🌫️HazeClan🌫️ Post Archive | dnp (please)

[NightWolf950]

With so many kittens in the clan the fluffy white tom let out a small sad sigh, his eyes resting on the entrance of the nursery. Many tiny meows coming from the well protected den. Ghost although content with his life in HazeClan, felt as if he was missing something, that something being kits. Haunt and himself had always talked about having kits back when they lived in MintClan, then their lives turned upside down when MintClan disbanded. Letting out another sigh, this time heavier then before Ghost turned away from the nursery unable to look at it any more.

Haunt returned from his patrol his bright yellow eyes landing on the fluffy white pelt of his mate. Smiling, the black tom trotted over to Ghost and nuzzled the white tom affectionately. "Hello there love. How was your day?" he purred, sitting next to the tom and wrapping his tail around him. Ghost gave a small shrug,although upset his eyes seemed to continue to gaze upon the nursery. Sensing something was wrong, Haunt frowned a bit. "Talk to me Ghost... I can't fix it unless you tell me what's wrong." he meowed softly.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to hide if from Haunt much longer, Ghost looked his mate in the eyes. "I miss our old home. I know we can never return and I am grateful for Hazestar taking us in and giving us a new home. He even allowed us to keep our old names. I just miss it, because back there we had cats who where willing to help us start a family. Now... Now how are we gonna start out family? It was our dream Haunt..." Ghost explained, his voice cracking a bit.

Haunt frowned a bit, his ears flattening against his head for a brief moment before remembering some information about a few of the she-cats in camp. "Maybe we still can. I remember hearing that Turtledove, Bearclaw, Aspencreek, and Dappledwillow talking about being surrogates for cats in need. I mean look at Turtledove! She's the mother of Dandelionkit, Dovekit, Finchkit, and Cricketkit and yet she's giving them to their father Falconflight in QuickClan so he and his mate Cyanslash can have a family. I mean those three are close so it's not like she won't ever seem them again. If she wasn't already helping others out I'm sure she'd help us." Haunt explained, a smile on his face.

Ghost's mood quickly did a turn around, his sad mood flying away and a large smile forming on the tom's face. "You know I totally forgot those she-cats said that. It's perfect! Plus I already know who to ask." the white tom purred. This caused Haunt to tilt his head a bit, his smile still remaining on his face. "Oh yeah? Who then?" he chuckled. "Dappledwillow and Aspencreek. I would have said Bearclaw, but she lost two of her kits back in the heat wave... I wouldn't want her being heartbroken to have to give up kits for us." Ghost explained.

The two toms talked it out for a bit before each giving one another a small nod and rising to their paws. Haunt lead the way over to the fresh-kill pile where Aspencreek and Dappledwillow sat, the two she-cats talking among themselves about how their patrols went. "Excuse me. Ladies?" Haunt meowed, causing the two she-cats to look to him and Ghost. "Oh Haunt it's you. How are you darling?" Dappledwillow purred. Smiling, Haunt gave the she-cat a small head bow before speaking. "Just fine thank you. We have come to discuss an important matter with the both of you if that's alright." he stated. Aspencreek gave a small nod, flicking her tail to the spot next to her. "Of course. Have a seat you two." she meowed.

Once the two had settled in next to the two she-cats Ghost was the one to speak next. "So Haunt and I where talking and remembered that the two of you would accept being surrogates for those in need... It's been rough for all of us and with us, myself mostly being homesick we have decided to start our dream of having a family. We wanted to know if..." Ghost meowed, his nerves getting the better of him towards the end. "If you would be okay with carrying a litter for each of us. We also know it's a lot of ask, but would greatly appreciate it" Haunt piped in, finishing his mate's sentence. Exchanging looks between them, both Aspencreek and Dappledwillow gave one another a small nod and smiled. "We'd love to help get your family started." Dappledwillow purred. Aspencreek gave another nod to the tom's a smile on her face as she did so.

[NightWolf950]

wip

Hazestar loses a life from a heart attack
Hayfur dies at the border. Is thought to be killed by the rogue group he once lived with.
Murkyeyes and Sunray die together

[NightWolf950]

Turtledove gazed down at the four fluffy kits before her, her heart swelling with pride. Today was the day that all of them would make the trip to QuickClan's camp. There Turtledove would be giving her two best friends, their kits. She would miss them dearly, however she knew she would be able to come visit and they could come visit. "Alright you four. Are you ready to go meet your guys' daddies!?" she meowed excitedly, a huge grin on her face. Each kit gave an excited meow in return, smiles on their faces as well. "Alright my little stars, let's go get your sister Panthertuft and then head out." Turtledove purred, exiting the nursery with Dandelionkit, Dovekit, Finchkit, and Cricketkit following closely behind her.

