Post by citrus on Aug 7, 2021 18:59:53 GMT -6
SILVERSTRIKE
LICHENCLAN
a cream-colored she-cat with piercing blue eyes
warrior
she-cat
42
Appearance
Silverstrike is, without a doubt, a strikingly gorgeous she-cat with an aura of confidence surrounding a steady mind and poise. Her piercing blue eyes reflect the sparkle of a flowing river and appear to stare into the secretive minds of her clanmates. Her slender physique is aided by spindly legs and small paws that guide her effortlessly through narrow passages and across distant plains or flowing rivers. What the she-cat lacks in brute strength, she makes up for with agility and speed, maneuvering her lithe body and striking out quickly and efficiently.
The she-cat's four long legs appear as though dipped in silver, the darker shade reaching to her mid legs before tapering back to her natural cream, Siamese colored pelt. The sleek fur is kept exquisitely pristine and she's well known to spend hours grooming while watching and engaging in conversations with her clanmates.
A pair of large ears rest atop a long, slender face with a dark black nose. Silver-gray marks cover her eyes and nose like a mask and paint her ears in bold points. Like her silver-dipped legs, StarClan has shaded her ears in soot-colored gray. As a kit, Silverstrike's mother would often share the story of the moonlight reflecting off her gray markings and shining like stars in the moonlight. Silverstrike isn't sure how believable that story is.
The she-cat's four long legs appear as though dipped in silver, the darker shade reaching to her mid legs before tapering back to her natural cream, Siamese colored pelt. The sleek fur is kept exquisitely pristine and she's well known to spend hours grooming while watching and engaging in conversations with her clanmates.
A pair of large ears rest atop a long, slender face with a dark black nose. Silver-gray marks cover her eyes and nose like a mask and paint her ears in bold points. Like her silver-dipped legs, StarClan has shaded her ears in soot-colored gray. As a kit, Silverstrike's mother would often share the story of the moonlight reflecting off her gray markings and shining like stars in the moonlight. Silverstrike isn't sure how believable that story is.
Personality
Silverstrike is a senior warrior with a mind crafted and molded by her moons on this Earth. She began life as a young, energetic, and enthusiastic kit with an aversion to the affection shown by her mother. As she grew older, the moons molded her with determination to face adversity and challenges with the strength and courage of the Clans fearsome ancestors. Rain, nor snow, nor tragedy has held Silverstrike back in fiercely pursuing her goals. The moons have also molded charisma, gifting Silverstrike the skills to charm and persuade friends and enemies. Silverstrike has always managed to get along with everyone, despite being secretive and guarded in her own thoughts.
Secrets. Addernose's death may not hang heavy on Silverstrike's heart, but the tragic fact has formed a barrier of thorns around Silverstrike's heart. She's learned to speak carefully and thoughtfully, even in the midst of chaos and fear, as she remains cautious about protecting her secret. As a result, most would refer to her as level-headed and the ideal leader in a state of disaster. However, while Silverstrike's logical thoughts and words are well-appreciated by clanmates, it has left her lacking in emotional capacity. Even the 'I love yous' that she shared with Lynxbelly held little emotional value behind them.
Ambition has reared it's head most recently in Silverstrike's life as Lynxbelly's encouragement (and recent death) have given Silverstrike a new mission in life. Ambition, paired with determination, will allow nothing to stop her from achieving her goals. With this, comes Silverstrike's carefully managed manipulation of conversations and thoughts. The she-cat is well-skilled at convincing others to make questionable choices on the assumption of their own free will. She is unlikely to deal with controversial situations directly, but will convince her Clanmates to guide others towards her desired outcome.
History
0 – 6 moons: kithood
On the dusk of a cold leafbare day, beneath an open sky scattered in stars – watching eyes – that looked down upon them, two kits were born. The bigger kit's gray pelt reflected silver from the full moon shining down upon them as she sought her mother's fresh milk in those waking seconds. This was Silverkit. Her newly born sister, Stormkit, was no different as she sought the refreshing liquid. The beady eyes of their parents, Cinderblossom and Berryheart, gazed lovely down upon them with soft murmurs of excitement and joy.
