[Jos]

Birchkit

The marsh was dark and clustered, damp and cold. Tall black pines towered over the mossy rocks and roots, their branches sporting pine needles while leafy trees stood bare. A small gray she-kit trudged through the peaty soil, sniffing for prey. She thought she could smell mice somewhere around here who had been eating the slightly frozen greenery, but she had been tracking them for ages with no success. Not that such a small cat could catch a mouse.



Birch stumbled and landed muzzle first on the icy layer of mud. She mewled miserably into the abyssal blackness before plucking up the energy to pull herself out, though she didn’t bother to clean off her face. She was much too hungry to worry about grooming herself, which was evident from the state of her pelt. So on she trudged. If she didn’t find something to fill her belly today, she knew she would be done for. Her mother, her brothers…she would see them all again. She would have to tell her mother that she tried her best, but she had lost the great game of life.



For a long time, she just wandered aimlessly through the marsh with a hollow stare, putting one paw in front of the other automatically until a sharp new scent wafted her way. Cat. She froze—what kind of cat lived in such a place? Perhaps a cat who had prey. Her stomach growled. She would have to do something…something dishonorable. She was going to have to fight this cat for its food!



The tiny scrap of a kit fluffed out whatever bits of fur wasn’t patted down with mud and charged towards the cat scent, spitting and hissing as viciously as she could muster. “Give me your fresh kill and you won’t have to fight me!”
she warned the much larger, much healthier cat…a clan cat! “I’m a rogue! I am ferocious!” she warned the clan cat. The effort of ‘intimidating’ the other cat was taking a toll on Birch. She began to cough and shake, and her legs buckled under her. The she-kit struggled back to her paws, dripping with a new layer of mud. “I did that on purpose…mud gives me special powers.” She lied. Any cat could see she was weak and terrified. “So…you give me your fresh kill. Or I’ll use my special mud powers on you.”



Fawn  Phoenix

[Fawn]

curiosity is not a sin...

...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity

Shadowchaser

To say that Shadowchaser had a lot on his mind would be an understatement. Unfortunately for the dark-pelted healer trying to claw through the half-frozen greenery for some late-season chicory roots, being distracted in strange territory was a recipe for predation. On the plus side, the creature that charged out of the bushes at him had neither a fox's finesse or a weasel's jittery cunning.

Bewilderment turned to amusement, which very quickly turned to sympathy as the she-kit, muddy as she was, wobbled a bit on unsteady, hunger-weakened legs. Shadowchaser crossed the space between them in an instant, letting her peculiar scent waft in, hoping faintly that he might recognize it - perhaps another Clan cat who had been separated in the great quake? - but there was no such familiarity. Instead, he only scented cold, wet mud. Gently pushing through her fur with his nose, he checked for signs of outward illness, his body naturally angled to block any incoming wind from chilling the kitten further. Apart from the cough and what was surely fatigue, there was life in this little one yet.

"Your mud powers are quite impressive," he smiled as he talked, only the quivering flick of his tail conveying his anxiousness to skip the pleasantries and get her inside. It was leafbare, for StarClan's sake. "So impressive, that not only will I give you prey, but I will give you a nice warm place to stay with my Clan. My name is Shadowchaser, and I am the medicine cat of Ni--MistClan." It was the first but certainly not last time he was going to have to catch himself saying the wrong name. Luminous golden eyes were almost beseeching, though he couldn't imagine what on earth would make the little scrap refuse. "I am happy to carry you if you'd like. Are you out here by yourself?"

Oh StarClan, what if she was trying to get prey for her siblings? For a mother, weak and injured somewhere? They were going to have to go back to camp regardless, but the thought of walking away from more cats in pain was enough to make his chest ache.

medicine cat of mistclan

Jos Phoenix | jk rowling | background image | table by phoenix

[Jos]

Birchkit

The strange tom pushed his nose through her fur. Birch hissed at him but did not make any effort to get away from him. She liked his earthy, warm scent. It was like a meadow, in green-leaf, mixed with all the comfort scents of a den. Not to mention the fact that she could feel his body heat from where she was standing, and he was protecting her from the biting winds. “Y-yeah! My mud powers are very impressive, and you should be glad that I didn’t have to use them on you, or you would be sorry!”



