#Stonestar

[clanborn]

Origins of the Bay Clans: Stone and the Lynx (Part 2)

The tracks led inland, further than the cats of Stone’s little clan had yet dared to travel. She followed the river upstream, skirting the thrashing current as it threw itself against the banks. The forest grew denser, the hemlocks thicker, the sharp peaks of the mountains taller, casting the valley in deep shadow. All was silent but the river, and the sound of strange, buzzing bird calls that rang eerily through the trees. Though her heart trembled, Stone trekked on, her pawsteps guided by purpose and the tracks that still sat unmistakable in the mud.

Stone had never followed a river to its origin, had never even thought of it as a possibility. Water–rivers, oceans, rains–lived outside the boundaries of a lifespan, within birth and death. Rivers weren’t something that just began, or ended, they simply cycled–at least, that’s what she had believed. 

After hours spent unceasingly hiking through the valley, Stone emerged from the edge of the treeline. The pebbled ground spread flat in front of her, before abruptly spiking upward to form the range of mountains. Two peaks pierced the sky, and nestled between them was a landform unlike anything Stone had ever seen. The river rushed forward from the base of a giant white slope, a crystalline mass carved deep with blue crevices. 

The wall shone like a piece of the moon itself, bleeding into the valley, its essence spilling into the forest before winding its way to the Bay. As Stone drew closer, she realized with a shock that the structure was made of ice, frozen solid despite the warmth of late spring.

She halted at the river’s edge, looking upon the structure in wonder. Was the moon made of ice? Had a shard of it fallen from the heavens upon the mountains? What else could create a fortress so massive, so imposing yet nurturing, whose icy waters fed the land and the bay?

These questions swam through her mind, but she tossed them to the side with a flick of her ears. For now, the answers were unknowable, and she must remain focused on her task.

She shook out her pelt and continued her path: the ground now had turned to gravel, and she tracked by scent instead of footprints. The slope turned steep, then rocky, a gray mountain face broken only by patches of unmelted snow and determined shrubs. Below her, the mass of ice gleamed, stretching out beyond the peaks like a blinding white sea. 

As she continued along the mountainside, she noticed an opening in the cliff face, a dark entrance where the ice field met the mountain. She quickened her pace until she reached the cave entrance, standing on the barrier of darkness. Here, the scent she was tracking hung in the air, strong as ever, leading her into the blackness. She slipped into the cave without a second thought

Inside was a large cave, and she quickly crossed the open stretch of ground to the back, where a darker shadow lay. A tunnel.

Curiosity drove her forward, driving away any fear she might have felt. Down into the tunnel she tread, deeper and deeper into the veins of the mountain. For ages she was guided by scent alone, and the narrow tunnel walls pressing on all sides. An eternity of darkness. 

Finally, Stone saw light, a blue glow that softly spilled into the end of the tunnel. Her footsteps quickened, and the cat entered into a cavern. Her breath hitched as she stepped into the light, awed by the sight before her. A medium sized cave rose around her, walls of smooth, layered stone arcing above her. The stone was washed with blue, for one wall was made not of rock, but entirely of ice. It was a deep, rich blue, as sunlight filtered down into the fragment of icy moon.

Within the ice wall’s bubbles and cracks hung an even stranger sight. A giant skeleton, ancient and fragmented, was trapped frozen in the ice, the remains of a creature Stone had never seen before. Though it’s thick bones and long, curved fangs were utterly unfamiliar, something in Stone knew it had once called itself catkin. A forgotten ancestor.

In front of the ice, sitting still and gray as the rocks around it, was a towering feline silhouette, its tufted ears outlined by the cold light. Stone’s fellow, wild catkin cousin. The Lynx.

The Lynx turned its gaze towards her slowly, expectantly, like it had known about her presence even before she did. Stone approached it, wary. 

“I admire your tenacity, cat” Its voice was a gravelly purr. “I thought you’d stop at the treeline.”

Stone skirted the wall carefully, keeping several pawsteps of distance between her and the creature. “Why did you assume that?”

The Lynx wrinkled its nose in a wry smirk. “Well, look at you. You’re an imitation of a cat. This wilderness is unfit for your kind.”

Stone flattened her ears, attempting to keep her voice level. “What exactly do you mean?”

