#pearkit

[rippleclan]

RippleClan: Moon 90, Part 1

Estherfern drips an infection-fighting concoction into Mosspounce’s eyes, not paying attention to his protests. She needs to stop the infection before it gets any worse.

[Image ID: Estherfern and Honeybuzz stand around Mosspounce, treating him while Washington watches in the back. Under Mosspounce, it says + INFECTION. Under Honeybuzz, it says - CONDITION: GRIEVING.]

"Shouldn't you be doing some sort of ritual?" Mosspounce groaned as Estherfern shoved his chin up. His bloody eyes stared at nothing, yellow pus pooling around his torn eyelids. Pale white light drifted inside the medicine den, bouncing off the paw-deep snow covering camp.

"Like what, contact StarClan for medical advice?" Estherfern muttered, removing the leather lid from an empty bottle. "Apparently StarClan only has the energy for one proper channeling a year, and we spent that on Currentsmoke's jaw. We're doing everything we know we can, Mosspounce." Estherfern grabbed the bottle in her jaws and lowered it into the warm pot beside her. A freshly brewed concoction sat within the pot, packed full of infection-killing herbs. Estherfern dipped the bottle into the concoction, accidentally getting some on her lips. She tilted her head to the side to keep the botte face-up. Then she slowly brought it over Mosspounce's face and poured a splash of the concoction onto his eyes.

Mosspounce hissed, flinching back, but Honeybuzz was there to help. He stood behind Mosspounce and gently shoved the injured caretaker back into place, allowing Estherfern to set the bottle down and massage the concoction in. Mosspounce's claws poked his nest.

"Your body is killing itself in an effort to kill this infection," Estherfern huffed. "This will give your body an ally in that fight. So stay still!" Estherfern removed her paws from Mosspounce's eyes and rubbed them clean on the medicine den's leather floor. Mosspounce groaned as Honeybuzz grabbed fresh bandages and wrapped them around Mosspounce's face.

"Will he be alright?" Estherfern hid her surprise well as she faced the cat resting a few tail-lengths away, a splint and bandages wrapped around his back leg. Estherfern had truthfully forgotten Washington was there. The old tom (and she truly meant old, she had never met a cat who claimed to live over two hundred moons before) watched Mosspounce carefully, gaze sharp and twitching as though he were the one with a concoction burning into his eyes.

Washington had not said much in the quarter moon since his arrival to RippleClan, clearly mourning those he lost in the shipwreck offshore. Remnants of that ship now reinforced part of the medicine den's walls. There had been so much wood, in fact, that the caretakers were able to take apart a decaying portion of the medicine den's back wall and build it into the hollows of the main shipwreck, allowing more room for herbal preparation, rituals, and sleeping patients. Washington now slept in the remains of his former home, silently watching his new home swirl about.

"We're doing what we can," Honeybuzz promised, releasing Mosspounce. "Do you need something, Washington?"

"No, no, I'm comfortable," Washington muttered.

"I'm not," Mosspounce groaned, curling into a ball. "Can I have something for my pain?" His whiskers twitched as his face squirmed, biting back a mrow of frustration.

"Can you fight through for a bit longer?" Honeybuzz asked. "Troutpool and Weevilsight should be back with more willow bark soon."

"You know what would shut him up and keep him warm?" Estherfern muttered, rubbing her paws clean on the snow outside. "A smoke-den."

"You know we don't do that, Estherfern," Honeybuzz sighed. Estherfern could feel his disapproving stare against the back of her head.

"Forgive the interupption," Washington croaked in the back, "but if a smoke-den, as you called it, could help this kit with his pain, why not try it?"

"Kit?" Mosspounce groaned. "I'm a father!"

"Smoke-dens are a tradition in SlugClan, one of the other Clans," Honeybuzz explained, joining Washington's side. "They burn herbs like catmint and valerian to enter an overly relaxed, trance-like state. Downstar always saw it as a waste of herbs, so we don't use smoke-dens in RippleClan."

"You might not understand it," Washington sighed, "but back on my ship, my humans would sit around with sticks in their mouths, blowing smoke at one another. They were at their calmest when they did that. Not a pleasant smell, no, but it's a wonderful feeling to be sitting on a human's lap as they relax, listening to their purr." Honeybuzz squirmed at Washington's description, yet somewhere in Estherfern's memories, she could remember a human's paw stroking her back, soothing her into quiet dreams.

"What is it like to be on a ship?" Mosspounce asked, slightly lifting his head from his ball of shame. "What are they like when they're floating?"

"Well, not everyone likes the way the ground shifts under your paws," Washington mused, "but I'm a ship-cat, through and through. I love it."

"Tell me more," Mosspounce begged. He shifted toward Washington's scent.

"Estherfern." Outside the den, Puddlewhisper and Waspdawn stood in the snow, pelts dull in the shiny light. The weight of Waspdawn's infection was evident in the way his footing seemed unsteady on flat ground, yet he matched his sister's blank, focused expression.

"Are you going to rest now, Waspdawn?" Estherfern muttered. Behind her, Honeybuzz helped Mosspounce over to Washington's nest. It could have been the snow-light's reflection, but Estherfern swore Washington had a sparkle in his eyes as he dove into stories of massive ships coursing across the sea.

"Do you have the fur samples we collected from Potterypool?" Puddlewhisper asked.

"Troutpool's kept them safe," Estherfern promised. She crossed over to Troutpool's nest, covered in plush leather expertly tanned by Rattlepelt. Estherfern shuffled through the thick layers of the nest until she found a small vial. She grabbed a scrap of leather the clerics used to wipe medicine from their paws and lips. She placed the scrap in front of Puddlewhisper and Waspdawn, opened the vial, and carefully poured out the contents. Strands of dark fur fluttered out.

Puddlewhisper and Waspdawn nodded to each other in some secret littermate language. Puddlewhisper jogged off to the bonfire in the center of camp, which projected warmth into all the dens. She grabbed a dry stick beside the fire. She carefully tilted the stick into the flames. The fire licked the tip of the stick and climbed on. Puddlewhisper hurried back to the medicine den, head tilted hard to the right to keep the tip of the torch aloft. She plunged the torch into the snow and sand a safe distance from the wooden shipwreck. Waspdawn tugged the leather scrap closer to the light. Honeybuzz stood beside Estherfern, focused more on the dangerously close torch than the codekeepers' work.

Puddlewhisper carefully pawed at a few strands of fur. With the firelight, even Estherfern could better make out each strand's details. The fur at Puddlewhisper's paw was black, perhaps dark gray, and fairly short. Yet there were other strands beside Waspdawn that were long and the color of dark leather. They all looked the same without such clear light illuminating through every hair.

"You were right, Puddlewhisper," Waspdawn muttered. "These samples don't come from the same cat." Estherfern's shoulders tensed.

"What does that mean?" Honeybuzz asked softly. Puddlewhisper pulled the torch out of the ground and submerged it into the snow, quickly dousing the flame. Smoke drifted from the suddenly melted slush.

"It's not wise to make assumptions," Puddlewhisper sighed, "but we pulled these samples from Potterypool's claws and wounds. We can't determine the context, but we can say that Potterypool fought with more than one cat the day she died. We may be looking for two killers."

(Mosspounce: 51, male, caretaker, adventurous, talented fire-starter)

(Estherfern: 124, female, cleric, adventurous, great mediator, prophecy seeker)

(Honeybuzz: 38, male, cleric, daring, skilled toolsmith, good teacher)

(Washington: 218, male, elder, nervous, good mediator)

(Puddlewhisper: 56, trans female, codekeeper, righteous, keen eye, ghost sense)

(Waspdawn: 56, male, codekeeper, strict, learner of lore, clue finder)

Gingerpaw asks to be apprenticed to Estherfern, while Frostpaw becomes Rabbitjoy’s newest artisan apprentice. Honeybuzz gives Gingerpaw a maple seed necklace.

[Image ID: Gingerpaw and Frostpaw are now both apprentices, though Gingerpaw has a maple seed tucked by his ear. Under Gingerpaw, it reads LEVEL UP! GINGERKIT → GINGERPAW, CHARMING → CHILDISH, + NEW SKILL: MOSS-BALL HUNTER, + ACCESSORY: MAPLE SEED. Under Frostpaw, it says LEVEL UP! FROSTKIT → FROSTPAW, QUIET → STRICT.]