Silverkit's birth was uneventful, suitably so, and followed by an equally uneventful 6 moons. Cinderblossom and Berryheart were kind, tender, and caring parents who doted upon their two children with all of the love in the world. Most days, Silverkit felt suffocated by their love and would force her sister to come ease their doting wants and need. Stormkit loved it. She would eagerly roll onto her back beneath their mothers paws and giggle as her mother buried her wet nose into Stormkit's stomach. Disgusting was a word that Silverkit learned quickly and used often. She would much rather eat a pile of foxdung than giggle around with her mother.
As time dragged on, the kits quickly grew and it wasn't long before they began finding trouble in every corner of the LichenClan camp. Elders, warriors, and apprentices alike could only sigh as they found pebbles in their nests or kits rolling underneath their paws. One might even say the cheers echoed louder than usual across the open plains as the two close-knit troublemakers were finally given their apprentice names. At long last, they wouldn't have an excuse to get under their paws.
6 – 12 moons: apprenticeship
Silverpaw's personality rapidly began to change as she and her sister adapted to life as apprentices. While Stormpaw was still eager to make trouble and joke around with her friends, Silverpaw's new apprenticeship had pierced her mind with determination. She was eager to please and perform well for her mentors. She eagerly absorbed new information and spent countless hours begging her exhausted sister to train together. Silverpaw seemed a natural at everything, absentmindedly leaving behind her sister in a cloud of charismatic dust. Whereas the two had begun their apprenticeship tied together at the hip, the distance between them quickly began to grow. Jealousy broke a rift separating them for many moons to come.
'Silverpaw this. Silverpaw that. Look at what Silverpaw got on the hunting patrol! Did you see how Silverpaw fought against that fox? Why is everything always about you?' Tears glimmered in the wide, anxious, shaking gaze of Silverpaw's sister. The apprentice shifted her paws uncomfortably against the dead leaves underpaw. 'It's not like I'm doing anything different? You know that Ivyfang is really hard on me! I could help you if you want!'
Stormpaw scoffed. 'Yeah, right. Don't act all innocent.' She didn't want to continue this conversation, shaking her head as Silverpaw tried to defend herself again. 'Don't talk to me anymore.'
True to her word, Stormpaw began avoiding Silverpaw. Any time Silverpaw tried to convince her of her 'foolish' thoughts and 'silly' insecurities, Stormpaw would storm away in silence. Their mother and father tried to heal the relationship, but they were just as guilty of favoritism as any of the others. Stormpaw hated all of them. She wanted to be special, too. She wanted everyone to praise her, too. Heartbroken and insecure, Stormpaw fell into a companionship with a troublemaking apprentice named Adderpaw and continued her silent treatment of Silverpaw.
Silverpaw's mentor, as she'd proclaimed to Stormpaw, was scarcely pleased by Silverpaw's actions and performances in the field. Ivyfang's compliments came few and far between, but this aided, not hindered, Silverpaw's determination to perform. Unlike her sister, discouraged by criticism, Silverpaw was motivated by it. And now, with the close friendship of her sister shattered, the continued dissatisfaction motivated Silverpaw to perform above and beyond her skills and duties as an apprentice. She knew the benefits of forming relationships with the elders, aiding the queens, and first offers of help. Elders quietly discussed the smooth-talking abilities and her natural charisma, while the queens praised her patience with the kits and the senior warriors praised her determined battle skills. Silverpaw basked in the praise, almost forgetting the bitter jealousy brewing inside her sister. The closer she got to elders and queens, the more benefits she got. Even getting into trouble seemed to beget less consequences once she had the good wishes of her older clanmates.
While Stormpaw formed a close relationship with Adderpaw, Silverpaw found herself growing close to Leopardpaw. Their near-equal prowess in battle skills formed a fun rivalry between them as they joyously competed to outperform the other. However, secretive in her mind, although their friendship was close, Silverpaw never shared her worries about Stormpaw's relationship with the trouble-making Adderpaw. There was something wrong. She knew it. But she couldn't prove it. Not yet.