“You call yourselves ‘cats’, yet your kind feeds by human hands. You have grown small and thin-furred, distant from your nobler origins. You can only survive in little packs, reliant on the work of others, unable to face nature with your own merit—A true ‘cat’ walks in solitude, you know nothing of the sort.”

Stone looked beyond the Lynx to the ice wall behind it, where the massive bones of their great ancestor lay suspended in time. “You say my kind has fallen, but have yours not? Have you not also grown smaller than this god, your fangs short, your bones thin? It too lived in solitude, yet here it lies, dead, its life unremembered by its catkin. You mock my community, but we have lived this long despite this lands’ harshness, and will continue to do so.”

The Lynx’s smug expression faded, and its gaze grew intense as it stared at Stone. “Even gods die, housecat. The only thing life guarantees is an ending.” It curled its lip. “Your ‘community’ is not exempt from this.”

Stone met its eyes, unwavering. “If we are catkin, what bars me from the same powers you possess? Surely I can learn to survive by your means, surely I can find access to your blessings.”

The Lynx almost laughed, but the scoff caught in its throat. It narrowed its eyes, suddenly thoughtful, the smirk creeping back up its muzzle.

“Maybe I can offer you a taste of godhood, little cat. The lives of my predecessors run through me, from the tip of my tail through all ten of my claws.” The deity sat back on its haunches and held up its massive paws in demonstration. For a brief moment, its claws twinkled with a faint light, like stars plucked straight from the sky.

“One of these is mine, of course. But I have nine to spare.” It tilted its head down at her, its fangs gleaming in the blue cavern light. “Provided I deem you worthy of them.”

Stone raised her head in challenge. “What would make me worthy?”

The Lynx paused to consider, eyeing her up and down. 

“To you alone I will grant these lives, thus you alone must face me.” The lynx narrowed its eyes. “Prove to me your will and strength, and defeat me in battle. If I submit, I grant you these lives, and the chance to explore this bay with greater distance between death and yourself.”

“Your loss, of course, will cost you your life.” It dipped its head towards her. “Is it a deal?”

Stone paused, hesitant, her heart fluttering in her chest. How could she face this creature in her state, small in stature, weary from her climb, completely alone? Despite her apprehension, her curiosity was stronger. There was only one chance for an opportunity like this, and even if she declined, what would stop the Lynx from killing her anyway?.

She nodded once. “I accept your terms.”

The lynx nodded back. Its fangs flashed. It stretched its claws. 

They leapt into battle.

Stone was swift, but the Lynx was strong and skilled. It battered her with massive paws, slamming her into the cold rocky floor. Stone dodged and weaved through its attacks, but the cavern was small, and every leap Stone made seemed to send her into another faceful of claws.

Her opponent threw a powerful swipe, tossing her against the ice wall with a thud. Back against the blue glow, Stone crouched low, struggling to catch her breath. Her strength was waning, and Stone knew with every moment her chances of victory grew slimmer. Her paws shook slightly. The Lynx had noticed her waver, and began to pad towards with calm, sure steps. It smiled–it was eager to finish her off. How could she win this?

She thought of the cats–the clan–she had left behind, who likely waited anxiously for their wayward leader’s return. Would they falter without her guidance? Would the glimmer of hope she had lit in their hearts snuff out with fear? If only she could lead them to the majestic moon glacier, show them the ethereal ancient glow of the blue cave, renew their spirits with wonder at the wilderness they were trapped in. Stone suddenly stiffened, steeling herself as she lifted her gaze back toward her foe. Though she fought alone in the cavern, her mind conjured the presence of her clan behind her. She would not die here. She would die among the cats she had befriended, who had banded together in their time of need. The cats she needed, who needed her to return alive.

With a burst of vigor, Stone launched herself toward the lynx’s head, her weight and confidence catching it off guard. She clung to its face, slashing its ears, her momentum sending it crashing hard into the floor. It flailed its huge paws, but Stone stood steadfast upon its chest, pressing her own paws down forcefully against its throat. Her claws dug in, blood welled up around her toes. The lynx grew more panicked, struggling wildly, its breath stuttering in strangled gasps. Stone pressed harder.

“St–Sto-”

Stone leaned close into its face. “Do you yield?”

