★★ - wyrd

[ethium]

𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄
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a person often meets his destiny
on the road he took to avoid it
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𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐃𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐄

[ethium]

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STARS#2800 tryout form

Username: ethium
Cat Name: northpaw -> northstar
Gender: female
Rank: leader
Clan: yukonclan
Age: 45 moons
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[ethium]

───────────────────────── 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄 𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄
𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐄 ────────────────────────

the fates are never kind, a path to glory blazed across the stars, searing the
line between deity and cat. constellation and mourning, and wrapping
the world in darkness.

under the eternal full moon, during the first dark frost, northkit was
brought into the world, and with her, an age-old prophecy was fulfilled.

hidden in the hollows of an oak, sheltered from the bite of frost, and
the smoldering eyes of the forbidden one, the voice of fate foretold her
destiny.

when the eternal night has reigned for a dozen winters, and the spark of
light has faded from the world, the constellations shall bless a child
with the gifts of the stars themselves.

a jewel from the elk's crown.
a tooth from the bear.
a talon from the eagle.
a foot from the rabbit.
a claw from the wolf.
and the darkness of the moon itself.

from this darkness the evil has come, and by this
darkness the evil will be slain.

north never said she would obey it.

────────────── 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 ───────────────
──────────────────────────── 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓

[ethium]

─────────────── 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐈𝐏 𝐎𝐍 ──────────────
𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐀 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐋 ────────────────────────

The midnight moon flickered high above, and North's gaze caught on it. So full it seemed impossible to take in its grandeur.
A cold wind blew snow down the bank, swirling around her and solidifying the silence.

"Come, child." The order shattered the still moment, and Northpaw turned her gaze up, taking in her impatient and scowling mentor.

"We don't have all day."

There is no day, thanks to you. She bit back her retort, as she hesitantly followed Smolderingmoon's pawsteps. He led her up the snow bank and to the east, towards the bearclaws. She wondered what they were doing out here, especially since she should technically be in her nest sleeping. Even though it was hard to tell time now, the cats of yukonclan had done their best to maintain some semblance of a routine. But it wasn't like you could just tell your mentor, who also happened to be the leader, no, when he insists you join him on a midnight patrol.

He led her down, towards the base of the mountains. They were far from camp now, the stars menaced above. They might have been peaceful, once, if they didn't represent everything she sought to destroy. With this thought she let herself take in her mentor. Smolderingmoon had taken over Yukonclan many winters before she was born. Her mother had died under his uninterested watch, but for some reason, he had taken her on as his personal apprentice. She wondered if Smolderingmoon knew what the stars he so dearly coveted, had decreed when she was born. She was to be his destruction, and here she was tromping through the snows of a winter she had never seen the end of, with an enemy she had been born to end.

He paused at the mouth of a cave, waiting for Northpaw to settle beside him. "Go." He instructed, with a gleam she had never seen before in his eyes. Her throat felt dry, and any words of doubt were frightened away as she stared at the mouth of the dark abyss. "What? Afraid of the dark." He sounded gleeful, his golden eyes, set in dark pits like the night that had long swallowed the land. She turned to stare into them, letting him see her fear, but also her determination. Any joy he might have gotten from her anxiety was washed away, as he recoiled. Satisfied, Northpaw stepped into the dark, entering the cavern curiously. It seemed to be large and spacious but-

Her thoughts ceased as she yelped, her paw breaking the earth beneath her feet, and she stumbled backward away from an apparent edge. She huffed fur on end. As she turned, however, she found her mentor. He grinned down at her.

She felt the bite of claws and the lack of ground before her, Northpaw realized why he had been so secretive, realized that she had been duped in the worst way possible.

The last thing she saw was the half-moon grin of Smoldermoon, as she tumbled into the dark.

────────────── 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖 ───────────────
──────────────────────────── 𝐀𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐒

[ethium]

───────── 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐑𝐔𝐍 𝐒𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄 ────────────────
𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ────────────────────────

Her mind felt as if it had been struck by thunder, her mouth full of cotton. Northpaw cracked her eyes open straining for any light, but could see nothing. Was this death come to take her at last?

"Hello?" She called into the void, her voice hoarse. She had inhaled and swallowed too much dirt, it had ruined her throat. She coughed and staggered to her feet. Her vision was still gone. Had she gone blind or was it just this dark here?

"It is always this dark here." The void spoke back. Northpaw jumped whirling around in the direction she assumed the voice had come from. Had she said that aloud? Finally, her eyes caught on something in the dark, a furry, slinking form. Soft, milky gold eyes emerged from the gloom, similar to how she imagined sunlight might finally pierce the night she had been born under. "Who are you?" She croaked, fear cracking her voice. She should be stronger, but everything hurt, and she no longer had the energy to maintain a mask of certainty.

"Yellowcress." The cat murmured simply, voice soft and compliant. "Wh- What are you doing here.. Yellowcress?" The figure hummed, and she less saw but felt, him grow nearer. "I heard a commotion, I came to make sure everyone was alright. Are you alright?" Northpaw's voice wavered. "I'm fine." He hummed. This cat did not believe her, she did not blame him, she wasn't exactly convincing herself either.

"Your leg is broken." He stated simply, tipping his head.

"How do you know?"
"I can sense it. The bones are wrong, and you are not putting any pressure on it."

