#merlelight

Merlelight opened her eyes, sighing with contentment. She found herself laying in a grassy clearing next to a sparkling pond, sunlight warming her pelt. She always felt most relaxed in Starclan’s hunting grounds, and this was her first time visiting as a full medicine cat. Sitting up, she glanced around, looking for a sign of any other cat.

She hoped, perhaps, that due to the special occasion, her mother, Gentlebreeze might make an appearance. She had died in battle before Merlelight had even left the nursery, yet there had never been a dream or a half-moon meeting in which she’d appeared to her daughter. 

“Hey, congrats, Merlelight!” A cat called from behind her. Turning around, Merlelight instantly recognized the flame-point she-cat - it was Minnowpaw, a cat who’d been visiting her in her dreams since she was a young kit, and the most common Starclan cat to communicate with her.

Minnowpaw padded over, sitting down next to Merlelight. The young tortoiseshell nodded fondly at her friend.

“I know you’ve had a rough day.” Minnowpaw mewed sympathetically. 

During the previous night, Merlelight had been sleeping peacefully in the Twoleg-provided nest she shared with Vixen in the Cutter Building, as she had for at least four seasons before, when her mentor, Cottonwind, had showed up, demanding she come back to Riverclan to take his place as medicine cat. He was very ill - his ribs could clearly be seen through his shabby, thinning coat, and with every word saliva would flow out of his mouth. Even more frightening we’re the fits he would sporadically fall into, followed by a temporary inability to move his legs.

Merlelight knew she had to return to Riverclan. She loved Vixen, but she was never meant to be a housecat. The goodbye had been excruciating, as was the journey to the Moonpool, as Cottonwind would go through moments of extreme disorientation and hostility. Her naming ceremony had only lasted a few moments, and right after the old white cat stumbled off into the forest, telling her he’d be back when he was cured with the help of Twoleg medicine.

Merlelight knew in her heart she wouldn’t see him again.

“I hope Cottonwind finds peace.” Merlelight sighed. “It would be the first time the old fleabag ever knew it.”

The two she-cats sat in somber silence for a moment, before Minnowpaw began to speak again.

“Since it’s your first time in Starclan as a full medicine cat, I figured you should finally get to talk to some of your kin.” She said. Merlelight pricked her ears, staring at her friend with great interest. “You always wondered why they never seemed to speak with you.”

Merlelight looked around for the sign of any other cat. She couldn’t see anyone. Suddenly, Minnowpaw made a chirping sound, and the high-pitched laughter of excited kits filled the air. Suddenly, out from the bushes, two kits ran out - one dark brown with black points, and the other similar, but with her points splashed with orange, and with white on her paws and chest.

The kits ran up to Merlelight, jumping on her and nuzzling her, the medicine cat flinching back, her eyes wide.

“Merlelight! You’re so cool!” One of them, the tom-kit, purred. “You get to be the medicine cat now!”

“Say hi to Steadyheart for us, okay?” The other kit mewed.

“Uh … Minnowpaw?” Merlelight stammered, quite shocked. “Who are they?”

“We’re your littermates, silly!” The tom squealed. “I’m Deadkit, and that’s Lostkit!”

Merlelight furrowed her brow and pinned her ears.

“My only littermate is Steadyheart.” She insisted. The kits and Minnowpaw exchanged a knowing glance.

“Not exactly.” Minnowpaw said, softly. 

“I was born into Starclan.” Deadkit stated. “Gentlebreeze put us in the river, and it carried us away!”

Merlelight didn’t know what to think. Gentlebreeze had been a very private cat, to the point where she refused to tell her who her father was, or even what her name, “Merle”, meant. 

“Gentlebreeze didn’t want any help giving birth.” Lostkit explained. “You and Steadyheart were okay, but Deadkit was dead.”

“Gentlebreeze thought Lostkit was dead too, so she put us both in the river.” Deadkit added. Merlelight’s eyes widened.

“Alive?!”

“Well, yeah…” Lostkit said, sheepishly. Deadkit interrupted.

“But it’s okay! If we’d lived, we’d be Dark Forest cats! Lots of cats would’ve died at my paws specifically! No, really, it’s fine!”

