~Silverfeather~
Silverfeather dropped the rosemary on the pale ginger she-cat's pelt, cold and still with no breath. Closing her pale blue eyes in despair the white and silver tabby stepped away from the corpse. So much death, first Brownclaw and now Redfoot with two of her kits. The remaining kits mewled in the nursery, motherless for now with no nursing queen expect Rosepool. Her kits were nearly apprentices, but that made no difference.
A sand brown speckled tom with blue eyes padded over to the sleek medicine cat, his fur bristling with worry. They had lost Ashpaw's parents to a rouge attack, and Frozenkit's father to a roaming dog several moons before that. He was right to be worried. Silverfeather watched warily as he approached, already knowing what the broad-shouldered tom was about to utter.
"Have the Ancestors talked to you? I knew Starclan always kept silent on matters like this and the like, but I hoped that the Pathway of Endless Stars would be more open these pass seasons." He huffed bitterly as he gently placed his nose on the still cold body before raising his head. Sandstar winced before glancing around the camp. Few cats lingered around, most watching the medicine cat prepare the body with wide eyes if they were younger cats; and older cats gazing at the ginger's pelt with sadness and pity. Most of the muzzles were damp with tears.
Silverfeather pawed at the ground with a claw, doodling in the white dust. "They have been silent." She confirmed, voice husky with sorrow. Howling a sudden breeze picked up, swirling the thick white flakes that covered the ground. Her ears flattened against her skull to block some of the bitter cold and she sneezed. Sandstar sighed with a heave of his shoulders before trotting away, his tail dragging in the snow.
Snow bit at her paws crueler than any teeth could, as she circled the camp to check on each of the dens. Owlkit peeked out of the nursery before a cream paw dragged her back into the den with a husky scolding mew. Silverfeather had to smile at that. The warriors den was warm enough it seemed, cats huddled together whispering. In the far back, a black long furred tom groomed his silver tabby mate who purred loud enough for Silverfeather to hear it at the entrance.
At least there would be more kits in the warm moons, hopefully. Spring always brought new kits, and new life of all forms. That would hopefully be more encouraging than this winter slush, and the Ancestors would be less silent in Silverfeather's ears. Yet this was only a moon into the winter months and already it was difficult to survive. Prey was scarce, but they had the river before it froze up.
Hopefully it will be a good long while before that happens. She thought softly as she flattened her ears to her skull as she treaded to the elder's fallen tree of a den. Slipping softly into the sycamore, Silverfeather winced at the brittle moss under her paws. A golden long-haired tabby with white paws curled her thick body around a tom with golden brown tabby stripes. The she-cat raised her head off her paws with a yawn, showing yellowed teeth broken from use. Putting a heavy paw over his muzzle the tom let out a hiss as she breathed into his face.
"Honeysoul, your breath stinks." He growled as Honeysoul let out a rusty purr. His voice was low and gravelly, raspy with disuse. "I have no idea what mother was thinking when she named you." Silverfeather flicked her tail as the two began to bicker, as only old littermates could. A large plump brown tabby with a white streak on her nose popped her head up behind the littermates, ear swiveling as the newcomer approached.
"Silverfeather, sweetheart do you need something?" Cloverleg mewed as she shifted onto her paws with a grunt. "Ignore them, being cooped up makes them fight more than normal." The tabby winked slyly as she stepped around them before touching noses with the medicine cat. Silverfeather let out a inward sigh of relief as the nose was warm, not scorching with fever.
"Just checking up on you all." Silverfeather began before Cloverleg let out an angry hiss, turning to the squabbling cats. "Stop it the both of you!" Cloverleg hissed flicking her right ear toward the sleeping bundle of mottled gold fur farther back in the den. "Cornpelt is sleeping." The two littermates glared at Cloverleg for a heartbeat before curling back into large fuzzy balls of fur.
"How is her breathing?" Silverfeather asked her silver ears swiveling to pick up on the sounds of the old cat's lungs. There was only a faint rasping, like the whispers of leaves on the trees. Cloverleg shook her head with relief. "Better, Cornpelt will make it. Takes more than the sniffles to get that old ball of scuff down." Cloverleg turned and gazed fondly at the mottled cat, who slept on unaware. Cornpelt snuffled in her sleep before wrapping her tail over her nose.
"Good, I can always count on you." Silverfeather mewed benevolently as the tabby placed a lick on her forehead. Cloverleg's amber eyes fixed on the medicine cat with the same anxious expression that Sandstar had given, her gaze drifting around the den as her paws shuffled over each other.
Silverfeather rolled her eyes. "If you have something to say, just say it. I won't take it personally." Silverfeather had heard it all before, Slateclan's medicine cat ,Flamepelt, wasn't the most humble of toms unlike his apprentice, Berryflash. This was Silverfeather's first winter as sole medicine cat since Swirlingbreeze had died. The whole clan missed that optimistic tortieshell tom with his jokes and playful banter. This clan wouldn't let her forget it, she thought with a snort.
"Why don't we have a medicine cat apprentice?" Cloverleg implored, her eyes focused on everything but the medicine cat. Suddenly it felt longer since Swirlingbreeze's death, longer than the two seasons it had been. Silverfeather flattened her ears against her skull. "Stateclan has three, and all of them are full medicine cats." Inwardly Silverfeather sighed as a sudden cold breeze lashed into the den, making Cloverleg blink against the cold. "That many paws make light work. We're just concerned that with only you, Silverfeather, that you might not be able to keep up with all the duties that's required of you." Cloverleg concluded. "You are the youngest medicine cat we have had so far to become the full medicine cat."