At 12 moons old, Silverpaw and Stormpaw were granted their warrior names. Silverstrike was named for her quick-thinking, determination, and exceptional prowess on the battlefield. Stormpaw was given the name Stormflight for her speed and skills in hunting. Silverstrike hoped, perhaps foolishly, that becoming warriors would mend the broken relationship between them. However, Stormflight continued to ignore her in favor of Addernose, who had been made a warrior two moons earlier.
'You've been ignoring me for moons, Stormflight! When are you going to get over it?' Stormflight kept her gaze staring forward, only the slight twitch of her ear to signal she'd heard Silverstrike's words. 'How am I supposed to fix things with you if you won't even talk to me?' Still no response. Silverstrike sighed. 'I miss the things we used to do together. Remember how much fun we used to have in the nursery with mom? She loved you and she still loves you.'
'Are you ready to go out for hunting, Stormflight?' Addernose came up from behind, seemingly oblivious to Silverstrike as he approached Stormrunner. His tale ran down her spine and Stormflight shivered before standing to her paws. 'Let's go.'
Silverstrike didn't get a response, but Stormflight's reaction to Addernose sent a shiver down her spine. She knew something was wrong.
13 - 25 moons:
Silverstrike adapted quickly to the new freedom of life as a warrior. A moon after her warrior ceremony, Leopardpaw was named Leopardstorm for her fierce wit and ambitious and they quickly bonded with added freedom. With Silverstrike's added freedom, though, came the added freedom of Stormflight and Addernose. Silverstrike watched them, cautiously, from a distance. Noticing more and more how Stormflight seemed to have withdrawn into a shell of her former self. She was jumpy, jittery, and rarely talked. Not even to Addernose. Her pelt, once sleek and pristine like Silverstrike's, was often flecked with mud and missing pieces of fur.
Moons passed.
'Do you think it's strange, Leopardstorm?' Silverstrike broached the topic on a warm newleaf day, the warmth on her fur contrasting the chill she felt inside.
'What do you mean?' Leopardstorm questioned, her paw pausing above her head mid-brush.
'Stormflight and Addernose.' Leopardstorm's gaze searched the clearing and found the two mates resting beneath a ray of light. Stormflight's eyes seemed glazed, empty, and unseeing as Addernose groomed her fur. 'I can't prove it. Not yet. But I think Addernose is doing something to her.' Silverstrike shook her head. 'I know she hates me, but that's my sister. I'll kill him if he does anything to hurt her.'
Leopardstorm was silent for a moment, then she turned to Silverstrike with a somber look in her eyes. 'I think he already has.'
By the start leafbare, Stormflight was pregnant with Addernose's kits, but the medicine cat expressed a worry for her abnormal weight and health. By mid leafbare was sick with greencough, her body writhing and fighting to overcome the pain that cursed her body. And Addernose? He couldn't have been more absent than if he was a loner. After getting pregnant, Addernose tossed her aside like a rotten piece of meat. And Silverstrike was furious. The weather was getting fiercer, colder, harsher, and Addernose was doing nothing to support the mate he'd spent so much time with.
As the end of leafbare came close, Silverstrike knew she couldn't allow Addernose to continue his terror on his sister. Every time Stormrunner saw him, Silverstrike could see the hurt and pain that flashed in her glossy eyes.
Her opportunity came on a harsh, stormy day. Snow whipped through the camp and shook the trees with such force that the elders were sure they'd come tumbling down. The camp was frantic. An apprentice and mentor were missing from the den, last seen leaving camp for hunting practice. I'll go find them. Silverstrike was one of the first to step up. Her twelve moons as a warrior enough to prove her worthy of guiding a rescue mission. The leader and deputy were hesitant at first, but few could resist the she-cat's determined gaze. They offered her two more warriors, but Silverstrike made a suggestion. I'm bringing Addernose. He's the best at tracking scents.
