Kithood

Batwing was born in a small litter of two to two Caveclan warriors named Frostfoot and Weaselheart. Weaselheart had not been around for the birth of his kits, so it had been Frostfoot, a nearly completely blind she-cat who had named Batkit, due to his slightly bigger ears she noticed when cleaning him, and his sister Petalkit. Weaselheart made sure to be around often for his kits after their birth, feeling guilty for missing on it. Batkit rather enjoyed having him around, often he would play with the toms tail, or listening to his tales of adventuring the caves. Batkits love for exploring started at a rather young age, often he would nudge Petalkit awake late in the night, when the rest of the queens were asleep to try their paws at sneaking away from the camp. They were caught almost every time. There was only once where they managed to successfully sneak away, though they didn't venture far. Petalkit had been unsure of their exploring, constantly commenting to her brother how they should head back as their camp became further and further away from their sight. He refused of course, until Petalkit managed to hurt herself. They hadn't been careful enough, and she slipped down a rather awkwardly angled slope of rock. Batkit had to help her back up the rock and to camp where they got a rather harsh lashing from Weaselheart, and some comfort from Frostfoot. The two worried parents made the kits swear that they had learned their lesson about leaving the camp before they were ready, one that they agreed to with heads lowered in shame. Petalkit made sure to give Batkit an 'I told you so' once they were curled up in the nursery once more. There was no more exploring for the two of them after that, the farthest they ventured was to the Elders den and back, and never without supervision in case they chose to disappear once more. It seemed like forever to Batkit, but eventually his sixth moon came around, and the two were finally granted their Apprentice names, Batpaw and Petalpaw.

Apprenticeship

Batpaw was ecstatic when he finally received his warrior name, the soft padding of the paws of all the clan near him as he and his sister were named such. Petalpaw received her mentor first, a rather scraggly looking molly named Rootbelly. Batpaw couldn't help but look among the crowd and wonder who would possibly be his mentor. would they be a powerful warrior? Would they take him all around the caves? Oh the apprentices pelt bristled in excitement. Finally he was named Mothmasks apprentice, and while the old medicine cat wasn't by any means his first choice, he accepted his lot in life rather easily. The young apprentice did his best to listen to the teachings of his mentor, to learn the herbs to the best of his abilities. It would take time certainly, there were many herbs and he needed to know what mixtures did what, so he wouldn't accidentally harm the cats he was supposed to be healing. He still got his adventures thankfully, Mothmask showed him around the caves that were safe, where to find herbs, and the basics of fighting. All in all Batpaw enjoyed his apprenticeship under the tom to the fullest, but soon it would be time for him to move on from being an apprentice and become a full medicine cat of his own.

Medicine Cat

The day finally arrived where Batpaw was ready to become a full medicine cat. He was proud to say the least, chest fur fluffed in pride, though he took a few licks to it to try to hide. Batpaw was now named Batwing, and he promised Mothmask that he would do his best and use everything he learned to better their clan. He couldn't wait to tell his sister, who had been named Petalwish long before he had gotten his name. The two spent the day sharing tongues with one another when not busy with duties. With the ever rising tensions between Caveclan and Cliffclan it was certainly helpful having two medicine cats within the clan, Especially when Cavern had fallen ill. Though the two did their best to save the elderly leader, the sickness had taken claim. There was nothing they could do. Batwing welcomed Greckleshade as their new leader, she over-all was a good leader to their clan, one Batwing could stand behind. Not long after Mothmask had decided it was finally his time to step down, and though this saddened the tom, he understood. He made a promise that day that he'd come around to visit his old mentor, to check in and make sure none are bothering him too harshly. Though the clans were at war, Batwing knew how to find happiness with his friends and family within Caveclan.

Though it seemed Cliffclan would be the least of their worries as of late. Monsoon season had only just started, and Batwing could tell that Caveclan was in for some trouble. The waters rose, making the prey scurry for safety and the waters of the lake too dangerous to fish in. In so little time, the clan began to show their signs of starvation. Batwing, though he was no warrior, did his best to make a contribution. He might not have hunted, but he prepared bundles of traveling herbs, things to give their warriors strength on their long patrols desperate to bring the clan prey. Though, perhaps this time wasn't all bad, He did get to meet a tom by the name of Juncojaw, and quickly the medicine cat knew he liked him, he was fun to be around. Through desperation the clan began to hunt closer and closer to the surface, making Batwings already stressed nerves all the more fried. Tensions rose, and fights ultimately began to break-out along the border. To only add to the stress his mentor, Mothmask, passed in the flooding and in desperation to prove that the clan was wrong, his mentor wasn't a mad cat, he began to investigate the elders place of death. If only he knew that this would be the beginning of his own madness as a white, star spotted cat began to be seen from the corners of his eye.

