Salmonflight

basic description > Large brown tom with high white markings and amber eyes
build > Big and Stocky
fur description > Short yet silk-like with a big, fluffy tail
breeds > Moggy
height > 29 cm
weight > 10.1 lbs

voice > Thomas Rhett
scent > Fish and reeds

scars > Two scars on the right side of his lip. Two scars on his right leg just above his paw.
accessories > N/A
banned traits > N/A

Positive Traits
positive >
    >> Energetic > Nothing can stop this cat from getting into everything, old as he is. Salmonflight is wonderful at keeping up with others and even tiring them out. If he isn't asleep he's off somewhere trying to burn the energy that he has, which is a lot easier said than done. It's almost as if he never does run out of it.
    >> Studious > Salmonflight's attention is one of his best perks, and he uses that to his advantage. He's all ears when it comes to learning, believing there to be always something new to discover. Despite being an elder now, he still finds himself learning something new from the newer generations and appreciating what they teach him.
    >> Genuine > Anything and everything that his open mind speaks is true. Salmonflight couldn't lie even if he tried to, for he would probably only get caught if he even attempted. This often gives others a sense of trust in him.

neutral >
    >> Outspoken > Salmonflight shows no fear in speaking his opinion. There are many times when he'll blurt out what's on his mind, even unintentionally and at inappropriate times. Although he tries his hardest to work this out, he often fails, though some of his ideas could actually become quite useful.
    >> Whimsical > Due to his fickle nature, Salmonflight changes direction of what he does unexpectedly. One moment he'll be telling the kits stories, the next he'll be chatting up the warriors. He has many small whims that he wants to be able to do in the course of a day that will come on randomly, so he can never plan his time accordingly.
    >> Ambitious > One of Salmonflight's biggest inspirations is the stories about his grandfather, Whitestar. For many seasons, he dreamt of following his grandfather's pawsteps to becoming HailClan's leader. And now that he has achieved that, he continues to strive to make HailClan better, even in his older age, by passing on his knowledge to the new warriors.

negative >
    >> Jumpy > Despite his outgoing personality, the poor tom jumps at very little unexpected movement. He is easily one of the biggest scaredy-cats when it comes to surprise. This makes him an easy target for pranks, and he's created a lot of self-awareness due to it.
    >> Fickle > He's quick to lose interest in one thing and get into something else. This includes quickly getting impatient during hunts, becoming restless during sleeping, and even wanting to move on too fast in his duties. It makes him a little hard to keep up with.
    >> Naïve > Easy to trick, Salmonflight tends to do whatever he's told to do if he's given a good reason. One could tell him to go jump off the highest tree to catch a bird in midair and he would. He will easily do all the work of the clan if someone told him to.

Parents
 parents >
    >> Lilacpool > Mother > Calico she-cat with violet eyes and a scarred face > Played by Zodiac-Dream > Alive
    >> Squirrelnose > Father > Brown tom with violet eyes and a bushy tail > Played by Melontine > Deceased

siblings >
    >> Sparrowchirp > Sister > Brown cat with violet eyes > Played by Sn0wbranch > Deceased
    >> Harefeather > Sister > Chocolate calico she-cat with yellow eyes > Played by xXCloudie-SkiesXx > Deceased
    >> Fawnpatch > Brother > Chocolate torbie trans-tom with white spotting and violet eyes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive
    >> Featherflight > Brother > Cream and white freckled tabby tom with violet eyes > Played by monkiies > Deceased

mate >
    >> Elkshade > Russet tabby she-cat with a lighter underside, a kinked tail, and lilac eyes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive

kits >
    >> Squirrelbark > Son > Dark brown tabby tom with white spotting and amber eyes > Played by Jax47698 > Deceased
    >> Feathercloud > Son > Mostly white tom with a brown tabby patch and green eyes > Played by Mothfluttter > Deceased
    >> Avocetflame > Daughter > Calico she-cat with blue eyes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive
    >> Harenose > Son > Brown-and-white tabby tom with green eyes > Played by Thrushgh0st > Alive

    >> Phoebecall > Daughter > Brown-and-white bicolor tabby she-cat with violet eyes > Played by Chordata-Flyer > Deceased
    >> Cricketsong > Son > Brown-and-white bicolor tabby tom with golden eyes > Played by Living-In-Anime > Alive
    >> Copperbounce > Daughter > Russet tabby she-cat with violet eyes > Played by Zodiac-Dream > Alive

extended >
    >> Whitestar > Maternal Grandfather > Albino tom > Deceased
    >> Harebreeze > Maternal Grandfather > Cream caliby trans-tom with golden eyes > Deceased
    >> Salmonwish > Paternal Grandmother > Brown she-cat with yellow eyes > Deceased

    >> Breezeshine > Maternal Aunt > Calico she-cat with violet eyes > Deceased
    >> Rootsun > Maternal Aunt > Calico she-cat with amber eyes > Played by Hugh-Janus > Deceased
    >> Orchidkit > Paternal Aunt > Chocolate calico she-cat with yellow eyes > Deceased
    >> Featherkit > Maternal Uncle > White tom with amber eyes > Deceased
    >> Riptidescar > Paternal Uncle > Orange tom with blue eyes > Played by Winter5587 > Alive

    >> Duckkit > Niece > Brown tabby she-cat with white undersides and amber eyes > Played by Spacecat011 > Deceased
    >> Juncogaze > Nephew > Grayish-brown tabby tom with blue eyes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive
    >> Chickadeehop > Nephew > Dilute calico trans-tom with blue eyes > Played by drakkeosaur > Alive
    >> Doewillow > Niece > Brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes > Played by Melontine > Alive
    >> Buckkit > Nephew > Brown-and-white bicolor tabby tom with blue eyes > Played by Spacecat011 > Deceased

    >> Minksnow > Cousin > Albino tom with pink eyes > Played by Sushipies > Deceased

    >> Ashfrost > Grandson > Gray-and-white bicolor spotted tabby tom with teal eyes > Played by RandomComicSheet > Alive
    >> Barkfawn > Granddaughter > Brown tabby trans-female cat with white spotting and amber eyes > Played by lilyspite > Alive
    >> Shelldance > Granddaughter > Dilute calico tabby she-cat with blue eyes > Played by Mothfluttter > Alive
    >> Lizardtongue > Grandson > Brown-and-white bicolor tabby tom with blue eyes > Played by WarriorCatFan53 > Alive

kithood [ 0 - 6 moons ] >
    Salmonkit was the first-born to HailClan parents Lilacpool and Squirrelnose, followed by his brother Sparrowkit and their sister Harekit. Unlike most HailClan kits, he was born within the EmberClan camp due to troubling times in the forest. Salmonkit never recognized that he wasn't in the HailClan camp up until his family was able to move back, and he didn't seem to care much about being in EmberClan. In fact, he enjoyed the many cats that the camp had while he was there, as he could get attention whenever he wanted to.
    When they moved back to HailClan, Salmonkit's focus moved to primarily his siblings and Kitefang's litter. He became good friends with Mudkit through playing badger and going on adventures, and he grew closer with his brother and sister. In HailClan, he learned about his heritage as the grandkit to Whitestar; fascinated by this discovery, Salmonkit sought to find out every piece of information about his grandfather that he could. Most of it came from stories by the elders and senior warriors, and he tried to get something from his mother but was disappointed to find out she didn't know him well. This discovery is what made Salmonkit decide he'd like to be the leader of HailClan one day, and his goal changed from being the best warrior to being leader.
    It wasn't long after the move that Kitefang became Kitestar, and Swantuft was chosen as deputy. This disappointed the older Salmonkit as he realized it may be a stretch to even become deputy, but he was determined to obtain his goal. He would often be found sneaking into chatter of the warriors to try and get a headstart, and he tried to incorporate strange and funny fighting and hunting moves into his games. His seriousness about the situation, however, never broke his happy spirit, as Salmonkit looked towards the future and continued to thrive as a big and strong kit.

