Chapter two, The Foggy Plains
FogClan
Leader:
Sagestar-a dun colored tabby Tom with black stripes running down his back.
Deputy:
Ravenwing- black she-cat with dark amber eyes and a scar across face
Medicine Cat:
Deerlight- a light brown she-cat with white speckles spotting her flank
Medicine Cat apprentice:
Russetpaw- a red tabby tom with hazel eyes and white underfur that runs up to his muzzle
Warriors:
Bogfur- a ruffled, brown Tom with dull green eyes.
Shredstrike- a battle scarred orange Tom with a mottled snout.
Feralheart- a brown she-cat with blue eyes and blind in one eye.
-Apprentice:Foxpaw
Rosethorn - cream colored she-cat with green eyes and sharp claws
Copperwing - copper colored tom with a white paw and amber eyes
Fallenleaf - dark brown tom with hazel eyes
Nightheart - large black tom with feathered ears and yellow eyes
Apprentices:
Foxpaw- a bright orange Tom with black paws.
Queens:
Tinybird- a deep grey she-cat with white underfur.
Kits- Sweetkit and Onekit
Grassflurry- a white she-cat with green eyes
Kits-pregnant
Kits:
Sweetkit- a pure white she cat with unusual black paws.
Onekit- a small dust colored Tom that was born with only one ear.
Elders:
Slatepelt- a pale grey tom with a long scar over his eyes.
Mossripple- a grey she-cat with blue eyes and fur patches missing
FogClan: After the Gathering, Leafbare
Russetpaw raced to Deerlight's den, the snow sticking to his red colored paws. He crouched in front of the herbs in the den and swiftly swung right back around, moss, poppy seeds, and a stick in his mouth. Russetpaw once again ran to the Nursery and ordered Shredstrike out of the way. The tom was pacing back and forth in front of the small cave; inhibiting him to enter. "Shredstrike, your kits wont be healthy if you don't let me in now." Russetpaw growled. Instantly the startled orange tom jumped out of the way allowing Russetpaw to enter.
The red tabby medicine cat apprentice ran to Deerlight's side and plopped down the materials he collected. "Russetpaw, Stick. Give it to Grassflurry, not me. I'm not having kits." Deerlight sighed as Grassflurry confirmed her statement with a loud yowl of pain. Swiftly but carefully, Russetpaw gave Grassflurry the stick to bite on and prepared the poppy seeds for after the kits arrived. "Russetpaw! I told you to grab borage! Where is the borage?" Deerlight hissed. The medicine cat wasn't having the best day; not to mention the obvious sleepless night she had. Russetpaw had asked if Deerlight saw an omen, but his mentor quickly commanded him to go and fetch herbs for when Grassflurry started kitting; which was at the present time.
"Deerlight, Your paw is on the borage." Russetpaw meowed gently, noticing the blue fuzzy leaves pinned under the Medicine Cat's paw. "Yes, yes, I'm sorry Russetpaw." the Brown she-cat responded. Russetpaw took a sharp intake of air as the kits moved inside of Grassflurry. "Russetpaw, I want you to soothe Grassflurry as much as you can, she's panicking." Deerlight commanded; her calm actions and presence made Russetpaw move to where Grassflurry's head was. "You're going to have three healthy kits! You are doing just fine, remember to breathe." He cooed as he tried to calm the queen down. The white queen's stomach rippled and the stick broke.
"Shredstrike, you can come in now, just don't trample your kits." Deerlight purred as she watched the newest members to FogClan wriggle closer to Grassflurry. The tom raced into the den; tripping over his own paws and landing nose first into Tinybird's nest- who was out with Onekit and Sweetkit in the camp to give Grassflurry some room. Grassflurry mused at her mate's antics and returned her gaze to her kits, two toms and a she-kit. Shredstrike finally regained his composure and carefully made his way to where Grassflurry was. "They are perfect!" He purred, which earned yet another delighted purr from his mate. "So what are you going to name these three warriors?" Russetpaw interrupted, feeling like this purring contest would last moons if they didn't give the kits names.
Grassflurry's coat rolled in embarrassment before finally returning to joy. The three kits indeed were perfect; the she-kit was orange like Shredstrike. One of the toms had the white coat like Grassflurry. The last kit had more of an interesting pelt to him. The soft fur was a spotted brown, with what looked like stripes running down the entirety of his tiny body. "That one is Goldkit." Shredstrike announced, pointing his tail at the she-kit. "Then this is Freezekit." Grassflurry meowed, gently prodding the white Tom with her nose. The mates struggled with naming the striped one; they took so long that Russetpaw was sure that Deerlight would have to name the tiny life. "Condorkit." Grassflurry meowed finally; naming the striped kit.
