#sagetooth

[clangenrising]

Month 11 - Leafbare

Aldertail’s legs were more raw than they had been in a long time. She knew she shouldn’t lick them, she knew it wasn’t right, but every time she thought about the news - that another house cat was dead - she fell into a panic and the only thing that seemed to help was going over her pelt a few more times. Now not only her front legs but her hind legs and her back had patches of missing fur that grew dry and raw in the arid air of Leafbare. 

“Oh, you poor thing,” Oddstripe fretted as he examined her new sores. “We’ll have you feeling better soon enough.” 

“I’m sorry,” she said, holding very still, “I just can’t stop myself. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” 

“You’re sick,” grumbled Sagetooth. “It’s not a failing to cough when you’re ill. That’s all this is.” She snapped a root in half and began to chew it into a poultice. Aldertail recognized the smell as burdock, one of the several treatments she’d been given for her sores before. 

“I don’t feel sick,” she said dumbly. 

“Remember, sweetheart,” Oddstripe said gently and Aldertail blushed, “ it’s not a sickness you feel, it’s a sickness in your mind.” 

“Right…” she frowned. Maybe that was the reason she’d been marked as Chaff. The Folk could tell that her mind was broken. What use was a cat with a broken mind? Sagetooth spat the burdock mixture out with a grimace and pushed the leaf it was on over to Oddstripe, then fixed Aldertail with a scowl that made her want to squirm. 

“Look at me,” she said. Aldertail sat up straighter and nodded. Sagetooth continued, “I’ll have no more moping about this, you understand? It’s not your fault you’re sick. You’re not bad for being ill. In fact, if you’re sick for the rest of your life, that would be fine. Do you understand?” 

Aldertail nodded instinctively. “I-I think so?” 

Sagetooth gave a dissatisfied “Hmph!” and continued to stare her down. 

“Oh, I think your tone is maybe confusing her, Sagetooth,” Oddstripe said, taking Aldertail’s leg in one paw so he could spread poultice up her leg. Once he had his bearings, he looked up to meet her gaze with a soft smile. “You’re not in trouble. What Sagetooth is trying to say is this is normal and it’s okay if you’re sick because that doesn’t change how much we care about you.” Sagetooth grumbled but didn’t contradict him, instead wandering off into the back of the den. Aldertail glanced in her direction, then back to Oddstripe, then down at the ground. She didn’t know why such a kindly stare made her feel so miserable. 

Oddstripe sighed slightly but continued to apply the poultice. “Have you been extra worried lately?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said, glancing back up. “Aren’t you?”

Oddstripe’s lips flattened into a thin line for a moment and he glanced over his shoulder in Sagetooth’s direction. “I am worried about my boys, I’ll admit. But I have a feeling that’s not why you’re worried.” 

“I just…” Aldertail shifted uncomfortably, wishing she could groom her legs. “We’re all going to die. Me especially.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Oddstripe said. 

“Your warriors killed one of the Exalted!” Aldertail hissed fearfully. “They killed my brother for doing the same thing. And his mate. And my sister. And they wanted to kill me. Razor won’t stop until all of us are punished!” Oddstripe shifted uncomfortably, looking solemn. 

He sighed, switched to her other leg, and said, “That is a frightening thought, but I have faith in Goldenstar to keep us safe. StarClan will look out for us.” 

“StarClan…” Aldertail repeated. “Remind me which one that is?” She tried to picture the cats who had rallied in their camp the week before.

“StarClan are the spirits of the dead,” Oddstripe smiled down at his work. “They know things we can’t and they guide us from the stars.”

“So, magic?” asked Aldertail. 

“Yes,” Oddstripe nodded with a little laugh. “This time it really is magic.” 

Aldertail considered that. As powerful as the Folk were, they didn’t share their power with cats, at least not outside of social power. If the Clans had magic on their side, maybe there was a chance they could defeat Razor.

“Can they help us fight?” she asked.

“They rarely help in such a physical way,” Sagetooth said, stomping back over to them with a bundle of thyme leaves in her jaws. “Instead, they give us guidance and help us make the choices that lead to victory. For instance, they told us to attack on the night of the snow storm and in doing so we drove the rogues out and they haven’t returned since.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re not coming back,” Aldertail whined. “Has StarClan said anything else? Have they told you what to do?” The idea felt like something sturdy to hold onto, the idea that magic ghosts could give them all of the answers. If they just did what StarClan said, maybe everything would be alright.

“Not yet,” Sagetooth said. “But they will, in time.” She started separating the bundle of thyme into two piles. 

“Can we ask them?” Aldertail said as Oddstripe moved on to her back. “There’s a way to talk to them, isn’t there?”

“There is,” Sagetooth said, “but we can’t just demand they give us all the answers. Part of the test is making choices for ourselves.” 

“The test?” Aldertail squeaked. She hadn’t known she was being tested!

“The test of life,” Sagetooth clarified. “What would be the point of living if someone just gave us all the answers?” 

“I-I don’t know,” Aldertail shrugged. “Finding peace?” 

“Finding peace wouldn’t be meaningful without chaos,” Sagetooth shook her head. “Joy wouldn’t exist without pain. StarClan gives us trials and misfortunes so we can learn from them and fully appreciate the blessings in our lives.” 

“Okay, sorry,” Aldertail mumbled, realizing she had been speaking out of turn. 

“It’s fine,” Sagetooth sighed. “You’re learning. Now here, chew these for as long as you can before swallowing.” She pushed a bundle of thyme towards Aldertail who took a deep breath of the aromatic scent. It seemed to grab her and pull her thoughts into focus for a moment. Obediently, she leaned down, took the leaves into her mouth, and focused on chewing them as finely as she could. As she did, she started to feel her breath coming easier and her mind clearing. 

“Thank you,” she mumbled around her mouthful.

“Happy to help, dear,” Sagetooth said, offering a rare smile. Aldertail closed her eyes and focused on the herbs, on their smell and the texture of the leaves as it changed between her teeth. By the time Oddstripe was nearly finished with her hind legs, she swallowed and took a deep breath, the smell of thyme still thick on her tongue. 

“Good girl,” Sagetooth nodded. “Now, the burdock root should start numbing your sores soon enough. Be careful not to lick it off or your tongue might go numb too. Besides, you’ll get a stomach ache if you ingest too much of it.” 

Aldertail paled a little. “I’ll try,” she said weakly. That was going to be tricky.

“Oh,” Oddstripe frowned. “We can put cobwebs over them if necessary.” 

“No,” Sagetooth said firmly. “That’s a waste of supplies and who knows, a numb tongue might get her to finally kick the habit.” Oddstripe met Aldertail’s eyes sympathetically. Aldertail nodded, offering a smile as best she could. It was like a punishment. If she messed up and licked her legs, she’d get a nasty surprise and, hopefully, that would teach her a lesson. That felt right. 

“You’re good to go,” Sagetooth said, bundling up the rest of the thyme. “Keep your tongue away from your legs, you hear?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Aldertail nodded. 

“You can get someone to help you groom your pelt if that helps,” continued Sagetooth.

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Oddstripe said. “Let me know if you ever need help with that, okay?” 

“Alright,” Aldertail nodded again and stood to leave. As she did, her tail brushed up against something feather light and startled her. She turned around, fur bristling, to find a dead moth. 

“Oh, sorry about that,” Oddstripe said, “Barleypaw brought me that this morning. I’m not sure what to do with it, to be honest.” 

“You can’t just leave it around,” Sagetooth huffed. “Just get rid of it. She’ll never know.” 

“It’s so pretty though,” Aldertail said, tilting her head to admire the little trinket. 

“Here!” Oddstripe said, reaching towards the moth. Very carefully, he pulled the wings from the moth and then reached up to tuck them behind one of Aldertail’s ears. She blushed again, holding very still as he did, then tried to look at them without turning her head which proved impossible. 

