#shadowbloom

"We thank you for your service, Shadowbloom. May you have many years of rest in the elder's den."

The Clan cheered Shadowbloom's name, and the old black she-cat bowed her head in thanks.

"There are more matters to get to," Parsleystar announced once the crowd had quieted. "Specklepaw, you are six moons of age. Gingerfleck will be your mentor. He is new to being a warrior, but I expect he will teach you very well."

Specklepaw moved from where she had pressed herself against Hickorymarsh's side and tentatively touched noses with Gingerfleck. Parsleystar waited for them to settle before moving on.

"Barleypaw, you're young. Not yet fully grown. But I have seen you work hard, and I believe you are ready to become a warrior."

Barleypaw stood, surprise flashing across his face, and he stepped forward. Parsleystar leapt down from her perch and stared him in the eyes.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then from this day forth, you shall be known as Barleyclaw. We honor your valor, and welcome you as a full member of ButterflyClan."

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Burdockheart slipped into the nursery, her eyes already locked onto the little scraps of fur at Algaesky's belly.

"Oh, Algaesky, they're beautiful," she breathed, curling around her friend. "What have you named them?"

Algaesky let out a raspy purr, her eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. "Swallowkit, Sparrowkit, Ploverkit, and Cormorantkit. I like the thought of my kits being free as birds."

"Those are beautiful names, and they're wonderful kits. You'll be a perfect mother."

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Burdockheart let out a strangled scream as the fox bit down on her leg. She heard a crunch and felt something break, and her vision whited out. When she could finally see and hear again, Ashpelt and Honeydew had just sent the fox fleeing for the hills, and a she-cat Burdockheart didn't recognize was standing by their side.

"Are you alright?" Honeydew asked, hovering over her with wide, concerned eyes.

"I'm pretty sure my leg is broken, but yes," Burdockheart gritted out. "Who's that?"

"This is Zazu," Ashpelt introduced. "She helped fight off the fox."

"Thank you."

"It was no trouble. Foxes can be difficult to deal with." Zazu shook herself, wincing at the tears in her pelt.

"We have a healer," Burdockheart offered. "They could look at those wounds for you." She started to stand, but collapsed with a yowl of pain. Zazu frowned at her, worry crossing her features.

"I'll go with you if you're offering, but more to make sure you're okay."

"Fine with me," Burdockheart grunted.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Hickorymarsh sat by the river, watching the current drift. The ice was melting, and it was nice to know that the days were getting warmer. It was nice, too, to get away from camp for a bit- it was getting quite loud, now that the Clan was growing.

He didn't feel the pain, not at first. He certainly felt the sensation of his throat being ripped open, but it was a few seconds before the pain caught up to the experience. Hickorymarsh choked on his own blood, his vision swimming as he collapsed.

"I hope you rot in the Dark Forest where you belong," a voice hissed, hot breath in his ear.

Shadowbloom coughed again. Pondfang frowned at her.

"Sorry," she wheezed. "I can't help it. I'd stop-" a coughing fit interrupted her, and it took a moment for her to catch her breath. "...I'd stop if I could."

"I'm pretty sure it's whitecough," Pondfang told her. "Or... maybe greencough? One of those. But probably whitecough." Shadowbloom squinted at him. He shrugged at her. She seemed to accept that this was the best diagnosis she would get and closed her eyes to take a nap.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

A piercing scream woke the camp. Pondfang scrambled out of his den and shoved cats aside to find Sakari, curled around the body of Cloud. Loud, hiccuping sobs came from her mouth as she begged him to wake up.

"Please. Please. You're fine, you're okay, you just have to wake up, Cloud. You just have to wake up and it'll all be okay. Please."

"I think I'm like you," Shadowbloom announced into the empty air. Mintswirl paused in their sorting and squinted at her.

"How so?"

"You know, not a tom, not a she-cat, something... else," she finished, gesturing lamely.

"Oh. Well, do you like being called they? Like... I met Shadowbloom, they're really cool."

"Yeah. But I also like she sometimes."

"Hm. Maybe you're both a she-cat and not at the same time."

Shadowbloom paused. "....Can I do that?"

Mintswirl shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Shadowbloom mulled this over, turning the thought in their mind. "Yes," they decided, nodding with a finality. "That's me. Sometimes a she-cat, but mostly not."

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

"I think I want to retire," Sakari told Parsleystar. The leader stopped and looked up at her, her brow creasing.

"Oh. I can hold a ceremony-"

"No, I don't want one," Sakari inturupted. "I just want to retire. I don't need the Clan to fawn over me."

