𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐍.
population: 61 cats [ 31 fem : 30 male ]
servings required: 10 [62] - pebbles: 32
𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩moderator: deimos - next moonstone: 28 sep
moons since last nonsense: 0 (lf)
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𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐨.
"Don't feel bad, Butterflypaw," Blizzardpaw said, nudging the molly's shoulder as she lay sulkily slumped into her brother, who groomed her between her ears. "Brewingpaw stepped on my face today during training while we were halfway up a tree. At least you didn't have to catch a whiff of his smelly toe pads." The tabby narrowly ducked his brother's hefty paw, laughing as he flicked his ears, looking a little embarrassed as Wolfpaw rumbled a chuckle.
It had become somewhat custom for the group of apprentices to meet after training. While most were the same age, even the younger ones had integrated fine. Sprucepaw was well-spoken, and Willowpaw was intelligent and had a witty streak that kept her evenly paced with sharp-tongued Lightningpaw. Silverpaw was charismatic and charming, and while both Aurorapaw and Sycamorepaw were quiet, they liked to be included, and the elder apprentices didn't feel inclined to exclude them. It was nice, with how full the den was.
"Like you said. It's just brain fog. You'll get it next time, I'm sure." Snowpaw's smile was shy, but it quickly grew in confidence as Butterflypaw smiled back. Duckpaw curled her tail around her tighter, shivering against the breeze. Instantly, Tempestpaw and Brewingpaw wedged closer to her on either side, bundling her up in their fluffy pelts. She sputtered at a mouthful of black fur, laughing good-naturedly.
"It's Leaf-fall anyway and the weather is tough. It was just bad luck, but you can turn it around. You're winning either way, because you're not freezing your butt off in this cold. I thought JaggedClan was bad enough, but this is a whole other level."
"Mind you don't catch a cold," Wolfpaw said, brow creasing in worry, "if Poppywish catches you with even the slightest cough he's going to put you on full twenty-four hour quarantine lockdown."
"I know all the best escape routes," Sprucepaw stage-whispered, and the whole group laughed, the big tom looking smug as Silverpaw shoved him. The pair sat close together, tightly pressed up against one another, while Sprucepaw leaned lazily on his sister from the other side. It was obvious to anyone how close the denmates were, having been thick as thieves essentially since birth. Whenever one was causing trouble, the other was not far behind, although Silverpaw had been decidedly absent during most of Sprucepaw's medicine adventures.
"That's only because you're in there more than you're out," Willowpaw said, amused, "you should have seen him today. Took Silverpaw's hook to his jaw so hard he almost put a tooth through his lip."
"Poppywish was very upset about that, by the way. Ranted for a full three minutes and it probably would have been longer if Howlingeye hadn't been limping about to remind him he actually had work to do. Good thing Silverpaw's paws are so little, or there would have been a lot more to worry about."
"I guess my little paws are why I'm not picking up on these battle moves," Silverpaw wrinkled her nose a little and she shook her head, "I don't know how you two are so good at it already."
"It's in our blood, most likely," Willowpaw said, "you've met our parents- they're widely regarded to be some of the best fighters in the clan. I assume we got some of their genetics, but I know your parents too, and I think you're both going to outshine us when we move on to hunting, for sure. Rivermask is a really excellent hunter, I've heard cats talking about how much prey she brings in from patrol."
"Everyone's got their own strengths and weaknesses," Tempestpaw added with a purr, "being an apprentice is all about learning those. I'm just hoping that all the work I've been doing on patrols with Howlingeye injured is going to give me an advantage when we finally get back to training."
"Is that soon?" Featherpaw asked, curiously.
"Hopefully," she nodded, "I think you and I will be working together a lot, since Sleetstar's been sick too. They both look a lot better, though- I saw both of them just the other day. Summitsky was helping Sleetstar take a walk around camp, but she doesn't really need to lean on him anymore, and then Midnightblaze joined them with Howlingeye, who looks a lot less sickly, so I'm anticipating we'll be able to get back into it soon."
"You think training will be hard in Leafbare?"
"Probably," Tempestpaw nodded, "but Viridianfire did it, so can we."
"That's the right attitude to have," Silverpaw announced, "maybe a couple of us didn't do so well today, but we can't give up! We're all going to be warriors together one day, and so we've all got to keep trying, and keep pushing ourselves so that when the old guard are gone and we're all that is left, we'll know that it's the best of the best watching our backs."
"Let's make a pact then," Sprucepaw said, with a grin, "to watching our backs- even you two who are leaving us soon." Wolfpaw laughed, shaking his head.
"Okay. Everyone, paws in." Everyone put one paw into the circle. "Under the stars of Silverpelt, shining ancestors of NorthernClan who sacrificed untold and unfathomable amounts for the future and the legacy of this clan, each cat here tonight does solemnly pledge mind, body and spirit to the protection of one another, so that when our stars shine above, they'll shine together."
