#echofoot

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

A cursed family

Molespots, Echofoot, and their kits!

Fallendust and Fleetsong are the younger litter, while Wolfburn and Ivytooth are the older one!

Wolf and Ivy were planned, Fallen and Fleet weren't ('happy accidents,' you could say). They were born while their siblings were still apprentices.

While Ivy and Wolf are still very close, Fallen and Fleet are definitely the closest sibling relationship of all of them.

Ivy, when she was still young, didn't want the younger kits around her because it wasn't cool to have babies follow you everywhere. She wanted to be 'grown-up,' basically. Wolfpaw, on the other hand, liked being seen as basically this all-knowing cat to them, and he would tell them everything he learned because he liked that they thought it was so cool that he knew that.

Wolfpaw also occasionally lead his two younger siblings in pranks on Ivy.

This isn't to sound like Ivy wasn't fond of her younger littermates. She was. Twice during her apprenticeship when it was incredibly cold, she snuck into the nursery to lay with their mom and them so that they didn't freeze.

Fun fact! Molespots is the only one that wasn't murdered by Alderstar or Myrtlewing. He was also the mentor of Alderstar.

----

refs by Turukhan

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Better Leader (Sprouting Thorns bonus chapter)

Myrtlewing was a master at keeping his composure. 

If he had to act happy and respectful, he could do it while smiling ear-to-ear or bowing his head as low as the roots beneath the soil, no matter how viciously rage boiled in his lungs or in his limbs, begging him to scream, to slash, to do anything to release the quivering fury that was forced to keep hidden.

But now, as he collected burdock for Aldereyes’s wounds, he felt that wall that he was so good at keeping up began to slip.

He chewed the roots up with sharp bites, and Aldereyes flinched, though didn’t hiss, as he applied the meshy, stinging herbs into the wound on the side of Aldereyes’s neck.

“...and he called me a coward!” Aldereyes went on, claws working in and out of the ground in frustration.

Aldereyes had led a patrol near the Carrion Place, when one of the warriors–Echofoot–apparently got too close, and a group of rats jumped them. It was four cats against six rats, and in the fight, Aldereyes killed two of them.

Everyone else had killed one at most, but that didn’t matter to Aldereyes’s father. As far as Stormstar was concerned, Aldereyes ran away like a coward when a second wave of rats was coming for the group.

Myrtlewing resisted the urge to lash his tail at the memory.

—---------

“You just let them chase you away?” Stormstar had demanded after the patrol informed him of the attack.

“It wasn’t worth the risk,” Aldereyes responded, eyes unable to meet Stormstar’s.

“You don’t think protecting your Clanmates is worth the risk?” Stormstar’s voice had been loud, ringing out throughout the entire camp so not one of their Clanmates were unaware of the lecture. All eyes had been on the two cats–on Aldereyes as he was being yelled at.

“That’s not what I mean–”

“What if the rats kept chasing you?” Stormstar questioned. “You would have led them right to your vulnerable Clanmates. Maplefall is expecting, did you know that? What if they had bitten her? You would be responsible!”

Maplefall, in the watching crowd, gasped.

Aldereyes’s ears flattened. His head was ducked so far, his chin almost met his chest. 

Echofoot stepped forward. “He fought more bravely than any of us,” she told her leader nervously. 

But Stormstar wasn’t convinced. He sniffed disdainfully. “He killed two rats when, by your account, a total of over twenty attacked you. And I am meant to be pleased?” He glared at his son. “You weren’t a hero. You only did what you could without putting yourself in real danger so that no one would question it when you ran away like a kit. I expect more from my son. Get those scratches seen to, then make yourself useful, preferably something that will make up for your cowardice.”

—---------

“That was three days ago,” Myrtlewing responded to his friend, “and I still have to give you herbs for the wounds. Echofoot, Blazepad, and Mossflake were cleared two days ago.” His gaze locked with Aldereyes. “You are NOT a coward.”

Aldereyes’s muscles loosened, relaxing slightly, though his claws continued to work and his teeth clenched together so tightly, Myrtlewing thought that one would snap out and strike him in the eye. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing I do will convince Stormstar of my strength, or bravery, or….or anything that will make him proud of me.” 

“A father like him doesn’t deserve a son like you.”

Aldereyes snarled at nothing. “I do everything for him! I trained from dusk ‘til dawn and even at night, and I still train! I work patrol after patrol, catch more than any other warrior, I win more fights, I’ve been undefeated in training for moons! I’m the best warrior in this Clan, Stars, the best cat! But he still looks at me like I’m–...like he hates to call me his son.”

Myrtlewing couldn’t think of any comforting words, so he decided to speak his feelings. “He’s a vile mange-pelt,” he spat. “He’s probably bitter because he knows that he’s a leader, but his son, a warrior, is twice the cat that he’ll ever be. If anything, he’s the coward,” he went on when Aldereyes didn’t respond. “He goes on and on about fighting and protecting the Clan, but when was the last time he got his own paws dirty?”

Aldereyes bristled. “Because he’s the leader. He could flip a pebble and cats will call him great for it, but I’d have to move a boulder from here to Fourtrees to get a simple ‘good work’ from him.”

Myrtlewing nodded in agreeing anger. “He’s nothing without his title, and he knows it. Everyone knows it. That’s why he calls you a coward,” Myrtlewing realized. “And it’s why he does it in front of everyone–to make himself look better, and to make you look worse, so cats forget that his own son is a better warrior, a better cat, and a better leader than he’ll ever be. He should be proud. The fact that he’s not is on him, not you.”

Aldereyes stared, eyes wide. Then he cleared his throat and looked away. “I’m not a leader.”

Myrtlewing shrugged. “I’d still say you’d make a better one.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. Now, get out before you make the whole den stink!”

==================

@elementaldeityoffood Stormstar hater, he's some more fire for the flames!

[eloquenceandemphasis]

Meet the Writer

Tagged by @progress-in-writing

My phone is not cooperating with me, this has been shockingly hard to get to work.

Rules: Answer 10 questions, write 10 questions, and tag 10 people.

What kind of process do you go through as you write?

Honestly? I don't plan things out at all, I just kinda think of a basic idea, think of some characters, and roll with it.

What are your OCs like?

I feel like they're really unoriginal, but my favorite ones are the ones that hide their pain through humor.

Would you co-write a story with another writer?

I would. Most people don't invite me to collab, but I always think it would be fun. I'm always worried about one person ending up doing more work than the other, though.

What genres would you like to write at some point?

I really want to try some horror, and some more scifi, which I tried with Echofoot and again with Shoot for the Moon and I find it really fun.

Would you ever beta a story for someone?

I would and have!

Have you ever created a language for your WIP(s)? If not, would you?

Yes, Anclivian for my unfinished novel. It originally had more words to it, but I mostly just write it in English and imply that it's, in fact, Anclivian.

Describe your current WIP(s) with one sentence.

"Picnic?" "Picnic." -- SftM

"Hey, maybe he's right after all." -- WTHIAC

Marvel Universe or DC Universe?

Marvel. I like DC fine, especially for TV shows, but I find their movies pretty bad.

Have you ever created a religion for your WIP(s)? If not, would you?

Yes, for the same book I made a language for. It's roughly based off of Greek mythology, but with only four deities.

What was the hardest part of your WIP(s) for you to write?

I'm terrible at beginnings. 'Nuff said.

My questions:

What inspired your current WIP(s)?

Any music you like to listen to while writing?

Preferred writing utensil?

Isn't the Sims 3 great?

Who's your favorite original character?

What's your favorite genre to write in?

