#sedgeclan

[scarysongbirds-wc]

Rookstar of Sedgeclan (they/she)

Formerly known as Rookfeather (39 moons)

the beastie mentioned in the previous post, and the leader of sedgeclan :3. she's the youngest of the three leaders, and they're genderfae!! she is also the only one of the three with outsider blood ;) if there's one thing to be said about rookstar, it's that she earned their position, and that they're more cunning than many believe. while she generally has good intentions, they will undeniably put their clan above any others. rookstar is known for their speed, diplomatic abilities, and loyalty. they also are semi-familiar with medicine, after spending some time in hospice after sufficient trauma to their left hindleg!

https://toyhou.se/11014220.rook

[illusion-of-sea-axes]

So, I lost my original saves in Clan Gen, so I made new ones, and I think I’ll doodle some of the funky lil guys that pop up in there. Here’s two.

[sedge-and-sanctuary]

Sedgeclan Year One Timeline (all assets Clangen's)

[clangenbriar]

CLAN ALLEGIANCES

BRIARCLAN

LEADER

Laurelstar - a long-furred speckled brown tom with hazel eyes ( careful, good teacher )

DEPUTY

Jayfrost - long-furred, dark gray bengal tom with pale blue eyes ( cold, excellent speaker )

HERBALIST

Ospreybelly - long-furred white and silver mackerel she-cat with pale blue eyes ( playful, excellent speaker )

WARRIORS

Silkmuzzle - long-furred, pale classic tabby tom with pale yellow-green eyes ( bloodthirsty, good hunter )

Shiningdew - long-furred speckled dark brown and white tom with gray eyes ( loving, smart )

Brightwing - long-furred speckled dark brown and white she-cat with pale yellow eyes ( loving, fantastic teacher )

- APPRENTICE, FINCHPAW

Stoatmask - a light brown and white tom with heather blue eyes ( loyal, smart )

APPRENTICES

Finchpaw - a ginger tabby tom with sage green eyes ( adventurous )

QUEENS

N/A

ELDERS

Flamesong - long-furred dark ginger tabby tom with cobalt eyes ( confident, great storyteller )

Nimbleshell - long-furred dark brown tabby tom with dark blue eyes ( strange, great storyteller )

Relations

Shiningdew & Brightwing are littermates, their father being Flamesong, and their mother passing away the previous leafbare.

Silkmuzzle and Ospreybelly are siblings, sharing a late mother, the StarClan guide Mistyflight- their father(s) were two different toms outside the Clan.

Finchpaw's adopted father is Nimbleshell, who retired from both age and poor eye sight. He was found on BriarClan territory at 2 moons old, all alone.

CLIFFCLAN

LEADER

Adderstar - a long-furred black/dark ginger tortie she-cat with a disticnt white stripe down their back and pale blue eyes ( wise, good fighter )

DEPUTY

Wisteriafur - long-furred, gray tabby she-cat with heather blue eyes ( wise, great teacher )

- APPRENTICE, MORNINGPAW

HERBALIST

Thymefeather - long-furred gray tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes ( strict, excellent mediator )

MEDIATOR

Marigoldfreckle - long-furred white and brown ticked tom with cyan eyes ( righteous, great mediator )

WARRIORS

Pinecry - rosette spotted silver tom with green-yellow eyes ( bloodthirsty, great speaker )

Starlingsky - black smoke tom with heather blue eyes ( thoughtful, good teacher )

Swiftswan - a white and light brown she-cat with bronze eyes ( strict, fantastic hunter )

APPRENTICES

Morningpaw - long-furred orange-cream tabby she-cat with pale yellow eyes ( strange )

QUEENS

Blossomwish - dark brown/dark ginger tortie she-cat with pale green eyes ( childish, good storyteller ); permanent queen and nursery keeper

ELDERS

Darkwhisker - black ticked and white tom with sage eyes ( lonesome, very smart )

Relations

Blossomwish is Adderstar's mother

Ashwarble ( StarClan guide ) was Starlingsky's littermate, their father being Darkwhisker

Marigoldfreckle is Swiftswan's father

POPPYCLAN

LEADER

Oakstar - a brown smoke she-cat with green eyes ( playful, great teacher )

- APPRENTICE, ROSEMARYPAW

DEPUTY

Silverwisp - long-furred, speckled and white she-cat with a blue right eye and a yellow right eye ( strict, fantastic hunter )

HERBALIST

Conifer'rise - golden-orange and white she-cat with dark blue eyes ( childish, smart tactician )

- APPRENTICE, RIMEPAW

WARRIORS

Gorsestem - dark brown sokoke tabby and white she-cat with emerald eyes ( thoughtful, great teacher )

- APPRENTICE, ROWANPAW

Harespark - white and black tabby cat with hazel eyes ( thoughtful, excellent speaker )

Bloomecho - ginger smoke and white tom with gray eyes ( adventurous, good fighter )

- APPRENTICE, RAINPAW

APPRENTICES

Rimepaw - brown marbled tabby tom with pale blue eyes ( responsible )

Rosemarypaw - a light brown mackerel tabby tom with heather blue eyes ( loyal )

Rowanpaw - brown tabby tom with pale yellow eyes ( shameless )

Rainpaw - long-furred dorsal-striped light brown she-cat with cobalt eyes ( vengeful )

QUEENS

N/A

ELDERS

N/A

Relations

Oakstar & Harespark are partners, with Rimepaw and Rosemarypaw being their kits.

