Outside, a frost takes hold of everything, freezing dead leaves onto their branches before they have time to drop. Inside, the warmth of the healer's den provides little comfort to its inhabitants. Weed succumbed to redcough in the night, passing in her sleep at 144 moons old. Her sons, Cavedew and Erminepaw, are left devastated.
Cavedew and Erminepaw are no longer on speaking terms.
[Well, we all knew this was coming. Apologies regardless. I STRUGGLED through this sketch but I really like the panels I ended up with. Sometimes its worth it to scrap an idea or two until you get to something that works. Anyway, this moon is a bit of a monster and this will likely be the shortest part, so buckle up!]
“Ohhh, I don’t think I can do this,” Aldertail moaned, pacing back and forth in the Healer’s den as her tail twitched anxiously. It was taking all her self-control and the continued momentum of her pacing to keep her from running her tongue over her legs. They were mostly furred these days, only spotting a patch here or there when her mind got too loud, which was rarer now that the Clans had brokered a truce with the city.
Sitting patiently beside the herb stores, Oddstripe sorted out the dried and dead leaves from his stock, his eyes returning politely to her whenever he didn’t need to look at his paws. If she’d been in a better headspace, she’d have been impressed by how often he could pick out the poor leaves just by touch. Beside him sat Barleybee, sorting the dead leaves into neat bundles to be carried off later.
She said, “Sure you can! I’ll be right there with you whenever you need help, okay?”
“But I don’t know anything about teaching an apprentice!” cried Aldertail, pelt poofing up around her shoulders.
“Neither do I,” said Barleybee with a shrug. “It’s supposed to be a learning experience, that’s what Goldenstar said. We learn how to teach as we do it.”
“But what if I mess it up? What if I mess him up?! Oh, Russetfrond will be furious!”
“You’re not going to mess him up,” Oddstripe said calmly. “Especially not if you ask for help whenever you need it.”
“But-”
“Sure, you’ll make mistakes,” he continued, “but everyone does. You’re not going to make any mistakes you can’t come back from.”
“How do you know that?” she whined, dancing in place like a petulant child. She hated how out of control and needy she felt right now. It was embarrassing!
“Because I have faith in you,” he smiled, focused on her entirely for a long beat. Her face went hot and a different, heart-fluttering discomfort mixed with the panicked one she had been overwhelmed by. Why did he have to look at her like that and say those kinds of things with his earnest face and his big, compassionate eyes? Why did he act like there was something in her worth having faith in?
She pursed her lips and whined anxiously as she turned away from his gaze. “I still don’t understand faith at all. I’m going to be a disaster, I just know it!”
“Aldertail, it’s gonna be okay,” Barleybee said with what Aldertail thought sounded like pity. “Remember, you can ask me for help with anything. We can train together until you feel comfortable doing it on your own.” Aldertail was pretty sure that was never going to happen but she didn’t want to insist on being a burden for the entire mentorship.
Instead, she searched for a different objection. “How am I even going to teach him? I mean, look at him! They’re both practically as big as I am already!”
“It’s gonna be fine,” Barleybee said again, more firmly this time. “Just take some deep breaths, okay?”
“Okay,” she nodded, realizing she was quite breathless. “Okay. It’s fine, it’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be-”
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!” The call cut through the quiet of camp, reaching them even down inside the burrow of the Healer’s den.
“Oh, no, oh, jeez,” Aldertail wheezed under her breath, panicking again.
Barleybee got up and came to press her side into Aldertail’s. “You’ve got this. Deep breaths.”
“Okay,” Aldertail’s voice wobbled pathetically but she tried her best to comply.
It wasn’t long until everyone had gathered under the noonday sun for the meeting. Near the front of the crowd sat Bluekit and Yellowkit. They were massive for kittens, almost as tall as their father already and twice as fluffy. Bluekit, despite his coloring, looked quite like his father, if his father were pleasant, especially in the stripes on his face. It was Yellowkit who looked surprisingly like Mystique, with his slouched posture and pale chest fluff. It wasn’t enough to startle or scare Aldertail but it was enough to make her think about Mystique, which was never a necessarily calming experience for her.