Shadowchaser of Mistclan. He seemed nice enough. Her initial reaction was to be suspicious of him, but he was being very nice, and she was so lonely. The little gray kit looked up at him with her big blue eyes,



“My name is Birch and…” she sniffled, her little nose beginning to run, “Yeah, I’m all alone. My mother and my brothers were killed by rocks when the earth started to shake.” The reality of her situation overwhelmed her again. It was easier when she didn’t have to think about it, but really, she was all alone, and she was cold and tired. She crouched in the mud and closed her eyes, feeling a wail coming on. She didn’t want Shadowchaser to see her wail. She wanted him to think she was fierce!



“Do you really have food? And a warm nest?” she asked him, her voice wobbly, “My mother always told me to stay away from clan-cats. She told me that if I wandered into their territory, they would kill me. I didn’t mean to be on your territory…I promise, and I’m sorry I tried to use my mud powers on you. I don’t really have mud powers. I’m just…” Scared.


Birch sniffled, “I don’t think I can walk anymore; my paws are tired and cold. Can you please carry me?” she leaned her head forward, submitting to being carried. It was nice to be carried again and to not have to worry about walking or looking over her shoulder. Some other cat would protect her now. Very shortly after being picked up, Birch nodded off. The warmth of another cat, the rhythm of his walking, and just knowing that her responsibilities were on pause was enough for her to snatch a quick nap.


Fawn Phoenix

[Fae Magic]

Mousepetal - 25 Moons - Mistclan

"People may give up on you but you must never give up on yourself." ~Mousepetal

The familiarity of the coldness of Leafbare was something that had rushed up on them before they were ready. The clan was still trying to re-enforce the walls and brush of their new camp while some others much like herself and her fellow clanmates had chosen to help Shadowchaser with forging for herbs. As scarce as the herbs were in this area due to the weather the group was determined to at least come back to camp with something to show for their efforts. Even if their paws and noses were being bitten off by the breeze and coldness of the weather. Mousepetal was not fond of the cold but she didn't mind being out here if it meant helping out the clan and her old friend. She just hoped they didn't get sick by the end of it all and having to use whatever herbs they managed to find on themselves for the cold that'd no doubtingly would steal at least one or two of them. 

They'd walked and foraged for starclan knows how long and Mousepetal was starting to not feel her nose that was most likely frozen from the wetness and mud caked making her nose more brown or black than it was pink. It wasn't until she was about to suggest that they take a break when the scent hit her. She stiffened looking down as a small fur ball ran smack dab into them. Covered in mud and looking like a half drowned rat or something was a little kit. A kit out in this weather?! The spotted warrior balked a little bit and looked towards Shadowchaser as he neared towards the kit who was puffing and spitting at them ranting about them being fierce and going to use their mud powers on the group if they didn't give up what they had. It was actually rather cute and Mousepetal would have laughed out loud at such an act if it weren't for the very fact that the poor thing looked half starved and barely able to keep itself up on their paws. 

No one should be out in this weather; let alone a kit that didn't seem to have anyone else with her. Where was the kit's family anyways? What family did she belong too? Was she another casualty of the earthquake? The dark and white molly took a few steps forward and peeked around the dark healer's shoulder looking at the fragile little thing. So helpless and so alone. So scared. Birch, her name was. Didn't protest too much which Mousepetal was grateful for. She was happy that the little one agreed to allow Shadowchaser to help. 

"It's a miracle that you've survived this long." she murmured looking at the defeated ball of white and gray fluff. "But don't worry, you'll be safe and cared for with us. You'll have so many new friends to meet and you'll have all sorts of others to watch out for you like family." she added trying to cheer the other up a little bit. 

"We'll get you some fresh kill in your belly soon enough." she blinked down at the stray feline.

The warrior turned her attention towards the medicine cat next though that their attention needed to change rather quickly. Who knew how long this little she-kit had been out here by herself? She looked hardly able to carry herself even the short distance towards camp. Mousepetal nudged the dark furred healer and gave a small smile as she indicated to the small bundle of herbs they'd managed to unearth. "I'll take your stash of herbs back to camp with you and you carry Birch." she offered before looking back ahead towards their new lands with a contemplating gaze. 

