#downgaze

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)

Downgaze’s (69) kits have been made apprentices!  Hoppaw (6) is so kind and compassionate that Aries (54) offers to take her on as a mediator apprentice, which she eagerly accepts.  Emberpaw (6) has been apprenticed to Nettlestripe (57) and Echopaw (6) to Bluestripe (63), giving both of them their first apprentices.  It is long past time.  Despite her past reservations, Creekstar (142) is glad to have Bluestripe training the cat named after her son.  Echopaw is already proving to be eager to work and is good at figuring out what needs to be done around camp.   Bluestripe is excited to have her first apprentice and tries to set a good example for Echopaw.  She also remembers Echomoor and thinks that he would like the young cat who’s named after him. With all she’s been doing lately, Skipneedle (63) has stressed the joints in her bad leg and feels like she’s going to collapse.  Lakepelt (96) reminds her to slow down if she needs to and take some time to relax.  Lakepelt herself seems to be crushing on everyone.  When Kestrelcreek (77) compliments her on her healing skills, she purrs and some herbs sprout up by her paws.  Pebbletuft (21) is ready to work and is already annoying cats. Downgaze accidentally called her the wrong name (Stonetuft) and she hissed at him.  Lakepelt is glad for Pebbletuft’s help in the healer’s den, but would still like an apprentice.  Boulderkit (4) says that she wants to be her apprentice, but Lakepelt knows that’s not possible.  With the star-blessed kits in the Clan, Dawnfreckle (71) remembers his childhood, and how he was judged for being dark-cursed even in a Clan led by dark-cursed cats.  He always assumed that, because Burdockkit (4) is star-blessed, her life would be easier.  But she comes to him asking for comfort after her mother dies and Dawnfreckle realizes, with a pang of grief for Primcrest, that some difficulties transcend powers.    There may be another polycule blooming with Brightmouse (63) and Kestrelcreek starting to fall in love.  Brightmouse has been hanging out in the nursery with Kestrelcreek more and more and never fails to make her laugh.  Cavecatcher (46) knows that it is unlikely, but he hopes that he’ll get Burdockkit as an apprentice.  He has fun showing her how to do a hunter’s crouch and thinks that she’s always reliable.    Creekstar is questioning if she’s still fit to lead.  She wonders if StarClan has been trying to tell her to step down and she’s been ignoring their signs.  The Clan also gains five new kits this moon! Cherviljumble (93) and Alderflight (44) find the polite and fire-blessed Longkit (2).  Then, the medicine cats find a litter of four kits with their dead parent.  There’s the weakly water-blessed and bossy Basaltkit (0); the polite Skykit (0) who’s wind-blessing is on the complete opposite side of the power spectrum from her brother’s; and then the impulsive Petalkit (0) and bossy Peatkit (0) are both powerless.