(Gingerpaw: 6, male, cleric apprentice, childish, curious about humans, moss-ball hunter)

(Frostpaw: 6, female, artisan apprentice, strict, lover of stories)

Puddlewhisper is determined to solve her little sister’s murder.

[Image ID: Puddlewhisper, Vervaincough, and Venturedapple watch a brown rosette molly with blue eyes run off with a brown speckled kit. Puddlewhisper yowls "Hold on!" Under the kit, it says NEW PLAYER: QUICK, 0, FEMALE, KNOW-IT-ALL. Under the brown molly, it says NEW PLAYER: NIMBLE, 45, FEMALE, RIGHTEOUS, GOOD SWIMMER.]

---

Everything was bitter. The last three days had been so bitterly cold that even Scaleripple and Venturedapple, with two of the thickest pelts in the Clan, couldn't stay out of camp for long. The mice and squirrels had been eating something, something that made Puddlewhisper's mouth curl no matter how well the caretakers cooked the meat. And that was without mentioning the way Puddlewhisper's teeth ached to dig into guilty flesh. The bitterness had reached her heart, pushing her into the snow.

Another look around. Another try. For Lightningrunner.

Puddlewhisper stalked through the snow. She placed her paws in the prints left by previous patrols, reducing the sound of crunching snow to a mutter. Her ears turned with every creaking branch or scuttering leaf. Her tail waved back and forth, a reflection of her rising frustration. She kept at a slow pace, though, sniffing at the base of a fir.

She could see Battle Beach through the trees, although the sand had been consumed by snow, blurring the border between the forest and the shoreline. The fur on the back of Puddlewhisper's neck itched. Phantom fangs pierced her spine. It was so bad that she had to stop and scratch her neck, sending a few tufts of winter fluff floating into the snow.

"We've been here half the morning, Puddlewhisper," a voice groaned from the trees. "I don't think anyone's going to show up." Two pairs of gray eyes peered at Puddlewhisper from the snow-heavy needles of a black spruce. Vervaincough and Venturedapple leaped out of the tree and landed gracefully beside Puddlewhisper.

"Stars damn it," Puddlewhisper hissed, settling her itchy body. "I was certain someone would stop me from 'confirming my theory'. I suppose it wasn't likely to succeed."

"Because they know you're smarter than to talk about 'almost solving the murders' in the middle of camp," Venturedapple muttered.

"It was worth a try, Venturedapple," Vervaincough snapped, her tail smacking against Venturedapple's half-furred tail. Venturedapple dipped his head to the mourning molly.

"You can go back to camp if you want, Venturedapple," Puddlewhisper sighed. "I'm going to look around more. Maybe I can figure out how Lightningrunner's killer managed to get away from the rest of the patrol so easily…" Puddlewhisper studied the layout of the trees, looking for an easy hiding spot.

"I'm staying too, then," Vervaincough huffed, standing next to Puddlewhisper. "There has to be something I can tell my family when I get back."

"It wouldn't be right to leave you two alone," Venturedapple sighed, shaking his head. "We're too close to the river."

"Do you and Lemmy still think a Witch Hunter killed them?" Puddlewhisper asked. "There's no way a Witch Hunter could have killed Lightningrunner and returned to the human settlement without leaving some type of trail."

"Actually, no," Venturedapple said simply, sitting at the base of the spruce. "The cats who follow Pearl wouldn't have a reason to do this. However, there were some cats who were loyal to Achilles when he and Pearl fought for the title of Witch Hunter General. Perhaps the killer is one of the minority who still view the Clans as witches to be exterminated."

"I can see why you left them," Vervaincough huffed, fluffing her pelt against a bitter breeze whistling through the trees. "I wouldn't want to live in RippleClan if a power struggle like that happened."

"I won't reject the possibility that an outsider killed Potterypool," Puddlewhisper admitted, "but Lightningrunner? No, I'm sorry. It had to be a RippleClan cat. There's no other way they could have escaped." Somewhere behind Puddlewhisper, a heavy weight crunched into the snow. A pawstep. Puddlewhisper's ears swiveled. There it was again. This time Vervaincough and Venturedapple heard it. They both stood tall, ears turned the same way as Puddlewhisper.

Puddlewhisper put her tail to her mouth, silencing the patrol. Crunch. Another pawstep. The three codekeepers dropped. Puddlewhisper in the lead, they followed the sound further into the trees. Crunch.

There! A figure to match the sound. For a moment, Puddlewhisper thought it was Rapidleaf, what with the dark brown fur and blue eyes. But no, this was not Rapidleaf; this molly was younger, nimbler, with rosettes sprinkling her pelt. The stranger reeked of milk and afterbirth; a queen? A recently kitted queen, as well. Despite her thin body, her belly swelled with milk and had yet to fully shrink from pregnancy. She stalked a squirrel digging at the snow, searching for its autumn nuts.

"Halt!" Puddlewhisper called, standing up. The queen jumped, back arching violently. She hissed, showing off her yellow teeth. The squirrel scrambled up a spruce. The queen darted past her lost catch, slamming into the snow with each frantic step.

"Stop!" Vervaincough yowled. She tumbled past a dead bush and sprinted after the queen.

"Vervaincough, pull back!" Puddlewhisper ordered.

"She's getting away!" Vervaincough snapped, skitting through the snow. Her wild gaze bounced between Puddlewhisper and the disappearing queen.

"She's got the strongest scent trail I've ever smelled," Puddlewhisper huffed, nose curling at the intensity of it. "Don't waste your energy running. With her scent and her pawprints, we won't lose her." Puddlewhisper once again led Vervaincough and Venturedapple on, but this time she kept at a light jog, letting her nose do the work. Venturedapple, obediant as ever, walked alongside the gray molly.

"What are you thinking?" Venturedapple asked, trying to look through Puddlewhisper's eyes.

"I think if she's as new a queen as she smells," Puddlewhisper explained, "she's made her nest not far from here. If that's the case, she might have seen something that could help us." Were it better days, Puddlewhisper would have suggested inviting the stranger to RippleClan, provide her a safe place to nurse her kits. But the thought lingered only for a moment before memories of dead, red fur replaced it and Puddlewhisper's heart hardened.

The queen's panicked trail headed towards the Great Northern River, as Puddlewhisper suspected. The stranger's pawprints reappeared on the other side of the stepping stones. Ice glistened across the surface of the stones where they peeked above the freezing current. Puddlewhisper stopped and licked warmth into her paws. Vervaincough pushed ahead, hopping onto the first slippery stone. She jumped from stone to stone, allowing the momentum of her landing to propel her to the next. She landed on the opposite bank with nary a stumble.

Puddlewhisper crossed next. She took her time in her crossing, merely stepping from stone to stone. Her claws poked at the ice. Even though she warmed her paws, it was hard to feel the pads when chilling mist sprayed up from below.

Her back paw slipped at the edge of a stone. Her hind legs fell into the river. The water was shallow and couldn't pull her away, but a paralyzing cold whipped up her spine. Puddlewhisper's legs shook as she tried to stand.

Suddenly, gentle fangs grabbed Puddlewhisper's scruff. Venturedapple stood behind her, his long fur dragging in the current. He shoved Puddlewhisper onto the stepping stone and nudged her back to her paws. Puddlewhisper shivered violently, but nodded deeply. Venturedapple merely dipped his head and crossed past Puddlewhisper, unphased by the cold water and ignoring the stepping stones.

Snow stuck to Puddlewhisper's wet flank when she and Venturedapple made it over to Vervaincough. Puddlewhisper shook out her pelt, spraying Vervaincough. Luckily the queen's trail was still clear and stinking. Puddlewhisper and Vervaincough hurried alongside the queen's pawprints, too focused on their mission to worry about Puddlewhisper's health.

They slowed and crouched as the queen and her nest came into view. Dead grass and orange needles curled around the queen and her three newborn kits. The queen gently groomed a brown kit whose pelt made it clear they would look just like their mother in time. Two other kits mewed and whined for milk; a silver spotted kit and a pale ginger kitten with a nose so pink and pale that it blended into the rest of their fur. They looked healthy from what Puddlewhisper could tell. She, Vervaincough, and Venturedapple lurked under the low-hanging branches of yet another black spruce. The queen purred and panted, glancing behind her.