apprenticeship [ 6 - 12 moons ] >
    Six moons came and went by far too fast for Salmonkit as his apprentice ceremony commenced. Alongside Harepaw, Sparrowpaw, and Kitestar's litter, Salmonkit became Salmonpaw. He was disappointed to find out his mentor was neither the deputy or leader of the clan, but rather Ruddyheart, an older warrior. Salmonpaw was quick to shrug it off, though, as he decided this was a test to the determination of his goal. Besides, he could see that Ruddyheart seemed to be going through something, and he figured he could hopefully help his mentor overcome whatever it was. In fact, he was excited to find out that Ruddyheart was good friends with his mother, and Salmonpaw hoped that his mentor could tell him more about Lilacpool and maybe even her fathers.
    It wasn't long after his ceremony that HailClan was suddenly sharing their camp with about half of CloudClan. Salmonpaw had heard everything about the invasion of the Storm and about the wounded cats through his sneaking around, and even he could feel the discomfort in his chest about it. But maybe this was his chance to really observe how to be a leader in this type of situation! So, despite Ruddyheart being his mentor, Salmonpaw began to keep another eye on Kitestar and Swantuft to always see how they reacted, wanting to know what it would be like when he was leader.
    Of course, this hasn't stopped Salmonpaw from trying to make friends from CloudClan, despite the horrible circumstances. He managed to befriend Mothpaw, an older tom apprentice from the lithe cats of the moor. He always seems to be trying to talk to the other cats, even if they didn't want to. More cats mean more opportunity for friends, and these friends also needed the optimism that Salmonpaw carried, or so he thought at least. Though the camp was awfully crowded, especially the apprentices' den--even though over half of them were from HailClan--and he wanted to help CloudClan get their camp back as soon as possible so he could spread out more.
   Salmonpaw, for the most part, didn't participate in the battles and problems that the Storm ensued. He focused primarily on his training as the clans continued to try and find ways to get rid of the Storm. HailClan wasn't expecting for the rogues to come in and infiltrate their camp, however. Salmonpaw was in the middle of resting after a hard training session when he heard the cries of his clanmates. He was still exhausted from his training, but he still tried his hardest to fight off the rogues all-the-while protecting anyone that couldn't fight. He was so wrapped up in the battle that he didn't realize when it had ended, and what came out of the raid; the loss of herbs and the murder of HailClan's medicine cat, Fogflower. The clan was devastated by the loss, including Salmonpaw, who didn't get much time to get to know the old medicine cat. This was the last straw. The Storm must be stopped before anyone else dies.
   Thankfully, the time to strike wasn't too far off. After both HailClan and MarshClan received help from EmberClan after the most recent attacks from the Storm, MarshClan sent out the news that they and their half of CloudClan have rediscovered the underground tunnels. These tunnels connected from their territory straight into CloudClan's, where the Storm still resided. It gave the clans the perfect surprise attack. And they didn't hesitate to take that opportunity as every clan gathered at the tunnels shortly after the discovery. Salmonpaw, however, chose to stay in camp during the raid. He didn't feel prepared to go against the rogues again, not after what happened in the raid against the camp. He was worried about Sparrowpaw, though, who decided to join the raid. Of course one of his siblings was going to go. But he had Squirrelnose there, too. Salmonpaw needed to focus on what he could do in camp for his clanmates for when they return, hopefully victorious.
   And victorious they were. HailClan returned to the camp, of course not unharmed, but in bright spirits, as Kitestar was proud to announce that he and Goldenstar have succeeded in taking down Onyx and his second in command King, who was the rogue that had killed Fogflower. CloudClan was able to return home as the Storm had scattered. And so they did, as HailClan needed time to heal as well. Salmonpaw was glad to reconnect with his family as they all came together in relief, ready to move on from this nightmare.
   Of course, this didn't mean training was done for Salmonpaw. He, himself, still felt he had a long way to go. So when it was only about a moon after the defeat of the Storm that Ruddyheart said he was ready to be a warrior, Salmonpaw couldn't believe his ears. He was one step closer to achieving his dreams.

