CW: Character death, fighting ring
...
MOON 11
...
...
...
Aldershine was busy as ever after receiving her name. She knew better to prepare herbs for the evening Thrash. She prayed spring would come soon.
..
..
Fernstar decided to appoint Silver as Lostpaw's mentor. Badgersky didn't seem at all ready to take on a second apprentice. And he was the deputy after all, he could probably manage two.
He himself took on Ferretpaw's training, much to Bloompaw's dismay. Admittedly he wanted to keep a closer eye on her. Especially after Mumbleleaf died eating a rotted mouse he suspected that she brought the elder.
Bloompaw would make their joint training hell, and Ferretpaw seemed pretty miserable.
Nobody particularly cared after what she'd put them through...
As for Tornpaw, Fernstar decided to wait to decide for him. "Turtlestar is my mentor. Nobody else." He sniffed stubbornly.
..
..
The first patrol went out with Badgersky, Lightning, and their apprentices.
Lightning felt on edge being around Ferretpaw's brothers. There was definitely an uncomfortable tension in the air after Badgersky's mate had died over her. He did his best to look cheerful, however.
Honeypaw looked more gloomy than him, somehow.
The brothers murmured among themselves during the walk. The mentors tried not to eavesdrop, but their voices eventually raised enough to be heard.
"I..I'm still happy Ferretpaw didn't die..." Nectarpaw says.
Honeypaw huffs, "Why? Everyone hates us because of her."
"That's not true." Badgersky says stepping in softly. He blinks at the apprentices slowly, showing the apprentices he meant what he said.
"You two aren't responsible for her actions." The pale tom continues.
"Yeah," Lightning says, looking away, feeling guilty.
He blinks, seeing a pair of green eyes peering over at him.
The rest of the patrol snaps to attention when the gray shape makes her way over.
"Lightning! So it is true! You joined those junkyard cats!" The she cat grins. She was around Badgersky's age.
"Uh.. yeah. About that..." Lightning mumbles.
"I've been thinking that I want to join too!"
"Well stop thinking that." Lightning sniffs.
"Aww, but you saying that makes me want to join even more~" She purrs.
Lightning groans in annoyance.
"Who are all your new friends?" She asks, tilting her head at the others, mostly Badgersky.
"I'm Badgersky." He mews. The apprentices offer their names awkwardly, so he adds, "They're were Buzzard's kits if you knew her."
"Oh no.. were..?" The loner flattens her ears a bit before smiling again. "She was a nice cat. I'll be happy to get to know her kits too."
Badgersky and the apprentices brighten, though bittersweet. "Come along then, we'll talk on the way."
No you won't. Lightning has to bite himself back from saying it. He couldn't bring himself to tell her off again. "You'll see." Is all he says.
...
...
.
Fernstar quickly accepts Frostmist and gives her a warrior name. Silver offers to show her around the territory, and Tornpaw tags along too, not wanting to go on patrol with Fernstar, Bloompaw, and Ferretpaw later.
"I should have known you'd be here since Lightning is!" Frostmist giggles.
Silver blushed faintly and chuckled, "Yeah, well, he is a little obsessed with me." As if he hadn't followed him to ThrashClan to begin with. He felt the same way. Frostmist read him like a book.
The gray cat falls into in easy smile, watching Lostpaw play with a moss ball as they walked. Tornpaw was still sulking as he walked at his sister's side, Cloverpaw looked more cheerful but it was strange like apprentices on the other patrol.
"Sooo, are any of them yours~?" Frostmist asks.
Silver shakes his head. "Not like that. We don't have any kits yet. But I am helping look after them."
"More deaths of the parents..?" Frostmist flattens her ears in sympathy. "Is that why they're acting so strange?"
Silver hesitates before answering. He wondered if it was a good thing he and Lightning didn't have kits. At least there wouldn't be anyone else for him to leave behind...
He shakes his head a little, "Yes, though Brightmoon died some time ago. Lostpaw is Fernstar's."
Frostmist frowns. "I feel like there's something you're not telling me."
"Well... There's going to be this fight tonight," Silver begins, but is interrupted by Lostpaw.
"It's going to be fun!" She smiles.
Silver blinks at her enthusiasm, even more bewildered when Cloverpaw joins in.
"Yeah, I'm ready to see what happens. What are the odds Ferretpaw wins three times in a row?" The calico mews.