“Uh-huh.” Merlelight’s heart raced. She wasn’t sure how to react to this new information.

“So, uh..” she finally began. “Is Gentlebreeze here? I have some questions for her.”

Minnowpaw, Lostkit, and Deadkit shared nervous glances.

“Well…” Lostkit began. Deadkit gave her a desperate look, as if to make her stop talking.

“Well?” Merlelight insisted.

“Gentlebreeze… is not here.” Minnowpaw admitted, avoiding eye contact.

“Well, where is she then?!” Merlelight asked, her fur beginning to bristle.

“She’s, well, she’s-“ Deadkit began.

“She’s a Dark Forest cat.” Lostkit spit out.

Merlelight felt like a weight dropped in her stomach, and her mouth went dry. Her claws unsheathed and ears flattened against her head. Something wasn’t right here.

“Why?!” She demanded. The three Starclan cats looked increasingly uncomfortable, as if they were ashamed.

“It’s, uh, mostly politics.” Minnowpaw stammered, looking at her paws. “Most Riverclan cats really disagree with her fate.”

“She killed a cat. Redmoss. He was very popular. The Windclan deputy.” Deadkit explained. Merlelight stamped her foot.

“When?!”

“In that battle, the same one that she died in.” Lostkit said. “He was going into the nursery, and she slashed his throat.”

“Our mother is the the Dark Forest because she killed a Windclan cat, who was trying to get into the nursery, during a Windclan raid on Riverclan.” Merlelight repeated, flatly.

“Yes, but remember, Redmoss was very popular. He had lots of fans here in Starclan, and he had a litter of kits back home who became fatherless.” Minnowpaw still couldn’t hold eye contact as she tried to explain.

“And what of the cat who killed her?!” Merlelight was starting to struggle to suppress her rage. “Are they there too?!”

“Oh, no, we talk with Hawkreed all the time. He was just doing his job as a Windclan warrior.” Deadkit answered. 

“So he was just doing his job, but Gentlebreeze, who had two kits still in the nursery and who killed a cat who was trying to break into the nursery to harm those kits, was not?”

“Redmoss was very popular.” Minnowpaw sighed again.

The four cats stood in awkward silence for a moment. Suddenly, Merlelight began to walk forward, pushing past the others, heading deeper into Starclan’s hunting ground. Pausing for a moment, she turned her head back.

“Who’s in charge of deciding who’s allowed in Starclan, again?” She asked. Minnowpaw stared back, wide-eyed.

“Uh, well, there’s a council. They hang out on the Sunny Rocks.” She gestured with her paw in the direction, before trotting to Merlelight’s side.

“They’re not cats I would pick a fight with. They’re very old, respected, beloved warriors.” She warned. The kits scampered after her.

“I don’t fight. I just want a word with them.” Merlelight mewed, trotting in the direction Minnowpaw had indicated. Walking past some trees, she began to see other cats around them, mostly lounging around, socializing or basking in the sun. She felt a few eyes watching her and heard chattering among them, but couldn’t care less about what they might be saying.

The Sunny Rocks were a bunch of flat stones, illuminated by sunlight and perfect for basking, without the earthly danger of looming snakebites. When Merlelight approached it, she saw six cats dozing on various stones, the largest one a huge spotted tom with large ears. As she approached, he woke up, staring down at her.

“I need to talk to you, and your friends.” Merlelight said. Minnowpaw and the kits were hidden out of sight, not wanting involvement in the conversation.

The huge tom nodded sagely.

“Go ahead, Merlelight. Congratulations on the name, by the way. I’m glad Cottonwind lasted long enough to give it to you.” He purred. 

“Thanks.” Merlelight grumbled. After a moment of silence, she raised her hackles and spoke up. “What I want to know is - why is my mother in the Dark Forest?”

The tall tom looked startled, jolting to alertness and pinning his ears a moment. His companions began to wake up - a black and white tom, a brown pointed she-cat, a soft gray tabby tom, among others.

“Uh, well, she killed Redmoss, didn’t she?” He stammered, avoiding eye contact with Merlelight, who stated directly at him, unblinking.