Russetpaw eyed the dwindling fresh-kill pile and gave a frown. Deerlight padded out of the stuffy nursery to leave Grassflurry and Shredstrike alone to rejoice over their new kits. Deerlight instantly went over and claimed a trout; one of the Medicine cat's favorites. The pile was a scrawny mixture of skinny squirrels to scrawny mice that seemed to barely offer one or two bites for a warrior. Russetpaw, unlike his mentor, went to the Medicine cat's den, which was a cave with a small stream of water emerging from the ceiling. At first this den was to be the leaders den, for the sick cats would be disturbed by the sound of running water. However this cave proved its usefulness many moons ago; at the dawn of the Weather Clans. Snowstar, the leader of SnowClan, was mysteriously killed, and the easiest place to take the fallen leader was the FogClan camp. The cave provided enough water to clean the wound that was inflicted, and it provided a place for the body to be prepared for burial. Supposedly the tiny white she-cat's body was buried at the Four Lands; being the first leader to lose all of their nine lives.
Russetpaw ran the story through his head so many times he couldn't focus anymore. The red tabby eyed the amount of herbs that still had, and those that need restocking. "Borage, Marigold, and Honey." He mumbled to himself as the apprentice pushed himself up from his seated position to pad out of the medicine cat den. Rosethorn, Fallenleaf, and Copperwing nodded their greetings from across the clearing. Russetpaw looked up at Nightheart, who was watching the camp entrance to confirm his absence. Silently, the red-furred medicine cat leaped through the protective gorse tunnel and stood completely still. Slowly but surely his eyes adjusted to the foggy plains that FogClan settled it. Herbs were scarce in the plains, and the masking scent of the fog didn't aid them in their search. With the proper training of course, finding prey and herbs became as simple as watching a kit play with it's mother. The snow crunched softly as Russetpaw padded over it; like a flame dancing in a pool of white. The apprentice was much father from camp than he expected, but that fact didn't bother him. Russetpaw bent down to carefully snip the Borage flower away from it's roots with his teeth. The slightest noise behind him alerted the medicine cat apprentice. His red ears flicked around trying to detect the source of the snapping noise.
Russetpaw remained buried in the deep snow; only his back was visible from any point of view. The red furred apprentice suppressed the urge to shake off all of the white powder and warm his freezing coat. Russetpaw used the scraps of his moon as a warrior apprentice to collect his muscles as the offender growled nearby and leaped. Even with his eyes attuned to the fog, the Apprentice could not see his attacker; it was obvious that he was the prey in this blind fight. Russetpaw rolled to the right which evidently was predicted by the attacker. Russetpaw soon had a crushing weight on him and he found it hard to breathe. His attacker was now visible, a large snow-white Tom with blue eyes. The opposing cat snarled in his face; blue eyes flashing with victory. In panic, Russetpaw yowled in mock pain; which soon became real pain as the white Tom used his hind paws to dig his claws into Russetpaw's underfur. "Russetpaw, this victory has already been decided. Your attempts at fighting back are futile." The snow-pelted Tom hissed. Finally the large cat leaped off of Russetpaw and allowed a crisp flow of cold air enter the small cat's lungs. "You are a medicine cat apprentice, yet you have never spoken to your ancestors?"
Russetpaw realized that a patrol would take time to arrive, if his call had been heard at all. The red furred Tom growled in response. "I'm still learning, StarClan will come to me when I am ready." The white tom's eyes glimmered with laughter and pity before returning to a menacing look of pride. "Why Russetpaw, can you not recognize your ancestors even when they are standing right in front of you? I am Bitterfrost; kin of the legendary Lightningstar and Snowstar. I am here to deepen your connection with StarClan, and teach you the ways of self-defense. But, our meetings are secret....yes?" Bitterfrost held his head up high as Russetpaw agreed to the guidance. As the patrol finally arrived, Bitterfrost had disappeared, but when he was leaving, did Russetpaw see a glimmer of deception? Russetpaw stood and stared at the empty space where the StarClan member was; the blood from his underfur staining the snow. "Russetpaw, what happened? What attacked you!" meowed Ravenwing, the deputy, in concern.
