#badgercloud

Badgercloud paused outside the nursery. His ears pricked at the sound of someone shouting, then a moment later his mate, Blackdawn, was practically thrown out of the den. Badgercloud stared in shock at her, then looked at their medicine cat, Minnowberry. 

Badgercloud didn’t know what to do, but Blackdawn was his mate, so he bared his teeth at the silver, spitting cat and blocked his way to his target.

Minnowberry’s eyes cleared. He frowned sadly and straightened, although his fur still bristled with anger. 

“Are you okay?” Badgercloud asked his mate as he licked her cheek. 

“What queen is okay with this kind of treatment?” Blackdawn demanded furiously.

“You can hardly call yourself a queen!” Minnowberry snarled back.

The commotion had gotten the attention of their Clanmates, and before Badgercloud could step in again, Puddlefrost, the deputy, raced over. “What is going on?” he asked calmly. Then, lowering his voice, he added, “Shadowclan warriors are staying in our camp, or have you forgotten? Do you want Riverclan to be known as the Clan where medicine cats and queens fight each other?”

Two Shadowclan warriors had been attacked by a fox while attempting to steal prey from Riverclan. Heronstar had been kind enough to let them heal in Riverclan’s camp, stating that the attack had been punishment enough, and that it was good– two Shadowclan cats getting attacked were better than two Riverclan cats.

Minnowberry raised his voice. “Let them hear! Let everyone hear that Blackdawn has been poisoning her own kit!”

Gasps erupted from all sides of the crowd. Badgercloud hardly heard them, paying too much attention to the ringing in his ears. He couldn’t have heard that right. 

Puddlefrost stuttered in his shock. “Poisoning?”

Heronstar pushed his way through. “Is Lilykit alright?”

“More than fine without her mother,” Minnowberry fumed. “She will be alright alone for now.” His gaze swept sympathetically to Badgercloud. “But if you want to be with her right now, she may need you.”

“Hold on,” another warrior, Webbranch, broke in. “How do we know he wasn’t part of this, too?”

Heronstar flashed the young warrior a stern look. “Before we start making wild accusations, I want to know what exactly is happening.” He turned around and padded over to the willow tree stump. He leaped atop it, and began speaking. There was no reason to announce the meeting, everyone was already gathering.

The wind buffeted Badgercloud’s fur, as if it wanted to carry him over to his mate and shield her from the angry stars of their Clanmates. But.. if it was true? Should he even allow himself to believe the possibility?

Most importantly, he needed to see his daughter, to assure himself that she really was safe. But he needed to hear Blackdawn’s defense.

Blackdawn had clamped her jaws shut, looking around in mingled surprise and anger.

“Minnowberry,” Heronstar began, “what led you to announce such an accusation against one of our Clanmates?”

Minnowberry stood tall. “I saw it myself. She was placing some strange plants into a mouse. I was curious, so I watched, hidden. Then she gave it to Lilykit.”

Outrage roared through the Clan. Heronstar held his tail out for silence. “Did you recognize the plants?”

Minnowberry shook his head. “No plant I’ve seen like it grows in Riverclan territory. Twolegplace, maybe.”

“It’s herbs!” Blackdawn called suddenly, her voice cracking. “I just want my daughter to get better!”

“That makes sense.”

“What mother would poison her own kit?”

“I don’t know, Minnowberry was really angry.”

“He overreacted.”

“Minnowberry doesn’t overreact.”

“It’s a dumb excuse. Of course it was poison!”

“Blackdawn’s a horrible excuse for a mother!”

“Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding.”

“What about Badgercloud?”

“Silence!” Heronstar boomed. He turned his head to the two Shadowclan warriors, who had been watching in silent bewilderment. “The ‘herb’ may grow in marshland. Would either of you two be able to provide us with assistance if it could be described?”

One of them ducked their head. “All of our plants grow well within our border. There hasn’t been rain for days. It’s not likely Blackberry would get so far without leaving a trace.”

“‘Ow bout t’is?” Minnowberry padded through the crowd. Badgercloud hadn’t notice him leave. Was he always so blurry?

A mouse hung from his jaws. He stopped in front of Blackdawn and placed the creature by her paws. “If this is as harmless as you claim it to be, eat it.”

Blackdawn hesitated, then scoffed. “Ridiculous! I don’t need to eat something just to prove that I wouldn’t hurt my own kit!”

“Eat it!” someone snapped.

“Gobble it, honey.”

“If Blackdawn won’t eat it, how horrible must it be for Lilykit!”

“Poor thing.”

“Maybe she was trying to put the poor scrap out of her misery.”

“Or Blackdawn’s misery! Maybe she grew tired of having to care for a sick kit.”

