Username: Dinolil1
Cat's Name: Dovetail
Cat's gender: Female
Clan Thread: XStory: Snow-worn paws traveled the mountains with surprising ease, the moaning gale bowed heads submissively and the driving rain seemed to guide them ever forwards.
''Beetlestar! How far now?!'' called a dark brown tabby, eyes squinted in the haze of wet needles.
''Not far, Wrenfur!'' promised a dark black tom, his voice uncertain. Beetlestar didn't know how far they'd gone or how far they had left, but he knew that they could not return to camp; a vicious mudslide had claimed it and the lives of several others already, it was home to nothing but worms and corpses now.
''Wait up!'' puffed Dovepaw, scuttling to try and keep her sister's rear end in sight. The wind stole her words and tossed it to the mountaintops, where the lightning cackled at her.
''Frostpaw! Come on!'' The pale apprentice suddenly regretted arguing with her over the last mouse yesterday. Determinedly, Dovepaw pattered onwards and mercifully, before the mountain fog set in, managed to catch up with her friend, Rabbitpaw.
''You okay?'' The kind tom whispered to her, bumping into her gently.
''Tired.'' Dovepaw replied wheezily, glancing at her friend and his ghostly-white eyes; Rabbitpaw had been born blind but had never once complained about it, Dovepaw was proud of him as a result of this.
''I can tell.'' Rabbitpaw smiled kindly at her, plodding tirelessly on.
''But we'll be home soon.'' That was a promise that not even Rabbitpaw, the most trustworthy and kind of all the apprentices, could keep.
Night fell quickly and silently, creeping on the cats the way a fox would sneak up on an unsuspecting goose. Dovepaw hated the dark with a burning passion, especially with the mountains scowling like stony-faced demons.
''Rabbitpaw?'' She called out, only to get no reply.
''Rabbitpaw, are you asleep?'' Again, not a peep.
''Frostkit? Are you here?'' Nobody but the whistle of the breeze, gliding past some boulders.
''Guys?'' Dovepaw whined, waking up and seeing absolutely...
nothing.
There was no Rabbitpaw, no Frostpaw, no Beetlestar or his deputy, Wrenfur. There was absolutely nobody on this cold slab of granite but Dovepaw herself and her own creeping sensation that somebody was behind her.
''Where did you go?'' Dovepaw murmured, suddenly aware of how high-pitched her voice sounded.
''Mum?'' She bleated, getting to her paws and feeling fear shaking her body.
''Dad?'' Dovepaw padded anxiously forth, ushered on by a frosty wind.
''T-they forgot me?'' The pale molly realized, her chest hurting, her world crashing and everything she'd ever dreamed of landing with a tremendous thud. The thunder grumbled and the wind gave a ghostly wail, startling Dovepaw and sending the lanky apprentice skidding down the rocky mountainside; paws strained against stone and stone scratched away at tiny pink paws.
''She was so annoyed!'' A chubby loner snickered, padding along the feet of the ice-capped giants.
''You need to stop annoying her, Smokey, she's gonna end up slitting our throats soon.'' warned another, more sleek and lean than his companion.
''Oh shut up, Smudge.'' grumbled Smokey, shaking his head irritably and just about to enter a tangent when before his eyes, lay a young and bruised molly.
''Oh my word! Smudge!'' Smokey prodded him with a large paw and motioned to Dovepaw, who was barely breathing and tired from her treacherous tumble.
''Oh no...'' whispered his companion, looming over the mist-white molly.
''Is she okay?'' Smudge turned to face Smokey, concern etched onto his face like scars onto bark.
''Of course not! Fetch some sticks and bindweed, I think her leg is broken.'' Smokey ordered, shoving the black and white tom way from the unconscious soul.
Eventually, as the sun dipped below the line of dark trees, Dovepaw woke up and saw that a squirrel had been placed at her paws, her hind leg bound up in bark and two strangers were sleeping a little ways off.
''Umm...'' She hummed shyly, looking at the rise and fall of their pelts.
''Thank you.''Dovepaw smiled quietly and took a nibble of the prey offered to her. It was nice to have some company, even in complete strangers, after her terrifying ordeal.
''I don't think I could ever live there again.'' Dovepaw turned to the mountains, apologizing to her ancestors but thanking them for her luck.
''But thank you for this.''Several moons had passed and Dovepaw had grown to know more about the odd pair; Smudge and Smokey were a couple of freeloaders, living on a molly called Rook's territory and went around offering their services as healers. One day, Dovepaw had been practicing her climbing when Smudge rushed in, wide-eyed.
''Dovepaw! You mentioned something about a clan?'' The silly tom tilted his head and beamed at her lopsidedly.
''Yeah, I wanted to join a clan.'' Dovepaw replied, smiling politely at him in turn.
''What's the news?'' ''They're looking for cats.'' Came the breathless response, and out of the darkness Dovepaw was pulling into a rub-crushing hug.
''Oh! I'm going to miss you so much!'' mumbled Smokey, nuzzling her lovingly.
''You've been a far more competent assistant than that fool over there.'' He shot a cheeky smile at Smudge, who pretended to be heart-broken by this.
''But I wish you luck.'' Smokey released Dovepaw from his hold.
''I'll miss you two loads as well.'' Dovepaw promised, nuzzling him in turn.
''Smudge!'' She turned back to the lanky tom and gave him a hug as well.
''Lead the way!''She hadn't expected the leader to be so talkative, so hyper and so much more young; her old leader, Beetlestar, had been extremely stern and seemingly timeless.
''It'll be wonderful to have you!'' Daisystar gabbled, a bright smile on her bright face.
''Thank you for considering RainClan.'' The way she spoke was welcoming and as though they were friends already, Dovepaw liked that a lot.
''Although I have one question? Do you have a warrior name?'' The golden molly frowned slightly, tail twitching curiously.
''You seem awfully old for an apprentice.''Dovepaw gaped and realized that she'd never become a warrior! Embarrassed, Dovepaw ducked her head and smiled awkwardly.
''Oh, I...I'm Dovetail.'' Nodding, she confirmed this with a hearty smile. Her old friends had always commented on her climbing skills and agility, plus Dovetail sounded awesome.
''Well, welcome to Rainclan!'' Daisystar purred, nuzzling her.
''Lovely to have you, Dovetail!''