The group cheered, an agreement that had Aurorapaw smiling shyly and Sycamorepaw laughing for the first time since she'd joined the clan. Even Butterflypaw's morose mood seemed to have vanished and the group settled back into idle chatter, the warmth of their circle protecting them from the cold encroaching on NorthernClan's territory.
-
The sun had not quite sunk below the horizon when the border patrol returned. The rocky walls of the camp were painted orange and pink in the glow of sunset, the sky above still bright and radiant, sun blinding if you tilted your head just wrong and caught sight of it lowering between the mountaintops. The patrol was not so much a patrol as it was simply Thunderjaw and Minkfur on what probably constituted as a romantic stroll for the pair, but the combination had always proved effective to Midnightblaze, and they'd been happy to cycle in and out of camp together multiple times in a day, which suited him just fine.
What he had not expected was for two cats to return as four. What was even stranger is that the two newcomers were both newly pregnant, it seemed, not yet heavy with kits but their bellies bore a tell-tale swell that would only grow with time. Minkfur was leading them, with Thunderjaw bringing up the rear. Both warriors towered over one of the mollies, but the other- gray, with her ears flattened against her head- was just a little shorter than Minkfur at the shoulder.
"Uh?" Said Midnightblaze, half-rising from his position between his daughters.
"I'll get Sleetstar," Thunderjaw said with a nod, glancing around the clan, "you can stop staring now. They're just travelers, and they've had a long few weeks." He moved away then, and the clan tried to go back to what they were doing as Minkfur guided the pair toward the cliff face, up the path, with Midnightblaze trailing behind them. Protectively, the gray molly had the smaller red and white one huddled against her side, where she was sobbing loudly. Everyone did their best to ignore the very obvious sound, even Howlingeye and Poppywish as they exited the medicine den, where Sleetstar had struggled upright. Summitsky looked a little bewildered.
"Should I... stay?"
"Probably not," Thunderjaw said, "no one's very fond of toms at the moment, but Midnightblaze should be here considering he has a job to do but... it's best we don't stress out these mollies too much- and before you protest, Haze, I'm well aware you can take care of yourself, but Plumiris's had a time of it and crying makes me a little awkward, to be honest." The gray molly flicked her tail, but she looked amused. Summitsky gave Sleetstar an apologetic smile.
"I'll come back later- maybe with Bearears, if she feels up to telling a story. It was nice to meet you." He paused, briefly, to touch his nose to Midnightblaze's cheek in greeting, before he hurried after Thunderjaw, out of the den. Sleetstar peered at Minkfur and the two mollies, wincing a little at the reverb of the red and white molly's sobbing bounced off stone. Midnightblaze settled at Sleetstar's side as her face screwed up in pain even more.
"Is she... okay?"
"I don't know, Sleetstar, what do you think?" Minkfur didn't sound annoyed, just amused.
"Normally I'd appreciate the sass keeping me on the tips of my toes, but this is all giving me a splitting headache."
"I'm starting to agree with Thunderjaw about the whole crying thing," Midnightblaze said.
"Oh come on," she huffed a little, "I'm all for this recent camaraderie between you two, because it's better than giving me anxiety about Sleetstar murdering you in your sleep but if you two can't behave then I'm going to call Poppywish back up here and make him make you." Midnightblaze barely suppressed a laugh as Sleetstar gave him a half-smirk that was too tired to carry any real weight. If Poppywish's reports were to be believed, Sleetstar had lost enough blood to make her feverish for a while, and generally she just seemed exhausted after the whole debacle with the rune.
"Okay, okay. What's going on, Minkfur? Who are these strangers you've brought to my clan?" The big molly looked toward the gray one with a curious expression. She nodded, and took a step forward, the red and white molly sniffling miserably and following alongside her to bury her face in the larger she-cat's shoulder.
"I'm Haze, and this is Plumiris. Minkfur and Thunderjaw came across us in a den that we'd camped out in. I'm just a loner- I was travelling with my mate, but she was out hunting and I'm sure she'll find us eventually. What matters most to me right now is Plumiris here- she's from a clan a little way down the Thunderpath, and they kicked her out for getting pregnant with a tom's kits from another clan. From what I've been able to deduce, he also had another mate in that clan." A fresh round of sobbing wracked the queen. "She's young, and she's scared, and she shouldn't be alone. I've kitted on my own before, and it didn't go well for me. She needs clan life. She needs stability."
"It's very kind of you to bring her here," Midnightblaze said, "Plumiris? That's a really beautiful name." The molly miserably tried to stifle her sniffles. "My name is Midnightblaze. I'm the deputy of this clan, and everyone in this den right now knows how scary kitting can be. Myself, Sleetstar and Minkfur have all gone through it, and I promise, if you choose to stay with us, we'll make sure you stay safe, and your kits will have a home."
