kithood

Thrush was born outside the clan and did not find her way to the clan until she was 5 moons old. Before this she trudged through the woods with her mother Birdie and her brother Hawk. Until one day a coyote that seemed to have just left its pack, or maybe went hungry in the blizzard a couple moons ago, followed the scent of a large rabbit Birdie had managed to take down and attacked. Birdie did her best to distract the coyote, not before it got a peice of Thrush's ear. Thrush and Hawk ended up running in seperate directions. Thrush got lost and eventually wandered into Bloomclan territory bloody and exhasted. They went out and searched for her mother and brother while they were also searching for someone named Stomppaw... they found her mother but they never found Hawk. She eventually came to accept one of the monarchs as a father figure, although she insted in calling Sphinxtounge Not-Father as a joke.

apprenticeship

Thrushpaw was a wild apprentice. In the beginning of her apprenticeship especially she was very disobidient and would run off, sometimes in hopes of finding her sibling although that hope started to wane pretty quickly as she continuisly got in trouble for running off while also finding no results. This did not however break her spirit and she still got in trouble for plenty of things. Although she did quiet down significantly when Blackberrypaw died in the stampede. Figpaw as well, but thier death was, well she was more focused of comforting Strawberrypaw about the incident than her peers actual death. They hadn't been particularly close but it still hurt, and it was a little bit of a wakeup call that she needed to take things more serious. Then Cicadasun died. And Dragonrise, a cat she had trained with, had been an apprentice at the same time as her,even if that time wasn't long, was leader. This was not good, it felt weird. She had always viewed Dragonsun as an older peer and something about him becoming leader gave her a sinking feeling, a bad taste in her mouth. Not that she focused to much on that feeling, as when Cicadasun died her best frined Strawberrypaw was dragged away from the clan along with luv's siblings. Strawberrypaw's father Cherryroot giving all of his kits besides one warrior names. Even naming one -dream, which was a very spiritual and sacred name. Above the dead body of the leader they hadn't even held vigil for yet. It was at this moment she decided she would take the opposite half of the sacred names, -dance.

warriorhood

Dragonsun giving her her warrior name furthered that bad taste. She did like her name and it fit well, as she had requested it. But having it be given by Dragonsun just felt, wrong. Nothing terrible has happened so far, Bloomclan has started going to the gatherings again things are starting to get back to normal. Thrushdance continues to go out past the borders in search of Hawk, she just wanted some type of closure, anything. She ended up finding Strawberryshore first. She was so glad to see her best friend again, having not made to many friends outside of them. She felt the fluttering of a crush begin, she however tries to ignore it. She knows Strawberryshore can be, well all over the place, when it comes to luv's love life. She fears getting to boring for him and luv moving on to someone else more interesting. Which should be a red flag in itself, but everything looks like a red flag while your wearing rose colored glasses.

On one of her searches for her brother she runs into Dovemoon, her and the leader both antagonizing each other like kits. Thrushdance eventually finds a nerve in the old leaders granddaughter who had run away to Bloomclan, but soon felt guilt and shame wash over her, she barley knew the young molly. As well as Dovemoon not having the reaction she would have expected, getting sad and running away from her, promising to tell Dragonsun. It is soon after this that she actually finds her long lost brother. While he is happy to see her at first it quickly turns into an icy encounter. He is mad at her for being in a clan all this time. Thrushdance tries to explain, but it seems like he is to wrapped up in his feelings about the clan to listen.

All actions have consequences, and she is soon called to the leaders den to be punished for her enconter with Dovemoon, confined to the territory for two moons, and can only be out of camp as long as another cat is with her. Which combined with everything else causes her to cry in front of the leader and deputy despite her best efforts. All of the bottled and ignored emotions spewing from her as things come to a head. She shuts down after telling her father that she had found Hawk and he was mad at her, and now with this punishment he may think she is abondoning him all over again. She becomes quiet, eyes dull, as if shes there physically but no one is home. Just as she starts coming out of this she is sent on a patrol, that ends up in the middle of a stampede. Her front left leg is broken to the point that it will never be the same. But its what she sees during the stampede that has shaken her. Strawberryshore, luv had been calling out to her, not laughing. He had been trying to escape, to get help maybe, when Raspberrydream fell in. Yes they simply fell in a panic. Strawberryshore would never push them in. All flags look red while your wearing rose colored glasses after all.

Recovering from the Stampede was difficut. She was in a nest right next to Avalancheheart and he was always crying. She was plauged by laughing running through her head over and over. She couldn't sleep. Her leg hurt so bad. But eventually things got better. She was glad to see Raspberrydream was ok. Until he started saying that Strawberryshore had pushed him in. He would never! She refused to believe it. Once she was healed up, and her punishment was over she went out to find him. She didn't confess her feelings yet however, she was just glad to see them safe, that even if Raspberrydream hadn't escaped the herd atleast luv had. He tells her that Sphinxtounge had attacked luv and she is horrified. She begins distancing herself from her father. The laughing gets worse. She also goes out in search of her brother again. She does find Hawk, and he is concered about her. But it quickly turns into another fight. He tells her that that it was dumb to even be somewhere that deer stampede. She snaps back that shes not a psychic. He argues that this clan and family she talks about so much clearly isn't keeping her safe. She tells him that he can keep trying to push her away all he wants but she isn't going anywhere, not after hoping for so many moons to find him again. Hawk ends up needing to walk Thrushdance part of the way home, handing her off to Fluttercup when they run into her so he does not end up coming all the way to camp.

