Finchbreeze

History

kithood [ 0 - 6 moons ] >
    Finchkit was born to the CloudClan queen known as Owlheart, alongside her four older siblings Falconkit, Wrenkit, Ravenkit, and Magpiekit. She was quick to learn how to cause the most trouble alongside her sister, Falconkit, and often tried to drag her brothers into the mischief. Despite her brothers' lack of enthusiasm, Finchkit greatly appreciated having her sister to play with. Her pranks and mischief with Falconkit will most likely forever leave a lasting mark on CloudClan history.
    Her energy was only heightened when CloudClan was moved to HailClan, where she got to meet other kits and cause even more problems. All before her apprenticeship! She was more excited about being in a new territory than nervous about the fact that she was just basically kicked out of her own home. She never seemed to have grasped what was going on.

apprenticeship [ 6 - 12 moons ] >
   With the passing of her sixth moon, Finchkit earned her apprentice name of Finchpaw and her claim to the apprentice title in CloudClan. She was excited to find out that her mentor would be Olivescreech, who seems just as full of energy as herself. She only hopes that her mentor can still keep up with Finchpaw's energy, as she most certainly hasn't lost any of it in the moments she had between kithood and apprenticeship.
    She doesn't seem to mind still being in the HailClan camp. In fact, she's become determined to get to know their apprentices and warriors. It's always best to make a good first impression, unless it's with your own clan, of course! She still doesn't quite know much about the reasoning that CloudClan has taken shelter with HailClan, but she'll save finding out for later. She actually quite enjoyed staying with HailClan and getting to know their cats. They probably found her a nuisance more than anything, and though she wasn't quite prepared for that feeling, she was quick to get over it and make some friends.
    It wasn't much longer until both HailClan and CloudClan had to escape to EmberClan, and when Finchpaw finally realized why they kept moving--twolegs! Smelly, rowdy twolegs, which she never actually encountered before, but still didn't care for them. Even less so after they made her and her clan move to EmberClan, and forced to eat fish at that! She learned the truth about the big hype EmberClan had for fish, and it wasn't even worth the hype. Her training under Olivescreech's care continued, despite their lack of CloudClan territory, and Finchpaw grew significantly in her fighting techniques. She learned to hunt what wasn't fish quite well, except for hare, which didn't seem to be found very often in the EmberClan territory. That, later, would be proven to be a problem with Finchpaw.
    During her time in EmberClan, her sister, Falconpaw, had come out to her about being a transgender. While she half expected it, having seen that Falconpaw's mind seemed to be on a lot of different things at once, she was genuinely happy for her brother. Although she would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed in being the only she-cat of Owlheart's litter. She doesn't love her brother any less though, so long as he doesn't become a lost cause like their other brothers!
    When the twolegs had begun to file out of the territories, CloudClan left EmberClan with MarshClan. Finchpaw was glad to be out of the crowded camp but half-wished that they went back with HailClan. She had enjoyed the company she made in HailClan in their short time there, so to have to re-introduce herself to MarshClan as a temporary clanmate was quite the hassle. In doing so, however, she became decent friends with a couple of their apprentices, especially Ploverpaw. She was amused by his strange liking to fish back in EmberClan, and the other apprentices in MarshClan had similar quirks to them.
    Finally, after multiples times of territory-hopping and having to meet more cats than Finchpaw could count, CloudClan had returned to their own territory and camp. Finchpaw had to get used to a lot of things again: the wind in her fur, the stars under her head when she slept, and the hardest thing, hunting hares. She didn't think it would be an issue--she was a CloudClan cat, for StarClan's sake! But whenever she tried to chase the quick little hoppers, her muscles would stiffen up and they would be quick to outpace her. She blames all of her training in between the trees and not enough out in the open for not being able to adjust to what a CloudClan cat should be able to do. Olivescreech has worked with her to the best of her abilities to get better with catching hare, and the hard work has managed to pay off as Finchpaw passes her warrior assessment alongside her four brothers.

warriorhood [ 12 - 26 moons ] >
    Finchpaw had her warrior ceremony at the side of her four brothers. While they were named Falconscreech, Ravenfrost, Magpieflight, and Wrenbelly, she was given the name Finchbreeze. She figured it was a joke to her personality, though she genuinely enjoys her name. It sounds quite elegant if you ask her.
    Now that she's grown into a warrior, Finchbreeze is looking to become more like her mother, in which she tries to step away from her trouble-making ways and become more she-cat-like. She still enjoys finding time to spend with Falconscreech and join him on adventures, especially now that they can leave camp without the permission of mentors or warriors, though she's been finding herself drawn to her duties more, even thinking early on becoming a mother like Owlheart. That was still a ways away, though, as she'd like to enjoy her new warriorhood.
   Despite her joy at becoming a warrior, Finchbreeze didn't seem happy. She began to distance herself from her clanmates, didn't go on patrols if she didn't have to, and seemed to have lost her normal energy. Rather, she was found more often than not helping with den repairs and absentmindedly grooming her fur. It was clear that there was something wrong, but she was the only one that knew it. She felt out of place, being back in the CloudClan camp. She would easily get discouraged whenever she went out hunting, and she never thought her muscles would be as tense as they were when she tried to run through the moorlands. It would get to the point where she doubted herself, but StarClan forbid she told anyone about her concerns. Rather, she continued to keep it to herself, further distancing her from her clan.
   To make matters worse, Finchbreeze's family seemed to be falling apart. On top of her distancing herself, it seemed one of her brothers was also going through something. She, nor the rest of their family, would know about it until it was too late. One morning, they woke up to Wrenbelly missing. There were many speculations around camp about what could've happened to him, but the one that seemed to keep circling around was that he ran to the twolegs to become a kittypet. And, thinking back on it, Finchbreeze wasn't surprised if that was the case. He seemed to go there too often for a warrior, and he came back plumper than when he left. Still, it didn't ease the ache in her nor her family's hearts at his disappearance. It caused a rift in their family that may never mend.
   Not long after her warrior ceremony, CloudClan's territory was under tension once again. This time, though, it was not the twolegs, but in fact a group of rogues. The group was known as The Storm, and they didn't hesitate to terrorize the clan. What started as just raids on the patrols and stealing their prey turned to attacking the camp and taking over their territory. When he realized they wouldn't be able to defeat The Storm, CloudClan's leader Goldenstar called a retreat, telling the cats to run for MarshClan. However, in the midst of the battle, some of the clan fled to the other side, across HailClan's border. And Finchbreeze, without a second thought, followed them. It felt like her heart was pulling her back as she raced for their camp. She ended up having to camp out at HailClan along with half of her clan, but for the first time in moons, she felt she belonged again.
   Being back in HailClan seemed to be a good thing for Finchbreeze. She began to open up again and join hunting patrols. She would be seen talking to HailClan cats many times, but supposedly was still avoiding her own clanmates. She was beginning to enjoy life again. It was then that she realized she probably would never feel this way in CloudClan, but how was she supposed to tell her kin? Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to think about it, as dealing with the Storm came first.
   The Storm didn't relent on CloudClan despite them being out of their territory. When CloudClan tried to meet on Hope Bridge, they once again encountered the rogues and a battle ensued. Finchbreeze, although adamant on her choice, had gone to make sure her mother was okay. She was not expecting a fight but was thankful it didn't get serious. Then, HailClan and the half of CloudClan with them decided they would try and take on the Storm on their own and regain CloudClan's territory. Finchbreeze, once again, had joined the patrol, but rather than winning back their territory, they were chased back out by the sheer force of the Storm, and Finchbreeze ended up going home with more than just injuries. She had been battling a brown she-cat rogue during the battle and believes to have killed her--although the rogue is supposedly still alive. This ends up coming to haunt Finchbreeze many times in her life, as she didn't believe she would ever kill another cat. It's changed her in many ways, and it's unsure if Finchbreeze will ever go back to her old self.
   After the Storm raided HailClan, killing Fogflower and depleting them of their herbs, the clans had had enough of these rogues. With the help of EmberClan and the rediscovery of the underground tunnels in MarshClan, the clans were ready to counterattack. Finchbreeze, once more, joined the attack, despite the fact that her back still had not fully healed. She was tired of seeing her family and clan get attacked and not being able to do anything about it. And she was glad to know that they ended up victorious in their raid. With Onyx dead and the Storm gone, CloudClan was able to return back to their territory, and things in the forest could start going back to the way they were.
   Temporarily, Finchbreeze returned with CloudClan back to their territory to be with her mother, who got seriously injured in the final battle. There, she was able to meet her newest brothers: Flickerkit, Quailkit, and Shrikekit. They were precious and far cuter than her older brothers. She only wished she could grow up with them, but she knew she wouldn't. Once her mother was in safe paws with Waverose and Shadeleaf, Finchbreeze announced that she would be leaving CloudClan to go join HailClan. Her heart was there, even when her body was not, and she couldn't deny her happiness when she was in the forest. After saying her goodbyes to her family and wishing the clan well, Finchbreeze made her way to cross the HailClan border for what she hoped would be the last time.
   Finchbreeze didn't have any trouble adjusting to HailClan and their styles. She was quick to make some friends, including Maskriver and Batspark. What was wrong, though, was that the she-cat couldn't get back into her usual groove. She found herself depleted of her energy fast, agitated for no reason, and could lose her happiness in the blink of an eye. She went to Orchidfrost to discuss it, where they came to the conclusion that she was suffering from some sort of trauma. Finchbreeze wasn't surprised; she was struggling with nightmares of the rogue she-cat she fought during the Storm's invasion, and she could never get the thought of that cat's life taken by her own claws out of her mind. So, with this discovery, Finchbreeze has been working with Orchidfrost on the sidelines to work out her trauma and depression alongside her warrior duties.
   As she worked through her mental instability, Finchbreeze began to grow closer with Batspark. The two shared commonality in disfunction, and they leaned on each other's shoulders often. She found herself being drawn towards the cat more often, and it got to the point where the two agreed to get into a relationship. It was a brief time, however. The two quickly discovered they were a better fit in friendship rather than being mates, They mutually agreed to break off their relationship and continue their close friendship, and they still tend to come to each other for advice and consolation.
   It wasn't long after the cordial break up that Finchbreeze began to feel strange. Strange in a way that didn't contribute to her trauma or depression, but noticeable in which it affected her duties. She got clumsier in her steps and felt like she was getting heavier. Her mood swings were also getting worse. So, once again, Finchbreeze found herself in the medicine den to speak with Orchidfrost. And she came out with a different, happier outcome than the last time she left the medicine den--she was expecting kits. She was both excited and terrified. She was going to be a mother! Finchbreeze was quick to let Batspark know of the news, and she knew they had a lot of preparation between the two of them before they were to become parents.