warriorhood [ 12 - 49 moons ] >
   Salmonpaw was given the name Salmonflight for his bright personality, followed by his siblings receiving their names of Sparrowchirp and Harefeather respectively. And, of course, Kitestar's kits became warriors at the same time, aside from Amberpaw, who was blinded by the Storm. Salmonflight was excited for them all to become warriors, as he grew up with all of these cats and watched them become better versions of themselves. He felt like a true older brother as he doted on his siblings and even his best friend, Mudfang. They could now do things that they wanted to without the mentors' approvals, not that Salmonpaw ever had a problem getting Ruddyheart to say yes.
   Now that he is a warrior, Salmonflight seems to be more keen about watching Kitestar and Swantuft, wanting to know everything there is to being a leader. He can probably be seen pestering Swantuft specifically, as he'll have to learn to be deputy first. Not to mention it'll probably be Swantuft making him deputy in the future if it ever came to that--meaning he needed to get on the deputy's good side!
    And it must not have been too difficult to do so, cause it was just five moons after that he was given his first apprentice: Nightpaw. Salmonflight was ecstatic; his first apprentice! To be trusted at such a young age with an apprentice almost felt like a huge honor, and he knew that he must have been doing something right to earn such a right. Training Nightpaw would be a whole new story, though. Unlike Salmonflight, Nightpaw was shy, quiet, and although he seemed eager to learn, he put himself down. Salmonflight had to teach Nightpaw to be a warrior, but he also felt he needed to take that extra step and help Nightpaw rediscover himself.
    In addition to his own apprentice, his mother, Lilacpool, finally got her first apprentice. Salmonflight was happy to see his mother get the recognition she deserved, and it just so happened that he would end up becoming good friends with her apprentice, Owlpaw! He helped her learn about weaving and den building, and out of this, they developed a good friendship. He's hoping maybe she can become a good friend that Nightpaw can have and rely on whenever Salmonflight isn't around.
    For a while, Salmonflight's life went about quite normally. Training with Nightpaw went well with each day, even if the apprentice didn't think so, and Salmonflight was enjoying his life. Even Harefeather seemed to start coming out of her shell again and hanging out with him. So when Sparrowchirp suddenly came to him and told him she and Looneyes had become mates, he was conflicted. He never really considered Kitestar's kits mate material, except maybe Mudfang. Not to mention Looneyes was so cold and rude... what did Sparrowchirp see in him? Salmonflight didn't like the relationship, but he didn't tell Sparrowchirp, instead, congratulating her. Since then, though, he's been keeping an extra eye on the couple, more specifically Looneyes. He just can't get past the idea of them together.
    And then Ruddyheart and Sneezewhisper announced they would be having kits together. It was primarily for Ruddyheart, who Salmonflight always knew wanted to be a father. He was excited for his mentor and practically begged Ruddyheart to let him see the kits and babysit and play with them when they arrived, to which Ruddyheart didn't need much convincing. This was something that Salmonflight greatly looked forward to. He was even more excited to possibly see his mentor happy.
    During this time, Lilacpool's apprentice, Owlpaw, had become a warrior with the name Owlhop. Hers and Salmonflight's friendship never died during this time, but rather it grew as Salmonflight worked with his mother in training for Owlhop and Nightpaw. He was excited that they could now go out together on hunts without his mother's approval. Owlhop was an excellent hunter, and he always felt good about returning to camp with fresh-kill when he hunted with her.
    Of course, all good things come to an end. Behind the scenes, things were brewing between EmberClan and CloudClan, things that HailClan tried so hard to avoid. Wildstar eventually declared war on CloudClan for prey stealing, and MarshClan decided to side with Wildstar and EmberClan. Salmonflight silently hoped that HailClan would be left out of it, but Kitestar insisted that they ally with CloudClan. So reluctantly, all four clans entered into a war that Salmonflight, and possibly many others, did not want.
    Despite the tensions, there was still good news to come out of it. Lilacpool and Squirrelnose had just announced that they were expecting their second litter of kits. Excitement couldn't even begin to define what Salmonflight was feeling. He was going to be an even bigger brother! He loved his little sisters, so the thought of having more little siblings brought great joy to him. Even before they were there, Salmonflight would constantly visit his mother in the nursery whenever he would have the chance, whether to simply check on her or keep her company when Squirrelnose was busy. He just couldn't wait for the new arrivals.
    Things were again well, despite the war looming behind them. Salmonflight was still keeping an eye on Sparrowchirp and Looneyes, and he was waiting expectantly for Harefeather and Mudfang to announce their own mateship. It was around this time that he had begun to think about his own place. He never had a thought about a significant other, as he was so busy working to be a great warrior. Though he always wanted to be a father, and while he wasn't opposed to being a single dad, he also liked the idea of sharing those moments with a special someone. He just didn't realize that someone close to him was thinking the same thing, but it wasn't someone he thought of in that way. One day, while spending time with each other, Owlhop suddenly confessed to Salmonflight that she loved him. Salmonflight was conflicted. He always saw Owlhop as a little sister... or at least, that's what he thought? He wasn't sure he ever saw her the way she saw him, and it led them to become quite a mess of a relationship. Salmonflight began avoiding Owlhop, albeit a bit unintentionally. He wasn't ready to confront her about the situation, fearing that doing so could mean losing their friendship.
    Nightpaw received his warrior name of Nightfur, and Salmonflight was proud of his first apprentice. He felt that Nighfur had grown into a fine cat and would go far in life. So his sudden death was just as shocking to him. Nightfur had fallen out of a tree and was unable to recover, quickly passing shortly after becoming a warrior. It broke Salmonflight, as it felt like he had lost one of his own kin. He had always considered Nightfur as more than just his apprentice; he was his friend, his brother. Losing him was hard on Salmonflight, but it also drove him to work harder. He prays up to Nightfur's spirit often for guidance now.
    Lilacpool gave birth to two healthy kits: Fawnkit, and Featherkit. Salmonflight absolutely adores his little siblings, spending as much of his time as he can with them. He especially has grown close to Fawnkit, often bringing a fresh mossball with him to play with her. Though he always leaves time to spend with Featherkit, too, often using that time to tell the little tom stories. He felt like their family was complete with the two kits.
    Then the first big border battle of the war occurred. Salmonflight was among the first cats in the battle, having come across the EmberClan patrol alongside his father, sister, and other clanmates, including Owlhop. He prayed that it would not result in anything, but it seemed like StarClan loved to prove him wrong the moment the HailClan apprentices became aggravated and pounced the EmberClan cats. Salmonflight, realizing this couldn't be prevented, also jumped into the battle. Most of his time there was spent fighting an EmberClan cat by the name of Stormfire. That is if you wanted to call it a fight. For the most part, it was just Salmonflight keeping her pinned and trying to convince her not to escalate the fight any more than it already was. He was unsuccessful. Both cats ended up leaving that fight wounded. Salmonflight less so, with only a bleeding lip after the she-cat had caused him to cut his lip and his tongue after ramming her head into his jaw. The fight was, thankfully, broken up by the appearance of a bear. But that's not what concerned Salmonflight. No, something else was wrong; he had heard his father, Squirrelnose, and it wasn't a good sound. Salmonflight followed the sound to the source and, alongside his sister Harefeather, found Squirrelnose's body void of life. They were frozen with shock. Just as their family seemed perfect with Fawnkit and Featherkit joining, their father was taken from them. What was once not Salmonflight's war was now; he wasn't going to let EmberClan get away with Squirrelnose's death unscathed.
    Returning to camp with Squirrelnose's body in tow was probably the hardest moment of Salmonflight's life. His father's weight was heavy on his back, but not nearly as heavy as the weight in his heart. He hated having to go to the nursery to break the news to his mother, who was waiting expectantly for her mate to return with that smile he always had. And then the kits. Oh, the kits! Salmonflight couldn't face them, especially Fawnkit, as they realized in their own time that their father would never return. Many cats believe that Salmonflight got his scratches on his leg from his fight in the battle, but they were actually given to him by Fawnkit accidentally while he held her close. He didn't care. Sometimes, he felt like he deserved them.
    Salmonflight has begun to take the war more seriously now. While he still doesn't approve of it and wishes it never existed, HailClan was now more involved in it than he wished to admit. Squirrelnose was dead, and his aunt Rootsun had lost a leg to the bear that the cats had woken. He was prepared to put himself on the front lines for his clan and his family.
    And so, he involved himself more in the training of the younger cats and preparing his clanmates for battle. He focused his efforts into keeping his fighting skills in shape, though he always reminded himself that a war did not mean death. At least, not any more than has already happened. And for some time, it seemed HailClan was pretty safe from the war. There were border skirmishes that did, unfortunately, lead to deaths, such as Mallowmoth and Scarletberry's. But there were a lot of positives that the clan could look forward to, too. For one, they had a second, fully trained medicine cat by the name of Softstem. She was a bit cranky, but she did her job well. And there were kits continuously coming in and out of the nursery as more litters were born. It reminded Salmonflight about his own conflicts in the love and family department, but he forced himself to push them away. Right now, he had to be there for his little siblings and mother, and he had to help his clan fight this war.
    The next battle he was in ended up being the last. His patrol had encountered an EmberClan patrol, and he worked to negotiate with the other patrol's leader--an older warrior by the name of Drizzlesong. Things seemed to be going well until one of the EmberClan apprentices snapped and attacked a HailClan apprentice, Martenpaw. It all broke loose, and Salmonflight and Drizzlesong lost control of their cats. He ended up in a brief battle with another older EmberClan warrior named Bearclaw, but with some talking, he convinced the older tom to help him stop the battle. But they were too late. Batspark, Salmonflight's clanmate, had taken an EmberClan senior warrior's life. Her death brought an end to the battle, and what Salmonflight would later learn, the end of the war.
