#alderflight

Skykit (3) has always been a bit jumpy, especially with her wind-blessing allowing her to jump extra high.  Now, Pebbletuft (24) has determined that it’s actually partially due to the fact that cats have been approaching her on her bad side.  She was born with one bad eye and no one picked up on it until now.  Also in the nursery, Kestrelcreek (80) is not healing from giving birth as well as Lakepelt (99) had hoped she would.  It’s a little worrying, considering that the last cat to give birth in the Clan, Whorlstem, died from it.  Kestrelcreek doesn’t want to leave her kits and mate (and Brightmouse-66).  Before she realized that she had an infected wound, Kestrelcreek was having a fun time playing with Brightmouse.  They might have to postpone that, now.  With Kestrelcreek not feeling great, Almondback (62) spends some time with the kits and tells jokes about the other Clans to Rimekit (2).  Cherviljumble (96) is impressed with how well the Ground and Sky kits are doing (that’s what I’m calling them now).  The four of them don’t have a parent in the nursery, and Petalkit (3) has been really brave about telling his siblings to give the younger kits some space.  Basalkit (3) is missing having an adult around to cuddle with.  Sweet Marmalade (76)  is just so fluffy and he just wants to cuddle.  Peatkit (3) works together with Basaltkit to sneak into the warriors den to surprise Sweet Marmalade.  With Downgaze (72) out of the healer’s den, he and Alderflight (47) are taking some time together.  They go on a ‘training’ patrol and have a great time racing each other through the woods.  Meanwhile, Dawnfreckle (74) and Burdockpaw (7) continue to not get along.  Dawnfreckle thinks she’s annoying and wishes that she would just do what he asks without trying to undermine him.   Copperpaw (7) feels like Hoppaw (9) has been acting stuck up and rude lately.  Just because she’s a mediator, doesn’t mean she’s better than all of them!  Echopaw (9) really likes spending time with his older sister, Hatchswipe (36).  It’s a good way to get information.  He keeps asking why.  Why do they catch prey like that?  Why are the days getting longer?  Why is there a strange cat talking to him in his dreams?  Hatchswipe doesn’t have an answer for most of them, and is a little worried about the ‘strange cat’.  Creekstar (145) has also been having strange dreams.  She’s worried that it’s Yuccawillow trying to reach her from the Dark Forest.  It’s actually Echomoor, who has decided that the time for silence about Auburnpaw’s death is over.  He hopes to be able to reach either Creekstar or Echopaw soon.  

Healer’s Den: Kestrelcreek (infection after birth), Aries (running nose), Sofanthiel (small cut), Emberpaw (small cut)

