medicine cat

MOON 36-37 (Greenleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Maplespot ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Mothmask ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Beamstreak ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Yewpaw: A long-furred speckled golden brown and white tom. Apprentice to Omeletfleck. KITS Clearkit: An unusually spotted ginger tom Pigeonkit: A white and unusually dappled brown she-cat Tadpolekit: A gray smoke and white she-cat As Greenleaf rapidly comes upon the clan, the sun shines upon Splashbumble and she finally has the motivation to get out of her nest again and return to clan activities. She approaches Gillshiver, smiling at the friendly tom. “Gillshiver, why not go on a patrol and explore the territories with me?” she meowed. “I haven’t been out to see everything in moons!” “I’d be happy to,” the tom says, dipping his head politely. “I’m just glad to see you feeling better, Splashbumble.” But Gillshiver suffers Heatstroke, and is confined to the medicine den to heal. Omeletfleck announces that she’s expecting kits, much to the curiosity of the cats of the clan. Meanwhile, Guppyflash goes on patrol with Mantisstar and a couple other cats. Upon the scent of a loner, they find a strange she-cat with a couple kits. Guppyflash hisses, raising his hackles. “I thought I told you I don’t want to see you again,” he said. The she-cat swipes her claws at Guppyflash and he leaps back with a snarl before she turns to leave. “I wonder what that was about,” Mothmask said to Mantisstar. “I don’t know, but it’s not good,” Mantisstar says quietly. - Halffoot is bitten by a snake and dies. Bunnyshade and Omeletfleck are killed by rogues, leaving half the clan’s warriors in grieving over somebody. RImepaw, Guppyflash, and Condorfuzz fall into a deep depression, and even Mantisstar and Splashbumble grieve together. This isn’t helped by the fact SKypatch also gets a mangled tail. But in more positive news, Rimepaw is named Rimeneedle, and becomes a full medicine cat of Mantisclan. It’s hard to celebrate as he is mourning, but he still appreciates being recognized for his achievements.

MOON 35 (Newleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Maplespot ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Mothmask ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Beamstreak ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Yewpaw: A long-furred speckled golden brown and white tom. Apprentice to Omeletfleck. KITS Clearkit: An unusually spotted ginger tom Pigeonkit: A white and unusually dappled brown she-cat Tadpolekit: A gray smoke and white she-cat Mantisstar is seen discussing clan relations with a cat in Cicadaclan by Tuftpaw. Upon seeing a strange cat on the border of MantisClan territory, he bounds forward, puffing up his chest and lashing his tail at the stranger. Mantisstar raises a brow and smiles at her son and says goodbye to the intruder. “What were they talking about?” Tuftpaw asks, flicking his tail. “Were they bothering you?” Mantisstar smiled and shook her head. “No, Tuftpaw. I was trying to better clan relations because of bad omens I’ve received recently.” “Well, I think I managed to scare them off with my strength,” Tuftpaw bragged. “They won’t be bothering us anytime soon.” “Let’s hope not. We don't need their smelly pelts on our territory, do we?” chuckled Mantisstar, Shortly after, Tuftpaw’s warrior ceremony occurs. He is renamed Tuftfog, honored for his good nature. He begins immediately pushing himself into his warrior duties, rarely ever sleeping so he can be as part of as many patrols as possible. “Perhaps you should ease off, Tuftfog,” Omeletfleck suggests one day. “You’re overlooking your health.” “Well, the clan’s not gonna protect itself!” Tuftfog says, raising his head high. “Come on, Omeletfleck. You know that.” And Tuftfog isn’t the only cat in MantisClan going through some changes. A retirement ceremony is held for Bunnyshade. “Bunnyshade, ever since joining the clan, you’ve been an eager warrior and always happy to help. I hope that now you can finally rest and relax in the elder’s den, and I ask StarClan to give you many moons of peace.” But admittedly, Bunnyshade doesn’t find herself all that satisfied in the elder’s den. Sure, she finds it easier on her leg, wounded so many moons ago, but she feels as if she’s missing out on adventures… and personally, she finds Halffoot absolutely intolerable to hang around. Meanwhile, Tawnypaw is badly injured by a dog and receives a runny nose. He is ushered quickly into the medicine den, the clan cats not wanting to lose another valued apprentice after the loss of Yewpaw. Shadeclaw’s curious kits find their way into the den, especially Tadpolekit, and she climbs on top of him. Tawnypaw yelps in discomfort. “Whoops! Sorry,” giggled Tadpolekit, rolling on her back to look over at Tawnypaw. “Why are you in here, Tanwypaw?” “I got hurt,” Tawnypaw groans, still sore. “I have to sit here for a while so I can get better.” “So you can’t climb? Or run? Or play?” Tadpolekit asks. “...No, Tadpolekit. But I’ll play with you all you like if you leave me alone for now.”

MOON 34 (Newleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Maplespot ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Mothmask ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Beamstreak ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Yewpaw: A long-furred speckled golden brown and white tom. Apprentice to Omeletfleck. KITS Clearkit: An unusually spotted ginger tom Pigeonkit: A white and unusually dappled brown she-cat Tadpolekit: A gray smoke and white she-cat Mantisstar heals from her broken bone, and Skypatch recovers from both yellowcough and his sprain. Beampaw grows to a level of experience where Mantisstar feels satisfied with his progress, and she holds a ceremony for him. “Beampaw, I would like to give you your warrior name- Beamstreak. You are known for being an excellent, strong fighter, and I think you should be honored as such.” “Beamstreak! Beamstreak!” cheer the warriors. Beamstreak puffs out his chest with pride at his clan’s cheers, but something stirs deep within him as he looks down at the warriors of his clan. He wonders, even just for a moment, how he’d lead the clan if he was in charge. Would he lead the clan better? But this moon is certainly not all joyous. Yewpaw is on a walk with Dangerstripe and Tawnypaw one day, telling the apprentices stories. Suddenly, Dangerstripe slips on a rock by the rushing water. “Dangerstripe!” yell the apprentices, rushing to figure out what to do. Yewpaw crouches low to the ground, aiming to jump in and save her. “Yewpaw, it’s too dangerous,” hissed Tawnypaw. “I’m going to try to find a branch to reach over for her to claw onto. Don’t-” But it’s too late- Yewpaw selflessly dives into the water to save her, and they are both swept away by the water. Running to follow them, Tawnypaw runs desperately with the current of the water. He looks desperately, thinking he sees an ear or a tail only to see that it’s a rock. He curses under his breath. There was nothing he could do. Shaky and sick to his stomach, Tawnypaw returns alone to MantisClan Camp as fast as his paws can carry him. “Mantisstar!” The apprentice cries. “Something terrible has happened.” “What’s the matter?” Splashbumble asks, raising her head. Oh no, Tawnypaw thought to himself. He had prayed to Starclan he wouldn’t have to give the news to Yewpaw’s mother. “I was on a walk with Yewpaw and Dangerstripe. Dangerstripe fell in a rushing current, and Yewpaw dove in to save her… And… And…” He looked down. “And what?!” Demanded Splashbumble, not wanting to believe it. “They drowned,” choked out Tawnypaw. “I’m… I’m so very sorry. I was going to get a branch to help them claw out, but they were swept away.” Upon hearing the news, Splashbumble let out a loud, mournful yowl. Mantisstar rushed over to her, nuzzling her. The warriors of the clan looked up, horrified as the news spread around camp within a matter of seconds. Omeletfleck hung her head, having lost her first apprentice in less than a moon. “She’s lost her entire litter,” Bunnyshade says softly to Tawnypaw. “She’d lost his sister, and Tawnypaw was the only one in his litter that survived. She’d had all her hopes on him.” Splashbumble remains grief-stricken, settling quietly in the nursery by herself. Lavendergrass comes to visit her soon after Yewpaw’s death.. “Hey, Splash,” he says. “You haven’t left here in days. Talk to me.” “It was so recently he was just a kit in here in my paws,” Splashbumble says. “I can’t just… go on. It’s not possible for me, Lavendergrass.” “Everyone’s worried about you. Can’t you at least come out and eat some prey with us this evening?” “No. It makes me all the more angry that they can just move on with their lives. Especially Skypatch. How can he just… be fine with this? How can he just keep working? Our son is dead.” “He probably is working to distract himself,” explains Lavendergrass. “That’s what I did when I lost Jumppaw.” “Jumppaw wasn’t your daughter,” hissed Splashbumble.Lavendergrass felt a pang of sadness at her words- he knew what it was like to lose his kits. He lost Weedpelt. “Just… Just leave me alone, Lavendergrass.” “Alright. But if you need anything, you have me,” sighed Lavendergrass. “I care about you, Splashbumble.” Mantisstar becomes mates with Guppyflash. The patrol also comes across a she-cat named Shadeclaw, and invite her into the clan. She joins with her three kits. Shadeclaw is a young she-cat, and a good speaker. She’s surprisingly competent despite never being a warrior. Meanwhile, Clearkit is a young tomkit. A polite and gracious kit, he’s a talented moss-ball hunter. His sister, Pigeonkit, is a bossy and know-it-all she-cat who doesn’t enjoy battling and more just likes listening to stories. The youngest of the three kits is Tadpolekit, a mischievous she-kit who’s always climbing, wether it be on rocks, logs, or other cats.

