[ `` groveclan !! ] [ archives - dnp ]

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 12 (♀: 7 / ♂: 5)
servings consumed; 3 servings
next moonpool visit; 28/07 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
The rest of the patrol seemed to pass uneventfully, but tensions remained high between the three cats. The prospect of badgers wandering into their territory wasn't particularly one any of them wanted to think about. They began to make their way back to camp, a solemn mood having fallen over them. Maplefall's paws dragged at the back of the group, Flintburr at the head with his longer legs. Badgerstar paused, allowing himself to fall in to step with the calico.
"We'll be okay," he mewed gently, "everything's going to be alright, you'll see. Probably the badger is just finding somewhere in the forest to sleep, and we won't even see them or have any trouble with them."
"I'd hope not." Immediately, all three heads swung around to see a fluffy gray tom with a flat face staring back at them. At his feet where two younger cats, presumably the kits of the tom who was addressing them. "A fire drove us out of our home. I was hoping this place would be as good as any to start over, somewhere safe for my kits." At the wary looks the other cats were giving him, the tom sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm Dustfang," he said, "this is Boulderkit and Burrkit. Though, they should be apprentices in about a moon."
"It's nice to meet you," said Maplefall, "we're just a bit on edge right now."
"I can see that," he said, "what's going on?"
"We've scented a badger further into the territory than we're comfortable with," Flintburr rumbled, drawing the gray tom's attention to him. "It's probably nothing, but a lot of our warriors are young and inexperienced, and it could be a worry if we're attacked. Especially if there are young apprentices around." His gaze was fixed firmly on Boulderpaw, a pang of pain in his heart. The fluffy black tom looked almost identical to his own daughter, Sootkit, who he hadn't seen since Obsidianclan had disbanded. He hoped she was alright, wherever she was.
"Badgers are easy enough to deal with," Dustfang said, "consider yourself another experienced warrior up. That is, if you'll have me." Badgerstar chuckled, glancing at his companions with amusement.
"I don't think we're in any position to turn away help right now. Welcome to Groveclan, you three."

★★★

"Dustfang?" Lionheart's jaw dropped in incredulity as she stared at the tom who materialized out of the tunnel. Training with Flowerpaw forgotten, she hissed as the pale ginger swatted her on the nose, not having realized her mentor's preoccupation. "Sorry!" Flowerpaw squeaked, but Lionheart just shook her head, moving away from the young cat and toward the flat-faced tom. Her tail kinked up over her back as she got closer, and his eyes lit up as he saw her too.
"Well I'll be," he laughed, "Lionheart, from MoorClan! We were all wondering what happened to you poor souls before our own clan burned down." Lionheart's face fell, and she stepped forward to touch her nose to his forehead. The rest of the clan looked on in apparent shock at them recognizing each other; evidently their Clans had been neighbours once upon a moon. The ginger molly caught sight of the two smaller cats next to Dustfang, and smiled a little.
"These must be your kits," she mewed, "Tanglestep finally had them then?"
"Shortly after MoorClan disbanded, yes," Dustfang said, "this is Boulderkit and Burrkit. Will they be lucky enough to have you as a mentor in this clan then, Lionheart? I remember very distinctly a certain young apprentice gushing about your training at one of the gatherings." Lionheart's pelt grew hot and she laughed lightly, shaking her head.
"No no," she said, "Poppypaw exaggerated, I really wasn't that wonderfu-"
"Yes you are!" Flowerpaw exploded. "Sorry! I'm Lionheart's new apprentice, Flowerpaw, and she's so wonderful! I was super scared of her at first because she's so grumpy but she's taught me so much and she's very kind and patient! She knows so much and I don't think I'll ever know as much as her and--- mff!" The clan exploded into laughter as Lionheart slapped her tail over Flowerpaw's mouth, her head ducked in embarrassment at the praise. Even so, a small smile appeared on her maw, pleased to see that her apprentice thought well of her.
The moment was short-lived, as suddenly Acornstream, Shadowtail and Hawkthorn burst into camp.
"Badger!" Shadowtail yowled. Maplefall, Flintburr and Badgerstar could all feel their stomachs drop, and they exchanged a look with each other, before Lionheart was calling everyone to action;
"Maplefall! Take Boulderkit and Burrkit to the medicine den and tell Goldleaf to prepare for injuries. Dustfang, Flintburr, frame me! Flowerpaw, left flank with Shadowtail, Acornstream and Hawkthorn right flank! Badgerstar, lance!" Everyone scrambled into positions, trying to remember which each one was, unwilling to upset Lionheart at a time like this. Everyone needed to pull their own weight, or it would be a disaster. The badger burst through the tunnel after the cats, only to be faced by a semi-circle of angry warriors with pelts fluffed up and lips curled back.
Lionheart lunged forward, prompting the badger to swing at her. She nimbly leaped out of the way, drawing the attention away for Flintburr to ram into the badger from the left side. The attention of the creature swung toward him, and Lionheart nicked it's cheek, drawing the attention back. The flanking teams snuck up from behind it, careful to avoid being stepped on as the badger backed away from the battery by the three experienced warriors. Unsure of what to do, Badgerstar did his best to dart in and hit the badger where he could, but he felt he was mostly just getting underfoot.
They backed the creature toward the entrance of camp, but it continued to get more and more frustrated at being forced away from it's enemies. It swiped, claws coming for Lionheart with a startling speed. "No!" Badgerstar yowled, throwing himself at her and knocking her out of the way. There was searing pain as claws raked down his side. He hit the mossy ground with a thud and a soft groan, already able to feel the blood trickling from his side.
"Badgerstar!" he heard Maplefall yowl, and the sound of paw-steps thudding toward him was so loud. He felt her nose touch his cheek, nuzzling him lightly. "I'm right here, you're going to be okay." He managed to nod a bit, and shot her a reassuring smile, not wanting her to worry about him. The voices fading might have been because of the blood loss, or because his clan was actually pushing the badger out. Either way, he couldn't tell. His eyes slipped closed, and he felt night wash over him.
"Am I dead?" he asked. Dovestar, beside him, laughed. Around them, the stars twinkled. She shook her head.
"No, Badgerstar, simply losing a life. I gave you nine to defend your clan, and this is the first time you have used one." Badgerstar just nodded, taking in this information. He could die nine times. And he would gladly do it again, defending Lionheart like that if it came down to it. He would defend his clan with his life, it occurred to him suddenly. They were his everything, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for them.
"So I just wake up soon, then?" He asked. He received no reply, and he whirled, to find the night empty. "I guess that answers that question then." Suddenly, he felt like he was falling, rushing back to earth with such a speed that he would surely lose another life. He squeezed his eyes shut, but just as he hit the ground, his eyes flew open, and he found himself in the medicine cat den surrounded by the paws of Lionheart, Goldleaf and Maplefall.
"- stopped the bleeding before he lost more than one life," Goldleaf was saying, "so he should be coming around soon. Ironic that it was to a badger though I mean, really? Starclan must be getting bored these days."
"Oh," Badgerstar groaned, watching the three she-cats jolt, "that makes sense. That makes a lot of sense." They sat in stunned silence for a few moments, before Lionheart's pelt bristled, and the reprimand began;
"You scare us all like that and that's what you say?! We thought you were dead! We were worried that the bleeding would be too much and you'd lose all nine lives and you come back to and you say 'that makes sense'! Honestly Badgerstar, when you're feeling better we're going to need to have a serious talk about sensitivity, and another thing!--" Lionheart's voice fell on deaf ears as Badgerstar began to smile. It hit him with a sudden clarity, watching Lionheart rant and Goldleaf sit there in amusement and Maplefall's weary relief; they were his family. For the first time in forever, he had a family. And he didn't intend on leaving them any time soon.
𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
One moon since the badger attack, Badgerstar crawled out of his den and onto the high branch, shaking out his fur. The weather was sunny and the flooding has mostly gone down, much to the happiness of everyone. The sun shone overhead and the birds sang, which bode well for the hunting patrol later today. The scars on his side had almost healed too, leaving just a small patch of fur in parallel lines where it would never grow back. He thought the scars made him look rugged. Maplefall agreed.
"All cats gather under the high branch!" Badgerstar yowled, watching cats emerge from various dens. Pride swelled as it always did when he watched them gather under his command. Once it had been just Lionheart and himself, but they grew in numbers every moon and they grew closer as a unit along with it. He was practically bouncing with excitement at what he was about to announce, waiting until he was sure every cat was underneath the branch.
"Today," he declared, "we are welcoming two new apprentices into our ranks. Boulderkit, please step forward." The black tom stepped out of the crowd, tail raised high. "Boulderkit, you are now six moons old and you are ready to become an apprentice. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Boulderpaw. Your mentor is going to be..." he paused, for dramatic effect, "Maplefall. I hope she passes down everything she knows to you. Maplefall, you have proven yourself to be selfless and kind-hearted. You will be the mentor of Boulderpaw, and I know you will teach him well." He watched as a gleeful Maplefall stepped forward to touch noses with Boulderpaw.
"Burrkit, step forward!" He called, "you are also six moons, and until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Burrpaw. Your mentor will be Flintburr. I know he will pass down all his knowledge to you. Flintburr, you have proven yourself to be staunch and wise, and to know a thing or two about grooming tangles out of long fur." A ripple of laughter spread around the clan, and Flintburr shook his head in amusement. "May you teach Burrpaw well. Let us welcome them to the clan."
Around the apprentices and their new mentors, cheers went up from their clan members, welcoming them by chanting their new names over and over again. Badgerstar was confident he'd made a good decision with the mentors, and he knew that the apprentices would thrive under the advice of Flintburr and Maplefall, two of his most trusted warriors. He watched the clan for a bit, before clearing his throat again. All eyes turned to him.
"For patrols today," he mewed, "I will be patrolling the borders with Dustfang and Shadowtail. Hawkthorn and Acornstream are to go hunting. Enjoy your days." He dipped his head to them, his eyes falling to Goldleaf sitting at the base of the tree. He climbed down, landing in front of her with a graceful thud, ears pricked forward to listen to what she had to say. Goldleaf waited until the other cats had passed them, before she spoke:
"I think you should choose a deputy soon," she mewed, "our clan is only growing, and soon it will be too much responsibility to take on by yourself." Badgerstar's gaze drifted across the camp to where Flintburr, Maplefall and Lionheart had gathered with their apprentices. Flintburr said something that made Maplefall laugh, and Lionheart shake her head in amusement. A fond smile crossed his face, and he nodded to Goldleaf.
"I know," he said, "and I already have the perfect cat in mind. I'm going to travel to the Moonpool after the gathering to let Dovestar know of my decision, but I don't see any way Starclan could not approve of the cat that I've chosen." Goldleaf gave him a quizzical look, but Badgerstar continued; "I do hope our clan continues to grow. After the badger attack, I've been worried about defending ourselves. That was just one badger, and I lost a life. We almost lost Lionheart. We need more warriors to be able to defend this clan better."
"I understand," Goldleaf mewed, nudging him slightly, "perhaps you'll find some on patrol, but you're going to miss it if you don't hurry along." Badgerstar nodded rapidly, getting to his feet.
"Okay, Goldleaf!" He mewed cheerily, "I'll see you later! Be safe!"
Goldleaf watched him go, shaking her head, before she too got to her paws and left the camp, wandering into the forest to look for some more herbs. She'd had to put building up her stock on hold when Badgerstar had been injured, seeking out specific herbs instead to make sure that he healed properly. But, now that he was fine, she could focus on rebuilding her stocks. And if the way some of the cats in the clan looked at each other was anything to go by, she was anticipating she might need some kitting herbs relatively soon.

★★★

"Keep up, slowpoke!" Acornstream laughed, nimbly leaping on top of an old, rotten log. Her tail kinked over her back as the sun shone down, illuminating her beautiful brown pelt. Hawkthorn thought she looked rather ethereal, but he shook his head at her nonetheless, leaping up onto the log beside her with a mock-pout. He huffed, somewhat indignantly.
"I'm not slow," he said, "you're just unnaturally fast." Acornstream laughed some more, prompting the shy tom to laugh with her. It was moments like this, just the two of them, alone, where he felt comfortable to be himself. He was happy to let Shadowtail speak for him when she was around, as she had always been the more headstrong and decisive of the two, but Acornstream brought out his playful streak and challenged him to decide who he wanted to be known as. The brown molly purred teasingly at him, and he playfully swiped some moss at her, earning a soft squeal.
"Hey! I just groomed myself," she huffed, and Hawkthorn laughed, before yowling lightly as she swatted some moss back at him.
"I feel like a kit again," he laughed, shaking out his short fur and smiling fondly at her as she delicately used her paw to remove a clump of dirt from the center of her forehead. She couldn't quite dislodge the last speck, so Hawkthorn stepped forward. "Here," he said gently, leaning in to lightly groom it out. He pulled back to inspect his work, to find Acornstream staring at him. Their eyes met for a brief second, before they darted away again, both of them hot under the pelt.
"Uh," Hawkthorn coughed, "we should get to hunting."
"Yeah," Acornstream said, "hunting." They shared another quick look, and a shy smile, before they both leaped off the log, padding through the forest together in search of prey with their pelts brushing at the shoulders in a comfortable closeness.

★★★

"So, Lionheart," Maplefall mewed, curling her tail over her paws, "what are you and Flowerpaw up to today?" The she-cat was nervous about having an apprentice: she was still young and still new to the warrior code, and she didn't want to let Badgerstar down. She hoped that Lionheart would be willing to help nudge her on the right path. She couldn't help but sag in relief when she saw the recognition in Lionheart's eyes. The ginger she-cat dipped her head in acknowledgement.
"I'm taking Flowerpaw swimming today," she replied, "I think it's an important skill for her to learn. New-leaf is almost over but if the territory floods worse than it did this new-leaf, then I want her to be able to handle herself in the water. Especially if she's going to go anywhere near that river." Maplefall nodded, thinking this over, but it was Flintburr who beat her to the punch.
"That's a great plan," he said, "do you mind if we tag along? It might be good for Boulderpaw and Burrpaw to have an older apprentice to help them get the hang of it." Lionheart looked to Flowerpaw with a questioning gaze. Over the past few moons she'd gotten a lot more confident in herself, and she was pleased to see her nod her head 'yes' to Flintburr's suggestion. "Great," he purred, "then it's settled. Let's get going."

[ badgerstar lost one life to a badger attack
goldenleaf used x1 marigold on badgerstar to heal him
-
badgerstar, dustfang and shadowtail patrol for new cats
hawkthorn and acornstream go hunting
flintburr, maplefall and lionheart take their apprentices to learn swimming
goldleaf gathers herbs [any priority]
the clan consumed two mice and a vole ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 22 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★

Deputy:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 44 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
lionheart | 43 moons | ♀ | 🌷
flintburr | 58 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 18 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 32 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 32 moons | ♂ | 🌷
acornstream | 32 moons | ♀ | 🌷
dustfang | 37 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
flowerpaw | 9 moons | ♀ | 🌷
boulderpaw | 6 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrpaw | 6 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Queens:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Kits:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Elders:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

ally clans;
crescentclan | chasing the moon
echoclan | Katrione

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | Clan Name | Username
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [1] | greencough
chervil [1] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [1] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x0 | 0 servings
rabbit | x2 | 4 servings
bird | x2 | 6 servings
fish | x2 | 4 servings
squirrel | x2 | 4 servings
capacity: 18 servings (6 posts)





mentors;
lionheart | flowerpaw [3]
↪ hunting, battle, swimming, skill
maplefall | boulderpaw [1]
↪ swimming, skill, skill, skill
flintburr | burrpaw [1]
↪ swimming, skill, skill, skill
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr and silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
unknown and unknown
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang and tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
name and name
↪ kit names

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 13 (♀: 7 / ♂: 6)
servings consumed; 3 servings
next moonpool visit; 13/08 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
"How are you two settling in?" Badgerstar asked as they wandered along the still-damp ground. Dustfang and Shadowtail exchanged a glance, as if asking who was going to answer the question first. Dustfang simply shrugged, and Shadowtail's tail lifted excitedly, eager to answer her leader in what she assumed to be a satisfactory manner.
"I'm loving it here," she announced, "and I know Hawkthorn feels the same way. We've made good friends with Acornstream, since she's our age and she lost her old clan too. The other cats are so lovely. Flintburr and Lionheart might be grumpy, but they're very sweet once you get to know them, and of course Maplefall is just the most wonderful little she-cat there is! I've never met anyone more enthusiastic and sweet than she is." Shadowtail concluded.
"High praise, coming from you," Dustfang teased, and all three cats laughed.
"What about you, Dustfang?" Badgerstar asked when he finally stopped giggling. "You're the newer addition. Is Groveclan a good home to you so far? Is there anything I can do to make it better?"
"Groveclan is fine," Dustfang assured him, "it's still a bit odd to not have a deputy, and have the leader wandering about with us, but that's not such an issue. I like that you build personal relationships with your clan cats. Everyone seems to like you, and to trust you, and I know for a fact that's not the case in other clans, where the leader can seem far removed from the others if they're not careful. I don't think you'll have that problem though."
Badgerstar ducked his head bashfully as the flat-faced tom smiled at him, and Shadowtail lightly bumped his shoulder. They continued onward through the territory, chatting idly about the gathering and the cats that Badgerstar was thinking of taking with him. Both Shadowtail and Dustfang agreed to stay behind in camp for this one. The brown tabby was saying something about definitely going to the next one, whether he liked it or not, when a rustling behind them made them all snap around.
Shadowtail's fur bristled, instantly, and Dustfang's ears flattened. Badgerstar looked at them curiously, before scenting the air. It didn't smell like another badger to him, or anything dangerous. In fact, he scented another cat. Not a Groveclan cat, for sure, but a cat. He peered closer to the underbrush, and startled a bit when he saw striking green eyes staring back at him. They were much brighter than his own dull green, and he leaped back. Slowly, the cat emerged from the bush.
He was massive; easily taller than Lionheart with the same athletic muscle, not stocky like Flintburr and Badgerstar were. He towered over the three of them, and Badgerstar would have been intimidated, if not for the sad and slightly nervous look in the striking green eyes, and the matted fur on the tom. It was evident he'd been travelling, and he didn't mean any harm.
"Hi," he said, "I'm Badgerstar of Groveclan. Who are you?" There was a hesitant pause, before the cat finally replied;
"Ashenstrike," after saying the name, he seemed to become more confident, "formerly of Petalclan. We were raided by two-legs, and they took too many of our cats for us to continue. Those who were left ran. I was lucky to escape. Groveclan is a long, long way away from there." He cleared his throat, awkwardly. "Are you looking for new warriors?"
"Always," Badgerstar purred, "this is Dustfang and Shadowtail. Their clans also disbanded, and they've now found a home with us in Groveclan. I'll take you back to the camp. You two continue along the border! And if you see Goldleaf- tell her that going to the Moonpool will have to wait a moon!"

★★★

Badgerstar happily trotted alongside Ashenstrike, having to hurry to keep up with the long strides of the grey tom. He was a handsome one, that was for sure, and Badgerstar was sure when his fur wasn't matted to his scrawny frame, he'd be quite regal looking. The green-eyed cat caught the black tom staring at him, but Badgerstar didn't look away. Ashenstrike ducked his head shyly under the scrutiny of the young leader.
"What?" He asked, finally.
"Oh!" Badgerstar said, jolting, as if he hadn't realized he'd been staring. "I was just thinking. You'd look like one of my warriors, Lionheart, if you were groomed. She's about as tall as you are, and has the silky fur too. She's very regal looking, very handsome." He said, nodding his head solemnly. Ashenstrike laughed, and Badgerstar started again, not expecting such a jovial sound from the seemingly nervous cat.
"You're quite young, aren't you?" He asked, clearly amused. Badgerstar simply nodded. "Well, you seem to be doing well for such a young leader. Your cats haven't attempted a coup yet, so I suppose that shows you know what you're doing."
"I'm trying hard," Badgerstar admitted, "when I first came here, I didn't know anything of Starclan, or the warrior code, but Dovestar and Lionheart have been teaching me the code for many moons now, and guiding me on my path. I'm still new to this, but I think I'm getting the hang of it, slowly but surely."
"And you don't have a deputy? Sorry, I heard you and Dustfang talking about it."
"Not yet," Badgerstar said, with a knowing smile, "but I have the perfect cat in mind."

