StarClan are my ancestors. StarClan looks after MarshClan. No one could receive a prophecy about MarshClan unless from StarClan."

[pretzel]

"If you are not sent from StarClan then what demons do you descend from? The Children of the Stars I have not known or even cared for... why should they do that for me?" Risa could see that the tom was angry; the emotion was apparent in both his voice and eyes. She had encountered cats like this one before, however. They just needed to be brought down to size. The Children of the Stars never took lightly to criticism.

"StarClan are my ancestors. StarClan looks after MarshClan. No one could receive a prophecy about MarshClan unless from StarClan."

Risa sat, curling her ringed tail around her muddy paws. "On the contrary, sir, the Kings and Queens of Old have shown me what is in store for your Clan. My father, Moon, has told me of the future. From the time of the Creation of Earth, the cats have always had one Prophet in their midst. We learn the future from the Kings and Queens, the ones who have already passed into the Great Void.

"As a Prophet, my Father, Moon, was a Prophet before me. He relays the new Prophecies to me now that he has entered the Great Void."

Risa gave a low sigh, idly licking a paw. "Please tell me you at least know how the Earth and its occupants came into existence?" It was a simple story, really, one that had been ingrained in her mind for her entire life. One that, in her mind, everyone knew. She usually didn't feel the need to explain herself and her past to other cats, but she felt that this instance deserved at least an explanation. The Prophecy she had received warned strongly of death and destruction, which she could not be responsible for.

[Rebecca]

It took a moment for Hawkstar to realize jsut how propsoterous all this Moon-Sun mumbo-jumbo really was. At first, he had beleived it to be just another rogue religion that the so-called "prophet" Risa had wanted to pass on to his Clan. Now, it seemed that she was wanting to enforce it.
MarshClan only believed in StarClan, the only diety that there was. There was no oblivion, "void", or abyss; there was Silverpelt, StarClan's home.

'On the contrary, sir, the Kings and Queens of Old have shown me what is in store for your Clan. My father, Moon, has told me of the future. From the time of the Creation of Earth, the cats have always had one Prophet in their midst. We learn the future from the Kings and Queens, the ones who have already passed into the Great Void. '
Hawkstar scoffed at the notion.
"But how can these things exist when there is only StarClan? As I told you before, there are no other dieties except for StarClan."

'Please tell me you at least know how the Earth and its occupants came into existence.'
"Of course. StarClan created it."
The large tabby meowed ever so matter-of-factly, not expecting any rebuff to his anwser. After all, how else could the world have been made?

[pretzel]

Glowering at the tom, the Prophetess moved towards the back of the camp, ginger tabby tail swinging through the air.

"Of course. StarClan created it."

Risa turned to narrow her eyes at the leader. "And how did StarClan come into existence? You claim they are your warrior ancestors, cats that have already passed, but what came before them? Did they inhabit the Earth then die and pass into 'Silverpelt' to guide the next generation? If they were alive, then how did they create the Earth?

"There are holes in your story, Great Leader. Holes that cannot be explained."

The she-cat sat, curling her tail around her paws as she began to speak again. "The Sky you see above you is the Great Void, where each Great Father was born from. They bore the creatures that inhabit the Earth now, the foxes, the birds, the mice, the pale-skins. Our Great Father was Skye. Each Father left one of their Children as a Prophet, to communicate with the rest of the world. And then the Fathers retreated into the Void once more, helping their children on Earth anyway they could.

"The first Prophet was Solaris; he led the cats through troubled times at the beginning. Skye would speak to him, tell him news of the future, warn him of what was to come. Solaris would tell the others the Prophecies, would give them the warnings. And once Solaris passed, his only son, Ara, became the new Prophet, continuing Solaris' teachings and ways.

"The line continued with the sons and daughters of the previous Prophet. Each new Prophet would only get the gift of Prophecy once their parent had passed into the Void. The Kings and Queens would speak with their children, giving them the Prophecies of the future. Only the new Prophet's parent and Skye would speak with them, but the other Kings and Queens would give them warnings and signs.

"My father, Moon, speaks with me, as does Skye on occasion. I have seen other Kings and Queens, but they are not allowed to speak with me."

[/b]

Risa paused, taking a breath before she continued. "You should heed my words, Hawkstar. They could mean the difference between life and death."[/b]

She turned her amber eyes on Hawkstar with an authority to challenge his own, one that could demand water from blood.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]