#maplewind au

I do not believe Mapleshade's Vengeance was black-and-white. I believe the only (main) cats not guilty of being irresponsible code breakers in this story are Reedshine, Perchpaw, Myler, and the kits.

Mapleshade should not have had a cross-Clan relationship or had the kits cross in the flood. She should not have killed a medicine cat, nor attempted murder on a queen.

Appledusk should not have had a cross-Clan relationship, nor should he have betrayed Mapleshade and used Reedshine as his crutch to stay safe in RiverClan.

Ravenwing should not have spilled the secret that was not his - or if he did, he should have spoken to the kits staying. He deliberately endangered the kits for the sake of honesty, and thus broke the warrior and medicine cat codes.

Frecklewish and Oakstar should not have acted in the way they did at all. Murder or no, both of them deliberately threatened, endangered, and neglected kits in an already dangerous situation, and allowed them to die. They broke the warrior code.

Darkstar... I don't entirely blame. I do believe she should have allowed Mapleshade at least a night's stay, but her response other than the immediate pardonning of Appledusk was appropriate. I believe Appledusk should have been further punished, though the book does portray him as having desperately wanted to be a father (loving Maple's kits at first sight, seeming shocked and upset when he found out she had risked the flood, and immediately trying to get Reedshine pregnant) so maybe that speaks to why he wasn't punished.

As far as Maplestar's Light is concerned, this is written in an alternate telling where, instead of Maple going feral following the deaths of her kits, she goes entirely numb. Angry still, sure, but she didn't make an attempt on Ravenwing or Frecklewish. She ended up just getting malnourished and exhausted, and passing out on WindClan turf on her way to somewhere new. She is still guilty of breaking the code, but instead of further causing anguish, she works to redeem her actions with Talltail and Palebird, and succeeds in that. Having the support system helps her.

Sorry for the tangent, but I just wanted to put that out there before anyone got the wrong idea. I'm not a Mapleshade apologist at all - she's honestly one of my favourite villains and a compelling read. I just really like writing happy-ending stories and what-ifs.

Doodles for the @maplewind-au. Reuploading the previous ones here, too - it’s better to have them all in one place.

“The winds usually bring with them change. Change is not what any cat should be afraid of; however, as it stands, WindClan is the only Clan able to rise up and meet the unexpected without batting an eye. That is what gives us strength; I could not be prouder of that.” - Maplestar of WindClan, during her retirement ceremony.

Often thought of as the pacifists of the four Clans, WindClan cats tend to promote peace among their neighbours, and they largely motion to accept outsiders and rulebreakers more often. Despite this, they are very holy cats, and believe that StarClan will always guide them on the right path - even if it means adapting the warrior code. Prior to the leadership of Heatherstar the first, few outsiders truly knew what happened within WindClan borders: while the cats themselves were relatively social, the politics and activity of the Clan was a total secret. This changed when Heatherstar took charge of the Clan, and allowed a ThunderClan exile to join. WindClan cats are typically lenient when it comes to border matters, forging specific paths for Clans to cross, but they will not let their kindness be tested easily; in the True Territories, a feud with ShadowClan over said matter had been ongoing for quite some time. 

WindClan cats are the most diverse of any of the Clans when it comes to pelts and body types. Their openness to allow in strangers has widened the gene pool, leading to several original looks; even twins will have unique, defining features. However, the one thing every WindClan cat has in common are strong, typically long legs. Most will also be skinnier than cats from other Clans; fur will be windblown in almost every direction, but a WindClan cat can make the look work. WindClan warriors tend to be among the longest-lived cats in all the Clans, rivalled only by ThunderClan after reaching the Lake Territories.

“We may have to move to stay on our feet, but our roots forever remain! We will never forget those who paved the way for us to stand here today. Without them, we would simply be unable to bloom.” - Heatherstar the II, on her first address to the Clan

Following the death of Palebird, WindClan cats began to adopt flowers and feathers as a part of their appearance. Flowers will be woven into tufts of fur by denmates at a time when they’re sharing tongues; usually, these flowers are chosen based on the burial places of relatives or lovers. For example, the deputy Talltail and leader Maplestar both wear foxglove behind their ears and in thicker fur, foxglove being the flower growing above the graves of Finchkit, Palebird, and Sandgorse. The medicine cats Barkwing and Spottedleaf wear heather in memory of Hawkheart; Barkwing additionally adorns himself with thistle and violet in memory of his brother and mother, and Spottedleaf wears milkmaids in memory of her brother. The tradition of wearing flowers in memory of lost loved ones is unique to WindClan, though cats with WindClan roots or ties in other Clans may pick up the practise. 

“I know more than any cat that ShadowClan’s past is a blight on our name. That is why we must try now, more than ever, to prove ourselves to the other Clans. We are not the enemies in the dark they think we are; we’re just like them. It will take time, but ShadowClan will be redeemed; to you, my Clanmates, I promise that much.” - Tawnystar, on her first address to the Clan

Stealthy and secretive, ShadowClan have always been mysterious and stubborn. While these cats certainly do not enjoy asking for help from outsiders, they do enjoy testing their neighbours frequently with battles; to ShadowClan, border scuffles and outside matters are just a game. Inside, however, things get more serious. Few cats truly know the politics of ShadowClan; they often keep to themselves, unless they’ve no choice but to turn to the other Clans. The bloodstained past of their Clan has forced them to crawl into the light, but it’s a transition they’re taking very slowly and tentatively.

ShadowClan ranks between ThunderClan and WindClan as far as genetics go. Due to their past, ShadowClan have become more open to letting outsiders join - so long as they learn their place in the Clan fast. Their pelts tend to be mostly solid and dark, allowing them to blend in with the brush-crowded forest they live and hunt in. While usually at least a little muscled, they are far less so than their green-forest neighbours, and tend to be more lanky in their appearance. 

