#Sea of Stars / Starclan ftw

[nettleclan-clangen]

[Moon 21, Bonus!] [Lore and a written story below.]

"I'm Flailpaw, the first Nettleclan Wayfinder." Says the young tom, helping Longpaw to his feet. Longpaw feels overwhelmed by everything... but at least these new, strange cats aren't crowding him.

"What's a Wayfinder?" He asks, as Pebblepaw stands close to him.

"I find the dead cats in the waking world and bring them to the Sea." Flailpaw has a big smile on his face as he speaks. "Whether or not they're a clan cat doesn't matter. Everything goes to the Sea. Just depends on the location." Longpaw felt his pelt prickle.

"Is... T-that sounds sinister..." He can't help but say.

"AHAHA- yeah, it's supposed to." Flailpaw's smile grows, all teeth, and nudges the worried Longpaw with his hip.

"You're weird... And a little skinny..." He thinks aloud. Flailpaw shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

"Wow, thanks. I starved to death in the sand caves." Flailpaw shrugs.

"I fell on a rock!" Pebblepaw interjects, happily. Longpaw gives him a worried look.

"Is... that why your face is wet?" Longpaw lifts a paw, to touch his own face as a gesture.

"Mhm! Every Death Wound a cat gets turns into their own little mini-sea! I keep bluegill and catfish in mine. We can find you your own fishies to keep for yours!" Pebblepaw touches the back of Longpaw's head, to which he shivers.

It's wet. He can feel the cold-yet-warmth of Pebblepaw's toe-pads on the surface of his wound, rippling around like a proper body of water. Is that really what he died from!?

"Don't do that, Pebblepaw, he's still fresh." Firestripe finally says, batting away Pebblepaw's intruding hand. "We can worry about all that later... I think he should get some rest. A-and let him adjust to all this... The Sea knows how long it took for me to adjust..." Firestripe lays his fluffy tail on Longpaw's back, and leads him away from pure blue space they were at.

As they moved to a more familiar location, Longpaw recognized it as the beach just outside the clan's camp. He could see Greydrizzle, Meadowshade, Juniperstar, and the rest of the clan huddled around his body. Honeypaw was there, too, leaning on a sobbing Mousepaw. Meadowshade was digging a hole for his body, deep into the sand, with Juniperstar helping.

Longpaw watched, as Firestripe walked over and sat next to Fennelspots. He wrapped his tail around theirs, but they didn't respond. Longpaw hurried over to his siblings, pressing his pelt against Honeypaw's. He shivered, and looked around. There was no wind. Longpaw frowned, but... He wanted to be there, for his siblings, even if it was his own funeral. He watched as Meadowshade and Juniperstar jumped out his grave, and they took his body, and took it down into that sandy hole. Longpaw cringed at seeing his head bust open at the back. He felt ever more aware of his personal ocean as it dripped down his shoulders, uncomfortable.

Meadowshade and Juniperstar, his mom and the clan's leader, began to speak. Remembering the little things, crying, telling everyone how loved Longpaw was. He tucked his head into his chest, feeling warmth as everyone had something to say. Firestripe even muttered what he liked about Longpaw when everyone had finished, leaving the living to bow their heads in mourning.

Longpaw couldn't help but notice Billowspot was staring right at Firestripe.