Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry sat near the nursery entrance, her tail curling and uncurling with a restless energy. She sat in the afternoon glow above, her amber eye focused on the stillness within the nursery. Her niece, Sunstrike, was heavy with the lives that would soon join ThunderClan. It should have filled her with pride, but instead, her mind was a whirlpool of doubt and questions, tugging her thoughts into darker corners.
Family. Bloodlines. Legacy. These were the things she’d grown up valuing, the principles instilled in her from birth. ThunderClan had always thrived on strong bloodlines, warriors who carried the strength of their ancestors within them. Her niece was of her line - her blood was sharp, carrying the weight of their kin. But would that be enough? Wildcry had seen too many cats waste the gifts of their lineage, let their potential fizzle out like a dying ember. Would these kits be different?
Her claws flexed into the dirt, the fur along her spine rippling with a silent tension. Kestrelswipe had proved his worth, but one warrior wasn’t enough to secure the future. She needed more. ThunderClan needed more. Wildcry wondered if she should’ve taken the plunge again herself by now.
She glanced away from the nursery, her thoughts wandering down paths she rarely let herself tread. There were no shortages of toms in the Clan, and yet none had ever seemed...right. It wasn’t about affection or companionship - it was about strength, about passing on the best of herself. Could any of them truly match her expectations?
She had plenty of fight left in her, of course, but she wasn’t getting any younger. The thought stirred a quiet, unfamiliar discomfort in her chest as her eye continued to linger on the dark entrance.
27
Wildcry & Stormfall
Nursery speculations
Thunderclan camp, Thunderclan territory
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Stormfall dropped a large squirrel on the fresh-kill pile, satisfied with his hunt. Leaving that to the elders and Sunstrike to decide who would take it, he instead tugged out a thrush body from near the bottom. Best not to let food go to waste if he can help it.
Glancing around the camp, he noticed Wildcry a short distance away. For a moment, he tossed the idea of trying to join her around in his head, then decided, why not? He padded over, flicking his dark, blotchy tail, thrush clamped in his maw. "Afternoon," he said as he settled down beside her. "Contemplating the clan again?"
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry’s ear twitched at the sound of approaching pawsteps, her focus snapping out of its spiral as Stormfall’s familiar scent reached her. She didn’t immediately acknowledge him, her gaze lingering on the nursery for another heartbeat before she turned her head.
"Ah, afternoon." The lilac she-cat mewed evenly, her tone steady as she shifted slightly to make room beside her. His words were direct, cutting to the heart of what she’d been brooding over. Contemplating the clan. It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t the whole of it either.
Her amber eye flicked toward the thrush in his maw before drifting back to the nursery."Something like that."She finally replied, her voice lower than usual, as though the weight of her thoughts anchored it. "Sunstrike’s kits will be born soon. I checked the nursery over to make sure the holes were patched up..."
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Stormfall followed her gaze to the nursery as he allowed his legs to stretch out. A small part of his brain wanted to know what she was thinking. The hints were there, was she possibly thinking about kits? Was she expecting? It wasn't as if he could tell. He silenced the thoughts as they came. Gossip wasn't befitting of a warrior his age. "Yes, I hope all is going well for her," he commented. "First litter, and all. The nursery should be pretty reinforced, too--it's the strongest den in the whole camp."
He bent his head to tear away the feathers from his prey, setting them aside. Perhaps they would make good nesting material for the new queen. As he bit into the flesh, he said, "You can share some of this, if you'd like." To emphasize his point, he nudged the prey so that it was more in between the two.
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry’s tail flicked at Stormfall’s offer, though she made no immediate move to accept it. Her gaze remained fixed on the nursery, thoughts still tangled in the possibilities of the future. "Can't hurt." Wildcry muttered, her voice distant, as if pulled away by the weight of her thoughts.
As she hooked the de-feathered thrush from Stormfall's claws, she nosed into the warm flesh before stealing a bite to render it asunder so she may snatch the choosier bits with a quick peek into its stomach.
The silence that followed felt heavy, filled with things she wasn’t ready to say aloud. Stormfall’s presence was steady and grounding, but Wildcry found her mind drifting again, back to the thought of family, of her bloodline, of what it meant to truly secure the future of Thunderclan. She glanced sidelong at him, catching the flicker what she assumed was curiosity.
