Snailbelly

basic description > Blue classic tabby tom with a fluffy tail and green eyes

build > Average build with slightly longer legs and a round face
fur description > Medium length with loose curls and a fluffy tail
breeds > Moggy

height > 24 cm
weight > 8.5 lbs
voice > Ed Sheeran
scent > Catmint and Lavender

scars > N/A
accessories > N/A
banned traits > Hyposmia
Reincarnation of Slugpath

Personality Traits
positive >
    >> Intelligent > Snailbelly has a love for knowledge and can store anything and everything he learns, in addition to what he already knows. And even that span of knowledge seems to be vast. If you have a question, he has an answer; if he doesn’t have the answer, he’ll find it. Some may wonder how he can handle so much knowledge in his average-looking head.
    >> Empathetic > He feels an emotional connection to those that are around him and always seems to understand how they are feeling. He is always ready to help a cat in need when they are down, or they will smile and be happy for the cats that are happy. He is prepared to react to every scenario of emotions.
    >> Sensible > Snailbelly chooses his decisions in very practical and reasonable ways. He also knows how to tone down the lack of reasoning from another cat and how to help others see reason in what may be said.

neutral >
    >> Mellow > Snailbelly, for the majority of his life, is extremely calm and relaxed. He knows how to keep his cool during extreme times, though oftentimes, he is calm even when the situation should arise something out of him. Because of this, he can become a bit awkward during a crisis as he tries to calm everyone else and remain calm, rather than panicking himself.
    >> Altruistic > Selfless almost to a point of concern, Snailbelly puts everyone, even strangers, above himself. He wants to make sure everyone is happy and healthy before he focuses on himself, and even then, he tends to focus on others even when they are happy and healthy. This means that he becomes a bit too in the business of others and not enough in his.
    >> Inquisitive > Snailbelly has a natural curiosity that never seems to be satisfied. With one question answer, three more are created. He, unfortunately, doesn’t know when to stop asking questions, so he becomes annoying when he goes on a tangent. Doesn’t mean he is going to simply stop, though.

negative >
    >> Careful > What steps he takes, he takes after putting a bit too much consideration put into them. He is cautious in what he does and says, making it extremely difficult for him to come up with decisions right off the bat. He cannot be relied on to make these last minute decisions, unless you have enough time for him to ponder all of the possibilities, positive and negative alike.
    >> Languid > Snailbelly seems to have a natural lack of energy. While he can be active for short bouts of time, he tires quickly by both physical and social means and needs to step away to rest often. He gets mistaken for being lazy due to this, as he cannot accomplish much with his low energy.
    >> Reclusive > Save for his generic smile or stoic disposition, Snailbelly keeps his own emotions and feelings relatively guarded. In addition to this, he much prefers to keep to himself most of the time, save for being with his father and close friends. It makes it extremely difficult to get to know Snailbelly and get him to open up to others.

Parents
 parents >
    >> Leafdrift > Father > Blue classic tabby tom with green eyes > Played by Melontine > Alive
    >> Lagoon > Surrogate Mother > Solid grey she-cat > NPC > ???

siblings >
    >> Sunwatcher > Sibling > Red tortoiseshell cat with green eyes > Played by Bloom44894 > Alive
    >> Gusthowl > Brother > Light brown classic tabby tom with green eyes > Played by PrettyPosey > Alive
    >> Bloomsong > Sister > Red calico she-cat with blue eyes > Played by Zodiac-Dream > Alive
    >> Gloomthorn > Sibling > Black tabby cat with green eyes and a white paw > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive
    >> Rainpuddle > Brother > Blue tabby tom with violet eyes > Played by Jax47698 > Missing

mate >
    >> N/A

kits >
    >> N/A

extended >
    >> Twistedleg > Great Grandfather > Scarred orange tom with blue eyes and a twisted leg > Played by Winter5587 > Deceased
    >> Iceburr > Great Grandfather > Pale blue-grey tom with amber eyes > NPC > ???
    >> Bluestem > Great Grandmother > Blue-and-white she-cat with hazel eyes > Played by Zodiac-Dream > Deceased
    >> Willowsong > Great Grandmother > Blue-grey tabby she-cat with green eyes > NPC > ???

    >> Ashstar > Grandfather > Grey classic tabby tom with green eyes > Played by Buff-Spud > Missing
    >> Olivescreech > Grandmother > Blue-and-white tabby she-cat with green eyes > Played by Winter5587 > Deceased

    >> Goosethorn > Great Uncle > Grey and white tom with blue eyes > Deceased
    >> Thistlebranch > Great Uncle > Grey-and-white tabby tom > Deceased
    >> Sunnykit > Great Aunt > Dark brown-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes > Deceased
    >> Peachfuzz > Great Aunt > Light brown-and-white she-cat with green eyes > Deceased
    >> Freckleshade > Great Aunt > Dilute calico she-cat with hazel eyes > Played by Winter5587 > Alive
    >> Maplepaw > Great Aunt > Orange-and-white she-cat with green eyes > Deceased
    >> Skypaw > Great Aunt > Black-and-white she-cat with green eyes > Deceased
    >> Zephyrfrost > Great Aunt > Black she-cat with white spotting and ice blue eyes > Played by Winter5587 > Alive
    >> Stormygloom > Great Aunt > Blue-and-white she-cat with blue eyes > Played by Melontine > Deceased
    >> Waverose > Great Aunt > Blue classic tabby she-cat with green eyes > Played by Zodiac-Dream > Deceased
    >> Dawnwillow > Great Aunt > Blue-grey she-cat with hazel-amber eyes > ???