It didn't take long for Finchkit to take off towards the warriors' den to find Panthertuft, little Dandelionkit in toe behind her. Both Dovekit and Cricketkit stuck close to Turtledove, not wanting to overwhelm the warriors' den with kits. Turtledove watched as the two she-cats dashed off, unable to hold back a laugh as she watched them go. "Slow down you two! She's not going anywhere. She remembered today was your last day here. She'll be waiting." Turtledove chuckled, giving a small shake of her head. As if on cue, Panthertuft's fluffy self emerged from the warrior's den only to be attacked by Finchkit and Dandelionkit. "Gotcha!" the two she-cats shouted in unison. Looking down at her paws Panthertuft smirked, rolling her eyes a bit before dramatically falling onto her side. "Oh no! They got me! Mom help!" Panthertuft laughed, letting the two kits crawl over and on top of her. Turtledove laughed once more, rolling her eyes a bit. "You're too much." she meowed. As Turtledove and the other two kits approached, both Dovekit and Cricketkit joined in on crawling all over Panthertuft.

Turtledove stood and watched as the kits attacked Panthertuft, a huge smile on her face. Panthertuft had stepped up over the past few moons, often helping Turtledove out and giving her a break every once in awhile. Now it was time for them to say good bye, but not forever. "Alright everyone... It's time to get going. I'm sure Falconflight and Cyanslash are very excited to finally get your goobers home." Turtledove chuckled. The kits and Panthertuft paused in their play, each one giving a small nod. It was a bit upsetting for them all, but like Turtldove had explained many times they where all welcome to visit as Hazetsar and Redstar had approved of the visits long before the four kits where born.

The journey was long, but very eventful as the kits kept both Turtledove and Panthertuft highly entertained. Finchkit had taken the lead, but remained mindful to stay relatively close to the two warriors in case anything where to happen. She would make a fine warrior one day, maybe even lead QuickClan. Dndelionkit kept ooing and ahing at new things, often going up to look at the unique plant or rack her eyes shinning with curiosity. Dovekit and Cricketkit kept close together alongside Panthertuft, their eyes also sparkling with curiosity, but remained close to safety. After some more time passed the strange group of cats arrived at the QuickClan border. "Alright you guys. Falconflight and Cyanslash shall be arriving soon. Then from here we will all head to QuickClan's camp together. Are you excited?" Turtledove asked. "Yeah!" the four kits chimed in together.

---

Later that day after the majority of patrols and training sessions had been done, Jayfur had decided to round up his siblings for a small hang out. The last time they had all been together was on the day their mother passed away. Since then it had seemed as if they where avoiding one another. However Jayfur had to admit he had other things, more like a she-cat on his mind since then. Normally he would go out and sneak off to see Woodbloom up by the lake, but recently she had been unable to make it due to being with kits. He was excited to be a father and couldn't hide it any longer. Today he would tell his siblings, knowing Marshpool would be the one to be more excited then Batwing or Raveneyes. "Hey Jayfur, you gonna just sit there all day in the clouds or you gonna join us? I mean this was your idea." Marshpool called over to him, a hint of a laugh in her voice.

Snapping out of his thoughts Jayfur padded over to join his siblings giving each one a small nuzzle before following the three out of camp. "So we decided to head out to the old tree down by the lake. The old get together spot." Raveneyes spoke, glancing over his shoulder at Jayfur and Marshpool. Both cats gave a small nod before Jayfur spoke up. "Sounds good, it's been awhile since we visited our spot. I wounder if the stick we played with is still there." He chuckled. A small scoff came from Batwing, the she-cat flicking her tail a bit in annoyance. "We're not kits." she hissed. Clearly annoyed her siblings wanted to act like kits again, didn't they realize those days where over and with being a warrior came more responsibilities.

Upon arriving at their hang out spot from moons ago Jayfur, Marshpool, and Raveneyes exchanged looks each one smirking a bit and then pouncing onto Batwing. Batwing let out a hiss, struggling under the weight of her three siblings. "Get off me!" she growled. The three cats got off of Batwing, laughing as they looked down at a sprawled out Batwing. Feeling the pressure disappear she quickly jumped to her paws and turned to face them. "Run." Batwing hissed, glaring at her siblings. Exchanging looks, Jayfur, Marshpool, and Raveneyes laughed and darted off with Batwing in tow. "You guys are so dead!" she yelled, chasing the three cats around in circles. "Not unless you can catch us!" Raveneyes called over his shoulder, his eyes sparkling with happiness. It had been some time since the four of them had been together and had fun likes this. "Yeah! Besides who's the kit now!?" Marshpool teased, smirking as the words came out of her mouth.

The four warriors raced around the clearing and down by the lake's shore, chasing one another for some time. They had been so caught up with chasing one another and having fun that they didn't realize how much time had passed until they finally stop to rest. "So are you still mad at us?" Jayfur asked, leaning up against Batwing. With a heavy sigh the black and white she-cat gave a small shake of her head. "No... You where right... a break from our warrior duties was well needed." she meowed softly. Marshpool and Raveneyes joined the pair, cuddling up against Batwing, the four eventually settling into a nice cuddle pile to watch the sun's fading rays dance across the lake's surface.

