Stormballad

Stormballad was apprenticed to Rainstar as Stormpaw alongside his sister Lizardpaw (apprenticed to Persimmonhiss). He had his reservations, as, while still young, Rainstar was ill after an infection gained soon post-fox attack. Nevertheless, over the moons that they spent together, Stormpaw began to get very close to his mentor. His apprenticeship was long. There were many days that Rainstar was unable to leave his nest due to the sickness, so Stormpaw's practical training was very much delayed. At around 18 moons, Rainstar finally lost his last life, leaving Stormpaw with no mentor and no one left besides Lizardpaw. He was re-assigned to Lakestar, but they never managed to kindle much of any relationship over the 4 moons they had together before he was named Stormballad.

Moons later, when Stormballad was around 30 moons, the doom hit the Clans. The earth began to shake and crack, taking so many lives in the process. While attempting to escape with Lizardtail, a large boulder fell and pinned Stormballad's sister to the ground by her tail. After trying to get the boulder off, they decided that the only thing that they'd be able to do was chew it off and free the pinned warrior. Stormballad does so, and the pair escape camp to meet up with the rest of their Clan. The medicine cats did their best to heal it on the fly, but without the full roster of herbs at camp, it's not perfect.

The Clans begin their journey. Stormballad recedes from the Clans and travels near the back with Lizardtail. The only reason that he didn't make the decision to leave entirely was the medicine cats' attentiveness to his sister. The journey takes them to a large twolegplace, where they stop and rest for a bit to gather themselves. While there, Stormballad forages for food for him and Lizardtail, but finds itself in a twoleg trap, where he is taken away from the Clans and to a place that it would later know as the Cutter.

He's gone for two moons, during which time he gains a new scar on his stomach and his left ear is tipped. After speaking with some of the colony cats upon his released, Stormballad learns that he was spayed. It didn't really bother the tom, seeing as he hated kits anyways, but he returned to find Lizardtail much worse than when it left. With all of the stolen cats returned, the Clans take their leave from the twolegplace, joined by many colony cats. Almost as soon as they leave, they're hit with a devastating snowstorm. The Clans hunker down and Stormballad covers Lizardtail's body with his own, but she just can't make it. Her immune system was focused on healing her tail and fighting her infection, leaving no room to keep her warm in the frigid temperatures. All at once, Stormballad has lost everything.

Completely shutting down, the tom stops eating. He has no will to fend for himself, so stays with the Clans, resigned to a slow death. While it travels, Stormballad is noticed by a MeadowClan tom named Mudfall. He starts spending most of his time with the GroveClan warrior, trying to get close to it. After being left completely alone, Stormballad latched onto the first cat to show him any decency in a very long time. He begins spending most of his time with the younger tom, while also finding himself sharing meals with Thrushdive, a fellow GroveClan warrior as well. He has been close with Lizardtail, apparently, and grieved her death alongside Stormballad, who found himself appreciating the company. Things were... rocky with Mudfall. Good, but rocky. Stormballad found himself often on the receiving end of demands or other manipulations from his mate. He didn't really realize it at the time. His parents had been in a very unbalanced and abusive relationship, so it's all he really knew. Thrushdive did his best to be there for his newfound friend, but didn't want to overstep too much.

Finally, at 38 moons, Stormballad reached the new territories with the Clans. It and Mudfall were forced to go their separate ways, though they agreed to meet again once their individual Clans had settled. They met on MeadowClan territory as many nights as they could spare, though most of the time was spent with Stormballad avoiding the topic of moving Clans. Mudfall, of course, was insistent on his mate moving to MeadowClan instead of the other way around. The GroveClan tom wasn't ready to make the move, finding himself hesitating for some reason, though he really couldn't vocalize why. Mudfall, each time they met, became more and more pushy until everything that it had endured in the past pawful of moons came crashing down and Stormballad lashed out, pushing Mudfall away and severing their relationship, returning to GroveClan with no intention of ever seeing the MeadowClan tom again.

Throwing himself headfirst into Clan life, Stormballad worked hard to prove himself a loyal warrior. He tried his best to make friends with his Clanmates, even making up with Lakestar after realizing what a little shit he was as an apprentice. Volunteering first for a patrol to investigate new territory, Stormballad finds himself on the receiving end of an ambush by a group of rogues and loners. Four of his Clanmates were slain, and he was left with a permanently crooked jaw and many scars from the battle lost.

After recovering, Lakestar finally gives Stormballad an apprentice in Dillpaw. Honestly, it's not sure whether it's ready to take on an apprentice despite being almost 45 moons at this point. He is grateful, though, that his former mentor finally trusts him enough to give him the young tom. After only a couple moons of training, though, their entire world is turned upside down in an instant. Loners invade GroveClan territory, driving them from their homes and forcing them to evacuate after killing many of GroveClan's ranks.

Knowing he wanted to stay with his best friend Thrushdive, Stormballad makes the decision to go to MeadowClan, knowing that there is no way his friend can make it up PeakClan's rocky cliffs. There is one thing that waits for him, though, that fills it with dread. Mudfall. The first couple moons go by without issue, until he is finally cornered by the larger tom. Fearing the worst, it braces itself for a tongue lashing about how things were left, but is surprised by what seems to be a genuine apology. Hesitantly, Stormballad agrees to start over and try to once again be the tom's friend.

Over the next few moons, he and Mudfall only grow closer, and Stormballad can feel its old feelings for the tom rekindle. The final raid against RuneClan looms over their shoulders, but the tom decides that he's going to move to MeadowClan after the raid. Unfortunately, he wouldn't end up making it out- giving his life to save Lakestar's during the battle.

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