★★★

"Am I doing it right?" Flowerpaw whined, spitting water out of her mouth as Lionheart laughed, the movement shaking her damo shoulders. Flintburr snorted and nudged her, as if to say not to be so mean to her apprentice. "Easy for you, Lionheart!" She sulked, "you're much older than I am. And you know how to do this." The light ginger molly was bedraggled after her swim, but not so badly as Burrpaw and Boulderpaw, still clumsily playing in the shallows with Maplefall while Flintburr supervised from the shore.
"You're doing fine," Lionheart assured her, "you just have to learn to breathe through your nose, and keep your chin tilted up so when the waves lap at you, it won't get into your mouth. Come on, we'll try together." She nudged Flowerpaw with her nose, and the two of them waded back into the water, until it got too deep for them to stand. Lionheart pushed off strongly, gliding through the water with ease. Flowerpaw followed, a little bit clumsier, but following her mentor's example, she quickly began to get the form right. She beamed at Lionheart as they paddled back toward the shallows, and then onto shore, where Lionheart shook herself out like a dog, ginger fur standing up.
"I did it!" Flowerpaw mewed excitedly, bouncing around her mentor, "did you see me? I did it!"
"You sure did," Lionheart purred, touching her nose to Flowerpaw's forehead, "I'm proud of you. But, they say the best way to learn something is to teach it, so why don't we go and help Maplefall and Flintburr teach Boulderpaw and Burrpaw? I'm sure they'd appreciate some guidance from an older apprentice." Flowerpaw glanced at Lionheart, then at the younger apprentices warily. Lionheart chuckled lightly, and nudged her forward. "You know what to do. I believe in you. Now, go."
Flowerpaw cast one more unsure glance their way, before she smiled back at Lionheart and nodded. The ginger molly watched her apprentice bound toward the younger ones, kicking up spray that made Maplefall squeal. She and Flintburr watched the young calico swat water back at them, before charging out into the depths of the water, forcing the three apprentices to swim after her. Lionheart smiled, watching them play. Groveclan was finally starting to feel like a true clan.
𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
Badgerstar was gone when the clan woke up.
It was odd; the camp seemed so quiet without him. Last night, he and Lionheart had worked out the patrols, since he'd decided to get an early start on travelling to the Moonpool so he would be back before nightfall. The heightened smell of dogs in the territory made everyone worried. It was too dangerous to travel alone at night. Slowly, warriors began to emerge from their dens, and rouse their sleepy apprentices. Lionheart and Goldleaf sat together near the base of the tree.
"You look concerned," Lionheart mewed to her friend, who shrugged lightly.
"It's greenleaf," she replied, "and we don't have any kits. I'm going to need more kitting herbs, especially if most of our kitting is going to be done in leafbare. Leaffall is also not an optimal time for kitting, but I suppose you can't help that." The warrior gave a bright laugh, seemingly amused by the medicine cat's speech.
"Why are you so worried about kits? I didn't think Groveclan was anywhere near that."
"Then you haven't been paying attention. Look." She jostled the taller molly's shoulder, and the pair glanced toward where Acornstream and Hawkthorn sat together, sharing food from the fresh kill pile. Hawkthorn said something, and Acornstream laughed and ducked her head away shyly, before slowly glancing back up to meet his eyes. The pair exchanged a knowing look, before Lionheart laughed again, nodding.
"Okay, I see what you mean. Good luck with that." She stood, shook out her fur, and called across the camp. "Okay, listen up! Badgerstar wanted Dustfang, Hawkthorn and Ashenstrike to patrol. Acornstream, Shadowtail- you're with Flowerpaw and I. Let's get a move on." She padded away from Goldleaf as the cats in her patrol converged on her. Shadowtail and Flowerpaw were equally excitable, as per usual, while Acornstream was more subdued.
The she-cats padded one way out of the camp, and the toms in the other direction. The hunting party made for the lake, enjoying the sun shining down through the canopy. Shadowtail in particular purred, shaking out her short pelt and streaming along in front of the group with a laugh. Acornstream smiled, before bounding after her. Lionheart watched the pair of them go, with a slight chuckle, before casting her attention to Flowerpaw.
"Excited?"
"Yes!" She mewed, "I love going on patrol. I'm soooo glad that we don't have to train today. Not that training is bad or anything! I just like when I get a break. And I get to show you that I've been practicing my hunting skills!" Lionheart laughed at her fumbling, waving her tail dismissively to let the younger she-cat know she hadn't offended her.
"Well, I've always been a firm believer in practical experience. Let's see what you've got."
While Lionheart and her apprentice hunted on one side of the lake, nearer the forest, Acornstream and Shadowtail padded around the other side, where it was better for fishing. The brown molly trailed her tabby friend, heart leaping about in her chest over what she was about to ask her. The pair crouched at the edge of the water, and Acornstream watched her friend carefully, before she cleared her throat to get Shadowtail's attention.
"Hey, Shadowtail?" She mewed, "do you think that Hawkthorn... likes me?" Shadowtail stared at her in incredulity, before she burst into laughter, flopping onto the ground and covering her face with her paws in absolute glee. "Hey!" She mewed, feeling herself get hot under the pelt in embarrassment, "it was a serious question!"
"I know," the tabby wheezed, "I just think it's funny you don't know the answer. I don't think Hawkthorn likes you. I know he does! Me, and everyone else in the clan. The only one who doesn't think it's as clear as the water in the Moonpool is you!" Acornstream stared at her friend in bewilderment, before she ducked her head with a shy grin.
"That's... wonderful," she said, "I've been really hoping he liked me back-- and that he would ask me to be his mate, but he hasn't made any indication of that yet." She frowned lightly.
"Why don't you ask him?" Shadowtail suggested. "Look, Hawkthorn is shy. You make him bold, but not bold enough to completely reform him. I'm still his sister at the end of the day, and I know that he'll still be nervous about you rejecting him, even if you tell him a million times that you like him." She rolled her eyes a little, and Acornstream laughed at the truth of it. Hawkthorn's shyness was one of the many endearing things about him.
"Okay then," she mewed, "I'll ask him when we get back to camp. Thanks, Shadowtail."
"Just call me cupid." Acornstream splashed water at her, and they both laughed.

★★★

"Do you guys think that Acornstream likes me?" Hawkthorn mewed, looking between the two older toms on the border patrol. Both of the grey tabbies stopped in their tracks, and slowly swiveled to look at him. Ashenstrike's jaw dropped open in amusement, while Dustfang squinted at him critically. Hawkthorn felt his skin prickle under their gaze, and he squirmed.
"Is that a serious question?" Dustfang asked finally, and Hawkthorn drooped.
"I knew it. I knew it was all in my head. Why would she eve--"
"Dude, dude, no," Ashenstrike was laughing now, "what he means is how haven't you seen it? Everyone knows. Maplefall and I have a bet about when you guys are going to make it official. By the way, if it happens within the next moon, she owes me the juiciest, fattest squirrel in the forest." Dustfang snorted. Since Ashenstrike had turned up, the tom with the striking green eyes had proved himself to be humourous and good-natured, more extroverted and confident now that he wasn't a stranger. Hawkthorn beamed with happiness at his words.
"Really? You think she likes me that much?"
"We know it," Dustfang agreed, "Acornstream would probably denounce Starclan if you asked her to. She's as infatuated with you as you are with her. You might as well act on it. The she-cats like it when you take initiative." Ashenstrike snorted in amusement, playfully bumping shoulders with the more serious tom.
"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you," Dustfang opened his mouth for a snarky reply, before Ashenstrike perked up, "oh, speak of the she-devil. Look who it is!" All three toms emerged from the forest to the lake-side, where Acornstream and Shadowtail sat on the other side. Ashenstrike gave the fond-looking Hawkthorn a gentle smile, before nudging him. "Go talk to her," he said, "Dustfang and I will be fine without you. You can catch up later."
"Good luck," Dustfang said with a chuckle, before he and Ashenstrike turned and padded back into the forest. Hawkthorn took a deep breath, before bounding around the edge of the lake, past Lionheart and Flowerpaw, to approach Acornstream. As he got near, the two she-cats looked up, and Shadowtail gave Acornstream a knowing look. She stood, and shook out her fur, before stretching in the sun.
"Morning Hawkthorn," she said, "I'm going to go see if Lionheart and Flowerpaw need any help." She bounded away, leaving Hawkthorn and Acornstream staring at each other in giddy silence. Finally, the tension became too much, and Hawkthorn began to blurt out;
"Can I ta-"
"-lk to you" Acornstream said at the same time. They blinked at each other, before dissolving into giggles. Hawkthorn inclined his head toward the forest on their side of the lake, and they slipped out of view of the other she-cats, walking a comfortable distance into the shadows, before Acornstream sat and curled her tail around her paws. She opened her mouth to say something, ready to take the leap, but Hawkthorn cut her off.
"Acornstream," he mewed, "there's something I need to tell you. I've wanted to say it for a long time, but I've been so shy, and nervous about how it could go, but I talked to Ashenstrike and Dustfang and I think I'm ready. Acornstream I-"
"I like you too!" She exploded, before beaming shyly at Hawkthorn, as his own grin intensified. His tail lifted, kinked over his back, and he walked closer to her as she stood, and came closer to him. He was shaking a little, but he continued;
"You have no idea how happy that makes me," he whispered, before clearing his throat, "Acornstream, will you be my mate?" The brown molly nodded, before stepping in closer and rubbing her head under his chin, twining around him as a rumbling purr escaped the tabby, happiness radiating off of him in waves so thick you could cut it with your claws.
"Of course I will," she mewed. They looked at each other with a gentle smile, before Hawkthorn leaned in, and touched his nose to hers.

★★★

"Burrpaw," Flintburr said with his usual patient voice, "you need to stop worrying about what's getting caught in your tail, and start worrying about the noise it's making. You'll scare off all your prey." His gentle chiding seemed to work, as Burrpaw's tail stilled, and she crouched next to her brother, demonstrating their technique. Beside him, Maplefall tilted her head analytically, her small nose wrinkling. Flintburr gave her an amused look.
"Something the matter, Maplefall?" He asked.
"I'm just thinking about Badgerstar," she sighed, "and who he's going to choose as deputy. I know that's why he's going to the Moonpool really. Who do you think he'll pick?"
"Me, obviously," Flintburr's deadpan reply made Maplefall wrinkle her nose even more, and jostle him with her shoulder. Flintburr let out an amused rumble, watching his friend fondly. "Look, Maplefall, don't worry about him, okay? Badgerstar was fine the last time he went to the Moonpool, and he'll be fine this time t-- no, Burrpaw! You'll break all the bones in the creature if you leap on it that hard, and you'll bruise the flesh. Like this--"
Maplefall watched in amusement as the black tom got up, stalking toward the apprentices to properly demonstrate the hunting crouch. As soon as he settled into the ground, she yowled; "Now! Get him!" Gleefully, she watched the surprised look on Flintburr's maw as the apprentices yowled battle cries and lept onto him, tackling him to the ground.
"Got him!" Boulderpaw declared triumphantly.
"No, I got him!" Burrpaw responded, standing on his foot. They both squeaked as they were flipped, one of Flintburr's large paws resting on each of their chests.
"No," he said evenly, "I've got both of you."
Laughter filled the forest as Flintburr let the apprentices up, this time calling Maplefall over to help him demonstrate the crouch to take all their minds off of Badgerstar's absence, and the frailty of their clan without a deputy to take over while he was gone.

★★★

The rocks of the cave in the Moonpool were cool under Badgerstar's pads. It was hot outside, even in the early morning, and he was glad to finally be able to stop walking. He let out a sigh that echoed around the cave, as he came to rest near the small pool in the cave, listening to the gentle sound of it lapping against the rock. He stretched out, and allowed himself a moment to cool down, before he leaned down and touched his nose to the water.
He felt like he was rushing through space, before he burst into a starry expanse, glittering dots framing the white she-cat he'd become so accustomed to seeing on these visits. In his dream, he padded toward Dovestar, and dipped his head in greeting. She dipped hers back, before seating herself and wrapping her tail around her paws. Badgerstar sat across from her, excited to see the only cat he knew as his kin again. Even if she was dead. Technicalities.
"You're here early," she mewed.
"I have a lot to talk about," Badgerstar replied, "I think we're going to be getting some kits soon. Everyone in the clan is buzzing about Hawkthorn and Acornstream. I'm worried we don't have the capacity for kits at the moment. Goldleaf's herb storage is subpar, and without anyone to help her, it's going to be a long road to building it up." He sighed, his ears flattening a bit, before he shook his head, nose wrinkling. "But that's... not a problem. If anything, I can gather herbs for her. I came here to ask if Starclan would send us another warrior."
"Another warrior? Whatever for!" Dovestar sounded puzzled. "Your clan has many warriors already."
"Not many," he replied, "whenever I go to the gatherings, I'm reminded of how small we are. We need to make sure our ranks improve and that's easier to do with adult cats than it is to do with kits or apprentices. And besides, I need one to fill the empty space by the cat I've chosen to promote to deputy." Dovestar looked intrigued.
"So you finally picked one," she mewed.
"It wasn't a hard decision," Badgerstar mewed, "I ask Starclan to witness my decision to appoint Lionheart as deputy of Groveclan. She is the cat who taught me how to lead. She is brave, decisive and loyal, and everything that Groveclan would need if anything were to ever happen to me. I am certain there is no better choice for deputy of this clan than Lionheart." Dovestar smiled at him, and purred her approval as she nodded.
"I speak for all of your ancestors in Starclan when I say we approve of this choice. We have no doubts that Lionheart will be a wonderful deputy, and you will continue to lead with integrity and honour. It has been good to see you again, Badgerstar." She stood and touched her nose to his forehead, before his soul rushed back down to earth, and his eyes snapped open. He sat up with a soft groan. Happiness swelled inside him. He was glad that Dovestar approved of his choice. He looked up toward the exit of the Moonpool with a soft smile.
"Time to be getting home," he said to himself, getting to his feet, and wincing at his tender pads, "sorry, boys. We have a bit of a way to go before you can rest."

★★★

"Looks like there was a significant amount of matchmaking done today," Ashenstrike said, sidling up alongside Lionheart as they basked in the afternoon sun, back at camp. Hawkthorn and Acornstream sat out in the open, curled closely together, sharing tongues. "It's about time too," he added, "we were wondering when it would happen."
"I didn't see it coming," Lionheart replied, giving Ashenstrike a puzzled glance. She and the grey tom were still strangers to one another, although she had caught him staring at her a few times. She assumed that it was because Badgerstar had been raving about her (again) and he wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Even still, she had to admit the striking green eyes that everyone else was raving about? Absolutely true of him.
"Well then," he said with a playful laugh, "you're not the all-observant one we thought you were." Lionheart snorted, and rolled her eyes at him.
"Crushes and mates and kits aren't really my business," she replied, "I've been there once, and it wasn't the life for me. Now my purpose is to be dedicated to this clan. I got a second chance, just as everyone else here did, and I intend to use it to be the best warrior that Groveclan has ever seen." Ashenstrike did a double-take at her, blinking in bewilderment.
"You have kits?" He asked, almost incredulously. "Not that you don't seem like the mothering type! It's just... I've never seen any kits around that look like they could be yours. For a while, I thought maybe Flowerpaw, but she looks more like Goldleaf's, doesn't she?"
"I had kits," Lionheart replied with a nod, "before I came here. None of them made it past their first moon."
"Oh," Ashenstrike said, "I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Know? No one here does. No one here has asked. Speaking of which, you seem oddly concerned about kits in this clan." Ashenstrike ducked his head with an embarrassed chuckle, looking away from her. He was quiet for a second, before he turned to her with a small, wry smile.
"This clan is big on second chances, huh?"
"We are indeed," she nodded, "for a lot of us, when we lose our clan, we feel like it's the end. Groveclan proves there's a second chance at living. Whatever happened to me in Moorclan is not who I am anymore. I'm Lionheart of Groveclan now, and she is different to the cat that lived back then. Just like Ashenstrike of Petalclan is no more."
"That he isn't," Ashenstrike replied, with a soft nod, and a laugh, "so how about giving Ashenstrike of Groveclan a second chance? He promises no more weird personal questions about kits." Lionheart pretended to think about this for a bit, before she simply shrugged, and gave him a slight smile.
"I suppose that can be arranged. Although, I get the feeling that matchmaking isn't quite over yet. We still have one project to complete," her gaze turned to Maplefall, where she was sitting with Flintburr. Their conversation carried on the wind: Maplefall was asking him about his kits, and if he planned to go visit Tempestclan soon, to see if they could broker an alliance so that it would be easier for him to visit his son.
"Maplefall?" Ashenstrike asked, sounding puzzled. "With who?" Now it was Lionheart's turn to do a double take.
"With Badgerstar!" She replied, watching Ashenstrike's confusion grow. She stood, with a sigh, and Ashenstrike started as she swatted his nose with her tail, casting a sly glance over her shoulder at him. "Now who's the all-observant one, hm?" She asked, and Ashenstrike laughed as she padded away to sit with the other two warriors who'd been with Groveclan from the beginning.

