#thicketclan

Prance had been having strange dreams, and as some of the wisest cats at the Station, Lavender and Snapdragon had been the first cats he had told.

"Yes…I… I think the dreams are gonna come to an end soon."

Prance sat down on a mat by the couch, ears flattened slightly in worry. 

He had started having dreams of a forest. Of a strange cat who called themselves Oakfire. Of how there was apparently real estate in the forest to the north of here, for a group of cats to take up the life of a Clan.

At first he dismissed the dreams as…dreams. Obviously they didn't mean anything. And yet, Oakfire found their way back into Prance's dreams, night after night after night.

After three instances of this, he had come to Lavender for help.

And Lavender had helped. So much.

The older Tom had been so kind, so understanding. He had asked Prance to talk about his dreams, what this Oakfire said. And not once did Lavender dismiss his dreams as silly. As mere fantasy. But he had listened. Truly and genuinely listened.

Prance had always been a nervous cat. But he would come by every morning after a dream, telling Lavender about a tidbit of clan life. The code, the way the warriors were named, their lifestyle… and how Oakfire had INSISTED that some few chosen cats should head north and go establish a Clan in a thicket somewhere…

"Well, Prance?" Lavender purred, tail swishing. "What did Oakfire have to say this time?"

"..." Prance shifted his paws, head bowed slightly. He met the older cat's level gaze with a nervous, furrowed brow. "...I…I was told that…"

"Yes?"

"That we… we should leave before it's too late."

"....Elaborate." Lavender did not like the way Prance was dancing around the issue. "Did Oakfire say that specifically?"

"Yes. He… He said that Twolegs-"

"Humans?"

"Yeah, them. They're… they're coming to… to tear the Station down."

The cream and ginger tom would finally sit up and pay attention, after having pointedly ignoring Prance since he came in.

Lavender sat still, ear flicking as he seemed to think… "...Did Oakfire… give us a timeframe? When will it be too late?"

"I…I think he said 'Before Greenleaf ends…we need to be gone.' I…I THINK that means summer? I really don't know, but…" the brown tom would look up to the now pacing Lavender nervously. "What… What are we going to do…?"

"We leave."

"What?!" Snapdragon, the eldest tom, would jump off the couch, bristling. "You can't be serious?!"

"I am QUITE serious." Lavender would reply, eyes flicking to Snapdragon. "Inform your mate, Snapdragon. We shall leave as soon as we can get an appropriate party gathered."

"You don't really believe this stupid kit's mousebrained dreams?!" Snapdragon would snarl, fur bristling as he swept a paw toward the now balking Prance. "You would abandon this safe haven on the off chance that this clan thing is legitimate?!"

"I can and I will, Snapdragon." Lavender did not move an inch, staring down his nose at the older cat. "You are more than welcome to not join us, old friend. But your skills would be sorely needed if we are to survive out there."

"Mouse dung, you're crazier than a half rabid fox…" Snapdragon groaned, rubbing a paw over his muzzle. "...Fine! But Lilia is going to throw a fucking fit. There's no way she'll agree to take the kits out into those godforsaken woods."

"Then steal them." Lavender would say, as if it were the easiest choice in the world. He turned his gaze towards Prance, purring, "Inform the residents that I will be holding a meeting tonight, in the middle of the Station. And advise them all to be there on time."

Prance nodded, ears still flattened from Snapdragon's outburst. "O-Okay… Okay, yeah s-sure!" He turned and immediately ran out of Lavender's den, leaving the two older cats alone.

"...Well." Snapdragon sighed, padding towards the exit. "Might as well get this over with. You better know what you're doing, Lavender. Or else."

"My dear friend, I ALWAYS know what I'm doing." The white and gray tom sat and began to lick and groom his paws. He had to be presentable for the Meeting.

=

Many cats called the Station home. Families, loners, old cats, young cats… so long as no blood was shed, cats were welcomed to live under its rusting beams and rat riddled halls.

Lavender would hop onto a collapsed human structure, something that had formerly held water called a fountain. Cats from everywhere in the main thoroughfare of the Station would be able to hear a speaker from there. And a Speaker could see an attack coming from a mile away.

