Ok Redesigned PearlHeart and fleshed her out a bit, here you go
Uhm, yeah it was Sentinel's fault, he lwk fucked her over. I couldn't fit it on there, but her unique little ability is that she can hide her spark signature enough to avoid immediate detection from radars or scanners. She definitely stalks before attacking. Before joining the Decepticons, it was a means to hide herself when tending to wounded, but now it just makes it hard to pinpoint her position.
She charges her targets like a bull with the goal of impaling/stabbing them, and will slam said victim into the ground or a wall as hard as her body will allow.
I'll make more lore later involving her relationship with Blitzwing and how it works, and why she seeks him out for companionship.
I'll be posting sketches I've done on Saturdays! Usually done on the spare paper I have after cutting out the pieces for my other illustrations. Here is Fenrir and Rath from my PearlHeart series of books!
Rath is the captain of the sailing ship PearlHeart and Fenrir is his first mate + navigator. Fenrir was a somewhat new addition to the story, but Rath has been in it from the very beginning - I could draw this man in my sleep haha Fenrir's design has been pretty consistent, but Rath's hair used to be black (and his character was WAY different). He's always had freckles and green eyes, though!
Traditional pencil and watercolor on cold-press watercolor paper.
“Ish dish enough frefkill?” Nightflower muffled through two mice crammed into her mouth.
Darkstar chuckled. “Hey, you shouldn’t have your mouth full when speaking, Nightflower.”
She spits the mice out onto the ground. “Heh, sorry Dad.”
Still, he nodded affirmatively. “With Shimmersky’s fish and Gingerclaw’s bluejay, we should have enough food for the gathering.”
“Darkstar! Darkstar!” a large bundle of orange fur barreled towards the two cats, crashing into Nightflower.
She laughed. “What’s wrong, Tigerkit?”
The ball of fluff straightened himself out until he resembled a normal cat. “Applepaw’s being mean again. She snapped at Pebblekit!”
Darkstar sighed. “Acting out isn’t going to make me change my mind. I’ll have a talk with Blossomtail.”
“About what?” Nightflower asked.
“I decided to have Applepaw stay behind this Gathering. She’s been too irresponsible as of late.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” she probably also would have been sulking if she was left behind.
“You know, since I’m so helpful…” Tigerkit started.
“No Gatherings until you’re an apprentice.” Darkstar sighed.
—
The Gathering itself was just as bustling. The fresh kill was deposited atop the grates of the flaming barrel for the after-gathering feast. Nightflower still didn’t do well with fire, so she handed off her freshkill to Dawnpaw. She decided to meet up with Lynxpaw and Firepaw while Dawnpaw took care of the food.
Firepaw wasn’t hard to find. Her bright red fur was like a beacon, even among a sea of other ginger cats. She was sat with Lynxpaw, who looked very happy.
“What’s the occasion?” Nightflower asked as she padded over.
“My warrior ceremony!” Lynxpaw declared, the enthusiasm palpable in her voice. “I’m Lynxclaw now.”
Firepaw looked glum. “I wish. My mentor’s been ignoring my training… I’ll never be a warrior at this rate.”
Lynxclaw paused. “I’m sorry Firepaw. That sucks.”
“Ah… whatever. I think Smallcloud is just getting sick or something. I don’t know why he’s been ignoring me.”
“Oh… I can’t imagine how you must be feeling.” Nightflower said. Even Leopardcloud, stuck in the nursery, still made sure she kept up her training when she wasn’t able to be there.
A large silence fell over the Gathering. It was time to start; the first leader stepped to the front. This moon, it was Redstar.
“To start, Swampclan has been well. Our kits are well-fed, and will grow strong. Our apprentices, even more so.” Redstar stated simply, before stepping back.
“I heard that those kits born last moon were his.” Lynxclaw whispered to Nightflower. “Jaggedkit and Sharpkit, I think they’re named. Poor kits. Now they have to turn out evil with those names.”
Nightflower wasn’t so sure, but she wasn’t willing to be scolded for talking during the Gathering.
Next, Finchstar took the front.
“My son and his mate have had a litter of three healthy kits! We thank Starclan for them.” He showed an uncharacteristic amount of emotion, before frowning again. His tone was grave. “Unfortunately, one of our border patrols was ambushed by a coyote. One of our apprentices, Splinterpaw, did not make it. We ask other clans to increase their patrols and stay wary until the coyote has left our lands.”
Whispers carried over the crowd— uncertain, and somewhat panicked, before the Wanderers representative spoke up.
“It will not take long for the coyote to leave. The Twolegs will chase it out once they notice it. Remain alert, but calm, while on patrol.” the representative stepped back, allowing Badgerstar to step forward.
