Username: phantom-chain
Cat Name: Jaspercreek
Coming from
Willow Creek JasperGender: Pangender (He/She/They)
Rank: Warrior
Clan: CaveClanAge: 30 Moons
Prompt: What did they find? A name. A name that finally sticks.
Crayfish was the first name they had. Their father, Beaver, named them after one of the many marshland animals found nearby. The brown-orange shell of the crayfish inspired him. And Crayfish lived up to the name, snappy and playful but soft on the inside. They lived for their family, and they lived for the traditions. When the kits were old enough they began to move inland as winter started rolling in closer and closing, icing the marshes over and freezing most of their prey.
They started wandering after being separated from their family during a severe snowstorm they got caught in. They got separated and lost in the snow, but managed to hide in a small burrow from a mink. They hid inside and spent their time waiting and waiting and waiting. They were young, small, and tired of the cold. They grew thin as the snow never stopped. Days went by and they survived on small mice they scrambled to hunt. And when the sun returned they looked around the nearby fields for their family. They never found their parents or their siblings. This was the first of many names they would take on. They took the name of their mother, Willow. And that was her name for many moons.
She started heading west, inland, hoping to bump into her family. She survived on mice and other small creatures they could catch. It was a cold winter in the glades. With little coverage from wind and snow, the small kit at the time survived by burrowing into the ground, as Beaver had taught her. When the wind picked up, she would quickly scramble as far as they could before ducking underground. This is around the time she bumped into a group of cats only known as The Disciples. The cats studied the stars and how they moved. The cats were lead by Starwalker, an ancient cat who named the members after stars they saw. This is how Willow got her next name. For the next couple of years, her name would become Metis
, named after his keen eyesight and observation skills. And that was his name for many moons.
Eris followed their beliefs about the stars, studied the sign they were given, and hunted and served for The Disciples. He found a family for awhile, and he was able to survive for many years. He listened to the stories of the clan. Starwalker explained how they were descended from generations of cats filled with the divination of their ancestors, the stars. They believed that everyone came from the stars, and the colors and shapes and meanings changed based on the cats. Someone named Mizar, a part of the Bear constellation was going to be strong and ambitious but protective of their family. While someone named Dheneb, from the Sea Creature constellation would be a passive follower at the back of the patrol but stubborn and static in their beliefs. Metis was astonished in the complex beliefs that had been passed down for so long. But Metis began to wander. His heart began to call again. The west land called towards him. He explained to Starwalker that he had to go. The old cat nodded. Metis was always moving, fluid, and small. So Metis left peacefully, once again heading west. They were no longer Metis, they were just... themselves again. No outside influencers, they were alone.
From there, they arrived at the mountains. They bumped into Cavestar and Smokyquartz, eating together at the foot of the mountain. They decided to join the two cats. Another temporary place to stay on their long journey. Cavestar showed them around, calling them by the simple name Visitor, or just Visit for short. Visit was interested in the way Cavestar was trying to resurrect the clan. Another long passed down tradition brought to life by current descendants. One day, the Visitor joined Smokyquartz as she went on her way to find herbs on a short and quick patrol down by the river. They worried that the bears would be out near that part of the river. Visitor was new to the mountains, unsure of where to put their paws, and knocked over a pile of pebbles. Reaching the bottom of the decline, a rock smashed open, revealing the gem in it. A
Willow Creek Jasper, Smokyquartz commented, perfectly split in half by the fall.
Jaspercreek. It hit them instantly. And immediately, they smiled at the revelation. "Jaspercreek. Call me Jaspercreek."
Smoky nodded and smiled, "Finally decided to tell us your name right when you were leaving?"
"No! I'll stay. I think I have to." They joked.
"Ah, well, will you help me find some chervil and poppy seeds? It will be your first duty as the newest member of CaveClan, Jaspercreek."
They chuckled, "Yea. Totally."
[801 words]
