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summer-skye-64 · 7 months

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I gave the Undertale cast warrior cat names

Ft. Translations into clanmew, which is from @bonefall and @troutfur

Frisk - Kindlepaw (Kagnampwyr)

A former kittypet who joined the clans out of curiosity, Kindlepaw was named for their striking tortoiseshell markings (being brown with patches of deep, fiery ginger, the most prominent of which being a heart-shaped marking on their chest). However, they initially regretted their decision, thanks in part to their immense dislike for combat and hunting. Eventually, they found success in acting as a forager of sorts, successfully locating a bunch of prey and herbs during a particularly harsh leaf-bare. Full name will be the honor title Trailblaze (Shofiswarfyf, “path has burned”, after the fact that they managed to create their own path in the clan without learning how to hunt or fight or become a cleric).

Flowey/Asriel - Flowerpaw (Ponmapwyr)

A golden and white tom who seems to hate everyone and everything, Flowerpaw is the only surviving child of Lightseed and Loststar after an accidental forest fire. Having lost one of his legs and all of his siblings, he went from kind and loving to a jaded jerk. Thankfully, his mentor seems to be helping him through his issues, and he’s slowly been growing nicer over time. Full name will be Flowerbloom (Ponmamwar, “flower will bloom”, after the fact that he’s working through his trauma and the hope that he’ll be able to heal from it).

Toriel - Lightseed (Shayuhi’i)

A white molly with striking pink eyes, Lightseed was named for the fact that she was always interested in kits and tending to the nursery, to the point she immediately got with the first tom she liked and became a permanent queen. She had at least eight kits, spread across three separate litters. Unfortunately, she lost all but one of them in a fire her mate accidentally caused. She never forgave him for that, and even temporarily left the clan so that she could deal with her grief without having to see her ex-mate. She eventually returns with Kindlepaw, who she adopted once she processed everything.

Sans - Bluebone (Luparbaben)

A small and round cat who is quick to crack a joke, Bluebone was named for the bone-like markings on his fur. While he tends to laze around camp like he’s lived there forever, nobody knows exactly where he came from, and he’s always quick to dodge the question whenever anybody asks. Some theorize that he is kin of the disappeared cleric Boneberry (Babenlepe), given their resemblance, but nothing has ever been confirmed. He mentors Kindlepaw, teaching them about the things clan cats do besides hunt and fight.

Papyrus - Redbone (Reybaben)

A tall and lanky cat, Redbone was named for his bone-like markings just like his brother. Unlike his brother, he’s always looking for work to do, whether it’s around camp or all throughout the territory. Part of this is likely to come from the fact that he was made a warrior late due to failing his first assessment. Despite that, he always tries to keep a positive outlook on things no matter what, believing that even the worst cats can change. This is why he was given Flowerpaw to mentor, much to everyone’s (including his own) surprise.

Undyne - Scaleclaw (Weeshkach)

A blue and ginger tortoiseshell with a large scar on her face, Scaleclaw is the current deputy. Fiercely loyal to Loststar, she is quick to lose her temper and attack, even without orders. This gets tempered whenever she’s with Redbone, an odd friendship born when they were both just kits. She’s been given a dishonor title previously for her temper, though (Floodstrike, or Worrlkubo, for how she tended to attack indiscriminately and ruined a diplomatic visit because of it).

Alphys - Lichenheart (Aweewababun)

A small golden cat, Lichenheart is currently the only cleric, having taken over after the disappearance of Boneberry. However, her connection to StarClan is incredibly weak, to the point that she often fakes signs to make herself look more skilled than she actually is. Her biggest shame is getting a large number of her clanmates killed with one of her false signs, though because she’s the only cleric she’s too afraid to come forward with the worry she’ll be forced to step down and leave her clan without one. However, she’s technically already breaking the Cleric’s Vow by being in a secret relationship with Scaleclaw.

Mettaton - Halfmask (Kanochpihaba)

A tall, silver tom with distinctive black markings (the most prominent of which being one covering half of his face) and quite a few scars, Halfmask is a very handsome tom. Being a former outsider, he was invited to join by Lichenheart, who created a set of leg braces for him due to the fact that he was having a hard time walking without being fully paralyzed. He’s definitely quite the showoff, especially after discovering that he was incredibly attractive by clan standards. That being said, he’s also incredibly loyal, often being the first to leap into action during a crisis.

Asgore - Loststar (Mwiskshai)

The current leader of the clan. Despite his imposing size and heavy scarring, Loststar is really a big old softy with a heart of gold. He used to be called Goldfluff (Rreenpfefi), the kind deputy and mate of Lightseed. However, when he was trying to get a cooking fire started, he somehow managed to set his tail on fire. In his panic, he causes the fire to spread and ends up destroying the entire camp and killing most of his children (as well as the leader). As penance, he takes on the name Loststar as a self imposed dishonor title when he claims his nine lives. He doesn’t blame Lightseed for leaving, nor does he get upset upon seeing her come back with Kindlepaw.

#undertale #ut #warrior cats #warriors #wc #warrior names #warrior cat names #i came up with most of these and the story on the fly so don't be surprised if they're pretty rough

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talesofgladesglory · 1 year

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REMINDER + STORY UPDATES!

Hey y'all, we're here to remind you that TOGG's next public membership opening will be March 19 - March 25! If you're interested, please familiarize yourself with our website (link) and rules, and if you have any questions, our ask box and DMs are always open!

We've had some exciting happenings going on within the Everglade Warren as of late! Since the events of the Great Storm, and the takeback of their home - their camp desperately needed some renovations. Our first new gen of apprentices are also rapidly approaching their own graduations - with some already occuring! Huge congratulations to our new scout, Floodstrike (Amber); and our new medics, Junipercloud (Rose) and Applewhisker (Pluto)! In other news, we had a bout of fatal spore sickness that required multiple patrols to venture outside of territory in search of the cure, Pink Sundew. Two new pieces of territory were found; the Sunrise Fields, and the Old Twolegplace, now free for all cats of the Warren to explore.

Stay tuned for more info on our next opening! Thank you all!

#tales of glades glory #wcrp #18+ wcrp #warrior cats rp #warrior cats oc #warrior cats #discord wcrp #open wcrp #warriors rp

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alkrinal · 3 years

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Wings of Fire!Warriors AU

I’m literally so SHOOK that there isn’t more on this subject! I’ve seen Fathom and Indigo but with their unnatural coloring, and a Peril, Clay and Turtle one but nothing really going into what if the Dragonets of Destiny were really Apprentices of Destiny? The clans would obviously be the different tribes MudClan, SeaClan, RainClan, NightClan, SandClan, IceClan, SkyClan, and with the honors, SilkClan, HiveClan, and LeafClan. Clay (Claycloud); Clay was probably one of the easier ones to transfer into a cat design. I wanted him to look tall and maybe intimidating if he wanted to be, but fluffy and kind looking as well. I feel like MudClan would mostly be like RiverClan’s forest territory campsite, they’d also probably just adore mud, like, it’s a form of healing or something. Originally his names were Clayheart, Claybelly, and Claystream, but I feel like Claycloud fit better. Tsunami (Floodstrike); Tsunami was a kind of doozy, but I hooked onto the name Floodstrike after two attempts (being Floodclaw and Riverstrike). I could also feel like naming her Brookstrike, or Flashclaw, but I do really like Floodstrike best. Her clan lives like RiverClan, but more on a little island where there’s lots of water around to swim and play in. They also have the lil beards. The royal family has the ear markings and hind leg markings Tsunami has. Glory (Cypressfang); Okay, hands down, Glory was the hardest in naming AND designing. I just, couldn’t find a good palette that would say “Glory” but also realistic. I still don’t really like it now, but it’s whatever. Her name was originally Cypressclaw, but I changed it so it could highlight her venom, kind of a big part during her escaping Scarlet’s little bush treatment or whatever. RainWings are gonna he hard to convert. They probably reside in a thick, plentiful forest! Sunny (Sunnyheart); I absolutely LOVE her design, she looks like a golden retriever oh myg od! My favorite design by far! Her name was originally Sunnylight and Sunnysky. SandWing’s probably live on a land more like WindClan’s lmao. She also got her floppy ears and short tail from her NightWing side. Starflight (Shadowflight) My baby boy! I also love his design. If he were born outside under the three moons, his ears wouldn’t be floppy, if a NightClaner’s born outside, they’d get their ears straight up, like teardrop scales, but instead of mindreading maybe they could feel emotions? Like Yellowfang does? Idk, still working out the kinks of this. NightWing’s probably live in a marsh like ShadowClan would.

#wings of fire #Warriors #WoF AU #Warriors AU #Glory #Clay #Starflight #Sunny #Tsunami #WHY TF IS THERE NOT MORE OF THIS??

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clangenrising · 7 months

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An official congratulations to the Oddlets and a warm welcome to Aldertail! If you haven't seen their ceremony yet, go check it out!

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warrior cats oc #warriors #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Aldertail #Character Refs #clangenrising #Sparrowsway #Barleybee #Floodstrike

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clangenrising · 21 days

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Month 15 - Newleaf

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!”

Floodpaw sat up from his evening nap in surprise. “Wait, what?”

“Oh, Stars,” Barleypaw rolled onto her paws beside him. “Is it now? I’m not ready!”

Floodpaw looked up at Goldenstar where she stood on the stone above her den and found her smiling directly at him. It was definitely happening right now. He quickly ran a paw over his ears to tidy his messy fur. Barleypaw was organizing her feathers very particularly, making fretfull noises as she did. Floodpaw sighed and leaned over to straighten the ones behind her head for her.

“You look great,” he soothed, “don’t worry about it.”

“Mmm,” she whined, “if you say so.”

“Look, Sparrowpaw’s already beat us down there,” he said, pointing to where their brother was waiting with perfect posture.

“Okay, okay,” sighed Barleypaw. “I’m ready.”

Together, they bounded down from the top of the warriors’ den to sit next to Sparrowpaw in the front of the crowd. He looked over at them and smiled and Floodpaw felt a sudden spike of nerves in his belly. It was really happening. After moons of hard work, he was going to be a warrior. The Clan was gathered around him and he could feel the pride swelling in the air.

“Today,” Goldestar began, smiling ear to ear, “I am happy to say, we have a very special ceremony to hold, one I’m sure many of you have been eagerly awaiting.” Floodpaw squared his shoulders in an attempt to look noble. He had been expecting to get his name after the Battle with Razor but Russetfrond had insisted on the three of them completing their final assessments and Goldenstar had been unclear about whether or not they had passed. It was such a relief to finally know for certain that he was going to be a warrior.

Goldenstar’s next words pulled his rising hopes crashing back down to earth. “Lake, would you step forward?”

“What?” he couldn’t stop himself.

“Shh,” Barleypaw hissed. Lake bounced out of the crowd where she had been sitting with Fogpaw and Slatepaw and looked up at Goldenstar with big blue eyes.

“Yes, ma’am?” she asked in her little voice. Floodpaw couldn’t help but smile despite his disappointment. The kid deserved this.

“Do you still want to join the Clan like we talked about?” asked Goldenstar kindly.

“Oh, yes!” purred Lake. “I wanna learn to do stuff like all the ‘Paws do!” A few cats laughed softly to themselves. Floodpaw rolled his eyes.

“And did you want to change your name like we talked about?”

“Mhm!”

“Then I welcome you as a member of RisingClan. From this day on, until you become an apprentice, you will be known as Lakekit. Welcome home.”

“Lakekit! Lakekit!” cats cheered and Floodpaw joined in once or twice.

Even Lakekit got in on the action. “Lakekit!” she beamed and then giggled to herself like it was the funniest thing she’d ever done. Even Goldenstar couldn’t stop herself from chuckling at that.

“And with that,” Goldenstar said and Floodpaw wilted, “Our meeting is- Oh wait, that’s right!” She grinned mischievously as she said, “I knew I was forgetting something! Floodpaw, Barleypaw, Sparrowpaw, please step forward.”

Floodpaw frowned, puffing up a bit as cats chuckled at the joke, but it was all in good fun. He shook it off and stepped forward with his littermates, taking a deep breath to once again pull himself into a more noble looking shape. Barleypaw brushed her tail against his leg, smiling at him, and then focused on Goldenstar. He glanced at Sparrowpaw but his brother was completely professional.

Goldenstar’s smile turned warmer as she continued, “The three of you have worked hard to become excellent warriors and I couldn’t be more proud. You are the first apprentices to complete their training since the plague which is a promising sign. If you three are any indicator of how our Clan is growing, we are on the right track.” Floodpaw realized he was on the verge of tears. The energy in the air was intoxicatingly full of love and it resonated within him near overwhelmingly.

“Floodpaw, Barleypaw, Sparrowpaw,” Goldenstar said, “do you three promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do,” they chorused, confident and sure.

“Then by the powers of StarClan,” Goldenstar purred, “I give you your warrior names.” She leapt down from the Stoneperch to stand in front of them and said, “Floodpaw, you have proven yourself to be a capable fighter, eager to defend your Clanmates with the speed and force of a roaring flood. From this moment on, you will be known as Floodstrike. Your Clan honors your drive and welcomes you as a full warrior of RisingClan.”

She leaned forward and rested her muzzle on his head, purring strongly, and Floodstrike leaned in to lick her shoulder, eyes lingering briefly on the scar now hiding in her neck fur. The Clan began to cheer his name. He stood back and lifted his head to look around at them, chest swelling with pride. He had done it. Finally, the warriors around him were his equals. It was almost too good to be true.

“Barleypaw,” Goldenstar moved on once the chanting faded, “you have grown so much from the day you were apprenticed, becoming a confident and kind-hearted young warrior unafraid to challenge what she knows is wrong. For this reason, I give you the name Barleybee. Though you may seem small at times, you have a courageous sting that shouldn’t be underestimated. Your Clan honors you for your boldness and welcomes you as a full warrior of RisingClan.”