[ badgerstar visits the moonpool & asks for a warrior
acornstream, shadowtail, lionheart and flowerpaw hunt near the lake
dustfang, hawkthorn and ashenstrike patrol the borders
flintburr and maplefall train their apprentices in hunting
acornstream and hawkthorn become mates!
goldleaf gathers herbs [kitting herb priorities]
the clan consumes three voles ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 23 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★

Deputy:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 45 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
lionheart | 44 moons | ♀ | 🌷
flintburr | 59 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 19 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 33 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 33 moons | ♂ | 🌷
acornstream | 33 moons | ♀ | 🌷
dustfang | 38 moons | ♂ | 🌷
ashenstrike | 44 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
flowerpaw | 10 moons | ♀ | 🌷
boulderpaw | 7 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrpaw | 7 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Queens:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Kits:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Elders:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

ally clans;
crescentclan | chasing the moon
echoclan | Katrione

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | Clan Name | Username
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [1] | greencough
chervil [1] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [1] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
poppy seeds [1] | pain
cobwebs [1] | bleeding
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x0 | 0 servings
rabbit | x2 | 4 servings
bird | x2 | 6 servings
fish | x2 | 4 servings
squirrel | x3 | 6 servings
capacity: 20 servings (6 posts)





mentors;
lionheart | flowerpaw [3]
↪ hunting, battle, swimming, skill
maplefall | boulderpaw [2]
↪ swimming, hunting, skill, skill
flintburr | burrpaw [2]
↪ swimming, hunting, skill, skill
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr ♡ silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
unknown ♥ unknown
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang ♡ tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
hawkthorn ♥ acornstream
↪ none [expecting]
name and name
↪ kit names

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 14 (♀: 7 / ♂: 7)
servings consumed; 4 servings
next moonpool visit; 13/08 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
Badgerstar wearily dragged himself back into camp in the afternoon sun, stretching himself out as he breezed through the tunnel. He was glad to be home, feeling himself purr a little at being on familiar ground. The sound caught the attention of the cats in his clan, an excited yowl going up as they began to flock toward him. Maplefall reached him first, twining around him happily as he touched noses with Lionheart, and rubbed cheeks with Flintburr, laughing as he was crowded by the rest of his clan.
"Glad you're back safely," Flintburr rumbled, with a smile.
"You've missed a lot," Maplefall added, and the cats looked at each other, before laughing at the truth of it. Maplefall was right: a lot had happened in just a few hours. All eyes fell on Hawkthorn and Acornstream, where they stood shoulder to shoulder. Badgerstar's eyes widened in understanding, and his tail raised happily as Acornstream purred at him, and nuzzled her mates shoulder. Everyone laughed at Badgerstar's excitement. Dustfang stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"We found a cat on patrol," he said, before turning, and nodding to a shape in the shadows. A burly young tom emerged, looking somewhat sheepish. "This is Rock. He told us he's been watching our clan for a while now, and he wants to join." Badgerstar smiled at him amicably, before nodding to Dustfang.
"Well, I have a ceremony to hold anyway. Starclan approved my choice of deputy." The clan murmured excitedly, backing away from their leader so that he could climb to the high branch, seating himself on the thick plane and looking over the clan. "I say these words before Starclan," he said, boldly, "and I know that our ancestors have approved my choice. The new deputy- the first deputy of Groveclan will be Lionheart."
"Yes!" Maplefall yowled, bounding over to Lionheart and weaving around her happily. The ginger she-cat looked pleased, albeit a tad embarrassed, swatting Maplefall away playfully and leaning down to accept a cheek-touch from her apprentice.
"Lionheart has been with me from the very beginning," Badgerstar continued, "and she has taught me everything I know about being a leader and about the warrior code. Groveclan would not be the clan it is today without her, and I know if anything were to happen to me, Lionheart would lead you as well as I would have. She is a cat I trust implicitly, and her stalwart loyalty earns her this position. Welcome her as your new deputy."
"Lionheart!" The cheer went up around the clan, before Badgerstar held up his tail. "We also have a new warrior among us. Rock, step forward." The new cat stepped into the center of camp, squaring his shoulders. "From this day forward, you will be known as Stonepatch, warrior of Groveclan. Welcome." The clan cheered his name, and Badgerstar leaped down from his perch to officially congratulate his deputy. Lionheart purred as he rubbed his head under her chin.
"It's an honour," she said, happiness dancing in her eyes.
"You were the obvious choice," he replied, "there's no cat I'd rather have as my deputy, not in the whole wide world."
"That's a lot of space," she replied, but Badgerstar just snorted.
"Maybe so, but I still mean it. Anyway, I'm going to go and talk to Acornstream and Hawkthorn! Do you think kits are in Groveclan's future? Our first litter! Oh! I'm so excited." His tail waved wildly as he touched his nose to her cheek, and bounded off in the direction of the happy couple, where they were talking to Shadowtail.
"Don't ask them that!" Lionheart called after him, shaking her head in amusement. A shape beside her startled her, and she turned to see Ashenstrike appearing in the last rays of the sun to sit beside her, curling his fluffy tail over his paws. She gave him an amused look, cocking her head to the side as she watched him carefully. He smiled back at her.
"So, deputy, huh? You're moving up in the world."
"It's an honour, and I'll do the best I can." She replied, rolling her eyes at his teasing. Ashenstrike laughed, a jovial sound of merriment that made Lionheart flush under the pelt. It really was a nice laugh.
"Please," he purred, "I've only been here a moon and I can already see clear as day that you were already acting in the role of deputy long since you were appointed. You're the only cat that makes sense to be deputy, except for maybe Flintburr, considering he's probably the oldest here." They both glanced toward the large black tom, where he'd joined Acornstream and Hawkthorn's throng of congratulators.
"Well, maybe," she said, with an embarrassed chuckle, "but, still. Now that it's official, I can't let Badgerstar or the clan down. Why did you approach me about it, are you jealous?"
"No," Ashenstrike replied simply, mischief dancing in his eyes, "I just happen to like powerful mollies."
"Oh," she hummed, "well, I'll keep that completely useless information in mind."
"Useless!" He said, feigning hurt. Lionheart laughed, and stood, glancing over her shoulder at him once before she padded over to the new mates to pay her own congratulations. He watched her go with a fond smile on his face. Ever since he'd arrived, there had been something alluring about the ginger molly, and he felt that her rough teasing was progress: at least she was willing to joke around with him.
The sun set to merriment in Groveclan, in the cool summer night.
𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
"Record time," Maplefall hissed to a giggling Ashenstrike as the pair watched Hawkthorn bolt from the warrior's den and immediately into the nursery. Every day for the past week this had been the tom's regular pattern. Of course, he had a reason, as he was checking up on Acornstream, who had finally been persuaded to move to the nursery once Goldleaf picked up on her pregnancy. Naturally, the clan was over the moon with the news, but that didn't stop the warriors from teasing him about it relentlessly.
"Are you two making fun of Hawkthorn again?" Came a voice from behind them, and the pair jumped. Lionheart shook her head with a slight laugh. "Ashenstrike, I swear. You act like you're Maplefall's age. Lay off Hawkthorn, he's going to be a father soon. It's good that he cares about his mate so much that he's practically fused to her." Lionheart's joking tone startled the pair of them, before all three burst into giggles. Lionheart's ears pricked as she spotted Goldleaf exiting the den. She excused herself and bounded over.
"How's Acornstream?"
"She's fine," Goldleaf replied, "I had to get out of there. If I heard Hawkthorn call her one more pet name I think I would have been sick." The medicine cat huffed as Lionheart snorted. "It's great that they're in love, it would just be wonderful if they could be less nauseous about it. But... I am excited to see kits in the clan. And it'll be a relief if she can kit before Leafbare. She's a strong she-cat, but it's still much safer for her to kit now, or at least during Leaf-fall."
"I share your concern," Lionheart agreed, "the timing is... not perfect, but I'm happy for them. It's nice to see love in the clan. Hopefully we'll see some more of it around soon." She turned to smile back at Maplefall, still giggling away to Ashenstrike, who had been joined by Shadowtail and Flowerpaw. Goldleaf followed her gaze, and purred in amusement.
"Ashenstrike, huh?"
"What-- no! Maplefall. I was talking about Maplefall and Badgerstar! Why would you think I was talking about Ashenstrike?" She turned to her friend with a perplexed look, watching Goldleaf's face fall into flat disappointment. The pale coloured molly sighed and rolled her eyes at the bright ginger, nodding her head at the group of cats. Ashenstrike looked up, curiosity in his green eyes before he shook his head and turned back to Maplefall.
"Clear as day, that tom has been mooning over you since the day he got here. I cannot believe you haven't been picking up on him flirting with you. He's so obvious about it anyone with eyes could see i--" she cut herself off, giving Lionheart a sad look, "I can tell by the look on your face you couldn't see it. Oh, honey. You really are blind to these things aren't you?"
"Bite your tongue!" Lionheart flushed a little, ducking her head. "It doesn't matter, anyway. He can moon all he wants, but if he wants me to be his mate, then he better learn how to court a molly-- properly."

★★★

"I can't believe Greenleaf is almost over!" Badgerstar complained, looking up at the sky. "It seems like just yesterday Newleaf was over and-- Starclan! That means that Groveclan is nearly a full season-change old! Whoa, I did not think about it like that. Leafbare is a terrible time for celebrations, but we should still do something, what do you guys think?" He turned to glance expectantly at the two gray and white toms, wandering along behind him. He sighed, at the lack of an answer.
"I just can't believe you still patrol with us," Dustfang finally said.
"Well, we don't have a very big clan yet. And besides! I like to build relationships with my warriors. How are you settling in, Stonepatch? I feel like we haven't had much of a chance to talk just yet." He glanced expectantly at the burly tom, who blinked at him, and then shrugged lightly, with a sheepish smile. In the moon since he'd been in the clan, Badgerstar had hardly heard the tom talk once. He let out a little sigh, which prompted the other to reply:
"I still feel a bit awkward. I'm new and I don't really know anyone. Maplefall's nice though." He added, almost as an afterthought. Dustfang chuckled, and Badgerstar sighed wistfully at the thought of the calico molly. He missed their patrols together when it had just been the two of them, Flintburr and Lionheart out bonding over senior warrior stuff... or something.
"Yeah, she is."
"It's a universal constant," Dustfang said, amused, "if cats stop thinking Maplefall is nice, I think the world will collapse in on itself." Stonepatch smiled in amusement, trotting along behind the two older cats. He was still getting used to the territory, but he liked the company of the quiet grey tom, and the friendliness of the fluffy black leader. Dustfang cleared his throat after a little bit and eyed Badgerstar with a somewhat smug amusement. "So, when are you and Maplefall going to make it official?"
"What? Us?" Badgerstar snorted, waving his tail dismissively, "no no, it's not like that. Maplefall and I are just friends."

★★★

"We're just friends," Maplefall complained to Flintburr as they watched their apprentices play-fight together. "I really like him but I don't think he likes me the same way. He's always talking about what a good friend I am, and how much our friendship means to him and I mean... I don't know how Acornstream and Hawkthorn did it! It's so hard to make him see that I'm interested in him like they're interested in each other!"
"Maybe he just doesn't realize you're an option," Flintburr suggested, "good work Burrpaw, but try to keep your tail out, it'll give you more balance so Boulderpaw won't be able to knock you around so easily." He watched the apprentices for a bit, before his attention returned to Maplefall. "Badgerstar can be... oblivious at the best of times, we know this. Maybe he just hasn't considered that liking you in a romantic way is an option because he's never had a crush before? Just be patient with him, I'm sure he'll come around eventually."
"Starclan," Maplefall groaned, "I wish Lionheart would just shake some sense into him. Waiting is so hard."
Flintburr simply laughed.

★★★

"So, just one moon to go until your warrior assessment," Lionheart prompted, watching Flowerpaw nimbly scramble up the tree after her, looking proud of herself, "you must be excited. You'll be the first apprentice to be appointed a warrior name in the history of Groveclan. That must be a little daunting."
"Just like you're the first deputy," Flowerpaw replied, "but yes, I am excited. I'll miss being your apprentice though. You've taught me so much. And I think your temper has rubbed off on me, I didn't even apologize to Burrpaw and Boulderpaw after I told them off for stepping on my tail this morning. I think it's a real development."
"Good for you," Lionheart laughed, lifting her head to look out over the forest with a wistful sigh, "the view up here is so beautiful. It's so... different from where I grew up."
"Do you ever miss it?" Flowerpaw asked gently, suddenly aware of how little she actually knew about Lionheart, despite having spent practically every day with her since she'd joined the clan. All she knew was that Lionheart was from a different clan before Groveclan, she was scary when she was angry and she knew what she was doing. Aside from that, the entire history of her mentor was a blank mystery to her.
"Sometimes," Lionheart said with a nod, "it's hard to miss it when you know it doesn't exist anymore though. Sometimes the fields remind me of the moors, but... it's not completely the same. Not with all the trees around at least. But... I wouldn't change how things ended up for the entire world. Groveclan is my home now, and this is my new family."
"So... what you're saying is you're not really qualified to teach me how to climb a tree?" Flowerpaw asked, glancing down at the floor of the forest. Lionheart laughed.
"No, I really am not."

★★★

"Come on," Hawkthorn huffed, shouldering his sister and swatting at Ashenstrike, both warriors leaping out of the way as they continued their giggle fit. "You guys are scaring away all the prey with your laughing! Besides, it's not a bad thing that I love Acornstream and I want to make sure she's okay. I mean, she's having our kits! And it's not like I can really help her with that so I just need to let her know that I'm there for her, that I love her, and that I will love our kits just as much."
"I can't wait to be an aunt," Shadowtail sighed, dramatically, "and tell them all about how lovey-dovey and goo-goo-eyed their parents were for each other. I'm sure they'll share my sentiment: blech." She beamed, ignoring Hawkthorn's pouty glare.
"Come on man," Ashenstrike laughed, "we're just teasing. It's cute that you're so devoted to her."
"We're going into Leaf-fall. What if she doesn't kit before Leafbare? Goldleaf is worried about the kit's chances if that happens and she says there's a possibility that Acornstream might get sick, because she'll be weak. I don't want that to happen. I'm just worried I guess. It's really stressful, being a father. Why did our dad never tell us that?" He directed his question toward Shadowtail who simply shrugged, before bounding over to him and wrapping around him carefully.
"Hey, don't sweat," she said gently, "we're all here for you. The entirety of Groveclan will be behind you, supporting you and Acornstream and the kits. We're not going to let anything happen to them. Swear it, on Starclan." Hawkthorn smiled faintly, glancing between Ashenstrike and his sister, looking a lot less worried.
"You really mean that?"
"Of course we do," Ashenstrike replied, "now come on. We've got some prey to catch-- or Lionheart will have our ears."

[ badgerstar, dustfang and stonepatch patrol the borders
hawkthorn, shadowtail and ashenstrike go hunting near the lake
lionheart teaches flowerpaw the climbing skill
flintburr and maplefall teach their apprentices the battle skill
goldleaf hunts for herbs [kitting priority]
the clan consumes 2 rabbits ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 24 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★✰

Deputy:
lionheart | 45 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 46 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
flintburr | 60 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 20 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 34 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 34 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dustfang | 39 moons | ♂ | 🌷
ashenstrike | 45 moons | ♂ | 🌷
stonepatch | 21 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
flowerpaw | 11 moons | ♀ | 🌷
boulderpaw | 8 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrpaw | 8 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Queens:
acornstream | 34 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Kits:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Elders:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

ally clans;
crescentclan | chasing the moon
echoclan | Katrione

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | Clan Name | Username
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [1] | greencough
chervil [1] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [1] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
poppy seeds [1] | pain
cobwebs [1] | bleeding
fennel [1] | pain
raspberry leaves [1] | kitting
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x1 | 1 servings
rabbit | x0 | 2 servings
bird | x2 | 6 servings
fish | x4 | 8 servings
squirrel | x3 | 6 servings
capacity: 22 servings (5 posts)





mentors;
lionheart | flowerpaw [4]
↪ hunting, battle, swimming, climbing
maplefall | boulderpaw [3]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, skill
flintburr | burrpaw [3]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, skill
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr ♡ silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
unknown ♥ unknown
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang ♡ tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
hawkthorn ♥ acornstream
↪ expecting [ two posts ]
name and name
↪ kit names

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 16 (♀: 8 / ♂: 8)
servings consumed; 4 servings
next moonpool visit; 13/08 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
Badgerstar came tearing into camp first, followed closely by Dustfang, with Stonepatch lumbering along at the rear. From the mouths of the first two toms dangled two mewling kits, weak and scrawny. The panic in Badgerstar's eyes was discernible as he spotted Goldleaf carrying herbs across the camp, and dashed toward her with an urgency in his step. The ginger molly swung from his mouth like a pendulum, her tabby brother less jostled by Dustfang's practiced care.
"Goldleaf!" The tom yowled, voice muffled by kit scruff. The she-cat startled, before ushering the two into the medicine cat den, where she instructed them to place the kits down together. Instantly, the weak kittens crawled for each other.
"Badgerstar, get out of here," Goldleaf said gruffly, "go and see Acornstream about taking care of the kits once I've got their strength up. Dustfang, get me something from the fresh-kill pile. Something soft, mind you, these kits won't be able to eat tough things just yet." Both toms nodded, before dashing from the den, leaving the she-cat to examine the kits carefully, turning them over with gentle paws to make sure neither were injured.
"What's the verdict?" Asked Dustfang, placing a mouse near the nest for Goldleaf to slice up with her claws, pushing it toward the smaller cats gently, before turning to check her stores. He watched the fluid movement of the fluffy she-cat. Lionheart seemed to hold her in high esteem, and Dustfang liked her spitfire spirit.
"They'll be fine," Goldleaf mewed, "they're just hungry and weak from travel. I think I have some herbs for that around here anyway, and after a meal they'll feel a lot better. A shame about their mother, though."
"Indeed," Dustfang rumbled in agreement, "it was hard on Boulderpaw and Burrpaw losing their mother, but I don't think these kits are old enough to fully comprehend." He curled his tail over his paws, before the corners of his flat mouth twitched upward in amusement. Goldleaf gave him a semi-withering look, her head cocking to the side.
"What's that for?"
"Nothing, just the kits. They look like they could be Ashenstrike and Lionheart's." Goldleaf's stare was flat and unamused, and Dustfang couldn't help a chuckle. She was even grumpier than he was, and even grumpier than he remembered Lionheart to be!
"Lionheart says you're a good cat, but you're as gossipy as the rest," she grumbled.
"Oh please, don't act like you haven't seen it, and aren't just waiting for it to happen like the rest of us," Dustfang snorted, "besides, knowing Lionheart, it's not like their kits are in the near future. I wonder if they're possible at all, considering Lionheart's condition and all that." Goldleaf looked startled, slowly placing down the herbs she'd been holding in her mouth. She shot Dustfang a puzzled expression, wondering what 'condition' he was referring to, and why her friend hadn't told her about it herself.
"Oh, you don't know," the flat-faced tom cleared his throat in embarrassment, "forget I said anything, then. She'll have her reasons for not telling you yet, and a time and a place to tell you, I'm sure of it." His attention wandered back to the kits. "So, what do you think their names are?"

★★★

"Well of course, Badgerstar," Acornstream laughed, "Hawkthorn and I would be happy to take them on as our own. They're old enough that it'd be viable for me to have had them before I have this litter. These kits will be none the wiser." She smiled at her pregnant belly, and Badgerstar purred with amusement, forgetting the kits in the medicine den for a moment.
"Have you thought of any names? I personally think you should call one Badgerkit," he joked, making the brown queen laugh as she batted at him with her paw. The molly hadn't had a lot to do with the black tom, but his excitable nature made him easy to get along with. Acornstream enjoyed the energy he brought to the den whenever he came to visit her and Hawkthorn, seemingly more invested in the birth of their kits than she was herself.
"Well, it depends on what they look like," Acornstream replied finally, "but we were thinking of making them bird-themed. Or naming them after trees you could find in the grove. Flowerpaw suggested naming them after flowers." Badgerstar's nose wrinkled as he thought back, before asking;
"Let me guess, Magnoliakit?"
"A mouthful," Acornstream confirmed with another chuckle, perking up as Hawkthorn ducked into the den, "oh, love! Badgerstar has some wonderful news to share with you." She purred as the brown tabby stepped closer to nuzzle her, before curling around his mate and glancing up at his leader with a curious expression. Badgerstar seemed almost bursting with excitement to tell the other tom what he'd just told Acornstream.
"We found some orphaned kits on patrol today," he started, "and although the death of their mother is very tragic, Goldleaf wanted me to ask if you and Acornstream would take them in and care for them as if they were your own kits." Hawkthorn's mouth dropped open in surprise, glancing curiously at his mate who simply nodded enthusiastically. The prospect of being a father sooner seemed to appeal to him.
"Of course, Badgerstar. We'd be happy to care for.... erm, what are their names?"
𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
"Dawnkit! Duskkit! Come back to the nursery!" Acornstream lumbered from the nursery, swollen belly hindering her movement as she hissed her displeasure. Nimbly, her mate bounded ahead, snatching up their foster daughter by her scruff and used his body as a blockade to stop her brother from escaping. Dawnkit let out an annoyed groan, wiggling in Hawkthorn's mouth as he ushered them back toward his mother.
"But we wanna say goodbye to Flowerpaw before she goes on her warrior assessment!" Duskkit complained as his mother used her paw to scoop him closer, grooming his fur protectively. Hawkthorn placed the little ginger next to them, and seated himself next to Acornstream.
"You can say goodbye to Flowerpaw from here," he said evenly, "I'm sure she won't forget to come see you."
"Of course I wouldn't!" The apprentice laughed as Dawnkit and Duskkit rushed toward her in delight. She leaned down to lick both of their foreheads. Flowerpaw was always welcome in the nursery, keeping the kits entertained while she helped the other apprentices do their job re-bedding the nests and cleaning out any debris. Goldleaf was their next favourite, for some reason, neither of them being particularly afraid of the grouchy she-cat.
"Good luck!" Dawnkit chimed.
"Yeah, good luck!" Her brother added, nodding sagely. Flowerpaw gave them both a lick on the forehead, before bounding over to where Lionheart was waiting for her, near the entrance of camp. The ginger molly touched her nose to her apprentice's in greeting, chuckling as Flowerpaw let out an excited purr.
"This marks the start of a new tradition!" Badgerstar said excitedly from his place beside Lionheart, "first apprentice to become a warrior. Oh, Starclan, I have to pick out a warrior name! Why is this my job? I'm terrible at naming things! Lionheart how am I gonna pick a good name for Flowerpaw, I--"
"Relax!" Flowerpaw laughed, "you're more nervous than I am, and I'm the one going on the assessment! Starclan will guide you to the right name, isn't that right Lionheart?"
"That's right," she purred, "stop worrying, Badgerstar. Starclan will let you know the name that is right for Flowerpaw. It'll be especially easy for you, since you have such a good connection with them. Now, why don't you tell Flowerpaw what her warrior assessment actually is? Or the day will be over before she actually gets anywhere." Badgerstar nodded enthusiastically, before taking a deep breath.
"To pass the warrior assessment," Badgerstar mewed, "you will need to choose a rock from the camp, and carry it to a special place above the falls. Lionheart and I have spent the past moon preparing it, so you'll know it when you see it. That rock will represent you and your place in the clan. Then, you must hunt above the falls, and return with a peace of prey before nightfall." He beamed proudly at Lionheart, before looking at Flowerpaw expectantly. The white and gold she-cat nodded, and took a deep breath.
"Sounds easy enough," she mewed, casting a confident look at Lionheart, "I'm ready to become a warrior!"