Favorite trope?

Have you ever wanted to stop writing?

What influences your writing?

Have you ever completed a NaNoWriMo?

Tags:

@els-writes @bodoramzap @eternalspandex-writing @sashathewriter @alizans @colorwriteblr I ran out of people sorry aksks

[dksartz]

@thegoldenavenger​

re: warrior cat names!  figuring out possible names for all the characters is ..what i spent most of today doing xD oops.

and i added yours to my list bc! i love them heh

(under the readmore bc its...very long bc despite spending hours on it i couldn’t decide on one name so. many name options/ideas for each character!)

edit: added ‘owlclaw’->’owleye’ as a name for fury :D

*tony (ironman, shellhead) -kittypet name: sparky/iron//anthony/tony? --goldenheart(if golden or ginger) --ironheart --emberheart (if red/ginger) --sparrowheart --nightheart (if dark-furred) --bravesong --embermask (referencing ironman mask) --darkstorm --stormflight --skyheart? --shellheart?? --> +star...

*steve (captain america, winghead) --goldenheart (obvs only if its not tony's name) --goldenfur --braveclaw --littlewing (he was small as a kit) --smallfeather --oneleap (one= only child?) --wingheart (bc winghead) --eagleclaw --appleflight (...apple pie) --goldstripe --morningheart --dawnstorm --sunheart --> +star

*nick fury --furywing --furystep --furystrike --badgerstrike --badgerpelt (black/brown+white fur!) --patchclaw --owlstrike --owlpelt --owlclaw --> owleye (lost 1 eye to a badger) --> +star (furystar / badgerstar / patchstar / owlstar..)

*rhodey (war machine) --braveflight --skyheart? --brightfoot --gorseclaw --windtalon --mountainwing --branchfeather --pinefur --larkwing? --eagleflight

*wanda (scarlet witch) --dawnwing --rowanleap --dappleflame --twosong --amberfur --amberwing --dreamsong --flametwist

*pietro (quicksilver) --quicksilver? --quickfoot --quickflight --quickleap --silverleap --stripefur? --lightfoot

*clint (hawkeye) --hawkeye --hawkwing --hawkfur --hawktail --sandbreeze --hawksight --sandfeather

*natasha (black widow) --blackleap --foxheart --nightfur --thorntalon --quietleap --nettleclaw --darkstep --nightstep

*pepper potts (ginger/golden furred) --pepperfur --peppertail --pepperfoot --pepperleaf --poppynose --cherryfoot --cherryfern --pepperflower --flowerfall --goldenfang

*janet (the wasp) --waspwing --wasptail --waspfur --ambertail --larksong --meadowflight --smallwing

*carol (captain marvel) --honeyleap --dapplewing --mothflight --thrushleap --rainwing --sunfeather --lionflight

*sam (falcon) --falconwing --falconclaw --falconbreeze --falconheart --falconleap --airwing --redwing (or redwing is riley, loner/kittypet turned clan cat?) --windleap

*bucky (winter soldier) --winterfang --wintertalon --winterstrike --winterfur --wintersong --barkfur --icetooth --iceleap --smokefrost --froststrike

*thor (loner? turned clan cat?) --thor --thunderstrike --lightningfur --lightningflame --thunderfur --thunderclaw

*obadiah (stane) --foxstripe --darkbelly --smokefall --thrushpelt --briarfang --stormfang --addernose

*yinsen ho (loner? or clan?) --yinsen --skyfoot --echofoot --cricketleap --dapplefur --runningpool --birdwhisper

*helen (japanese bobtail?) -helen --blossomwing --dapplepelt --patchfeather --honeyfur --daisypelt --quailfur --snowsong

*peggy? --bravefur --bravetail --cherrybreeze --brightwing --lionheart --heronflight

*ant-man? --antfur --antclaw --antbriar --bugtail

*pierce (hydra) --goldentalon --adderstrike --foxclaw --owltooth --sandfang --goldenthorn --dustclaw --amberfang --ashfang --clawstrike --bearfur --ambercloud --ratfang --addertail

*red skull? - --redfur --boneface --redface --red skull (think like scourge)

*t'challah (unconnected clan/tribe, like the mountain tribe names?) -- black panther -- night panther -- t'challah -- panther who walks in the night??

*t'chaka? --t'chaka --black panther??? --quiet wisdom??

*maria hill ? --aspenhill --brackenclaw --rabbithill --rabbitfur --tawnyhill --birdtooth

[cavecry]

holy christ ;-;

rest in peace Finchskip you crazy son of a bitch

Bramblepaw1 and Sootpaw ended up with really nice names!

Chesnutpelt’s and Sootsplash’s kits are all boys 💀

Whiskerfur and Brambleblaze are mates, Midgebranch and Sootsplash are mates

Wildpaw’s mentor is Chestnutpelt, Pinepaw’s mentor is Snipspots, and Sorrelpaw’s mentor is Sootsplash

One of Scarlily’s old friends joined! she’s mates with Echofoot now :]

a patrol has an awkward moment with a SnakeClan

Rubblebrook and Acorncall are sharing prey, Palebreeze and Echofoot are depressed, Brokenslip wants to be the next deputy, Scarlily and Chestnutpelt are fighting, and Sootsplash and Echofoot are sharing prey

the adventures of bugclan pt. 4!

the beginning -> x

multiple tragedies strike -> x

rapid growth -> x

welcome to year 3 of bugclan! gonna continue doing moon-by-moon updates, as well as slimming down the number of individual character updates to keep things manageable :]

FINCHSKIP?! great start to year 3 😭 the new deputy is Moonkite

a patrol had a nice conversation with a LakeClan

a patrol brought back a kittypet!

a patrol has an awkward moment with a HalfClan

Heavyeye wants to be next deputy, Tumblebright is thinking about kits, Skipflight and her mama Jinx are fighting >:(, and Poppypaw is depressed

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Tell The Clan (short story)

Myrtlewing could only stare back into Aldereyes’s eyes while his mind searched for the best solution to this surprise predicament. He had considered what he would do if he were ever caught, and the answer was simple, he would kill anyone who saw him. 

But not Aldereyes, the one and only one in the entire Clan that he genuinely cared for. Losing him could very well mean losing part of himself. Meeting Aldereyes’s horrified gaze, repulsed by Myrtlewing, was bad enough. Myrtlewing couldn’t imagine the guilt at having to kill him. 

So he didn’t move, only stood with the blood clinging to his wet chin, its warmth emphasizing how he must look. It was truly amazing how quickly he had gone from excited thrill to cold stillness as Aldereyes and Fallendust crashed through the undergrowth.

Fallendust was another problem, another witness to his crime. She was shouting, calling him horrible things and saying how he would be punished. She didn’t dare near him though, likely too frightened, and obviously waiting for Aldereyes to make the move. 

“We’ll kill you!” she snarled. That was likely true, but he wasn’t afraid, didn’t much care, really, whether he was alive or dead. What he wasn’t okay with was the fact that Aldereyes knew, that he was seeing him for what he truly was and clearly didn’t like it at all.

He didn’t have much time to contemplate this, however, as, with a snap so sudden, Myrtlewing was sure he had imagined it, Aldereyes twisted and stood, biting into Fallendust’s throat while she gasped weakly. He blinked, then blinked again, then a third time, to be safe. His eyes were not deceiving him, and he was sure this wasn’t a fantasy created by his mind. Aldereyes had killed Fallendust.

Was it on Myrtlewing’s behalf?