queenhood [ 26 - 35 moons ] >
   Although excited to be a mother, Finchbreeze wasn't the greatest at sitting still. She wanted to continue her warrior duties for as long as she could and stay on her paws, but it was advised that she didn't do that due to the leafbare weather. So, she reluctantly agreed and remained in camp. She was found pacing along the walls of camp to get her energy out, and if someone was available to talk, she would. She made some new friends while she was expecting, including Jaytalon, a young warrior who had an overwhelming love for kits. They bonded well over this similarity, and it was then that Finchbreeze realized how much she was like her mother when it came to kits and how she looked forward to the day she got to see her kits' faces.
   After two long, grueling moons of restlessness and preparation, Finchbreeze gave birth to hers and Batspark's two bundles of joy. She was surprised at how little they were, especially her son. Were they supposed to be that small? She didn't care; they were the light of her life. She named the black tom Littlekit for his small size, and she and Batspark agreed on the name Martenkit for their daughter.
    At first, Finchbreeze thought caring for two kits would be simple. Maybe it was because she knew her mother had to deal with five of them at once, Finchbreeze being one of them and a very difficult kit alongside her brother, but also their small size and imperfections made her assume that Littlekit and Martenkit wouldn't be a challenge. Oh, StarClan was she wrong, though. In fact, she wonders if they even rival her and her brothers when they were kits! They both seemed to always have a boundless supply of energy, and it only got worse as they grew up. Finchbreeze felt like she couldn't take her eyes off of them for a second lest they cause a fire in the camp.
    On top of taking care of these two little rascals, Finchbreeze's queenhood was filled with all sorts of action, though she isn't sure she would count any of it as exciting or good action. To start, she had learned that her brother, Ravenfrost, had run from CloudClan after a queen announced she was expecting his kits. This enraged Finchbreeze, maybe more so because she was a mother herself. It made her realize just how lucky she is to have Batspark and their new mate, Mallowmoth, to help her. She couldn't imagine what those kits were going through, or their poor mother. So when Ravenfrost entered HailClan towards the end of her queenhood to see her, she was appalled. The two had never gotten along in the past, and she was already upset with him, so it was like a miracle had fallen from the sky. She's still not sure she's forgiven her brother for what he did to that queen and their kits, but Finchbreeze opened her heart to Ravenfrost and allowed him some amnesty. It seemed to put them on the right path to recovery as he left HailClan for the grueling journey back to CloudClan.
    Oh, and where does she even start on the war? Wildstar, EmberClan's leader, seemed to have developed bees in her brain as she accused CloudClan of prey stealing, closed her borders, and then had the gall to declare war on CloudClan. This led to the other clans being involved, with MarshClan siding with Wildstar and EmberClan while HailClan sided with CloudClan. This was probably the only relief Finchbreeze had, as she wasn't sure she was prepared to face her kin on a battlefield. But the thought of war brought back her trauma and fear, and her nightmares eventually returned. She slowly began to deteriorate in mental health again, but she's been putting up the best facade she can for her kits and her clanmates.
    The breaking point was when it was announced that one of her newest friends, Jaytalon, had died. He was killed in a fight with a fox, but the way he died didn't seem to matter to Finchbreeze as she went back to her old ways, secluding herself from most of the clan and becoming finicky. Maybe it was motherly instincts or just her fear being built up, but she began to become more protective of her kits, too. She didn't like the idea of them leaving the nursery to play, even though they were five moons by then, and though she joked about it being tiring to watch over them constantly, Finchbreeze now couldn't take her eyes off of her kits. Everything terrified her and she was having a harder time hiding that fact. At least her son, Littlekit, coming out to her and the rest of his kin as nonbinary helped take her mind off of it, even if it was only for a brief moment. She didn't want to think of the war that Littlekit or their sister was about to be apprenticed in at that moment, but with the looming visions of the rogue behind Martenkit, she struggled to push that behind her head.

warriorhood [ 35 - 71 moons ] >
    And then Littlekit and Martenkit became apprentices. Their mentors were Sparrowchirp and Mudfang respectively. Finchbreeze thought that they were good matches, although she was definitely worried about the idea of Martenpaw and Mudfang. She knew the young she-cat wouldn't do her daughter harm, though, as the ceremony ended without a hitch and her kits were no longer kits.
    This meant that Finchbreeze could finally move back to the warriors' den. She had been anticipating this moment for the many moons she was in the nursery, but now that she was back, she wondered if she really wanted to be there. Because it meant that her kits were eligible to join the war, now. She knew that Kitestar wouldn't send them in, though. He was a good leader. But she was also able to join it, too, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that. But being back out in the territory, hunting and training again, she felt a bit more alive. She remembered the exhilaration she would get as a warrior, and although her mind is still in a dark place, she is overall glad to be a warrior again. At least this way, she can protect her kits and her friends.
    During her time as a queen, the war had not affected many cats. She had heard of skirmishes here and there, but no catastrophic damage. The first major battle occurred shortly after Finchbreeze became a warrior again, and it was not a good outcome for HailClan. Squirrelnose had been killed in the battle, and Rootsun was severely injured, having lost a leg to a bear that had interfered with the battle. This terrified Finchbreeze, as she had never dealt with a bear before. It made her thankful that she nor any of her kin or friends were in that battle. But this was just one of many battles for the war, and how bad were they going to get? It created fear in her for her loved ones.
    Thankfully, it seemed her prayers were answered. At least, for a time they were. There was another battle in which her kits participated, and she later learned it was Littlepaw that started it, but they came back when minor injuries. Other than this, though, HailClan was able to experience some form of quiet peace for a time, despite the war. That does not mean there was no loss, though. Mallowmoth, who was Batspark's mate, died from a border skirmish, leaving the family in a state of turmoil. Batspark had reverted a bit to their old self, and Finchbreeze wanted to help them as much as she could, but she was unsure how to do so. She, thankfully, never had to deal with a significant loss herself.
    All good things must come to an end, though. Shortly after the rumor of MarshClan pulling out of the war, another major battle occurred between HailClan and EmberClan. And, this time, the entire family joined in on the fight. Finchbreeze, Batspark, Littlepaw, and Martenpaw were on this patrol, though perhaps it would have been better if they hadn't. They were all in the midst of battle, Finchbreeze wanting nothing more than to find her kits and help them. She was, however, caught in a battle with a copper-colored cat. She was doing well, too, had her scars not been hit. It was like a wave of emotions and trauma had returned--a trauma that she had been thankful to not think about for some time. Finchbreeze had suddenly shrunk away from the battle and become feeble. Things seemed to look up when she heard her daughter's voice, but it only got worse. When she looked at Martenpaw, she didn't see her daughter; no, it was the rogue cat. It seemed she had come back to haunt Finchbreeze. Her clanmates had faded from her vision, and she saw nothing else but her worse nightmare. And perhaps she would have stayed that way had she not heard the call for retreat. She managed to snap out of it. The brown rogue was gone, and in her place was Martenpaw. And behind Martenpaw, Finchbreeze saw Batspark, hovering over a body. Her blood went cold at the realization that her friend had killed a cat. She didn't want to be there. She wanted to go home. With the help of her daughter, they returned home, her heart heavy.
    Things were never quite the same after that. Although she didn't want to, Finchbreeze could not bring herself to talk or even be near Martenpaw again. She had reverted back to her fidgety and unsettled self, jumping as some of the smallest things. And it didn't go unnoticed. She eventually noticed that her kits were figuring out something was wrong, and though she didn't want to tell them the truth, she found she couldn't keep it from them any longer. She told Martenpaw and Littlepaw the truth, about the Storm, about the final battle... about her mistake. Littlepaw tried to comfort her, saying there was no proof that the cat was dead, while Martenpaw listened in disbelief. And it seemed that conversation was just a flood of confessions as Martenpaw let out her own grievances, saying that the EmberClan apprentice she had fought in a previous battle was now dead and she blamed herself. Finchbreeze felt terrible as she realized she was not there for Martenpaw as support, letting her carry that weight on her own. It didn't make things any easier, because the rift between Finchbreeze and Martenpaw seemed to widen, and they were avoiding each other more than before.
    Shortly after their conversation, Finchbreeze's kits became warriors--Littlestrike and Martenfang. To say she was proud of them would be an understatement, yet she could not bring herself to congratulate them openly. She didn't feel she deserved the right to do so. Besides, she had hardly the time to think about their accomplishments when she was suddenly assigned an apprentice of her own. Ruddyheart's son, Beaverpaw, became her first-ever apprentice. She was shocked, having acknowledged and accepted that she would maybe never be a mentor. Beaverpaw was a sweet little tom that complemented her own personality quite well. And, for once in a long time, Finchbreeze felt excited again for the future.
    During this time of Finchbreeze's inner conflict, EmberClan had been eerily quiet. They had not attacked at the border anymore, and there was nothing said from MarshClan's side either. It would later be revealed at a gathering that they had exiled their previous leader, Wildstar, and elected a new cat for leader by the name of Reedstar. And everyone was ecstatic when they announced the war over. There would, hopefully, be no more bloodshed for a long while. Finchbreeze was relieved to know she would not have to see her kits in battle and turmoil again, nor would she have to teach Beaverpaw in such dire times. However, she did learn her brother, Ravenfrost, had died at some point in the war. It broke her heart to know he never had the chance to become a better cat, despite how hard he tried. She hoped he was finding peace wherever he was in the afterlife, just as she was finding peace in HailClan. Yet, something was still looming over her. She couldn't quite pin what it was, but it would show itself all too quickly.
    That night, things seemed to be normal. Finchbreeze was still avoiding her kits, despite how much it hurt her, and she had trained Beaverpaw all day. She was so exhausted and was quick to fall asleep in her nest. Just as quick as she was waking up to find Martenfang gone. It was mentioned that she never returned that night after leaving camp, and panic shot through her. Was her daughter okay? Did she need help? Finchbreeze was quick to search the territory for Martenfang, all thoughts of their past gone. She just wanted to know that her daughter was alive. But nothing was found, and she came home empty-pawed and her chest heavy with grief. She would later learn that her daughter had gone to live in CloudClan with the rest of her extended kin. Although she was happy to know Martenfang was alive and well, Finchbreeze was still quite broken by the news. Was this her doing? Did she push her away too much? She couldn't blame Martenfang for leaving. After all, she looked so much happier at CloudClan. Still, it hurt. It still hurts.