    For about a moon, the border was silent. While their border patrols caught that EmberClan was keeping up with their borders, there was hardly signs of them or any word from them. Until the Gathering, where all of the clans learned EmberClan had chased out their previous leader, Wildstar, and a new cat by the name of Reedstar was their new leader. And they ended the war officially. A weight was taken off of Salmonflight's shoulder at that news, though not as much weight as he wished. His father and clanmates were still dead, and so were cats from the other clans. He didn't know how long it would take, but the clans needed a lot of time to heal.
  &nsbp; That time didn't seem to come too quickly for him. Sometime after the announcement of the end of the war, Salmonflight encountered an EmberClan tom at the border. He was wary still from the war as the tom, who had introduced himself as Tigerfrost, approached him, and he only became increasingly more aware of him when he began to ask about Squirrelnose. Ah. So this was the cat that killed him. It didn't take a genius to figure it out, given Tigerfrost's mannerisms the moment he found out who Salmonflight was. He had apparently come to apologize for Squirrelnose's death, yet it turned into a bit of an argument. In the end, though, Salmonflight accepted his apology, if a bit reluctantly. He didn't want Tigerfrost to carry that burden on his shoulders like Salmonflight had to. After all, Salmonflight knew the weight of a dead cat, but not the weight of killing one. Still, he didn't feel any better after the encounter, and he went home that night to curl up with his little siblings in the nursery, his heart heavier than ever.
    His little siblings became apprentices. Fawnpaw and Featherpaw were growing up so fast, and Salmonflight was so proud to see their growth as they were named apprentices and given their mentors. At the same time, another litter was born, and Salmonflight grew close to the only tom of the litter, Spiralkit. He reminded him much of himself, wanting to play the big brother of his littermates. Of course, it was true for Salmonflight as he took charge in much of the family situations now, being the tom of his kin. His time with Spiralkit once again reminded him about his own position, and he began to think about how it was perhaps time for him to look into having a family, too. Though, every time he thought of it, his mind blurred as to where his feelings lie. Owlhop shrouded among those thoughts, but he couldn't shake the thought of her as a sister. And he began to explore new possibilities at the time, hoping to meet the right one.
    Time in the clan continued to move despite his own inner turmoil. And it flew. Kits he watched grow up--Ruddyheart's kits, Swantuft's kits--were becoming warriors before his eyes. Well, all but one. One of Swantuft's kits had decided the clan life was not for them and promptly left, and Salmonflight couldn't help but respect their decision. He thought it was honorable that they understood their position in life and was able to make such a tough decision. After all, he didn't think he could leave his family like that.
    Speaking of family, it was like there was no time to blink, and suddenly, his little siblings were warriors. They became Fawnpatch and Featherflight, and Salmonflight was proud of them. It had only just been recently that Fawnpatch confessed to him about his feelings in terms of his gender identity and got Salmonflight's support, and now he was standing in the same place Salmonflight had many moons ago, receiving his name. He was so proud of them and was looking forward to their work as warriors, but it wouldn't work out that way. Turns out, StarClan had other plans for Featherflight, and his youngest brother had eaten a rotten piece of prey. The medicine cats couldn't save him, and he joined StarClan with their father. It broke the family's hearts, and Salmonflight felt the weight of loss on his shoulders all over again as he comforted Fawnpatch a second time in the concept of loss.
    Salmonflight, however, didn't have much time to grieve. Remember little Spiralkit, who Salmonflight had gotten on so well with? Well, he was now Salmonflight's new apprentice. Salmonflight was filled with all sorts of emotions; happy, excited, nervous, and a bit melancholy. He was worried after what had happened to Nightfur, and he wanted to do good for Spiralpaw. But he loved the little tom like another brother, and he looked forward to working with him. It was also a good distraction to get Featherflight's death off of his mind.
    He was quickly reminded of how much he loved mentoring. It was something about training young cats and passing down what he learned to the new generations, and it brought some new life into Salmonflight. He enjoyed every moment he spent with Spiralpaw, and it was to the point that Spiralpaw had integrated himself into Salmonflight's kin, getting along with his brother and sisters, and even Lilacpool. Salmonflight was glad to see both Spiralpaw and his family so happy, especially after all of the loss they had all experienced. Things seemed to be looking up, despite leaf-bare hanging over their heads.
    Leaf-bare brought bouts of whitecough to HailClan. Salmonflight was thankful he, his kin, and his loved ones had strong immune systems. But it still hurt to see his clanmates in pain. Among them included Softstem, the young medicine cat, and Ruddyheart's son Beavershine. He was always happy to see them recover and return to their duties, but something told him that wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. And somehow, he was right.
    A patrol found Harefeather's body under a tree. Based on the injuries, they could assume that she had died falling out of the said tree, but how she passed did not matter. It did not hurt any less or more to lose his little sister. Harefeather's death struck Salmonflight a different way than Featherflight's; perhaps because she was his littermate, or because she and he had such a close bond compared to him and Featherflight. It didn't matter, though. Kin was still kin, and he had suddenly lost another sibling. It pained Salmonflight, but he braved a strong mask so as to comfort his grieving family and continue Spiralpaw's apprenticeship. Yet, every day, it seemed the weight on his shoulders only got heavier.
    Spiralpaw successfully passed his warrior assessment and had his ceremony, becoming Spiralroot. Salmonflight had been praying to StarClan every day that Spiralroot would make it, that he would get a moon into his warriorhood. If he could do that, Salmonflight had no doubt he would be fine. And he did! Despite becoming a warrior, Spiralroot continued to spend time with him, too, which he greatly appreciated. He enjoyed his time with the young tom, and he was more kin to him than he realized, has become a figurative little brother to him--even despite his being taller than Salmonflight now.
    As his life has begun to settle once more, Salmonflight is, once again, thinking about starting a family himself. He was still quite conflicted about his love life, but the universe decided to answer that for him. Owlhop suddenly disappeared one night, and she never returned. This crushed Salmonflight, as despite their conflicts, he always saw her as one of his closest friends. He wondered if maybe he had to do with her disappearance, having not reciprocated her feelings. But how was he supposed to? And now he could never make things right again--not with her gone. With the loss of his friend, he began to explore new possibilities, making new friends and bonds. Among them were some she-cats that he felt connected to, including Avocetbur. He enjoyed Avocetbur's energy, remembering his old self in his time with her, and became exceedingly close with her over the moons. Perhaps... she was the one?
   They tried it out, but it wasn't working for the two. Where Salmonflight wanted to settle down, Avocetbur was spontaneous and wasn't interested in the idea of commitment. Besides, it felt like something was missing between them. It didn't bother Salmonflight, nor did it bother Avocetbur, and the two were set to cordially break off their relationship. But something stood in their way of doing so. Before they could, Avocetbur told him that she was expecting kits. His kits. Salmonflight was at a loss for words. How could he break off a relationship with the she-cat that was carrying his kits? It just didn't feel right, even if they both agreed they weren't meant for each other. So while they didn't announce that they were mates, they never officially broke things off, either. Instead, Salmonflight quickly worked to prepare for the kits, making a nest for Avocetbur in the nursery and mentally preparing himself for the fact that he was about to become a father.
    His preparations and work ended up going to waste, though, as HailClan was suddenly flooded by the recent rain and melting of snow. The clan had to evacuate their camp and territory, leaving it all behind, and take shelter in CloudClan. It was a rough transition, bringing their entire clan to another clan's camp and somehow squeezing both into the small space. Not to mention Salmonflight was already stressed enough with the thought of being a father. And there was the fact that he had lost his close friend, Mudfang, to the flood, as well as her sibling, Lightshadow, and their father suffering the loss of his first life. It was a lot to take in, but Salmonflight worked hard to readjust his life as he continued preparations for Avocetbur, making a new nest for her and his mother, Lilacpool, in the CloudClan nursery. It would only be temporary, and hopefully not for long, but he wanted his kin to be as comfortable as possible during their time in CloudClan.
    Things continued to go poorly for HailClan, though. Kitestar ended up losing his second life, which they later found would be to deathberries that had been placed in a rabbit he had eaten. Swantuft became their new leader as Swanstar, and he named Robinear his deputy. The old Salmonflight would have been disappointed to not have been considered as a deputy. Now, though, he wasn't so bothered by it. It was still his dream to someday make those ranks, but he figured Robinear would do HailClan good, and he had more to think about than just his kit dreams. Besides, they needed to begin taking precautions; who poisoned their leader?
    Salmonflight didn't have much time to think about this. Avocetbur ended up giving birth to their kits in the CloudClan camp, and while he was overjoyed to meet his kits, Salmonflight could tell something was off. Avocetbur had complications when giving birth, and she passed away shortly after due to them. Though he didn't love her like a mate, Salmonflight was still heartbroken by her passing. He thought she would have been a wonderful mother, despite her misgivings and her own doubt, and now she wouldn't get to experience the growing of their own kits. Left to father them alone, Salmonflight decided to take time off to be the parent that their kids so desperately needed.

