indentas the clan gathered in the camp for the second time in the moon, there was a lighter, happier energy that pervaded the hollow as tulipstream and bassflow gathered with their kits and extended family. maplelily pressed her cheek companionably to tulipstream's, only to nudge bassflow with a wide grin. for the first time in moons, it seemed as though highgarden appeared to be in slightly better spirits, aided by the warm breeze that stirred their fur. with the sunset casting the skies in gorgeous hues, tawnyrose decided that it was time. she glanced to softglow who stood to one side, and then to yewbloom, who had taken bluetcrest's position opposite her. she knew that her brother was trying his best, but tawnyrose knew that yewbloom was even less accustomed to the poise and necessary attitude of an attendant - he didn't hold the necessary skills for organizing patrols or staying by tawnyrose's side, not as bluetcrest managed so seamlessly. on the whole, it merely served as a reminder of what had taken place, but tawnyrose forced herself to wear a smile when she rose to address her clan.
indent"i'm glad that we can come together this moon for such a joyous occasion. because there is no better time than the celebrate the youth of the clan rising to new ranks with their growth. it's times like these that i do feel hopeful. despite everything that has been happening, it warms my heart to find that highgarden is still, is always, growing strong. because we are stronger than we have been given credit for, and these are the storms we weather together," tawnyrose began. she paused and swallowed around the lump in her throat before drawing in a deep breath. "adenium has requested that she keep her name as she becomes a thorn of highgarden. so, though she will not be changing her name, highgarden welcomes her as she begins her training to become a rose," tawnyrose said, allowing her gaze to travel from the little tortoiseshell to scan the crowd. "adenium, you will be mentored by otterfur. he is a very experienced knight, with a kind heart. he carries many stories and much wisdom from his past, and he has served as tanagercall's unofficial mentor when she first joined highgarden. i believe that you will have much to learn from him, and i urge you to follow in his pawsteps, for he is a loyal and honorable member of highgarden." the announcement came with much praise, and the skinny brown tom appeared rather shocked at the honor when he stepped forward to meet his thorn. adenium bounded forward to greet her mentor, though otterfur glanced up at tawnyrose with obvious confusion written over his features, but tawnyrose offered only the slightest inclination of her head and a small smile.
indentwhen the cheers died down, tawnyrose waved her tail, beckoning stagpaw, rabbitpaw, and seedpaw forward. "it's an honor to watch highgarden's first seedlings be given their full names," tawnyrose began, allowing a smile to curve her mouth. "when you three were first born, highgarden itself was like a kit, and i like to think that it has grown alongside you. just as you have gained wisdom and trained, so too has the clan as a whole, taking in new experiences and striving forward. as we all know, the words of highgarden are 'growing strong' and i can't think of a cat who embodies this more than you three," tawnyrose said, feeling her chest well with emotion before she breathed in deeply to steady herself. "and it is my pleasure as the queen of highgarden to ask you three, stagpaw, rabbitpaw, and seedpaw: do you swear to serve highgarden as a knight until you are no longer able, loyal to the clan above all else, even if it means giving up your own life? do you pledge yourself under the light of the seven gods: the mother, the maiden, the father, the warrior, the smith, the crone, and the stranger?"
indent"i do!" stagpaw said loudly, bold and fierce.
indent"i do," rabbitpaw said, energetic and free.
indent"i do," seedpaw said, steady and sure.
indent"from this moment forward, stagpaw, you will be known as stagscorch, for your surefire tenacity and strength. the gods have blessed you with bold resolve and the confidence to follow your heart and your paws on whatever path you set your mind to. rabbitpaw, you will be known as rabbitrace for for boundless energy and optimism. the gods have blessed you with a sharp mind and quick paws that will carry you very far," tawnyrose said, before turning to seedpaw. "and, seedpaw, you are renamed seedspring, for your kindness and the warmth of your spirit that is like the warmest day in spring. the gods have blessed you with thoughtfulness and wisdom far beyond your seasons. and highgarden is blessed to welcome you as full members of our clan." cheers erupted from the clan, and tawnyrose stepped back to allow the three to bask in their moment of glory. stagscorch nudged rabbitrace hard enough to nearly knock her off her paws, and seedspring beamed widely at tulipstream, who fussed over her kits just as she had since the day they were born. hawthornkit, bramblekit, and snowykit emerged to congratulate adenium, and otterfur stood in the midst of it all, watching the younger members of the clan enjoy the celebration before he looked up to see hurricanejaw padding over to him.
indent"congratulations," hurricanejaw said, and otterfur grinned bashfully. "you looked very surprised when she first called your name, but you should be excited. you've definitely earned it."
indent"i am excited," otterfur said. "i know everyone thought that merlinsong would take adenium in, but she seems genuinely happy to begin training, and i know that she's smart. i don't think she'll be difficult to train," he mused.
indent"of course," hurricanejaw said thoughtfully, but his tone was beginning to drift, as he was moving onto another thought. "she called you honorable and loyal."
indent"huh?" otterfur asked, blinking at hurricanejaw.
indent"tawnyrose. she said that you were a loyal and honorable knight."
indent"oh," otterfur said, lowering his eyes to look at his paws. "i suppose she did." however, his gaze snapped back up to hurricanejaw when the knight continued, his tone soft and thoughtful, as he considered each spoken word, as if turning it over and over again in his mind.
indent"is it true?" hurricanejaw asked. "are you an honorable knight?"
indentotterfur couldn't help but blink up at his friend with wide eyes, shocked into momentary silence. around them, the clan continued the celebration, completely unaware of the conversation taking place in the wake of merriment. "of course i am, hurricanejaw. you know me. i'm loyal to highgarden."
indent"are you?" it wasn't an unkind question, and otterfur knew that hurricanejaw was genuine, merely searching for answers. "you left the patrol, you went against orders."
indent"and you covered for me. does that mean that you're not loyal either?"
indenthurricanejaw managed a tight smile at that, bemused. "i've been asking myself that question, and i decided that i'm not entirely sure." there was a beat of silence between them. "i've heard some of the others wondering how badgerstar knew we were coming when his patrols clearly didn't. because if they had nothing to do with it, how could it make sense that they would know to expect us? my current suspicion is that someone warned them but... everyone was accounted for on a patrol or in camp," hurricanejaw said, and otterfur heard all he needed to hear from the other knight's tone.
indent"i did what i had to do," otterfur said, swishing his tail. "if i hadn't, who knows what could have happened."
indent"it would've been bloody," hurricanejaw agreed. there was another pause before he shrugged his shoulders. "and it might have saved my kits' lives. i'm grateful for it, you know. we didn't need a war. i just... i need to know how you knew," hurricanejaw said.
indent"it's a... it's a long story," otterfur said, lowering his shoulders. "and it started a very long time ago, back in bearclan. i can't tell you all of it here or now, and i know it'll change what you think about me. but if you really can't let it rest without knowing... i'll tell you but just, not now."
indentotterfur feared that hurricanejaw might reject the notion, and was pleasantly surprised when the broad-shouldered tom smiled warmly at him. "whatever happened, i'm sure that you saved a lot of lives, and i could never fault you for that." his eyes traveled back to the center of activity, where adenium was speaking to harrierpaw and beechpaw. "enjoy your night, otterfur. congratulations, you've earned this."
indenther paw pads felt rubbed raw from so much traveling over the seasons, constantly seeking the friends that she had lost. it had been a long time since katara last saw her friends, when riverfoam, tanagercall, kitechaser, and ayalla passed through the shelter that she and several other cats had shared during the time that the mollies had stayed with katara and her group. she missed the barn - she truly missed the barn and the soft comforts of lying in the hay. after leaving her housefolk, katara wandered to the barn on a whim, which acted as a rotating door of travelers moving in and out. some stayed longer than others, and katara had been injured from her time between her home and the barn, which meant that she was one of the members who lingered a little longer. it was during that time when katara met riverfoam's group, and she and the other mollies had become friends. riverfoam and kitechaser described their former life as clanmates, ayalla helped teach katara how to hunt the mice that scurried among the tall grass, and tanagercall shared katara's experience as a former-housepet. for a long time, all was well, that is, until the group had decided to continue on their way. riverfoam said that they were on their way to find a new clan; kitechaser said that katara was welcome to join them; tanagercall said that she would be good company; ayalla encouraged her, promising to teach her new tricks along the way. but katara had still been weak, then. she had been weak and uncertain. she had declined the offer and lost the four best friends she might ever have. it left a sour taste in her mouth.
indentnaturally, it was only a matter of time until katara moved on, as well. for as long as some cats stayed in the barn, few stayed forever. katara had grown weary of hunting mice among the bales of hay. she missed her friends. the horizon lured her on, in the last direction she had seen her friends' silhouettes disappear to. she knew that it was a longshot, but she met others along the way who could help her, and she always asked if they might show her the way her friends had gone. it wasn't easy to miss the foursome of boisterous mollies, from ayalla's boundless energy to riverfoam's soothing voice and kind heart. they were memorable cats, and katara had grown stronger and bolder. she wasn't so afraid of the world anymore.
indentmore than once, strangers looked only to katara's collar that remained around her neck. several of the strangers were bold enough to suggest she take it off, if she ever wanted to be taken seriously. the suggestion persisted even further when they learned the pretty molly's intention to link up with clan cats, but she continued to brush it off. her collar wasn't going to hurt anyone, she told herself, and she didn't need to prove anything. she knew that she was capable, and she wasn't the same soft pet that had been left alone in the garden too long.