Addernose never returned from the rescue mission alongside Silverstrike, Brambleheart, the apprentice, and the mentor. They never found his body, assuming he had gotten lost and succumbed to the freezing temperature. Silverstrike knew they would never find it. He was gone.
Within a moon, her sister had recovered from greencough and by the time the temperature grew warmer she gave birth to two beautiful kits.
It would take many moons to heal the broken heart of Stormrunner and she never did reveal what was happening with Addernose. However, the birth of her three, healthy, kits gave her a new purpose in life. Cautiously, Silverstrike eased her way back into Stormrunner's life and the two began to find new friendship amongst the shattered pieces of their past.
Many more moons would come and go as Silverstrike and Stormrunner repaired their friendship until it was almost as if nothing had ever happened. Even when rumors circulated about Addernose's sudden disappearance, Silverstrike remained unphased by her self-perceived 'necessary' actions. Leopardstorm had her suspicions, but her loyalty to Silverstrike kept them locked away tightly within her mind.
26 - 36 moons
Although Silverstrike's murderous secret held no burden over her shoulders, her caution surrounding it's reveal began to form a thicket of brambles around her heart. Her words were sly, guarded, revealing only the information necessary to maintain the conversation. One could maintain an entire conversation with her before realizing that she hadn't revealed any personal information. She was, however, excellent at retrieving information from others in a natural, smooth-flowing, manner.
At exactly 26 moons, Silverstrike was given her first apprentice, Ashpaw, an opinionated and outspoken she-cat. Silverstrike excelled as a mentor, a surprise to no one. Ashpaw was stubborn, but Silverstrike was patient and level-headed throughout the entire apprenticeship. As a new mentor, Silverstrike found herself guided and assisted by the senior warrior, Lynxbelly.
From the beginning, Lynxbelly and Silverstrike got along swimmingly. Silverstrike was quick to realize Lynxbelly's insistence on helping her train was an excuse to spend more time together. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed his staring, after all. Silverstrike found herself not smitten, but still satisfied with the attention and affection given from Lynxbelly. He was intelligent and careful in thought, never pressing beyond the information Silverstrike trusted to give him.
So, although the apprenticeship was uneventful and filled with little more excitement than first tours, battle training, and hunting practice, Silverstrike found bonded quickly with the smart-talking tomcat and before they knew it, Ashpaw was becoming Ashfeather and the two warriors were becoming official mates.
37 - 49 moons
Lynxbelly could never break through Silverstrike's secretive personality, but he remained allured by her otherwise charismatic and ambitious personality. They trained daily and when they weren't training, Silverstrike valued the intelligent and thought-provoking questions that Lynxbelly constantly challenged her with.
The two mates were eventually given apprentices, two sisters named Sparkpaw and Shrewpaw, and their bond strengthened through similarities and quality time. Lynxbelly's laid-back, but intelligent, attitude meshed well with Silverstrike's determination and ambitious fortitude. They combined their collective skills to train the two apprentices until they were eventually given their warrior names. However, something seemed to be...lacking.
'Do you ever feel like you're destined for more than this' Silverstrike questioned, motioning a paw towards the fields and trees that stretched far beyond them. 'Taking care of an apprentice, being with you. It's amazing, but it doesn't feel enough.'
'Become leader.'
'What?!' Silverstrike looked at her mate with surprise, but she couldn't help the sudden surge of want that filled her mind. Providing for her Clan. Ridding it of fox-hearted vermin. Setting her own rules. She knew she'd be the perfect leader for LichenClan. But... Silverstrike paused for a moment longer before replying with a sigh. 'I can't. I'm pregnant.'
The newleaf that Silverstrike gave birth was laced in bad omens from start to finish. Russetheart is found dead in the stream as the snow begins to thaw, and Silverstrike finds herself reliving her murder of Addernose many moons ago. Thankful, only, because his body was never discovered. In the second moon of newleaf, Hollyfoot dies peacefully in her sleep of old age and is replaced by Spiderfang. The nursery grows crowded as Daisyfur's kits and Flameheart's new litter. Silverstrike quickly joins with the birth of three healthy kittens, two tomcats and a she-cat. They are affectionally named Jaykit, Cedarkit, and Ivykit.