“Redmoss was a noble, loyal warrior, and he had a litter of young kits at home who were left fatherless.” The she-cat explained. 

“I heard she also threw one of her kits in the river, thinking it was dead. Both would have lived if she’d just had help giving birth.” The tabby added.

“But weren’t Lostkit and Deadkit prophesied to be evil, deadly killers?” Merlelight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They were, but the warrior code-“ the tall cat began.

“The warrior code?! The warrior code?! Since when does anyone actually know what the warrior code says?! It hasn’t been taught for generations! Not in Gentlebreeze’s, or her grandparents’, or even since Silverstar and Goldstar!” Merlelight snapped, her fur bristling.

Another cat emerged from behind Sunny Rocks. This cat was a thick-furred, gray and white tom, missing one eye. He sat calmly at the base of the rock the tall tom was sitting on.

“Gentlebreeze’s placement was… controversial.” The tall tom continued, still avoiding contact. “But see, with what she did to Redmoss, I feel like I had no choice but to -“

“Redmoss is his descendent.” The gray and white tom spoke up. The tall tom looked down at him wide-eyed, and the other cats looked away. “In fact, most of the cats here are Windclan cats, and they’re not fans of Riverclan.”

“Treestar, that’s enough.” The tall tom growled. 

“Sorry, Cranestar, but it’s not!” He turned back to Merlelight. “Other reasoning I’ve heard was that Gentlebreeze was a radical - she loved the idea of being a kitty pet, and even mated with one - your father.”

“Housecats have been acceptable mates for a long, long time!” Merlelight exclaimed, baring her teeth. “What is this, a century ago?! As long as a cat’s loyalty to their clan isn’t compromised.”

“She’s right, that’s a poor excuse.” The pointed she-cat agreed. “It was killing Redmoss, and perhaps the drowning of her kit. One could argue she also abandoned her own kits.”

“She did not abandon us!” Merlelight snarled. “She was young and overwhelmed!”

Cranestar sighed, sitting up. He was much taller than any cat Merlelight had ever seen, but she couldn’t care less. She stared daggers at him, her whole pelt bristling.

“I’ll admit, we’ve been criticized for Gentlebreeze’s placement. It’s kind of a sore spot.” He said. “The truth is, there’s nothing to be done about it now.”

“Yes there is!” Treestar interjected. “We go to the Dark Forest, we find her, we bring her into Starclan!”

“We can’t do that!” The gray tabby gasped. “The Dark Forest is huge, and it would be too hard to find one specific cat. Besides, if she wasn’t worthy of Starclan before, she’s been over there for what, eight seasons now? She’s probably a jaded, vicious cat now.”

“I’m tired of all your foxdung excuses!” Treestar hissed, facing the four on the rocks. “Honestly Smoothstone, do we judge cats after death now?! I’ve been saying it since her death: we wronged that poor molly, and we ought to make it right.”

“Okay, okay.” Cranestar conceded. “Yes, we were wrong. But there’s still nothing to be done about it now.”

“Some cat can venture into the Dark Forest and find her.” Treestar suggested. “Bring her here.”

“Do you volunteer?” The pointed she-cat asked. Treestar shook his head.

“I wouldn’t recognize her. She’d need someone who would.”

Merlelight stepped up. 

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

The four cats on the rocks glanced at each other in surprise, while Treestar gave her an approving smirk.

“Alright then.” Cranestar said. “Merlelight, if you find Gentlebreeze, and bring her out of the Dark Forest, she will be welcome in Starclan.”

“I can show you the way.” Treestar said quietly.

“But remember - the cats there are a vicious bunch, and if they hurt you, your body will bear the scars. If they kill your, well -“ Cranestar warned.

“I’m not worried. After all, if Gentlebreeze is in there, who else is? Someone who made dirt in the Windclan warriors den once as a joke?” Merlelight grumbled.

Merlelight turned her back on the cats lounging on their rocks, who glanced between each other. Their uncertainty was palpable. 