    >> Sleepyfeather > Aunt > Grey-and-whited spotted tabby she-cat with green eyes > Played by Buff-Spud > Missing
    >> Slugpath > Uncle > Blue-grey patched tabby tom with green eyes > Played by codesii > Deceased
    >> Wolfpaw > Uncle > Dark grey tabby tom with green eyes > Played by SaltySeaMonster > Deceased
    >> Partridgespark > Aunt > Ginger-and-grey calico she-cat with yellow eyes and a curled tail > Played by Sushipies > Deceased
    >> Nightingalekit > Aunt > Brown tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes > Played by Buff-Spud > Missing

    >> Pumapaw > Nephew > Brown tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes > Played by Winter5587 > Alive
    >> Servalpaw > Niece > Brown tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes > Played by Sn0wbranch > Alive
    >> Pantherpaw > Niece > Brown tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive
    >> Lynxpaw > Nephew > Brown tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes > Played by Chordata-Flyer > Alive
    >> Cheetahpaw > Nephew > Brown tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes > Played by ShiiDreams > Alive
    >> Caracalpaw > Niece > Brown tabby she-cat with white patches and blue eyes > Played by WarriorCatFan53 > Alive

    >> Blossomkit > Second Cousin > Calico tom with green eyes > Deceased
    >> Pricklepatch > Second Cousin > White tabby tom with dark green eyes > Deceased

kithood [ 0 - 6 moons ] >
    Snailkit was the only kit in Leafdrift's second litter, having been born after CloudClan suffered a terrible loss in his great aunt, Waverose. Still, they rejoiced at Snailkit's birth and he brought joy to the family, especially his father and his older siblings, who waited with patient excitement at his arrival.
    Though, Snailkit never quite acted like a kit. From the moment his eyes opened and he was able to walk, he was rather calm and mellow. Despite the many older kits in the nursery, he preferred to be at his father's side. He didn't mind the other kits, but he seemed to prefer sleeping or casual conversation compared to the playing the others would initiate. Though, he would every so often join in, and despite not playing with the kits often, he always seemed to keep up well with them in their games and play-fighting.
    Life for CloudClan wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, though. Less than a moon after Snailkit was born, CloudClan lost their other medicine cat, Bramblewhisper, leaving them without a medicine cat right before leafbare. Being so young, it didn't much affect Snailkit, especially when he was quite healthy. Regardless, Leafdrift was concerned for him. Thankfully, though, MarshClan's medicine cat apprentice decided to come help CloudClan in their time of need, becoming their temporary medicine cat and the mentor to their future medicine cat. Which was good, especially when many cats were injured by the bobcat that had killed Bramblewhisper.
    The nursery quickly began to get crowded after the bobcat incident. In addition to Snailkit, there was already six other kits and two queens that shared the nursery with him and Leafdrift. Another kit was born a little over a moon after Snailkit, a she-kit named Tidekit. But that wasn't all; unexpectedly, three more cats were expecting kits and moved into the nursery. It was alright at first with just the mothers and fathers there, but as the kits were born, things quickly became cramped. While Hickorybreeze and Swansong each had four kits, Leopardbite gave birth to a whopping six kits, putting the nursery at overwhelming numbers. It was nice that Chestnutwind and her kits had moved out just before they were all born, but Snailkit watched thoughtfully as the warriors and queens worked to expand the nursery and accommodate all of the new additions.
    When Snailkit first began to eat solid foods, he was guided to the fresh-kill pile to pick his first official piece of prey. Leafdrift had told him to sniff around for something, but Snailkit dropped a sudden revelation on him; he can't smell anything. In truth, he was never able to, but he was pretty unconcerned with the issue. At least the prey still tasted the same. But Leafdrift was still concerned about it and brought him to see Creamytail and Cirruspaw about his lack of smell. Creamytail made a brief comment about how a late MarshClan warrior, Darkscar, had lost his smell after a fox attack when he was young. However, she had never met a cat that was born with the ability to smell. She didn't deem it too big of a concern, as Darkscar got by perfectly fine for many seasons without scent. Though it took some coaxing, Snailkit managed to convince his father that he would be fine. At least he would never have to worry about the smell of the dirtplace.
    Leafbare hit the clans extremely hard. It decided to come early, making prey hard to find and constant snowstorms making the weather cold and unseemly. It was especially difficult given the amount of kits that needed to be fed in CloudClan. While Snailkit was kept well-cared for as a kit, the hunger in his clanmates' eyes and their weakness didn't escape him. He grew increasingly concerned as cats began to die from their starvation, too. Leafbare was only just upon them. Would they be okay?
    Soon, Snailkit became the oldest kit in the nursery. Branchleap moved out as her kits became apprentices, and it would soon be Snailkit's turn. He enjoyed spending time with the other kits; Leopardbite's kits were actually his nieces and nephews through Gloomthorn, so Snailkit got along with them quite well. He was also curious about Tidekit, but she was never very interested in interacting with others. Though he was a kit himself, Snailkit still acted quite mature for his age and ended up supervising the others more than joining in on their games. It comforted him, strangely, to just simply watch. Though, admittedly, he was looking forward to becoming an apprentice and moving into a hopefully more spacious den.