"Ultimately it has to be your decision," Sleetstar said with a smile, "I've had enough of outside forces bullying cats into changing the trajectory of their whole lives in order to join this clan. I want cats here who believe in what we're doing and who want to be here. I won't blame you if you choose not to stay, and we'll try to send you on your way with what herbs Poppywish can spare, and what prey we can, but, if you'd like to stay, our queens in the nursery are lovely."
"You'd like Sunnynose," Minkfur said, "because everyone does." Plumiris seemed to mull this over, turning to look at Haze as she settled back on her haunches, sweeping her tail over her paws. The molly had pretty green eyes, and they hardened in determination suddenly, as she turned back to Sleetstar and jutted her chin out. Although young, and obviously scared witless, she did her best to summon some semblance of bravery.
"I'll stay if Haze does."
"What?!"
"She's been like a mother to me. I met her by pure coincidence, her and her mate, but they've been nothing but kind to me when they didn't have to be, and she took me all the way here just to make sure I'd be safe. I don't know if I could feel safe without her right now- because I need a mom, and mine's dead, so Haze is the closest I'm going to get."
"Don't say that-" Haze protested, "all of these cats are nice, and they're actually parents. I'm sure they'd do a fine job of looking out for you, and from the sounds of it there's already queens in the nursery that you could talk to. You don't need me-"
"She trusts you, Haze," Midnightblaze said, "sometimes it's not about what could be, it's about who you trust to be there with you even when things are the toughest, and you've already proven yourself to her. You seem like a strong molly, anyone can see that plain as day, and I can tell it wasn't your intention to join a clan but... we'd be glad to have you. You and your mate, if you decided to stay." Haze's eyes met his, and she peered at him curiously for a moment, trying to ignore Plumiris's eyes watching her, wide and hopeful. After a long beat of silence, she let out a sigh.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Plumiris gasped in relief, and Minkfur laughed. Sleetstar snorted, and slumped back into her nest, closing her eyes tiredly.
"Most likely."
-
The clan had seen a lot of excitement, but true to form, Summitsky helped Sleetstar down the cliff face, as the last rays of light hit the clan. The new queens remained up in the medicine den with Poppywish and Minkfur, to whom they'd taken a liking, as Midnightblaze had descended to call the clan together for the ceremony. Sleetstar settled at the base of the rock, smiling tiredly at her clan. She was doing better, barely needing Summitsky's support, but he still sat next to her, beaming proudly at his son, their fur brushing companionably. Duckpaw sat in front of her parents, who sat a comfortable distance away from one another and who seemed stiff. Sleetstar amused herself with the thought that not a few moons ago, they could have been a spitting image of her own relationship with Summitsky.
"I wish I had more energy for today, I really do," she let out a chuckle, "thank you all for being patient with me, but it's not every day your son becomes a warrior, so if I start crying, someone send Thunderjaw to give me a good thump upside the ears and get me back on track." The clan rippled a laugh, and Wolfpaw ducked his head, pleased. "Today, NorthernClan gains two new warriors; cats who have proved they have what it takes to survive these lands. Wolfpaw and Duckpaw step forward as I, Sleetstar, call upon the warrior ancestors of NorthernClan to see you: for you have trained hard to understand the code. Do you promise to uphold this code and to defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do."
"I do."
"Wolfpaw, please recite the vow."
"To my clan, to my home, to the blood that binds; I pledge myself to the cliffs and the snow. The North is all."
"Then from this day forward, your name will be Wolfwhisker, for your intuition and keen senses. StarClan honours your resilience, and it is my privilege to welcome you as a full warrior of NorthernClan. Honour him!" Yowls went up from around the camp, praising the newest warrior. Duckpaw purred, touching her nose to Wolfwhisker's cheek as he stepped forward to exchange ritual with his mother. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered, "Dad too." Wolfwhisker simply nodded, beaming at Thunderjaw as he stepped back and settled next to Butterflypaw and Brewingpaw again. "Duckpaw, please recite the vow."
"To my clan, to my home, to the blood that binds; I pledge myself to the cliffs and the snow. The North is all."
"Then from this day forward, your name will be Duckbriar, for your sweet but firm nature. StarClan honours your competence, and it is my pleasure to welcome you as a full warrior of NorthernClan. Honour her!" Again, yowls went up from all the clan, apprentices clamouring over one another to shout the loudest for their former denmate. Duckbriar was shy as she stepped forward to exchange ritual with Sleetstar, before she turned and ran back to her parents, while the clan converged on the two new warriors. Summitsky was quick to reach his son, purring loudly as he rubbed their foreheads together.
"Oh, I'm so proud of you. Congratulations."
"Mom said you would say that," Wolfwhisker laughed, "stop fussing over me and make sure Butterflypaw gets her warrior name soon. It won't be the same without her sleeping by my side. No one to keep my back warm." Sleetstar clicked her tongue, leaning on Summitsky's shoulder as she touched noses with both of her kits.
