News of Pigeonpaw's near single paw-ed delivery of Starlingthroat's kits had not gone unnoticed by the clan, and if her family could have been any prouder any observer would have doubted they were actually cats! Dandelionbloom had showered her twice-adopted sister in so many licks whether any fur could have clung on if she pursued it any further was extremely doubtful. Frostsong had offered to show her how to swing from the big old beech into the heart of the river, she'd enjoy it if she had nerves like that. And Flaxpool had made her affection clear in that quiet manner of hers. Her parents' chests were permanently swelled with pride it seemed and Carpkit and Sandkit, who in any family other than theirs might have been seethingly jealous shared in the joy. Not loving a family member simply wasn't heard of among the kin...not a qualm a certain other family had. Starlingthroat had made her appreciation clear as well, treating them all to some clearly over-exaggerated stories that she had tucked away for "Just such a day." She had made her opinion on the other medicine cat quite clear as well and flat-out refused to look at Asptail as he made one of the infrequent trips to the nursery, as he did. "Pigeonpaw is a miracle worker- an angel! You are a lucky, lucky family. I fear for the darkness that might have stolen my precious posterity had she not been there." Her barbed words were not lost on Asptail, who simply flattened his ears in irritation and dragged both his apprentice and her sister back to his den with little more than a gruff, "Excuse me." Starlingthroat's fearsome gaze trailed the tom's auburn striped pelt as he departed, and as Salmoncress's family dispersed she couldn't help but agree with her dipmate. She shuddered to think if Skunkbrush hadn't been there for her litters, and Asptail didn't seem able to fill his mentor's paw prints. "Surely you agree Salmoncress? You've brought so much life into the world, surely you fear as I do that the indifference of a snake might be their undoing?" The usually gossipy queen made a non-commitle noise and then changed the subject. "What were you thinking of naming them?" Starlingthroat's eyes lit up at the question, clearly having prepared a speech. The poor she-cat just wanted attention, Salmoncress realized, be it by criticizing another or telling her tales. They weren't so different really. She felt an overwhelming need to protect the other queen crash over her. "This one Lupinekit, for the strength of a wolf lies within him," Starlingthroat declared, nudging her little tom closer to her belly, "And this is Warblerkit. Listen- already she sings!" Indeed Warblerkit was the noisier of her siblings, squeaking and nuzzling her mother and the squeaking some more. Salmoncress just had to chuckle, she knew who that little one resembled. "And this-" Starlingthroat's mew broke as she lifted her tail to reveal her last little one, and then quickly covering her again and looking pointedly away, "She is Chrysanthemumkit for loved ones long lost." Her drawn-out sniffling made it quite clear the queen was done addressing the matter and once more Salmoncress's heart went out. "Starlingthroat-" She lay a paw against her friend's side but whatever she was going to say next was interrupted by the dark queen's sudden intake of breath and cry of, "Monster!"
"Aunt? I wanted to see-" Eelpaw's frontpaw hung in mid-air as his aunt hissed at him, fur on end and kits mewling pitifully as their source of milk stood tall. The apprentice shrank back from her cries of, "What is that?! What happened to it, why is it here?!" He quickly covered his face with his tail, did he really look that bad? His aunt had always been visually sensitive and vocal about it but he hadn't thought she would react like that! "Starlingthoat he's your kin- Eelpaw!" Salmoncress's cry betrayed her shock as she tried to wrestle her fellow queen back into the dip and force her to settle so she wouldn't tramble her kits. "A dog got him, but he isn't a monster." Starlingthroat didn't look the slightest bit convinced, nor did he look Eelpaw's way as she protested, "But you saw- you saw that face! It's the devil itself! Horrible scars and half the fur gone, and barely an ear to speak of!" But even with 'barely an ear' Eelpaw could still hear quite fine, and what he heard made his insides tremble. He slipped off before hearing anymore of the two queen's conversation, nearly tripping over Sandkit and Carpkit as they cleared the dip as well, hightailing it for the river. To play among the rushes no doubt, but Eelpaw went in that direction for a different reason. A mangled reflection stared back at the tom who sat on the river bank, dabbing his paw to send ripples distorting his face further. His sorrow was silent, as so many Beechclanner's seemed to be, but so consuming he didn't notice the approach of another cat until she was right besides him. "Hey! Eelpaw right? It's Cougarheart- yunno, the she-cat who brought you to camp?" The she-cat besides him was grinning right at him, not flinching or seeming anywhere near repelled by his appearence. "Y-yeah I remember you. T-thanks by the way. I'm not sure how well I would have done on my own." "On your own?" "Well, with S-Starlingthroat." Cougarheart chuckled and whispered conspiratorially, "Honestly I think you'd do better on your own than with her. She seems like something