Chapter 11
Moon 40 | Hay
It was a big day for her younger sisters. Zambia was healthy, had a torn ear, and still able to watch just as much as Gingerleaf was able to. Pride shone in her eyes as she watched Rainstar begin the ceremony after they had all gathered around. The dark ginger tabby had to stay in the den, so she peered out with wide eyes.
"StormClan and Sea of Stars, the time has come for us to welcome new apprentices." The leader called out powerfully, her tail and head raised in pride. "Splashkit and Sunsetkit have reached their sixth moon and are now old enough to train to become warriors."
Gingerleaf felt her pelt prickle in anticipation. Who would train these young she-cats and show them the way of their Clan?
"Splashkit, until you've earned your warrior name, you will be known as Splashpaw." Rainstar meowed, her gray eyes seeming gentle and fond. "Your mentor shall be Pansyspeck, I hope he will teach you well and prove that he is capable of teaching the next generation of warriors."
Pansyspeck touches noses with Splashpaw, a warmth in his pale yellow eyes as he seemed to murmur something to her only to receive an awed and star struck look in those pale blue eyes.
"Sunsetkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sunsetpaw." She blinked warmly. "Your mentor shall be me." The clowder of cats gasped in surprise as their leader leapt down. "I will train you everything I know about this beach and the inland forest. Alongside us will be Pansyspeck and Splashpaw. It is in our best interest to have an experienced and inexperienced mentor so one can learn from the other best."
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Not long after the ceremony the nerves got to Sunsetpaw and she had a stomach ache for a while. As it turned out, Sunsetpaw was the more nervous of the sisters and Gingerleaf did everything she could to assure her that it would be alright. With care and guidance, she was sure she could help Sunsetpaw find her paws in this new side of her own leaf of life. Before long, the older sister was confident the shrub that Sunsetpaw was destined to be would be just as strong and able to weather any storm life could throw at them.
Moon 41 | Sturgeon
Gingerleaf had felt well enough one day in the medicine den when Caveswoop slipped in for some care, looking as though he had better days. His heat exhausted gaze flittered over her as he gave a wry smile.
"Looks like I stole it from you." He chuckled.
Gingerleaf couldn't resist but purr in amusement. "So you have. May it leave you as swiftly."
"I know I should be resting and cooling down, but can you stay a little while? There is something I need to ask." He requested gently.
"Sure, I have time." She padded over to the nest he chose for himself. "What did you have to ask?"
"Well..." He trailed off, as though searching through his muddled memories before looking up to her with such clarity in his heterochromatic eyes. "I'll just come out with it, Gingerleaf. You've been strong no matter what. Sure, so has everyone else, but it feels different when I look at you. The way your eyes look when you're determined to do your duty, the way your tail sways when you spot prey or even the way you suggest we look elsewhere to hunt when we see those Twolegs. You have a bravery to speak your mind and I love that about you."
Gingerleaf blinked, feeling her ears grow hot from all the praise. "O-oh, why thank you."
He nodded. "So, I wanted to ask if you'd like to be mates... if that's alright with you."
The heat from her ears spread to the rest of her pelt as she stumbled through her words with how flustered she became. "I... um..."
Caveswoop had always gone on patrols with her, she never knew why, but from what it sounded like... it was as though he had been silently crushing on her and she had been blind to it all this time. Not to mention that he was always ready to back her up so she wouldn't be forced to do anything she didn't feel was safe. Sure, Gingerleaf had felt touched with all those actions, but she never considered being mates with him until now.
Then again, hadn't she also been padding after him in her own way? She worried about him from time to time, although it was no different between her and other Clan-mates in that. Was it love? Would it hurt to even try? Her mothers would most likely talk her into giving it a try. After all, love was something she never gave much thought to.
"We can try." She answered, seeing his puzzled expression she explained further. "I mean it as a yes. I'm not sure about my own feelings since I haven't taken much thought into it before. I feel it would only be right to try and see if I'm not looking too deep into my own actions and spinning it into my actions meaning nothing from my perspective. I know, deep in my heart, I have affection for you, Caveswoop. I'm willing to try and do whatever it takes to find that affection to be truly love."