Unfortunately, the birth of her kits could not have come at a more untimely moment than a single moon before the vicious dog attack and the resulting death of Graystar and Rednose.
A loud howl broke through the still air, followed by screeches of fear and horror. Startled from her nap outside the nursery, Silverstrike leaps to her paws and nearly tramples one of her kits underpaw. Outside the camp, there's a earpiercing screech. 'Dogs! Dogs are co-' with a hurk the words are cut off and followed by another howl as the sounds of thuds, barking, and screams accompany two large beasts hurtling through the protective barrier.
Chaos erupts around her, as the other queens grab their kits and throw them roughly into the nursery. Silverstrike watches in wide-eyed horror as one of the dog grabs Rednose and sprays blood across the earth with rough shakes. Silverstrike commands Daisyfur to take her kits into the nursery as she prepares to rush into battle before being stopped by Lynxbelly.
'What are you doing?' Silverstrike stepped forward with fierce anger burning in her eyes, but her mate remained steadfast. 'I know what you want to do Silverstrike, but you have to protect your kits. Our kits. You're more than capable of protecting the queens. I won't let you face that thing.'
Silverstrike never did get to fight the dogs. Nor did she ever have another conversation with Lynxbelly, his dead body found in a pool of blood blocking the entrance to the nursery. Greystar and Rednose had also been killed, and the unfortunate timing of her kit's birth also meant Silverstrike was unable to fill the position of deputy.
Silverstrike knew she was supposed to feel something more than her frustration, but that's the only thing that seeped through her layers of grief and sadness.
It could have been me.
Six moons later, her three kits become apprentices and Silverstrike's life moves on. Leopardstorm is in the nursery now with her new kits. Stormrunner has begun a new relationship. Life moves on.
50 - present
On the dusk of a cold leafbare day, beneath an open sky scattered in stars – watching eyes – that looked down upon them, two kits were born. The bigger kit's gray pelt reflected silver from the full moon shining down upon them as she sought her mother's fresh milk in those waking seconds. This was Silverkit. Her newly born sister, Stormkit, was no different as she sought the refreshing liquid. The beady eyes of their parents, Cinderblossom and Berryheart, gazed lovely down upon them with soft murmurs of excitement and joy.
Silverkit's birth was uneventful, suitably so, and followed by an equally uneventful 6 moons. Cinderblossom and Berryheart were kind, tender, and caring parents who doted upon their two children with all of the love in the world. Most days, Silverkit felt suffocated by their love and would force her sister to come ease their doting wants and need. Stormkit loved it. She would eagerly roll onto her back beneath their mothers paws and giggle as her mother buried her wet nose into Stormkit's stomach. Disgusting was a word that Silverkit learned quickly and used often. She would much rather eat a pile of foxdung than giggle around with her mother.
As time dragged on, the kits quickly grew and it wasn't long before they began finding trouble in every corner of the LichenClan camp. Elders, warriors, and apprentices alike could only sigh as they found pebbles in their nests or kits rolling underneath their paws. One might even say the cheers echoed louder than usual across the open plains as the two close-knit troublemakers were finally given their apprentice names. At long last, they wouldn't have an excuse to get under their paws.
6 – 12 moons: apprenticeship
Silverpaw's personality rapidly began to change as she and her sister adapted to life as apprentices. While Stormpaw was still eager to make trouble and joke around with her friends, Silverpaw's new apprenticeship had pierced her mind with determination. She was eager to please and perform well for her mentors. She eagerly absorbed new information and spent countless hours begging her exhausted sister to train together. Silverpaw seemed a natural at everything, absentmindedly leaving behind her sister in a cloud of charismatic dust. Whereas the two had begun their apprenticeship tied together at the hip, the distance between them quickly began to grow. Jealousy broke a rift separating them for many moons to come.