“We have two new warriors, as well as one new cleric apprentice.” he drawled, seemingly not caring. “Lynxclaw, Locustclaw, and Mitepaw.” He paused to allow the clans to cheer.
Nightflower made sure to cheer extra hard for her good friend, who seemed extremely flattered by all the attention. Firepaw, on the other hand, looked like her flames had been doused by a heavy rainfall.
After the noise had died down, he spoke again. “We grieve the loss of our beloved Seedwhisker, who succumbed to illness. May my son carry on his path of benevolence in Starclan, just as he did in life.” he bowed his head, ushering in a moment of silence.
Nightflower looked over at Starleaf. Her mother was close with Seedwhisker, right? He was one of the members of her prophecy journey. Her mother was huddled up with her Grangeclan friends, Dovelight and Pearlheart.
The silence was broken with a single exclamation.
“Seedwhisker!”
Now, every clan was looking at the three mollies. Pearlheart was staring at the faded outline of a tom, though Nightflower couldn’t pick out any of the details. He was glowing a bright blue, which certainly wasn’t a real pelt color. Was that… a Starclan cat?
“What’s she looking at?” Lynxclaw asked, confusion lacing her voice.
“You don’t see the glowing cat in front of her?” Nightflower said.
Firepaw shook her head. “She’s just staring at nothing.”
“Well, there’s a Starclan cat right in front of her!”
Nightflower quickly looked around. Badgerstar had his head in his paws, and Bonestripe looked shocked. Finchstar merely looked confused, and Redstar was simply annoyed.
Clouds began to crowd around the full moon, blotting out all but a small circle in the middle.
Darkstar took the front, interrupting the moment. “Starclan has spoken. The Gathering has ended for now.” he jumped down, gathering the clanmates.
Nightflower barely had a moment to say goodbye to her friends when she was pulled away with the rest of Crystalclan.
He padded over to Nightflower as they left the Gathering. “Your mother is staying behind.”
“What was that?” Nightflower asked her father.
“You could see it, couldn’t you? How well?” he dodged her question.
“But— well, yes. I could see the glowing blue cat. I couldn’t tell who it was though. Was he from Starclan?”
He nodded to her. “So not well. I see… yes, that glowing cat was a Starclan cat.”
“But why did that ghost appear?”
“To say goodbye.” Darkstar replied. “or maybe to give a warning. We won’t know until we ask your mother.”
“I guess that food will go to waste now…” she said absentmindedly.
“It won’t. Don’t worry about it.” he licked her forehead. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
As he walked away, Nightflower could only wonder what Starclan was thinking. Perhaps she’d ask her mother. Hopefully her mother was willing to share what she’d learned.
—
“Beware the jagged thorns of the lake, for they will sink into you like a lifeline.” Pearlheart repeated back to the other two.
“What could that mean?” Starleaf asked, worry in her eyes.
“I don’t know Leafy.” Pearlheart had a worried look on her face. “But he said the message was for you.”
Dovelight turned to Starleaf. “If you need extra warriors, Grangeclan will send them.”
Starleaf shook her head. “No. I will not put your clanmates in danger. We will handle this ourselves.”
Pearlheart pressed against Starleaf’s side, letting out a sad huff. “Be safe Leafy. Please.”
“I will, Pearlheart. I promise.” Starleaf spared one last look towards the spot where Seedwhisker supposedly stood, thoughts swirling with confusion and fear.
“Now, remember… you’re Shimmerpaw’s littermate,” Darkstar reminded Nightpaw. She nodded.
“I remember the story Dad. I’ll be ok.”
Nightpaw looked behind her. Tonight’s gathering would be the first since the attack… and the first she ever attended. The entire clan was with them— Darkstar said it was to look stronger.
She hung close to her friends as they made it to Four Corners. It was an old Twoleg den. Nightpaw had a lot of experience with those.
At the center, a strange light emanated from a smooth, round cylinder. She bristled; wait, it was fire!
Sandpaw put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s not like real fire. It stays in that cylinder.”
She sighed. “How did you know that was what I was thinking?”
“Because that was my reaction too.” he laughed with a mrrp.
They laughed together for a bit, until Darkstar hushed them. She took the opportunity to have a look around.
The three other clan leaders were sat at the highest part of the den. The first was a very old black cat— he was lighter than Darkstar, but much bigger than him. She assumed he was Badgerstar of Treeclan. Next was one she knew a little more— a tom with a maroon coat and white upper half. That was Finchstar. He was the youngest of the leaders. When she looked at the last leader, she felt fear.
