#lichenasks

Firstar was convinced that it was Starclan speaking to her, and so she hung on every word she was told. She exiled the clan's sole healer, Olivetuft, after learning that she was expecting kits. She was convinced that Starclan wanted her to disband the clan, or else terrible things would happen. In the middle of the night, she called a clan meeting and declared that Creekclan would be no more. Firstar's mate and deputy, Eveningstorm, left with her. The remnants of Creekclan had no leadership.

Former clanmates went their separate ways, losing their sense of comradery when prey became hard to find and herbs became a limited resource. Many cats left the territories altogether to become rogues or kittypets, while some sought asylum in their neighboring clans.

Pinefoot was one of the warriors who refused to let go of the clan. He had an immature insistence that they could band together and sort out leadership on their own, but his former clanmates didn't share the same ideals, and he was chased out of any small group he found. He ended up just outside the twolegplace, where he met with his former clanmate Lichenheart, who had settled into life as a kittypet and was expecting kits of her own. His pathetic nature convinced Lichenheart to help him out.

While living with Lichenheart's twolegs, Pinefoot began to have visions of starry-furred cats in the yard outside, leading him in the direction of the woods. After a moon of this, Pinefoot told Lichenheart that he believed Starclan was trying to tell him something. With her litter just around the corner, Lichenheart was reluctant to leave, but she trusted Pinefoot.

The starry-furred cats led Pinefoot and Lichenheart to a pine forest, specifically to a sunken clearing surrounded by a natural protection of brambles and stones. Pinefoot believed that Starclan had showed the two of them a new camp where Creekclan could be reborn. The new camp was put to the test when, a few nights later, Lichenheart had a single kit. She named him Rushkit, her formal commitment to starting this new clan with Pinefoot.

Pinefoot believed that, although Starclan had showed him the camp, Lichenheart should be leader. She was more responsible than him, and had trained an apprentice in Creekclan. Lichenheart planned to travel to the Moongrove and receive her nine lives when she'd recovered from giving birth, but her condition continued to worsen, turning into greencough.

Pinefoot searched the territory for any cat that had healing skills. He stumbled upon the den of Olivetuft and her newborn daughter, Berry. He pleaded with her to come treat Lichenheart, but by the time they made it back to camp, Olivetuft knew there was nothing more she could do except make Lichenheart's last few days painless. She was the first cat buried in Lichenclan's graveyard.

Olivetuft and Pinefoot traveled to the Moongrove together to speak with Starclan. They gave Pinefoot nine lives and his new name, Pinestar, and entrusted him with the infancy of this new clan. He was officially a leader of something new - Pinestar, Olivetuft, Rushkit, and Berrykit. He named the clan Lichenclan, in honor of his friend.