Now she and Goldenstar repeated the ceremonial gesture as cats chanted her name. Yarrowshade’s voice cut through the noise with a rowdy string of celebratory whoops. Barleybee laughed and raised her tail as she beamed at him. Floodstrike bumped his shoulder against hers and she purred, bonking heads with him.

“Sparrowpaw,” said Goldenstar, “you have always shown a dedication to a warrior's duties that any cat could admire, but I would like to highlight the way you have tempered that dedication with thoughtfulness and foresight. Like a bird in the wind, you have learned to lean into life’s challenges with a level head and so I bestow upon you the name Sparrowsway. Your Clan honors you for your tranquility and welcomes you as a full warrior of RisingClan.”

She placed her muzzle on Sparrowsway’s head and as he leaned in to touch her shoulder, he said, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” she whispered back as the Clan cheered. Then, to all the cats present, she declared, “As tradition dictates, our new warriors will spend tonight sitting a silent vigil where they are invited to meditate on their growth so far and the duties they have sworn themselves to from here on out. During this time, they are not to be disturbed, so get your congratulations out now.” She laughed a little bit and stepped back to let the rest of the Clan swarm in to speak with the new warriors.

“Oh!” Oddstripe was the first one to reach them, emotion cracking his voice. “I’m so, so proud of you three!” He wrapped his arms around Sparrowsway’s neck and rubbed his cheeks on either side of his son’s face, causing Sparrowsway to wince with mild embarrassment.

“Your name is so cool!” cried Fogpaw, pushing up close to Floodstrike’s chest. “I hope my name is that cool!”

“Yeah, right,” he laughed, putting a paw on her face and trying to shove her into the dirt. “You’re probably gonna be named Fogfart or something.”

“Nuh uh!” Fogpaw laughed and wriggled out from under him.

“Real mature,” chuckled Sparrowsway.

“I’m so proud of you, Barleygirl,” Yarrowshade bumped his head against hers gently. “I couldn’t have asked for a better apprentice.”

“Or me a better mentor,” purred Barleybee softly.

Oddstripe had moved on to pull Floodstrike into a tight hug. “My little man!” he cried, “You’ve grown so much.”

“C’mon, dad, don’t cry,” he laughed, blushing under the intense affection.

“Hey, congrats!” called Branchbark from the second row of Clanmates. “You guys deserve it!”

“Yeah!” cheered Ospreymask, “Congrats, you three!”

Russetfrond appeared beside Sparrowsway and gave him a crisp nod. “Well done.”

“Thank you,” Sparrowsway said fervently. Floodstrike imagined that was Russetfrond’s version of Oddstripe’s hugs and tears.

“Wowzers,” Lakekit practically inserted herself into the hug that Floodstrike’s father was smothering him in. “I didn’t realize you guys got new names when you grew up! Are you sad your names don’t match anymore?”

Floodstrike laughed and ruffled her fur with a paw. “Nah, we’ll always match in the ways that matter.”

Lakekit smiled and Oddstripe let out another, very emotional, “Oh!”

Eventually everyone came and congratulated them in some way, except Mystique who was still sulking in the elders’ den. As the crowd dwindled and faded, Goldenstar approached, Scorchplume lingering behind her, and bumped her forehead against Floodstrike’s.

“Hope you didn’t mind my little joke,” she said.

“I nearly died,” said Floodstrike.

“He’s not lying,” Sparrowsway laughed.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” Goldenstar smiled. “You guys are going to be amazing warriors. Are you done mingling?”

“I think so,” said Barleybee. Sparrowsway nodded and Floodstrike shrugged.

“Might as well be,” he said.

“Alright,” nodded Goldenstar. “Go ahead and sit up on the Stoneperch for your vigil. From now until I come to gather you, you’re not supposed to speak a word unless there’s an emergency, understood?”

“Understood,” Floodstrike said and his littermates stifled their laughter.

“Hey!” Goldenstar feigned anger. “What did I just say?!” He laughed and sat back, paws up by his chest in surrender. Goldenstar dropped the joke with a fond smile and said, “Alright then. Good luck, you three.”

Together, they climbed the Stoneperch and settled down side by side. The stars were just starting to peek over the eastern horizon. Floodstrike looked up at them and let out a deep, contented sigh. Things were going to be alright. The war was basically over and he was finally a warrior. The three siblings settled into a comfortable silence, watching over the camp as dusk turned into a cloudless, starry night.

#clangen #clan gen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #clangenrising #Floodstrike #Barleybee #Sparrowsway #Goldenstar #Oddstripe #Lakekit #newleaf #ceremony #ceremonies #warrior ceremony

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clangenrising · 3 months

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Month 13 - Newleaf

Slatekit was worried about Fogkit. Since the day of the funeral, her sister only left the den once or twice a day for sanitary breaks and stayed in her nest most of the time, staring at the wall. Slatekit had started bringing her meals for fear she would starve if she didn’t. Fogkit said “thanks” and picked at the meal and usually turned away halfway through, saying “I’m not that hungry.” Slatekit had tried to convince her to finish once and she had whipped around with a “I said I’m not that hungry, okay?!” and a burning glare. Slatekit hadn’t pushed her after that.

Instead, she had tried to find ways to busy herself around camp. Sitting in the den with Fogkit and no one else, the den seemed to loom darkly around her, threatening to swallow her whole. She didn’t want to stay there anymore. She didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts and Fogkit’s periodic sighs.

So she’d taken to helping with the chores around camp - checking the prey pile for crowfood, fixing up the nests and carrying away the used bedding, that sort of thing. She’d even asked Oddstripe if he had any jobs he needed help with and he’d taught her how to search for ticks and fleas. It was a bit early in the season but he had her check some of the warriors, just in case. Thankfully, she found nothing.

She liked helping. It made her feel like she was like her mama and it made the other thoughts quiet down for a while. She couldn’t stop worrying about Fogkit though. It seemed like other cats were worried too which did nothing to reassure her own worries. They tried not to talk about their worries around her, though. She didn’t know how she felt about that.

One day, while Slatekit was plucking feathers from the prey pile to put in peoples’ nests, Goldenstar approached her with a cat she’d never seen before. The stranger was a pretty, tortoiseshell she-cat, all speckles and spots. She smelled very different from the kittypet in camp, like greenery and rotting undergrowth. She smiled as she saw Slatekit and Slatekit couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hey, Slatekit,” Goldenstar said brightly, “I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Poppybird, FallenClan’s mediator.”

“Hi,” said Slatekit shyly.

“Hello, Slatekit,” purred Poppybird, her voice warm and smooth. “What are you doing?”

“I’m helping pick out feathers for everyone’s bedding,” she said.

“That’s very kind of you,” said Poppybird. Slatekit smiled, puffing up with a little pride.

Goldenstar was smiling too. “Poppybird was a friend of your mom’s and she wanted to come spend the day with you and Fogkit.”

“Really?” Slatekit’s eyes widened. She really wanted to spend time with them? She’d never even met them.

“Mhm,” nodded Poppybird. “I thought maybe we could go on a little adventure together.”

“O-okay,” Slatekit said, standing from her work, “but, um, Fogkit might not want to come. She’s been grumpy lately.”

“She has?” Poppybird asked. “How so?”

“Um…” Slatekit glanced over at the nursery where she knew Fogkit was probably sleeping or staring at the wall. “Well she doesn’t like to get out of her nest anymore. And she bit me.”

“She bit you?” Poppybird’s face softened sympathetically. “Do you know why?”

“Um… She said that the effigy was stupid and then started ruining the flowers so I tried to push her away and then she bit me. It really hurt.” She gave a few licks to the paw that had been bitten as she thought about it.

“That must have been really upsetting,” said Poppybird gently. Slatekit nodded. “I’m sorry that Fogkit’s grieving hurt you, Slatekit.”

“It’s alright,” Slatekit mumbled, looking down. “I still love her anyway.”

“That’s good,” smiled Poppybird. “She’s lucky to have such a loving sister.” Slatekit blushed, shuffling her paws. She didn’t know what to say to that but it made her feel fuzzy inside.

“Why don’t you guys go get Fogkit,” Goldenstar said. “I’ll make sure these feathers get where they’re going.”

“Okay,” Slatekit nodded.

“Walk with me, won’t you?” Poppybird invited, stretching her tail out to her. Slatekit nodded and curled her tail with the mediator’s and started towards the nursery. She stopped in the entrance though, a sudden hesitance seeping into her as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Fogkit was curled in the corner of the nest, staring at the wall with a bored and weary expression. Slatekit was grateful that Poppybird stepped up to talk first.

“Fogkit?”

Fogkit sat up, frowning, and squinted at them. “Who are you?” She sounded angry. Slatekit’s tail fell to the ground.

“My name is Poppybird,” the adult seemed unphased, her voice still warm and gentle. “I was a friend of your mother’s.”

“So?” said Fogkit.

“With Goldenstar’s permission, I wanted to take you both out on a little adventure today, have some fun together. I was thinking we could go down to the river, what do you think?” Slatekit held her breath hoping her sister said yes. Going to the river sounded like a really fun adventure and she didn’t want to go alone.

Fogkit shifted in the nest. “I dunno…”

“You don’t have to come,” Poppybird said, “but I’m going and if Slatekit wants to go she’s welcome to come. You can even come along and then, if you decide you’re done, you can come right back.” She took a step back to leave the den entrance wide open. Fogkit pulled her paws underneath her, hips shifting like she was about to start hunting. Her brows were still pinched together angrily but there was something else in her expression, something that said ‘wait for me!’

“Okay,” Fogkit said after a moment of chewing on the thought. She stood up and padded towards them slowly. Slatekit smiled despite the worry that Fogkit’s slightly matted, ungroomed fur was stirring in her. Poppybird seemed to have no reaction to the kit’s disheveled appearance.

“Do you need to eat or anything before we go?” asked the mediator, watching them as Fogkit stepped out into the daylight, squinting harshly in the afternoon light.

“No,” said Fogkit, “I’m not hungry.”

“Okay,” smiled Poppybird. “Then there’s only one thing we have to do before we go. Goldenstar said we have to take someone with us to keep us safe. Who do you think we should bring?”

“Ospreymask is nice,” Slatekit said.

“No,” Fogkit said immediately. “Not Ospreymask.”

“Why not?” Slatekit asked, ears pressed back.

“Cause!” Fogkit hissed. She dropped her gaze, pouting at the dirt. “I don’t like her anymore.” Slatekit frowned in despair. Why? What had Ospreymask done? She was afraid too ask.

“That’s alright,” Poppybird said gently, laying her tail over Slatekit’s back. “Who do you think would be fun to bring along, Fogkit?”

Fogkit chewed her cheek for a moment before she said, “Floodpaw.” Slatekit was baffled by that. Floodpaw hated them! Or at least, he hated hanging out with them. She didn’t want to say anything though, in case Fogkit got angry again.

Poppybird asked, “Does that sound okay to you, Slatekit?” Slatekit wasn’t sure. She shuffled her paws and shrugged. “You don’t know?” She nodded. “Is there any reason why bringing Floodpaw would be bad?” Slatekit considered it. Probably not, especially with Poppybird there.

“I guess not.”

“Okay, would it be alright if we invited him then?” Poppybird’s smile set her at ease.

“Yeah, okay,” she nodded again.

“Great,” said Poppybird.

A few moments later, they were heading out of camp, Floodpaw following behind them begrudgingly. Slatekit still didn’t understand why Fogkit had invited him but at least it seemed like he wasn’t going to say anything mean to them. As they ventured out into the grass, Slatekit remembered their snake encounter with a little gasp.

“Oh! Um, it’s good that we brought Floodpaw with us,” she said.

“Why’s that?” Poppybird tilted her head with interest.

“Cause,” started Slatekit, “cause, um, last time-”

“Last time we saw a snake,” Fogkit blurted. Slatekit nodded.

“Wow!” Poppybird gasped, “What happened?” Floodpaw rolled his eyes.

“Bar- um, Barleypaw killed it,” Slatekit said excitedly.

“Yeah, she smacked it until it died,” Fogkit whispered conspiratorially.

“That must have been very exciting,” marveled Poppybird.

“Yeah,” said Fogkit, sounding tired again. “I never got to tell mom the snake story.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Poppybird said, her voice soft. “I bet she would have liked it.”

“Oh, yeah?” Fogkit glared up at her. “How would you know?” Slatekit held her breath as best she could while walking. Please don’t start yelling, please don’t start yelling. She didn’t want Fogkit to get held back from becoming an apprentice. She didn’t want to have her ceremony all alone!

Poppybird didn’t seem to react at all. “I did the same job as your mother and we talked often. She was a friend of mine.”

“She never mentioned you,” Fogkit huffed boldly.

“She mentioned you,” said Poppybird.

“Really?” Fogkit blinked in surprise.

“Mhm,” nodded Poppybird. “She was so proud of you two. She told me all about your stories and adventures. I’m really glad I finally got to meet you.”

“Me too,” Slatekit said. Knowing one of her mama’s friends made her feel all light and cozy. Fogkit frowned and looked down at the ground.

They walked for what felt like a really long time. Poppybird told them the stories she’d heard about them and answered their questions about FallenClan - it was in a deep forest and the camp was surrounded by brambles and they ate mostly the same stuff but not rabbits and sometimes frogs and there were two kits named Lionkit and Wishkit and they weren’t related - and by the time they reached the river, Fogkit seemed to be mostly back to normal. She was a little quieter than usual and her fur was still matted and dirty but she was smiling and asking questions and Slatekit couldn’t help but follow suit.