indentthe tree cover over her head provided katara a sense of relief from the afternoon sunbeams. she walked along a trail of strong clan-scent, noting in her mind that it was likely a border marking between two neighboring clans. someone, she thought to herself, someone will have to come by eventually. and so she walked, keeping her ears and eyes alert for any sign of movement. fortunately, she wasn't left waiting for too long.
indentthe brown and white cat was alone as he walked alone, and katara gazed along the treeline for a moment before calling out to him. the stranger's ears swiveled in her direction, and katara waved her tail in greeting.
indent"can i help you with something?" the stranger asked, and katara bobbed her head.
indent"maybe. i'm looking for some friends and i heard they were headed in this way, last anyone saw. they said they were headed towards clan territory and were considering joining a clan. their names are riverfoam, kitechaser, ayalla, and tanagercall," katara explained, and the tom listened patiently before shaking his head slightly.
indent"nah, i haven't heard of them," he said. katara must have deflated slightly at the false lead, but the tom padded forward, closer towards the border marking. "they might not be in vagaryclan, but i've heard that highgarden takes in travelers, too. they live that way. someone there might have seen your friends," he explained, and katara nodded her head as she followed his directions.
indent"thank you, that's very helpful of you," she said. "i appreciate it. but i should be getting on my way, now."
indentthe stranger seemed to hesitate for a moment, opening his mouth once again. "i'm not sure how far their camp is from here. it might be a bit of a walk."
indent"that's alright, i think i can managed just fine," she said, and the stranger finally nodded, leaving katara to go off on her own.
indentthe road had turned her muscles hard. at first, her body ached from exertion after a long day of walking, but the aches faded to the wayside. she could travel faster and longer. she found that hunting came easier over time, as did fishing, running, stalking, and tracking. she found that she excelled at swimming, which came in handy more than once as she crossed into a territory crossed with streams on the outskirts. there was a tug in her paws, urging her closer and closer towards a babbling brook. the weather would start to grow cold soon, she thought to herself, but the afternoon heat bore down on her pelt, and she stepped along the waterbank to cool her paws and take a drink of refreshing water.
indenthowever, there was the sound of a cry and a splash, and katara lifted her head, scattering water droplets. she pricked her ears, wondering if she had actually heard the shout, but another scream sounded downstream, and katara didn't hesitate to sprint out of the water, headed up the shore in the direction it came from.
indent"i'm coming!" she shouted in response to the sound. "i'm coming to help!"
indentshe skidded to a halt at the edge of the stream, just in time to watch as a pale head bobbed out of the water. the cat couldn't be any larger than a kit, at best, and it wailed for helped as it paddled its small paws helplessly against the current. katara crouched low and extended a paw towards the kit. "i'm here, i'm here. take my paw!" she said, but the kit's leg was too short. when they reached for one another, katara's paw hung helplessly in the air, just out of reach. the kit wailed again before being pulled under and further down the shore. katara followed, pushing hard to keep up with the curent while shouting encouragements. in that same moment, another voice called out:
indent"hey, what are you still doing here?" the stranger from before asked, either missing the kit's drowning form and the urgency in katara's sprint, or ignoring it. but his eyes were soft and katara was inclined to think the former.
indent"he's drowning. help me get him," she said, not giving the stranger any time to process it before she pushed on, trying to get ahead of the kit. "i need you to spot me and get me closer towards them, okay?" but she didn't wait for an answer before bunching her muscles. without any hesitation, katara dove into the stream. she heard the tom let out a surprised shout when her head broke the surface, but she was too busy blinking water from her eyes to listen, that is, until he called out to her:
indent"coming up on your right shoulder!" the stranger warned, and katara didn't hesitate. with strong, practiced strokes, she turned, using her tail to give her leverage. she kicked out against the current. the water crashed up over her nose and face, but she didn't stop. her paw connected with a solid form, and she found the kit within her grip. she stretched her neck forward, grasping the kit by the scruff, and pushed off through the water again.
indentthe kit was like a dead-weight in her jaws, pulling at her neck and tugging her lower in the water. when the kit's head bobbed under the surface again, he struggled, throwing katara's weight to the side, and she slammed sideways in the rocky bank. she tried to pulled them both up higher in the water, but it was little use. she was used to her own weight and swimming freely, but the kit's weight sapped her strength quickly. over the water, she tried to find the stranger, but he was gone, and katara felt weaker with each passing heartbeat.
indentshe wrenched her head, but the kit struggled again, crying out, and katara's grip fell loose. again, the kit went under the water, and katara screamed. "no!" she cried, diving down again to find the kit. she managed to grab him again and pull him up, but they were both even weaker than before. however, just when katara felt her legs falter and buckle in the water, a voice sounded again, not too far from her left.
indent"right here," the stranger was saying. "bring 'em over here. you're almost there, i'm here to help you."
indentit took the last of her strength, but katara managed to turn herself around again, and she found the stranger waiting for them in the shallows closest to the bank. when katara swam close enough, he waded out to take the kit from her grasp, and he laid the kit down on dry ground, supporting katara with his shoulder as she pulled herself from the water as well. together, they all made it back to the grass. katara settled down, her legs buckling underneath her, as the pounding in her ears began to grow quieter and quieter.
indent"he's going to be okay," the stranger said. "that wasn't so bad for a kittypet." there was laughter in his tone, but katara glanced down to the kit. after a moment, she shook her head and pulled herself closer to the little tom.
indent"i'm not a kittypet anymore," she said.
indentbut the tom merely shrugged his shoulders. "well, fluff, you impressed me. no matter who you are, you've got guts."
indent"my name's katara," she said. she watched as the kit's breathing came in strong and steady before the stranger padded closer and dipped his head.
indent"well, katara. i'm cedarbranch, from vagaryclan. it's nice to meet you."
indentkatara nodded slowly, taking in another breath. "you too, cedarbranch."
indentclovershine watched and waited. over the moons, he thought that the time would come, when birchflame finally recognized his mistake and came to him to apologize. it seemed that, over the past moons, the clan had recognized past errors and were even trying to make amends. merlinsong kept spencer by his side, hurricanejaw and newtmask shared meals, and even daystrike seemed to make an effort to engage himself more with his clanmates. all around, clovershine watched the newest rose, katara, be welcomed into the clan with hollandkit, the other knights and roses shared news from the day, different stories from patrols and stories from the past, but birchflame never came to clovershine's side. in the tom's mismatched eyes, it seemed that there was only one hidden grudge left in the clan, and it crackled between him and birchflame like an open fire.
indentso, he thought on it. he considered his options and how much it meant to him. he considered what he knew of the most recent events; he thought of the secrets he knew that the rest of the clan was not so privy of. he measured and weighed the blaze in birchflame's green eyes, and he decided that he would extend his olive branch. perhaps it wasn't something that he might have done in the past - when he was still storm and birchflame was still prometheus - but it was something that he wanted clovershine to do. so he did.
indent"hey," clovershine greeted simply one evening. while the rest of the clan had settled into their normal groups to share their meals, birchflame sat at the edge of the clearing, alone and isolated. "do you mind if i join you?" he asked, but birchflame didn't answer. clovershine decided that it was worth the potential of having his ears clawed. he settled at birchflame's shoulder and tucked into the mouse he brought with him. for a while, he allowed the silence, more than happy for the extra time to mull over his words. birchflame pulled feathers from a finch and clovershine picked at his mouse. for a moment, it was almost easy to pretend that nothing had changed between them. but the mouse could only last so long, and birchflame finally pushed the remaining bird away from himself.
indent"if you want to say something," birchflame muttered quietly. "you might as well get it over with before you start digging for marrow to fill your mouth." his words were sour, but clovershine paused. he thought of betonypetal - gentle, sweet betonypetal - and drew in a deep breath to calm his nerves.
indent"i just... i wanted to say that i can't imagine what you're going through," clovershine said. "right now, from where i'm standing, it looks like you're doing this all on your own. i mean - what happened... i'm just trying to say that i'm sorry, and that i'm here for you. if there's anything you want to talk about, i'm here for you."
indentin the best-case scenario, clovershine had imagined that birchflame might have let down the walls, even a little bit. in the worst case, he imagined birchflame's claws scoring across his face. clovershine found that his words hurt more than the sharpest of claws ever could. "no," birchflame said, quiet. "how could you understand? my daughter was murdered by a cat we shared a den with. i never had the chance to see her grow up. she was so young and had her entire future taken away from her." the great knight drew in a shuddering breath. pain pooled deep in his green eyes as he stared hard at his paws. "i never got the chance to even be her father, because no one can know who her real father is or... or tawnyrose would lose all of her standing. because i guess power is more important than us and i... i keep thinking that if i had been able to be her father, i would have been able to be closer to her so i could protect her. and maybe none of this would have happened." birchflame's laugh was sad and chilling, entirely unnatural, and it set clovershine's fur on-end.
indent"i -"
indent"no," birchflame snapped. "no, you don't understand, clovershine. so you should just get out of here. leave me alone. because you didn't save her either, and i can't bare to look at you."
indent"birchflame -" clovershine tried again, but birchflame lashed his tail and thrust his head.