"Good evening, everyone." He meowed, sitting up straight. The soft mumble and murmur of cat voices slowly died away as he continued. "I am Lavender, as many of you know. And I would normally not call so many of you from your lives but this bears sharing."

A pause.

"I have reason to believe that the Station is in danger."

More mumbling and whispering.

"Now. The Station is old. And it is a Human construct. It cannot last forever. And I have been informed by a reliable source that before summer ends, the Station will be no more!"

The gathered cats would immediately start to yowl and meow in a panic, asking if it was true, if they hadn't seen it coming…

"Yeah, alright, Lavender!"

A gold and yellow long furred she-cat named Mite would approach, hopping up to the ruined fountain's stone railings to sit down. Her tail flicked in irritation, eyes narrowed as she glared at Lavender.

"Mite." Lavender would sneer, tail flicking in annoyance.

"What sources do you have, huh?" She demanded, stomping a paw onto the hard stone… "I ain't seen any humans poking around here as of late! There isn't a single sign that this place is in danger!"

"Ah, none that the likes of you can see." Lavender purred. "You see, I have been having dreams! Visions, yes,  of a place north of here. A vast forest, abundant with prey and shelter. A more natural lifestyle, a place free of the fear of rats and the threat of humans! An ancient civilization of cats who came before us! Who lived with honor! Integrity! No longer scraping the bottom of humanity's barrel, but living as our own free cats!"

There was a lull, with many cats staring up at Lavender as he spoke …

"So it's a lie then?" Another laugh, as a tom came forward. This one, named Lake, was a white tom with black and gray Bengal like markings. He hopped up on the railing, purring in amusement. "Unless you had a reason not to tell us this sort of thing sooner?"

"The dreams started at the end of winter, just as the world was beginning to thaw." Lavender replied coolly, ear flicking in annoyance. "I have only recently been made aware of our dire fates. Surely I wouldn't have held this so close to my chest if it hadn't just been made clear!"

"Cut the dung, Lavender. This sounds like a ploy for you to try and curry favor with the masses, another lunge at leadership!"

A tuxedo colored speckled she-cat would hop up onto the railing, bristling. 

"Burnet." Lavender snorted. "You and your self righteous talk. This has nothing to do with me!"

"And yet here you are talking about how these dreams came to you, filling your head with fluff about hunting out in the wilderness and risking our necks to the predators out there!" Burnet snapped. "The Station has been our home for moons and moons! It will not fail us for another several dozen moons, I can feel it!"

At this point, the cats started to yowl and argue, talking over one another and causing an unholy racket.

"ENOUGH!" Lavender yowled from atop the fountainhead's ruined surface. "Believe me or don't. I care not. But I was told this place was going to be destroyed by the time summer ended. So I am going to leave. In three days time, you are welcome to join me."

Lavender stormed off the stage, heading back to his den and leaving the gathered cats in a state of confused yowling and meowing.

Burnet, Mite and Lake all looked at one another, with Lake chuckling and taking up the vacant fountainhead. "Everyone, please calm down! I know that Lavender talks these sorts of things up, but I can assure you, there is no need to panic. There is no legitimacy to his claims. But should his dreams come to pass, then I promise you that I will gladly help those present relocate." He sat down, tail curled around him. "While I do not believe him, it would be remiss to completely disregard him as a mad prophet. After all, we cannot fathom the minds of humans, and they may very well be coming to demolish our dear home."

"Lake! What are you doing?!" Burnet hissed from her spot. "You're not helping!"

"Ah ah, let me finish." Lake raised a paw. "That is why, I am willing to assist in scouting out further territories for instances such as this. After all, while the station has always been our home, is there truly anything WRONG with finding back up homes for our kits? I personally would find peace of mind knowing that we knew what was out there, as opposed to being forced out without any direction!"

The cats around him murmured and mumbled, discussing his words.

"Very well. Mite, Burnet, you two are very capable, and I would like to request your assistance in this. Please, by all means, gather what cats you decide are worthy, and take them with you to patrol the areas around the station."

Mite would flick her tail in annoyance but nod. "Fine. Anything to get you to stop talking."

Burnet could only mrrp in amusement as she watched Mite stalk away. "Very well, Lake. Shall we meet up outside the station tomorrow?"