“I saw Blazingbrush wearing cicada wings like that,” he said. “She’s one of the other healers.” Sagetooth huffed under her breath as she headed back to return the thyme to the stores. 

“Do they look alright?” Aldertail asked, still unable to look at them. 

“Oh, they look beautiful on you,” he said. Aldertail bit her lip and swallowed.

“Um, thank you,” she whispered shyly. 

“Don’t mention it,” purred Oddstripe, seemingly unaware of how he was affecting her. “Let me know if you need me to help you groom your pelt okay?” She nodded mutely and he turned and went back into the den with a little smile. 

Aldertail headed out into the snow. He had called her beautiful. No one had ever called her beautiful before, at least not genuinely like that. She decided she needed to find a reflection and see for herself. As she headed out of camp, Branchbark and Ospreymask passed with mouths full of fish and smiled in her direction.

“Aldertail!” Ospreymask squealed, dropping her catch. “I love the moth wings!” 

“Really?” she asked, blushing again. 

“Yes! Oh my stars, you look amazing sweetie!” 

Branchbark chuckled and gave a nod of agreement, then pushed the fish Ospreymask had dropped in her direction. She rolled her eyes and picked them up again, the two passing to head towards the fresh-kill pile. 

Aldertail bounded out of camp, feeling all bubbly inside. Was she pretty? She had always assumed that people were lying when they’d complimented her. She knew how she looked, she knew she was ugly and broken and stupid. Or… she had known. Now she wasn’t sure. She quickly made her way over to the closest stream to investigate. As she approached, she held her breath, wanting to believe what they had said was true. 

Her face swam into view in the chilly stream. She let out her breath, disappointed. She was still herself. She still had the same dull brown fur and ugly, scabby legs, the same unflattering wrinkle permanently affixed between her eyebrows. 

The moth wings looked nice though… She tilted her head back and forth, admiring them from different angles. She wasn’t as thin, she realized. Her cheeks had filled out, her pelt hung more neatly on her bones. She was sleeker, even, with a shine to her fur that only Exalted cats seemed to maintain in the city. Maybe, she reasoned, she wasn’t pretty yet, but she wasn’t ugly anymore. 

She smiled, touched by the thought, and decided to go looking for herbs like Oddstripe had taught her. She needed to thank him for his lovely gift.

UPDATES:

- Aldertail starts wearing moth wings behind her ear.

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warrior cats oc #warriors #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Aldertail #Oddstripe #Sagetooth #Leafbare #clangenrising

[squidknees]

png boy for @sagetooth :}

#squid art #others' ocs

[floofyboi57]

Art of @clangenrising ‘s medicine cat Sagetooth giving some advice to my healer son, Squirrelember. Be patient with him Sage, he’s doing his best TwT

Sagetooth might be my favorite character from RisingClan- I love cranky old medicine cats with issues <3

Bonus doodle of Sagetooth and Squirrel’s sibling, Larchpaw

[Transcript]

Sagetooth: Isn’t your brother a bit young to be a medicine cat?

Larchpaw: Aren’t you a bit old to be alive?

Sagetooth: Watch your tongue. I’m not opposed to hitting a child…especially a blind one

#warrior cats #clan gen #warrior cat ocs #risingclan

[sagetooth]

hazelvales -> sagetooth

#back to my roots

[beelas-bees-art]

Wanted to post a pic tonight but my little project isn’t ready yet SO I decided to draw some of my characters from  my old fanclan. (Miss them :’( )

Pictured above are Foxbriar (who was born with three ears and experiences seizures), Brookpoppy (born with no tail and breathing troubles), and Sagetooth (born with MANY toes and heart problems)

Foxbriar, Brookpoppy, Sagetooth and Smallkit were born from Clearlilac and a random loner. Clearlilac realized she was pregnant and tracked down the loner and killed him, her brother Speckleant had to help her clean up. Clearlilac gave birth to her kits but Smallkit was stillborn, after other story points occur, Clearlilac is killed and Speckleant and his brothers take over caring for them.

Growing up, the three are excluded from the clan and take care of each other. Their other uncles, Lightpounce and Pinecreek, watch over them but mostly Speckleant fiercely defends them from ignorant cats. They each take different fronts to the clan, Foxbriar takes up the aggressive role once he notices his littermates won’t (Sagetooth) or can’t (Brookpoppy), he thinks to bite first so others leave him and his family alone, while he’s actually a really nice and fun cat. Sagetooth thinks that the aggressive role won’t help in the long run, he is all work and no play and claims that treating those who are rude with politeness will make them feel uncomfortable. Brookpoppy thinks that if he just excludes himself that others will have no reason to mess with him, but that assumption is his downfall as cats bully him even more. With Foxbriar usually there to combat the others or Sagetooth to guide him away from the jeers, Brookpoppy never developed a way to defend himself and lacks the courage to.

Brookpoppy eventually runs away from the clan to an unknown place where he meets a loner by the name of Jack, Jack becomes his friend and is able to develop confidence on his own, while simultaneously helping Jack out of his own problems. Speckleant is devastated when he hears from a panicked Sagetooth and worried Foxbriar that Brookpoppy is missing, they look for him for moons but never find him, except for the ring of mushrooms where his scent disappeared, Speckleant visits that spot a lot after that. Foxbriar is angry and asks Sagetooth to run way to go find Brookpoppy but Sagetooth is able to convince him that it wouldn’t be what Brookpoppy wants. They force themselves to continue living in the clan, feeling more alone than ever.

Two cats are able to find an interest in Foxbriar and Sagetooth that isn’t founded in ill-intentions, Skybark and Thrushfall. Thrushfall is able to tear down Foxbriar’s walls and discover the true cat inside, they eventually become best friends. Skybark is able to do the same with Sagetooth and they become mates, having a litter of kits too. The day comes suddenly when Brookpoppy returns with a newfound confidence and a new clanmate. The three are elated to be reunited and Speckleant is proud to have his family complete once again.

However, their health problems do return with a vengeance and cut all three cats’ lives short. Sagetooth collapses on the forest floor during patrol one day and was never able to get up, dead before his kits were apprentices. Foxbriar experiences a seizure too great and causes him to lose his life. While Brookpoppy dies in his sleep after not getting enough oxygen.

(A sad ending, I know, sorry ;_;) Sorry for rambling so much! I just really miss these guys.

#Warriors #warriors cats #warrior cat ocs #my art #foxbriar #brookpoppy #sagetooth #speckleant #specklestar #jack #rabbitflame #lightpounce #pinecreek #clearlilac #skybark #thrushfall #long post #I love to ramble about my characters sorry /:) #might want to expect more lol #old warrior ocs

[killedhonor]

She’s an asshole but she’s hot so it’s ok. Introducing Sagetooth!

#warriors #warriorcats #cats #Sagetooth #warriorsoc #shadowclan #my art

[sootwhiskers]

name: foxstep (she/her)

past names: foxkit, foxpaw, foxstar

allegiance: clanless (past: thunderclan)

rank: rogue (past: leader, deputy, warrior)

parents: robinfeather and pinefall of thunderclan

siblings: lionpelt of thunderclan, amberhawk and fawnfoot the rogue

mates: none

children: none

other family: 

niece: finchkit

mentor: dogstar

apprentices: hawkpad

story info under readmore (currently a wip)

LEADER INFO

preceded by: dogstar (as leader), hazelfrost (as deputy)

deputies: amberhawk (at time of exile)

medicine cats: creekshade, redcloud (at time of exile)

nine lives (in no particular order)*: palestep (clanmate; mercy), icekit (denmate; compassion), dogstar (past leader; faith), flintpelt (past deputy; independence), nettleberry (clanmate; patience), featherpelt (ancient warrior; open-mindedness), copperlight (distant ancestor; honor), primrosefall (ancient medicine cat; healing), sagetooth (ancient warrior; fairness)

*note that her remaining nine lives were stripped by starclan after her exile.