    The loss of her daughter caused Finchbreeze to digress again. She became quiet and relatively reclusive again, only doing the necessary work as a warrior and mentor for Beaverpaw before returning to her nest. If it wasn't for her friends, Beaverpaw, and Littlestrike, she perhaps never would have come back out. It was primarily thanks to Puffinpounce, with who she had steadily become good friends with other the past few moons. And it was clear that she was feeling something more for the tom, but she was afraid of telling him. After all, her last relationship didn't quite go right, despite still being good friends with Batspark. She kept her feelings to herself, hoping that maybe Puffinpounce would bring it up, himself.
    In the meantime, Finchbreeze managed to recover enough to be present for Beaverpaw's warrior ceremony. She proudly watched as he was named Beavershine, her heart swelling at how much he had grown. It was true that she perhaps saw Beavershine as like a son to her, and she still couldn't believe how lucky she got to have such an understanding and sweet apprentice. The clan had grown considerably in the time she had been mentally absent, too. Other cats have become warriors, Burdockbounce was a father, cats have died of more natural causes than the war, and life seemed to have returned to normal. At least, as normal as it could get.
    For a while, things went about casually. The clans were at peace once more, leafbare began. As always, the cases of whitecough and greencough began, though, at the time, it was nothing concerning to start with. It was usual in leafbare. Who would have thought it would get so quickly out of hand.
    The infamous epidemic began in HailClan. Softstem and Beavershine were the first to contract the whitecough, with both recovering. But for some reason, the infection was persistent this time. Eventually, it returned a second time to Softstem, and then a third time, until finally, it took her life. The clan mourned the loss of their medicine cat apprentice, but they had little time to do so before the illness spread like a wildfire. The next ones it took... were Batspark and Maskriver. Finchbreeze, not heeding to the warnings of the spread, stuck by their sides the entire time, the pain getting worse each day at the thought of losing them. When they did finally pass, Finchbreeze had another relapse in her emotions. Those two were her biggest grounds of support next to Puffinpounce, and losing them hit her just as hard as her daughter leaving. She grieved for a long time, but unfortunately, she did not have the chance to do so in the comfort of her own home.
    The clans were so focused on the epidemic, they had not seen the passing of leafbare and the coming of newleaf. And with newleaf, came so many more problems. HailClan experienced heavy rainfall, and while they were unconcerned about it at the beginning, it quickly became an issue. It, in addition to the melting snow in their mountainous territory, flooded their territory and their camp. They were forced to retreat, and after the war, they were still far more comfortable going to CloudClan for assistance than EmberClan. So they did, and CloudClan opened their fields to them for shelter. It was cramped and, overall, incredibly unpleasant. It was even harder for Finchbreeze. Never mind being back in her birth clan and its camp, where all of her loved ones were, but... she had not quite made things up with Martenfang. It was awkward, and the passing of Finchbreeze's close friends was still heavy on her mind. She had to remind herself it was temporary. Every day, she reminded herself. She'd be back in the mountains soon.
    Though, the stay in CloudClan seemed to benefit the older she-cat. Quite a lot actually. She had a pleasant talk with her nephew, Thistleflame, who was Ravenfrost's son. She had heard that he was unsure of his lineage, and she wanted to get to know him. She hoped she was able to open his heart, if just a little bit more, and it seemed to work. In addition to this, she also was able to talk to her daughter and make things up with her. She learned that it was not just her doing that Martenfang had moved and that they were actually very happy in CloudClan. They even had an apprentice! Finchbreeze couldn't be any prouder of them. Her kits truly had grown up; Littlestrike had just gotten their own mate and was settling down, and Martenfang was smiling a genuine smile again.
    There were some downsides, though. In the time that Finchbreeze and HailClan were with CloudClan, Finchbreeze, too, caught the whitecough infection. She had expected it if she was being honest. She had been enduring the aches in her chest, convincing others it was just heartbreak from her recent losses. But she couldn't hide it for much longer, and she ended up being housed by CloudClan's medicine cat. It made sense to get it, having spent so much time with Batspark and Maskriver before their passing. Didn't make it any easier, though, as she watched her little sibling, Flickercloud, and her niece, Rootcry, Ravenfrost's daughter, both catch and succumb to the epidemic. She never thought she would experience the death of one of her siblings in front of her eyes, and Finchbreeze's cried that night, remembering how the last time she looked Flickercloud in the eye was when they were a kit. It broke her heart to lose them, even if she never knew them.
    And then Kitestar died. Finchbreeze was still in the medicine den when it happened, but she heard the rumor that he had been poisoned with a deathberry-filled rabbit. She was appalled. Who would do such a thing? CloudClan was their allies! She didn't have the energy to think about it, though, as she worked to recover, joining the clan in silent grief over the loss of their leader, and also the celebration for Swanstar and his new deputy, Robinear.
    Thank StarClan, Finchbreeze's whitecough didn't develop any further. In fact, she recovered quite well, and just in time, too. By the time she was able to leave the medicine den and be considered cured, Swanstar had decided that HailClan should return home. The raining had ceased, or at least greatly minimized, so their territory should be safe again. Besides, their own medicine cat was now sick, and it was best to try and care for him back home. So, gleefully, HailClan returned to their home and began reconstruction. Finchbreeze had to admit, despite enjoying the little time she had outside of the medicine den at CloudClan she had, she was so glad to be back home.
    It was not long after they returned that Finchbreeze got her second apprentice. A young, troubled tom by the name of Elderpaw. He had actually been assigned to a younger mentor previously, but after showing signs of struggling with his training and some clear issues, Swanstar saw it fit to reassign him. Finchbreeze understood the signs all too clearly; Elderpaw had been a kit who tragically lost his parents in the flood, and it was obvious that he had not recovered from that experience. Not unlike Finchbreeze's own trauma towards her killing of the rogue, he was not handling it well. Thankfully, having such similar reactions to a traumatic past, Finchbreeze was more than welcomed to the idea of training Elderpaw and assisting him in his troubles. She only hoped she could get through to him. He needed someone to be there for him, and she wanted to be that someone, even if he didn't want it.
    And she would have someone to train Elderpaw with, too, for her former apprentice, Beavershine, ended up being assigned Elderpaw’s brother, Hazelpaw. Finchbreeze was personally excited to be able to work with her former apprentice alongside her new apprentice, though it proved to be more of a challenge. Elderpaw didn’t seem incredibly close to his little brother, and training them together often got awkward. Finchbreeze tried to remind him that the other apprentices were his friends and that he would need to work together with them in future as warriors, though he only grumbled at her words.
    That is, until one day when he came to her asking for advice. He confessed to her that he had begun opening up to one of the apprentices, Sagepaw. And now that he had, he was starting to feel weird. He mentioned a tightness in his chest and how his heart beat faster when he was around her. Finchbreeze was shocked to hear this. She herself had been dealing with similar feelings when she was around Puffinpounce, though unlike the aloof apprentice, she knew all too well what it was. She told Elderpaw the truth, and that those strange pains were not harmful. In fact, they were a good thing; it meant that Elderpaw was in love. At first, Elderpaw denied it, but as he and Sagepaw would train together, it seemed he slowly eased into the idea as Finchbreeze could clearly see how the she-cat’s presence calmed him. She worked with Elkshade to put them together often in hopes that Sagepaw would help Elderpaw’s feelings and make him more comfortable when training, and the other warrior happily agreed to doing so. It certainly improved training, especially as Elderpaw began to listen more.
    It was a good sign to see Orchidfrost finally recover from his greencough, as if the epidemic was finally past them with his recovery. It took longer for the medicine cat to recover, spending over a moon’s worth of more time than Finchbreeze and the others to be considered back to full strength. But when he finally told the clan that he was healthy and was back to doing all of his duties, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including Finchbreeze. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if he didn’t recover.
    Pigeoncall, a young warrior, had begun expecting kits while they were sheltered in CloudClan. She gave birth to three healthy kits back in HailClan’s camp, though she seemed sad after doing so. By now, everyone knew that their father was a kittypet, and though some gave her scornful stares, Finchbreeze didn’t mind. They were beautiful kits that deserve a happy life. So when they disappeared overnight and Pigeoncall so casually returned to her warrior duties, Finchbreeze could guess as to what happened to them. She figured the young she-cat took them to be with their father, where they would be away from the judgemental stares and live a happy and comfortable life. Though Finchbreeze was a bit sad that they wouldn’t get to see them grow up, she also couldn’t blame Pigeoncall for her decision. She had her kits’ best interests at heart, and perhaps in the long run, they would be better off as kittypets, anyway.
    Especially when suddenly, Swanstar had fallen unconscious from becoming dangerously ill. So ill, in fact, that he lost a life. It shocked the clan to see their leader fall so quickly, though Finchbreeze trusted that Orchidfrost would take good care of their leader. Yet, the whispers didn’t stop as everyone tried to guess why Swanstar had grown so ill so fast. Even Finchbreeze wondered, and despite it all, she couldn’t help but find herself glancing over at the medicine den often in question as to how her leader was doing.
    In the meantime, Robinear took over as HailClan’s temporary leader. It made sense, given her position as deputy, though her approach to leadership was a bit less than ideal. For a while, she acted like any normal leader. But she was a lot more demanding and took her role a little too seriously. In fact, she sometimes acted like Swanstar was already dead. Perhaps she was just trying to help reassure the clan that everything would be alright, and this was her way of doing so. Finchbreeze, herself, tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, though her leadership methods still made her quite nervous.
    When a patrol spotted a bear near Hope Bridge, Finchbreeze felt a shiver run down her spine. Even the mention of the creature reminded her of the day that Rootsun had come home missing a leg, and she had zero qualms with the idea of avoiding the area where the bear was spotted. She was sure to tell Elderpaw about bears, given the chance to do so, and that they were not to be messed with. Her own eyes looked a bit haunted when she spoke of them, despite having never been at the paws of one herself. She just hoped that her words came across the young tom as they went about their training as normal, just with significantly less time spent near Hope Bridge.
    Bathing Boulders was also added to her places to avoid when Dovefire’s body was found there riddled with wounds and signs of a lost battle. When she was brought back to camp for her vigil, even Finchbreeze couldn’t believe it, horror settling into her stomach at the sight. It reminded her painfully of a certain time of her life, and her body froze at the sight. She couldn’t stay for the vigil; on top of not knowing Dovefire enough to mourn her, Finchbreeze could sense the horrid, familiar feeling settling in her as her legs shook and her vision began to tunnel. Instead, she stayed in her nest for the remainder of the day, asking her clanmates to care for Elderpaw while she recovered from her bout of emotions. By the next day, once Dovefire’s vigil was over and her body had been taken for burial, Finchbreeze had managed to return to her duties, albeit at a slower pace than usual.