As she watched, Russetfrond gave a warning mrrp to Yellowkit who straightened his posture and stopped watching the clouds. They seemed well behaved at least. That was good.
Goldenstar cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention and smiled. “Alright, everyone! It’s with great pleasure that I get to announce that Bluekit and Yellowkit have finally reached the age of six moons and it is time for them to be apprenticed.”
“About time!” Ospreymask jeered playfully, half on her side with her pregnant belly sitting at an awkward angle that must have been comfortable somehow. “They were too big for the nursery moons ago!” Several cats laughed although Aldertail noticed that Russetfrond’s ear twitched in irritation. The kits themselves just seemed a bit sheepish.
Goldenstar chuckled and said, “Yes, I’m sure you’ll enjoy having the space all to yourself now. If I could have the two of you step into the center please?”
Bluekit hopped immediately forward and stepped into the center, checking the placement of his feet before he looked up dutifully at his leader. Yellowkit was distracted by something and Russetfrond had to flick his tail against the kit’s side to get him to follow his brother to the middle.
Goldenstar said, “Bluekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bluepaw. Your mentor will be Barleybee. I know she has a lot to teach you and I trust you both to learn from each other.”
Beside Aldertail, Barleybee stepped forward to join Bluepaw in the middle of the clearing and touched her nose to his. She barely had to lean down and he dipped his head politely when they were done, looking excited but restrained. Yellowkit was starting to shuffle anxiously. Aldertail braced herself for the look of disappointment he was surely about to give her.
“Yellowkit,” Goldenstar continued, once the first pair stepped off to the side, “from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Yellowpaw. Your mentor will be Aldertail. She has learned a lot since she joined our ranks and I’m confident she’ll be able to pass that knowledge on to you.”
Aldertail hesitated and Yellowpaw cast his head about looking for her. When he found her, she smiled nervously and a bit of concern furrowed his brow but he stood up straight to meet her and she was able to force herself to walk out into the middle of the clearing. Her cheeks burned when he had to bend down slightly to touch noses with her and there was a slight electric shock between their noses that left them both rubbing their muzzles with a paw. A couple cats laughed quietly under their breath and Aldertail wanted to explode.
“And with that, our meeting is concluded!” purred Goldenstar. “Congratulations, all of you!” The crowd cheered, some cats chanting out the apprentices' new names, and Aldertail felt small and ugly.
A few cats came in to wish the boys good luck.
Branchbark stepped close to Aldertail and said, “Hey, congrats on an apprentice! I’m still waiting on my first one.”
“They should have given him to you,” she blushed, making sure she lowered her voice enough that Yellowpaw didn’t hear over his conversation with Ospreymask. “I have no idea what I’m doing!”
“You’re gonna do great,” he said, but she swore she caught a trace of jealousy in his smile. That sent her brain spiralling out of control. She hadn’t considered that getting an apprentice would alienate her from her friends! This was terrible! By the time she realized she ought to say something, she looked up and he was gone, helping Ospreymask back to her sunning spot.
Instead, Russetfrond had approached her. She swallowed and straightened her posture, shrinking subconsciously in submission. He had a stern expression on, but that was his usual expression. Seeing her nervousness, he forced a bit of a sympathetic smile through his features, which looked a bit odd when mixed with his furrowed brow and squinted eyes.
“Aldertail,” he said and he didn’t sound disappointed. “I wanted to thank you for agreeing to mentor Yellowpaw. I suggested you specifically for the role and I’m confident you’ll be just what he needs.”
“Y-you did?” Aldertail gawked. She couldn’t believe her ears.