oh my god

Creekstar (160) is shaken.  Something happened this moon that took her straight back to when she was a kit, almost out of the nursery: a badger attack.  Badgers raid the camp and, when Creekstar sees them, she freezes.  All she can see is Songkit’s broken body falling to the ground.  That leaves the rest of her Clan to jump into battle without her guidance.  Downgaze (87) protects his mother and gets her to safety before leaping back into the fray only to find. . .Sweet Marmalade (91) and Alderflight (62) lying dead in a pool of blood.  Brightmouse (81) is a fury of fire in the center of camp, fighting back against the badgers trying to get into the nursery and at Bluestripe (81).  She manages to take down the badgers attacking her, but not before one deals her a fatal blow.  With this being their first battle, the young warriors are shocked, but are able to rally under Hatchswipe’s (51) instruction to drive back the attack.  Although neither of them are as powerful as a star-blessed cat, Echoarch (24) and Embershell (24) work together to drive the badgers back into Burdockbeam (22) and Boulderflood’s (22) trap.  The two of them collapse a hunk of earth on top of the remaining badgers and kill them.  The battle is won, but at the cost of three lives.  Downgaze is especially shaken.  He just can’t get the image of Sweet Marmalade’s and Alderflight’s bodies out of his mind.  He never even had a chance to confess his love to Alderflight.  And he can’t imagine life without Sweet Marmalade by his side.  They’ve been together for so long, and through so much loss.  He struggles-no, refuses-to accept their deaths.  Sweet Marmalade’s kits huddle together and take comfort in each other.  Echoarch comforts Hatchswipe and reassures her that she’ll see her father again in StarClan.  He cared about her, even if she didn't always feel like it.  Kestrelcreek (95) lies next to Brightmouse’s singed body as the Clan sits vigil for her.  Her world has ended with Brightmouse.  She can’t help her bitterness and rage as Brightmouse’s life is recalled at the vigil and she coldly turns away from Almondback (77) when he offers comfort.  She and Brightmouse had so little time together.  They should have had more.  And Brightmouse should have had more time with their kits, who are only apprentices.  Mitepaw (7) and Hollowpaw (7) are a little less energetic with the loss of their mom.  Hollowpaw can’t even think of any pranks to pull.  And then there’s Bluestripe.  When she sees Brightmouse’s body and realizes that she died protecting her, she screams at the sky, cursing the stars who took her sisters too soon.  Before the senior warriors can bury Brightmouse, Bluestripe lights her sister’s body aflame, giving her a pyre worthy of the greatest heroes.  With the new losses in the Clan, Creekstar is feeling a bit ill.  But, in some much needed good news, Hopcurl (24) has announced that she’s expecting kits.  It looks like Creekstar will have even more great-grandkits.  Downgaze appreciates his kits and grandkits.  He’s also glad that Burdockbeam has toned down her pranking during this time of grief and appreciates how nice she’s being to him.  Greenrapid (62) did not get the memo and still hasn’t grown up.  She complains that Copperheart (22) never does anything helpful and should be more like her sisters.  Because that’s not hurtful at all.  Bumble (83) thinks that pregnancy suits Hopcurl and is jealous of how shiny her pelt looks.  Aphidkit (3) decides to be a pain and asks Bluestripe where kits are from.  She makes up a story about eagles dropping them out of the sky.  It’s a way to get her mind off of Brightmouse, at least.  But the Clan is not done with loss yet.  In another blow to Kestrelcreek, Creekstar and Almondback run into a gang of rogues on patrol.  The two fight bravely but are badly outnumbered, and the rogues had dark-cursed cats with them.  They kill Almondback and take a life from Creekstar, leaving before she is revived.  She now has six lives left.

Healer’s den: Bluestripe (recovering from birth, infected), Petalfrost (claw-wound), Nettlestripe (mangled tail), Hopcurl (pregnant), Kestrelcreek (grief stricken), Downgaze (shock, grief stricken), Hatchswipe (sore), Hollowpaw (stomachache)

Alderflight (41) has recovered from his head damage, although not without a scar on his face.  He’s excited to finally have a chance to help out the Clan and go on patrols.  Meanwhile, Skipneedle (60) is starting to understand why Primcrest was not a fan of Creekstar (139).  She’s a bit paranoid, especially with the new star-blessed cats in the Clan.  Skipneedle finds it hard to get her work done.  Brightmouse (60) has decided that the best way for Hatchswipe (30) to move on from Treepelt is for her to get in a fight to distract her.  She starts an argument between Aries (51) and Hatchswipe and then watches the chaos unfold.   Additionally, Aries, who doesn’t feel like she’ll be much use as a warrior, has decided to become a mediator instead. Whorlstorm (30) is busy with her three kits in the nursery, between grooming them and making sure that Copperkit (1) doesn’t burn down the nursery.  Burdockkit (1) is enjoying causing trouble in the healer’s den by messing up the herbs Lakepelt (93) is storing.  Lakepelt doesn’t understand why she’s being so rude. Sofanthiel (74), being from outside the Clan and not used to relying on powered cats to survive, teaches Downgaze (66) a useful hunting technique while they’re in the healer’s den together.  While on a patrol, Kestrelcreek (74) and Brightmouse find a loner named Pebbletuft (18) that they bring back to camp.  She’s Earth-blessed, and, if she recovers from her claw-wound, will be able to help out Lakepelt in the Healer’s den