★★★

"It's nice for it to just be the two of us again," Badgerstar said cheerfully, bounding over a large rock, before skittering back closer to Lionheart, "it feels like forever since we've hung out, just the two of us."
"It'll feel like even more time soon, you know. The clan is growing, and soon you'll have enough cats so that you won't have to go on border patrol. And you'll have more important things to attend to. A mate, kits, clan duties." She playfully nudged his shoulder and Badgerstar laughed, shaking out his fur before looking at her curiously.
"I don't know about a family just yet! I mean, I don't even know if there's a molly in the clan that I could start a family with, you know? Besides, I don't really know all that much about being a father. I'm kind of excited to see the clan grow though. Do you think we want more cats before leafbare or less? More warriors might be useful for hunting and border patrols but I guess it would also run the risk of there being more cats susceptible to greencough?"
"Look at you," Lionheart laughed, "you're thinking like a leader well and truly. There are pros and cons to having more cats, but I know you, and I know you want the clan to grow, so just wish your little kitty heart out, and I'm sure Starclan will bless us with more cats before the cold season. Besides, Goldleaf is a good medicine cat, I'm sure she'll be able to manage." Badgerstar beamed at Lionheart, before splashing some of the water of the lake at her, and watching her yowl, and jump away with a laugh.
"Okay then! Last one around the lake eats foxdung!"

★★★

"So, Acornstream's gonna have her kits pretty soon, huh?" Ashenstrike said, nudging Shadowtail. The brown tabby jumped, before grinning slightly and nodding with her usual enthusiasm. "Excited to be an aunt then, are you?"
"Oh, absolutely! I'm so excited for Hawkthorn, he's always wanted kits! And what about you, Ashenstrike?"
"Yeah, how's it going with your flame-furred wildfire?" A snicker passed around the group at Dustfang's teasing, even Stonepatch joining in with a rumbling purr. The green-eyed tom huffed indignantly, flicking the shaggy tabby with his tail and putting his nose in the air.
"I'm not going to answer that. I don't even know who you're talking about."
"Lionheart!" Shadowtail trilled. "You loooooove her!"
"How can you not?" The group laughed again as Ashenstrike sighed dramatically, "she's everything! She's smart, she's brave, she's so strong willed and decisive and awe-inspiring. And, naturally, she's not interested in me, as interested as I am in her. Hey, Dustfang aren't you and she old friends? You could always give me some tips." The flat-faced tom snorted and rolled his eyes.
"You could always start with the basics- you know, actually try talking to her?"
"Maybe without the terrible jokes?" Stonepatch suggested, and everyone laughed again at Ashenstrike's offended look. "Just saying, you need to update your material."
"Now, that's just rude." He huffed again, before grinning, "but thank you, maybe I will. You'll all be sorry. I'm going to charm the pelt right off that she-cat, even if I lose my ears for it!"

[ badgerstar and lionheart patrol the borders
maplefall and flintburr train their apprentices in stalking
ashenstrike, shadowtail, dustfang and stonepatch go hunting near the lake
flowerpaw passes her warrior assessment (flowershine)
goldleaf collects herbs [kitting priority]
the clan consumes two fish ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 25 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★✰

Deputy:
lionheart | 46 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 47 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
flintburr | 61 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 21 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 35 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 35 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dustfang | 40 moons | ♂ | 🌷
ashenstrike | 46 moons | ♂ | 🌷
stonepatch | 22 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
flowerpaw | 12 moons | ♀ | 🌷
boulderpaw | 9 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrpaw | 9 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Queens:
acornstream | 35 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Kits:
dawnkit | 3 moons | ♀ | 🌷
duskkit | 3 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Elders:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

ally clans;
crescentclan | chasing the moon
echoclan | Katrione
hopeclan | adiebaby11

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | Clan Name | Username
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [1] | greencough
chervil [1] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [1] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
poppy seeds [1] | pain
cobwebs [1] | bleeding
fennel [2] | pain
raspberry leaves [1] | kitting
ragwort leaves [1] | strength
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x3 | 3 servings
rabbit | x0 | 0 servings
bird | x2 | 6 servings
fish | x3 | 6 servings
squirrel | x3 | 6 servings
capacity: 21 servings (5 posts)





mentors;
lionheart | flowerpaw [4]
↪ hunting, battle, swimming, climbing
maplefall | boulderpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
flintburr | burrpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr ♡ silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
unknown ♥ unknown
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang ♡ tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
hawkthorn ♥ acornstream
↪ expecting [ one post ]
unknown ♡ unknown
↪ dawnkit & duskkit
adopted by hawkthorn & acornstream
name and name
↪ kit names

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 17 (♀: 9 / ♂: 8)
servings consumed; 4 servings
next moonpool visit; 13/08 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
The undergrowth in front of Lionheart and Badgerstar rustled, causing both cats to tense. Lionheart's claws unsheathed almost immediately, her ears flattening against her head as the pair waited with unease for what could possibly be something very unfriendly to burst through. There was a silent lull, before a brown and white she-cat burst through the underbrush, looking very upset. Badgerstar jumped, and Lionheart stepped forward, with a hiss. The she-cat shook her head wildly.
"No, no, please! I'm not here to hurt you-- I'm looking for my sister, Junipernose. We got separated. Please, you have to help me find her, she was on her own with two kits." The pair exchanged a horrified glance, Lionheart's body language relaxing as the molly glanced between them. "What? What is it?"
"We... may have found your sister," Badgerstar said quietly, "a moon ago. She was dead when we got to her, I'm so sorry." She stared at him in horror, before slowly falling to the ground, curling her paws underneath her body as she lowered her head in grief. The Groveclan cats stood awkwardly, waiting for her to say something else.
"What about Dawnkit and Duskkit?" She asked, finally, her words choked by tears. She swallowed thickly, glancing up at Lionheart and Badgerstar. Badgerstar gave her a nod, and a smile to let her know they were alright, and her shoulders sagged with relief as Lionheart continued;
"They're fine. Badgerstar got to them just in the nick of time, and one of our queens, Acornstream has been looking after them before her own kits come." The strange molly got to her feet, relief in her features, although her eyes were still sad for the loss of her sister. Lionheart felt her heart clench. She understood the poor she-cat's feelings. She often wondered about her own siblings and her parents, and whether or not they were still alive.
"It's good that they're safe," she breathed out, "would you mind taking me to see them, before I have to leave?"
"Who said anything about leaving!" Badgerstar exclaimed, glancing between the two mollies. "Groveclan always has room for those without a home. It has a proud tradition of taking in those who had no one, like me, or those who lost everyone, like Lionheart. And we would never dream of keeping you from your family. So... er..."
"Fawnrunner," the she-cat smiled, seemingly cheered up by Badgerstar's speech.
"Fawnrunner!" He continued. "Welcome to Groveclan, if that's what you'd like."

★★★

Hawkthorn and Acornstream watched the kits weave around the familiar she-cat. Though their parentage had been short-lived, they were still looking forward to caring for the young cats until they left for the nursery. The pregnant molly leaned against her mate with a soft sigh, purring as the brown tabby gently groomed her forehead. She snuggled in closer to him, eyes closing a little in happiness.
"I'm glad they have family again," she mewed to Hawkthorn.
"So am I," he agreed, "but they're still our pawfuls of fur until they leave the nursery. Plus, it'll be good for the kits to have some bigger role models to look up to." Acornstream purred again at the mention of their kits, before her ears pricked up as Shadowtail bounded across to them, their group having come back in through the entrance. Curious glances were shot toward the new cat before the hunting patrol broke apart. Shadowtail dumped herself next to her brother with a huff.
"What's gotten into you?" He asked, looking amused by his sister's antics. She wrinkled her nose.
"I think I have a crush," she announced, and Hawkthorn promptly choked on air, "I don't want it to be like you and Acornstream though, that was painful to watch. Acornstream, how do I make a tom like me?" The brown molly let out a laugh, shrugging her shoulders fluidly with amusement in her features as her mate simply gawked at his sister.
"I'm afraid there's no real answer to that question," Acornstream purred in amusement, "but at least you'll have someone to suffer with, unlike me. Maplefall is also pining after a tom who doesn't notice her, and then of course there's Ashenstrike..." all three of them let out a snicker at what they considered a hopeless plight on Ashenstrike's behalf. Lionheart was prickly, and they doubted that the tom was compatible with the fiery she-cat.
"Well, it was worth a shot asking the experts," Shadowtail sighed, before glancing curiously at Fawnrunner, "and besides, you guys have a lot of explaining to do about the mystery molly. Seems like we missed a lot."
Hawkthorn opened his mouth to reply, when paws thudding against a branch alerted them to Badgerstar about to call a meeting. They could guess why: an excited Flowerpaw sat next to a proud Lionheart, Maplefall on her other side with Flintburr sitting near them, along with Dustfang and his kits. Stonepatch and Ashenstrike sat together, somewhat offset, but looking content all the same. All eyes turned to Badgerstar, curiously.
"May all cats gather beneath the Highbranch," he yowled, before clearing his throat, "first of all, I would like to say welcome to a new cat among our ranks. Her name is Fawnrunner, and her sister was the mother of Dawnkit and Duskkit. Fawnrunner, Groveclan welcomes you, and offers our support. Now that we know her name, let us have a moment of reflection to commend the spirit of Junipernose to Starclan." The clan fell silent, noses turned to the stars.
"Thank you," Badgerstar said, finally, "and on a happier note, we have a special reason to call a meeting today. The time has come for the very first apprentice of Groveclan to earn her warrior name. Flowerpaw, please step forward." The she-cat got to her feet and padded forward. "I, Badgersatr of Groveclan, call upon our ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of the warrior code, and I recommend her to you wholly. Flowerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend your clan, even if it costs you your life?"
"I do," Flowerpaw mewed, and Lionheart's eyes swelled with pride. A pang of sadness hit her suddenly, but she shook it away to listen to the rest of the ceremony. Badgerstar leaped down from the branch in preparation for what was to come. Once he reached the ground, he began to speak again.
"Then by the powers of Starclan, I grant you your warrior name. From this day forward, you will be known as Flowershine. Starclan honours your integrity and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Groveclan." A cheer went up around the clan of Flowershine's new name, and she stepped forward for the ritualistic acceptance. Badgerstar rested his muzzle atop her head, and she licked his shoulder, before drawing away.
"That's all for tonight," Badgerstar concluded, before beaming at Flowershine, his tail waving proudly where he stood, "Congratulations, Flowershine! Are you really for your vigil?" The she-cat nodded, purring slightly. "Lionheart and I decided you'll be able to speak until the sun sets, if that's any help," he added teasingly.
"Oh, yes!" She exploded with a laugh, "I love my name, thank you so much Badgerstar." She seemed like she was glowing as her clan members converged around her, purring and offering their congratulations. The black tom felt his heart swell fondly, when fur brushed up against his own, and he started suddenly. Maplefall stood next to him, the pretty calico smiling.
"You did good," she mewed quietly, and Badgerstar smiled back at her. He opened his mouth to reply, but something in that instant hit him. With the afternoon sun criss-crossing her pelt and mottling it further, and her pretty eyes staring up at him, Maplefall had never before looked so beautiful. And he realized, besides Lionheart, there was no other cat he wanted to share this victory with.It took him a moment to pinpoint the emotion, before he found it.
Love.
He was in love with Maplefall.
"Oh," he breathed, "you look pretty today." He felt his pelt burn wildly as Maplefall laughed, and cocked her head curiously. "I-I mean thank you! Thank you so much, uh, Starclan told me that would be the right name for her and it's very pretty, isn't it? I mean not that you're not pretty, you're very beautiful but I j--" Maplefall's small front paws landed on his own, and she was laughing now.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" She asked. Badgerstar breathed a sigh of relief, and then nodded, a fond smile on his face.

★★★

The night arrived, and Badgerstar had still not returned, so Lionheart set Flowershine up in the middle of camp for her vigil. Most of the other cats had retreated to their dens. Fawnrunner had gone to the nursery with Acornstream and Hawkthorn to help them look after Dawnkit and Duskkit, and most of the other warriors were settled in for the night too. Even Goldleaf was quiet in these hours, but the events of the day had made Lionheart restless, and she wasn't sure what she wanted to do.
"Can't sleep?" A rumbling voice behind her asked, and she turned, to find herself staring at Ashenstrike's brilliantly green eyes. She blinked, before shaking her head with a soft sigh. He padded closer, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, so that their fur brushed, and regarded Flowershine sitting on her own. "It's hard to let them go, huh?"
"It seems like just yesterday she was this timid little thing who was hardly sure of her own four feet," Lionheart sighed, a melancholy look on her face, "I'm so proud of her. But that pride... as much as I love the feeling, and as happy as I am for her, I just can't help thinking..." she swallowed thickly, squeezing her eyes shut.
"About your kits, right?" Ashenstrike asked, gently. Lionheart nodded. Tentatively, the grey tom licked her forehead in a comforting gesture. Lionheart didn't flinch, or pull away, so he felt decent about it. "Well... I can't say I understand the feeling, but I do understand not feeling tired, so why don't I keep you company until you're ready to sleep? And remember, I promised I'm not allowed to ask any more personal questions about kits." Lionheart smiled at him, almost shyly.
"You'd do that for me?" Ashenstrike's smile in return was gentle, and he nodded.
"Of course I would. Come on, let's find somewhere quiet to hunker down."
𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
"So, how's patrolling as a full warrior?" Flintburr asked, falling in step with Flowershine. The white and yellow she-cat bounced along happily, nodding her response to him.
"It must be nice for you to get out again without Burrpaw," she mewed, "I felt so sorry for poor Lionheart, since she always had to be with me, every day for five moons. And it's six for you, since Burrpaw was younger than I was when I became an apprentice!" Flowershine chuckled a little, glancing ahead to where Badgerstar and Dustfang were amicably chatting. "So, what do you think is going to happen with him and Maplefall?" She asked. "I caught them coming back into camp during my vigil, but that was a moon ago."
"I'm not sure," Flintburr responded, "but Maplefall's stopped complaining about him only viewing her as a friend, so something must be happening. We'd know if they were mates though. Could you imagine? Badgerstar would be at least three times as mushy as Hawkthorn ever was." Flowershine giggled, quickly stifling it as the leader turned around, suspiciously.
"What's so funny back there?"
"Nothing!" Flintburr and Flowershine chimed in unison. Badgerstar squinted at them for a bit, before shaking his head and turning back to his conversation with Dustfang. Flowershine was still silently laughing as Flintburr ducked his head to hide his smile and get his composure back.
"So," she managed finally, "have you had any other word about your kits, or mate?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. Flintburr shook his head, and Flowershine lightly pressed her nose to his shoulder.
"I know Halfkit is still safe in Tempestcaln, but we didn't go to the last gathering, so I'm a little behind on news now, but I'm hoping we'll solve that tonight." Flowershine nodded brightly at him.
"Oh, of course you will! Say, what are Burrpaw and Boulderpaw doing anyway?"

★★★

"So," Boulderpaw grunted as he pressed their construction into place to block the small gap in the den, "you see our problem. We know Shadowtail likes Dad, but we have no clue how to make him even THINK about taking another mate."
"Even though he deserves it," Burrpaw added, "it's been moons since we lost Mum, and we think he needs to get out there again. Plus, Shadowtail is really nice, and if we're going to have another mother, it might as well be her." Acornstream and Hawkthorn looked amused by this, glancing at each other knowingly as Hawkthorn paused grooming his mate's coat. Finally, he cleared his throat, struggling to keep a straight face as the two apprentices stared at him seriously.
"Well," he said, "I don't think you really have to worry about that. Shadowtail has never really been one to keep her thoughts hidden, so I'm sure when the time is right she'll tell your father how she feels about him for herself." Acornstream nodded her assent, but Boulderpaw huffed and shook his head roughly.
"No, no, you're not listening. Shadowtail isn't the problem, it's Dad. He's not thinking about mates, and I don't want him to hurt Shadowtail and drive her away by saying something dumb because he hasn't thought of it as even a possibility. So, how did you guys know you liked each other?" The apprentices peered at the couple expectantly, with Dawnkit and Duskkit curled up fast asleep against Acornstream's belly.
"Well," Hawkthorn mused, "we spent a lot of time together early on, since the clan was small and we were all pretty good hunters so that gave us an opportunity to bond." Acornstream nodded, and the brown tabby stared at her for a moment, before he smiled fondly. "I knew I was in love with her this one day, in late Newleaf. We were in the camp, and we'd been sharing some kill, and she laughed and when I looked over at her, with the afternoon rays of the sun shining down on her pelt, it suddenly hit me that she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and just hearing her voice say my name filled me with undescribeable j--"
"Yuck," Burrpaw groaned, "we get it, you two are madly in love and Hawkthorn is sappy. Maybe we should ask Ashenstrike instead. He and Lionheart have been getting close after all, and she's more like Dad than these two are. Plus, she knows Dad from before Groveclan and before Mum, so she would have better insight."
"You really think that Lionheart is going to give us tips on how to make our Dad think about having a mate again?" The pair fell silent and Acornstream and Hawkthorn couldn't help but laugh, smiling at the two younger cats gently.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Acornstream said gently, "but maybe you should get back to your jobs, so that your mentors aren't mad when they get back to camp."