'Silverpaw this. Silverpaw that. Look at what Silverpaw got on the hunting patrol! Did you see how Silverpaw fought against that fox? Why is everything always about you?' Tears glimmered in the wide, anxious, shaking gaze of Silverpaw's sister. The apprentice shifted her paws uncomfortably against the dead leaves underpaw. 'It's not like I'm doing anything different? You know that Ivyfang is really hard on me! I could help you if you want!'
Stormpaw scoffed. 'Yeah, right. Don't act all innocent.' She didn't want to continue this conversation, shaking her head as Silverpaw tried to defend herself again. 'Don't talk to me anymore.'
True to her word, Stormpaw began avoiding Silverpaw. Any time Silverpaw tried to convince her of her 'foolish' thoughts and 'silly' insecurities, Stormpaw would storm away in silence. Their mother and father tried to heal the relationship, but they were just as guilty of favoritism as any of the others. Stormpaw hated all of them. She wanted to be special, too. She wanted everyone to praise her, too. Heartbroken and insecure, Stormpaw fell into a companionship with a troublemaking apprentice named Adderpaw and continued her silent treatment of Silverpaw.
Silverpaw's mentor, as she'd proclaimed to Stormpaw, was scarcely pleased by Silverpaw's actions and performances in the field. Ivyfang's compliments came few and far between, but this aided, not hindered, Silverpaw's determination to perform. Unlike her sister, discouraged by criticism, Silverpaw was motivated by it. And now, with the close friendship of her sister shattered, the continued dissatisfaction motivated Silverpaw to perform above and beyond her skills and duties as an apprentice. She knew the benefits of forming relationships with the elders, aiding the queens, and first offers of help. Elders quietly discussed the smooth-talking abilities and her natural charisma, while the queens praised her patience with the kits and the senior warriors praised her determined battle skills. Silverpaw basked in the praise, almost forgetting the bitter jealousy brewing inside her sister. The closer she got to elders and queens, the more benefits she got. Even getting into trouble seemed to beget less consequences once she had the good wishes of her older clanmates.
While Stormpaw formed a close relationship with Adderpaw, Silverpaw found herself growing close to Leopardpaw. Their near-equal prowess in battle skills formed a fun rivalry between them as they joyously competed to outperform the other. However, secretive in her mind, although their friendship was close, Silverpaw never shared her worries about Stormpaw's relationship with the trouble-making Adderpaw. There was something wrong. She knew it. But she couldn't prove it. Not yet.
At 12 moons old, Silverpaw and Stormpaw were granted their warrior names. Silverstrike was named for her quick-thinking, determination, and exceptional prowess on the battlefield. Stormpaw was given the name Stormflight for her speed and skills in hunting. Silverstrike hoped, perhaps foolishly, that becoming warriors would mend the broken relationship between them. However, Stormflight continued to ignore her in favor of Addernose, who had been made a warrior two moons earlier.
'You've been ignoring me for moons, Stormflight! When are you going to get over it?' Stormflight kept her gaze staring forward, only the slight twitch of her ear to signal she'd heard Silverstrike's words. 'How am I supposed to fix things with you if you won't even talk to me?' Still no response. Silverstrike sighed. 'I miss the things we used to do together. Remember how much fun we used to have in the nursery with mom? She loved you and she still loves you.'
'Are you ready to go out for hunting, Stormflight?' Addernose came up from behind, seemingly oblivious to Silverstrike as he approached Stormrunner. His tale ran down her spine and Stormflight shivered before standing to her paws. 'Let's go.'
Silverstrike didn't get a response, but Stormflight's reaction to Addernose sent a shiver down her spine. She knew something was wrong.
13 - 25 moons:
Silverstrike adapted quickly to the new freedom of life as a warrior. A moon after her warrior ceremony, Leopardpaw was named Leopardstorm for her fierce wit and ambitious and they quickly bonded with added freedom. With Silverstrike's added freedom, though, came the added freedom of Stormflight and Addernose. Silverstrike watched them, cautiously, from a distance. Noticing more and more how Stormflight seemed to have withdrawn into a shell of her former self. She was jumpy, jittery, and rarely talked. Not even to Addernose. Her pelt, once sleek and pristine like Silverstrike's, was often flecked with mud and missing pieces of fur.