apprenticeship [ 6 - 11 moons ] >
    His sixth moon finally approached, and Snailkit became Snailpaw, an apprentice of CloudClan. He was the only one to become an apprentice that day, having no littermates or denmates his age. Still, though, he was glad to be out of the nursery and help make that room for the new queens, Rabbitlily and Warrenpath. Starlingstar named a young warrior called Dustcloud for his mentor. He seemed kind and matched Snailpaw's personality very well. He looked forward to training under Dustcloud's guidance.
    And he was thankful for how understanding his mentor ended up being. As he began his training, Snailpaw quickly came to learn that he couldn't train in long periods of time. His energy seemed to quickly drain, and he never noticed this as a kit as he didn't play for long anyways. Even his first day, when learning the territory, there were multiple times the young cat had to pause and regenerate energy. But it was a good time to ask questions, especially of places of interest. He asked a lot about the twoleg place specifically, bust Dustcloud didn't have many answers about it. It just made Snailpaw more curious as they made their way back to camp.
   Greencough began to hit CloudClan early into his apprenticeship thanks to the cold weather. Though Snailpaw isn't really known for any fears, the thought of the illness made the fur on his spine prickle with unease. He wasn't quite sure why he had this reaction; all he knew was that it made him uncomfortable. He made sure to steer clear of the medicine den and any potentially sick cats for awhile, just to ease his own worries. It didn't save the cats that lost their lives to it, though, and he prayed that the sickness would pass through their clan soon.
    Outside of the nursery, Snailpaw was able to take in the reality of the situation that leafbare had put CloudClan in more thoroughly. The lack of prey was even worse than he had initially thought, with many of the older cats skinner and weaker than they showed themselves in front of kits. And seeing the truth of it outside of camp, too, had Snailpaw all the more worried. What he would be able to catch and bring back, it was scrawny and mostly bones itself, leaving little to eat and only making his own appetite unsatisfied. The clan began to lose more cats from it, like the respected elders Acorntail and Egretfrost, as well as younger cats like Cougarblaze. Yet they could do nothing but hope that the weather would get better and that the prey would return, watching helplessly as more cats grew sick and weak.
    Although they always had more lives to welcome, despite the discomfort of more mouths to feed. Rabbitlily was blessed with a litter of four, and about a moon later, his father Warrenpath was welcoming three more. Snailbelly came to welcome them all. He wasn't very close with their family, but he felt a small and odd connection to Warrenpath, as if there something that the two could bond over. He shook that feeling off, though, and he smiled down at all of the newborns. They gave him a new sense of hope that the clan would be okay in the end, and that this terrible leafbare would not strike them down so easily.
    This seemed to help come into fruition when some of Snailpaw's older denmates became warriors: Gorsewing and Nettleclaw. The two, alongside their sister, were always bickering and making competitions or light fun while in the apprentices' den, so their lack of energy was a personal relief towards Snailpaw. Though he still felt bad for Sorrelpaw, who was unable to become a warrior with them due to having been stuck in the medicine den for a long while with her cough and eventual muteness. Seeing her on the sidelines had Snailpaw's heart aching with a feeling he didn't quite know, but her determination told him that she would be fine. Perhaps she'll be an even better warrior than her brothers when all was said and done.
    Frogletkit, Rabbitlily's only son, got into a terrible accident. No one was quite sure what had happened save for finding him unconscious and his head bleeding. As if that family couldn't have more to worry about, with Crocuskit's deteroiating eyesight, now Frogletkit remained unconscious in the medicine den. It had everyone in the clan worried, family and not alike, so when he woke up, there was one big sigh of relief. Except, he too would come to be blind like his sister, as Creamytail and Cirruspaw would find out. The extent of his head injury was far greater than they had initially realized, but Snailpaw was glad to see all of the support the young tom had in his troubling endeavors.
    And the bad luck doesn't end there, sadly. It was not just the cats that were struggling to find food and comfort, but as were all the other animals in the territories. After all, that's why much of the prey disappeared, right? Well, the predators didn't, and they were roaming more than ever. A badger had found its way on the moorlands and taken one of CloudClan's warriors, Whitetalon. The older albino tom had come to CloudClan with his mate, Blackstrike, who sadly passed away from greencough. Snailbelly had to think about the fact that now the two would be together again in StarClan. But the badger was quite concerning, and the clan began to be on the lookout for more predators like it.
    Perhaps losing their littermate and clanmate was too much for them, or they simply missed their birth clan, but Martenfang had decided to leave CloudClan and return to HailClan, where they were born and where their mother resides. Snailpaw didn't really know the large cat, but he didn't sell them out for something short for their decision. Finding where home was was quite difficult, as he was coming to learn, and in the end, he felt that the most important thing was for others to be happy. If going back to HailClan was best for Martenfang, then good for them. At least Starlingstar and Salmonstar seemed to support it. Snailpaw, though he knew CloudClan was his home, still often wondered what the strange, nagging feelings tugging at his heart and legs were. They pulled him in so many directions: a very small tug to HailClan, a push away from the medicine den, and an alarming shove towards the twoleg place. It's taken everything for the young tom to not venture off and find out why he has these feelings. After all, they need him here in CloudClan, right?
    Training progressed smoothly for him, and soon, he was joined by two more new apprentices by the names of Talonpaw and Smokepaw, along with Tidepaw, whom he remembered well from his time in the nursery. They were all there to congratulate Sorrelblaze when she became a warrior a moon after her brothers. The pride in her eyes made Snailpaw's heart tingle with joy. She succeeded in becoming a warrior, despite all of the odds that were stacked against her. Soon, they would all follow her pawsteps and meet her again in the warriors' den.
    Except, Snailpaw would find another path to walk on. A day after the new warrior's ceremony, him and Dustcloud were patrolling the border with the twoleg place along with some other warriors. Snailpaw had slowed down from a sudden lack of energy, and he told Dustcloud to go on ahead with the others--he would catch up soon. His mentor trusted him and moved along shoving through the melting snow. Snailpaw trudged behind them, his clanmates slowly growing further away from him. Yet, it was not just his languidness that was stopping him. He gazed longingly over towards the twoleg place, and without really realizing it, he had taken his first steps across the border. And he didn't stop there, not until he was already in the heart of the twoleg place.