By the look of even-more-horrified on Aldereyes’s face, he guessed that whatever Aldereyes’s reason, it was subconscious and entirely unplanned. He dropped Fallendust quickly and spat out the remaining blood still pooling in his mouth. Other than the swift kill, his eyes had never left Myrtlewing’s, and they stared, exchanging so many thoughts, yet not knowing at all what they wanted to say or what the other’s next move would be. 

Then Aldereyes shifted, rising as though he had been asleep and just woke up. “Come on,” he said, picking Fallendust up and hauling her onto his back. 

That certainly was a surprise. Myrtlewing blinked a few more times, not moving. Aldereyes could tell, but he had also just killed Fallendust. What was he planning? It was also possible he wasn’t planning at all, that his mind had gone blank and he was operating subconsciously. Would he snap out of it when they got to camp? Would Aldereyes turn on him then?

“Now’s not the time to be useless!” Aldereyes barked, harshly.

Myrtlewing joined him, helping settle Fallendust across his back before he placed Waspheart onto his own. Aldereyes began to march back to camp, and wondering if he should, Myrtlewing followed. There was a chance Aldereyes wasn’t going to tell. Myrtlewing didn’t want to flee if he didn’t need to just yet. 

Aldereyes didn’t talk, didn’t so much as look at Myrtlewing. He kept silent all the way back to camp, expression blank. 

When they entered the camp, Briartalon stopped midway through sending the dawn patrol out to rush over, yowling “what happened?” 

“Fallendust?” Echofoot screeched in dismay. “No! My kit!” She rushed over to Aldereyes, who gently laid their Clanmate onto the grass.

The commotion was enough to wake the rest of the Clan, who came rushing out of their dens, freezing and gasping at the sight of their two dead Clanmates. Gorsedaisy stepped out of the elder’s den only a foot, then with a dark shadow across her features, returned inside.

“What happened?” Stormstar demanded above the cacophony, pushing past the warriors that made a circle around the two bodies. He turned his attention to his son. Myrtlewing did the same, glancing sideways at his golden, red-splattered companion. What did happen? What would he say?

“We were ambushed,” Aldereyes explained, his voice surprisingly clear. But by the look on his face, it wasn’t his mind speaking. No, his mind was hiding right now, away from this situation and everything it meant. He was talking absently, but luckily for the both of them, he was good at it.

“By whom?” Stormstar questioned. “Who sent you out?”

“Windclan,” Aldereyes answered. “Fallendust and I couldn’t sleep, so we left the camp to hunt. We met Myrtlewing gathering herbs, Waspheart was helping him. We decided to patrol together as it would be safer. That’s when they attacked.”

“Could you not protect them?” Stormstar accused. “Your medicine cat has scars to show that he tried, where's yours?” 

Myrtlewing could hardly be thankful that Waspheart’s claw marks now proved his innocence, but he could only hold back a growl as Stormstar glared at his own son. “We were taken by surprise,” Myrtlewing explained. “Fallendust was killed before we had time to even realize we were being attacked. We all fought as hard as we could–as you can see by the blood in his mouth, Aldereyes didn’t hide from the fight–but there were too many of them, and Waspheart was lost as well.”

“But..But he…No!” Owlfang wailed, collapsing against his brother’s supporting shoulder. 

“I’m so sorry,” Aldereyes murmured, staring blankly at the ground. 

“Something must be done about this,” Stormstar decided. “For now, we grieve. Bring Fallendust and Waspheart to the centre of the clearing so that we may honour them with a vigil.” 

Owlfang and Echofoot were the ones to drag them along. Myrtlewing and Aldereyes touched their noses to their fur, then Aldereyes padded away in the direction of the warrior’s den. He didn’t look at Myrtlewing, made no indication that he was even thinking about him. As Myrtlewing began to pad in the direction of his own den, he could only wonder what would happen when Aldereyes returned from his trance.

=============================

--Echofoot is Fallen’s mother, Owl Wasp’s father!

--It does say that Myrtlewing only cares for Alder even though Hoot is also a Clanmate. He does come to care for her deeply as well (thought obviously not as much or in the same way), but right now he barely knows her anymore than their other Clanmates.

[mallowstep]

Ohh some more for fun. More Out There.

Rimesong

Palefrost

Bristleheart

Thriftclaw

Whitesun

Echofoot

Goldenblossom

Glazepelt

(Y'all are welcome to use these names for whatever you desire, however, since they're names I like, they're likely to pop up in things I write, so understand u take that risk if name uniqueness is important to you.)

gimme... 6-10 non-canon warrior names

Like uh. Just names for warriors? Lemme know if u meant something more specific, I'm just gonna list off some names that have been rattling in my brain. I'll try to stick to vaguely canon-y ones. (If you've seen my generator list I tend to get pretty Out There w em.)

Freckledheart (I've mentioned this one many times I just think it's really cute)

Sagetail (is this a canon name? Idk sorry)

Iceshade

Junipercloud

Cloudnose

Berrysong

Pikestream

Dawnlight

Anyway if u were looking for something more specific lemme know these r just. Names that have been Bouncing.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Delivery and Curiosity (short story)

Myrtlewing’s eyes widened as the meaning behind Aldereyes’s words hit him. Then both of their eyes shot open and heads turned toward the fern tunnel as a yowl broke the air. Aldereyes was already racing through while Myrtlewing scrambled to his feet to follow.

In the clearing, Maplefall was crouched by the fresh-kill pile, a vole at her paws and her muzzle wrinkled with pain. Myrtlewing was at her side in a heartbeat, beaten only by Wolfburn, who hopped from one paw to the other, panic sharp with every movement. 

Myrtlewing nudged Maplefall gently but strongly. “Let’s get you to the medicine den.”

“I’m fine!” Maplefall insisted, but she staggered, her fur puffing out. 

She wouldn’t be able to make it through the fern tunnel at this rate. Myrtlewing stirred her instead to the nursery. Wolfburn helped on her other side, his mother, Echofoot, saying soothing words next to him. It was a struggle, but at last they managed to enter the nursery.

They aimed for the nearest nest, but Maplefall was pulling away. “No! That one!” she pointed with a trembling paw to a nest at the far end of the den. It was the freshest of all of them. With no nursing queens, the moss in the nursery had not been replaced. Myrtlewing guessed that they had fixed up one themselves, and had planned to have their kits there. But Maplefall was hardly able to walk. “You can move them there later,” he told her firmly.

Maplefall opened her jaws, likely to argue, but a pained moan escaped her instead. Deciding it wasn’t worth it, she followed them to the closest nest and flopped heavily onto her stomach. 

—-

Purs of mother and father filled the den. Myrtlewing was glad that Wolfburn and Maplefall were so distracted by each other and their new daughter that they didn’t notice the gag Myrtlewing couldn’t help making. Of all of his duties as a medicine cat, helping a birthing queen was by far the most disgusting one.

Echofoot, who had left the den after helping Maplefall settle and waited patiently outside, poked her nose in. “Can I come in?” she asked softly.

Wolfburn looked at Maplefall, who nodded. “Yes!” He answered eagerly.

Echofoot padded in slowly, though by the look of her twitching pelt, she struggled to contain her glee and remain as undisturbing as possible. “How beautiful! Have you two thought of names yet?”

Wolfburn nuzzled Maplefall’s cheek. “Blossomkit and Cherrykit were our top favourites for she-kits.”

“After your parents.” Echofoot blinked warmly at Maplefall. “How sweet.” Grief mingled with the love in her expression. Myrtlewing guessed that she was thinking of her lost daughters. Was this a way to overcome that loss for her, through the kit of her only living son?

Maplefall licked her daughter’s ears. “I like Blossomkit.”