else!" Eelpaw couldn't help but laugh along with his clanmate, trying not to stare at her- not that she could see him doing it. Which just made staring all the more temping, knowing she couldn't stare back. "Hey, know any good games from out of territory? Bet you learned lots of things traveling." Her comment snapped the tom back into focus and sent him stuttering for an answer. "Y-y-yeah! Lots of 'em like Which Boulder or Sinking Sea. B-but...they won't uh work." "Why not?" "We-we don't have any rocks or a sea or anything an-and-" "And I'm blind?" Cougarheart offered, finishing his sentence herself. Eelpaw nodded awkwardly, and then remembered she couldn't see him. "Umm..yes?" Suprisingly the young warrior didn't seem in the least offended instead just shrugging and even letting out a little giggle. "Tell you what- let's play your games anyways. I bet I can beat you sight or no sight!" She dropped down into a crouch, excitement and honesty clear all over her body- not that Eelpaw was looking! "O-okay?" And then they were off, brainstorming adaptations of Eelpaw's foriegn games, which, combined with Cougarheart's novel ideas, turned out to be very fun. And as predicted, she won every round.
But down the river, far from rushes and new friends; where the river was rapid and churned up white water even after the green-leaf dry spell, a less than pleasent exchange was occuring. Two cats, eached tinged with white and each with their face a determined mask, stared each other down under the shade of the beeches. Their postures screamed much more about the pair than their faces, one relaxed and laying on the ground, the other with an air of determined desperation about him. "Sleetfoot," purred the prone cat, her mew as soft as her fur but her green gaze hard as river-glass, "Come sit, let's talk. Maybe we can come to a nice desision." "I don't reason with murderers." The tom's growl prompted laughter from Malloweyes. "You don't hmm? I suppose Russetleaf was a different case. She was far more attractive than your average mur-" "Stop that!" Sleetfoot barked, fury painted across his face, "Don't you dare imply anything- stop, stop trying to confuse me." More laughter. "But it's so easy, and so fun! You wouldn't begrudge an old she-cat her fun would you?" "Fun? Fun?! Speckledbeetle? My kits? Skunkbrush too no doubt!" Sleetfoot was in a fit of rage now, his claws tearing at the dirt beneath them. But he did no approach, and that enboldened Malloweyes. "Yarrowkit too dear, do give me credit for that as well. But deary-" The elder rose to her paws, joints popping as she rolled them and stretched as if she and Sleetfoot were simply exchanging pleasentries. "Whatever do you want to do about it? I-" The elder began to encroach on the tom, purring as her green gaze swept over him, swept through him. Sleetfoot couldn't help but stumble back a step. "I would suggest you resign. I've killed and I can kill again. Again and again and again. My little Cedarslash might be close to me, but we wouldn't want any mistakes would we?" Something unrecognizable to the elder flashed through her prey's eyes. Fear, or horror at his mate's involvement, no doubt- what else could it be? She took another step forward, reaching out a paw to gently stroke the tom's cheek. He shuddered but his mew didn't shake once as he lifted his head to star right into Malloweyes's eyes, a fire in his own. "You want a mistake? Here's a mistake. When you killed my kits, when you hurt my mate- that, that was the stupidest thing you had ever done. 'Cause before that, before that I would have been fine. I would have been stupid an cowardly and malleable just like you think I am. But now? Now your mistake is back to bite you. 'Cause I don't have anything to lose- and that makes me dangerous." And he struck the shocked elder's paw from his face and lept at her- clawing and biting as she wriggled below him. Malloweyes's thrashes were wild desprate things, clearly her fighting days were long past, and Sleetfoot could feel her life ebbing at his claws as he dove for her neck. But then something snatched him up by his. "Need some help old hag?" Burntsoul cackled, bending over to help Malloweyes to her paws, which the elder hissed at her for and recovered by herself. "Thank you Sharkfang," she addressed the large tom who had Sleetfoot securely clenched in his jaws. "Tsk tsk Sleetfoot. What am I to do with you?" She pursed her lips as if the question was truly a conundrum, then gave up on appearances and let out such a laugh that she clenched her bleeding side. "What was it you wanted to do before you died? Oh yes- learn to swim. Well we might as well oblige you shall we Sharkfang?" Sharkfang grinned and began to drag a scrabbling deputy towards the water's edge, Burntsoul recovered from her chastising and happily bounding besides him. "At least I know where I'm going," he hissed, knees locked in one last valiant attempt to keep his head from being submerged. But his strength was fleeting and soon the water silenced his obstinate muzzle and subsequently his flailings. "Shove him in," the elder ordered coldly, and then began to limp her way back to camp without further comment. She was too tired to enjoy Sleetfoot's death and disappointed in it's lack of violence. And that spark, that fire in his eyes- the kind that had made a coward a warrior, what was it? What was it?!