Gorsestem & Bloomecho are mates, with Rowanpaw and Rainpaw being their kits

( The couples are close friends, and thought it would be cute if their kits' names all started with R, as they were all born around the same time )

Conifer'rise is Bloomecho's mother

SEDGECLAN

LEADER

Dahliastar - an elderly black tabby tom with cyan eyes ( fierce, strong connection to StarClan )

DEPUTY

Peonyblaze - dark ginger tabby and white tom with dark blue eyes ( confident, great speaker )

HERBALIST

Cloverspot - speckled brown tom with green eyes ( faithful, excellent kitsitter )

WARRIORS

Hailshine - long-furred dark gray tabby and white she-cat with amber eyes ( charasmatic, excellent fighter )

- APPRENTICE, TURTLEPAW

Lightdream - long-furred white and speckled black tom with emerald eyes ( loyal, great hunter )

Ivorystorm - long-furred cream tabby and white tom with hazel eyes ( shameless, excellent speaker )

- APPRENTICE, LARCHPAW

Myrtlechase - long-furred cream/gray tortie she-cat with green eyes ( shameless, good fighter )

APPRENTICES

Larchpaw - long-furred pale ginger sokoke tabby and white tom with hazel eyes ( sneaky )

Turtlepaw - long-furred dappled dark ginger and white bengal tom with sage eyes ( loyal )

QUEENS

N/A

ELDERS

Shimmerwater - speckled brown and white tom with heather blue eyes ( ambitious, very smart )

Relations

Peonyblaze is Larchpaw and Turtlepaw's father, their mother being a loner

[nickyroethemarinebiologist]

Made a warrior cats roleplay server!!

This server is for roleplaying with warrior cats ocs, and we offer many things such as

- Four original clans

- Original plots and lore

- Many new areas

- Non-roleplay chats for those who only wish to spectate

Our four original clans are...

TIMBERCLAN

Strong and loyal, these cats reside in the oak forest, nearest to the highwalker (human) village! They are known for their strength, and sterotypically are loyal, but some are also known to be full of themselves and self-centered!

MEADOWCLAN

Quick and reliable, these cats reside on the meadows and moorlands, with thick pelts to protect them from the winds rolling through the open space. They are known to be swift, reliable and peaceful, but stereotypically tend to keep away from conflicts, and are known as the most cowardly clan.

SEDGECLAN

Swift and graceful, these cats reside along the riverbanks, nearest the highwalker (human) farm. They are known for their sleek pelts and excellent swimming skills, but sterotypically love gossip and can be quite nosy.

PINECLAN

Clever and quick, these clans reside in the forest nearest to the highwalker (human) roads, and deal with pollution and disease. They are known for their quick wits and excellent problem-solving skills, but stereotypically are quite reclusive and rude to the other clans.

We also offer ares for rogue, loner and housecat (kittypet) characters!

We welcome you to our forest of fallen stars...enjoy!! :D

*Server is strictly SFW*

Been working on this for a while and!! It's finally done! So if you wanna join, go right ahead -- you don't even have to rp, we have other chats (like art, writing, or just general chats) for people who would like to spectate!

[pixxyofice]

DISGRACED DEPUTY?! SIR?

and yeah the clan is fighting within itself again

(a whole lotta nothing for patrols)

hell yeah

(thunderpath patrols scare me.)

oh my god come on

barkheart.

what structure is this supposed to be. wait. windmills.

lmaooo

Mistypounce 🤝 Barkheart

disgraced deputies who were exiled for ??? reasons

 also mistypounce is from the clan they’re warring against? yeah i think mistypounce is a good person

starclan cats visit the medicine cat patrols sometimes... very nice.

Yet Another Dog Injury

YEAHHHHHH BABY

OH?! I SEE. and you had your kits recently...

...well okay

oh, and we know the other clan! so the clans neighboring yarrowclan are branchclan, biteclan, and sedgeclan. neat

[sagelycatarts]

Here’s a new girl for @fleursdelacoterp, her name is Rookpaw! Rookpaw is the younger half-sister of my boy, Minkstar!

[fleursdelacoterp]

WHERE ARE THE STARS?

Excerpt from the Arc 2 Finale. Content Warning for feelings of panic, dread, anxiety, discussions of death, and general horror.

As the final choice was made, the final die cast, something...changed. 

Every cat felt it, not just those tied to the ancestors by the name of -star or blessed with knowledge of medicine and herbs 

Every. Single. Cat that stood in this place felt it. And too, cats across the territories felt it, though they would not see what followed. 

The air grew still, but not the stillness that followed an angry storm. This was the stillness before the storm, a tense and heavy kind of air that crackled with ozone and humidity and forbade something awful to come. 

SedgeClan and MyrtleClan would share one feeling. It was like the calm just a moment before a horrible terrible storm unleashed its fury upon the island. It would remind you of the storm that had killed so many on that island, that had flooded your home. 

To HeatherClan it may feel like the trepidation of waiting for death, the uneasiness of not knowing if you would eat tonight or if you would go hungry again...of not knowing when the Stars would come for you.

