Silverstar (AC)/History

Overview=

History

 * -|Shattered Arc=

Shattered

 * Silverstreak has recently fled from BirchClan in fear of FrozenClan discovering there were living members of BirchClan. She is in a fox den with Ravenwing and Frostfeather.


 * Silverstreak recalls what her father, Fadedstar, had told her before his death. She has a flashback of Whitefrost, her mother, and Fadedstar's deaths, and she worries about how she is going to rebuild a Clan, as she had promised her father before his death. Ravenwing interrupts her thoughts by shifting, and Silverstreak moves a little to support Ravenwing in the cramped fox den. Silverstreak and her companions reside there because that is the only place in the forest they can find and also because the scent of foxes will ward off any FrozenClan cats.


 * With this, she stands and pads out of the den into the night, staring up at the stars, wondering how much of her Clan is up there, and how many died because of Northstar's ambitions. She closes her eyes and sighs, thinking that all of her Clan, along with all of the ShellClan and MarshClan cats, are now in StarClan if they didn't defect to FrozenClan. She knows that no proud BirchClan warrior would join Northstar in his ambition to take over their forest, and wonders how StarClan could let this happen; how StarClan could allow one Clan to rule the forest and the mountains. She then thinks they they did something wrong by allowing Frozenstar to create FrozenClan, and how they should have never shared Clan ways with FrozenClan, and were now being punished for it. Despite this, she didn't convince herself. She thinks how she had to sometimes give herself up to a higher power or accept that the higher powers didn't always control everything, and wonders whether or not Northstar shaped his own destiny. A breeze gently stirs her fur, and she smells ash, or smoke, and frowns, thinking of how there hadn't been a fire for moons.


 * She then receives her first prophecy: "Shards come together to make a whole, cats come together to make a Clan, lives come together to make a story." She turns, blinking, but no one was there. She whispers a question, asking whether it was StarClan and if they were telling her what to do. She then recalls her mother coming to her the night her father had died and BirchClan had fell, and her mother told her that it was her destiny to build BirchClan. She now cannot ignore that StarClan is watching over her, willing her to rebuild her Clan. Lifting her muzzle and letting the breeze caress her face, she scents ash again. She turns to her two companions and nudges them awake. Frostfeather and Ravenwing wake, and blink at her.


 * Silverstreak inquires if they remember what she told them when they fled BirchClan. Ravenwing replies, asking if she said she was going to rebuild BirchClan. Frostfeather complains, stating that Silverstreak didn't need to wake them up in the middle of the night for that, yawning. Silverstreak smiles at them and replies that she thought StarClan wants them to flee to safety before rebuilding the Clan, but instead they meant while they were travelling, because they would cover a lot of territory and meet a lot of cats, and also they had to cover a lot of territory before they find their new home, and that she is certain StarClan will be with them.


 * Ravenwing smiles at her and replies that they follow her because they trust her, and that they would do whatever she says. Frostfeather agrees with Ravenwing with a quick statement saying as long as it isn't completely mouse-brained and laughs, nudging Silverstreak playfully, and asks whether they'll leave in the morning. Silverstreak replies and states that they should stick around a bit, because there could be survivors and they could find them and perhaps help them. Frostfeather yawns again and asks whether they can get rest after a hasty agreement. At this, Silverstreak's whiskers twitch as she replies that they could rest, and that they would need all their strength for their journey. Frostfeather yawns for a third time and settles down to sleep with Ravenwing. Silverstreak remains awake, gazing up at the stars again, and wonders if that was where her destiny lay.


 * Silverstreak is mentioned briefly by Poppyfur during her report to Northstar, and Northstar states that they need to capture her.


 * Silverstreak wakes early, on the day after the new moon. She rouses Ravenwing and Frostfeather, and thinks that she is the only one that realizes the importance of their quest; how there was no saving their Clan, but impossible to let BirchClan die out. The fate of BirchClan rests in their paws, and she wonders that if they can raise enough warriors they could take down Northstar and end his tyranny. Ravenwing asks whether she thinks that they, referring to Northstar's group, got everyone. She blinks anxiously at Silverstreak, and Silverstreak, not wanting to lie, replies softly, saying that they probably did but they should still try. Frostfeather asks where they would go and states that they can't re-enter camp, because Northstar would have noticed their absence and that he would send a patrol to BirchClan's camp. Silverstreak replies that a wounded warrior may be present, and that they could get there first, adding that they would have to try, how they are fast enough to evade capture, and should it come down to a fight they would be prepared. She doesn't know how many cats Northstar might send on patrol, hopefully not many. Quietly, Ravenwing replies that Northstar is crafty and they can't underestimate him, saying that he had the whole conquest planned, right down to the death of each leader. At this, Silverstreak flinches and glances away, and Ravenwing, looking flustered, apologizes and tries to take back what she said, but Silverstreak flicks her tail against Ravenwing's flank, interrupting her, and meows that it's okay, but smiling sorrowfully. She misses her father a lot, and at that moment she couldn't help but feel guilty that she wasn't there when he died. She wonders whether StarClan had meant to tell her to flee after her father died. She sighs, shakes herself, and says that they should get moving and hurry to camp.


