#primcrest

Alderflight (41) has recovered from his head damage, although not without a scar on his face.  He’s excited to finally have a chance to help out the Clan and go on patrols.  Meanwhile, Skipneedle (60) is starting to understand why Primcrest was not a fan of Creekstar (139).  She’s a bit paranoid, especially with the new star-blessed cats in the Clan.  Skipneedle finds it hard to get her work done.  Brightmouse (60) has decided that the best way for Hatchswipe (30) to move on from Treepelt is for her to get in a fight to distract her.  She starts an argument between Aries (51) and Hatchswipe and then watches the chaos unfold.   Additionally, Aries, who doesn’t feel like she’ll be much use as a warrior, has decided to become a mediator instead. Whorlstorm (30) is busy with her three kits in the nursery, between grooming them and making sure that Copperkit (1) doesn’t burn down the nursery.  Burdockkit (1) is enjoying causing trouble in the healer’s den by messing up the herbs Lakepelt (93) is storing.  Lakepelt doesn’t understand why she’s being so rude. Sofanthiel (74), being from outside the Clan and not used to relying on powered cats to survive, teaches Downgaze (66) a useful hunting technique while they’re in the healer’s den together.  While on a patrol, Kestrelcreek (74) and Brightmouse find a loner named Pebbletuft (18) that they bring back to camp.  She’s Earth-blessed, and, if she recovers from her claw-wound, will be able to help out Lakepelt in the Healer’s den

The Healer’s den was almost empty! Creekstar (136) had finally begun to move on from Primcrest’s death, leaving Lakepelt (90) just caring for the injured Alderflight (38) and Greenrapid (38).  But then Hatchswipe (27) and Sofanthiel (71) got whitecough and the population in the Healer’s den doubled.  But in a spot of desperately needed news, Whorlstorm (27) has announced that she is expecting kits!  These will be the first kits born in the Clan since she herself was born.  Whorlstorm and Sweet Marmalade (67) have had a bit of a rough relationship lately, but they had a conversation that went well.  Maybe the birth of his grandkits will help even more.  Dawnfreckle (65) continues to not be a big fan of Alderflight and is jealous of his warm, long fur.  Even with weak fire magic, it’s hard to stay warm while out on patrols.  Although Brightmouse (57) does her best to regulate the camp’s temperature while she’s there.  Downgaze (63) still really enjoys spending time with Alderflight and hopes that, once he’s up to going on patrols, they are assigned to go out together.  Also, apparently, Alderflight is a very skilled fighter, because both Cavecatcher and Almondback want to compliment his technique. The terrible triad is still having a bit of trouble.  Skipneedle (57) is developing a bit of a crush on Almondback (53), which does not thrill Brightmouse, as Brightmouse has a crush on Almondback’s mate, Kestrelcreek (71).  Yeah.  Drama.  The loss of Archdapple and Skipneedle’s promotion to deputy seem to be hitting the sisters hard.  In the short time she’s been in the Clan, Sofanthiel has made herself well liked.  Almondback sees how considerate she is and Sweet Marmalade (67) notices that she’s really making an effort to help out around camp, despite being sick.  Despite being close in age, Greenrapid and Cavecatcher (40) have never been very close.  But now Greenrapid is starting to notice just how pretty Cavecatcher’s eyes are.   .  The Clan also welcomes another couple of kittypets!  Skipneedle, Sweet Marmalade, Cavecatcher, and Bluestripe (57) find a powerless former kittypet named Cragstem (33) who has redcough.  There’s a pretty good chance he won’t survive, but they take him back to Lakepelt anyways.  Dawnfreckle and Nettlestripe (51) also find a kittypet, named Tanglechirp (29), who joins the Clan.  In a bit of a surprise, he has magic!  A medium strength wind-blessing, which is much needed as Almondback is currently the only wind-blessed cat in the Clan.

While Dawnfreckle (64) is feeling better after Primcrest’s death, Creekstar (135) is still struggling with it.  Maybe due to the fact that she wishes she’d had a chance to reconcile with her friend.  She wishes that she could visit her in StarClan. Downgaze (62) tries to comfort his mother and the two of them spend a long time talking with each other.  Meanwhile, Dawnfreckle decides to get to know the newest member of the Clan, Alderflight (37).  They talk about their goals and aspirations and find that they have. . .very little in common.  Dawnfreckle wants to act as a guide for the Clan, sort of like his mother was, but Alderflight feels like the Clan mostly needs to work on being a safer place for cats before it can have a young guide.  Downgaze, on the other paw, really likes Alderflight.  He admires the other cat from afar.  Sweet Marmalade (66) teases him about it.  Hatchswipe (26) continues to gain popularity in the Clan.  This moon, she’s been hanging out with Skipneedle (56) and Creekstar wants to get to know her better.  Hatchswipe has noticed that Whorlstorm (26) is feeling a little left out lately and takes some time to surprise her sister with a sparring session.  She ends up drenched but it’s worth it.  Sofanthiel  (70) likes no longer being the newest cat in the Clan and tries to show off a bit for Alderflight.  He doesn’t notice.  He’s mostly been sleeping a lot so Lakepelt (89) can heal his head injury.  Later, Sofanthiel proves that she has all the courage of a clanborn cat by confidently striding up to an intruding rogue and chasing him off with only her words.

Healer’s den: Alderflight (head damage), Creekstar (grief stricken), Greenrapid (beak bite)

Just two moons after her kit died, Primcrest (119) went missing and was found dead out in the territory.  Other than Creekstar (131), there are no cats in the Clan who remember a time without her in their lives.  Skipneedle (52) had been hoping to have Primcrest to rely on for advice on how to be a deputy, but apparently that was not to be.  Despite their recent differences, Creekstar loved Primcrest.  She thought that Primcrest would always be by her side.  But now. . .Creekstar can’t help her bitterness and rage as Primcrest’s life is recalled at the vigil.  She wishes she had had a chance to make up with her friend, but that was taken from her.  She coldly turns away from any who offer comfort.  Without Primcrest, what’s the point?  Skipneedle feels like Creekstar needs to step up and take more care of the Clan following Primcrest’s death.  Creekstar bristles and snaps at her.   Skipneedle decides to take it upon herself to cheer up the Clan.  She plays a prank on Downgaze (58) to bring some levity to their lives.  Meanwhile, Downgaze has been thinking about his dead siblings a lot.  He wonders if he should have done more to protect them. Sweet Marmalade comforts him and feels proud to be the cat that Downgaze chose to confide in.  Dawnfreckle (60), who lost his mother right after his brother, is also hit hard by her death.  His voice hoarse with grief, he tells stories of Primcrest’s care and wisdom as the Clan sits vigil for her, making sure that ElementClan honors his mother.  In the days to come, he barely stirs from his nest.  Hatchswipe’s (22) mangled leg has healed, however it is now twisted.  It frustrates her constantly, but Treepelt (17) points out that at least she’s still there to feel irritated by it.  Sweet Marmalade (62) wants to spend time with his daughters and sneaks out of camp with Hatchswipe.  They make their way to twolegplace and wander around for a while before returning back to camp.  

Healer’s den: Greenrapid (cat bite), Whorlstorm (broken bone), Creekstar (grief stricken), Dawnfreckle (grief stricken)

After serving the Clan as deputy since she was only 23 moons old, Primcrest (117) has decided to retire from the position and move to the elder’s den.  She and Creekstar (129) have been through a lot together, but Primcrest doesn’t like how her leader and former friend has changed.  She doesn’t feel like she is the best fit for deputy anymore.  Creekstar respects her decision and the Clan is excited to dote on their hard working former deputy.  But that means that Creekstar must choose a new deputy, for the first time in almost 100 moons.  None of the cats alive (other than her) have ever had a deputy that was not Primcrest.  It will be a hard adjustment.  Stonetuft (14) is too young to take on the role, so she’s left to choose between Dawnfreckle (58), Archdapple (50), and Skipneedle (50). Bluestripe (50), isn’t an option as she’s not proven yet. Creekstar lands on Skipneedle.  Despite her reservations about having a lot of dark-cursed cats in the Clan, it feels right to have two dark-cursed cats at ElementClan’s head.  And Skipneedle, despite being younger, is a bit more mature than Dawnfreckle.  It’s a proud and celebratory moment for the Clan.  However, the mood is dampened when, a quarter moon later, a gang of rogues attacks the camp.  Rubbleheart (71) and Tumbleswoop (64) are on guard duty together.  They’re the first casualties.  The rogues seemed to know what they were doing and headed straight for the Healer’s den.  Hopedawn (64) and Archdapple, who were both too ill to fight, were killed before Hollypaw (14) formed a wall of thorns around the other cats in the den.  But the rogues killed him too.  Stonetuft saw his brother fall and lunged into battle, but even the might of a star-blessed cat wasn’t enough to save him and he, too, died.  Rootwing (42), despite being a mediator, did his best to fight off the rogues.  But he couldn’t do enough and he was killed, alongside Lilacdrizzle (42).  The rogues went for Brightmouse (50) next, seeing that she was the most powerful cat in the Clan, but a grieving Bluestripe leaped in front of her sister and drained the life from her attackers, earning her the proven status.  By the end of the battle, ElementClan won, but not without also losing Hyacinthstripe (20) and Blizzardback (38).  Creekstar wonders what she is doing wrong.  The Clan has known so much loss under her.  How can she fix it?  Should she just give up, and retire like Primcrest did?  Why must her Clan suffer?  Skipneedle, Brightmouse, and Bluestripe are back down to being the terrible triad instead of the fearsome foursome.  They managed without Archdapple when she was captured by twolegs, but there was the hope that she would return.  Now, she’s gone for good.  Skipneedle helps Primcrest bury Archdapple, carrying her sister’s body even as her weak leg threatens to give out.  Kestrelcreek (64) mourns the loss of the rest of her siblings and hopes that Tumbleswoop and Hopedawn are safe and happy in StarClan, reunited with their mother and sisters.  Hatchswipe (20) and Whorlstorm (20) mourn their father and brother, staying up all night at their vigils.  Primcrest curls around Dawnfreckle, glad that at least one of her sons is still alive.  She tells a story about how she and Rubbleheart bonded at his vigil, laughing through her tears.  She’ll miss him, but is glad that he gets to be with Cypressbadger.