AvenClan felt that gut wrenching fear they had felt just moments before the rockslide only seasons ago. You can almost hear the roaring in your ears again as you stare around you waiting for the rocks to smash into your form again. 

The stench of smoke fills the nostrils of ThistleClan, and you’re all thrust back into the fire that destroyed so much of your lives. You hear it burning and hear the screaming and know something terrible is coming. 

You all blink at different times, as is natural, but you all see them a moment later as that feeling settles over your spirits. 

You see the the shocked, scared, surprised...but most of all HORRIFIED faces of…

The dead. 

Badgerbriar, Alderwhisper, Berrystream. 

Boulderflame, Bouncetuft, Cocoaflower, Leapingwhisker. 

Dawnpaw, Crowskip, Softspirit, Fairyfeather, Flickerkit, Lapreyburr and Flutterleaf. 

Galecall, Gorsetalon, Hollowlily, Honeygaze, Wrenflower, Whalekit, Tansybite, Silentmaw, Shadeleap, Seashine, Moonriver, Muddypaw, Frostpaw, Lightningcloud, Lilythroat, Lake-eye, Monarchshine, Oakblaze, Lizardfoot - 

Too many. Too many cats to name, and far more cats than the living know. The dead stare at you for a moment, silent, horrified… 

They blink out a moment later with a very faint, but terrible, wail that drifts on the breeze… 

You have no idea what it means.

[tsunadadudi]

Another few cats for @fleursdelacoterp​! This time it’s cat Batu and Khulan, or Shadowpath and Squallspark as they’re known in this iteration. Shadow is by me, Squall was drawn by the wonderful @narcokleptic​!

Both of them are part of Sedgeclan, though Squallspark is far more of an aggressive traditionalist. Shadowpath is shy and anxious, but his new friend(?) isn’t that mean to him so she can’t be that bad...and he likes the attention. It’s the first positive attention he’s gotten in a long while. Squallspark, meanwhile, is glad to have more supporters while she claws closer and closer to ripping Sedgeclan’s leadership away from those that currently hold it.

[sytheofabloodmoon]

SickleClan Moon 56

Checking in: Daisyfur is checking up on the warriors, Cinderstar is assessing some apprentices, Sandcry is looking around camp, Nightpounce is watching over the none-existent kits(I’m going to take that as they’re watching over their kits, Juniperpaw and Darkpaw), Webtail is decorating her nest, Rowanpelt is drying some herbs, Fire is snoring in her sleep, Jasper is telling stories about when he was younger, Hopebounce is grateful to have lived for so long, Olivebranch is feeling excited, Noodle is rethinking her life choices(Not the first time. Maybe in her old age she’s starting to miss the comfort of the kittypet lifestyle?), Hopewhisker is feeling nervous, Thunderstem is decorating his nest, Moth is visiting the medicine den, Timberheather is looking forward to today, Juniperpaw is eating some freshkill, Darkpaw is feeling nervous and Lightspeck is daydreaming

Patrols: Thunderstem and Darkpaw go out on patrol and come across a SedgeClan patrol at the border but nobody is hostile. Despite the lack of outright hostilities the situation turns awkward fast and the pair go hunt elsewhere. Olivebranch, Timberheather and Hopewhisker go on patrol. They don’t find anything useful but it was still a fun outing. Cinderstar goes out on his own and comes across the scent of a hare. He finds and catches the hare. Sandcry, Webtail, Lightspeck and Nightpounce all go on patrol together and also come across a SedgeClan patrol at the border. They have a nice conversation with them

[scarysongbirds-wc]

okay I lied.... I know this was initially supposed to be a clangen blog, but WRONG. hijacking this blog with my warrior cats universe.

so!!! let me introduce yall to Sedgeclan :]

● Sedgeclan ●

The smallest of the clans, although their territory remains undisputed due to its formidable, disagreeable weather. They live in the alpine zone, far above the snaking path down to the mangrove swamp that Mossclan lives within. This area is rocky, and the vegetation is made up of small and crooked, ancient trees, lichen, and as anticipated, sedges. They live on a chilly moor above the timberline, and a sense of reverence towards their weather keeps these cats from straying too far- either that, or it fully drives them away. This clan has the most "lost kits," either to predators, or the (perceived) easier life within another clan.

These cats are quick, hardy, and stealthy. Sedgeclan is the most accepting of outsiders, and they're known for their caution.

Total Cats: 12

Leader:

-Rookstar (formally known as Rookfeather) (they/she)

a small silver-and-white she-cat with tabby markings and a distinctive split ear. they have distinctive hazel eyes, and a lame leg. (39 moons, 9/9 lives)

Deputy:

-Spiderlight (she/her)

a tall brown tabby she-cat with identical tears on both ears, and a pair of scars near her throat. they have blue, bordering purple, eyes. (53 moons)

Mediator: 

-none.

