#frecklestone

Whelp, that streak of good luck ended.  The greenleaf rains hit hard, and, being underground, the camp is prone to flooding.  ElementClan also doesn’t have many water-blessed cats (only Cilantro-69-and Silverpsots-26), so they are at a serious disadvantage if their were to cave flood.  Which, of course, it did.  Lightheather (25) was the first one to sound the alarm that the waters were rising.  In the aftermath, he can’t help but wonder if tragedy would have been prevented had he had acted sooner.  The nursery, where Cypressbadger (74), Cilantro, and the kits were hanging out, was hit hard.  Lotuskit (4) and Rubblekit (4) didn’t know how to swim.  Cypressbadger was able to get Rubblekit out, but, when she went back to try and help Cilantro and Lotuskit, she found that Cilantro had hit her head on a treebranch, sinking to the bottom of the cavern with Lotuskit in tow.  Cypressbadger tried to save them, but was unable to and drowned as well.  Fry (114) helped Chiku (142) to safety. He regretted that he never had the chance to confess his feelings before he succumbed to the waves.  Timberarch (125) tried to help Tornflake (35) and Glowquake (44), both of whom were injured, to safety, but the waves took all three of them. After the floodwaters recede, Chiku lies next to Fry’s body as the Clan sits vigil for him.  His world has ended with Fry’s.  Chiku never considered the possibility that he would one day be without Fry and wishes that they had had more time together. Primcrest (50) and Wildcave (91) are devastated by the loss of their father.  Primcrest wails when she sees Fry’s body, laying still and cold.  If she were more talented with her water magic, could she have saved him?  Once the vigil ends, Primcrest curls tightly in her nest, her throat raw from crying.   For Wildcave, Fry was his last tie to his life before the Clan.  Losing him feels like losing a tail, or a limb, or his shadow.  Wildcave relied on Fry, trusted him, and contemplating moving on from the loss seems impossible.  He and Primcrest hold each other close, taking comfort in their sibling bond.  Primcrest also lost Glowquake, which tears at her.  Primcrest takes comfort in Rubblekit.  Despite they’re rocky start, he reminds her a lot of Cragpaw. Then there’s Frecklestone (35), who lost her only surviving family member.  And little Rubblekit, who lost his mom. He doesn’t really understand what happened, so Creekstar (62) tries to explain it to him.  It’s hard.  She can’t help but blame herself for how the Clan is faring.  How could she do better?  The Clan has known so much loss.  Will it never end?  

Primcrest (58) has had her kits!  There are two of them, a boy and a girl, and she won’t say anything about who their other parent is.  And their magic?  Both of them are pretty weak, which is interesting because their mother has such strong magic.  And both are dark-cursed.  Frecklestone (43), of course, feels no need to hide this from Creekstar (70), who is perfectly fine keeping them in the Clan. Primcrest names the tom, who’s already trying to escape the nursery, Dawnkit (0) after Skydawn.  And the she-kit, who’s already trying to boss her brother around, Flowerkit (0), after Shadestar (who’s warrior name was Shadeflower).  The rest of the Clan is glad to have new members, but some of them are a little nervous around more dark-cursed cats, including Queenyspeckle (92) and Xhosa (84).  In fact, Xhosa is so annoyed that Creekstar kept the kits in the Clan that she goes to the leader and complains.  Creekstar remains firm in her decision, remembering the hardships she and Primcrest when they were young.  The kits are staying. In other news, the Clan has discovered that Smokekit (5) is deaf.  She isn’t bothered by it, although it has made learning to talk challenging.  Chiku (150), who remembers how Yuccawillow dealt with being hard of hearing, is teaching her some signs.  Charipeak’s (82) kits don’t really care what magic their new den-mates have.  They’re just excited to have more cats to play with, including Primcrest.  Tumblekit (5) even challenges Primcrest to a race.  Patchkit (5), being slightly older than her fellow kits, is feeling a little out of place.  They don’t really play with her, and she wishes that her pelt were as pretty as Smokekit’s.  Or that she could glow like her mom.  She could light herself on fire, but that wouldn’t have the same effect as a glowing cat.  Creekstar does spoil her daughter a little.  She always makes sure to bring her a treat back from hunting.  Patchkit eagerly awaits it.  Rubblepaw (12) is a little frustrated that he’s not a warrior yet, so Wildcave (99) is giving him some advice.  

It turns out, Frecklestone (40) has heard from StarClan.  Or, at least, she thinks she has.  She saw the talon of a hawk, carving a line through a rock.  She sits alone, pondering what the omen could mean. After a while, she goes to Chiku and asks for stories, wondering if she might find the answer in one of them.  He has plenty to share and Frecklestone thinks he tells the best stories. With Safariaster (120) aging, Frecklestone worries about the state of the healer's den.  She has a very weak earth-blessing and can barely grow herbs without assistance.  Should she be looking for an apprentice?  It’s time for Creekstar (67) to start weaning Patchkit (2) and she reminds her daughter to grab something from the fresh-kill pile.   Queenyspeckle (89)  has decided to keep up his rivalry with a child.  He glares at Patchkit from across the camp.  Patchkit obliviously sets a fallen leaf on fire.  Patchkit really thinks she should be able to get away with anything.  She tries to purr her way out of trouble with Safariaster.  It doesn’t work.  Primcrest (55) and Xhosa (81) get in a fight over Xhosa being assigned to so many patrols lately.  Rubblepaw (9) picks up on Primcrest’s anger with Xhosa and bristles when Xhosa scolds him.  

Poolbounce (25) has recovered from whitecough just in time for leaf-bare.  And, in time to give Frecklepaw (16) her well-deserved Healer name.  She is named Frecklestone in honor of her audacity.  She’s already served the Clan well, despite being so young.  And she’s glad that Poolbounce back in healing shape to help her through her first leaf-bare as a Healer.  Lightpaw (6) has also become an apprentice, with Primcrest (31) as her mentor.  Lightpaw is practically trembling with excitement to go out on patrol.  There is a little romance brewing among the older members of the Clan.  Fry (96) has just noticed how pretty Chiku’s (123) eyes are.  Maybe he’s ready to move on from Amethystdapple.  Meanwhile, Wildcave (72) is frustrated with his son.  He feels like Halfnoise (30) never does anything useful and just lazes around camp all day.  Glowquake (25) and Primcrest continue to get closer and often spar together.  It’s a great way for the two powerful cats to keep their skills sharp.  And for Primcrest to admire Glowquake’s beautiful eyes.  Creekstar (43) is proud of the way the Clan has been handling things.  It’s been a hard couple of moons, but her warriors are brave and resilient.  She’s beginning to think they’ll see the other side of this hardship.  While on a patrol, Fry and Brightfern (31) find a kittypet who wants to join the Clan.  She is an older earth-blessed cat named Safariaster (96).  And she’s the strongest earth-blessed cat the Clan has ever seen.  She can heal wounds with barely a thought and make herbs grow even in leaf-bare.  She fits in with the healer's den perfectly and gives the young Healers the benefit of going to a much more experienced cat for advice.