indent"go," he hissed, and clovershine finally found his paws. he backed away slowly, then turned away. instead, he found betonypetal sitting with yewbloom and wolverinesnap, but the trio looked up at clovershine's approach. the pretty molly blinked up at clovershine, and his eyes remained locked with hers.
indent"can we talk for a minute?" he asked, and betonypetal didn't hesitate to get up, excusing herself quietly to the prince and wolverinesnap. but yewbloom merely waved his tail dismissively and leaned against wolverinesnap's shoulder. she followed clovershine wordlessly as he headed directly out of the camp. she didn't ask any questions and didn't try to stop him. he walked and she followed after him under he had walked himself out and they stood together in the middle of the mother's grounds.
indent"should i ask?" betonypetal said when clovershine merely stood, staring into the trees. clovershine swished his tail wordlessly, unable to find anything to say, and betonypetal blew out a long breath. "please, clovershine, talk to me. please. i can't help you if i don't know what's going on."
indentclovershine stared at betonypetal for a moment, as if to gather his thoughts. he blinked at her. "what would you do if you knew that a secret was killing your friend? like, you can see that it's hurting them so badly and is causing them so much pain. and you know the secret, but you can't be sue if telling the secret would actually help your friend, but you know that keeping the secret is leaving this heavy weight on their back that they just can't get rid of, and they think that they have to carry it alone? but it's also not your secret to tell, even if it would help," clovershine said. he could see the confusion in betonypetal's eyes, as she was struggling to put the pieces together and make sense of what he was saying.
indent"it sounds like a poison," betonypetal said quietly, and clovershine nodded slowly.
indent"it is a poison," he agreed. "it's poisoning him and it's... it's spreading further than a lot of cats know. a lot of the cats that are affected don't even know. but he... it's hurting him so badly, and i can't do anything about it. he won't let me in, betonypetal, and it hurts to see him hurting." like a dam finally broke, clovershine let out a sob, and then another one, and another one. he sobbed for a life lost forever, and for the pain that birchflame wouldn't cry for. when betonypetal stepped closer, clovershine tucked his face into the soft fur at he neck. he let out another shuddering sob before he finally was able to collect himself.
indentwhen he pulled away, struck suddenly by a moment of revelation, betonypetal blinked at him. "i don't want there to be any secrets between us, betonypetal."
indenther smile was gentle, bemused, and sympathetic. "silly," she murmured. "there aren't any secrets between us."
indentand clovershine matched her smile. "perhaps not, and i want to keep it that way. but i... i need to tell you that i'm in love with you," clovershine said. "you are so bright, and so kind. you're gentle, you're warm. gods - you're the warm summer breeze, the gentle snowfall in winter, the open autumn skies, and the first flower bud in spring. you're the center of my world. during the groveclan attack, i was so worried about you, and i just didn't want to lose you, i couldn't. you get me better than anyone else, and i need you to know that i'm always going to be here for you as well, and i'm not going anywhere, betonypetal. i love you."
indentbetonypetal let out a rumbling purr that was gentle, just as everything she did, when she pressed their foreheads together. "i love you, clovershine. shine... your name is so fitting, you know? you shine brighter than the moon, the sun, and all of the stars combined. i'm always going to be here for you, i'm not going anywhere," she said. "i love you. and there aren't any secrets that could ever tear us apart. it's you and me."
indent"us," clovershine whispered in the space between them. and together, they settled in their moment of peace, where there were no secrets, and no secrets could cause them harm.
highgarden ♕ cac writing archive
Forum rules
Please only post your own original work, do not post poetry or stories which were written by someone else.
Please only post your own original work, do not post poetry or stories which were written by someone else.
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highgarden ♕ 24.5
by eagle, » Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:47 am
Last edited by eagle, on Sat Jun 24, 2023 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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highgarden ♕ 25
by eagle, » Mon Aug 03, 2020 10:50 am
________________indentin a moment of complete chaos and devastation, stormshroud could think only of holding himself together to keep his family alive. before his eyes, he watched as the shadowed kingdom collapsed. he lost whitespring, he lost his friends, he lost a home that he had thought would be stable for the rest of his life. his sister was gone, as were the cats with whom he had forged what he thought would be lasting friendships. pain invaded every corner of his mind, threatening paralysis, but his son and daughter were still so young, so small, and one thought persisted stronger than the rest: flickersky. he had to get to flickersky and their other kits. by the mercy of the gods, he had to get to highgarden to meet his mate again.
indentit was the only solution he had left, so he grasped it tightly and refused to let go.
indenthe kept it simple, putting one paw in front of the other, and then another, and then another. on and on he walked, stopping again and again to urge hurricanekit and quakekit forward. "c'mon," he encouraged them when hurricanekit flopped down and quakekit rested back on her haunches. "we're not too far, now," he urged, but hurricanekit let out a low whine.
indent"dad, you've been saying that forever," hurricanekit complained.
indent"and my paws are sore," quakekit added, to hurricanekit's fervent nods. "like they'll fall off if i take another step."
indentstormshroud looked at his kits with sympathy, letting out a low breath. "i know, we've already come so far. but we're almost to your mother and siblings. and they'll have food and a place to rest for all of us." the entire time, he had been thinking what he might say to flickersky. he had assured her time and time again that the shadowed kingdom was safe - he told her that he was safe, and he told her that he would keep their kits safe when they came to join him. he had promised, but he had been blinded by hope. he had lost too many friend, too many homes over the seasons. he hoped that the shadowed kingdom wasn't like the others, but he had been so sorely wrong, and it stung worse than any wound he had endured in his life. it was a shame that weighed his shoulders, to have to crawl into highgarden's territory and hope that their queen would be gentile enough to welcome the weary trio.
indent"i miss mom," hurricanekit said after a long moment. "we should have brought mallowsun with us. i think they would've been good friends."
indentthis time it was quakekit's turn to nod with her brother's words. "and what about lionpaw and sagewater, and orchidkit and seraphlight and -"
indent"i know, i know," stormshroud soothed, finally settling down when he realized that his kits wouldn't budge until he had answered them properly. he sighed and his shoulders sank. "i know, i miss our friends too. but home isn't home anymore, you know that." quakekit nodded again, slow and sullen, but hurricanekit stared up at their father with round eyes. "i've seen clans break apart before, and it gets messy. when cats get into such a state of panic and they don't know which way is up, they get desperate. and when cats get desperate... they do things without thinking. bad things. and you two are my priority, you and your littermates and your mother. as much as i care about our friends and whitespring, i need to take care of you two first and foremost." there was a long pause when stomshroud considered the situation once more. "besides, i can't make promises to them. we might be in luck with tawnyrose and the rest of highgarden, that they'll give us a place to stay, but others might not be so lucky. we can't expect highgarden to support the shadowed kingdom."
indent"i understand," quakekit murmured quietly, and stormshroud bent his head to nuzzle his daughter, and then his son.
indent"i know it's hard to take in, but i need you both to be strong now, okay? with luck we'll find a highgarden patrol soon, and they'll help us find our way," stormshroud said, unable to help the burst of pride in his chest when quakekit and hurricanekit both stood, shaking out their long fur and short legs to carry on.
indentto be sure, highgarden's territory was beautiful. babbling streams crisscrossed wooded areas and meadows that stretched along the mouth of the valley. mountains towered high, but even the rocky landscape was dotted with plant growth as low-hanging trees and shrubs grouped together on the precipice. though stormshroud had met flickersky seasons earlier and had crossed into highgarden territory more times that he was sure either clan would care to know, he had never gone so far or dared to take the time to view the majesty of his mate's home. he missed the shadowed kingdom, to be sure, but it was impossible to not admire the views and to find joy in his own kits' eyes as they gazed upon the sprawling hills and valleys.
indentthen, at last, a form crested over one of the hills, snowy fur standing out sorely in the bright sunshine, and hurricanekit drew up on his hind legs, craning to get a better look. "dad - is that a highgarden cat?" he asked, only to let out an awed gasp as the white cat was trailed by other forms. even from a distance, it was easy to hear the patrol shouting back and forth to one another as they spaced out, moving in fluid, practiced motions that allowed them to cover more ground. finally, the white cat called out to the rest of the patrol, and stormshroud watched as the formation shifted direction. he wrapped his tail around his kits and drew them closer to his side.
indent"please state your name and business with highgarden," the white cat called when there was still some distance between them, but stormshroud was immediately struck by a bolt of familiarity. at first, it was easily to chalk it up to neighbors, that it was more than likely their paths had crossed before, but there was no mistaking his former friend's face, coming closer and closer like out of the past. "gods - az, is that really you?" storm asked, and stormshroud smiled despite himself.
indent"storm - it's good to see you. don't tell me you're in highgarden?" stormshroud said, and his friend shook his head in disbelief, padding forward to touch their foreheads together warmly. "it's good to see you again."
indent"likewise," the highgarden knight said, and he waved his tail towards the rest of the patrol to set them at ease. a pretty blue-point molly peered over his shoulder curiously, and then she leaned over to a pretty calico, who jutted her nose wordlessly at the kits who peeked out at the patrol. a lithe oriental and a ginger tabby brought up the rear of the patrol, hanging back to gaze out across the rest of the meadows. "my name's actually clovershine now, though. by gods so much has changed since the old days, it feels like an eternity now."
indentstormshroud nodded. "i couldn't agree more. my name's changed too. it's stormshroud now," he said, and clovershine flashed a lopsided grin.