[NightWolf950]

With the discovery of Applekit's mother found dead by the lake, the young kit had been miserable and withdrawn from the majority of the clan. She refused to move to the nursery to be with the other kits, as she wanted to stay 'safe'. Her safe place had quickly become the medicine cats' den, but to be more exact it had become Twigstorm's nest. Since the first day she had been brought to the clan Twigstorm was one of the first cats she had met. The petite and friendly tom had shown her kindness and sat by her side patiently until she was ready to talk. "Hey Twigstorm?" Applekit meowed softly, trailing behind the adult tom as he moved about in the medicine cats' den.

On normal days Twigstorm would be off gathering herbs with Ashfang, however with the arrival of Applekit he some how ended up getting stuck in camp watching over the little she-cat. Applekit had grown very close to Twigstorm, although Twigstorm did try to find another cat to raise her she refused. At first Twigstom wasn't sure how he would feel about 'raising' a kit, but as moons passed he had begun to notice her determination and drive. Hearing the she-cat speak his name, Twigstorm let out a purr and paused in mid-step. "Yes Applekit?" he purred, turning to look down at the kit. The little she-cat perked up a bit upon hearing her name before rushing to the front of Twigstorm. "C-can I become your apprentice when I'm older!?" She meowed, her big eyes sparkling with hope.

Surprised by her question Twigstorm's eyes grew wide before returning to normal and a loud purr erupting from the tom's throat. Applekit was so full of life and reminded him of his younger self back when Stormcloud was still around. The thought of Stormcloud caused a pain in the medicine cat's chest, tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. Twigstorm was still devastated over the lose of his former mentor, but did his best to remain strong for his clan mates. Seeing Twigstorm become upset caused little Applekit to worry, her smile turning into a small frown. "Please don't be upset with me Twigstorm... I didn't mean to make you cry..." she meowed softly. Hearing Applekit's words broke Twigstorm's heart a bit more, unable to control his actions he pulled the young she-cat to him. There he stood, holding her close as he burred his face into her pelt. "Oh Applekit... You did nothing wrong.. You actually make things feel better." Twigstorm choked out.

Both cats eventually switched to a sitting position and then stayed there for sometime. After crying it out, Twigstorm lifted his head and shook his head a bit. "I'm fine now... Thank you Applekit. You have no idea how much that meant to me." he meowed softly, gazing down at Applekit. "I'm so proud of how tough and eager to learn you are. When you become of age, yes you may become my apprentice." he purred. Applekit looked up at Twigstorm and grinned widely, happy to not only see him feeling better, but also becoming his future apprentice. "When ever your sad, I'll be here to make you feel better. I pwomise." she meowed, giving Twigstorm yet another big hug.

---

It came to no ones' surprise when Tigerleap and Oceansplash eventually became a brief fling. Back in the days, the two flirty cats use to hang out and chat about their recent fling or who they thought was the most attractive cat was in different clans. "You know I'm surprised we haven't hooked up ourselves." Oceanspalsh joked, gently nudging Tigerleap with her body. The bengal tom chuckled as well and gave a small nod. "You know I'm surprised to. Maybe we should." He teased, winking at Oceanspalash. The two cats grew silent and exchanged glances before busting up into laughter. Many cats in camp looked over at the flirtatious two before sighing and giving shakes of their heads. Tigerleap and Oceansplash had become a bit of a paw-full over the past few moons, causing trouble, plus who knew how many kits Tigerleap fathered by now.

Their back and forth flirting grew each day until the pair finally ended up hooking up. However their fling didn't last long, but rather seemed to strength the bond the two shared between one another. "You know just because we hooked up doesn't change anything." Oceansplash stated. "Your still my best friend... even if your a lady killer." She teased. Tigerleap shook his head and laughed before pretending to be hurt. "Me!? A lady killer? How dare you say such things." He meowed, being over dramatic with a gasp before busting up laughing. Oceansplash pushed the tom, causing Tigerleap to fall to his side and once again dramatically cry out in fake pain. Joking and giggling, the pair carried on for the rest of the day unaware of the mystery that lied before them.

[NightWolf950]

The fluffy gray warrior had come to HazeClan moons ago, it seemed like forever ago to him. With a small sigh the tom excited the warriors den taking a long look at the camp before him. This was home, a place he had quickly taken a liking too. Sootpelt had been well respected since day one, becoming a trusty adviser to Hazestar. Many thought that Aspencreek or himself would be come deputy instead of Shadowripple. Little did any cat know that both Aspencreek and himself had declined the offer, recommending Hazestar appoint Shadowripple. Not because they didn't want to serve their clan, but because of their own personal reasons. The main reason for Aspencreek was pretty clear since she had taken on the role of a surrogate for those in need. For Sootpelt, things had begun to change when a she-cat had caught his eye at the gatherings a handful of times. Now with a family possibly here in the future, Sootpelt wanted to be there for them.