    For the next few days, things went relatively normal. Finchbreeze hadn’t been paying too much attention to the rest of the clan’s activity, rather focusing on her own mental health and paying extra attention to Elderpaw’s training. It wasn’t until Robinear had suddenly called a clan meeting did she finally dial herself back into HailClan more firmly. It had been Robinear’s first meeting since taking over leadership, and Finchbreeze wondered what she had to say. However, what was announced was nothing that she was expecting to hear.
    During the meeting, Robinear accused Pigeoncall of seeing a rogue in her free time, breaking the warrior code yet again despite having only just given up her kits to their kittypet father. Pigeoncall denied it, saying that she was never a liar and had not met any rogue. If that was true, then why did cats believe so? Apparently, there had been rumors about the she-cat going around camp that mentioned her having been seen with a rogue. Finchbreeze hadn’t heard of them given her disconnection with the rest of the clan, but she still found them hard to believe, especially when many other cats defended her. These cats included Salmonflight and his family, as well as Bearbranch, and she could hear Ruddyheart’s unsure voice somewhere in the back. Finchbreeze didn’t know where to stand, but when Robinear ultimately demanded that Pigeoncall be exiled, she felt her heart tear apart at the sight her clan had become.
    She had to agree with the other cats, in that Robinear didn’t have the power to make such a decision. At the very least, she should have gotten the counsel of older cats in the clan, or at the very least, waited for Swanstar to wake up to make the decision. But she refused to back down with her decision, and Pigeoncall, not wanting anymore fighting to occur, decided to just take the punishment and leave the clan. But it didn’t stop there when Salmonflight declared he would not stand for this uncalled for decision. He declared that this was not the same clan that he had grown up in, and he wasn’t going to let his kits grow up in it, either. So, after the end of the day, he left the clan with his kits, and his mother Lilacpool, as well as his brother Fawnpatch, Elkshade, and Sagepaw, left with him. Ruddyheart, too, left the clan with Milkblossom and his young kits.
    Finchbreeze was at a loss as watched her clan fall apart. She tried to comfort Elderpaw after Sagepaw left, reassuring him that he would see her again soon. Finchbreeze tried to distract him with his training, but as conditions only grew worse in HailClan, she realized she couldn’t stay and have Elderpaw become influenced by what was happening. Finchbreeze approached her kit and told them that she would be taking Elderpaw to CloudClan while she waited for Swanstar to wake up and take control back over the clan. She was shocked, however, when Littlestrike said they wouldn’t be going with her. They were determined to stick it through with HailClan as a HailClan cat, and Finchbreeze, although disappointed, did not stop them. She asked that Littlestrike stay safe while she was gone, and promised that she would see them again soon. Then, with Elderpaw and a few of their other clanmates, Finchbreeze made her way back to CloudClan, mere moons after they had just left her old home after recovering from the flood.
    She was surprised to see Ruddyheart and his family there, but when she asked him about Salmonflight’s family, Elkshade, and Sagepaw, he said that they weren’t there. She wondered if they had gone somewhere else–Salmonflight had mentioned that he was going to find Pigeoncall, so wherever she was, they all were likely there, too. She felt bad that Elderpaw would remain separated from Sagepaw, but she was thankful that CloudClan was so welcoming of them and the other refugees. Finchbreeze was glad to see her family again, and she admitted that she had already missed them in the short time she was gone. She looked forward to spending more time with them, especially her beloved kit. At least that she would have to look forward to.
    More of HailClan’s cats showed up days later, including Finchbreeze’s close friend Puffinpounce. She was so happy to see him and welcomed him there. When she asked about the others, the newer refugees mentioned that some had continued to try their paws at EmberClan. She remembered painfully how Ambermask and Tarfeather made their ways to CloudClan after MarshClan so harshly rejected taking them in, and she hoped that those going to EmberClan had better luck. She worried, still, for Littlestrike, who had yet to show up to CloudClan. Were they still in HailClan, or did they, too, disperse from their home? She didn’t know, and she couldn’t help but look over the border in lost wonder whenever she was out on the moorlands, praying that her kit and the rest of her clanmates were okay.
    Her heart dropped when a patrol came back with Magpieflight’s body. They said they had found him just outside of the twoleg place, and given by his wounds, he was likely run over by a monster while there. Finchbreeze cried to see her brother dead, and she attended his vigil solemnly with her remaining brothers, Falconscreech and Shrikefoot. She remembered being told by Thistleflame and Martenfang how Chestnut had died to a dog attack half a moon after she had returned to CloudClan, and her heart cried out for her lost littermate. This was what she missed when she left CloudClan; she missed her family, and she wouldn’t hear of their deaths until long after they were gone. She was thankful that she at least would get to say goodbye to Magpieflight, though it still didn’t hurt any less than being told second hand.
    At least she also got to celebrate with her family when her niece and nephew, Quailpaw and Rabbitpaw, became apprentices. They were Shrikefoot’s kits by adoption, and though Finchbreeze was never close with her younger brother, they were still family. She always wished she knew him better save for the few times she met him at the gathering, but at least now she would get to congratulate him and his mate on their kits’ ceremonies.
    Orchidfrost arriving in CloudClan with Swanstar’s body shocked everyone. He explained that Robinear had gone into self-exile after her leadership only continued to cause HailClan to deteriorate, and the remaining cats of HailClan have scattered. Orchidfrost decided to come to CloudClan, where he could hopefully continue his treatment with Swanstar and maybe begin seeing improvements. Of course, Starlingstar welcomed the medicine cat and HailClan’s unconscious leader. As for the remaining HailClan cats, some came to CloudClan while others had found their way to EmberClan. Littlestrike and their mate, Whitetalon, had followed Orchidfrost to CloudClan, and Finchbreeze was beyond relieved to see her kit safe. She was thankful to have her family together again, even if it would only be temporary again. It helped put another smile on her face.
    Even better, Swanstar began to improve in CloudClan’s camp. He woke up just a few days after Orchidfrost brought him to CloudClan, and he was considered fully recovered not long after, having been back on his feet and walking around again. He told Starlingstar that he planned to gather HailClan’s cats again soon, once the information of all that had happened settled into his brain some more. Finchbreeze, while looking forward to returning home, also dreaded having to say goodbye to her CloudClan family once again.
    But that didn’t end up happening. It was only a few days later did Thistleflame come into the camp with a grim face. He went straight for Starlingstar’s den, and everyone was curious as to what was going on. Then, Grasshopperhill and his patrol returned, and they, too, were just as melancholic in their expressions. Finchbreeze watched from a distance with concern, and it wasn’t until later in the day did Starlingstar call a meeting and announce that Swanstar was dead. Thistleflame had found the HailClan leader’s body near Hope Bridge, and when his body was retrieved, everyone could see the terrible wounds and injuries on his body that indicated he was in a fight. Finchbreeze couldn’t believe what she saw, but it only got worse as cats found some evidence about his potential murderer.
    Upon further inspection, they found a tuft of gray fur wedged in between Swanstar’s claws. It wasn’t much to go off of, especially given the amount of cats on the territories that had gray fur. Yet, there was one cat that had others turning their heads: Thistleflame. Finchbreeze’s nephew was the one that found Swanstar, and he was covered with gray fur. Not to mention his previously hotheaded personality and quick to lash out attitude didn’t give him a good standing. Even his own sister, Poppysnap, accused him, and she tried to talk to Starlingstar about it. But everyone could hear the arguing from his den, and it was clear the leader didn’t think it was Thistleflame. Finchbreeze, too, didn’t believe it. Thistleflame had turned for the better over the moons, and he had a lot worth living for now. Why would he kill the leader of another clan? She just didn’t see him being such a cat, but Thistleflame still proceeded to distance himself from the others as the accusations continued. She figured it wasn’t because he was guilty, though she didn’t ask him about it, knowing he wanted to be left alone.
    The clans held a daytime gathering not long after Swanstar’s death, though Finchbreeze didn’t attend. Her mental health was on another downslope, yet she couldn’t pinpoint why that was happening. Perhaps her body was having some form of a premonition, because while she was teaching Elderpaw some battle techniques, the world suddenly went dark. She was so confused when she looked up to see a cloudless sky, and even worse, a sunless sky. Where did the sun go? She realized it was being covered, by what, she wasn’t sure.
    She ushered Elderpaw back to camp when the weather only got worse, from the whipping winds to lightning strikes. She told him to take shelter while she did the same, and Finchbreeze remained in the warriors’ den until the storm passed. It passed surprisingly quickly, thankfully, and when the sun was back, so too was the good weather. She figured, however, that there was more to it than just bad weather, so Finchbreeze decided to remain in the camp until the cats from the gathering returned.
    Her intuition turned out to be correct. She learned from the cats that lightning had struck Hope Bridge and burned it to the ground, much to her horror. Worse, even, a cat had emerged from the flames, and while she hadn’t harmed anyone right away, she mocked the clans and mentioned having spies planted in the clans with the intent to destroy them. Wild had come out of nowhere to attack her shortly after Sandstar had tried unsuccessfully, and she eventually disappeared with the storm and darkness. Wild went on to tell the clans that the cat was named Blizzardfang, and she wasn’t lying when she said she had spies planted. Sandstar commented that MarshClan had already rid themselves of one spy by the name of Softsnap, but there were six more based on Wild’s information.
    This was enough information for Finchbreeze to get her shaking in her paws. Was it a spy that killed Swanstar? Perhaps… Robinear was one? After all, she successfully destroyed HailClan, even if it wasn’t her intention. She was terrified of the idea of cats that she had grown up with turning on them. Yet, she still had to believe her loved ones would never do such a thing, including Thistleflame. Hopefully they would be able to find the spies and save the clans with this new information.
    Finchbreeze didn’t have time to ponder over potential spies, though. One day, her brother, Falconscreech, was found dead. He had bite marks on his leg, which indicated that something venomous bit him–a snake, likely. Finchbreeze cried when they brought him home; he was her last littermate, the one that she was closest with in her term at CloudClan. And he was gone. She mourned for Falconscreech like she had never mourned before, curling herself up at his side during his vigil and remaining there until they took him away. She didn’t sleep for a couple of days after that, because when she did, her nightmares only haunted her. Not even the presence of her family seemed to help as she suddenly found herself closing herself off again, avoiding anyone unless she needed to interact with them. The only thing that could distract her from missing her brother was continuing Elderpaw’s training and patrolling.