Warmth spread in his cobalt and emerald colored eyes. "Thank you. We don't have to tell anyone yet. Just take your time and when you are sure, we can tell everyone, okay?"
"That sounds fair, thank you." She purred warmly.
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It was a few days later when Peakstreak left the medicine den fully healed from her claw wounds. Her eyes are bright and ready to take responsibilities back under her claws. Even Zambia's torn ear had healed after further inspection of Sleetcrash. However, things weren't looking good for Sunsetpaw.
Gingerleaf had seen Rainstar leading an injured Sunsetpaw into the camp, her gaze dark while the apprentice limped to the medicine den. Something was wrong and she worried about it. Taking it into her own paws, Gingerleaf requested Rustyfeather to find out what happened between the two and what could be done to help repair what had been damaged emotionally.
Her mother promised to do her best. As an elder, Rustyfeather's word was just as powerful as the leader's and would hopefully smooth over whatever happened. After all, it was concerning even for a parent to see their kit being hurt.
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Some more days passed and Rainstar led Seedblur and Gingerleaf on a border patrol. The trees of the inland forest were wilting some in the heat of greenleaf, but it was more bearable in the shade provided by them. There were pained hisses from the foliage and an injured loner was found hiding in the shadows of the brush. Seedblur didn't hesitate in speaking up to the cat and offering a place to rest, eat, and a chance to heal.
The loner turned out to be a silver tom with a distrustful look in his pale yellow eyes. Thankfully, it didn't take much convincing with Rainstar already there to lend a helpful word of advice. Perhaps the guilt of hurting Sunsetpaw fueled her, but Gingerleaf couldn't be sure. All she knew was the silver tom followed them home, his leg was mangled.
He explained that on occasion Twolegs left out traps and he was just unlucky enough to get it mangled in one. He kept mostly to himself, not wanting to bother with getting to know them, promising to leave as soon as his leg was better. Gingerleaf twitched her whiskers, uncertain if he would leave since most loners ended up staying with them. Well, that was going by what she understood. Pansyspeck and Miyun stayed after all. And there was Slate who used to live with them until his passing.
Perhaps the silver tom will warm up enough to eventually tell them his name, unless he planned on them to just call him "Silver" from now on.
Moon 42 | Harvest
Rainstar's confession of expecting kits shed a light on why she had been so cross with Sunsetpaw. She wasn't going to the nursery anytime soon. However, that was only the first surprise of the moon. Gingerleaf still didn't forgive Rainstar for treating her younger sister so awfully, even if she brought the silver tom to StormClan's healer.
It only got worse as time went on. Rustyfeather was still working on Rainstar's relationship with Sunsetpaw. They didn't have any cat to stand in the middle and ensure their Clan didn't fall apart. Ever so slowly, it began to show as Zambia stepped forward to attempt to ensure Rainstar and Sleetcrash had no misgivings to one another.
It was too late though.
Slopecall had gone to Sleetcrash for a check up and was found dead a few paces out of camp on the beach. There were signs that the long-furred brown ticked and white she-cat had a fit or more, sand caked around her muzzle as she lay there still and eyes wide open as though wild with fear. Darkwhisper took it hard, and it was no surprise. Slopecall had been one of his own flesh-and-blood kits.
Someone killed her and none of them could fathom why or how. Sure, Slopecall wasn't the easiest to get along with, but it was becoming suspicious when Sleetcrash padded by the vigil without stopping. Gingerleaf stared, mortified at the thought. Her gaze rested on Weevildusk who stared at Sleetcrash as though he knew something about the aging healer.
The gray and white tabby tom said nothing, but there was a look of accusation in his eyes for the pale gray and white tabby she-cat. Deep down, Gingerleaf was positive that the warrior was convinced that the healer was behind it. It was unlikely and it had to be unlikely, right?