“Blossomkit it is, then,” Myrtlewing spoke up. He leaned forward to inspect the kit, checking over that it was healthy. She was cute, the pinkness of her pads bright as the light of the sunshine shining through the gaps in the leaves above touched them. Her tiny whiskers quivered. It was interesting how endearing Myrtlewing found his Clanmates when they were born, and how quickly that affection left him the moment they were no longer cute.

He looked at the small kit, taking her in, and felt no less warm as he wondered if she would ever bleed beneath his claws. 

He turned from the den, leaving the new parents and grandmother to fawn over the new addition to the Clan, who faced him now, collectively holding their breaths. “One she-kit,” he announced. “Completely healthy!”

The worry overhanging the camp evaporated quickly enough for Myrtlewing to question if it had ever been there, replaced by the cheerful buzzing of warriors chattering about the wonderful event.

Myrtlewing padded past them, stopping in front of Aldereyes. “What you said, are you sure?”

“Yes,” Aldereyes replied with little hesitation. 

“To stop me?”

Aldereyes looked around, his swiveling head clear to anyone who paid attention. He would need to work on his secrecy. “I promise, I won’t get involved. I just need to see it.”

Myrtlewing narrowed his eyes questionably. “..Okay. Three nights from now?”

Aldereyes swallowed. “Yes. That works.”

“Okay.” Myrtlewing looked at him for a while longer. Then Briartalon’s coughing sounded from the medicine den, and he turned and padded away. That was certainly an unexpected change of recent events. Was Aldereyes really not planning on stopping him? If not, why would he come along if he were only going to do nothing? What was he thinking?

=============================

--Myrtle does trust Alder for the most part, but considering how he has acted recently regarding Myrtle’s murder, it’s fair to wonder what the change is about.

--Anyways yeah this chapter features Blossomkit! Idk if she should have been born sooner, but maybe she was a late birth. 

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Some  of Molespots’s Background:

When he was young, he was ambitious and always energized, something his denmate, Echopaw, found endearing. The two fell for each other while still young and remained close throughout their lives. Echofoot was especially helpful when Molespots was recovering from a badger attack.

It had been the first time he was put in charge of a patrol. They were only meant to mark the borders, there wasn't enough of them to fight, but when he scented the badger getting too close to their border, he decided to lead the charge anyway. Thankfully, a member of his patrol was able to find another close by, and the beast was chased off without more injury.

Later that same day, Echofoot had told him how upset she was that he had taken such a stupid risk, and told him that he would have to be more careful from now on, since he was going to be a father. A surprising, yet perfect way to find out.

He loved their second litter just as much as the first, but his grief grew a little more with every fallen life. By the time Alderstar and Myrtlewing were revealed to be murderers and chased off, the only surviving member left in Molespots's family was his great-granddaughter, Silverwhisker.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest residences: Myrtlewing & Alderstar

Myrtlewing

Aliases / Nicknames: Two-headed ghost, Two-headed demon, Demon of the forest, Grinner, The Grinner, Monster, The Pine Forest Butcher(s), The Pine Forest Killer(s), Freak, Myrtle, Oslo, Kittypet, Housecat, Puny, Tumblefeet, Fleabrain

Gender: tom

Family:  Blacksong (mother), Graydusk (uncle)

Other relations: Hickoryskip (mentor)

Clan: Shadowclan

Characteristics: targets based on mood, experiments on victims, often kills alongside partner

Number of Victims: 52

Number of Murders: 51

Murder Method: torture, poisoning, mutilation, blinding

Known Victims: Birchcloud, Blossomtuft, Owlfang, Wolfburn, Fernpaw, Boulderpaw, Waspheart, Mossflake, Pineshade, Maplefall, Pricklepelt, Bluefeather, Stormstar, Ivytooth, Cedarsky, Fleetsong, Echofoot, several unknown loners

Cause of Death: decapitation 

Cautionary Tale: So close as he was to his partner in crime, tales of their acts were told as one cat. Sometimes it was a cat with two heads, other times it was a demon that would morph into both medicine cat and leader. Mothers warn their kits that if they ever hear a cry while wandering the forest at night, don’t go towards it. It’s the sound of victims long past, their voices-- their cries--stolen by the healer and leader to be used as a siren to lure their next prey.

Story:

Myrtlekit was a runt. If he ever forgot about it, the older kits were quick to remind him. They would keep him out of their games, and whenever he begged to play, they would make it torture. When they played moss-ball, they would either hit him directly, or purposefully keep it from him due to his puny size.

His mother was always quick to defend him, sometimes scaring the kits long enough for them to play nicely for a day. It wasn’t anything extreme, but a warrior can always terrify a young kit, especially when those kits shoved her child into the mud.

Myrtlekit didn’t know who his dad was, if they were even Shadowclan, but it didn’t matter much. If he needed a male role model in his life, he had Graydusk, his mother’s brother, who seemed to visit the nursery every day since Myrtlekit had been born, playing with him and Blacksong when the other kits refused. 

Myrtlekit had once thought he would move up in the ‘kit rank’ when a new kit was born, premature and therefore much smaller than Myrtlekit (although now he was already getting bigger). Myrtlekit had pulled all the mean tricks on Fleetkit as were pulled on him. But it didn’t last long, because apparently being one of the bully’s cousin meant Fleetkit was off-limits for teasing, even if he was so puny. It was completely unfair!

When the older kits became apprentices, they laid off Myrtlekit, too focused now with “being the best warrior.” At least, Myrtlekit thought they were, until Owlpaw had wrestled him to the ground for “daring” to scare Fleetkit with a dead spider-- as if Owlpaw hadn’t done the exact same thing to him!

With the closest cats his age training or off-limits, Myrtlekit’s interest in playing dwindled. One night, while awake grumbling, he overheard a patrol arriving. He peaked out of the nursery to see one of them heavily injured. Overwhelmed with interest, he snuck to watch as Hickoryskip, the medicine cat, fixed the wound. 

He leaned forward when the she-cat flinched from Hickoryskip’s touch, or when she grimaced as he applied an herb mixture into her injury. When Hickoryskip had noticed him, he had advised him to go back to Blacksong. Myrtlekit simply responded by announcing his decision to be a medicine cat.

Before he knew it, cats were thanking him! For the smallest things, too! Pulling out a thorn, stopping hiccups. Even Owlpaw had become impressed with his skill. It took awhile for him to memorize things, working night and day, but the only one that needed to know that was Hickoryskip. 

The trips to the Moonstone were boring. He had been excited to meet Starclan in the beginning, but the meetings were always the same. Some shadowy figure shaking their head before turning their back on the apprentice and leaving them in the dark. Sometimes there was the scent of blood. 

Funnily enough, it wasn’t until Myrtlewing was close to earning his full name did he even fully interact with Aldereyes. They were in the nursery together for a short time, but Myrtlekit had been too young to remember, and at the time, Alderkit didn’t much care.

It was when Myrtlewing was healing a wound on Aldereyes’s shoulder. Aldereyes had complained about slipping up in battle and allowing his opponent to give him such a blow. Myrtlewing surprised him by jokingly suggesting he bursts the opponent’s shoulder open on a rock next battle to make it even. He thought all medicine cats were pacifists. 

He found himself talking with the warrior more and more. Apparently no one agreed with such horrific methods of revenge as the healer. Ironic.

One day it clicked. Myrtlewing had talked so often about hurting and killing others, jokes mostly, but he never actually thought about doing it. He got to thinking. He wan an expert in herbs. He knew what could heal, what could kill. What could make them writhe, foam at the mouth, claw at the ground and choke. 