"Let's try not to scare her again," Puddlewhisper advised her companions. "We can't chase her all day."

"I recognize her," Venturedapple whispered. "Her name is Nimble. She used to live in the human settlement. She left with Achilles. He was her mate." Achilles… he had long brown fur. Could he be the cat Potterypool encountered in the moments before her death?

"Isn't Achilles really old for her?" Vervaincough groaned, sneering at the thought.

"Not every cat has the same concern about age as the Clans seem to," Venturedapple muttered, shaking his head. Yet as he did so, he knocked into a snow-burdened branch. A clump of snow fell from the tree with a loud thud.

The queen, Nimble, ripped herself from her litter's affections. She stood between her kits and the codekeepers like a crumbling wall, unable to stop shaking. Despite the light bouncing off the snow, Nimble's pupils were wide, utterly terrified. Puddlewhisper groaned in her mind.

"We aren't here to hurt you," Puddlewhisper promised, crawling out from under the tree. "We just want to ask you some questions."

"No," Nimble hissed. "No, you're lying. You're here to kill me."

"We don't want that," Vervaincough said as she and Venturedapple joined Puddlewhisper. "Did you see a red molly out here last moon?" That was the wrong thing to say, as Nimble unseathed her claws.

"She did it!" Nimble yowled. "I saw the two of them. They killed my mate, they didn't care! They sent you here to silence me!" Nimble's fear scent overwhelmed her milk-scent. Her kits whined, unfamiliar with the nose-curling stench.

"Tell us what happened," Venturedapple snapped, the tip of his fangs peeking out into the harsh light. Nimble spun and shoved her face into the nest. She emerged with her brown and silver kits dangling in her mouth. The pale ginger kit cried, tiny paws flailing for their missing littermates. Yet Nimble, ears low and tail tucked, simply ran. She stumbled over an exposed root, the exhaustion of kitting slowing her down. As she dove over the root, the silver kit slipped from her jaws. The kitten's tiny head smacked into the buldging root. They landed in the crunchy snow and wailed louder than Puddlewhisper thought a newborn ever could.

"Hold on!" Puddlewhisper cried, but Nimble wouldn't stop. She weaved through the trees, whimpering until her abandoned kit's screams drowned her out. Puddlewhisper's memories flung her back, back to that night when she woke up to screeching and screaming echoing from the nursery, unsure if her nieces, her nephews, her sisters and mother, if any of them were alright. That night, even as Downstar explained the horrors of the Dark Forest that caused such a disaster, all Puddlewhisper could think was, I'll never let a kit scream like that, ever again. They'll never hurt like that as long as I draw breath.

Puddlewhisper flew over the exposed root and cradled her paws around the silver newborn. There was no blood, thank StarClan, but the kit, a tom, still wailed and screamed, his nose-sized paws digging at the sky. Puddlewhisper pulled the kitten close to her chest, forcing herself to purr. She groomed the tom's tiny head. The tom began to soothe himself, rooting into Puddlewhisper's fur with painful whimpers. As he quieted, the pitiful mews of his other abandoned sibling became the loudest thing in the forest.

"One of you check on that kit already!" Puddlewhisper snapped at Vervaincough and Venturedapple, who stared dumbfounded at the silver kitten. Venturedapple, at least, pulled himself out of the stupor and obeyed Puddlewhisper's order. He crawled into the nest and nosed the pale ginger kit.

"It's a molly," Venturedapple explained. "She seems healthy. Just upset."

"She left them," Vervaincough muttered, staring at Nimble's trail. "She left her kits behind. They, they could die without her!"

"That's why we're taking them back to camp, right now," Puddlewhisper hissed, lifting the silver kit back over the exposed root.

"What about Nimble?" Venturedapple asked.

"She'll never tell us what we need to know if she thinks we're out to kill her," Puddlewhisper growled. "We'll find her eventually. The clerics need to see this kit. We're going home, right now. Grab his sister and follow me."

For the first time in an entire moon, Puddlewhisper didn't think about her sister's murder. She could only think of the two newborns beside her, whining for their mother.

[Image ID: Puddlewhisper stands with a silver speckled kit and a pale ginger tabby kit. Puddlewhisper says "What kind of mother is she if she only saved one kit? Someone should put these two first." Under the silver kit, it says NEW PLAYER: ICEKIT, 0, MALE, UNRULY. Under the pale ginger kit, it says NEW PLAYER: PEARKIT, 0, FEMALE, QUIET.]

With no nursing queens to feed the two newcomers, Carnationspeckle quickly set to work brewing kitten soup while Currentsmoke built a nest in the nursery. Vervaincough and Venturedapple met with Waspdawn, Oilstripe, and Downstar in the leader's den while Puddlewhisper stayed with the silver and pale ginger kits, warming them by the bonfire. Troutpool carefully examined the silver tom's head while Puddlewhisper made sure his sister didn't crawl into the fire.

"I don't see any signs of injury," Troutpool muttered, "and he seems to be doing well. I can monitor him, but I don't think he's hurt. Just a little knock on the head, I believe." Troutpool licked the tom's head, chuckling. Shrewflame and Whitepaw hovered over Puddlewhisper, trying to get a good view of the newborns.

"They're adorable," Whitepaw gasped, eyes sparkling. "Do they need anything?"

"Some space," Puddlewhisper huffed, batting at the two brothers. "Don't you have chores to attend to?"

"Well forgive our curiosity," Shrewflame grumbled, guiding Whitepaw back. The rest of the Clan were able to contain themselves and give Puddlewhisper room to breathe. If they weren't discussing the day's events, they were trying to listen to Downstar's meeting (only for Cobaltchaser, guarding the den, to remind them it was private).

"Once Currentsmoke's done in the nursery, we can move them in," Troutpool sighed. She sat beside Puddlewhisper and warmed her whiskers. Puddlewhisper pulled the kits close to her. They sensed her warmth and turned their noses into her pelt.

"You seem like a natural," Troutpool hummed. Puddlewhisper's ears dipped. She stared at the fire, forcing her pelt to stay smooth. Troutpool tucked in her tail and quickly added, "I'm sorry, I didn't think that through. They just seem to like you, that's what I mean." Puddlewhisper stared at the kits. The silver tom looked like he could be Puddlewhisper's son. The molly looked more like Waspdawn's kit, a thought that brought out a purr. It did seem natural, didn't it? But Puddlewhisper's tail flicked against the ground, a clear sign of her thoughts.

"Can I admit something to you?" Puddlewhisper asked softly.

"A cleric never reveals what her Clanmate says in confidence," Troutpool promised, sitting taller. Puddlewhisper curled her tail over the kits.

"I hated Elmsprout for having kits," Puddlewhisper muttered. She waited for backlash, for a horrified gasp, but Troutpool stayed quiet. "Gingerpaw and Frostpaw are going to be wonderful cats, and Lavendertwist adores being a father. But when I saw Elmsprout nursing her litter, I hated her for it. I wanted to be nursing kits in the nursery. All the mothers in this Clan seem so happy to be in the nursery, and I would give up anything to be one of them. But if I had children by blood, I could only stand to the side while another molly gave birth to them. I wouldn't really be their mother."

"Yes you would," Troutpool insisted, putting her tail on Puddlewhisper's back. "They would call you their mother."

"Yes," Puddlewhisper groaned, "but didn't Oilstripe feel awkward with you, knowing you and her shared no blood? It's a similar feeling." Troutpool's ears tilted back slightly. "I can't be the mother I want to be."

"I'm sorry I can't change that," Troutpool sighed. "If it helps, though, I think your concern would make you a great mother, in whatever way that happens." Troutpool gently nudged the silver kit, but the newborn was too absorbed in the warmth of Puddlewhisper's belly fur. "Are you going to try Nimble and return her kits?"

"She put her fear over her kits," Puddlewhisper snapped. "She left these two to die. What kind of mother is she if she only saved one kit? Someone should put these two first."

"What if Downstar orders you to give them back?" Troutpool asked softly.

"She won't," Puddlewhisper said. The tension in her voice disturbed the nestled kits. She quickly licked each of their little bodies and settled their hearts.