★★★

"Hey!" Ashenstrike yowled as Lionheart's paws slammed into the water, sending spray up into his face. She smiled at him, smugly and Shadowtail let out a lilted laugh, before squealing as Lionheart splashed her too. "Some hunting party this is," Ashenstrike teased, ducking his head as Lionheart swatted some more water at him.
"Cheeky toms get splashed," she said, "and you started it." It was true, her own ginger fur was dripping wet from where Ashenstrike had splashed her just moment earlier. Despite what he claimed, Lionheart knew he'd done it on purpose. He wouldn't be able to pull a fast one on her, that was for sure. Ashenstrike laughed, shaking out his grey pelt.
"Okay okay, guilty as charged." He bounced back away from Lionheart, who remained standing paw-deep in the water, letting it cool the pads of her feet. They exchanged a small smile. Ever since that night, Lionheart had found it a lot easier to open up to Ashenstrike. The tom, for all his goofing around, was intelligent and compassionate, and trading their past lives under the night sky had built a bond between them. It was nice to have another friend her own age, who reminded her to relax every once and a while.
"So, I need your help," Shadowtail announced as the patrol moved on to the side of the lake where the hunting was best, "I'm still trying to convince Hawkthorn and Acornstream to name their kits after birds, and keep it thematic, but they want to name them after something lame like trees." Lionheart and Ashenstrike both laughed.
"Okay," Lionheart snorted, "I will order Acornstream, with my powers as a deputy, to name her kits after birds, and not after trees because that's lame." Shadowtail rolled her eyes with a huff as the two older cats burst into gentle laughter. She couldn't help laugh with them though- it was nice to see the normally stoic Lionheart relax and have fun with her clan mates.
"I just meant tell her you think it's a good idea. She respects the both of you, you'd have more sway." Lionheart shook her head a little at their antics, while Ashenstrike declared that he would, of course, help Shadowtail, and that he was utterly at her disposal, a claim that caused the brown tabby molly to laugh and bat at his ears.
"Come on," Lionheart laughed as Ashenstrike shook his head, "we have some prey to catch. We can't let the kitten patrol beat us with prey count."

★★★

"We are the kitten patrol though," Maplefall reasoned with the other two cats, padding along beside them, "to those guys at least! I mean, Lionheart and Ashenstrike are both over twice our ages, and Shadowtail is a solid twelve moons older than even Stonepatch so we must seem like kits to them." The big tom harrumphed, and Fawnrunner rolled her golden eyes, streaming along toward the field effortlessly.
"Still! The kitten patrol! I suppose it is kind of a cute nam-- oops! Sorry." She gave Stonepatch a cheerful smile as she accidentally knocked into him, before veering away again. The burly tom ducked his head, as if to hide his embarrassment, and mumbled something noncommittal about it not being a problem. Maplefall narrowed her eyes at him in amusement, before shaking her head and bounding forward.
"Who cares what they say anyway, right Stonepatch? I just think it's nice to have some friends my own age! Before you two joined the clan, there was only really Badgerstar, and even then, he's leader, so it's a bit different." She purred as Fawnrunner fell into step beside her, having become fast friends with the patched she-cat ever since she'd join the clan.
"Right," Stonepatch rumbled, "and speaking of actual kittens, how are Dawnkit and Duskkit doing?"
"They're fine," Fawnrunner replied, "they still miss Junipernose a lot, and they can get cranky if I go on too many patrols and don't spend enough time with them, but for the most part they're settling in well, and Acornstream and Hawkthorn have done a good job of watching over them so far. They're just excited to become apprentices now I think."
"Can't relate," Maplefall replied airily, "you're the only clan-born cat of us. Stonepatch and I were both loners before we joined Groveclan, isn't that right?" Stonepatch nodded his assent with a small hum, and Fawnrunner glanced at them with a little bit of shock evident in her features, before she laughed.
"I would never have guessed that," she mewed, "especially not about you, Maplefall. You slot into the clan as if you've been here all your life. That's how it feels when you're a clan cat in a clan." She said. Maplefall simply laughed, and shrugged her shoulders, before nimbly bouncing off a fallen log.
"Well, it's more like I've been here all of Groveclan's life. When I found this place, it was just Badgerstar and Lionheart. Flintburr came to the clan around the same time as me, so for a while it was just the four of us, until we slowly started to find more cats like Flowershine, and Hawkthorn and Acornstream."
"Speaking of Badgerstar," Fawnrunner cooed, and Maplefall swatted at her playfully, making the other slender she-cat leap away with a tinkling laugh, smiling sheepishly at Stonepatch as she knocked into him again, but the grey and white tom simply gave her a soft smile to let her know not to worry about it.
"Now that," Maplefall purred, "is a secret I'll never tell."

★★★

Hawkthorn burst from the nursery like a dog was chasing him, eyes wild in terror. Boulderpaw and Burrpaw quickly followed, ushering a sleeping Dawnkit and Duskkit across camp to play somewhere safe. Hawkthorn sprinted for the medicine cat den, yowling at the top of his lungs for Goldleaf.
"Goldleaf! Goldleaf, come quick, Acornstr-"
"She's kitting, I know!" The she-cat emerged with a bundle of herbs in her mouth. "There's no other reason why you'd be hollering like that. Go get a stick, and then follow me. It's about time those kits got introduced to the world."

[ badgerstar, dustfang, flowershine and flintburr patrol the borders
shadowtail, ashenstrike and lionheart hunt near the lake
maplefall, fawnrunner and stonepatch hunt in the field
acornstream is kitting! goldleaf stays in camp to help her
the clan consumes 4 voles ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 26 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★✰

Deputy:
lionheart | 47 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 48 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
flintburr | 62 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 22 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 36 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 36 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dustfang | 41 moons | ♂ | 🌷
ashenstrike | 47 moons | ♂ | 🌷
stonepatch | 23 moons | ♂ | 🌷
fawnrunner | 22 moons | ♀ | 🌷
flowershine | 13 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
boulderpaw | 10 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrpaw | 10 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Queens:
acornstream | 36 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Kits:
dawnkit | 4 moons | ♀ | 🌷
duskkit | 4 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Elders:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

ally clans;
crescentclan | chasing the moon
echoclan | Katrione
hopeclan | adiebaby11

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | Clan Name | Username
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [1] | greencough
chervil [2] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [1] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
poppy seeds [1] | pain
cobwebs [1] | bleeding
fennel [3] | pain
raspberry leaves [1] | kitting
ragwort leaves [1] | strength
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x0 | 0 servings
rabbit | x0 | 0 servings
bird | x2 | 6 servings
fish | x5 | 10 servings
squirrel | x3 | 6 servings
capacity: 22 servings (5 posts)





mentors;
maplefall | boulderpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
flintburr | burrpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr ♡ silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
unknown ♥ unknown
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang ♡ tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
hawkthorn ♥ acornstream
↪ incoming!
unknown ♡ junipernose
↪ dawnkit & duskkit
adopted by fawnrunner (m. aunt)
name and name
↪ kit names

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 20 (♀: 10 / ♂: 10)
servings consumed; 4 servings
next moonpool visit; 28/08 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
"Shadowtail! Shadowtail come quickly!" Burrpaw's yowl startled the bedraggled hunting party, soaked to the bone and carrying prey from their jaws. Their motley appearance didn't seem to bother the young molly. "Acornstream is kitting and Hawkthorn's about to send himself to StarClan with worry! Goldleaf sent me to get you so you could calm him down!" She was bouncing on her paws as she turned quickly, tail lashing impatiently. "Come on!"
Shadowtail didn't need to be prompted again, brown tabby molly leaping into action with quick strides. Together, she and Burrpaw sprinted away into the forest, with Ashenstrike close on their heels. He paused, at the edge of the clearing, to tilt his head quizzically at Lionheart, who had stayed stationary with a vole clamped between her jaws. He placed his own down at his feet, clearing his throat, awkwardly. "Are you... coming?"
"No," Lionheart replied, with a sad smile, although the muffled sound probably helped her. "Go on without me, I'm going to hunt for a little while longer." Hesitantly, the grey tom glanced toward the forest, and then back at the ginger she-cat, before he picked up his vole again, and took a decisive step closer, with a warm smile.
"Acornstream doesn't need so many cats crowding her. Besides, I'd rather have you bite my ears off than Goldleaf." Lionheart snorted, and flicked him around the ears with her tail, but he didn't miss the solemn gratitude in her eyes.

★★★

Fawnrunner's legs burned as they churned across the ground, taking her through the long-ish grass after the escaping rabbit. It had been startled just a moment too soon, and now she wasn't sure she would catch up. Up ahead, she saw a flash of calico in the grass, and the rabbit evidently did too, as it veered away and almost back toward Fawnrunner, giving her enough time to exert the last of her energy into a powerful leap that landed directly on top of her prey.
It was dead in her paws by the time she heard Maplefall shriek.
"Maplefall?" That was Stonepatch's voice, the tall tom's head just visible over the grass. Someone else was panicking and repeating 'sorry!' over and over again. Fawnrunner carefully picked up the rabbit, carrying it in the direction of the noise. She and Stonepatch converged on Maplefall at the same time, the calico molly standing face to face with a grey and white tom. He was young, but tall like Stonepatch.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he tried again, and Maplefall shook her head, with one of her signature airy laughs. "Oh, it's alright, I just- the adrenaline of the chase was getting to me." The young tom seemed to relax as Maplefall straightened, tail lifting in that cheerful way of hers. Behind her, Fawnrunner felt Stonepatch's pelt cease bristling, and she felt herself go warm at how close he was standing.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, and Fawnrunner placed the rabbit down at her paws. The tom glanced between the three of them. "My name's Spindle. My two-legs left me, and I got chased by a dog. What is this place? Who are you?" The three of them glanced between one another, eyes settling on Maplefall. Not that any of them thought that Badgerstar would be angry with any of them for inviting a new cat into their ranks, but if he were? Maplefall would take the least heat.
"I'm Maplefall," she said, shaking her head at her friends, "and this is GroveClan. These are my friends, Fawnrunner and Stonepatch." The young tom's eyes widened, and he looked quite impressed. "You're clan cats!" He gasped. "I only ever heard stories from my grandmother, and I thought she was making it up." Stonepatch let out a rumbling chuckle, and the three of them exchanged glances, before Maplefall leaned in a little.
"Would you like to meet Badgerstar?"

★★★

"Would you all stop crowding her?" Goldleaf grumped, shoving her way between cats to make it to the new mother. Acornstream was exhausted, laying propped against her mate with two squirming, healthy kits against her belly. Hawkthorn groomed her lovingly, and Goldleaf couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed for making fun of them before. Hawkthorn would be a good father, and she was sure their family would be strong.
And sure enough, the whole clan had gathered in the nursery to see the new arrivals. The only cats she hadn't seen so far were Lionheart and Ashenstrike, a fact that left worry nagging at her belly. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about what Dustfang had said, about Lionheart's 'condition'. She chased the thoughts away, shooing Duskkit and Dawnkit away from the nest of their surrogate parents, and back toward their aunt, so that she could place the turtle-shell full of water next to the molly.
"Have you decided on names?" Shadowtail asked from her perch next to Hawkthorn. Her brother tilted his head, and then shook it slightly, before nudging Acornstream with his nose. The brown molly blinked at present company, warm smile on her face. Badgerstar and Maplefall sat shoulder to shoulder, with Flintburr on her other side, and Dustfang next to Bagerstar, his two kits peeking around from either side of him. Flowershine sat next to Shadowtail, obviously enamoured with the kits. She looked around at the curling roots holding up the den structures, and then at her mate.
"I like Woodkit, for the girl," she said, finally. "And Badgerkit for the boy!" Their leader's outburst made the rest of them laugh, and a happiness swelled in Acornstream's belly. Even though she had a family in her mate and her kits, moments like these made her understand that her family was far greater than that- it was every GroveClan cat. Goldleaf, grumpy as ever, scowled at Badgerstar.
"Don't you have an apprentice ceremony to run?"
"I want to hear the kit names first!" He complained, and Maplefall laughed her tinkling laugh, gently standing on one of his paws. "What about Squirrelkit?" She suggested, and the new mates glanced at each other fondly. "Squirrelkit and Woodkit," Hawkthorn repeated, touching his nose to Acornstream's forehead. "I like it."
"I like it too." All eyes turned to Badgerstar expectantly, and he just smiled warmly, leaning forward to touch noses with both Acornstream and Hawkthorn. "We can do the ceremony tomorrow. The rest of you should get some rest."

★★★

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highbranch!" Badgerstar watched his clan emerge, all taking their places underneath the willow tree's leaves. Hawkthorn appeared at the mouth of the nursery, with Duskkit and Dawnkit at his feet, and he could see the reflective shine of Acornstream's eyes in the den. Having kits in the clan was so exciting, and he was already thinking of as many excuses as he could come up with to visit them.
"We have a new cat to welcome to GroveClan," he said, once he had counted all the heads, "Spindle, please step forward." The gracious, tall tom stepped forward, ears pricked forward. "You are going to be an apprentice of GroveClan, so you can learn the warrior ways. From this day on, you will be known as Longpaw until you receive your warrior name. To teach you the ways of the clan, your mentor will be Ashenstrike." A murmur went around the crowd, and Badgerstar watched Shadowtail head-butt a shocked Ashenstrike forward. "Ashenstrike," he said, a purr hiding behind his voice, "you have shown yourself to be adventurous, loyal and good-humoured. I know that your natural curiosity and ability to have fun will be invaluable in your training of Longpaw. I trust you to impart your wisdom and training upon him." Ashenstrike swelled with pride, moving forward to touch noses with Longpaw. The rest of the Clan cheered, yowling Longpaw's new name in welcome. Badgerstar leaped down off of the branch, wandering over to the throng to pay congratulations.
Lionheart remained at a distance, watching the proceedings with a sense of melancholic pride. The feeling from last night hadn't quite dissipated yet. Goldleaf sat down next to her, silently, and the ginger molly's ear swiveled to hear what she had to say. "You two came back quite late last night," the medicine cat offered. Lionheart shrugged. "We decided to keep hunting so that we wouldn't crowd Acornstream. He's quite afraid of you, you know." Goldleaf hummed, watching Lionheart closely. "Have you gone to see Acornstream at all? I'm sure she'd like your congratulations." Lionheart stood, then, as if to make her way over to Ashenstrike. When she smiled at Goldleaf, it was tight on her maw. "I'm sure I'll be seeing her soon."
𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
The road to the Moonpool was starting to feel comfortingly familiar to Badgerstar, his paws swishing in a routine rhythm as he padded along in the early morning light. Around him, the forest was changing, the leaves on the trees turning orange and falling to the floor. The grass in the open fields was green from the Leaf-fall rains, and the ground underfoot left little imprints of his pads as he trotted along quite happily toward the Moonpool.
Once inside, he crouched at the edge of the water, thinking about what he would say to Dovestar this time. His ears pricked forward as he thought, before he mewed out loud to the cave: "StarClan hear my prayers. GroveClan has grown, thanks to you, and I'm here to ask for it to grow even more. As we go into Leafbare, I would feel more secure knowing that Goldleaf has someone to help her. I request you send me an apprentice for our medicine cat." That said, he leaned forward, and touched his nose to the surface of the pool, and felt himself plunge into night.

★★★

"So, Lionheart, I never saw you after MoorClan disbanded. I thought you might have taken refuge in one of the other clans." Dustfang fell into step alongside the ginger molly, with Stonepatch in front of them. Lionheart's ears pricked, and she gave the grey tom an amused look. "Were you hoping that I'd have come to yours?" She shook her head, eyes taking on a sad cast as she gazed out across the forest. "No. When the dogs attacked, Roseclaw and I were separated from our family. We were chased out to the Peak, and we managed to trick the dog off of it, but he was badly wounded. He tried to go back for his mate, and I tried to find any survivors, but when I made it back to the camp, everyone was dead or just... gone."
"I'm sorry," Dustfang said quietly, "I shouldn't have brought it up." Lionheart shook her head, before clearing her throat. "Anything strange, Stonepatch?" She called, quickening her pace to catch up to the younger tom. He shook his head, but he had an amused smirk on his maw as his tail pointed over some high shrubs. Between the scraggly branches, Lionheart could make out a familiar grey tabby pelt, with a taller but smaller cat near him.
"See, you need to anticipate the unexpected. If you assume what your enemy is going to do, you'll end up losing, because you won't be prepared," Ashenstrike was saying, while Longpaw nodded enthusiastically. Dustfang chuckled quietly to himself. Lionheart glanced between the two toms, before shushing them both. Ashenstrike continued on his little lecture about expecting the unexpected, as the ginger molly braced herself. As soon as the older tom asked if Longpaw had any questions, she launched herself through the shrubbery.
She landed on the other side, and Ashenstrike turned, but not fast enough as she used her momentum from the first jump to pounce, slamming her frame into his shoulder and sending him tumbling, landing with her paws planted firmly on his chest. Purring, her tail kinked up above her back. "What was that about always being prepared?" She asked, winking at Longpaw, before she hopped off of him, trotting back toward the rest of the patrol. The two toms watched her go, and Longpaw observed a smitten look on the green-eyed tom's face.
"I can see why you like her," he said, laughing to himself as Ashenstrike let out a wistful sigh. "Who wouldn't."

★★★

"Are you excited to take your warrior assessment next moon?" Fawnrunner asked, trotting in step with Boulderpaw, who was watching Maplefall and Shadowtail make a plan for where to hunt. The young tom nodded, enthusiastically. "Yeah! Maplefall's been a great mentor. She's really sweet, and patient. You'd have to be, waiting around for Badgerstar like that." Fawnrunner let out an amused little laugh, nudging his shoulder.
"What's so funny?" Maplefall asked, blinking at the pair of them. Shadowtail's grin was absolutely Cheshire as she responded; "they're talking about your hopeless crush on Badgerstar, obviously." She let out a pleased purred as Maplefall narrowed her eyes, impish smirk crossing her features. "Not any better than you and Dustfang, is it."
Shadowtail sputtered, and Boulderpaw and Fawnrunner burst into laughter. The older molly cast the apprentice a nervous look, and he returned it with a kind smile. It had been obvious to both he and Burrpaw for a while now that Shadowtail was interested in him, but neither of them had figured out how to gently coax their father away from the memory of their mother.
"Okay," Shadowtail sighed, "that's what I get, I guess. But really, we should figure out where to hunt, or we're not going to catch anything before Leafbare."

★★★

"Thank you for letting me come along with you," Goldleaf mewed, falling into step with Flintburr. The gruff tom watched Burrpaw bound ahead, with Flowershine hot on her heels, and Hawkthorn up ahead of them, weaving through the shedding trees. He nodded. "Let us know if you need any help carrying herbs back," he said, with the underlying intonation 'and if anything else should happen'. Goldleaf chuckled.
"I think you should worry about yourself, Flintburr, dealing with all these kittens. I know how to take care of myself." She flicked her tail over his ears, veering away from the group to go about collecting herbs. The old tom shook his head, bounding forward and past the two young mollies to catch up to Hawkthorn. The brown tabby's ears were flicking wildly.
"You're so nervous, the prey will smell it on you," he intoned, and the younger tom laughed a little, with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, it just feels odd to be away from Acornstream. I know nothing is going to happen, but I just wish that I could stay with her all of the time, and look after the kits." Flintburr smiled, understanding the feeling. Having kits was a good emotion to experience, and he was glad Hawkthorn was taking so well to fatherhood. "How are they doing, by the way?"
"Oh, they're wonderful! Squirrelkit is getting more and more rambunctious by the day, but it probably doesn't help having Dawnkit or Duskkit as influences."
"They'll be apprentices soon, won't they? Who do you think will be their mentors?" Hawkthorn seemed to pause, and think about this. "I think Badgerstar might give Lionheart another apprentice, maybe. I hope that I get one, or maybe Shadowtail. I don't know if Badgerstar would give me my own kit as an apprentice, though."
"They really are your kits, aren't they?" Flintburr chuckled slightly, nudging him with his shoulder.
"They look like Lionheart's," Flowershine said, making both of them jump, although Flintburr softened almost immediately as the mollies caught up to them. "Everycat was saying that when they first turned up, that they looked like they could be Lionheart and Ashenstrike's."
"They do!" Burrpaw enthused, with a little giggle. "Do you think they might have kits of their own soon?"
"They do stay out awfully late together," Flintburr said, and Flowershine glanced at him, bewildered. "I can't believe you've become a gossip, Flintburr," she teased, beaming shyly. The fluffy tom rumbled a chuckle, impressed by the young molly's teasing. He remembered her as a timid apprentice, and he was impressed by the cat she had become. "It's not gossip, just an observation."
"Speaking of observations," Burrpaw said, loudly, "what do we all think of Longpaw? He's quite handsome, isn't he?" Hawkthorn laughed, and bounded ahead, with Flintburr following suit, to leave Flowershine alone and sputtering for an answer to Burrpaw's question. Flintburr couldn't help but smile: some things never changed.