    The area was filled with a lot of strange noises, creatures, and a lot of bustling. Something about some of the things Snailpaw saw made him thankful that he couldn't smell anything, though the rancid tastes would still hit the roof of his mouth once in a while. He never found himself staying in one place for too long, only staying put long enough to eat, groom, and rest.
    When he wasn't on alert for twolegs or stray cats looking for fights, Snailpaw was finding himself fascinated with the different things he would find in the twoleg place. He was surprised, meeting cats that still wore collars but roamed the streets like free cats. Most of them commented that their housefolk let them wander during the day, though there would be the odd one out that was terrified and lost from their home. Snailpaw wasn't sure why, but he helped them find their ways back. He didn't understand how he knew the twoleg place so well, but he didn't question it; if he could use that knowledge to help others, then he would gladly do so.
    That is until he met a cat in the twoleg place that didn't belong there, much like himself. They were a large, burly cat, covered in scars and had clearly seen better days. When they first came in contact with Snailpaw, they lashed out at him, poised for attack. Thankfully, Snailpaw was able to avoid the attacks and push the cat back--despite their size, they seemed terribly weak. When they realized they were no match for the younger tom, they submitted. Snailpaw learned that their name was Silver, and they came from outside of the twoleg place. They had ventured in moons ago in hopes to find more food for themselves and their kin during the harsh leafbare, who resided far from the place, but in doing so, they were caught by the twolegs. They managed to escape the strange twoleg den that they had been kept in, but Silver hadn't been able to find their way around the twoleg place since. And it seemed that surviving in this place didn't do them much good, either; cats and other animals loose in the area were constant threats, and food was still too slim to go around for everyone, not to mention difficult to find. They were on their last limb in desperation to find their way out, and they were so blinded by their own disarray that they had mistaken Snailpaw for a threat.
    Thankfully, Snailpaw was quite receptive towards their apology. He even offered to help them catch a meal or two and help them recover their strength. Silver hesitated for a moment, wondering if there was an ulterior motive towards the young tom's kindness. Yet, the blatant kindness in his eyes and Silver's growling stomach gave the exhausted cat little to question, and he took up Snailpaw's offer.
    It was strange to have such an older cat follow him, one likely with far more experience than he had. It didn't bother Snailpaw, though, and soon, the two began to grow more acquainted. Snailpaw learned that Silver's kin was more than just blood to him outside the borders of the twoleg place; in addition to Silver's mother, brothers, sister, mate, and kits, they also had friends and distant relatives travelling with them. By the sounds of it, their group had been around for quite some time--possibly as long as the clans! Yet they remained in small numbers, many choosing to leave for both their sakes and the sakes of their loved ones. Snailpaw couldn't help but admire this. He, personally, could never see himself leaving his father forever. Which painfully reminded him how he left without any warning. He prayed to StarClan that Leafdrift was alright without him, and that his family was thriving with the warmer weather. Thankfully, Silver helped keep his mind off of his loved ones back home as they found a new place to sleep and catch prey every night.
    Most of the time, the places the two found were alright. There was once where they had a scuffle with some alley cats, but it ended quickly when a twoleg came down the alley at the commotion. The alley cats had scattered, but Snailpaw and Silver, ever the clever cats, hid until the twoleg vanished and then stayed the night.
    One night, however, Silver recommended another alley to sleep in, one that seemed vacant of any potential competition. Yet, for some reason, looking down it made the skin on Snailpaw's spine crawl, and he hastily said it wouldn't be safe. Silver didn't believe him at first and decided to investigate the alley. They were quickly chased out, though, followed by a swarm of rats nipping at their ankles. When they were clear of the shadows, the rats slunk back into the alley, disappearing into the darkness once more. Silver, while tending to his wounds, questioned Snailpaw as to how he knew about the rats. After all, the older cat had come to learn of Snailpaw's lack of smell, though his keen sense for danger and familiarity of the twoleg place was something they could not deny. Snailpaw, still staring down the alley, said it felt as if he'd experienced it before. He could see them there, Leafdrift and a familiar cat, fighting against the rats for their right to sleep there. But they failed, and they ran, covered in wounds and injuries. This cat... it was his uncle, Slugpath, right? But why did he see this? He didn't understand it, and before he could bother trying, Snailpaw shook it off and continued on looking for a place for him and Silver to sleep.