His coat was a light ginger. It was spotted— but what drew her gaze was his crimson eyes. They were sharp. Piercing red. That must have been what he got his name from, she thought. Redstar.
He cleared his throat, starting first.
“We have had a good moon. Swampclan has welcomed two new warriors, Junco-eyes and Ploverbelly.”
He paused to allow the gathering to yowl their names. The Crystalclan cats merely glared at him. That didn’t seem to phase him— he continued as usual.
“And one new apprentice. Welcome, Hawthornpaw! And thank you to the Wanderers for shifting her our way!” He motioned to another cat on the balcony, seemingly a member of the Wanderers.
“Why is a member of a rogue group up there with the leaders?” she asked Starleaf.
“The Wanderers aren’t just a rogue group.” she said sternly. “It’s their job to rotate cats around our area. Taking exiled cats away from their clans and placed elsewhere, as well as placing interested kittypets and loners into the clans as well as anywhere else they desire. In that way, they’re like a fifth clan to us. You should know this— I was born into the Wanderers. And so was Shimmerpaw.”
Nightpaw chuckled nervously. “Look, I pay attention. I just didn’t realize the Wanderers were so… big and important, I guess.”
Nightpaw’s gaze was shifted to a pretty little cat— Hawthornpaw. It was clear— she was a former kittypet. Her pelt was a rare one in the wild. With luxurious cream fur and brown points, she couldn’t have been born a warrior.
Meanwhile, the two warriors looked somewhat familiar to her. Their grey pelts just seemed to remind her of something.
Starleaf murmured to her.
“Swanjaw’s kits.”
Nightpaw gasped. She remembered them! They were in the Bayclan nursery with her— just a few moons older!
“Wasn’t there three of them?” she asked.
Starleaf nodded. “Yes, but… Woodpeckerkit was a black kitten. They… well, you know.”
She looked away. She didn’t want to think about that.
Starleaf nudged her, pointing to the leaders again. Finchstar had rotated to speak.
“Grangeclan has not had much occur this past moon. However, we have one new apprentice, Firepaw.” he spoke curtly and quickly, before stepping back.
The aforementioned Firepaw was a very red cat. Next to her, her not-as-red mother and very blue father looked proud as they could be.
Up next was Badgerstar, who ambled to the front.
“Treeclan has recently lost a young apprentice. Perchpaw will be remembered for her enthusiasm and determination. A moment of silence for her, please.”
Everyone was quiet, besides the wailing of another Treeclan apprentice.
After that moment, Badgerstar left the front. It was Darkstar’s turn.
He went up to the front. “We have two new apprentices.” he said, with a smile. “Our kits are growing up. Nothing could be better!”
Nightpaw wasn’t stupid. She could easily tell that he was lying through his teeth. But the others seemed to have bought it.
“With one last thanks to Starclan, the Gathering is adjourned.” Everyone began to break for socializing.
“Leafy!” A cat cried, lunging at Starleaf. She was a cat with a pinkish hue, and strange pendant around her neck.
“Hello Pearlheart. How are you?” Starleaf mrrped happily.
Another cat was behind Pearlheart. This cat was a lot scruffier— she was a brown tabby with a red bandana. “You should be less forceful, Pearly.”
She pouted. “But I was so worried after I heard about the attack!”
The other cat noticed Nightpaw. “Who’s this, Leafy?”
“Oh, I’m Nightpaw! I’m Shimmerpaw’s sister.” she said quickly.
Starleaf motioned something to the two mollies, whose eyes went wide.
The brown tabby nodded. “We understand, Leafy.” She turned to Nightpaw. “It’s nice to meet you, Nightpaw. I’m Dovelight, deputy of Grangeclan. I’m an old friend of your mama. Take care of ol’ Foxtail for us, will you?”
She nods. They must know Foxtail Barley, Shimmerpaw’s mother. “I will.”
Pearlheart spoke as well. “And I’m Pearlheart, Grangeclan cleric! Your mom is very dear to me. I don’t know what I’d do without Lea-without Foxy!”
“Oh um— I’ll tell her that too!” She shot Starleaf a scared look.
Starleaf chuckled. “It’s alright. They can be trusted. They’re my best friends.”
With that, a wail erupted from the Treeclan gathering. A young molly apprentice, the same as before, was mourning.
“Go comfort her.” Starleaf signaled to Nightpaw.
“Wait, isn’t she from another clan?”
“War is rare. Friends in other clans are much more important… especially in this time.”
She noticed how Starleaf’s gaze lingered on Redstar.
Nightpaw nodded. “Alright, I’ll go help her.”
She walked over, mulling over what to say.