Seeker:

-Heatherbristle (she/her)

a blind, speckled gray she-cat with spiky fur and bluebell petals scattered across her pelt. she has gray eyes. (72 moons)

Shade:

-Gorseflower (she/they)

a red-and-brown torbie she-cat with yellow eyes and scars on their forelimbs. she wears a red maple leaf and pale gorse flowers on her pelt. (22 moons)

Healer:

-Snowskip (she/her)

a small gray harlequin tabby she-cat, with a cream pelt, and a lighter underbelly. she has blue eyes, and folded ears. she has no claws. (82 moons)

Warriors:

-Coyotesong (he/him)

a stocky, scarred dilute torbie tom with blue eyes. (112 moons)

-Dustywool (he/they/it)

a lanky calico tom with brown speckles and purple eyes. (34 moons)

-Snappedpine (he/him)

a small red and blue tabby tom with pale blue eyes and folded ears. (28 moons)

-Ashplume (he/him)

a light gray tabby tom with a black nose, black paws and blue eyes. (28 moons)

-Viper Fang (she/they)

a massive, spotted blonde bobcat with sectoral heterochromia (blue, yellow). (10 moons)

Apprentices:

-Sparkpaw (he/they)

a large, fluffy orange tabby tom with bright amber eyes. he resembles a tiger. (10 moons)

-Nightpaw (she/her)

a speckled black she-cat with a small white patch on her chest. she has blue eyes. (7 moons)

Camp Keepers:

-Butterflytwine (she/her)

a black tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and purple eyes. she wears both leaves and butterfly wings on her pelt. (38 moons)

Kits 

-none

Elders:

-none

[sedge-and-sanctuary]

Moon Nine - Highdark

Sedgeclan has no deputy!

Snowstreak challenges Harebolt to a sparring match! Coniferstar can't help but laugh at Snowstreak's jokes.

Cats mentioned: Coniferstar - 29 moons - Leader Harebolt- 107 moons - Medicine Cat Snowstreak - 108 moons - Warrior Rookpaw - ?? moons - ???

A thin, scrubby snow lies over Sedgeclan territory, heralding the start of High Dark. Even early in the season, the days are noticeably short. Coniferstar returns from afternoon patrol to find the light already turning gold; the sun a low, dull eye on the horizon. There is a sound of scuffling in camp; Coniferstar frowns, and creeps around a boulder, his claws unsheathed– only to see Harebolt and Snowstreak sparring– laughing, as they swipe pack and forth across the camp. Harebolt aims a paw at Snowstreak’s head, claws sheathed, and Snowstreak drops to her belly to roll away, quick as a rabbit– even on her injured leg. Harebolt laughs, surprised, and drops down onto Snowstreak’s back, pinning her easily– the two go rolling, stirring up a cloud of snow. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Coniferstar says, amused. “It seems like I’ve walked in on quite the battle.”

The two mollies scramble to their paws, at his voice, with matching expressions of embarrassment. Coniferstar laughs. “You’re not in trouble. I wouldn’t mind a bit of sparring practise myself. I suspect I’ve grown a little out of form.” “Oh!” Snowstreak brightens. “Would– you like to join in, then? I don’t mind! If you want to.” Coniferstar feels himself brighten; how pleasant, just to be among clanmates. Among these cats; loyal, and healthy, as few as they still are. If only he can keep them this way. If only– “Coniferstar?” Snowstreak is looking at him, worry fluffing up her pelt. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to.” “No.” Coniferstar shakes himself; purrs, appreciatively. “I would be happy to. If you’re sure I’m not interrupting.” “Of course you aren’t,” Snowstreak’s tail waves, loose and friendly. “–No,” Harebolt  agrees, after a moment. Coniferstar looks at her, ear twitching. Sees himself reflected, briefly, in her pupils; wide in the dimming light. He can’t quite read her expression. “My pleasure, then,” he says, anyway, and drops low, rocking on his haunches in an exaggerated lunge. Snowstreak mrows with pleasure, and leaps away before he can pounce, Harebolt right on her heels; Coniferstar wonders if he hadn’t been imagining her hesitation, after all.

Harebolt leaves them, later, to their sparring, excusing herself to gather herbs. Winter is on them, now, in full; its sharp, white teeth close over Sedgeclan with the bite of frost, and ice, and wind. Harebolt hunches her shoulders, walking with her head ducked low. Every breath stings the inside of her nose; it really is a foul day. In camp, Snowstreak says something, unintelligible, and Coniferstar laughs. Harebolt should be with them, in truth. But disquiet has been gnawing at her, dug beneath her pelt like fleas. She needs… Her paws carry her south, walking sideways, braced against the howling wind. Dry, sandy snow swirls up in drifts, and blows across the tundra without pause, pelting Harebolt in the eyes, and nose. But still, she walks. The moon rises. A wolf cries, far away; a lonely, mournful noise, unanswered. She is almost right against the treeline, before she sees it, eyes squinted nearly shut. The tall pines loom up, dark, out of the blowing snow, and Harebolt backpedals, catching now the faint and fading scent of border-marks. The gravel road winds past, just southeast, twisting from between the trees. Harebolt pauses, and glances back over her shoulder. The tundra is a wide and cold expanse, behind her; empty. Harebolt might be the only cat left in the world. She turns, and pads along the road, hearing Coniferstar’s warning all the time. But no cars come hissing past; no headlamps split the swirling snow. Whatever danger lurks there, to the south, where Coniferstar had come from– it’s hiding away from the wind, the same as Harebolt should be. She pauses, as the road twists up towards the twoleg place, sniffing along the shoulder; in the dry, sterile air, scents are strangely dulled– hard to detect. She lifts her head, to look around– and then, all at once, the wind cuts off; dead still. Harebolt’s ears ring, in the sudden silence. She glances back, uneasy. The world is still, and dark, and quiet. Blown snow drifts back down to earth, gently now, and settles, soft, over the land. The smooth surface is interrupted by a clawhook bend in the road; a strange lump. Harebolt looks at it, for a quiet moment, and then pads forward; her head still bowed, though there’s no wind now, to push against. Yes– she’s found what she came looking for. She brushes snow, gently, from the small cat’s skull. There is still patchy fur, clinging to the bones; scraps of black pelt, stark in the silver, winter day. Harebolt’s breath steams, as she works, carefully unearthing the body; not sure why she’s doing it. Her mind is strangely still, and calm– even her uneasiness is gone. Perhaps the cold has numbed that, too. She sits back, when she’s done, and looks down on the body of a large black cat, mummified by frost. The resemblance isn't exact; but Harebolt feels the rightness of it. Knows him, the way a rabbit knows to run, or a wolf to hunt. She sniffs him over, gentle as she would be with a kit. But warped by moons of death, it’s impossible to tell what happened to him; the body half-decayed, and gnawed on, here and there. Harebolt’s not sure what she had been expecting; what she had hoped- or feared- to find. “Well, Rookpaw." Her voice is very quiet, in the face of that wide and silent night. “I’m listening. What was the message?” The territory is utterly still, around her. The thin, bright claw of the moon turns all the snow to silver. Stars glitter, like cats’ eyes watching in the dark. Harebolt shivers, and- without quite knowing why- touches her front paw, gently, to the dead cat’s shoulder. But still; there is no answer.