MOON 33 (Newleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Maplespot ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Mothmask ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. Dangerstripe - Gray she-cat with a large dark gray stripe down her back. APPRENTICES Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Tawnypaw; a white and ginger tom. Apprentice to Condorfuzz. Yewpaw: A long-furred speckled golden brown and white tom. Apprentice to Omeletfleck. Rimepaw has a running nose. He works despite Lavendergrass telling him not to due to his own morals. Splashbumble holds a warrior ceremony for Tawnypaw and Yewpaw instead of Mantisstar due to her injuries. “Tawnykit,” begins Splashbumble, “You’ve only just joined Mantisclan, but already show great interest in being a loyal and strong warrior. For this, I would like to give you the name Tawnypaw, and have you train under Condorfuzz. May you train hard.” “I’ll make you proud,” Tawnypaw says. Tawnypaw bounds over to Condorfuzz, and the she-cat touches noses with her new apprentice. Splashbumble turns to Yewpaw, her whiskers twitching excitedly as she regards her son. “And Yewpaw. I’m so excited to see the kind of warrior you’re going to grow up to be and all the great things you’ll do. Please train alongside Omeletfleck, one of the clan’s most experienced fighters.” Omeletfleck is delighted to be selected to train an apprentice, and pads up to Yewpaw with a purr. Splashbumble frequently checks up on Omeletfleck to see how Yewpaw’s training is going, hoping Yewpaw becomes a warrior faster than Mothmask did. Meanwhile, Tawnypaw shows a great interest in learning clan lore and being a helpful warrior. He’s very headstrong, but follows what he believes to be right (wether that complies with the warrior code or not). Condorfuzz is impartial to the warrior code, so she encourages his individualism. “I wonder how that new kit that they found on the border is doing,” Lavendergrass comments one day while sunning himself with the elders. “He’s actually quite helpful,” Dangerstripe meows with approval. “I think he’s real brave for joining a clan like that so young, too. I know how it feels to join a clan, and I don’t think I would’ve had the bravery to do it at his age.”

MOON 32 (LEAFBARE) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Maplespot ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Mothmask ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. Dangerstripe - Gray she-cat with a large dark gray stripe down her back. APPRENTICES Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Skypatch is joking to his clan warriors one day about a recent sprain on his paw, and erupts into a coughing fit- one so concerning that the warriors take him to Lavendergrass for a look. “You’ve got yellowcough,” meows Lavendergrass. “Rimepaw, go looking for some lungwort.” Splashbumble barrels into where Skypatch is quarantined a bit later, flattening her ears. “Skypatch, what’s the matter?” “I’ve got yellowcough,” he mumbles from a respy throat. “What?!” Hisses Splashbumble. “You were watching Yewkit earlier! What if he gets sick!?” “I didn’t feel bad until just this afternoon,” Skypatch responds, flattening his ears. “I don’t know what you expect me to do about it.” “And what do you expect me to do?” Splashbumble demands. “I’m already overworked. I’m trying to run the clan while Mantisstar lies injured in the medicine den, we’re at the brink of war, and now I have to worry about you and try to take care of our kit in hopes he doesn’t get sick too?! You’re no help, Skypatch,” Splashbumble hisses arrogantly. “Splashbumble!” Skypatch yells, but is too sore to follow her out of his small den. “Splashbumble…” In less depressing news, Gillshiver improves and can train again with Tuftpaw. Tuftpaw is ecstatic to continue training with him. “Come on, Gillshiver! I’ve heard Maplepaw’s going to be made into a warrior. I can’t get too far behind her in my progress!” And Maplepaw is indeed promoted to a warrior! She’s named Maplespot and is considered a cat to depend on in the clan. She’s known for her intelligence and composure. “Gee, Maplespot, congratulations,” Rimepaw says, smiling up at her the next evening. “You’ve grown into an amazing warrior.” “And you’re growing into an amazing medicine cat,” Maplespot responds. “I’m in awe of your development as of late. I’d trust you with any injury or illness of mine.” "I hope I can be a warrior soon, too," complains Beampaw. "Skypatch isn't going to be able to help me at all, it seems." A patrol also finds a lone kit- Tawnykit. He's taken in.

MOON 31(Leafbare) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Maplepaw ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Lavendergrass tosses and turns in his nest, having vivid dreams. In his dream, he is by a beautiful, starry lake, and he can’t help but take a moment to marvel at the sight. A familiar pelt brings warmth against his back, and he turns his head to see Weedpelt. His heart overflows, and he buries his head against her. Memories flooded his mind- getting to know her, getting to love her, and losing her and the kits he was going to have with her. “You’re as beautiful as the day you left, Weedpelt… I’m so very sorry.” Weedpelt pulls back, looking into his eyes. “You did nothing wrong, Lavendergrass. You did your best to save me. And our kits.” Catching his breath, Lavendergrass nodded. “...Took you long enough to get here and visit me, you know.” Weedpelt’s eyes were sad, and she nods. “I’m afraid the reason I come to visit you isn’t a good one.” “It’s worth it to see you,” Lavendergrass says. “No, Lavendergrass. I am warning you of a coming war. I don’t know with who or for what reason, but war is coming. Please, stay safe. Keep the clan safe.” “I will do everything to keep them safe,” Lavendergrass responds earnestly. But as he holds her, he feels her fading- fast. “Weedpelt. Weedpelt!” He shouts, to no avail as the stars dim out around him. The warmth of being with Weedpelt again fades, and Lavendergrass is left to think over the prophecy left for him. He rises, shakily, in his nest, “Beware of coming war.” “What?” Mantisstar asks from across the medicine den, still recovering from her dog attack. “It’s news from Weedpelt. Beware of coming war.” Mantisstar frets over this news for most of the day, and she drags herself out into camp to try to get her mind off it. “What’s wrong, Mantisstar?” asks Mothmask. “I’m worrying about our relations with other clans,” confesses Mantisstar. “...Lavendergrass received an unpleasant prophecy.” “I mean, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” “No, Mothmask. Lavendergrass’s messages are never wrong,” she says. “We need to be wary.” "I'll do my best to protect our clan, then," Mothmask meows, dipping his head respectfully.

