──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────clan population: 07 | next starclan visit: march 30th (today) | servings: 03 | mod: katrione | pebbles: 40 | previous: x | archive: x ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
It was disconcerting, almost, how the underground chamber was identical to the one from his dream. A glittering expanse of water, little glowing flickers within it, and a magnificent display of jagged stones that burst up from the pool and nearly touched their twins that hung from the cave ceiling. "Oh, that's cold," Sparrowstar hissed as he padded into the waters, stopping just as the fur of his belly started to break the surface. Uncertain of what exactly to do, the tom glanced around the empty cavern, before lowering himself until his chin graced the water, eyes squeezed shut at the temperature.
When Sparrowstar opened his eyes again, his paws were no longer submerged in an icy pool, but rested lightly atop dewy grass. He was in some sort of lush forest. The distant sounds of prey and muffled pawsteps echoed around him, but there was no cat in sight. That is, until a she-cat with white fur made her way towards him. "Greetings, Sparrowstar," the familiar StarClan warrior purred, dipping a head in greeting. "I see you made it in one piece. Are you ready to begin?" He nodded wordlessly, trembling. She did her best to hide a snort of laughter, before stepping forwards. "Don't be nervous, little sparrow. My name is Snow That Spirals Slowly, and I will be giving you your first life, a life of wisdom. Use it to guide your every decision." She touched her nose to his, and Sparrowstar was seized with a horrible ache that forced his eyes wide open, all-seeing.
"Thank you," he croaked, once his voice was back and the humming had stopped. But when he looked up, she was gone, and in her place stood a lean, healthy tan she-cat that he hadn't seen in what felt like eons. "Berryclaw!" The cat in question laughed, batting at her former apprentice with a vitality she hadn't had in the last moons of her life. "Well, if it isn't the little menace himself," she mrrowed, smiling at him fondly. "I'm glad to see you turned out alright. I have the fortune to be giving you your second life, a life of compassion. Remember that not every cat will be just like you or me, but treat them with kindness and understanding anyways." This life was more painful than the last, like scorching needles beneath his skin, before it all swept away in a wave of icy calm.
In front of him now stood a burly, speckled grey tom. Tears welled, unbidden, as Sparrowstar gaped at the new arrival. "Hello, there," Dapplefur purred, butting heads with the weepy SpruceClan leader. "With this life, I give you love. I want you to love your clanmates, and to remember that blood doesn't make family. You may not have been clan-born, but you will always be my son." Dapplefur touched his nose gently. This sensation was nothing like the others. It was simple, warm, and comforting, wrapping him in pride and affection. Sparrowstar wiped at his eyes with a tail as Dapplefur faded from view with a final nod.
The next lives of were of determination, justice, and loyalty, and while Sparrowstar appreciated the gifts from StarClan, he felt somewhat guilty for not recognizing the cats that gave them. The seventh cat, however, was painfully familiar; the bob-tailed apprentice bounced towards Sparrowstar with a grin and a twitch of both ears. "Sparrowstar!" Rabbitpaw chirped, running headfirst into her adopted older brother. She coughed at the absolute wonder on his face, kneading the ground beneath her paws in embarrassment. "I missed you," Sparrowstar said, grinning openly at his sister. She smiled back. "I'm so proud of you! The leader of SpruceClan! And— well, we have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm here today for a reason. I give you a life of courage. Remember it when you need to be brave to face whatever comes next." This life hurt badly. He could almost taste the blood on his tongue as ghostly claws ripped into his sides, but at the same time, a feeling of confidence welled in his chest.
Next came a terrifyingly tall brown tom, with glittering green eyes and a scarred muzzle. Though he towered over Sparrowstar effortlessly, the strange tom made an effort to make direct eye contact with the smaller cat. "Thank you," was the first thing he said, voice thunderous. "You have saved my clan from sure destruction. I am Spruce That Grows On Mountain. Once, I lived in the mountains, but I left for the forest to start my clan. Things have come full circle now." Sparrowstar could only nod mutely. The clan's founder didn't seem to notice. "I give to you a life of pride and honor. May SpruceClan always be the light that guides you, your greatest masterpiece." Spruce had to kneel to touch noses with Sparrowstar. Pride and honor, it seemed, felt like lightning scorching through your veins and setting fires in your heart.
