Chapter Text
Allegiances
Fowlclan
Leader
Snow'sun - A flamepoint tom with a freckled nose
Deputy
Harpy'swoop - A tall, dark gray tom with pointed ears
Medicine Cat
Maggot'tail - A tri-colored tom with peculiar and remarkable fur patterns (Apprentice: Skypaw)
Warriors
Finch'feather - A acorn and bark-colored she-cat with a cream streak down her underbelly (Apprentice: Spirit'paw)
Featherspots - A heavily spotted tortishell she-cat with long, fluffy fur
Cottoncloud - A snow-white furred tom with a stubby tail
Crescentclaw - A dark grey tom with a bushy, thick-furred tail
Rainy'bird - A blue-gray tabby tom
Duck'weed - A tom with a speckled face, legs and tail
Hoot'stalk - a reddish tom with curly fur
Cold'stream - A deep blue tabby tom (Apprentice: Minnowpaw)
Noon'tide - a pale grey tabby she-cat
Queens
Viperstone - A polydactyly queen with dark brown fur (Caring for: Canopykit, Blazekit)
Blossomwood - A tri-colored queen with pointy ears (Caring for: Acornkit, Starkit, Rabbitkit)
Blue'lily - a pretty blue tabby she-cat
Whorl'dew - a grey she-cat with swirling patterns (Caring for: Fernkit, Coldkit)
Apprentices
Skypaw - A tan-furred she-cat with three legs
Spirit'paw - A dark-grey she-cat with a brown-furred chest and spots
Minnowpaw - A black-furred she-cat with unusually big ears
Elders
Sable'hawk - A cream colored tom with striking black markings
Otter'plash - a dark blue and brown tom
Kits
Fernkit - A black-furred she-cat with a single grey fur patch over the right side of her head
Starkit - A orange-furred tom with a distinct yellow and white pattern on his chest
Coldkit - A hairless she-cat
Blazekit - A larger tom with orange and dark-brown fur
Rabbitkit - A white-furred she-cat with a stubbed tail
Canopykit - A smaller tom with dull brown fur
Acornkit - A brown tom with a white stripe running down his middle
Wheatclan
Leader
Coal'sun - A brown-furred tom with long and particularly fluffy fur
Deputy
Windfeather - A cream/tan tom with light brown markings
Medicine Cat
Copper'pool - A tiny, pointed copper she-cat with short legs
Warriors
Cinder'bat - A chestnut/ashen furred tom with long fur
Sand'leg - A lithe, heavily scarred sandy-coloured tom (Apprentice: Grousepaw)
Sandfin - A cream colored tom with swirling stripes and a stubbed tail
Honeystomp - A two-toned she-cat with a bushy tail
Addercrunch - A dark furred she-cat with heterochromia (Apprentice: Pheasantpaw)
Furzeheart - A cream colored tom with bright orange eyes
Bloomspot - A tortoiseshell she-cat with a black and light brown patterned coat (Apprentice: Robinpaw)
Marble'swirl - A cream and grey marbled she-cat
Mosquitonose - A dark scruffy-furred tom with prominent scarring around his muzzle
Queens
Butterflypelt - A grey and white she-cat with unusual spotted markings (Caring for Cliffkit and Lightkit)
Courageslash - A muscular, ginger ticked tabby she-cat with a white-tipped tail and toes (Caring for Sunnykit and Tansy'kit)
Emberdoe - A chocolate-and-ginger mottled queen with a white face (Caring for Flamekit)
Apprentices
Robinpaw - A reddish-grey furred she-cat with remarkably large ears
Grousepaw - A brown, fluffy furred she-cat
Pheasantpaw - A brown, fluffy furred tom
Elders
Condorstride - An elderly tom with tan fur
Creek'thistle - a white and grey tom
Kits
Cliffkit - A two-toned grey tom with white splotches
Lightkit - A grey and white she-cat with speckled hindlegs
Tansy'kit - A golden-brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly
Sunnykit - A creamy orange tabby she-cat, with a white underbelly
Flamekit - A red and brown mottled tom
Groveclan
Leader
Fox'sun - A reddish-orange furred she-cat with darker furred paws
Deputy
Azaleawolf - A stocky cream-and-lilac tabby queen with a deep scar on her chest
Medicine Cat
Myrtleberry - A cranberry-colored she-cat with a duller-colored underbelly
Warriors
Dawn'thrush - A sleek, red toned tabby she-cat
Mouserun - A lithe, light brown furred she-cat (Apprentice: Little'paw)
Steamburst - A white and grey furred tom
Hissingstone - A uniquely patterned tom that looks just like a racoon
Dusk'whirl - A tortoiseshell she-cat with swirling patterns
Pollen'bite - A pale, sandy striped tom
Ripple'scale - A silvery striped she-cat (Apprentice: Willow'paw)
Soot'blaze - A black and red blotched tom
Web'shade - A dark grey tom
Wolf'song - A masked brown tom
Muddled'pond - A brown and grey tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes
Grackle'cackle - A blueish black tom with spotted fur and brown eyes
Queens
Stormcrash - A brown and gray tabby she-cat, with spiked fur (Caring for Hazelkit and Pinekit)
Downy'mist - A fluffy, pale gray she-cat
Apprentices
Willow'paw - A lilac grey she-cat with black legs, face, ears, and tail markings with specks of ginger
Little'paw - A dark grey spotted tom with piercing blue, almost white eyes
Elders
Adder'glare - A deep red tom with bright eyes
Golden'feather - A black she-cat with a grey muzzle
Kits
Hazelkit - A creamy furred tom, with a striped tail and face
Pinekit - A brown tabby she-cat with spiked fur
Loners and Rogues
Butterfly - A black tabby tom with dark eyes
Moth - A dark brown she cat with cream spots
Weaver - A black spotted tom with cream spots
Web - A albino tom
Nuthatch - A black and grey colored she-cat with deep yellow eyes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinepelt stood proud, more confident than usual today.