[sedge-and-sanctuary]

Moon Eight - Frostcreep

Sedgeclan has no Deputy!

Coniferstar and Snowstreak find a dead cat by the thunderpath while on patrol. Harebolt has an encounter with a Starclan cat. Clan Rule Established: No cat of Sedgeclan is permitted to cross the southern border.

Cats Mentioned: Coniferstar - 28 moons - Leader Harebolt- 106 moons - Medicine Cat Snowstreak - 107 moons - Warrior Rookpaw - ?? moons - ???

“He’s lying to you,” A voice says, from over Harebolt’s shoulder. Harebolt turns, bristling. Did every strange cat she came across have to sneak up behind her to start a conversation? “You could start with ‘hello'.”

The cat who’d spoken laughs; a stranger to her, though Harebolt knows most of the rogues and loners of the tundra, at least in passing. A thick-furred black tom, with bright, glittering green eyes. Young– but big, for a loner, and well-muscled. In the early, Frostcreep night, his fur looks almost silver; brushed paler by the waxing moon. He blinks a greeting to her. “Hello, then. I’m sorry. But there isn’t very much time.” Harebolt frowns. “Why not? Why does every tom I meet lately speak in riddles?” He dips his head, apologetic. “I don’t mean to. I’m only passing on a message.” “From who?” Harebolt’s fur bristles. “You’re not with Boss? I’m not alone, you know. I have a clan to back me.” And that is a nice thing, about their strange new lives. That she can say, I’ve got backup, and can mean it.

But the stranger shakes his head. “No– no. Harebolt. My name is Rookpaw. I came to find your leader. But I–” Harebolt shivers. “How do you know–” An owl stoops, suddenly, some hare-leaps away, a shadow dropping from the sky. A rabbit shrieks, as its talons strike home. Harebolt swings around to look; her claws unsheathing. An embarrassing, instinctual display. A cloud, drifting over the moon, plunges the tundra back into darkness, and hides the owl from her sight. Harebolt can still hear the wet, messy sounds of it eating, smell blood drifting in on the wind. She shakes herself, irritated, and turns back to face the stranger- Rookpaw. But he’s nowhere to be seen. Harebolt blinks. The wide, Frostcreep tundra sprawls around her, its reds and golds all washed to silver, in the night. Harebolt’s spine prickles; she glances up, uneasy, some dread in her like a hunted thing. She hears, again, the sound of the rabbit, dying; a high, red scream, in the dark. A black cat could hide, easily, in the undergrowth, with the moon covered as it is. But… She scents the air. Salt, blowing in from distant waters. The fragrant, last-ditch blooms of sedgegrass, and of shrub. No cat-scent except her own. Shivering hard, in the chill of a sudden wind, Harebolt turns tail, and flees for home.