After many moons of not having any kits, the nursery is full!  In addition to Whorlstorm’s (32) three kits, a ChaffinchClan queen leaves her litter with the Clan and Downgaze (68) and Sweet Marmalade (72) adopt them.  One of them, the sweet Hopkit (5), is water-blessed while the other two, who are both polite, are fire-blessed.  The she-kit is fittinginly named Emberkit (5) and the other is named Echokit (5), after Echomoor, Downgaze’s dead brother.  Additionally, Kestrelcreek (76) has announced that she is expecting kits!  Almondback (58) is excited.  And nervous.  He tries to set a good example for the younger cats in the Clan.   As a break from the business of Clan life, Kestrelcreek and Almondback have a nice little training session before Kestrelcreek moves to the nursery.  Almondback feels wild and free as he playfully pounces on Kestrelcreek.  He doesn’t know the last time he’s felt this light. However, all this good news is tempered by Whorlstorm’s death.  She couldn’t recover from giving birth and passed away, leaving her kits without their mother and Hatchswipe (32) the only survivor of Downgaze and Rootwing’s litter (look at that, more trauma in the Brightfalcon family).  Copperkit (3) misses cuddling with her mom and wants to learn more about what her mom was like as a kit.  Downgaze, who’s also in the nursery caring for his new kits, is glad to share what he remembers.  Hatchswipe has decided not to deal with her sister’s death and is instead sparring with Kestrelcreek.  She does make time to help care for her sister’s kits, though, and helps Boulderkit (3) pick burrs out of her fur.  Downgaze, having decided to help care for his orphaned grand-kits,  is feeling a little overwhelmed with six kits under his care and asks Sofanthiel (76) for some help.  She’s surprised, as she thought he had everything figured out, but helps out with the kits willingly.  It seems there may be a bit of a polycule brewing.  Downgaze is crushing on Alderflight (43) while his mate and Lakepelt (95) are crushing on each other.  Maybe he’ll have better luck than his great-grandparents? While Cavecatcher (45) is trying to be more mature, Greenrapid (43) is still acting like the young warrior she is.  She steps on Aries’ (53) foot and pretends not to notice.  Creekstar (141) just can’t seem to get along with her deputies.  First, she and Primcrest fell out, and now she’s fighting with Skipneedle (62).  Skipneedle feels like Creekstar needs to step down and/or take a break.  She’s been sick/grieving for moons and Skipneedle thinks a break would really help with her mental health.  But Creekstar is determined to serve her Clan until StarClan takes her.  

Healer’s den: Creekstar (whitecough), Pebbletuft (claw wound), Sweet Marmalade (whitecough), Brightmouse (mangled tail), Tanglechirp (yellowcough), Kestrelcreek (pregnant), Downgaze (stomachache), Cavecatcher (stomachache)

New personalities: Copperkit (lonesome, quick to make peace, and interested in Clan history)

It turned out that Cragstem (34) could not beat redcough and died.  Well, at least the healers tried.  Sofanthiel (72) recovered from her whitecough only to immediately get her tail mangled by a dog.  Oof.  With Whorlstorm (28) pregnant, Creekstar (137) is keeping an eye out for her granddaughter.  She offers to groom a hard to reach place for her.  It feels weird for Creekstar to think that she'll be a great-grandmother soon.  And that means that her grandparents will be great great great grandparents.  Weird.  With Creekstar getting older, it’s looking more and more likely that Skipneedle (58) could be the next leader of ElementClan.  She wonders who would give her nine lives and hopes that she’d get to see her dead sisters again.  Downgaze (64) and Sweet Marmalade (68) spend some time in the Healer’s den with Alderflight (39).  Downgaze appreciates it when Alderflight tells him about a feather that had gotten stuck to his face. And purrs for a long time at one of Sweet Marmalade’s jokes.  While Cavecatcher (41) also enjoys spending time with Alderflight, Greenrapid (39) just thinks the former kittypet is annoying.  

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)

Instead of processing her grief, Creekstar (134) has decided to spend time with the middle-ranked warriors.  She makes sure to share prey with her son and tells a joke to Greenrapid (36) that makes her laugh.  Bluestripe (55) is still not a fan of Creekstar.  She thinks the leader is very stuck up and rude. In the wake of tragedy, Hatchswipe (25) and Kestrelcreek (69) have become the best of friends.  Kestrelcreek really appreciates how helpful Hatchswipe is around camp.  She always seems to be busy doing something!   Almondback (51) decides to take Kestrelcreek on a nice date and surprises her with a pretty wind show.  She’s a little perplexed, but appreciates the gesture.  Whorlstorm (25) is not doing as well in the Clan as her sister is.  She doesn’t get along with Sweet Marmalade (65), her adoptive father, and thinks that Cavecatcher (38) never does anything.  Whorlstorm does like Nettlestripe (49), though, and goes on a nice long walk with him.  The newcomer to the Clan, Sofanthiel (69), is surprised to hear about all the hardships that Whorlstorm has been through recently.  She’s a little worried to learn that Clan life isn’t as easy as she thought it was.  She also wants to get to know Nettlestripe better.  The Clan also welcomes another new member.  Nettlestripe and Cavecatcher find an injured former loner by the thunderpath and bring him back to the Clan.  His name is Alderflight (36) and he’s powerless.