"Please endeavour to treat your sister as if she has more use than a butt warmer. It's not becoming of a NorthernClan warrior." The group laughed, as Butterflypaw purred and accepted the nuzzle of her cheek from her big brother, her parents stepping back so that their friends could crowd around them, chattering loudly with the last few minutes of daylight they had left, before Wolfpaw and Duckpaw would sit their vigil together. Sleetstar slumped onto Summitsky's shoulder, and he licked her once between her ears. "It was a bumpy start, but I think we did good. You did good, mostly."
"Maybe you weren't so involved from the start, but there's a lot of you in him. He has that same quiet, inward competence and the same intelligence- and the same fire too, I can tell. He just happens to have my stature- they both do, really. It's a shame that they didn't get more of your genes." Sleetstar hummed.
"I am much prettier than you."
"I'd argue, but we both know you're right." They shared a chuckle, Summitsky leaning his head affectionately against her own. Sleetstar let out a sleepy, content sigh, nestling into the big tom's shoulder as she let the night wash over her, content to just be, to just feel.
"This is how it always should have been," she said, "just took us a while to figure it out."
𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧.
Sleetstar's next appearance showed a marked improvement. The last moon had been good to her- she'd eaten more, hydrated better, and her fur had been shiny and glossy once more, her eyes bright, and her movements unhindered by lethargy. As Leafbare encroached, she seemed to shake off the residual effects of her energy, and she stood proud atop leader's rock in the cool air as the clan gathered- including Plumiris and Hazerise, the clan's newest queens, who stuck close together. As predicted, Hazerise had struck up a quick rapport with Sunnynose, and she seemed quite happy as he and Winderstrike settled next to her, beaming at Sorrelsong where she sat with her kits and her foster kit, all bouncing with excitement.
"Well, it's official, we've almost made it through Leaf-fall, and I can't think of a better way to close out a season meant for reflection, for thankfulness and for hope than to look to the future of our clan. The kits that we bear will carry this clan and its legacy into the future moons, long after I'm dead and gone, and as such it is our duty to nurture them and to teach them what we hold dear so that essence can be preserved for their kits, and the kits after them, too. Today, I'm proud to announce NorthernClan's future looks forward to two new apprentices, whose paws will be guided on this journey of learning by our ancestors in StarClan. Blackkit and Sootkit from this day forward until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Blackpaw and Sootpaw, respectively." She took a deep breath, smiling warmly at the beaming apprentices, and at Sorrelsong, whose eyes shone with pride.
"Blackpaw, your mentor will be Breakerhowl. In his time with this clan, although shorter than some, he has proven himself to be kind, quick-witted and intuitive, and I know he will teach you well and nurture your curiosity." She paused, allowing the young tom time to find his mentor in the crowd and stretch upward to touch noses with the tall tom, purring broadly as the clan cheered for him. Sleetstar smiled warmly, and continued. "Sootpaw, your mentor will be Graypeak. Although his old clan didn't have the strength NorthernClan has to endure, the fact that he's standing here today is testament to his determination. Graypeak is a kind tom, if not a little shy, so you'll have to look out for him a bit, too, but he is intelligent and he is sweet and I know he will teach you everything there is to know to be the best warrior you can be." The little molly beamed, darting toward a shell-shocked looking Graypeak. Sleetstar nodded to Midnightblaze as the cats cheered, leaping down from the rock in search of Featherpaw and Howlingeye to start training for the day.
Graypeak found her seconds later. "Sleetstar, thank you for the honour, but I don't know-"
"I'm gonna stop you there," Sleetstar said, turning to the tom with an amused look, "when I came here, I overestimated how prepared I was for leadership. Don't mistake me standing here right now as a sign of success- this clan is still going, sure, but I'm not sure how because I made a lot of mistakes to start with, mistakes I still need to fix. But I'm trying. Because this clan is about fresh starts, about having everything ripped away, taking a deep breath, and starting again. I've seen you, you know, ever since you came to the clan. Things haven't been going well for you, and I can tell you're losing faith. So, what you need right now is someone who believes in you, and a purpose. Now you have both of those things." Graypeak was silent for a moment.
"What if I let you down?"
"You know, my daughter has this saying about 'brain fog'- that when you think negatively about the outcome of a scenario, you doom yourself right from the start because a fog settles in your brain that makes it impossible to see the light through it. Don't get brain fog, Graypeak. You can do this. Just one paw in front of the other, one day at a time. You're not alone here, you know? If you need a shoulder to lean on, we have some cats with excellent shoulders."
"Thunderjaw is pretty impressive," Graypeak said weakly, and Sleetstar laughed.
"That's the spirit. So are you going to argue with me some more, or what?" Graypeak smiled, this time a little more convincing, like a small amount of weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Or what, I suppose."
-
"It's so nice to have you back," Hollyfeather said, and Splitface let out a pleased purr, "I was worried for a bit there- Poppywish was working himself to the bone, and Brackenstrike was fussing over you to the point where I thought you were in danger of dropping dead any second."