indent"ah, i see i was your inspiration, huh?" he teased. "you look a little worse for wear. what brings you this way?" he asked after a moment, and stormshroud looked down to his kits.
indent"after the ice nation and azgeda, i wound up in another clan for a while. and then another after that - the shadowed kingdom to your border... it's gone now," he said, and he watched as the entire patrol took the information in. the blue molly hung her head, the oriental clicked his tongue distastefully, and clovershine's eyes went round. "we came here because... well, my mate and their mother lives in highgarden. flickersky?"
indent"flickersky's your mate?" the calico asked, and when stormshroud nodded, she looked to the kits again. "by gods, we should've seen it immediately. your daughter looks so much like her." the calico dared to pad closer, then, leveling a glance at stormshroud, who dipped his head in turn. the calico bent down to be at eye-level with the pair of kits. "hello, i'm kitechaser. and these are my friends. we're all friends with your mother."
indent"my name's hurricanekit," the little tom said, puffing out his chest. "and my sister's name is quakekit. do you have soft nests in highgarden?"
indent"the softest," the ginger molly said, to hurricanekit's pleased squeak. "would you like to come with us to be the judge?"
indent"would we ever," quakekit said, and the entire patrol broke into gentle laughter. both kits gazed up at their father, and stormshroud didn't hesitate to nod. hurricanekit let out an excited cheer, and clovershine raised his tail and looked to kitechaser.
indent"could you and arcticblink run ahead to camp and tell them the good news? flickersky'll want to be the first at the entrance, and tawnyrose and bluetcrest will want to welcome them as well." kitechaser and the oriental, arcticblink, dipped their heads and headed off. hurricanekit and quakekit bounded towards the blue and ginger mollies, who greeted them warmly. clovershine looked to stormshroud. "don't worry, riverfoam and lyrewhistle are good with kits."
indentstormshroud nodded listlessly, watching as the two mollies watched over his kits. he looked to clovershine as they began to walk, back in the direction the patrol had appeared from. "i can't believe it's gone. i lost another home," he said, and clovershine blinked his sympathy. "do you think... do you think that we'll be welcome here? my kits need a safe home, and i'm so tired of moving on to the next clan," he added. clovershine seemed to consider his words for a long moment.
"i can't say that highgarden is perfect, because it's not. we have had our troubles here, but we've kept on. i know that many clans crumbled when it got hard, but they have words to live by here. 'growing strong,' tawnyrose says. those are highgarden's words. we're always growing, we've set deep roots," clovershine said, nodding towards the kits. "your kits are your roots. your mate is here, your family. it's not perfect, and maybe the day will come when we won't be here but... you know, i think we'll all be alright in the end."
indentas they walked, stormshroud thought about this before he nodded. he bumped his shoulder against clovershine's. "since when did you start getting wise?"
indentclovershine snorted and bumped stormshroud even harder. "i forgot that you were insufferable. i guess not everything's changed, after all." and they laughed together, like they had seasons and seasons earlier, when so much was so different, but some things had still been the same.
indent"have you ever seen anyone else from the ice nation?" stormshroud asked after a beat. it seemed that clovershine missed a step, and the smile was wiped clear from his face. then it reappeared.
indent"yeah, actually. do you remember prometheus? his name is birchflame now, we actually wound up here together. i haven't seen anyone else, not since you," clovershine said, but the brightness had dimmed from his eyes. "anyway, i think you'll really like highgarden. i know a lot of the roots will be excited to finally meet flickersky's mate. ferretwhisker and swiftheart have been trying to shake her down for moons so they could meet you. and tawnyrose... she's a good queen." cloveshine nodded his head again, as if to assure them both. "oh, and my own mate is in the nursery, too."
indentbefore clovershine could say anything else, stormshroud flicked his ears curiously. "oh, clovershine, i should have known. you'll have to tell me all about her. i'm sure she's lovely. not as lovely as my mate or my kits, but i'm sure your family's nice too."
indentclovershine finally let out another laugh, and it seemed that, for the moment, the shadows of doubt that receded. it was easy to fall into familiar company, with the knowledge that they were going back to their mates. and the moment was well.
indentit was quiet in her den, peaceful in the solitude. but it was also lonely. even as cats ushered in and out of her den, bringing news from the borders, even as she knew that she could - and perhaps should - step outside to join the pleasant chatter, to visit her sons in the nursery and her best friend in the herbalists' den, she didn't have it in her. only the softest daylight slipped into her den, where her nest served to offer solace. it should have been easy to forget to remember, but everything reminded her of her.
indentshe paused in her grooming to the sound of pawsteps approaching, and then his voice: "tawnyrose?" he asked. "softglow said that you wanted to see me."
indentshe wasn't sure if she actually did want to see him, but she knew that her choice was for the best. at the very least, she thought that it was for the best. "of course, come in," she called back. only moons ago, it was easy to talk to birchflame. all of the days and nights spent simply talking, swapping philosophies out of sight of the rest of the clan. she learned of his past, he asked about what was in store for the future. but as soon as he stood before her, his shoulders drawn up and his tailtip twitching, she found herself at a loss. it felt right that they might share their grief for their daughter, but tawnyrose knew that they were separated by the fact that birchflame had never had the chance to be a father to lightkit.
indent"what can i do for you?" he asked, and she found his eyes were unfocused and distant. tawnyrose wondered if he was thinking just as she was.
indent"we have several seedlings becoming thorns later this moon, and i'd like you to mentor bramblekit," she said. "he already has the makings of a strong knight, and i was hoping you'd be able to help condition him properly."
indentbirchflame, however, tossed his head and snorted. "what is this, tawnyrose? you want me to mentor my own son?"
indent"he won't expect special treatment, since -"
indent"he doesn't know that i'm his father, of course," birchflame spat. the fur along his spine had begun to bristle, and tawnyrose allowed herself to sit up taller and straighter. birchflame drew in a deep breath and circled in his place, pacing around himself. "because he thinks that softglow is his father. because you said that it would protect them if they didn't know the truth, right? well, that didn't help lightkit, did it? if anything, i think the harm comes from you being their mother."
indentthe words cut deep, piercing tawnyrose's pelt even worse than she had expected. but she refused to let him see her flinch. "you're grieving, you don't mean that," she said, but he shook his head.
indent"if they weren't the kits of the queen, do you think erasmus might have targeted them? no, of course not. it's not a coincidence that lightkit was killed. she was the heir. badgerstar's daughter was killed because she was badgerstar's daughter. flickersky's kits were spared because they aren't as important to you as lightkit. erasmus wanted to hurt you, not her." birchflame stuck up his nose. "and i wasn't able to protect her, because no one could think that i was too close to the kits. and i'm barely given a chance to grieve, because i'm not supposed to seem like i most more than the rest of the clan."
indent"i thought you'd want a chance to be close to your son," tawnyrose said when it seemed that birchflame had finished. "you'll be able to teach him everything he needs to know."
indentbirchflame finally allowed his shoulders to drop. he looked incredibly tired. "i want to be his father, not his mentor. but i know that's not possible. you took that away from me before they were even born," he said. "if you tell me to mentor him, then i will. because i serve highgarden, and i want to see the best for them. but don't pretend you're doing me a favor while you're driving thorns into my heart."
indenthe made to turn away, but he stopped at the sound of tawyrose's voice. "is that it, then?"
indentbirchflame let out a low laugh. "once, i thought that we might have been able to have a future together. but then i realized that you care only about yourself and your pride, tawnyrose. you're cruel."
indent"i'm doing my best," tawnyrose said. she found her paws and took a stuttering step forward, but birchflame continued to walk away from her. "i can't make everyone happy all of the time. there are sacrifices that need to be made."
indent"and yet you're failing. lightkit's dead, you never visit your sons, and you've pushed away so many cats before. doesn't sound like good ruling to me."
indent"you've pushed everyone away too. clovershine? what about him?" tawnyrose followed birchflame outside of her den, and he rounded on her, lashing his tail. tawnyrose could feel glances in their direction, but she couldn't look away from birchflame.
indent"at least my failures didn't mean the death of a kit," birchflame said. he made to turn again, but tawnyrose couldn't let him have the last word:
indent"not yet," she hissed. "but you fail, too. you've just been lucky." the knight waved his tail as he left, and tawnyrose was left to stand alone in the middle of the clearing. she knew that her mother was frowning down upon her. ferretwhisker pulled hawthornkit and bramblekit closer to her, and softglow stood with yewbloom, the pair looking at tawnyrose with wide eyes. as the queen, she was supposed to be composed and regal. but she stood alone until she padded back into her den to hide her grief and shame once more.
indentit wasn't supposed to be this way, the young tom kept thinking as he pushed himself further and further away from home. it wasn't the first time that soucipaw was wandering alone, but he hadn't expected there to be a second time. he was supposed to grow up in chessclan, he thought. all through the days of his assessment, he dreamed of returning home to cheers and praise. then he would be given his new name, and the entire clan would look to him. he imagined growing up there, venturing through the territory he knew by muscle memory alone. chessclan had been his home for moons, and he had worked so hard to come so far, and then the bottom fell out from under him. just as he was ready to turn back and return to his friends and clanmates, he crossed one of the other apprenti, and they brought horrible news.