Why not several? Foxglove to stop the heart, hemlock to strain the heart and lungs, and deathberry, just to be sure they die. He stored them at the back of his herb storage, hidden in the crevices.

He tried not to chuckle as he gave Fleetsong the herbs. The tom has arrived for a bellyache. Myrtlewing acted to treat him, hiding small doses of holly berries in his medicine, which would ensure that his bellyache only got worse. Death would be least expected as foulplay that way. A bellyache and death the same day? How about stretching it, making it worse, making their Clanmates ask is he going to be alright? He’s not going to die, is he?

He knew Fleetsong was a good cat. He never seemed to hold Myrtlewing’s old bullying against him. He was only a test, to see if Myrtlewing could really kill someone and live with it. He just happened to be the next cat to walk into his den. But it was funny. Owlfang had tried to protect his little cousin from Myrtlewing so many times. This time, when it actually mattered, he had no idea Myrtlewing had done anything wrong at all.

To answer the question, yes, he could live with it. In fact, he was itching to kill again. But he didn’t want to poison them this time. It wasn’t as.... thrilling. He wanted to claw at their flesh, bite into their throat.... 

But he didn’t want to get caught. 

One night, he saw a chance and took it. He followed elder Bluefeather into the forest. The old cat had gone to the stream for a drink. He was so grey and weak, and so easy to hold down beneath the surface. A horrible accident, everyone thought. But he was really old. He was known to stumble.

But Myrtlewing’s teeth were still free from blood. He hated the feeling. The lack of red-stained teeth, the squirting against his tongue. He had yet to be caught. And so long as his scent wasn’t there, who would suspect him? One stormy dawn, he jumped Waspheart while the tom was hunting on his own, and, with little fighting experience, decided to rip his throat out before the tom could defend himself.

But he was foolish enough to miss that Waspheart had not been hunting on his own. Aldereyes and Fallendust were with him. 

Myrtlewing’s heart had dropped. But before he could flee the scene, Aldereyes turned on Fallendust, snapping her neck quickly. 

The pair stood there, both shocked, neither able to believe what the warrior had just done. Then Aldereyes began to dig into the ground, hissing at Myrtlewing to hurry his tail and help. It seemed the medicine cat had found himself a partner in crime.

Clanmates were going “missing” left and right. Sometimes they were able to set up an “accident,” other times there wasn’t much of a body left to set up. Why yes, Myrtlewing would go to the Moonstone and asks Starclan what was happening. And by that he meant attacking loners in the field. It was great there, so far from Clan territory, from help coming to the rescue. Of course he would need company on such a long journey. Good thing Aldereyes was always willing.

In private, they shared strong laughs when Aldereyes became deputy. It was a position that meant the Clan trusted them so much, that he would one day become leader.

After many moons, their luck had turned for the worst. Perhaps it was their use to killing that made them sloppy, but Alderstar had been caught once while alone. Angered, the Clan chased him from the territory. They had not caught Myrtlewing, let alone knew he had anything to do with it, but the medicine cat left anyway in search of the only cat he considered his friend. His mother and uncle were fine enough, but nothing in comparison. 

But he was too late. He found Alderstar dead beneath a fallen tree, struck down by lightning. Claw marks in the earth showed that it had not been quick. Were his lives taken one after another? Reliving the crushing weight? The bloody coughs? 

Myrtlewing wanted to slaughter every last of their Clanmates. If they hadn’t chased Alderstar out, he would still be alive!

Returning to the territory, he pounced on Fernpaw, the newest apprentice. What did it matter that she was with her mentor? Myrtlewing didn’t care anymore. She was still breathing when her furious mentor chased Myrtlewing into Twolegplace, but her wounds would surely kill her within the day.

Aimlessly wandering the streets, he had been picked up by a Twoleg and given a weird collar. He lived that way for several moons, sleeping on the strange bedding, slashing anyone who tried to pick a fight. 

One day, he slashed the wrong cat. Guess the claw-studded collar should have been a hint. Several more cats with the same look leaped for him. Myrtlewing was fast, he learned to be, but what good is speed when your head is trapped in a metal-twined fence, with a starving dog on the other side?

Alderstar

Aliases / Nicknames: The wicked star, Two-headed Demon, Two-headed ghost, The Pine Forest Butcher(s), The Pine Forest Killer(s), Skunkhead, Ghostbreath, Monster

Gender: tom

Family: Sweettree (mother), Stormstar (father), Hollyclaw (half-sister)

Other relations: Molespots (mentor), Runningcloud (apprentice), Beetleflight (apprentice)

Clan: Shadowclan

Characteristics: experiments on victims, often kills alongside partner

Number of Victims: 48

Number of Murders: 47

Murder Method: torture, mutilation, blinding

Known Victims: Birchcloud, Blossomtuft, Owlfang, Boulderpaw, Waspheart, Mossflake, Pineshade, Maplefall, Pricklepelt, Bluefeather, Ivytooth, Cedarsky, Echofoot, Fallendust, Tanglepaw, several unknown loners

Cause of Death: crushed

Cautionary Tale: So close as he was to his partner in crime, tales of their acts were told as one cat. Sometimes it was a cat with two heads, other times it was a demon that would morph into both medicine cat and leader. Mothers warn their kits that if they ever hear a cry while wandering the forest at night, don’t go towards it. It’s the sound of victims long past, their voices-- their cries--stolen by the healer and leader to be used as a siren to lure their next prey.

Story:

When Alderkit was told that his father was the leader of his Clan, he was overwhelmed with excitement. What an honour! But Stormstar’s visits, rare to begin with, occurred less and less. 

It turned out that Hollykit, older by a couple moons, was the leader’s kit as well, who he had with Shimmerstone– not Sweettree, Alderkit’s mother. 

When Hollykit became Hollypaw and moved out of the nursery, Stormstar’s visits almost stopped altogether, and Alderkit realized it had never been him that he had been visiting. 

But he still had his mother, whose love was more than enough to make up for ten lost fathers. But she had gotten incredibly sick since giving birth to him, and succumbed to illness shortly before he became an apprentice himself.

He had expected at least one word of comfort from his father, but Stormstar only solemnly announced the passing to the Clan, giving sympathy to the now motherless kit as though he were someone else’s problem entirely.

Hollypaw offered to teach him basic moves before he earned his own name. Alderkit was grateful for the distraction, but he knew that Hollypaw didn’t truly care, she was only acting on the wishes of her mother.

Without a parental figure in his life, his only playmates either too busy with training or too young to do anything interesting, and the elders  only ever complaining about ticks or gossiping about Stormstar’s affair, there was nothing for Alderkit to do. 

A couple times he had asked the warriors to play, or maybe train him, but they were either too tired, too busy, or not bothered at all. It came to the point where Alderkit’s favourite hobby was sleeping in the far corner of the nursery. At least in his dreams he could play with his mother.

He supposed he should’ve been happy when he became an apprentice. But the only other trainee was Hollypaw, who was mentored by Stormstar. They trained together constantly. Never once was Alderpaw allowed to do anything with his mentor alone. 

He didn’t want to feel disgusted, but he couldn’t help it. Always seeing Stormstar’s affection for his daughter, the way he praised her, the way he ignored him– except to ridicule.

And when Stormstar ridiculed, Alderpaw’s own mentor never stepped in, never came to his defense. Was he too afraid to argue with the leader? Or did he think that Alderpaw deserved it for daring to not be as advanced in training as the cat that had been an apprentice for two more moons? It felt as though they were playing a trick on him, thinking it would be funny to always have him around the little happy family. 