    And for a while, they helped. It was almost an entire moon of Finchbreeze working on autopilot: wake up, eat, train Elderpaw, go on patrol, sleep, and repeat. Perhaps to others, this wasn’t healthy, and she likely didn’t look okay from the outside. But this routine helped keep her sane despite her lack of interaction with others. So when her routine was broken by a patrol filled with shock and betrayal, Finchbreeze finally broke from her monotony to return to reality.
    Finchbreeze had joined a hunting patrol led by Grasshopperhill, accompanied by Martenfang, Beavershine, and some other CloudClan cats. Though she was still not quite herself, she smiled at the presence of her kit and former apprentice, and it felt like things were going to be okay. That is, until she heard Gusthowl yelling and screeching. He had mentioned the CloudClan warrior, Drakefeather, and Finchbreeze, alarmed, ran towards the noise. She was shocked to see the CloudClan warrior standing over Rosecry’s body, his paws stained with her blood. He had killed the old she-cat.
    When the cats demanded an explanation, Drakefeather suddenly turned it all on Grasshopperhill, yelling that Grasshopperhill had demanded him to do it. Grasshopperhill denied it, but Drakefeather only continued to call him out, telling them that he let the dogs that killed Chestnut loose, and that he even killed some MarshClan cats, all at the behest of Grasshopperhill. He admitted to being one of Blizzardfang’s spies, as well as Grasshopperhill. His words were frantic and wild with his attempts of pushing blame on the CloudClan deputy, but at this point, they were both at fault.
    Finchbreeze couldn’t believe her ears. These cats were the reason that Thistleflame was enduring false accusations; they were the reason that Thrasherwing had run away; they were the reason that her innocent, kittypet brother was dead. It was all their fault, but Finchbreeze found she couldn’t act against them. Her own paws were rooted to the ground as she trembled, but she realized as the senior warrior in the patrol, she had to do something. So, she turned to tell Ashtalon to go and get Starlingstar and reinforcements. She promised to watch Claypaw, but as the warrior went racing back for camp, her attention was turned back in surprise when Gusthowl went to attack Drakefeather. Martenfang, too, went after Grasshopperhill, but where Gusthowl’s attack had clear intentions to harm, Martenfang only looked to subdue the CloudClan deputy.
    It felt like reinforcements couldn’t come quicker, but Finchbreeze was thankful to see CloudClan’s leader along with more cats to back them up. She was appreciative to see her nephew, but her heart broke at Algaebreeze’s cry when she saw her deceased mother. With the reinforcements, she felt more confident about confronting the two traitors. But before she could jump in to help, Drakefeather had taken Gusthowl hostage, holding the young tom at a fatal position and threatening to kill him. Alarmed, Finchbreeze told everyone to freeze; Starlingstar reinforced her words, not wanting Gusthowl to be harmed. Meanwhile, Martenfang and Thistleflame had successfully pinned down Grasshopperhill, who gave up awfully quickly.
    Drakefeather reiterated what he had told the patrol to Starlingstar, and he demanded to be let go alive and unharmed, or else Gusthowl would be injured. Finchbreeze was in disbelief that Drakefeather thought he could get away with it all, but thankfully, that wouldn’t be the case. Algaebreeze, in her grief and rage, attacked Drakefeather from behind, and with the help of Gusthowl, the two managed to kill him without any further injuries to others. Afterwards, Starlingstar went to go take care of Grasshopperhill, but after the tom continued to hiss about them just killing him.
    Finchbreeze hadn’t been paying attention to this; rather, she went to check on the others to ensure they were uninjured. That was when she noticed that Claypaw was nowhere to be found. Her heart dropped at this realization, and she began to look around in a panic. Flashbacks of waking up to Martenfang gone swam in her eyes, and despite running back and forth between the patrol and the borders, she couldn’t find Claypaw. Finchbreeze cried out about his disappearance, but everyone else was too focused on what was happening between Starlingstar and Grasshopperhill.
    Starlingstar ended up fulfilling Grasshopperhill’s request, and he killed him where the tom stood. With it all over and done with, Starlingstar ordered for Thistleflame and Martenfang to take Rosecry’s body back to camp for her vigil, while others would stay behind to bury the two traitors far from camp. Those that were not fit to do either job followed Finchbreeze’s family back home, save for Daisyspring and Poppysnap, who had stumbled off to somewhere else. Finchbreeze, however, continued her frantic search for the missing apprentice, joined by Ashtalon, his mentor. But their efforts were in vain–Claypaw was gone.
    Finchbreeze returned home with a heavy heart after that, though it was more because of Claypaw’s disappearance than what she had witnessed. She couldn’t stop apologizing to Ashtalon and Starlingstar for it, feeling she was completely at fault for it. She said she would watch him and protect him, and she failed. Starlingstar tried to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault, but Finchbreeze couldn’t agree.
    Still, CloudClan and the HailClan refugees were relieved to be free of the two spies, even if it was done through their deaths. Finchbreeze, personally, would’ve wished it could have gone another way, but it was clear with the way Drakefeather and Grasshopperhill ended that that wish would never have come true. The reveal of their treachery had helped clear Thistleflame of any accusations, too, which relieved Finchbreeze as she watched her nephew slowly integrate himself back into his clan.
    Finchbreeze, too, opened her eyes and returned to her full duties as a warrior. She began to interact with the others again, and she honestly felt so much better doing so. She was glad to be present for Elderstorm’s warrior ceremony a couple of days after that terrible patrol, along with his brothers, Barkripple and Hazelleaf. And she felt even happier for the young tom when Sagewillow showed up at CloudClan’s door not a day later. After becoming a warrior, she had come to CloudClan to be with Elderstorm. Finchbreeze could immediately see the improvement in Elderstorm’s mood at her presence, and she felt like he would be alright now as a new warrior with Sagewillow at his side.
    That is, until both of his brothers were deemed dead. Hazelleaf had disappeared half a moon later, and the only traces of him that they could find was his scent tracing back to HailClan’s territory. He never returned, though. Meanwhile, Barkripple had fallen into a river and never resurfaced. His death, especially, had Finchbreeze worrying for Elderstorm’s mental health. After all, it was water that he was absolutely terrified of, with the flood being his trauma and the cause of his parents’ death. And now he lost a brother to it, too. She trusted that Sagewillow would be there to support him through his losses though. After all, they would not have much time to dwell over their deaths.
    About a moon after Barkripple’s death, Rippletide was found severely injured in her nest. Cats raised alarm at the sight, and she was quickly rushed to the medicine den to be treated. What in StarClan’s name had happened to the she-cat? They couldn’t make sense of it at first, though when Reedstar announced Blizzardfang’s death by her own spies’ paws at the next gathering, the whispering began. Was Rippletide a spy? Surely not; she was so kind to her apprentice, Barkripple, and she mourned terribly for him when he died. Finchbreeze couldn’t see a cat that had such emotions being a traitor. But nothing else could explain her wounds. For now, they would have to be left in the dark while Rippletide recovered, though cats began to remain cautious around her.
    It was like a sign of positive futures when Hope Bridge was rebuilt by the twolegs. This time, the twolegs made it out of stone. Finchbreeze had yet to visit it yet, but hearing about it from cats that saw it during border patrols certainly had her curious.
    Elderstorm slipping away from CloudClan’s camp one day had Finchbreeze extremely worried, especially when Sagewillow wasn’t with him. She chased after her former apprentice to see what was wrong, and he told her that Sagewillow was gone. She had disappeared in the night and didn’t return that morning. Elderstorm, in his grief, was leaving the clan, and he hadn’t intended to tell anyone. Finchbreeze was hurt to hear this, and although she wanted to prompt him to stay, she could see in his eyes that nothing would change his mind. He said that he would live his life as a rogue with the name Storm–after all, that’s all his life was: one big, treacherous storm. Finchbreeze’s heart hurt hearing this, and she told him that he would beat his storm one day, but he had to believe. The newly named Storm only turned away, though, and it was the last that Finchbreeze ever saw him.
    She worried about Storm for the next few days, but when Orchidfrost came into camp and called for all of the HailClan cats to gather and make their ways towards Hope Bridge, they all had a good idea as to what this was about. Finchbreeze’s heart was torn in two at the idea. On one paw, they would get to return to their territory and resume their identities as HailClan cats. But on the other paw, Finchbreeze would have to say goodbye to her family in CloudClan again. Not to mention she would be going back without Storm. She felt forlorn about leaving, and Finchbreeze ended up being one of the last to leave CloudClan’s camp as she took her time saying her farewells to her family. Martenfang, especially, she would have her forehead pressed to for a long time. She would miss her beloved kit, but she also had to remind herself that their paths were destined to be walked separately. By the time Finchbreeze had finally left and made her way to Hope Bridge, her paws were heavy with her sadness, but she also looked forward to returning home.
    At Hope Bridge, Finchbreeze noticed Salmonflight sitting with Orchidfrost atop Hope Bridge’s ledge. Finchbreeze, herself, felt a bit strange setting paw on the new bridge, but it had never felt more sturdy. She found herself among her friends and family by the time Salmonflight and Orchidfrost began to speak, sitting close to her kit, Littlestrike, and Whitetalon, their mate, on their other side. Salmonflight started the meeting with how HailClan had struggled to cope under Robinear’s rule, and he admitted that he was ashamed to being the start of HailClan’s split. But with Blizzardfang gone, it was time for HailClan to return home. Yet, they were still without a leader or deputy, and StarClan had helped them express their want in a reborn HailClan. Orchidfrost confirmed this, stating that they had sent him a prophecy about who their next leader would be; that cat was Salmonflight.
    Finchbreeze wasn’t all too surprised, if she was being honest. The younger tom always showed leadership, just as how he had when he prompted the split. Sure, it wasn’t a great way to start his leadership, but it reminded everyone of just how influential he was. The news was met with overwhelming support, and everyone was excited to return home. So with the newly named Salmonstar leading them, HailClan returned to home, the forest where they belonged.
    The camp was, honestly, a mess, and it needed a lot of work. Salmonstar and his new deputy, Thicketskip, were quick to get to work in arranging patrols and repairment teams. It was even better when the wandering HailClan cats that had taken no refuge in other clans found their ways home. Among them were Ruddyheart’s former apprentice, Winchester, who had gone missing around the same time that Sagewillow had. Finchbreeze, herself, found herself devoted to repairing dens and clearing out any debris from the camp. Soon, it began to look like its old self thanks to everyones’ help, and Finchbreeze was increasingly feeling better about being home.