CATS Rimepaw, Omeletfleck, and Guppyflash Condorfuzz, Mothmask, Maplepaw: Beampaw, Tuftpaw, Dangerstripe

MOON 30(Leafbare) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Maplepaw ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Gillshiver trails through the woods with Tuftpaw, Tuftpaw following faithfully behind in the new fallen snow. But Gillshivcer slips on some rocks and yowls, having dislocated his leg. Lavendergrass takes him into the medicine den, and he settles down next to Mantisstar. It’s not long before Tuftpaw gets impatient waiting for Gillshiver to get better and comes trodding into the medicine den. “I’d like to speak with Lavendergrass, please.” “What’s wrong? Got a cough? Runny nose?” Lavendergrass asks. “No, but can you treat Gillshiver any faster?” he demands. “I’d like to get back to some valuable training time.” Lavendergrass rolls his eyes. “Give him some time, Tuftpaw. It’s not anything I’m doing, the joint has to heal.” “Be patient, Tuftpaw,” groans Mantisstar, still recovering from her wounds. “Then who am I supposed to train with?” demands the little tom. “There’s plenty of warriors without apprentices. Heck, even train with another apprentice and their mentor,” says Mantisstar, sighing. “Come on, son.” Maplepaw comes in later, trotting up to Gillshiver. “Hey dad, are you feeling any better?” “Still sore,” sighs Gillshiver. “Need something?” The she-cat shakes her head, sitting down next to her father. “No. Just figured you’d be lonely.” “That’s sweet, Maplepaw,” Says Gillshiver, nuzzling his daughter. “But you don’t have to worry about me. Me and Mantisstar are keeping each other company.” Maplepaw, Guppyflash, and Bunnyshade go off for a training patrol, but an argument breaks out between Maplepaw and Guppyflash. Maplepaw thinks hunting and providing for the clan should take precedence over patrolling borders, while Guppyflash thinks defense is the highest priority. A fight breaks out between the two of them. “Bunnyshade, am I not correct?!” hisses Guppyflash. “Tell this kit how being a warrior works.” “Look… I’m not… I’m not equipped to lead this patrol,” groans Bunnyshade, overwhelmed. “Can we not just go home?” “Fine,” hisses Guppyflash. Maplepaw looks down, disappointed Bunnyshade let Guppyflash talk down to her. Meanwhile, Tuftpaw convinces Omeletfleck and Mothmask to go on patrol with him. Omeletfleck, delighted at the opportunity to teach a young cat something, is happy to bring him along. While they patrol the borders, they hear desperate screaming and follow the noise to see a twoleg with a bag. Omeletfleck rushes forward and claws at the twoleg, and Tuftpaw follows suit. Dropping the bag aggravatedly and running away, the twoleg leaves. Tuftpaw investigates the bag, and out comes an old gray she-cat. “Thank you so much,” the she-cat coughs. “Could’ve sworn I was a goner.” “Who are you?” Tuftpaw questions. “My name’s Danger Dave. Don’t think that name really fits me, though. I suppose you’re warriors?” she asks. Mothmask raises his brows at the she-cat Danger Dave is ancient, far older than even Halffoot. How had she lived so long? “You can join us, if you like,” Omeletfleck offers. “But maybe Dangerstripe instead of… Er… Danger Dave?” “That fits me way more, I think,” the she-cat purred. “I appreciate your generosity.”

MOON 29(Leaf-fall) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Maplepaw ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Lavendergrass recovers from greencough over the next moon, much to the relief of Rimepaw. “If it wasn’t for you, I likely would have been done for. I can’t thank you enough for gathering those herbs,” says Lavendergrass to Rimepaw. “I think you and I are going to have a spectacular career together, Rimepaw. ” Rimepaw’s honored by the compliment. “Thank you, Lavendergrass… I’m actually really like learning about herbs.” “And you’re very talented with them. I might just keep you around,” he said jokingly. But just then, Tuftpaw bursts in. “Help! Help!” “What’s the matter? Slow down,” Lavendergrass says, leaning forward. “Mom was attacked by a dog! We were out sparring in the forest, and.. and.. She needs help!” yelps Tuftkit. “Mom!” Rimepaw whimpers, beginning to panic. “It’s alright, Rimepaw. Starclan’s given your mother nine lives. We just need to get to her, and fast. Where is she, Tuftpaw?” “Gillshiver’s bringing her back to camp,” he says. Gillshiver drags Mantisstar into camp, and Lavendergrass gets a good look at her. “We’re going to have to keep her in the den with us,” says Lavendergrass. “Get some cobweb for her wounds, Rimepaw.” Rimepaw gets to work, rushing to gather some supplies. They manage to stabilize Mantisstar. “Is Tuftpaw okay…?” She asks when she can finally catch her breath. “Where is he..?” “He’s uninjured,” says Lavendergrass. “Worry about yourself first, Mantisstar.” Meanwhile, tensions rise over petty things between Condorfuzz and Beampaw- Beampaw gathers the softest bedding material for himself, and Condorfuzz snarls at him. “How about you consider your other clanmates?” she hisses. “How about you find your own bedding?” Beampaw says, flattening his ears. “That’s no way to talk to a warrior, kit,” Condorfuzz hisses. “I could have your tail if we were in battle.”