"I'll come back out here once the kit is safely back at camp and grab some more that I can find if you'll be willing to give me the list of what you need Shadowchaser." she added seriously. 

Word Count: #000 || Tag: Fawn Phoenix Jos || Notes: #Sorry if this be rusty

~☣~~☣~

[Fawn]

curiosity is not a sin...

...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity

Shadowchaser

The condition little Birch was in made his heart tighten up, sore as if it had been squeezed between two heavy rocks. "I promise you, no harm will come to you in MistClan. You'll be safe with us." With that declaration spoken, Shadowchaser bent his head and picked up the kitten by her scruff, his tail flicking in concern over how light she was.

Clan kits, with their regular meals and warm, protected nursery, were much heavier at her age. It was nothing short of a StarClan miracle that something hadn't eaten her. Thankfully, serendipity had made their paths cross. Shadowchaser, his mouth full of kitten fur, gave Mousepetal a few grateful blinks. If it was a choice between life saving herbs and saving a life, there was no question which one Shadowchaser would choose.

But Mousepetal's timely arrival eliminated that choice entirely. He nodded as gently as he could, trying not to bob the kitten too hard with the gesture. Their return to camp was as quick as Shadowchaser could manage; as they crossed the threshold into the mossy cavern, Shadowchaser made a beeline for the den space that had become his and Rustpaw's and Newtstripe's. Someone, maybe Rustpaw herself, had ensured there was soft moss for any cats needing medical attention, so he set Birch down on the cushiest nest available.

"Thank you, Mousepetal. I'm looking for dried oak leaves if the frost hasn't ruined them. I'm hoping there's a few fallen branches that aren't trampled. Please set the chervil over here." He gestured with his tail to an impromptu space in the back, where any wind or chill would disturb the sometimes delicate plant stores.

From the entrance, a voice sounded. "What's going on? who's that?" It was a busybody Clanmate, and Shadowchaser wasted no time giving them a task before poor Birch could be overwhelmed. "Can you tell Cloverstar that we've found an abandoned kit in the forest? The sooner the better, please." The Clanmate lingered, mouth open with all the prying questions they wanted to ask, before they thought better of it.

Shadowchaser inwardly felt relief.

medicine cat of mistclan

Fae Magic Phoenix Jos | jk rowling | background image | table by phoenix

[Phoenix]

Newtstripe knew he had a thing about collecting strays. Between the myriad little critters who earned his wonder and fascination, not to mention Feathers and Twigs, the latter of whom had technically been Shadowchaser’s discovery, he knew the dark-furred tom not only patiently tolerated his tendency to bring them home but actively supported it. (The distinction meant more to the quiet warrior than he knew how to put into words.) Suffice to say it was not unusual to enter to their den - technically Shadowchaser’s and Rustpaw’s, but he had started thinking of it as his own as well - to find one of them there with a new creature (sometimes in need of medical attention), awaiting the other one’s return. Though he only returned today with stories of a critter rather than the critter itself, he couldn’t help how his heart raced a little faster as he brushed by a fellow warrior on his way to their den.

”Shadowchaser, you’ll never guess what I— Oh.“

Yes, they had made something of a habit of surprising each other with little insects that could be kept safely in the back of the den. Never, though, had either of them ever brought home a kit.

Newtstripe stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the tiny ball of mud-covered fur, mind going blank as he registered the strange scent and unfamiliar appearance. ”Uh. Hi?” He offered, tail tip flicking as he remembered all of a sudden of the scars marring his face from the fox attacks many seasons ago. Uncomfortable now in his own den and unsure of what to do about it, he turned his head slightly away and inched to the side, watching with his good eye as Mousepetal deposited a bundle of small, green, leafy herbs - chervil? - and Shadowchaser began fussing over the kit. She was small and dirty and must have been in need of care if these two had brought her home, which was fine because he could hardly begrudge his friend for using his medical knowledge to help innocent kits when the orange-furred warrior had asked him to do the same to non-feline animals, but Newtstripe wasn’t good with cats. His preferred company, apart from the medicine cat himself, roamed the forest silently and brought with them the comfort of not having to navigate the intricacies of feline socialization.