“Mhm,” he nodded. “If you ever need help, I’m happy to step in and give you some pointers. Mentoring is a balancing act and I’ll gladly help you stay on course.”
She was quiet for a beat too long before she remembered to speak. “Uh, th-thank you! I-I’ll be sure to take you up on that.”
“Good,” he said, seeming satisfied. “He’s a bit distractable, but you just have to keep him focused. Good luck.”
“Thank you,” she started, but another voice interrupted her stumbling appreciation.
“Goldenstar!” cried a young brown cat with white on their chest and tail as they bounded down the slope into camp. All heads turned towards the stranger and Russetfrond stepped away from Aldertail without a word. Goldenstar had been talking with Yarrowshade and Scorchplume near the Stoneperch and she slipped between them to approach the cat as well.
“Erminepaw,” she greeted them with warmth despite her caution. “What brings you to RisingClan?”
“It’s coyotes!” the apprentice said and several cats in camp gasped. “There’s a pair of them trying to nest in our territory. Orangestar sent me to get your mediator. She can talk to them, right?”
“Well, anyone can talk to them,” called Fogstalker, bounding over from the prey pile, “But I’m happy to help! Is it just two?”
“Yeah,” nodded Erminepaw. “They’re setting up a den in the deep woods, south of the river. Can you come right away?”
“Of course,” grinned Fogstalker.
“I wanna go!” Aldertail jumped as Yellowpaw spoke up beside her, not loud enough to interrupt the others but not exactly quietly. It was with horror that she realized he was telling her. “Can we go see the coyotes?”
“W-Uh-” How was she supposed to respond to this?
“No, you don’t have any battle training,” said Barleybee, stepping close with Bluepaw in tow. “You’re not going to see coyotes for a long while if we can help it.”
“Aww…” the big yellow apprentice sighed.
Back with the others, Goldenstar was putting together a patrol. “Alright, Fogstalker, Pantherhaze, and Sparrowsway, you go to EarthClan. Help them however you can, alright?”
“Yes, Goldenstar,” nodded Sparrowsway.
“Gladly,” smiled Pantherhaze.
“Come on,” Fogstalker was already walking. “Let’s hurry so we can finish up before sunset.” Aldertail thought that was very optimistic for dealing with a group of coyotes, but that wasn’t her problem right now.
“Can we go on some kind of patrol instead?” asked Bluepaw, bringing her back to the conversation she was actually a part of. Barleybee looked at her as if she had some say in the decision which made her realize that she did, in fact, have some say in it.
“Um, sure,” she said, shrugging nervously, and the boys brightened.
Barleybee chuckled and said, “Do you guys want a tour of the territory or should we go do some hunting?”
“Hunting!” both the boys said immediately, Yellowpaw more excitedly than his brother.
“Hunting it is!” laughed Barleybee. “Does that sound good to you, Aldertail?”
“Y-yeah,” she nodded. “I’m not sure I’ll be very good at teaching, though, so sorry in advance.”
“You’ll do fine,” Barleybee purred confidently. “Come on, let’s head out towards the river and see if there’s anything to catch.”
“Ooh, can we go swimming?” gasped Yellowpaw.
“Not unless you want to freeze solid,” Barleybee said, starting to lead them away. “Once the weather gets warmer we can do some swimming practice.” That sounded like hell to Aldertail but she kept quiet. Absently, she wondered if the desire to swim was genetic.
The four of them headed out of camp, the boys asking Barleybee questions every so often, but Aldertail was struggling to stay present. She watched her pawsteps as they went and tried to tell herself that her worries were unfounded but it was hard to believe herself.
It shocked her when Barleybee leaned in to press their pelts together and offer her a smile. She blushed in embarrassment and smiled back.
“You’ve got this,” Barleybee whispered.
“Yeah,” breathed Aldertail bashfully. She desperately hoped so.
