What Happened to HerrrrrruuummmbleThunder sounded in the distance but there was no sign of lightening. The temperature of the air still hung heavy with the humidity the preceded the pending storm. Sadly, it would never hit. Perhaps if it had, fate would have ended differently. Kinder.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A young mother, no older than six or eight moons, stumbled her way through the trees. Pain, sharp and raw, shot through her belly. She was heavily pregnant and was to raise her litter alone. Her mate, a rogue tom, had been captured by upwalkers and not seen since. She fled her comfy farm home. Tales came from the traveling cats who passed through of a band of cats far to the east. She had never asked questions about them, but now she knew where she had to go.
The she-cat's cream paw caught a loose tree root, causing her to fall. She cried out, the pain now too much to bare. She lay there in the leaf litter, shuddering and writhing in pain. A yowl forced it's way from her jaws. She was kitting, and after what seemed like seasons, she was curled around a tiny kit. Only one. A little tom. "
Don't worry my little son.. I will take care of you.. Nothing will ever happen to you.." she promised him quietly, licking the top of his tiny head. He looked so much like his father...
She was a good mother to the tiny tom. Treating him as though he were the only thing in the world that mattered. To her, he was. Never was he named, though, only ever referred to as "my son" or "my child". The kit was growing quickly and before she knew it he was moving around, and not long after that he was old enough to be taught.
Clouds hung heavy in the sky but showed no signs of breaking. She would go about with her plans for the day. He needed to learn. "
We're going to learn how to avoid foxes today, my son." she coughed. The she-cat had developed a terrible cough and was growing weaker as the days went by. The young kitten was worried about her, but not too worried. She told him she would always be there for her, and she was his mom! She'd never die. How naive he was..
"
Avoid foxes? I'll box their ears off! I'll make 'em run with their ugly tails tucked between their legs. They won't be able to get away from me fast enough!" he boasted, as all kits did.
She gave a hoarse chuckle. "
Of coarse you will, my precious child, of coarse you will. But let's say you can't fight this fox. You have to avoid it and hide." she meowed, voice weak and gruff, "
You'll need to either climb a tree... or hide in the roots. The best place... though, are brambles. Their sh-h-har-harp thorns will keep the foxes away."
He tipped his head at his mother's coughing as she spoke, but again shook it from his head. She'd be fine.
He followed her through the leaves, making as little sound as he could as he hopped after her. She dragged her tail and her paws stumbled occasionally, but she always straightened herself. The she-cat bounded over the stones that bridged across the river, her kit in her jaws. He was still much too little to make it across. She was now well-within another cats' territory. She watched them as they patrolled, knowing they wouldn't be this way for some time. There was no better place to teach him than their lands. Plenty of places to hide.
"
Where to now, Mama?" he mewed brightly, padding quickly behind her. He stepped on her tail tip, causing her to stumble some. She still did not fall. They were reaching a grove of pine trees. There was plenty of prey there, and the trees were easy to climb.
"
Be quiet, dear. I'm going to see if I cannot catch us something to eat."
Prey had begun to grow scarce where they were staying and to feed her now-weened kit she had to begin traveling further and further into the cats' territory. This was the furthest she had ever been.
Sinking her claws into the rough tree bark of a large pine, she began to pull herself up it. It was an agonizing climb, her claws and body aching and protesting with every move. She had to. For her son. Her balance was poor when she finally reached the first branch- a good car-length from the ground- and she wobbled madly. The heaving and tickling feeling of a cough began to come over her. "
No..! No! Hold on! Let- let me get down, first!" she pleaded silently, but before she could even finish her thoughts her lungs began to heave.
The coughing shook her body, shoving her from the branch. She plunged downward, tears streaming from her eyes. "
I'm so sorry, my son.. You were the best thing to ever happen to me.. I pray the spirits are kind to you, my most precious gift.." Those were her last thoughts before she hit the ground. There was no pain for her here. Darkness flooded her instantly, and she felt a weight lifted from her.
_________________________
She's Not so Bad_________________________
"
No! No! I won't leave her! I won't leave Mama!" he cried out as the golden-colored cat lifted him from his mother's still form. She was still warm, but the ground was quickly soaking it up. She would be cold soon. Tears rolled down the little tom's face as he stared at her. He finally fell silent, hanging limply in the she-cat's jaws. Tears silently rolled down his face, grief and loss numbing his body.
"
H-H-Honeywing..? Wh-what are w-w-we gonna d-do with- with the k-kit?" the stuttering, shaky voice of another cat- a tom- vaguely reached his ears. He could hear the cat holding him- a she-cat- speaking back, but none of it registered to his brain. All he wanted was his mother. She was sure to rise at any moment now and claw these cats' pelts for trying to take him from her.