When Hollyclaw became a warrior, Alderpaw’s mentor expressed relief, claiming how glad he was that he could finally focus all attention on his own apprentice. What a dumb excuse. The leader made him do it? Please! Stormstar hadn’t cared for him since the day he was born. Would he really bother to train with his ‘son?’ Or did he just want to watch as his daughter pummelled the mistake into the earth?

By the time new apprentices were made, Alderpaw was far too old to train with them. He didn’t much care to, either. He could flip those kits off their paws in one move.

Having been desperate to prove himself, Alderpaw got up extra early, went to bed extra late. He trained day and night whether or not there was a mentor there to guide him. Hollyclaw would occasionally help. Their relationship wasn’t the most firm, or even the most comprehensible, but it was a lot nicer working with her when it was just the two siblings.

Now, Aldereyes was one of the strongest and most skilled warriors in his Clan. He received many praises, but they always felt so empty. “Nice catch!” “Nice move!” “Nice dodge!” they were all the same. Sympathies were, too. “You almost had him.” “We’ll get them next time.” “You tried your best.” It was the same thing any cat would say to any Clanmate that made a general mistake or achievement. There was nothing deeper about it.

Perhaps that is why he was so intrigued by the medicine cat, Myrtlewing, when the skinnier tom had suggested slicing his opponent’s shoulder open. It was such a strange thing for a healer to say. Even more, it was a strange thing for anyone to say to Aldereyes. 

Myrtlewing had smiled as he said it, eyes bright while he applied a poultice to the wound on Aldereyes’s shoulder. His tone was light. He was joking. Or…. there was something in his gaze that pulled Aldereyes’s interest ever further. 

Whatever it was, he was joking with Aldereyes. A dark joke, too. He didn’t bother with pleasantries, with being professional even though he and Aldereyes had rarely spoken before. It wasn’t the civil but distant conversations he had with…. maybe everyone else.

Not wanting the good feeling to stop, he quickly agreed, talking about how he would surprise his opponent and push them toward a sharp stone, making sure to chuckle so that Myrtlewing knew that he was joking, too. 

He was disappointed when the medicine cat moved on to the next patient. Several days, almost a moon passed before Aldereyes received another injury. His first thought wasn’t that he was hurt, that he had slipped up, that he should go to the medicine den and heal. His first thought was to go to the medicine den and complain with Myrtlewing, who would surely offer methods of revenge.

Sure enough,  that is what they did. They joked about different ways they could get the new opponent back, and the conversation shifted easily to their lives. Not the “how was your day?” and not the “good hunt?” but the “so did a bee sting your face or do you always look like that in the morning?”

It was good. It was easy. It was real.

Soon enough Aldereyes didn’t bother with an excuse of injury or bellyache. He came to know Myrtlewing’s schedule. He would take a short break mid-day unless an emergency occurred, and during this time it became a habit for Aldereyes to bring him a meal for the pair to share while they talked. And when an emergency prevented this, the second Myrtlewing got a break, he would be the one to bring food to Aldereyes.

It was one of these talks, so ordinary, that Aldereyes spoke for the very first time about how he felt. He spoke about how his mother died when he was young, how his father only cared about his half-sister, about how invisible he always felt for so long. 

Myrtlewing listened patiently, eyes sympathetic. He told Aldereyes that he didn’t know who his father was. Then he went on to say that any cat that abandoned their child should have their throat slit. 

Anyone else would panic. Someone threatening the leader? A medicine cat threatening the leader? A medicine cat saying something so violent?

But Aldereyes was well-used to it by now. He wasn’t offended, either. If Stormstar was just another warrior, would anyone really care about what that old fool had to say? Aldereyes was swift to respond that they would have to take the whole head off if they don’t want him coming back.

The last cat Aldereyes expected Stormstar to choose as his deputy after the previous one retired was himself. And was that pride in Stormstar’s eyes as he announced it as well? His suspicion would shortly be confirmed when Stormstar told him, not Holly, how proud he was of the warrior he had become. 

As if that would change anything!

He accepted the position. Why wouldn’t he? Everyone congratulated him, telling him how right he was for the job, how he was the greatest warrior in the Clan. But the only praise that meant anything was Myrtlewing’s. He could see the pride– real pride, not whatever Stormstar was selling– in his friend’s eye. He could see the genuine twitch in his smile.

When he saw Myrtlewing, standing in the tiny clearing, with Waspheart dangling from his teeth, time froze. Was Myrtlewing, the only cat that ever cared for Aldereyes and the only cat Aldereyes ever cared for– a monster?

Fallendust was hissing beside him, saying how Myrtlewing was a traitor, how he should be brought back before Stormstar and killed. 

Killed… No. Aldereyes couldn’t lose the one Clanmate that meant anything. Not to death, not to anything. Barely thinking, quick as a flash, he sank his own teeth into Fallendust’s throat, refusing to let go as she gurgled against him.

Even Myrtlewing, the murderer, stared in amazment as Aldereyes blindly began to dig. 

How could he do it? He killed an innocent Clanmate! He didn’t say anything to Myrtlewing as they dug their Clanmates, as they washed off in the stream, as they padded back to the camp and to their separate dens. 

It was while Aldereyes laid awake did he begin to wonder: did he care? Should his heart be racing? Should his mind be spiraling? Was it only because he should feel guilty that he believed he was? The next day, while he was assigning patrols– making sure to ask where Waspheart and Fallendust were– Myrtlewing joined him, giving him a plump squirrel, and thanking him for his help ‘collecting herbs.’ 

That was their alibi: Waspheart, Fallendust, and Aldereyes were on a patrol when they ran into Myrtlewing, who needed help carrying catmint. Aldereyes offered, and that’s when they split off from the group. The two hung out all the time at this point, it wasn’t unusual for Aldereyes to help the medicine cat collect herbs or for Myrtlewing to aid the deputy in a hunt.

Looking back at him, Aldereyes realized that he didn’t regret what he did. Aldereyes would kill 1000 of their Clanmates before he let Stormstar–or anyone– touch a hair on Myrtlewing’s shoulders. Sinking his teeth into the squirrel, letting blood lap his tongue just as Fallen’s had, maybe that idea wasn’t so bad.

In private, Myrtlewing admitted to killing other Clanmates before Waspheart. Aldereyes was uplifted that Myrtlewing trusted him so much. Aldereyes admitted worry. What if he was caught? But Myrtlewing calmed him. Who would dare go against their medicine cat and leader?

It was so subtle, but Aldereyes understood better than if he could read Myrtlewing’s mind. They waited a long time for an opportunity to present itself. It finally came when a storm broke out, and Stormstar decided to hunt on his own so that his Clanmates wouldn’t have to. Everyone so busy keeping dens in place or hiding out, no one would notice the two slip away. No one did.

The rock was round, sharpened on one edge. Being the more muscular one, Aldereyes pushed it up the hill. There was a steep drop on the other side. That’s where Stormstar would be. Myrtlewing held the enraged leader down. He was stronger than Aldereyes gave him credit for. No matter how much he kicked and squirmed, his head was held firmly where the rock fell. Their timing was perfect, it cut across Stormstar right where the sharpest part was.

Splitting of bone, the cut-off shriek, the tearing of skin. It all made Aldereyes quiver with energy. Stormstar lay unmoving. His skull was flattened, cut nearly in half on the lower part of his head. His eye popped out, leaking slightly onto his nose– which was technically still attached to his muzzle, at least partly. Through the cut, layers of pink and red and yellow-pink flesh could be seen right down to the cracked bone. His mouth gaped open, twisted, his tongue hanging awkwardly to one side.