The tom excited the camp, his eyes shinning with happiness as he walked onward. With things looking up for him even more than usual, Sootpelt couldn't help but have a small little hop and pep in his step. The fluffy tom padded through the forest, his eyes scanning the surroundings around him. It was strange how familiar things looked so different now. "She opened up my eyes to a whole new world... now everything seems to have more of a glow..." Sootpelt purred, gazing up at the sky above him. Returning his eyes to level ground, Sootpelt looked around before finding the perfect spot to not only sun bath, but also day dream. Making his way over to the large rock, the tom heaved himself up before lying down, letting his front paws dangle over the edge.

---

Upon finishing his apprentice's training, Inkfire caught up with his sister a small smile on his face as he approached her. "Hey Goldenlily... Lets go hunting. It's been awhile since we last hung out together. I miss having us time." he meowed, purring softly as he nuzzled his sister's cheek. The golden tabby she-cat purred, nudging Inkfire back before nodding. "Alright alright. I don't see why not. It couldn't hurt." Goldenlily purred. "Race ya!" she meowed, darting off towards the camp entrance before disappearing out of camp. Inkfrie watched as she went before he himself took off after her. "You didn't say go!" He called out after. The tabby she-cat looked over her shoulder and poked her tongue out, before returning her focus to what lied before her. The pair raced one another all the way to the lake, Goldenlily still in the lead. It wasn't long before things quickly took a turn for the worst.

Goldenlily was thrilled to be out having fun with Inkfire, focusing on the fun they where having. It wasn't long before her paws hit wet muddy ground, slipping out from underneath her. She had been running too fast and was to focused on the fun that she didn't notice the wet ground. Now it was to late and her body slid down the small slope towards the rippling water or the lake. "Inkfire!" Goldenlily called out, her voice full of fear. She unsheathed her claws, trying to get a grip but found nothing to sturdy to grasp a hold of.

Inkfire had finally caught up with Goldenlily only to watch as the golden tabby pelt of his sister slipped below the waves never to resurface again. The tom stood there frozen in his spot his jaws as gaping at the bubbling surface before him. The bubbles then stopped, leaving Inkfire all alone with the haunting visions of Goldenlily drowning. He was now completely alone, with no family to return to back at camp. "I-it's all my fault... If I didn't suggest we go hunting..." Inkfire shook his head, his voice catching in his throat. Unable to speak or even stand any more, Inkfire dropped down, curling up tightly and sobbing heavily. He vowed to get her back home some how, but for now all he could do was lie there. There Inkfire stayed for the night, unable to leave Goldenlily body.

---

With the moons coming and going quickly it seemed to grow with each day. It was now that Hazestar finally realized is true feelings for his best friend, Redstar. The tabby tom passed back and forth in his den, his tail lashing back in forth in annoyance. He still couldn't fully grasp the feelings he had been feeling these past moons. With a small defeated sigh, Hazestar through himself in to his nest, rolling onto his back and gazing up at the den's ceiling. "Of course it has to be him... " he meowed, rolling over to his side and flinging a small ball of moss across his den. The tabby lied there for a while, unable to think of anything but Redstar. Images of the fluffy red tom kept coming across Hazestar's mind. "Redstar..." the tom meowed, the other tom's name escaping his lips followed by a purr and a smile.

With patrols almost done for the day and his apprentice taken care of, Hazestar decided to stay sheltered in his den. He wanted to be alone... or alone with the thoughts of Redstar. As the day went on, the tabby tom decided that he would soon have to come out to Redstar, but he did fear that things would change between them. Giving a shake of his head Hazestar let out a small chuckle. "Please... You know him better than anyone Hazestar." Hazestar meowed, referring to himself in third cat. He did know just about everything about the other tom and vise versa. Besides, with his lives dwindling so quickly, Hazestar didn't want to die with regrets or secrets. "Alright... at the next gathering I'll tell him... Tell him no matter." Hazestar muttered softly, his eyes fluttering shut with visions of Redstar dancing once more in his mind.

[NightWolf950]

Upon receiving their apprentice names and meeting their mentors, Gullpaw and Pigeonpaw where then taken out on a tour of HazeClan. The two newly appointed apprentices where in awe of how large HazeClan's territory was. Back when the pair where kits they could only imagine what it was like outside the nursery walls and camp. Now experiencing everything first paw overwhelmed them with excitement. Dashing forward past his sister and the two warriors, Gullpaw leaped up onto a tree stump and held himself proudly. "Wow! It's so beautiful!" Gullpaw meowed, his eyes shinning as he gazed down at the sparkling lake just down the hill. Glancing up at both Mossystone and Oakfang, Pigeonpaw then leaped up next to Gullpaw and looked around as well. Gullpaw did have a point though, the view was stunning. "Just be careful you two." Mossystone meowed, chuckling a bit as he watched the pair. "I remember looking out across HazeClan's terriotry for the first time myself... Let them enjoy it." Oakfang chuckled, gently nudging the older warrior next to him.