Cottonwind had always told her that no cat gained wisdom simply by joining Starclan: that every single one was just as foolish as they were the day they died, so this wasn’t exactly surprising to Merlelight. Of course cats would subject cats they disliked to damnation for trivial reasons. Gentlebreeze didn’t have any kin to speak up for her when she died - her own mother had left the clan never to return and her father was just as unknown as her mate was - the only ones deciding her fate were the ancestors of a cat she killed in battle and their companions. 

She gestured for Treestar to come with her, and the two left the Sunny Rocks. She glanced around for Minnowpaw and the kits, but her friend and her littermates had disappeared. It was just her and the grizzled old tom, who trotted out ahead of her to show her the way.

“You’re very brave, molly.” Treestar said, breaking the silence. “I never felt right about where they put your mother.”

“Thanks.” Merlelight said. 

“I bet you’re wondering who I am, and why I care about some young, dead, Riverclan she-cat.” He mewed. Merlelight sighed.

“Not really, actually.” Though she knew old tom cats like him would always tell their story regardless.

“I was the leader of Shadowclan long, long ago.” He began, looking thoughtful. “Ivystar died, and I’d been her deputy for moons and moons.” 

“Well, kits started turning up dead. Thunderclan, Windclan, and Skyclan lost whole litters. They’d find ‘‘em looking like freshkill out in the woods.” His expression turned troubled. “Back then, the clans fought each other often. Rivalries were bitter. Obviously the two unaffected clans are the most suspicious, and, well, Shadowclan had a reputation for brutality towards young cats.”

Merlelight had only ever heard of Shadowclan cats being socially awkward and detached towards the other clans. Their leader, Marshstar, would occasionally just skip gatherings, with only the medicine cat and a few warriors with apprentices showing up.

“Well, I was falsely accused. Some cat planted evidence. Just two moons into being leader, at a gathering, they decided I should be executed. The three leaders of the affected clans all agreed, and the leader of Riverclan had her own hide to save. I understand.”

“They killed me nine times that night. That’s when I lost my eye.”

“Of course, I’m innocent. Starclan saw that. I wasn’t a perfect cat - I was rash, selfish. I have regrets. But no cat is perfect, and I tried to do good.”

“The Dark Forest should only be for the irredeemable. Murderers, tyrants - those who hurt others for their own gain. Not young mothers protecting their young, even against much-beloved cats.”

“The cats who killed you, are they in Starclan or the Dark Forest?” Merlelight asked. Ahead she saw a tunnel, surrounded by thick trees. That must be the entrance.

“They’ve long since faded away.” Treestar said. “I know that a few involved genuinely assumed my guilt and were only trying to protect their clans.”

“I’m still here because I make a point to speak with every new leader, and give them a life dedicated to true justice. If I don’t show up, it means I think they’re not worth the fleas on their back. Those leaders don’t last long.”

The two cats were now standing at the tunnel entrance. Merlelight looked up, her fur bristling at the darkness of the tunnel.

“It’s right through there.” Treestar said. “But you know that.”

“Have you ever been over there?” Merlelight asked.

“Never had a reason to go.” Treestar answered. “Not the best place for a pleasant evening stroll.”

The two cats stood in silence for a moment, staring into the darkness. Merlelight was psyching herself up, reminding herself that cats can see in the dark and that if Gentlebreeze was over there, there wasn’t much reason to be afraid of any other cat.

“Now, in the Dark Forest, every cat walks alone. I can’t come with you.” Treestar said. “You wouldn’t want an old, lumbering beast like me slowing you down, anyway.”

“Oh, no, of course,” Merlelight muttered. She took a step towards the cave, questioning if she was being incredibly foolish. Then, with a shake of her head, she quickened her pace, and was now standing in the tunnel.

“Good luck, Merlelight!” Treestar called after her. “You’ll find her!”

Medicine Cat

Petite mostly-black tortoiseshell she-cat

245 moons at death (20 years) (cause of death: old age, heart stopped in sleep)

Mother: Gentlebreeze

Father: Unknown

Brother: Steadyheart

Mentor: Cottonwind

Apprentice: Tansybloom

Merlekit her brother, Steadykit, were born long before any other living cats, to Gentlebreeze. The calico queen was very secretive about the father of her kits, and refused to explain the meaning of “Merle”.

