Username: Catolotl
Cat Name: Peachfin
Gender: Femme
Rank: Warrior
Clan: https://toyhou.se/Catolotl/characters/folder:5930436Age: around 2 years
Prompt:Four seasons ago, Peachpaw… well, she got lost.
It was the beginnings of Newleaf, and the snowmelt had just begun. The valley’s rivers rose, spreading through the lower floodplains, suddenly sending new life into the winter-ravaged wildlife; egrets returning from their warmer winter home stalked through the high waters, large fish leaped into the air to catch dragonflies and mosquitos, frogs croaked and dove under the surface without so much as a ripple, and WarrenClan prepared for its annual migration to higher, and drier, ground.
It would be Peachpaw’s first Newleaf migration. WarrenClan has two migrations each year: one to high ground before the peak of the water’s height, when the woodland burrows become damp; and one back to the woodland burrows to follow the prey, a week or two after the summer solstice.
Peachpaw was nervous about the trip. She was nervous about nearly everything — patrolling, hunting, leaving camp in general — but she was especially nervous about new experiences, and this new experience was a very big deal.
One day during preparations, when Peachpaw was assisting the Guardians with caring for the rowdy kits, she noticed two of them were missing. A panic set in amongst everyone as they realized the kits must have wandered off, and no one noticed in the rush of things. Peachpaw was mortified, and despite her fear she volunteered to help search for them. A small patrol party was sent out, hoping to find the kits by nightfall.
Unfortunately, not far into the search, a coyote spooked the group and they all made a break for it in separate directions. Peachpaw ran far and eventually hid in the tall grass while she slowed her breathing and heart rate. When she finally calmed down enough to find the party again, she realized she had no idea where she was.
Panic set in, and Peachpaw began frantically running through the sparse woods, looking for familiar landmarks, when she finally reached the forest edge and entered the floodplain. Now knowing for sure she had gone the wrong way (and not wanting to risk getting unnecessarily soaked by the rushing river), Peachpaw turned to retrace her steps, when all of the sudden she heard a distant “meow!”
She followed the voice onto the floodplain, taking great care as to not get too close to the water or the wildlife, and suddenly she saw the kits. Redkit and Bluekit were shivering, mewling, and trapped on a very small rock formation in the center of the strongest river. Realizing there was no option, Peachpaw took a deep, shaky breath and leaped in, doggy paddling her way to the kits and pulling herself onto the island.
The kits took turns explaining that they had snuck out of camp and were playing by the river when they fell in and got swept away by the current, managing to land on the island without injury, but too afraid and weak to try to swim back to shore.
Peachpaw was terrified, but the kits were even more so, so Peachpaw tried to keep a calm demeanor while she rested from the exhausting swim. About two hours had passed, but she was still unsure of how she was going to bring both the kits back to shore, as she didn’t think she could make more than one more trip nor could she carry both of them at once. Just as the situation began to seem hopeless, one of the search party cats found them. With his help, Peachpaw, Redkit, and Bluekit made it back to camp, and Peachpaw was given her Warrior name Peachfin for her bravery and newly discovered swimming talent.
Though the ordeal was harrowing, and she certainly had happier moments, Peachfin holds the whole experience in high regard, and in times of fear and uncertainty the memory of her own bravery gives her strength. The only memory that could ever top it took place around three moons later, when Redpaw requested to be her apprentice.