When she arrives, Snowstreak and Coniferstar are already back from patrol, their heads bent close together. They both startle, as she bursts into camp, whipping around to face her. Snowstreak’s pelt is bristling, just like Harebolt’s; her shoulders, too, have an uneasy set. Harebolt pauses, collecting herself. Studies the other cats. “Is everything– alright?” Snowstreak doesn’t answer, right away, but moves to press her forehead into Harebolt’s chest, trembling a little. Harebolt breathes out a sigh, and licks Snowstreak’s ear, forcing out a comforting purr. She always felt bigger– stronger, when Snowstreak leaned on her like this. The strangeness of her earlier encounter fades away. “It’s okay,” she says, gently. “You’re fine.” “Your mate and I just had a bit of a scare, out on patrol.” Coniferstar’s expression is warm, watching them. “I find myself a little shaken, too.” Harebolt blinks at him, gratefully- nothing wrong with Snowstreak, then. Snowstreak speaks up, finally, though she stays tucked up against Harebolt’s shoulder. “I wasn’t hurt, or anything. But– there was a cat. By the road, I mean. When we were out.” “The thunderpath,” Coniferstar says– a gentle correction. Another of those strange, clan-cat words. “He had been struck. We weren’t swift enough to help him.” Harebolt looks up to meet his eyes; he looks… troubled. But when he catches her looking, his expression flattens out; wiped clean, like sand smoothed as a wave recedes. “It’s silly,” Snowstreak says, sniffling. Harebolt blinks, and turns back to her mate, pressing in closer. “I know�� I didn’t even know him. I just–” “No,” Harehold says, soothingly; though her pelt prickles, with some instinctual unease. “It isn’t. I’m sorry that happened.” “Me too,” Coniferstar says, quietly. “The land that way is dangerous– my friends. I think it best if no one ventures to that thunderpath again.” Harebolt’s ears twitch back. “The southern one? By that human’s place, the–” “Twoleg,” Snowstreak says. “That’s– what they’re called, isn’t it?” “Twoleg,” Harebolt echoes, after a moment, a strange weight settling in her stomach. “I gather raspberries by there. The… twoleg grows them. In his garden.” Coniferstar’s eyes sharpen, just for a moment. Harebolt blinks; had their leader spotted her? That day, a few moons back, when she’d seen him out by the trailer? But he only ducks his head, after a beat, contrite. “I know it won’t be easy. But I believe this is a sign; Starclan sent this cat to us– to me. As a message.” I’ve come to find your leader, that strange cat had said. A cold wind slithers in, between the boundary rocks, and goes right through Harebolt’s fur. I’m passing on a message. “The only thing that comes that way is danger.” Coniferstar sighs. “I’m afraid the risk is just– too great. From this day on; no Sedgeclan cat will be permitted to venture that far south. I regret that this... stranger had to die, in order to pass on the warning. But– from all frosts, a thaw.” "Yeah," Snowstreak says, her voice still a little shaky, “I’m just glad it wasn’t one of you.” She pulls away from Harebolt, and bumps her forehead, gently, against Coniferstar’s shoulder. Their leader purrs, and leans into her touch. And Harebolt’s pelt feels cold, in her sudden absence.

[sedge-and-sanctuary]

Moon Four - Highsun

Sedgeclan has no deputy! Sedgeclan has no healthy medicine cats Coniferstar meets a pair of loners named Streak and Bolt. Streak has been badly wounded by another cat. Coniferstar offers them shelter, on the condition they take on clan names. Mated pair Harebolt and Snowstreak join the clan.

Harebolt- Female - 102 moons Former Loner Confident Lore Keeper & Great Teacher

Snowstreak - Female - 103 moons Former Loner Nervous Eloquent Speaker

The year has been unusually harsh; a hard, cold wind races down the open plain, kicking up drifts of dry, icy snow. Bolt peeks her head from their hollow, eyes squinted almost shut. The blowing snow cuts through her pelt like needles; slices the inside of her nose, as she tries to scent the sterile, freezing air. But the den at her back is over-warm; even half-outside, Bolt can feel the feverish heat of Streak's pelt. Even in the wind, she can smell the other molly’s sickness; a carrion-scent. Vulture-food.

Bolt glances back at her mate, huddled in a ball around her injured leg. Her mouth is open, panting, her green eyes clouded. “You need water,” Bolt says; a useless fact, if true. “I’ll be alright.” Streak’s voice is an awful rasp; almost swallowed up by the tearing, howling wind. “It’s– it’s foul out, Bolt, you can’t. I’ll be fine until the wind lets up.” “And how long ‘til then?” The wind gusts; Bolt shivers, pelt fluffed against the cold. From outside the burrow, someone says: “Well. It could be days, at this rate.” Bolt’s head snaps around, at the strange voice; a dark, marbled tom sits just a hare-leap away, watching her with cool, blue eyes. She bristles, automatically, baring her teeth– but the stranger seems unperturbed. “Peace,” he says, voice strangely high, and touched with an accent Bolt can’t place. “I believe we can help one another.” “We can help ourselves.” Bolt unsheathes her claws, heart pounding. She’s aware of every shift, in the den behind her; Streak slow and stiff with her injury. Helpless even to stand.  “Leave us alone. Or–” But the stranger only dips his head. “I’ll go,” he says, soothingly, “if that’s truly what you want. It’s only–” he scents the air, mouth opening to show sharp, even teeth. “I thought I smelled infection.” A shiver goes through Bolt’s fur, that has nothing at all to do with the cold– though the wind howls, still, all around them, as if set to tear her paws from the earth. “It’s just carrion. Our dinner. And we’re not sharing.” “Is that so.” The stranger studies her, for only a moment more; and then shrugs, seeming to buy her story. Relief buzzes up through Bolt’s stomach, like she’s eaten honeybees. “Well then. I suppose I should go.” And the stranger turns, as if to leave, stretching his hind legs, languidly. His claws flex sharp as thorns, just for a moment. “A shame,” he says, offhand. “I must have been wrong, about the signs.” Bolt frowns, but says nothing to encourage him; he doesn’t seem to need it, carrying on: “if you do see a cat named Bolt, struggling with her mate’s infection in this storm– tell them Coniferstar is searching for them. I believe they’re meant to join my clan– and I’ve been sent the knowledge to heal them.” Bolt freezes, The fur prickling along her spine. “How–” she says, softly. But the stranger is already leaving. His long, black-tipped tail swishes behind him, as he walks away, pace leisurely– unbothered, despite the terrible wind. Bolt swallows, her mouth dry as scoured stone. Behind her, Streak shivers– her teeth chatter, audibly, despite the feverish heat of her pelt. “Wait!" The stranger- Coniferstar?- pauses, and glances back over his shoulder. “You–” Bolt squares her shoulders. “What does that mean. Who sent you?” The strange tom purrs, and turns around. “Curious after all,” he says. “Well. I’m very glad you asked.”