queenhood [ 49 - 55 moons ] >
   Salmonflight ended up moving into the nest he had made Avocetbur, making it bigger with the help of Lilacpool and Fawnpatch to accommodate for his size. As for the kits, he had taken time to carefully decide their names. He, of course, had initially planned to work with Avocetbur to name them, but with her gone, he was left to decide them himself. His kits, three toms and a she-kit, were given names that held special meanings to the tom; he named his sons Squirrelkit, Featherkit, and Harekit, for his father Squirrelnose, his brother Featherflight, and his sister Harefeather; and he named his daughter Avocetkit, after her brave mother. That night, after he was able to settle down and the kits were asleep, Salmonflight held them all close, silently praying to StarClan that their lives would be perfect.
   Thankfully, Salmonflight would not need to raise his kits in CloudClan for long. Within days of their birth, HailClan's territory was deemed safe again as the water from the flood dried up. The HailClan cats gathered themselves and made their way back home, Salmonflight and his family carrying his kits across the moor and through the forest to camp. When he first stepped back into camp, Salmonflight wasted no time in assisting his mother and Lynxpatch in repairing the nursery and forming a new nest for his children. It reminded him of right before the flood, when he had worked with his brother to make nests for their mother and Avocetbur. His heart ached at the memory, but he was quick to shake it away as he completed his new nest, far bigger than the ones he made previously for the nursery, and settled each kit into the fresh moss.
   And their family welcomed another new member when Rootsun one day came back to camp carrying a little white kit. She had found him on their territory, and by his stature, he was even younger than Salmonflight's kits. His heart warmed at the young kit, who Rootsun adopted herself. He reminded her fondly of her father, Salmonflight's grandfather, Whitestar, as he had Whitestar's same snow-white fur and pink undertones, hinting at his albinism. Salmonflight was excited at the addition to the nursery. His kits would have a playmate closer to their age now; sure, his mentor, Ruddyheart, had just had his second litter, but they were a few moons older than his little ones. Mink-kit, as Rootsun named her new son, would be perfect, and their family welcomed him to HailClan with undescribable love.
   In addition to their own family's children, there was another queen in the nursery. It was the young Pigeoncall, Swanstar's daughter. She started expecting kits while they were taking refuge with CloudClan, and she didn't hide the fact that the father was a kittypet. Many of their clanmates scorned the idea of her forbidden children, but Salmonflight only sympathized with her. Even more when, shortly after giving birth to her kits, Pigeoncall made the difficult decision to take them to their father, where they would live as kittypets rather than HailClan warriors. He could see the pain in her eyes as she made the decision, and just as quickly as she had become a queen, she was a warrior again. Salmonflight offered her consolation as best he can, alongside his mother, in hopes to help her feel better. Some cats wanted her punished for breaking the code, but Salmonflight didn't think she deserved it. Why? Well, he couldn't imagine his life without his kits. Just thinking about it made his heart hurt. So he could not comprehend the pain she was going through, and figured that was punishment enough.
   Things returned to normal, albeit for a short period of time. HailClan successfully reconstructed their camp and returned to their everyday lives. Kits and apprentices gained new names as they got older and passed assessments. Salmonflight's kits, too, were getting older by a moon as they learned to play with their denmates and beg for stories from their grandmother. In addition to Mink-kit, HailClan accepted another outsider into their ranks by the name of Winchester, who became Ruddyheart's third and final apprentice. Salmonflight watched their interactions with nostalgic euphoria. It reminded him of his time training alongside Ruddyheart, and seeing his mentor so happy with his family and his new apprentice, Salmonflight was never more proud to call the old tom his mentor.
    But the peace was short-lived. Suddenly, Swanstar had fallen unconscious. Orchidfrost couldn't put his paw on it, but he deemed the leader to be very sick. And Swanstar, shortly after, lost his first life. The clan fell into nervousness, being painfully reminded that their previous leader was only recently murdered by a deathberry-laced rabbit. If Swanstar was sick, too... surely it was no coincidence? While their leader desperately tried to recover, remaining unconscious in his illness, Robinear took over as a temporary leader.  
    At first, Robinear's leadership didn't seem terrible. The clan ran relatively smoothly for about a moon. The biggest concern was Dovefire's mysterious death at Bathing Borders. It was said there were signs of struggle... which meant she had been murdered. Who was killing HailClan cats? In addition to this, rumors began to go around HailClan about poor Pigeoncall. It seemed she couldn't get a break as there were rumors about her spending time with rogues and stealing prey from HailClan. The ones that spoke the most of the rumors were clearly cats that had something against her, including those that felt she needed to be punished further for the birth of her kits. It had Salmonflight suspicious, and he felt all the more justified in his suspicions when, suddenly, Robinear called a clan meeting to exile Pigeoncall. Salmonflight was appalled. What basis or power did Robinear have to make that call? Sure, she was acting as leader, but did she decide this on her own merit, without consultation from the senior warriors or even Orchidfrost? The declaration appalled Salmonflight, and he, along with many of his clanmates, protested against the exile. But Robinear was firm on her decision, and Pigeoncall, albeit saddened by it, agreed to leave and quickly fled the camp. Salmonflight watched with dismay, and he felt his own heart clench with resolve. Suddenly, he was declaring his own departure, stating he would not stay in a clan that would so quickly cast out one of their own. He did not want his kits to be raised in such an environment. He stated he would leave at dusk, taking his kits with him to wherever he may go.
   What Salmonflight was not expecting was for so many cats to follow his stead. His mother declared at the meeting she would follow him, and Fawnpatch came with them, too. Elkshade and her apprentice also followed him out of camp, carrying one of his kits. Rootsun desperately tried to convince them to stay, or to at least keep the kits there until they found a place to stay. But Salmonflight simply shook his head. His kits would go where he went; he only wished Rootsun and Mink-kit came with them. But he didn't force her. He met, outside of camp, Ruddyheart and Milkblossom with their kits. They said they would see if CloudClan would take them. Salmonflight considered following them, but... he was concerned for Pigeoncall. He said he would follow her scent and go where she is. With a farewell and a promise to see each other again, the cats parted ways, his family and Elkshade with Sagepaw following closely behind Salmonflight.
   Pigeoncall's scent trail led over the border towards EmberClan. They followed it all the way to the camp. The shock and disbelief on Reedstar's face was an understatement. Salmonflight couldn't blame them; how would one react when a sudden group of a another clan's cats showed up in your camp? Probably negatively. Thankfully, it seemed Reedstar already knew the bulk of what was going on from Pigeoncall, and they agreed to let Salmonflight and his companions take shelter in EmberClan, with conditions, of course. In addition to helping the clan with hunting and patrolling, the HailClan cats had to be escorted by an EmberClan cat on their territory. They all saw this as fair and agreed. So they turned to begin helping, with Salmonflight and Lilacpool taking up the nursery to build their own nests and settle down his kits.
   Trying to fit in with EmberClan was weird, if a bit difficult. While Salmonflight was born in EmberClan, his parents having taken refuge there back when the twolegs invaded, he was too young to really remember it. Eating fish was the strangest adjustment, and though he didn't care for it, he worked to deal with it. And being surrounded by water was weird, too. He didn't mind the water much, but his thick fur, made to keep him warm in the mountains of HailClan, did not appreciate the bogged down feeling of being a sponge, soaking up all the water. So, Salmonflight kept to the solid ground as much as possible, spending much of his time in camp helping with den repairs or conversing with the cats around camp. He became decently acquainted with other cats around camp, though he took note to avoid Tigerfrost, the tom that had killed his father. Thankfully, it seemed the EmberClan warrior mutually agreed on this front, so they never interacted.
   What was even stranger was more HailClan cats showing up. They gradually came in waves. First, his uncle Riptidescar and his apprentice showed up, along with Cherryhollow. Less than a moon later, Sparrowchirp and Looneyes came along. He was told by them that other cats left for CloudClan like Ruddyheart and his family did, or they left to wander, finding no place to take refuge. And, later on, he learned that Robinear, having lost her grip on the leadership of HailClan, went into self-exile, destroying HailClan entirely as Orchidfrost took Swanstar and fled to CloudClan with the remaining members of their clan. HailClan was no more save for the cats that once called it home. It broke Salmonflight's heart. Was HailClan doomed to be separated forever? What did StarClan have in store for them, to have the clan fall apart so terribly. And, most importantly, what did he start?
    The nursery started to become quite cramped. As his own kits grew bigger with each passing day, more cats began to expect kits. This included Tigerfrost and Reedstar, where Salmonflight had to suddenly--awkwardly--share a den with the tom, a MarshClan she-cat, who expecting kits with an EmberClan tom and had come to join EmberClan, and... Pigeoncall. Yes, she was expecting kits again. This time, with an EmberClan cat by the name of Ganderslash. Salmonflight could see the shame in her eyes as she moved back into the nursery, avoiding Salmonflight and Lilacpool as she did. Perhaps she was afraid they would negatively judge her for so quickly becoming involved with another cat. But Salmonflight only felt pity for the young she-cat, and he did his best to help her feel welcomed in the den, despite its tightness.
   The day of the solar eclipse, Salmonflight had decided to attend the gathering, leaving his children in his mother's care. He was curious as to how his clanmates in CloudClan were doing, or the ones that were wandering. Would they show up? He was thankful to meet some of the cats from CloudClan, but heartbroken to hear the news they brought. Swanstar had recovered from his comatose state, but shortly after, he was killed with clear signs of struggle. They have not found his murderer yet, but there was evidence of gray fur with the leader's body, so speculations had already formed. Salmonflight mourned for his leader, and felt all the worse when he realized he would need to bring this news back to his clanmates in EmberClan.
   But he did not have time to dwell on this issue as the gathering suddenly went dark. The cats were confused; it was still daytime, so where did the sun go? The solar eclipse had begun. And following it came the storm. It didn't rain right away, but the wind and the lightning was enough to give any kit or apprentice nightmares for moons. Especially when the lightning struck the wooden bridge that was Hope Bridge, sending it up into flames. The cats gathered went into chaos, and the only thing that brought them back was when a cat suddenly stepped out of those flames. No one recognized her, and everyone wondered why those flames didn't hurt her. She introduced herself as Blizzardfang, and she announced that she had spies across the territories in all clans. Suddenly, things began to make sense. Why HailClan's leaders were dying, how Robinear became leader and destroyed their clan. Then... was Robinear one of these spies? No, Salmonflight didn't have the evidence to determin this, but he put it in the back of his head for further consideration later.
   Blizzardfang disappeared with the drowning of the fire, but not after causing Sandstar to injure himself and the cats around to erupt in rage and despair. How were they going to combat this? Wild, who had been staying with EmberClan since before Salmonflight and his family joined, confessed that she knew Blizzardfang and of the spies. She told the leaders, who Salmonflight sat with as HailClan's representative, that there were seven spies spread out in the clans. Yet, Salmonflight could hardly focus on her words, instead, stuck on what Blizzardfang had said. HailClan was destroyed, and it was her fault. Starlingstar tried to tell him to be strong and that HailClan could come back together, but Salmonflight digressed. No one would want to lead a clan where two of their leaders have been killed. Not while the spies are still around. Still, Salmonflight told the leaders HailClan was still there to assist in fighting against the spies, and he left for EmberClan with Reedstar, where he dreaded the fate of telling his loved ones what happened that day.