Moving to stand over him, Aldereyes couldn’t suppress a hiss, and then a growl. He snarled down at the tom that was supposed to be his father, the one that was supposed to be there for him when Sweettree died, the one that was meant to tell him stories, ruffle his fur, hold him when he cried. It was his fault it had to lead to this. Stormstar needed to know that Aldereyes didn’t regret it at all. 

Myrtlewing sat back through his entire rant, offering silent support.

Alderstar had received his lives. He was glad to see Sweettree again. But she only stared sadly, told him what life she would give him, and turned away. 

 He had only been given six lives. The three left, he was told, were lost with the cats he let die. Ha. Did they think that would make him stop? Six lives was still five more than one. Besides, he never felt so alive and powerful then when he took a life. 

But he got caught up in the thrill. So used to getting away with it, he got sloppy. He overheard Tanglepaw complaining about Myrtlewing, about what a horrible medicine cat he was for not being able to instantly fix his scar. He should’ve known better than to show such disrespect.

He laid the apprentice’s body on the Thunderpath next to a mouse, planning on it looking as though he had run across to chase it, only to get hit by a monster.

But this time, there were multiple witnesses. He tried to fight off the patrol that found him, but they soon overwhelmed him, and he had no choice but to flee until his legs could no longer carry him. 

He lost his Clan, his home, his life. Worse than all of those, he left Myrtlewing behind. Should he go back for him? But then the Clan might realize that Myrtlewing had been working with Alderstar, and who knows if they could make it out alive a second time.

Heart tore from his chest, he wandered an unfamiliar forest, imagining the rest of his life alone. Right as these thoughts crossed his mind, there was a bright flash of light among the dark clouds. It seemed so close. Then a creak sounded overhead, and before Alderstar could run, a large oak fell atop him. 

He tried to drag himself forward, he really did. He couldn’t breath, couldn’t feel his legs. Everything went dark, and then he was there again, trapped, then the darkness came again. He was vaguely aware of an old, familiar scent he couldn’t place, of starry fur wrapping around the exposed part of his body and licking comfortingly at his head.

Then the darkness came for the final time. As Alderstar’s eyes adjusted, he began to notice the trees. He knew where he was. He circled onto the ground, waiting for the day his loyal friend joined him.

Additional information:

--Only Myrtlewing and Alderstar can insult each other. If anyone else dares to (like Tanglepaw), well, you know.

--Common insults are seen in their nicknames.

--It wasn’t Alderstar’s imagination. Myrtlewing really does care deeply for him.

--I didn’t mean to give Alderstar a dumptruck ass.

--Myrtlewing’s kittypet name is Oslo.

--They lived in the old territory.

--It’s cartoony, so obviously their features are more dramatic than they would actually be.

--They might make you think of two characters from a T.V show. I like imagining characters in dark twists, such as being serial killers, and I decided to do just that with warrior-ified T.V characters. Kudos if you can figure out who they’re loosely based on!

[eloquenceandemphasis]

Echofoot

Long ago, Rhea had been a young cadet, one with many mistakes, but not without talent. She had practiced long after her allotted hours, hacking into the database and ‘borrowing’ long retired (or deceased, in many circumstances) echofoot officers’ hours in the simulations.

Not nearly so long ago, when cadets no longer could go to academy (which had burned down years prior), she had taken in a young cadet of her own- Zelia, another with promise. Although Rhea’s eye had been destroyed in a firefight years ago, she was still one of the best in the league, and the fact she had chosen Zelia meant a lot to everyone. But things had gone wrong. Dreadfully so.

When Rhea had gotten the word that Zelia had fallen on her first mission, she had been stricken with grief. Every night, she stayed up, waiting for the cadet that would never return to her training.

The cadet she had felt was like her daughter, though Rhea had never married.

One night, as the echofoot officer watched the moons give way to the blue sun, the whirring of an old flagship caused her to stir from her patient vigil. Rhea had opened the door to see her fallen cadet standing there. She almost wept, though Rhea had never been one to weep. But Zelia looked different. Her once hopeful orange eyes were cold and yellow, and her face looked burnt. She blamed Rhea for her injury, showing her the mark on her shoulder- the mark of a Reath. Zelia indeed had fallen- in a different way than Rhea had ever thought.

As Zelia raised her gun to Rhea’s head, the old echofoot stared directly into her apprentice’s eyes and awaited the death she had avoided for years. But Zelia had stopped, shoved her mentor down, and snarled, “Don’t think you’ll ever see me again. I don’t want to see you.” Rhea watched her fallen daughter march away, and then- she wept. The next morning, Rhea returned to her ship, and began the journey no mentor- no mother- ever wanted to begin.

Her cadet, once her companion, had become her rival. Many times they clashed, and many times Rhea had been fought almost to the point of destruction. Many times, she fantasized about what it would have been like if her Reathed apprentice had stayed by her side. Zelia would have become a hero, instead of a villain. A few times, she wondered what Zelia would have become if Rhea had been the one to fall, as opposed to Zelia. Only once did Rhea wonder what it would have been like if Zelia had died like the hero she thought she was. This time was no different.

The flagship had opened fire on Rhea’s patrolship- once again, Rhea had missed her until it was almost too late. The years hadn’t been kind to the echofoot officer. Rhea had responded with several shots of her own, before sending her small ship into a tailspin. The flagship had followed, but Rhea had miscalculated where they were. She had mistakenly navigated both patrol and flagship into range of the warring race in the land of the dying sun. The flares deactivated her engine, but helped her long broken radio.

“Rhea?” a fearful voice crackled from the speaker. Rhea turned to the radio and slowly, slowly pressed the ‘Transmit’ button.

“Receiving,” she replied softly. “What is it, Zelia?” She could hear her fallen cadet gasp.

“I-I don’t want to die,” Zelia admitted. “After all these years, I’ve finally remembered why I took control of this flagship- to return home to you. To your bad jokes and purple tea.” Rhea could hear the fear in Zelia’s once-again soft voice, but she sounded just as she had the last time she had seen her- years prior, when the young apprentice had left on her first mission.

“I don’t want to die either, Zeals,” Rhea said. “I don’t want you to die. I waited up for you for years to return to me- really you, not Reath-captain.” There came from the radio only static, and Rhea kicked her ship until the engine spluttered on.

The flagship was circling the dying sun’s last survivable planet like a moon. Rhea carefully navigated her patrolship to dock next to it as the endangered race opened fire, shattering multiple compartments open. Zelia was standing at the front of her ship, still attempting to talk into the radio. Rhea pressed the transmit button one final time.

“I’m right here, Zeals,” she said, opening the ship’s door for her cadet.

Zelia cried out over the radio, “Oh, Rhea!” She ran out onto the flagship’s docking area, but stopped just before she opened the door to bridge the two ships. “I’ve wanted to come home for so long.” Rhea nodded painfully and let her apprentice continue, “I’ve been everywhere: Thayr, Yuor, Ahys. For years, I wondered what my purpose in life was- the Reathes made me forget you. When I finally remembered, well- I was angry, but more at myself than you.”

Zelia stopped as the dying race shot her ship once more. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Rhea, I’m so sorry. I did want to see you again. I missed you. Everything you taught me- I remembered it. I even cut my hair to look like yours.” Rhea looked up at her cadet, and indeed, the girl had the short, boyish pixie cut that she had used to sport, though now they both looked ragged.

Despite herself, Rhea remembered what Zelia had said to her the first time she had seen her after those many years: “Don’t expect to see me again.” She turned her head away, hiding her tears. Zelia cried out- she had seen.