DESIGN NOTES

literally all muscle, absolutely shredded

square muzzle and triangle nose

tail is fluffy like a fox’s but ends in a pointed tip

most cheek/fur fluff points downwards; all of it is pointy

ears are rounded, paws are big

foxkit was very much a “golden child,” perfect and brave and unable to do any wrong according to her parents. although very spoiled, it was hard to deny her genuine skill in hunting and fighting. she was eager to defend territory and had a fierce love for thunderclan, believing she deserved to be made deputy under the elderly dogstar. when she claimed her nine lives after dogstar passed peacefully in the night, there were whispers that his death hadn’t simply been due to old age. to her credit, in her earlier moons she was a good deputy and an even stronger leader.

however, several moons after she’d ascended to leadership, a great hunger swept through the forest due to the clans being overpopulated. it was one of the hardest winters thunderclan had ever seen, and foxstar was both devastated and furious when her mother, pinefall, succumbed to starvation, along with many of her clanmates. in her grief she picked an easy target for her fury: half-clan cats and their code-breaking parents.

a few nights after her mother’s passing, foxstar trekked to the moonpool without her medicine cat, but not to commune with her ancestors. knowing that starclan would never agree with what she was about to do, she instead dreamed her way to the dark forest. after what felt like hours of wandering, she finally came across an old spirit by the name of sandswirl. among the cats of the dark forest, sandswirl had a considerable amount of power, being the “deputy” to its “leader” (a brute known as volcanofang), so foxstar would have to make a deal to get what she wanted. sandswirl gave her a list of half-clan and codebreaking cats across all five clans in exchange for foxstar’s undying loyalty. in other words, foxstar gave up her place in starclan and would willingly serve the place of no stars in her death. she truly, honestly believed this was the only way to save the clans from another catastrophe (wip)

#foxstep #foxstar #clanless #rogue #thunderclan #warrior cats #art #warriors oc #warrior cats oc #character ref #leader #deputy #warrior

[snowfall-designs-random-cats]

6 of 104 designs from a ‘Super Edition’-style fanfic I’m working on! Character information under the cut.

Snowfall’s Solace is a work-in-progress fanfic with names and appearances generated digitally. 105+ unique names and designs are being forged by the internet, and the designs are being produced in an order determined by a random number generator. All cats in the Allegiances page at the start of the fic WILL BE DRAWN before the writing begins.

Oaktail is a calm and compassionate warrior of ThunderClan. He hardly resembles his parents, but his personality more than makes up for it. He cares deeply for his brother and sister. At the start, he’s named Oakkit, and is generally accepted as part of the Clan by his mother. He’s later mentored by the deputy, Wolfwater, before obtaining his Warrior name at the age of 16 moons after a battle.

Robinheart is another ThunderClan warrior. Oaktail’s younger brother and complete opposite, this tom has a strong ‘fight or fight’ instinct, and never backs down. Born as Robinkit and later mentored by Sagetooth, he gains his warrior name after a hunting assessment a mere two moons after his brother.

Ravenfeather is a third ThunderClan warrior, and the older sister of the other two. Appearing very similar to their mother, she was understandably the favorite child, according to most. She was given the name of Ravenpaw at eight moons instead of six, and her mentor was Feathertalon, a new warrior at the time that her brothers were apprenticed. Ravenfeather has a low-impulse personality, and knows when a situation is too dangerous to pursue.

Mooseheart is a ThunderClan she-cat who enters the story as Moosepaw. Her mentor was Badgerclaw, the stand-in deputy. She’s bouncy and excitable, much unlike her little brother, Deertail. She has her serious moments, but they’re few and far-between.

Whitedust is a RiverClan queen at the story’s start, mother to Spiderkit(later Spiderfang). She took care of the WindClan kits during the tradeoff. Whitedust is a very brutal warrior, and a frequent preacher of a “no mercy” fighting style.

Owlmist is the WindClan medicine cat apprentice at the story’s start, and was the one who suggested the tradeoff to the other medicine cats, who discussed it with their leaders. She has a calm disposition, and can tell when a problem must be addressed immediately. However, she is also kind, and refuses to let needless harm befall anyone, ally or enemy.

#Snowfall's Solace art #Original Character designs #Warrior Cats #warriors designs #art #Stresslitzia's Art

[lightkrets312]

Gaia - Facing Theia

A call goes out across the world - It’s time to face Theia, the fallen one. We all band together into one place to face her, armed with bows and swords, diamond and iron.

(Well this got long. Check under the cut!)

The room we arrive in is dark. Obsidian and black stone, lava and magma. In the center is a round platform, and it is there she arrives. We fight against her, and it doesn’t take long before she falls, dropping her heart - the nether star.

Not long later Theia returns, crying out for her heart to be returned and seeming to recall something. We hesitate, some of us searching for whoever holds the star, others wishing to keep it, and all the while she grows weaker. Mercy or death, what should we choose..?

We choose mercy. One of our number, stupidgay, realizes they have the heart and returns it to Theia.

Our kindness is rewarded.

She remembers who she was, and as her memories return, the ground starts to heal.

Theia came to the world of Gaia long ago, nestled within a meteor made by the gods. She crashed upon its surface and was enraged by what had happened, for being abandoned by the gods. Some of us cry out, asking why?

The lonely god arrives to provide some answers.

Killy claims no responsibility, nor any memory of how she came to be in this form... “if this is... her.” He asks her what happened, where she came from.

She replies that he created her and in his struggle for his humans, left her to fend for herself.

The lonely god remembers. In his quest to create a perfect world, he knew it would need a moon. When he pulled Gaia into the new universe, he left Theia behind.

But she returned.

The lonely god lowers his head and asks if she’ll ever forgive him.

She doesn’t know if she can, but she has learned, declaring that she will nurture humans and will form her own town. Many of us excitedly clamor for this.

Killy offers to lend Theia “even an ounce” of his power in this quest, offering her demigod status, which she declines. She has her own powers, powers that the lonely god does not know if he can trust, both Chaotic and Peaceful. But Theia is not looking for the god’s trust.

The god stakes his claim, that she, one of his creations, lives on his world. She declares that she will make her own world, her own human, who she shall nurture and protect. She will not leave them behind.

He decides to allow this, but declares that should she step even slightly out of line and turn towards a path of destruction, he will stop her. She assures him that no harm will come from her humans.

She notices someone is outside. He says not to change the subject.

“Go ahead and have your humans,” declares the god. “I'll be keeping a close eye on you.” And thus the god leaves in a bolt of lightning and a small grass fire.

Theia declares she will form a land, a hidden valley, where we can be safe and hide from the injustice of the world, the injustice done to her and to seek justice for others forgotten.

The roof transforms to leaves, but it decays and lava falls from the ceiling. Water soon follows it, and Killy declares Theia’s powers to be unstable. She tells him not to control what he does not understand.

He hopes they learn to love each other, she says she will find love in those who deserve it.

She declares that she will rest and regulate her power, telling us that she will be thriving when next we meet, that she hopes we will with her and that she will look out for us.

The lonely god discovers that the meteor has healed.

We discover a new book by the Traveler.

Now, as the sun rises on a cracked, yet healing land, we enter a new era in the world of Gaia.

(Shoutout to: nbmushroom (auggy), jalienson (Venax), StupidGay, knightofbreath (Knight), rathat (Snussy), Damindra112 (MulletSteve), imizu, peaceful_warrior, RedDragonAlexis, DylanHasPerished, Vastell, bugfiend (bugfiend), itsfae, astrocharmander, saerann, azuremedusa, sagetooth (sage), lyra117, EmeraldAxolotl, Wolfpup3, thefiddles, frogfarms, Finnatiq, wormpants, Enthura, chimerakit, thelastlovebites, PensiveEmoji, scaliee, specialflower, LEAVETHEKING, many many others, and of course, KillyBaplan.)

(If anyone has some good screenshots to provide, including Theia’s heart, the battle room, and any others, please let me know!)

Footnotes:

Knight kept throwing a fishing rod at Theia. Rude.

