Redsnare

History

Kithood [0 - 6 moons] >

Robinwhisper and Mothdusk were childhood sweethearts, and were excited to be parents. Though their wish for a big family would not end up being granted, when Redkit was born on a chilly day in the CloudClan nursery, they were elated to have even a single kit to coddle.

Redkit was born small and weak, and immediately found himself surrounded by the care of his parents. Robinwhisper fussed over him endlessly, worried for his fate, and this protectiveness continued even when he gained strength, and began growing. Redkit was still on the small side, but he grew into a healthy young tom, despite the nearly overbearing nature of his parents.

This coddling was not without consequence. Redkit was soft and sheltered, used to always having his parents to lean on. When his apprentice ceremony approached, he wasn't sure about becoming an apprentice, not wanting to leave the relative safety that the nursery promised. Still, time passed without anyone to stop it, and before he knew it, his ceremony was upon him.

Apprenticeship [6 - 12 moons] >

Despite his hesitation, Redpaw was named an apprentice, given a strange old cat named Weaselwhisker as a mentor. Redpaw still wasn't quite sure about this, especially moving out of the nursery and into the apprentice's den. He just wanted to go back to his parents, to curl up against his mother's soft fur, but he couldn't. He was a big tom now, he had to act like one.

Weaselwhisker was kind, and, though he hesitated at first, Redpaw found himself taking to hunting training quite well. He adored the feeling of the wind tugging at his fur as he chased prey across the open plains of CloudClan's territory, loved hearing the song of birds as they fluttered overhead and carried their voices on the wind. Redpaw found that he enjoyed the freedom being an apprentice had suddenly provided him with, and he poured his entire young heart into training to be the best hunter the clan had ever seen.

Midway through his training, Redpaw got acquainted with one of the older apprentices - Petalpaw. The tortie was whip-smart, kind, and brave; and they were a wonderful friend. Redpaw found himself gravitating towards them, and they seemed to enjoy his company as well. Soon enough, the two of them had become best friends, and the more time he spent around Petalpaw, the more his chest began to feel... warm, fuzzy. There was just something about them, something warm and wonderful, that made it feel like there were fluttering birds in his chest every time they said something smart or witty.

The rest of his apprenticeship passed in a blur, between training sessions and spending time with Petalpaw. Soon enough, his friend was given their warrior name, Petalroot, and Redpaw cheered their new name with his entire heart, though he knew he would miss the warmth of their fur against his in the apprentice's den. He found himself looking forward to being a warrior, and all the freedom it would entail. Redpaw poured himself into his training for the remaining few moons, wanting to become the best warrior he could.

Warriorhood [12 - 24 moons] >

Redpaw was given his warrior name, Redsnare, honored for his quick reaction time and skill at hunting and chasing prey. It felt like one of the best days of his life, and soon after the ceremony, he remembered being nearly tackled by Petalroot, who seemed ecstatic for their best friend becoming a warrior. Redsnare laughed along with them, giddy with pride and happiness. Their joy was infectious.

He took to warriorhood surprisingly well, and Petalroot was with him the whole way. They offered to show him her favorite hunting spots, and Redsnare happily agreed. One day, surrounded by blooming flowers in the open fields of their territory, he felt overcome with rare confidence, and admitted he loved them. That he had loved them, for a long time, for what felt like their whole warriorhood. Petalroot was stunned, for a moment, and Redsnare was terrified they would say they didn't feel the same... but after a pause, they called him a mouse-brain, scolding him for not noticing that they had liked him, too.

After that, they really were inseperable. Redsnare made sure to have his nest right next to Petalroot's, and made any and every excuse to spend time with them, always volunteering for patrols they happened to be on or inviting them along when he happened to go out hunting, or even into the territory on a walk. He adored them, and he was certain they adored him right back. With all the time they spent together, it should have been no surprise when they announced that they were expecting his kits.