"It's not fawning. It's thanking you for your service, for your contribution to our community."

"What have I done that needs thanking?" Sakari scoffed. "My son, Cloud, died. I couldn't save Aspenpaw. I have done nothing to contribute."

"You've raised Skyrumble to be a strong warrior," Parsleystar pointed out. "You've hunted and fought for us. What happened with Cloud and Aspenpaw wasn't your fault. It was horrible and tragic, but it wasn't because of you. ButterflyClan will want to thank you, Sakari. I want to thank you."

Sakari let out a long breath. She looked up at the sky, and paused when she saw a kitten-shaped cloud drift across the sun. She watched it for a long time before turning back to Parsleystar. "Okay."

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

"From this day forth, you shall be known as Asphodelfang. We honor your skills in both hunting and fighting, and we welcome you as a full member of ButterflyClan."

Asphodelfang's heart thrummed with pride as the crowd cheered for her. She'd done it. She'd proven her worth, and she'd been made a warrior. She was good enough.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Kitecrash curled over Crabkit's body. He was so small, somehow so much smaller than he'd been in life. She groomed his body, steadfastly ignoring the taste of death staining her tongue, making sure his fur covered the wound that had eventually killed him. She could give him comfort in his death. That much, she could do.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

"Hey!" A voice called. A dark brown tabby sat just over the border, their tail curled around a pair of she-kits. Skyrumble padded closer, Gingerpaw at his tail. "You lot are Clan cats, right? You give shelter to cats who need it?"

"Sometimes. Are you in need of any?"

"Housefolk are cruel sometimes," the tabby said in lieu of an answer. "They'll take my daughters as soon as they're able and send them away. I'd never see them again."

Skyrumble bit back a shocked hiss. "We'll bring you all to camp," he told them. "We'll see what our leader has to say, but I think she'd agree to let you stay for a while at least. She's not one to let kits be seperated from their parents."

"I'm Gingerpaw," the apprentice greeted, crouching in front of the kits. "What's your names?"

"I'm Seed, and this is Pod," the darker of the two kits introduced. "And that's our parent, Honeydew."

"Those are wonderful names!" Gingerpaw purred. Honeydew seemed amused by his antics, and swept their daughters along.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Tumblefern took a step forward towards the crumpled and shivering she-cat, ears twitching curiously.

"Stop!" Mintswirl hissed, their fur spiking. Tumblefern froze in her spot, turning towards Mintswirl with her eyes wide. "She has redcough," Mintswirl explained. "It's very contagious, and very deadly." The she-cat let out a pitiful mewl, followed by a coughing fit that shook her whole body. Mintswirl winced.

Hickorymarsh is practically gasping for air between coughs by the time he finally admits something's wrong.

"I couldn't be sick," He tells Pondfang glumly when, at long last, the coughing fit subsides. "The Clan needs me to be healthy. We need as many healthy warriors as possible."

Pondfang didn't deign to give that a response, instead just giving Hickorymarsh a look that made the tom fold his ears and look away guiltily.

"It's yellowcough, I think," Pondfang said at last. "I can't be sure, of course, but that's what it looks like to me. You've got some yellow gunk coming out of your nose."

"Yellowcough isn't so bad, right?" Hickorymarsh asked hopefully. Pondfang snorted at him, and he looked cowed.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

Pondfang sighed in relief. The swelling in Stormclaw's leg had gone down, and the skin wasn't hot anymore. The tom was sleeping peacefully for once. This was good. This was great, actually. Pondfang had declared Shadowbloom free of whitecough earlier that day. Everything was going wonderfully for now. He could only hope it would stay that way for a while.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

"Algae, if you'd step forward please."

Algae blinked in surprise, and the Clan murmured. They'd expected that Sky would be apprenticed now that he was six moons, but instead Algae was being called up. The black she-cat stepped forward cautiously, meeting Parsleystar's eyes.

"This she-cat has proven that she belongs among us. Should she accept, we will welcome her into our fold. Algae?" Algae's heart quivered. She'd found a home here, where she'd least expected it. She'd learned the ways of Clan life from Lynxfur and Burdockheart, and watched Hickorypaw become Hickorymarsh. She wanted... she wanted to stay here.

"I do," Algae called. Parsleystar's eyes crinkled with joy.

"Then I, Parsleystar, leader of ButterflyClan, the Colony of Survivors, bestow upon you a warrior name. From here on forth, you shall be known as Algaesky."

A purr caught in Algaesky's throat as the cats around her roared her new name.