The Lynx thrashed its head, attempting to nod frantically. “Yg-Yes!”

Stone slowly lifted her paws, releasing pressure off the creature’s throat. It gasped for air, then shoved her off its chest, throwing her to the floor. She scrambled to her paws, watching the Lynx heave. After it had caught its breath, the Lynx pressed its paw deep into the stone floor. It did so with strange power, impressing into the rock like it was mud, leaving the crisp outline of its giant pawprint. It beckoned her over. Its breath was hoarse. “Come.”

Stone approached the Lynx. She eyed it warily, nervous that it would decide to ignore the deal and kill her anyway. But it didn’t move as she stood above it, her paws settling on the edge of its pawprint, which seemed to sparkle slightly in the dim, cold light. 

The Lynx glared up at her, its cool demeanor vanished, its eyes blazing with controlled fury. “Touch your nose to the floor,” it growled. “You will receive your reward.”

Carefully, Stone dipped her head down, until her nose brushed against the floor’s icy chill. For a brief moment, all was still.

Suddenly, she was blinded by overwhelming light. The force of the glare threw her head back, and her vision was assaulted by an oppressive blur of color and noise. Images flashed in her mind, landscapes, memories, creatures she has never seen before. Each streaked by, too fast for her to fully process the scenes. Waves of emotion crashed in her, sending her reeling, thrown into a raging sea of grief and joy and fear and wonder. She felt all of time as it had crept by, millions of years of the past and future stretched out infinitely, lived all at once in a single instant. She felt everything. She felt nothing. It was the most agonizing pain she had ever experienced, swept in a flood of sheer euphoria. She knew places and beasts and times she had no name for, all lived through and known by the catkin before her. It was the longest moment of her life, but as she crouched, trembling, blinking her eyes back to the sight of the blue cavern, she realized only seconds had passed.

The Lynx had stood, and had begun moving toward the cave’s exit. It turned to look down at her, and Stone returned its gaze, panting heavily, her fur on end and buzzing with strange energy.

It was silent for a moment. “You now have eight more lives to live along with your own. More than any little cat has had before. Your blessing and your curse.” It lulled thoughtfully, its expression had settled back into its neutral stare. 

Its voice was cold, though laced with an undertone of contempt–and perhaps, Stone thought, respect. “Do not treat this victory lightly, Stone. Every day you live here will be another test, another gamble with your life. Living here is a game with no winners, and you and your fellows can only stall the march of nature for so long.” 

The lynx turned, padding toward the exit. “The gods here will meddle where they like, and though you have bested me, I can not guarantee my kin will be deterred from entertaining themselves with playthings like you.”

The god stopped in the entrance, then glanced back toward her, its face in shadow.

“Good luck, Stone. You will need it.”

It disappeared.

For a moment, Stone stood alone in the blue cavern.

She was not Stone anymore. Something had changed within her, the Lynx’s stars sat heavy in her chest, glittered on her whiskers. Just as an icy piece of the moon had fallen to the earth and become one with it, fragments of the stars had melded with her being. She was Stonestar, and her pelt glowed with the new (old?) lives that settled under her fur. 

And she was alive. More than she had ever been before. 

And it was time to return to her clan.

[thebayclans]

Origins of the Bay Clans: Arrival (Part 1)

When cats arrived—former housecats, ship mousers, strays seeking refuge and adventure—they knew nothing of their destination. They slipped silently aboard human vessels, their hearts drawn by curiosity, bravery, impulsivity, content to let the direction of their lives be led by wind and sea. Stone sought to leave a life behind.

After many moons on stormy seas, feeding off scraps and scuttling ship rats, the feline sailors began to question if they’d ever see land again. Just as the doubt grew unbearable, the cats found their wave-tossed vessels surrounded by snow-peaked mountains, a fortress encircling the bay. Their new home.

In a strange, harsh place, a land of extremes. Bountiful summers where fish broke the riverbanks under an unsetting sun, and dark, silent winters where death hung in the air like a heavy fog.

Beasts ruled the land, creatures so massive they towered toward the sky like the mountains that surrounded them.

These cats looked upon gods,

And saw themselves reflected back.