The clan was surviving, though things seemed bleak. Batwing continued to spend his time healing what warriors he could, aiding in giving them strength, and when he found a moment to rest he spent time between Juncojaw and Petalwish. Things seemed almost normal in their own way. Grackleshade had seen his tension and allowed for him to take on some temporary apprentices, as he had none of his own. There he met Vulturepaw, Juncojaws own apprentice, Sleetcloud, and Starlingmoon. He was so pleased to get to know each of them, teaching them the basics of his knowledge as to not overwhelm them. If they could at least help him with this little things that'd ease the tabby toms mind so he could focus on Eaglebreeze, an elder who began coughing up blood. He dubbed it Red-Cough and the last thing Batwing wanted was for it to spread to the rest of the clan. The day had been calm, Batwing had been in his den when the clan suddenly went to hell outside. Cliffclan was invading, quick to act the medicine cat and Sleetcloud took Eaglebreeze and left deeper into the caves where they would be safe, waiting for the rest of their clan to join them. Join them they had, though it seemed the clan was split up. It took them no time to come together, find the group lost in the deep dark, and evacuate to the escape tunnel because Cliffclan had woken a bear. Here he met Adderpaw, Gilabites young apprentice, who along with Beetlepaw saw one of the white star cats. Perhaps he wasn't as mad as the clan believed. He just wished Eaglebreeze didn't have to die for them to discover this.

Panic and worry filled Batwing for the next few moons. Juncojaw, the tom who he was growing so fond of, was brought in half dead and took three days to wake, on top of the rest of the injured warriors from the invasion. Once Juncojaw was awake, some rather interesting information was finally brought to light on Starlingmoon. Batwing was floored to learn Starlingmoon, rather then healing his brother, rather then protecting his clan, had instead worried himself with his cliffclan lover! Rage bubbled in the medicine cat, oh how he wished he could've clawed Starlingmoons ears off, give him a taste of his own medicine, but he had more important tasks to attend to. Starlingmoon got his punishment, demoted back to Starlingpaw, while Batwing got a new denmate. A perminant denmate, as Juncojaw asked if he could stay with him. He of course said yes. The war has begun, but even so life had regained a sense of normality. He spent his days with Juncojaw at his side, and under the light of the stars at Moonshine Lake, he confessed to the tom who had stolen his heart. They were mates, Batwing couldn't be happier. Things were finally beginning to look up. Adderpaw came to him one day asking more of the cats they had seen, and happy to humor him Batwing chose to take Adderpaw to the Crystal Caverns, a place special to him because of their importance to Mothmask. There neither of them had truly been expecting to encounter one of the Star Cats, but they had! It spoke to them, frightened and bewildered the two toms left. He had much to talk about with Grackleshade, but in the end Adderpaw had been reassigned from Gilabite to be his own apprentice. He felt bad for the warrior, but he hoped she wouldn't come to resent him for the decision.

Adderpaw turned to be a truely fine apprentice for the tabby, picking up rather quickly if he did say so himself. Things were at least finally calming down for the moment, but he really should have known better than to let himself get lulled into a sense of peace. One after another, things just kept coming up that the tabby began to wonder if his clan was truely cursed. Mountain Lions. From the first death He should've known it would lead once more to running around the caves blindly in the dark, but his paws sure in where they were going. He knew where he was going. He simply wasn't prepared for the events that followed after.

Ghost

He ran and ran, one paw after the other chasing after the sight of his mentor and trusting in them to guide his steps. One tunnel, two, over the water and into the darkness only to emerge from it to sunlight. Batwing wasn't sure where he was lead, and just as he was to turn around to go back to his clan he felt the earth shake beneath his paws. The tunnel he had emerged from was now collapsed upon itself, he had no way back into the darkness that he had called his home his entire life. Perhaps.. Perhaps if he simply waited his clanmates would come looking for him? yes. He'll just wait. With that thought in mind the dark tabby took in the surroundings, he had water and he could venture out into the sun. Perhaps another day. For now he opted to rest.

One day became another, and another. Each day he would shift and move pebbles, stones, boulders, slowly yet surely. He would rarely venture out into the bright light outside of the cavern, the sun warmed his fur in a way that was unwelcomed, unsafe. Batwing could feel his anxiety spike each time he needed food, would another predator get him today? He simply cleaned his fur to ease the thoughts. Some days this little habit of his lead to rather excessive cleaning and next he knew he had a patch missing from his chest. Though horrified at least it eased some of the heat from the area and come night he would shift rocks once more.

No one was coming, Batwing had accepted this for fact. He had been gone too long, far too long. His days repeated one after another Rest, Hunt, Shift rocks, Rest once more. One day he would have a hole big enough for him to squeeze through and engulf himself back into the welcoming cool darkness of the caves. One day after the next he wandered, he let his senses guide him more than his sight as poor as it was, it was useless here. He followed the sound of trickling water to the pools, followed the streams where they would lead, and ate some rather questionable plants but he had to if he wished to survive. He would survive. He could hardly recognize himself in the water anymore, but he was alive the bloody scrapes on his paws told him that. He wondered what Caveclan would think when they saw him once more...