MOON 28 (Leaf-fall) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Maplepaw ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Apprentice to Lavendergrass. Lavendergrass - Condorfuzz - Mouthmask - Maplepaw - Yewkit (switching to present tense pov because I keep accidentally switching in my drafts and it’s frustrating, lol) “You know, it’s a miracle of Starclan that you’re not permanently scarred,” Lavendergrass grumbles to Condorfuzz, looking at her leg. “But your dog bite seems to be healed now. Don’t hurt yourself again.” Rimepaw moves to apply one more poultice to Condorfuzz’s wounds, and she lets out a snarl when he hit a sore spot. He leaps back. “S-Sorry, Condorfuzz.” “Watch it,” groaned the warrior as she limped out of the medicine den. “Thank you guys.” “Looks like Condorfuzz is finally feeling better,” comments Tuftpaw. “Maybe her ego will be taken down a couple notches,” murmurs GIllshiver as he sees Condorfuzz limp across camp. “No need for her to be so bitter to other warriors all the time.” Meanwhile, Skypatch spends his free time watching Yewkit and tending to him. He worries about losing Yewkit like he lost the other kit in his litter, and he pulls Yewkit close, brushing his nose with his tail as he rolls around on the ground. “Hey, guys,” meows Mantisstar, approaching Splashbumble, Skypatch and Yewkit. “How are we doing in here?” “Doing good,” purrs Splashbumble, bumping heads with her friend. “What’s going on?” “Well, I thought you’d be happy to know Mothpaw’s ceremony is tonight,” said Mantisstar. “He’s finally becoming a warrior?” Splashbumble’s eyes gleamed. “I’m so proud, Mantisstar. It’s about time!” Mothpaw is renamed Mothmask and is honored for his composure. But something worrying strikes- Lavendergrass reports feeling unwell, and when Rimepaw wakes up the next morning, Lavendergrass is hissing for him to get out of the medicine den. “What’s wrong, Lavendergrass?” “It’s greencough,” the old medicine cat says, flattening his ears. “And it’s contagious. Please, get out.” "But-" "Out, you fool!" hisses Lavendergrass. "I'm not losing another apprentice!" Backing up anxiously, Rimepaw nods. ”What do I get for you?” “Catmint. And Tansy for you. And pray for me…” Trying to remember what those look like, Rimepaw runs off for a warrior to help him on a patrol for herbs. "Tuftpaw..." Rimepaw whimpers, poking his brother. "Huh? What's up?" Tuftpaw asks. "Can you and Gillshiver... Accompany me for herbs? Please?" He flattens his ears. "Lavendergrass needs help..." "We can ask him," says Tuftpaw. "C'mon." "Sure," Gillshiver answers after the situation is explained to him. "Anything to help Lavendergrass. But I don't know what the herbs look like." "I'll... I'll lead the way," Rimepaw says quietly, praying to Starclan for guidance on getting the right herbs. He returns with catmint, but not tansy.

MOON 27 (leaf-fall) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Maplepaw ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. Tuftpaw ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Rimepaw ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Tuftpaw is Gillshiver’s apprentice. He feels safe with Tuftpaw around. He heard an ugly rumor about Omeletfleck. He’s daring and quick witted. Splashbumble has a litter of two kits, but the female kit dies and the one to survive is a specled white-and-brown tomkit with sage colored eyes. He sticks close to his mother, curling up beside her in the nursery. “You can come in, Skypatch,” Splashbumble calls, holding the tomkit protectively. Skypatch padded up to his mate and put his nose up to his kit. “Where’s the other one?” “We lost her,” said Lavendergrass, answering for Splashbumble. Skypatch hung his head low. “...Oh.” “But look at this one. I just know he’s going to be a strong warrior,” meowed Splashbumble. “Let’s call him Yewkit.” Splashbumble coped relatively well with losing one of her litter, doting on Yewkit, but Skypatch took the loss a lot harder. Meanwhile, Tuftkit and Rimekit were of apprenticing age. Mantisstar called a clan meeting for her sons. “Tuftkit,” she began, “I’ve been so proud watching you grow over the last couple of moons. I am honored to place you with Gillshiver, one of my most experienced warriors. You will now be known as Tuftpaw.” Proudly galloping over to Gillshiver, Tuftpaw touched noses with him and waited for the clan ceremony to end. Meanwhile, Mantisstar continued. “Rimekit, you have chosen a path other than one of a warrior. Therefore, I am proud to place you as the medicine cat apprentice of Lavendergrass. You will be known as Rimepaw.” Lavendergrass stepped forward, approaching the old spotted tom. Rimepaw looked around shyly, and Lavendergrass touched noses to him with a smile. Rimepaw was approached by Maplepaw a week or so later, the pretty young she-cat trotting over. “Hey, Rimepaw. How’s apprenticing going? Haven’t seen you in a while.” She gave a warm smile and sat down beside him.” “Going fine,” he meowed softly. “Thank you for asking.” “Have you gotten to hear anything from StarClan yet?” “No, but Lavendergrass has. He told Splashbumble he received word about expecting new clan members soon,” he shrugged. “Sounds cool,” Maplepaw said. “But I’m sure they’ll talk to you soon. You’re really smart, Rimepaw. Don’t doubt yourself, okay?” Smiling, Rimepaw flattened his ears. “Shucks, Maplepaw. Thanks.” He felt renewed with the compliments of his friend, and then self-doubt hit him. Maplepaw was so calm and comforting- wouldn’t she have been a better medicine cat apprentice. “Of course not,” Lavendergrass said when Rimepaw asked him about it. “Look, you can’t be doubting yourself. We’re going to be cutting that off right now. Jumppaw used to do the exact same thing.” “Jumppaw?” questioned Rimepaw. Lavendergrass turned his head to RImepaw. “Did they never tell you about her? What’re they teaching you kits?” sighed Lavendergrass, sitting beside the apprentice. He felt a pang in his chest of sadness- now that he thought about it, Jumppaw died a year and a half ago. Other clanmates weren’t even really thinking about her anymore, except for him. “...Jumppaw was your predecessor,” Lavendergrass finally explained. “She was so bright and friendly. Cared about her clanmates so much, often noticed things even before I did.” He twitched an ear. “She died of frostbite after collecting herbs with me one bad Leafbare.” “Oh…” RImepaw said quietly. He had big pawprints to follow, it seemed. Tuftpaw, meanwhile, was adjusting to training with Gillshiver. He was a fast learner, and got on quickly with Gillshiver. Gillshiver was impressed with him. “Your clanmates will feel safe with you protecting them in no time,” Gillshiver said, and Tuftpaw puffed out his chest proudly.

MOON 24 (Greenleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Omeletfleck ; A long-furred speckled cream she-cat. ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Maplepaw ; a tortie she-cat with sage eyes. Apprentice to Bunnyshade. Beampaw ; a brown ticked tom with silver eyes. Apprentice to Skypatch. KITS Tuftkit ; a pale ticked tomkit with gold eyes. Rimekit ; a gray and white tabby tom with blue eyes. Maplepaw and Beampaw are promoted to apprentices. “I’d like to call the clan together to assign these promising young cats to their mentors,” meows Mantisstar. “Firstly, Maplekit. From this day on, you will be known as Maplepaw.” Looking across the clearing, Mantisstar called to another cat. “Bunnyshade, I’ve watched you grow to be a loyal warrior and an impressive climber in your time here. I trust you to mentor Maplepaw as your own apprentice.” Mantisstar then looked to Beampaw. “And Beampaw, I would like to assign you to Skypatch. Skypatch is an honorable and resilient warriors, and I know he will train you well.” Too excited to contain himself, Beampaw slammed his nose against Skypatch, so much so that he moved his head back in surprise- but not without a smile and a laugh. “You think Tuftkit will be fine in the nursery without you? Or you think he’ll be bored to death?” Maplepaw asked her brother. “He’ll be fine,” meowed Beampaw. “He’ll be with us next moon anyway.” While patrolling, Maplepaw and Bunnyshade encounter Omeletpelt. “Hey, I’ve been looking for you!” Omeletfleck said, bounding toward Bunnyshade.” “Who’s this?” Questioned Maplepaw, tilting her head to one side. “Why, Omelet! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Bunnyshade said, leaning forward. “I can’t believe it’s you.” “Well, It’s about time you actually acknowledge me. I haven’t seen you in over a year,” the kittypet said. “Anyways, good thing I’ve finally found your territory. I’ve come to audition as a warrior!” she declared. "I've been training ever since you left." “Audition..? Can you do that…?” Whispered Maplepaw. “I mean, we can talk to Mantisstar about it…” Bunnyshade said, tilting her ears back, unsure. Mantisstar approves, and Omeletfleck joins MantisClan, named for her speckled pelt. She proves herself to be shockingly experienced, being a great fighter and climber.