“Look at it!” Fogkit cried at the sight of the river. It stretched out before them, at least three fox-lengths across, shining in the sunlight as it rushed noisily over the stones of the riverbed. Slatekit gasped excitedly.

“Okay,” said Poppybird, “There’s a few rules to keep us safe that you need to know. Never go deeper than your belly and be careful where you put your paws to make sure you don’t slip. Got it?”

“Got it!” the girls chorused brightly. Floodpaw sighed and sat down, looking away.

Poppybird looked at him and said, “Feel free to have some fun too, Floodpaw. Do whatever you want to do, all I need is for you to be ready if something dangerous happens.”

“Really?” he perked his ears a little.

“Really,” she nodded with a smile and he brightened significantly. Back on his paws, he started down towards the river.

Fogkit took off running, shouting, “I bet I can beat you there, Floodpaw!”

“Huh?” he paused out of surprise then frowned as he realized she was nearing the water pretty quickly. “No way!” Taking off across the pebbles, he sprinted after her. Thanks to his long legs, he made it into the shallows a good body-length ahead of her and she cried out in disappointment.

“No fair! You’ve got longer legs!”

“You’re the one who started the bet!” he laughed, splashing her with a pawful of water. Fogkit shrieked and puffed up to twice her size, tumbling back.

“It’s cold!” she cried.

“It’s not that cold,” Floodpaw rolled his eyes and lowered himself down to crouch in the shallow water so that it came up to his shoulders.

“He’s in too deep!” Slatekit cried but Poppybird shook her head.

“No, he’s alright. As long as you can stand up and it only touches your belly, you’re not too deep.”

“Oh, okay,” Slatekit relaxed. She ventured up to the edge of the water cautiously. Fogkit was playing with her reflection in the water while Floodpaw stretched himself out on his belly until his head was the only thing above the water. Slatekit carefully stepped into the water then reeled back with a squeak of discomfort.

“Ah!” she cried, “I don’t like it!”

“That’s okay,” said Poppybird, coming up behind them. “You don’t have to touch it.”

“I wanna swim like Floodpaw!” Fogkit declared. He snorted to himself.

“Okay,” Poppybird said, “just remember the rules. Floodpaw, do make sure she doesn’t drown, yes?”

“Yeah, of course,” he said, twitching his ear against the river bugs starting to cloud near his face.

Satisfied, Poppybird twined her tail with Slatekit’s and said, “There are lots of interesting bugs by the river. Why don’t we walk down the bank and look for some?”

“O-okay,” Slatekit nodded. They padded off down the river, leaving the splash radius just in time for Fogkit to leap straight onto Floodpaw’s back, sending water flying in all directions.

“Hey!” he snapped, and Slatekit glanced back worriedly. He reached up and shoved Fogkit into the river face first.

Slatekit’s stomach flipped in fright and she stopped in her tracks, but then Fogkit burst out of the water squealing in delight and cried, “Again!” so she tried to relax a little.

“She’s alright,” Poppybird said.

“I know,” Slatekit said, convincing herself as she said it. “I just don’t like to play rough like that.” She started walking again, eyes searching the pebbled shore for the bugs that had been mentioned.

“That’s okay,” Poppybird said. “Everyone is different. Some people don’t like to play rough and some people do and that is completely fine as long as they show consideration for how the other person wants to play.”

“Yeah,” Slatekit nodded. She liked how Poppybird talked. It reminded her of her mama.

“Fogkit and you are pretty different, huh?” asked Poppybird.

“Yeah.”

“Can you tell me some ways you’re different?”

Slatekit hummed thoughtfully. “She’s loud but I’m just quiet.”

“Oh, yes,” Poppybird smiled. “I bet it’s nice to have someone loud to help you when you’re quiet.”

“Yeah,” nodded Slatekit again. “She says the stuff I don’t wanna say. Although sometimes she says mean stuff too.”

“Like with the effigy?”

“Mhm.” Slatekit frowned a little and paused to roll some stones out of place to look underneath them.

“What kind of stuff did she say?”

Slatekit’s voice was very soft when she spoke. “That it was stupid ‘cause it was just wood… And that it was, um, bee-brained to pretend it was mama. Oddstripe said pretending helps you feel better but Fogkit said that was dumb.”

“Mm,” Poppybird hummed in understanding. “How did that make you feel?”

“Sad…” said Slatekit. “I liked the effigy.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it made me feel less lonely about it.” She rolled one of the rounder pebbles under her paw, back and forth. The smooth texture was nice on her paw pad.

Poppybird smiled. “I’m glad that it did. It can be really lonely to lose someone you love. It’s good to find things that make you feel less lonely.”

“But Fogkit hated it,” Slatekit said. “I don’t understand why she was so angry.”

“You and Fogkit are very different,” restated Poppybird. “When she gets lonely because she misses your mother, it makes her angry. I haven’t spoken to her yet but I know other cats who are the same and it can be really hard not to get angry when they get that sad.”

“Why though?” Slatekit looked up at her. “I don’t get angry, I just get sad.”

“It might be because it feels unfair,” said Poppybird, “or because being angry feels less powerless than just being sad. But sometimes there isn’t a reason. You can’t control the way you feel and sometimes being sad makes people angry, that’s that.”

Slatekit hummed and rolled the pebble under her paw. She looked back over her shoulder at her sister who was cackling between gulps of air as Floodpaw repeatedly shoved her head under the water, smiling madly. She didn’t understand Fogkit at all. But Fogkit was happy and that was good.

She looked up at Poppybird again and asked, “What do I do if she gets sad again? She spent a long time in the den not talking to anybody. It’s scary, honestly.”

“Just have patience,” Poppybird smiled. “She’ll feel better eventually. All you have to do is wait and keep showing her you love her. If you can, it wouldn’t hurt if you could get her to come out and play with you sometimes. It’s good for her to get some sun and move her body.”

“Okay,” Slatekit said determinedly. “I can do that.”

“That’s great,” Poppybird said.

After that, they went bug hunting in earnest. They found a worm but nothing else of note and Poppybird explained that it was probably too early for bugs like damselflies. Slatekit carried the worm back to a drenched Fogkit and they both took the worm in their mouths from either end and tore it in half, Fogkit cheering when she came away with the bigger half. Slatekit was just glad to see her sister smiling again.

They all laid down on the bank to sun themselves until Fogkit and Floodpaw were dry and then they went home. Poppybird stayed for dinner and, afterwards, Slatekit went to play with Ospreymask so Poppybird and Fogkit could talk by themselves. When it was finally time to settle down, long after dark, Slatekit made sure to tell Poppybird goodnight before she and Fogkit went to bed.

“Today was fun,” Fogkit said as they shared tongues in their nest.

“Yeah!” purred Slatekit. “I’m glad you came to the river with us.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Fogkit. “I wish you wanted to swim though.”

“Maybe next time,” Slatekit said, although she very much doubted that.

“When we’re apprentices, we’ll go swimming whenever we want!” Fogkit said. Slatekit grinned and bumped her head against Fogkit’s as the purr overtook her.

“I love you, Fogkit,” she said.

“I love you too,” said Fogkit and Slatekit felt the happiest she had in weeks.

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Clangenrising #Goldenstar #Poppybird #Wishkit #Newleaf #mediator #Fogpaw #Slatepaw #Lionpaw #Floodstrike

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clangenrising · 1 month

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Month 14 - Newleaf

Lake’s paws ached. Her stomach growled and her head pounded dully behind her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt full. Still, she walked.

Ever since her mother had disappeared, she’d been wandering. A few cats had shared a bite with her but they didn’t have much to share in the first place. Most of them were too busy training to fight and they didn’t want her around, especially not the special cats - Exalted, she remembered hazily. She’d tried following other kits home but every time she was politely sent away.

Two days ago, she’d seen a couple cats bringing back a pair of juicy looking birds and while they hadn’t shared with her, they had told her that there was plenty of prey over the far road if she could catch it, laughing between themselves. She figured that was as good an idea as any, so she’d headed out for the wild frontier!

It was farther away than she’d thought it would be, or maybe it was just easier to get lost without roads to follow. She walked and walked and then stopped to sleep then walked some more. She was starting to wonder if there even was anything out here at all. Was she just missing it?

The sound of running water grabbed her attention and she licked her chapped lips eagerly at the thought. The kit picked up her heavy paws and bounded towards the noise. Coming out of the grass, she suddenly found herself on the edge of a stream of cool, fresh water - fresher than she’d ever seen before at least.

“Wowzers!” she declared because that seemed fitting. She waded into the stream and crouched down, gulping greedily until her stomach hurt. She thought about falling over and sleeping in the stream but worried she might drown. Instead, she decided to follow the water like it was a road and see where that took her. At the very least it would be fun to splash around.

The sky was getting dark again but Lake didn’t mind. She tromped noisily against the current of the stream, humming a song as each note came to her mind. The chill of the water kept her awake, which was nice. She wondered if she would see a fish. They lived in water, right? She hoped so. She was starving and the water she drank wasn’t helping. It honestly made her feel grosser.

Eventually the stream came upon a small hill but, instead of curving or trickling down the slope, it cut through the earth in a big metal tube. “That’s interesting,” Lake thought out loud. It was like a gutter drain but huge, big enough for a cat to walk through! She bounded up to the edge of it and sucked in a huge breath.

“Hellooooo!” she bellowed, giggling at the way it echoed off the tunnel walls. She splashed her paws in the water and listened to the magnified sound with excitement. “Blaaaaaaah! Bluh, bluh, bluh!” She snorted with laughter. This was the best fun she’d had in weeks!

“Hello?” A voice that wasn’t her own echoed back to her. She gasped. Was that possible?

“Hello?” she called back. It was hard to tell in the dark but at the end of the tunnel, she swore she saw something moving. Then a glint of eyes blinked at her, barely reflecting the moonlight in her direction.

“Wowzers!” she cried, “I didn’t think I’d see anybody! Are you hunting too?”

“Yeah,” the voice said hesitantly. “How old are you?” It sounded like a boy but there were other quieter voices outside the tunnel and they were talking very serious-like.

“I’m three whole months!” Lake said. The eyes pulled away from the tunnel as the cat whispered with his friends. Lake decided she wanted to say hi up close and personal. She started towards the cat, sloshing through the stream up to her belly. Once the tunnel was all around her, the sound of her paw steps started to hurt her ears and she hurried towards the other end to get away from it.

She burst out of the other end and thumped into a pair of bony legs, falling back onto her rump with an “oof!” The cat she had run into reached out a paw to steady her. He smelled like grass and dust and his breath smelled like prey blood. It made Lake’s mouth water.

“Easy, there, kid,” the cat said. It was now that Lake looked up and got her first sight of him.

“You’re funny looking, mister!” she said. He was a skinny white and blue tabby with big ears, like a little dog, and a very pointy face.

“I could say the same about you,” he said.

She laughed. “Am I funny looking?”

“The poor thing looks half starved,” whispered one of the other cats, an equally funny looking girl with brown points on her face and feet.

“Are you out here all alone?” asked the third cat, a fluffy brown tabby boy who was much more normal looking.

“Yessir!” said Lake. “I heard there was food here. Do you guys know where the far road is?” The cats all looked at each other for a beat.

Then the first one spoke up, “Uh, no, but we do know where some food is.”

“Really?!” Lake grinned. “Can I have some?!” Her mouth was starting to fill with saliva. She slurped some of it down to avoid drooling.

“Yeah,” nodded the normal boy. “I’ll even carry you if you want.”

“Nuh, uh,” Lake shook her head. “I’m a big girl now.”

“You sure are,” said the funny looking boy. “Barleypaw, will you go grab one of the mice or something?”

“Yeah,” nodded the funny looking girl. She bounded off into the grass and Lake started after her but the funny looking boy put out a paw to stop her.

“She’s gonna be right back with the food,” he said. “You just sit.”

“Oh, okay,” shrugged Lake. “My name’s Lake. What’s your names?”

“I’m Floodpaw,” said the funny looking boy.

“Sparrowpaw,” said the normal looking boy.

“And our sister is Barleypaw,” said Floodpaw.

“Hey!” Lake gasped. “Did you know all your names rhyme?” Sparrowpaw laughed a little. Floodpaw raised one brow.

“Yeah…” he said. “Where’s your mom, kid?”

Lake frowned. “Oh, um… I don't know.”

“Oh,” said Floodpaw.

“That’s alright,” said Sparrowpaw. “Maybe you can come home with us, then.”

“Yeah?” she brightened. Was she finally gonna be able to find a new place to sleep and a new person to help her get food?

“Yeah,” said Floodpaw. “Once you’ve eaten we can go there.”

“I can’t wait!” cried Lake. “You guys are the best!” The brothers exchanged glances again. Lake wasn’t sure what it meant but she saw the sister coming back over the hill and smelled the delicious smell of meat and all other thoughts fled her brain. She scarfed the whole thing down as quickly as she could. She ate it so fast she forgot to check what kind of animal it was. By the time she finished, she realized she felt very sick to her stomach.

“Oh…” she said. “I think I ate too fast…”

“That’s alright,” said Sparrowpaw, “Are you sure you don’t want me to carry you?”

She nodded, cheeks full of breath as she tried to stifle her nausea.

“Alright, come on then,” Floodpaw said, stretching. “Why don’t we go back to camp? I bet a nice walk will help you feel better.”

“Okay,” mumbled Lake. She didn’t feel like walking. She felt like falling over and never moving again. She didn’t like saying no to people, though, so she forced herself to take a few steps.

Floodpaw tilted his funny looking head and said, “I dunno, maybe we should just sit for a while.” Lake sighed a little in relief. “Yeah, why don’t you guys go gather the prey and tell somebody about Lake and I’ll chill here with the kid until she feels like walking.”