The Healer’s den was almost empty! Creekstar (136) had finally begun to move on from Primcrest’s death, leaving Lakepelt (90) just caring for the injured Alderflight (38) and Greenrapid (38).  But then Hatchswipe (27) and Sofanthiel (71) got whitecough and the population in the Healer’s den doubled.  But in a spot of desperately needed news, Whorlstorm (27) has announced that she is expecting kits!  These will be the first kits born in the Clan since she herself was born.  Whorlstorm and Sweet Marmalade (67) have had a bit of a rough relationship lately, but they had a conversation that went well.  Maybe the birth of his grandkits will help even more.  Dawnfreckle (65) continues to not be a big fan of Alderflight and is jealous of his warm, long fur.  Even with weak fire magic, it’s hard to stay warm while out on patrols.  Although Brightmouse (57) does her best to regulate the camp’s temperature while she’s there.  Downgaze (63) still really enjoys spending time with Alderflight and hopes that, once he’s up to going on patrols, they are assigned to go out together.  Also, apparently, Alderflight is a very skilled fighter, because both Cavecatcher and Almondback want to compliment his technique. The terrible triad is still having a bit of trouble.  Skipneedle (57) is developing a bit of a crush on Almondback (53), which does not thrill Brightmouse, as Brightmouse has a crush on Almondback’s mate, Kestrelcreek (71).  Yeah.  Drama.  The loss of Archdapple and Skipneedle’s promotion to deputy seem to be hitting the sisters hard.  In the short time she’s been in the Clan, Sofanthiel has made herself well liked.  Almondback sees how considerate she is and Sweet Marmalade (67) notices that she’s really making an effort to help out around camp, despite being sick.  Despite being close in age, Greenrapid and Cavecatcher (40) have never been very close.  But now Greenrapid is starting to notice just how pretty Cavecatcher’s eyes are.   .  The Clan also welcomes another couple of kittypets!  Skipneedle, Sweet Marmalade, Cavecatcher, and Bluestripe (57) find a powerless former kittypet named Cragstem (33) who has redcough.  There’s a pretty good chance he won’t survive, but they take him back to Lakepelt anyways.  Dawnfreckle and Nettlestripe (51) also find a kittypet, named Tanglechirp (29), who joins the Clan.  In a bit of a surprise, he has magic!  A medium strength wind-blessing, which is much needed as Almondback is currently the only wind-blessed cat in the Clan.

While Dawnfreckle (64) is feeling better after Primcrest’s death, Creekstar (135) is still struggling with it.  Maybe due to the fact that she wishes she’d had a chance to reconcile with her friend.  She wishes that she could visit her in StarClan. Downgaze (62) tries to comfort his mother and the two of them spend a long time talking with each other.  Meanwhile, Dawnfreckle decides to get to know the newest member of the Clan, Alderflight (37).  They talk about their goals and aspirations and find that they have. . .very little in common.  Dawnfreckle wants to act as a guide for the Clan, sort of like his mother was, but Alderflight feels like the Clan mostly needs to work on being a safer place for cats before it can have a young guide.  Downgaze, on the other paw, really likes Alderflight.  He admires the other cat from afar.  Sweet Marmalade (66) teases him about it.  Hatchswipe (26) continues to gain popularity in the Clan.  This moon, she’s been hanging out with Skipneedle (56) and Creekstar wants to get to know her better.  Hatchswipe has noticed that Whorlstorm (26) is feeling a little left out lately and takes some time to surprise her sister with a sparring session.  She ends up drenched but it’s worth it.  Sofanthiel  (70) likes no longer being the newest cat in the Clan and tries to show off a bit for Alderflight.  He doesn’t notice.  He’s mostly been sleeping a lot so Lakepelt (89) can heal his head injury.  Later, Sofanthiel proves that she has all the courage of a clanborn cat by confidently striding up to an intruding rogue and chasing him off with only her words.

Healer’s den: Alderflight (head damage), Creekstar (grief stricken), Greenrapid (beak bite)

Alderflight; Age 36 moons; Powerless tom; Wise, a formidable fighter, and a good kitsitter