hello hello hello! will do review replies at the bottom. here's a look at rosestar, one of the characters i've always wanted to explore more. for people who need context: she's beebounce's mother.
A look at Rosestar;
Rosekit is born in Riverclan, to Blacknose and Whitestar. She already has expectations piled high on her slim shoulders: Whitestar is the leader, and Blacknose his deputy. Together, they're the most powerful couple the forest has ever seen.
Rosekit doesn't see this just yet. She just plays in her nest, Duckkit and Bramblekit by her side. She knows she had another littermate - but only her mother can remember his name, and her mother is never around for long enough for her to ask. She's raised by a sweet she-cat called Bramblemist, Bramblekit's name a tribute to her. She passes away shortly after Rosekit becomes Rosepaw, and she mourns her death as if it was her own mother. In a way, she was. Bramblemist taught her how to eat fish, she taught her how to play mossball, and she showed her how to groom her fur just so. Blacknose never did any of that.
Her apprenticeship breezes by. She's mentored by a young warrior, named Houndfang. Bramblepaw is given to a tom named Tigersnarl, and Duckpaw learns from a she-cat named Crowfall. Later, she learns that Crowfall is Whitestar's sister, which means that blood is teaching blood. She secretly is jealous of Duckpaw's bond with her mentor - they seem incredibly close. Houndtooth is a great mentor, no doubt about that, but she has no desire to talk to him outside of training.
She's named Rosecreek quickly, and Whitestar, usually so absent in her life, smiles proudly down at her. Duckpaw is given the name Duckspark, and Bramblepaw is named Brambleswipe. She thinks that the names match up well. Duckspark is spunky, and bright-spirited. Brambleswipe is quiet, but deadly in a fight. She doesn't know what a creek is, but Whitestar chose it, and that's good enough for enjoy their vigil, and wake up half the clan doing the 'time old tradition.' They can't help it, the river is just begging to be jumped it that time of year.
They get away with it, though. They're young, and they're skilled, and they're Whitestar's kits. They could take over Riverclan if they wanted.
Suddenly, Rosecreek's life doesn't seem so perfect. It starts simply: Blacknose coughing in the night. A quarter moon later, her body is laid out in the centre of the camp. She huddles over her mother's body, and grieves silently. Later that day, she watches on as Amberslice is named Riverclan's new deputy. She nods, and grins, not stopping to look back at Blacknose. Rosecreek's lip curls, but she doesn't say anything.
Next, the dog incident happened. Rosecreek can't remember anything from it but flashes of blood, and her sister's terrified screams. It was the last time they went out together. After that, they settle down. Brambleswipe doesn't take a mate, but she takes long walks out along the Shadowclan border. Rosecreek has a couple of flings with various Riverclan toms, before realising that she doesn't want to settle down just yet. Duckspark hopelessly pads after Spikewind, and Rosecreek watches on.
Rosecreek's next test is when her father passes away, and Amberslice becomes Amberstar. She names Rosecreek as her deputy- Rosecreek doesn't know why, Brambleswipe is much better suited for the role. She realises how much of a failure she is just a moon later, when she accidentally, foolishly drowns a Shadowclan tom during battle. Amberstar should have struck her down as deputy, but Amberstar was too occupied with how quickly her lives were slipping away. She'd always been a reckless warrior, but as leader, she seemed to think she was unstoppable.
Two things happen at once: Rosestar realises that she loves Flickfur, and Amberstar is down to her third life.
Two more things happen: Rosestar is pregnant with Flickfur's kits, and Amberstar has whittled down her lives to the point of her having just two left.
The last two things to happen are Cherrykit's death, and Amberstar's last life. Rosecreek can't remember how Amberstar lost that life, she thinks it might have been a rat attack. She can remember her daughter's death vividly, though. Cherykit was murdered by Brambleswipe. Her own sister.
At least she still has Beekit. She won't let any cat lay their paws on him. But when it came to her actually getting close to him… every step she took closer to the nursery made her think of Cherrykit, and what had happened to her.
He doesn't need me anyway. She reassured herself fiercely most nights. She believed it was true: Beekit had Duckspark. Fairly quickly, he also had four new demates. Amberstar's granddaughters joined her son in the nursery. Fishkit and Heronkit were good denmates, if not slightly too loud. Swallowfoot has a kit too, Frogkit. Not that she has any idea who the father is.
(It's not her business.)
The most intriguing new denmate is Rushkit. Nobody knows who he is, nor who he came from. He was just two moons, she believes, when he was found on the gathering island. He seemed to know nothing but his name. It was a clan-name. Which means that his parents know of the clan.
She knows he was found alongside another kit, but she doesn't think he'd ever tell him that.
When her son becomes an apprentice, and she speaks to him properly for the first time in moons, she wonders what kind of cat he'll turn into. She gives him Houndtooth as a mentor - the same cat she had, all those moons ago. He's mentored many cats since he taught her, and she knows he'll teach her son well.
When she notices Beepaw and Rushpaw's blossoming friendship, she's not surprised. They're similar, despite their differences. Rushpaw lets Beepaw come out of his shell, and Beepaw calms down Rushpaw's rashness. She's glad her son has someone, even if they don't know where he came from.
It's the day before Beepaw's warrior ceremony when she realises she's been doing everything wrong. She's been pushing her son away because it's more painful to let herself love him. She doesn't want what happened to Cherrykit to happen to him, but it's not fair on him. And she tells him as much, after she names him Beebounce. It's her favourite warrior ceremony she's performed by far.
A few days later, she catches up with Duckspark. Duckspark admits that she's pregnant, and she wants to be a medicine cat. She also tells her something else, but it was very accidental. Duckspark lets slip that her son might be having slightly non-platonic feelings for Rushstorm, which is the least surprising thing about their entire interaction. She's been bracing for it ever since she saw Beebounce staring after Rushstorm, wide-eyed, with faintly red ear-tips. And it's happened many times since then, so she doesn't think it's a one-off. She doesn't care, to be honest. It's about time that Riverclan had a pairing ceremony. It would cheer things up a little.
Beebounce doesn't bring that good news to her for many, many moons. Instead, he slips through her den entrance, and tells her that he's seen Cherrykit in his dreams, and he's received a prophecy, or that he thinks that Duckspark's son's training might not be wholly his.
It's stressful. But she's given a slight reprieve, when on one chilly morning, Beebounce and Rushstorm walk into camp side-by-side, tails entwined. It helps her get through that day, and the next. Because her son is happy, and he doesn't look at her with indifference and hurt in his eyes anymore.
really hoped you all enjoyed this little snippit! here's some review replies:
Somestormleaf: hehe i'm glad you enjoyed! i like the pun lol
Crystalshine of Lightclan: THANK U! I LOVE THEM TOO!
Mintflight0245: THANK U!
Ember grieves for Aspen: aww thank u! i love their friendship as much as their relationship, i think it's rlly wholesome :)
Mosscloud: they're cute through the ages lol. thanks for ur review!
Dragonbreathjr: aww tysm! dw they will *spoiler* grow old together. and i'm sure you will :)
SilentsongOvO: those are three very nice words, thank u :)