MOON 24 (Greenleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes KITS Maplekit ; a tortie she-cat Beamkit ; a brown ticked win Tuftkit ; a pale ticked tomkit Rimekit ; a gray and white tabby tom Early greenleaf arrived, and with it came some health concerns for the kits. It started with Beamkit getting more scrapes after falling off a tall rock when adult cats refused to play with him. Lavendergrass sighed and patched him up, giving another Mossball. But Rimekit then got fleas. He had to be quarantined in a separate den, and Halffoot agreed to watch him. Unlike Beamkit, Rimekit became very shy and embarrassed about his condition, hiding from other cats. He hid behind Halffoot in his den. Next, Maplekit contracted heat exhaustion from playing too hard in camp from a particularly hot day. Lavendergrass was forced to keep her in the medicine den, and Gillshiver became very worried for his kits. Meanwhile, Condorfuzz relaxed for once with Splashbumble and Gillshiver as they sunned themselves. “Poor Rimekit,” Splashbumble said, grooming herself on a warm rock. “He seems so embarrassed. Won’t even talk to Mantisstar. He hardly talks to anyone anyway” “Poor kid,” Condorfuzz said, showing some softness for once about the little kit. That evening, she poked her head into the elder’s den, Halffoot having left it to eat his dinner. “Hey, Rimekit.” Rimekit didn’t answer, sitting in a corner of the den. “Come on kid, you’re gonna starve in here by yourself.” Whimpering, Rimekit shook his head and backed further against the wall. Condorfuzz sighed. “Okay okay, fine.” She turned to leave, but felt a pang of guilt looking at him one last time. Finally, she came back a moment later with a shrew. “...Here. Eat something,” she said, leaving the den again. Rimekit let out a small meow of thanks. Tuftkit was not taking being the only healthy kit in the nursery well, and found himself terribly bored. He began nagging other cats to play with him, choosing Mantisstar to be his primary victim. But Mantisstar didn’t mind, enjoying her time with her son. Maplekit and Beamkit recovered, and Beamkit was very eager to see his sister return out of the medicine den and be ready to play again. “Maplekit!” Beamkit yelled excitedly. “I’m so glad you’re better!” “I’m glad too,” she meowed. “I saw your scrapes- you were really brave.” “You were really brave too,” responded Beamkit. Splashbumble announces that she’s expecting kits again with Skypatch. “Do you really need to have kits again this early when Mantisstar is still in the nursery?” criticized Halffoot. “It’s a deputy’s duty to be a deputy, not to constantly be looking after kits. Try looking after your clan.” “You have no business saying that when you had kits with an outsider.” “And they grew to be great warriors,” spat Halffoot. Meanwhile, the fleas epidemic spreaded from Rimekit. Guppyflash, Maplekit, Skypatch, and Bunnyshade all got fleas, and the clan separates patrols into the infected and the uninfected. Meanwhile, Mothpaw is kidnapped by twolegs and returns a couple of days later with a lilac bow around his neck. One day when in camp, he hears Guppyflash joking about him to Condorfuzz. “He looks ridiculous,” snickered Guppyflash. “Look at the bow around his neck,” he said as Condorfuz laughed. “I can’t believe him,” chuckled the tortoiseshell. “That’ll take his ego down a couple notches.” Hurt, Condorfuzz let out a low growl to himself and padded away, over to sit with his mother. Condorfuzz went on patrol with Skypatch, being two flea-ridden cats together. But while walking on patrol, they encountered a PearClan cat scent in their territory! Following the scent, they found the cat up a tree. He yowled a warning down at the two of them, and as they turn around, a dog comes barreling down the path and bit Condorfuzz. Terrified, Condor tore away, clawing the dog’s face and took off back toward camp with Skypatch, bringing a bite wound with her. Lavendergrass takes her into the den to heal up.

MOON 23 (Newleaf) Halffoot disappeared after taking a walk in the woods one day, worrying all of the cats in MantisClan. Flattening her ears, Condorfuzz began desperately looking for her father, but his scent just faded off into the woods. Cats began to worry that the elderly tom had died on his walk, when some days later he made his way back to camp, irritated and with an indigo collar around his neck. “Father!” Condorfuzz yelled, bounding over to him. “Where on earth have you been?” “I’ve been to Hell and back,” grunted Halffoot, pulling at the collar around his neck. “Got taken into a Twoleg nest. Can’t get this thing off to save my life. Ridiculous.” Maplekit took a specific interest in Halffoot’s adventures and where he’d been while he was gone. “I didn’t have anyone around to tell me stories,” she said, sitting down sadly in front of him. “Tell me about where you went while you were gone!” Gillshiver came over and picked up Maplekit. “Not now, Maplekit. let him rest. Go back to the nursery, okay?” Sighing, Maplekit toddled back over to her brother and the other kits. “You alright, Halfoot?” Gillshiver asked, sitting beside him. “Yes, just shaken up,” he grunted. “I was worried I’d be stuck with those twolegs and their kits for the rest of my days.” Meanwhile, Skypatch spent some time walking through camp and conversing with his clanmates. He felt something swell up inside him- a desire to be something greater in his clan. Beamkit took a tumble off of a log, hurting one of his paws. Gillshiver took him to Lavendergrass, who set him down to get a good look at him. “So, what’s it like over there in the nursery?” Lavendergrass asked, crushing up a few herbs to put on Beamkit’s scrapes. “Super fun!” Beamkit responded. “Me and Tuftkit play all the time, and dad tells me all sorts of stories. Dad brought us a moss-ball the other day, and we play with it all the time.” “You like moss-ball, huh?” Lavendergrass asked, picking up some moss from his herb supply and gently rolling it over to the kit. Beamkit giggled and batted it back with his uninjured paw, and Lavendergrass couldn’t help but smile. Beamkit reminded him of when he was younger.

MOON 22 (Newleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. ELDERS Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. APPRENTICES Mothpaw ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes KITS Maplekit ; a tortie she-cat Beamkit ; a brown ticked win Tuftkit ; a pale ticked tomkit Rimekit ; a gray and white tabby tom Condorfuzz is no longer sprained. Lavendergrass was out on a stroll one day when he found a maple leaf, and thinking it pretty, decided to keep it as his own. As he was looking for a way to stick it in his fur for decoration, Maplekit ran in. “I brought you some flowers for… for helping cats,” Maplekit said, presenting them to him. Lavendergrass mrrped with a little chuckle. “Well thank you, Maplekit. I’ll be using these to make sure our clan is healthy and strong.” That evening at a clan meeting, he found Maplekit crouching and listening in at a clan meeting despite the fact that she was supposed to be in the nursery. He decided to let her stay and observe- she was being well-behaved, after all. The kits in the nursery’s personalities began to emerge more and more. Tuftkit, for one, was a very clever kit, and boy, did he know it. He was the first to speak up when a question was asked, even if it wasn’t directed at him. He began to develop a friendship with Beamkit, since Beamkit was daring and fun to play with in his eyes. Beamkit, meanwhile, as the oldest kit in the nursery, was rather rebellious. He had a terrible habit of getting himself into trouble, as well. Gillshiver, wanting to be the “fun dad”, had issues punishing him, so it was sometimes left to Mantisstar to scold him. Rimekit, as the youngest kit in the nursery, was very quiet and soft-spoken still- but that didn’t mean he wasn’t talented. He was the stealthiest of the kits in the nursery since he knew how to go unnoticed. Mantisstar found herself fond of both of her sons equally and didn’t understand how other cats could choose a favorite between the two. Finally, Maplekit became more involved with clan discussions. Her interesting fur pattern made it look like she had been sitting with her hind legs and tail in mud, making Tuftkit and Beamkit occasionally tease her about it. Even so, she was the most mature of the kits and found herself wanting to be like an adult warrior despite being so little. She loved hearing Halffoot talk about clan history and talking to Lavendergrass about whatever he was doing that day.