Silverfeather flicked her tail angerly across the brittle floor, and let out an angry breath. She only hoped she could keep the hiss out of her voice. "Fallowfern retired, so she's an elder. That leaves Flamepelt and Berryflash. Besides, Berryflash does most of the work for Slateclan anyway." Bitterness rose in her throat, acid and vile. "I am more than capable of keeping up with my workload." Silverfeather concluded before turning heel and padding out into the snow.
~Berryflash~
He gritted his teeth around the hare, padding through the thick snow that stung his paws. Days like this I'm glad I'm a long furred cat. Berryflash thought with an amused purr as the sweet scent of the hare drifted into his nostrils tantalizingly. Waking up on this cold morning, Flamepelt was gone and unease settled in Berryflash's belly. The senior medicine cat's nest was cold and the scent was stale. That had been more recent as of late, Berryflash realized with a flash of annoyance.
As he slipped into the nursery, a brown she-cat with grey stripes rose her head before returning it to her paws, tightening her tail around her white kit with silver dapples. Littlemouse had lost her mate a few moons ago in a fight with a badger, and whispers in the clan said that the brash white tom had gone to provoke it on purpose. Blizzardtooth had always been that sort of tom.
Berryflash wove around the sleeping she-cats carefully as not to wake the kits. He picked his way in the back of the den, where a white she-cat wrapped her body around two sleeping bundles. Gently he placed the brown hare at the edge of her nest before tapping on her shoulder with a broad paw. She startled awake, green eyes wide with confusion as she yawned. A cream-colored ear flicked at the medicine cat with a purr in greeting.
"Morning, Berryflash. Cold enough for you?" Lilyfur implored as she shifted onto her side, her bushy tail drifting over her white furred son. They had been born a few days ago, and their eyes and ears were still sealed shut. A dark brown tabby tom with darker brown stripes squirmed against his snow-white littermate, and the odd thing was both of them had a thick black stripe that went down their spines.
"It's warm enough for thick furred cats like us." He teased with a voice as light as rain. "Even a bit to warm if you ask me." Lilyfur blinked appreciatively. She laughed, lowering her voice as Littlemouse shot her a scathing glare. Guiltily she smiled at Berryflash. The tabby kit let out an angry mewl as he detached himself from his mother's belly, little claws digging in her thick fur.
"I'm glad to see you!" She purred. "Noone's really came to visit me yet." Berryflash had to keep himself from wincing. Lilyfur's mate hadn't visited the nursery yet, not even to see the new kits. Whoever that was. The nursery was bustling with more litters than normal for this season, and very few of them had died in the cold. The Ancestors were kind to Slateclan this winter.
"They have names now." Lilyfur began. Berryflash nudged the white tom with a broad paw. "Is that so?" He raised an imaginary eyebrow with a chuckle. "I imagined they would name themselves." Lilyfur snorted with amusement as she placed her tail tip on the tabby tom. "His name is Forestkit. I've always liked that name." Berryflash nodded fondly at the kit. Lilyfur nudged both of them closer to her with her paw.
"The white one is Nightkit for his black stripe." Berryflash blinked in confusion. "That's an odd name for a white kit." He joked, " but I imagine his warrior name will be Nightstripe." Lilyfur let out a sigh, her white fur bushing out in amusement. "Don't you have somewhere to be, little brother?" She chuckled. " Like doing your job instead of criticizing my son's names?"
Berryflash said goodbye as he left his older sister. Littlemouse shot Lilyfur a glare as the medicine cat walked out of the den. Forestkit and Nightkit. They'll be good warriors, I'll make sure of it. I'll have to ask Tunnelstar what their warrior names might be, maybe after our parents. Forestwing? Nightsnow? Forestclaw or Nightstalker sounds cool. Those are names to be feared. Berryflash shook white flurries from his pelt as he padded into the medicine cat tunnel.
The white flakes melted into water droplets in the warmth of the den, and he lapped at the moisture. Thumping farther down into the tunnel, Flamepelt's scent was strong. Flamepelt sat on his haunches, throwing his head back in laughter as a tortishell she-cat curled her black tail over her paws. Berryflash let out a snort, noticing a small pile of berries sitting at the paws of the ginger medicine cat.
Good, he's been working. Its bad I ever doubted him. Guilt washed over the apprentice as both cats turned their heads toward him. "I've been sorting berries if you can't tell and I asked Marigoldeye to help. Visiting your sister again?" Flamepelt said with a almost accusatory tone as he narrowed his eyes. A smug smile sat on his jaws as Marigoldeye plucked at a wrinkled juniper berry with a claw.
"I made sure the queens were alright, Flamepelt. We don't want to lose more kits." Berryflash reasoned, his amber tabby ears flattening onto his skull. Marigoldeye narrowed her eyes at the apprentice's tone. Berryflash flicked his tail side to side calmly before speaking again. "Tunnelstar asked me to check on Lilyfur everyday, besides one of those kits might end up being apprenticed to us." He concluded as he sat down to wash off his fur.
"You know you have to actually put in effort to be a medicine cat right?" Marigoldeye snorted as she rose to her paws. "Not like Flamepelt, who doesn't. He's the good medicine cat." Her yellow eyes glanced at Flamepelt before she padded out into the snow. " He doesn't run off with awful excuses, Berryflash. You need to think of your clan! Clan before kin." She snapped before disappearing into the snow.
Flamepelt nodded eagerly at what she said, lapping at a stray tuft of fur on his shoulder. "Any kit that becomes an apprentice become an apprentice to me, not you. I'm the senior medicine cat." He crowed proudly. Flamepelt rose to his paws before he brushed past his apprentice, his tail flicking Berryflash's muzzle abrasively. "So don't forget that." Berryflash glanced down at his paws, anxiety worming into his belly. His white claws dug into the sandy soil of the den.
Flamepelt become more berating lately, and truthfully Berryflash could hardly stand to be around him more than a few heartbeats. Remembering when he had been first made the apprentice of him and Fallowfern, they had both been kind. Fallowfern would take him on long walks through their pine forest and moor, and if he ever guessed an herb wrong, the kind and gentle she-cat would laugh and just say 'not quite. You're a berry and you don't know your own kin?' Then she would laugh.
His mentor disappeared out into the snow with a huff, calling out over his shoulder. "You need to remember who the senior medicine cat is here, Berryflash." Flamepelt said in a scathing tone, filled with condescension.
Since Fallowfern had retired that summer, Flamepelt had been more arrogant than usual. That was hard to do anyway, since he had already been kind of a jerk already. Yet he had been tolerable then, and since she had moved to the elder's den it had gotten worse. The ginger tabby with brown stripes strutted around the clan like he was the leader. He was the senior medicine cat and demanded to be treated as such by Berryflash.
Berryflash could only roll his eyes as he glanced over the pile of juniper berries, tiliting his head in confusion. They hadn't been sorted at all! More like they had been hastily pulled out of the holes in the walls that Berryflash had dug to keep herbs in. He sighed as he sorted them into two piles, the wrinkled pile larger than the other. For a cat that went berry picking most of the autumn he didn't back as many berries as I saw on those bushes. They were measly piles and with a ginger paw he scooped them into two separate holes in the walls. Things had to get better, because Berryflash couldn't stand much more of this.
~Lilacleaf~
Lilacleaf closed her amber eyes, burying her nose in the bloody fur that was stained with dust. She jerked her head to the entrance of the medicine cat den, eyes focusing on the leader. Thistlestar met her gaze evenly, not blinking at her over the corpses of the apprentice that lay on the sandy floor of the medicine cat den.
"He's dead, Thistlestar." He didn't flinch at the ice in her tone. "I can't heal death." Her eyes narrowed. A slight breeze blew through the medicine cat, almost as cold as the tension between the medicine cat and the leader, making the still body almost seem as if it was breathing. Slowpaw's pelt was marked up with half healed scars, some so fresh that the ointment she had carefully applied a few days ago hadn't cracked with age. The apprentice's cream and brown fur was matted with iron smelling blood, and his eyes were now shut as Lilacleaf slid them closed. His yellow eyes would never open again.
"I told you to do all that you could for him." Thistlestar snapped, his tone laced with annoyance. His thick grey and brown was dusty from the training area, and blood stained his claws. He unsheathed his claws as Lilacleaf narrowed her eyes at the tom. Slowpaw was his apprentice, even though every day Lilacleaf prayed to the Stars that an another apprentice wouldn't have been placed in his care.
How old had she been when her own mentor, Morningdew had told her of Thistlestar's first apprentice dieing by mysterious causes? Training with brutal methods with apprentices hardly out of the nursery, even back then. Slowpaw had joined Thistlestar's body count far too soon. Things had been getting worse, even if Lilacleaf was the only one to admit it.
Slowpaw had been so eager to train under the leader, while the rest of the clan seemed nervous and anxious at the announcement. All of them had been at the time, and Lilacleaf could remember the horror on Vinenose's face at the meeting. Her littlest kit was being sent to slaughter, and her sweet, tiny, Slowpaw would be trained under Thistlestar, and Slowpaw would be pushed to his limits. Lilacleaf had hoped that Slowpaw would live long enough to earn his warrior name, and prove the clan wrong. With a nursery bustling with kits, Lilacleaf could only hope she could spare them the same fate as Slowpaw.
"Then what good are you?" Lilacleaf's head was spinning as she found her muzzle pushed into the dirt by a weighty paw. She gritted her teeth against the stinging sensation of his claw mark across her face, it dipped from underneath her right eyes across her muzzle and then ended on her left cheek. Thistlestar may have gotten angry, but never enough to hit her with claws unsheathed.
"You are hardly worth the prey we feed you if you can't keep a simple apprentice alive!" She could feel blood welling up in the mark, and it slowly dampened the ground with soft plops. The heavy weight of Thistlestar's constant pressure to her skull had her struggling to breath, and with a gasp he suddenly let her up. Thistlestar took a step away from the medine cat. The whole ordeal had taken less than a few heartbeats.
"Morningdew would have been ashamed to find out that she had wasted all of her talent on you." He stated, his gaze level with hers. Lilacleaf met his gaze, ignoring the throbbing of the wound across her muzzle. There was no remorse there, no apology, only cruel fire in his gaze. "Honestly, Lilacleaf, why did you become a medicine cat in the first place?" He snapped, his voice low with spite.
Because you forced me into it, Lilacleaf inwardly replied, to raise your standing in the clan. So you could pressure me into faking signs that you should become leader. All I wanted was your approval then, now I'm not so naïve to your ways.
Thistlestar's spine bristled with anger, as he waited for a reply. Lilacleaf simply blinked at him, before turning away to sort through her herb store. "I'll prepare the body for burial." Then confirm Vinenose's fears and break it to his littermates, you monster. Three deaths in the last two moons, all at your paws, Thistlestar. How many more of us have to have die for you?
Battles had filled the past moons with more blood than Ruinclan had seen in seasons, and the clan was suffering greatly for it. Hopefully, the chill and snow would keep Thistlestar's blood-hunger at bay till the summer moons.
"See that this failure doesn't happen again, daughter." Thistlestar growled, turning his tail and disappearing out into the camp. Lilacleaf gave a flick of her tail to show that she heard, swiveling her ears behind her to hear the soft thump of his paws in the snow.
She found her paws making the herbs for scratches mindlessly, and hardly felt it when it touched her chilly fur as a bandage over the new mark on her face. I wish I had your strength, Morningdew. I wish I could keep him in check.
You're probably going to hold prey from me again, to make this lesson stick. Lilacleaf gathered up what few twigs of lavender was left. She began to begin the death rites, smoothing the fur over the scars and wounds. Blood was slowly cleaned off the cream and brown pelt, and a few petals were spread over the body to hide the scent of blood and death.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Lilacleaf whispered as she rose to her paws. After a few heartbeats, she realized all that Slowpaw would miss out on as a warrior. Scratching the Clawstone to prove that he finished his apprenticeship, taking a mate, raising a litter of nosey kits, teaching an apprentice the ways of the warrior code, and filling the heads of apprentices with stories of grandur from his younger days as an elder.
Slowpaw seemed almost peaceful, his eyes closed and the tenseness in his muscles was lax. "You deserved better than this. Hopefully the Stars will give your warrior name." Lilacleaf sighed, her shoulders slumping. Chill was creeping into the den, and she shivered.
Ruinclan can't keep living like this. Even the kits are afraid to act like kits. They don't know the safety a camp should provide, and most of them would prefer to become rouges at this point, but most of them are afraid to leave.
Sleep came fitfully to the medicine cat, and she only stirred when the warriors came to take the body away for burial. Thank you, the wind seemed to whisper. Vinenose blinked in the darkness of the den, her eyes blurry. Dipped her head in respect to Lilacleaf, and grabbed her son's scruff to haul him out of the den. Dogpaw and Snailpaw stood behind their mother, their eyes hollow and blank. Those eyes haunted Lilacleaf's sleep as she soon fell back into slumber. No cats came to her in her dreams and for that she was grateful.
Sunlight filtered into entrance of the den weakly, and she rolled over onto her back only to blink open her eyes in shock. A canary laid near her muzzle with the scent of Dragonpaw's distinctive ashy smell. Lilacleaf smiled, the pulp shedding off her scratch in flakes. There is still good in this clan, thank the Stars for that, and there are still cats who are willing to take risks against Thistlestar. How far are they willing to go?
~Shaleshine~
"Shaleshine!" The voice echoed in her ears, and the dark grey swirled she-cat rose to her paws drowsily. Iron scent flooded her den, and beside her, Wadingpaw stirred beside his fellow apprentice. His paws scrabbled on the pine needle lining of his nest.
Shaleshine was the second medicine cat apprentice of Pastclan, her mentor being the level-headed Bugwhisker. She blinked her yellow eyes in the darkness, only to see the faint outline of Galeclaw the deputy. He had left with their leader and medicine cat to seek answers from the Stars, to se if there was an end to the famine and blizzard that plagued all of the clans this winter. His voice was low, and honey-sweet even now. Galeclaw had been a popular choice after the deputy before him had died. "What is it? Did the Stars say when the famine will end?" Hope was evident in her voice, even in her sleepy state.
" We never got to ask them," Galeclaw's amber eyes were grim, "There was a fox attack on the way to Starwater. Bugwhisker and Mothstar are both dead." Galeclaw whispered. Blood streaked over his white pelt. "I'm sorry. I tried to fight it off but it was too strong." Fear lacing underneath Shaleshine's pelt she bolted out of the den, her paws barely skimming the frosty pine needles in the hollow. Suddenly she had a face full of blood-soaked needles, and panic rose into her belly. It can't be true! Bugwhisker was supposed to give Wadingpaw his medicine cat name tomorrow! Shaleshine imagined telling Wadingpaw in the morning and shuddered as she rose unsteadily to her paws.
Galeclaw had laid her mentor and Mothstar in front of the medicine cat den, blood pooling into the snow-covered grass around them. Dark red bled onto the pure snow around the elderly she-cat's body, staining it crimson. Mothstar's spotted brown pelt had tufts of fur missing, and her yellow eyes were wide with fear. Beside her Bugwhisker's throat had been torn open by the fox, so deep she could see the white bone.
Shaleshine was rooted to her spot, as Galeclaw sat behind the bodies. "Mothstar was strong! How did this happen?" Shaleshine's voice had rose to a wail, but she didn't care who woke in the camp. Mothstar had a few deep cuts that littered her body, and her one ear had been torn down to the skull. Clumps of brown fur were torn free brutally, and the blood from them had drizzled from the entrance of camp.
"Mothstar was strong," Galeclaw wrapped his tail comfortingly around Shaleshine's shoulders, his eyes glittering. Shaleshine noticed that he had a few cuts as well, mostly around his throat and muscular neck. "No cat could have fought harder, but she was also elderly, Shaleshine. Mothstar drove it off the island with me, but not before it tore open Bugwhisker's throat." Shaleshine shivered.
"It was hiding by the Starwater entrance, by those juniper bushes that are by the logbridge." A few berry bushes lined the little island where the tunnel to Starwater hid. Starwater was a pool of water that glowed white at night, and the entrance to the sacred pool was a small cave in the middle of the smaller island where three rivers met for the first time in the territory. "Bugwhisker was searching to see if there happened to be any of the berries had been hiding underneath the snow. Before I knew it, the fox darted out of the bushes and ripped open his throat in a flash."
Shaleshine pictured the smooth cave and tunnel lined with glittering walls of black stone, the multicolored flecks of crystals blinking in the walls. The tunnel led down to a small cavern, and in the center of the cavern was a large water filled depression that reflected the lights that appeared. Shards of crystal stuck out of the water, and odd shaped rocks representing each medicine cat that had lived in the clans and died, could be seen in the clear water. She would be given the honor of tossing the small, smooth brown pebble that Bugwhisker had chosen into the water.
"After the fox tried to cross the log bridge it fell into water and drifted down stream." Galeclaw growled. "I hope the cursed thing drowned." Bugwhisker's brown pelt was torn as well, but his blue eyes were peacefully closed as if he had accepted his fate. A grey stripe wrapped around the crown of his head. "Mothstar was right beside me on the end of the bridge, spitting curses and yowling at the fox with the fire of the Stars themselves, then suddenly she hunched over and moaned." Galeclaw ran his tail along Shaleshine's spine. It felt wet with matted blood, and Shaleshine tried to keep herself from vomiting. She could taste the burning sensation in her throat. Blood was lightly stuck to her face from where she had tripped over the bodies.
"I-I don't know what happened. Mothstar was fine and then she wasn't. She said something about pain and then passed out." Galeclaw glanced up at the sky, his amber eyes filled with unknown emotion. Her thoughts started to clear as the cold torn into the fragile skin of her paws. "We should probably tell the clan." The white tom began to lap at his pelt, his long claws kneading the ground.
"Then what?" Shaleshine realized that the shaking voice that asked had come from her. Inwardly she knew that she should be grateful that Bugwhisker insisted that the two apprentices not accompany them tonight. Wadingpaw and Shaleshine had been born around the same time, but Shaleshine had been born two days before the tom. Bugwhisker had given the dark grey she-cat her medicine cat name last moon, and would have been gifting Wadingpaw with his tomorrow night. The two medicine cats had decided on the final name for the tom yesterday. With sadness Shaleshine realized that the kind Bugwhisker would never get to see the blue-grey tom be excited at the name his mentor had chosen for him.
Galeclaw looked at her, and then back up to the sky. Darkness was fading into peachy sunshine and dove-grey as the sun began to steadily rise. "We can still go get my name right?" His amber eyes narrowed at Shaleshine, and she blinked. She hadn't expected to see such challenge in Galeclaw's eyes. Different cats grieve in different ways. He just lost his mentor and our valued medicine cat. She reminded herself.
"It would be unsafe for Pastclan if I remained with out my nine lives." Galeclaw concluded, his tail flicking side to side. He had a point. A clan without a leader was a disaster waiting to happen. The old tale of the leader who died without receiving their nine lives or appointing a deputy was a tale every cat knew by heart before leaving the nursery. "It leaves us vulnerable and open to attack! What if Echoclan or Ruinclan caught wind of Mothstar's passing before I visited Starwater?" Galeclaw rose to his paws, shaking each one to warm them up. Plunging past her, his tail brushed underneath her chin. Galeclaw disappeared into Mothstar's-wait Galeclaw's den that sat in the middle of the twisted roots of an ancient birch tree.
The silver and bark was littered with claw marks from the previous leaders, Paststar, Flowstar, Mothstar and now Galestar. Or at least it would be when Shaleshine took him to receive his name today. Dawn was steadily rising, and painting the snow tones of peach, butter, and lilac.
Shaleshine began to use snow to clean off Bugwhisker's body, using only fresh snow she hauled from tail-lengths away to wash to the blood from the corpse. It turned the snow pale salmon pink. Glancing over at the den, Galeclaw's pawprints had stained the white snow crimson, his paws and claws had been coated in the stuff.
"Cats of Pastclan!" Galeclaw swarmed up onto the bottom limb, gazing down on the clan. A few cats came out of the dens, a few of them letting out wails of grief as their gazes fell onto their fallen leader. "Our brave leader and wise medical cat have joined the Ancestors in the sky." Peach light turned Galeclaw's white and grey pelt shades of pale orange and yellow in the morning sun.
Galeclaw dug his claws into the silver bark. His voice was sugary sweet, and was laced with sorrow. Something prickled under Shaleshine's fur, something wasn't right. His yellow eyes glowed in the sun. Herringrunner had begun to groom Mothstar's fur, smoothing it out to cover the cuts and wounds. The elderly tom nodded at Shaleshine across the leader's corpse. "He looks as wise in death as she was in life. They both earned their places among the Stars, so don't worry." Herringrunner rasped, his tongue lapping over Mothstar's torn ear.
"Mothstar died from fox attack, and she fought like a burning star herself." Lynxtooth let out a yowl of anger, rising onto his back paws. "She gained vengeance for Bugwhisker, who died after the cursed beast tore out his throat." Galeclaw flicked his tail to silence the crowd. "I want a patrol to go down the river to see if the fox died once it hit the waterfall. Track it and Ruinclan will take its life to take revenge for what it took from us." He roared, eyes alight. "Who is willing to join me?" Yowls erupted around the clearing.
"Bugwhisker?" Shaleshine turned around, ears flattened against her skull. Wadingpaw stood in the entrance of the medicine cat den, his green eyes wide. He buried his nose in the short, snowflake covered fur beside her. Shaleshine realized how small he seemed against her, every rib could be felt in the tom's thick fur. Her own ribs knocked against his.
"I'll be going to the Starwater as soon as Mothstar and Bugwhisker are buried." Galeclaw soothed with his honeyed voice. A few cats murmured in agreement, glancing over at the corpses. "Mothstar was a brave, wise, and loyal leader and I say these words and I hope she approves of my choice. Lynxtooth will be my deputy!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. A popular choice.
Galeclaw dipped his head, his tail wrapping around his blood tinged paws. " I can only hope that I can lead Pastclan into greatness like Mothstar has." He murmured. "I will give every last breath to Pastclan just as she has done and those before me have done." Lynxtooth had padded to the bottom of the tree, sitting on the roots where the deputy sat. "Together with all of you, we can lead this clan to be the greatest clan in the forest!" His yellow eyes had fixated on a brown beautiful apprentice, his pink tongue licking around his jaws.
"Shaleshine." Wadingpaw began to clean the Bugwhisker's fur. Shaleshine tuned out the rest of the speech, and began to watch as cats crowded around the bodies. Galeclaw swarmed down the tree, and contined his speech about how wise Bugwhisker was, and how he had the patience to train two apprentices at one time. Blood dripped off the white tom, staining the ground with soft plops. Shaleshine buried her nose in Wadingpaw, breathing in his sweet scent that reminded her vaguely of juniper. I'll make you proud Bugwhisker, we both will. I'll give Wadingpaw his full name, for the sight of the future that we both saw in him. The rough future we both will have in the coming moons. Wadingsight, I'm sorry that the first sight you had to see was Bugwhisker dead.
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Echoclan
Sandstar- sandy colored broad shouldered tom with darker flecks, blue eyes
Deputy
Nightnose- black broad shouldered tom with white flash on his nose, amber eyes
Medicine cat
Silverfeather- white she-cat with silver tabby spots on her head, flank and tail, blue eyes
Warriors
Sunnystripe-pale ginger tabby tom with darker yellow stripes, amber eyes and two white front paws, apprentice Beepaw
Parsleytail- light brown tabby tom with a white tail, yellow eyes, mentor to Swanpaw
Mudrift- senior brown tom with white stripe down back, yellow eyes
Dustyclaw- light brown tabby she-cat with lighter stripes and yellow eyes
Pikejaw- blue-grey tom with darker blue spots and black paws and white tail tip, blue eyes
Ashfang-light grey speckled tom with golden stripe down spine and striped tail
Sunblaze-long furred golden-cream tom with darker gold spots on his spine and flank, green eyes
Icefang-muscular white tom with scar across shoulder, blue eyes
Apprentice, Frozenpaw
Blackflower-black she-cat with cream spots
Dawnflash-ginger tabby and white she-cat with yellow eyes, Apprentice Flowerpaw
Willowmist- grey tabby she-cat with white muzzle,paws, underbelly
Spiderwing- smokey grey she-cat with brown paws, amber eyes
Tallstep-black tom with grey front paw, yellow eyes
Rosepool-calico she-cat with yellow eyes, mentor to Flintpaw
Swallowfern-brown she-cat with white flecks
Finchsong-pale ginger she-cat with brown tabby stripes, mentor to Owlpaw
Apprentices
Flintpaw-dark grey she-cat with amber eyes, long tail
Owlpaw- brown mottled she-cat with lighter underbelly and green eyes, fluffy tail , green eyes
Beepaw-plump white she-cat with black ears, yellow stripes on back
Flowerpaw-ginger torbie she-cat with brown tabbys spots and black spots, yellow eyes
Frozenpaw-white tom with grey face, tabby legs and tabby tail, green eyes
Swanpaw-white tom with brown tabby tail,and spots on flank, green eyes
Queens
Peachbloom- ginger tabby with brown tabby spots, mother to Sunnystripe's kits- Elmkit and Oakkit , Frecklekit
Fernfrond- grey speckled tabby with white front paws and tipped tail, blue eyes mother to Pikejaw's kits
Bluekit, Sneezekit and Snowkit
Rainbreeze-light silver she-cat with darker blue-grey stripes, yellow eyes- adopted mother to Sleekkit, Strikekit
Kits
Elmkit-dark ginger tabby with dark brown stripes tom with black speckles on head, bushy tail, and bright blue eyes , cream flash on chest – three moons old
Oakkit- dark russet tabby tom with bright green eyes and white flash on chest- three moons old
Frecklekit- dark ginger she-cat with black freckles on her back, legs and tail, white freckles on her nose, paws and brown spots on her back, yellow-green eyes-three moons old
Bluekit- dark blue cat with black paws, tailtip, and eartips and on nose, light blue eyes- two moons old
Sneezekit- dark blue tom with white socks, muzzle and tailtip, black toes and spots on back , dark blue-green eyes- two moons old
Snowkit-fluffy silver-white she-cat with black toes and ears, freckles across nose, and tailtip , pale blue eyes -two moons old
Sleekkit-golden tabby she-cat with lighter yellow stripes , golden eyes-five moons old
Strikekit- ginger tom with dark brown spot on back, one white paw and fluffy tail, green eyes – five moons old
Elders
Honeysoul- elderly pale ginger tabby she-cat with golden eyes and white paws
Wheatfur-golden brown tom with darker stripes, amber eyes
Cornpelt- pale golden mottled she-cat with darker spots, blind in one eye, other orange
Cloverleg-brown tabby she-cat with white flash on nose
Slateclan