North shifted and realized that she wasn't putting any pressure on her left forepaw. The moment the paw was on the ground, she buckled over in agony. She felt Yellowcress at her side in an instant.

"I wouldn't do that again."
"Oh gee, thanks. I never would have thought-"

She hissed through gritted teeth but accepted his help setting herself upright. She sighed, shifting awkwardly. Northpaw was not one to accept the help of any kind. She had been on her own for as long as she could remember. Her mother had died shortly after she was born, lost to the frozen wastes of the Bearclaws, as she was exiled for breaking Smolderingmoon's rules. Northkit had been allowed to stay, but from then on she had been watched like an owl. She should have guessed it would only be a matter of time until Smoldering got rid of her. She was everything he had ever feared born again. The prophecy he had fought so hard to circumvent had finally come to pass with her birth.

She had been foolish to believe she had any allies in this fight. Asterpetal had probably told Smoldering all about their constellation chat. Northpaw grumbled to herself as Yellowcress slipped off into the dark in search of herbs and a splint. Her heart ached, Aster's betrayal was raw in her mind. Yellowcress returned and set her leg (amidst the pained yowling, because by the stars was this the worst pain she had ever had to deal with). Once her leg had been dealt with, Yellowcress had led her through the darkness, down tunnels, and deeper into the mountain, until eventually, they entered what she assumed was a den. Yellowcress settled her into a soft nest and then brought her a tumbleweed. He blew on it, and the inside of the ball ignited. Fireflies taking flight and rattling, flashing and providing a dim sense of light.

"This is all I have for now. I don't get visitors, and I know my way around well enough that I never need it." He murmured apologetically, settling himself on his haunches before her. Northpaw was finally able to get a good look at the friendly black feline, and she admired his sleek pelt, albeit slightly malnourished. He noticed her stare and grinned, goodnaturedly. His smile was so different from Smolderingmoon's. The difference was so stark she wondered how she ever thought Smolderingmoon's was friendly at all.

"I'm sorry for the trouble." She muttered softly, her ears flattening as she looked away, embarrassed. "It's no trouble, I mean, a tumble down that drop is nothing to sneeze at." She perked at this. "Is there a way back to the surface?" Yellowcress looked conflicted. "Perhaps, but I don't think you'll be able to ascend it until your leg is properly healed. You have to climb, and it's quite precarious." Northpaw considered this and considered the friendly tomcat before her. "I don't mind waiting," she murmured gently and relished his answering anxious fidget. He flushed but nodded. "Just until you're healed and can leave properly. It's awfully drab down here."

For the first time since her mother died, Northpaw smiled back. "Just until I'm healed."

────────────── 𝐈 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓 ───────────────
──────────────────────────── 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐋, 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐓 ───

[ethium]

───────── 𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃, 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄 ───────────────
𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃'𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 ────────────────────────

'Just until I'm healed' turned into just over three moons. Although she had been healed within half of the first moon, she had been too awkward and gangly, not to mention nervous, to tackle The Precipice. As Yellowcress called it. She spent her time with him and learned the caverns and caves like the back of her paw. She could now navigate it with her eyes closed, which was no longer necessary as her eyes had adjusted and she could now make out the rocks and nests of this strange underworld Yellowcress called home.

Just over a moon into their living situation, Yellowcress had decreed that she deserved a true name, and had insisted she decide upon a proper suffix. "I'm not a fully-fledged warrior yet, though. It would be wrong to take a suffix without the blessing of my-" The words shriveled up in her throat. Her mentor had shoved her into this hole. He would not give her any suffix at all, he'd be more liable to kill her.

"You deserve a true name, not some name given to you as a result of your rank in a clan you're not even a part of anymore." Northpaw flinched, rounding on Yellowcress with narrowed eyes, but she saw only admiration in his. It softened her immediately. "I am apart of Yukonclan." Yellowcress frowned. North considered that he now assumed she'd joined his little band here in the dark. She supposed that option was open to her. She could live here with Yellowcress, in the dark away from the destiny that had been thrust upon her shoulders.. away from the threat of death and destruction.. but did she really never want to see the stars again? Or the possibility of a sun finally rising on the horizon? Northpaw's breath faltered and she sighed.

"I don't want to stay down here forever.. Yellowcress. I can't. I have a higher purpose up there, but... I don't want to leave you either." When she finally gained the courage to look him in the eyes, she saw his hurt but watched as it was engulfed with a different emotion: love. It frightened and thrilled her all the same.

"Wind is flexible, it moves and drives all beings forward. It molds to the situation it had been put in and always rises higher, seeking more.
You will be Northwind. You are not of Yukonclan, but you are not of the dark either. You are higher than us all, and I have seen what your future holds. It is not here." Her eyes welled with tears and she rushed to nuzzle him. "But I hope my future still includes you." She felt his pulse leap, and he smiled down at her. "What would a star be without the moon to guide them? Where you go, Northwind, I will follow."

The pair ascended The Precipice together and after four moons of laying in the dark, Northwind emerged under the stars once more.

"Where will we go now? To your mentor?"
Northwind shook her head. "No, we will head south, to the Bear's Heart. I must speak with the stars, and receive the inheritance I have long put off." Yellowcress nodded, his eyes squinting as he took in the light for the first time in many, many moons.

"And then?"

"And then the fight will truly begin."

────────────── 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓 𝐎𝐅 ─────────────────────
──────────────────────────── 𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐍𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒, 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐇 ───