#saltspring

Developed a crush on Reefpelt soon after becoming a warrior, but has been rejected by him. Was jealous of Galecrest because they detected romantic interest between them, but was caught offguard when Vinefeather suddenly became Reefpelt's mate instead.

Flirted with many cats but never took any of the relationships very seriously, and wasn't afraid to reject cats who offered to become their mate. They felt adrift in the clan, despite being fairly comfortable in their role as a senior warrior. Their ambition had been largely frustrated by the lack of opportunity the clan provided, and they often daydreamed about a different, more indpendent life.

However, they couldn't help but be dragged back to reality when Frogchirp started making regular appearances nearby. Saltspring had had a brief flirtation with the older warrior in the past, but nothing had ever come of it. At first, Saltspring laughed off the attention. But as jaded as they felt, Frogchirp's demeanor beamed with fresh excitement and nervousness. This gave Saltspring pause, because every cat knew that Frogchirp had been forced into the elders' den by an injury. She should be frustrated, maybe even angry, shouldn't she?

The more Saltspring watched the older shecat, the more intrigued they became. The novelty of her enthusiasm was one thing, but the genuine kindness underneath it was another. Then there was her steadiness, and her goofy sense of humor, and her deep wisdom beyond it. Suddenly, Saltspring's daydreams were taking on a much more domestic tone.

In the middle of imagining Frogchirp gently grooming their pelt in a warm patch of sun, the shecat approached them with a small bundle of beautiful red poppies. Saltspring's mind blurred through her gentle confession of her feelings, overwhelmed with a depth of emotion that surprised them.

When she finished speaking and stared at her paws, as if braced for some kind of reprimand, Saltspring's heart melted. They hurried to assure her that they felt the same, and couldn't help but purr at Frogchirp's elated gasp and promise to be a good mate. They licked her forehead affectionately, finally feeling like a real future was in sight.

Saltspring enjoyed several years of contentment with Frogchirp. Their first litter brought them bittersweet memories after Nacrewhistle's death, with only Hatchbubble left behind for them to dote on. This loss complicated Saltspring's relationship with Frogchirp, as the older shecat began speaking more and more frequently about joining Starclan.

Her acceptance of death scared Saltspring, and their discussions on the topic inevitably became tense. Despite being several years past an acceptable retirement age, Saltspring carried on with their warrior duties in part to prove to Frogchirp that there was still plenty of life left to live.

When Saltspring became pregnant so late in life, Frogchirp's attitude shifted dramatically. But the more she tried to claw back her attachment to the clan, the more stressed she became. Eventually she succumbed to illness, leaving Saltspring to give birth to their two new kits alone. Filled with grief, Saltspring named one of the kits after the first cat he'd ever lost his sibling, Caterpillarpaw. Saltspring finally retired to dedicate themself to raising Caterpillarkit and Puddlekit.

Despite Saltspring's best efforts, they still found themself stretched thin by their needy kits. Puddlepaw died suddenly from illness, and Saltspring was relieved to see Caterpillarheart make it to her warrior ceremony. Between their sibling, Caterpillarpaw, Nacrewhistle, Frogchirp, and now Puddlepaw, it was difficult to see death as anything but a horrible loss.

Through all of these major events, Cloudgrass was a constant presence. She didn't connect well with the kits, but she was always there to listen to Saltspring's concerns and offer them support. After several moons they came to a mutual agreement to become mates, motivated by the desire to make the most out of the life they had left.

This decision took a tragic turn when Saltspring found themself pregnant only a few weeks before illness brought Cloudgrass to Starclan as well. And just before their new kit could be born, Saltspring lost their brother, Wheatflood, as well. It had become very difficult not to imagine all of their loved ones fading before their eyes.

Around the time that Clamkit was born, several other cats were having kits as well. This boom in the clan population meant that many elders took turns watching over the kits while their parents were all busy around camp.

One day, a few elders got together to take the kits out to explore the shoreline. It was meant to be a fun day out, but when several of their charges disappeared the elders had to begin an emergency search. While a few of them went back to inform the missing kits' parents, taking the remaining kits along with them, Saltspring was part of the search party. They didn't have to walk far before terrified mewling led them to the runaway kits.

Saltspring found them huddled together at the edge of a series of slippery boulders. Saltspring yelled at them to get away from the water, but their precarious position became clear when Dappledkit's bobbing head came into view. He clung to the rock, fighting aginst the current, and the other kits were unsuccessfully attempting to pull him back up.

Trying to keep a cool head, Saltspring scrambled up the rocks and ordered the kits to back away. They protested, then screamed and scrambled back to the safety of the beach, and a moment later Saltspring was swept off of their perch by a giant wave. Disoriented, they fought their way to the surface and managed to catch a glimpse of Dappledkit. Saltspring struggled toward him, seized the kit's scruff, and dragged them both up to the rocks. They managed to get him into the waiting paws of the other kits, before another wave knocked them against the sharp surface. Saltspring inhaled water, gave into the dizziness, and found themself in Starclan.

Once they had recovered enough to process what had just happened, they realized that Frogchirp was there with them. Cloudgrass sat a bit farther away, but both of their faces shone with a mixture of concern and pride. Dappledkit had survived. Saltspring couldn't feel the pride himself though, knowing that now Clamkit had been left without either of her parents at such a young age.