Of the two kits, the tortoiseshell she-kit was only about half the size of the black tom, causing Steadykit to start a lifelong habit of calling her “little sister”, much to Merlekit’s frustration. It’s not known which one was truly born first, as Gentlebreeze hadn’t even bothered to call for the medicine cat when she kitted.

Riverclan had just lost most of its warriors to a Greencough outbreak and a dog attack around the time that Steadykit and Merlekit were born, and Gentlebreeze was forced to return to her warrior duties before her kits were ready to leave the nursery. Unfortunately, one night during a patrol, a dog was once again loose in the clan’s territory, and Gentlebreeze was unable to get away, leaving her kits orphans.

Merlekit and Steadykit no longer needed milk when she died, but after her death they leaned on each other more than ever, as much as Steadykit annoyed his sister. This bond would be lifelong, and Steadyheart would be the only cat that would never doubt that Merlelight enjoyed his company, and who only ever had kind words to say about his sister, no matter how many times she hissed or swatted at him in her annoyance at his stupid jokes.

Before she left the nursery, Merlekit witnessed the dog once again return, this time to the camp, and attempt to take kittens from the nursery. The permanent nursery queen, Petalrain, defended the kits in the nursery, ultimately giving her life in the process. Later on, most of the kits she gave her life to save, would die when an illness swept through the clans. Seeing this, Merlekit decided that a queen’s life would always be more valuable than her kits’, that kits were potential but not a promise, and these views stuck with her throughout her training and life.

Merlekit never wanted to be a warrior. While Steadykit thought fighting was fun and couldn’t wait to start warrior training, the tortoiseshell thought it was all pointless danger. She knew right away that she would become a medicine cat, even though her mentor-to-be, Cottonwind, was infamous for his erratic and radical behavior, and Merlekit wasn’t looking forward to working with him.

At six moons, Merlepaw became Cottonwind’s apprentice, and the old white cat told her many strange stories while teaching her everything he knew about being a medicine cat. Cottonwind was a Goldstar sympathizer, the second of the final pair of Skyclan leaders, whose murder ultimately ended with the dissolving of the clan. Given his views, Cottonwind was fascinated by Twolegs, often repeating the old Goldstar motto: “Cats belong alone or in the house, and everything else is foolishness.”

Despite the old cat’s code-breaking viewpoints on living with Twolegs, he was a skilled and respected medicine cat, and he taught Merlepaw well. He would not, however, make her a full medicine cat without having her see what Twolegs were able to do.

One night, on the way home from the half moon gathering, Cottonwind told Merlepaw that they’d be taking a new route home. The tortoiseshell resisted at first, being all-too-aware of the old cat’s strange and illogical tendencies at this point, but eventually gave in and followed him.

Cottonwind eventually ended up getting Merlelight trapped in a Twoleg trap; one of the traps they used to capture wild cats, bring them in to the cutter, and then bring them back. The Twolegs took Merlepaw away, bringing her into a strange building that smelled like ammonia and fear.

It was here she met a kittypet named Vixen, who lived in the building and called herself “the office cat”. While Merlepaw was not friendly at first, as one might expect, the orange and white she-cat eventually grew on her. Vixen told Merlepaw that the Twolegs had said she was very sick, but it’s not unusual for wild cats, and that they’d make her better. Merlepaw felt fine, but Vixen explained that healthy cats don’t have fleas on their pelt or worms in their bellies, an idea that confused Merlepaw as she’d never known a cat who didn’t have at least a few fleas.

Days past, and at Vixen’s insistence, Merlepaw began to cooperate with the Twolegs, and accept their strange medicines. The tortoiseshell began to feel more comfortable than she’d ever felt her entire life, and when she asked Vixen what herbs the Twolegs used, the she-cat responded that they weren’t herbs, certainly not something they could find in any forest nearby, and that the best guess she had was that Twolegs were magical.

Eventually the Twolegs gave Merlepaw medicine that made her fall asleep, and she woke up with a belly ache and a torn ear. In a panic she asked Vixen what had happened, and the ginger she-cat explained that it was painful now, but once it healed, Merlepaw’s life would be extended and her annoying heat cycles would stop, and it was more Twoleg magic.