"Mm. Yes, yes. That should do nicely. Everyone! Thank you for your patience and allowing us to speak to you on this. I know the idea of leaving this place is one no cat wants to think about. But as untrustworthy as I think Lavender is, he brings up an excellent point. We must be ready for the worst case scenario. For now, I bid you all good night."

=

"Lavender!"

The mostly white tom would pause, turning back towards the voice. Prance would run up to him, panting. 

"Ah, Prance." He would purr, tail flicking playfully. "Did you like that little speech?"

"But…why did you say that the dreams were yours? They're my dreams, Lavender!" He asked, eyes wide as he tried to make sense of the tom's choice. "I…"

"Pfth! Think of it this way, Prance." The older tom paced around the brown tabby. "Who would you believe? A young, impudent tom who barely qualifies as an adult in the eyes of most, or an older, respected member of the colony who only has the colony's best interests at heart? I had to claim the dreams were mine, Prance. YOU couldn't convince geese to fly south for the winter, with how you stutter and stammer. But hey, since you're still needed, I'll make you a deal." Lavender rubbed up against the younger tom, tail swiping under his nose. "In this new mess of a group, you can be my second in command. How's that sound? You can tell me all those cute little dreams, and I'll allow you some say in the way things are run."

"I…" Prance faltered, ears folded back. He was right. Lavender had a much better reputation than he did, as he was just barely out of kithood to most of the cats who lived in the Station. "..." He sighed, turning away. "...Fine. But only because I don't want you leading all these cats out into the wild to die."

StarClan Place: MOONFALLS and MOONCAVERN

A waterfall that flows from a steep cliff into a pool below, Moonfalls is provides the Valley Clans with all of their water sources, which is important to them both territorially and culturally. Just behind the falls is a deep cavern filled with colorful bioluminescent flowers, fungi, and moss that give the falls an eerie backlight at night, especially under the light of the moon. The cave, called Mooncavern, is where medicine cats go to share with StarClan and leaders go to recieve their nine lives. All apprentices are required to make a pilgrimage to this location prior to taking their warrior assessment.

Gathering Spot: LIGHTNING TREE ISLAND

A bit of land carved out by the Valley’s streams and equally accessible to all four Clans, Lightning Tree Island is relatively barren save for soft grasses and sand, some stones and the huge burnt tree that rests a top a hill. The tree, seemingly hit by lightning many seasons ago sometimes releases drops of condensation, giving the appearance of glittering stars in the branches under the full moon. Leaders sit in a high up hollow in the tree and address the Clans below, while deputies sit upon the roots, and medicine cats just at the base of the tree. If StarClan disagrees with happenings at the Gathering, cloudcover over the moon prevents the condensation from sparkling and the Gathering must disperse.

MEADOWCLAN (blue)

MeadowClan makes its home among the rolling hills and fields at the foothills of the mountains. These fields, though very exposed and somewhat vulnerable to the elements, are prey rich and abundant with floral and plant life that are tall and provide the warriors with cover and protection while hunting or patrolling. The Flower Fields are home to lots of mice, which make up MeadowClan’s main source of prey, but skilled hunters frequently venture into the Tallgrass in search of rabbits, snakes, and landbirds, and in particularly desperate times, others may try their luck near the Wooded Pond hunting squirrels or fish, or even venture into Horesplace in search of chickens or rats. Apprentices train in a sandy hollow in the hills, and warriors can often be seen keeping watch of the territory (or sunning themselves) on the large rocks and high hills around the territory, trying to keep the Clan safe from hawks, badgers and foxes, which pose the greatest threat to the cats.

The camp is located in a dip in the hills under the shelter of an unusually large dogwood tree and surrounded by thorny blackberry bushes. Soft grasses flattened by the paws of many warriors cover the camp floor which are frequently littered with flowers both from the bushes and the tree. The leaders den is located in a carved out hollow in the bank behind the roots of the dogwood tree, and the Leader addresses the Clan from atop the roots. The medicine den can be found beneath a stony overhang in the dip of the hills, sheltered from the elements and near the butterfly bush that houses the elders. Warriors make their nests in the bramble bushes that protect the came, and their apprentices reside in the tangles of tall grass just inside the camp. Queens and their kits live in the safe tunnels of an abandoned badger set. MeadowClan has an eye for beauty and often decorates their camp, dens, and each other with flowers and berries.