    But then the day came that the clan had to address Rippletide. Salmonstar confirmed the suspicions of many of their clanmates when he announced that Rippletide was, in fact, one of Blizzardfang’s spies. Finchbreeze still couldn’t believe it, but Rippletide confessed to her crimes without any resistance; she had assisted Robinear, who was another spy, in killing Kitestar. Not only this, but she was the one that killed Swanstar, and even worse, she was the one that killed Dovefire many moons ago. She realized her error in what she had done too late, though, and she was ready to accept whatever punishment was going to be laid out for her.
    Many cats spoke out their opinions, including Littlestrike, who called out for exile. Finchbreeze tried to calm her kit down, but they ended up lashing out at her. They accused her of protecting Rippletide, which was by no means what she was doing. But she couldn’t find her words. She stuttered for a moment in an attempt to find a reply, but she found the world closing in on her out of shock. So she stopped and she fell away from the meeting, crouching in the back as she whispered quietly to herself in an attempt to calm herself down.
    Meanwhile, Fawnpatch had ended up attacking Rippletide out of anger. Finchbreeze could briefly hear her kit cheering Fawnpatch on, and then the gasps of shock at the sudden appearance of Bliss. Everything else was a blur to her, though. She later learned that Bliss had stopped Fawnpatch’s attacks and then further went on to suggest that Rippletide being exiled was more dangerous than her staying with HailClan. Salmonstar ultimately ended up agreeing, and he stripped Rippletide of her rank. Her punishment would be essentially restarting her life over, where she would be a kit for six moons, an apprentice for another six, and then if she was found trustworthy enough, she could maybe rejoin the ranks of HailClan by the end of her twelve moon punishment.
    This punishment didn’t go down well with a few cats, though, especially Littlestrike. Finchbreeze’s kit retaliated in anger, stating that they would not stay in a clan like HailClan if they were just going to let murderers go. So they declared their departure, and Salmonstar didn’t stop them. But this snapped Finchbreeze out of her trance, and she stared in horror as Littlestrike and their mate, Whitetalon, prepared to leave. They asked Finchbreeze if she would join them, but rather than leave with them, she began begging for them to stay, dragging herself to their side in desperation. She tried to come up with excuses–anything--to get through to Littlestrike, but nothing could change their mind. Littlestrike admitted to feeling like an outsider in HailClan, and they had never felt more comfortable during their time in CloudClan. They asked that Finchbreeze let them go, and before she could say anything else, they left the camp alongside Whitetalon.
    Beavershine moved in to comfort Finchbreeze, but her mind was all but lost in her grief. She curled up where she laid, and for a long time, she didn’t move. Not until Lilacpool and Beavershine helped her to the medicine den, where she was given some poppyseeds to ease her shock and help her sleep. She fell asleep in the medicine den, and by the next day, she had found herself back in her own nest.
    She didn’t move from there for several days. She found everything difficult to do, feeling as if there was no purpose to doing them. Thankfully, it seemed Thicketskip had even taken her off patrols while she grieved. Her clanmates tried to comfort her, or at least tried to get her to eat anything. But the only reaction they got out of her was a blank stare. Salmonstar was the first to break through her melancholy when he told her that her kit and Whitetalon made it safely to CloudClan, where Starlingstar welcomed them into their ranks. But she was shocked to hear that they had changed their name to Blackstrike, signifying the change of their life. She always knew that they didn’t like their name, but… well, perhaps that was on her. She never did anything right, after all. She was glad to hear that her kit was alright, but at what cost? She only nodded in acknowledgment to Salmonstar’s words and went about her staring contest with the wall.
    During her time of solitude, Ruddyheart’s kits had become warriors. Not only this, but Orchidfrost had chosen his apprentice, a cat by the name of Laurelpaw. She even heard that Looneyes and Sparrowchirp were expecting their kits, and their litter was like a celebration for HailClan’s reformation.
    But then there was a bear attack. Finchbreeze had just happened to be outside of the warriors’ den having a small meal with Avocetpaw, Harepaw, and Sablepaw came rushing into camp. While Harepaw and Sablepaw went to the medicine den, Avocetpaw yelled something about Looneyes being severely injured. A bear had attacked them during their training session, and Looneyes had fought it off while the apprentices sought safety. Now, while he was alive, he was stuck in a tree with his wounds, where a rescue party went to retrieve him and bring him back.
    They were told that Looneyes would live, but he would need time to heal. Meanwhile, Salmonstar had called a meeting to address the attack. He said that he had learned from Looneyes that Avocetpaw had acted like a warrior in a time of need when she risked her life to help Looneyes to safety. Thus, he felt it only right to name her a warrior that day and give her the name Avocetflame. The clan celebrated her new name and rank as well as Looneyes’ good prognosis, and Finchbreeze could only smile from the back at the news. It reminded her that, while things may not be going well for her, others were doing just fine against all odds. She needed to get back up, too.
    So she began to return to her duties, albeit slowly. She would join the occasional hunting party, though she avoided border patrols, as she was not yet mentally prepared to patrol their shared border with CloudClan. She often wondered, while out hunting, how her kits were doing. She wondered how Storm was doing, and if he had found peace without Sagewillow. She wondered if her brothers were watching her from StarClan. She questioned a lot of things during her time hunting, but she never lingered too long on one thought, for if she did, it would only send her to a dark place again.
    The night that Crystal Falls was attacked was a pin set to knock down a pile of bad things. Dark Forest cats had managed to find a way to return to the living world through Crystal Falls, and they attacked the medicine cats during their half-moon meeting. Finchbreeze was shocked to hear about this from Laurelpaw as they recalled the details to the others, and she was even more worried when she heard one of the Dark Forest cats was Drakefeather. The old CloudClan spy had been killed once more in the attack, though, but he did not go without taking another with him; he had successfully killed Waverose, and his companion, Snakeheart, killed MarshClan’s escort warrior, Icefang. Meanwhile, HailClan found themselves without their medicine cat, for while saving Laurelpaw from the rushing water, Orchidfrost had disappeared in its currents, leaving the medicine cat apprentice alone.
    Crystal Falls was destroyed in the attack, and it was deemed unsafe, so the half-moon meetings halted. The clan breathed a sigh of relief when Orchidfrost turned back up a few days later with Dropletshine’s help. But the state of Crystal Falls and how it came to be as such still worried everyone. Finchbreeze, especially, was terrified. What if that Storm cat she killed came back and tried to kill her–or worse, her family? Could a rogue come back like the Dark Forest cats? She didn’t want to think about it, but her mind provided her no such choice.
    Salmonstar and Looneyes gave her a new thought to process and take her mind off of the ghost cats, though. Poor Sparrowchirp had died after eating diseased prey, just half a moon away from the surrogate giving birth to her and Looneyes’ kits. Her loss was a heavy blow to Looneyes, though, and he found himself panicked at the idea of being a single father. He never found himself to be the father type, after all, and he initially had the kits to make Sparrowchirp happy. He was worried that his kits would be negatively impacted by his melancholic emotions and lack of parental skills.
    So he and Salmonstar approached Finchbreeze with a proposition; they asked if she would adopt the kits once they were born. Finchbreeze was shocked, and Salmonstar moved to explain; these kits would need a loving parent, and even if she denied it, he knew that Finchbreeze needed someone to love. She hated to admit that the leader was right. She still was not herself since Blackstrike’s departure, and she felt terribly alone in the world without her family as she missed them dearly. But was she really the right decision? Looneyes reassured her, stating that he would still be there to support her and the kits, but he couldn’t see a better mother for his kits. Perhaps his words of encouragement are what helped Finchbreeze make the decision, and she agreed to step in for the kits’ life.

queenhood [ 71 - 78 moons ] >
    Finchbreeze began to visit the nursery after the decision was made. She wanted to get to know the surrogate a bit and fill her in on the situation.
    It would only be a few days after Salmonstar and Looneyes approached her that the kits were born. Finchbreeze remained with the surrogate throughout the entire birth, and when she was done, the rogue left the nursery so that Finchbreeze could take over. While she was getting situated and was grooming the kits, Looneyes had come in, albeit hesitantly. Finchbreeze showed him the kits, and then she told him that he should be the one to name them. Though he was unsure about the idea at first, he ultimately decided on the names Duckkit, Juncokit, and Chickadeekit for them. He said that they were names Sparrowchirp had entertained when she was talking to him about the kits, and he felt it only right to use those names. Finchbreeze agreed, saying they were beautiful names. Just before Looneyes left, she reminded him that they were just as much his kits as they would be hers, and he was welcome to visit them whenever. He seemed appreciative of her words and nodded in gratitude before leaving her to bond with her three new bundles of joy.
    Finchbreeze, admittedly, loved being a mother again. She enjoyed playing with the kits and watching them grow, and being in the nursery was comfortable for her. Looneyes took her words to heart and visited quite often, ensuring that he was familiarized with the kits. Finchbreeze didn’t hide anything from them either; she told them about Looneyes and about Sparrowchirp, and she told them that all three of them loved the kits equally. As for the kits, they didn’t seem to mind that Looneyes was a bit of an absent father, and they still appreciated his efforts regardless.
    The first moon of their lives was uneventful, much to Finchbreeze’s delight. She spent all of her time with her kits, and to everyone else, she seemed a lot happier since adopting the kits. It was a surprise when Bliss would be joining her in the nursery with a rogue by the name of Pepper. They had come to HailClan with the statement that Pepper was expecting their kits, and they requested that their kits be raised in HailClan, as in the end, they admitted to having a good kithood there and wanted their kits to know of their clan heritage. Salmonstar had agreed to the notion, so Bliss and Pepper moved in.
    But what surprised Finchbreeze even more was to see Claypaw with the rogues. He was alive! And he looked quite well, too, against all odds. She learned that Claypaw had been taken in by Bliss after running away, and he had been with the rogue ever since. Salmonstar had also let him stay with the rogues, of course with the exchange that Claypaw would help with hunting and patrolling while he was there. He agreed to these conditions, and HailClan suddenly had more mouths to feed, with more on the way.
    Normally, this would be good news. But as the weather progressively got worse and prey became difficult for the warriors to find, Finchbreeze found herself worrying not only for her kits, but for the future kits, too. Would there be enough food to go around as leafbare seemed to come early? It wasn’t just her and Bliss in the nursery, anyways; Fawnpatch was found to be expecting Moosebranch’s kits, so he and Moosebranch had moved in to prepare for their kits, as well.