    Once Silver was finally at their full potential again, Snailpaw started to help them find their away through the twoleg place and out to the open, back towards their home. He figured the rogue didn't come from the territories, seeing as they had never been seen before, so they needed to find a different exit than where he entered from. They moved a lot faster through the twoleg place with Silver recovered, and they spent far less time resting. Most of the time, when they did have to stop, it was because of Snailpaw. He could tell the rogue, previously, was irritated with Snailpaw's small quantities of energy, but as they got to know each other more, they came to understand Snailpaw's need for extended periods of rest, and they sympathized with the tom.
    One day, while they were resting under a tree among the small territory of greenery in the twoleg place, Silver asked Snailpaw about his reason for being in the twoleg place. He hadn't told the rogue his reasoning, but it wasn't out of secrecy; rather, Snailpaw himself didn't know why he was there. He confessed to being drawn to the place, and that he entered it without having any actual motive or reasoning. He told them how he was drawn to the twoleg place, and even upon entering it, he felt a strange familiarity with it. Not quite like a home, but a place that he had spent much time in and become used to, despite having never actually been there before. All he really knew about it was from his father's tales of the twoleg place when him and Slugpath found themselves lost in it. That thought lingered in his head, and he wondered... had he been there before? Perhaps... in another life? He wasn't sure, but suddenly, things about his life made more sense putting it together. His experience in his training, his familiarity with the twoleg place, his close bond with his brother. Were these all Slugpath's feelings?
    Snailpaw shook this revelation away. For the time, he needed to focus on what was happening in the now, and he could figure out how to combat this unsettling feeling later. He decided he probably should come up with a motive for being there. He pondered over the possibilities for a moment, before he ended up settling on one; his father had told him stories of his older brothers, Gusthowl and Rainpuddle, often. Unfortunately, they both went missing before Snailpaw was born, so he never got to meet them. Rainpuddle had been swept away by the river, while Gusthowl was taken by twolegs. He voiced his thoughts, wondering if he could find his brothers while he was there. Silver perked up at this, and they asked Snailpaw more about them. At first, Snailpaw hesitated, unsure what to say. He started with what Leafdrift had told him about them, but then the details extended to that of beyond Snailpaw's time. He could picture his brothers in his mind--their blue and tan tabby coats, one with vibrant violet eyes and the other with green eyes not unlike his own. Were these really his brothers? His heart said yes, and his words were confident.
    Silver's eyes had lit up at the mention of the tan, green-eyed tabby that was Gusthowl. They commented that they recalled seeing a cat not unlike that description during his time in the twolegs' strange den, where he was held captive. Snailpaw's ears perked and asked for more information. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else past that. Silver stated that the tom was rambunctious and eager to escape, watching the twolegs' every moves. Yep, that sounded like Gusthowl. But he didn't get to escape; rather, the twolegs had put something around his neck and taken him away. Well, Snailpaw could deduce that they put a collar on him, and he likely was taken to another twoleg home in this place to live in as a kittypet. It didn't seem to outlandish, given the many kittypets in the area. Silver had to agree on this, though they confessed to not knowing where Gusthowl had been taken, nor did they know anything about Rainpuddle. Still, Snailpaw thanked them for the information they provided, as it was far more than he had to start with.
    Before he could look for his brother, though, Snailpaw needed to keep his promise to helping Silver out of the twoleg place. It wasn't long after this conversation did they find the edge of the twoleg place, on the opposite side of where the territories are. Silver was a bit apprehensive at first. They wondered if their family waited for them, or if they found them a lost cause and moved on. Snailpaw reassured them, stating that if they loved Silver as much as Silver loved them, then they would wait. After all, Leafdrift was still waiting for Gusthowl and Rainpuddle all these moons later. This seemed to help boost Silver's confidence, and they left the twoleg place in search for their kin.
    A few days and couple of nights later, they came across a group of cats not far from the twoleg place. To their surprise, it was exactly who the two were looking for. Silver's kin had, in fact, waited. They were all there, and by the looks of it, they had recovered much from the harsh leafbare, too. Silver was clearly emotional and was eager to go to them, but hesitated as they turned to Snailpaw. Snailpaw, though, waved them off. He told Silver that he had a feeling he had more than the ten moons of experience he had backing him up, and that it was time for Silver to go back and support their family. Silver, with a sigh and a smile, agreed. They thanked Snailpaw once more and told him they hoped to see them again someday, hopefully on better terms. And then they turned away and raced to their family. Snailpaw watched for a moment as everyone rejoiced at the sight of them, and they gathered around Silver eagerly, not even noticing the ghost that had followed them. Snailpaw's ears perked, however, at what looked like a familiar calico pelt. Curious, he tilted his head for a moment. Who were they, and why did they seem so familiar? Then, something clicked. Ah... Sunny. Yes. A soft smile graced his face before he turned away to make it back to the twoleg place. That was an old memory; it was time for him to live in the present.