“Are you sure?” asked Barleypaw. “We’re awfully close to the border.”

“It’ll be fine,” he said, flopping down in the grass. “Worst comes to worse, I'll grab the kid and go.”

“Alright…” said Sparrowpaw, looking unconvinced. He and Barleypaw started off into the grass, looking back over their shoulders and whispering to each other. Lake let out a big sigh and eased herself into the grass next to Floodpaw.

“Thanks,” she said, closing her eyes. “I don’t feel very good.” She swallowed, her sides heaving under the distress of her sick tummy.

“No problem,” smiled Floodpaw. “Barleypaw and Sparrowpaw are always like ‘go, go, go, let’s follow the rules’ or whatever but I get just wanting to lie down.”

“Yeah,” Lake smiled wide and wiggled into a more comfortable position. “I like laying down!”

“Me too,” laughed Floodpaw, dropping his head onto the ground too. “So, what are you doing out here, Lake?”

“Looking for food!” Lake purred. Her stomach gurgled loudly and she giggled a bit. “Thanks for sharing it with me.”

“Yeah, no problem,” said Floodpaw, one ear flicking away the gnats buzzing by. “But why are you looking for food all the way out here? You’re from the city aren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah, I am,” Lake nodded, peeking her eyes open at him. “Some cats told me there was food out here. I was really hungry. Plus it sounded fun to try.”

“Don’t other cats bring you food?” he asked, brows furrowed.

“Nah,” she sighed. “Not since Mother went missing.”

The crease in his funny, pointy face deepened. “Still, there wasn’t anybody else who helped you out?”

“Um…” Lake frowned too. “No. I’m sorry.” Was she answering wrong? Why was he upset?

“Oh, no, hey,” he said quickly, “It’s okay, I’m not mad, I’m just-” His skinny little tail twitched. “I just think it’s not cool that no one looked out for you.”

“They’re busy I guess,” Lake shrugged. They were learning to fight or taking care of their own kits. She didn’t blame any of them for not having time for her.

“Well, here we take care of kittens,” Floodpaw said firmly, “no matter who they are.” Lake smiled and hid her nose in her paws shyly. Floodpaw laughed and stretched his big, long legs out in opposite directions. “Take a little nap, kid. I’ll keep watch.”

