Kithood

Mothbelly had always wanted to name one of his children Ferretkit, a name that Applestride also loved. Ferretkit was born alongside her littermates, Houndkit and Toadkit. Out of the trio of littermates, she was the quietest, preferring to stay stuck to her mother’s side like a burr.

During her kithood she was introduced to her mother’s friend, Ashjump. The tabby was an inspiration to Ferretkit. She was a brave and courageous warrior, fighting to protect WindClan from the ShadowClan threat.

Ferretkit would often listen in on conversations Ashjump and her mother had about Clan life and the war that was being fought just outside the safety of WindClan’s camp. The idea of ShadowClan cats clawing down the camp and slaughtering the cats around her left Ferretkit terrified and shaken… but, Ashjump was there. And she promised to take care of them all.

Apprenticeship

Lightningstar apprenticed her brother to Ashjump. Ferretpaw was disappointed and begrudgingly began her under a warrior named Crowberry. Ferretpaw was a passable apprentice, doing her duties and training without question, but her envy of Houndpaw often clouded her judgement. However, when Ferretpaw couldn’t catch a single piece of prey one day, it was Houndpaw who came to her aid and the two were able to finally strengthen their bond.

Ferretpaw, Houndpaw and Toadpaw were an inseparable trio for a while. Being with her littermates really helped Ferretpaw come out of her shell and she befriended her fellow apprentices, Dacepaw and Snowpaw.

As was expected, Ferretpaw fought against ShadowClan. It was endlessly exhausting, but the thrill she felt when Crowberry and Ashjump invited her to a secret meeting. Toadpaw, Dacepaw and Houndpaw were also there, listening to Ashjump as she told them all about StarClan’s will, how they were going to bring WindClan to glory… no matter the cost.

Ferretpaw hung onto every word, following Ashjump without question and absorbing everything the molly said to her. Dacepaw also followed along and the two became best friends. Snowpaw and Toadpaw very quickly distanced themselves while Houndpaw closed himself off from everyone around him. Not that it mattered to Ferretpaw… she was a part of something huge and she couldn’t have been happier.

The conflict with ShadowClan was continuing to grow, and despite the efforts of Mothbelly and Applestride, Ferretpaw was eager to get onto the battlefield and prove herself. Mothbelly was a weak deputy… a cat who didn’t care if ShadowClan destroyed WindClan, and Ferretpaw was not weak like her father. She and Crowberry went into battle not long before she was due to earn her Warrior name. Only Ferretpaw returned with a large portion of her tail missing.

Warrior

Ferretclaw received her name while she was recovering from her injuries. The name was perfect for her, reflecting her power in battle. While she couldn’t return to the battlefield yet, Ferretclaw busied herself around camp by helping out with the Clan’s kits. After all, the little fuzzballs needed entertaining and the war was certainly scary… but aunty Ferretclaw was always there to make them laugh.

Finally, she was able to return to battle, earning a few more scars for her efforts but it was worth it. “ShadowClan has to face the wrath and punishment of StarClan”, Ashjump would tell her. According to the tabby warrior, WindClan was fighting with the Stars in their claws while ShadowClan was writhing with the worms of the Dark Forest… a plague that would consume the forest if they managed to destroy WindClan.

Then… Fogstone showed up. Ferretclaw was furious! How could Lightningstar betray their Clan for some… ShadowClan scum? No… NO, she couldn’t accept this! How could her brother stand there and defend this cat who had been tormenting them for moons? It didn’t matter that most of WindClan was willing to accept him, Ferretclaw would never see Fogstone as her Clanmate.

The war ended soon after, but WindClan was far from safe just yet. Greencough crept its way through their camp and to Ferretclaw’s horror, her mother fell ill. She, Toadsong and Houndkick did what they could to help, but Applestride grew weaker by the day.

One night, Ferretclaw was awoken by the sound of voices just outside the camp walls. Thinking it was a ShadowClan ambush, Ferretclaw went to investigate only to find her deathly ill mother and Ashjump arguing in heated whispers.

“Haven’t you done enough, Ashjump? You’ve already turned my children against each other, what more could you possibly want to do to me?” the calico coughed with a haunted look in her eyes.

Ashjump’s grin was… strange. “Oh, Applestride. I’m merely doing what StarClan wishes.” She took a step back while Applestide narrowed her sharp eyes. “You can still be spared, my dear.”

Ferretclaw scurried away before she could hear the rest of the conversation. Her mind was full of worry and doubt. The next morning, Applestride was gone. The greencough had claimed her in the night, but Ferretclaw couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more going on.

Ashjump was the only cat with answers, and her explanation when Ferretclaw asked was that Applestride had disobeyed StarClan by so easily accepting a ShadowClan cat into their ranks. Her greencough was punishment for her crimes, and Ashjump had merely been trying to guide her to salvation. Something that Applestride had sadly refused.

Ferretclaw and Daceleap continued to attend the Moonstone Alliance meetings, fully supporting Ashjump and her ideals. But one thing Ferretclaw so desperately wanted was her own apprentice. Dustpaw and Starlingpaw had both been apprenticed to other cats, and of course one of them HAD to be Houndkick.

Life carried on as usual until one morning Mothbelly went missing. Ferretclaw and Toadsong were placed on the same patrol to find him but weren’t able to find their missing father. As much as Ferretclaw despised him as deputy, Mothbelly was still her father and the only parent she and her siblings had left… they had to find him.

The horror that struck her when Houndkick revealed that Ashjump had murdered Mothbelly shattered her world. She didn’t know how to feel and it seemed like Ashjump was always lurking around when bad things happened. A few days after the molly was exiled, Ferretclaw found her near the gorge.

Ashjump explained that Mothbelly’s death had been an order from StarClan. That the golden tom was going to lead WindClan to its own destruction and she’d been tasked with putting an end to it. How could she argue with that? And so… Ashjump tasked her with something incredibly important. To work her way up in WindClan’s ranks, potentially have kits who would be loyal to StarClan, and restore the Clans to glory.

While she accepted this task she feels wrong. She wishes that she, Houndkick and Toadsong could be close again, but how could she be close to cats who dared to oppose StarClan’s will? It’s all just… a big mess.