Galecrest - Warrior
Charismatic, natural intuition
Bio below:
Not particularly close with his family. Spent most of his young adulthood flirting with several clanmates. He was closest with Yellowkestrel, but held off on committing to her until he felt he had fully explored all of his romantic options (even the least likely ones). Yellowkestrel was sweet and known for her thoughtfulness, but she had also suffered just as much loss as he had. After coming to terms with his need to step up and become more mature to process his grief, he asked Yellowkestrel to be his mate.
Galecrest and Yellowkestrel had a loving and happy relationship, and the day that she was taken by twolegs crushed him. The clan treated her as if she were dead, but with no body to mourn it was impossible for him to come to terms with it. He couldn't possibly accept that she was gone forever. No, he would wait as long as it took for her to come home.
As noble as his intentions were, his resolve began to crumble as days turned into weeks. He realized, with great shame, that he couldn't handle the prospect of helplessly waiting for the rest of his life. Very quickly, and without much further thought, he decided that he had to move on as soon as possible to rid himself of his anxiety.
Galecrest knew he had a lot of past flings, and he had no intention of carefully selecting his next mate. When Shilintide asked to become his mate, he agreed. The older shecat was cute, and they had a perfectly pleasant relationship. All he really needed was someone to help him forget about Yellowkestral, and his own looming dread surrounding her safety.
As the moons stretched on, and no news of Yellowkestral surfaced, Galecrest's spirit became heavier and heavier. It became difficult for him to want anything except to seek his lost mate in Starclan. He didn't know if he would find her there, but the thought of her dying alone in the wilderness tormented him daily. At least if he were a full warrior of Starclan, he could spent his days looking for her. Maybe he could even watch over her, if she were still alive.
The more Galecrest worried about Yellowkestral, the more guilty he felt about neglecting Shilintide. He didn't feel very deeply for her, but she was his mate now and he knew that came with a responsibility to care for her in return. As he spent time with her in the elders' den, he began to settle in more and more there.
Eventually, it became clear that Galecrest was sick. The medicine cats evaluated him, finding that despite his young age and unscarred body he was no longer able to safely perform his warrior duties. Reefstar came to talk with him often, about loss, grief, and what Galecrest wanted out of the rest of his life. When all Galecrest could ask for was time with his mate and a chance to one day see Starclan, Reefstar offered him retirement. Galecrest accepted, numbness already having robbed him of his attachment to his role as a senior warrior. With Shilintide curled up against him, he resolved himself to do his best to be patient in the long wait to search for Yellowkestral again.
As an elder, Galecrest poured his limited energy into being present for Shilintide. She was patient and asked very little of him, always being happy just to chat and nap side by side. Their mutual awareness of his detachment only worried him further, but Shilintide never pressed the issue.
When Shilintide was bitten by a snake and passed away soon after, Galecrest remained in his nest for several days. He was visited by medicine cats, and his siblings would often stop by with prey and soaked moss for him. On the fourth day, Galecrest emerged from the elders' den with seemingly renewed energy. No cat was able to get a direct answer from him about how he was faring after losing Shilintide, but they all were amazed that he was willingly socializing for the first time in years.
Galecrest never pursued any other cats in his twilight years. He was tired, and still missed Yellowkestral terribly, but with no cat to focus on but himself in the waking world his demeanor became more relaxed with time. He even began to enjoy joking with friends and teasing the younger cats again.
When it was finally Galecrest's time to join Starclan, he couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness for the clanmates he was leaving behind. Still, he pressed on along the starry waves. Retracing steps he'd only glimpsed in fuzzy recollections of his dreams, he followed the familiar pull of his heart.
As Galecrest reached the Starclan camp, the countless voices and scents that greeted him were all secondary to the sight of Yellowkestral. He couldn't contain his relief and joy from seeing her, and when she explained Wildeagle's role in seeking her out among the infinite wilds of Starclan's territory, he thanked the shecat profusely.
When things eventually settled down, Galecrest and Yellowkestral reunited as mates and were celebrated by their clanmates. Shilintide and Wildeagle each found their places among their loved ones, and all was right in the end.