"She was just worried, as all mates are when their beloved goes head to head with a maniacal murderer who has already slaughtered their prior family," Hollyfeather snorted, shaking her head, "but I assure you, I'm fine."
"I have no doubt you are. You're a smart cat. I like to think I am too, but I have to admit, that whole rune story that Sleetstar told... I would not have picked that being your backstory at all. I always wondered why Minkfur was so suspicious of you both, especially Brackenstrike. I'm sure you noticed but in the early days I pretty much thought Brackenstrike walked on water. I still do, honestly, but after seeing you fight that cat... she's not the only one with moves."
"No, she is not," Splitface chuckled, "and as I recall, you didn't particularly like me all that much in the early days, either."
"Don't remind me, I was so embarrassing. I guess I was just obsessed with the idea of having structure, I was anxious about things collapsing, and it didn't help that Midnightblaze and Sleetstar had that whole standoff thing going- thank StarClan that's over with- but I'll admit I didn't take too kindly to a strange, sullen and secretive cat coming in and stealing the attention of my idol, who I thought might be the one cat with her head screwed on straight. But... I don't know. I've been evaluating these past few moons, and I realized I was so high-strung back then that I think I alienated most of the clan. I don't really have many friends."
"Oh, Hollyfeather, I'm sure that's not true."
"Well, I have Summitsky of course, but he's more like a big brother than a friend, you know?"
"If it's any consolation, you always have Brackenstrike, and although we started out a bit rocky, you have me too. It's been great getting to train with you these past few moons- and Sleetstar clearly trusts you; so that's at least a grand total of three." Hollyfeather laughed a little, shaking her head a bit.
"I was so worried about making this work that I was so suspicious of everyone, and I said some things that I don't even know how to start to apologize for, you know? It feels like things are finally getting back to normal in NorthernClan, but I don't know what my normal is." She frowned a little, at her paws, startling as Splitface leaned across to press her nose between her ears, a comforting gesture that Hollyfeather relaxed into willingly. It was lonely in the warrior's den without anyone to curl up to; Summitsky had been noticeably absent from his usual nest, bouncing between Midnightblaze, Howlingeye and most recently Wolfwhisker when he was in the den, or staying up with Sleetstar while she'd been recovering.
"It's all about time, Hollyfeather," Splitface said with a smile, "Sleetstar didn't like me much at first because of the whole rune thing, you know, but you saw how willingly she threw herself on the line to fight with me. To fight for me. Time will heal things, Koishimmer and Midnightblaze are testament to that. It's just about finding the right words first, and then taking your steps forward, one paw in front of the other, one step at a time. You're a smart cat, Hollyfeather, and you have a relentless determination. No hell or high water can stop you once you put your mind to something, so try not to fret too much about all of this. You'll find your balance, I'm sure of it, and if I'm wrong, then feel free to come find me and claw my ears off." Hollyfeather laughed, shaking her head a little, but a warmth bloomed in her chest.
"Thanks, Splitface, I think I needed the pep talk. It gets hard shouldering things alone sometimes."
"Well, remember what I said; you're not alone. Not as long as I'm still breathing." She paused, with a sigh, peering down from the plateau's ledge, "my apprentice is going in the wrong direction. I'll go correct that, and then I'll be back. Eyes on." Hollyfeather gave her a nod of acknowledgement as Splitface bounded down the cliff face away from the plateau. It was a nice spot, sun high in the last days of Leaf-fall.
The whole northern half of the territory seemed to be her view; Blizzardpaw's tabby pelt almost invisible against the rocky ground as he tracked the scent Hollyfeather had left for him. Beyond, the crags raised high with deep, dark ravines between them, limestone cliffs shining brilliantly in the sun. Hollyfeather took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, drinking in the fresh air and the warmth from the sun, sure to disappear when Leafbare set in. She opened her eyes, and something moved.
Hollyfeather's whole body tensed, and she swung around instinctively to look for Splitface, but the tortie molly had only just gone, Hollyfeather knew she wouldn't be back in time for whatever it was. Blizzardpaw was down there, but it would take Hollyfeather time to get to him, and even then the apprentice would only be half as capable of backing her as the elder she-cat would be. Her ears flattened, and she tried to trace the shape that had bothered her, eyes scanning the region until they landed on a small, white shape, purposefully striding toward the cliffs.
Blizzardpaw was approaching the limestone cliffs at speed, and panic set in. Hollyfeather bolted forward, scrabbling nimbly down the cliff-face, and landing hard from the last jump just in front of Blizzardpaw. He jumped, with a light yelp of surprise.
"Hollyfeather?!" He asked, before his ears flattened, as her tail swept up in a silencing motion. She inclined her head toward the bend that would bring the cliffs into view. The pair of them stuck close to the side of the trail, padding quietly toward the bend, using what little shrubbery they had to shelter them from sight of the shape that Hollyfeather had seen. Here, the cat was closer; taking a dust bath in the limestone, seeming particularly unworried about the clan scent that Hollyfeather knew the border patrol would have set not too long ago.