 * When they arrive, the first thing they scent is blood. Ravenwing looks away from the pile of bodies which are arranged precariously, and Frostfeather hisses in rage, spitting that they had the time to move them like that but not the time to bury them. Ravenwing presses against her comfortingly, and Silverstreak sighs that they don't have time either, and that she'd bury them if she could, but they were in StarClan and they had a mission to complete, adding she is sure they'd forgive them.


 * Ravenwing and Frostfeather nod, but Ravenwing is trembling, unable to look away from the pile. Silverstreak notices this and suggest she stand guard, glancing at Frostfeather. Ravenwing blinks and pads away to keep watch, shoulders still trembling. Silverstreak splits up the dens to check between Frostfeather and herself, taking the warrior, apprentice and leader dens while Frostfeather checks the queen, elder and medicine cat dens. She nods and they split up. Silverstreak notes how overwhelming the stench is, especially how it came from Clanmates she used to know. She began to tremble, but she wants to make sure there is no one left to save.


 * The warrior's and apprentice's den is empty, and the leader's den is also empty, but she notes the sweet scent of forest sickness that almost overcame the scent of blood. When she meets Frostfeather, her shoulders are slumped as she reports that she didn't find anyone. Frostfeather reports the same news as Silverstreak, adding that she guesses they really are the last ones left. Silverstreak replies that unless they go through all the bodies they wouldn't know for sure, but that they wouldn't have time for that. Privately, she thinks how revolting and horrible it would be, to see all her friends and Clanmates dead. Frostfeather mentions signs of a struggle in the nursery, suggesting that perhaps FrozenClan warriors took the kits and queens, because the kits can be molded into loyal FrozenClan warriors and the queens would protect their kits with their lives. Silverstreak says that there might be hope because some warriors might have joined FrozenClan to fight another day, and Frostfeather replies bitterly that there were those who took the coward's way out. Silverstreak, surprised at her bitterness, wonders if she really thought her Clanmates would betray BirchClan like that, but Silverstreak realizes that Frostfeather thought she'd betrayed BirchClan by leaving with Silverstreak before the battle begun and not fighting with them. She wonders whether they did, because they'd fled to rebuild the Clan, but they were still there in the forest, and she wonders whether or not they could've fought for BirchClan. She then thinks about StarClan's message, how they told them to flee early, so the last thing they want the group to do is to stay in the same forest as Northstar; how they'd be captured and killed if they stayed, and if so who would fulfill the task of rebuilding BirchClan; how they couldn't stay here as this wasn't their home anymore, so they'd have to just work up the courage to leave. She then thinks how that is the home they'd known.


 * Ravenwing interrupts her thoughts again, notifying them of blood, turning towards them. Frostfeather replies that the whole camp smells like blood, and Ravenwing points out a trail of blood that she'd found. Frostfeather and Silverstreak exchange a glance and move over to join Ravenwing, and they notice what Ravenwing had mentioned; a trail, or two, of blood. Ravenwing wonders whether there would be a chance they are alive, Silverstreak replies that it's not likely, with all the blood, but the second cat might be alive, and it could easily be a FrozenClan cat chasing a BirchClan one, and Ravenwing replies that it might be the other way around, and they should at least check.


 * At this, Silverstreak nods. In case of an ambush, she assigns Frostfeather to be on her right and Ravenwing on her left, as she suspects a FrozenClan trap, saying that she wouldn't put it past Northstar to use his own warriors for trapping cats who'd escaped. The two she-cats nod and Silverstreak begins forward, nervous. She notes that the trial of blood twists and turns, suggesting a chase, but who left the trails there baffles Silverstreak. She wonders whether it was FrozenClan and BirchClan or vise versa. The scent of blood grows stronger, but is bearable compared to the BirchClan camp. Silverstreak then freezes, flicking her tail as a signal to stop the other two cats. They crouch and she peers through the bushes, seeing two cats lying together in pools of blood. She signals for her two companions to stay hidden as she tries to get a closer look. She scents FrozenClan and BirchClan with blood. Silverstreak finally stands and pads forward. A ginger tom raises his head just enough to look at her, and his eyes flash with recognition, stopping Silverstreak in her tracks. It is revealed that the ginger tom is Flameheart. He is surprised that Silverstreak is alive but he is weak.