At a loss, he gazed at his preferred feline company for a moment - what do I do? - before forcing himself to think. If Shadowchaser had brought home any other critter, what would he do? Keeping his distance, he crouched down and tried to make himself as small and unthreatening as he could, thinking of how he had carefully approached a wood thrush with a broken wing all those seasons ago. She was probably scared, he reasoned - Feathers certainly had been - so in the same quiet tones he used to comfort the terrified creatures he felt so compelled to help, he said, ”H-Hey, it’s ok. You’re safe. We won’t hurt you.” A pause. ”I’m, uh, Newtstripe. What’s your name?”

Jos Fawn Fae Magic

[Jos]

Birchkit

Ok, good.

Birch sighed in relief when the strange clan tom picked up and began racing her back to this ‘Mistclan’ he kept talking about. All her reservations about being taken to a clan, a notion which would have curled her mother’s whiskers no doubt, melted away at the promise of safety, warmth, and food. It felt nice being carried around. The rhythmic sound of paw steps, the tom’s breathing, and his warm fur put her in a comfortable mood. Her head began to nod and she fought the urge to fall asleep, wanting to watch the route she was being taken. Just in case.


To stop from falling asleep she tried to remember the clan cat’s names. The tom was Shadowchaser and the she-cat was…well, Birch hadn’t learned her name yet. Probably something weird, like Stickbird or something like that. Would they change her name when she got to the camp? Birch decided she wouldn’t let them. She did not intend on staying with the clan longer than she had to. Her mother’s words reminded her ‘clan cats are not to be trusted’. She would have to be wary.


The camp seemed quiet, until Shadowchaser brought her in. Then she could see the eyes of many warriors on them before being taken to a very fragrant den and placed in a soft, warm nest of moss. Birch nuzzled herself into the moss and began kneading on it—she couldn’t help herself. It was soft and warm!

She ignored the clan cat who burst in, asking what was going on. Shadowchaser was a good bodyguard, keeping nosy cats busy and away from her. The she-cat, whose name was Mousepetal apparently, brought some sort of herb. Birch wasn’t sure what it was for, but it didn’t smell like prey to her so she was not interested, though she did give a little mew of thanks to the nice she-cat anyways.


Then another cat came in. He seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. “Uh. Hi?” she eyed him up suspiciously. Why was he here? What did he want? Why did he seem so scared of her? Where did those scars come from? What was the thing he wanted to tell Shadowchaser—Birch wanted to know too! He seemed to snap out of it, got down real low, and offered her some kind words of encouragement.



“Um…hi, Newtstripe. My name is Birch. Shadowchaser found me in the marsh…I’ve been lost since…” She began kneading the moss again, feeling a little wail rising up in her chest. Now that she was safe and warm, she had time to think about what had actually happened. “M-my mother and my littermates were…in the earthquake…and a big stone…they’re dead!” she lay down in the nest and buried her face in the moss. “I’ll never get to see them again…will I?” she knew the answer was no. Newtstripe seemed nice, and his pelt seemed warm. She crawled out of her nest and buried her face in his flank, ignoring his weird clan scent. “Please don’t go!”





Fawn Phoenix  Fae Magic 

[Fae Magic]

[googlefont="Indie Flower"][googlefont="Nunito"]

MOUSEPETAL

She was relieved to see that Shadowchaser had not lost his touch; the small kit seemed relieved to have someone with her despite the big front she put up. They all knew Birch was just scared. Starclan only knew how long the poor thing had been alone and how on earth had she survived this long? The grey and white molly wondered if the fluffy fur ball had other family members out there that they would need to gather up as well but thus far the youngling had not mentioned any remaining family. The logical side of the warrior told her that she wouldn't be out here alone half-frozen and half-starved if there were others. That kind of stung at the knowledge Birch seemed to suffer so much at a young age. It was not fair but Mousepetal hoped that the little kit would find peace in knowing she was no longer alone and would be cared for.