"Then I can't think of anyone better to raise them," Troutpool purred. "I think StarClan approves. Your… Ripplefern's spirit is watching. She looks happy." Puddlewhisper's pelt tingled. She stared at an empty spot in camp. She saw no ghostly shapes, but some deep instinct told her that her sister was right there, keeping watch, just as Troutpool described.

"We don't know exactly when they were born," Puddlewhisper hummed, studying the kits… her kits. "I don't think it would be wrong to give them names now."

"Can I help?" Troutpool asked, ears perking up.

"You can help with the molly," Puddlewhisper said, "but I have the perfect name for the tom. Icekit." Just like the ice she encountered on her way to meet him.

"Cute!" Troutpool said. "The molly's so round and plump, she deserves a round name. Maybe a fruit, or a seed, maybe even a mushroom! There are a lot that match her color. Hen-of-the-woods, porcini mushrooms, maple flowers, pears, maybe a squash, like the sort WheatClan steals—"

"Wait," Puddlewhisper said, raising her tail for the cleric to pause. "What's a pear?"

"Oh, they grow them in the human settlement!" Troutpool explained. "Lemmy told me about them. They grow on trees and they're shaped like rattles. The humans love to eat them." Hmm, pears…

"I like Pearkit," Puddlewhisper decided. She stuck her face between her son and daughter and nuzzled them both.

Yes. In the midst of chaos, this felt more natural than anything.

(Puddlewhisper: 56, trans female, codekeeper, righteous, keen eye, ghost sense)

(Venturedapple: 78, male, codekeeper, cold, eloquent speaker)

(Vervaincough: 25, female, codekeeper, insecure, understands nature, good mediator)

(Nimble: 45, female, loner, righteous, good swimmer)

(Quick: 0, female, kit, know-it-all)

(Icekit: 0, male, kit, unruly)

(Pearkit: 0, female, kit, quiet)

(Troutpool: 51, female, cleric, insecure, ghost sight)

(Whitepaw: 7, male, historian apprentice, nervous, active imagination)

(Shrewflame: 14, male, teacher, loyal, fast as the wind)

[sunny-clan]

TW

first major death :(

can i have an F in chat for our deputy

who do you guys think will be next deputy?

Prev / Allegiances / Next

[songclangen]

NEW BABIES!!! im kind of obsessed with these three fruit-themed sisters (those were even their original names which makes it so cute, a kittypet would totally name their babies something like that)

also sort of brainrotted about talontail. he’s a great hunter, but still works as a medicine cat because he’s passionate about caring for others. i personally don’t think he’s a natural healer like beebright, his starclan connection is especially not his strong suit. but he works REALLY REALLY hard. especially since his brother featherpaw died.

sprites

[bayouclan]

Moon 6

Stoneslip is gets bullied by a child

[gimkit-offical]

I didn't know Pearkit was a canon ship. Can I get some Pear Deck x Gimkit fanart Tag it with #pearkit if you care

-Jomeone Gimkit

[willowclan-yt]

Willowclan Starclan Lineup

Just the Starclan lineup! This will be updated with every video :)

[acacia-clan]

Moon 3

Previous

Next

Hawthornpaw cried ONCE, Sparkstar

[skyscratch-wc]

THORNCLAW - ThunderClan Protector

He/Him

Name Significance: when he was found as a kitten his fur stuck up with thorns, and then his claws turned out to be just as sharp

Ranks: Protector

Mentor: Graystripe, Fireheart (unofficially)

Apprentices: Rainwhisker, Spiderleg

Parents: Frostfur (adopted), Lionheart (adopted)

Siblings: Brightheart, Cinderlight (adopted), Brackenfur (adopted)

Mate: Blossomfall

Kits: Eaglewing, Plumstone, Shellfur, Stemleaf

Other Notable Kin: Whitewing (niece), Snowbush (nephew), Dewnose (nephew), Ambermoon (niece), Molepaw (adopted nephew), Poppyfrost (adopted niece), Honeyfern (adopted niece), Cinderheart (adopted niece), Pollenkit (grandkit), Silverkit (grandkit), Pearkit (grandkit)

[purrassicjet]

I was very inspired by @willowpelt's House!Cats designs... so... here we go

So I did that. And then I was like.. but what if... trans Oakbloom swag because calico

So then came... Bloomingkit (she-kit, left) and Pearkit (tom, right)! Bloomingkit resembles Oakbloom more, but has more of Wolfwhisker's personality, and Pearkit looks like both of them due to a rare genetic mutation that makes him a tortie tom! He has more of a pranksters personality like Wolfwhisker, but works hard like Oakbloom.

[paradoxalarchive]

WeaselShell is a Warriors OC of mine that initially came about from playing clangen, and he has quite the story.

————————————

Weaselpaw, Pebblepaw, and Heatherpaw were among the first apprentices of Meadowclan. With not many other young cats around, they spent most of their time together.

The moons pass quickly, and soon enough they earn their warrior names; Weaselshell, Pebblelake, and Heatherstripe. Ecstatic, the trio are eager to prove themselves as capable warriors, and strive to make the clan proud. Their very first patrol together as true warriors very nearly ends in disaster. A fox ambushes them, giving Weaselshell a nasty wound. Fortunately, the trio are able to drive it back without any major injuries, though they still bring Weaselshell to the medicine den for his wound. Pebblelake jokes that a cool scar meant he was a real warrior. Weaselshell isn’t so sure, he doesn’t feel much like a warrior in that moment.

Seasons pass, and the trio finds their footing as warriors. They still stick together, and prefer to do their patrols together too. One fateful day, Heatherstripe hears a strange sound coming from the bushes. And despite Weaselshell’s warnings, he rushes in to investigate. Pebblelake and Weaselshell follow, and they find two kits curled up next to their dead mother. A rouge, by the scent, but they can’t very well leave two helpless kits alone to die. Ultimately it’s Pebblelake that makes the call to bring the kits back to camp. And when they do, it’s Pebblelake that volunteers to take care of them. Weaselshell and Heatherstripe of course back him up, and the trio are appointed as the kits primary caretakers. They decide to name them Pearkit and Brownkit.

Brownkit is sickly, and weak. The poor kit dies just days after being brought to camp. Pebblelake is devastated. The trio then do their best to raise Pearkit, who was stronger than her brother from the start. They start taking turns staying behind to watch Pearkit while the other two patrol.

On one such patrol, Heatherstripe and Pebblelake go out together, leaving Weaselshell the watch over Pearkit. Pebblelake returns alone, yowling frantically about a dog. The warriors of the clan rush to deal with the threat, and return with Heatherstripe’s mangled corpse.

Pebblelake and Weaselshell mourn Heatherstripe for a long time. Moons pass, and the ache of loss slowly dulls. Weaselshell and Pebblelake push onwards, raising their kit as well as they can. Pearkit grows up strong and healthy. She’s named Pearpaw before they know it.

The clan’s medicine cat, Sunpetal, dies mysteriously. Most of the clan chalks it up to old age getting to her. The clan mourns, but thankfully they have two more medicine cats, Ridgelotus and Deadpaw. It isn’t until Adderclaw, a previously healthy warrior, very suddenly grows frail and dies, that cats start suspecting that something is wrong. It’s hushed rumours, and unease, but no one can prove that it was murder, and so no one outright accuses. Still, the idea that one of their own might just be plotting to kill them is enough to sow distrust among the clan.

Pebblelake and Weaselfur stick together still, and try to focus on being there for Pearpaw They’re good parents, all things considered, and soon enough Pearpaw is named Pearfur, a full warrior herself now.

Then, one day Ridgelotus gets into a verbal spat with Pebblelake. Weaselshell is horrified to hear the medicine cat slandering Heatherstripe, and even more horrified when the argument takes an awful turn. Ridgelotus kills Pebblelake right in front of him, in cold blood. The crazed medicine cat had been the killer all along, and now she’s taken Pebblelake from him.

Pearfur stumbles in on the scene, one of her dads is dead and Ridgelotus’s claws are stained in blood. She launches herself at Ridgelotus, and returns the favour, killing the medicine cat.