MOON 21 (NEWLEAF) Mantisstar’s kits were born, much to the curiosity of the clan. Tuftkit had long, tufted fur. He has a ticked pelt and gold eyes. Meanwhile, Rimekilt was a more tan/gray color and has a marbled pelt and blue eyes. The kits were obviously not any tom in the clan’s kits, so the clan gossips about whose kits they could be. The two brothers were polar opposites- Tuftkit was a noisy and loud kit, while Rimekit iwas extremely quiet and doesn’t talk to anybody. Tuftkit found much joy in pestering the cats of the clan, namely Halffoot. This made for a very noisy nursery! When Tuftkit wasn’t talking, Gillshiver’s son Beamkit was talking. It caused both Gillshiver and Mantisstar to have some issues sleeping. Meanwhile, Splashbumble held an apprenticeship ceremony for Mothkit. “As my son, I couldn’t be more proud of you,” she mewoed down to the young tom. “I hereby name you Mothpaw, and I assign you to work alongside Guppyflash. I trust him to use his knowledge and passion for the art of being a warrior to teach you well.” “It’s an honor, Splashbumble,” Guppysplash said, puffing out his chest. Mothpaw became a mediator at heart, like his mother. He was quick to make peace, even standing up to Guppyflash or Condorfuzz if the two were arguing. He became rather interested in lore, as well, often sitting with Halffoot and listening to him talk about what life was like when he was a young warrior. Lavendergrass watched Mothpaw interact in the clearing with his mentor with melancholy in his eyes. “What’s the matter, Lavendersplash?” Bunnyshade asked, twirling her tail as she rested in a nest. She was nursing a mangled tail after a tree fell on it. “It’s just not right, Bunnyshade. That should be Jumppaw and I.” “Still thinking about her?” She questioned. “Of course I am. She was so intelligent to be so young. Mantisclan is really, really missing out on a good medicine cat without her around.” “We already have a good medicine cat,” Bunnyshade meowed with a smile. “But I’m old,” Lavendergrass said, walking back to his herbs. “I’m not going to be here forever. I sure hope this new batch of ktis has one with an interest in StarClan.” Speaking of Starclan, Starclan came to MantisStar while she rested with her kits in the nursery one night. Fur bristled the back of her neck and she found herself in a beautiful starry scene, with a familiar face across from her. She almost couldn’t recognize it, squinting at the figure’s shimmering fur. But then it hit her- the cat was unmistakable. “Jumppaw!” The she-cat’s soft voice echoed all around Mantisstar as she opened her mouth to speak. “Hi, Mantisstar. It’s.. It’s very good to see you,” she said with a smile. “Oh, it’s good to see you!” Mantisstar bounded over, nuzzling the she-cat. “We all miss you so much, Jumppaw. Especially Lavendergrass…” Her voice was light and joyful- more joyful than Jumppaw had ever heard it when she was alive. “I.. I bring a message to you from StarClan,” Jumppaw said, pulling back to look Mantisstar in the eyes. “Oh, I never thought to even consider that. Of course that’s why you’re here,” Mantisstar said, a little embarrassed. “Whatever you have for me, Jumppaw, I’ll follow it to the letter.” “It’s good tidings,” meowed Jumppaw. “MantisClan has seen much loss and struggle in recent moons. A trail of light will seep across the camp, starting with the eyes of silver.” Mantisstar thought for a moment, wondering what this could mean. But when she looked back up from her thoughts, Jumppaw was already fading away. “No! Wait! Jumppaw… Jumppaw, come back!” But Jumppaw was gone, and Gillshiver awoke in the nursery. The kits were already crawling all over her, and Gillshiver gingerly picked up Beamkit and Maplekit. “Sorry, Mantisstar. I”m trying to teach them about manners.” “No.. no, it’s fine…” Mantisstar said, still deep in thought about what Jumppaw had said.

MOON 19-20 (LEAFBARE) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. KITS Mothkit ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Skypatch and Guppyflash padded through the territory together, whiskers twitching as they chattered. “Did you hear?” Guppyflash stareted. “Mantisstar’s pregnant.” “Didn’t expect that one,” Skypatch said, flicking his tail. “But yeah, Splashbumble mentioned it to me. I guess she’ll be handling clan duties in the meantime, then. I’m going to be in the nursery watching Mothkit while she works. What’s up with you, though? You’re looking tense.” “Condorfuzz unloaded on me about dad today. She and him are either best of friends, patrolling together, or are constantly fighting. It’s one or the other all the time.” He shrugged. “And then they both complain about the other one to me. Dad was complaining to me the other day, lashing his tail and sharpening his claws. Meanwhile, Condorfuzz talks like she doesn’t want to even be in the same clan as him.” He shrugged. “I don’t get it.” “Parenthood can be stressful,” Skypatch commented. “I’m only just raising Mothkit as a tiny kit and I find myself worn out by him a lot of the time. Splashbumble doesn’t get it. I think you’re the only one I feel relaxed with sometimes.” “Mothkit isn’t half bad,” said Guppyflash. “I’m sure you’ll get along better as he gets bigger.” “Yeah, I sure hope so,” mumbled Skypatch. “If your relationship with your dad is any indicator, I’m not all that optimistic.” Mantisstar moves into the nursery as Newleaf comes into bloom, and Halffoot retires as an elder. Splashbumble holds the ceremony for him. “Your clan honors you and the service you have given us. I call upon Starclan to give you many moons of rest, Halffoot.” The old gray tom dipped his head gratefully. “Thank you, Splashbumble.” Meanwhile, Condorfuzz rested in the medicine den with Lavendergrass tended to her sprained paw. “Thanks,” Conforfuzz mumbled uncomfortably under her breath. She wasn’t used to gentle care from other cats. “It’s my job,” replied Lavendergrass. “Can’t have you limping around camp. Besides, you work pretty hard. I get what it’s like to feel like you don’t get enough credit.” Raising her head proudly, Condorfuzz felt a little bit of happiness in her chest. At least someone appreciated her hard work. But the clan erupted into whispers and chatter as Gillshiver brought two kits into camp! “Gillshiver?” Splashbumble asked questioningly, stepping forward. “What’ve you got there?” “I humbly ask for you to accept these kits into your clan,” Gillshiver said, putting them down. His usually energetic voice was soft and respectful. “Gillshiver, where did they come from?” Splashbumble asked, but Gillshiver’s eyes told her what she needed to know. “Gillshiver, we’ve already got Mantisstar expecting kits, and Mothkit, too. We don’t need half-clan kits.” Her voice was cold. “But Mothkit will be an apprentice soon,” argued Gillshiver. “And I’m sure Mantisstar won’t mind two more kits in the nursery. Please, Splashbumble. Give them a chance.” “...Only because we need more warriors,” Splashbumble said. “But you’re the one that’s going to have to deal with Mantisstar in the nursery.” So Gillshiver took his kits to the nursery. “Mantisstar…” he began. “I discussed it with Splashbumble, but I need to discuss with you too. This is Maplekit and Beamkit. I humbly ask for you to accept them as Mantisclan kits.” Looking at the little kits, Mantisstar took pity on them. “...They can stay, Gillshiver.” Maplekit was a tortie with pretty sage eyes and a sweet disposition. Beamkit looked like a lighter pelted version of his father, with a small ticked pattern and gray eyes. He was daring. Gillshiver found himself favoring his sweet daughter, but he didn’t ever admit it.