[ badgerstar goes to the moonpool to ask for a medicine cat apprentice
ashenstrike trains longpaw in battle
lionheart, stonepatch and dustfang patrol the borders
maplefall, boulderpaw, fawnrunner and shadowtail hunt near the lake
flintburr, burrpaw, flowershine and hawkthorn hunt in the forest
goldleaf searches for herbs [any priority]
the clan consumes two fish ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 27 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★✰

Deputy:
lionheart | 48 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 49 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
flintburr | 63 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 23 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 37 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 37 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dustfang | 42 moons | ♂ | 🌷
ashenstrike | 48 moons | ♂ | 🌷
stonepatch | 24 moons | ♂ | 🌷
fawnrunner | 23 moons | ♀ | 🌷
flowershine | 14 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
boulderpaw | 11 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrpaw | 11 moons | ♀ | 🌷
longpaw | 13 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Queens:
acornstream | 37 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Kits:
dawnkit | 5 moons | ♀ | 🌷
duskkit | 5 moons | ♂ | 🌷
squirrelkit | 1 moon | ♂ | 🌷
woodkit | 1 moon | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Elders:
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

ally clans;
crescentclan | chasing the moon
echoclan | Katrione
hopeclan | adiebaby11

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | Clan Name | Username
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [1] | greencough
chervil [2] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [1] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
poppy seeds [1] | pain
cobwebs [1] | bleeding
fennel [3] | pain
raspberry leaves [1] | kitting
ragwort leaves [1] | strength
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x3 | 3 servings
rabbit | x2 | 4 servings
bird | x3 | 9 servings
fish | x3 | 6 servings
squirrel | x3 | 6 servings
capacity: 28 servings (7 posts)





mentors;
maplefall | boulderpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
flintburr | burrpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
ashenstrike | longpaw [1]
↪ battle, skill, skill, skill
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr ♡ silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
unknown ♥ unknown
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang ♡ tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
hawkthorn ♥ acornstream
↪ squirrelkit & woodkit
unknown ♡ junipernose
↪ dawnkit & duskkit
adopted by fawnrunner (m. aunt)
name and name
↪ kit names

[solyn]

set: between the posts of 011
characters: ashenstrike & lionheart

They didn't hunt any more after that.
Ashenstrike was glad he'd decided to stay behind. He doubted that Lionheart would be willing to speak more to the subject, but he suspected her reluctance to be present at Acornstream's kitting had to do with the complications of her own, with what little information he'd been able to glean. They walked in silence, voles dangling from their jaws as they padded silently through the forest, golden leaves falling all around them. They came out at the other side of the lake, where it joined to the river, with the big sunning rocks. The afternoon sun had left them nice and toasty, and Lionheart leaped onto one of them gracefully, settling her vole down where it wasn't in danger of slipping. The grey tom did the same, settling a safe distance from her.
"You didn't have to stay with me, you know."
"I know. But I wanted to. It's probably a silly question but... are you, okay?" Lionheart gave a humourless chuckle, as she gazed out over the water, rippling slightly with the frosty Leaf-fall breeze. She flicked her ear, and for the first time, Ashenstrike noted the clip that curved the top corner of it. A remnant of a battle, he assumed.
"I'll be alright," Lionheart replied, "I know it's silly to be this upset over someone else's happiness but..."
"You can't help it," he interjected, flushing at Lionheart's bewildered expression, "I doubt it's the same thing, but I think about my clanmates sometimes. Where they are, what they're doing, how their lives are going. I think the hardest part is just... not knowing." Lionheart let out a breathless chuckle, making the grey tom laugh too. "What?"
"I think that might be the smartest thing you've ever said," she responded, keeping her gaze fixed on the horizon. She was silent for a long while, and Ashenstrike stretched out, laying his head on his paws. He watched her, the breeze ruffling her long fur, her brilliant eyes fixed on the other end of the lake. He knew he would kick himself for asking the question later, but he couldn't help it.
"Who was he?" Lionheart's head finally turned, a pained anger behind her eyes. Ashenstrike levelled his gaze with hers, watching the frustration vanish, before her eyes closed, and she let out a soft sigh.
"Adderbite. We were very in love, and we were supposed to have kits but I-" she paused, the words seeming to choke in her throat. Silently, Ashenstrike moved closer, but not so much as to crowd her. "I don't know what happened," she continued finally, and the grey tom had never heard a cat so miserable. "It was Newleaf, I was healthy, I wasn't active, but I... went into labour early. Two of the kits were stillborn, and the last died about a week later. The medicine cat said because I was so young, and because of the complications, I... probably wouldn't be able to have kits. Ever."
"I'm sorry," Ashenstrike murmured, shifting closer to press their shoulders together. The shuddery sigh that Lionheart released resonated deep in his soul; the sound of a mother trying to contain her grief. "That shouldn't have happened to anyone. I'm sorry it happened to you."
"I am too," Lionheart responded, grave and serious as always, "we fell apart after that, Adderbite and I. He wanted to try again, I wasn't willing to put myself through the risk. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I didn't want to die for nothing and leave my kits without a mother. He found another mate, and they had kits together, before MoorClan... well. You know."
"They're not the only ones that you lost, are they?" Lionheart shook her head, and the grey tom was surprised to find her leaning into him, allowing him to rest his jaw atop her head. He could feel the way she trembled, and his heart all but broke for her. This poor, beautiful, strong molly who had been through so much, and had come out of it fighting, as he assumed she always would. He couldn't imagine the fiery ginger she going down in any other fashion.
"Family too?" He guessed, and Lionheart nodded.
"It's... hard to talk about with the other cats. At least Flintburr knows where his family went. But I..."
"You just don't know." Ashenstrike hummed, to show he understood. "You can tell me about them, you know."
"My father died when we were young. He and my mother were fighting a dog that had attacked the clan, and he died in battle. We were their second litter."
"Who's we?"
"Oh. Uh, my sister, Dawnleap, and my brother, Gingerstrike. We had two older brothers, Russetwing and Roseclaw. I was always closest to Roseclaw, though. He was a lot like me, I think, and we got along well. He was the last one I saw when the clan disbanded. He was badly wounded, and we split up to try and find the rest of our family. I searched for days, and when I got back to the camp... they were just gone."
"So you really don't know," Ashenstrike breathed out an incredulous breath, as he tilted his head to touch his nose to Lionheart's forehead. "I know this was hard for you to talk about. I want to thank you for trusting me with this." A thought pinged at the back of his mind; persistent and hungry: I don't deserve your trust. He pushed it away.
"Thank you for listening," Lionheart was saying, with a weariness to her voice. She stood, on the rock, before stashing her vole between the crevices, a favourite hiding place of the Groveclan hunting parties, he'd found. She stretched out, tail arching over her back, before she cast her gaze to him. "Would you like to keep walking? I don't think I'm ready to go back just yet." Ashenstrike nodded, watching the ginger she-cat leap down from the rocks. He stashed his vole away, before he turned, hesitating at the top of the rocks.
"What were their names?"
"Sorry?"
"Your kits," he said, "what were their names." Lionheart hesitated for a second, watching Ashenstrike slowly descend to join her. Her ears flattened, and before standing upright again as she glanced toward the afternoon sky.
"The one that lived was Fernkit. Her brother was Frostkit, after my father, and her sister was Morningkit."
"Those are beautiful names," Ashenstrike said, a gentleness to his voice, as he leaned across and touched his nose to her cheek. After a hesitant moment, she turned her face, pressing their noses together. As quickly as the gesture had been initiated, it was over, the ginger molly striding out in front of him, and back into the forest. They walked for quite some time after that, in a solemn yet companionable silence, catching the areas that Badgerstar had missed on his abandoned patrol, and talking about nothing. She asked about his clan life, but he had nothing to tell- parents died when he was young, no surviving siblings. Ashenstrike of PetalClan didn't deserve those kind of connections, not any that would rival the loss that Lionheart had felt.
They returned for their voles at sunset, and Ashenstrike stayed with Lionheart as she gazed out over the lake again. With a jolt, he realized that it was the closest thing she must have to home, being from the moors and all. They arrived back at the clan after dark. Ashenstrike ducked in with Shadowtail and Dustfang to see the kits, and he did not see Lionheart for the whole night, not until the next day, when she approached him to touch noses, and offer her congratulations on a new apprentice. He looked for any recognition in her eyes, but that day, Lionheart was back to the steely molly he'd known and come to love.

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 22 (♀: 11 / ♂: 11)
servings consumed; 5 servings
next moonpool visit; 28/08 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
"Lionheart-- look out!" Dustfang's yowl was just a moment too late, as the ginger molly turned to see the underbrush parting with a violent rustle, to her left. Instantly, her hackles raised, and she hissed, as a blurry brown-tabby shape launched into her. They collided with a force that would have knocked a lesser cat off her feet, but Lionheart barely swayed as the strange cat spun and half fell into the clearing.
The three patrol cats pricked their ears, watching the strange cat. The tom was young, hardly older than Flowershine, they would have guessed, and haggard looking. His pelt hung off of him like a limp rag, his breathing was slow and his eyes were wild. He looked like he hadn't eaten in moons, and he was carrying an even weaker looking she-kit from his jaws. He gave Lionheart a helpless look, as her ears ceased to flatten.
"Please..." he rasped, and the she-cat stepped closer, "please help us..." his voice faded out to a pathetic mewl from the she-kit, and Lionheart's heart fell. She whirled on her companions, quickly. "Stonepatch, find Goldleaf. Dustfang, get the kit and then help me with the tom." They both nodded, Stonepatch turning and sprinting away to find the medicine cat. Lionheart and Dustfang used their combined strength to pull the lanky tom on top of their backs, taking careful tandem steps with the wailing kitten dangling from Dustfang's jaw.
When they arrived at camp, Stonepatch and Goldleaf were waiting for them at the medicine cat den, with Flintburr, Ashenstrike and Longpaw with them. Ashenstrike stood as soon as he saw Lionheart, his tense body language slowly evaporating as he realized she wasn't hurt. Carefully, they lowered the tom and the kit into one of the medicine nests, before backing away to make room for Goldleaf. The pair of them returned to the camp, facing the four toms waiting for them.
"What happened?" Ashenstrike mewed, "I came back because I heard Stonepatch shouting to help you. I thought you were hurt." He took a tentative step forward, as if to greet the ginger molly, before he hesitated. With a light purr, she closed the distance, rubbing her head underneath his chin. "It's nice that you were worried," she said, "but I'm fine. The tom just skidded into me. We couldn't just leave them out there."
"I'm glad you're safe," Flintburr rumbled, and Longpaw nodded enthusiastically beside him. Lionheart jolted, suddenly. "Where's Burrpaw? And the rest of the patrols?"
"They're still out hunting," he replied, smoothly, "Goldleaf asked me to come back in case you were injured, and she needed help. Stonepatch was particularly incoherent." The tom grunted, and Longpaw chuckled a little, before he caught a look from Dustfang and promptly shut up. Lionheart gave him a kind smile and a wink, as the two older cats settled down with the group. Ashenstrike fitted himself to Lionheart's side, and began grooming her, much to the surprise of Dustfang and Flintburr, who shared bewildered looks.
"Alright then," Lionheart said, with a tired sigh, stretching herself out. They waited in companionable silence, and it didn't take long for the medicine cat to appear from the den. "They're not injured," she declared, "just tired and hungry. Longpaw, can you get them some kill from the pile- nothing too large for the kit, but something substantial for the tom. Flintburr, Stonepatch, take my turtle shells and get them some water." The cats nodded, and splintered away, as Goldleaf gestured for Lionheart to join her. She touched her nose to Ashenstrike's cheek, before bounding after the medicine cat.
The newcomers ate and drank, and Lionheart and Goldleaf waited with them patiently. Finally, the tom cleared his throat, turning to Lionheart with a bashful gaze. "I'm sorry that I ran into you. Thank you very much- both of you- for helping us."
"That's quite alright," the ginger molly mewed, watching Goldleaf settle near her herb storage. "Can you tell me what happened to you?" The tom hesitated. "Only if you want to, I understand if it's difficult to talk about." The tom shook his head with a soft laugh. "You're too kind...?"
"Lionheart," she said, with a gentle, soothing tone to her voice. "Lionheart. I'm Harrierstreak, and this is my sister, Mousekit." Lionheart and Goldleaf both looked at the shy little thing, who shrunk back from both of them. "She looks a little to old to be a -kit doesn't she?" Goldleaf asked, and Harrierstreak nodded. "She's six moons, but the leader was worried about her becoming an apprentice because she's so small, and because she's blind in one eye." His tail curled protectively around his sister, and Lionheart noticed that only one eye actually seemed to be darting about the den.
"Why did you come to GroveClan territory?"
"We didn't know," Harrierstreak started, ears flattening, before he realized that Lionheart was simply asking out of curiosity, and he relaxed. "Our clan... it was attacked by dogs. My mother and father are dead, but my uncle told me to get Mousekit away from there, so I took her and we ran, and ran and ran and... they stopped chasing us after a while, but we didn't want them to track our scent, so we came through the river at the top of the waterfall, and then again at the base, and we were both just... so tired." He let out a shuddering sigh, and Lionheart moved forward to gently touch her nose to his forehead.
"I know the feeling," she said, voice soft, "you and Mousekit are always welcome in GroveClan, if you'd like to stay."

★★★

A week later, Badgerstar hauled himself up onto Highbranch. "All cats old enough to hunt their own prey, gather beneath Highbranch!" He called, watching his clanmates start to gather. Longpaw sat with the newcomer, Harrierstreak, sharing tongues as Ashenstrike and Lionheart stood watch next to them. He saw Hawkthorn and Acornstream appear in the mouth of the nursery, with their kits bumbling about at their paws. He'd been agonizing over Dovestar's lack of response to his plea, before it had hit him last night.
"I would like to welcome two new cats to our clan," he mewed, "Harrierstreak and Mousekit. Your journey has been long and hard, but we are pleased to offer you a permanent home within GroveClan." An approving yowl went up, and Longpaw nudged his friend's shoulder with a purr. The two had connected quite quickly, which wasn't surprising since they were fairly close in age, and they seemed to have complimentary temperaments.
"Mousekit, please step forward," the cheers died down, and all eyes swiveled to the small she-kit, who looked bewildered when Hawkthorn nudged her forward from the mouth of the nursery. "Mousekit, until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Mousepaw, to symbolize the journey your paws are on. I asked StarClan for someone special on the day that you arrived, and I don't think it is any coincidence your paws brought you here. At her request, your mentor will be Goldleaf." A cheer went up around the camp, as the medicine cat emerged from her den, which made Badgerstar laugh.
"Hey! I'm not done!" The noise settled down. "Okay, thank you. Goldleaf- you're grumpy, and you kind of scare all of us, but you're a good-hearted cat who is brave and strong-willed, and I know you will teach Mousepaw everything she needs to know to be as resilient and thoughtful as you are." He tipped his head back, and yowled Mousepaw's name, and the rest of the clan quickly joined in, as Mousepaw touched a shy nose to Goldleaf's. As Badgerstar began to climb down from Highbrach, he noticed Maplefall watching him with a fond look. Embarrassed, their eyes met, and they quickly looked away, both feeling hot under the pelt.
𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
"Excited?" Maplefall purred, nudging her apprentice's shoulder with her own. It was quite a feat, as in just six moons Boulderpaw had grown a lot, and was now almost as big as Flintburr, if not a little more lean and not as bulky. The fluffy black tom laughed, and nodded, before using his tail to gesture toward his sister. "Not as excited as she is," he responded, and Burrpaw rolled her eyes at him, but didn't stop bouncing.
"I'm sure you'll both do great," Lionheart mewed, materializing from the leader's den, with Badgerstar trailing close after her. "Maplefall and Flintburr did an excellent job training you, and I know you've both learned a lot from them." Burrpaw could barely contain a squeal of excitement, a low rumbling purr audible from the soft cream molly, which made Flintburr chuckle himself. "It's an honour to have you think so," she mewed, with a bashful duck of her head. The rest of the clan was starting to gather, so Lionheart cleared her throat.
"Alright, listen up! Boulderpaw and Burrpaw will be attempting their warrior assessments today. Wish them luck." A cheer went up around the camp, and Badgerstar stepped forward to say a few words. "To the both of you, I know you're going to do so great! I remember when you first came to GroveClan as sad-looking kits. You've both grown so much, and you have such vibrant, fun personalities, and I can't wait to have you as fully-fledged warriors of GroveClan." A cheer went up again as Badgerstar touched noses with both young cats. Dustfang stepped forward to lick both of his kits on their foreheads and wish them a private good luck, before the two fluffy apprentices turned tail and bounded away from the camp. Shadowtail sidled closer, pressing up against Dustfang with a soft purr. "They'll be fine," she whispered. Dustfang gave her a grateful smile, and a nod. "I know."
"Alright, since we're down two sets of paws, we'll have to be tight on patrols today. Ashenstrike, you and I-"
"Wait!" Badgerstar interrupted, bewildering Lionheart, "we have to do an apprentice ceremony first! I forgot!" Lionheart rolled her eyes, with a laugh, before nodding to the branch. Badgerstar gave her a sheepish smile, bounding up toward it and clawing his way along until he was settled above the clan. "All cats gather beneath Highbranch!" He yowled, watching everyone move in closer. Hawkthorn and Acornstream emerged from the nursery, Woodkit and Squirrelkit weaving around their paws. Dawnkit and Duskkit sprinted out last, quickly overtaking their adoptive parents to skid to a stop next to Fawnrunner.
"Dawnkit step forward," Badgerstar said, watching the cat bounce forward excitedly, "until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw, to symbolize the path that StarClan is guiding your paws on. You will be mentored by Shadowtail. Shadowtail, you have shown yourself to be vivacious, determined and kind-hearted. Your dedication to GroveClan has not gone unnoticed, and I know you will teach Dawnpaw valuable lessons." He paused, allowing the clan to welcome the young ginger molly as Shadowtail stepped forward to touch noses with her. Once the cheering had quieted, he started again:
"Duskkit, step forward!" A ripple of laughter passed through the crowd and the grey tabby's quiet little 'yes!' as he bounded forward from the crowd. "Until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Duskpaw, as StarClan guides your paws on your journey." He paused, surveying the crowd. His eyes flicked over the cats, before pulling back toward Lionheart, who was making eye contact with Ashenstrike across the way. A sly notion hit him, and he continued: "Your mentor will be Lionheart." He watched her jolt in shock, as Duskpaw's tail kinked excitedly. "Lionheart, you have been a driving force of this clan for as long as it has existed. Not only are you courageous, firm and stalwart, you are kind, innovative and quick-thinking. I know Duskpaw will flourish under your mentorship, as Flowershine did, and as did I." The clan erupted into cheers as Lionheart moved forward to touch noses with an excited Duskpaw.
"I'm going to be the best apprentice you ever had!" He mewed, and Lionheart let out a rumbling chuckle. "You're so lucky," Flowershine mewed, brushing up against him from his other side, "Lionheart taught me so many great things. You truly did get the best mentor in the clan."
"Hey!" Ashenstrike teased, moving forward with Longpaw at his side, "I'm standing right here." He and Lionheart made eye contact again, and his ears pricked forward. "Looks like we'll be training together, then. I was going to teach Longpaw some more hunting techniques, if the new apprentices would like to join us." Dawnpaw let out a gasp, turning with wide eyes to Shadowtail. "Can we? Can we please?!" The brown-tabby molly looked at Lionheart, amused, who just chuckled, and nodded. "That sounds like a great idea," her eyes met Ashenstrike's again, and they shared a warm smile, "thank you."
Maplefall sidled up to Badgerstar, shoulder brushing his. He turned to face her, feeling his pelt heat already. "Very clever, Badgerstar," she teased, nodding to the laughing Lionheart and Ashenstrike. "I didn't realize you'd picked up on that. But... I wanted to ask, since Lionheart will probably be busy with her new apprentice, and since Boulderpaw is off my paws for the day, do you want to patrol together? It would be like old times." Badgerstar didn't even hesitate.
"Maplefall and I will do a short border patrol, Lionheart will sort everyone else into hunting patrols. Goldleaf, if you and Mousepaw need help gathering herbs, collect Ashenstrike and Longpaw to help you." He turned tail, Maplefall just behind him, and the pair bounded out of camp, leaving a bewildered clan behind.