UPDATES:
- Bluepaw is apprenticed to Barleybee
- Yellowpaw is apprenticed to Aldertail
Fall sweeps unusually harsh over the clan as temperatures drop by the day. Families and friends curl together to fight the biting morning frost. Axeldawn, Juneaucliff, and Cavedew recover from being poisoned while Weed remains under the weather, insisting that the only medicine she needs is quality time with her boys.
At Weed's age, she was bound to begin falling apart at some point. The poisoning only sped it up. She swears the other healers to secrecy, though they disagree with the idea. Her boys don't need anything else to worry about. Not for now, at least.
[Folks... I am so sorry for what is about to happen on Moon 33.]
Time does not stop, and so the clan must move forward. They welcome Cavedew as their newest warrior, honoring him for his wit. For possibly the first time ever, Siltsplash decides to take a break, and thus his younger brother Erminepaw is apprenticed to Chickadeeblur.
Now an apprentice, Erminepaw is not shy about the fact that he has more interest in hanging out with Songpaw than he does in training to be a warrior.
Unfortunately for Songpaw, this means he won't be getting a break from his new crush anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Kingfur and Sockeyepelt come across a trespassing loner.
Axel is accepted into Loudclan, and takes the clan name Axeldawn.
Short and sweet! Just what we need after last moon! Erminepaw give our poor boy a break he's gonna have a heart attack. It's not like it's Songpaw's first crush, he has a big ol crush on Rosehiptree, but that's different, that's not something that could actually happen, Rosehip's older and cooler and way out of his league, so there's no pressure there. But Erminepaw, Erminepaw is right there with him all the time and now he's tall and he has no concept of personal space and Songpaw doesn't have any idea what to do about it. Also don't believe for a second that Siltsplash didn't know what they were doing. Out of all of Songpaw's possible mate choices in the clan Ermine is their favorite, so they are more than willing to assign him to herb gathering whenever he wishes. Sockeyepelt, on the other hand, has been officially ordered by Chickadeeblur to "give Axeldawn some space". She's just excited to have someone new to fawn over, Juneaucliff, Jaggedtail, and Peakpatch were getting boring, especially with Jagged and Peak spending so much time together. Axeldawn doesn't really mind the attention, he'd just like some time to adjust to clan life first. Anyway, loving seeing all of the people breaking out their detective skills on the last post! The correct answers, at least the ones I was intentionally foreshadowing, were Jagged x Peak, Song x Ermine, and Song x Rosehip. Not all of these new crushes are going anywhere, Song's crush on Rose is obviously fully one sided until he grows up, but they're fun while they last!
Content Warning: This post contains content that may be upsetting to some viewers. See this post for details.
Prev | First | Next
The grass rustled softly in the light but bitterly cold breeze. Floodstrike watched the breath fog in front of his muzzle and waited, swaying slightly on his feet to mimic the movement of the grass.
Beside him, Sparrowsway did the same and, past him, Barleybee and, even further, Boldmoth and her apprentice, Erminepaw. Floodstrike couldn’t see the others except for the barest of glimpses when the moonlight caught the grass just right but he knew they were out there. RisingClan, EarthClan, and SkyClan had gathered to keep their agreement with the city cats and had slipped out towards the city under cover of darkness. Now, with the peak of the closest twoleg nest in sight, they held position, waiting for orders.
After a long period of quiet stillness, a cat appeared on his left - Bluffpaw, Orangestar’s apprentice.
“Move to the back of the barn, a clearing’s length away,” he whispered, “Stay down wind.” He slipped past Barleybee and repeated the message, proceeding down the frontline until his spotty ginger and white pelt disappeared into the dry grass.
Floodstrike nodded to Sparrowsway, who returned the look, then twitched his tail for the cat behind him and started off towards the back of the ‘barn’. When they reached about a clearing’s worth of distance from the wooden structure, Floodstrike perked his ears and tasted the air carefully. The barn smelled of hay and old wood and various city cats and other animals. Closer by, he could smell Goldenstar, Orangestar, and one of the city cats he had met before, Schmidt’s brother if he remembered right.