Meadowstar, the clan leader, calls a clan meeting to sort the situation out. Deadhollow, the former medicine cat apprentice, comes forward to tell the clan about the deathberry stock his former mentor had kept, of her negligence in keeping the herbs stocked up, and of her complete lack of empathy for the injured and sick. It turns out, Ridgelotus is the killer behind both Sunpetal and Adderclaw’s deaths.

Weaselshell is utterly wracked with grief. Pebblelake and Heatherstripe are gone. He feels alone. Pearfur tries to console him, but as the moons drag on, he starts to think that maybe they were cursed. Neither Heatherstripe, nor Pebblelake were very old, and they were gone now. Killed. He hopes they are at peace up in starclan.

Pearfur becomes mates with Frogwater, another young warrior. Weaselshell tries to function through the grief, and keeps up with his warrior duties. He isn’t the best father these days, he knows, but he tries. It’s a surprise to everyone when Pearfur returns from patrol with a kit. She and Frogwater adopt the kit, and name him Rookkit. Weaselshell keeps his distance. Rookkit reminds him too much of what he lost.

Unfortunately, Weaselshell can’t avoid Rookkit forever. Pearfur grows sick one bareleaf, and never recovers. Deadhollow does his best, but she doesn’t pull through. Frogwater asks Weaselshell to help raise Rookkit. And then, shortly after Pearfur’s death, Frogwater is killed by a dog while out on patrol. Weaselshell is left to raise Rookkit alone.

He is a distant father figure to Rookkit. He knows he should do better for the poor kit, but he’s lost everyone, his whole family, and he is consumed by his grief. Rookkit grows up into a fine warrior named Rookspeck and the distance between them grows with him.

Weaselshell never makes it to being an elder. He lives many more moons, and then gets greencough, dying alone in the medicine den. Finally reunited with the ones that he lost.

———————————————

I’m still trying to figure out how I like to draw cats, so bear with me. This was fun though! I was pleasantly surprised by just how much drama happens in clangen! Poor Weaselshell got hit with hella lotta tragedy.

[rippleclan]

RippleClan: Moon 96

Frostpaw gets the name Frostdancer, much to Gingerpaw’s envy.

[Image ID: Frostdancer is now in a long-furred adult sprite. Under her, it reads LEVEL UP! FROSTPAW → FROSTDANCER, STRICT → CONFIDENT, LOVER OF STORIES → GREAT STORYTELLER. Gingerpaw, in the same adult sprite, watches from the back with Estherfern.]

(Frostdancer: 12, female, artisan, confident, great storyteller)

(Gingerpaw: 12, male, cleric apprentice, charismatic, curious about humans, moss-ball hunter)

(Estherfern: 130, female, cleric, adventurous, great mediator, prophecy seeker)

Asterblaze and Elmsprout reminisce about their old Clans when a WheatClan apprentice stumbles into the territory. They help him find his way home.

[Image ID: Elmsprout and Asterblaze speak with a black spotted apprentice. Asterblaze says, "We'll get you home, Fluffpaw." Under him, it reads LEVEL UP! CONSTANTLY FIDDLING WITH TOOLS → INVENTOR AND INNOVATOR.]

(Asterblaze: 43, male, caretaker, thoughtful, inventor and innovator)

(Elmsprout: 63, female, caretaker, charismatic, trusted advisor)

Icepaw gets apprenticed to Shrewflame and Pearpaw trains under Whiteflower. Puddlewhisper goes to inform Nimblestep of her kits’ apprenticeship and decision.

[Image ID: Puddlewhisper watches from afar as Shrewflame and Whiteflower guide Icepaw and Pearpaw, now in the same apprentice sprites, out of camp. Under Puddlewhisper, it says LEVEL UP! THOUGHTFUL → RIGHTEOUS, + CONDITION: MANGLED TAIL. Under Icepaw, it says LEVEL UP! ICEKIT → ICEPAW, UNRULY → FIERCE, + NEW SKILL: NEVER SITS STILL. Under Pearpaw, it says LEVEL UP! PEARKIT → PEARPAW, QUIET → RIGHTEOUS, + NEW SKILL: LOVER OF STORIES.]

---

Lettucestar and Oilstar both agreed at the Gathering that they would each apprentice Nimblestep's kits three days following the Gathering. At that time, a RippleClan patrol would meet SlugClan at the border, either with or without Icekit and Pearkit. Their absence would mark their decision. The kits had each emphatically told Puddlewhisper that they would stay in RippleClan, but as their apprenticeship drew closer and closer, Puddlewhisper couldn't help but wonder; would they change their minds?

As dawn approached, heralding the litter's apprenticeship, Puddlewhisper was the first in the nursery to wake up. All the kits were big enough that they needed their own nests, so Puddlewhisper found her side absent of warm faces. Icekit and Pearkit still had their nests close to Puddlewhisper, however. Icekit laid on his back, twitching in the depths of a dream while Pearkit laid in a peaceful lump, quietly dozing. Midnightkit and Valleykit had crawled into one another's nests over the course of the night, leaving Rattlepelt buried under her fox pelt alone. Stormjump, plump with her pregnancy, was dead to the world while Dovekit blocked Puddlewhisper's path out of the den. He had somehow gotten out of his nest and decided to sleep stretched out across the entrance like leather flooring. Puddlewhisper rolled her eyes. The sooner that odd lump of fur was in the apprentice's den, the better.

Puddlewhisper crept around Icekit and Pearkit. She nimbly stepped over Dovekit and into camp. It was still dark out, meaning that dawn patrols had yet to set out and no one had begun their day. The camp was quiet, save for the hum of the late night birds and the shifting presence of one of the caretakers outside. The waning gibbous moon hovered behind the shipwreck, turning the landmark into a dark shadow painted against Silverpelt.

To Puddlewhisper's surprise, she was not the first in camp to stir early. Paleseed hovered outside the apprentice's den, fiddling with moss. Paleseed spotted Puddlewhisper and paused with moss sticking between her claws.

"I'm just deconstructing Frostdancer's old nest," Paleseed whispered as Puddlewhisper approached. "We keep forgetting it's in here. Icekit and Pearkit can use some of this moss." Puddlewhisper nodded and sat next to her sister. A tickle crawled up her back despite the warm summer night. She stared into the empty apprentice's den and thought back to the days when all of her littermates crowded inside, eagerly sharing tales of their training deep into the night. Ripplefern's memory was a haze in the back of the den. Would she be there as Icekit and Pearkit decided on their futures?

"Puddle?" Paleseed purred, drawing her sister's eye. "Icekit and Pearkit already said they want to stay here. Why do you look so tense? Did they change their minds?"

"I don't think so," Puddlewhisper gulped. "Still… if I knew I had kin in another Clan, I would want to meet them."

"Whatever happens," Paleseed promised, grooming Puddlewhisper's neck, "you've been a good mother." Puddlewhisper licked Paleseed's ear. She bunted Paleseed's shoulder and, for a moment, pretended Nimblestep didn't exist, that she had been born a molly, that Icekit and Pearkit were forever, always, and unconditionally hers.

The pair sat in the well-trodden sand, each grooming the other as light leaked over the horizon. The Clan slowly stirred around them. Whiteflower and Shrewflame ran for the artisan's den as soon as they stirred. They nearly knocked over Downstar's almost-finished sculpture, ready to be painted and stored beside Weedfoot's image in a rocky off-shoot of the elder's den. Yarrowclaw limped out of the medicine den, her deep wound slowly forming into a neat scar. Halibutdusk, Rapidleaf, and Mitespark gathered around the fresh-kill pile, debating how they would handle the sunhigh meal.

When Dovekit charged out of the nursery and hassled Yarrowclaw, Puddlewhisper knew it was time to greet her kits. Paleseed sensed her sister shift beside her and stopped grooming her back.

"Make them look pretty for today," Paleseed hummed as Puddlewhisper headed for the nursery. Puddlewhisper stood a little taller as the den's interior came into view. Sure enough, everyone inside was awake. Midnightkit and Valleykit jogged past Puddlewhisper, leaving Rattlepelt alone to stretch and adjust her fox pelt. Stormjump stayed in her nest, weighed down with no reason to get up and go. Icekit and Pearkit whispered to each other, heads dipped low. Pearkit, however, perked up as Puddlewhisper came in.