"What the-?" Blizzardpaw whispered, looking to Hollyfeather for guidance. "What do we do?"
"Run and find Splitface, or your brother. He might have seen where she went. She was back the way you came, last time I saw her. The cat is far away, so I don't worry about being attacked, but maybe I can keep them talking for long enough to figure out what they're doing on the territory. It might be one of the Merchants, scoping out for another attack, so we should treat it seriously." Blizzardpaw nodded and bounded away a few steps, before he ran back and touched his nose to her cheek.
"Be safe." She nodded, firmly, and gave him a reassuring smile. Blizzardpaw looked reluctant to leave her, but nonetheless, he turn and ran for Splitface, like his mentor had intended. Hollyfeather crouched and waited; watched the cat. Their movements were unhurried, as they rolled carefully and methodically through the dust in the basin at the foot of the cliffs, body elegant and lithe, arching and twisting with graceful agility. Hollyfeather wondered how one could feel so at ease, knowing they were on enemy territory, but she didn't have time to ponder this right now. Instead, she took a deep breath, and stepped into view.
"Hey!" The cat froze, and then spun onto their paws instantly. Their pelt shone in the sun, glittering from the limestone dust that had stuck to their fur. Hollyfeather was shocked at the raw fury in their eyes, glaring balefully at her from so far away. She balked, and that was all the time the cat needed. They promptly turned, and darted into the trees. Cursing herself, Hollyfeather picked up speed, carefully but quickly navigating her way around the ravine to the cliffs. The cat would be long gone by the time she got there- not even Howlingeye would have had a chance of catching up- but Hollyfeather was confident she could track her down. Her paws skidded through silvery dust, painting her paws fully shimmering white as she scented the air.
She frowned. She scented again.
There was nothing; just the scent of the clan from Thunderjaw's patrol. Hollyfeather had seen them pass through about a sun's rotation ago, and the scent was still strong, but standing directly over the dust bath of the strange cat, she should have been able to pick up something. Hollyfeather felt frustrated- as far as she could remember from training, the dust shouldn't hide someone's scent, not like water did- but as she scented more and more rapidly to no avail, all she succeeded in was tickling her nose and sneezing violently, sending a cloud of white dust billowing around her.
When it cleared, she was still standing in the same spot, eyes closed, trying to let go of the bitter tang of failure. Whoever the cat was, they must have been calm because they knew they couldn't be traced. Or, a part of her mind reasoned, they knew because they've been watching. Hollyfeather pushed it away uncomfortably, at the same time that Splitface and Blizzardpaw skidded into view, Brewingpaw hot on their tails.
"Hollyfeather! What's going on?" Splitface yelled across to her. Hollyfeather paused for a beat, unsure of what to say. Unsure of how to say it, too. Finally, she simply shook her head, moving closer to the edge so that she didn't have to yell so much for Splitface to hear her.
"Nothing," she called back, "just a loner, but I think I scared them off. I doubt they're coming back." Hollyfeather had no way of guessing that, no way beyond silently hoping that that was the truth, because the alternative was a lot, lot worse.
-
As patrols began to filter back in for the day, Poppywish sorted his herbs, exhausted. The last few moons had taken a toll; with patients in and out of the den and the little sleep on which he was running, too busy fretting over Howlingeye while he slept, or over Sleetstar who tossed and turned and hissed, startling Summitsky awake most nights until he soothed her back to sleep by grooming her tenderly. It was good to see their friendship reworked the way it was. It gave Poppywish a little more hope for the future. But his brain still nagged him in some spaces.
The largest gap in his heart that his brain tugged and poked and prodded at was Howlingeye. Of course it was, Poppywish doubted he'd thought so much about anything else than he had the other tom since he'd joined the clan. It had been good, having Howlingeye in the den for a few moons. It meant that he had to face the gravity of admitting his feelings for Poppywish. But now he was out. And there was no way to tell what he would do- if the heat of the moment would evaporate and he would go back to denying himself happiness.
"Ugh," Poppywish growled as his paws, clumsy with tiredness, fumbled with a fresh batch of poppy seeds and sent them skittering across the floor. An amused chuckle made him jump, and he whirled, ears flattened, to find Howlingeye silhouetted against the cavern's entrance. His heart leapt embarrassingly, and he gave the other a smile that seemed almost shy.
"I can tell you're wondering, but I only just got back in. Tempestpaw keeps me on my paws more than I keep her on hers. She's a spitfire, you know, but that's half the fun of training her. It's nice to be back." He let out a rumbling laugh, stepping forward to help Poppywish sweep the seeds back into order.
"Well, I'm glad you're having fun, but the den is outright miserable without company."
"Get an apprentice, Poppywish," Howlingeye said, amusement tinting his tone.
"I don't need the help."