When Stone saw The Lynx, silhouetted against a sky lit with cosmic flame, she knew that these creatures held more power then they could imagine. Cats were naught but ants under giant paws, subjected to the whims of these unearthly beings, time and space dangling from their clawtips. They were to be respected, feared, and revered.

Stone gazed around her small, ramshackle crew, their eyes stretched wide with frigid fear. They could not return to their former lives, but trembled at the thought of a future here, amongst the vastness and cruelty of the wilderness.

“We will survive here. We will not fall to these beasts or to the nature they command.

We will follow these gods, and carve out a space to live beside them, learning their skills and deferring to their judgement. We will craft a community for ourselves to stand within, protected yet interwoven with the world which wishes to harm us.”

Her eyes bore into her comrades, blazing with determination. Her voice carried through the den, spoken with utter clarity, certainty.

“We must live, for what other choice is there?”

And a community they became. A family, a Clan, named by wildcats who hailed from distant highlands, a green, rocky place that seemed like a lifetime ago. Led by the intrepid Stone, the community stuck close to the human harbor and settlements, clinging to any sense of the familiar.

But something was stirring within Stone, an intuition that drew her deeper and deeper past the treeline, the memory of the Lynx still clear in her mind.

Until one day, pressed into mud fresh from the day’s rainfall, she found a set of tracks.

And set out to follow them.

[hazelwhisker-designs]

Stonestar

[abcwc]

[dragondark54]

WindClan Leader

[paintedpawcat]

is there anyone in the family who loves men

[duskclann]

HIGH RANKS OF DUSKCLAN

STONESTAR ( STONENEWT )

Leader of DuskClan

Male • Adult, 82 moons • He/Him

Compassionate, great speaker & omen seeker

Friendly & optmistic

Extremely close with his clanmates

Lax with rules and opens his borders to anyone seeking refuge, community, or just a safe place to stay for the night.

CLOVERWIND

Deputy of DuskClan

Female • Adult, 48 moons • She/They

Strict, incredible runner

Stoic & reserved

Competitive

Mentored by Tempestheart

FEATHERHOPE

Healer of DuskClan

Male • Adult, 82 moons • He/They

Lonesome, great storyteller

Was a warrior before they began their training as a Healer

The scar is from a rogue attack, many moons ago

Earned the suffix ‘hope’ from refusing to give up on a dangerously wounded warrior.

[stus-warrior-designs]

A big dude

[eggfeather]

stonestar

[needleclanclangen]

MOON 6/7 - GATHERING 7

Quickstar was glaring at her. That wasn't good.

Beestar glanced between the two of them, shifting a little closer to Finchstar. Stonestar sat down, clearly not caring about whatever was going on between the two of them.

Finchstar inhaled. What were the words again...?

"Clan cats! May all who have gathered get close to the Pool!" Finchstar yelled, and the conversations stopped as the cats of their clans all moved closer. She spotted Whistlerain similarly glaring at her from Downclan's portion of the pool. Riverpaw traced the gaze, as did Whiskershadow, and both directed their gazes to Finchstar in confusion.

Not telling her deputy was likely a mistake. But what was she supposed to do? Admit she accidentally trespassed?

"Our clan is as healthy as ever, even with the frost biting at our trees." Finchstar announced, grinning. "Our clan mealtimes are helping everyone, as I thought."

Beestar tilted her head. "Clan mealtimes?"

"Well, not everyone has to participate. But..." Finchstar waved a tail. "A time where we all eat together and share whatever happened. I feel... closer, you know. Plus, I get to make sure everyone eats."

"That does sound neat." Stonestar meowed, adjusting his paws.

Quickstar said nothing, though their glare did seem to lighten.

Oh, thank the stars.

"That is all."

Beestar got to her paws. An inhale. Finchstar poked her from her new spot on the ground, and Beestar startled a bit, though she did smile.

"There's been strange traps laid out in our territory for a while. They covered up some of the rabbit dens in our territory, which-" a flinch. "... Scorchpaw felt victim to."

Roachpelt's ears in the back fell a bit.

"... But she's recovering well. That's it."

Beestar sat, and scooted a bit closer. "Why is Quickstar glaring at you?" She whispered.

Ah. Finchstar glanced away, ears lowering. Quickstar still hadn't gone yet. "I may have... messed up a bit."