He had spent the whole time lamenting Nightberry quite loudly during her vigil, and had spent moons showcasing his skills to the whole of Wheatclan, and it would all pay off today!
Today, Ruby’sun would choose him to become the next deputy!
She’d be deluded to pick anyone else, of course. Especially Hawksight.
Ooooooh. Just thinking about his name got Pinepelt frustrated. Ever since that skirmish with Groveclan, Hawksight had been hogging the attention just because he happened to save the patrol from an ambush. Now all his clanmates idolized him, and Pinepelt was left in his shadow!
Pinepelt looked down, noticing that in his frustration, his paws had been digging at the ground. He patted the dirt down with one paw, attempting to hide the evidence of his moment of lost composure.
Pinepelt looked to his left, then his right. It was the beginning of the day, and Ruby’sun wouldn’t choose a new deputy until midday, when the sun reached its highest point, like tradition called for. More than enough time to impress Ruby’sun one last time. What should he do…?
An idea popped in his head. The large cave apparently had some mice, bigger than usual. A catch like that would be great…but if he made multiple, it would be better! It would probably be fast enough too.
With his mind made up, Pinepelt set course for the old mine. That didn’t stop him from passing by two clanmates, Yellow’stem and Crescent’fall. They were chatting, and Pinepelt couldn’t help but overhear them.
“...so, who’s your pick for the next deputy? I mean, other than yourself, of course.” Yellow’stem gossiped once Pinepelt was in earshot. “I hope it's Greytalon. He’s done soooooo much for the clan, don’t you think?” Crescent’fall only brushed her off with a sigh. “You only want your father in deputyship because of just that. He’s your father. Pick someone else who isn’t an old fossil of a warrior. Pick someone who…” Crescent’fall’s eyes grew soft, and she sighed again, this time longingly. “...someone who knows his strength and isn’t afraid to show it. Someone…like Hawksight.”
The very mention of his name made Pinepelt’s blood boil. He suppressed an urge to growl and walked around the two gossiping she-cats, while remaining in earshot to hear what else they had to say about Hawksight.
“Oh, did you see him when Groveclan tried to move the border again? We were lucky he showed up - without him, I’m sure it would be more than just Nightberry dead. I’d be dead too…! I think he was fighting three cats at once!” Crescent’fall gushed. Slowly, Yellow’stem nodded along. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Ruby’sun would not be a good leader if she didn’t pick Hawksight as her deputy.”
Pinepelt could not suppress it any longer - he gave a low, quiet growl as he left camp to the hunting grounds of the cave.
He’d show them…
He’d show all of them.
“I guess the saying’s incorrect. Words do hurt. At least, they pretty obviously hurt you.” A wispy, mysterious voice echoed amongst the wheat stalks.
Pinepelt paused. “Who said that?” He spoke up, extending his claws in readiness, looking around. He was supposed to know this wheatfield in and out, like the back of his paw…and yet, somehow, this section was unfamiliar to him. Where was he?
“Oh, please. You can put your claws away. If I was here to fight you, I’d have you begging for mercy by now.” The wispy voice dodged his question, with a hint of a raspy cackle on the wind.
“I won’t until you tell me who you are!” Pinepelt barked out.
“Ooooo, defiant, aren’t we? I like that.” The voice said, getting closer somehow…and then, semi-visible grey smoke bent their way around the wheat, forming the shape of a cat. Only then did Pinepelt retract his claws, staring in awe.
The cat looked him up, and down, and then smirked. “Much better. I think you’ve earned my name. I am Irisbane, former deputy of Wheatclan when it was first formed.” The wispy cat announced her presence.
Pinepelt was shocked, stammering out. “Irisbane…? I have never heard your name, yet…” Pinepelt dipped his head in respect. “I thank you for revealing yourself to me.”
“The formalities are not required.” Irisbane dismissed him. “I’m here for a very special reason. You wish to become deputy, with all your heart. You desire the thrill of everlasting power.”
Pinepelt didn’t like the way it was phrased but nodded. He wouldn’t ever be this self-centered about it.
“And I offer you just that. Touch my nose, and Ruby’sun shall choose you to be your deputy. You, and your kin thereafter, will always be the deputies of Wheatclan, forever onward.”
Pinepelt did not need to hear anything more, and he immediately rushed his face forward, touching his nose with Irisbane’s nose. For the briefest of moments, immense pain rushed through Pinepelt’s body, like he was struck by lightning. And then, the pain was gone.
“Hm. I guess I don’t need to explain anything else. I always do like the ambitious types.” Irisbane commented.
And then, Pinepelt woke up. He was in the Wheatfield, but there was no Irisbane. He looked up toward the sky…it was midday! He was going to be late to the ceremony naming the new deputy! If what he experienced wasn’t a dream…
“...will forever live on in our hearts. But now is not the time to dwell on the past - it is time to move into the future, with the naming of our next deputy.” Ruby’sun echoed atop the Highbranch, just as Pinepelt made it back to camp.
“My choice of deputy, for his overwhelming tenacity and ambitions for all members of the clan, is Pinepelt.” Ruby’sun looked at him. “Please, take your spot on the Lowbranch.”
It was real! Irisbane, the promise, it was all real! Pinepelt couldn’t have been more excited to sit beside Ruby’sun. His eyes wandered over to Hawksight, who looked downtrodden, but was the very first to yell out “Pinepelt!” Pinepelt grew a gloating smile.
Deputyship was his!