"Mom," Pearkit said, jumping around Icekit and stopping at her mother's paws. "Do you know when Oilstar will call for the Clan?"

"I'm sure she won't wait too long," Puddlewhisper promised as Icekit joined his sister. "How do you both feel?"

"My head hurts a bit," Icekit admitted, tail twitching awkwardly, "but I'm ready to have the ceremony."

"And you both still…" Puddlewhisper gulped.

"We're staying, Mom," Pearkit promised. She bunted Puddlewhisper in the chest. "We can get to know our kin at the Gathering." Puddlewhisper purred deeply, all the trapped anxiety in her chest flooding out as she pulled Pearkit close and rapidly groomed her head. Icekit tried to step around the two mollies, but Puddlewhisper stuck out her hind leg and blocked him.

"You need to look nice for the ceremony, too," Puddlewhisper chuckled. Icekit groaned dramatically, but stayed where he was.

It wasn't long before Oilstar yowled from the top of the Shiprock, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather below the Shiprock for a Clan meeting!" By then dawn had firmly settled itself across RippleClan, the sun forming a gibbous shape against the edge of the ocean. Icekit and Pearkit's fur was groomed to perfection, with not a single curvy hair out of place. Weedfoot had the same standard of perfection for Puddlewhisper's apprentice ceremony, so why should she stray from tradition?

Icekit and Pearkit flanked their mother as they all entered the camp clearing. With the pair at either side, Puddlewhisper preened a little; her kits would never outgrow her. Pearkit was shaping up to be a rather small molly, more round than tall, while Icekit had a fairly average build. Both already looked like little warriors, though. Oilstar stood on the Shiprock, her autumn decor glowing against the sunrise. How strange it was to see her standing in Downstar's spot, overlooking all of RippleClan. And by all, Puddlewhisper meant all of RippleClan; not a single cat had left for patrol yet.

"Stand at the front of the crowd," Puddlewhisper told her kits. She slipped away from Icekit and Pearkit and found an empty spot beside Paleseed, Lavendertwist, and Waspdawn. Icekit and Pearkit stood in front of the Shiprock. RippleClan curved around them like water around a rock. Wildclaw sat at the base of the Shiprock, as was her place as the Clan's new deputy. Another strange sight.

"Apprentice ceremonies are an exciting day in RippleClan," Oilstar began, speaking loud and strong. "This ceremony is especially interesting, because today we don't just ask the young cats before us if they are ready to train. We ask them if they wish to devote themselves to RippleClan." Oilstar stared at Icekit and Pearkit as she spoke her next words. "Icekit, Pearkit, you both joined RippleClan under tense circumstances. We didn't expect your birth mother to return, especially not as a SlugClan warrior. I can't continue this ceremony without apologizing to you both. RippleClan killed your father, Achilles, and drove your mother to flee and leave you behind. We have tried to earn your forgiveness, but we cannot keep you here if your heart calls for you to join your mother and sister in SlugClan."

"We want to stay here, Oilstar," Icekit yowled, nearly interuppting Oilstar. "I don't care how I ended up here. This is my home." A few cats cheered at Icekit's proud declaration, Lavendertwist among them. Waspdawn touched his nose to Puddlewhisper's pelt, pressing congratulations through her skin.

"Pearkit, you share this perspective?" Oilstar asked.

"Yes," Pearkit said. Her voice collapsed under her with another, louder cheer from RippleClan.

"Save the cheers for later!" Oilstar laughed as Icekit and Pearkit squirmed under the attention. "We have a ceremony to conduct! Usually I learn what path a kit's paws call them down before we gather, but there were other matters to settle. Icekit, Pearkit, what do you want to train as?"

"I want to be a teacher!" Icekit declared just as Pearkit tried to talk. "It's such a new role. I want the other Clans to have teachers too!"

"I want to know how the world works," Pearkit quickly added. "Can I train as a historian?"

"I have the perfect mentors for both of you," Oilstar purred. "Icekit, Pearkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. Icekit, Pearkit, until you earn your full names, you shall be known as Icepaw and Pearpaw." Icepaw and Pearpaw seemed to glow with the power of their new names. "Icepaw, you will be apprenticed under Shrewflame."

"I get an apprentice!" Shrewflame shoved through the crowd, his whole body vibrating and his paws suspiciously stained with orange paint. Wildclaw hid a chuckle as Shrewflame touched his nose to Icepaw's.

"Pearpaw, you will be apprenticed under Whiteflower," Oilstar declared. Whiteflower left the crowd with far more grace than his older brother. He too had orange paint on his white paws.

"I'll do my best," Whiteflower purred as he touched noses with Pearpaw.

"Icepaw! Pearpaw! Icepaw! Pearpaw!" RippleClan cried. Puddlewhisper cheered from the bottom of her lungs.

"Let's tour the territory before the artisans realized we touched their paint supplies," Shrewflame whispered, nudging Icepaw along.

"We'll see you soon, Mom!" Pearpaw cheered as she and Whiteflower hurried after their brothers. They streaked ahead of the pair and managed to get out of camp first. Puddlewhisper waved goodbye as the Clan dissolved into relieved chuckles and grateful purrs. They were gaining two apprentices rather than losing two kits that day.

"Puddlewhisper!" As the Clan set about their duties for the day, Oilstar hopped off the Shiprock and joined Puddlewhisper and her littermates. "I need you to take Venturedapple and Wolfgaze to the border. SlugClan's expecting a patrol."

"Oilstar, Puddlewhisper shouldn't go," Waspdawn huffed, flicking his ear to catch the leader's attention. "She's Icepaw and Pearpaw's mother. SlugClan will be furious with her. Let me lead the patrol."

"Lettucestar wants this handled as much as we do," Oilstar sighed, shaking her head. "I want Puddlewhisper to face SlugClan so we all can have good relations again. They shouldn't see Puddlewhisper as a kit thief, and we shouldn't hide her like one."

"Not to doubt Puddlewhisper," Lavendertwist added, scratching an itch under his collar, "but maybe the three of us can at least come with? I don't really trust SlugClan to handle this well."

"They might behave better with a mediator around, too," Paleseed pointed out.

"If you're all so nervous about it," Oilstar said, "you can go with. Just don't make this seem like a war patrol, please? We've had enough injuries from the other Clans lately."

With a few quick stretches and a call to Venturedapple and Wolfgaze, Puddlewhisper's patrol was off for the border. As they left camp, Puddlewhisper spotted her kits and their mentors lingering along the southern coast. They splashed in the shallow salt water, laughing like kits. Puddlewhisper's heart warmed. Perhaps young mentors would make Icepaw and Pearpaw's lives feel a bit more normal. They deserved normalcy.

"They fell in a heap to claw the mud," Lavendertwist sang as the patrol pressed through the bright green forest, "that dyed their muzzles and pelts in rud, tunnelled until the ground bore blood, with all the blowflies swarming."

"Are you really singing 'Quiet Jaypaw' on a day like this?" Waspdawn sighed, unable to hide a hint of mild amusement despite how he shook his head.

"'Quiet Jaypaw'?" Venturedapple muttered from the back of the patrol.

"A creepy song about a roguehearted apprentice," Puddlewhisper hummed.

"Silverpaw used to love that song!" Wolfgaze laughed, jogging up to Lavendertwist's side.

"Ripplefern and I learned it from a SlugClan apprentice when we were young," Lavendertwist chuckled. "It feels like… the right song for the moment. You remember the main part, Wolfgaze?"

"Where, o where is quiet Jaypaw?" Wolfgaze sang, lacking the same skilled voice as Lavendertwist but sharing in the heart of the song. "Quiet Jaypaw can't be saved."

"Where, o where is quiet Jaypaw?" Lavendertwist joined Wolfgaze in the song. "Quiet Jaypaw, quiet grave." Lavendertwist and Wolfgaze laughed as they finished, earning an eyeroll from Venturedapple and a hidden purr from Waspdawn. Puddlewhisper hummed the melody under her breath, yet her gut twinged. Would she want the bearers of bad news approaching a meeting like this in song? Yet as Lavendertwist started the next verse, he glanced at Puddlewhisper, hesitating through the first line. Ah. So that was the reason.