Instead, she shifted her weight, finally allowing herself to meet his gaze. "Sunstrike will do fine, I’m sure. She's young and healthy." Her tone hardened a little as if trying to convince herself as much as him. "But I can't help but wonder and worry about the kits. They'll need direction. Strength."
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Stormfall watched patiently as Wildcry tucked into the thrush. She did it quickly, with a bit of force and precision that struck him as something only a truly well-practiced hunter possessed. He wondered if she had the energy to mentor anymore. Any kit would surely benefit from her skill, and the clan would have at least one more great hunter.
He blinked as she looked back to him. "You're right. I can't help but wonder who Moosestar will assign to mentor them all. Especially Coyotekit, since she's so close..." Part of him did hope he could have the chance to mentor again, if for no other reason than the knowledge that he would do well. It seemed the list of warriors worthy to be mentors was shrinking, with so many having just finished the same job and others simply seeming...incompetent. "Wrentalon at least seems willing to watch over them, and he's plenty strong. He learned from you, after all."
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry’s ear flicked as Stormfall mentioned Coyotekit, her gaze lingering on the nursery. She took another deliberate bite of the thrush, her mind mulling over his words. Coyotekit, with her outsider origins, would indeed need more than a firm paw to guide her. It was something Wildcry had often considered when it came to cats not born into the Clan. They needed to work twice as hard to prove themselves - or die trying.
"Wrentalon turned out well enough," The lilac she-cat replied after a moment, her voice carrying a hint of pride as images of his apprenticeship flashed behind her one good eye. "Could be a better tree climber, and his knowledge of the code then was passable at best, but... he’s strong and capable - he learned what he needed to from me and then some." Her tail flicked.
She paused, eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced toward the nursery once more. "Coyotekit, though... She’ll need more than just strength. She’ll need a mentor who knows how to push her, who won’t let her use her background as an excuse." Wildcry’s voice hardened to the pin prick of a fang.
Wildcry glanced back at Stormfall, her amber eye briefly meeting his. "We can’t afford to take any chances with these kits. Not Sunstrike’s, not Coyotekit, not any of them." With that, she returned to her meal, the weight of her thoughts lingering in the air between them. "Not even my own." Her last mention was muted with visceral as she took another mouthful, softly crooning between blood soaked bites.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Stormfall frowned as he took a bite of the thrush. It seemed there was something more behind Wildcry's words, weighing heavily on her mind. Still not wanting to pry, he simply responded, "Agreed. Who knows what kind of cat she'll turn into. Whoever takes responsibility for her must make sure her loyalties are strong." Normally, if a cat was adopted into the clan without any other family, there wasn't much of an issue. But there were three other siblings to this kit, in every single clan. Part of Stormfall wondered what Starclan had in mind with that plan, but he knew it was pointless to question.
His ear pricked at Wildcry's last comment, confused. "You mean with Kestrelswipe and his siblings?"
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry's ears twitched slightly at Stormfall’s response, but she didn’t lift her gaze from the meal in front of her. She chewed thoughtfully, letting the silence hang for a moment before answering. "Kestrelswipe turned out fine. He's a deputy now; took to guidance better than Savagefox ever did." Her voice was steady, but there was an underlying tension as if she was weighing each word before speaking.
Wildcry finally glanced at Stormfall, her amber eye sharp. "I mean my own future. My own kits. Another litter to offer Thunderclan before I... can't." There it was - laid out plainly, the thought that had been gnawing at the back of her mind.
She took another bite of the thrush, speaking around the mouthful. "But choosing the right tom… seems an impossible task. Goldenstar was an obvious choice. A bit of a softhearted fool, but he was sturdy and a reliable force. One could assume that Moosestar would be the next best choice - but Moosestar is barely into his role and lacking. I'd also never hear the end of it from Greenfang... " Her voice trailed off, a rare barking laugh showing through her otherwise unshakable exterior.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Stormfall listened carefully through Wildcry's words. He kept himself composed, calmly flicking his tail as he relaxed against the ground. Figuring it was best to keep quiet and let her go on, he did so, occasionally taking a bite or two of the shared thrush.
As she trailed off about kits, Stormfall snorted. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were about to ask me." The idea wasn't bad at all. Wildcry was a brilliant warrior and he couldn't help but feel assured in the thought of passing along his own blood to the future of the clan. They'd make good cats.