The river was swift in it's vengeance, crashing over the body of a short-lived warrior and delivering the mangled corpse to the bank of the camp only a few short hours after the killers had returned and Malloweyes settled into the medicine den for her inguries, claimedly from taking a tumble. Carpkit and Sandkit had discovered him, and run squealing for their mother, who in turn squealed for Dunpond and Stormripple and the rest of the warriors to investigate whatever had scared her kits. The results were horrible, and horribly conclusive. The Beechclan deputy had drowned, likely lost his footing and fell into the rapids. The clan mourned, sharing tongues with the tom who might not have been the best deputy but had still been a great cat. Sunheart spoke a few words on what a good tom his apprentice had been, and so did Sorrelstar. "Sleetfoot was the first young cat Beechclan was given and had stuck through thick and thin with us since the beggining. He was a noble warrior and a wonderful deputy. An apprentice of endless curiosity and a mentor of endless patience. He was a loving mate and would have made a beautiful father to his kits. But even as he passes onto the next life, a bit of him stays with us in his legacy. May we never forget him." "May we never forget him," the clan echoed, and then all eyes turned to Cedarslash expectantly. "Cedarslash would you like to say anything?" The she-cat shook her head, her whole frame shaking. But it was only when she pressed her nose against her mate's pelt one last time, and pushed her way into the medicine den upon Sorrelstar's suggestion, and was lead further into the tunnels by a recovering Malloweyes, did it become clear she did not shake with greif, but with fury. It shone through her peircing eyes and her boxed shoulders and stunted voice. "You. You did it to him. He. He could swim. I had been teaching him." If Cedarslash had been expecting a denial, or a sweet croon of how much it had hurt her to do it, she would have been severly disapointed. But the straight answer, be it cruel, was much kinder on her ears. "Of course I did. He knew too much, and he needed to get out of the way." Cedarslash was on her paws and dangerously close to following the path of her mate when Malloweyes just laughed, and it was enough to stop the warrior short. "You should know how he died- how he begged for his life sniveling on his stomach. How he cried when we dug in, pleading and bartering and whining. It was so utterly pathetic. You should know how he died just as he lived- as a horrid little coward. You should know how he cursed your name, how he so utterly hated you as we tore his life to shreds. How he wished you had never been born. I bet he's up there in Starclan, if they let him in, wishing death upon you right now." Oh how her laughs echoed through the tunnels and echoed through Cedarslash's heart and soul. Her shoulders slumped in utter despair and a soft keening noise escaped her muzzle before she could stop it. "Did you ever really think he'd accept you? Accept what you had done? Forgive you?" Malloweyes was relishing this, her pain forgotten in the moment of vitory. "All you've ever had is me Cedarslash- you are alone. And I have always had you, just like I have your kits." A quick jabbing paw to the belly caused the she-cat to gasp and clutch it, staring down at her body incrediously. The elder grinned earily in the dappled tunnel light. "Off you pop Cedar dead. Mouth shut, claws mine- you know how it is. Don't mourn too long, our you'll forget how to live."