    Without Silver, the trek back to the twoleg place was a bit faster, and it wasn't long that Snailpaw was within its borders again. He had paused momentarily upon entering, though, and he took a moment to think. Where in this StarClan forsaken place could Gusthowl had been taken to? Perhaps he needed to start back at where he found Silver; that made a little sense, as Silver likely hadn't gotten far from where they had been confined once escaping. Perhaps the twolegs didn't take Gusthowl far, either. So once he found the familiar alley that he found the rogue, Snailpaw began to widen his area of investigation. He would jump on the fences or the windowsills of different twoleg dens and peer into each one. Some had cats, some had dogs, and some had just twolegs. The friendly kittypets were open to conversation, where he tried to ask about Gusthowl. But none of them recognized the name, and only a few perked at the description of his brother. None of them gave helpful directions or advice, though. He would just have to keep looking.
    He did this for a few days, until he ran into a cat that changed his direction to a more hopeful outlook. The kittypet she-cat was named Cookie, and when Snailpaw asked her about Gusthowl, her eyes beamed brightly. She said that she had met the tom multiple times. Like Snailpaw thought, he was living with twolegs. She led Snailpaw to the place she had last seen Gusthowl, shortly after he had escaped his twolegs' den, between it and another twoleg den. She mentioned that he was looking for a blue tabby after he intended to escape, and then she asked him if he was that blue tabby. Snailpaw shook his head, stating that Gusthowl likely didn't know he existed. Cookie was a bit sad to hear that, but she immediately perked up when they heard some twolegs calling. She said her farewells as she followed the sounds, and she hoped he could find Gusthowl, before disappearing.
    Snailpaw was grateful for the information that Cookie gave him, and he began checking the twoleg dens nearby. The one that Cookie said he came from was empty, yet Snailpaw had a feeling that Gusthowl was still within one of them. He wasn't sure that his older brother could ever be free from trouble, after all. Sure enough, after a few more dens, he found the familiar tan tabby pelt through a window within a twoleg den. Gusthowl was laying in the middle of the den, seemingly bored out of his mind. Snailpaw watched him curiously for a long while, taken aback for a moment. Gusthowl was exactly how he had pictured him, except... when did his leg get to be that way? And what about all those scars? What had Snailpaw--Slugpath--missed?
    As he was thinking about this, Gusthowl had noticed him. They stared at each other for a long moment, which was later broken as Gusthowl's twoleg came over to try and shoo Snailpaw away. But the young tom was unfazed, and the twoleg left in a huff. Gusthowl then beckoned him closer to the now partly-opened window, and Snailpaw obediently came over. He greeted Gusthowl, which had the older tom taken aback. Right, he didn't know who Snailpaw was. He introduced himself and told him of his motives for being there. It seemed Gusthowl accepted this all quickly, or perhaps he just wasn't ready to take it in, because he moved on the conversation to Rainpuddle. So Cookie was right, in that Gusthowl was looking for him. Snailpaw shook his head when asked if he had seen him, though he told Gusthowl he would know him if he saw him. He was confident now in this. He also felt that, if he was in the borders of the twoleg place, then he could find Rainpuddle.
    This seemed to set Gusthowl in motion, and he told Snailpaw to wait there. Snailpaw still stepped away from the window, expecting something out of the blue, but he sat a little ways away. Sure enough, he heard a crash from within the den, and then the next thing he knew, Gusthowl was ramming into the mesh that stood between him and Snailpaw, breaking it off the window. Before the twolegs could catch up with them, the two ran with Gusthowl following Snailpaw out of the garden and through the twoleg place. When they got far enough, they stopped to catch their breath.
    It was strange, being trusted by Gusthowl despite his brother not really knowing him. He wondered if he should tell Gusthowl that the older tom should have had more reservations, but he shook it off. Now wasn't the time to think about that; they needed to find Rainpuddle. But neither had a lead anymore, as even Cookie's words just put them on a stale trail. The spent days going around in circles and coming back to the same places. At one point, they even found themselves on the edge of the twoleg place's border, not far from where Snailpaw had said farewell to Silver. It was clear that they were getting nowhere with finding Rainpuddle. Perhaps the tom really wasn't here. There was still the concern as to whether Rainpuddle was even alive, though Snailpaw didn't voice that. Gusthowl was confident he was alive, and Snailpaw didn't want to disappoint him.
    However, they could not still run around without any confidence in what they were doing. They needed another plan, and Snailpaw had entertained the idea enough to see that, in their current states, they wouldn't be able to find Rainpuddle. So he stopped Gusthowl, and with enough convincing, Gusthowl agreed that they should return to CloudClan. There, they could organize a bigger search party, with better trackers and more paws to cover ground. Snailpaw reminded him that they were not giving up on Rainpuddle; they would be back for him, and one way or another, they were going to bring him home.

