SaptongueAge: 153 moons
Gender: Tom
Rank: Elder
Appearance: Scrawny, scarred and matted dark brown tabby with one yellow eye and the other missing
Mate: Shallow-wing (deceased), Appletooth (deceased), Nightsong (deceased), Timberfur (deceased)
Personality: Saptongue had been one of those warriors who had stories lined up to be told about them. Noble, courageous, and ready to lend a paw and leap into battle without a momentโs notice, he was without a doubt one of Sageclanโs finest warriors, and perhaps even its best. He knew from the moment his eyes were open, he would be leader. Such a strong and sure-pawed cat was clearly destined to be leader, and then he was passed up for the position. He took it in stride, but a grievous head wound not long after left him a tattered shell of the magnificent cat he had once been. Saptongue was never the same and he became an outcast among his clanmates, living like a rogue in the shadows and lashing out at any who tried to help him. His resiliency was all that remained, and it has all but turned into a curse for the clan that once praised him for it.
History: Born to the medicine cat and a visiting kittypet, Saptongue had nothing close to an easy kithood. His mother died giving birth to him, and his other siblings had been stillborn and thus unnamed. He himself had been born gravely ill and was expected to be dead before the next morning, yet remarkably he survived. Saptongue would be sick countless more times as not only a kit, but apprentice and warrior too, somehow not succumbing to the death that he was always so near to. Others often taunted him for his heritage and poor medical luck, but he always smiled it off and put in 110%.
His mentor, Brindleberry, had been given him as her first apprentice, a pairing by the leader with the intention to see him fail at the paws of a brand new warrior. However, what Fiercestar had not accounted for was for her to put in just as much effort as her young apprentice as she too wanted to prove herself a capable warrior to the clan. The two made a great team and despite constant setbacks due to Saptongueโs numerous illnesses, he was grudgingly made a warrior. By now many of his clanmates had begun to realize what a great cat he was and were pleased when his ceremony happened. Though there were still some doubters, Saptongue had become popular among Sageclan.
Despite this growing acceptance, Saptongue continued to put in the same level of effort. The warming newleaf air had always been on the better end for his health and so after the colder weather had come to an end, Saptongue demanded that one of his mentorโs new kits become his apprentice. Fiercestar relented, the harsh leafbare having drained him of much of his energy and even some of his lives. Soon enough, Saptongue was the mentor of Bouncepaw, an energetic and promising young tom. His apprenticeship flew by and he was made Bouncefoot just before the start of the next leafbare.
Though it was not as harsh as the one prior, it was also not one that Fiercestar lived to see the end of. His deputy, Larkwallow, replaced him promptly thereafter and named Shallow-wing his successor. Saptongue was undeniably bummed that he had been passed up, but put on a smile and congratulated her since she truly had earned it. He began to spend more time with her and eventually, they became mates and she had the first of his kits. Unfortunately, disaster would befall the clan as dogs, having escaped their twolegs, discovered the camp. Not only was Shallow-wing killed, but her young kits alongside her. He heavily grieved their deaths and Brindleberry was made deputy in the late queenโs stead. It had not seemed it at the time, Saptongue would proceed to have poor luck with his next two mates and their litters of kits. Only two of Appletoothโs kits lived to become apprentices before they were struck with a mysterious illness that rendered them dead before dawn broke while in a seeming stroke of luck, Nightsongโs whole litter survived to become warriors (although she herself died during the kitting just like Appletooth had). However, only one lived long enough to father kits before he perished in a skirmish.
Saptongue had just taken Timberfur as his new (though understandably wary mate) when Brindleberry decided to retire due to lingering injuries. It was fully expected that Saptongue would take his former mentorโs place, but he was once again passed up in favor of the nervous mess that was Seedspots. Frustrated at his continued lack of deputyship, he went on a lone patrol near the mountain to clear his head. Caught up in his thoughts, he failed to notice a small rockslide until it was too late. A Sageclan patrol would later find his broken and somewhat bloodied body and bring him back to camp where he would once again narrowly escape death. This time however, he would not survive unscathed as not only did he lose his eye, but he was never the same cat again. Despite this, it wouldnโt be until many moons later when all his glory stories had faded away to nonexistence that he would become an elder. His health problems still exist, but he still manages to avoid death despite everything. Many cats wonder if he even can die.
Kin: Swiftleaf (Mother; deceased), Snuffles (Father), Thunderkit (Son; deceased), Snifflekit (Son; deceased), Littlekit (Daughter; deceased), Hopepaw (Daughter; deceased), Shinepaw (Son; deceased), Bark-kit (Daughter; deceased), Mudstripe (Son; deceased), Coyotepelt (Daughter; deceased), Darknose (Son; deceased), Brokenkit (Daughter; deceased), Lostkit (Daughter; deceased), Twistedkit (Son; deceased), Fleakit (Son; deceased)