A few days later, the Twolegs pricked Merlepaw’s with multiple needles, and then put her back in the trap she’d been caught in, taking her back to the spot she’d been captured from. Before returning to Riverclan, Merlepaw decided to say goodbye to Vixen, who she’d grown quite fond of.

She travelled a short distance and found the cat curled up in the window of a Twoleg nest, one that smelled like the place she’d spent the last few weeks in. The cat was very happy to see her, but refused to come outside, saying that she has to stay safe indoors, and she wished Merlepaw could stay inside too.

Upon her leaving, Vixen asked Merlelight to make sure she lived longer than the other ferals she saw in her office. She added that self preservation was the most important thing, and that’s why it was best for cats to stay inside, with Twolegs.

Begrudgingly, Merlepaw returned to Riverclan, where Cottonwind made her a full medicine cat. Her mentor eventually snuck away from camp and was never seen again, leaving her to work alone - something that she absolutely preferred.

Years passed, and Merlelight was a skilled and respected medicine cat. Her brother Steadyheart was praised for his skill in battle and loyalty to his clan, but there was one problem - his “appreciation” for she-cats. As a result of his vices, the surrounding area was filling up more and more black kittens with familiar green eyes, causing Merlelight a severe amount of embarrassment. Only two of Steadyheart’s kits, his daughters Pineneedle and Ripplestream, were full-clan cats, and the only ones Steadyheart got to be a father to all the time.

Pineneedle was an irresponsible and immature cat, and Merlelight would regularly admit that while she didn’t like either of her nieces, she felt that Ripplestream was the superior cat. Still, when Pineneedle showed up in her den, expecting a local kittypet’s kits that she didn’t want, she felt obligated to help her brother’s kin.

Pineneedle gave birth to a litter of kits. By the next sunrise, however, the she-cat had snuck away, never to return to the clans. Merlelight was unsurprised, but there were no other nursing queens to take in the kits, and all Starclan told her to do was “save at least one of them”.

One by one each kit died, until the only one left was a brown tom who Pineneedle had crudely named “Dirtkit”. Merlelight instructed the warriors to seek out prey that had a milk scent, and bring it to the medicine den, and that they did. While the kit was scrawny and weak, Merlelight was able to get him past weaning age. The kit frequently asked why Merlelight didn’t use a name for him, but she never answered, and frequently sent him away lest he show interest in becoming her apprentice.

Eventually Merlelight lost her patience with the kit bombarding her with questions, and she told him everything about his mother and his name. The brown tabby did not react well, storming away and vowing to destroy the clans. He’d eventually become the leader of a group of former Skyclan cats and rogues that would plague the clans and kill countless cats for generations to come.

Years later, and Merlelight was a very old cat. She preferred to work alone, and had no interest in taking an apprentice. However, when the apprentice Tansypaw’s mentor died in combat and the orange tabby developed a tendency to panic and freeze when confronted with any sort of violence, Merlelight was forced to take her on as her apprentice. She did not want to give up her solitude, but she admitted that as far as young cats go, Tansypaw had a good head on her shoulders and a great deal of intelligence.

Merlelight and Steadyheart outlived every cat they’d known in their lives, with the exception, surely, of some of Steadyheart’s countless kits. When Steadyheart’s health began to decline, Merlelight knew what was going to happen, and she stayed by her brother’s side until he breathed his last breath. His death, though he was well over 17 years old and had lived multiple lifespans, made Merlelight even more resolved to live, even when he, their mother, and numerous Starclan cats insisted she deserved to rest. Tansypaw tried to be supportive after the death of Steadyheart, but Merlelight grew more paranoid and self-preserving.

Tansypaw was Merlelight’s apprentice for well over a year, and Starclan started pushing the tortoiseshell to make her a full medicine cat. While Merlelight admitted the tabby was ready, she did not want Starclan to feel that she could die and Riverclan would still have a fully trained medicine cat. Thus Tansypaw was Tansypaw for longer than most other apprentices, though the cat wasn’t in any sort of hurry.