"Skypaw is now six moons old, and ready to be trained," Parsleystar continued after the Clan had calmed down. "Algaesky, I'm entrusting him to you. I know you will train him well."

A lump formed in Algaesky's throat as she touched noses with an eager Skypaw. To be given a new name, a community, and an apprentice, all within a few minutes... it was almost overwhelming.

"Lastly, Sakari has asked to stay with us. She has requested to keep her name, and I have considered this request carefully and decided to accept it. Sakari, from now on you are a full warrior of ButterflyClan. We welcome you warmly into our fold."

Skypaw scrambled away from Algaesky to chatter excitedly at his mother, and she watched her apprentice go, swelling with pride. Today had been a very, very good day.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

"Hey, Algaesky!" Skypaw called. "There's an old tom over here saying that he's looking for ButterflyClan!"

Algaesky bustled over, concern alight in her eyes. The tom looked quite nervous at the sight of her, but nodded to confirm Skypaw's declaration.

"I'm Minty," he introduced himself. "I have some healing skills, and-"

"Healing skills?" Algaesky interrupted. She turned the concept over in her mind. Pondfang would love to be a warrior again, she knew. And it would mean great things for the Clan to have a medic who- well, who knew how to be a medic.

"I'm pretty sure we have a position for you."

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

"I'll be returning to warrior duties now," Pondfang announced immediately upon meeting Minty. "Good luck."

"At least stick around long enough to teach him the job," Parsleystar told him. "Not the medical job, of course. But the job of caring for Clanmates."

"Look at him," Pondfang scoffed. "He's practically trembling. He doesn't need to learn how to care for anyone. He'll have to learn to boss them around!"

"And you're very good at that, Pondfang. Very bossy. I'm sure you'll be a great mentor." Pondfang didn't seem like he knew whether this was a compliment or not. It could have been both. Parsleystar seemed like the kind of cat to compliment and insult you at the same time.

"I'm going back to being a warrior," Pondfang decided, squinting at her.

"Okay," Parsleystar shrugged.

"...I am."

"I didn't say you weren't."

"Fine! I'll teach him how to be bossy! But I'll be doing my warrior duties, not medic ones." Pondfang grumbled to himself as he rustled away. Parsleystar watched him go with a smug air about her before turning her attention to Minty.

A long-furred black she-cat with cobalt eyes and white chest fur. Formerly called Teacup, Shadowbloom once lived in a barn with a large family. She lost them all in the fire, and didn't know how to live without several others by her side. She made her way to ButterflyClan, where she pled her case and was allowed to join its ranks.

Shadowbloom is protective, warm, and caring. She hates bees and is far, far too accepting of mistreatment. She's working on it.

Shadowbloom is formerly a Loner.

"Hey, Parsleystar!" Tempestroar called. The leader lifted her head and locked her eyes on the loner Tempestroar had brought into the camp. "This is Teacup, she wants to join!"

Parsleystar stood and padded over. The loner eyed her nervously, the tip of her tail twitching.

"Why?" Parsleystar leveled her gaze at Teacup, her tone firm. The loner seemed strong, and not quite young, but young enough. Having her join would mean another mouth to feed, true, which wouldn't be optimal after such a rough few moons, but it also meant another hunter.

"I'm... alone," Teacup confessed. She looked down and folded her ears flat. "I don't like it. I had a big family before the fire, but they all... Anyways, I heard that there's a larger group of cats out here. I can hunt, and I can watch your kits, and I can teach your young ones. I won't ask for anything, and I'll eat last if you ask me to. I just... I need company. I don't know how to be alone."

Parsleystar's heart ached at the words, and she glanced at Tempestroar, who looked somewhat horrified. The leader let out a long sigh.

"Alright. But if you're going to join us, you'll need a name like us." Teacup brightened, hope in her eyes. "How do you feel about the name Shadowbloom?"

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

"Eagle!"

Stormclaw jerked his head up towards the sky, his eyes widening as he saw the great bird circling the camp. ButterflyClan scattered, but with the world as burnt as it was, there weren't many places to hide.

The bird dove, claws outstretched, reaching for-

"Whiskerpaw!" Stormclaw screeched, and he knocked the tiny apprentice aside. Pain nearly whited out his vision as the eagle dug its claws into his side, and his paws scrabbled at the ground in a desperate attempt to keep the bird from dragging him into the sky.

The bird evidently grew tired of his squirming and decided he was too difficult a meal, and he gasped as he suddenly dropped. Stormclaw hit the ground hard and howled in pain as he felt something in his leg snap. His vision was blurry and his ears were ringing, and he knew that Pondfang was beside him and had no idea what to do.