“That can’t be! It’s so horrible!”

Heronstar’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Blackdawn, I order you to eat the mouse.”

Blackdawn held his gaze, but seemed uncomfortable around the unsheathed claws all around her, clearly ready to flay her pelt. “No. I refuse to perform such a ridiculous task.”

“Is that your admission that–”

“How could you?” Badgercloud spoke out. Silence followed, and when he realized that he had said anything at all, he went on. “Why would you poison our daughter? Why-what would-how could you do that to her? She loves you!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Blackdawn hissed. “You of all cats should have my back!”

“No. You’re alone in this.” Slateshade, Blackdawn’s mother, padded gracefully through the crowd, holding her head high as though the eyes they carried weren’t wide with horror. “Look at me and tell me you didn’t do this.”

Blackdawn stared back, as though shocked that her mother could even believe it for a second.

“Tell me! Tell me that you weren’t trying to kill your own kit!”

“The herbs are only meant to make her a little sick–” a paw flashed through the air before she could finish. Blackdawn yowled in pain as Slateshade’s claws raked her muzzle. 

“Enough!” Heronstar howled.

Puddlefrost hurried forward to step between the two. Slateshade rose on her hind legs and looked over him, teeth bared. “Leave us! Leave us all! I never want to see you again! I never want to hear you again! Go away, and stay away from us! You are not my daughter any longer, and you’ll never touch that kit again!”

“Go!”

“Run away!”

“Worthless flea-pelt!”

“Crowfood-eater!”

“Make her eat the mouse!”

“Run off and die as the rogue you are!”

Blackdawn whirled around, eyes round. Then she looked up at Heronstar, but he shook his head. “Go before we force you to leave. From this day on, you are no longer a Riverclan warrior. If anyone sees you on Riverclan territory by sunrise tomorrow, they have permission to chase you out, and kill you if necessary.”

Blackdawn looked around. Her jaws opened for a moment, as if ready to protest. Then she ducked her head and began to pad toward the camp entrance. She stopped and twirled around, gaze searching until they landed on Badgercloud. 

“Come with me,” she begged. “My love, I don’t know if I can make it on my own.”

Badgercloud could only stare for what felt like nine eternities. Then, his feet digging into the sand so harshly they bled, his pelt rippling, his ears flattened, he managed to breathe out, “then die somewhere comfortable.”

========================================

--I imagine Minnowberry is like a Jayfeather. He’s really mean and sarcastic, but will rip you a new one if you hurt a child.

--I imagine Slateshade as some elegant tall rich lady.

--Added the Shadowclan warriors for extra drama. Being exposed in front of your Clan? How about your Clan and two warriors that would surely carry the news?

--The Shadowclan warriors definitely joined in the shouting.

--Badgercloud was surveyed for a while, only allowed with Lilykit so long as someone watched him, but eventually he could be with her on his own.

First time doing one of these poem-art stories, so the fonts and stuff are a little wonky. Like how it says “negligence you friend.” I’m just gonna ignore it ‘cause it’s already driving me crazy and I’m very tired.

Story:

Blackdawn was a warrior of Riverclan. She craved attention, which resulted in her daughter, Lilykit, being a victim of munchausen by proxy for several moons (Blackdawn poisoned Lilykit to make her really sick and have sympathy flow to her).

Both Lilykit and her father, Badgercloud, were incredibly shocked and heartbroken by the revelation (Lilykit’s reaction is seen on page 4, then page 5 is Blackdawn).

Badgercloud was already very burdened by this, but still chose to take Lilykit’s own burden away from her and into himself. He becomes extremely protective of her, rarely leaving her side for seasons.

Art by me

Poem by me

Blackdawn dug her claws into the ground. She stared at the open space ahead, wavering as if it marked the end of the world. In a way, it did.

Riverclan was all Blackdawn knew. It was where she was born, where she trained, where she made bonds, where she had her daughter. She did love Lilykit, truly. How could she not? She was her precious bundle of joy, her only kit. 

She wasn’t hurting her that badly. She was only making her a little sick…. Wasn’t she? An image of Lilykit writhing in her sweat-coated nest made Blackdawn shake her head. She tried to ignore the guilt clawing at her stomach, then felt guilty for trying to ignore it. 

Maybe she shouldn’t have been so harsh, should’ve kept to the plants that only caused bellyache and mild vomiting. 

She had gotten all she could ever want: sympathy and compassion pouring in from each and every one of her Clanmates, praise for being so strong, working almost as hard as Badgercloud to constantly hunt and collect herbs for Minnowberry. Of course, she collected some more plants when no one was paying attention, but, well.