    The bad omens of the harsh weather began when an apprentice died of starvation. Finchbreeze wasn’t close with the young apprentice, but she still curled protectively around her kits that night, wanting to protect them from the harsh reality of the outside world. She was thankful for Looneyes, in that he always made sure they were fed, as well as Finchbreeze. She tried to reject his offering of prey a few times, believing it should go to others first, like the warriors that were hunting for them. But he insisted, and she would eventually give in. As long as her kits were well-fed and happy, she, too, would be alright.
    Though she grew increasingly worried when Beavershine caught a cough and was confined to the medicine den. Finchbreeze remembered the terrible epidemic that had plagued the clans last leafbare, and she prayed that it wasn’t coming back. Not to mention Beavershine had a bad immune system, so she worried for her former apprentice as he fought off the cough. Thankfully, though, he recovered just over half a moon later, and she was relieved to see him out and about again.
    Pepper gave birth to three healthy kits for Bliss, who named them Goosekit, Tundrakit, and Chamomilekit respectively. They were all lovely and strong kits, and Finchbreeze congratulated Bliss. Fawnpatch gave birth to two healthy kits a quarter moon later, who he and Moosebranch named Buckkit and Doekit. Finchbreeze was sure to remind her kits that these little ones were their cousins and would be big parts of their lives, so they should all become friends when Buckkit and Doekit were older. She was glad to see that come true with time.
    Meanwhile, Rippletide’s six moons of kithood were complete, and she was promoted to an apprentice. Salmonstar assigned Looneyes to cover her training, much to Finchbreeze’s surprise. Having gotten to know Looneyes over the past couple of moons, she found him to be a good decision, though she wondered if it was not still too soon. He was still mourning Sparrowchirp, after all, and she remembered that Kitestar was his father. Looneyes reassured her and anyone else that he would not let that affect how he treated Rippletide though. Unfortunately, the added duty of training Rippletide meant he had less time to spend with the kits, but he still made time to see them at the end of the day, which Finchbreeze found endearing.
    News of the avalanche had Finchbreeze shivering. Though she wasn’t in the avalanche and was cozy and warm in the nursery, it was like the mere mention of it still had the cold striking her fur. She mourned with the clan over Rootsun’s death, and she realized this was the first death that would matter to her kits. So she was sure to tell them the truth, in that Rootsun was their great aunt on Sparrowchirp’s side, and that she would not be around camp anymore. Her kits seemed to understand, and they were far more mature about it than she expected, much to her surprise.
    Thankfully, Rootsun was the only one to die in the avalanche. Everyone else was successfully rescued from the snow and were taken to the medicine den to be observed and treated for hypothermia. Whirlywind seemed to have the worst of it, faer ears blue from the cold. Beavershine ended up taking over faer apprentice’s training, though Finchbreeze noticed how often he visited the nursery to see faer, and she couldn’t help but smile in the face of love.
    Though the cold weather continued to be proven brutal when Orchidfrost came down with whitecough. He insisted to the clan that it would be nothing and that he would combat it as he had done last leafbare, though it only worsened into greencough half a moon later, and he was forced to rest. Laurelpaw seemed to take over quite the amount of work while Orchidfrost tried to recover in the midst of everything. Finchbreeze sympathized for the young apprentice, hoping that they would be alright doing so much on their own.
    Meanwhile, the nursery only grew larger. HailClan was met with a young kittypet that wanted to join the clan, and Finchbreeze was surprised to hear that Thistleflame and Martenfang were the ones to bring her to the warrior. She couldn’t help but ask how they looked, and Thicketskip told her that they were well, despite the weather. The kit, meanwhile, was accepted into the clan and was given the name Foggykit. Jaggedheart adopted her, and together, they moved into the nursery.
    Meanwhile, Rainstone also began to expect kits, so he, too, moved into the nursery. The den that housed the queens and kits started to feel cramped, so whenever the other queens could watch her kits, Finchbreeze worked with the permanent queens and Bliss to help expand the den. It already felt more spacious after a day’s work, and she felt she could rest comfortable with the extra space. At least the new cats added to the warmth of the nursery, and she felt like the cold could never penetrate their safe haven.
    But it didn’t stop the cold from outside, and Finchbreeze could not stop her kits from going out. While they were out playing that day, a sudden snowstorm had rolled in. Finchbreeze was quick, along with the other queens, to get their kits back in. However, before they could go back for the last two, beloved Duckkit and Buckkit, the snowstorm had completely shrouded their vision. Finchbreeze was terrified for the young kits, but before she could go out to find them, Moosebranch, instead, went out looking for them. But none of them returned.
    When the snowstorm passed, everyone raced out to look for the three of them. But what they found had both Finchbreeze and Fawnpatch in hysterics. Duckkit and Buckkit ended up freezing to death, covered in snow, and Moosebranch was dead not far from them, cold to the touch. They were all gone. The snowstorm had taken those they loved so dearly, and Finchbreeze couldn’t bring herself to leave poor Duckkit until Looneyes finally pulled her away, reminding her that she still had Juncokit and Chickadeekit to think about. Though he may not have shown it, Finchbreeze could tell he, too, was struggling to cope with their loss.
    Looneyes was right, though. She needed to focus on the other two and comfort them all while coping for herself. Finchbreeze’s eyes never left them, though, as she could tell Fawnpatch did the same for Doekit. They both were traumatized by the loss of their kits. Thankfully, Juncokit and Chickadeekit didn’t seem to mind the extra attention from Finchbreeze as she watched them alert eyes during the day and curled up tight with them at night. She whispered that she wouldn’t lose them, too, promising that they would be safe. They had to be safe.
    But things only got progressively worse. Orchidfrost’s death came as a shock to the entire clan, especially when he was showing improvement in his illness. Laurelsprout, who had been named a medicine cat early for their hard work, was stricken with grief over the loss of their mentor, but they held their sorrow close to them as they continued to support the clan. Finchbreeze had to respect their resilience, but she hoped that they were taking the time to take care of themselves, too.
    Sagewillow’s sudden return to HailClan was even more of a surprise to Finchbreeze. The young she-cat was alive, and she looked well. But the forlorn look in her eyes said otherwise. When asked about her whereabouts, she admitted that she was with Storm, who she had found after a couple of moons of being missing. They had spent their moons together as rogues, but it was just over a quarter of a moon ago that she woke up to his cold body beside her. He had died of hypothermia in their den, and after taking the time to grieve him and bury him, Sage returned to HailClan with the hopes of being accepted. Of course, Salmonstar allowed her back in, and she changed her name to Sagestorm in honor of her mate.
    Finchbreeze couldn’t believe what she had heard. Her former apprentice was dead. He was so resilient despite what he had been going through all his life, and yet the snowstorms took yet another cat that she cared about. She offered Sagestorm her condolences, all while mourning the tom’s loss herself.
    Yet the universe was not done. One day, a familiar scent trailed into the nursery, and Finchbreeze was pleasantly surprised to see Martenfang at its entrance. But her kit had an expression that she was growing all too familiar with–the same expression that Sagestorm carried mere days ago when she returned to HailClan. Finchbreeze was terrified to hear as to why Martenfang was there, and she came to learn that she was right to be afraid.
    Martenfang told her in the middle of a breakdown that Blackstrike had succumbed to greencough, dying just a day ago. Finchbreeze was stunned as her eyes went wide. Her beloved kit, little Blackstrike, was gone… they had gone to CloudClan for a better life, but now they were dead. Finchbreeze was silent for a long time, and Juncokit and Chickadeekit were quick to come and comfort her and Martenfang. Chickadeekit broke the news of Duckkit’s passing to Martenfang when they asked about her not being there, and Finchbreeze only found herself curling up from the emotional pain that suddenly began to set in. She leaned into Martenfang for support, and the family of four collectively mourned for their lost ones for the remainder of the day.
    Martenfang left after the day was over, and Finchbreeze, along with Juncokit and Chickadeekit, said goodbye. It was easy to see that not only Finchbreeze struggled with that goodbye, but she didn’t dare try to ask Martenfang to stay longer. After all, the last time she tried that, she never saw Blackstrike again. Instead, she turned back to her kits and smiled at them, ready to hype them up for their upcoming apprentice ceremonies.

warriorhood [ 78 - 80 moons ] >
    It was still bittersweet, watching her kits become apprentices and leave the nursery. Duckkit should have been with them, as she was sure they were thinking, as well. But they looked towards the future as Juncopaw was given to his cousin, Feathercloud, and Chickadeepaw was given to Ruddyheart’s daughter, Bearbranch. Finchbreeze felt a bit strange leaving the nursery again, but having gotten to know those that stayed there with her, she promised she’d come visit them and cheer for their kits when they, too, would become apprentices
    At least there was plenty for Finchbreeze to look forward to. She congratulated her former apprentice when Beavershine announced his mateship with Whirlywind. To Finchbreeze, it was a long time coming, and now the two were happy. Ruddyheart’s family also only continued to grow when Pinehawk announced that she was expecting kits. Though she was not a queen anymore, Finchbreeze found herself in the nursery often, so she ended up helping Pinehawk move in a little bit, all while welcoming the newest kit to the clan, Buttercupkit.
    Her shock was immeasurable when Martenfang returned to HailClan. This time, they had come asking to stay permanently. Finchbreeze was delighted to hear this, but she was also confused. She asked her kit why they had changed their mind, and they answered truthfully; they ultimately said that leaving HailClan was a mistake. Though they enjoyed their time in CloudClan, they realized that their move between clans was rash and out of anger and frustration back then. Now, they dearly missed their mother and their home, and they were ready to devote themselves to HailClan after many moons of being lost. Finchbreeze, of course, welcomed her kit back with open arms, thankful to be reunited with them. She promised them that she was getting better with her trauma and that she would never act out against Martenfang again, already afraid of the idea that they would up and leave again if she ever did. But they reassured her and said they loved her, trauma and all, and they were there to support her for the rest of her life. Finchbreeze couldn’t be happier to hear that.
    Even with Finchbreeze gone, the nursery continued to grow. Rainstone gave birth to five healthy kits, and Whirlywind announce that fae were expecting Beavershine’s kits. Of course, this gave Finchbreeze a new reason to visit the nursery, which she was delighted with. She was so excited to hear her former apprentice would be a father, and she enjoyed visiting the kits and getting to talk with them all. They made her feel warm, and she realized that her love for kits is likely what drew Looneyes and Salmonstar towards her when picking out an adoptive parent. She couldn’t be more thankful for their decision to do so, seeing how it had affected her life in such a positive way. She only hoped that HailClan would continue to thrive with the new additions.