“Okay,” she said and yawned. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until he said something but now, with her belly full, she was eager to get some shut eye. Feeling very round and sluggish, she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

~~~

When Lake woke up it was very, very dark. She yawned and stretched and looked around, realizing that she was in a totally new place. She stiffened in fright. Where was she? The not knowing was scarier than any answer she could come up with.

She was in a large den made of dirt, it seemed, in a nest of soft green moss and feathers. It smelled faintly of other cats, cats she didn’t know.

Carefully, she got to her paws and crept towards the scent of night air, poking her head out to see a small grassy dip with a few other burrows tucked under big, grey stones. Three cats were sitting on top of a big, flat stone and talking softly. They didn’t seem dangerous so Lake ventured a bit further out to look around in wonder.

“Wowzers,” she breathed. Everything here smelled so fresh and green. She’d never experienced anything like it.

One of the cats, a dark blue bengal girl, perked up at the sound and looked her way. “Oh, hey! She’s awake!”

“Shh,” hushed a brown spotted tabby girl nervously.

“Right, sorry,” said the first girl, lowering her volume a bit. “Hey, girlie, how you feelin’?”

Lake realized she was supposed to answer and said, “I’m good. How did I get here?”

“They carried you in while you were sleeping,” said the third cat, a paler spotted tabby boy. Lake frowned. She had wanted to walk.

“I bet you’re pretty confused,” said the first girl. “Why don’t you come up here and sit with us? We can answer any questions you have.”

“Um, I’m okay,” said Lake. “Where’s the guy with the funny ears?”

“Huh?” asked the first girl.

The boy brightened in realization. “Oh, you mean Floodpaw.”

“Yeah!” Lake bounced. That was his name!

“He’s sleeping over there,” he said, pointing to one of the holes in the ground.

“Okay, thanks!” said Lake. She started towards the hole to go see him. The second girl breathed in sharply through her teeth and the first girl laughed.

The boy started to say, “Oh, uh, I don’t know if-” but the first girl interrupted him.

“Shh, let her be. It’ll be funny.”

Lake didn’t know what they were talking about but she didn’t let it bother her. She made her way into the den. Five cats were sleeping in their nests; two smaller ones were curled up together and Floodpaw and the other cats she had met were sleeping near each other but not so close that they were touching. Lake padded right up to Floodpaw and settled down against his side. He opened his eyes and lifted his head groggily, blinking at her a few times before he managed to speak.

“Hey, kid, what are you doing in here?” he mumbled hoarsely.

“Looking for you,” she whispered. “Why did you carry me? I wanted to walk.”

“Oh,” he said with a small groan. He swiped his tongue over his whiskers and rubbed an eye with his paw. “It was getting really late and I didn’t want to wake you. Sorry, kid.”

“Mmm, it’s okay,” she decided, purring. She wiggled down into his nest and closed her eyes again.

“Oh, uh…” he hesitated for a moment before eventually wrapping his tail around her and laying his head back down to sleep. Lake purred even harder. She’d missed sleeping next to somebody like this.

She hoped that wherever her mother was, she had found someone new to sleep beside too.

UPDATES: - While on patrol with Barleypaw and Sparrowpaw, Floodpaw finds an abandoned kit named Lake and takes her back to camp.

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Lakekit #Ospreymask #Branchbark #Aldertail #clangenrising #Barleybee #Floodstrike #Sparrowsway

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clangenrising · 1 month

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Month 14 - April Gathering

“I’m so excited!” Fogpaw squeaked, bouncing along beside Floodpaw and Slatepaw.

“We know,” Floodpaw rolled his eyes with a groan, “You’ve said so like a million times.” Fogpaw frowned and suddenly didn’t feel like bouncing anymore. She hadn’t realized she was being annoying.

“It’s alright,” Slatepaw said, “I’m excited too.”

“It’s your first Gathering,” said Pantherhaze on Slatepaw’s other side. “It’s completely normal to be excited about it.” He glanced at Floodpaw who looked away.

“Well, I am,” said Fogpaw. She looked up at the full moon and smiled. “Do you think StarClan will cover the moon?”

“I hope not,” said Pantherhaze. “If they did it would mean they disapproved of the Gathering.”

“I just think it would be cool,” shrugged Fogpaw. She imagined a roll of thunder and a sudden stormy sky, a powerful sign of StarClan’s wrath. She hoped that, at least some day, she got to see it.

The RisingClan cats - her, Slatepaw, Floodpaw, Pantherhaze, Scorchplume, Goldenstar, Russetfrond, and Sagetooth - emerged from the trees into the clearing. Fogpaw made an awe-filled sound of wonder at the sight of the Cornerstones towering up ahead. A white she-cat and a ginger one were sitting on top, bathed in moonlight, their deputies conversing on the rubble beneath them. Goldenstar whispered something to Scorchplume and then went to join them.

Floodpaw was moving to meet a group of cats who looked close to his age and Fogpaw decided to follow him. Slatepaw followed her, both of them trailing after Floodpaw like ducklets.

“Have fun and be respectful!” Pantherhaze called after them.

“We will!” squeaked Slatepaw.

“Hey!” A pale, spotted tabby looked up as Floodpaw approached. “Floodpaw, how’s it going?”

“Great,” purred Floodpaw, “We’ve got some big news tonight. I’m excited for you to hear it.”

“Ooh, well now I’m invested,” he grinned.

“You’ve got some kittens stuck to your fur,” said a white she-cat with a ginger striped tail. The ginger cat wearing moth wings next to her smiled in a way that struck Fogpaw as mysterious.

“Oh,” Floodpaw turned to look at them and grimaced a little. “Right, uh, this is Fogpaw and Slatepaw.”

“Hi!” Fogpaw grinned. Slatepaw pressed into her side nervously.

Floodpaw continued, “Uh, guys, these are my friends.” The white cat huffed a mean laugh. “Boldmoth and Fishtrick are from EarthClan and Fernpaw is from SkyClan.”

“It’s Fernspeckle now!” beamed the spotted tabby.

“Aw, really?” frowned Floodpaw. “I mean, congrats, but I was sure I was gonna get my name before you!”

“Having a leader as your mother has its perks,” Fernspeckle laughed.

“An admission you graduated before you were ready,” Fishtrick hummed.

“You’ll get your name soon,” Boldmoth said, looking at Floodpaw.

“Thanks,” he blushed under her cool, golden gaze.

“Your mom is the leader?” Fogpaw asked loudly. Floodpaw and his friends all winced.

“Yeah,” said Fernspeckle, “Snowstar’s my mother.”

“That’s so cool,” Fogpaw said seriously. “My mom’s dead.” Fernspeckle froze in surprise. Fishtrick raised a brow skeptically. Boldmoth frowned sympathetically.

“Hey, uh,” Floodpaw said quickly, “Look, there’s an apprentice your age, why don’t you guys go talk to him?” FallenClan had arrived and Fogpaw followed Floodpaw’s gaze to a pale ginger tom who looked just a little bit older than her and Slatepaw settling down beside a warrior with brown points.

“Oh, okay,” she said, wilting a little. She couldn’t help but feel like Floodpaw didn’t want her around. Still, she was interested in making a new friend so she looked at Slatepaw and said, “Come on, let’s go say hi!” Slatepaw gave a worried noise through pursed lips and glanced over at Floodpaw’s friends before nodding. Fogpaw started to make her way through the crowd, Slatepaw pressed against her side.

Behind her, she heard Floodpaw say, “Yikes, sorry about that, guys.” She sighed a little.

“Fogpaw, why did you say that?” Slatepaw asked quietly.

“Huh?” she asked, looking over. “Say what?”

“You know,” Slatepaw chewed her lip worriedly. “About mama.”

“Oh,” Fogpaw shrugged. She had already forgotten about that. “Cause it’s true?”

“Right,” Slatepaw said softly. Fogpaw frowned, confused. Shaking her head, she decided to ignore it and focus on meeting this new apprentice.

As they drew close, she raised her tail and said, ��Hi there! I’m Fogpaw and this is my sister Slatepaw! What’s your name?” The apprentice looked over at her apprehensively.

Beside him, his mentor smiled and said, “I’m Duskstep and this is Lionpaw. We’re from FallenClan.” He nudged Lionpaw’s leg gently.

“It’s nice to meet you,” said Lionpaw, barely audible but in a listless way, not like Slatepaw’s nervous whispering. It was like he didn’t have the energy to speak any louder. Fogpaw immediately decided that he seemed extremely boring. She glanced back over to where Floodpaw was joking with his friends and wished she could just go back and hang out with them.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” smiled Slatepaw as they sat down. “Do you know Poppybird?”

“Yes,” purred Duskstep, “she’s our Clan’s mediator.”

“She was friends with our mama,” Slatepaw said. “She comes and visits us sometimes.”

“That’s nice,” said Duskstep.

“She mentioned you,” said Slatepaw, looking at Lionpaw. He sat up a little straighter and blinked at her. Fogpaw yawned.

“She did?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Slatepaw said. “We asked her about the kits in FallenClan and she talked about you.” Fogpaw groaned and stood to go find someone else to sit with. She wasn’t going to stay here and listen to boring small talk all gathering.

“W- Fogpaw, where are you going?” asked Slatepaw.

“I dunno,” Fogpaw shrugged, “to find Scorchplume or something.”

“Oh, okay…” Slatepaw frowned. Fogpaw wasn’t sure why she was upset but it annoyed her. Huffling she turned and stomped away.

The meeting was packed. Fogpaw hadn’t seen this many cats since they had gathered in camp for the big battle. The noise of it made her hackles prickle unconsciously. She reared onto her hind legs to try and spot her mentor’s bright ginger pelt. It was difficult with the height of the other cats. She padded a bit to the side to try and find a better vantage point, then someone right next to her spoke, throwing her off guard.

“Oh! Look at that!” said a she-cat nearby. Fogpaw looked on instinct and realized the grey tabby was looking right at her.

“Uh…” She glanced around to make sure there wasn’t something else the cat could be looking at.

“I know that pelt,” continued the cat. “You look just like the old tom Snowstar was fighting in the snowstorm battle!”

“Really?” asked the brown tabby next to her. This one narrowed her eyes at Fogpaw, making her want to squirm. “One of the rogues?”

“Yes, exactly,” said the first cat. “Hello there, kit, what’s your name?” Fogpaw swallowed. At least they were talking to her now instead of about her.

“Fogpaw,” she said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Greyvoice,” said the first cat with a smile, “and this is Perchingcall. Please, why don’t you come sit with us?”

“Um, okay,” said Fogpaw. The idea that two grown ups wanted her to sit with them was exciting. Smiling, she settled down near them.

Greyvoice scooted closer to her and said, “This is your first gathering, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” nodded Fogpaw. “I got apprenticed last week!”

“That’s so exciting,” purred Greyvoice, attentive and warm. Perchingcall smiled too but it didn’t feel right to Fogpaw. “You’re, um, Smokyrose’s kit, right?”

“Yeah,” Fogpaw nodded again.

“Such a shame about her, by the way,” Greyvoice frowned briefly. “I hope you’re doing alright.”

“I’m fine,” said Fogpaw. Her tail tip twitched a bit - she hated when cats pitied her - but Greyvoice moved on quickly so she let it go.

“I’m so curious though,” said Greyvoice, “I mean, I’ve only heard rumors, so I have to ask: Is it true your father is the rogues’ deputy?”

“Um,” Fogpaw screwed her mouth to the side as she thought. “I think so. His name’s Ghost. He’s the reason our mom is dead.” Or something like that. No one would tell her for certain what had happened. She had been forced to glean a few details from overheard conversations.

Greyvoice and Perchingcall at least didn’t get those weird, surprised expressions on their faces like Floodpaw's friends had. Perchingcall frowned like she wanted to tear Ghost’s pelt and Greyvoice let out a soft little noise of sympathy.

“That’s terrible,” said Greyvoice. “What do you mean, he’s the reason why? I only heard that she had died, I didn’t hear what happened.”

“And you won’t,” said Scorchplume, appearing suddenly behind Fogpaw. Her sharp blue eyes were narrowed at Greyvoice as she said, “Fogpaw get up. You’re going to come sit with me.”

“But-” Fogpaw bristled in protest, “But I was just making friends!”

“We don’t make friends with other Clans,” Scorchplume scowled, still not looking at her. “A warrior should know better.” Her words felt pointed at Greyvoice, just as sharp as her eyes. Fogpaw frowned and got to her feet.

“Fine,” she grumbled. Maybe her spell had been wrong and Scorchplume wasn’t a good mentor.

Greyvoice preened her chest a bit and said, “Well I’m fine considering us friends, Fogpaw. Maybe I’ll see you some other time.”

Scorchplume growled a warning. “Stay away from my apprentice, Greyvoice.” The warrior in question huffed irritably but made no further comments. Scorchplume nudged Fogpaw towards the back of the crowd, saying, “That way.”

“I’m going!” Fogpaw griped, stomping off. When they were nearing the back of the crowd, she added, “What was that for? I thought Russetfrond was the one who’s all ‘don’t talk to anybody ever!’” She bobbled her head and deepened her voice as she imitated him.

Scorchplume flicked her tail and wrapped it around Fogpaw to urge her to sit. “Oh, I don’t care about talking to other Clans,” she said, and Fogpaw’s mouth fell open in confusion.

“Then, what-”

“Greyvoice was taking advantage of you,” said Scorchplume simply. “She doesn’t actually want to be your friend, she just wants to know the gossip about your father.”

“Wait, really?” Fogpaw’s ears slid back against her head. She hadn’t been able to tell at all. Her stomach turned into a heavy, nauseous lump.

“Mhm,” said Scorchplume, glancing sideways at her. “I’m not going to let someone like that take advantage of my apprentice.” Her voice caught in her throat on the word, a growl that made Fogpaw feel like Scorchplume would fight a lion for her.

“But, then, why did you lie?” asked Fogpaw.

Scorchplume glanced around as if making sure no one could hear before she said softly, “It’s better if I let her think I haven’t noticed what she actually wants. That way, she underestimates me. That way, I have the advantage next time we meet.” Fogpaw’s eyes were as wide and round as the moon. “So I got you out without tipping her off. I hope I wasn’t too harsh.”

“No, that’s amazing!” Fogpaw breathed. “It’s like magic! You have to teach me!”

Scorchplume’s eyes flickered over her again, a tiny smile poking at the corners of her mouth. “It would be my pleasure,” she said. Fogpaw grinned, kneading the dirt with her paws. The spell had definitely worked.

“Where do we start?” she asked.

“Well-”

Snowstar’s voice boomed over the crowd. “Alright! I think it’s about time we got started!” The assembled cats hushed each other and fell quiet.

“The first step,” Scorchplume spoke quickly and quietly, like she was giving Fogpaw an urgent secret, “is to figure out what cats want. Once you master that, you can start using it to your advantage.”

“Got it,” Fogpaw whispered back.

“As a bit of good news to start off with,” Snowstar continued, “SkyClan welcomes a new warrior, the first of the kits to have survived Red Gut! Fernspeckle has shown himself to be a cat with a quick tongue and a quicker wit and we are beyond proud to have him among our ranks!”

“She’s Fernspeckle’s mom,” Fogpaw whispered to Scorchplume.

Scorchplume raised a brow in interest. “Good to know.”

When the crowd finished chanting Fernspeckle’s name, Snowstar said, “As well, Newleaf has been kind to us. Prey is flowing well and we are happy to continue sharing with our less fortunate neighbors if need be.”

“What does Snowstar want?” Scorchplume whispered to Fogpaw.

“Um… I don’t know.” Fogpaw shrugged. How was she supposed to be able to tell from that?

“She wants to be seen as strong and generous,” answered Scorchplume. “See the way she’s offering to help us like it makes her special? Sometimes what a cat wants is to look a certain way to other people. Remember that.” Fogpaw hummed as she nodded. This was harder than she had expected.

“It’s most appreciated,” Orangestar said, voice wobbling tiredly.

“Yes,” Goldenstar agreed, much firmer, “but RisingClan would like to be self-sufficient again as soon as possible. It is in that vein that I would like to propose another alliance, like the one we made for the battle of the snowstorm.”

“Has there been another prophecy?” Snowstar asked.

“No,” Goldenstar said, “but we have a plan.” She stood and raised her tail confidently and none of the other leaders tried to interrupt her so she continued. “It has recently come to my attention that Razor, the leader of the rogues, is interested in a one on one meeting with me. This meeting will almost certainly be a trap in which he intends to kill me, who he believes to be the Clans’ only leader. We will give him this meeting but we will spring a trap of our own instead!”

RisingClan’s warriors and a few other Clan cats cheered in response. Scorchplume stayed silent so Fogpaw did the same.

“And you need our help to do so,” said Flightstar as if he’d caught her trying to sneak it past him.