Healer’s den: Alderflight (head damage), Creekstar (grief stricken), Dawnfreckle (grief stricken), Whorlstorm (stomacheache)

Treepaw (11) has been made a warrior with the name of Treepelt in honor of her dignity.  Meanwhile, Hollypaw (10) is worried about Downgaze (52).  His mangled tail has gotten infected, just like Vaxxstreak’s did.  If he can’t heal her son, will Creekstar (125) hate him even more?  Creekstar actually isn’t focused on him and is instead getting to know Bluestripe (46) better.  They talk over why Bluestripe hasn’t officially been declared proven and Creekstar feels like she understands her better.  Rubbleheart (67) is getting testier as he gets older.  He thinks Rootwing (38) is annoying and gets in a spat with Whorlstorm (16) over a piece of fresh-kill.  But he’s a completely different cat around Tumbleswoop (60) and purrs for a long time at one of his bad jokes.  They may also be bonding over the fact that they both are annoyed at Whorlstorm, as she stole Tumbleswoop’s favorite nesting materials.  Whorlstorm is just perplexed at why the senior warriors don’t like her all of a sudden.  Another senior (ish) warrior, Dawnfreckle (54) is spending time with his mom and spars with Primcrest (113).  It’s good for them both to keep their skills sharp.  Skipneedle (46) gets in an argument with Hollypaw over the medicine cat apprentice’s insecurity.  Everyone seems to be taking their own issues out on him these past couple of moons! Meanwhile Rootwing doesn’t care that his mom isn’t a great grandma.  He loves her anyways and snuggles up with her to combat the leaf-fall chill.  They work well together.  Meanwhile, his brother, Lilacdrizzle (38) may be sucking up to Stonepaw (10) a little and helps him pick burrs out of his fur.  Whorlstorm does not like Lilacdrizzle and hisses at him when he asks if she could move her tail.  Stonepaw has been stressed lately and is having nightmares.  Primcrest takes him out on a patrol (instead of Archdapple-46, his mentor, who broke her leg) and comforts him.  She’s not sure she can offer much, but she does her best.  Even that’s enough to perk Stonepaw up a little.

Creekstar (123) had been doing pretty well. Until her son got captured.  And until Vaxxstreak (155) died from his infected wound.  She knew that he was old, but it doesn’t make losing him any easier.  She looks around at the cats sitting vigil for him and wonders how any of them will cope without Vaxxstreak in their lives.  As the days pass, Creekstar becomes angry and withdrawn.  It feels like the entire Clan is just moving on from Vaxxstreak’s death, which she refuses to do.  His remaining child in the Clan, Downgaze (50) misses his dad but has always been closer to Creekstar.  He’s mostly worried about her and asks Lakepelt (77) for advice on what to do.  Hollypaw (8) picks up on the fact that Creekstar isn’t doing great and makes sure to check in on her.  Blizzardback (32) is less considerate and asks Creekstar to speak up while they’re chatting. In better news, Almondback (40) and Kestrelcreek (58) have become mates.  It’s nice for the two quiet cats to have each other to rely on.  Hopedawn (58) continues to prove that she is not a great grandma.  She is annoyed when Hatchswipe (14) tells her Hyacinthstripe’s (14) secret.  Brightmouse (44) is becoming closer friends with Downgaze and gives him some feathers from the bird she caught to line his nest.  Bluestripe (44) wants to make sure that Downgaze is good to her sister and is being condescending towards him as a test.  Hyacinthstripe complains about Treepaw (9) and Hatchswipe bickers with him in support of the apprentice.  Meanwhile, Whorlstorm (14) is having a fantastic time discussing clan news with Hollypaw and completely ignoring her siblings’ drama.