warriorhood [ 55 - 58 moons ] >
   It wasn't long after the gathering that Salmonflight's kits had outgrown the nursery and were ready to tackle the real world. Salmonflight's heart swelled with pride as he prepared them for their apprenticeship ceremonies, but he also felt remorse and sadness with the fact that it would not be in HailClan's camp, done by a HailClan leader. But he couldn't complain too much, especially when Reedstar called their new names out and gave them their HailClan mentors. He felt comfort in knowing his uncle, Riptidescar, would take care of Avocetpaw, and his brother, Fawnpatch, was given Featherpaw. Though, admittedly, Salmonflight was quite irritated and worried about Harepaw being paired with Looneyes. He understood that Reedstar didn't know Salmonflight's leeriness about his brother-in-law, not to mention that there were not many HailClan warriors in EmberClan to begin with. But still, he worried for his youngest kit as Harepaw stared all too nervously up at Looneyes. He glared at Looneyes the entire time, and he knew the black-and-white tom fully understood that if anything happened to Harepaw, it would be on his paws.
   And thus, Salmonflight was a warrior again. Truth be told, he was looking forward to it, having gradually become more bored and tired of sitting around in camp as his children grew. He enjoyed the time he spent with them, but now, it was back to duties. But, not before he had something to say. The same day that his children became apprentices, Salmonflight approached Elkshade. The she-cat had remained at his side this entire time, helping him care for his kits and being his rock. Even the kits had begun to see her as their mother. He couldn't imagine a world without her anymore. So, using a walk as an excuse, Salmonflight confessed these feelings to Elkshade, stating that he finally found his happy ending in her. He asked if she would give him the honor of being his mate, and she agreed with a gaze full of love. The two, warmed by their received and requited love, were excited to return and tell Salmonflight's family of their mateship, which was received with rejoice and jubilance.
   The joy felt by their mateship was greatly needed, too, for not long after, EmberClan was hit with the harsh reality that was the spies. Wild, who had remained with EmberClan since the gathering, suddenly fell unconscious. Deathberries were found in her food as she was taken to Yewberry's den to be treated. It would come out later that the EmberClan warrior, Snakeheart, was the one that inflicted this disaster on her. But he was unable to pay for his crimes, for he died the same day after an outing with Tigerfrost. His own kit, Shadowfeather, had brought him home, though they did not pinpoint how their father had died, merely confirming that he was, in fact, a spy. To think there was a spy so close to them. It sent chills up Salmonflight's spine.
   But it was not over. Though Wild recovered from Snakeheart's initial attack on her, she was suddenly found dead not long after, covered in wounds. As they prepared her vigil, she returned, and everyone was suddenly reminded that she was once EmberClan's leader and still held two lives. Perhaps some would've wanted to see her remain dead, though Salmonflight, personally, felt quite relieved. She didn't deserve to go out that way.
   From then on, though, others began to live just a bit more on edge. Snakeheart was another spy revealed, on top of Softsnap, a MarshClan warrior killed by her brother, Sandstar. And Salmonflight still speculated that Robinear had something to do with this, too. Though they were being discovered, there were still at least four more yet to be uncovered. Who knew if Salmonflight and his kin were still living with one, be it EmberClan or one of their very clanmates. He desperately kept watch on his kits and his family, less concerned about finding the spies and more concerned for their safety. But his attention would soon be diverted by another entity.
   To ease his mind, Salmonflight decided to join his mother on a walk one day. They were accompanied by Irisdawn and her odd apprentice, Sleetpuddle, as well as Shadowfeather, per Reedstar's rule. Salmonflight didn't mind, and he even tried to welcome them into their conversation. But the intention was cut short by a sudden unfamiliar smell and a young cat. At first, everyone was on edge by this stranger, though it was clear they were young and inexperienced, therefore not much of an issue. Yet, it clicked in Salmonflight and Lilacpool's minds just who this young kit was; it was one of Pigeoncall's kits from her first litter, Junior. They were shocked to see the kittypet, knowing he had been raised in the twoleg place with his father. What was he doing all the way out here? Turns out, Junior wanted to learn how to be a warrior and join the clans. At first, Lilacpool and Salmonflight tried to discourage him, saying it was nothing like being a kittypet and that what Junior's father told him was not necessarily false, either. But it was all in vain, and Salmonflight could see that they could not change Junior's mind. So with a resigned sigh and an exhausted smile, Salmonflight agreed to letting Junior come with them and learn the ways of the warrior, should Reedstar let him. Lilacpool even stepped back and allowed it, even going so far as to recommending Junior his new name--Juniperpaw. He followed the HailClan and EmberClan cats back, where Salmonflight spoke and reasoned with Reedstar, stating that Juniperpaw will remain a HailClan cat when all is said and done. He even nominated himself to mentor the young tom, saying that Juniperpaw was his responsibility now. Reedstar agreed, and thus, Salmonflight began training his third apprentice.
   Training an apprentice certainly helped get the issues at hand off of Salmonflight's mind. He slowly eased back into the warrior life with the help of Juniperpaw, even finding himself enjoying it, despite the circumstances. Everything seemed well and good until Sleetpuddle was found critically injured in his nest. Uneasiness set in the cats around camp. How did he get injured? He was in his nest the entire time. The truth would come out the next day when Sleetpuddle confronted the two clans. He confessed to being a spy, having been manipulated by Snakeheart that it was all for the better. But he began to realize how wrong his betrayal was when Reedstar's life was at risk. But he worked to redeem himself, starting with the fact that he killed Blizzardfang in the Dark Forest. The cats were appalled at the thought that someone would dare try and kill their own sibling, though. Drizzlesong, Reedstar and Sleetpuddle's mother, was filed with distress and anger, and though Salmonflight tried to ease her mind, she only got more upset, eventually leaving the camp to cool off. Salmonflight prepared to leave her, but Sleetpuddle's next words stopped him: he knew who killed Swanstar and Kitestar. His suspicions were confirmed when Sleetpuddle said Robinear was a spy, but what he wasn't expecting was Rippletide to be another spy in HailClan. Rippletide? Spiralroot's sister? He glanced around camp, worried for his former apprentice and his sister, Whirlywind, who were residing in EmberClan with his family. But the uproar in camp made it impossible for him to see them. Instead, he spoke up for his clan, saying Rippletide should not be condemned until they heard her side of the story. Though, admittedly, even he wondered how she could make what Sleetpuddle said better. She killed two leaders. And there was still Pigeon's mother, Dovefire, who was killed by someone, too. Which one of them killed her?
    Things significantly began to loosen up with the news that Blizzardfang was dead. They presumed that any of her remaining spies had given up and things would get better. At least they knew there were no spies in EmberClan's camp, and cats were able to relax with this thought. But... not Salmonflight. The tom lost sleep over the news he heard, and any time he was able to sleep, he would have ominous dreams, or nightmares, or simply darkness. It was uncomfortable sleeping without dreams. He found himself awake most of the time, only catching sleep in light doses during daylight. It was during one of these days that he was approached by his brother, and then later, Tigerfrost. Salmonflight questioned the older tom; what more did he want with Salmonflight and his family? But he did not say this out loud; instead, he led the tom and Fawnpatch outside of camp so that their talk was more private. He was quite upset at the thought that his brother was now dragged into this, especially given the fact that Fawnpatch did not even remember their father. But he couldn't just walk away from him with Tigerfrost and not expect to be questioned later. The conversation ended up being about what Salmonflight expected: Tigerfrost wanted to apologize again. This time, genuinely. As Tigerfrost regained the faith of his mate and had his own family, he had realized the shallowness in his previous apology and how severe the damage he dealt truly was. Salmonflight, honestly, was relieved that Tigerfrost managed to learn on his own, and he accepted the apology more genuinely this time, too. He hoped that what happened to them would not happen to Tigerfrost's kits, and finally, the two felt that something was better between them as they closed that chapter.
   But Salmonflight's odd behaviors continued. The dreams became weirder and even began to invade his naps in daylight. Someone could ask him today about those dreams, and still Salmonflight could not comprehend them. At one point, it became normal to see Salmonflight out of it during the day. But when he left camp in a daze, everyone was worried. The truth behind it is that Salmonflight didn't remember leaving EmberClan's camp, and the by the time he woke up from his daze, he found himself back in HailClan's territory. He blinked away his confusion, and it was replaced with nostalgia. Rather than returning back to EmberClan, he began to explore the all-too-familiar territory. It seemed to have hardly changed, though the prey was plentiful as mice and squirrels scurried about the forest floor. He finally came to the camp, which had turned into a forest of its own. The bramble walls had begun to overgrow, and some dens were falling apart from lack of repairs. A faint scent of fox trailed through, but did not seem to linger. Were they really gone from their home for that long? He didn't have much time to question it when another set of pawsteps came from the entrance. Salmonflight turned, ready to fight, but was pleasantly surprised by the sight of HailClan's medicine cat, Orchidfrost. What was he doing here?
    Unlike Salmonflight, Orchidfrost seemed calm, even content, with their being there. He wasted no time in approaching Salmonflight and having the warrior sit down with him to converse. They caught up for a bit about the going-ons with their clan in the separate places. Orchidfrost talked about how CloudClan revealed two spies in their own ranks, and Salmonflight told him about EmberClan's situations with the spies. And the two both admitted to knowing about Rippletide, though they agreed to keep it between themselves and the cats that are in EmberClan. At least, until everything was somewhat back to normal. With this, Orchidfrost got to the point, the reason that they were there. By now, Salmonflight figured it was no mere coincidence, though that was as far as his mind could take it. Orchidfrost helped fill in the holes with a prophecy: A warrior will rise, kin of the white star, and will lead the mountains back to what they once were. They were words given to him by Fogflower, his mentor and HailClan's previous medicine cat. Salmonflight pondered over the words, but not for long. Orchidfrost put it into words for him; HailClan needed a new leader, and that leader would be him by StarClan's decree. Salmonflight was shocked and in disbelief. Why him? He was just an average warrior that, yeah, maybe once had ambitions for being a leader, but now he just wanted his clan back. Orchidfrost said that HailClan would be back and whole with him as leader; he had the skills and the drive, and they needed him. Salmonflight was still quite unsure, but at the same time, he also felt... ready. Ready to lead his clan, ready to protect his loved ones, ready to bring back HailClan. So, albeit hesitantly at first, Salmonflight agreed to being the leader.
   But there is no leader without a clan to lead. It was time to bring HailClan back to their former glory. Before leaving, Salmonflight requested that Orchidfrost gather all of the HailClan cats that he can, CloudClan-refugees and wanderers alike, and to bring them to Hope Bridge by sundown. With that agreement, Salmonflight wasted no time in racing back to EmberClan, energy rippling through each muscle for the first time in moons and his eyes wide with the excitement of a kit. When he returned, everyone was alarmed by his fanatic frenzy, but they were all consoled at the sight of him being back to his usual peppy self. They were even more surprised as he gathered the HailClan cats up and began to lead them to Hope Bridge. He wanted, too, to offer Pigeon a place back in HailClan, but by the time he had returned, she was gone; Fawnpatch told him she had gone to wander with her son, Dovekit. He was disappointed, but he couldn't say he blamed her. So much had happened to her, and maybe a rogue life wouldn't be so hard on her. He turned to leave, but not without saying a farewell to the cats he became well acquainted with in EmberClan, including a 'thank you' towards Reedstar. He would have to give the leader a proper gratification for their stay later.
   It was an amazing sight, seeing most of HailClan back together in one place. Sure, they saw each other during gatherings, but they didn't feel like a clan then. It seemed not all of the wanderers had found their way there, but he was confident they would return over time as the news spread. Salmonflight and Orchidfrost allowed the cats to reconvene with each other for a bit, and as they did, Salmonflight could feel the nerves begin to ramp up. Was this what being a leader felt like? He wasn't sure he could ever get used to it. But if Kitestar and Swanstar could do it, then he could, too! He began their meeting with his own apology, stating how he was at fault for the initial breakdown of the clan when he chose to leave against Pigeon's exile, causing many others to follow him. He announced Robinear's place in Blizzardfang's work, and he thought terribly about how difficult it would be for their clan to get past everything they had gone through in these past moons. But he shook this off and continued, saying he hoped to make up for it by bringing HailClan together. Orchidfrost announced to the clan how StarClan had chosen Salmonflight to lead them, and though he was worried, terrified, at first by their reactions, it was received well. Incredibly well. They cheered what would be his new name, as if it was his warrior ceremony all over again. He was embarrassed, especially as he poured his heart out to his clanmates about how his fate has changed in many ways, and this was the most unexpected. But Salmonflight, Salmonstar, there on the newly built Hope Bridge, vowed to HailClan and to StarClan that he would work hard to make HailClan stronger than they were before and to return to their prosperous and happy lives once again.