Gullpaw looked over his shoulder and smirked, noticing that the two older toms where talking to one another and not paying full attention to Pigeonpaw or himself. Nudging his sister, Gullpaw jumped down from the stump before nodding a bit towards the lake below. "Psst... Pigeonpaw, come on!" he hissed quietly, dashing off down the hill. Pigeonpaw jumped down next to her brother hesitant to follow him, but she knew if she didn't go along with him he would get into even more trouble. With a small sigh and one last look over her shoulders Pigeonpaw took off after her brother. "Gullpaw... we shouldn't leave with out them." she meowed, her eyes darting around as if at any moment something would pop out. Once they had mad it far enough away Gullpaw stopped and turned to face Pigeonpaw. "Don't be such a mouse Pigeonpaw. Live a little." he meowed, giving her a small nudge. Sighing heavily Pigeonpaw just shook her head and followed close behind her brother as he walked around the lake, making sure to keep a safe distance from the shore.

Back at the tree stump the two warriors paused their conversation, sensing something was off. Mossystone looked away from Oakfang and to the stump. Where Gullpaw and Pigeonpaw once stood was now an empty space, jumping to his paws Mossystone began to panic a bit. "Oakfang.. Their gone!" Mossystone meowed, whipping around to face the other tom. Startled by Mossystone's cry, Oakfang himself jumped to his paws and looked around, the pair of apprentices where no where to be found. "Gullpaw! Pigeonpaw!" Oakfang called out, searching in the bushes near by only to turn up empty pawed. "Oakfang, their scents lead down the hill. They might have gone towards the lake." Mossystone called over his shoulder, already making his way down the hill as he did. With a small nod, Oakfang raced off after Mossystone, the pair following the scents of Gullpaw and Pigeonpaw. However it didn't take long for the two warriors to catch up and scoop up the pair of apprentices like kits. "When we get back to camp you guys will change Birchstone's bedding along with the nursery's bedding." Mossystone meowed, his voice muffled by Pigeonpaw's fur. "Then after that you both will not get dinner today and will go straight to the apprentices' den." Oakfang added, his voice also muffled by Gullpaw's fur.

---

Upon finishing their warrior duties today, Panthertuft and Starlingflight finally had some time to spend time together. It had been a bit difficult for them now that they where warriors, but the duo always found a way to spend quality time together. After all the pair had been best friends since kit-hood, always facing each new day together. They pushed one another to be better, teaching one another new things, and where there for one another in their darkest of times. Starlingflight looked at Panthertuft, a smile on the tom's face as he gazed upon his clan mate... no his sister. They both had come a long way and if it wasn't for Panthertuft's drive and guidance, Starlingflight wouldn't have made it to where he was today. "Hey Panthertuft... lets go for a walk. It's been forever since we just went out and enjoyed the scenery." Starlingflight meowed, breaking the silence between them. Hearing the tom speak, Panthertuft looked over and smiled at Starlingflight and gave him a small nod. "Alright. Sounds good." she meowed.

The duo rose to their paws and left camp side by side, headed to now where in particular as they let their hearts and paws carry them forward. With silence filling the air between them, neither Panthertuft or Starlingflight felt out of place or awkward. They didn't always have to speak to one another, as their bond went far beyond then simple words. The pair walked for a while until coming to the North-East mountain ridge. There they climbed the rocks until finding a large ledge that looked out across the vast territory of HazeClan. "Starlingflight. Once day We'll make HazeClan ours. You have always been my trustee right paw, and even when I'm leader you'll be my number two." Panthertuft meowed. Her eyes sparkled with determination and pride, a smile forming on her lips as the pair stood together gazing out across the vast HazeClan territory before them. The older, yet timid tom gave a small shake of his head, a smile on his face as he did so. "You know it." he chuckled, giving his friend an affection nudge. The pair shared a laugh before their eyes returned to look out across the territory before them, smiles on their faces as they day dreamed of their future.

[NightWolf950]

The tabby she-cat lied in her nest in the nursery, her body curled up in a ball. The only signs of life was the faint rise and fall of her back. Although it was full of meows and squeals from kits, to Clvoerpool she found it peaceful and had no trouble resting during the day. However the tabby she-cat awoke when she felt something roll into her butt then followed by a huff. "That's not fair Almondkit!" the voice meowed, the body quickly moving away from Cloverpool. Cloverpool opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head up to see her two kits arguing about something that had to deal with wrestling. "Well it's not my fault your to slow and acting like a clumsy mouse brained kit." Alomndkit hissed, his fur standing up on his little body. Warblerkit let out a small hiss, crouching low to prepare to leap at his brother. Just as Warblerkit went to leap Cloverpool stuck her paw in bweetn the two toms and pushed Warblerkit back. "Now what is going on you two!?" Cloverpool meowed, raising her voice a bit. "You both know better." she meowed. "Well Almondkit cheated!" Warblerkit huffed, glaring at his brother and sticking his tongue out. "Did not!" Almondykit replied back, also glaring at his brother. The two kits began to bicker back and forth until Cloverpool let out a hiss and scooped both kits to her. "Now that's enough. From both of you. You are going to be apprentices soon and acting like kits shows me your not ready. Keep it up and I'll tell Hazestar to post pone your ceremonies." She meowed.This quickly shut the two kits up, their eyes growing wide before looking at one another and letting out a small sigh. "I'm sorry mama..." Almondkit meowed. "Yeah... I'm sorry too mama." Warblerkit meowed.

