#stonefreckle

As the war with FurledClan continues, it claims its first casualty.  Antlersky (77) was on a patrol and fell into a pit trap set by FurledClan warriors.  It was layered with earth-blessing shaped spikes that impaled her before she had a chance to get out with her air magic.  Brightfalcon (162) is shocked by the loss of her eldest daughter so soon after the loss of her son. She sits vigil that night as grief fills her heart.  In the days to come, Brightfalcon barely stirs from her nest.  Bushmask (129), too, is devastated by the loss of his adoptive daughter.  He worked so hard to earn her affection, and he’s glad for the time they had together. He searches for cats to help but, when no one needs anything from him, he breaks down, wailing uncontrollably and cursing the world that took Antlersky instead of him.  Caterpillarmallow (69) mourns the loss of her mate.  She knew they might not always be together, but she didn’t expect them to be separated so soon.  She visits Antlersky’s grave, bittersweetly recalling all the happy memories they shared.  There is a bright spot amidst all this grief.  Graysong (32) and Yellowcreek (46) have become mates!  Yellowcreek can’t believe he’s so lucky as to have a cat that cares about him as much as Graysong does, and Graysong appreciates Yellowcreek’s help in coping with his brother’s loss.  Now they just have to see what Airclaw (61) and Cressfreckle  (35) think about polycules. . .Peakspots (88) is still recovering from his injury.  But when he’s recovered, he hopes he doesn’t end up going on a patrol with Stonefreckle (102).  For some reason, he’s never been very close with his older foster brother.  Maybe he’s jealous that Stonefreckle got more time with Nightingaletree.  Or maybe they’re just too different to get along.  Speaking of cats not getting along, Gentle (106) feels like Yuccastar (98) has been relegating the powerless cats in the Clan to useless tasks.  He brings this up with her, but the two of them just fight and end up resentful of each other.  Meanwhile, his kits are also having some tension.  Timberfleck (16) is jealous that Midgepurr (16) got to fight in a border skirmish when he didn’t.   He wants to serve his Clan too!  ElementClan seems to be the Clan of the wind-blessed cats, as another former loner named Amethystdapple (46)  has joined the Clan with medium-strength wind powers.  

I have a couple more short stories in the works about some of these characters, so that will probably be the next non moon/sprite related thing you see.

The Clan is in desperate need of good news, and Yellowcreek (49) feels like he has some to deliver.  He’s expecting kits!  But not everyone is thrilled that the dark-cursed clan cat is going to have kits.  What if some of them are dark-cursed?  Will they turn out evil?  He’s almost a senior warrior and he hasn’t proven himself, yet.  Is he evil?  The whispers start again.  Yellowcreek isn’t alone this time, though.  He has Graysong (35), Cressfreckle (38), and Airclaw (64) to rely on.  He can’t help but hope that his kits are earth-blessed though.  It would make their lives a lot easier.  Yuccastar (101) is especially upset over this development. In particular, she's upset about Graysong’s support of Yellowcreek.  Graysong’s one of the most powerful cats in the Clan.  How can he want to see more dark-cursed cats?  Not that they’re thrilled about having three other star-blessed cats in the Clan.  They’ve liked being the only one since Judaschaser died (read-was murdered by her).  Cressfreckle is also upset over the way Yuccastar has been acting towards Yellowcreek lately.  He gets in a disagreement with her and they haven’t been able to make up. With the older cats in the Clan dying, Peakspots (91) has decided to try and make things better with Stonefreckle (105).  He congratulates his brother and Stonefreckle nods back at him.    Faiththrift (43) is also not thrilled about having more star-blessed cats in the Clan.  She heard a rumor that Flightkit (1) was trying to use the status granted by her powers to become an apprentice early.  That’s not how it works, even for star-blessed cats!  Meanwhile, Lilykit (1) idolizes Yuccastar.  She thinks it’s so cool that she has the same powers as her leader!  While on patrol, the Clan finds a kittypet named Fry (29) and his five kits who join the Clan.  Fry himself has a medium strength fire-blessing.  Peakspots is glad to have another fire-blessed cat in the Clan.  One of his kits is fire-blessed as well, although Wildkit’s (5) blessing is a little weaker than his father’s.  And he’s already insecure about it.  Three of the kits have earth-blessings.  There’s Conekit (5), who’s always climbing on things and bossing cats around; Steppekit (5), who’s a sweet, bouncy little girl; and the fittingly named Gardeniakit (5), who would rather spend time alone than with her siblings.  The last kit is a little wind-blessed boy named Lupinekit (5).  He’s so quiet and easy to overlook.  Caterpillarmallow’s (72) not sure what they’ll do with so many Healers.  One of the kits may have to become a warrior instead.

Chervilcry (79) was caught speaking with a cat from another TulipClan, outside of her Mediator duties.  Yuccastar (79) is furious due to their recent war and forbids anyone from being friendly with the other Clans.  ElementClan needs to make a show of strength and independence.  They also welcome Chasingskip (12) as a new warrior, in honor of her observance.  She’s glad to be out of the apprentices’ den, but feels a little bad leaving Moorpaw (12) as the only warrior apprentice.  Chervilcry and Stonefreckle (8) are proud of their kit.  She’s come so far from the boisterous kit she used to be.  She might even be a bit too quiet now. . .Caterpillarmallow (50) wishes that she would get more credit for her efforts in the Healer's den.  She feels like Rosemaryquake (57) ignores just how hard she works, maybe because her powers are so weak.  But she proved her skills during the war while Rosemaryquake was sick, didn’t she!  Darkpetal (139) thinks so, and thanks the Healer for her service. Peakspots (69) is getting tired of his leader’s constant warmongering.  He wishes she would give him a break.

