FERNTAIL, skyclan queen

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

n a m e : Ferntail
a g e : 37 Moons
g e n d e r : She-cat
c l a n : SkyClan
r a n k : Queen
s t a t u s : Healthy
a p p r e n t i c e : None
m a t e : Mudwhisker

d e s c r i p t i o n .

Slender . Strong Hindlegs . Grey Tabby . White Paws . Short Fur . Blue Eyes

Ferntail bears little resemblance to her two sons, who both look more like their father than anything else. Her pelt is a tapestry of whites and greys, swirled together in a beautiful pattern that dances over her hide. Her belly is pale and unmarred by stripe or marking, and her paws are white. Littlekit is the kit who looks more like her, though the resemblance is subtle. They share the same delicate bones and slender build, though Ferntail is of average size for a she-cat. Unlike her son, she isn't runty - just thin. Her legs are small, as she is, but her hind legs are noticeably larger than her forelegs. While her front paws are slender and delicate, her hind paws are more sturdy, and her haunches are muscular and strong. Her tail is a bit short, and her ears are small and pointed. Almost everything about her seems diminutive, except for her eyes. Large and pale, ice blue, they seem to dominate her face.

p e r s o n a l i t y .

Mature . Quiet . Solemn . Sweet . Caring . Gentle . Grieving . Withdrawn

Mature, peaceful, and maybe a little sad, Ferntail is the very epitome of a gentle queen. She's a quiet cat, content to listen to what others have to say instead of voicing her own opinions. She enjoys quiet conversation, but she's never been a chatterbox. And the sudden death of her mate has only made her more reticent and reserved. As an apprentice and younger warrior, she was a sweet, quiet cat who would accompany her friends on patrols and hunting trips with a smile on her face. She's still sweet and caring, and loves making friends with any cat who's friendly enough to approach her, but fresh grief dampens her once-shining spirit. Though she is trying to move on, the death of her mate shattered her heart, and it keeps her from caring for her kits as diligently as she should. On her good days, she can be sweet, loving, and relaxed; on her bad days she is quiet and withdrawn. Until she finds the strength to move on, Mudwhisker will always dominate her thoughts.

h i s t o r y .

Fernkit was born, along with a brother and a sister, to a SkyClan queen named Silvercloud. Their mother never revealed which cat their father was, and it was virtually impossible to tell from the appearance of the kits. Fernkit was the spitting image of her mother, and both Tawnykit and Pebblekit were ginger - not exactly a rare colour in SkyClan - so the father really could have been any cat. At the time of her birth there weren't many other kits in the nursery, but Fernkit grew happily enough in the company and care of her mother and two siblings. Two moons before they were apprenticed, another litter was born in the nursery, this one to a queen who hadn't been expecting her kits for another quarter-moon. Two of the four kits died within the first day, and a third died of kit cough before it was weaned. The fourth kit, however, was made of sterner stuff. The little solid-brown tom, called Mudkit, managed to survive his first moon and then his second, and looked just like any other kit by the time Fernkit and her siblings were apprenticed.

Fernpaw was fascinated by the determined little kit. Throughout her apprenticeship, whenever she had free time she would visit the nursery and talk to him. When Mudkit was apprenticed, Fernpaw was there to show him around. The two cats became inseparable friends, closer than kin. Though Fernpaw continued to talk to her brother and sister, she shared a different bond with Mudpaw, one that was more powerful than blood. With him at her side Fernpaw felt like she could do anything, and worked towards becoming a warrior with a light heart. She received her warrior name at the same time as her siblings, after they chased off a fox on a hunting trip during one of the few times when Mudpaw was training alone with his mentor. Four moons later Mudpaw passed his warrior assessment and gained the name of Mudwhisker, in honour of his tracking skills and his wisdom. Ferntail and Mudwhisker spent almost every moment together, but strangely remained nothing more than close friends for several seasons. When they finally realized their love for each other, the only cats in the Clan who hadn't seen it coming were them.

A few moons later, Ferntail found out that she was expecting Mudwhisker's kits. Both she and her mate were thrilled; they were young and in love, and they were the happiest cats in the world. They never expected it all to come crashing down. Only a few days after finding out about the kits, before Ferntail had retired to the nursery, both she and Mudwhisker were hunting in the forest on top of the cliffs. Suddenly a huge badger burst out of the undergrowth and headed straight for Ferntail. She managed to dodge the first swipe, but the second caught her on the shoulder and knocked her back towards the edge of the cliff. The badger advanced, and Mudwhisker sprang to the defense of his mate. Caring only for the safety of his mate and unborn kits, the lithe brown tom leapt atop the badger's shoulders and clawed mercilessly at its eyes.

Confused and harassed, the badger stumbled over the edge of the cliff and plummeted into the gorge. Mudwhisker tried to jump back to safety, but he didn't make it. The last Ferntail saw of her mate was his claws scrabbling on the bare rock of the cliff, and then he was gone. Wild with grief and distress, the queen raced down to where he and the badger both lay. Both were dead, killed instantly by the fall. If Ferntail believed in StarClan before, she certainly didn't now. Her love was gone, and she would never see him again. Only the thought of the kits that they had made together gave her the resolve to stumble back to camp and try to piece together the ruined shards of her life.

m o t h e r : Silvercloud
s i s t e r s : Tawnythroat . Streampaw
b r o t h e r s : Pebblefur . Frostwing . Flamekit
s o n s : Littlekit . Eaglekit

o t h e r .

I'm With You by Avril Lavigne

I'm standing on the bridge.
I'm waiting in the dark.
I thought that you'd be here by now.
There's nothing but the rain.
No footsteps on the ground.
I'm listening but there's no sound.

Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night.
I'm trying to figure out this life.
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are, but I,
I'm with you.