“Yes,” said Goldenstar. “RisingClan alone won’t be able to stand against Razor but together we will most definitely be able to overpower him and put an end to this war.”

“Then SkyClan will be there,” said Snowstar. “We would see this conflict put to rest for the good of every Clan.”

“FallenClan as well,” said Flightstar with a twitch of his ear. “Where there’s a fight to be fought you will find the warriors of the deep woods.” A few FallenClan cats crowed proudly.

“What does Flightstar want?” Scorchplume whispered again.

“Um… is it to look a certain way?” asked Fogpaw.

“Mhm.”

“Um… He wants to look brave?”

“Good,” purred Scorchplume. “He wants to look brave and strong and to tell everyone that they couldn’t beat him if they tried.”

“Huh,” Fogpaw squinted up at him. That made sense, she thought.

“What about EarthClan?” Goldenstar asked, looking at Orangestar. “We were hoping to use the edge of your forest for the meeting spot, to help hide our warriors and provide a terrain advantage.”

Orangestar shifted and nodded. “Yes. EarthClan will stand by you. StarClan willing, this is the final battle of this war.”

“StarClan willing,” nodded Snowstar.

“Excellent,” Goldenstar said. “I will reach out to you to pick the location of the ambush. After that, I’ll send for a meeting with the leaders and things will be put into motion.” She shifted her posture to something a little more open and said, “In other news, we have two new apprentices with us today, Fogpaw and Slatepaw.”

Fogpaw jumped to her feet and stood up tall so everyone could see her. A few cats tossed glances her way. She noticed Greyvoice among them. Scorchplume’s tail swished over her back, urging her to sit, and she did. The meeting moved on. The other Clans had very little news to share and soon after, RisingClan was heading home.

“Thanks for teaching me,” Fogpaw said as she padded with Scorchplume to join the others.

“It’s my job isn’t it?” asked her mentor.

“Yeah, but I don’t think this is part of normal warrior stuff. I knew you were special.”

Scorchplume huffed a laugh. “Good,” she purred, “and don’t forget it.”

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clangenrising · 2 months

Text

Month 14 - Newleaf

“It’s almost time,” Fogkit muttered to herself. She enjoyed muttering, especially if there was no one there to listen. It made her feel like she was five steps ahead. And today, she was. She had spent all week making spells out of prey scraps and mud and moth wings and such in preparation for today.

Last night, Goldenstar had told her and Slatekit that they would be apprenticed at dawn. She had risen early to groom her fur and scatter feathers around the camp for good luck. Now she sat hunched in the dark, hidden in the grass near the nursery, waiting for dawn. The sky was starting to turn a soft, pretty pink.

A few cats were up and about, likely waiting just like she was. She watched as Floodpaw slank out of the apprentices’ den and arched his back in a long, lanky curve, and she brightened. She bolted for him and slipped underneath him to poke her head out between his forelegs so she could look up at him.

He jumped and said, “Yikes, kid! What are you doing up so early?”

“Um, I’m gonna be apprenticed,” Fogkit rolled her eyes. “Duh!” He rolled his eyes in return and sat down on top of her. She squealed in delight and thrashed wildly.

“Huh,” he said, “where did Fogkit go?”

“I’m here!” she screamed, kicking with all her might. He winced but stayed where he was.

“Fogkit?” he called. “Oh, Fogkit! Man, that’s a shame. She’s gonna miss her ceremony.”

“No!” she giggled. “No, I can’t!” She rolled onto her back as best she could and kicked hard with both legs. Floodpaw gave a grunt of pain and tumbled off of her immediately. She laughed and sprang on him where he lay curled in a pained ball.

“Take that!” she declared, swiping at his ears.

The apprentice simply wheezed, “Good kick…”

Fogkit laughed and sat down to smooth out her fur again. Floodpaw was so much fun. Sparrowpaw and Barleypaw poked their heads out of the den and Fogkit waved her tail at them with a chipper smile.

“Everything alright out here?” Sparrowpaw asked, raising a brow.

“Yep!” she purred.

“Mhm,” groaned Floodpaw.

Barleypaw laughed and sat down next to her brother to purr against his side. “She must have got you pretty good.”

“Only ‘cause he sat on me,” Fogkit said.

“Oh, then I guess he deserved it,” Sparrowpaw smirked.

“Go hug a badger,” grumbled Floodpaw, finally managing to uncurl his body.

“Fogkit!” Slatekit’s voice squeaked from across the camp. Fogkit turned to smile at her sister and waved her over. Slatekit hesitated but crossed the distance to huddle beside her.

“Hey!” Fogkit said, “You excited?”

“Mm,” Slatekit whimpered in lieu of an answer.

“You’ll do great,” Barleypaw said. “I was super nervous at my ceremony too but it’s really not that scary.” Slatekit whimpered again.

“It’s okay,” Fogkit said confidently. “I’ve been doing spells all week to make sure we get the best mentors.”

“Spells?” Sparrowpaw blinked in surprise.

“Yeah!” Fogkit brightened. “Mystique told us all about how wild cats do magic spells to help their friends and curse their enemies. She didn’t know how to do them but I figured it out, I think.”

“Is that so?” Barleypaw seemed apprehensive. Floodpaw laughed.

Slatekit nodded. “Yeah, she said that wild cats are magic. We’re wild cats, right?”

“That is what the city calls Clan cats, yes,” said Sparrowpaw, “but-”

“Yeah!” Fogkit said, eager to share with them. “Magic is easy, you just have to get the right stuff and then think really hard about what you want to happen and sometimes put the stuff in a special place or something! I can show you guys sometime.”

“I’m good,” snorted Floodpaw.

“Maybe…” Barleypaw laughed awkwardly. “We’ve got to train for our final assessments though.”

“Oh, yeah,” Fogkit frowned. “You’re not gonna be in the apprentice den with us for very long…”

“Yeah,” said Sparrowpaw, “but you’ll be warriors before you know it. Time flies like that.”

Goldenstar’s voice rang out through the camp. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!”

“It’s happening!” squealed Fogkit, bouncing on her toes. Slatekit whined nervously.

“Come on, lets go sit closer,” Barleypaw said, wrapping her tail over Slatekit’s shoulders. The group of them moved in to join the other cats who trickled out of their dens and settled in a semicircle around the Stoneperch. Goldenstar sat atop the stone, her fur glowing under the creeping light of dawn. Fogkit kneaded the ground in anticipation.

“Today,” Goldenstar began, “we name two apprentices who have been waiting eagerly for this moment. Fogkit, Slatekit, you have reached the age of six moons and that means it’s time for you to start your training towards becoming warriors. From this day on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Fogpaw and Slatepaw.” Everyone cheered, chorusing their new names. Slatepaw blushed and tried to stand up tall. Fogpaw didn’t stop looking at Goldenstar. She wasn’t going to be satisfied until she heard who her mentor would be.

“Slatepaw,” said Goldenstar, “for your mentor, I have chosen someone who has proven himself to be a kind and gentle mentor in the past. I entrust your training to Pantherhaze and hope that you will be able to rely on him when times are tough.”

Pantherhaze stepped out of the crowd, smiling softly. Slatepaw swallowed and stepped up to meet him. Fogpaw could see her trembling as they touched noses. He whispered something to her and she nodded. Fogpaw was happy with the pair. It seemed her spell had paid off.

“Fogpaw,” Goldenstar’s voice brought her back to attention. “Your mentor will be Scorchplume.” Fogpaw’s jaw fell open in surprise. She hadn’t realized that was an option. “Scorchplume, while this is your first apprentice, I am confident you will be able to teach Fogpaw how to excel at any pursuit she puts her mind to.”

Scorchplume swished her big, ginger tail up over her back and strode into the circle to meet Fogpaw. Fogpaw was frozen for a moment, unsure. Was this really what her magic had decided was the best mentor for her?

She glanced around at the other cats, the ones without apprentices. Branchbark, Aldertail, and Ospreymask all sat together near the edge. Ospreymask looked especially disappointed. Fogpaw realized that she wouldn’t want any of them to be her teacher. She looked back at Scorchplume who had raised her brows expectantly and tried to see through her expression to her aura. Scorchplume was bold and sharp and pretty. She was the only cat to have gone to the city and come back safely. Yes, Fogpaw decided, this was the perfect mentor for her.

Grinning, Fogpaw stepped up and presented her nose for Scorchplume to touch with her own. The warrior gave an amused humm and did so. The touch sent an electric shock through Fogpaw’s nose and she recoiled to rub at it with her paw. Scorchplume wrinkled her nose at the sensation. That had to mean something, right?

“We’re tied now,” she mumbled to Scorchplume, “you and me.”

“Really, now?” Scorch whispered back.

“With that, our meeting is concluded,” Goldenstar said. “Congratulations, Fogpaw and Slatepaw!” Another round of cheering went up for the both of them. Fogpaw looked around the circle and felt tears swelling within her. All of their will, all of their passion, was behind her now, driving her forward. She could almost feel StarClan’s presence on her back. I promise, Mama, she vowed, imagining spellwork being woven into every word, I’m going to become the best warrior there is. I’ll make you proud.

UPDATES: - Fogkit and Slatekit are made apprentices. Fogpaw is apprenticed to Scorchplume! Slatepaw is apprenticed to Pantherhaze!

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clangenrising · 2 months

Text

Month 14 - Newleaf

“Thank you all for coming,” Goldenstar said to the assembled warriors of RisingClan. “This should be quick.” Everyone had gathered at sunhigh to talk while the kits were sleeping. Even Sagetooth and Oddstripe were in attendance. The only cat missing was Songdust, whose absence hung heavy over the group like an ill omen.

Yarrowshade shrugged and said, “We’re happy to be here, Goldie.” She smiled and he grinned in return. It was good to see her smiling again. Beside her, Scorchplume’s tail was twined with hers, a development he had noticed a few days ago but said nothing about yet. Neither of them seemed to want to bring it up either so he left it alone.

“We all want to see the end of this war,” said Pantherhaze and the rest of the group concurred. Yarrowshade in particular couldn’t wait to pay the rogues back for all the grief they had caused him. His claws ached to sink into their fur. His skin itched for the satisfaction of a well-deserved wound.

“I’ve been discussing strategies with Scorchplume,” Goldenstar said, “and she thinks there’s a way we could manage to take Razor out of play, which would be huge.”

“Yes,” Scorchplume said, less excited than Goldenstar was. “It’s risky though.”

“Risky is what we do,” Floodpaw purred proudly. Oddstripe clucked with worry.

“Right,” said Goldenstar. “A risk with big pay off is way better than continuing to sit and wait. Go ahead.”

“Alright,” sighed Scorch. Yarrowshade watched her shift uncomfortably and added another smack to the list of punishments he owed Razor. “When Smokyrose came to the city, they were discussing a peace agreement. Until Ghost arrived, it looked like he was going to arrange a one on one meeting with Goldenstar that he would use to ambush her and take out your leader.”

A few cats shifted bitterly at the mention of Smokyrose.

“The plan is to arrange that meeting,” Goldenstar said with a fiery conviction in her voice, “and then ambush him back.”

“But it’s extremely dangerous,” Scorch cautioned. “Goldenstar will have to be basically alone with Razor for at least a few moments. If there are any mistakes, Goldenstar could die.”

“I could lose a life,” Goldenstar admitted, “but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. As long as the rest of you come in to corner him, we should succeed.” Scorch chewed her lip, tail rippling irritably, and Yarrowshade realized that she still didn’t believe in Goldenstar’s nine lives.

“I think it sounds like a solid course of action,” Sagetooth said. “I’ll consult StarClan but I think we should plan on going through with it.”

“We should ask the other Clans too,” said Pantherhaze. “We only won the last battle because of their help. We could use it again.”

“Yeah, we don’t know how many cats Razor will bring with him,” said Sparrowpaw. “Best to be prepared.”

“I agree,” Goldenstar said, “and I’m sure something this important will get Flightstar and Snowstar to agree to it. Scorchplume believes that Razor thinks I’m the Clans’ only leader, so I’ll also be the one meeting him and taking on all the risk.” Scorch shifted again.

“Just don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Oddstripe said. “I don’t want to have more of you injured than is necessary.” Sagetooth twitched her ear.

“We’ll train in defensive combat strategies and cooperative fighting in preparation,” said Russetfrond, looking more like himself than he had over the last couple days. Yarrowshade had enjoyed how miserable Mystique’s pregnancy had made him at first but by now he was just glad that the deputy had stopped moping. It was unsettling - too unlike him.

“Good idea,” Goldenstar nodded. “Russetfrond and I will come up with a more decisive battle plan and share it with you all during training. Are there any other questions?”

“What are we going to do about Songdust?” Floodpaw asked impatiently. Barleypaw nodded. Sparrowpaw looked at the ground. Pantherhaze and Ospreymask leaned forward for the answer.

Goldenstar shifted. “That’s a little more complicated…”

“I know a cat or two who might be able to help,” Scorch said, “but there’s not much we can do without going into the city which we can’t really do with Razor in power like this.”

“StarClan will protect her if they can,” Sagetooth said. “Defeating Razor is the first step. Then we can think about rescuing Songdust.” No one seemed satisfied with that answer, but Scorch was right. There wasn’t really anything they could do.

After a moment or two of silence, Goldenstar said, “Alright then. Meeting adjourned. Everyone focus on preparing for the battle. May StarClan guide us.”

“May StarClan guide us,” said Sagetooth, Oddstripe, Barleypaw, and Pantherhaze’s staggered voices. The cats began to disperse. Yarrowshade picked himself up and moved to talk with Scorch and Goldenstar.

“Hey, you guys wanna go train or something?” he asked. Goldenstar looked to Scorchplume.

“You two can go,” Scorch said. “I’m not going to go anywhere near Razor.”

“Still, it can’t hurt to get some practice in, right?” Yarrowshade asked. She looked at him and he swore he could hear her thoughts, how irritating she found him, how much she hated him for ‘choosing Nightfrost.’

“Fine,” she said shortly.

“Great,” Goldenstar laughed a little and Scorch shot her a subtle glare. “Or what if we scout out places for the meeting instead? That’s something you could help with.”

“I suppose,” Scorchplume hummed, seeming more inclined to that idea. Yarrowshade couldn’t help but feel like she just liked Goldenstar’s ideas better than his. He swallowed tightly and tried not to look disappointed.

“Sounds good to me,” he said brightly. “Let’s go.”

They set out towards the southern border. The day was warm for the season, bright and sunny with a welcome breeze. Yarrowshade tilted his face to the sun and tried to enjoy the warmth of it.

“How’ve you been, by the way?” asked Goldenstar.

He tilted his head in her direction. “Good, I guess.” Lonely. “I’ve missed hanging out with you two though.”

“Same, honestly,” Goldenstar said, leaning into Scorchplume’s side. “I can’t wait for all this business to be over so things can go back to normal.”

“Normal is extremely relative,” Scorch hummed. “I for one am sick of normal.”

“We’ll just have to make a new normal then,” Yarrowshade tried, offering her a smile. She raised her brows at him but said nothing. He tried not to frown.

“Scorch,” Goldenstar said softly. “He’s trying. Be nice to him.” Yarrowshade blushed at being called out like that. Was he so obvious? Scorch scowled at Goldenstar but there was no malice in her gaze.

“I’ll do what I please,” she huffed.

“I know,” purred Goldenstar, “but you guys used to be good friends right? I don’t see the point in holding onto a grudge when you could just get along again.”

“Look,” Yarrowshade cut in, fur prickling in discomfort, “if it helps; I’m sorry for whatever I did.”

“Whatever you did?” Scorch raised her brows even higher somehow.

“Yes?” he winced. This felt like a trap.

“What was that, exactly?” Scorch asked. Goldenstar was mouthing something but he was terrible at reading lips.

“For…” Yarrowshade hesitated. He had to find the correct answer. “For not choosing you?” There was a moment of silence where Scorch sized him up and he and Goldenstar held their breath.

Then Scorch said, “Apology accepted.” Both Yarrowshade and Goldenstar sighed in relief. Scorch flicked her ear in annoyance.

But after that, things were alright. Yarrowshade brought up a funny story from hunting with Barleypaw the other day and the others laughed. Scorch poked fun at him with an easy smile rather than a cold, defensive one. Goldenstar wouldn’t stop purring. He still felt like he was walking on thin ice, but at least for now Scorch was finding him entertaining. That was all he wanted, really.