indentwhen soucipaw thought of a sickness, he thought of the rumored greencough that swept through clans, wiping out kits and elders. he thought of winter bringing starvation to an already weakened clan, with warriors unable to run from labored breathing thick with mucus and throats left raw to the point of pain. when the other apprenti told soucipaw how their clanmates were growing weaker by the day, how they were dying, it didn't even seem like much of a choice: he had to leave. it was the only course of action that came to mind, as dreadful as it was. and he knew that it would be perceived poorly in anyone found out about his choice, but there are had been plenty of apprenti who never returned home after setting off on their assessments. his name would be added to the list of apprenti who had potential, but were ultimately too weak to handle the trials of chessclan's ways. at the very least, he supposed, it wasn't a complete lie; he knew that he couldn't handle watching his clanmates die around him, and he didn't want to risk his own health, so he turned his back on his clan and left for the horizon.
indentthough he knew that it would be a long travel and that he would have to put distance between himself as chessclan to make sure that he wouldn't be found or tracked, soucipaw couldn't help the way eyes locked on the horizon at the furthest corner of the world, shocked at how far away it was, how it only seemed to stray further and further away the closer he walked towards it. his muscles burned and his pawpads protested, rubbed raw with each and every step. more than once, he dreamed of a warm nest to collapse into by the day's end, he wondered if it would be worth giving up. along the way, he passed through a fair share of clan territories, marked by strict borders, ripe with scent fresh from a passing patrol. more than once, he thought about tracking the patrols down, but the fear persisted. he wondered if the disease had spread from chessclan, or if the clan might recognize his scent and return him back to the home he left behind. more than once, he considered stopping, and more than a hundred times he turned away out of fear and pressed on.
indentthat is, until he found peachkit among the berries bushes. she was small and her soft ginger fur tickled soucipaw's nose when he sniffed her. she had wailed then, loudly, and he cowered out of fear that her mother might come by and swat him away. but the longer peachkit wailed without any respite, soucipaw realized that she was alone, just as he was. he had abandoned his home, and she had been abandoned. he decided that they made a swell pair, and he managed to soothe her with gentle, calming words. from then on, they traveled together, and soucipaw talked to her often when they rested.
indent"for someone so small, you're quite heavy to carry, did you know that?" he teased her one afternoon, as they rested in the shade of an oak tree. peachkit looked up at her friend from where she had taken to grooming her paws.
indent"i have a feeling that you'd be heavier to carry," she said amicably. soucipaw smiled gently at her.
indent"with your little legs, i wouldn't let you carry me, anyway," soucipaw said. "you'd be dragging me along, more like." peachkit scoffed, and when soucipaw leaned closer to touch his nose to her ear, she swatted at him. they laughed together, thesound coming easily to soucipaw once more, and then they were quiet for a while.
indent"sometimes i miss my mommy," peachkit said quietly, and soucipw nodded along, sympathetic. "i had a dream last night that she came back. when i woke up, though, she wasn't here."
indent"is that why you were so quiet this morning?" soucipaw asked. when peachkit said nothing, the golden apprentice rested his chin on his paws. "i don't remember my parents. i try to think about them sometimes, but i don't think i'd even remember their scent if i crossed its path."
indentthey were quiet for some time before peachkit sniffled and looked to soucipaw. "were you alone this whole time?" she asked. "or did someone find you, too?"
indentsoucipaw's smile was tight. "i found a clan, and i lived there for a while. i really liked it... i miss it, now."
indent"why did they leave you?"
indentsoucipaw shook his head quickly. "i had to leave them i... i couldn't stay there." he rolled over onto his back, allowing himself the feeling of grass against his back as he stretched. the sunlight dappled through the leaves, peppering the ground. it was calming, and soucipaw closed his eyes. "i just want to be safe," he murmured. when peachkit padded closer to his side, soucipaw stretched out and let the little molly tucked herself into his side for comfort. slowly, his felt his eyelids droop, lulled by the warm afternoon air.
indentand then he woke with a start, blinking up against the night sky peeking between the leaves, and peachkit continued to snooze at his side. at first, he blinked blearily up at the sky, wondering how long had passed, before he heard a twig snap nearby. soucipaw twisted quickly, his fur bristling at the same time that peachkit grunted her complaint of being woken up so abrubtly. then, to his surprise, soucipaw stared at a young, lithe tabby who gazed back at him with wide eyes. for a long moment, they stood and stared at one another until peachkit let out a quiet, surprised sound at the sight of the stranger. when the stranger took a step forward, soucipaw bared his teeth.
indent"i don't want to hurt you," she said, and her voice was calm, soothing. soucipaw had to remind himself to keep his fur bristled.
indent"are you alone?" he asked, and the molly's ears pricked curiously.
indent"you're on highgarden's territory. i'm part of one of our patrols," she answered. "i know the mother's grounds has soft grass, but we usually aren't in the business of letting outsiders nap in our borders." despite her words, she didn't appear to be hostile. if anything, soucipaw could have sworn she sounded bemused. "are you from groveclan? or strikersclan?" she asked, and soucipaw finally shook his head.
indent"i'm not from a clan," he said. soucipaw felt peachkit gaze up at him, confused, but he pressed on, not letting her have the chance to say anything. "i was traveling alone and found peachkit along the way. we didn't mean to linger here. my apologies."
indenta long moment passed as the young molly seemed to consider his words before she nodded just once. "where are you headed, then?"
indent"wherever our paws take up, at the present," soucipaw said. he swallowed around the lump in his throat: as long as its far away from chessclan.
indent"well, like i said, we don't let strangers rest here, usually."
indent"of course," soucipaw said. he glanced down to peachkit, who regarded the stranger with round eyes. when she took another step closer, soucipaw didn't bristle, and peachkit leaned forward, as if to get a closer look. in that moment, soucipaw realized that they could go no further. his stomach ached with hunger, he had walked far from his past home. he was tired, and he was sure that peachkit was as well. "do you intend to drive us away?"
indent"no," she answered simply. her gaze flicked up from peachkit, and soucipaw held her gaze, searching for any signs of deceit or hostility before he sniffed.
indent"do you know anywhere we might be able to rest for the night, then?" he asked, and she flicked her tail in amusement.
indent"new friends are usually given a nest and a place in the dens," she said. "the nursery is particularly cozy, from what i've heard." at that moment, voices began to rise from the distance, and the highgarden cat straightened. "our queen, tawnyrose, is very welcoming to visitors, if you're that interested. in fact, i think you might like us."indentwith that, soucipaw stepped forward to meet her halfway, and she flashed a bright smile when peachkit joined them.[b] "i think i might, actually. what's your name?"
indent"seedspring," she answered. "what's yours?" when soucipaw hesitated, seedspring shrugged. "if you don't like it, you're allowed to change it this once. just make it a good one."
indentsoucipaw considered all that he had left behind in his trek from chessclan. he thought about the distance he had covered and the way his pawpads were rubbed raw. he thought of all he had learned in chessclan, and what he learned about himself over the moons. he knew that he wanted to leave it all behind, that he wasn't the same cat who set off to take his assessment in chessclan. he had changed, and he hoped it was for the better.
indent"marigoldpaw," he said as he followed seedspring to where a group of cats was gathered in the distance, clearly waiting for the young rose. "my name's marigoldpaw."
indentit was the only solution he had left, so he grasped it tightly and refused to let go.
indenthe kept it simple, putting one paw in front of the other, and then another, and then another. on and on he walked, stopping again and again to urge hurricanekit and quakekit forward. "c'mon," he encouraged them when hurricanekit flopped down and quakekit rested back on her haunches. "we're not too far, now," he urged, but hurricanekit let out a low whine.
indent"dad, you've been saying that forever," hurricanekit complained.
indent"and my paws are sore," quakekit added, to hurricanekit's fervent nods. "like they'll fall off if i take another step."
indentstormshroud looked at his kits with sympathy, letting out a low breath. "i know, we've already come so far. but we're almost to your mother and siblings. and they'll have food and a place to rest for all of us." the entire time, he had been thinking what he might say to flickersky. he had assured her time and time again that the shadowed kingdom was safe - he told her that he was safe, and he told her that he would keep their kits safe when they came to join him. he had promised, but he had been blinded by hope. he had lost too many friend, too many homes over the seasons. he hoped that the shadowed kingdom wasn't like the others, but he had been so sorely wrong, and it stung worse than any wound he had endured in his life. it was a shame that weighed his shoulders, to have to crawl into highgarden's territory and hope that their queen would be gentile enough to welcome the weary trio.
indent"i miss mom," hurricanekit said after a long moment. "we should have brought mallowsun with us. i think they would've been good friends."
indentthis time it was quakekit's turn to nod with her brother's words. "and what about lionpaw and sagewater, and orchidkit and seraphlight and -"
indent"i know, i know," stormshroud soothed, finally settling down when he realized that his kits wouldn't budge until he had answered them properly. he sighed and his shoulders sank. "i know, i miss our friends too. but home isn't home anymore, you know that." quakekit nodded again, slow and sullen, but hurricanekit stared up at their father with round eyes. "i've seen clans break apart before, and it gets messy. when cats get into such a state of panic and they don't know which way is up, they get desperate. and when cats get desperate... they do things without thinking. bad things. and you two are my priority, you and your littermates and your mother. as much as i care about our friends and whitespring, i need to take care of you two first and foremost." there was a long pause when stomshroud considered the situation once more. "besides, i can't make promises to them. we might be in luck with tawnyrose and the rest of highgarden, that they'll give us a place to stay, but others might not be so lucky. we can't expect highgarden to support the shadowed kingdom."