 * Silverstreak rushes to his side once his head collapses and notices the deep wounds inflicted on his sides. She raises her head and studies the other warrior, who smelled like FrozenClan. She began to snarl but Flameheart tells her to leave him be. Confused, she lifts her head and sees damp moss lying between the two cats. She states she doesn't understand and Flameheart explains that since the tom was stronger than him, he brought him water. Silverstreak wonders why would he do that, since he was the enemy. Flameheart responds that there was no point in keeping animosities when they were both going to die, since the tom's Clan abandoned the him, coming to see if he could have been saved - during which Flameheart played dead - but decided he couldn't and left. He explains that if they had stayed the tom would've told them that he was alive but felt no need with the desertion of his Clan, how he knew BirchClan was beyond help, so there was nothing to fight for. Flameheart opens his eyes again, and there is pain in them. He continues, saying that the tom was stronger than he was for a while, so when Flameheart started to get dehydrated in the night the tom ventured to the creek to collect water. He trails off, and Silverstreak stares at the two warriors uncomprehendingly, pondering Flameheart's words. She thought that it was true that they did not need to fight, but wondered whether Flameheart's pain had really been so great that the FrozenClan tom had tried to help. Flameheart rasps that it takes a special kind of honor but the tom was dead by morning.


 * Silverstreak, deciding it is safe, turns to call to her companions and sees them already padding out to her. Ravenwing, with round and sorrowful eyes, says his name once, and he looks at her without moving his head and smiles, addressing Ravenwing and Frostfeather and saying BirchClan still lives, before coughing. Ravenwing moves forward, intending to help him, but he stops her. He compliments her medicine cat skills, saying that she made a good apprentice until she decided to become warrior, although her talents wouldn't be able to save him. He explains how he had been lying there for a night an a morning, and that he'd like to leave peacefully. As he gazes at her, Silverstreak notices a pleading look in his eye, and her ears flatten. She recalls that Flameheart was an older warrior, and one of her father's friends. She thinks about all his good qualities that made him stand out, and how he had mentored her as a kit.


 * Ravenwing stammers that she'll get poppy seeds from the medicine cat den, and she turns away after Flameheart thanks her quietly. Silverstreak marvels her bravery on how she would be going back into BirchClan's camp to retrieve poppy seeds. Moments later, she arrives with four poppy seeds. Flameheart laps up the seeds, and begins to relax, eyes closing. The three she-cats lay down and rest their muzzles against Flameheart.


 * At sunhigh, Flameheart finally passes away, and they rise to their paws. Silverstreak meows that they both deserve burials, and Frostfeather nods, agreeing that since they had time to sit with him, they should have time to bury them. Ravenwing nods in agreement. Silverstreak smiles at them, warmed by their support and loyalty.


 * As Silverstreak digs the FrozenClan cat's grave, Frostfeather and Ravenwing dig Flameheart's. Silverstreak's pelt prickles as they lay the cats inside the completed graves, and they bow their heads over the cats' graves, praying. Silverstreak prays that StarClan will accept Flameheart with open paws, as well as the FrozenClan cat. She goes on, saying that they will not rest until their mission is completed. Silverstreak touches the dirt of which Flameheart lays under, and her two companions do the same.


 * She sighs softly, saying how they have to move as the forest there isn't safe, so they would have to leave the forest to find their own way. The other two she-cats nod, and Frostfeather purrs that they trust her and presses against Silverstreak. Ravenwing nods, and Silverstreak smiles at them both. She looks at the graves as they prepare to leave.


 * As they are passing through MarshClan territory, Silverstreak is disgusted by the mud. Frostfeather is as well, due to her long and thick white fur. Silverstreak is slightly amused at seeing her friends covered in mud, before realizing that she probably looks the exact same way.


 * She hooks her claws onto a patch of grass to pull herself out of the mud. She notices the sun is sinking, and she shivers, as the marsh's water is freezing cold as it was only the beginning of newleaf. Frostfeather, clearly irritated by the mud, asks Silverstreak whether she was sure they were going the right way. Silverstreak, exasperated, rolls her eyes and reminds her that the mountains which wrap the valley are smallest in the south and if they make sure the north star is behind them at moonhigh, they would be going the right way, adding that MarshClan is the furthest south of all the Clans.


 * Sighing, Frostfeather complains again about why MarshClan had to be furthest south, adding that if it was ShellClan, who had only sand and sea, it would be much better for her fur. Silverstreak notices that Ravenwing had remained silent, although she notes that this is because she has the shortest fur out of the trio.