After a stern scolding and vague threats from Quailstar, the clan leader during Merlelight’s birth, the old medicine cat caved. She named Tansybloom, and she knew that doing so meant her days were officially numbered.

Merlelight started having strange experiences. First, one day while she was foraging for herbs, a fox with strange starry eyes burst out of the woods and attacked her. She was a lithe cat though, and she was able to escape unharmed.

The next day, a hawk flying above Merlelight’s favorite lounging spot by the river, dropped a turtle right above where the medicine cat was resting. Fogwhisker spotted it and warned her, allowing Merlelight to rolled out of the way right it time.

Then, during a breakout of a strange illness, a severe thunderstorm raged as Merlelight had to fetch herbs from her den back in the camp. One of trees was struck by lightning, very nearly crashing down on the old cat. She was beginning to get incredibly irritable at that point, and could barely focus on her medicine duties, as she was too busy dodging death.

After two moons of escaping many different near-death experiences - dog attacks, herbs blowing into the thunderpath, attempted drownings, and greencough, Merlelight was exhausted. She’d taken herbs every night to keep her from dreaming and speaking to her warrior ancestors, and refused to go to half-moon gatherings lest Starclan throw something else at her.

One night, she took her herbs and went to sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in Starclan - which confused her, as she’d taken her herbs for the night. Steadyheart and Gentlebreeze soon appeared, gently informing her that she would not be returning to her body. Tired of Merlelight escaping death, Starclan was forced to stop her heart as she slept.

She did not take this well, calling her brother and mother cowards and refusing to speak to them or anyone for at least a moon and snarling at anyone who attempted.

Then, she discovered how to communicate with living cats. She began to contact Tansybloom constantly, giving her input on every issue practically every day. Most of Starclan felt this was excessive, but preferred this behavior to the sulky and angry behavior she’d exhibited before.

When Tansybloom was attacked by one of the rogue cats and nearly died protecting Frostkit, Merlelight revived her, unwilling to allow Riverclan to be without a medicine cat. When Tansybloom died, Merlelight would painstakingly supervise Frostberry, contacting them just as often as they had their mentor. She warned them that Duckkit was dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed to make it to apprenticeship, and was frustrated when the medicine cat wouldn’t dispatch the premature kit at birth. Later on, however, she would meet with Duckpaw and teach him, in hopes she might sway him from his path. In this she ultimately failed.

Eventually Starclan had enough of Merlelight’s meddling with the living. As a punishment, Starclan decided that Merlelight had to be stopped. One morning, Merlelight woke up in the Thunderclan nursery, the first face she saw being Pigeonfluff’s, her much-hated Thunderclan rival. She’d been put in the body of a newborn Thunderclan kit, named Burntkit due to her orange coat with black speckles, the inverse of Merlelight.

Burntkit was in the medicine den long before she was apprenticed, scolding Pigeonfluff and giving him instructions, which the old gray cat finds incredibly amusing. While the kit always seems angry, both Pigeonfluff and his underling Toothcrag take it in good humor, which just frustrates the small angry animal more.

Personality:

Merlelight is not a kind cat. While she is a medicine cat, she does not have the nurturing or sympathetic nature that one might expect. When Tansypaw was her apprentice, queens would often wait until Merlelight was out gathering herbs to bring in their kits with minor injuries and illnesses, as most kits learned to fear Merlelight from an early age. This is no problem for Merlelight, who hates kits.

Merlelight is serious, reserved, inexpressive, and unemotional. Above all else she values logic and practicality, and gets annoyed at the emotional decision making of others.

While she’s by and large a cold-hearted cat, she does have a soft spot for a few individuals in her life. Her brother Steadyheart has been by her side her entire life, and she enjoys his company, even though she wishes he would stop fathering kits and take things seriously for once and will often berate him for both. She appreciates Tansybloom and her calm demeanor, and is willing to look the other way when it comes to Frostkit despite the rule about medicine cats not having kits. And when it comes to Vixen, the charming kittypet she met all those years ago - she deeply admired her, and thinks about her often, taking her advice to self-preserve above all to heart.