"It's not about needing the help, it's about needing the companionship." Poppywish stopped dead, his blood running cold, but Howlingeye was already continuing. "It's all well and good to be up here working your magic the way you do, but... it could do you some good to have someone around even on days when the rest of the clan is not, otherwise you're going to end up fluffing about the nursery, trying to gossip with the queens, or down in the elder's den trying to twist facts out of the stranger, StarClan forbid." Poppywish snorted, but he kept his back turned to the other, mostly so he wouldn't catch the fear in his expression in the next question.
"What about you? Where will you be?" Howlingeye was quiet for a long moment.
"I meant it, you know," he said finally, "it wasn't just because I was scared or because I needed comfort for being hurt, or because I didn't want to make you upset. I do love you. I'm afraid of what that means for me, because I don't want to let you down and I really don't want to hurt you... but I thought about it while I was in here, and I realized that you were right, that I didn't think at all about what you wanted, about how things made you feel. I was selfishly distancing myself from you so I wouldn't get hurt when you didn't want me anymore, and pretending I was being selfless by defending you from all of the black marks on my history. But the truth is, Poppywish, I've never been happier than I am with you." Poppywish turned then, to see the adoration, but the shyness in Howlingeye's expression.
"I've never met someone with wit as sharp as yours, with as much drive, as much dedication. You're smarter than I could ever hope to be, and nothing can stop you. You go and you go and you go, and I realize now how much it takes out of you, but you never complain and you never ask for help, you just do what needs to be done because if you don't, who will? You've always been kind to me, but you don't suffer fools. You can hold your own just fine in a fight and you won't let anyone stomp over you. I watch you and I'm always in awe of just how perfect you are- perfect to me. Perfect for me. And I love you. I love you in all the ways I never thought I could love anybody, and I love you for all the things you hate about yourself and for the things you love too, and I don't want to pretend that I don't anymore. Even if I'm scared, I've realized I can trust you to be there when I fall, to help me back to my paws again, and to push me to keep going. To keep trying. You make me want to be a better cat, Poppywish, and the truth is you're everything I never knew I wanted. I love you, and." He took a deep breath. "I want you to be my mate."
"StarClan above I've been wondering when you were going to ask," Poppywish's voice was choked as the poppy seeds went scattering again, forgotten as the ginger tom crossed to him and urgently pressed their foreheads together with a shuddering sob. "I love you, Howlingeye, for better and for worse, through sunshine and through sleet, I love you, and I promise to adore you every day for the rest of our lives. You and me against the world, okay?"
"Not against the world," Howlingeye whispered with a laugh, "with the world, in stride. Things are always going to be easy when we're together."
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
` servings consumed
10/10 - x5 small fish
` clan events
poppywish searches for kitting herbs
butterflypaw and lightningpaw take their warrior assessments
blizzardpaw, brewingpaw, snowpaw and sycamorepaw learn to track
tempestpaw, featherpaw, sprucepaw, willowpaw, silverpaw and aurorapaw learn to hunt
↪ regardless of success, please roll sprucepaw for a minor injury
howlingeye and poppywish become mates! (cannot bio have kits)
sleetstar asks starclan for a warrior to help out
` patrols
hunting-
1 - summitsky, rivermask, honeyheart, dawnbreeze, hawkeyes, fallowstep
2 - midnightblaze, primrosepetal, bearears, bramblingrose, twilightflower, twosight
3 - viridianfire, waspshine, birchfang, emberpetal, duckbriar, ausmasthorn
border-
3 - thunderjaw, minkfur, flamestream, wolfwhisker, addersong
` leader
`` sleetstar | 68 moons | ♀
` deputy
`` midnightblaze | 74 moons | ♂
` medicine cat
`` poppywish | 59 moons | ♂ - [5sp]