 * When Silverstreak scents something strange, she signals for Frostfeather and Ravenwing to stop. She creeps forward, and blinks as she comes across a grove of marsh trees, which she guesses is MarshClan's camp. Trying to be silent, she climbs onto a tree's roots and the mound of bodies, similar to the one in BirchClan, makes her look away quickly. She mentions that the scent of blood and sickness is heavy in the air, masking any other scents. She flicks her tail to Frostfeather and Ravenwing to follow, and they continue forward slowly before continuing at full speed.


 * As the sun disappears and the stars come out, she notes how cold it is. She tracks the north star's progress, until it is moonhigh. They continue in the correct direction, and as dawn approaches, Silverstreak sends Ravenwing off to search for a temporary camp and Frostfeather and Silverstreak pause to hunt. Silverstreak scares a toad into Frostfeather's paws. They bring it back and share it, and it is mentioned that they are still hungry but were able to rest now. They curl up together and drift into sleep.


 * Silverstreak wakes when she hears whispering coming from a FrozenClan patrol. She raises her head, but ducks down again after she realizes that there were FrozenClan warriors there. Poppyfur, although unnamed at the time, asks what the other group found, and another responds by saying there was no life on ShellClan territory. Yet another cat mentions that they found something strange on BirchClan territory - fresh graves. Poppyfur counts off the cats that are still missing- the trio and Eaglestrike, so she concludes that it must have been one of them, but since he already knew how the battle turned out he wouldn't return, so it must have been Silverstreak and her friends, adding that Northstar had said all this. She asks the rest of the patrol whether they found any of his scents.


 * Another cat replies that a set of warriors didn't return from the chase, so they know that it was one of the southern tunnels, but that he would be long gone. This time, the cat refers to Northstar by his warrior name, Northwind.


 * Poppyfur continues, saying that they found BirchClan scents where the patrol was discussing matches with the scents near the graves, and Poppyfur boasts that they of MarshClan are good trackers, but another warrior hisses that ShellClan were good trackers as well, but that they weren't used to the MarshClan mud and slop. Poppyfur growls in reply to this, and Silverstreak hopes that they would get into a fight so they could pick each other off, however, they chuckle when a warrior mentions that they lost the scent, so the she-cats must have been smart and disguised themselves in the mud, and they were smarter than they would've thought for the former Clan. Silverstreak draws from this that the patrol consists of former MarshClan and ShellClan warriors, rather than FrozenClan or BirchClan.


 * When a cat asks what to do, Poppyfur pauses, then decides that they should report back what they know, and that Crowtalon would be glad to hear it. She adds that she doubts he is worried about a couple of BirchClan cats, and that if they were coming this way they were fleeing south. When the other cats agree and move away, Silverstreak sighs in relief and wakes Ravenwing and Frostfeather, explaining what just happened. Ravenwing is shocked that they came that close to being caught, and Frostfeather is confused about what happened to Northstar. Silverstreak explains that he fled down a tunnel, and from what her father said, they must be massive, and that Crowtalon would be in charge now. Ravenwing shudders, recalling how cold his eyes were and that he was Northstar's deputy and wonders aloud whether he turned against Northstar.


 * Silverstreak warns them that they have to be careful, as Northstar must be paranoid and would kill them upon sight, to try and force his way back into the Clan. The two she-cats nod in agreement, and they exit the den, peering around nervously, before continuing. Silverstreak is slightly unnerved by Northstar's fate, and wondering whether FrozenClan turned against him because he did something wrong, or Crowtalon did something right.


 * When Slaughter is speaking with Toxin, he mentions Silverstreak when he comments that a vision from StarClan must have sent Silverstreak running from BirchClan, and that both Northstar and Silverstreak fled south, and though they hated each other they may join forces to strike against TalonClan.


 * Since Toxin has agreed to track down Silverstreak, she sets off after the other patrols. She mentions that the tunnels would be useless to her if she was tracking the trio.

Chilled

 * -|100 OneShot Book=

Art of Conversation

 * Silverstreak sorts out the patrols, telling Death to go with Frostfeather to collect wet moss, and Rainsplash and Eaglestrike to go collect thorns. She glances at Death with amusement, noticing his excitement. Letting out a yowl, she bounces down from the HighBranch.


 * Later, when Frostfeather and Death are collecting the moss, Frostfeather tells the black tom that she was hoping he'd be dumb enough to hold the moss in his teeth while wetting it and end up drowning, but then she'd have to explain it to Silverstreak, which wouldn't be pretty.