Cloverpool went to speak, but began to cough harshly and quickly shooed her kits away. Kitting had been rough and for awhile it seemed like she was recovering, but in all honestly Cloverpool had hid the fact that she wasn't actually doing well. "Mama!?" the two kits meowed, growing very worried for their mother. Cloverpool just gave a small shake of her head and turned away from them, trying to get the coughing to stop. With a few more coughs, Cloverpool spat up a small amount of blood. The tabby she-cat tried to cover it up before either of the kits saw, but sadly Warblerkit caught a small glimpse of it. Warblerkit let out a small whimper before dashing out of the nursery calling out for his father. "Daddy! Something is wrong with mama!" the little tom cried, running straight into Wrenfeather once he had spot him. Seeing the the sadness in Warblerkit's eyes and hearing the distress in his voice, Wrenfeather knew something was extremely wrong. Picking up the young tom in his mouth Wrenfeather then dashed off to the nursery to see what was going on.

Once inside Wrenfeather gently set Warblerkit down before rushing over to Cloverpool's side. Upon returning to the nursery Warblerkit naw saw his mother laying on her side, her breaths very shallow almost as if it was a struggle to breath. Beside her say Almondkit, his head hung low and tears already dripping down his face. Warblerkit made his way over and sat next to his brother who quickly leaned against him for support. "Mama... We're sorry if we made you sick... We didn't mean to get in to that fight..." Almondkit whimpered. Looking towards her kits, Cloverpool let out a small purr. "Hush my darlings... It wasn't your fault. Mama's been like this for a while." she meowed softly., gently caressing each kit with her tail. Wrenfeather curled up next to his mate, resting his head softly on her shoulders trying to hold back tears. It was Cloverpool's time, but Wrenfeather wasn't ready to let her go. "Please... Hold on.. You have to see the boys become apprentices.... You can't leave us Cloverpool." He whispered, affectionately licking the she-cats ears. Cloverpool let out a shaky sigh, smiling a bit before reaching out for Warblerkit and Almondkit. There the tiny family lied together until Cloverpool took her last breath.

---

It had only been a moon since Applepaw become the medicine cat apprentice, but every cat could sense how much she brightened up Twigstorm's life. His eyes glowed with pride every time he talked about how well she was doing, which happened more often then any cat would think. It had been some time since Ashfang had seen Twigstorm truly happy since the death of Stormcloud, and now with Applepaw he was able to see the old Twigstorm again. One morning when Twigstorm allowed Applepaw to sleep in instead of waking her, Ashfang greeted the young she-cat when she awoke. "Good morning Applepaw. Twigstorm will be back in a bit. While he's away can I talk to you for a moment?" The older tom meowed, tilting his head to the side a bit. Curious on what the tom had to say Applepaw nodded her head a bit and smiled, sitting down next to him. "Of course Ashfang." she purred. With a small nod of his head Ashfang's soft facial expression quickly grew serious. "Applepaw, you already know that Twigstorm hides a darkness inside himself hidden away from everyone. However he's never told you why because it was very painful for him. However I feel you should know why." Ashfang meowed, followed by a heavy sigh. "Moons ago it use to be just Twigstorm and his mentor Stormcloud way before I ever joined HazeClan. Stormcloud was everything to Twigstorm, the tom idolized him, respected him, and saw him as a brother maybe even a father figure. Twigstorm came from another clan with Shadowripple, but never truely had any 'family'. That was until Stormcloud took him in. As moons passed Stormcloud and Rainsong took Twigstorm into their little family and mad him apart of it. When Stormcloud passed Twigstorm took it harder then anyone. Even harder then Rainsong, and Rainsong was Stormcloud's brother by blood. Anyways the reason I wanted to tell you all this is because now... Now he's not so depressed. He's slowly becoming his old happy self and it's all thank to you Applepaw. You have really changed his life around and I just want you to always be there for him. Even when I'm long gone." Ashfang explained.

For the remaining time Applepaw sat in silence until Twigstorm returned to the den. Seeing her mentor begin to pad into the den, the she-cat threw herself against Twigstorm, burying her face into the tom's fur as she embraced him. "I'm so sorry Twigstorm... I promise I'll be here for you and always try to keep the light shinning in your eyes again." she meowed, a few tears falling from her eyes. Taken by surprised the older tom stood there in shock before catching eyes with Ashfang. Ashfang gave a small sigh and a nod before turning away to give the pair a private moment. "So... Ashfang told you huh... Well don't worry about me Applepaw. I'm alright, I promise." he purred, nuzzling his apprentice as he tried to reassure her. "Besides, I know I'm making him proud and one day will be reunited with him. However that won't be for a long while now. So don't worry Applepaw." Twigstorm purred.