Sparrowstar's final life came in the shape of a silver she-cat with a steely gaze. Marshstar, the clan's former leader, gazed at him with something akin to respect. "You know, I never liked you much in life," she said bluntly. Sparrowstar winced. "Yeah, I figured." She cut him off with an irritated lash of her tail. "Not finished yet. You were always too timid, too nervous, and desperate to please. An outsider with no place among us..." Marshstar trailed off, lost in thought and completely oblivious to Sparrowstar's miffed expression. "When the rebels killed me and scattered half of our clan, I thought we were finished for good. Until you came in. Maybe there's hope for us after all." She shook her head, and stalked towards the new leader. "I give you a life of hope. Use it well to stay faithful in hard times, and never give up."
Their noses touched briefly, and Sparrowstar was aflame. His insides burned like a star of Silverpelt had chosen to reside there, carrying with it all the hopes and dreams of a single cat, before it all winked out suddenly. For a moment, he could see all nine cats staring down at him. "Marshstar—" he began, but she was gone, and Sparrowstar was standing alone in the cavern's pool of frigid water.
---
Snow hares were heavier than they looked, that was for sure. Smokey was pretty sure his knees would buckle under their weight if the walk back to the Clan of Spruce cats home base didn't end soon. But the further he walked, the more certain he was that he was getting close. The sounds of two cats conversing in the rocky clearing grew louder and louder as he walked. And indeed, just as he reached the top of a particular hill, Smokey spotted them. A pretty black she-cat was circling a smaller grey one, gently nudging the young kitten's paws and straightening out her posture in an attempt to correct her hunting crouch.
The kitten then leapt, aiming for a small pebble on the ground and missing by an unfortunate margin. Smokey waved his tail in greeting, dropping a hare from his mouth to call out to them. "Hi!" he yowled, hiding a smile when the black cat startled, whipping around to face him with wide eyes. He flushed, but didn't back off, instead racing closer. "Hi, there," he repeated, only wheezing a little under the weight of his three hares. "M'name's Smokey. Your crouch, it's good, but... you need to tuck in your paws more, and hold your tail still."
There was silence for a moment. "Nightfang," the black cat said, surprise in her voice, and it took Smokey a moment to realize that she was giving her name. He blinked at her, before she seemed to get embarrassed, looking away sharply. Nightfang coughed, jabbing a tail in the kitten's direction. "That's Ivypaw, my apprentice." He turned to look at the younger cat, who wriggled slightly as she corrected her form like he'd said, and sprung. Sure enough, his advice worked, and her forepaws actually landed on the intended target.
The grey kitten purred, before turning to look at her mentor with delight. "Nightfang, did you see that? I got the pebble!"
The pretty black she-cat murmured some words of praise, before turning to stare at him, impressed. Smokey dipped his head bashfully. "U-um, I'd better be going. These hares aren't going to move themselves!" With that said, he scooped them back up and hurried away, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks. Even as he walked away, though, he could still hear Nightfang and Ivypaw talking.
"You saw Smokey, right? Maybe one day, with lots of hard work, you could be as skilled of a hunter as he is." As he trotted off in the direction of the Spruce-cat-clan-camp-thing, Smokey couldn't help the warm glow of pride that swelled in his chest from the praise.
---
Briarmask stretched out slowly, enjoying the feeling of sun on her pelt and stone beneath her paws. The trek hadn't been as bad as she was expecting, honestly, but she understood why the final few SpruceClan queens and warriors who hadn't deserted were hesitant to make the move. Hiking a mountain was no joke. As she approached what seemed to be a wide rocky clearing, the scent of SpruceClan cats became apparent. Briarmask couldn't help her excitement, leaping forwards and sending a spray of small stones up in the air as she raced towards the two familiar figures she'd spotted. Sparrowstar looked up from where he was conversing quietly with Applefall. She only caught snippets of their conversation— something like "hunt" and "three hares" and "warrior name"— but whatever they had to say quieted as they saw her approaching.