“I’m sorry I fell!” she yelled. “I miss you so much! I know you never wanted to see me as a Reath!” Rhea bit her lip as the flagship was fired upon again, and began to break apart and fall to the scorching planet below.

“Rhea! Please!” Zelia begged. “Please help me! I’m- I’m counting on you!” Rhea was struck by the similarities between the girl she had once called a daughter and the girl she had once been. The patrolship’s controls creaked as she inched it closer to the fallen flagship, and her joints creaked as she put on the dusty spacesuit she had used to wear like casual clothes. She floated towards the flagship’s docking area and pulled the door open. Zelia had fortunately thought far enough ahead to retreat to a safe space.

“I’m here, Zeals,” she called out with her creaky voice, before almost being knocked over. ‘Trap!’ she thought in alarm, but it wasn’t a trap. Zelia was burying her head into her mentor’s shoulder. With an uplifted heart, Rhea removed the spacesuit and handed it to the cadet.

“Go home, Zelia,” she ordered her, not unkindly. Zelia cried out in protest.

“I’m not leaving you on this flagship!” she protested. Rhea’s gills flared as the oxygen began leaking out of the compartment.

“You’re going to have to, because I’m not leaving the flagship.”

Zelia was fighting back tears, but all Rhea could notice was that her eyes were once again orange. “Rhea-” she began, but Rhea interrupted her by placing the helmet over her head.

“Make me proud, Zeals.” Zelia shook her head frantically, but didn’t take off the helmet.

“I don’t want to leave you again!” Zelia cried. “I’m so sorry! I was wrong!” Rhea nodded, keeping her eyes on her cadet.

“You were wrong, Zelia,” she said sternly. “But that was in the past. Now go out and make me proud. I’ve cheated death long enough.”

Zelia slowly put on the spacesuit, and hugged her mentor tightly. “Rhea, please,” she tried one more time. Rhea looked at Zelia with a kind look in her glazed eyes.

“I’m so proud of you, Zeals,” she murmured, closing her eyes. Zelia released her mentor’s dying form and fought back tears, before grabbing Rhea again and leaving the flagship.

“If you saved me, I’m gonna save you,” she muttered to the still echofoot officer. Zelia ‘swam’ to the patrolship as fast as she could manage, faster than she ever had managed during her training, and laid her still mentor down on the floor of the ship she had commanded for so long. The echofoot lay perfectly still, and Zelia fought back a cry of grief, before turning to the patrolship controls.

“Want me to take you home?” Rhea offered her, struggling up from her flat position.

[cavecry]

on the one hand, new warriors! on the other hand, dead baby D:

Jump’pelt and Sandyshade are mates, Brokenslip and Webclaw are mates, and i went ahead and made Sootfur and Tumblebright mates

a patrol had a nice conversation with a FlintClan

Palebreeze is developing a crush on Whirlear (too little too late), Moonkite  Webclaw and Scarlily want to be the next deputy, Sharp’poppy Skipflight and Buzzard are depressed, Echofoot thinks he’s going crazy, Tumblebright and Whirlear are watching over the kits, Yellowmouse and Sandyshade are fighting

adventures of bugclan pt. 3

bugclan’s beginning -> x

several tragedies strike -> x

(this thread also happens to coincide with bugclan hitting the two year mark :’] they grow up so fast)

girl. actually i’ve decided this is legend behavior

[cavecry]

holy christ ok

SIlverstorm retired, congrats to Brokenslip’s, Spark’s, and Silverstorm’s litters! Thriftfur and Podstripe are mates

Tawnypaw’s mentor is Chestnutfoot, Mintpaw’s mentor is Skipflight, Lightpaw’s mentor is Boragemoon, and Cheetahpaw’s mentor is Yellowmouse

a patrol scared off an interested kittypet, a patrol successfully crossed a Thunderpath, a patrol convinced a different kittypet to join:

(her mate is Moonleap)

a patrol drove off a fox, leaving Emi with a scar

Rubblebrook Poppyshell Brightacorn and Owen are all acting sus, Jinx is telling scary stories, Echofoot wishes he could visit his bro Sootfur :(, Brokenslip wants to be the next deputy, Sorreldawn is crushing on Lightningflower (girl no), Hickoryrose is gathering deathberries (👀), Podstripe and Barkdapple think they’re going crazy, Moonleap is depressed, Goldfur and Darkswipe are fighting, Yellowkit thinks he saw a StarClan cat in his dream (👀)

adventures of bugclan, pt. 5!

the beginning -> x

tragedies strike -> x

rapid growth -> x

things continue to happen -> x

it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new thread! gonna experiment with queuing reblogs to reduce the amount of spam from me (i have no clue how tumblr’s queue works so wish me luck)

starting off yet another thread with a dead leader and a murder 😭

congrats to Moonstar ig, the new deputy is Midgebranch

allegiances update:

getting long lmao

patrols drove away two different foxes, and patrols had awkward moments with a DoveClan and a BranchClan

Palebreeze and Skipflight want to be the next deputy, Ice is thinking about kits, Sootsplash is acting sus, and Fly thinks they’re going crazy

[cavecry]

D:

a patrol brought back a kittypet!

a patrol encountered a MintClan and had a nice chat :]

Rubblebrook is thinking about love, Finchskip thinks he’s going crazy, Sootfur is helping gather herbs, Echofoot wants to be chosen as the new deputy (you and everyone else buddy), Boragepaw is irritating his mentor (beloved gremlin), Sandypaw and Echofoot are fighting, Jumppaw is depressed, Buzzard is thinking about kits (👀)

adventures of bugclan pt. 3

bugclan’s beginning -> x

several tragedies strike -> x

(this thread also happens to coincide with bugclan hitting the two year mark :’] they grow up so fast)

girl. actually i’ve decided this is legend behavior

[cavecry]

Moonsight’s second litter are apprentices! Thunderpaw’s mentor is Sootfur, Jumppaw’s mentor is Flamecoral (switched from Brindlelotus), and Brokenpaw’s mentor is Ice!

a patrol brought back a loner

Finchskip and Ice want to be chosen as the new deputy (👀), Palebreeze is acting suspicious, Echofoot is visiting the medicine den, Brindlelotus is developing a crush on Spark (😯 infidelity?), Boragepaw and Webpaw are pranking the warriors, Yellowpaw thinks he’s going crazy, and Flickerkit is depressed

adventures of bugclan pt. 3

bugclan’s beginning -> x

several tragedies strike -> x

(this thread also happens to coincide with bugclan hitting the two year mark :’] they grow up so fast)

girl. actually i’ve decided this is legend behavior

[cavecry]

fuck i keep forgetting to switch blogs bc i’m used to tumblr mobile and i forget that desktop doesn’t default to the last blog you used 😭 ignore that everyone

new apprentices! Yellowpaw’s mentor is Palebreeze, Webpaw’s mentor is Scarlily, Skippaw’s mentor is Rubblebrook, and Sandypaw’s mentor is Echofoot!

Rubblebrook is depressed again, Moonkite is scolding Heavypaw who’s eating with Scarlily, Sharp’poppy Brindlelotus and Flamecoral are feeling sassy lmao, Jaggedfur is thinking about loveee ;), and Thunderkit—say it with me!—thinks he’s going crazy!

(big exhale)

adventures of bugclan pt. 3

bugclan’s beginning -> x

several tragedies strike -> x

(this thread also happens to coincide with bugclan hitting the two year mark :’] they grow up so fast)

girl. actually i’ve decided this is legend behavior