Bugfiend kept shOOTING THEIA ARE YOU SERIOUS

MulletSteve threw flowers at Theia several times.

Stupidgay wanted to steal Theia’s heart a second time and just. Rude.

lenny lost their lesbian shield, anyone pick that up?

#gaiacraft #gaia mc #i'm soooo sorry for the wordiness of this there was a lot to unpack here!! #i have like 78 screenshots jesus #I hope this all looks okay! #also i know you guys may have fancy shaders and cool texture packs but please don't mind the vanilla minecraft #please it's all i have #so many of these screenshots i had to cut out of text-packed shots so that's why the weird dimensions at times

[clangenrising]

Month 14 - Newleaf

“Thank you all for coming,” Goldenstar said to the assembled warriors of RisingClan. “This should be quick.” Everyone had gathered at sunhigh to talk while the kits were sleeping. Even Sagetooth and Oddstripe were in attendance. The only cat missing was Songdust, whose absence hung heavy over the group like an ill omen.

Yarrowshade shrugged and said, “We’re happy to be here, Goldie.” She smiled and he grinned in return. It was good to see her smiling again. Beside her, Scorchplume’s tail was twined with hers, a development he had noticed a few days ago but said nothing about yet. Neither of them seemed to want to bring it up either so he left it alone.

“We all want to see the end of this war,” said Pantherhaze and the rest of the group concurred. Yarrowshade in particular couldn’t wait to pay the rogues back for all the grief they had caused him. His claws ached to sink into their fur. His skin itched for the satisfaction of a well-deserved wound.

“I’ve been discussing strategies with Scorchplume,” Goldenstar said, “and she thinks there’s a way we could manage to take Razor out of play, which would be huge.” 

“Yes,” Scorchplume said, less excited than Goldenstar was. “It’s risky though.”

“Risky is what we do,” Floodpaw purred proudly. Oddstripe clucked with worry. 

“Right,” said Goldenstar. “A risk with big pay off is way better than continuing to sit and wait. Go ahead.” 

“Alright,” sighed Scorch. Yarrowshade watched her shift uncomfortably and added another smack to the list of punishments he owed Razor. “When Smokyrose came to the city, they were discussing a peace agreement. Until Ghost arrived, it looked like he was going to arrange a one on one meeting with Goldenstar that he would use to ambush her and take out your leader.” 

A few cats shifted bitterly at the mention of Smokyrose. 

“The plan is to arrange that meeting,” Goldenstar said with a fiery conviction in her voice, “and then ambush him back.” 

“But it’s extremely dangerous,” Scorch cautioned. “Goldenstar will have to be basically alone with Razor for at least a few moments. If there are any mistakes, Goldenstar could die.” 

“I could lose a life,” Goldenstar admitted, “but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. As long as the rest of you come in to corner him, we should succeed.” Scorch chewed her lip, tail rippling irritably, and Yarrowshade realized that she still didn’t believe in Goldenstar’s nine lives. 

“I think it sounds like a solid course of action,” Sagetooth said. “I’ll consult StarClan but I think we should plan on going through with it.” 

“We should ask the other Clans too,” said Pantherhaze. “We only won the last battle because of their help. We could use it again.” 

“Yeah, we don’t know how many cats Razor will bring with him,” said Sparrowpaw. “Best to be prepared.”

“I agree,” Goldenstar said, “and I’m sure something this important will get Flightstar and Snowstar to agree to it. Scorchplume believes that Razor thinks I’m the Clans’ only leader, so I’ll also be the one meeting him and taking on all the risk.” Scorch shifted again.

“Just don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Oddstripe said. “I don’t want to have more of you injured than is necessary.” Sagetooth twitched her ear. 

“We’ll train in defensive combat strategies and cooperative fighting in preparation,” said Russetfrond, looking more like himself than he had over the last couple days. Yarrowshade had enjoyed how miserable Mystique’s pregnancy had made him at first but by now he was just glad that the deputy had stopped moping. It was unsettling - too unlike him.

“Good idea,” Goldenstar nodded. “Russetfrond and I will come up with a more decisive battle plan and share it with you all during training. Are there any other questions?” 

“What are we going to do about Songdust?” Floodpaw asked impatiently. Barleypaw nodded. Sparrowpaw looked at the ground. Pantherhaze and Ospreymask leaned forward for the answer.

Goldenstar shifted. “That’s a little more complicated…” 

“I know a cat or two who might be able to help,” Scorch said, “but there’s not much we can do without going into the city which we can’t really do with Razor in power like this.” 

“StarClan will protect her if they can,” Sagetooth said. “Defeating Razor is the first step. Then we can think about rescuing Songdust.” No one seemed satisfied with that answer, but Scorch was right. There wasn’t really anything they could do. 

After a moment or two of silence, Goldenstar said, “Alright then. Meeting adjourned. Everyone focus on preparing for the battle. May StarClan guide us.”

“May StarClan guide us,” said Sagetooth, Oddstripe, Barleypaw, and Pantherhaze’s staggered voices. The cats began to disperse. Yarrowshade picked himself up and moved to talk with Scorch and Goldenstar. 

“Hey, you guys wanna go train or something?” he asked. Goldenstar looked to Scorchplume.

“You two can go,” Scorch said. “I’m not going to go anywhere near Razor.” 

“Still, it can’t hurt to get some practice in, right?” Yarrowshade asked. She looked at him and he swore he could hear her thoughts, how irritating she found him, how much she hated him for ‘choosing Nightfrost.’

“Fine,” she said shortly. 

“Great,” Goldenstar laughed a little and Scorch shot her a subtle glare. “Or what if we scout out places for the meeting instead? That’s something you could help with.” 

“I suppose,” Scorchplume hummed, seeming more inclined to that idea. Yarrowshade couldn’t help but feel like she just liked Goldenstar’s ideas better than his. He swallowed tightly and tried not to look disappointed. 

“Sounds good to me,” he said brightly. “Let’s go.” 

They set out towards the southern border. The day was warm for the season, bright and sunny with a welcome breeze. Yarrowshade tilted his face to the sun and tried to enjoy the warmth of it. 

“How’ve you been, by the way?” asked Goldenstar.

He tilted his head in her direction. “Good, I guess.” Lonely. “I’ve missed hanging out with you two though.” 

“Same, honestly,” Goldenstar said, leaning into Scorchplume’s side. “I can’t wait for all this business to be over so things can go back to normal.” 

“Normal is extremely relative,” Scorch hummed. “I for one am sick of normal.”

“We’ll just have to make a new normal then,” Yarrowshade tried, offering her a smile. She raised her brows at him but said nothing. He tried not to frown. 

“Scorch,” Goldenstar said softly. “He’s trying. Be nice to him.” Yarrowshade blushed at being called out like that. Was he so obvious? Scorch scowled at Goldenstar but there was no malice in her gaze. 

“I’ll do what I please,” she huffed.

“I know,” purred Goldenstar, “but you guys used to be good friends right? I don’t see the point in holding onto a grudge when you could just get along again.”

“Look,” Yarrowshade cut in, fur prickling in discomfort, “if it helps; I’m sorry for whatever I did.”

“Whatever you did?” Scorch raised her brows even higher somehow. 

“Yes?” he winced. This felt like a trap. 

“What was that, exactly?” Scorch asked. Goldenstar was mouthing something but he was terrible at reading lips. 

“For…” Yarrowshade hesitated. He had to find the correct answer. “For not choosing you?” There was a moment of silence where Scorch sized him up and he and Goldenstar held their breath. 

Then Scorch said, “Apology accepted.” Both Yarrowshade and Goldenstar sighed in relief. Scorch flicked her ear in annoyance. 

But after that, things were alright. Yarrowshade brought up a funny story from hunting with Barleypaw the other day and the others laughed. Scorch poked fun at him with an easy smile rather than a cold, defensive one. Goldenstar wouldn’t stop purring. He still felt like he was walking on thin ice, but at least for now Scorch was finding him entertaining. That was all he wanted, really. 