"Nice to see you two haven't died yet," she purred, only to be tackled by an enthusiastic clan healer. Sparrowstar came over next, his own happiness evident from the rumbling purr. Both toms sat besides her in companionable silence. Briarmask, always an excitable talker, filled the gaps in for them. "I missed you both! Leading a fractured clan in your stead was pretty tough."
Sparrowstar shook his head. "So things really aren't going well, are they?' At her pained grimace, any other questions he might've had died on the tongue. He heaved out a sigh, to which the brown she-cat reached out to pat him comfortingly. "Well, nothing I can do about it now. Since you're finally here, though, would you do me the honor of being my deputy? I know this isn't exactly the most conventional time or manner of asking, but you do have the leadership experience, and you sort of had an apprentice—"
Briarmask cut him off. "I'd love to." Sparrowstar's whiskers twitched, betraying the smile he tried to fight back, She snorted fondly. "Well, dear leader, do you have anything you need me to do today? Like organizing patrols?"
"I've already sent out a hunting patrol for the day, but that reminds me— Nightfang told me when I returned that she picked up a blood scent trail towards the North... perhaps we could check that out. It could just be a rogue's old kill, but there's always the chance for something worse."
Applefall frowned. "Well, it could be nothing, like you said, but... I'll go fetch my brother. Always a good idea to take backup." The calico disappeared into the caves in search of Cricketpounce, while Sparrowstar moved over to stand by Briarmask's side. She tapped his side gently with a tail in reassurance. Everything would be fine... probably.
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ACTIONS
SpruceClan consumes 1 bird
StarClan
[ Sparrowstar asks for any cat from StarClan this moon ]
Rank Changes & Newcomers
[ Briarmask becomes deputy ]
Patrols
[ Nightfang, Smokey, and Ivypaw hunt ]
[ Sparrowstar, Briarmask and Cricketpounce patrol, following the blood trail near the Northern border ]
[ Applefall searches for herbs ]
Apprentice & Skills
[ Nightfang and Ivypaw train in hunting ]
MOD NOTES
* I'll be marking special cats with this moon symbol ( ☾ ). Not every cat's mark is permanent!
* I'd like the existing cats to be transferred to the lines! Form has been filled.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────LEADER
Sparrowstar | 40 moons | male | x
Lives: ★★★★★★★★★
DEPUTY
☾ Briarmask | 30 moons | female | x
HEALER
☾ Applefall | 35 moons | male | x
Skill Points: ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
WARRIORS
☾ Nightfang | 27 moons | female | x
Cricketpounce | 35 moons | male | x
☾ Smokey (Smokestep) | 26 moons | male | x
APPRENTICES
☾ Ivypaw | 10 moons | female | x
Name | Age | Gender | [url=link]x[/url]
QUEENS
Name | Age | Gender | [url=link]x[/url]
Name | Age | Gender | [url=link]x[/url]
KITS
Name | Age | Gender | [url=link]x[/url]
Name | Age | Gender | [url=link]x[/url]
ELDERS
Name | Age | Gender | [url=link]x[/url]
Name | Age | Gender | [url=link]x[/url]
HERB STORAGE
Alder Bark (1) | toothache
Borage (1) | eases fever, produces more milk
Catmint (2) | cures greencough & whitecough
Chervil (2) | bellyache, infection, kitting
Cobweb (1) | binds a wound, stops bleeding
Horsetail (2) | infection, stops bleeding
Marigold (1) | infection, inflammation, stiff joints
Yarrow (1) | extracts poison or toxins
FRESH-KILL PILE
Snow Hare | x 3 | 3 servings
Bird | x 2 | 3 servings
Small Fish | x 0 | 2 servings
Ermine | x 0 | 2 servings
Frog | x 2 | 1 servings
Mouse | x 0 | 1 servings
MENTORS
Nightfang | Ivypaw | hunt, swim, climb, battle
Mentor | Apprentice | Skills
DECEASED CATS
Cat Name | Cause of Death
Cat Name | Cause of Death
FAMILIES
Name and Name | Kits
Name and Name | Kits