"Nothing. I don't remember what happened."
FogClan
Leader:
Sagestar-a dun colored tabby Tom with black stripes running down his back.
Deputy:
Ravenwing- black she-cat with dark amber eyes and a scar across face
Medicine Cat:
Deerlight- a light brown she-cat with white speckles spotting her flank
Medicine Cat apprentice:
Russetpaw- a red tabby tom with hazel eyes and white underfur that runs up to his muzzle
Warriors:
Bogfur- a ruffled, brown Tom with dull green eyes.
Shredstrike- a battle scarred orange Tom with a mottled snout.
Feralheart- a brown she-cat with blue eyes and blind in one eye.
-Apprentice:Foxpaw
Rosethorn - cream colored she-cat with green eyes and sharp claws
Copperwing - copper colored tom with a white paw and amber eyes
Fallenleaf - dark brown tom with hazel eyes
Nightheart - large black tom with feathered ears and yellow eyes
Apprentices:
Foxpaw- a bright orange Tom with black paws.
Queens:
Tinybird- a deep grey she-cat with white underfur.
Kits- Sweetkit and Onekit
Grassflurry- a white she-cat with green eyes
Kits-pregnant
Kits:
Sweetkit- a pure white she cat with unusual black paws.
Onekit- a small dust colored Tom that was born with only one ear.
Elders:
Slatepelt- a pale grey tom with a long scar over his eyes.
Mossripple- a grey she-cat with blue eyes and fur patches missing
FogClan: After the Gathering, Leafbare
Russetpaw raced to Deerlight's den, the snow sticking to his red colored paws. He crouched in front of the herbs in the den and swiftly swung right back around, moss, poppy seeds, and a stick in his mouth. Russetpaw once again ran to the Nursery and ordered Shredstrike out of the way. The tom was pacing back and forth in front of the small cave; inhibiting him to enter. "Shredstrike, your kits wont be healthy if you don't let me in now." Russetpaw growled. Instantly the startled orange tom jumped out of the way allowing Russetpaw to enter.
The red tabby medicine cat apprentice ran to Deerlight's side and plopped down the materials he collected. "Russetpaw, Stick. Give it to Grassflurry, not me. I'm not having kits." Deerlight sighed as Grassflurry confirmed her statement with a loud yowl of pain. Swiftly but carefully, Russetpaw gave Grassflurry the stick to bite on and prepared the poppy seeds for after the kits arrived. "Russetpaw! I told you to grab borage! Where is the borage?" Deerlight hissed. The medicine cat wasn't having the best day; not to mention the obvious sleepless night she had. Russetpaw had asked if Deerlight saw an omen, but his mentor quickly commanded him to go and fetch herbs for when Grassflurry started kitting; which was at the present time.
"Deerlight, Your paw is on the borage." Russetpaw meowed gently, noticing the blue fuzzy leaves pinned under the Medicine Cat's paw. "Yes, yes, I'm sorry Russetpaw." the Brown she-cat responded. Russetpaw took a sharp intake of air as the kits moved inside of Grassflurry. "Russetpaw, I want you to soothe Grassflurry as much as you can, she's panicking." Deerlight commanded; her calm actions and presence made Russetpaw move to where Grassflurry's head was. "You're going to have three healthy kits! You are doing just fine, remember to breathe." He cooed as he tried to calm the queen down. The white queen's stomach rippled and the stick broke.
"Shredstrike, you can come in now, just don't trample your kits." Deerlight purred as she watched the newest members to FogClan wriggle closer to Grassflurry. The tom raced into the den; tripping over his own paws and landing nose first into Tinybird's nest- who was out with Onekit and Sweetkit in the camp to give Grassflurry some room. Grassflurry mused at her mate's antics and returned her gaze to her kits, two toms and a she-kit. Shredstrike finally regained his composure and carefully made his way to where Grassflurry was. "They are perfect!" He purred, which earned yet another delighted purr from his mate. "So what are you going to name these three warriors?" Russetpaw interrupted, feeling like this purring contest would last moons if they didn't give the kits names.
Grassflurry's coat rolled in embarrassment before finally returning to joy. The three kits indeed were perfect; the she-kit was orange like Shredstrike. One of the toms had the white coat like Grassflurry. The last kit had more of an interesting pelt to him. The soft fur was a spotted brown, with what looked like stripes running down the entirety of his tiny body. "That one is Goldkit." Shredstrike announced, pointing his tail at the she-kit. "Then this is Freezekit." Grassflurry meowed, gently prodding the white Tom with her nose. The mates struggled with naming the striped one; they took so long that Russetpaw was sure that Deerlight would have to name the tiny life. "Condorkit." Grassflurry meowed finally; naming the striped kit.