He glanced around quickly, decided that the barn was providing enough cover, and bounded in their direction. Sparrowsway hissed softly at him but he ignored his brother’s warning. As their scents grew closer, he slowed to a stealthy pace again and ended up coming up between Goldenstar and Orangestar, interrupting the conversation.
“Yeah,” he twitched an ear to dismiss her concern. “What’s the plan?” Goldenstar’s brow furrowed darkly.
“We’re just waitin’ on Sardine,” said the ginger kittypet. “Once he enters the barn, the cat up there will give y'all the signal and you’ll swing the trap shut.” He lifted his tail slightly to indicate a framed hole in the wall near the top of the building with a white furred kittypet sitting in it. The cat looked down and twitched their tail slightly in acknowledgement.
“Floodstrike, go back to your position,” Goldenstar said sternly.
“I want to be at the front of the push with you,” Floodstrike stated, ignoring her order.
“Floodstrike, this is not up for debate,” she said more aggressively, her tail starting to arch behind her. “Go back to your position and wait for the signal.”
“I deserve to get justice for my apprentice,” he snapped back. The kittypet’s gaze softened sympathetically. Orangestar looked deeply uncomfortable.
“You will,” Goldenstar hissed, rising up on her toes in a threatening display she had never used on him before, “but right now you will go back to your position and follow orders. This is not the time for a tantrum.” The words struck him sharply, along with the furious posture she had turned on him, and he wilted under it, all his determination dissipating like scattered leaves.
“Right.” He swallowed, unsure how to feel. “Sorry, Goldenstar.” He saw a flicker of guilt cross her face but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Floodstrike turned tail and slank back towards the others.
Softly, Orangestar cleared her throat and said, “Wes, you were saying?”
When Floodstrike returned to his position, Sparrowsway was glaring at him. “What was that?” He hissed under his breath.
“Something stupid,” Floodstrike grumbled.
“Yeah, no kidding,” scoffed his brother.
“Leave him alone,” he read Barleybee’s lips more than he heard her voice. “You know this is hard for him.”
“Can we all just shut up and focus?” he said a bit louder than he meant to.
The waiting was unbearable. Floodstrike looked up at the waxing moon and tried to catch it moving across the sky. Was it closer to the roof now than it was before? The stars laid muted under the glowing light from the city. He wondered if Lakepaw was watching him. He wondered if she was embarrassed to be his apprentice.
His paws were cold. His inner ears ached from the dry chill in the air. He shook out his paws and kneaded loose clods of dirt with his claws to try and keep some feeling in his toes. When was that kittypet in the barn going to give them the signal?
After a while, Goldenstar slank out of the grass and approached him. “Floodstrike, we need to talk,” she said in hushed tones.
“Okay,” he swallowed.
Goldenstar glanced at the cats on either side of him before stepping in closer. “Look, I’m sorry I was so aggressive earlier. This is serious and I can’t have my warriors undermining me right now. We both know I let you get away with a lot of stuff and I need to stop doing that. You’re not my apprentice anymore, you’re a full warrior, and I need to treat you like one. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah,” he nodded sullenly. “I shouldn’t have come over in the first place. I just wanted to know what was going on.”
“I know,” sighed Goldenstar. “Wes says Sardine is supposedly on his way so it shouldn’t be long. Just have patience.” And with that, she slipped away, farther along the line. Floodstrike grit his teeth in frustration but held his tongue.
The time stretched on even longer. Messengers came through and told everyone to watch for the signal: a raised tail from the white cat in the barn window. Then they waited. It felt like forever as the night dragged slowly towards morning, the moon rising even higher above them.
Then, there it was, a lift of the cat’s tail. Floodstrike leapt into action, darting swiftly but quietly forward and around the side of the barn towards the big entryway on the front. This was it, he thought, his heart starting to pound.