Moons passed.
'Do you think it's strange, Leopardstorm?' Silverstrike broached the topic on a warm newleaf day, the warmth on her fur contrasting the chill she felt inside.
'What do you mean?' Leopardstorm questioned, her paw pausing above her head mid-brush.
'Stormflight and Addernose.' Leopardstorm's gaze searched the clearing and found the two mates resting beneath a ray of light. Stormflight's eyes seemed glazed, empty, and unseeing as Addernose groomed her fur. 'I can't prove it. Not yet. But I think Addernose is doing something to her.' Silverstrike shook her head. 'I know she hates me, but that's my sister. I'll kill him if he does anything to hurt her.'
Leopardstorm was silent for a moment, then she turned to Silverstrike with a somber look in her eyes. 'I think he already has.'
By the start leafbare, Stormflight was pregnant with Addernose's kits, but the medicine cat expressed a worry for her abnormal weight and health. By mid leafbare was sick with greencough, her body writhing and fighting to overcome the pain that cursed her body. And Addernose? He couldn't have been more absent than if he was a loner. After getting pregnant, Addernose tossed her aside like a rotten piece of meat. And Silverstrike was furious. The weather was getting fiercer, colder, harsher, and Addernose was doing nothing to support the mate he'd spent so much time with.
As the end of leafbare came close, Silverstrike knew she couldn't allow Addernose to continue his terror on his sister. Every time Stormrunner saw him, Silverstrike could see the hurt and pain that flashed in her glossy eyes.
Her opportunity came on a harsh, stormy day. Snow whipped through the camp and shook the trees with such force that the elders were sure they'd come tumbling down. The camp was frantic. An apprentice and mentor were missing from the den, last seen leaving camp for hunting practice. I'll go find them. Silverstrike was one of the first to step up. Her twelve moons as a warrior enough to prove her worthy of guiding a rescue mission. The leader and deputy were hesitant at first, but few could resist the she-cat's determined gaze. They offered her two more warriors, but Silverstrike made a suggestion. I'm bringing Addernose. He's the best at tracking scents.
Addernose never returned from the rescue mission alongside Silverstrike, Brambleheart, the apprentice, and the mentor. They never found his body, assuming he had gotten lost and succumbed to the freezing temperature. Silverstrike knew they would never find it. He was gone.
Within a moon, her sister had recovered from greencough and by the time the temperature grew warmer she gave birth to two beautiful kits.
It would take many moons to heal the broken heart of Stormrunner and she never did reveal what was happening with Addernose. However, the birth of her three, healthy, kits gave her a new purpose in life. Cautiously, Silverstrike eased her way back into Stormrunner's life and the two began to find new friendship amongst the shattered pieces of their past.
Many more moons would come and go as Silverstrike and Stormrunner repaired their friendship until it was almost as if nothing had ever happened. Even when rumors circulated about Addernose's sudden disappearance, Silverstrike remained unphased by her self-perceived 'necessary' actions. Leopardstorm had her suspicions, but her loyalty to Silverstrike kept them locked away tightly within her mind.
26 - 36 moons
Although Silverstrike's murderous secret held no burden over her shoulders, her caution surrounding it's reveal began to form a thicket of brambles around her heart. Her words were sly, guarded, revealing only the information necessary to maintain the conversation. One could maintain an entire conversation with her before realizing that she hadn't revealed any personal information. She was, however, excellent at retrieving information from others in a natural, smooth-flowing, manner.
At exactly 26 moons, Silverstrike was given her first apprentice, Ashpaw, an opinionated and outspoken she-cat. Silverstrike excelled as a mentor, a surprise to no one. Ashpaw was stubborn, but Silverstrike was patient and level-headed throughout the entire apprenticeship. As a new mentor, Silverstrike found herself guided and assisted by the senior warrior, Lynxbelly.