As leaf-bare continues, cats are starting to get sick.  Rosemaryquake (51) and Moorpaw have both come down with greencough.  Thankfully there are a lot of young Healers to pick up the slack.  There are also three new apprentices. The newly named Moorpaw (6) has been apprenticed to Airclaw (36).  Hopefully the bold Airclaw will be able to calm Moorpaw down a little bit. She’s a bit. . .too eager and draws blood on her first training session.  Chervilcry (73) and Stonefreckle’s (77) kits have also been apprenticed!  Stonefreckle gets to mentor Chasingpaw (6) himself, and Bushmask (103) is Sandypaw’s (6) mentor.  Chasingpaw feels like she needs to impress her father and used her wind powers to boost her speed when chasing a rabbit, but missed it anyways, disappointing herself.  Sandypaw is a bit more withdrawn than his sister and is quietly watching Bushmask demonstrate how to hunt. Chervilcry is still grieving the loss of her kit.  And she seems to be taking some of it out on Yellowcreek (21).  She told Peakspots (63) that she saw him hanging around Newtkit right before she died.  Peakspots decides to ask Yellowcreek about why he’s been spending so much time around the kits.  Peakspots’ mother was Dark-Cursed, so he is less distrustful of the young cat than some of his Clanmates.  But Shadestar was also proven and Yellowcreek is not.  Yellowcreek is frustrated that Peakspots, who has been nice to him in the past, is seemingly distrustful of him now.  They’re conversation turns into an argument that Twilightthrush (98) has to break up.  Yellowcreek is so tired of how the cats have been acting around him.  Isn’t there anything he can do to prove himself?  Should he even try?  How is it that Yuccastar (73), who actually killed a cat, is free of any suspicion but he is covered in it?

Despite the Clans’ best efforts, Newtkit (5) couldn’t recover from the eagle's attack.  She died from the claw-wound.  Chervilcry (72) and Stonefreckle (76) mourn the loss of their kit, and the Clan mourns the loss of the first kit in Clan history.  It’s hard on them, going into leaf-bare.  And on the new Healer apprentice.  Graypaw (6) has been apprenticed to Rosemaryquake and the first thing he saw was a kit wasting away in front of him.  Flurrypaw (6) has been apprenticed to Judaschaser (114).  Yuccastar (73) might not like the other star-blessed cat much, but she is the only warrior qualified to train a water-blessed cat.  Chervilcry and Stonefreckle are taking comfort in visiting with their surviving kits.  Chervilcry loves how Chasingkit (5) is always checking in on her, and Stonefreckle loves joking with Sandykit (5).  While on patrol, the Clan finds an adorable little kit named Moorkit (5) and brings her back to camp.  Apparently, she used to belong to another Clan, but that Clan had too many kits in leaf-bare so they abandoned her.  She has a decently strong wind-blessing and is almost old enough to be apprenticed.

Disease continues to spread around the camp.  Bluepaw (8) recovered from whitecough, but now Chervilcry (71)  has it.  And Airclaw (34) has greencough.  What an experience for Bluepaw’s first couple moons as an apprentice.  But she’s doing well.  She’s managed to lift Chervilcry’s spirits after the queen had to be separated from her kits and is helping care for said kits.  Even if her lectures on respecting elders are a little boring.  Stonefreckle (75) has also stepped up and is spending more time in the nursery with his kits.  They love playing with their dad.  Yellowcreek (19) has always been a little jealous of the way that fire-blessed and star-blessed cat’s pelts seem to glow/shine.  He wishes his pelt would only do that instead of emit darkness as well.  Some of his clanmates don’t like him playing with the kits, but the kits love him.  They insist on following him around.  It secretly makes him very happy.

Chervilcry (67) and Stonefreckle’s (71) kits have been born!  There’s Newtkit (0), an insecure little girl who almost made her nest catch on fire; Sandykit (0), a surprisingly quiet little boy who inherited his father’s wind powers; and Chasingkit (0), who makes up for her brother’s silence with noise and by making the bedding in the nursery swirl around in the wind.  Chervilcry and Stonefreckle and thrilled to finally be parents.  Chervilcry doesn’t even care when Newtkit points out a feather that Chasingkit stuck to her face.  Cresskit (4) and Bluekit (4), being the oldest kits in the nursery, have some adjusting to do to get used to their new denmates.  Bluekit is annoyed at Chervilcry for being so loud while kitting (how inconsiderate!), while Cresskit thinks that Sandykit is annoying for not talking to him.  Cresskit gets along better with Brightfalcon’s (131) litter, though.  Speaking of whom, Graykit (1) enjoys being a bit of a mother-hen.  He wants to make sure that Newtkit takes care of herself.  Antlersky (45) is not a huge fan of all the kits around camp.  She’s used to a quiet, kit-free camp, so having a loud kit like Chasingkit around is annoying.  With her sister and her Healer having kits, Yuccastar (67) is feeling a bit lonely.  She kind of wishes Bushmask (88) would have kits with her instead.  She’s not having a hard day because she feels bad about killing Rindlefish.  No. Not at all.  Seeing as the Clan may be in need of a mediator while Chervilcry is in the nursery, Twilightthrush (92) has decided to become one.  She’s had a full life as a warrior and would like to do something else for a change.