Hazelshade's Deepdive-ish
Hazelshade was one of the founders of NectarClan, who fled her home clan of AspenClan due to the wars.
Hazelshade was born within the rocky plains of AspenClan, to her mother Mintpool and her father Bristlegorse. She was the final attempt for the older cats to continue their lineage of grand warriors.
Bristlegorse and Mintpetal were well known within AspenClan for being formidable warriors and fighters for their clan. Bristlegorse himself being the deputy of AspenClan. When the two were blessed with Hazelkit, they were thrilled their lineage would live on through her and they were certain that she too would be a grand warrior just as they were. Already there was so much weight and expectation on Hazelkit's shoulders.
Hazelkit was barely able to leave the nursery when Bristlegorse wanted to get her started on her training. Little things here and there. How to do the hunter's crouch, Leaping and pouncing. He was determined that she would follow in his footsteps.
When it was her time to become an apprentice, it was to Bristlegorse and Mintpetal's dismay that Hazelpaw was assigned to none other than Leaptail. A cat that the two parents believed would serve no good to Hazelpaw. If anything he'd be a bad influence on her, that was if he would be planning to actually stick around to train her. Hazelpaw herself saw her parents' dismay and too mimicked it, if her parents weren't happy with Sagestar's choice then perhaps she shouldn't be either. Although she wasn't going to sit around and mope about it. No. This just meant she had to train all that more harder.
Despite it all, Hazelpaw would pursue in her training and would eventually earn her warrior name, Hazelshade. While Leaptail wasn't the best mentor, he certainly stepped up to the challenge of getting her battle ready as soon as possible. Although Hazel's parent's opinion of the tom, certainly caused a wedge between the relationship the mentor and apprentice could of had. From what she had seen from many mentor and apprentice pairings, the apprentices often saw their mentors as another figure they could find solace within, trust, wisdom and even friendship. But Hazelshade put her barriers up so Leaptail couldn't even attempt to get close.
During the fateful battle were Leaptail's brother, Fleetfoot lost his life, Hazelshade noticed how Leaptail grieved for his brother. She also noticed the lack of emotion that flowed through the clan and herself. Much of the clan kept their emotions to themselves, Hazelshade included. But she couldn't help but feel for Leaptail.
Hazelshade was a little surprised when Leaptail approached her with his outlandish plan to leave the clan and make a new clan. Frankly if she wasn't so curious about what was beyond the borders and the fruitless fighting, she would of laughed at him. But when he left saying she was welcome to come with, she couldn't help but feel the pull to leave on this new adventure. After all, if it was as ridiculous as it sounded, she could always come back,,,right?
That night she lay in her nest thinking about what it would be like beyond the territories. She couldn't get the thoughts of the adventure out of her head. All the while she also couldn't stop thinking about, what were these battles all about? Nothing ever seemed to come out from them. All besides bloodshed and loss. What WERE they fighting for? Territory? Honour? Pride? Was it something she could even stand for?
She mulled on it for days. It was only within the last few moments when she truly decided that she would leave everything she knew for the greater world. It was there where she decided that if she didn't know what she was fighting for...she wasn't going to fight!
Once the ragtag group of cats had settled she was once again surprised when Leaptail, now Leapstar approached her asking her to be his deputy. She was about to argue that she hadn't got the experience or anything, before she was cut off by the leader as he explained his reasoning for choosing her. Unsure, yet she still hesitantly accepted.
Throughout the moons, she kept trying to decide if leaving was the right thing to do. She often wondered if it was worth heading back. But as each day passed the harder it was to reason with herself to go back. She found herself coming to enjoy this new life. The new friends she was making and all the while she had actually made her father's dream a reality, she did in a way follow in his footsteps and here she was deputy of her clan, her home.
The moons continued to pass and as NectarClan continued to feel like home. She found comfort and solace within Dreamfreckle. A cat who had also joined from the previous territories. The more time she spent with the dark furred molly, the more she found she couldn't live in a world where they would be separated. Dreamfreckle was the only cat that she could truly trust and rely on. The only one would saw her true emotions. If she had stayed in AspenClan she would of never felt this overwhelming comfort and happiness. No, if anything, Dreamfreckle would of been her enemy.
With that final thought put to rest. It was clear that yes, NectarClan was Hazelshade's home and it always would be.
PREVIOUS CHARACTER: LEAPSTAR
NEXT CHARACTER: CHARREDFRECKLE (soon)