[sedge-and-sanctuary]

Moon Ten - Highdark

Sedgeclan has no deputy!

Snowstreak talks to a loner named Worm Harebolt can't stand to be around Coniferstar

Cats mentioned: Snowstreak - 108 moons - Warrior Worm - 39 - Loner Pine - 4 - Loner Salt - 4 - Loner Timber - 4 - Loner Mure - 4 - Loner

Snowstreak trots cheerfully along the eastern border, following the path of the bounding river. Ice is crusted, sharp and silvery, along each bank; but thin enough the water still runs clear, in its deepest parts.

The day is bitterly cold, but Snowstreak hardly feels the chill–  it is such a pleasure just to run, and feel her muscles moving smoothly underneath her pelt.

She pauses, where the river bends around a jutting rock, and rubs her cheeks against the stone, huffing with pleasure at the renewed Sedgeclan-Scent she leaves behind. Ours, she thinks, and her purr comes out a steam, in that awful cold.

But– it isn’t just Sedgeclan she’s smelling.

Snowstreak’s pelt prickles, uneasy. Cats, for certain. And no one that she’s met before. Her leg twinges; shaky, suddenly, and weak, though the injury has long since healed.

She could run, now- she should run- but if there really are rogues, trespassing on the territory…

Snowstreak takes a breath, cold air catching in her throat. “Is someone there?”

Her voice hangs there, a solitary thing in the wide, white spread of the tundra.

And then– a mewling, high and plaintive; and the very distinctive sound of one cat hushing another.

“If someone is there, I don’t want to fight!” Snowstreak starts forward again, heart still racing . “But I can! I’m a Sedgeclan warrior- I mean, a warrior of Sedgeclan- and–” she trails off, not certain how to finish the sentence. She wouldn’t have known what that meant- a warrior- before Coniferstar.

Anyway, whoever it is doesn’t answer; even the mewling has gone quiet. But the smell of strange cats is stronger, now, and Snowstreak follows it, her tail quivering. A warrior of Sedgeclan– and that means she has to defend it.

“Please,” comes the answer, soft, and stops Snowstreak mid-stride. “I don’t want a fight, either. Just– don’t come any closer.”

The days are short, and very dim, this time of year; the sun, never very high, sends long, dragging shadows out across the tundra, like the marks left by some massive claw. Snowstreak squints into one of these, her eyes straining against the snow-blue shade.

“Oh,” she says. A scrap of ginger fur– and ten bright eyes, shining back at her from the dark. “There are kits with you.”

The strange she-cat does not respond.

Snowstreak sits, and wraps her tail around her paws. Coniferstar had said something, about this. Some Warrior thing, once.

“I guess,” she says, “you don’t have any reason to believe me? But– if those are kits with you, then– I really promise I won’t fight you. It’s my– uh, duty, to protect them.”

“Your duty?” The stranger says; a molly, with a young, uncertain voice.

Snowstreak nods. She can see, now, as her eyes adjust, a young, ginger molly, and four kits tucked behind her; big enough to be eating whole prey, their eyes fixed on her wide and curious.

“I’m a warrior,” she says, again. “We’re supposed to protect all kits. And– elders, too, I think. But there aren’t any here.”

“Oh.” The stranger studies her, a moment. “Well– we can protect ourselves. I can protect them.”

“But you must be hungry? Hang on–” Snowstreak half-turns, and then looks back. “I mean, wait there. I’ll be right back.”

She dashes off, and returns a moment later with some prey she’d caught, and stashed, earlier that day; a little ground-squirrel, still  fat despite the season.

The molly, to her relief, is still there, when she returns.

The kits start to squabble, again, at the smell of blood; even the molly’s eyes gleam, as Snowstreak jogs back into view.

“Here.” She drops the squirrel on the ground between them, and paces back a step, to give them space. “It must be hard, hunting for that many kits. You can have this.”

There is a pause; the molly watches her, fear warring with a naked, open want.

“Oh,” one of her kittens says, his voice high and piping. “Can’t we, mama? Can’t we please?”

Snowstreak nods encouragement; takes another step away, not wanting to crowd them.

After a moment, the molly shuts her eyes. “Alright,” she says, “of course. Thank you– go eat.”

The four kittens scramble up, at once, and dash towards the squirrel. They must be a few moons old, already, lanky with their growthspurts– but thin, where their fluffy, kittish pelts are starting to give way to adult fur. She can see their hips, and shoulderblades, bones too-stark as they bend to share their meal.

“There’s more prey back at our camp,” Snowstreak says, looking at their mother. “We don’t always have enough– but everyone always gets a share. And– they’d eat first. Every day. That’s the rule.”