---

Echoripple awoke from her new nest in the warriors den, a prideful smile on her face as she excited the den. She had trained hard under Hazestar and worked hard to prove herself, finally her dreams where coming true. Now a full fledged warrior Echoripple now couldn't wait for the day she got her first apprentice and started her own family. Lost in her own little world, the fluffy she-cat didn't realize she was blocking the entrance to the den until a small cough was made. Turning to see who was behind her, Echoripple saw that it was young Honeypool, one of the newer warriors that had been found out on a patrol. "Oh. Sorry Honeypool." she meowed, stepping out of the way for the tom. The white and golden tom let out a small chuckled and smiled at her before speaking. "It's alright. I get it." He purred, his thoughts also going to the future. "I've done this before too. Just dreaming of what the future has in store for me next." Honeypool meowed, his yellow eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

Echorippled stood frozen in her spot, mesmerized by the tom's beautiful eyes and smile. Her heart began to thump a bit harder and her thoughts began to race. She had spoken to the tom a pawful of times, but never had actual conversation like the one they where having now. She didn't even realize how good looking he was or even the happiness that seemed to radiate from him. "Echoripple, you okay?" Honeypool meowed, tilting his head to the side a bit. *thump thump* Echoripple's heart went again. "Echoripple?" He meowed once more, his voice growing a bit worrisome. *thump thump* went the she-cats heart once more. 'What is going on!?' Echoripple thought, unable to control her heart race or swirling thoughts. It felt like butterflies where going to explode out of her. Taking a sheky breath the she-cat forced a smile on her face. "Sorry Honeypool. Didn't mean to make you worry there for a moment. I'm fine." She meowed, trying to sound confident in her answer when in reality she wasn't. Echoripple never had such feelings for any cat before, but one silly smile from the tom before her sent everything spiraling out of control.

[NightWolf950]

Hazestar sat perched on top of the High Rock his eyes gazing down at his thriving clan. Lately kits had begun to be born left and right, making him realize how much of a family he wanted. A family with only one cat, a cat he couldn't have due to a mess of things. However the tabby tom was just happy to call Redstar his best friend, and spend what time he could with the handsome reddish tom. Giving a small shake of his head Hazestar hopped down the rock's ledges and gently landing on the snow covered ground, making a small crunch sound. With one last look around camp, Hazestar decided to talk a small walk hoping that the snow would hold off for a bit longer. The gray tabby needed to get out and get some fresh air to clear his head, staying in camp would just make it worse.

As Hazestar made his way do the slopes to the forest he had to unsheathe his claws to keep a steady foot or he would slip and fall tumbling down. With only three lives left he couldn't risk it, yet here he was risking everything just to get out and clear his thoughts. Hazestar let out a heavy sigh upon reaching the end of the slops and back to even ground, looking up the icy hill before turning away heading towards the lake. He walked for hours upon hours, unsure where he was even going until he found himself standing at the QuickClan border. "Even when I'm trying to get you out of my head... my heart keeps leading me back to you." Hazestar meowed, his voice cracking. It was a struggle to watch Redstar live his live the way he did, supporting him no matter what when all Hazestar really wanted was to be with him. By now snow had begun to fall in large clumps and quickly. Hazestar long-fully looked out across the border, as if hoping for something to miraculously happen. With a shake of his head the leader pushed himself away from the border and began to make his way back to camp.

As Hazestar made his way back the snow picked up, turning into one of leaf-bare's infamous snow storms, even possibly a blizzard. Unable to see where he was going, and the cold numbing his senses Hazestar was forced to look for shelter and wait out the storm until morning. Being in the open moors it was impossible to find anything now, thus Hazestar pushed on hoping to come to the tree ridge at the edge of the mountains soon. Everything was covered in snow, making it all look the same causing a small panic in the leader. Hazestar took a deep breath, the cold stinging his throat when he inhaled, but pushed on. It took a long while until Hazestar caught the faint scent of an old fox scent. He prayed that it was just an old den and not an actual fox, as he would surely perish if it was the real creature. As he made his way closer to the scent Hazestar discovered a small burrow below a large old tree near the mountains. "Finally..." he meowed, using his last bit of strength to run towards the burrow and dive in. Things where dark for a moment until the tom's eyes where able to adjust to the dim lighting in the burrow. His gray fur was thickly covered in white snow, feeling the cold from his ear tips all the way down to his tail tip. Giving a shake of his fur, Hazestar looked around the burrow finding it to be an old empty fox den. With a sigh of relief Hazestar made his way back to the back of the burrow and curled tightly up, trying to some how get warm. "It's so cold... and I'm so tired..." he meowed faintly, his eyes fluttering shut. Upon drifting off to sleep, once of the leader's lives slipped away, leaving him with only two left.