Guardianship [24 - 30 moons] >

When Petalroot announced their pregnancy, Redsnare was elated. He immediately volunteered to move into the nursery with them, so that they could both care for the kits. He could never, ever, have foreseen what would come of them, though. Petalroot began to struggle with their health throughought the pregnancy, and Redsnare was worried nearly sick trying to care for them. And then, they went into labor, in the dark of night. Redsnare was certain it was too early, and he could hardly breathe, all throughout the process, worried for both his mate and his kits.

Termitekit, Fleakit, and Mosquitokit were born early, sick and weak. Petalroot didn't seem to be doing too well either, suffering from what the herbalists said was an infection caused by bith complications. Redsnare barely slept, for those first few days, too worried for his family. He watched his kits fight to stay alive - a fight that Fleakit and Mosquitokit would lose, in the end.

Redsnare mourned his kits terribly, and his world was shattered when Petalroot, too, joined them in StarClan. The infection was just too much for them. All of a sudden, it was just him and Termitekit, alone against the world. His heart, his Petalroot, was gone, leaving him to raise Termitekit all on his own.

Redsnare did everything he could to care for it, he really did. But, despite his best efforts, when he looked at his kit, he just saw Petalroot, their dark fur, their beautiful white patches. It hurt, despite how much he truly did love them. The grief affected him deeply, and he couldn't help but act distant towards Termitekit as a result.

Termitekit was beginning to act out, and Redsnare wasn't sure why. Was he not good enough? Was it mad at him, for failing as a parent? Every day was a hassle, to him, and he just felt so weighed down by the grief in his heart, he couldn't bring himself to ever really scold them for their outbursts.

One day, it all came to a boil, the distance and tension between them. Redsnare had asked Termitekit to help fix up their nest, trying to at least give it something to do. The next moment, Termitekit was snapping at him, declaring that they didn't even know how in the world they were related at all, given how little they shared. Redsnare... didn't quite know how to respond. He just felt defeated, like he couldn't bring himself to think of a response that was good enough.

His silence seemed to upset them more, and from then on, the distance between the two just grew and grew. Redsnare felt terrible about it, but he didn't know how to fix it. Or if it could even be fixed, anymore. He had failed as a parent, and that was a thought that haunted him. He spent his days quietly praying to StarClan, to guide him onto the right path. To guide Termitekit, too - after all, it surely would never want his guidance, even if he could bring himself to offer it.

Warriorhood [30 - present moons] >

Termitepaw's apprentice ceremony came, and, though he regretted how things ended up between them, Redsnare was still happy for it. Perhaps training would give them the guidance he couldn't. Redsnare returned to his warrior duties quietly, wanting something to distract himself. The grief, though less consuming than it had been moons ago, still weighed him down. Maybe getting out of the nursery and back to his duties would help him move on, be himself again.

Not long after he returned to his warrior duties, Redsnare's world dove into chaos. A group of the clan's kits disappeared into the territory, having seemingly snuck out. A patrol was sent out to search for them, and he eagerly joined, not wanting anything bad to have happened to them. While out there, he managed to catch their scent, intermingled with the smell of a fox, and led the patrol to eventually run right into the group of little troublemakers.

While out there, the patrol encountered a little kittypet kit, who seemed friendly, though Redsnare was puzzled to find such a young kittypet this far from home. The scent of fox put him on edge, and it was decided that Arizona would come back to camp with them for a little bit, just until the scent of the fox disappeared. This proved to be a good idea, as well - not long after, one of the clan's warriors turned up dead, seemingly killed by the very fox the patrol had caught the scent trails of. Once the clan was satisfied that the fox was gone, Arizona was escorted back home.

Redsnare, meanwhile, had begun to befriend the clan's deputy, Cheetahcloud. The tom was a good friend, and Redsnare valued his company. Another cat he came to value was a paralyzed warrior named Windrise - she had also lost her mate somewhat recently, and the two of them often spent nights together, curled under the stars having long conversations. Being around Windrise made him feel warm and fuzzy, in a way he hadn't in some time.

Halfstar chose to step down as leader, and Cheetahstar became leader in her place. Redsnare was beyond happy for his friend, congratulating him the instant he got the chance. He even felt optimistic enough to joke - you're not going to forget about your friends now that you're an important clan leader, are you? It truly seemed like things were looking up for him.