“The rule,” the stranger echoes. Her muscles are bunched up, visibly, beneath her pelt; ready to spring to her kittens' side, at a moment’s notice. But she hasn’t yet. Surely that was an alright sign? “You said you were… a warrior? I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t either,” Snowstreak says. “At first. Coniferstar- he leads us- he explained it all. It’s… cats living together. By a code. We look after one another. We–”

She doesn’t want to mention starclan, yet; the spirits of the dead, the prophecy that had led their leader to this place. To her. To save her life. She knows how it'll sound.

But there is want, shining in the stranger’s eyes. She swallows, and looks down at her kittens eating– with none of the usual kittish squabbling. Only a silent, ravenous focus– Snowstreak wonders when they’d eaten last.

She says, “I know it sounds strange. It did to us, too. But– Coniferstar says, the… it sounds better when he talks about it. But that– hardship. Um, the tundra. Because it’s hard– it makes us strong. He says– after every frost, a thaw. And– that’s what… we are. I think. The thaw.”

“The thaw,” the stranger says, and looks up to meet Snowstreak’s eyes. “And you believe that?”

Snowstreak holds the molly’s gaze. “I do. He saved my life– my mate and I. Just– let us show you. You can go, if you don’t like it. But I really think it’s– I think it’s something special.”

The kits have taken the squirrel mostly to pieces; quick as owls, at their meal, barely even chewing. One of them- a bright, white-spotted ginger- drops a last, red scrap at his mother’s paws. “You should eat too, mama,” he says, and Snowstreak sees the hunger in the molly’s eyes, as well; sees the rippling of her spine, as she bends her head to snap up the piece of prey.

“Thank you, Mure.” She eats more slowly than her kits; as if trying to stretch the meagre mouthful out. To make it last. When she’s finished, she licks the blood fastidiously from around her mouth; not leaving a single drop.

And then she looks up, to meet Snowstreak’s eyes.

And says, at last, “alright.”

Loner Wormturn joins the clan with her kits.

Wormturn- Female - 39 moons Former Loner Loyal Keen Eye

Timberkit - Female - 4 moons Former Loner Quiet Constantly Climbing

Saltkit - Female - 4 moons Former Loner Charming Confident With Words

Pinekit - Male - 4 moons Former Loner Daydreamer Quick To Make Peace

Murekit - Male - 4 moons Former Loner Nervous Quick To Help

[sedge-and-sanctuary]

Moon Five: Highsun

Sedgeclan has no deputy! Harebolt agrees to be the clan's first medicine cat, learning the uses of herbs from Coniferstar.

Cats mentioned: Harebolt - 103 moons - Medicine Cat. Coniferstar - 25 moons - Leader. Snowstreak - 104 moons - Warrior.

Streak- no, Snowstreak- Harebolt has to keep reminding herself of their new names- is curled in the hollow, her breathing more even than it had been a moon ago. The camp is dug out beneath a series of tumbled boulders, tucked up against the side of a bare, clean rockface; the side of a hill split open like preybones, exposing the stripey stone below. Harebolt imagines what could have possibly broken open the earth like that. The sound it must have made, when the ground split- when all that stone came crashing down and breaking apart below. She shivers, her pelt fluffing. But the fallen rocks are all furred with lichen, now, and the sharp edges worn soft by scouring tundra wind; the disaster must have happened a long time ago. And the fallen boulders make for good windbreaks. The burrows dug beneath them are unlovely, but dry, and they warm up quickly with bodyheat. Sedgegrass grows, struggling in the summer- the Highsun, she reminds herself- taller than a cat’s shoulder, obscuring them from prying eyes. Harebolt watches Snowstreak sleep, in the rocky hollow that makes up the medicine den. Leans forward to press her nose to her mate’s pawpad; still warm to the touch. “Good,” Coniferstar says, creeping up behind her in his strange, silent way. Harebolt manages not to startle. “Is she still feverish?” “Only a little.” “She’s a strong cat.” Coniferstar looks down at Snowstreak, his striking, blue eyes thoughtful.  “And you’ve done what you can for her; you’re learning very quickly.” Harebolt blinks, grateful. Snowstreak’s bite-wound did look better than it had, the wound carefully cleaned and dressed, the awful carrion smell now only a memory. She shrugs. “I’ve got a good teacher.” Coniferstar laughs, softly. Pads forward to look Snowstreak over himself. “Not so, Harebolt. I only pass on what is passed to me.” Harebolt can’t disguise her sceptical expression; Coniferstar catches it. “I know you don’t believe, yet; that’s perfectly alright. Your paws walk the path, regardless. But Starclan put us here, for a reason; you, and your mate, and I. I hope you will see that, someday.” Harebolt huffs. “It wasn’t your spirits that saved Snowstreak. It was a living cat.” She nudges Coniferstar’s shoulder. “He’s the one I believe in.” Confierstar purrs, and nudges her back, his pelt thick and soft. “And he believes in you, Harebolt.” He pauses, and then his eyes seem to kindle with an inner light, as if hitting on some clever point– or struck by a joyful memory. “After this suffering– this frost, a great thaw will come– this is what Starlclan has shown to me. This is- it will be- the way of our clan; hold on to that.” Harebolt huffs. “I’m sure I will.” But her voice has no real bite, in it. Whatever else there was to say about Coniferstar; he had saved Snowstreak’s life. Surely Harebolt can stand a little strangeness, in exchange for that.