Discussion moved on to talk about how Barleypaw and her littermates would be warriors in a moon or two. Goldenstar expressed being nervous about her first real warrior ceremony as leader and Scorch and Yarrowshade told her she had nothing to worry about. From there, they started talking about Slatekit and Fogkit and their upcoming ceremony.

“I still don’t know who should mentor Fogkit,” said Goldenstar as they paused to examine the sightlines on one hill. “I think I have Slatekit settled but Fogkit doesn’t like Ospreymask anymore and I’m not sure who else could mentor her.”

“She’s a pawful, isn’t she?” Yarrowshade chuckled. “Yesterday I caught her ‘crafting curses’ out of claw sheds and bird bones.”

“Crafting curses?” Scorch said skeptically.

“Yeah,” shrugged Yarrowshade. “I don’t know where she got the idea but she said she was trying to curse the rogues to death.” He shook his head. “I’m honestly glad I already have Barleypaw cause I don’t think I would want to try and untangle that whole mess.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing,” Goldenstar said. “I would take her myself but I’ve already got Floodpaw.”

“You can’t just take every apprentice who seems like they’ll be a pawful,” Scorch huffed.

“Is that a challenge?” Goldenstar teased and Scorch rolled her eyes.

“Look, if it’s really such a predicament, just give her to me.”

Yarrowshade and Goldenstar fell into stunned silence.

“What?” Scorch bristled defensively. “Is that so outlandish?”

“No, no,” Goldenstar said quickly, a smile spreading across her face, “I just didn’t expect you to want an apprentice! I mean, it’s a pretty big commitment.”

“Does that mean you’re staying?” Yarrowshade asked excitedly.

Scorch swished her tail back and forth, puffing up like a ginger pigeon. “For now,” she said. “By the time I leave, Floodpaw will be a warrior and then Goldenstar can take over her training.”

Yarrowshade cocked a brow, smirking. “I don’t buy it.”

Goldenstar was grinning like an idiot. “Oh, Scorch!” she purred, butting her head into Scorchplume’s shoulder. “I love you so much!”

“That’s it!” Scorch said, putting both paws on Goldenstar’s face and shoving her away. “I’m actually leaving right now and throwing myself in the river.”

“Wait, no!” wailed Goldenstar through laughter. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to use the forbidden word!” She threw herself at Scorch’s feet and clung to her like a needy kitten. Scorch huffed a laugh through her nose.

“Please, your excellence,” she said, pretending to be scandalized, “you forget yourself.” Goldenstar laughed, chest thrumming with an uncontrollable purr.

Yarrowshade swallowed thickly. Grief, unexpected and overwhelming, flooded his mind as he watched them joke and flirt. Neither of them seemed to notice and he was grateful for it. He carefully turned away and started down the far side of the hill, breathing slowly through his nose to try and stop himself from tearing up.

Get it together, Yarrowshade, he thought to himself. This was such a stupid thing to cry over! He wasn’t going to let them see him like this.

“Look,” Scorch said smugly, “your pathetic displays have scared off Yarrowshade.”

“Ah!” Goldenstar cried, still laughing, “Yarrowshade, wait! I’m sorry!”

He paused and let out one last breath before forcing the frown off of his face. “I think this hill is too exposed,” he said, glancing back at them. “Maybe we should try somewhere with trees?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Goldenstar had gotten to her feet and was halfway to him, Scorch trailing behind. Both of them looked so happy it hurt to watch.

“Do you think Orangestar would let us hold the meeting on EarthClan territory?” he asked, looking away. He focused his eyes on the trees up ahead and tried to pretend that he was fine.

“Maybe!” Goldenstar said. “I’ll bring it up at the Gathering.”

“Hmm,” Scorch chewed her lip. “Could we take a look anyway or would that be inappropriate.”

“I’m not sure,” Goldenstar said.

“Probably best to wait for permission,” Yarrowshade said.

“Yeahhhh,” Goldenstar sighed. “Oh well. Why don’t we catch some lunch and head back?”

“Sounds good to me,” said Scorch.

“Yeah,” Yarrowshade turned back to them, smiling again even if it felt a little forced. “I’d love that.”

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Goldenstar #Yarrowshade #Pantherhaze #Sagetooth #Oddstripe #Scorchplume #Russetfrond #Newleaf #Clangenrising #Floodstrike #Sparrowsway

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clangenrising · 3 months

Text

Month 13 - Newleaf

“Still no sign of them,” Pantherhaze said sadly. “Russetfrond and Sparrowpaw are still out there waiting though.”

Goldenstar sighed. The longer they waited, the clearer it became that Smokyrose and Songdust were in serious trouble. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do but wait. They had no idea where the missing cats were and the chances that anyone she sent would also go missing were just too high. She couldn’t in good conscience send her warriors into such a dangerous situation and so she was forced to sit and hope that the two old she-cats would find their ways back home.

“Alright,” she said. “Thank you, Pantherhaze.”

“Of course,” he said. Dipping his head, he slipped off to get a meal and left her alone at the foot of the Stoneperch. She closed her eyes and let the cold night wash her with melancholy. She tried to think about what Sunstar would do in this situation but that only led her to the conclusion that Sunstar would be storming the city single-pawed to get her sister back and Goldenstar would be forced to try and stop her. She almost wished it was that easy for her, that she had a good enough excuse to storm blindly into trouble. Then at least she wouldn’t have to agonize over the choice to do nothing.

A strange scent blew down into camp on the wind, vanilla mixed with thunderpath and twolegs. Her fur bristled and she snapped towards it, mouth open. Had an attack finally come to their camp? The scent wasn’t strong enough to be too many cats. Her ears strained towards the sound, hoping for more details.

“I’m just saying, he started it,” said a stranger’s voice, causing Goldenstar’s tail to brush up.

Then Russetfrond’s voice set her slightly at ease. “What are you, six weeks old?”

“Enough!” Goldenstar’s heart leapt at the sound of a third, impossibly familiar voice. “You’re both very cute and funny and smart. Can we please give it a rest?” A pair of mismatched ears crested the slope and then there was Scorch, strolling into camp like nothing had happened, a perfect scowl on her perfect face.

“Scorchplume!” Goldenstar was halfway across camp before she knew what was happening.

“What?!” she heard Yarrowshade shout from inside the warriors’ den.

Scorch had stopped in her tracks wearing a blank expression. Goldenstar stopped too. Was Scorch still upset with her? Oh, Stars, she hoped not. She was wearing a little blue collar with a little star shaped charm. Her blue eyes seemed to glow in the fading twilight as she licked her lips apprehensively.

“Scorch!” Yarrowshade had burst out of the warriors’ den and bounded up past Goldenstar to butt his head against hers, a deep purr thrumming in his chest. Scorch stiffened but leaned into the touch. With the spell of her gaze broken, Goldenstar suddenly noticed the large blue she-cat looming close behind wearing a collar of her own and a suspicious glare. Cats were starting to gather, whispering amongst themselves, and the kittypet looked like she was trying to size all of them up.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Yarrowshade laughed. “What happened to you?”

Scorch let out a small, frustrated noise from her throat, like she tried to speak but no words came out. “It’s a long and complicated story,” she ended up saying. Turning to look at the kittypet, she added, “This is Mystique. She helped me escape.”

“I feel like ‘escape’ is a bit much,” the cat said.

“No, it’s quite accurate,” Scorch said, looking back at Goldenstar. The leader’s breath suddenly froze in her chest. “Smokyrose is dead.”

“What?” Russetfrond snapped, suddenly tensing up again. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

“How do you know?” Yarrowshade asked.

Scorch pursed her lips and glared back at Russetfrond. “I told you I wanted to find Goldenstar before I started talking, remember?” She ignored Yarrowshade.

“Right,” said Goldenstar, jolted out of her paralysis. “Why don't you come sit and tell us what you have to share.” She swept her tail towards the center of camp. As much as she probably ought to pull Scorch into her den for a more private briefing, she knew that everyone was going to be starving for details and that it would be faster if they all just heard them now instead of asking her for them one by one.

“Thank you,” Scorch sighed, shoulders slacking. “Mystique and I are both very hungry as well. Would it be alright if we ate?”

“Of course,” Goldenstar said immediately.

Russetfrond growled. “We shouldn’t be sharing prey with the enemy, Goldenstar.”

“She brought one of our warriors home,” she replied. “At least for tonight, she’s a guest.” Russetfrond huffed disapprovingly but didn’t protest any further. Mystique shot him the smuggest grin. Oh, dear, Goldenstar thought. Those two are going to be a pawful.

A moment later, everyone who was awake was gathered around Scorch and Mystique who had been given a mouse each. Mystique seemed unsure how to approach the prey at first but once Scorch started eating she quickly followed suit. Everyone gave them a few beats to eat despite the palpable curiosity in the air.

Russetfrond eventually broke the silence. “What do you know about Smokyrose and Songdust?”

Scorch swallowed and straightened her posture authoritatively. “Smokyrose is dead. She and Songdust showed up to try and barter peace two days ago but Razor found out that she and Ghost were intertwined and killed her for it.” Mystique glanced at her with a frown but refrained from interrupting, focused instead on finishing her meal.

“Because she wasn’t from the city?” Goldenstar asked in shock. She’d heard old stories about tyrannical leaders killing the cross-clan mates of their warriors before. She wondered if Razor was a kittypet purist.

“Not exactly,” Scorch said. “He and Ghost are not on good terms right now. Razor killed her just to spite him.” Her tail lashed once but Goldenstar could see the burning anger underneath her calm and collected facade. Floodpaw reflected that anger, tail lashing back and forth as he sat on the edge of the meeting with his littermates.

“That’s horrible!” Ospreymask said.

“Poor Smokyrose…” mumbled Pantherhaze, looking at his paws.

“What about Songdust?” Pressed Russetfrond.

“She escaped,” Mystique volunteered. “Nobody’s seen her since.”

“Nobody?” Branchbark frowned.

“Nobody who will say anything at least,” shrugged Mystique.

“Snake guts,” Yarrowshade cursed, staring through the dirt with wide, overwhelmed eyes. Beside him, Pantherhaze shut his eyes and whispered a prayer under his breath.

“Okay, well that’s good,” Goldenstar said, trying to focus on the positive. “That means she’s probably safe.”

“So why hasn’t she come home?” Ospreymask asked.

“There’s a chance she’s been caught by the humans,” Scorchplume said, licking the last traces of her mouse from her lips. “If they’ve got her she’ll be in a place the city cats call a Judgement House.”

“Oh, that’s not scary at all,” Yarrowshade muttered.

Scorch continued, “They’ll decide if she’s Chaff or if she’ll become Exalted - what you would call a kittypet. If she’s Chaff, she’ll be back on the street after about four days. If she’s not then it could take moons.”

“Seriously?” Ospreymask scoffed. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Scorch shrugged. “I got taken home by a human after a week.”

“So you were in one of these ‘Judgement Houses’?” Goldenstar asked. The idea sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what such a place would look like.

“Yes,” Scorch twitched an ear. “It’s not important though. What is important is that the city cats are preparing to step up their attack. They’re going to keep starving you out but on top of that they’re training the Chaff to fight so they can send strike teams to pick your patrols off one by one.” Goldenstar noticed Mystique shifting uneasily, eyes darting over the scowling warriors around her.

“If they fight anything like the cats we fought before, they won’t stand a chance,” Floodpaw declared, puffing up his chest.

“Shush,” Goldenstar said and he deflated, ears flopping backwards.

“It doesn’t matter if they do,” Scorch said. “There are a lot more Chaff in the city than there are Clan cats and the Exalted won’t have a problem with throwing them at you until you’re overwhelmed. It’s not a matter of if they wipe you out, it’s a matter of when.” Goldenstar swallowed.

“So what do we do?” Branchbark asked.

“Run?” Scorch said. “I told you, there’s no winning with Razor. Your best chance is to leave and live to fight another day.”

“No way,” Russetfrond growled.

“That’s been discussed and discarded already,” Goldenstar said. “The Clans would never agree to it.”

“I thought Snowstar was willing to help us relocate on the other side of the mountains,” said Yarrowshade.

“Yes,” Goldenstar winced, “but I doubt we’d be able to convince SkyClan and FallenClan to come with us. Besides, we already decided that we weren’t going to abandon our home.”

“Goldenstar, how many times do I have to tell you,” Scorchplume’s claws sank into the grass, “there is no other way! If you stay here you’ll all die. That’s that.”

Goldenstar bit her lip, unable to hold back the disappointment overwhelming her. She’d hoped that if she ever saw Scorch again that there would be a tearful reunion, not a bitter argument. She shuffled a bit, aware that the eyes of her Clan were on her. Whatever she said next would have weight.

“I know you believe that,” she said and she saw Scorch scowl defensively. Quickly, she added, “I’m not saying you’re crazy, I’m just saying I have to make sure there isn’t another course of action before we resort to something that drastic.”

“We should ask StarClan,” Ospreymask suggested. “They led us to victory during the snowstorm! They can do it again!”

“Of course they did,” Scorch scoffed, rolling her eyes as she looked away. Goldenstar wanted to scream. They had! Scorch had somehow managed to be gone right when StarClan gave them definitive proof of their existence. It was infuriating.

“I’ll plan a visit to the River,” she said instead. “We’ll see what guidance they can provide.”

“What about you?” Branchbark said to Mystique. “What do you think we should do?”

The kittypet sat up, ears flicking back uncomfortably, and she looked around at them with an uneasy grimace. “Me?”

“Yeah,” he said. “You helped Scorchplume. You can’t be all that bad. We have kits and elders here who are in danger and we’ll fight to defend them but we don’t want to kill your cats any more than we want you to kill ours.”

“Sure,” scoffed Mystique. “I’ve heard about how you swarmed the hunting party and slaughtered Sycamore.”

“He was going to kill Floodpaw,” Ospreymask said, voice sharp and clipped. Floodpaw squirmed in embarrassment.

Branchbark tried again. “We were just trying to defend our homes and our loved ones. I’m sure you understand that, right?” Mystique nodded after a beat. “So what do you think we should do? You know the city cats better than we do. What’s the best way forward for everyone?” Goldenstar raised her brows, impressed. Branchbark was sharp as a thorn, as usual. All eyes turned to Mystique, waiting for her answer. Scorch in particular seemed invested in what she had to say.

“Well…” the big blue she-cat swallowed, a frown tugging at her lips. “My brother is a stubborn cat. He wants the wild territories and he’s probably not going to give up any time soon.”

“Your brother?” Russetfrond glared.

“Razor,” Scorch said tightly. Everyone bristled.

“What?!” Yarrowshade was on his feet.

“The kits are sleeping!” Ospreymask hissed at him.

“How could you bring her here?!” Russetfrond accused Scorch. “Weren’t you thinking?!”

“I did what I had to do,” Scorch snarled, voice dripping with a venom Goldenstar had never heard before. “Don’t you dare lecture me!” Mystique had pulled back into a defensive crouch, tail twitching in grim anticipation of a fight.

“Everyone calm down,” Goldenstar stood as well, trying to speak authoritatively without raising her volume too much. “Blood isn’t everything. She’s done nothing but help us so far, we’re not going to turn on her because of her brother’s actions.” Yarrowshade glared at her for a second before sitting down again. Russetfrond didn’t move, locked in a staring contest with Scorchplume.

“He’s really not so bad…” Mystique said weakly.

“Have you ever heard him talk?” Yarrowshade laughed bitterly.

“Didn’t he kill Smokyrose over a petty grudge?” said Ospreymask.

“He’s the worst kind of monster there is,” Scorch growled, still squinting furiously at Russetfrond. “He takes just to take and he’s cruel without cause. But Mystique isn’t like him.” She glanced over at the kittypet. “She may be a little obtuse but she means well.”

“Okay, ouch,” Mystique said defensively. Scorch opened her mouth like she was going to continue then pursed her lips and looked away again.

“Maybe we should have this conversation in the morning,” suggested Pantherhaze. “I think some sleep would do everyone some good.”

“I suppose I could stay the night,” Mystique mumbled.