Upon her comment to carry the rest of the herbs for the healer the younger warrior picked up whatever Shadowchaser had been carrying previously along with her own smaller bundle; thankful that it was not a lot to carry all at one time as she followed the medicine cat and the others back towards the campsite with a brisk pace so that they could return to camp to look after Birch as soon as they could. Upon reaching camp Mousepetal could see eyes watching them as they made their way to the medicine den and glanced down at the white and grey female that hung tiredly from the healer's grasp. Just a little while longer, little one Mousepetal thought looking at Birch seeing just how exhausted she truly was; the kind of bone-deep wariness that one who had fought for survival for a long time possessed. As they entered the warm den that was reserved for Shadowchaser and Rustpaw Mousepetal felt herself relax a little at the scent of herbs and earth that wrapped around her as she walked in. She was used to this scent because she remembered coming to the medicine den when she was an apprentice more often than she cared to admit; she hoped Birch would see this place as a safe zone for her as Mousepetlal had when she was younger.

She followed Shadowchaser's instructions and set the bundle of herbs that was indicated and turned to watch Birch snuggle into the warmth of a moss bed. She gave a little smile and walked over to crouch in front of her. "Don't worry, you'll be well taken care of here, you're in safe paws with Shadowchaser." she purred before looking up as a newcomer came inside. Drawing away from the small kit she watched in amusement as Newtstripe came in. Poor tom was so shy and uncertain but Birch did not seem to mind his mannerisms and even cuddled up to him. Yes, Birch would do just fine here.

Rising to her paws she sidled up to Shadowchaser and lowered her voice as she spoke so as not to disturb the pair at the nests. "I'll go see if I can't find some of those dried oak leaves. I'll be back as soon as I can." she glanced over at Birch and Newtstripe with a small smile before she was ducking out of the warmth of the healer's den into the coldness of Leaf-bare once more to go in search of the herbs needed. perhaps she could see if she couldn't find something for Birch in the meantime that would make her feel a little more at ease within the clan on her way to find those herbs. It was so unfair that someone so young as Birch had lost so much of her life already; not only her home but her family at the same time but she thanked Starclan that she made it to their territory in time for rescue.



"This is Mouse speaking." And this is Mouse thinking.

Mistclan Warrior

Abyss

656WC | Jos, Fawn, Phoenix | NOTES

[Fawn]

curiosity is not a sin...

...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity

Shadowchaser

”Shadowchaser, you’ll never guess what I— Oh.“

Newtstripe's voice was as calming to him as a stream in greenleaf. Shadowchaser smiled without conscious effort, though it was fleeting as he saw the alarm in the ginger tom's face. Newtstripe wasn't one for socializing the way some other cats were; a fact that Shadowchaser never held against him. He did not try to usher the tom out, merely stepping forward to rest his tail against the ginger tabby flank in an act of reassurance. The beginnings of an explanation cut themselves off as little Birch began to speak, arresting Shadowchaser's attention.

“M-my mother and my littermates were…in the earthquake…and a big stone…they’re dead!”

Great StarClan above. His golden eyes were wide, startled by the sheer horror of what she said - and what she didn't say. The kit hardly needed to go into detail to provoke Shadowchaser's imagination of the destruction that had taken Birch's family from her. He glanced to his Denmates, reading the same horror on their faces at the kitten's plight. Will I ever see them again? She'd asked. A lump formed in the dark furred tom's throat, and he couldn't give her the answer she needed to hear. Instead, as Birch crawled forward and buried herself against Newtstripe's form, Shadowchaser did his best to soothingly lick between the kit's ears. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Birch."

Mousepetal was excusing herself, and Shadowchaser gave her a grateful nod as she made good on her promise to fetch the requested herbs. What do we do now? Is it insensitive if we try to introduce her to a queen and her kits? This was a rare situation for Shadowchaser to be in, despite how long he'd been serving his Clan (both Night and Mist). Kits were occasionally orphaned in the tragedy that birth could sometimes be - he thought briefly of Sootwhisker's litter - but they had been born in a place that was already their home. In a Clan willing to raise them in their parents' absence.