She died of Frostbite! My apologies, I forgot to write it. I was super mad, I really liked her and thought she had great potential as a med cat.

MOON 18 (LEAFBARE) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. KITS Mothkit ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Mothkit was growing into a gentle and peaceful kit. He became rather inquisitive, venturing out of the nursery to ask other cats questions aside from just Splashbumble. Condorfuzz, meanwhile, took a long walk on her own one day in the snow. She came back coughing and sneezing, and upon inspection, Lavendergrass flattened his ears. “Looks like you’ll be out of commission for a bit, Condorfuzz. You’ve got whitecough.” “Whitecough?” She protested. “But I feel fine!” “You sure don’t look it. C’mon, rest in the den. At least you’ll escape Halffoot’s harping at you.” Condorfuzz curled up in a nest in the den, smiling at the joke. “Suppose you’ve got a point.” Guppyflash began to spend time with Skypatch as warriors rather than just mentor and apprentice, and the two became good friends. Guppyflash would come and visit Skypatch in the nursery as he spent time with Mothkit and Splashbumble, and Mothkit came to take quite the liking to him. “I heard dad trained you as a warrior,” he meowed, looking up at him. “That he did,” Guppyflash said, proudly raising his head. “Do you think you could train me? Dad says he can’t since I’m his kit, but maybe you could.” “Well, you could always ask Mantisstar,” chucked Guppyflash. Mothkit continued to barrage him with more questions, continuing with various follow ups such as “what is StarClan like” and “where do kits come from”, much to Guppyshade’s dismay.

MOON 16-17 (Leaf-fall) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorfuzz ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Guppyflash ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. KITS Mothkit ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Guppypaw’s resentment began to grow at the fact his sister was already a warrior and he hadn’t become one yet. Condorfuzz and Halffoot went on patrol together one day in Leaffall, tracing along the border. But as they walked, they saw a neighboring clan- CicadaClan. “Now’s your chance,” Halffoot said under his breath. “Show them how strong MantisClan is.” Unsure but willing to please her father, Condorfuzz let out her rage in snarls and puffing up her stature, driving off the cats. Halffoot’s training got tougher for Guppypaw, though, giving him task after task to help him gain experience. Guppypaw found himself resenting his father, glaring at him across the clearing. He held no ill will toward his sister, but must everyone put so much pressure on him? Guppypaw grew even more tired of his father’s pushing and constantly being undermined by him. He resolved to push himself by training tirelessly day by day until he was promoted to being a warrior. Finally at 12 moons, his hard work named him as Guppyflash. He was childish, but very smart and a talented hunter. Skypatch watched him with pride. “You’re going to be a great warrior,” he meowed. “I remember what it’s like to finally get your name. You deserve it.” Mantisstar watched warmly as she sees her young warrior congratulate his former apprentice, and came to talk to him soon after. “You know, Skypatch, I remember giving you your warrior name. Doesn’t seem like many moons ago you were that age.” “Funny, isn’t it?” Skypatch meowed, looking over at her. "It is. But I'm proud of you," meowed Mantisstar. "I'm very proud of how our clan's handled hardships this year. We're finally growing back, I think."

MOON 15 (Leaf-fall) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. Condorpaw ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. APPRENTICES Guppypaw ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. KITS Mothkit ; A golden and white tom with long fur and yellow eyes Lavendergrass’s joints healed as leaf-fall began. One breezy day, Mantisstar came to sit with him. “You’re looking much better,” she said. “Feeling much better, too,” responded Lavendergrass, stretching and shaking out the leg that had been bothering him. “I think I’ll be able to go out and get herbs again.” Just then, a shout is heard from across the clearing for Lavendergrass. “You’re needed in the medicine den,” grunted Halffoot. Not wanting a repeat of what happened to Weedpelt, Lavendergrass bolted away from Mantisstar without a goodbye. He rushed into the medicine den, where Splashbumble lay, contractions starting. “Splashbumble!” a voice yelled from the entrance of the nursery. It was Skypatch. “Not now, Skypatch,” Lavendergrass said. “This is an urgernt matter.” “No, let him come in,” Splashbumble said. “He’s the father of my kit.” Without waiting for the approval of Lavendergrass, Skypatch quickly bounded into the nursery, joining at Splashbumble’s side. “Well, that’s unexpected,” Lavendergrass mumbled to himself as he began making preparations in the nursery. After a short and almost painless birthing process, Splashbumble gives birth to a tiny tomkit with golden and white fur like his mother. MantisClan seems to all breathe a sigh of relief at the birth of the healthy kit. “The first clanborn citizen of MantisClan,” meowed Splashbumble proudly. “We’ll call him Mothkit. “He looks just like you,” Skypatch purred proudly. Over the coming days, Skypatch spends nearly all of his time with Mothkit and Splashbumble, tending to Splashbumble’s every wish. “I wonder how he’s doing in there,” Mantisstar commented to Gillshiver. “I know Splashbumble can be a handful sometimes.” “I hope he gets a move on and starts actually training me again,” Guppypaw loudly complained. This isn’t much helped by the fact Condorpaw gets her warrior name early, for saving Mantisstar from a fox. She’s named Condorfuzz. “I wouldn’t quite advise that,” Gillshiver told Mantisstar before her ceremony, but Mantisstar doesn’t listen. (Left to right: Lavendergrass, Guppypaw, Gillshiver, Mantisstar, Splashbumble, Halffoot, Bunnyshade, Skypatch, Condorfuzz)

I used a generator!! ^^ Basically what I do is I roll a D20 (or a 1-20 RNG). Kits have a 10% chance of dying, and Queens have a 5% chance, with certain factors raising that chance (was the pregnancy "early"? was the queen stressed? how competent were the med cats etc) More chapters coming today :3