warriorhood [ 11 moons - present ] >
    Snailpaw led the way out of the twoleg place and back home. Despite his increasing exhaustion from the constant use of energy, he was driven to get home by the thought of seeing Leafdrift and the rest of their family. The entire way home, he helped catch Gusthowl up on clan news, from Gloomthorn's mateship to Leopardbite and their kits to the appointing of their new medicine cat, Cirruspaw.
    Though there was one thing there that he didn't know about. As they ran across the moorlands, in their final stretch back home, Snailpaw was taken aback by the large space that twolegs had taken over in their territory. They were building dens there... were they planning to expand the twoleg place? Surely not; it wasn't quite close enough to be considered a part of the twoleg place, and given the lack of monsters, it seemed that whatever they were doing, they were about done with it. He would have to ask about that when they got back to camp. It gave him just the boost of energy he needed to make the last few strides home, with his brother hot on his heels.
    Being home felt wonderful, and when he entered camp, he was surrounded by family and friends alike. Then, the exclamation came from them all at the sight of Gusthowl. Snailpaw recounted his tales, admitting to going into the twolegplace. He left out meeting Silver, but he told the clan how he had found Gusthowl and helped him out of the twoleg place. They wanted to find Rainpuddle, but they felt it better to get their clanmates' help in doing so. Despite the stern look from Leafdrift that he received, he could see his father's overwhelming relief to have two of his sons back, and all of the tension that was Snailpaw leaving was evaporated.
    The day was already full of excitement with Cirrusflight having earned her full medicine cat name, as well as Snailpaw's denmates becoming warriors under the names Turtlesnap, Otterbounce, and Fisherleap. But it wasn't over. After the celebrations over having them back, Starlingstar called the clan back for another meeting. They were all curious about it, and they expected it was just about their return. But then Snailpaw was called up, and Starlingstar announced that he would be naming Snailpaw a warrior for his bravery and accoomplishment in bringing Gusthowl back. Snailpaw was surprised, pleasantly so, and he graciously accepted. After all, he wasn't sure there was much else he could learn between his experience in his current life and his previous life. So, he was named Snailbelly that day, and he became a full warrior of CloudClan.
    After the ceremony, Snailbelly took the time to approach Dustcloud and apologize to her directly for disappearing. He stated that it was not at all her fault; in fact, he couldn't have asked for a better mentor. Even more, he apologized again to his father and his siblings. He was surprised to see how much his nephews and nieces had grown in the time he was gone, and seeing how everyone had changed, too. Was he really gone for that long?
    His family also worked to catch him up and all that he had missed. There were the naming of many apprentices, including Gloomthorn's, Starlingstar's, and Swansong's kits. No new warriors, however, save for himself and Branchleap's kits. It made him kind of happy to have been named a warrior early, as he didn't envy the apprentices that all had to share the apprentices' den together. Hopefully they would expand it for them. In addition to this, the rogue, Wild, who was infamously known for starting a war seasons ago, was found dead. He seemed relatively unfazed by this news, aside from the fact that the reason for her death was a relative mystery. She seemed to have been murdered, but by who, no one was sure.
    Then he asked about the twoleg activity on their territory. No one had an answer for him, though. The twolegs had just shown up one day and begun building, and what it was they were building, they weren't sure. Whatever it was, though, it was causing problems. The prey had been poisoned, and CloudClan tragically lost lives to the diseased prey, including Foxrummer, Littlejump, and Heathercloud. Other cats were admitted to the medicine den from it, including Juniperfern and Dustcloud, both of which concerned Snailbelly. Dustcloud, of course was his mentor, and though he had no relation to Junpierfern, he figured what he was feeling was Slugpath's feelings, and he had to hope they would both recover.
    On the though of Slugpath, Snailbelly was still a bit unsure how to digest this information. He, himself, had come to terms with it quite quickly. Slugpath or Snailbelly, he was himself and was happy. But what about the others around him? Especially his father, who was close with his brother up to his death. Snailbelly pondered for days over the idea of telling Leafdrift; perhaps Leafdrift would laugh it off and tell him that he was being ridiculous. Maybe he was. Snailbelly didn't know, but after a lot of back and forth in his mind, he decided it was best to keep this to himself for the time being. Their family was happy for now, with Gusthowl back and Gloomthorn's kits thriving. Leafdrift deserved this happiness, and as time continued, perhaps Snailbelly would simply forget this revelation. Probably not, but it was the thought that counts.
    Unfortunately, Juniperfern lost his battle with the poison, and after his death as well as Figfall's, who was struck by a monster, Starlingstar decided it was time to investigate the twolegs' work. Snailbelly, having had enough of twolegs for a lifetime, stayed back as the leader put together a party. Among the part, Gloomthorn and his family went, along with Starlingstar himself. What Snailbelly wasn't expecting, though, was for the group to be led back to camp by a kittypet, battered and missing a couple of cats. The cat was a previous CloudClan cat by the name of Thrasherwing, though she corrected everyone by saying her name was Peanut. As cats were ushered to the medicine den, Peanut explained to Halfbranch and the gathering cats that the twoleg den on their territory was known a barn. The twolegs raised prey on it to eat later on, creatures like chickens, cows, and sheep. What odd-sounding creatures. She said they wouldn't be much of a threat as long as they were left alone.
    She was about to continue when Thistleflame came trudging into camp with Starlingstar on his back. He laid the broken leader on the ground, where he said his parting words and passed onto StarClan. He had been stepped on by a startled cow, and he lost his first life back on the barn. He managed to stay strong long enough to get back to camp, and Snailbelly respected him greatly for that. Thistleflame, however, didn't accepted this as he rushed the leader to the medicine den. But everyone could tell it was in vain. Peanut spoke up and said that Thistleflame's apprentice, Gloomthorn, had been captured by the twolegs in the chaos. She reassured everyone that the twolegs wouldn't harm him, but that didn't matter to Snailbelly or his family. Another of their family members was gone? What happened to that happiness they had not a moon ago? Why did the world feel the need to hurt Leafdrift like this? Snailbelly, personally, cursed at this, shaking his head in frustration.
    While everyone agreed that Gloomthorn needed and would be saved, they needed the time to grieve for their lost leader. Peanut stayed for Starlingstar's vigil, staying at her cousin's side the entire time, before leaving for the twoleg place once more. Halfstar stepped up as their leader, and she later named a warrior by the name of Lupinestorm as her deputy. Still, it was strange not to see Starlingstar around the camp. Weirder, still, not to see Gloomthorn around. So much has changed, though Snailbelly was relieved to hear that, so long as they left the barn alone, it wouldn't be anymore of an issue for them. That just meant they needed to stay away from it, and they would need to train any of the newer generations to do the same.