indent"i understand," quakekit murmured quietly, and stormshroud bent his head to nuzzle his daughter, and then his son.
indent"i know it's hard to take in, but i need you both to be strong now, okay? with luck we'll find a highgarden patrol soon, and they'll help us find our way," stormshroud said, unable to help the burst of pride in his chest when quakekit and hurricanekit both stood, shaking out their long fur and short legs to carry on.
indentto be sure, highgarden's territory was beautiful. babbling streams crisscrossed wooded areas and meadows that stretched along the mouth of the valley. mountains towered high, but even the rocky landscape was dotted with plant growth as low-hanging trees and shrubs grouped together on the precipice. though stormshroud had met flickersky seasons earlier and had crossed into highgarden territory more times that he was sure either clan would care to know, he had never gone so far or dared to take the time to view the majesty of his mate's home. he missed the shadowed kingdom, to be sure, but it was impossible to not admire the views and to find joy in his own kits' eyes as they gazed upon the sprawling hills and valleys.
indentthen, at last, a form crested over one of the hills, snowy fur standing out sorely in the bright sunshine, and hurricanekit drew up on his hind legs, craning to get a better look. "dad - is that a highgarden cat?" he asked, only to let out an awed gasp as the white cat was trailed by other forms. even from a distance, it was easy to hear the patrol shouting back and forth to one another as they spaced out, moving in fluid, practiced motions that allowed them to cover more ground. finally, the white cat called out to the rest of the patrol, and stormshroud watched as the formation shifted direction. he wrapped his tail around his kits and drew them closer to his side.
indent"please state your name and business with highgarden," the white cat called when there was still some distance between them, but stormshroud was immediately struck by a bolt of familiarity. at first, it was easily to chalk it up to neighbors, that it was more than likely their paths had crossed before, but there was no mistaking his former friend's face, coming closer and closer like out of the past. "gods - az, is that really you?" storm asked, and stormshroud smiled despite himself.
indent"storm - it's good to see you. don't tell me you're in highgarden?" stormshroud said, and his friend shook his head in disbelief, padding forward to touch their foreheads together warmly. "it's good to see you again."
indent"likewise," the highgarden knight said, and he waved his tail towards the rest of the patrol to set them at ease. a pretty blue-point molly peered over his shoulder curiously, and then she leaned over to a pretty calico, who jutted her nose wordlessly at the kits who peeked out at the patrol. a lithe oriental and a ginger tabby brought up the rear of the patrol, hanging back to gaze out across the rest of the meadows. "my name's actually clovershine now, though. by gods so much has changed since the old days, it feels like an eternity now."
indentstormshroud nodded. "i couldn't agree more. my name's changed too. it's stormshroud now," he said, and clovershine flashed a lopsided grin.
indent"ah, i see i was your inspiration, huh?" he teased. "you look a little worse for wear. what brings you this way?" he asked after a moment, and stormshroud looked down to his kits.
indent"after the ice nation and azgeda, i wound up in another clan for a while. and then another after that - the shadowed kingdom to your border... it's gone now," he said, and he watched as the entire patrol took the information in. the blue molly hung her head, the oriental clicked his tongue distastefully, and clovershine's eyes went round. "we came here because... well, my mate and their mother lives in highgarden. flickersky?"
indent"flickersky's your mate?" the calico asked, and when stormshroud nodded, she looked to the kits again. "by gods, we should've seen it immediately. your daughter looks so much like her." the calico dared to pad closer, then, leveling a glance at stormshroud, who dipped his head in turn. the calico bent down to be at eye-level with the pair of kits. "hello, i'm kitechaser. and these are my friends. we're all friends with your mother."
indent"my name's hurricanekit," the little tom said, puffing out his chest. "and my sister's name is quakekit. do you have soft nests in highgarden?"
indent"the softest," the ginger molly said, to hurricanekit's pleased squeak. "would you like to come with us to be the judge?"
indent"would we ever," quakekit said, and the entire patrol broke into gentle laughter. both kits gazed up at their father, and stormshroud didn't hesitate to nod. hurricanekit let out an excited cheer, and clovershine raised his tail and looked to kitechaser.
indent"could you and arcticblink run ahead to camp and tell them the good news? flickersky'll want to be the first at the entrance, and tawnyrose and bluetcrest will want to welcome them as well." kitechaser and the oriental, arcticblink, dipped their heads and headed off. hurricanekit and quakekit bounded towards the blue and ginger mollies, who greeted them warmly. clovershine looked to stormshroud. "don't worry, riverfoam and lyrewhistle are good with kits."
indentstormshroud nodded listlessly, watching as the two mollies watched over his kits. he looked to clovershine as they began to walk, back in the direction the patrol had appeared from. "i can't believe it's gone. i lost another home," he said, and clovershine blinked his sympathy. "do you think... do you think that we'll be welcome here? my kits need a safe home, and i'm so tired of moving on to the next clan," he added. clovershine seemed to consider his words for a long moment.
"i can't say that highgarden is perfect, because it's not. we have had our troubles here, but we've kept on. i know that many clans crumbled when it got hard, but they have words to live by here. 'growing strong,' tawnyrose says. those are highgarden's words. we're always growing, we've set deep roots," clovershine said, nodding towards the kits. "your kits are your roots. your mate is here, your family. it's not perfect, and maybe the day will come when we won't be here but... you know, i think we'll all be alright in the end."
indentas they walked, stormshroud thought about this before he nodded. he bumped his shoulder against clovershine's. "since when did you start getting wise?"
indentclovershine snorted and bumped stormshroud even harder. "i forgot that you were insufferable. i guess not everything's changed, after all." and they laughed together, like they had seasons and seasons earlier, when so much was so different, but some things had still been the same.
indent"have you ever seen anyone else from the ice nation?" stormshroud asked after a beat. it seemed that clovershine missed a step, and the smile was wiped clear from his face. then it reappeared.
indent"yeah, actually. do you remember prometheus? his name is birchflame now, we actually wound up here together. i haven't seen anyone else, not since you," clovershine said, but the brightness had dimmed from his eyes. "anyway, i think you'll really like highgarden. i know a lot of the roots will be excited to finally meet flickersky's mate. ferretwhisker and swiftheart have been trying to shake her down for moons so they could meet you. and tawnyrose... she's a good queen." cloveshine nodded his head again, as if to assure them both. "oh, and my own mate is in the nursery, too."
indentbefore clovershine could say anything else, stormshroud flicked his ears curiously. "oh, clovershine, i should have known. you'll have to tell me all about her. i'm sure she's lovely. not as lovely as my mate or my kits, but i'm sure your family's nice too."
indentclovershine finally let out another laugh, and it seemed that, for the moment, the shadows of doubt that receded. it was easy to fall into familiar company, with the knowledge that they were going back to their mates. and the moment was well.
indentit was quiet in her den, peaceful in the solitude. but it was also lonely. even as cats ushered in and out of her den, bringing news from the borders, even as she knew that she could - and perhaps should - step outside to join the pleasant chatter, to visit her sons in the nursery and her best friend in the herbalists' den, she didn't have it in her. only the softest daylight slipped into her den, where her nest served to offer solace. it should have been easy to forget to remember, but everything reminded her of her.
indentshe paused in her grooming to the sound of pawsteps approaching, and then his voice: "tawnyrose?" he asked. "softglow said that you wanted to see me."
indentshe wasn't sure if she actually did want to see him, but she knew that her choice was for the best. at the very least, she thought that it was for the best. "of course, come in," she called back. only moons ago, it was easy to talk to birchflame. all of the days and nights spent simply talking, swapping philosophies out of sight of the rest of the clan. she learned of his past, he asked about what was in store for the future. but as soon as he stood before her, his shoulders drawn up and his tailtip twitching, she found herself at a loss. it felt right that they might share their grief for their daughter, but tawnyrose knew that they were separated by the fact that birchflame had never had the chance to be a father to lightkit.
indent"what can i do for you?" he asked, and she found his eyes were unfocused and distant. tawnyrose wondered if he was thinking just as she was.
indent"we have several seedlings becoming thorns later this moon, and i'd like you to mentor bramblekit," she said. "he already has the makings of a strong knight, and i was hoping you'd be able to help condition him properly."
indentbirchflame, however, tossed his head and snorted. "what is this, tawnyrose? you want me to mentor my own son?"
indent"he won't expect special treatment, since -"
indent"he doesn't know that i'm his father, of course," birchflame spat. the fur along his spine had begun to bristle, and tawnyrose allowed herself to sit up taller and straighter. birchflame drew in a deep breath and circled in his place, pacing around himself. "because he thinks that softglow is his father. because you said that it would protect them if they didn't know the truth, right? well, that didn't help lightkit, did it? if anything, i think the harm comes from you being their mother."
indentthe words cut deep, piercing tawnyrose's pelt even worse than she had expected. but she refused to let him see her flinch. "you're grieving, you don't mean that," she said, but he shook his head.