The next cat who came to see the elder was far more eager to do so, and her news was far more welcome. "Malloweyes! Malloweyes!" Pigeonpaw squeaked in her kittish way, beaming up at her idol as her paws mopped up the she-cat's blood- so quick they might've had a mind of their own. "What is it dear?" Malloweyes purred, allowing the medicine cat apprentice a few more wriggles of wide-eyed excitement before laying a calming paw on her shoulder and gesturing for her to go on. Pigeonpaw glanced over her shoulder and then broke into yet another badly-suppressed grin. "I got a prophecy," she whispered. And Malloweyes's interest was piqued. "Did you tell Asptail?" The apprentice shook her head emphatically, of course not! "You said tell you first!" "That's right dear- good job. Now what did your prophecy say?" Pigeonpaw practically at the praise, ever pleased to be complimented. "Well it wasn't a prophecy- not really. It was a picture dream! Starclan don't send me words, just pictures. I saw- I saw,"[/color] the she-cat squinted as if trying the remember, "Oh yeah! I saw a snowstorm! I saw a snowstorm under the stars but then the snow turned to rain and it was gone. And then the rain was gone too and all that was left was a pool of water. It was all clear and pretty but then I saw a fin circling around in it and I was all scared. And the fin did something and the water got all icky and scummy." Pigeonpaw made a face, "What's it mean Malloweyes?" The elder hmmed, as if she were trying to figure it out. In reality the whole thing was painfully clear to her, as it would be to any cat with a brain. But her little apprentice didn't seem to have one, which was good. "I think- I think Starclan is telling you what deputy to pick. Isn't that exciting?" Pigeonpaw nodded. Yes it was, it so very much was. "I think Starclan is showing you what happens. The sleet, Sleetfoot, melted. He was not a good deputy." "He was not a good deputy." "And the pond, your father, got all scummy. He'd probably get all sick worrying about your family and the clan. Being deputy wouldn't be good for his health. But the shark, that shark is the perfect deputy. He survived it all didn't he? Even the scummy water." The apprentice was still nodding along- it now made perfect sense- sort of at least. "I need to tell Sorrelstar! Sharkfang's Starclan's choice!" "That's right my dear," the elder purred, giving her little one a patronizing lick on the forehead, "Go keep your father from getting sick." Pigeonpaw nodded seriously and scampered out, leaving Malloweyes wondering who had blessed her with such an idiotic follower.
But despite Pigeonpaw's ernest declaration of Sharkfang as the chosen one, Sorrelstar refused to but stock into her ancestors. "He hasn't even finished training Eelpaw. Starclan must be mistaken." Pigeonpaw grew angry at her leader's dismissal of the starry-cats who had spoken to her and had stalked away in a huff. Sorrelstar cats her gaze up the the night sky, guilt crawling up her pelt just slightly at ignoring the ranks that contained her friends. But she had already made her choice. "I say this infront of Sleetfoot's body that he might approve of my choice. Dunpond will be the new deputy of Beechclan." All of the tom's family gathered around him to offer crongratulations- all but Pigeonpaw who was still sulking in her nest. Asptail hadn't agreed with her either, which had come as a shock. He was probably just jealous since Starclan liked her better- yeah that was it. But as the apprentice sulked and the rest of the clan celebrated, four shapes were out on the fringe of Beechclan territory. Each carried a scrap of rotting prey in their curling mouths, Burntsoul given the questionable honor of dragging Speckledbeetle's corpse. Sharkfang was leading them, having been given specific instructions from Malloweyes. "Let's make a prophecy come true shall we?" Brushfire trailed behind him and Burntsoul- not at all pleased about carrying prey that stunk seven ways to leafbare but determined to prove his loyalty to Mallowyes. Eelpaw found it rather unfair that Brushfire got to waltz in without any scars just because he had known Malloweyes priorly, but he said nothing. He never did really except for "Yes sir. No sir." Sharkfang lay down his catch in front of the still waters and motioned for the rest of the group to do the same. He went over the very basic plan once more, warning them to drink from the Tumbleclan river instead of their own. Not that any of them had to be told twice once the poison had been tossed in- spreading scum and death across the crystal clear waters.
Kits in 1 moon: Sparksong
Kits in 2 moons: Cedarslash
x2 waterfowl (3) eaten
Herbs were used
Moonpool (asking for warrior aka Starlingthroat's mate's brother): Sorrelstar
Hunting Patrol: Sunheart, Momomoon*, Webwing, Burntsoul, Whispwhisper, Shadowslip
Patrol (to Tumbleclan territory): Claywhistle, Dunpond, Stormripple, Flaxpool, Frostsong, Dandelionbloom
Becoming Apprentices: Carpkit -> Carppaw, Sandkit -> Sandpaw
Training: Sharkfang -> Eelpaw, Asptail -> Pigeonpaw
Herb Hunting: Pigeonpaw
The river has been poisoned! (Dunpond should drink and die)
Cedarslash- Wrenched claw, injured paw pads | Needs: Yarrow✔️
Brushfire- Dog wounds | Needs: Tomentil✔️ Wintergreen✔️
Dandelionbloom- Dog wounds | Needs: Rush✔️ Stick✔️
Claywhistle- Dog wounds | Needs: Oak leaves✔️
Malloweyes- Bruises, scratches | Needs: ???
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