"Poked at the grave 'til it bared its bones," Puddlewhisper hummed along with the two singers, "it bared its bones, it bared its bones, it bared its bones, poked at the grave 'til it bared its bones, the crows call out their warning."

"Finches and warblers, gray catbirds," Paleseed joined in, "With twisted beaks and eyes all blurred, feathers as red as a fox's fur—"

"Savage and painted and warring," Waspdawn muttered. Lavendertwist, Wolgaze, and Paleseed cheered at Waspdawn's voice. Puddlewhisper decided she would have to teach her kits that song. The chorus replaced Puddlewhisper's dread as the patrol (sans Venturedapple, who stared bug-eyed and confused) trekked through the brightening forest.

The patrol beat SlugClan to the border where RippleClan, WheatClan, and AshClan met, but only by a little. Puddlewhisper barely had time to find a sundappled rock to rest upon before shapes slipped through the trees. Lighttrail was at the front, with one of SlugClan's mediators at his side. But the molly everyone expected and dreaded to see plunged past them, blue eyes sparkling.

"Are they here?" Nimblestep gulped, skidding to a stop at the edge of RippleClan territory. She scanned the large patrol, but her ears dipped lower and lower as she saw no small bodies in the crowd.

"Icepaw and Pearpaw," Waspdawn sighed, clearing his throat, "have decided to stay in RippleClan." Nimblestep contnued to search the patrol, but her face fell further and further.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Lighttrail muttered.

"They are still looking forward to meeting you, Nimblestep," Paleseed quickly interjected, trying to catch Nimblestep's fluttering attention. "They can explain their perspectives at the Gathering."

"What do I tell Quickpaw?" Nimblestep gulped. Her wide eyes focused on Puddlewhisper, who sat calmly in the center of the RippleClan patrol. "What did you tell them about me?"

"They know you care," Puddlewhisper said, picking her words carefully. "You still hurt them, though." Puddlewhisper risked moving closer as Nimblestep's breathing tightened. "You left them for dead, and made them fear for their lives with that patrol. I'm sorry, but you'll have to live with that."

"None of this would have happened if RippleClan weren't a group of foxhearts!" Nimblestep hissed. "You caused this! You took my family from me!"

It was simple hopefulness that kept Puddlewhisper so close to Nimblestep as the brown molly's lips curled and her claws glinted in the dappled morning light. But it was the echo of her words that kept Puddlewhisper from running as Nimblestep pounced on her. Her fangs instantly sunk into Puddlewhisper's tail, as though trying to bite straight through.

"Nimblestep, stop!" Lighttrail barked as every cat, SlugClan and RippleClan, converged on the furious mother. As Puddlewhisper tried to save her tail, however, Nimblestep's furious shaking stopped. Her jaw froze around Puddlewhisper's tail, still digging into her skin, blood still blooming around her fangs, but no longer applying active pressure. She wasn't even breathing. As Puddlewhisper suspected, Wolfgaze stood behind her, green eyes burning with star-given power. Puddlewhisper's body went numb as she looked into Wolfgaze's eyes.

"So this is the Rule of Three in action," Lighttrail muttered, backing away from Nimblestep, eyes locked on Wolfgaze. Waspdawn and Lavendertwist pried Nimblestep's frozen mouth off Puddlewhisper's tail. Puddlewhisper scrambled back, her blood burning. Paleseed swooped around her sister and groomed her pulsing wound. Waspdawn and Lavendertwist shoved Nimblestep back over the border. Wolfgaze broke her supernatural connection. Nimblestep's wide jaw snapped shut on empty air. She startled, tumbling back into the SlugClan mediator.

"Go home, now," Waspdawn growled. "The apprentices made their decision. That's the end of it." Waspdawn joined Puddlewhisper as Paleseed helped her to her paws. Puddlewhisper cradled her numb tail to her side.

"You are witches," Nimblestep hissed as Lighttrail pushed her back toward SlugClan. "Achilles was right. RippleClan is full of witches! This is all your fault!" Another strong shove from Lighttrail silenced the grieving mother. The small SlugClan patrol stumbled back to their territory, prizeless.

"I knew this was a bad idea," Lavendertwist muttered, glaring at the retreating cats.

"Let's get Puddlewhisper to the clerics," Venturedapple said, quietly taking the lead back home.

"Don't tell my kits yet," Puddlewhisper hissed through gritted teeth. "Let them enjoy their first day out of camp."

"StarClan knows what sort of wicked thoughts Nimblestep would have taught those kits," Wolfgaze grumbled as the patrol followed Venturedapple. Puddlewhisper focused her energy on the pain in her tail, but her thoughts still spun. Cruel or not, just or not, Nimblestep was right.

RippleClan destroyed her family.

(Puddlewhisper: 62, trans female, codekeeper, righteous, keen eye, ghost sense)

(Paleseed: 62, female, mediator, insecure, incredible runner, steady paws)

(Pearpaw: 6, female, historian apprentice, righteous, moss-ball hunter, lover of stories)

(Icepaw: 6, male, teacher apprentice, fierce, oddly observant, never sits still)

(Oilstar: 100, female, leader, charismatic, ghost speaker)

(Shrewflame: 20, male, teacher, loyal, fast as the wind)

(Whiteflower: 13, male, historian, faithful, great kitsitter)

(Waspdawn: 62, male, codekeeper, strict, learner of lore, clue finder)

(Lavendertwist: 62, male, historian, playful, great singer, good storyteller)

(Venturedapple: 84, male, codekeeper, cold, eloquent speaker)

(Wolfgaze: 31, female, codekeeper, thoughtful, connection to StarClan, great speaker)

Dovepaw gets to train as a warrior under Wolverineheart. Scaleripple takes all the new apprentices training and discovers he really likes teaching. He asks Thundergale and Shrewflame to help him be a teacher.

[Image ID: Scaleripple guides Pearpaw, Icepaw, and Dovepaw (now in a tall apprentice sprite) through a hunter's crouch. Under Dovepaw, it says LEVEL UP! DOVEKIT → DOVEPAW, IMPULSIVE → OBLIVIOUS. Scaleripple says, "Crouch like this…" Under him, it says LEVEL UP! FORMIDABLE FIGHTER → UNUSUALLY STRONG FIGHTER.]

(Pearpaw: 6, female, historian apprentice, righteous, moss-ball hunter, lover of stories)

(Icepaw: 6, male, teacher apprentice, fierce, oddly observant, never sits still)

(Dovepaw: 6, male, warrior apprentice, oblivious, active imagination)

(Scaleripple: 49, male, teacher, lonesome, unusually strong fighter)

[justanotherwarriorcatsfan]

Moon 45

She looked at the kits, not hers. At least not yet, but they needed a mother and she wanted to be one. She should be happy, she knows that but she can't resist asking: "Where did you find them?". The tall tom shrugged. "They were abandoned". She sniffed the kits, and didn't smell loner nor rogue. "Snipclan" she realized out loud, "whose kits are this?". The tom admitted. "he seemed quite important, he was a paler version of this one" he said while pointing at one of the kits. "Slightpeak and Nectarhowl," she tought out loud "the deputy.

Chasing came back from a walk with two kits, stating they are Hocus Pocus', and that she snuck out to have them and died because of the lack of medical assistence. Curlrewpaw wonders why he didn't notice Hocus Pocus was expecting.

Fallinghost and Billoweyes had another kit with the help of a surrogate, he is the second of their surrogates to die mystiriously tho

Ganderpaw became a warrior! Her warrior name is Ganderstripe and she was honoured for her spirit.

She is closest with her father and Mistleback, she has a small amount of dislike towards Mistleback, Billoweyes, Cavefreckle, Runningdapple and Lynxfern, but the good feelings on them balance that out.

Pearlpaw became a warrior! Her warrior name is Pearlpatch and she was honored for her honesty.

Pearlpatch is closest to her father and siblings. She doesn't like Sunpaw and Billoweyes. Also Cheese but she has a little trust and like for him as well.

Dahliawatchers grief dreams have stopped.

Weaselfur tried to confess to Wheatstar again but he was rejected.