A patrol he was a part of ran into a lost kittypet who introduced herself as Daisy. Despite the protests of some of the cats with them, Cheetahstar allowed the stranger to stay with CloudClan for a few days, though she was given looks of distrust. Redsnare personally didn't think she was that much of a threat, but regardless, a few days later Daisy was escorted away from their territory, cautioned to stay away from their borders from now on.

The next thing he knew, Cheetahstar was giving Redsnare an apprentice - his first apprentice, Ashpaw. The other kits apprenticed that day all went to members of Cheetahstar's family, and, in a move that left all of the clan questioning, Panthercrow was named deputy. Redsnare wanted to trust him, to have faith in him, but it felt a bit... biased. They were best friends, and yet, Redsnare knew that Cheetahstar was choosing cats who he was close to, not the best cats for the role. Had Panthercrow even mentored another cat, before this one? Or was she given an apprentice based solely on the fact that Cheetahstar wanted to be able to name her as his deputy? He didn't know.

The clan practically exploded into whispers and drama, with cats questioning Cheetahstar openly. Redsnare stayed quiet on these matters, not wanting to draw attention to himself, and chose instead to focus on training Ashpaw. If he just stuck to his duties and kept his head down, maybe all of this drama would pass him by, and he could live his life peacefully.

One day, Ashpaw and Muffinpaw snuck out of the camp and ran into trouble. When they came home, Muffinpaw was hurt when they came back, and brought to the herbalist den to be looked at. Redsnare heard something about a fox - he felt awful about the whole situation. His own apprentice, having slipped away the one time he wasn't looking. Worse than that, the two of them had gotten into danger! He tried his best to stay calm, but made sure to tell Ashpaw to not do something like that again.

Some time later, Cheetahstar decided to lead an attack against the Empire, in retaliation for everything they had done. A large group of cats went along with, but Redsnare stayed behind, disliking the thought of battle. He couldn't stop Termitepaw from going - even if he tried, it would never listen to him. But still, he remained in camp, worried for those who departed. He desperately hoped they would be okay.

Against his wishes, later that day, Windrise ran off to try and help, concerned that it had been too long. Redsnare tried to tell her to stay, not to risk herself, but he couldn't stop her. That was the last time he saw her alive. When the clan returned, it was devastating - Cheetahstar and Termitepaw were hurt, and clanmates had died, Windrise included. Redsnare wailed over the body of his friend, begging her to wake up, but she didn't. He withdrew into himself again, barely putting in the effort required for Ashpaw's training. He just... couldn't.

Termitepaw was released from the herbalist's den not long after, and even given their warrior name, Termitebite. Redsnare was happy for it, but the sting of the fact that they wouldn't talk to him made him feel worse. He was drowning in grief again, and the storm refused to pass. It felt like he was cursed.

One day, Panthercrow returned to camp like a whirlwind, talking briefly with Cheetahstar and then claiming that she had an announcement to make to the clan. Redsnare listened as the deputy explained that she would be stepping down and leaving CloudClan, effective immediately. Redsnare was speechless - leaving? Why? He didn't say anything, though... he just listened to the clan's reactions, wondering what strange fate would befall the clan next. He didn't have to wait long.

The morning had started like any other, with peaceful birdsong and kits playing in the clearing. Cheetahstar himself was playing with some of the clan's kits, and everything seemed to be okay. Until, suddenly, it wasn't okay anymore. The camp was attacked, suddenly and viciously, by more Empire cats than Redsnare had ever seen in his life. They struck quickly and without mercy, and Redsnare found the details all blurring together.

In the chaos, Redsnare tried to defend Cheetahstar, only to find himself tangled up with one of the Empire's warriors. He managed to escape, but not without injury, the back of his neck burning with pain. The attackers were doing so much terrible damage to the camp, and it was all Redsnare could do to run, following Cirrusflight and some of his clanmates as they fled into the Rogue Shroud.

The next weeks... honestly, were a blur. Redsnare was lucky enough to have his wounds treated by the herbalist, but the days came slow and hard, struggling to keep himself together enough to focus on survival. He searched for his clanmates when he got the chance, but he knew they couldn't go home. Not when the camp might have been destroyed, not when those Empire cats might still be there.