Stonestar shot them a look, but stood up and started announcing anyway. Beestar frowned, but stayed quiet.

"We have a new warrior! Sunpaw has become Sunstrike, a full warrior of Talonclan!"

The pale tabby with a nick in one ear blinked as their clan's attention swiveled to face them, then puffed their chest out when the other clans followed suit. Sunstrike's name echoed around the clearing. Even Riverpaw joined in.

Quickstar got to their paws. Stonestar sat down. Quickstar stared at Finchstar, not even looking out towards the clan. "Our clan is fine. However." Quickstar's tail lashed. "It seems that Needleclan doesn't agree."

Yep. Saw that coming. Finchstar got to her paws. "What did your deputy tell you? Let's start there."

"Told me what I needed to know." Quickstar meowed back, voice still loud. The murmurs started up, and Finchstar pinned her ears down.

"Ah, told you I invaded." Finchstar meowed. It was only partly a question. 

"What reason could you have?" Quickstar shot back, eyes narrowing. "Wish to push us back to mountains only? Our territory is suitable, yet..."

"Seems like Whistlerain didn't tell you that I was tired as shit!"

Oh, that got louder than she thought.

Speckleback flinched, and Whistlerain paused from her spot.

"You were?" Whistlerain shouted. "That just sounds like an excuse!"

Finchstar rolled her eyes. "Did you not notice the time of night? It was practically today!" She pointed a tail to the moon. A cloud passed by. "I had just spent that entire morning hunting, then dealing with an argument with our kits! Can't a cat mess up?"

"You're leader, aren't you?" Quickstar questioned. Finchstar's fur raised, but she forced it back down.

"And I'm saying that my actions were not motivated by a desire to push you back to the mountains. I was simply tired. We're all still cats." Finchstar sighed. "Accuse me all you want- I do not want any of it."

Quickstar watched as Finchstar sat back down. Their gaze lightened a bit, but they glanced away. "... That is all."

Beestar pushed her head against Finchstar's. "I get being tired. I'll back you up."

"Thank you."

[sagesden]

A new kit and rising tensions

A single kitten was left at the entrance of camp and goldenflower took them in as her own

Fernshimmer is now non binary

As Thunderclan walks into the Fourtrees they see Skyclan there and Brightstar was very glad still that they were able to recover even moons after the battle had happen. Brightstar got up on the great rock. "Hello stonestar, Jaystar Tallstar." She said and mingled with the leaders while waiting for shadowclan.

When Tigerstar entered the clearing there was more cats then ever that Tigerstar has brought almost the whole clan. Tigerstar jumped on the rock and faced the leaders. "My fellow leaders I have a proposition for you all." he said. "Let us join clans together we will be very powerful."

Each Leader denied Tigerstar as they all believed that the clans have and always be separate. "you don't have to deiced now think about it and give me an answer in 5 moons at the next gathering." Tigerstar said and started the gathering right away as they normally would but it had a bad energy.

Mothwing and Poisondapple met with the Apprentices and asked tawnypaw and Sorrelpaw if they wanted to join the forces of the dark forest.

Tawnypaw said she would but Sorrelpaw had said no but wouldn't tell anyone what was shared here and with that they woke up from the dark forest and back into reality

[overgrowth-wc]

Here is on of my (spoiler free) character ref sheets, featuring some of the main Thunderclan characters. Stonestar is technically smaller than the twins, but since this is a glorified compilation of doodles I colored in on the fly, some of the sizing is off

[rosemist50]

Code of the Clans! One of my favorite Warrior cats books. The first code has Cloudberry, her Windclan lover Ryewhisker, her father Emberstar, Thistletail from Thunderclan, Duststar, Stonetail(star), Hawkfur from Windclan, Birchstar, Hollystar, and Whitestar. I have a theory that this Duststar here is actually Dust Muzzle, but it's not confirmed so they have different designs. The second code has Brindlestar, her deputy Lakestorm, plus Vinetail, Rainsplash, and Mudpuddle.

Originally posted on IG August 2022

[junoswarriorcatsdesigns]

Stonestar

[lightningwaters]

[gougarpaw]

“We’ll continue to fight if we have to. Is that what you want?”

Stonestar is a big gray tom.

Notes:

- according to Su Susann, he had blue eyes.