Cheese was seen touching noses with a Blissclan cat

Voletail got sore

Runningdapple chased a kittypet out of the terretory

Runningdapple has gotten greencough

Ganderstripe no longer has a stomachache

Elmpaw tripped over a small trunk and got bruised

Specklepaw has gotten yellowcough

Peakpaw has gotten Whitecough

Jumpkit has gotten greencough

Completely random message from Hocus Pocus that has no deeper meaning at all:

[the-fish-thing-893]

I still can't believe you threw baby pearkit in a ditch

>:D

[simplyventi]

I just wanna show you all how pretty my recent Clangen cat Rootstar is. This was a survivors challenge I think it’s called where you pick an apprentice or kits or whatever and kill off the rest of the clan and it was suppose to just be a little thing for fun and it ended up becoming such a story.

And I just want to talk about him and his story.

Rootkit | Rootpaw | Rootheart | Rootstar

Male

Clan(s): Petalclan(currently), Groveclan(formerly)

Currently 99 moons

Currently has 4 lives left

Confident and Ambitious

Very Clever & Good Speaker

Former Mentor(s): Rattlestar(deceased), Emberrush(deceased)

Former apprentice(s): Bluesmoke(deceased), Chervilspeckle, Darkacorn(deceased), Bravehusk(deceased), Coniferdawn(deceased)

Mother: Lightblotch(deceased)

Father: Hay(Unconfirmed)

Brother: Hopepaw(deceased)

Grandmother: Hopefern(deceased)

Grandfather: Gladestar(deceased)

Uncle: Quailfeather(deceased)

Mates: Ebonyflame(currently), Spotpetal(formerly), Mari(formerly)

Daughters: Tangledeer(Spotpetal), Zinniacrest(Spotpetal;deceased), Chivecurrent(Mari;deceased), Palemask(Ebonyflame), Splashstripe(Ebonyflame), Cliffdapple(Ebonyflame;deceased), Blizzardwhisker(Ebonyflame)

Sons: Saplingfeather(Ebonyflame;deceased), Suntiger(Ebonyflame)

Adopted sons: Mintflash(Blackseeker’s kit;deceased), Pearkit(Blackseeker’s kit;deceased)

Adopted daughter: Breezetwist(Blackseeker’s kit)

Granddaughters: Brightplume(Tangle/Fluffy kit), Grovekit(Tangle/Fluffy kit)

Grandsons: Pumpkinglade(Tangle/Fluffy kit), Fireroar(Tangle/Fluffy kit)

Adopted granddaughter: Frostkit(Tangle/Fluffy adopted kit)

Rootstar is a long furred unusually dappled golden brown tom with yellow eyes.

Rootstar is the founding leader of Petalclan.

Rootstar is a compassionate, confident and ambitious tom who only seeks peace for Petalclan. As a young kit he was always thinking of others and thrived to be like his former mentor, Rattlestar. He’s thoughtful and generous in letting anyone that needs a home into Petalclan. He doesn’t ask others to do what he cannot and mostly takes on the harder jobs as he has the lives to spare(which has had Spotpetal and Ebonyflame getting on him for being reckless). He’s always one to hide his emotions as he doesn’t want anyone to see him hurting or upset as he feels the need to be strong in front of others. One example of this is after he buries his loved ones and clanmates after the fire, before going back to Spotkit and Bluekit he breaks down and cries wanting to let it all out before going back to the two kits who he now has to be strong for. He finds the title of leader tiresome and hard at times but he knew that’s how it was as he remembers Rattlestar always looking stressed. He feels a lot older than he is but with Ebonyflame she helps him feel young.

Born to Lightblotch and a loner named Hay alongside his brother Hopepaw in Groveclan under Rattlestar’s leadership. The two were as close as brothers could be. He was mentored by Rattlestar who he very much looked up to. Rootpaw was always a compassionate tom who rather take care of others first before himself. He always took his duties seriously as he always wanted to make sure the queens, kits and elders are comfortable and have eaten.

He was always a very clever and quick witted cat which he got from Rattlestar and was very confident in his way of speaking. He doesn’t back down or studder when speaking or standing up for his clan.

However his way of life was abruptly destroyed by a fire that claimed the lives of almost everyone in Groveclan, all but three: Rootpaw, Spotkit and Bluekit. He and Hopepaw woke up in the middle of the night to smoke and found the camp on fire. The two split up wanting to help their clanmates but little did he know that would be the last time he saw his brother alive.

Rootpaw went to Rattlestar’s den to find a burning tree had crashed down onto the den. Once inside he saw that Rattlestar had been crushed by the tree and smoke was filling the den. His two kits; Bluekit and Spotkit; were inside the den and Rattlestar asked his apprentice to take his kits to safety and relunctantly Rootpaw did as he was told and left camp with the two crying kits. The next day he went back to camp which the flames had been extinguished by this point and found the bodies of his clanmates. His uncle, Quailfeather, had been burned beyond recognition but was still alive and together they buried their clanmates. Quailfeather then told Rootpaw to take the two kits and find the other clans.

After some traveling they stop at a barn and meet a loner named Ember who tells them about the other clans and from there Rootpaw and the two kits set out to begin their own clan.

Once Rootpaw reaches 12 moons he names himself Rootheart for his compassionate nature and officially names himself Bluepaw’s mentor. Spotpaw decides to train as a medicine cat. He later gives Bluepaw his warrior name, Bluesmoke and Spotpaw becomes Spotpetal. After that Rootheart and Spotpetal become mates and she later takes him to receive his nine lives becoming Rootstar.

It isn’t long after that when Spotpetal finds out she’s expecting Rootstar’s kits but she isn’t as excited as Rootstar is. In fact once they are born she is more eager to get back to the Medicine den and once the kits are weened she practically leaves them to go back to healing.

Rootstar isn’t happy with it and raises their kits; Tanglekit and Zinniakit; by himself. He’s also handling clan matters and getting really stress when the current deputy at the time; Emberrush; was recovering in the medicine den.

After some time Spotpetal’s and Bluesmoke’s mother; who had left them long time ago; Pumpkinspice joins the clan and reunites with her kits and that’s when Spotpetal begins to neglect Rootstar as well. With their kits as apprentices now he tries to spend time with Spotpetal but she’s so preoccupied with her duties and catching up with her mother that she continues to ignore Rootstar. He understands at first seeing as it was her mother who’s she thought was dead but it also made Rootstar miss his own mother and he was left alone with his thoughts of his dead family that he one day meets a kittypet named Mari. They talk and agree to meet again at night and soon enough they were meeting every night talking. Mari doesn’t really understand clan life but she’s a good listener and soon enough the two become mates. He asks her to join the clan but she refuses saying she loves her easy and soft life and he realizes they can’t be together so he ends it.

He doesn’t realize that she’s expecting his kits. One day on a solo patrol a moon later she meets him and with her is a small kit. She asks him to take the kit as her owners don’t want a kit around and he agrees, claiming he found the kit abandoned and wants to adopt her. He names her Chivekit and she is raised by Rootstar and Spotpetal.

Suddenly Mari came and met Spotpetal while she was on a herb gathering patrol asking to see her’s and Rootstar’s kit. Mari doesn’t know that this is Spotpetal that Rootstar had told her about before and Spotpetal is furious once she put two and two together. She asks Rootstar out onto a patrol and then goes off about how he cheated on her. Rootstar then went around saying she practically drove him away by neglecting and ignoring him and the two have a big blow out and they break up.

Once Emberrush retires he makes a she-cat named Ebonyflame his deputy and the two grow close and later become mates. It takes him some time to get over Spotpetal but as much as he’s still angry at her he learns that maybe it wasn’t meant to be that they were only together to make Tangledeer and Zinniacrest who were two fine cats. The two work together but that’s all their relationship is.

There Ebonyflame and Rootstar welcome their first litter together: Saplingfeather, Palemask, Splashstripe and Suntiger. They would later welcome Cliffdapple and Blizzardwhisker.

It wouldn’t be until Sproutclan’s leader, Havenstar, calling both him and Spotpetal to Sproutclan for them to say goodbye that Rootstar and Spotpetal would reconcile and become better friends.

That’s really all I have up to his story at this point

[willowclan-yt]

Pearkit's Death (TW: Illness and Death)

After dealing with a bout of Greencough, little Pearkit couldn't hold out and passed in his sleep.

[acacia-clan]

Moon 2

Previous

Next

Ivory’s supposed to be “cold” by the way