    Things slowly began to look up again. Dustcloud recovered from his poisoning and was released from the medicine den. He even got a new apprentice in the form of Ashenpaw. Snailbelly congratulated him, and he was glad to see that his mentor would be given a second chance. Hopefully this apprentice wouldn't go wandering off like he did.
    One day, Snailbelly met another cat on the border. It was a MarshClan apprentice by the name of Lagoonpaw. The young tom seemed newly named, and Snailbelly wondered where his mentor was. As a piece of prey hopped over the border towards MarshClan's territory, he watched the tom attempt to catch it. His stance, however, was off for the type of prey. Snailbelly made a point to speak up and give him some advice, which threw Lagoonpaw off for a moment. But then he adjusted to Snailbelly's advice, and the prey was successfully captured. Snailbelly congratulated him on his catch, but Lagoonpaw was confused; didn't Snailbelly want the prey? After all, it was originally on CloudClan's territory. Snailbelly shrugged though; it was in StarClan's hands, and they decided to send it over to MarshClan. Therefore, it was Lagoonpaw's. He introduced himself to the young apprentice, and as Lagoonpaw's mentor called him back, Snailbelly waved him farewell and wished him luck on his training.
    One night, Leopardbite had organized the family to go retrieve Gloomthorn. It had been just under a moon since his capture, and his family had grown impatient. Snailbelly was woken up by Gusthowl and asked if he wanted to join, but on top of his wariness towards the barn, Snailbelly had no energy to go. He was surprised, though, to see that Leafdrift was also going, and he worried for the older tom. Would they really be okay? Well, he couldn't stop them. So, he wished them good luck and safe travels, following them to the entrance of the warriors' den. He didn't go back in until he watched the group of cats leave through a secret exit; Leopardbite, Jaguarsnarl, Gusthowl, Leafdrift, Thistleflame, and Leopardbite and Gloomthorn's kits. It was good to see their family working together, but Snailbelly, nevertheless, had that underlying fear of one of them not returning.
    Thankfully, they all returned by sunrise safe and sound, along with Gloomthorn. They had rescued him from the twolegs, thank StarClan. And he looked healthy, all things aside. Unfortunately for the others, Halfstar was less than pleased that they did this behind her back. She fully supported going to retrieve Gloomthorn, but to do so without telling her went too far. So, she grounded the cats from going to the next gathering as punishment, and though some of the apprentices complained about it, they all accepted the punishment in the end. They were just happy to have Gloomthorn back.
    Sadly for them, the gathering would make for a relatively eventful one. CloudClan was not the only one that had suffered so many deaths; MarshClan and EmberClan, too, were dealing with the loss of their own leaders, Roachstar and Reedstar. There had been a flood in EmberClan, and MarshClan was dealing with bobcats and strange killings. It was all so confusing. But what was more confusing were the visions that everyone was having. Cats began stepping up and admitting to having visions, but none of them could really be pieced together and made sense of. Then, Dropletshine, who had come to join the gathering that night, piped up and said they, too, had a vision. They saw a great clearing that they had been to before, as well as a mysterious cat. They wondered if they needed to go find this cat. Halfstar, surprisingly, offered to lend some warriors to accompany Dropletshine to this place. Though it was met with apprehension at first, the medicine cats agreed that they could teach the travelling cats about basic herbal knowledge to help them on their journey, and this seemed to convince the leaders all to agree to team up to help. Thus, everyone went home that night with the thought of this journey on their minds.
    Snailbelly, personally, wasn't interested in going, and he prayed that Halfstar wouldn't consider him. Though he had knowledge of travelling long distances, it really only stretched as far as the twoleg place and a short distance past, where he had met Sunny in his past life. On top of this, he was worried that his languid energy would slow the group down, to where he felt he would only be a burden towards the others. And, thankfully, he wasn't chosen. After the clan meeting that day, where Rabbitlily's kits were named apprentices, Halfstar announced the cats that she had chosen to accompany Dropletshine as CloudClan's ambassadors. She had chosen Otterbounce, Gorsewind, Windpaw, and Jaypaw. Snailbelly wasn't all that sure about sending apprentices, but then he reminded himself how both Slugpath and him have gone out on adventures far more carelessly than this when they were apprentices. And this time, the apprentices had warriors with them, albeit young warriors. They would all be fine. So the clan said farewell to the chosen cats as they left the camp towards the meeting place. Who knew when they would see them again, but Slugpath had a good feeling that they would return.
    That is, until the earthquake hit. The rumbling ground had everyone shaken, and Snailbelly, who had fallen back to sleep, was woken up in a startle by the screaming and moving ground. He was quick to take cover, helping any of the younger cats that he could get to safety with him. By the time the shaking had stopped, a good part of the camp was damaged. There were cracks in the ground, some dens had been destroyed, and boulders and shrubs were upturned. What was worse, though, was the loss of clanmates from this. Some cats had fallen through the cracks, like Fawnfall and Freckleshade, while others were hit or crushed by falling trees and stones, like Foxy and Warblerheart. Then there was Branchleap and Pollenswipe, who had last been seen going into the tunnels. They never returned. The clan grieved terribly for the loss of all their clanmates, holding a mass vigil for them all. Snailbelly wasn't close to any of these cats, but he silently thanked StarClan that none of them were his family. He couldn't imagine losing Leafdrift now, or one of his siblings. He just had to be thankful that those he cared for were alive. But it didn't save the others from the grief of losing their own loved ones.
    Snailbelly decided that he needed to try and contribute all the more with the earthquake having caused so much destruction to the clan. He helped repair the camp as best as they could, including repairing dens and removing upturned rocks or uprooted shrubs and trees. It was terribly exhausting. When he didn't do this, he tried going hunting more. He liked hunting alone, and though the first few days after the earthquake came up with less than ideal prey--likely spooked by the earthquake themselves--it eventually got better. Soon, the clan seemed to be as mended as they best could be. The cracks in the ground remained a hazard, and cats were advised to stay away from them. But that didn't mean it always saved them, for Cygnetpaw had fallen into a sinkhole that the earthquake created later on. Hopefully the earth would be able to mend itself soon.
    It was strange, seeing the clan accumulate so many apprentices that mentors had to start training two apprentices at once. This including both Dustcloud and Gusthowl, who both had two apprentices after the earthquake. Dustcloud, alongside Ashenpaw, was given a young cat by the name of Fireflypaw. Meanwhile, Gusthowl had Swallowpaw previously, and then he was assigned to also train Scarletpaw. Snailbelly was surprised by this, and he wished them luck in training them. It sounded exhausting, and it made him glad that he was not yet old enough to be considered for training his own apprentice. Though, he was not too far off from that. Would he have to become a mentor soon? Thinking back on his brief time with Lagoonpaw, he figured he would probably be fine in the end. After all, he faintly recalled training a cat in the past, though it was a bit fuzzy. He must have slept a lot then, too. He just had to assume he would be fine when that time came, and they he'd never have to train two at once like others are.