"
Stonepath... We can't just leave the kit here. The code forbids it, and you know that" she meowed, "
We'll take him back to camp, have Coalpelt look him over. I'm sure a queen will take him in.. He's weened." Her voice held a slight uncertainty about it, just enough for the tom accompanying her to pick it up.
Stonepath's eyes widened, but he nodded "
A-a-all- all right." he stammered, "
A-a-a-an what of-.. what of th-the moth-mother?" He could tell that Honeywing wasn't going to give up the tiny tom, but he didn't press the matter.
"
Bring her back to camp. We will have a vigil for her and the elders can bury her tomorrow." she meowed, gaze focused on the grey tom. She had never had kits before, and she had to admit she was afraid. Afraid of failing. She would try her best to raise the little cat and treat him as though he were her own and he would be a magnificent warrior. She just hoped she could succeeded.
Honeywing watched as Stonepath lifted the tiny mother in his jaws. Even the small tom was able to carry her with no issue. It was sad, really. She was no older than an apprentice, and yet she had managed to keep this little kit alive and die a warrior's death- taking care of what meant the most to her. She hoped she could carry on where the she-cat left off.
The trudge back to camp was silent and solemn. Stonepath was constantly glancing at Honeywing, who never looked over at him. She certainly was a cat on a mission.
The little kit didn't listen to anything that was said. The words were merely a muffled drone in his ears when the she-cat finally set him down to speak. She spoke to many different cats, several of which seemed shocked. He didn't move the entire time. He simply stayed there in a limp, crumpled lump. When he was lifted back up and carried through camp, he caught sight of his mother. She was lifeless, and a strange cat was rubbing stuff in her fur. Tears began to pour once more. "
Mama..." he murmured out, tiny voice drenched in sorrow.
He was set gently in a nest of moss and feathers, much more cozy than the bare earth his mother and I used to bed on, but he didn't notice. He simply scooted away from the black-striped she-cat and curled up alone at the edge of the nest. This wasn't his life. This wasn't his mother. This would never be what he wanted.
"
Do- do you want to go say good-bye to your mother? You can stay there all night with her if you'd like.. I'll stay with you, too." the golden cat murmured quietly to him, trying to keep her voice tender. It was something she wasn't used to at all.
When he didn't reply, she lifted him in her jaws and carried him out of the nursery and to his mother. That was a dumb question of her to ask, and she realized it after she'd asked. Of coarse he would; it was his mother.
The kit nestled deep into his mother's short, thick coat, trying to find even a tiny bit of her scent. It was all gone. None was left. He curled up beside her cold form, burying his face in her fur. He wanted her back... He felt something touching his flank and he looked up in surprise. It was just the golden cat's tail. He lowered his gaze, feeling his last shred of hope die. His mother was never coming back.. Not ever. He knew that now.
As the days passed, he didn't speak except for when he was complaining or whining about something. Or when Honeywing spoke to him. The other kits tried to play with him, but he often swatted them away, biting one kit's tail in an instance. He was punished for that. That was something he wasn't used to. Punishment. Honeywing dealt it out with hesitation, but she knew she had to. She always curled up to him at night, and that reminded him of his mother. She confused him, really, and while he would never admit it, he was glad she was there at the end of the day. He buried his face into her fur, thinking of his mother. This cat would never be his mother. Ever, but he stood up for her. If another kit was talking bad about her, he'd feel the need to defend her, and that's what he'd do. Even Stonepath. The grey tom wasn't much for personality, but he seemed to care. Always bringing him and Honeywing prey or fresh moss...
The day Honeywing called him Buzzardkit, he thought she was talking to another kit, but none of the others responded.
"
Is.. Is that alright? If I call you Buzzardkit?" she meowed to him, her voice filled with uncertainty. She was looking for his approval of the name. The little cat seemed to think it over before giving a tiny shrug.
"
I don't care.." he murmured, looking away from her.
"
I want you to be happy with your name, kit, do you like it?" she mewed, worry pricking at her voice.
"
Yeah.. Sure. It's nice.." he mumbled, not really caring. His mother had never given him a name anyway.
"
Okay, well, come here, Buzzardkit. You've got a bit of moss stuck in your fur."

_____________________________________________
Personality_____________________________________________
Once a happy, naive and cheerful cat, Buzzardstorm has grown cold and distant. His mother died right before his eyes. The one cat he thought would live forever, be in his life forever, left him. He was found by a young DawnClan warrior, grieving over his mother. She took him back to the rest of the Clan and took him as her own, much to the dismay of her "complain-ion". Buzzardstorm never truly got over loosing his mother and never accepted Honeywing as his mother. He only ever saw her as a mentor. She did not have the touch his mother did, or her soothing voice. In a sense, he was a spoiled child. Wanting only his mother and pouting about it. The tom still is. His mother was all he had ever known, and her death scarred him. As did being cast into something completely unfamiliar.