Inside, he could hear voices. The first was mocking but put together. “... really, Rudy, I’m hurt that you didn’t invite me to your little shindig. I had to hear about it through a friend of a friend.”
“Who’s that?” This voice was gruffer and deeper in, more muffled by the straw.
“Oh, I shouldn’t kiss and tell,” said the first voice. “But they were very eager to sell you out, I’m afraid. It’s a shame, really. I was hoping our little game would be a little more interesting than this but it seems we’ve reached the end.”
The second voice laughed. “Yeah, I bet you were hoping that.” Floodstrike’s speed had gotten him to the front of the barn faster than the rest of the front lines and he slowed down to wait for the others.
The first voice said condescendingly, “You don’t seem to be understanding how the end is going to play out, Rudy. What, you think you can win this?”
“Sure do,” said the second voice - Rudy. “I could beat you and your squad of little girls with my paws in boots.”
“Hah!” the first voice laughed. “I’d genuinely like to see you try, that sounds hilarious.” Russetfrond, Coyotechaser, Songdust, and Bogmist emerged from the grass beside Floodstrike and he nodded to them, letting Russetfrond take the lead as they rounded the corner. He didn’t want to disappoint Goldenstar by rushing things and ruining the ambush.
Still, he was quick on the deputies’ heels, claws itching to see use. As they came around the corner, he spotted two loose groups of cats, one sitting in different positions around the barn, the other clustered near the entrance as if they had just entered. Near the back of that group were several toms with notched ears, all craning their necks to see what was going on. He recognized one of them by his scarred, sable pelt and his blood started to boil inside his veins.
One of the chaff cats had his mouth open to scent the barn and he whipped around, suddenly able to taste the Clan cats on the wind. “Oh, shit!” Russetfrond collided with him and chaos broke over the crowd.
“Savages!” went up the cry.
“Seal off the exits!” shouted Coyotechaser, “Nobody gets out!”
Several of the warriors took up positions in the entrance but Floodstrike had his eyes on Van Pelt. He lunged and slammed into the rogue claws first, tearing a nasty wound open over his shoulder. The rogue spat furiously and batted sharply at his head before they broke away and started to circle. The barn was filled with caterwauling and cats shouting to each other.
Van Pelt laughed and declared, “Damn, kid! You turned into quite the beanpole!” He darted in to give Floodstrike a gash on his nose. “Never grew into your ears though.”
“I’m not some helpless apprentice anymore,” snarled Floodstrike as he tackled the rogue to the ground.
“You fight like one!” laughed Van Pelt with a series of rabbit kicks. One caught Floodstrike hard in the gut and he tumbled away. Managing to roll to his feet, he just barely managed to leap out of the way of Van Pelt’s claws. He danced backward a few paces, then darted back in to swipe at his opponent's face, then turned to follow as Van Pelt twisted out of the way and went for his hind quarters. Floodstrike ducked low against the straw and waggled his hips before leaping, once again tackling Van Pelt to the ground.
Together, they tumbled in a hissing, spitting clump of claws and teeth until Floodstrike’s back hit a metal shelf on the edge of the room hard and he cried out in pain. Van Pelt laughed his cruel, grating laugh and pressed his advantage, managing to score a deep cut on his soft belly. Floodstrike snarled and kicked the rogue hard in the face, rattling the metal things on the shelf with the force of it. Van Pelt stumbled back, cursing under his breath, and Floodstrike rolled off of the shelf and into a defensive crouch.
“You brat!” Van Pelt spat, running a paw over his eye a few times.
“Told you,” shrugged Floodstrike smugly.
“You’re right,” Van Pelt’s eyes darted over the room beside them, “it’s just not as fun now that you’re all grown up.” He lunged to the side and Floodstrike braced himself in confusion, waiting for the lunge to turn into a feint but it didn’t. Too late, he saw what Van Pelt had been looking for. The rogue slammed into an unsuspecting Erminepaw, sinking his teeth into the apprentice as he took her to the ground.