Discussion moved on to talk about how Barleypaw and her littermates would be warriors in a moon or two. Goldenstar expressed being nervous about her first real warrior ceremony as leader and Scorch and Yarrowshade told her she had nothing to worry about. From there, they started talking about Slatekit and Fogkit and their upcoming ceremony. 

“I still don’t know who should mentor Fogkit,” said Goldenstar as they paused to examine the sightlines on one hill. “I think I have Slatekit settled but Fogkit doesn’t like Ospreymask anymore and I’m not sure who else could mentor her.” 

“She’s a pawful, isn’t she?” Yarrowshade chuckled. “Yesterday I caught her ‘crafting curses’ out of claw sheds and bird bones.” 

“Crafting curses?” Scorch said skeptically. 

“Yeah,” shrugged Yarrowshade. “I don’t know where she got the idea but she said she was trying to curse the rogues to death.” He shook his head. “I’m honestly glad I already have Barleypaw cause I don’t think I would want to try and untangle that whole mess.” 

“Yeah, that’s the thing,” Goldenstar said. “I would take her myself but I’ve already got Floodpaw.”

“You can’t just take every apprentice who seems like they’ll be a pawful,” Scorch huffed. 

“Is that a challenge?” Goldenstar teased and Scorch rolled her eyes. 

“Look, if it’s really such a predicament, just give her to me.” 

Yarrowshade and Goldenstar fell into stunned silence. 

“What?” Scorch bristled defensively. “Is that so outlandish?”

“No, no,” Goldenstar said quickly, a smile spreading across her face, “I just didn’t expect you to want an apprentice! I mean, it’s a pretty big commitment.” 

“Does that mean you’re staying?” Yarrowshade asked excitedly. 

Scorch swished her tail back and forth, puffing up like a ginger pigeon. “For now,” she said. “By the time I leave, Floodpaw will be a warrior and then Goldenstar can take over her training.” 

Yarrowshade cocked a brow, smirking. “I don’t buy it.” 

Goldenstar was grinning like an idiot. “Oh, Scorch!” she purred, butting her head into Scorchplume’s shoulder. “I love you so much!”

“That’s it!” Scorch said, putting both paws on Goldenstar’s face and shoving her away. “I’m actually leaving right now and throwing myself in the river.” 

“Wait, no!” wailed Goldenstar through laughter. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to use the forbidden word!” She threw herself at Scorch’s feet and clung to her like a needy kitten. Scorch huffed a laugh through her nose. 

“Please, your excellence,” she said, pretending to be scandalized, “you forget yourself.” Goldenstar laughed, chest thrumming with an uncontrollable purr. 

Yarrowshade swallowed thickly. Grief, unexpected and overwhelming, flooded his mind as he watched them joke and flirt. Neither of them seemed to notice and he was grateful for it. He carefully turned away and started down the far side of the hill, breathing slowly through his nose to try and stop himself from tearing up. 

Get it together, Yarrowshade, he thought to himself. This was such a stupid thing to cry over! He wasn’t going to let them see him like this. 

“Look,” Scorch said smugly, “your pathetic displays have scared off Yarrowshade.”

“Ah!” Goldenstar cried, still laughing, “Yarrowshade, wait! I’m sorry!”

He paused and let out one last breath before forcing the frown off of his face. “I think this hill is too exposed,” he said, glancing back at them. “Maybe we should try somewhere with trees?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Goldenstar had gotten to her feet and was halfway to him, Scorch trailing behind. Both of them looked so happy it hurt to watch.

“Do you think Orangestar would let us hold the meeting on EarthClan territory?” he asked, looking away. He focused his eyes on the trees up ahead and tried to pretend that he was fine. 

“Maybe!” Goldenstar said. “I’ll bring it up at the Gathering.” 

“Hmm,” Scorch chewed her lip. “Could we take a look anyway or would that be inappropriate.” 

“I’m not sure,” Goldenstar said.

“Probably best to wait for permission,” Yarrowshade said. 

“Yeahhhh,” Goldenstar sighed. “Oh well. Why don’t we catch some lunch and head back?” 

“Sounds good to me,” said Scorch. 

“Yeah,” Yarrowshade turned back to them, smiling again even if it felt a little forced. “I’d love that.”

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Goldenstar #Yarrowshade #Pantherhaze #Sagetooth #Oddstripe #Scorchplume #Floodpaw #Sparrowpaw #Russetfrond #Newleaf #Clangenrising

[clangenrising]

Month 14 - Newleaf

As usual, rumors spread through camp like a wildfire in greenleaf. When Sagetooth got back from tending the garlic patches, she immediately overheard Ospreymask and Branchbark whispering about something scandalous. 

“It’s just ironic, isn’t it?” Ospreymask was saying. “Like, he’s always getting on me for being too chummy with Pebblefall or whoever and then he goes and has kits with a rogue.” 

“Yeah,” agreed Branchbark, tail twitching. “I honestly don’t think it’s that big a deal, but it’s a little funny that it’s him. Like, I guess now he’ll get a taste of his own medicine.” 

“Who will?” snapped Sagetooth. Both warriors flinched, fur brushing up, and turned to look at her like they had been caught eating prey on patrol. 

Ospreymask recovered quickly, though. “Russetfrond,” she whispered conspiratorially. “He got Mystique pregnant.” 

Sagetooth sighed heavily. “That fool boy. What was he thinking?”

“Who knows,” Branchbark huffed. “Maybe he thinks the rules don’t apply to him now that he’s deputy.” Sagetooth wasn’t listening anymore. She stalked off towards her den, rehearsing the scolding she was going to give Russetfrond when she saw him next. 

She couldn’t believe it! She knew that the world was going insane these days - both Stormwhisper and Blazingbrush having broken the code and had kits - but if there had been anyone she had expected to stick to tradition, it would have been Russetfrond. He’d always had more sense than his mother. Honestly, Sagetooth liked the boy. It was that small affection that was feeding her massive disappointment now. 

She wasn’t expecting to see him in her den. He was talking with Oddstripe and both of them looked up when she entered. Russetfrond’s ears slid backwards in shame. 

“There you are,” she said, scowling at him. 

“Sagetooth,” Oddstripe started, surely about to counsel her to go easy on him, but Russetfrond raised his tail to stop the other healer. 

“It’s alright, Oddstripe,” he said grimly. “Would you give us a moment?” 

Oddstripe hesitated but nodded, lips pursed. “Alright.” Ears back against his skull, he slank out of the den, leaving them alone. 

“I can't believe you,” Sagetooth said. “How could you be so foolish?” 

“I don’t know,” he sighed, looking down at his paws. “I’m sorry Sagetooth. This never should have happened.” 

“Damn right!” she huffed, stomping past him to deposit her garlic in the herb stores. “Goldenstar has always had trouble respecting Clan tradition so I would have expected this from someone like her but you? You must have known this wasn’t acceptable behavior!” She sat down and turned to look at him, making her disapproval clear on her face. 

“I did,” he said, and Sagetooth was surprised by his melancholy. “I knew the whole time that it was wrong and I still did it. I thought it would be fine if I kept it a secret, as if StarClan didn’t already know. I’m lucky they didn’t pick a harsher punishment.” Despite herself, Sagetooth felt her heart soften. 

“Yes, you are,” she said firmly. “I’m glad you at least seem to understand what you did wrong.” 

“I do,” he nodded, meeting her eyes with a hollow, hopeless gaze. That broke her heart. That expression didn’t belong on his powerful face. 

“Tch, come here,” she sighed, spreading her tail to invite him close. He obediently approached and settled down against her flank, leaning down into her despite his superior height. Sagetooth stretched up to give him a few licks around the ears. 

“What’s done is done, kit,” she continued. “All that’s left is how you make it right. You’ve told Goldenstar?”

“Yes,” he huffed sullenly. “She said it wasn’t going to be a problem. I hate how accepting she’s being about it.” 