THICKETCLAN (green)

ThicketClan is located in a densely wooded piece of land with plenty of treecover and undergrowth and the leaf litter underpaw warrants that warriors need to learn to stalk prey and move quietly through the woods as they hunt and patrol. ThicketClan cats usually hunt squirrels, birds, and mice, among the forest floor, and among the trees which ThicketClan cats learn from an early age to climb, sometimes even managing to come across eggs in bird nests, or nests of baby animals in the treetops. The forest has succumb to forest fires a couple times leaving a few areas of the forest burned and ashen, and shockingly good for finding and growing medicinal herbs. The territory also borders a Twoleg Camp, which needs to be monitored, as many cats have been taken from that area, and especially since apprentices train in the nearby fern glade, and the Twoleg rubbish tends to attract bears.

The camp is found in a dense hollow in the woodland trees, and protected by thick undergrowth and ferns. The cats like to sleep in the trees, and in fact, most dens are located in them. The leaders den is in the hollow of a large oak, and they give addresses from a long branch above. The medicine den is located in a clump of ferns in the shelter of a large stump, and warriors sleep in a hollow log. Apprentices sleep under the roots of a tree, and frequently clear the elders den of moss, located in a hollow stump, While queens and kits stay sheltered in ferns surrounding an uprooted tree. because so much of Clan life revolves around the trees, the ThicketClan cats have a deep respect for them and the trees that houses the leader’s den bears the clawmarks of each newly named warrior, the only instance of tree scratching allowed in the camp.

SWAMPCLAN (red)

SwampClan lives in a dense, foggy marshland that seems to get very little direct sunlight giving it a particularly dark feel. For this reason, prey tends to run at most hours of the day, dark or light. As a result of the darkness in the marsh, warriors are adept at maneuvering at night, and in fact much of clan activity is conducted after dark. Because of the marshy terrain, most of the prey in SwampClan is caught in the streams and ponds throughout the territory. The cats tend to eat fish, snakes, frogs, and young waterfowl. SwampClan cats are strong swimmers, and after trudging across muddy territory, many of them appreciate the cleansing effect of a good swim. Apprentices often times on their first day out of camp are expected to swim to their training ground, a muddy hollow in the marsh. As expected, their territory can be quite treacherous, and that cats must be wary of gators, owls, venomous snakes, and the Twolegs that come to fish at the Halfbridge at the edge of their territory.

SwampClan camp was made in the remains of an old lake, dried up by an abandoned beaver damn where the leader has their nest and on top of which Clan addresses are given. The soft sand floor of the clearing is ideal for kits who, once leaving the reed cluster that makes up the the nursery, play in the sand, and learn to swim in shallow dug out pools filled with groundwater. Warriors reside in a den situated under a thick low hanging willow, and apprentices live among a clump of cattails. The medicine cats have a shallow den dug out of the walls of the clearing and it is shielded by a lichen covered log that also serves as the exit from the camp. The elders live safely beneath a cluster of large stones and benefit from the warmth emitted from the rock. The clan values strength, and he bones of large and impressive catches are picked clean and displayed around the edges of the camp.

PEAKCLAN (yellow)

PeakClan cats roam the higher ridges of the stony cliffs of the mountainside. Due to the higher elevation, the cats have significantly less plant life in their territory, and experience slightly harsher, chillier climate than do the rest of the Clans. The rocky outcrops and steep, rolling hills are not home to a variety of prey, so the diet in PeakClan tends to consist of hares, rock dwelling rodents, and large birds that the cats work in large hunting parties to take down. occasionally the cats come across carcasses of animals such as deer or salmon, that can be stripped of meat and taken back to feed the Clan. Because there are so many cliffs and drops, cats must be aware and careful, not to mention skilled at jumping and climbing; apprentices are trained to do this on a large grassy landing, one of the safest places in the territory. Medicine cats in this clan have their work cut out for them, since falls are common, as are large predators like eagles, and wolves, not to mention the large, loud monster that runs along the Silver Thunderpath.