Shadowchaser frowned softly. He wanted to believe the best of his new denmates, especially in these trying times. But what was the best decision to make here? To introduce her quickly to the nursery (sometimes you had to rebreak a bone to help it heal properly), which was potentially overwhelming and stressful, or to leave it up to Cloverstar to decide? Either way, she would need to stay in the medicine cat's den for the next few days, until he could be certain she was well enough to play with other kits. As his thoughts churned, Shadowchaser slowly found his words, speaking over the soft pale fur of the exhausted she-kit. "Newtstripe? Would you mind getting her something to eat?" He tried to give his friend the opportunity to collect himself, while they both waited on word from higher up.

medicine cat of mistclan

Phoenix Katara Jos Fae Magic | jk rowling | background image | table by phoenix

Wanted to give Cloverstar a chance to hop in!

[Katara]

[googlefont=Playfair Display] [googlefont=Roboto] [googlefont=Kumar One]

i find it very, very easy to be true
i find myself alone when each day is through
yes, i'll admit that i'm a fool for you
because you're mine...

I WALK THE
line

clover

cloverstar.

MISTCLAN LEADER // 63 MOONS

L

eafbare was not a season for lounging around, if one wanted to stay warm. Even as sheltered from the wind as they were in their mossy hollow, the cold was still bitter and Cloverstar was planning on joining a patrol just to warm herself up with the exercise. She swiped her tongue around her muzzle as she finished off the last morsel of a frog from the fresh-kill pile. Not exactly appetizing, but it was enough to keep her strength up. She was just getting to her paws when a warrior, Ebonypelt, bounded over to her from the medicine den. "There's a kit in the medicine den," she puffed, and must have noticed her leader's irritable ear flick because she quickly added, "An abandoned kit from the forest. Shadowchaser asked me to let you know."

"Probably should've led with that," she suggested, brushing past her. Others eating or sharing tongues nearby had heard though, and quickly discussion on the news began to spread with all heads turning toward the medicine den. "Ebonypelt?" she called back the young warrior. "Another task for you - I want you to guard the medicine den, keep out any cat who doesn't need medical attention right now." She would never understand other cats' interest in seeing kits that weren't even their own. The amount of visitors she'd had when her daughters were still young in the nursery was nothing short of ridiculous. Not to mention the cats who would treat a kit like this as an unwelcome guest - yet another mouth to feed in the middle of leafbare.

Ebonypelt's eyes brightened at the prospect of a task given by her Clan leader. "Yes, Cloverstar!" The dark-pelted she-cat took up a place nearby as Cloverstar stepped into the medicine den to meet the new talk of the Clan, passing Mousepetal on her way out as she did so.

The kit was very small, skinny, with an ungroomed, mud-smeared gray pelt. She smelled of the forest - not a trace of any Clan scent. "What's her name? Is she injured at all?" she asked Shadowchaser, sitting down and regarding the little she-kit with a critical eye. It was against the warrior code to refrain from helping a kit, Clan and non-Clan alike, so it was out of the question to return her to where they'd found her. Not yet, at least. But if the kit wanted to join the Clan, she could consider the resources expended on her care an investment.

Now's not the time to think about that, some familiar voice scolded her train of thought. This kit was lost and abandoned - surely you can spare some sympathy.

As if on cue, something inside her softened for the loner kit as she noticed for the first time she seemed distraught, and this time when she spoke her voice came out gentler. "My name is Cloverstar," she told her, "I am the leader of MistClan. It's my job to keep every cat who lives with us safe - you will be well-cared for as long as you're here." She didn't need to hear her story to tell her that, at least. They could work out the details later. "Let's get you fed and cleaned up. You look like you've had a fight with a mud puddle and lost."

[attr="class","cstag"]tagged Jos, Fawn, Fae Magic, Phoenix

[attr="class","csnotes"]notes --

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[newclass=".csnotes"]background-color:#1b1b1b;font-family:Playfair Display;font-size:12px;color:#3e4436;letter-spacing:2px;border:1px solid #666;padding:10px;[/newclass]