Not long after it is announced to the clan Strawberryshores "crimes". Dragonsun blames luv for the deaths of Figpaw AND Blackberrypaw. As well as trying to kill Raspberrydream, who is also renamed Coyoteshade, by pushing him into the stampede. She still does not believe this, she was there! Luv hadn't pushed him! How would he have killed Blackberrypaw when he was caught up in the same stampede, luv had been lucky to not have been badly injured like she had. After a couple of days she rushes from camp to warn Strawberryshore to stay away... and to say goodbye. She loves him, but she knows that if she were to keep seeing luv she would be branded a traitor. She couldn't do that to Sphinxtounge or Violetrest. But she ends up telling him she loved them. He laughed, luv sounded so happy. He suggested that they leave gifts for each other in Lovers March. Since they couldn't see each other they could atleast know the other was ok. Maybe one day they could reunite! The laughing continues to get worse, its hard to think sometimes.

Before she can even leave luv a gift however Butterflyblush goes out in serach of him. She finds luv and things do not go well for either cat. Butterflyblush comes back to camp missing an ear and with a long scar down her face. She tells that she injured Strawberryshore's eye, and his neck very badly. But wasn't sure if they were dead or not. Thrushdance is horrified, and angry. But she says nothing. She goes to Lovers March, where Butterflyblush had said she found him. Luv was probably out there becuase of her... She finds a stump marked with a heart, inside she finds a purple ribbon... Her favorite color. She had brought with her a bow of her own, a pink one with a strawberry in the middle. She also brought a ton of herbs, as many as she could remember Sphinxtounge talking about, well besides the ones she knew were poison. Hoping that the herbs would help heal her mate.The laughing continues.

Things continue like this for a while, exchanging gifts in secret, Thrushdance contiues to push those close to her away. She had begun wearing the ribbon around her neck with a bow tied in the back. I reminded her of a kittypet collar. But instead of belonging to a twoleg it was luv. However the gifts slow down, Strawberryshore leaving the gifts there for weeks at a time. She's growing worried. Finally she comes to check and there is a new gift. A painting and a basket full of mistletoe. But Burdock, a former clanmate, and another cat Bloomclan had been warned to stay away from had also found the gift and assumed it was for her. They talk and, Thrushdance begins to realize some things. But she has to be imagining things. Strawberryshore would never try to kill someone right? He wasn't laughing at her. Luv couldnt be... She tries to deny it. But this memory is so much clearer than the one where luv was calling out to her. Terrified for her. The laughing grows and grows.

Not even a few days later she is on a herb patrol with Quickspring and Oleanderhush when Plumbleak breaks through the brush screaming that luv is going to kill her. And he does, well he tries. He tears out Plumbleaks throat but doesnt quite get the job done. Oleanderhush finishes it, snapping her neck to grant her peace. Thrushdance stares in shock, the laughing stops. But the quiet in her mind does not last for long as she claws at her throat. The ribbon burns, it hurts to have it on she needs it off, she needs it off, she needs it off, she needs it off. She claws at her own throat screaming as she desperatly tries to free herself from the bonds of luv. He laughs. He laughs at her and tells her that he will say hi to her brother for her.Quickspring runs after luv as he tries to flee the scene. Thrushdance, now bleeding, follows. The fight is bloddy, and Quickspring gets a gnarly scar on her muzzle. But in a moment there is a small opening, and she takes it. She kills luv a fire burning in her eyes that had not been seen in a long time.

After recovering she learns that Oleanderhush had not spoken about any of this to Dragonsun, only Sphinxtounge. and so her father came to her to get the full story. The bug went to Dragonsun on her behalf, and although she wont be exiled, she has done irreperible damge to the trust the clan has in her. Any hope of apologizing to Dragonsun herself is dashed. He rightfully wants nothing to do with her and she understands that. But with all the time to think about everything as she recovers, she begins to become uncomfortable with her name. She had named herserlf dance, requested it, as a symbol of Strawberryshore. As a jab against Cherryroot for taking them away, for daring to name their own child - dream. But now, everything had been a lie, her entire life everything was connected to luv, even her name. But with Dragonsun as leader.... She doesnt want to bother him with this, maybe she deserves to hold this name.

More cats are effeced by the fae, Hemlocktail dies, her father becomes a full medic. Oleanderhush calling a clan meeting moself and proclaiming to the clan the courts had abandoned them. She had a strange conversation with oleanderhush, she felt mo understood her in a way no one else really did. But this was a little much. Then some cats go off with Blizzardclan to overthrow Dovemoon, she can't say shes sad to see the tom go. She does worry about Sphinxtounge going up there with them but knows he needs to do his job.

Then Dragonsun announces he is stepping down, but not before forcing Oleanderhush into the Elders den. Shes not sure how to feel about any of it. Should she change her name? She could now. But if she does it right away then everyone would know she hadn't changed it becuase of him, and that seemed bad. She didn't want anymore issues with the tom. She is very happy about the new choice in deputy Quickrise. Her and the molly had grown close after Strawberryshore. So she was very happy for her friend to recieve the honor. But now her mind turns over and over wth what she would even change her name to.