★★★

"So then," Maplefall was saying, "they knocked each other into the river, and poor Flintburr had to try and drag them both out while they were still fighting!" Badgerstar snorted at her story, knocking shoulders with her. "Man, having an apprentice sounds fun! I wish I could have one!" A silence followed, and he glanced toward Maplefall, who was staring at him with fond amusement. "What?" He mewed, bewildered.
"You know you can just assign yourself an apprentice, if you want." Badgerstar's eyes widened, as if he hadn't quite considered this possibility, and Maplefall laughed airily, before she leaped forward, padding in front of him to stop him in his tracks. "But I... hope you don't." She mewed, and the black tom blinked in shock, head tilting to the side curiously. "Why's that?"
"It was really hard not being able to hang out with you all the time," she admitted, "when we took that walk a few moons ago- I, I meant to say something else to you, too, but I was too scared." Badgerstar took a step forward, touching his nose to her cheek. "What is it, Maplefall? Is everything okay?" He asked, trying to sound steady, even though his heart was beating very fast.
"Everything's perfect," she purred, "except, I really like you. In fact, I'm in love with you. And I don't know if you feel the same way or not, but I hoped-"
"I do!" He cut her off, excited, "I do, I love you too. I- I hadn't thought about it and then you just looked so pretty and I-" Maplefall cut him off with a rumbling purr, as she wound around him, nuzzling her face against his. Cheerfully, Badgerstar pushed back into her, winding their tails together as she leant on him, with a content sigh. "Ask me," she purred, "go on, ask me."
"Maplefall," he was laughing, so happy he couldn't contain it, "Maplefall will you be my mate!"
"Of course I will be. I love you." Carefully, she touched her nose to his, and he nuzzled against her with a rumbling purr, before his ears pricked forward, toward the forest. "I love you too. But I love living more, and Lionheart will kill us if we neglect this patrol." Maplefall's laugh was tinkling, like the sound of little bells, like dewdrops on a leaf, as the pair of them started to walk again, continuing around the borders of GroveClan.

★★★

"We should look for herbs to help with greencough," Goldleaf mewed to her apprentice, as they glided effortlessly through the forest. Mousepaw nodded with the nervous enthusiasm she always had, stumbling along after her mentor. "Do you remember which herbs are best for greencough?" The little she-cat screwed her face up, obviously struggling to recall. Goldleaf stopped, and Mousepaw shrank with a mumbled 'sorry'.
"Mousepaw," the she-cat said firmly, and the molly's green eyes rose to meet her own, shyly. "Remember when Badgerstar said I asked to mentor you? I chose you for a reason, because I see great potential in you. I know StarClan sent you here for a reason, and I know it's hard to feel that you have any power when you've been ridiculed for your differences all your life. I believe in you, Mousepaw, but you need to believe in yourself." The she-cat gazed at her, before, quietly, she said;
"Catmint, tansy and ch... cher- no, chick weed." Approvingly, Goldleaf purred. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Now, where can we find catmint?"
"By the lake, or by the field beyond the dead tree, where the soil is dryer," the younger she-cat was beginning to stand up straight now, excited by how much she could remember. Goldleaf nodded, and began to walk again. "Stress stops the part of your brain that helps you to remember things. You know you know the answers, and it's okay not to know them too. You're very young, and you have a lot to learn, so if you don't know something, at least you'll learn it."
"Yes, of course, sorry Goldleaf," she mewed, trotting along with her mentor. Her ears pricked forward as they made their way down toward the lake, Fawnrunner and Flowershine emerging, pelts dripping with water. "Hello Mousepaw, hello Goldleaf," Flowershine mewed, tail kinking as she spotted the medicine cat.
"I hope you'll get properly dry," the she-cat said gruffly, "Leafbare is coming up, and we don't need either of you catching a cough."
"We'll be careful, promise," Flowershine mewed. "Dustfang is still down at the lake hunting, if you need some help carrying herbs. Flowershine and I are heading toward the field-side of the lake to see what we can catch around there."
"Very well," Goldleaf mewed, ducking her head in acknowledgement, "how's the hunting going? Hopefully the prey isn't too scarce."
"It's running well," said Fawnrunner, "there aren't so many fish in the lake, but we've scattered enough voles and squirrels. We're hoping we might find some birds on our way through." Flowershine blinked at Mousepaw, face softening a bit as she saw how nervous the poor she-cat looked. "And what are you and Goldleaf hunting for, Mousepaw?" Startled, the white and brown molly froze, before she took a deep breath, glancing at Goldleaf for approval as she replied.
"We're looking for catmint by the lake, so that we'll be prepared for greencough." Goldleaf nodded, pleased with her apprentice, and Flowershine beamed, with a rumbling purr. "That's very smart of you to remember such an important herb with so little training! I bet Goldleaf feels really privileged to have you as an apprentice."
"I do," the she-cat rumbled, "now if you'll excuse me, my brilliant apprentice and I have some herbs to find."
"Bye Flowershine! Bye Fawnrunner!" Mousepaw mewed, a little more energetic now with glowing pride from her praise. She bounded clumsily after her mentor, and Goldleaf turned, mouthing a silent 'thank you' over her shoulder to the she-cat. Once they were out of ear-shot, Fawnrunner smiled at Flowershine. "That was kind of you, what you did for Mousepaw." Flowershine nodded, with a light laugh, "well, I remember what it was like to be young and scared too. I know Goldleaf will do just as good a job as Lionheart did of giving that kit confidence, but sometimes you just need a little push."

[ the clan consumes two squirrels and a vole
boulderpaw & burrpaw attempt their warrior assessments. (boulderflame & burrcall)
ashenstrike, lionheart & shadowtail train their apprentices in hunting
goldleaf and mousepaw look for herbs (greencough priority)
badgerstar and maplefall patrol the borders
badgerstar and maplefall become mates! (no kits)
flintburr, hawkthorn, harrierstreak and stonepatch hunt in the fields
dustfang, fawnrunner and flowershine hunt near the lake ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 28 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★✰

Deputy:
lionheart | 49 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 50 moons | ♀ | 🌷
Apprentice:
mousepaw | 7 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
flintburr | 64 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 24 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 38 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 38 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dustfang | 43 moons | ♂ | 🌷
ashenstrike | 49 moons | ♂ | 🌷
stonepatch | 25 moons | ♂ | 🌷
fawnrunner | 24 moons | ♀ | 🌷
flowershine | 15 moons | ♀ | 🌷
harrierstreak | 16 moons | ♂ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
boulderpaw | 12 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrpaw | 12 moons | ♀ | 🌷
longpaw | 14 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dawnpaw | 6moons | ♀ | 🌷
duskpaw | 6 moons | ♂ | 🌷


Queens:
acornstream | 38 moons | ♀ | 🌷


Kits:
squirrelkit | 2 moons | ♂ | 🌷
woodkit | 2 moons | ♀ | 🌷


Elders:
none--

ally clans;
crescentclan | chasing the moon
echoclan | Katrione
hopeclan | adiebaby11

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | Clan Name | Username
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [1] | greencough
chervil [2] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [1] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
poppy seeds [1] | pain
cobwebs [1] | bleeding
fennel [3] | pain
raspberry leaves [1] | kitting
ragwort leaves [1] | strength
alder bark [1] | toothache
beech leaves [1] | use ???
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x2 | 2 servings
rabbit | x4 | 8 servings
bird | x3 | 9 servings
fish | x5 | 10 servings
squirrel | x1 | 2 servings
capacity: 31 servings (6 posts)





mentors;
maplefall | boulderpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
flintburr | burrpaw [4]
↪ swimming, hunting, battle, stalking
ashenstrike | longpaw [2]
↪ battle, hunting, skill, skill
shadowtail | dawnpaw [1]
↪ skill, hunting, skill, skill
lionheart | duskpaw [1]
↪ skill, hunting, skill, skill
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr ♡ silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
unknown ♥ unknown
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang ♡ tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
hawkthorn ♥ acornstream
↪ squirrelkit & woodkit
unknown ♡ junipernose
↪ dawnkit & duskkit
adopted by fawnrunner (m. aunt)
eagleleap ♡ dewfeather
↪ harrierstreak & mousepaw
badgerstar ♥ maplefall
↪ not expecting
name and name
↪ kit names

[solyn]

set: between the posts of 011, 2 weeks after intermission 002
characters: flintburr & lionheart

The wind whipped passed past Lionheart's head as she sat on the rise just outside the camp, keeping watch like a sentry. It tore through the trees and scratched at her face, in a way that was oddly soothing. Her eyes fluttered shut as she tilted her head back and inhaled deeply, dragging the roaring breeze into her lungs. A laugh came from the camp behind her- Acornstream's voice, she recognized, followed by a faint mewling. A pang of guilt twisted her gut; she should be with her clan, wishing Acornstream and Hawkthorn well, like everyone else was.
But she couldn't. It had been painful enough for her to tighten a smile onto her maw and wish Acornstream a gracious congratulations three days after they'd been born, but she'd balked and every offer to actually spend time around the poor young things. She felt embarrassed after oversharing to Ashenstrike, and she'd been avoiding him to the best of her ability. Footsteps crunched behind her, and her hackles raised. She whirled, ready to fight an attacker, only to find herself face to face with Flintburr's golden eyes.
"I thought we were friends," he said, dryly, and Lionheart relaxed, shifting across to make room for him. "Do you mind if I sit?" He asked, already sitting anyway, so Lionheart shook her head. He sat close to her, their fluffy shoulders touching in the cool night breeze. It always amazed her how stalwart and strong he was. Nothing seemed to faze him, and he never lost his cool. Perhaps, in another life, if Lionheart had been a younger, more idealistic cat, there could have been something between them.
"You've been absent, lately," Flintburr's smooth voice cut into her thoughts, "some cats might be starting to worry."
"You needn't. I'm fine." Her tone was a tad too snappy, a tad too defensive, and she knew Flintburr noticed, from the way his ear flicked idly in her direction, and then swiveled forward again. He was silent for a long while, allowing her room to breathe, even though she suddenly felt claustrophobic.
"I don't know what happened to you," he said finally, "but you can talk to me about it."
"I said--"
"Lionheart," his voice had a lilt of amusement to it, "I'm the oldest cat in the clan. I have some experience, and if you'll remember, I lost my clan too." She squeezed her eyes shut, kicking herself mentally. When she spoke again, her voice was softer, more bashful;
"Oh, Flintburr, I'm so sorry, I didn't even think about how this must be for you." He chuckled, but there was little humour behind it. Lionheart shuffled closer, leaning her weight against his shoulder. He turned his head and rested his jaw atop her ears, flattening them against her skull.
"I miss them too, Lionheart. It's hard not to know where they are, and hard not to see my kits grow up. I always thought Silvermoon and I would get to watch them frolic about with their mentors, help pass on tips when we could, sleep in a family group in the warrior's den." Lionheart's gut twisted, and she let out a sniffle. Surprised, Flintburr drew back, watching the ginger molly curiously. "Lionheart?"
"I... only told Ashenstrike this," she began, "because he asked, and because I don't like to talk about it. But I... had kits once. Young. None of them made it." She lowered her head, and it was silent. To fill in the gap, she began to speak again; "it wasn't just my family that I lost. I lost those memories too, and it's- it's hard to see things like this without thinking about-"
"What could have been," Flintburr's voice was a low murmur, as he touched his nose to her cheek. Lionheart sank into the stone with a wracking sob, and Flintburr settled next to her, wrapping her close to his impressive form with his tail, grooming her very softly. "It's alright, it's alright," he soothed, voice gentle and deep. Then, quietly, "tell me about them."
And so she did. Her whole story, from start to finish. Born to Cherryflower and Frostjaw on the wild moor, with two other mewling kits. She told him of her adventures as a 'paw, how she and Adderbite had come to fall in love, her experiences with the older queens in the nursery, telling stories to the kits that leapt around her feet. How close she'd gotten to Roseclaw's mate, Pinefeather, the kits and all that came after, until she'd met Badgerstar.
"And, well. You know the rest," she finished, with a deep breath. She was leaning heavily on Flintburr by this time, the solid black tom still shielding her from the biting wind. He hummed his acknowledgement, and a silence fell, this one more comfortable than the last. Guilt twanged in her belly at the thought of Badgerstar being left out of all of this, and she resolved to tell him as soon as she could. And then Goldleaf too. She should know about the kit situation. It would get easier to talk about.
"Why did you name them that?" Flintburr's question made her jolt, and she blinked at him, uncomprehending. "Your kits. Silvermoon and I decided on Sootkit, because she was dark and soft like soot is, and Halfkit, because he was like Silvermoon and had tabby markings over half his face." Lionheart stared at him with wide eyes. It wasn't like anyone had ever asked her that question before.
"Frostkit was named after my father," she mewed, "since he died when I was an apprentice. He still taught me valuable lessons, and I hoped some of his spirit would go with the kit. Morningkit was because she was soft gold, like the morning sun. And Fernkit..." she paused, then, took a deep breath. "Fernkit had her father's brilliant green eyes, and ferns symbolized new life. So I had hoped..." She trailed off, and Flintburr gently touched his nose to her cheek.
"You would have made a good mother," he said, "and I'm sorry you lost your kits. I would be distraught. Sometimes I think it's better not knowing, because I don't know what I would do if I knew they were gone." There was a pause, and then Flintburr chuckled. Lionheart peered quizzically at him. "Oh, uh. I think... in some ways, Lionheart, you became a mother without realizing it. To Flowershine, at least, and you're like a littermate to Badgerstar, he adores you so. Everyone in the clan loves you, and though we may not have been born together, we are a family."
Lionheart smiled at him, teasingly nudging his shoulder. "Don't get soft on me now, Flintburr," she mewed, carefully getting to her feet. "Thank you for talking with me. I'm sure you'll hear news of your family soon."
"I hear news of them every day," he replied, standing with her, "and I get to watch Badgerstar and Maplefall moon hopelessly." Lionheart laughed then, following the black tom as he brushed back under the willow leaves, and through the tunnel into camp, the craggly rock walls looming high overhead, shielding them from the wind. Easily, they integrated back into the group, laughing and joking as if they'd been there the whole time. When Woodkit stumbled and fell upon Lionheart's paws, she leaned down and licked her forehead, before carefully turning her around and sending her back toward her mother. Across the way, Flintburr caught her eye, and they shared a private smile.

[solyn]

𝔾ℝ𝕆𝕍𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔸ℕ !!
# of cats; 22 (♀: 11 / ♂: 11)
servings consumed; 5 servings
next moonpool visit; 28/08 onward

𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕠,
The wind was biting as Boulderpaw and Burrpaw scrambled together up the last of the rise, watching the water rush past them and tumble over the cliff with a deafening roar. Above the waterfall was the most difficult place to hunt, but neither of the young cats were too worried about the prospects of failing: they still had plenty of hours left in the Leaf-fall day, as they took turns stepping forward to add their chosen rocks to the pile of them that had slowly been amassing over the moons.
"That one's Flowershine's," Boulderpaw mewed confidently, reaching his nose forward to touch the stone in question. It was oddly shaped and looked almost like a rose, in the red clay-ish colour of some of the rocks found near the lakeside. Burrpaw chuckled, nudging his shoulder good naturedly. He shoved her back, and she laughed, before the pair of them looked at their rocks. "Do you think they'll be able to tell which ones are ours?" She asked, head tilting. Boulderpaw nudged her. "We're going to be fine. Now come on, we have some prey to catch."
They hunted for the better part of the day, but the afternoon sun was still high in the sky when they trotted back into camp, prey dangling from their jaws. Cats were crowding around Badgerstar and Maplefall, chattering excitedly, while their tails twined. They could hear the tom's rumbling purr from the entry to the camp. Burrpaw dropped her prey, distraught. "Badgerstar and Maplefall finally confessed and we missed it?" The clan swung on them, before Maplefall let out an excited squeal, dashing forward to twine around Boulderpaw.
"Oh, you did it! You passed your warrior assessments!"
"And you finally told him how you feel!" He was laughing, as he touched noses with his mentor, and then his leader. "Congratulations. You're a lucky cat to have Maplefall." Badgerstar let out a purr, tilting his head back so that Maplefall could nuzzles her head under his jaw. "Don't I know it. And congratulations to you. You passed, with flying colours." He let out a surprised squeak as Dustfang bowled past him to nuzzle both of his kits, with a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Oh, I'm so proud of you. You're finally warriors, my babies, all grown up."
"Don't smother them," Shadowtail laughed, appearing beside their father. She touched noses with both of them, stepping aside so that Dawnpaw and her brother could pay their congratulations, her tail kinked high over her back. The pair of fluffy apprentices noticed how close Shadowtail and Dustfang were standing, and they shared a sly look, before Harrierstreak, Flowershine and Longpaw were pushing their way in closer to them to congratulate them. Flintburr weaved around Burrpaw, touching noses with her and murmuring quiet praise, before Badgerstar's voice cut into the excitement:
"All cats gather beneath Highbranch!" He yowled, and the clan swiveled to attention. From the nursery, Hawkthorn and Acornstream appeared, shepherding their young kits out into the cool afternoon. "I, Badgerstar, leader of GroveClan, ask our ancestors in StarClan to look down on these two apprentices before you. They have trained hard to understand the way of the warrior code, and I couldn't commend them highly enough for their continued diligence, optimism and tenacity. Boulderpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do!" He purred, tail kinking, as Maplefall pressed in close to him on one side, and Burrpaw jostled his shoulder on the other. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name! Boulderpaw, you will henceforth be known as Boulderflame. StarClan honours your warmth, compassion and ingenuity and we are all so honoured to welcome you as a full warrior of GroveClan." Cheers went up about the clan, raucous yowls of his new name, with Burrpaw and Dustfang shouting the loudest of all. As they died down, Badgerstar's ecstatic voice rose again:
"And Burrpaw! Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"Of course I do!" She called back, with a rampant purr. Badgerstar beamed at her, before calling out: "Then by the powers of StarClan I also give you your warrior name. Burrpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Burrcall. StarClan honours your wit, vivacity and charm. Welcome, as a full warrior of GroveClan." And now it was Boulderflame's turn to cheer louder than all others for his sister, as cats converged on them again to congratulate them.
"I hope sitting a silent vigil won't be too difficult," Lionheart purred, a good-natured teasing lilt to her voice. Flintburr swatted her flank with his tail and gruffly warned her to stop bullying his apprentice. She sweetly pointed out that was former apprentice now, and a ripple of laughter went around the throng of cats.
"You got such cool warrior names!" Duskpaw squeaked, bouncing around their paws, before the throng parted so that Badgerstar could make his way through. He rested his maw atop Boulderflame's head first, and he licked his shoulder, before he moved on to Burrcall, who did the same. "I'm proud of the both of you," Badgerstar purred, "congratulations on becoming the first littermates to complete your apprentice training."
"I'm so excited to be a warrior with you," Flowershine purred, wiggling her way in between her friends. Burrcall's rumbling purr made the cats laugh again, merriment high in the clan on a cool Leaf-fall evening. Slowly but surely, the throng began to disperse, cats splitting off to be with their friends, and allow the two new warriors to prepare for their vigil. Harrierstreak split away from the new warriors, ears pricking toward where Longpaw was sitting by himself, looking pensive. The young tom padded toward his friend, settling down next to him.
"It's exciting, isn't it," Longpaw asked, with a purr, and Harrierstreak nodded, shifting closer so that their shoulders could press together, transferring heat to keep them warm in the cool night. "You must be excited for them. I know they're your friends."
"They're good cats," Longpaw mewed, affirmatively, "fun, and full of life. I just can't help but wondering whether anyone will be excited for my warrior ceremony. I know Ashenstrike will be, because he mentored me, but... well. It feels odd, you know? They have family here, and friends, and I..."
"Don't?" Harrierstreak finished, and Longpaw shrugged, embarrassed. The brown and white tom purred, nudging his shoulder. "Well then what am I? I'm your friend, and I guarantee you I'll be cheering louder than anyone when you get your warrior name." Longpaw gave him a grateful smile, before he tentatively leaned across to groom a bit of misplaced chest fur back into place. Harrierstreak felt himself go warm. "What do you think my warrior name will be?" Longpaw asked as he settled back down, allowing Harrierstreak to groom his head and scruff, where his fur often got rumpled.
"Hm," he pretended to think hard about this, "Longlegs." His teasing got him a snort, and a clip around the ears from the spindly tom's tail, which made him chuckle and purr quite contentedly, as the pair of them looked out across the camp. There was so much cheer, and Harrierstreak felt happy, watching Mousepaw and Goldleaf sitting with Ashenstrike and Lionheart, the latter of whom was having a conversation with his sister that made her tiny chest puff up. She was sitting up straighter, and it looked like she was reciting something, to the pride of Goldleaf. Across camp, with Shadowtail, Hawkthorn and Acornstream were Badgerstar and Maplefall, laughing as Woodkit and Squirrelkit tumbled over their feet.
"What are you thinking about?" Longpaw asked, as Harrierstreak leaned into him, with a content sigh. "How lucky we are to have a family like this."

𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪,
"You're sure you'll be fine?" Acornstream's mew was nervous, as she watched her kits climb over Badgerstar's flanks. The young black tom laughed, stretching himself out to give them more of a platform to play on as their parents watched over him with an anxious curiosity. "Yeah, it'll be good fun! And good practice for when Maplefall and I have our kits."
"When are those kits coming?" Hawkthorn asked, as Acornstream nudged his shoulder. He gave her a look, amused, but acknowledging her silent command not to pry. Luckily, Badgerstar didn't seem to regard it as prying, as he playfully swatted Woodkit with his tail, making her harrumph indignantly, and pounce upon it. "After Leafbare sometime. Goldleaf is already stressing about the possibility of greencough, and we don't want to spread her resources too thin. Besides, I wouldn't want Maplefall to kit in Leafbare anyway if it was going to put her in danger."
"That sounds smart," Acornstream mewed, leaning forward to touch her nose to his forehead. "Thank you for your help, Badgerstar, it'll be nice to get out of the nursery for a bit. I've missed hunting with the rest of the clan." Hawkthorn purred, nuzzling her shoulder, before he crouched down to talk to his son. "You'll be good for Badgerstar, won't you?" Squirrelkit nodded with solemn, wide eyes, the way he was ought to do. Fondly, he let his kits touch noses with him, waiting for them to farewell their mother in the same way, before the two of them emerged into the light. Maplefall and Fawnrunner were waiting for them, the calico molly's tail kinked above her back.
"Ready to go?" she asked, garnering a laugh from Acornstream. "Am I ever. It's good to be back, if only for a day." Hawkthorn purred, nuzzling her side again. "It's good to have you back." Maplefall snorted, playfully standing on his foot. "As if you left her side for more than a second, Hawkthorn." The tom ducked his head bashfully as they laughed, gently jostling him with their shoulders. He shook his head in amusement, bounding forward, leaving the mollies to sprint after him into the early Leaf-fall sunlight.
He watched Acornstream weave through the trees, refreshed at the memory of light hitting her pelt, illuminating the golden-brown of her fur as she effortlessly cleared fallen logs and bounded neatly around particularly soggy patches of leaves on the forest floor. She and Fawnrunner were chatting amicably, as Maplefall streaked ahead, and Hawkthorn brought up the rear. She'd gotten quite close to Fawnrunner in the nursery, he'd noticed, as the younger molly had been in to see her niece and nephew while Acornstream had been rearing them.
"Hey," he called, tail raising as he skidded to a stop. The three she-cats also paused, turning to face him. He locked eyes with Acornstream, purring in a deep, rumbling manner, "what do you say we show these youngsters how to hunt, Acornstream? Whoever has the most prey at the end of the day owes the other the fattest fish in the lake." Maplefall and Fawnrunner exchanged grins, as Acornstream turned toward them with a sly smile.
"You're on," she purred, before brushing shoulders with her mate, the two of them splintering away from Maplefall and Fawnrunner to hunt down the best prey they could find.

★★★

Goldleaf had been staring at the herb storage for a long time now, and it was beginning to make Mousepaw a little nervous. She shifted from paw to paw, glancing outside into the camp, where Badgerstar was pretending to be, incidentally, a badger, for the kits to topple. As soon as Woodkit brushed his leg, he fell dramatically to the ground and writhed as the pair of them pounced onto him, nibbling at his ears and at his tail.
"Is something wrong?" She mewed to Goldleaf, drawing her attention back to her mentor, who turned to blink at her, before shaking her head and looking back at the storage. "Nothing particular. We're still not extremely well-outfitted, and I don't want to be caught off guard. Sure, this is the clan's first Leafbare with a medicine cat and they survived fine without me when it was just Badgerstar and Lionheart, but we have kits now to care for."
"We should get some more greencough herbs, then?" Mousepaw suggested, and Goldleaf let out an airy breath, with a nod. "That should be our priority, but with so little prey around we should be on the lookout for things to help with pain and wounds. It'll drive predators closer to the territory." Mousepaw shrank a little at that, and Goldleaf gently laid a tail over her shoulders to comfort her. The smaller molly let out a soft breath, before straightening up.
"Okay, so, um... catmint? By the lake again?"
"Yes, but we need to be careful. The rains are starting to fill it up, and it'll be more dangerous to go there during Leafbare when everything is frosted over."

★★★

Shadowtail let out a laugh as her apprentice was tackled into the dust by her brother. Dawnpaw gave an indignant squeal, paws battering the other one's tummy as he pinned her to the forest floor. Lionheart purred, smugly, and nudged Shadowtail's shoulder. The younger brown molly rolled her eyes and nudged her back, feeling a sense of odd pride swelling in her as Lionheart snorted and straightened up again as if they hadn't been fooling around just then.
"Okay, we get it," Shadowtail mewed, "you are the best mentor in the clan." The ginger molly rumbled out another purr, and Shadowtail took the time to marvel again at the fact she and Lionheart were somehow close enough for the normally stoic deputy to play around with her like that. "She is!" Duskpaw enthused, bounding neatly off of his sister, with his tail kinked above his back. The small ginger she-cat rolled to her feet, shaking out her pelt. "No way, Shadowtail is the best!"
"No, Lionheart!"
"Shadowtail!" And so the two went on and on, until Lionheart cleared her throat. Quickly, both young apprentices stood to attention, wide-eyed blinking directed at the deputy. "If you're quite done, I'm sure you'd like to learn another move." They both nodded, and Lionheart hummed her approval, before she began to instruct the pair of them on a new combat maneuver. Shadowtail of course joined in the demonstration, allowing Lionheart to pin her to demonstrate, before they swapped rolls and she pinned the deputy.
"Now you try!" She mewed, hopping backward to sit. Almost instantly, the two apprentices were upon each other, tussling with crows of triumph and indignant yowls whenever the other toppled them. It was quite an amusing scene, watching their clumsy battering, much like their play-fighting had been when they were kits. She turned to Lionheart to make a remark, only to find the ginger molly surprisingly absent. Frowning, she stood from her spot, and backed up a little, listening for any sign of her friend.
Carefully, she pushed through the bracken, keeping one ear out for the apprentices, to find her sniffing at some fur on a tree. It was ginger, like her own, if not a bit lighter. "What are you doing?" Shadowtail mewed, making Lionheart jump. She shook her head, fixing Shadowtail with a tight smile that the brown tabby knew to mean that she was worried but trying not to panic anyone else about whatever it was.
"Nothing. I just thought I smelt something, but I must have caught myself on that tree when we came past." Shadowtail nodded, allowing Lionheart to pass back into the clearing. She could hear her critiquing the forms of the apprentices, voice fading a little the further away she got. Quickly checking over her shoulder, she bounded closer to what Lionheart had been scenting to check it out for herself.
The scent did smell like Lionheart, but more like she had smelled when Shadowtail first met her, and less like the Lionheart soaked in GroveClan scent that existed today. The fur was lighter, and she was almost certain it didn't belong to Lionheart. Frowning, Shadowtail lifted her head to glance back in the direction of the clearing. Whatever it was, if it were serious, she was sure Lionheart would tell someone. Still, the troubled feeling didn't leave her gut, even as her smile returned, and she and Lionheart joined their apprentices in batting each other around.

★★★

"So Harrierstreak, huh?" Ashenstrike asked, tilting his head to blink down at his apprentice, who blinked back at him owlishly from the branch below. Letting out a huff, Longpaw sprung and hauled himself further up the tree, shaking out his pelt indignantly. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, huffily, and Ashenstrike made the noise that indicated he didn't believe him for a minute.
"Come on, everyone with eyes can see you two are getting close," he paused, thought about this for a second, because Longpaw was giving him a look that said he WOULD name every single cat Ashenstrike was close to if he pushed him, "closer than normal to a cat like that. Closer like... Badgerstar and Maplefall, for example." He blinked innocently, as Longpaw effortlessly swung a branch higher, curling on it to stare down at Ashenstrike.
"I'm not sure I should trust you on that, considering I heard Lionheart teasing you for not being able to tell Maplefall and Badgerstar liked each other." Ashenstrike made an offended gasping noise. "Getting mouthy are we, Longpaw? I'm offended." The grey and white tom snickered to himself, as he glanced down at the floor, ears pricked forward. "Maybe. Are we done climbing trees for the day though? Am I quite to your standards?"
"You did warn me, huh?" Ashenstrike let out a chuckling laugh. "But sure, we're done. You clearly know how to climb with the best of them, so I'm not too worried for you if it comes up in your warrior assessment." Longpaw gave him a smug look, proceeding to easily claw his way down the tree, leaping from the last branch to the ground with natural ease. Ashenstrike followed after him, a little more clumsily.
"Where did you learn to climb like that, anyway?" He asked, shaking out his fur, twisting his neck to drag a pine needle out of his thick scruff. The only downside to his winter coat growing in was how many things got tangled in it. He couldn't begin to imagine what it was like for poor Flintburr. Or Dustfang. He shuddered at the thought.
"There were lots of trees where I grew up. My mother didn't think it was safe on the ground, and there was an abandoned two-leg construction in one of the trees, so she kept all of us kits up there. I guess it was pretty dangerous, but we all learned to climb pretty early on in life." Ashenstrike blinked in shock. This was the first time that he'd heard Longpaw really talk about where he came from.
"So why'd you leave?" Longpaw shrugged a little. "My mother didn't come back one day, so my siblings and I went to look for her. Turns out two-legs had come back, and they chased us. I got away, but I think my littermates got taken by the twolegs. Otherwise, we just got split up. Either way, I haven't seen them since."
"Do you miss them?" The queasy feeling came back to Ashenstrike's gut, twisting it around painfully. It was hard to keep this up, when cats who were important to him continued to trust him with these highly sensitive things. Longpaw just shrugged, bounding ahead of Ashenstrike. "Sometimes. I like being here though. Even if I do miss them, I don't think I'd ask for them back, because then I wouldn't have got to come to GroveClan."
"And you wouldn't have met Harrierstreak," Ashenstrike tried again, grinning as Longpaw rolled his eyes and flicked his ears. Perhaps it was the residual guilt of the conversation, but something made Ashenstrike stop dead in his tracks. Longpaw turned, blinking at his mentor. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" He mewed, curiously, and the great grey tom shook his head. "No, no. Go on ahead, I'll catch up. I just remembered I wanted to talk to Dustfang about something."
Longpaw looked hesitant, but he shrugged and bounded away. Once he was sure Longpaw was gone, Ashenstrike whipped around, scenting the air again. He followed the scent to the border, faint, as if the cat had just been walking through. He looked around, in a panic, and began to scratch dirt all over the place to cover the scent. He flattened it down, praying silently to StarClan; don't let them come here. Don't let them come here.

★★★

"How's it feel being a full-fledged warrior?" Harrierstreak asked, bounding alongside Boulderflame. The two younger tomcats were letting Flintburr lead, although they knew that he was listening in to their conversation. He never missed a single thing that happened in the clan, and they were sure that trying to keep secrets from him was impossible. Not that there were any secrets to keep.
"It's so good," Boulderflame purred, stretching his legs out with the next bound. "I love the freedom of it. It's good to be out and know that no one is worrying about keeping me in check. I kind of miss getting to hang out with Maplefall and Burrcall so much though and I wish I'd gotten to spend more time with Longpaw. He seems like a cool cat."
"He is pretty cool," Harrierstreak mewed, "he's a really good friend, and he has some funny stories about Ashenstrike as a mentor."
"I can imagine," Flintburr's deep rumble came from up ahead, where he'd stopped at the east border. He sniffed at the ground as the two younger toms padded up close to him. They both leaned in to scent what Flintburr was smelling as well. "It seems like a new clan has moved in somewhere near here," Harrierstreak said, blinking up at Flintburr. The cat nodded sagely, and the three of them looked out past the dead tree, to the charred forest edging the field on the other side.
"Don't like that," Harrierstreak declared, taking a big step back from the tree. Boulderflame followed suit, and soon, Flintburr turned to follow them, shaking his head a little. "We should let Badgerstar know," he said, "but we need to finish this patrol first. So, what were we talking about?"
"We were talking about how Harrierstreak loves Longpaw." Boulderflame purred slyly, the brown and white tom startling. "Hey! We were not. And I don't love him. I just think he's... really cool." Flintburr gave the two young toms an amused look, taking a few steps ahead of him, before turning to give him a sly look over his shoulder. "That's what I used to say about my mate." Harrierstreak sputtered, and Boulderflame looked gleeful, like he'd won a lottery.
"I'm telling Lionheart not to put me on any more patrols with you," Harrierstreak grumped, "this is bullying."
"You loooooove him!" Boulderflame singsonged, laughing as he lept out of the way of Harrierstreak's well placed swipe.

★★★

"So," Stonepatch gave Dustfang a helpless, pleading look as Burrcall sidled up next to him, brushing her cream pelt against his own patched one. Slightly ahead of them, Flowershine gave him an amused look. "When are you going to ask Fawnrunner." He glowered at the she-cat, picking up the pace to try and escape, only to have her match him step for step. "Ask her what."
"To be your mate," Flowershine supplied unhelpfully. Dustfang chuckled, and Stonepatch felt his pelt go hot. There was no point denying it, clearly he wouldn't be getting any help from anyone on this patrol. "We're supposed to be hunting," he reminded them, and Burcall tutted, shaking her head. "No no, no evasiveness. Fawnrunner is our friend and we don't want her getting hurt, so we need to know your intentions!" He gave a curious look to Flowershine, who shrugged.
"I had no part in this." With an annoyed sigh, he shrugged again. "I don't know. I like her, but it's still too new. I want to get to know her more, but she is... something." He gave a small smile, and Burrcall sighed dreamily, bounding ahead of him. "Flowershine, when is a tom going to look at us like that? He's so smitten, just thinking about her."
"Alright, ladies, that's enough," Dustfang laughed, and Burrcall's eyes narrowed in a mischeivous fashion. "Oh yeah, dad? And how about Shadowtail, when are you going to ask her?" Dustfang, bewildered, gave Stonepatch a pleading look. Laughing, the younger tom bounded forward, nudging his shoulder to Dustfang's as the pair of them wove through the grasses, leaving the she-cats behind.
"You know I'm right!" Burrcall's sing-song voice echoed after them.

[ badgerstar looks after the kits for a day!
goldleaf and mousepaw hunt for herbs (greencough priority)
lionheart & shadowtail teach duskpaw and dawnpaw to fight
ashenstrike trains longpaw in climbing
flintburr, boulderflame and harrierstreak patrol the borders
dustfang, burrcall, flowershine and stonepatch hunt in the fields
maplefall, hawkthorn, acornstream and fawnrunner hunt in the forest
ashenstrike and lionheart both pick up on very familiar scents.... ]

Leader:
badgerstar | 29 moons | ♂ | 🌷
Lives: ★★★★★★★★✰

Deputy:
lionheart | 50 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Medicine Cat:
goldleaf | 51 moons | ♀ | 🌷
Apprentice:
mousepaw | 8 moons | ♀ | 🌷

Warriors:
flintburr | 65 moons | ♂ | 🌷
maplefall | 25 moons | ♀ | 🌷
shadowtail | 39 moons | ♀ | 🌷
hawkthorn | 39 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dustfang | 44 moons | ♂ | 🌷
ashenstrike | 50 moons | ♂ | 🌷
stonepatch | 26 moons | ♂ | 🌷
fawnrunner | 25 moons | ♀ | 🌷
flowershine | 16 moons | ♀ | 🌷
harrierstreak | 17 moons | ♂ | 🌷
boulderflame | 13 moons | ♂ | 🌷
burrcall | 13 moons | ♀ | 🌷
name | age | ♀/♂ | [url=link]🌷[/url]

Apprentices:
longpaw | 15 moons | ♂ | 🌷
dawnpaw | 7 moons | ♀ | 🌷
duskpaw | 7 moons | ♂ | 🌷


Queens:
acornstream | 39 moons | ♀ | 🌷


Kits:
squirrelkit | 3 moons | ♂ | 🌷
woodkit | 3 moons | ♀ | 🌷


Elders:
none--

ally clans;
echoclan | Katrione
hopeclan | adiebaby11

enemy clans;
Clan Name | Username
Clan Name | Username

borders;
north | echoclan | Katrione
east | kingdom of shattered bones | vivere!
south | Clan Name | Username
west | Clan Name | Username





medicine store;
catmint [2] | greencough
chervil [2] | wounds/aches
marigold [1] | wounds
tansy [2] | coughs
goldenrod [1] | wounds
catchweed [1] | poultices
poppy seeds [1] | pain
cobwebs [1] | bleeding
fennel [3] | pain
raspberry leaves [1] | kitting
ragwort leaves [1] | strength
alder bark [1] | toothache
beech leaves [1] | use ???
chickweed [1] | coughs
herb [#] | use

fresh-kill pile;
mouse | x0 | 0 servings
vole | x2 | 2 servings
rabbit | x4 | 8 servings
bird | x3 | 9 servings
fish | x6 | 12 servings
squirrel | x3 | 6 servings
capacity: 32 servings (6 posts)





mentors;
ashenstrike | longpaw [3]
↪ battle, hunting, climbing, skill
shadowtail | dawnpaw [2]
↪ battle, hunting, skill, skill
lionheart | duskpaw [2]
↪ battle, hunting, skill, skill
mentor | apprentice [#]
↪ skill, skill, skill, skill

deceased cats;
name | cause
name | cause

family/mates;
flintburr ♡ silvermoon
↪ halfkit & sootkit
tawnycloud ♥ shrikecry
↪ shadowtail & hawkthorn
dustfang ♡ tanglestep
↪ boulderpaw & burrpaw
hawkthorn ♥ acornstream
↪ squirrelkit & woodkit
ripplebound ♡ junipernose
↪ dawnkit & duskkit
adopted by fawnrunner (m. aunt)
eagleleap ♡ dewfeather
↪ harrierstreak & mousepaw
badgerstar ♥ maplefall
↪ not expecting
name and name
↪ kit names