He hoped, deep in his heart, to find Termitebite somewhere. They hated him, sure, but they were his child. He had to find it - it had to be somewhere, right? One day, his silent prayers to StarClan came true; he caught Termitebite's scent, intermingled with some others, and with a shout to his companions, ran to follow it.

What he found at the end of the trail was a fierce battle, and for once in his life, Redsnare leapt into the fray without hesitation. He dove between Termitebite and the Empire cat they were fighting, and did everything he could to defend them, even if it didn't want him to. That battle was full of awful things - cats died, and a young rogue kit was badly hurt, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. He'd found his way to another group of his clanmates, he'd found Termitebite. And together, the group came to a decision.

They went to HailClan, and were granted refuge there, discovering that more of their clanmates had been sheltering in their camp after the initial attack. Redsnare allowed himself the chance to breathe for what felt like the first time in moons, finally in something almost resembling normalcy.

He would later learn that MarshClan was sheltering his clanmates as well, and eventually, it seemed as if the entirety of the clan was split between the two camps. Finally, they were all safe and accounted for.

The four clans banded together, and launched an attack on the Empire, intending to take back CloudClan's territory. Redsnare stayed behind in HailClan's camp, only for tragedy to strike there - a sneak attack, while many of the clan's warriors were away fighting to reclaim his home. Redsnare panicked, but did what he could to try and help defend the place that had sheltered him for the last couple of moons.

Eventually, the leader of the attackers called a retreat, but only after several of HailClan's cats had been injured or killed. Redsnare felt sick. It wasn't all bad, though - despite the terrible losses of today, including Cheetahstar losing one of his lives, their efforts proved to be a success. CloudClan's territory had been reclaimed, and once they built a new camp, he would be able to go home.

In the wake of this victory, Jaychirp was named deputy, and Redsnare congratulated her in passing, focusing on the hope of being able to return home soon. It felt like no time had passed when that day came, and he was able to return with his clanmates to the territory he had grown up in, though the camp was new. No longer the home he once knew, but a changed place. Still, the scent of flowers and the wind in his fur was unmistakable. He could get used to some new dens.

Redsnare felt almost... optimistic. He was home again, and with a new appreciation for what was his normal life. It almost felt like a new beginning. But, as with all things, it wasn't all great. A sickness began to sweep through the territories with the warming weather, and cats grew sick left and right, some dying to the plague. The herbalists started calling it wasting disease. Redsnare... didn't quite know what to think. He just hoped that they would find a solution to this soon.

One day, while he was leading a border patrol along with Termitebite and some other clanmates, the group of cats ran into an unexpected sight. A rogue queen and their newborn kits, begging for help. They introduced themself as Prophet, and said that their kits needed help - they weren't producing enough milk, and they were terrified the little ones would starve. Redsnare didn't even have to think about it; he offered to bring them to camp, and ask Cheetahstar for aid. He even helped them carry one of the tiny bundles of fur to the camp entrance, as gentle as he could be.

Redsnare's heart felt soft, looking at these little ones. He remembered wanting so badly to be a parent, and how awfully that had gone. He sympathized with them, and the terror of being a parent alone in a cruel world. In the end, Cheetahstar offered Prophet and their kits refuge for the next six moons, and Redsnare was quick to be kind to them, offering his friendship. They were nice to him, and made a good friend.

Time continued to pass, and disaster struck. Dogs attacked his clanmates, injuring Termitebite and killing many of his clan. Redsnare mourned, and worried quietly for Termitebite, despite knowing they wouldn't want his support. They were released from the herbalist den soon enough, but Redsnare still kept his distance, knowing hovering wouldn't do any good.

Redsnare stayed quiet, for the next bit of time. Wondering about himself. This new camp meant a new beginning, but he was still facing the same old aches in his heart, wishing that he had family that didn't hate him. He wondered, maybe, if he could try again someday. Perhaps if the stars aligned, and he was presented with a chance, he would take it. Try again to have a family, hopefully with a better outcome.