Then all that love flipped faster than Blackdawn could blink. Compassion became rage. Affectionate nuzzles became claws at her hind legs as she was forced to leave the territory.

Dirt clotted between her toes. Blackdawn realized that the sun had shifted, and she had spent the entire time digging into the ground and staring at the border. She rubbernecked, half-expecting someone to be behind her, making sure she left. Maybe there was.

How could she just leave? She had never been alone. She didn’t doubt she was capable enough to feed herself and find shelter when needed, but would she always be eating alone? Sleeping alone? Doing everything alone?

She looked back a second time. Maybe she should try joining another Clan? No, even if they did accept her, they would just kick her out again after Heronstar announced her deeds at the next gathering, which he would have to do after two Shadowclan cats staying in Riverclan’s camp witnessed her exile.

She looked forward, raising her chin high. If someone was watching, then she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her afraid. Standing as tall as she could, she stepped forward.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A cold breeze ruffled Blackdawn’s pelt, and she curled deeper into herself. Instinctively, her paw reached for her mate and his warmth, and for a moment she was confused as to why she couldn’t feel him or Lilykit.

Then she remembered. She blinked open her eyes. It had been several moons since her time in Riverclan. Leaf-bare had settled in, and although it was melting away now, the night brought biting wind, and Blackdawn had to find herself a good place to shelter. She had found it in a crevice between two rocks.

She shivered, this time of a new memory. When leaf-bare had hit its worst, she had returned to the border of Riverclan, where she had thought she was lucky when she noticed Badgercloud on a lone patrol. She had thought he would help her, perhaps give her food. He had always been so giving.

But she had never seen someone so terrifying. His teeth were barred, every single hair standing on his pelt. His eyes blazed with blue fire. “How stupid are you to think that you can return here?” He had spat. “Stay away from us, you evil she-cat!”

Frog-brain! Blackdawn thought to herself now. In the back of her head, she knew he was right. Lilykit could have died because of her. Lilykit.. She would be bigger now. Would she still be the only kit? Maybe she found a playmate. Did she miss her, or was she glad that she was gone?

With a pang, she recalled Slateshade, Blackdawn’s own mother, as the black she-cat disowned her in front of the entire Clan, shouting at her to leave before Heronstar officially announced her exile. Yet Blackdawn still missed her. She wanted to feel her holding her again, wanting to feel her gentle tongue as she groomed her fur. Stars, she wanted to be loved by her again.

How could she have made such a horrible mistake? Not only did she lose all the attention she had worked so hard to get, but everyone she loved now hated her. Slateshade..Badgercloud..Lilykit,surely.. And her father hadn’t defended her all those moons ago. 

Die somewhere comfortable, Badgercloud had told her. He wished her dead. Maybe they all did. Surely what she did wasn’t so bad that she deserved death? Afterall, Lilykit didn’t die. She only became sick.. Incredibly sick. 

Blackdawn let out a long sigh. “Oh, I made such a dreadful mistake!”

“Yes, you did!” A chuckle answered. Blackdawn jumped to her feet, yelping as her back slammed against the sharp rock face above her. In the midst of her thoughts, she hadn’t scented anyone near.

Another voice chimed in. “Should’ve made a den with two exists!”

As they neared, Blackdawn, preparing for a fight, thought that she recognized them. Did she know the bigger, golden one? Or the brown tom with a red-tinged chest?

“Well Alderstar,” the brown one said–

Alderstar? Was this the Shadowclan leader?--

“Do you want the first pick?”

================================

================================

..Hear me out.

Blackdawn and Alderstar and Myrtlewing are all my OCs, and there’s no reason they couldn’t have crossed paths at one point.

Unfortunately for Blackdawn, even her cruelness could not be matched.

--Blackdawn has a ref here: https://refsheet.net/Oovvil/blackdawn (only her tail is short because it was torn as a kit)

--Badgercloud is also black and white, but there's only white on his face, front paws, and on his belly, reaching to his sides. He's much skinnier, but is fluffy, being a Riverclan cat. Ice-blue eyes. Image here:

--I originally imagined Lilykit as brown, but if we're going by genetics, would probably be a pebble-grey with white legs, tail-tip, and muzzle

--Minnowberry is a mottled silver with brown-orange eyes

--Heronstar is a gingerbread-brown tabby tom with wavy stripes. I can picture him either as old and experienced or as a new warrior that's not prepared to deal with this. Tufts on long ears. Green eyes,

--Puddlefrost is similar, but darker and with classic tabby stripes. Blue eyes.

Forgot that I could use picrew to show colours of characters. Anyways, here is Badgercloud, Blackdawn, and two Lilykits (who somehow managed to be brown)