Floodstrike yowled, fear and anger erupting within him, and he dove after Van Pelt. His teeth found the rogue’s tail and he tugged sharply on it, allowing Erminepaw to squirm out of his claws. Van Pelt laughed and turned to swipe at Floodstrike only to spin and slash his claws across the apprentice’s side again as soon as Floodstrike let him go.
“Leave them alone!” Floodstrike roared, rearing up to smack him roughly about the ears.
“Touched a nerve, did I?” cackled the rogue, batting his paws out of the way. Erminepaw hesitated in their readied stance, glancing between Floodstrike and his opponent and where Boldmoth was struggling against a pair of her own rogues.
“Go with her,” Floodstrike told her, “I’ve got this one.”
“Do you?” taunted Van Pelt. Erminepaw nodded regardless and leapt for the other fight. Van Pelt tried to snag her with his claws but Floodstrike swung a paw out and struck him in the front of the throat, stopping him dead in his tracks as he gagged and gasped for air.
“Yeah, I think I do,” smirked Floodstrike, pressing his advantage to throw the rogue off balance and strike at his underbelly. “You think you’re so tough but you’re just a pathetic little bully!”
“Look who’s talking,” Van Pelt wheezed. Above them, the metal things on the shelf rattled violently as Boldmoth jumped and kicked off of it to land on top of one of her opponents and a set of big cylinders crashed to the ground with a hollow clang, nearly hitting Floodstrike in the head. He managed to twist out of the way, only to look up and see that Van Pelt was on his feet, leaping through the gap in the shelf to press against the wall.
“You can’t get out that way,” Floodstrike growled, moving to block the edge where the shelf met the wall but Van Pelt just sneered at him.
“Who says I'm running?” he said, rearing up to give the shelf a shove from behind. It wobbled and tipped, showering more metal cylinders on the cats fighting below. Erminepaw backed up against the shelf to avoid them and Floodstrike’s stomach twisted as an image of her crushed beneath its weight flashed into his mind. He sprang through the shelving and grabbed their scruff in his teeth, barreling out the other side into a bank of straw and dust. Behind him there was a mighty clatter and a cat screamed in pain.
“Boldmoth!” cried Erminepaw. Floodstrike’s throat tightened. He wheeled around and there was Boldmoth, her back leg pinned beneath a red metal box. Beside her, a kittypet lay wheezing under the bulk of the shelf, his chest deformed from the impact. The other rogue Boldmoth had been fighting was trying to get him out to no success. Van Pelt was gone.
“Fox dung,” Floodstrike hissed, hopping up over the shelf into the gap where Boldmoth was pinned. “Just hang on, Boldmoth, we’ll get you out.”
“It’s definitely broken,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Help me push!” said Erminepaw, putting their paws up against the box. Floodstrike joined her and together they heaved against its side. The box was heavier than expected and Boldmoth cried out again, her tail bristling from the pain.
“Maybe we should wait for the healers,” Erminepaw swallowed. “We could mess it up more if we’re not careful!”
“No,” Boldmoth gasped, hunched over with her eyes shut tight. “I’m a sitting duck here. We don’t have time to wait.”
“One more shove should do it,” said Floodstrike. “Three, two, one-!” They heaved again, and with a loud ker-thunk! the box toppled over and off of Boldmoth’s crumpled leg. Floodstrike pressed up against her bad side and heaved her to her feet with his shoulder. “Easy… there we go. Come on.”
“Erminepaw can escort me,” she said, sounding strained, “you get back to the fight.”
“You’re sure?” he asked.
“Yeah, flea-brain, just go!” she snapped. Floodstrike nodded and hopped up onto the shelf to get a better view. Beneath it, the rogue winced. There! -- Floodstrike spotted Barleybee and Sparrowsway fighting side by side and he launched off of the shelf and into the fray to join them, his claws hungry for blood.