MOON 14 (Greenleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. APPRENTICES Guppypaw ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Condorpaw ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. Splashbumble moved into the nursery, surprising the cats of the clan. She kept quiet about who the father was initially, unwilling to share the details with her “nosy clanmates”, as she called them. “Condorpaw. Hey, Condorpaw.” Big silver paws poked at Condorpaw in camp as she tried to understand the herbs Lavendergrass told her to fetch while his joints were sore. “What do you want, Guppypaw?” “Wanna go play some moss-ball?” the smaller tom asked, tilting his head to one side. “I’m kind of busy here.” “You sure don’t look like you’re having fun, though.” “You have a point,” sighed Condorpaw, putting down the herbs and facing her brother. “Where do you want to play?” “Outside camp. They’ll think you’re busy collecting herbs. Nobody’s gonna say a thing!” Taking the ball of moss, the brother and sister ran out of camp to play. They were just getting into an intense game when Guppypaw flattened his ears and looked behind Condorpaw. Whirling around, dismay came over her as she saw Gillshiver. “It was my understanding that you were helping our medicine cat, Condorpaw,” Gillshiver said, trying to sound patient. “Yeah? And I was taking a break,” spat Condorpaw, raising her tail defiantly. Gillshiver sighed, quickly swiping the moss-ball from her paw. “What am I going to do with you, Condorpaw?” Meanwhile, Skypatch arrived on the scene, smiling over at Guppypaw. “Hey, Guppypaw! How’s about some hunting practice today?” “Mm… Not really feeling it today,” said Guppypaw.” “How about if you do, I’ll play some Mossball with you.” Thinking about it, Guppypaw nodded. “...Alright. Not such a bad idea.” Sighing, Gillshiver approached Skypatch in camp later and plopped down beside him. “I don’t know how you do it, Skypatch.” “Do what?” The tom asked, twitching his ear. What could he possibly have that Gillshiver didn’t have? Gillshiver had it all together in his eyes. “Handle your apprentice so well. Condorpaw’s… a mess. She’s got so much capability, but she’s so hard to sit still and teach, and I feel like nothing I say resonates with her.” “You’re an easy to get along with guy, Gillshiver. I think she might be taking that for granted. You have to make it transactional. Give her rewards for listening, and earn her respect. Then she’ll do the work without the rewards. At least that’s how I was at her age.” “You know, that’s not such a bad idea, Skypatch. I’ll take your advice.”

MOONS 12-13 (Greenleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. APPRENTICES Guppypaw ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Condorpaw ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. The first moon of greenleaf passed by without much significant. Mantisstar realized she’d kept the clan together for a year, and Lavendergrass congratulated her for keeping the clan together after a hard first year. By mid-greenleaf, though, some events stirred up! Splashbumble realized she was expecting, but decided to keep the news to herself for a while because she doesn’t want to cause any disappointment if something were to go awry like what happened with Weedpelt. Meanwhile, Bunnyshade felt much better in herself and was able to start moving again. She began chasing butterflies around camp, laughing because it reminded her of back when she was a kittypet. Lavendergrass slipped while walking on a steep rock and dislocates a joint, incapacitating him from medicine cat duties. Skypatch came to visit him, bringing him some vole from the fresh-kill pile. “You took care of me when my leg was out of whack,” Skypatch began, “So I thought I’d bring you something.” “That was my job, SKypatch,” Lavendergrass said. “You don’t owe me anything.” “But still. I wanted to check on you.” He flattened his ears. “I don’t want to lose any more clanmates.” “It’s just a slipped joint, Skypatch,” meowed Lavendergrass. He gave him a reassuring bump of the head. “I’ll be fine.” He smiled, swearing that he could hear Jumppaw whisper encouragements in his ear now and then. Condorpaw was caught talking to a PearClan cat one day, and Halffoot came barreling in, claws extended and yowling as if he were in battle, to scare off this cat. They went in a full out sparring, and Halffoot threatened the young cat within an inch of his life if he were to ever come into MantisClan territory again. Guppypaw crouched in the bushes, marvelling at his old father’s fighting skills. “Dad, what’s wrong with you?!” Yowled Condorpaw angrily. “I will NOT have my daughter talking with a Pearclan tom,” hissed Halffoot. “It’s not like it’s nothing you’ve done before! My mother was a rogue!” snarled Condorpaw. “It’s none of your business what I do!” “Keep making foolish decisions like that, and I’ll make sure you’re not ever promoted to warrior,” hissed Halffoot.

MOON 11 (Greenleaf) LEADER MANTISSTAR ; White she-cat with light gray spots. Gloomy. DEPUTY Halffoot - Gray tom with stripes and heterochromia. Strict. MEDCAT Lavendergrass - Short-furred tom with heather blue eyes and a speckled light ginger coat. Childish. WARRIORS Gillshiver - Tom. Brown ticked coat with silver eyes. Charismatic. Splashbumble - She-cat, Warrior. White-and-gold pelt with golden eyes and long fur. Arrogant Skypatch- Rosette tom with white patches and gray eyes. Charismatic. APPRENTICES Guppypaw ; A pale tabby tom with grey eyes. Attention-seeker. Son of Halffoot. Apprentice to Skypatch. Condorpaw ; A tortie she-cat with icy eyes. Lonesome. Daughter of Halffoot. Apprentice to Gillshiver. In a much needed brighter turn of events, a clan meeting is called by Mantisstar. “Cats of MantisClan, It’s been an extremely hard leafbare and newleaf. Which is why it’s high time for some good news before Greenleaf. Firstly, we have a warrior returning to duty after a nasty injury at the beginning of Leafbare. Skypatch, step forward.” The young tom brought himself forward, the sun shimmering down on his pelt. “Due to the hard work of Lavendergrass and our beloved Jumppaw, he’s been able to make a full recovery.” MantisClan, in desperate need of some good news, burst into yowls of excitement and congratulations. Skypatch absolutely beamed and basked in the attention, overflowing with joy to take up his responsibilities again. Mantisclaw waited for the cheers to die down and addressed Skypatch, shaking him out of his moment. “And with that, Skypatch, I would like to present you with the honor of apprenticing a young aspiring warrior. Guppykit, please step forward.” Guppykit came forward, smiling up at him. “Guppykit here will be your apprentice,” meowed Mantisstar. “I hereby declare Guppykit will be named Guppypaw from this day on. Skypatch, you have great passion for the ways of a warrior, and I’m sure you’re dying to involve yourself in them again. Therefore, I ask you to take Guppypaw along with you.” “Now, Condorkit,” continued Mantisstar. “I want you to come forward.” With a flick of her tail, she sent a signal, and Gillshiver stepped forward. “Gillshiver will be your mentor as you train to be a warrior. From now on, you will be called Condorpaw. I trust you will train hard to become a warrior.” The cats of Mantisclan erupted into cheers for the apprentices- loudest of all being Halffoot. Mantisstar looked over at her former deputy with surprise; Halffoot’s eyes shone with a new resolve and vitality that she hadn’t seen since before Weedpelt died. A few evenings later, Mantisstar came to visit Halffoot and offered to share tongues with him. “You seem.. happy, Halffoot,” Mantisstar began. “It’s like the stars have shone down on you.” “How could I not be? Look at my kits. They’re the newest apprentices of MantisClan, and they very well may help bring us out of this time of shortage we’ve been in. I’ve raised them well, and I am so excited for others to see what they can do. I mean, have you seen Guppypaw? I never took him as a fighter, but I saw him practicing with Condorpaw the other day. He’s something else!” “I’m excited too,” Mantisstar admitted. “But most of all, I’m happy to see you smile again.” As their confidence grew, Guppypaw and Condorpaw’s personalities emerged to their clanmates. Guppypaw was an obedient young warrior, always happy to follow Skypatch’s orders and copy his every move. Condorpaw, on the other hand, grew into a rebellious young she-cat who Gillshiver often had issues controlling. The only cat Condorpaw really seemed to listen to was Guppypaw, and the two of them grew even closer. Guppypaw could often make Condorpaw laugh when nobody else could. But again, Gillshiver had issues with her. He complained to Mantisstar that Condorpaw was often unhelpful and he had to break up a spat between her and Guppypaw on a patrol once.