"Probably the same as a medicine cat dying of sickness..." Tornpaw mutters under his breath, miserably.
Frostmist giggles, "Oh, you three are making me even more curious!"
"I'll tell you about it on the way bac-" Silver mews but Frostmist puts her paw on his muzzle.
"Oh nonono- don't tell me! Now I want it to be a surprise!"
...
..
.
Meanwhile Fernstar had taken Ferretpaw and Bloompaw on a patrol in the opposite direction. He knew the other apprentices didn't want to be around her, especially not at the same time as the apprentice who wanted to be around her least. He was leader though, he wouldn't have made anyone else in charge of the troublesome apprentice.
Bloompaw swishes her tail, narrowing her eyes at Ferretpaw, who as being unusually quiet. What did she have to sulk about? She killed Hickorystar, Turtlestar, and Mumbleleaf without a care for anyone. Fernstar should have exiled her, StarClan be damned.
Eventually Ferretpaw sighs, pushing Bloompaw over the edge.
"You know... Mumbleleaf wasn't a thrasher. He was an elder. That was just murder." She hisses.
"I didn't kill him." Ferretpaw says blankly.
"Oh, could you check him for ticks then? He's just a foot or so under the ground." Bloompaw taunts nastily.
"Give it up already..." Ferretpaw huffs.
"Maybe another rancid mouse, in case he's still hungry-"
Ferretpaw slowly turned, glaring at her coldly.
"Look, I didn't know he'd eat- you still think I did, then challenge me."
Bloompaw flattened her ears, hating feeling so powerless against the younger apprentice. "M..maybe I will! When I'm ready to." Is this how Hickorystar and Turtlestar felt? Surely not, they must have been braver than her...
The gray apprentice laughs flippantly, almost back to how she usually was for a moment.
"Figured you won't." She turns her back again, "You'll stay weak waiting. And me..? I'll be strong."
Bloompaw glances at Fernstar uncertainly. He just sighs.
"We all saw that sign last night. If you want to challenge again, it's fine for you to do so." The old tabby says.
"Yeah, okay." Ferretpaw shrugs. She runs ahead of the group to go back to camp alone.
Bloompaw couldn't understand her at all. She shakes her head and turns to her mentor. "That's true... Did you have any other signs, Fernstar? Aldershine can help you."
He nods uncertainly.
.
...
...
...
.
When night fell, Aldershine sat with Fernstar during the announcement to help go over the rules.
"So.. is anyone ready to Thrash?" She calls out. All eyes expectantly fall on Ferretpaw.
Another voice chimes in instead.
"I am!"
Frostmist giggles seeing little Lostpaw volunteer. The calico's fluffy tail was raised high in confidence.
"Lostpaw- no-" Fernstar gasps, flinching and cutting himself off as the wind stirs.
Silver grimaces too, not expecting the leader's daughter to speak up when she'd just been apprenticed.
Ferretpaw peers at her quizzically, trying to figure out why she'd fight her dad.
But she strides up to her instead. "I challenge you, Ferretpaw!"
Frostmist lets out a delighted gasp, finding the theatrics very entertaining.
"Sure, I guess." Ferretpaw says, stretching and unsheathing her claws. Fernstar's face pales as the Thrash begins.
...
...
Vote "Devil" to cheer on Ferretpaw to win, Vote "Map" to cheer for Lostpaw to win! (As apprentices there will be a 1 in 3 chance for Death instead of the 50/50 chance for warriors)
...
...
The Thrash began with Lostpaw running straight at Ferretpaw and pouncing on her. "Get her, Lostpaw, woo!" Bloompaw hoots. Fernstar's paws shuffle nervously, "You can do it!" He meows to his daughter.
..
Ferretpaw swats her off at first, and dodges a few more attacks. She shoves Lostpaw to the ground roughly at one point getting a fearful gasp out of Fernstar.
Eventually she looks out at the crowd, blankly. Honeypaw stared back at her. Nectarpaw didn't, and wasn't cheering this time either. Her heart wasn't in this fight, and she doesn't bother trying to hold the younger apprentice down for much longer.
Lostpaw hops on her and 'pins' her down, but it was more accurate to say Ferretpaw had given up.
"Do you give up?!" Lostpaw squeaks, biting her neck.
"Yeah sure." Ferretpaw says.
Lostpaw smiles brightly at her victory, raising her tail and looking up at Fernstar, who smiles back in celebration and relief. Ferretpaw gets up and stalks off, making the calico apprentice slid off and stumble for a moment, before scampering over to Fernstar's side to purr and nuzzle her father.