The apprentice was a white and brown molly, with a beautiful butterfly ornament attached to her ear.
“Hey. I’m Nightpaw. How are you feeling?” She whispered, sitting down next to her.
“Not good. Obviously.” she sniffled. “I’m Lynxpaw.”
“She was your sister, wasn’t she? I’ve lost a littermate too. I understand how it feels.” Nightpaw said gently.
“I knew the curse would take one of us.” Lynxpaw said, looking at the ground. “But why Perchpaw?!”
“Oh my stars, Lynxpaw, you need to shut up about the curse!” A dark tom apprentice snapped at her.
“Well, how do you explain our family’s luck then! You don’t believe it’s true, but now Perchpaw is gone!” she yowled back.
“Woah, woah, woah, enough!” Nightpaw heard the sound of Shimmerpaw behind her. “What’s this about a curse?”
Shimmerpaw laid herself to the other side of Lynxpaw, forming a tight huddle around her.
“My family is cursed. Every generation, when four kits are born… one will die horribly as an apprentice. We don’t know why. My father lost his sister as an apprentice, my grandmother before him… and so on.” Lynxpaw explained.
“Starclan has said that there isn’t a curse!” The dark tom lunged, only to be caught by the red apprentice from earlier.
“That’s enough.” Firepaw said, holding him back. “This is a Gathering. Fighting isn’t allowed.”
Nightpaw looked over to see if Starleaf could help, but she was deep in conversation with the Grangeclan deputy and cleric. Dang it!
“Yarrowpaw, I wish you would just believe the facts.” Lynxpaw muttered.
Nightpaw looked between this spat of littermates with extreme worry. “Um, hi. Firepaw? I’m Nightpaw. Do you think you could deal with Yarrowpaw for us?” She addressed the red Grangeclan apprentice.
“I’ll take care of it!” she winked. “Also, nice to meet you.”
With that, Firepaw dragged the unfortunate Yarrowpaw away from the girls.
Lynxpaw sighed. “My brother… he doesn’t believe in the curse. But it almost seems like he doesn’t care at all.”
“I’m sure he does—” Nightpaw started.
“He’s so mean to you. You don’t deserve it.” Shimmerpaw interjected.
Nightpaw shot her a confused look.
Shimmerpaw merely signed “validate her not justify him”
“Yeah, he’s a jerk!” Nightpaw said with gusto. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Firepaw is giving him a piece of her mind!”
Lynxpaw sniffled. “Thank you. But… he isn’t the worst of it. I feel like the clanmates who believe in the curse are worse…” she trailed off, then continued. “Sometimes, I feel so isolated with my clanmates. I feel like they hate me because of my lineage. It’s like they didn’t even mourn Perchpaw— they didn’t even care she was killed! They just see her death and my whole family as an extension of the curse. To them… our lives are nothing more than an inconvenience!”
Nightpaw leaned in. “I-I’m sorry.”
“My aunt is the deputy, you know. She had to fight so hard for that spot… she couldn’t become it until Starclan itself declared her worthy. But Badgerstar hates her! He’s been pushing her to step down for years!”
Nightpaw was confused. “Can’t he just replace her?”
Shimmerpaw shook her head. “No, any deputy appointed by Starclan sign cannot be removed for anything other than a crime against the warrior code. She’d have to step down herself.”
Lynxpaw cried. “It’s so awful! My aunt is a really good deputy, but why doesn’t anyone see it? My sister was full of enthusiasm, she had dreams— and yet, nobody mourns her but me!” She quieted down, her head hung low. “I-I don’t want to go back to my clanmates yet.”
Nightpaw merely stayed with her. “We’ll stay with you until the Gathering is over.” Shimmerpaw nodded in agreement.
“Thank you.” she murmured.
Firepaw bounded over. “Yarrowpaw is dealt with. I informed his mentor.”
Nightpaw could see a gray tabby molly scolding Yarrowpaw. He wouldn’t be a problem for a while, she suspected.
“Thank you.” Lynxpaw said.
“It’s nothing. By the way, I’m Firepaw!”
They all could tell. She was the youngest apprentice there with such fiery red fur. It was fluffy and stood out for its extravagance, especially here in the clans.
“Nice to meet you, Firepaw.” Shimmerpaw grinned. “Come sit with Lynxpaw here. The more friends, the better.”
“I don’t know how to thank you more.” Lynxpaw had eyes wider than the moon.
“No need. We’ll stay with you until the end.” Nightpaw nuzzled into Lynxpaw.
They kept their promise, sitting by her side until Starleaf beckoned them over to leave. Nightpaw was left with a good impression of the clans— and more importantly, two friends she could rely on in the future.