    But there would always be a negative to weigh out the positives. Finchbreeze was not in camp when Laurelsprout had accused Rippletide of murdering Orchidfrost, but when she came back from a successful hunting trip, she trembled a bit at the tension that hung in the air around camp. She managed to find Looneyes and asked him what happened, and he recalled the tale of Laurelsprout yelling accusations about Rippletide after Lilacpool told Salmonstar about a so-called vision she had. Looneyes’ words, not hers. Finchbreeze was stunned, and she asked Looneyes where Rippletide was now. But he only shook his head; she had escaped camp among the commotion, and Salmonstar had sent out search parties to look for her. Unfortunately, though, they wielded no luck.
    In fact, they only made things worse when Burdockbounce died while searching for his daughter. Finchbreeze felt terrible for Whirlywind, who now had not only lost faer sister, but also faer father. The stress it put on a cat to lose loved ones couldn’t have been good for a pregnant cat, and Finchbreeze was sure to go and check on her and Beavershine when she could. When she didn’t, she would offer to join Looneyes in searching for Rippletide. But after days of having no luck, Salmonstar ultimately decides to stop the search and let her go, which Finchbreeze could see pained Looneyes. Being her mentor, she presumed that Looneyes felt a sense of failure, or perhaps he had genuinely connected with the she-cat and was worried for her. Regardless, she was gone, and they had to move on.
    In the midst of everyone being so busy searching for Rippletide, no one had noticed that Foggykit had gone missing. Finchbreeze, knowing how adventurous the young kit was, worried as to where she could have gone, but once again, after days of searching, they couldn’t find the little she-kit. She felt terrible for Jaggedheart, who had come to love Foggykit like her own, and she tried to reassure the she-cat that Foggykit was resilient and was out there somewhere, living the best adventure a kit her age could have. But she couldn’t help but also worry for her.
    At least the clan could celebrate the news of Elkshade expecting Salmonstar’s kits. Finchbreeze, especially, was happy for the older couple, knowing they had waited so patiently to have a litter after Salmonstar’s son, Squirrelbark, tragically died. As she watched Elkshade start to create her nest in the nursery, though, Finchbreeze felt that sense of longing again. Perhaps it wasn’t just for the nursery, but just for the peace that it brought. She was always being hit by surprises, whether she was a warrior or not, and that tug she felt towards adventure and hunting and fighting had gradually waned long ago. She made up her mind, following her heart as it whispered to her, ‘it’s time’.

elderhood [ 80 moons - present ] >
    Finchbreeze announced her retirement a couple of days after Elkshade had settled down. Wisteriapetal, Burdockbounce and Orchidfrost’s sister, decided to join her in retirement, and the clan collectively thanked them for their services as warriors. Salmonstar, especially, told them both that they deserved a hard-earned rest, and he hoped that they would remain vital members of HailClan in the elders’ den, where they may tell stories to kits and carry on legacies of the clan’s name.
    She was especially welcomed to the elders’ den by Ruddyheart and his mate, Milkblososm, who had retired only moons ago. And when Puffinpounce came to join them a moon later, Finchbreeze felt content. She was surrounded by her friends in a peaceful and comfortable den, and she felt the worries of her many moons as a warriorhood seem to just wash away. Of course, she still had her bouts of nightmares and trauma come back to haunt her, but they seemed to drastically lessen as she grew used to not having to worry about her warrior duties.
    Of course, Finchbreeze still enjoyed conversing with the clan, even as an elder. She kept watch on her kits’ progresses as apprentices, and though she didn’t discern herself with every name of a new apprentice or warrior, she would still watch the ceremonies from the elders’ den and offer a quiet but affirming congratulations to the cats.
    Though she did still enjoy keeping tabs on the nursery, and she enjoyed visiting it to offer stories to the new kits as they came and went. This means she knew when Bliss’s kits hit six moons old, and they were ready to become apprentices. Tundrapaw and Goosepaw decided to continue their lives in HailClan, but the youngest of the three, Chamomile, decided to roam the territories and learn about the world with her parent. After Tundrapaw and Goosepaw’s ceremonies, Bliss, Chamomile, and Claypaw said their farewells to clan before departing, with Bliss feeling sure that their kits would be safe and happy in HailClan.
    But their becoming apprentices did not mean there was room in the nursery. No, in fact, it ended up nearly doubling in size from when Bliss’s kits left. Whirlywind gave birth to two kits, while Sagestorm adopted a litter of five who had lost their parents and Snowfeather began expecting Feathercloud’s kits. But the best news for Finchbreeze was when Martenfang announced that they were expecting kits. Finchbreeze was going to be a grandmother! She was so ecstatic about the idea that she visited Martenfang more than twice every day, asking them constantly about how they were feeling and if they needed anything. Martenfang had to remind her that she wasn’t a warrior anymore that needed to care for them, but Finchbreeze simply couldn’t help it. She couldn’t wait to see Martenfang’s kits and tell them all about their parent’s terrible shenanigans when they were a kit with their littermate. Just thinking about it made her smile.
    Though her mood was shattered when the harsh winds suddenly uprooted a tree just above the ravine, and it fell straight into camp. It crushed a portion of the elders’ den, and Finchbreeze considered herself lucky that she wasn’t in it at the time. But others were not so fortunate; Wisteriapetal and Puffinpounce died after getting crushed, and Finchbreeze mourned her close friend for days. She never got to tell him she loved him, but she felt like he always knew. It was in her mind that they would get to grow old together, even if it was just as friends, but that wouldn’t happen.
    The tree had also killed Cherryhollow and injured Oriolechirp, who Finchbreeze remembered well as her old friend, Jaytalon’s, brother. The debris that the tree kicked up proved to be fatal, as well, when Tarfeather was taken to the medicine den for breathing difficulties. Unfortunately, neither her nor Oriolechirp would live through the catastrophe, and the clan was melancholic at the horrors the tree had done.
    It was even worse that they had to live the tree in the camp as a reminder. Salmonstar organized parties for cats to try and remove the tree, but it was proven a difficult task. While they were able to snap off branches and move those out no problem, the trunk itself was another issue. While they worked on it, Salmonstar had the elders move to another place to rest while he tried to figure out what they were going to do with the tree.
    Thankfully, Finchbreeze’s mind would be taken off of the tree and its fatal mess when Martenfang gave birth to two beautiful, healthy toms. Finchbreeze was with them during the entire birth, encouraging them and helping them through the pain. And when they were done, she fell in love with her grandsons at first sight, as did Martenfang. They named their sons Ferretkit and Weaselkit, which Finchbreeze couldn’t help but jab them a bit in amusement at the theme. But they were so lovely, and Finchbreeze looked forward to watching them grow up.
    Apparently, a fallen tree was the least of concerns, at least in the eyes of the other clans. Finchbreeze learned from Looneyes that the other clans were suffering far worse issues than HailClan was. EmberClan was chased out of their home by a flood, while CloudClan was mourning the loss of their leader, Starlingstar, after he died in an accident at the new twoleg building called a barn. MarshClan’s issues, however, had her spine tingling. It wasn’t the bobcats, but rather the strange murders they were dealing with. A ghost was likely behind them, having killed one warrior and attacking an entire litter of apprentices. There had been such a long time since the last mention of a ghost that Finchbreeze thought they were past them. Was she wrong?
    They also learned at the gathering that cats from HailClan were not the only ones experiencing odd visions like Lilacpool’s. Cats from all the clans were experiencing them, but even weirder, Dropletshine, a rogue, had a vision, too. They saw a place filled with deer and cats, where one cat especially stood out in a light. The leaders and Dropletshine collectively agreed that this cat was important, and that they needed to find the cat. However, they didn’t want to send Dropletshine alone, so they agreed to send warriors and apprentices along with the rogue on a journey to find the cat. It sounded interesting, and Finchbreeze thought that maybe she’d be interested in it, once upon a time. Now though, in her old and mentally unstable state, she was happy where she was and didn’t even imagine traveling so far in search of a cat. She only hoped that those who went would stay safe, whoever they would be and when they would leave.
    She just wasn’t expecting one of the chosen cats to be her beloved son, Juncogaze. It was just after his and Chickadeehop’s warrior ceremonies did Salmonstar also announce who would be going with Dropletshine. Juncogaze was one of the four cats chosen, as well as Bearbranch, Cinnamonblaze, and Moosepaw. Finchbreeze was worried about this decision of Juncogaze leaving, terrified that she may never see him again, and she almost had it in her to beg him not to go. But Looneyes stopped her, reminding her that Juncogaze was a warrior now and could make his own decisions. Her son eventually told her that he would be okay and would be back in no time, so Finchbreeze could only believe what he said.
    Still, it was difficult watching him leave with the other quest cats. And it was even more terrifying to think of him out there in the world when, just a day later, an earthquake hit the territories. In all of her moons, Finchbreeze had never experienced one before, and the shaking of the ground had her frozen from fear. But she came out unscathed thankfully, which not everyone could say.
    In fact, their clan lost quite a few cats to the earthquake. Cats of all ranks, in fact. Jaggedheart fell from a ridge and was found after the earthquake, while Sneezewhisper and Echopaw were crushed under a tree. Meanwhile, Finchbreeze watched in horror as Riptidescar fell into the earth, and then poor little Redkit lost their life after being struck by a large branch. Finchbreeze was in shock, especially seeing two of her denmates dead. It was just her, Ruddyheart, and Milkblossom in the elders’ den now, and it felt so hard to believe.
    But she didn’t dwell on this. Rather, she fretted for the safety of her son, who was still out there with Dropletshine and the other quest cats. Was he okay? Did they feel the earthquake, too, or were they far away by now and hadn’t realized what had happened in the clans? She didn’t know, and she was terrified to find out. Or worse, she may never know, if no one ended up coming home. Her heart raced at all of the terrifying possibilities, and she had to be calmed down by Martenfang and Looneyes with reassurance that those scenarios were unlikely. It took a lot of breathing exercises to get her to finally agree that she had to remain positive, though she couldn’t help but still worry in the back of her head.
    Thankfully, the clan remained peaceful after the earthquake, with many good things happening. The only negative was Snowfeather dying of an untreated illness, and though it was sad, it seemed like Feathercloud could finally be the father he intended to be. Meanwhile, Rainstone’s kits became apprentices, and apprentices got to become warriors. Finchbreeze watched from the comfort of the makeshift elders’ den with a smile, seeing that HailClan was still going strong despite everything that had been thrown on them–literally.