` medicine cat apprentice
`` name | age | ♀/♂ | ✦
` warriors
`` summitsky | 71 moons | ♂
`` hollyfeather | 46 moons | ♀
`` thunderjaw | 66 moons | ♂
`` howlingeye | 49 moons | ♂
`` brackenstrike | 77 moons | ♀
`` splitface | 74 moons | ♀
`` minkfur | 63 moons | ♀
`` bearears | 41 moons | ♀
`` fallowstep | 66 moons | ♂
`` hawkeyes | 71 moons | ♂
`` viridianfire | 33 moons | ♀
`` frostclaw | 83 moons | ♂
`` koishimmer | 35 moons | ♀
`` birchfang | 41 moons | ♂
`` whisperwind | 23 moons | ♂
`` rivermask | 58 moons | ♀
`` breakerhowl | 59 moons | ♂
`` waspshine | 42 moons | ♂
`` winderstrike | 56 moons | ♂
`` twilightflower | 46 moons | ♀
`` dawnbreeze | 56 moons | ♀
`` twosight | 82 moons | ♂
`` ausmasthorn | 20 moons | ♀
`` bramblingrose | 20 moons | ♂
`` addersong | 53 moons | ♀
`` graypeak | 51 moons | ♂
`` falconstreak | 47 moons | ♀
`` emberpetal | 17 moons | ♀
`` flamestream | 17 moons | ♂
`` honeyheart | 51 moons | ♂
`` primrosepetal | 35 moons | ♀
`` wolfwhisker | 14 moons | ♂
`` duckbriar | 15 moons | ♀
` apprentices
`` butterflypaw | 14 moons | ♀
`` tempestpaw | 13 moons | ♀
`` blizzardpaw | 13 moons | ♂
`` brewingpaw | 13 moons | ♂
`` lightningpaw | 13 moons | ♀
`` featherpaw | 14 moons | ♀
`` snowpaw | 14 moons | ♂
`` sycamorepaw | 10 moons | ♂
`` sprucepaw | 8 moons | ♂
`` willowpaw | 8 moons | ♀
`` silverpaw | 8 moons | ♀
`` aurorapaw | 8 moons | ♀
`` blackpaw | 6 moons | ♂
`` sootpaw | 6 moons | ♀
` queens and kits
`` sorrelsong | 32 moons | ♀
↪ ironkit [5, ♀] - fostered by sorrelsong
`` sunnynose | 54 moons | ♂
↪ dandelionkit, buttercupkit,
daisykit, pansykit [3, ♂♂♂♀]
`` hazerise | 61 moons | ♀
↪ due 2 moons
`` plumiris | 15 moons | ♀
↪ due 2 moons
` elders
`` magpiefeather | 113 moons | ♀
`` the stranger | 247 moons | ♂
` ally clans
none currently.
` enemy clans
none currently.
` borders
↑ | summit of boreas | noctem.
→ | whitebark | grey_hoodie
↓ | two-leg village
← | ski slope
` medicine store
catmint [4] | greencough
poppy seeds [0] | pain
burnet [0] | strength
lamb's ear [1] | strength
lovage [1] | coughs; c
broom [0] | broken bones
lungwort [1] | yellowcough
raspberry leaves [0] | strength
ragwort [2] | strength
chervil [0] | infections/bellyache
chickweed [2] | greencough
tansy [1] | greencough
fennel [1] | hip pain
cobweb [0] | bleeding
wintergreen [0] | wounds
mallow leaves [1] | bellyache
goldenrod [1] | wounds
` fresh-kill pile
vole | x3 | 1 servings [3]
rabbit | x4 | 2 servings [8]
stoat | x2 | 2 servings [2]
small fish | x3 | 2 servings [6]
hare | x3 | 3 servings [9]
bird | x4 | 3 servings [12]
` mentors
summitsky | butterflypaw [4]
↪ battle, hunt, swim, adv. battle
howlingeye | tempestpaw [1]
↪ battle
hollyfeather | blizzardpaw [3]
↪ battle, hunt, climb
splitface | brewingpaw [3]
↪ battle, hunt, climb
hawkeyes | lightningpaw [4]
↪ battle, hunt, swim, stalk
sleetstar | featherpaw [1]
↪ battle
whisperwind | snowpaw [1]
↪ battle, hunt
falconstreak | sycamorepaw [1]
↪ hunt, battle
frostclaw | sprucepaw [1]
↪ battle
brackenstrike | willowpaw [1]
↪ battle
koishimmer | silverpaw [0]
↪ skills
winderstrike | aurorapaw [0]
↪ skills
breakerhowl | blackpaw [0]
↪ skills
graypeak | sootpaw [0]
↪ skills
` deceased
galepaw | murdered by boscoe
stormkit | weak at birth
hurricanekit | weak at birh
` family ties
fallowstep + hawkeyes - ravencall; surrogate
↪ batkit, racoonkit & beaverkit (snakeclan)
sleetstar x summitsky
↪ wolfwhisker & butterflypaw
mother + father
↪ whisperwind & galepaw
twilightflower x father
↪ tempestpaw, blizzardpaw, brewingpaw &
lightningpaw, stormkit, hurricanekit
sunnynose + winderstrike
↪ emberpetal & flamestream ; dandelionkit,
buttercupkit, daisykit & pansykit
splitface + brackenstrike
midnightblaze x rafe (?)
↪ koishimmer, primrosepetal & selene
minkfur + thunderjaw
↪ sprucepaw, willowpaw
rivermask + breakerhowl
↪ silverpaw, aurorapaw
tipstream (pineclan) x father
↪ bramblingrose & ausmasthorn
sorrelsong x father
↪ blackpaw & sootpaw
addersong + graypeak
↪ rookpaw, juncopaw (chessclan) &
duckbriar
falconstreak x father
↪ sycamorepaw
waspshine + birchfang
howlingeye + poppywish
hazerise + father
↪ due 2 moons
plumiris x father
↪ due 2 moons 
![]☾](https://img00.deviantart.net/4b32/i/2008/154/7/0/running_cat_stock_by_garnet_star.jpg){kind=link}