Erminepaw is a SnowClan medicine cat apprentice whose story is deeply tied to curiosity, compassion, belonging, and the hidden truths buried beneath the forest's history.
Unlike many cats, Erminepaw has always been fascinated by the world beyond his own clan. While most apprentices are content learning about their own territory, Erminepaw wants to know everything. Other clans, other cats, old stories, forgotten places - if there's something he doesn't understand, he'll ask about it.
Usually immediately.
Often at the worst possible time.
As the apprentice of SnowClan's medicine cat, Hailfoot, Erminepaw spends much of his time learning about herbs, healing, and StarClan. Though eager to learn, he is often overwhelmed by just how big the world feels. Large gatherings of cats can make him nervous, and he sometimes struggles to find the confidence to speak up.
Despite this, he almost always does.
His first medicine cat gathering was meant to be an ordinary meeting.
Instead, it became the night the clan founders appeared.
The night blood stained the snow.
The night ancient prophecies began to awaken.
While many of the older medicine cats focused on the warnings, the danger, and the meaning behind the prophecy, Erminepaw found himself asking a different question.
"Who's the forgotten shadow?"
It was a simple question.
One that seemed to affect the founders far more than any of the others.Though he doesn't realise it yet, that question will depend on his choices.
Erminepaw has a habit of seeing the cat before the reputation.
Where others see heroes, villains, rogues, clan cats, or outsiders, Erminepaw usually wants to know who they are beneath those labels. He finds it difficult to hate cats, even when others insist he should.
Some cats admire this.
Others worry it will get him hurt.
He forms friendships easily, often growing attached to cats from outside SnowClan despite the complications that can bring. He believes every clan has something worth learning from, and that understanding another cat is almost always better than judging them from afar.
This outlook often puts him at odds with more traditional clan values.
Even so, Erminepaw refuses to stop asking questions.Refuses to stop caring.
Refuses to stop believing there is good in cats.He is connected to one of the ancient prophecies, though the role he will play is far greater than he could ever imagine.
After all, sometimes the cats who change history are not the strongest.
Sometimes they are simply the ones willing to do the things nobody else will.
As Erminepaw grows older, his world becomes much larger than SnowClan alone.
His desire to understand other cats, other clans, and the stories hidden within the forest eventually leads him down a path few medicine cats have ever walked.
Alongside another cat who eventually became his mate, Echohollow, Erminepaw becomes involved in uncovering truths long buried beneath generations of clan history. What begins as curiosity slowly grows into something far greater, connecting him to ancient secrets, forgotten names, and the prophecies that first appeared before him as an apprentice.
As the moons pass, he continues to grow into an anxious healer. Though he was SnowClan- he never felt truly at home in the frozen tundra. for his compassion, patience, and willingness to help any cat in need.
Eventually, that compassion leads him to a cat most others would have left behind.
A cat whose existence should have been impossible.A cat whose story had been forgotten.
And in helping them, Erminepaw unknowingly becomes part of a story far older than the clans themselves.
The future awaiting him is filled with difficult choices, painful discoveries, and questions that have remained unanswered for countless generations.At
At one point in his journey, Erminepaw leaves SnowClan and joins StoneClan, a decision that changes the course of his life forever.
Though many cats question his choice, Erminepaw remains certain of one thing:
Understanding the forest means understanding all of it.
Not just the parts that are easy to remember. Yet despite everything he learns, Erminepaw never loses the quality that defined him as an apprentice.
He continues to ask questions.
Erminepaw is known for:
• asking questions at terrible times
• getting attached to nearly everyone he meets
• wanting to learn about every clan
• listening to stories whenever possible
• being overwhelmed by large groups of cats
• seeing the best in others
• worrying far more than he lets on
• being very oval shaped
themes: curiosity • compassion • belonging • understanding • identity • history • love • hope