Tunnelstar-dark tabby she-cat with silver paws, yellow eyes and fluffy tail
Deputy
Eeljaw-black tabby tom with grey muzzle with yellow eyes, mentor to Leechpaw
Medicine cat
Flamepelt-ginger tabby tom with white legs and belly and brown stripes, amber eyes
Medicine cat apprentice, Berryflash
Brightbloom-ginger and white she-cat with green eyes, mentor to Dapplepaw
Timbersnout- grey tom with yellow eyes
Softsand-sand colored she-cat with darker flecks with yellow eyes, mentor to Pricklepaw
Swiftpetal-grey she-cat with white dapples, mentor to Shardpaw
Dewfoot- light grey tabby tom with white front paws, mentor to Cliffpaw
Grubbelly- cream colored tom with long fur and white belly, yellow eyes
Muddystreak-brown tabby she-cat with darker streak on spine
Apprentice, Thornpaw
Volestripe-light brown tabby tom
Littlemouse-pale brown she-cat with grey stripes, mother to Clearpaw
Foxtooth- ginger tabby she-cat with white muzzle
Gullwhisker-white and black she-cat with long whiskers
Leafshine-brown and black tabby she-cat with white underbelly, mentor to Bubblepaw
Ducktail- brown tom with grey stripes and muzzle, white paws
Bushpelt-brown tabby tom with lighter brown stripes and paws with green eyes, mentor to Cliffpaw
Snakefang-light brown mottled tom with grey paws, green eyes
Stormstrike-blue broad -shouldered tabby tom with silver stripes, yellow eyes
Mintear-pale grey tabby she-cat with white streaks on face, distinctive tufted ears and green eyes
Melonsplash-grey she-cat with thick darker grey tabby stripes, white belly spotted like kestrel feathers, bright green eyes
Apprentices
Leechpaw- smoky grey tom with three leech scars on his left shoulder
Clearpaw- white she-cat with silver spots on back, blue eyes
Thornpaw-dark grey she-cat with white legs, face and underbelly, blue eyes
Pricklepaw-dark brown tabby tom, orange eyes
Spikepaw- grey tom with white speckles on his muzzle, yellow eyes
Cliffpaw-handsome grey tom, green eyes
Dapplepaw-calico she-cat with white muzzle and tail, amber eyes
Bubblepaw-grey-brown she-cat with mottled white spots, green eyes
Berryflash- long furred cream tom with ginger tabby spots on his head, flank and a dark ginger striped tail, orange eyes
Queens
Lilyfur-fluffy white she-cat with cream colored ears with bright green eyes, Mother to Nightkit, and Forestkit
Pansypelt-grey, white and brown calico she-cat mother to Grubbelly's kits -Peonykit, Bloomkit
Squirrelleap-dark brown and ginger tabby tortoiseshell with white front paws, Mother to Snakefang's kits
Wettoe- mostly brown she-cat with black toes, white belly, Mother to Eeljaw's kits
Marigoldeye-dark tortoiseshell she-cat with one white front paw, and three brown paws with bright yellow eyes
Kits-
Peonykit-grey mottled she-cat with bright orange eyes
Nightkit-white sleek tom with three black marks on his shoulder and a long black stripe down his spine and tail with icy blue eyes
Forestkit-brown tabby tom with darker brown stripes, black stripe down spine and dark green eyes
Bloomkit-fluffy long furred grey she-cat with ginger spots, and bright amber eyes
Elders-
Carrotstep-pale ginger she-cat with darker legs and bright yellow, formerly a kittypet
Robinflight- light brown she-cat with pale yellow tabby legs, and darker brown tabby stripes with green eyes, crippled back leg. Permeant nursery helper, retired early due to cave-in.
Cinderflower-dark smoky grey tabby with twisted back leg, scars crossing muzzle, torn ear and bright blue eyes, retired early due to fox attack. No tail.
Beechpelt-scarred white tom with silver stripes
Slickwhisker-ragged greyish-brown tom with white belly with yellow whiskers and yellow eyes
Fallowfern-pale brown she-cat with cream scruff and long fur, yellow eyes
Ruinclan
Leader
Thistlestar- dark grey tabby tom with brown tabby patches, amber eyes
Deputy
Lionstrike- large pale ginger tom with thick ruff of golden fur, bright ginger tabby markings, blue eyes
Medicine cat
Lilacleaf- white she-cat with grey and black tabby spots, amber eyes
Fidgetpaw- black tom with white flash on his chest, grey paws, amber eyes
Warriors
Rowanflame- deep ginger broad shouldered tom with darker red markings, orange eyes
Wolfmoon-Black tom with grey paws, underbelly, broad shoulders, amber eyes
Dragonblaze- pale silver tabby she-cat with pale yellow stripes on face, green eyes
Cloverbreeze- brown tabby she-cat with white paws, yellow eyes, mentor to Bubblepaw
Lightningfur- golden tabby tom with darker paws, black stripes on his face, amber eyes
Beetlebounce- black tom with white paws, orange eyes,
Sootcrest- grey tom with black stripe down his spine, yellow eyes, mentor to Snailpaw
Otterwind-brown she-cat with amber eyes, lighter paws
Olivefeather- brownish she-cat with darker stripes, green eyes
Stumblefoot- pale grey tom with twisted front foot
Duckclaw- grey-brown tom with white paws, ginger eyes
Antlerstrike- dark cream tabby tom with ginger eyes, mentor to Dogpaw
Gingerbloom- ginger tabby with white patches, amber eyes
Nutnose- brown tom with white flash on his nose, ginger eyes, mentor to Twistpaw
Creekrush- dark grey-blue tom with silver stripe on his spine, lighter paws, yellow eyes
Russetclaw- ginger tom with blind eye, pale ginger paws
Glarewing- deep ginger tabby she-cat with white muzzle, golden paws, green eyes
Apprentices