Moon 43 | Hunter
Time came for Haillaurel to retire. Gingerleaf couldn't believe that both of her mothers were in the elder's den. However, Haillaurel confessed to being with kits again. More siblings, but in Haillaurel's advanced age it was unlikely it would end well. However, Gingerleaf was ready to do everything she could for them. On her side was Caveswoop and she was certain that they would both be able to take care of her mother. However, Haillaurel refused to go to the nursery just yet and Rainstar appointed Weevildusk to take her place.
Thankfully, Rainstar ended up in the nursery expecting her kits to come any day now. She was miserable and more ill-tempered than she normally was. Gingerleaf was positive that a lot of her mood was because of the kits she was expecting somehow. At least she didn't have to look after her. She glanced to Caveswoop, feeling a bit guilty since Rainstar was his mother.
It only got worse when the silver tom finally wished to speak to Gingerleaf to give himself an identity in his labored breathing. The rattles of his lungs trying to take in air were fast and quick. He revealed himself to be named Siri and only wished to keep it in his passing. That night, Siri passed on and was given a warrior's burial.
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A quarter-moon later, Peakstreak had gotten whitecough again and kept in the medicine den to fight through her illness. However, Peakstreak wasn't alone as a new cat was brought with the same abandonment as Zambia had gone through. This time, however, this cat was willing to change his name to be more Clan-like. His name was Dorothy and Rainstar renamed him Dorothyflow, wishing to give him a fitting name. Dorothyflow's pale golden and white tabby pelt was ruffled as he rested to battle through his yellowcough, slightly more dangerous than whitecough, but just as infectious.
Gingerleaf and Caveswoop took time to walk together and get to know each other better, finding that their love was far past budding and had already bloomed. With bravery, Gingerleaf and Caveswoop announced to the Clan that they were mates. She didn't refuse the feelings and went with her instincts. She had to, after all, the long-furred white and black tom was so patient as she got her feelings sorted.
Allegiances (as of Moon 43)
Leader: Rainstar - long-furred dark gray tabby she-cat with gray eyes
APPRENTICE: SUNSETPAW
Deputy: Weevildusk - long-furred gray and white tabby tom with pale yellow eyes
Healer: Sleetcrash - long-furred pale gray and white tabby she-cat with pale green eyes
Warriors:
Pansyspeck - unusually dappled pale gray tom with pale yellow eyes
APPRENTICE: SPLASHPAW
Miyun - long-furred unusually spotted pale silver she-cat with warm gray eyes
Peakstreak - long-furred speckled black and white she-cat with heather blue eyes
Seedblur - long-furred gray ticked and white tom with slate gray eyes
Caveswoop - long-furred white and black tabby tom with heterochromia eyes (one cobalt, the other emerald)
Dorothyflow - long-furred cream tabby and white tom with yellow eyes and a pale cyan collar
Gingerleaf - dark ginger tabby she-cat with pale green eyes
Zambia - long furred pale lavender marbled-tabby and white she-cat with pale green eyes
Apprentices:
Splashpaw - light brown and light ginger tortie she-cat with pale blue eyes
Sunsetpaw - dark ginger tabby she-cat with gray eyes
Queens and Kits:
Rainstar - long-furred dark gray tabby she-cat with gray eyes (Expecting)
Elders:
Darkwhisper - long-furred dark gray and white tabby tom with yellow eyes
Rustyfeather - dark ginger tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes
Haillaurel - pale cream ticked tabby she-cat with hazel eyes
Cats Outside the Clan
Sweet Leon - medium-furred unusually spotted dark brown and white loner she-cat with pale blue eyes
New Residents of the Sea of Stars
Slopecall - long-furred brown ticked and white she-cat with bright gray eyes
Siri - silver tom with pale yellow eyes
Author's Note:
I have never expected that Slopecall would have been murdered. She was so likeable, so I was surprised to see she got under someone's skin in the game! I had no idea and now we have to wonder why it happened and if it would ever be touched on later.
StarClan (The Sea of Stars) have a cat disappointed with the cat who murdered Slopecall. So, I'm looking forward to seeing how to work with this information.
Thank you for reading, have a fantastic morning, day, evening, or night~! - NightSky