Russetpaw eyed the dwindling fresh-kill pile and gave a frown. Deerlight padded out of the stuffy nursery to leave Grassflurry and Shredstrike alone to rejoice over their new kits. Deerlight instantly went over and claimed a trout; one of the Medicine cat's favorites. The pile was a scrawny mixture of skinny squirrels to scrawny mice that seemed to barely offer one or two bites for a warrior. Russetpaw, unlike his mentor, went to the Medicine cat's den, which was a cave with a small stream of water emerging from the ceiling. At first this den was to be the leaders den, for the sick cats would be disturbed by the sound of running water. However this cave proved its usefulness many moons ago; at the dawn of the Weather Clans. Snowstar, the leader of SnowClan, was mysteriously killed, and the easiest place to take the fallen leader was the FogClan camp. The cave provided enough water to clean the wound that was inflicted, and it provided a place for the body to be prepared for burial. Supposedly the tiny white she-cat's body was buried at the Four Lands; being the first leader to lose all of their nine lives.
Russetpaw ran the story through his head so many times he couldn't focus anymore. The red tabby eyed the amount of herbs that still had, and those that need restocking. "Borage, Marigold, and Honey." He mumbled to himself as the apprentice pushed himself up from his seated position to pad out of the medicine cat den. Rosethorn, Fallenleaf, and Copperwing nodded their greetings from across the clearing. Russetpaw looked up at Nightheart, who was watching the camp entrance to confirm his absence. Silently, the red-furred medicine cat leaped through the protective gorse tunnel and stood completely still. Slowly but surely his eyes adjusted to the foggy plains that FogClan settled it. Herbs were scarce in the plains, and the masking scent of the fog didn't aid them in their search. With the proper training of course, finding prey and herbs became as simple as watching a kit play with it's mother. The snow crunched softly as Russetpaw padded over it; like a flame dancing in a pool of white. The apprentice was much father from camp than he expected, but that fact didn't bother him. Russetpaw bent down to carefully snip the Borage flower away from it's roots with his teeth. The slightest noise behind him alerted the medicine cat apprentice. His red ears flicked around trying to detect the source of the snapping noise.
Russetpaw remained buried in the deep snow; only his back was visible from any point of view. The red furred apprentice suppressed the urge to shake off all of the white powder and warm his freezing coat. Russetpaw used the scraps of his moon as a warrior apprentice to collect his muscles as the offender growled nearby and leaped. Even with his eyes attuned to the fog, the Apprentice could not see his attacker; it was obvious that he was the prey in this blind fight. Russetpaw rolled to the right which evidently was predicted by the attacker. Russetpaw soon had a crushing weight on him and he found it hard to breathe. His attacker was now visible, a large snow-white Tom with blue eyes. The opposing cat snarled in his face; blue eyes flashing with victory. In panic, Russetpaw yowled in mock pain; which soon became real pain as the white Tom used his hind paws to dig his claws into Russetpaw's underfur. "Russetpaw, this victory has already been decided. Your attempts at fighting back are futile." The snow-pelted Tom hissed. Finally the large cat leaped off of Russetpaw and allowed a crisp flow of cold air enter the small cat's lungs. "You are a medicine cat apprentice, yet you have never spoken to your ancestors?"
Russetpaw realized that a patrol would take time to arrive, if his call had been heard at all. The red furred Tom growled in response. "I'm still learning, StarClan will come to me when I am ready." The white tom's eyes glimmered with laughter and pity before returning to a menacing look of pride. "Why Russetpaw, can you not recognize your ancestors even when they are standing right in front of you? I am Bitterfrost; kin of the legendary Lightningstar and Snowstar. I am here to deepen your connection with StarClan, and teach you the ways of self-defense. But, our meetings are secret....yes?" Bitterfrost held his head up high as Russetpaw agreed to the guidance. As the patrol finally arrived, Bitterfrost had disappeared, but when he was leaving, did Russetpaw see a glimmer of deception? Russetpaw stood and stared at the empty space where the StarClan member was; the blood from his underfur staining the snow. "Russetpaw, what happened? What attacked you!" meowed Ravenwing, the deputy, in concern.
"Nothing. I don't remember what happened."