Bubblepaw- greyish brown she-cat with white patches
Salmonpaw- dilute grey she-cat with black tabby stripes, white underbelly, paws and pale blue eyes
Dogpaw- dark brown she-cat with cream colored paws, muzzle and underbelly, amber eyes
Snailpaw- brown tabby tom with white patch on forhead, cream front paws, white back ones, yellow eyes
Queens
Sagestone- dilute calico she-cat with green eyes, mother to Grasskit, Ripplekit
Poppyfern- dark calico she-cat, mother to Nutnose's kits, Cherrykit, Leopardkit,
Frostfoot- grey she-cat with white paws, mother to Russetclaw's kit, Chillkit,
Kits-
Grasskit- dark grey tabby tom with almost greenish tinge to his fur, green eyes
Cherrykit- calico she-cat with black spots, ginger dapples, yellow eyes
Leopardkit- golden tom with darker brown dapples, yellow eyes, dark brown paws
Chillkit- White tom with ginger ears, flash on chest, ginger tabby paws, and mask, blue eyes
Ripplekit- Dark grey tabby she-cat with white belly, paws, flash on chest, tail tip, green eyes, black stripes
Elders-
Heartsong- brown dappled she-cat, amber eyes
Vinenose- ginger she-cat with white stripes, green eyes
Milkeye- white tom with blind eyes, scars across face
Pastclan
Leader
Galestar- muscular white tom with light grey mask, amber eyes, striped gray tail
Deputy
Lynxtooth- dark grey tom with black stripes, scarred jaw and amber eyes
Medicine cat
Shaleshine- dark grey swirled tabby she-cat with yellow eyes
Wadingpaw- smoky blue-grey tabby tom with black stripes, green eyes
Warriors
Marshscar- pale grey and white tom, yellow eyes
Midgethorn- light brown tabby she-cat, long fur, amber eyes
Furledflower- dilute calico she-cat, orange eyes
Fennelstripe- lithe brown tabby tom, amber eyes
Cricketstep- tan tabby tom with white legs, yellow eyes
Flaxbush- golden brown she-cat with mottled brown patches, green eyes
Gritdrop- grey tom with brown flecks in pelt, blue eyes
Chiveridge- dark brown tom with darker stripe down spine, amber eyes, mentor to Skippaw
Yewthorn- white she-cat with black dapples, yellow eyes, mentor to Calicopaw
Burnetcloud- brown tabby she-cat with white spots, amber eyes
Pansynose- grey she-cat, white flash on nose, green eyes
Cranewing- black and white tom, mentor to Mistlepaw
Erminetuft- light brown she-cat with darker ruft of black fur around neck, white paws
Indigopetal-brown she-cat with blue eyes, white paws, long fur, black face
Havenwish- white she-cat with tan legs, black stripes, blue eyes
Hickorysun- ginger tom with brown face, white paws
Quickcrow- black smoky tom, with white tipped ears, muzzle, tail tip, and paws, yellow eyes
Conebark- brown mottled she-cat with black stripes, white tipped tail
Apprentices
Mistlepaw- grey almost white tabby she-cat with white paw
Calciopaw- dark ginger tom, with black and dark brown spots, cream flash on chest, green eyes
Skippaw- pale ginger tom with white flash on chest
Queens
Anttrail- black she-cat with brown belly, paws, and muzzle, mother to Hootkit and Hatchkit
Glowtail- white she-cat with ginger tail, cream patches- mother to Blossomkit, father Marshscar
Kits
Hootkit- Dark brown tom with dark cream colored underbelly, yellow eyes
Hatchkit- Dark cream colored she-kit with ligher cream underbelly, green eyes
Blossomkit- dark red, pinkish calico with white petal shaped patches, paws, green eyes
Elders
Herringrunner- grey tom with black paws, yellow eyes
Mushroomtail-ginger she-cat with white spots, amber eyes
Lowlog- brown tom with amber eyes
Cats outside of clans
Falcon- broad shouldered dark tabby tom with black stripes and blue eyes, barn cat and former rouge
Pebble-slender brown she-cat with white and grey spots with green eyes, kittypet with a purple collar with silver bell
Toby-plump brown tabby and white tom with large ears and amber eyes, kittypet with blue collar
Pepper-small ginger tabby she-cat with white paws, kittypet
Jackson-cream and brown tom with yellow eyes, kittypet
Coal-black tom with white paws,chin and tail with green eyes, kittypet
Rebel-dark blue tabby tom with bright yellow eyes, kittypet
Wren-long furred pale grey nearly white she-cat with blue eyes, barn cat and former rouge
Soda- dark brown she-cat with black paws and amber eyes
Morty- brown spotted cat, kittypet
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I don't want to hear about how the pelts are 'unrealistic' or 'impossible'. Warriors are a fantasy story and apparently genetics don't really exist. Unless I want them too, and they may come into play into this story. Ruinclan and Pastclan settled into the territory after Slateclan and Echoclan did. They came after the second purge of all the half clan cats from the original clans. Slateclan and Echoclan were on their third leader and generation when the last two clans came. Also the territories are super large, and it takes a full day for one patrol to go the entirety of one clan's territory. I can only explain how the territories are split up into four, with Slateclan in the upper left, Pastclan across the green river in the upper right, below them is Ruinclan in the bottom right- across another river, finally in the bottom left is Echoclan who is across another river. In the center where all four rivers connect in the left quadrant is the gathering island and in the right quadrant is the Starwater island.