“It’s her way,” scowled Sagetooth. She pushed down the complaints she had that were begging to be voiced. Her duty now was to guide Russetfrond, not gripe about Goldenstar. “Have you tried convincing the kittypet to join the Clan?” 

“Yes,” he sighed. “She’s not going to cooperate. It was all I could do to keep her from taking the kits back to her twolegs.” Sagetooth growled lowly. Kittypets…

“Well, good on you,” she said definitively. “Once they’re born they’ll need a strong paw to raise them up. I’m sure you’ll be able to foster their loyalties properly and turn them into excellent warriors.” 

“Thank you, Sagetooth.” Russetfrond closed his eyes and leaned into her. She wrapped her tail around him and purred reassuringly. 

“It’s going to be alright,” she said into his forehead. “The Clan will be there for you. StarClan is forgiving. This is a blessing in disguise, mark my words.” Russetfrond grunted tiredly. The two of them sat there for a good long while, Sagetooth letting him take comfort in her presence. It was good, she thought, to feel like her guidance was needed again. 

She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to StarClan. Let him learn his lesson, she prayed. Let these kits be loyal warriors. Let their mother cause no problems. 

After a few more long, quiet moments, Russetfrond gathered himself and stood up with a deep, slow breath. “I should get back to work,” he said. “Sparrowpaw has a lot of training to do before he gets his warrior name.” 

“Good,” Sagetooth nodded. “Devote yourself to your Clan. It will make these next few months easier.” He nodded dutifully, looking a little less defeated. “And don’t be afraid to come to me if you need advice. It’s what I’m here for.”

“I will,” he said. “Thank you, Sagetooth.” 

“StarClan guide you, kit,” she dipped her head and he returned the gesture.

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Sagetooth #Ospreymask #Branchbark #Russetfrond #Oddstripe #Newleaf #clangenrising

[clangenrising]

Month 1 is slow and nothing interesting happens so let's do some introductions! Meet our Leader, Deputy, and Healer! Such lovely ladies UwU

#clan gen #clangen #clangen game #clan gen game #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #Goldenstar #Nightfrost #Sagetooth #RisingClan #clangenrising #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Character refs

[clangenrising]

Month 13 - Newleaf

Oddstripe was up early as usual and quickly heard the news. His heart ached for the kits who were going to be told later that day. He didn’t envy Ospreymask there. 

Sagetooth was strangely quiet about the whole thing and he thought he knew why. She had been furious with Smokyrose before she left and this was exactly the sort of thing she had been warning against. Oddstripe had a feeling she was torn between vindication and grief over someone who used to be, if not a friend, a lifelong Clanmate. That must be taking a toll on her. 

Since there was no body, she had told him they would try to find a piece of wood to stand in during the funeral. He’d asked Sparrowpaw and Barleypaw to help gather wildflowers as well and was just about to head out looking for a sufficient effigy when Aldertail skidded into the healer’s den looking twice her size.

“Woah!” he exclaimed, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” 

“Everything!” Aldertail wailed softly, like she didn’t want to be heard. “Haven’t you heard? Razor’s sister is here! She’s going to kill me!” She pressed herself up against the wall of the den where it would obscure her from the elders’ den where Mystique was being kept. 

“Oh, she’s not going to kill you,” Oddstripe said instinctively. 

“She is!” Aldertail whimpered, chest heaving with frantic breaths. “Or she’ll bring someone else to kill me!” She ran her tongue over her forelegs three times each. They were both raw again, red and sore looking. Oddstripe frowned sympathetically. 

“That’s not going to happen,” he said, sitting down to curl his tail around her. “Goldenstar won’t let it.” 

“There’s nothing she can do!” Aldertail sobbed. “Scorch is right, all we can do is run! Why won’t they run?!” Her sides shuddered hard against his as the crying overtook her. Oddstripe clucked sadly and started to groom her pelt with long, gentle strokes of his tongue. 

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I know you’re really scared right now. But it will be okay. StarClan is looking out for us.” 

“What if that’s not enough?” sniffled Aldertail. She looked up at him with her big, wet eyes. 

“Then we’ll do the rest,” he said. “Goldenstar is very smart and resourceful. She’ll find a way to keep everyone safe, I know it.” Aldertail shook her head, once more consumed by tears. Oddstripe sighed. 

“Why don’t we sit here for a while,” he said. “I’ll help you groom your fur.” 

“No,” she cried, “you’ve got important stuff you need to do, I- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t-”

“It’s alright,” he said, “I want to do this. Come here.” He reached around her neck and pulled her closer to carefully groom her forehead for her. He made sure to use firm licks in calming patterns in the hopes that it would help. He probably went over her face more thoroughly than was needed but it didn’t matter. Her breathing started to slow and he smiled to himself. 

“I’m sorry,” she said by way of ‘thank you’. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he said gently. “Take as much time as you need.”

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #clangen oc #warriors oc #clan gen oc #clangenrising #Oddstripe #Sagetooth #Aldertail

[clangenrising]

Month 12 - Leafbare

Sagetooth’s ear twitched irritably as she listened to Smokyrose’s proposal. “This is nonsense!” she huffed. “You want to try and make peace with these rogues?! You’d sooner teach a fox to fly!” Smokyrose tried to hide her scowl, focusing her attention back on Goldenstar. 

“I think we have to try,” she said. “And we ought to try as soon as possible. If we can put an end to the fighting before anyone else gets hurt, we should do that, right?” 

“I see what you’re saying,” Goldenstar said and Sagetooth waited eagerly for the ‘but’, “but these city cats don’t seem interested in any outcome besides getting what they want. I’m not sure there is a peaceful solution.” 

Smokyrose frowned and said, “We should do our due diligence. If we don’t, the ‘what ifs’ will weigh on our minds for the rest of our lives.” 

“Maybe for you,” Sagetooth growled, lashing her tail. “I will sleep soundly knowing we refused to negotiate with these barbarians.” 

“That kind of talk isn’t helpful,” Smokyrose pouted. “We need to empathize with our enemy, not demonize them.” Some things never changed. Smokyrose was still as self righteous as ever and accustomed to using her pretty face to win arguments. It made Sagetooth simmer with rage.

“I beg to differ,” she retorted. “There’s a reason the Code expects us to refrain from making friendships within other Clans. Too much empathy loses battles.” 

Goldenstar chirped to get the two older cats’ attention then sighed. “Look. I would love to be able to agree with you Smokyrose but I’m worried about your safety. Maybe we can find a compromise, yes?” 

“I’m listening,” Smokyrose smiled and Sagetooth rolled her eyes.

“It’s been a while since we actually ran into any rogues,” Goldenstar said. “Next time we do, we’ll ask them for a meeting and then we’ll arrange a time and location that I can feel confident you’ll be safe in. How does that sound?” 

“I guess…” said Smokyrose. Sagetooth huffed.

Goldenstar looked at her and asked, “Sagetooth, do you have any objections?” 

“No, I suppose not,” said the old healer. Aside from the fact that this clearly won’t work. She was just going to have to let Goldenstar learn the hard way. 

“Good,” Goldenstar sighed tiredly. “I’m glad we could come to an agreement.” Sagetooth and Smokyrose both frowned and shifted their weight but they didn’t protest. 

Neither of us are happy, Sagetooth thought sarcastically, the sign of a perfect compromise. 

“Thank you for hearing me out,” Smokyrose nodded, standing. 

“Always,” said Goldenstar, smiling despite her weariness. Sagetooth frowned deeper. The war seemed to be taking a heavy toll on the young cat and she didn’t like it. 

“Did you want me to bring you those sleeping herbs like we discussed?” she asked, knowing Goldenstar had been against them from the start. 

“I guess…” Goldenstar shrugged. “I… trust your judgment.” 