Awoken by the sound of a chirping birds, the weary tom lifted his head looking around in a foggy haze. He could tell something was off and before long it dawned on him. Hazestar had lost yet another one of his lives to an unforgiving leaf bare snow storm. Sighing, the tabby tom slowly rose to his paws and made his way to the burrow's entrance. Hazestar peered outside, relieved to see that the snow had stopped and the sun was now shinning. He would now be able to find a way home, and was thankful the sun was out, knowing it would provide a bit of warmth on his way back to camp. Upon exiting the burrow, Hazestar looked behind him, smiling when he noticed the familiar mountains before him. From here he would be able to climb up the rocks and make his way to camp, although knowing it would be dangerous it was the only way home. Without any hesitation the leader pushed onward, carefully climbing the rocks as he went along. It was quiet as Hazestar padded onward, until he caught the faint sound of cats near by. "I must be close!" he meowed happily, quickening his pace. As he made way closer and closer, his pace quickened only to cause yet another fatal accident. As Hazetsar went to take a step up onto a rocky ledge he caught a small patch of black ice, sending his paws flying from out underneath him and his body tumbling down the small cliff. Once he stopped falling it wasn't before long until Hazestar blacked out and yet another life slipping away from him once again.

[NightWolf950]

Note: Play Me While Reading
Works for both sections

Sootpelt lied curled up in his nest not fully awake, but not sleeping either. The fluffy tom was more in a foggy daze then anything. That was until an unfamiliar cat appeared in front of him, the cat's pelt full of stars. Surprised to see a cat that didn't belong to HazeClan's stars the fluffy tom rose to a sitting position and curiously looked at the small cat that sat in front of him. "Sootpelt." the orange and white cat meowed, smiling as they gazed at the warrior. Their green eyes sparkled with happiness as they watched Sootpelt's every movement. "Yes...?" Sootpelt meowed in confusion, tilting his head to the side a bit. The young starry cat let out a purr and smiled once more. "I have traveled far and wide searching for you. I am Skypaw of FireClan." they meowed. Sootpelt's ears perked up at the mention of FireClan and his heart began to race a bit as thoughts of Shadowstride entered his mind. "I was adopted by Shadowstride when I was alive, but sadly my time came shortly after becoming an apprentice..." Skypaw meowed, frowning a bit. "However, I came here to tell you good news, not to bum you out. I want to inform you that Shadowstride has given birth to one beautiful health tom." the apprentice purred. Sootpelt jumped to his paws upon the mention of a kit being born. His dream of having a family had finally come true. "Skypaw... Thank you. Please, guide me there." he meowed. "Of course, but promise me. Tell Shadowstride how happy I am for her." Skypaw purred, receiving a nod from Sootpelt.

Although he wasn't sure how to fully get to FireClan, Sootpelt knew he would be guided by Skypaw. Smiling proudly to himself, the tom left camp only stopping to pick a small mouthful of little flowers that where still alive. Not sure how they managed to survive the cold and snow, but the fluffy tom took it has a good sign. He was a father now, he had a family and he was excited to visit his lady and his kit. Not once did Sootpelt fill alone during the journey, Skypaw was there in spirit and soon he'd be reunited with Shadowstride and meeting his kit. The fluffy tom paused at the border briefly, taking a small gulp before smiling wider and pushing forward towards FireClan's camp. "Don't forget to tell her how happy I am for her." Skypaw's voice echoed in Sootpelt's ears. Sootpelt gave a small chuckled, nodding his head a bit in response. "I won't. I promised you I would." he purred.

---

Birchstone lied in his nest, his once bright and shiny fur was now dull and dim. He let out a heavy sigh, his eyes gazing out the den's entrance watching the snow fall over camp like a blanket. It had been moons since Sunray and Murkeyeyes passed away, now Birchstone felt alone once more. Sure some of the warriors had found Blizzardstorm out on a patrol, but Birchstone and him didn't seem to connect. Blizzardstorm was cold, and often glared at everyone who looked his way. With another heavy sigh Birchstone sat up and gave a small shake of his head. Annoyed with his den mate, Blizzardstorm glared at Birchstone. "I'm trying to sleep over here! Go some where else with your loud sadness." Blizzardstorm snapped, only to turn his back to Birchstone afterwords.

Surprised by such an outburst Birchstone just gave another shake of his head before rising to his paws. He padded towards the den's entrance not saying one word to Blizzardstorm as he left the den. The black and white tom had begun to feel like more of a burden these moons and decided the only place for him was with Sunray and Murkyeyes. Birchstone glanced around camp before slowly making his way to the camp entrance. With one last glance the tom slipped out of camp and headed to the burial grounds to visit his old friends. "Once I'm gone it'll be better for every cat..." he meowed softly to himself. The elder slowly made his way to the burial grounds, sitting down in front of Sunray and Murkyeyes' graves. By then the sun had risen higher into the sky, its rays of light dancing across the snow covered ground. "It hasn't been the same with out you two... however soon. Soon I'll be there with you guys. No cat will have to worry about me no more." Birchstone meowed sadly. It wasn't long before the cold finally took Birchstone away. Waiting for the black and white tom was none other then Sunray and Murkyeyes. Among the other two elder's stood Hickoryburr, the clan's first elder. Birchstone had heard stories of the tom and was happy he could finally meet him. "You guys..." Birchstone meowed, tears welling up in his eyes as he embraced his friends.

[NightWolf950]

wip


Haze will 83 moons