indent"if they weren't the kits of the queen, do you think erasmus might have targeted them? no, of course not. it's not a coincidence that lightkit was killed. she was the heir. badgerstar's daughter was killed because she was badgerstar's daughter. flickersky's kits were spared because they aren't as important to you as lightkit. erasmus wanted to hurt you, not her." birchflame stuck up his nose. "and i wasn't able to protect her, because no one could think that i was too close to the kits. and i'm barely given a chance to grieve, because i'm not supposed to seem like i most more than the rest of the clan."
indent"i thought you'd want a chance to be close to your son," tawnyrose said when it seemed that birchflame had finished. "you'll be able to teach him everything he needs to know."
indentbirchflame finally allowed his shoulders to drop. he looked incredibly tired. "i want to be his father, not his mentor. but i know that's not possible. you took that away from me before they were even born," he said. "if you tell me to mentor him, then i will. because i serve highgarden, and i want to see the best for them. but don't pretend you're doing me a favor while you're driving thorns into my heart."
indenthe made to turn away, but he stopped at the sound of tawyrose's voice. "is that it, then?"
indentbirchflame let out a low laugh. "once, i thought that we might have been able to have a future together. but then i realized that you care only about yourself and your pride, tawnyrose. you're cruel."
indent"i'm doing my best," tawnyrose said. she found her paws and took a stuttering step forward, but birchflame continued to walk away from her. "i can't make everyone happy all of the time. there are sacrifices that need to be made."
indent"and yet you're failing. lightkit's dead, you never visit your sons, and you've pushed away so many cats before. doesn't sound like good ruling to me."
indent"you've pushed everyone away too. clovershine? what about him?" tawnyrose followed birchflame outside of her den, and he rounded on her, lashing his tail. tawnyrose could feel glances in their direction, but she couldn't look away from birchflame.
indent"at least my failures didn't mean the death of a kit," birchflame said. he made to turn again, but tawnyrose couldn't let him have the last word:
indent"not yet," she hissed. "but you fail, too. you've just been lucky." the knight waved his tail as he left, and tawnyrose was left to stand alone in the middle of the clearing. she knew that her mother was frowning down upon her. ferretwhisker pulled hawthornkit and bramblekit closer to her, and softglow stood with yewbloom, the pair looking at tawnyrose with wide eyes. as the queen, she was supposed to be composed and regal. but she stood alone until she padded back into her den to hide her grief and shame once more.
indentit wasn't supposed to be this way, the young tom kept thinking as he pushed himself further and further away from home. it wasn't the first time that soucipaw was wandering alone, but he hadn't expected there to be a second time. he was supposed to grow up in chessclan, he thought. all through the days of his assessment, he dreamed of returning home to cheers and praise. then he would be given his new name, and the entire clan would look to him. he imagined growing up there, venturing through the territory he knew by muscle memory alone. chessclan had been his home for moons, and he had worked so hard to come so far, and then the bottom fell out from under him. just as he was ready to turn back and return to his friends and clanmates, he crossed one of the other apprenti, and they brought horrible news.
indentwhen soucipaw thought of a sickness, he thought of the rumored greencough that swept through clans, wiping out kits and elders. he thought of winter bringing starvation to an already weakened clan, with warriors unable to run from labored breathing thick with mucus and throats left raw to the point of pain. when the other apprenti told soucipaw how their clanmates were growing weaker by the day, how they were dying, it didn't even seem like much of a choice: he had to leave. it was the only course of action that came to mind, as dreadful as it was. and he knew that it would be perceived poorly in anyone found out about his choice, but there are had been plenty of apprenti who never returned home after setting off on their assessments. his name would be added to the list of apprenti who had potential, but were ultimately too weak to handle the trials of chessclan's ways. at the very least, he supposed, it wasn't a complete lie; he knew that he couldn't handle watching his clanmates die around him, and he didn't want to risk his own health, so he turned his back on his clan and left for the horizon.
indentthough he knew that it would be a long travel and that he would have to put distance between himself as chessclan to make sure that he wouldn't be found or tracked, soucipaw couldn't help the way eyes locked on the horizon at the furthest corner of the world, shocked at how far away it was, how it only seemed to stray further and further away the closer he walked towards it. his muscles burned and his pawpads protested, rubbed raw with each and every step. more than once, he dreamed of a warm nest to collapse into by the day's end, he wondered if it would be worth giving up. along the way, he passed through a fair share of clan territories, marked by strict borders, ripe with scent fresh from a passing patrol. more than once, he thought about tracking the patrols down, but the fear persisted. he wondered if the disease had spread from chessclan, or if the clan might recognize his scent and return him back to the home he left behind. more than once, he considered stopping, and more than a hundred times he turned away out of fear and pressed on.
indentthat is, until he found peachkit among the berries bushes. she was small and her soft ginger fur tickled soucipaw's nose when he sniffed her. she had wailed then, loudly, and he cowered out of fear that her mother might come by and swat him away. but the longer peachkit wailed without any respite, soucipaw realized that she was alone, just as he was. he had abandoned his home, and she had been abandoned. he decided that they made a swell pair, and he managed to soothe her with gentle, calming words. from then on, they traveled together, and soucipaw talked to her often when they rested.
indent"for someone so small, you're quite heavy to carry, did you know that?" he teased her one afternoon, as they rested in the shade of an oak tree. peachkit looked up at her friend from where she had taken to grooming her paws.
indent"i have a feeling that you'd be heavier to carry," she said amicably. soucipaw smiled gently at her.
indent"with your little legs, i wouldn't let you carry me, anyway," soucipaw said. "you'd be dragging me along, more like." peachkit scoffed, and when soucipaw leaned closer to touch his nose to her ear, she swatted at him. they laughed together, thesound coming easily to soucipaw once more, and then they were quiet for a while.
indent"sometimes i miss my mommy," peachkit said quietly, and soucipw nodded along, sympathetic. "i had a dream last night that she came back. when i woke up, though, she wasn't here."
indent"is that why you were so quiet this morning?" soucipaw asked. when peachkit said nothing, the golden apprentice rested his chin on his paws. "i don't remember my parents. i try to think about them sometimes, but i don't think i'd even remember their scent if i crossed its path."
indentthey were quiet for some time before peachkit sniffled and looked to soucipaw. "were you alone this whole time?" she asked. "or did someone find you, too?"
indentsoucipaw's smile was tight. "i found a clan, and i lived there for a while. i really liked it... i miss it, now."
indent"why did they leave you?"
indentsoucipaw shook his head quickly. "i had to leave them i... i couldn't stay there." he rolled over onto his back, allowing himself the feeling of grass against his back as he stretched. the sunlight dappled through the leaves, peppering the ground. it was calming, and soucipaw closed his eyes. "i just want to be safe," he murmured. when peachkit padded closer to his side, soucipaw stretched out and let the little molly tucked herself into his side for comfort. slowly, his felt his eyelids droop, lulled by the warm afternoon air.
indentand then he woke with a start, blinking up against the night sky peeking between the leaves, and peachkit continued to snooze at his side. at first, he blinked blearily up at the sky, wondering how long had passed, before he heard a twig snap nearby. soucipaw twisted quickly, his fur bristling at the same time that peachkit grunted her complaint of being woken up so abrubtly. then, to his surprise, soucipaw stared at a young, lithe tabby who gazed back at him with wide eyes. for a long moment, they stood and stared at one another until peachkit let out a quiet, surprised sound at the sight of the stranger. when the stranger took a step forward, soucipaw bared his teeth.
indent"i don't want to hurt you," she said, and her voice was calm, soothing. soucipaw had to remind himself to keep his fur bristled.
indent"are you alone?" he asked, and the molly's ears pricked curiously.
indent"you're on highgarden's territory. i'm part of one of our patrols," she answered. "i know the mother's grounds has soft grass, but we usually aren't in the business of letting outsiders nap in our borders." despite her words, she didn't appear to be hostile. if anything, soucipaw could have sworn she sounded bemused. "are you from groveclan? or strikersclan?" she asked, and soucipaw finally shook his head.
indent"i'm not from a clan," he said. soucipaw felt peachkit gaze up at him, confused, but he pressed on, not letting her have the chance to say anything. "i was traveling alone and found peachkit along the way. we didn't mean to linger here. my apologies."
indenta long moment passed as the young molly seemed to consider his words before she nodded just once. "where are you headed, then?"
indent"wherever our paws take up, at the present," soucipaw said. he swallowed around the lump in his throat: as long as its far away from chessclan.
indent"well, like i said, we don't let strangers rest here, usually."
indent"of course," soucipaw said. he glanced down to peachkit, who regarded the stranger with round eyes. when she took another step closer, soucipaw didn't bristle, and peachkit leaned forward, as if to get a closer look. in that moment, soucipaw realized that they could go no further. his stomach ached with hunger, he had walked far from his past home. he was tired, and he was sure that peachkit was as well. "do you intend to drive us away?"
indent"no," she answered simply. her gaze flicked up from peachkit, and soucipaw held her gaze, searching for any signs of deceit or hostility before he sniffed.
indent"do you know anywhere we might be able to rest for the night, then?" he asked, and she flicked her tail in amusement.
indent"new friends are usually given a nest and a place in the dens," she said. "the nursery is particularly cozy, from what i've heard." at that moment, voices began to rise from the distance, and the highgarden cat straightened. "our queen, tawnyrose, is very welcoming to visitors, if you're that interested. in fact, i think you might like us."indentwith that, soucipaw stepped forward to meet her halfway, and she flashed a bright smile when peachkit joined them.[b] "i think i might, actually. what's your name?"