“Good,” Sagetooth said, standing as well. “Trust me, a night of deep sleep will do you some good.” She headed for the exit to the leader’s den but nearly collided with Smokyrose in the tunnel. She bristled, baring her teeth, and Smokyrose pulled back to let her go first. With a satisfied ‘humph’, she hobbled out of the den and back into her own. By the time she got there, a rant was starting to spill from her lips. 

“She’s got no sense,” she grumbled, “She wants to talk with them? Hah! That will go well. I’m sure everyone will toss a moss ball around and share tongues too!” 

Movement drew her attention and she snapped her gaze up to glare at the perpetrator. Sitting side by side, Aldertail and Oddstripe were refreshing the sick beds. Aldertail had fallen over, tail tucked and ears pressed back, as if instinctively apologizing for being in her way. Oddstripe winced sympathetically and smiled at Sagetooth.

“Evening, Sagetooth,” he said. “Everything alright?” 

“It’s Smokyrose,” she grouched, disregarding them as she stomped back to the herb stores. “She’s insisting we try to ‘make peace’ with the rogues. Ridiculous! She seems to think every problem can be solved if you talk about your feelings enough.” 

“Well, that is her job, isn’t it?” Oddstripe offered with a bashful laugh. “You know, as a mediator.” 

“Pah!” Sagetooth lashed her tail to toss the remark away. “Mediators! We went plenty of generations without them just fine!” She scowled in focus. She had to portion out the herbs without making a mess and her temper was not making it any easier for her achy paws to manage.

“Oh, really?” Oddstripe asked. “I just assumed mediators had been around as long as every other position.”

“Nope,” Sagetooth said. “Time was, we knew how to settle our disputes like warriors. These days all anyone wants to do is talk.” Finally, she managed to fold Goldenstar’s herbs into a little leaf for easy carrying.

“Isn’t that better?” he ventured carefully. “I mean- don’t less cats get hurt?” 

Sagetooth scoffed and turned around, the bundle of herbs in her teeth. “Youngins!” she hissed. “Too afraid of pain.” Her eyes briefly landed on Aldertail and the warrior impulsively went to lick at her paws. Sagetooth’s tail lashed again. 

“Stop that!” she ordered. 

“Sorry!” Aldertail squeaked, slamming her paw back down. 

“Stars, girl!” Sagetooth groaned, “I ought to put garlic on your legs!” 

“I-it’s alright,” Oddstripe tried, laying his tail around Aldertail’s shoulders. “She just wants you to be kind to yourself.” Sagetooth’s fur prickled. 

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” she spat. “We’re not doing her any service by coddling her. She’s a full grown cat, she should be able to take control of herself and stop tearing up her own skin any time someone looks at her sideways!” 

“I’m sorry,” Aldertail said again. “I’ll stop, I promise!” 

“You’d better,” Sagetooth growled. 

Oddstripe’s big ears turned backwards. “Sagetooth! She can’t help it!” 

“Excuses, excuses,” scoffed Sagetooth. 

Deep down, she knew she was being harsh. As much as she disliked it, Aldertail’s condition wasn’t something she had too much control over, but Sagetooth was angry and her hips hurt and it seemed like everyone had forgotten what it really meant to be a warrior and she wasn’t in the mood to keep her thoughts to herself! She also wasn’t in the mood to put up with Oddstripe’s bleeding heart at the moment and she stalked out of the den, tail arched at the base as it lashed side to side. 

“It’s okay, Oddstripe, really,” she heard Aldertail say as she left. “I know I should be better about it.” 

“Oh, you’re fine,” Oddstripe said firmly. “Why don’t you finish these nests? I’m going to have a word with Sagetooth real quick.” 

Sagetooth growled, low and long, as the sound of pawsteps quickly caught up to her. The sun was starting to set, casting the camp in a soft purple. On any other day it would have been beautiful but, today, for some reason, it was very annoying.

“Sagetooth!” Oddstripe hissed, easily keeping stride with her. “That was entirely inappropriate! I- I know you have your own way of doing things, but I-” 

“You what?” Sagetooth stopped to glare at him and his stupid, giant bat ears. 

“I-” Oddstripe recoiled under her gaze. She huffed in satisfaction which only made him more upset. “I won’t let you talk to her like that.” 

“Oh, really?” she growled, setting down the herbs. “What will you do to stop me?” 

Oddstripe squirmed but kept that annoyingly determined look on his face. “I- I don’t-” 

“Sagetooth!” a voice called out from the eastern hill. Sighing, she turned to face the patrol returning to camp with a grimace. 

“What now?” she said before she saw them and all thoughts seemed to fly from her head. 

Pantherhaze was in the lead, with Yarrowshade, Barleypaw, and Stormwhisper in tow. Each of them carried a kit about four weeks old in their jaws. Sagetooth’s eyes snapped onto Stormwhisper and he immediately wilted under her gaze. 

“There you are!” she shouted. “Where in the Dark Forest have you been?!” She stormed towards them, the herbs and her argument with Oddstripe completely forgotten. Cats started emerging from their dens to see what was going on.

Stormwhisper set the kitten down between his paws and said, “StarClan led me out past the territories where I found a pregnant queen. I helped her deliver the kits and she asked me to take them back to be raised in EarthClan so I did. I’m still not sure why StarClan set me on this path, but I assume the kits must be important somehow.” Sagetooth narrowed her eyes. His response seemed rehearsed to her and far too vague for her liking.

As he spoke, the others set the kits they were carrying next to the first and one of them, a little white and ginger tom, started to squeal hungrily. The others joined in, becoming a pitiful, sickly sounding chorus. 

“Oh, the poor things!” Oddstripe said, moving over to inspect the kittens. “They’re half starved!” 

“I’ve been trying to feed them,” Stormwhisper said, “but it’s been hard since they’re still getting the hang of food.” 

Sagetooth was still glaring. “They’re not even weaned yet and their mother sent them away with you?” 

Stormwhisper frowned and shifted his weight uneasily. “Yeah. I tried to convince her to come with me but she wanted nothing to do with them. B-besides, I figured I’d been gone long enough already-”

“You sure have!” Sagetooth hissed, tail bristling. “Oddstripe and I have been covering for your absence! There’s a war on! And you just went off for three moons, completely neglecting your duties and oaths?!” 

“A war?!” Stormwhisper reeled. “Between whom?” 

“Everyone and a bunch of bloodthirsty rogues,” Sagetooth snapped. “You’d know that if you’d stuck around.”

“Easy, Sagetooth,” Yarrowshade said, stepping forward a little. 

“He said StarClan was guiding him,” Pantherhaze added, eyes wide. “Maybe these kits are going to save the Clans some day!” 

Oddstripe whispered, “Barleypaw, would you grab me some drinking water and a bird of some kind?” Barleypaw nodded and bounded off towards the nearest stream.

“I’ll go grab the ones we cached earlier,” Yarrowshade offered.

“Thank you,” Oddstripe purred. “Stormwhisper, why don’t you help me get them to the healers’ den?” Sagetooth’s jaw hurt from the ferocity with which she was clenching it. It seemed no one there cared at all about Stormwhisper’s transgressions. She wished that she could set him on fire with her glare alone. She couldn’t, of course, and he eventually broke her gaze to smile at Oddstripe.

“Of course,” he said. Stooping down, he started nosing the kits towards the healers’ den and said, “Come on, little ones. Food is this way.” Sagetooth watched the fondness on his face, the way he gently picked up the smallest one and helped him along, and her expression darkened. The kits were skinny and weak, that much was clear, but if their mother had abandoned them at birth they would have died within the week. The situation wasn’t adding up right and it didn’t sit well with her.

That night, she watched from the back of the den as Oddstripe and Stormwhisper fawned over the kittens and tried to help them eat. They laughed together. Oddstripe shared stories about their own litter. Stormwhisper shared his names for the litter. 

They were all toms. The biggest and strongest of them, the ginger and white one, he named Bluffkit. The blue tabby he named Finchkit. The little grey-brown one with the white tail he named Erminekit. The white and grey speckled one he called Rainkit.