“Unlike the other Clans, we don’t need flowers, feathers, or fish to show who leads us into our glory. You can tell with a glance alone. It’s to those cats - those with their heads high and their claws out - that we answer, serve, and respect.” - Whitethroat, on ShadowClan culture

Standing out from all the Clans, ShadowClan does not accessorise at all. It’s easy to tell the high ranks apart from the rest because of posture, instead; something every ShadowClanner learns is how to hold oneself, to look imposing. Leaders, medicine cats and deputies master this by the time they earn their rank. 

“In these times of strife and loss, we must all look to each other. We here in RiverClan are all in support of one-another; no cat is above another. We depend on Us, like the schools of fish we hunt. It is in this unity that we will find strength; we are RiverClan, and we will not let any scourge drive a thorn in our spirit!” - Leopardstar, bolstering the morale of her Clanmates 

The first thought you have of RiverClan probably isn’t family. As it turns out, however, family is the very thing that matters most to RiverClan cats. Like ThunderClan, RiverClan relies much on the warrior code to provide for them a system of survival; like WindClan, RiverClan believe heavily that StarClan sees a true path, and works to guide them towards it. Following the gruesome, possibly karmic deaths of Darkstar, Appledusk, and Reedshine, RiverClan saw huge reform in how they handled breaches of the code, choosing to learn from WindClan and be more lenient - to a degree. The Clan has been at a crossroads with trust since the foolishness of Tigerclaw. However, they are still very proud and uniform cats, and will insist upon protecting what they think is theirs.

RiverClan are right up there with ThunderClan on being largely one type of cat. Twins are common, in this Clan. Solid and light colours are oft seen between RiverClanners. Their fur is almost always short and sleek, designed perfectly for swimming and hunting in the river. RiverClan’s gene pool is, tragically, one of the smallest of the Clans, as they have very few “illegal” relationships - and those that do exist are largely with ThunderClan, keeping the window almost entirely closed.

“RiverClan are intuitive and creative. We’ve learned to improvise and adapt based on what the world throws at us, from flooding to freezing. The other Clans wouldn’t stand a chance in our place.” - Softpelt, on surviving when the river fluctuates

All RiverClan high ranks are permitted to accessorise; however, unlike the other Clans, they do so with fish scales and twoleg garbage. String washes up on shores often, and they use it to tie together crafts that elders make in their window of free time. Leaders are typically dressed the most elegantly, with scales-on-scales making a sort of cloak or caplet that drapes over their shoulders. Deputies and medicine cats simply have necklaces of sorts made of one or two fish, and medicine cats might also have a string “crown” passed down through generations with dried herbs tied into it. RiverClan cats are adept and crafty with their claws, and also tend to make inventions using the same techniques. 

“Not a single cat alive could argue that we are not brave and strong. When I look at my Clanmates, my brothers, sisters, and siblings in-between - I feel pride, and hope! We are the rumble of an oncoming storm; we are the brilliant, powerful strike of lightning; we are the cold sting of rain pelting on those below us! We are ThunderClan, and we are forever unmatched by any other!” - Squirrelstar, rallying her warriors for battle

Nobody should be surprised that war is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of ThunderClan. These forest cats are incredibly military in their nature, from following and enforcing the warrior code to a T to defending their borders with everything they have. ThunderClan are fiercely loyal to their high ranks, and to the memory of their ancestors; however, they’re the second least religious of all the Clans, rivalled only by ShadowClan. Ever since any cat can remember, there’s been a constant dispute with both RiverClan and ShadowClan about where the borders lie, and not a single ThunderClan leader has allowed them to be moved since the forcible exile of SkyClan. WindClan and ThunderClan seem to get along best between the four Clans, with very few skirmishes between them. 

ThunderClan cats are very uniform in their genetics. A good 90% are soft-furred, but thick-skinned and bulky. ThunderClan cats are known to be able to take several hits before going down, making them formidable foes. Tabbies and tortoiseshells are very common amongst ThunderClan cats, with very few light-furred or solid cats between them. They have a tendency to be a little more stocky than cats of other Clans. Most self-respecting ThunderClan warriors will have a good couple scars on their pelt, and will painstakingly groom their fur every day to make sure the scars can be seen, seeing them as a badge of honour.

“To a ThunderClan cat, the greatest possible honour is to fight and win. Medicine cats are often shunned, forgotten, or disrespected - but I wonder, Fireheart, if we stopped for even a day, how fast would they come crying back to us with apologies on their tongue, weeping over a thorn lodged in a pawpad?” - Yellowfang, on the disrespect of medicine cats

Medicine cats are the only cats allowed to accessorise within ThunderClan. Most wear some kind of plant behind their ear - usually a common herb from the territory, such as goldenrod or tansy. Sometimes entire branches from bushes will be shaped and tied into fur tufts; like WindClan, ThunderClan also like to use feathers, though these are usually tied in with the herb or tangled into scruffs or tails. However, ThunderClan was the first to kick off a territory-wide tradition of “ceremonial flutes”; a medicine cat who has done something monumental and history-making (for example, Maplepool, who found the Moonpool in the Lake Territories) may receive a hollowed stick with herbs growing through the middle; these flutes are passed down through generations, though the other four Clans only started after Maplepool received hers. Many medicine cats who receive these will pick the flowers and wear them, and bring the flutes to events such as gatherings and half-moon meetings. The flutes may also be borrowed or used by medicine cats and warriors if they need to travel across territories, as a visible sign that they’re passing through or looking for help - a practise started by Hollysnow.

cats cats we’re the cats -