indent"seedspring," she answered. "what's yours?" when soucipaw hesitated, seedspring shrugged. "if you don't like it, you're allowed to change it this once. just make it a good one."
indentsoucipaw considered all that he had left behind in his trek from chessclan. he thought about the distance he had covered and the way his pawpads were rubbed raw. he thought of all he had learned in chessclan, and what he learned about himself over the moons. he knew that he wanted to leave it all behind, that he wasn't the same cat who set off to take his assessment in chessclan. he had changed, and he hoped it was for the better.
indent"marigoldpaw," he said as he followed seedspring to where a group of cats was gathered in the distance, clearly waiting for the young rose. "my name's marigoldpaw."
actions
[ added cats ] marigoldpaw, peachkit, stormshroud, hurricanekit, quakekit (aged accordingly to match the other kits and flickersky)
[ consumption ] highgarden eats x4 big fish
[ rank changes ] because marigoldpaw never finished his assessment in chessclan, he is to take his assessment in highgarden. if he passes, he will be made into a full knight (name tbd)
[ patrol 1 ] tawnyrose, bluetcrest, mapleshadow, iguanaspots, warblercry, seedspring
[ hunt 1 ] pythoneyes, bassflow, leopardsun, charredbreeze, stagscorch, rabbitrace
[ hunt 2 ] hurricanejaw, tulipstream, foxspark, lyrewhistle, wolverinesnap, daystrike
↪ wolverinesnap has applicable powers
[ hunt 3 ] softglow, smallheart, wolfhowl, direfang, sandstrike, katara
[ hunt 4 ] clovershine, maplelily, newtmask, riverfoam, kitechaser, tanagercall
[ families ] ayalla is kitting! she is surrogating for axel of the crossroad demons. merlinsong assists and gives her x1 dandelion and x1 chervil
[ training ] beechpaw and harrierpaw learn swimming
adenium learns hunting
hawthornpaw, bramblepaw, and snowypaw learn agility
[ herb hunt ] spencer (priority for kitting herbs)
[ notes to mod ] i ask that no one die on patrols though injuries are fine xo
[ added cats ] marigoldpaw, peachkit, stormshroud, hurricanekit, quakekit (aged accordingly to match the other kits and flickersky)
[ consumption ] highgarden eats x4 big fish
[ rank changes ] because marigoldpaw never finished his assessment in chessclan, he is to take his assessment in highgarden. if he passes, he will be made into a full knight (name tbd)
[ patrol 1 ] tawnyrose, bluetcrest, mapleshadow, iguanaspots, warblercry, seedspring
[ hunt 1 ] pythoneyes, bassflow, leopardsun, charredbreeze, stagscorch, rabbitrace
[ hunt 2 ] hurricanejaw, tulipstream, foxspark, lyrewhistle, wolverinesnap, daystrike
↪ wolverinesnap has applicable powers
[ hunt 3 ] softglow, smallheart, wolfhowl, direfang, sandstrike, katara
[ hunt 4 ] clovershine, maplelily, newtmask, riverfoam, kitechaser, tanagercall
[ families ] ayalla is kitting! she is surrogating for axel of the crossroad demons. merlinsong assists and gives her x1 dandelion and x1 chervil
[ training ] beechpaw and harrierpaw learn swimming
adenium learns hunting
hawthornpaw, bramblepaw, and snowypaw learn agility
[ herb hunt ] spencer (priority for kitting herbs)
[ notes to mod ] i ask that no one die on patrols though injuries are fine xo
queen
tawnyrose, 43m, ♀
the wayward queen
king
softglow, 45m, ♂
the lost king
heir
name, age, gender
attendant
bluetcrest, 47m, ♂
the wayward's attendant
herbalist
merlinsong, 50m, ♂ - 5sp
spencer, 45m, ♂ - 5sp
roses & knights
otterfur, 79m, ♂
direfang, 75m, ♂
charredbreeze, 67m, ♀
sagecloud, 61m, ♀
mapleshadow, 59m, ♀
hurricanejaw, 55m, ♂
maplelily, 53m, ♀
bassflow, 53m, ♂
newtmask, 52m, ♂
dippernose, 52m, ♂
arcticblink, 50m, ♂
pythoneyes, 48m, ♂
stormshroud, 47m, ♂
tulipstream, 44m, ♀
birchflame, 44m, ♂
yewbloom, 43m, ♂
clovershine, 41m, ♂
smallheart, 41m, ♂
wolverinesnap, 39m, ♂
riverfoam, 39m, ♀
kitechaser, 35m, ♀
obsidianwing, 34m, ♂
jaytalon, 32m, ♂
smokemane, 31m, ♀
sunglow, 31m, ♂
tigergaze, 30m, ♂
sandstrike, 28m, ♀
(2) hornetshade, 27m, ♂
privetears, 26m, ♀
katara, 26m, ♀
tanagercall, 25m, ♀
cougarstrike, 24m, ♂
racoonslip, 24m, ♂
foxspark, 24m, ♂
wolfhowl, 24m, ♀
iguanaspots, 24m, ♀
warblercry, 24m, ♀
lyrewhistle, 23m, ♀
leopardsun, 23m, ♂
daystrike, 21m, ♂
stagscorch, 17m, ♂
seedspring, 17m, ♀
rabbitrace, 17m, ♀
briarbranch, 15m, ♀
daisypetal, 15m, ♀
tawnyrose, 43m, ♀
the wayward queen
king
softglow, 45m, ♂
the lost king
heir
name, age, gender
attendant
bluetcrest, 47m, ♂
the wayward's attendant
herbalist
merlinsong, 50m, ♂ - 5sp
spencer, 45m, ♂ - 5sp
roses & knights
otterfur, 79m, ♂
direfang, 75m, ♂
charredbreeze, 67m, ♀
sagecloud, 61m, ♀
mapleshadow, 59m, ♀
hurricanejaw, 55m, ♂
maplelily, 53m, ♀
bassflow, 53m, ♂
newtmask, 52m, ♂
dippernose, 52m, ♂
arcticblink, 50m, ♂
pythoneyes, 48m, ♂
stormshroud, 47m, ♂
tulipstream, 44m, ♀
birchflame, 44m, ♂
yewbloom, 43m, ♂
clovershine, 41m, ♂
smallheart, 41m, ♂
wolverinesnap, 39m, ♂
riverfoam, 39m, ♀
kitechaser, 35m, ♀
obsidianwing, 34m, ♂
jaytalon, 32m, ♂
smokemane, 31m, ♀
sunglow, 31m, ♂
tigergaze, 30m, ♂
sandstrike, 28m, ♀
(2) hornetshade, 27m, ♂
privetears, 26m, ♀
katara, 26m, ♀
tanagercall, 25m, ♀
cougarstrike, 24m, ♂
racoonslip, 24m, ♂
foxspark, 24m, ♂
wolfhowl, 24m, ♀
iguanaspots, 24m, ♀
warblercry, 24m, ♀
lyrewhistle, 23m, ♀
leopardsun, 23m, ♂
daystrike, 21m, ♂
stagscorch, 17m, ♂
seedspring, 17m, ♀
rabbitrace, 17m, ♀
briarbranch, 15m, ♀
daisypetal, 15m, ♀
- thorns
marigoldpaw, 17m, ♂
elkpaw, 11m, ♂
beechpaw, 11m, ♀
harrierpaw, 11m, ♀
quillpaw, 11m, ♂
dewpaw, 11m, ♀
adenium, 8m, ♀
hawthornpaw, 7m, ♂
bramblepaw, 7m, ♂
snowypaw, 7m, ♂
roots
ferretwhisker, 48m, ♀
- mate: nightfur, bearclan
- due: 2m
betonypetal, 42m, ♀
- mate: clovershine
- due: 2m
flickersky, 41m, ♀
- mate: stormshroud
- kits: hurricanekit, cirruskit, tsunamikit,
tornadokit, quakekit
swiftheart, 37m, ♀
- mate: smallheart
- due: 1m
ayalla, 32m, ♀
- surrogate: axel, crossroad demons
- due: now
seedlings
hurricanekit, 5m, ♂
cirruskit, 5m, ♂
tsunamikit , 5m, ♀
tornadokit, 5m, ♀
quakekit, 5m, ♀
hollandkit, 3m, ♂
peachkit, 2m, ♀
wilted
erasmus, 57m, ♂
allies & enemies & borders
here
medicine
here
prey
total x160
mouse | x18 | 1 serving
vole | x12 | 1 serving
small fish | x14 | 2 servings
squirrel | x7 | 2 servings
rabbit | x8 | 2 servings
big fish | x11 | 3 servings
finch | x13 | 3 servings
mentors
pythoneyes, elkpaw, 4
obsidianwing, beechpaw, 3
dippernose, harrierpaw, 3
tigergaze, quillpaw, 4
arcticblink, dewpaw, 4
otterfur, adenium, 1
hornetshade, hawthornpaw, 0
birchflame, bramblepaw, 0
yewbloom, snowypaw, 0
hurricanejaw, marigoldpaw, 4
deceased
here
family trees
here
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
credit goes to the cac staff & artists for all color-ins and lineart xoxo
credit goes to the cac staff & artists for all color-ins and lineart xoxo
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eagle, - Posts: 8736
- Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:11 am
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