"Aww, good job!" Frostmist purrs, a little confused, but happy for the young apprentice. Bloompaw echos the sentiment, but it felt hollow. She watches where Ferretpaw had wander off.
Why had she thrown the match?
...
...
..
.
MOON 11 ALLEGIANCES
THRASHCLAN
LEADER
FERNSTAR - Golden tabby tom with dark blue eyes. Altruistic. Formerly a loner. APPRENTICE: BLOOMPAW
KITS: LOSTPAW, PALEKIT (2)
DEPUTY
SILVER - Silver speckled tom with amber eyes. Confident. Formerly a loner. APPRENTICES: CLOVERPAW, LOSTPAW
MEDICINE CAT
ALDERSHINE - Amber eyed tortishell molly. Altruistic. Excellent fighter.
WARRIORS
BADGERSKY - Plump, longhair tom with cream colored fur and golden eyes. Compassionate, very smart. APPRENTICE: NECTARPAW
KITS: PALEKIT
LIGHTNING - Golden and white tom with hazel eyes. Confident. Formerly a loner. APPRENTICE: HONEYPAW
FROSTMIST - Light silver-blue molly with pale green eyes. Playful. Formerly a loner.
APPRENTICES
BLOOMPAW - Black molly with furless patches on her muzzle and paws, golden eyes. Strange. MENTOR: FERNSTAR
HONEYPAW - Pale gray longhair tom with a lighter muzzle and amber eyes. Responsible. MENTOR: LIGHTNING
NECTARPAW - Cream tom with dark blue eyes. Bold. MENTOR: BADGERSKY
FERRETPAW - Pale gray molly with hazel eyes. Fierce. MENTOR: FERNSTAR
CLOVERPAW - Black and white molly with ginger tabby patches and green eyes. Clever. MENTOR: SILVER
TORNPAW - Cream tom with a black nose and green eyes. Careful. MENTOR: UNDECIDED
LOSTPAW - Tortishell molly with dark blue eyes. Fierce. MENTOR: SILVER
KIT
PALEKIT - Ginger tabby tom with a pale muzzle and pale green eyes. Daring
PALEKIT (2) - Snowy white tom with a brown 'mask' marking and striped tail. Green eyes. Daring.
.
...
.
STARCLAN
STARCLAN GUIDE
IVYGORSE - (I never made note of their appearance unfortunately.)
DIED IN MOON 1
ASHSTAR - Lean, pale gray molly with furless patches on her snout and paws. Golden eyes. Bloodthirsty, fantastic teacher. Thrashed by Hickorystar. (Bled out)
HAREFUR - Shorthair white tom with a red nose, a brown patch on one ear, and dark blue eyes. Troublesome, strong connection to StarClan. Thrashed by Hickorystar. (Neck wound)
DIED IN MOON 3
FLOWERPATCH - Plump calico molly with green eyes and a brown tail. Compassionate, great storyteller. Died of old age. 181 moons.
CLOVERBLINK - Eldery tom with dark gray, almost black fur, furless patches on his face and paws, and green eyes. Fierce, excellent hunter. Died of old age. 197 moons.
DIED IN MOON 5
SNIPKIT - White molly with ginger tipped ears and tail. Dark blue eyes. Insecure. Died of contagious disease.
BRIGHTMOON - Shorthair cream molly with hazel eyes. Strange. Formerly a loner. Died of contagious disease.
DIED IN MOON 7
BUZZARDFUR - Pale gray molly with a lighter muzzle, notch in her ear, and dark blue eyes. Cold. Formerly a loner. Unexplained death.
DIED IN MOON 9
HICKORYSTAR - Large gray furred molly with white speckles, green eyes, and a sizable scar across her back, and a fresher one across her face. Lonesome, smart. Thrashed by Ferretpaw. (Drowned)
DIED IN MOON 10
TURTLESTAR - White she cat with bright blue eyes and ginger tabby patches. Empathetic, excellent fighter. Thrashed by Ferretpaw. (Hit by car)
DIED IN MOON 11
MUMBLELEAF - Light brown tabby with green eyes and white chest and paws. Died of an accident. (Ate contaminated piece of prey)
...
...
Original Vote Counts
Ferretpaw VS Lostpaw
2 : 4 - Coinflip = Ferretpaw is Spared