From the beginning, Lynxbelly and Silverstrike got along swimmingly. Silverstrike was quick to realize Lynxbelly's insistence on helping her train was an excuse to spend more time together. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed his staring, after all. Silverstrike found herself not smitten, but still satisfied with the attention and affection given from Lynxbelly. He was intelligent and careful in thought, never pressing beyond the information Silverstrike trusted to give him.
So, although the apprenticeship was uneventful and filled with little more excitement than first tours, battle training, and hunting practice, Silverstrike found bonded quickly with the smart-talking tomcat and before they knew it, Ashpaw was becoming Ashfeather and the two warriors were becoming official mates.
37 - 49 moons
Lynxbelly could never break through Silverstrike's secretive personality, but he remained allured by her otherwise charismatic and ambitious personality. They trained daily and when they weren't training, Silverstrike valued the intelligent and thought-provoking questions that Lynxbelly constantly challenged her with.
The two mates were eventually given apprentices, two sisters named Sparkpaw and Shrewpaw, and their bond strengthened through similarities and quality time. Lynxbelly's laid-back, but intelligent, attitude meshed well with Silverstrike's determination and ambitious fortitude. They combined their collective skills to train the two apprentices until they were eventually given their warrior names. However, something seemed to be...lacking.
'Do you ever feel like you're destined for more than this' Silverstrike questioned, motioning a paw towards the fields and trees that stretched far beyond them. 'Taking care of an apprentice, being with you. It's amazing, but it doesn't feel enough.'
'Become leader.'
'What?!' Silverstrike looked at her mate with surprise, but she couldn't help the sudden surge of want that filled her mind. Providing for her Clan. Ridding it of fox-hearted vermin. Setting her own rules. She knew she'd be the perfect leader for LichenClan. But... Silverstrike paused for a moment longer before replying with a sigh. 'I can't. I'm pregnant.'
The newleaf that Silverstrike gave birth was laced in bad omens from start to finish. Russetheart is found dead in the stream as the snow begins to thaw, and Silverstrike finds herself reliving her murder of Addernose many moons ago. Thankful, only, because his body was never discovered. In the second moon of newleaf, Hollyfoot dies peacefully in her sleep of old age and is replaced by Spiderfang. The nursery grows crowded as Daisyfur's kits and Flameheart's new litter. Silverstrike quickly joins with the birth of three healthy kittens, two tomcats and a she-cat. They are affectionally named Jaykit, Cedarkit, and Ivykit.
Unfortunately, the birth of her kits could not have come at a more untimely moment than a single moon before the vicious dog attack and the resulting death of Graystar and Rednose.
A loud howl broke through the still air, followed by screeches of fear and horror. Startled from her nap outside the nursery, Silverstrike leaps to her paws and nearly tramples one of her kits underpaw. Outside the camp, there's a earpiercing screech. 'Dogs! Dogs are co-' with a hurk the words are cut off and followed by another howl as the sounds of thuds, barking, and screams accompany two large beasts hurtling through the protective barrier.
Chaos erupts around her, as the other queens grab their kits and throw them roughly into the nursery. Silverstrike watches in wide-eyed horror as one of the dog grabs Rednose and sprays blood across the earth with rough shakes. Silverstrike commands Daisyfur to take her kits into the nursery as she prepares to rush into battle before being stopped by Lynxbelly.
'What are you doing?' Silverstrike stepped forward with fierce anger burning in her eyes, but her mate remained steadfast. 'I know what you want to do Silverstrike, but you have to protect your kits. Our kits. You're more than capable of protecting the queens. I won't let you face that thing.'
Silverstrike never did get to fight the dogs. Nor did she ever have another conversation with Lynxbelly, his dead body found in a pool of blood blocking the entrance to the nursery. Greystar and Rednose had also been killed, and the unfortunate timing of her kit's birth also meant Silverstrike was unable to fill the position of deputy.
Silverstrike knew she was supposed to feel something more than her frustration, but that's the only thing that seeped through her layers of grief and sadness.
It could have been me.
Six moons later, her three kits become apprentices and Silverstrike's life moves on. Leopardstorm is in the nursery now with her new kits. Stormrunner has begun a new relationship. Life moves on.
50 - present