“Oh, you’ll stay longer than that,” growled Russetfrond. Looking at Goldenstar, he said, “She knows where our camp is, what our numbers are, what we plan to do. She can’t go back to the city.”

“Hold on!” Mystique rose to her paws, causing Russetfrond, Yarrowshade, Ospreymask, and Floodpaw to do the same. “You can’t keep me here!”

“We can do whatever we like,” Russetfrond hissed, back arching. Goldenstar felt the situation quickly slipping away from her.

“Look,” she said, “he has a point. It would be extremely unwise to let you return to the others. You’ll have to stay here, at least for a while. I’m really sorry.” Mystique’s mouth fell open, dumbfounded.

“The elder’s den is empty now,” Russetfrond said, lowering back into a calmer posture. “We can keep her there. I’ll take first watch and then organize a rotation tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Goldenstar agreed. “Try not to provoke her too much, okay?” He grunted in reluctant affirmation.

“Great,” glowered Mystique, “can’t someone else be my jailer?”

“Think of him more as your personal bodyguard,” Scorch smiled. The smug tone of her voice and the way that Mystique’s expression became suddenly guilty told Goldenstar there was some kind of personal meaning there she wasn’t aware of.

“Besides,” Scorch continued, standing and swishing her tail in a beautiful arc, “It’s not like you can go home. Once Razor finds out you stole his precious little bird you’ll be public enemy number one.”

Mystique’s face fell, horror dawning behind her eyes. “Wait…”

“You didn’t think about that, did you?” Scorch huffed a laugh through her nose. “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to think about it now.”

“Come on,” Russetfrond said, stepping closer. “Let’s go.” Mystique stared at Scorch for another beat then slowly rose to her paws and let Russetfrond corral her into the empty elders’ den. Goldenstar’s throat seized guiltily.

“Sparrowpaw,” she called.

“Yes?” He straightened his posture attentively.

“Get her some water and fresh bedding, alright?”

“Yes, Goldenstar,” Sparrowpaw nodded and hurried off to do so.

“Better than she deserves,” Floodpaw grumbled.

Goldenstar shot him a stern look. “Shush. Don’t you have dawn patrol tomorrow? Go to bed.”

“Fine…” he sighed, trudging back to the apprentices’ den beside Barleypaw. Branchbark and Pantherhaze slipped into the warriors’ den. Ospreymask went back to the top of the hill to resume her night watch. Goldenstar and Yarrowshade were left with Scorch, a quiet tension hanging between them. Goldenstar decided to break the silence sooner rather than later.

“I’m glad you’re back,” she said softly.

“Yeah,” said Yarrowshade, “me too.”

Scorch shifted. The mask that Goldenstar had spent moons trying to loosen was back in place, tightly affixed to her features. Goldenstar felt it, like a wound in her own throat. When Scorch spoke, she sounded casual in a way that Goldenstar knew was calculated.

“We’ll see how long I stick around,” she shrugged. “You may want to stay and get murdered but I’ll be long gone before then.”

“C’mon, you don’t mean that,” Yarrowshade frowned.

Goldenstar stepped forward, quickly saying, “Whatever you choose to do, we’ll understand.” Yarrowshade’s frown turned on her and she shot him a scowl in reply.

“Right,” Scorch said. “Of course.”

Yarrowshade glanced at her then ducked away. “Um, I’m off to bed,” he mumbled. “See you tomorrow.” He slunk away, tail brushing the ground. Goldenstar thought she caught a sliver of a frown on Scorch’s face but it was gone immediately.

“I’m sorry about him,” she said.

Scorch hummed noncommittally.

“So…” she said, her stomach writhing like a pit of snakes. “You were a kittypet.” She glanced at the collar and Scorch followed her gaze, seemingly surprised to see it.

“Oh, yeah, I was,” she said. “I’d love to get this thing off though.”

“Let me help you,” Goldenstar stepped closer then stopped, waiting for Scorch to close the rest of the distance. There was a pause and then she did.

“It’s not that tight,” she said. “I think you could probably pull it off without too much trouble.”

“Let me see,” Goldenstar breathed, leaning in to inspect it. She tested the thing in her teeth, pulled at it, then said, “Uh, duck your head?” Scorch complied and she leaned over to grab it from the back. As her teeth brushed Scorch’s scruff, she felt Scorch’s entire body stiffen in fear, smelled the sweat forming on her paw pads. It scared her. Quickly, she hooked her teeth around the collar and pulled, wiggling it over Scorch’s ears and onto the ground. Scorch let out a shaky breath and stood up straight, giving her fur a few licks to smooth it down.

“Thank you,” she said, “I’ll get rid of that thing in the morning.”

Now, thought Goldenstar, say something before you lose your chance!

“Uh, your old nest is gone but you can stay in my den tonight if you like.”

Scorch swallowed and squinted at her. “No. No, I think I’ll just use Russetfrond’s. I appreciate the generous offer though.”

“Alright.” Goldenstar smiled, blood draining from her face. “Good night.” She swiveled and strode quickly into her own den, worried that she would die of embarrassment before she arrived. That could have gone better. There was this massive wall between them that she didn’t know how to scale and it was killing her.

Scorch was home though… that was good. She could work with that.

88 notes · View notes

clangenrising · 3 months

Text

Month 13 - Newleaf

“Mama?” Fogkit asked, “Hey, mama?”

Beside her, Smokyrose was talking to Songdust, one paw wrapped around Slatekit’s side. They had been talking all morning and Fogkit had been mostly ignoring them as she cleaned her own pelt - she was old enough to do it mostly by herself now and she was very insistent that she did so - but now she wanted to ask a question and it didn’t seem like her mother had heard.

“And you’re sure about this, Rose?” Songdust asked.

“Mama?”

Smokyrose nodded, intently focused on the other adult. “Yes, I am. I don’t want to wait any longer, not when I can-”

“Mama? Mama!”

Smokyrose let out a frustrated breath and looked down. “Yes, sweetheart, what is it?” Her smile was tight as she spoke, making Fogkit shuffle awkwardly, but she quickly recovered. This was her chance!

“Um, can you take us exploring today?”

“No,” her mama frowned, “I’m sorry sweetheart. Why don’t you go ask Sparrowpaw if he can take you?”

“Really?” Fogkit brightened after a brief disappointment.

“Yes, as long as he doesn’t go too far.”

Slatekit sat up and asked, “Can I go too?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Smokyrose said, lifting her paw. “Go on.”

“Thank you!” Fogkit cheered, scrambling away. Slatekit hurried to follow and the two of them quickly located Sparrowpaw in the warrior’s den. Barleypaw and Floodpaw were with him. Floodpaw immediately frowned upon seeing them but Barleypaw and Sparrowpaw’s faces lit up with smiles.

“Hey, there, girlies!” Barleypaw purred. “What are you up to today?”

Fogkit bounced on her toes excitedly. “Mama said that Sparrowpaw could take us exploring!”

“Really?” Sparrowpaw sat up in surprise.

Slatekit, who had mostly fallen mute in the presence of the apprentices, mumbled, “As long as we don’t go too far.”

“That’s exciting!” Barleypaw said, glancing over at her brother.

“Yeah,” cut in Floodpaw grouchily, “but he can’t. He’s gotta stay and finish his chores.”

“Aw, what?” Fogkit cried. Slatekit whined softly.

Sparrowpaw glanced over at his brother with a little frown and said, “When I’m done here, we can go exploring.”

“What are you doing?” Fogkit asked, tilting her head.

“We’re changing the beds,” Barleypaw said proudly. “We’ve got to take out the old or uncomfortable bits and replace them with fresh moss.” Floodpaw rolled his eyes.

“Can we help?” whispered Slatekit.

“Sure,” Sparrowpaw said, “Come here, I’ll show you how.”

“If they slow you down I’m not sticking around,” Floodpaw declared. “I’m finishing my portion and then I’m done, got it?”

“That’s fine,” Barleypaw said with a little, disgruntled huff.

Fogkit and Slatekit crowded close to Sparrowpaw who showed them step by step how to tidy the nests, pulling out the rotting or brittle bits, replacing them with fresh moss, and molding them into a proper shape. True to his word, Floodpaw finished early and left as soon as he was done. The others took a good deal longer. Fogkit tried her best to pay attention the whole time but she was very happy when they finally finished and Sparrowpaw checked with Russetfrond to make sure they were allowed to leave camp.

“Alright!” Sparrowpaw purred, coming back to the kits. “As long as we stay in a specific area of the territory, we’re ready to go!” Fogkit cheered excitedly and Slatekit even squeaked in kind.

Barleypaw and Sparrowpaw led them up out of camp and into the tall grass. Fogkit’s ears twitched from place to place, picking up all the unfamiliar sounds. Their mama had taken them out of camp once or twice but they never went very far before coming back. Out here, she could hear bugs moving around in the grass. There were all sorts of cool rocks to look at and even some big enough to climb on.

Barleypaw answered all of her questions and Sparrowpaw even let her and Slatekit cling to his legs for a while, carrying them on his paws as he walked. She laughed and laughed and couldn’t remember a time better than this.

“Alright,” Sparrowpaw panted eventually, “That’s enough for now.”

“Aww!” Fogkit groaned. “A little more?”

“Nope,” he said, falling over sideways. “You’re too heavy.” Fogkit squealed as she toppled with him, finding herself pinned under his legs and Slatekit’s body. She wriggled out and went to poke his face.

“Get up!” she laughed.

He winced. “Hey, please don’t.”

“But I wanna keep going!” Fogkit grinned, giving him another swat to the face.

“He said don’t!” Slatekit cried and yanked on her tail. Fogkit cried out in pain and whirled around to swat at her sister instead. Slatekit wailed and scrambled away and Fogkit went to chase her but Barleypaw’s teeth found her scruff and pulled her back.

“Hey, easy there,” she said, setting Fogkit down between her paws. “It’s not nice to hit people.”

“She started it!” Fogkit pouted.

“Nuh, uh!” cried Slatekit, “You were being mean!”

“Was not!”

“It doesn’t matter how it started,” Sparrowpaw groaned, lifting his head and his voice to try and be louder than the shouting kits. “You’re responsible for what you do, not what other people did, okay? Both of you, say sorry.” Fogkit scowled, side eyeing Slatekit.

Slatekit, for her part, caved immediately. “I’m sorry.”

“Fogkit?” Barleypaw said with a gentle prod.

“I’m sorry…” Fogkit grumbled.

“Thank you,” Sparrowpaw sighed, dropping his head back on the ground.

“Why don’t we play here for a while and then go back?” Barleypaw suggested.

“Okay,” Fogkit said, “but what do we play?”

“Um, we could play Hunting,” Slatekit suggested.

“Okay!” Fogkit brightened.

“Just stay where we can see you, okay?” Barleypaw said, sitting down.

“We will!” said Fogkit.

She and Slatekit moved a few mouse-lengths off into the grass and took turns being the prey and the hunter. It was a fun game but Fogkit realized quickly that she didn’t like being the prey. She tried to convince Slatekit to do it since she was better at it anyways but Slatekit refused. Sighing, Fogkit decided she would have to make it fun by herself.

She crouched down, facing away from Slatekit and waited, pretending she didn’t notice. When Slatekit pounced, she gave a loud, frightening yowl and whirled around to bite at Slatekit’s forelegs. Slatekit shrieked and scrambled back, looking very upset.

“You can’t bite back!” she wailed.

“I’m a fox!” Fogkit explained, “Foxes bite!”

“You’re not supposed to be a fox!” protested Slatekit. “Cats don’t hunt foxes, they hunt mice!”

“Well I’m sick of being a mouse,” Fogkit frowned. “I wanna do something else.”

“That’s no fair!” Slatekit whined, “You got to hunt more times than me!”

“Did not!”

“Girls!” Barleypaw shouted and Fogkit flinched at the sound. Were they in trouble? She looked back at the apprentices and paled at the fear on their faces. Barleypaw’s tail was twitching quickly and before Fogkit knew what was happening, she lunged, paws striking out at something just beyond them. Something hissed in response and Fogkit screamed.

Just past them, hidden among the stalks of grass, a snake recoiled, fangs bared. The kits fled in unison, tumbling back over to Sparrowpaw who had jumped to his feet. The snake lunged after them but Barleypaw’s claws swiped out again, smacking its strike out of the air.

“Barleypaw!” Sparrowpaw cried. “Be careful!”

Barleypaw didn’t respond. From the safety of Sparrowpaw’s legs, Fogkit watched the apprentice stare the snake down. Her tail tip twitched madly, her ears flicking sideways now and then. She stood rigid, waiting.

Then the snake struck again and she lashed out, claws finding its face again. This happened two or three times before the snake stopped moving. Barleypaw cautiously swiped at it again then, provoking no reaction, turned around to look at the others.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Fogkit and Slatekit squeaked.

“Are you okay?!” Sparrowpaw asked, bounding over to her.

“Yeah, I think so,” she nodded. “It didn’t bite me.” Cautiously, Fogkit crept over to inspect the snake’s body, mouth open to the scent of its strange blood.

“That was insane!” Sparrowpaw said, butting his head up against his sister’s. “You were so brave!”

“I guess…” she laughed bashfully. “It was the right thing to do.”

“Floodpaw’s gonna lose his mind!” Sparrowpaw laughed. “Come on, let’s take the snake back to camp.”

“Can we help?” Fogkit asked, tail flying upward.

“Sure,” Barleypaw laughed, reaching over to pick up the snake in her teeth. As she walked, the long body trailed behind her and Sparrowpaw helped the kits grab onto its tail. Together, they carried the snake back to camp, although, by the time they reached the slope of the hill, she had given up on helping, complaining of a tired jaw.

Pantherhaze was the first one to spot them as they dropped the snake on the prey pile.

“Woah!” he gasped, “Barleypaw, did you catch that yourself?”

“Yeah,” she blushed.

“We saw the whole thing!” Fogkit exclaimed, bouncing on her toes.

“Really?” Pantherhaze’s eyes widened. “What happened?!” Sparrowpaw quickly explained the situation and Pantherhaze whistled appreciatively.

“That’s quite the story!” he said. “Where’s Yarrowshade? He has to hear this.”

“It’s not that big a deal, is it?” Barleypaw asked, fiddling with her cardinal feathers.

“Killing a snake is really impressive,” Pantherhaze said, padding towards the warriors’ den, “especially if you’ve never been shown how. Hey, Yarrowshade! Get out here!” Fogkit frowned, starting to squirm. She wanted everyone to ask her about what happened, not Barleypaw!

“Oh!” she cried, snapping up as an idea hit her. “I’m gonna go tell Mama!”

“Good idea,” Sparrowpaw said.

“I’ll, um, stay here,” Slatekit said softly, moving closer to his leg.

“Shooting Stars, Barleygirl!” Yarrowshade’s voice filled the clearing as they finished telling him the story. “I’m so proud of you! Everybody! Barleypaw killed a snake all by herself!”

Fogkit frowned. She had to find her mama before someone else told her the story. She wasn’t sunning on top of the dens so Fogkit hurried to the nursery, smiling wide, only to find it empty. She tried the elder’s den - nothing. She poked her head into Goldenstar’s den but that was empty too. Running out of places she could be, Fogkit tried the healers’ den. Sagetooth was in her nest, eyes closed, but otherwise there was nobody. Fogkit let out a huff of frustration.

One eye opening, Sagetooth asked, “Can I help you, little one?”

“I’m trying to find my mama but she’s nowhere!” Fogkit complained.

“I think I saw her and Songdust going out for a walk,” Sagetooth grunted, shifting her sleeping position. “She’ll be back soon.”

“Fine…” Fogkit sighed, trudging back out into the clearing. She climbed the warriors’ den and laid down on the surface to sun herself, hoping her mama would come say hello when she returned. Sunning turned into a nap. When she woke up, the sun was starting to set. She ate dinner with Slatekit who said that she hadn’t seen their mama at all.

Fogkit was starting to get worried. She found Sparrowpaw and asked him where her mama was. He frowned and told her to go back to the nursery while he found out. Begrudgingly, she did as she was told, sitting down in the entrance to the den to watch as he talked to Russetfrond who talked to Goldenstar. All of them whispered like there was a secret, casting little glances back at her. She didn’t understand what was going on.

Eventually, one of them grabbed Ospreymask who came to the nursery. “Hey, little bit! Ready for bed?”

“Where’s Mama?” Fogkit asked, craning her head to look at Goldenstar. She had a little group around her now; Russetfrond, Branchbark, Floodpaw, Pantherhaze.

Ospreymask smiled strangely and said, “We don’t know yet but Goldenstar is gonna go out and find her okay? Right now it’s important that you and Slatekit get a good night's sleep, yeah?”

“Yeah…” Fogkit said distantly. She didn’t like this. She wanted to tell her mama about her snake story. Sighing, she let herself get shepherded into the den and tucked into a nest with Ospreymask and Slatekit but she wasn’t able to go to sleep.

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Smokyrose #Songdust #Newleaf #clangenrising #Fogpaw #Slatepaw #Sparrowsway #Floodstrike #Barleybee

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