“You know,” he admitted to Oddstripe after he’d said it, “I always wanted a kit named Rainkit.” Sagetooth’s eyes narrowed. 

“Really?” Oddstripe purred. 

“Yeah,” said Stormwhisper. “You know, Stormwhisper. Rainkit. I thought it was cute.” 

“Oh, it is!” Oddstripe said, waving a paw around for the kittens to bat at. “I’m glad you were able to use the name, even if the kits aren’t yours.” 

“Yeah,” Stormwhisper said, falling quiet, a strange smile on his face. 

That was enough for Sagetooth. She didn’t know why or how but she was certain these kits were Stormwhisper’s. It made her sick. Still, it wasn’t a surprise. Stormwhisper had never been very committed to his duties as a healer, especially not the spiritual ones. As she saw it, a part of him had remained stuck in his time as a warrior and no amount of lectures ever seemed to get him to behave. And now he had used StarClan as an excuse to cover for his blasphemous actions. What a disgrace. What a betrayal.

“StarClan are the ones who betrayed us, Sagetooth. Wake up already.” Redleaf’s words reared their ugly heads, as they often did at the most inopportune times. Sagetooth shook her head. At least she had managed to keep Stormwhisper away from-

Her eyes widened in shock and her entire pelt bristled with unease. 

No… Surely not.

She studied the kits as they settled down against Stormwhisper’s belly to sleep. A ginger kitten was a guarantee that their mother was a tortoiseshell. The more she looked, the more she saw her old apprentice in their features, in the shapes of their faces or the pattern of their stripes.

She shook her head again, shutting her eyes. She was imagining things. There was no way to find such a strong resemblance, not when they were this young, not when they were all toms. Still, the fear lingered with her. She wondered what had become of Redleaf. What reason would she have had to stay so close to the Clan? How would Stormwhisper have even known?

Sighing, she settled herself down for sleep. She had more important things to worry about. That didn’t stop her from worrying about this for at least another hour before she fell into a fitful sleep.

UPDATES: - Stormwhisper returns from his mysterious absence with four kits, Bluffkit, Finchkit, Erminekit, and Rainkit. They stay the night in RisingClan before returning to EarthClan.

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Sagetooth #Smokyrose #Goldenstar #Oddstripe #Aldertail #Stormwhisper #Pantherhaze #Yarrowshade #Redleaf #Bluffkit #Rainkit #Erminekit #Finchkit #Leafbare #clangenrising

[clangenrising]

Human version of Sagetooth when she was young. She was always a bit of a grump, not like other girls.

#human warrior cats #humanized warrior cats #oc art #digital art #Sagetooth #human risingclan

[clangenrising]

Month 12 - Leafbare

“Alright, let’s go,” Sagetooth called into the apprentices den, “There are herbs to be harvested.” Floodpaw sat up and looked past her into the drizzling rain. It had been pouring on and off for a few days now and, while it was better than snow in his opinion, it was still deeply unpleasant to be out in this kind of weather. He had taken to staying inside the den as much as he could. With Goldenstar out on business all the time, he had managed to stay dry for the most part. Unfortunately, Sagetooth had arrived to put an end to that streak.

“What?” he cried in protest, “But it’s pouring!” 

“It’s barely coming down,” Sagetooth growled. “Don’t make me swat you over the head, boy.” 

“We’re coming, Sagetooth,” Barleypaw said, stretching from her nap. “Come on, Floodpaw.” 

He frowned. “We’re gonna be soaked!” 

“The Clan needs those herbs!” his sister countered with a stubborn purse of her lips. He groaned loudly, wishing for the days when she was a stuttering push over. Ever since the battle, she’d been getting bolder and bolder, not to mention more preachy. Sparrowpaw’s rubbing off on her, Floodpaw thought. 

“Besides,” Sparrowpaw added, reinforcing his theory, “the faster we find them the faster we can come dry off, right?” 

“Ugh, fine…” Floodpaw groaned. He stretched dramatically as he did, back arching in reverse as his legs strained to pull away from each other. He stood, and fell in behind the others as they shuffled out into the rain to meet Sagetooth. The first drops of rain splattered heavily onto his head and ears and he grimaced. This was going to be miserable. 

“Good,” Sagetooth said, seeing them all together. “This way.” She started up the hill with a stiff, trudging gait and the three littermates followed. 

“What are we gathering today?” Sparrowpaw asked. 

“Stinging nettle,” replied Sagetooth.

“Stinging nettle?” Floodpaw repeated in dismay. “Isn’t that gonna hurt?” 

“You’ll be fine,” Sagetooth snapped. “Besides, we’re looking for the roots. You won’t have to put the leaves in your mouth at all.” Floodpaw sulked but said nothing else. The rain was cold but not freezing and there was very little wind, which he was grateful for. Still, the chill was beginning to sink into his bones, he felt, and he couldn’t get the droplets from his whiskers no matter how much he twitched them.

After a bit of walking, Barleypaw asked, “What do you use nettle roots for?” 

“They’re for your father,” Sagetooth huffed. “They help lower his voice and fill out his jowls. He usually collects it himself but he’s been busy covering for Stormwhisper’s carelessness.” She grumbled to herself, tail lashing at the EarthClan healer’s name. 

Floodpaw tilted his head curiously. “Wait, that stuff doesn’t just happen naturally? I thought all toms had that kind of stuff.” 

“Your father decided to become a tom later in life,” Sagetooth said flatly. “His body doesn’t work like yours does, it’s closer to Barleypaw’s, so he has to use medicine to help shape his body into the way that he wants it to be.” 

“Can I do that?” Floodpaw asked, perking his ears. He thought of Russetfrond’s cheeks and his own slim, unmanly face, and excitement stirred inside him. Maybe he could-

“No.” Sagetooth bluntly swatted his fantasy out of the air. 

“Why not?” he whined, bounding a few steps to try and get a better look at her face. 

She didn’t even give him a glance. “You’re still growing and your cheeks will fill out on their own. Now, if you’d like to stop them from filling out, that’s a different story.” Floodpaw frowned and slowed his pace to a trudge again, tail nearly dragging in the mud. 

“I’m sure they’ll fill out in no time,” Sparrowpaw offered, leaning closer, but Floodpaw batted at his face to send him away. 

“Shut up, man,” he grumbled. 

“He was just trying to be friendly,” Barleypaw pouted indignantly. 

“Yeah, well I don’t care,” grouched Floodpaw, “He can go lick a toad.”

“That’s enough,” Sagetooth snapped. “I’ll have no more fighting. Understood?” Everyone agreed, Floodpaw last and quietest of them, and they continued through the rain in silence. 

It wasn’t too much longer before they found the patch of stinging nettles. Sagetooth showed them how to dig up the roots of the nettle plants, then she bit most of the stems in half. Floodpaw asked why she would do that and she explained that they needed to replant the tops of the nettles to ensure that there would be more plants in the future.

“This patch has been here for generations,” she said, “my mouth will only be itchy for a few hours at most.” 

With help from Sparrowpaw, she put the fresh cut stems into the holes they had dug and filled them back in, leaving about a mouse length of each stem above ground to soak up the rain. They had gathered a good haul of roots and everyone had to carry at least two of the long, tangled clumps back to camp, after which Sagetooth released them from duty. 

Floodpaw hurried back to the apprentices’ den but paused near the entrance to look into a small puddle. He frowned down at his reflection and sat down, using his paws to press his cheeks up into a more manly shape. It didn’t really work. He sighed, ears drooping, and let the rain roll over him for a moment, feeling pathetic. Eventually though, his desire to stare dramatically at his reflection was overwhelmed by his desire to be dry and warm and he went inside to curl up in his nest and groom his fur.

(Thanks to tumblr user Bonefall for their guide to warrior cats HRT which I used in this chapter)

#clan gen #clangen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #leafbare #Floodpaw #Barleypaw #Sparrowpaw #Sagetooth #clangenrising