leadership [ 58 moons - present ] >
   salmonstar led his clan back to the mountains. It felt great, crossing the border back into HailClan territory with his clanmates. His loved ones, his family, his friends. Everyone was there. When they entered the camp, Salmonstar had to admit he wished what he had seen earlier that day was a dream, but it wasn't. The camp was a mess. But there was a clan there now to fix it. Without a moment's wait, Salmonstar assigned tasks to everyone, from den repairs to remarking the borders. Everyone was quite eager to work, glad to be home. He wanted to join in on the work, but Orchidfrost stopped him, reminding him that he had a date with Crystal Falls and StarClan. He had temporarily forgotten about his new title, having been so enthralled in the teamwork his clan showed. Sheepishly, Salmonstar agreed, and Orchidfrost led him back out the camp once the clan was situated and made their way towards Crystal Falls to earn his second life.
   Salmonstar will never forget that moment. The view of Crystal Falls, how selfish of StarClan and the medicine cats to keep it for themselves. Yet, the feeling of otherworldly beings encased his entire being, and it gave a new meaning to why it was only for those that can speak to those beings. Experiencing StarClan in the form of receiving his second life, soo, had Salmonstar speechless. Even if he were to tell someone about the experience, he isn't sure his words could put it to justice. It was just that... memorable.
   But he quickly returned to reality after the ceremony. Now, officially as HailClan's leader under StarClan's gaze, Salmonstar returned home with newfound confidence. His first order as leader was to name his deputy. He had thought about this during his journey to Crystal Falls, and going back and forth on certain cats, it seemed only one truly stood out to him. She had followed him to EmberClan and kept a solid head on her shoulders. She knew how to be strict and commanding where Salmonstar wouldn't be able to. Although they may have their differences and their personalities may clash, he felt he needed a sturdy deputy like her. So, Salmonstar officially named Thicketskip as his deputy.
   Finally, HailClan was home and reformed. It felt like old times again as everyone worked hard on the camp's repairs. The fresh-kill pile was already building up again, and the borders were re-marked. Things were coming together. Yet, there was still one more issue that had not been resolved. Back in the medicine den, Rippletide was still being treated by her uncle for the injuries she sustained from the Dark Forest. Yet, she was nearly back to full strength, and Salmonstar would need to deal with her. But... how? He wanted to hear her side, and for the clan to hear her, too. Only then could he procure a suitable punishment for her. It would only be a matter of time when the young she-cat would need to face the consequences.
   He was glad to see when the remaining HailClan cats that had not yet made their ways back entered the camp. Among them was Winchester, who Ruddyheart said had gone missing after his scent was mixed in with a bear's near their territory. It relieved Salmonstar to see the young tom hail and whole, and watching everyone reunite with their families was a wonderful sight.
   The first half moon in camp was all about rebuilding. Everyone was hard at work building and repairing dens, replenishing their fresh-kill pile, and overall getting back into the swing of things in HailClan's territory. Despite the chill in the air from leaf-fall, prey was still aplenty, and the clan was back up on their feet in no time. But it would only be a matter of time until they would need to address the concerns they still had.
   One of these concerns was Rippletide. By the time she had recovered and was put on trial for her actions, Salmonstar was still unsure as to what to do about her. But he needed to figure it out as he called the clan to a meeting. There, Rippletide confessed to her crimes, from killing Kitestar and Swanstar to even murdering Dovefire. The latter of the news surprised everyone, even Salmonstar. No one knew about this, and poor Pigeon was subject to being suspect to her own mother's death for so long. But before he could say anything, something snapped in Fawnpatch, and he was suddenly attacking Rippletide. The attack snapped Salmonstar out of his surprise, but his words didn't reach Fawnpatch as he tried to command Fawnpatch off.
   Before he could get down and separate them himself, a cat ran into camp and forced themselves between Fawnpatch and Rippletide. That cat was none other than rogue Bliss, kit to Swanstar and Dovefire and apprentice of Kitestar. Their appearance was just as much of a surprise, but it was not unwelcome. Yet... how were they going to react when they heard that Rippletide was the one that had killed their parents and mentor? Thankfully, they seemed to take it relatively well, and they even wanted to provide input on her punishment, which surprised Salmonstar. Once more, he welcomed it; perhaps hearing another perspective would help him in his own decisions.
   Though, Salmonstar was not expecting the rogue to ask for Rippletide's forgiveness. Bliss was always known to be a peaceful cat, but to even forgive a cat that murdered three cats, two of which were their parents? It reminded Salmonstar a bit about Tigerfrost and how the older tom had killed Squirrelnose back in the day. Salmonstar, originally, never thought he could forgive the EmberClan warrior. He ripped apart a family by taking their father, leaving a grieving mate and two kits still in the nursery. But as he grew older, Salmonstar saw the need for forgiveness and to not allow grudges. Perhaps Bliss just knew about this from the time they were born.
   But this was different than Tigerfrost. Tigerfrost did it out of defense, where Rippletide did it out of hatred. Yes, she had been manipulated, but she didn't stop when she could have. There was no excuse for allowing her to go unpunished. But as Bliss questioned him as to what he would do with Rippletide, Salmonstar paused. Of course, he would have never killed the young she-cat--even that goes far beyond Salmonstar's beliefs. He had the full intention to exile her, knowing that it would make HailClan a safer place. But Bliss seemed skeptical about this, and they proposed keeping her in HailClan. Upon further protests from the clan, Bliss emphasized why they believed this the best course of action; exiling Rippletide meant that they were giving her the freedom of a rogue, the freedom to do as she pleases out in a vast world they don't know about. For all they knew, she could go and find Robinear again, or build up her own strike against HailClan. Though Salmonstar didn't believe Rippletide the type of cat to do these things--as he believed Bliss didn't see this either--he could see the validity in the possibility of it.
   Many cats, still, argued with the rogue. But when Bliss motioned that they were done speaking, Salmonstar once again called for attention--he had made up his mind. He agreed with Bliss, in that Rippletide must not be granted the freedom of a rogue. But at the same time, he would never kill her and keep this cycle of pain and revenge going. So, he decreed she remain in HailClan, not as a prisoner, but a kit. She would be given her own den and will be closely guarded at all times. In six moons, if she had proven herself worthy, she would be named an apprentice and to be trained under a new mentor. After her six moons of training, they would re-evaluate where she stands in the clan and whether she would be able to return to HailClan as a full-fledged warrior. This was his decision.
   Though some mumbled and grumbled about it, most of his clanmates reluctantly agreed to his decision. One, however, did not. Littlestrike, Finchbreeze's younger kit, spoke out in rage at the decision, calling Salmonstar and HailClan as a whole soft-hearted and pathetic. They announced that they would be leaving, and Whitetalon, their mate, agreed to go with them. Unfortunately, Finchbreeze did not take the announcement well. Having already lost one kit to the same fate, she begged and pleaded Littlestrike to stay, but the small warrior refused. After Littlestrike and Whitetalon left, he asked his mother to care for Finchbreeze and make sure she was alright before officially ending the meeting with Minkpaw's reassignment, who was previously being mentored by Littlestrike. At his words, the clan disbanded, and Bliss left with a brief farewell. Salmonstar could feel the stress on his shoulders as he quickjly began to realize that this was what being a leader meant. These next few moons were going to be long and filled with tension.
   After the meeting, Salmonstar approached his younger brother with a stern look of disapproval. Fawnpatch already knew the trouble he was in, but still Salmonstar lectured him. He was upset that Fawnpatch, of all the cats in HailClan, was the one to disobey his orders. What kind of leader would Salmonstar be if he could not keep his own brother at bay? Fawnpatch needed to understand that actions have their consequences; while he was clearly angry and attacked Rippletide out of a sense of justice, it was still terribly out of line and unneeded. He carried out his words of caution previously, punishing his brother to a moon of apprentice duties. In addition to this, he could no longer train Featherpaw, and Salmonstar reassigned his son to Ambermask. The blind warrior still had yet to train an apprentice, despite his age. Salmonstar felt that giving him an apprentice would help take the nervous tom's mind off of Rippletide and tipping emotions he must have been feeling learning about his father's murder. He only hoped Featherpaw wouldn't be too upset with him.
   A few days after the meeting, Salmonstar had found himself walking beside the CloudClan border in a bit of a daze. He was still struggling coming to terms that what he chose for Rippletide's punishment was right, especially with each negative glance the she-cat got or the whispering he head. He wondered if StarClan really chose right in making him leader. He just couldn't find his answers as his paws eventually led him to Hope Bridge. There, he sat on its railing and watched the horizon solemnly. His peaceful moment was interrupted not too long after when someone spoke out his name, and he turned to find Starlingstar as the CloudClan leader jumped up to sit beside him. Salmonstar greeted him with a smile before asking him about Littlestrike and Whitetalon; the two had mentioned their plans to go join CloudClan, and he wanted to ensure they made it safely. Starlingstar confirmed that they were there, and he dropped the surprising news that Littestrike had changed their name to Blackstrike. Salmonstar couldn't understand why a cat would change the name that their parents so graciously gave them, but Salmonstar also wasn't like Blackstrike. So he was just relieved to hear they were alright, and he told himself to talk to Finchbreeze about it when he went back to camp.