He instantly shut down upon arriving to DawnClan. Never uttering much and always acting out violently against the other kits and anyone who dared speak to him. He has since grown out of that, but he is still a very prickly cat to be around. Sour and foreboding. Many say he's worse than the battle-hungry Dunestorm, and in truth he is. He is not battle hungry and he does not want to do anything for the cats who took him in. He is ungrateful to them, but yet he remains. Hunting and fighting for them. Deep down, he does care about the Clan, and he is loyal to them. He simply refuses to admit that to himself. His grief blinds him and he is unable to get over his mother's death.
___________________________________________________
Art___________________________________________________
by -Willowby -Willow________________________________________________
Etcetera________________________________________________
I CareCrash Crash
Boom Boom
Flash
Like the breaking of a storm
That hardens our hearts
Impossible as it may seem
We all still care in the end
For the ones we love
For the ones who care
- - -
The First DayThe small cat grunted as he scrambled behind his mentor. He was terrified of his mentor to tell the truth. She was demanding and somewhat militant. Almost as bad as Foxfoot or some of the other grumpy cats. She took everything seriously, and that was all to add to how hideous and deformed she was. This was Buzzardpaw's first day as an apprentice and he hated that Mudstar named Two-face as his mentor. The she-cat was small and frail-looking, and he just could not get over her two faces. They were constantly giving making him feel weirded out.
"
Could we... slow down?!" he panted, forcing himself to speed up. His legs burned and his limbs felt like jelly. So far, this was awful.
"
No- maybe you should speed up, Buzzardpaw." she grunted, flicking her short, bristly tail.
He snorted quietly, earning a growl from her. He was her first apprentice, and she was no happier about it than he was. Honeywing would be a force to be reckoned with should he be hurt. Not to mention he was a prickly as her coat. "
We're nearing the boarder we share with twoleg place," she meowed, "
you may be able to see a kittypet if any of them are brave enough to be out in this muck." Her voice dropped to a grumble when it came to talking about the wet conditions. It had been raining the last three days and patrols had been coming back soaked and the apprentice ceremonies had been delayed.
"
A.. kittypet?" he inquired, voice letting off that he didn't know what she'd meant by that. He believed that all cats lived in the forest. In Clans or alone. And what were twolegs? He blinked his rust-colored eyes up at her.
Two-face rolled her eyes. This kit knew nothing. "
A kittypet is a cat that lives a soft, comfy life with twolegs. Twolegs are awful things that are constantly making noise on the other side of that fence. And they smell terrible." she meowed, wrinkling her nose at the thought. She could tell he was taking it all in, though, and that was pleasing. "
Come on. I'll take you closer." she meowed, "
But stay behind me."
It was clear to the tom that she was serious and he knew he couldn't win a fight with her. Buzzardpaw simply nodded, nearing the grotesque cat and remaining behind her. The ground was far more saturated by the fence. It was tall and wooden and creaked in the wind. Claw marks marred the wood and he could tell that cats came here often. He watched as Two-face marked the fence, taking note of the location. A thump above him jolted him from his thoughts and he spun around, looking up. His claws were unsheathed and he wore a growl. A brown cat with a bright, pink thing around her neck stood up there, fur bristled.
"
Eeewww! You nasty, dirty cats are back!" she hissed, unable to tell the difference between the Clan cats. They were all the same to her. Save for Two-face, who was clearly one to take note of. "
And what is wrong with your face?!" she yowled, staring down at the blue she-cat in horror.
"
What? If you don't like it, go back inside to your comfy, pampered, twoleg-loving life and you won't have to look at it." Two-face growled at her, fur bristling. This cat was a nuisance and had given many patrols troubles.
"
You're right. My life is comfy and pampers, and perfect, unlike yours. You life is filthy and dirty and you have to get all nasty just to eat or sleep! It's gross! Just like you." the kittypet complained, peering down her nose at them.
Buzzardpaw getting tired of her attitude. She was insulting him, and Honeywing. He growled, lunging at the fence hopes of dislodging her. No such luck, but it did take her by surprise. This was told by the way she jolted and hissed. The apprentice looked up at the brown cat, his front paws on the fence.
"
You shut up, you stinky, smelly, awful, ugly kittypet!" he yelled, "
You don't know anything! You're just a dumb, stupid cat and no one likes you!" His insults needed work, but they seemed to do for this cat.
She scoffed, looking down at him in shock. "
Well..! I never..!!" she humphed, turning around and flicking her tail. With that, she made her way back along the top of the fence and hopped down onto a window ledge, pawing the window to be let in.
Two-face looked at him in surprise, but smiled a little and nodded her approvement. "
Looks like we won't have to worry about you becoming a kittypet." she mused, seeming to loosen up at this point.
Buzzardpaw simply snorted, tail lashing and fur still bristled. "
Let's just get going..." he grumbled. He wouldn't admit it, but that was pretty fun! He liked harassing and insulting that cat.