   The conversation didn't end there, though, as Starlingstar brought up the reason for the two cats' change--Rippletide's punishment. It seemed Salmonstar wouldn't be able to avoid it no matter where he went, and he only sighed in defeat at the mention of it. He told Starlingstar about what had happened that day, from Bliss's appearance and their wise words to the sentence that Salmonstar gave her. Surprisingly, Starlingstar approved of it, and he told Salmonstar he made a good choice and that he was doing alright as a leader. It comforted Salmonstar to hear that, and he knew deep down that he made the right decision. Of course, he didn't approve of Starlingstar's own methods to taking care of the CloudClan spies, but he was not one to judged what the leader had felt in that time. Perhaps now, Starlingstar may regret it. Perhaps he doesn't. But what's done has been done and they cannot reverse the time. It was best they moved on from it and from the spies.
   Before departing, Salmonstar expressed his gratitude towards Starlingstar for housing a part of HailClan, and he apologized to him. He was sure that his clanmates likely held some form of suspicion towards CloudClan as both Kitestar and Swanstar conveniently lost their lives while being housed there. CloudClan was never to blame, however, and HailClan would be in their debt for awhile for all they had done. Salmonstar told Starlingstar that, should CloudClan ever need help, HailClan would be there to assist them as best as they can. After all, these last few seasons have only proven further that the clans should be as close as possible and be able to rely on each other. They could not afford to believe each other enemies any longer.
    Thankfully, there was plenty of good news to spread to balance out the tension of Rippletide and her punishment. For one, Salmonstar got to proudly name Ruddyheart's kits warriors. Aspenpaw became Aspencloud, and Pinepaw became Pinehawk. It was a bit bittersweet, given their sister definitely should have been there with them. He wondered if Maplepaw was alright out in the big world. But seeing Avocetpaw so excitedly congratulate Aspencloud made him feel good, and he looked over to the elders' den where his former mentor and his mate watched their kits proudly. In addition to this, Orchidfrost had decided to take on an apprentice, naming a young cat called Laurelpaw as his apprentice. Laurelpaw's brother, Mallowpaw, became a warrior apprentice the same day, and Salmonstar gave him to Thicketskip to train. He hoped that this would stop any potential jealousy between the two, one becoming a medicine cat and the other being trained under Thicketskip. It was great to finally see the clan all together for these ceremonies and for them to be done in HailClan, too.
   The more surprising news, however, was when Sparrowchirp excitedly came to Salmonstar saying she was going to have kits. After moons of begging, she finally convinced Looneyes to have kits as a celebration to HailClan's reformation. They had gone out to find a suitable surrogate for their kits, and now they were expecting their litter within the next couple of moons. Salmonstar congratulated Sparrowchirp, but he felt confliction in his heart. On one paw, it was amazing seeing his sister so happy. But on the other... he never really saw Looneyes as the fatherly type, never mind the silent wish Salmonstar had in the back of his head that Looneyes and Sparrowchirp would maybe not work out. Yet, this only solidified their love, it seemed, as they got a nest ready in the nursery. Sure, it was mainly Sparrowchirp that prepared, but Looneyes was still there supporting her in the efforts. Salmonstar just had to believe it would work out for the both of them and for their future kits. On the plus side, he would get to look forward to the idea of being an uncle!
   But the good news was quickly cut short for the two lovebirds when one day, some apprentices had run back into camp yelling something about a bear. The apprentices were his daughter and son, Avocetpaw and Harepaw, as well as Sablepaw. The two latter were clearly shaken, and as Salmonstar approached the commotion, he grasped bits and pieces of what had happened; Looneyes had taken the three out for a training session, and while they were hunting, the four of them were attacked by a bear. While the apprentices found themselves safe in the branches of a tree, Looneyes had fended off the bear and was injured in the attack. The news alarmed Salmonstar, and he was quick to gather a couple of experienced warriors to follow him out to find his brother-in-law. Before they left, though, he had Harepaw and Sablepaw go to the medicine den to get their shock treated, and he also asked Lilacpool to try and reassure Sparrowchirp as best as possible. Then, with Avocetpaw's help, the rescue party was led back to the sight of the attack, where Looneyes waited high up in a tree.
   The tom's wounds were more serious than they all thought as he bled from his side and face. The cats worked together to help him out of the tree, and it was a team effort to carry him back to camp. Looneyes, at one point, had lost consciousness, and Salmonstar yelled for him to stay awake. He wasn't going to let this cat break his sister's heart by dying on her. The mention of Sparrowchirp seemed to wake Looneyes up, and he remained awake until they made it safely back to camp where Orchidfrost and Laurelpaw swiftly moved to treat Looneyes.
    While his brother-in-law and the other two apprentices rested, Salmonstar tried to get a more elaborated version of what happened from his daughter. Avocetpaw played it back to him, from their hunting crouch training to their hunting alone as forms of assessments. The bear had come out of nowhere, and Looneyes hadn't hesitated to put himself between it and the apprentices while Avocetpaw helped the others to safety. She seemed to continue her praise for the older warrior, saying they likely would not have survived without his assistance. What she left out, however, was how she helped save Looneyes. Once he was awake, Salmonstar asked Looneyes for his own tale of the story. Most of it was the same, though Looneyes mentioned how Avocetpaw had risked her life to help him up the tree after he had been injured. He confessed that if it wasn't for her, he might not have been alive. He commented that it was foolish, but that it was also something a warrior would have done. And Salmonstar couldn't agree more.
   Salmonstar called a meeting after telling Looneyes to continue resting. Everyone seemed to curious about it, perhaps wondering if it was about the bear's presence in the territory. That wasn't exactly anything new, what with their clan dealing with bears at least once a season. But he couldn't let his daughter's heroic efforts go unnoticed. He relayed the information Looneyes had told him to the clan, stating that Avocetpaw was a great asset to his rescue. To the surprise of his daughter, Salmonstar named her a warrior for her bravery, giving her the name Avocetflame. He could never be more proud to call her his daughter as the others cheered her name and welcomed her as a HailClan warrior.
   In the same meeting, Salmonstar also had to reassigned Harepaw to another warrior. Orchidfrost had told him that Looneyes would likely be out of commission for awhile, and someone else needed to pick up Harepaw's last moon of training. He picked Duskwatcher, though Harepaw seemed a bit unsure about it. Salmonstar sympathized with his son, knowing that Looneyes had been there for him these past few moons in his training. Watching Looneyes with his son made Salmonstar realize he wasn't really that bad of a tom, just a bit misunderstood. Harepaw's endearment for his former mentor only affirmed this, and Salmonstar could only sigh as he realized he would need to put his past doubts behind him about his brother-in-law.
   The half-moon meetings often came and went with little for the medicine cats to share. But when Laurelpaw returned from their first half-moon meeting alone and shaking, Salmonstar knew something was wrong. Laurelpaw stuttered through the events that had transpired that night, and it was so vivid that Salmonstar felt he was living it. The Crystal Falls had been attacked by two cats, and upon hearing about their appearances, Salmonstar's jaw tightened at the familiar descriptions of Snakeheart and Drakefeather. The two were Blizzardfang's spies, so there was no doubt these cats were in the Dark Forest. How did they come back and attack the Crystal Falls? The two attacked the medicine cats, where Drakefeather had successfully killed CloudClan's old medicine cat, Waverose. Icefang, a MarshClan cat that was accompanying the MarshClan medicine cats, had killed Drakefeather a second time, ridding the world of his spirit, just before Snakeheart threw a rock at him and killed him. With this being his last action, Snakeheart disappear again in the water.
   Laurelpaw had been dragged into the water at the appearance of the two Dark Forest cats, and Orchidfrost dived in after them. With the help of Tansyskip, Laurelpaw was able to escape the water's grasp after a lot of struggling. Orchidfrost, however, was lost to its currents, disappearing within the Falls waters. And suddenly, there were no more Crystal Falls for the clans to rely on to communicate with StarClan. What did that mean for the clans?
   Salmonstar worried for Orchidfrost for quite a few days while Laurelpaw struggled alone in the medicine den. He wondered what the young apprentice would do if Orchidfrost was never found. Not to mention he would need to go to CloudClan and MarshClan and offer his condolences for the loss of their clanmates. But he wasn't comfortable enough leaving HailClan with one untrained medicine cat. Thankfully, though, it didn't last when Dropletshine walked into camp with Orchidfrost following them. The older tom was a bit ragged and tired, but otherwise healthy. After a moment to rest, he relayed to Salmonstar everything he heard from Laurelpaw, which only worried him more. This was real--very, very real. What was the future going to hold for them? For now, they just had to be grateful that they had Orchidfrost back and both of their medicine cats safe.
   He tried to lift the mood of the clan up a bit when the day came to name more warriors. Even better for him, these warriors would be the remaining kits of his. He was happy to name them warriors with the names Squirrelbark, Feathercloud, and Harenose. They all looked so happy to be warriors, and Harenose seemed to be even happier to hear that Looneyes was healed and back to duties. The old tom had even gone over to congratulate the young warrior, which made Salmonstar smile.
   And then Sparrowchirp died. Her death was so sudden that it shook their entire family. She had eaten diseased prey, which the clan was warned about a few days prior, and she was unable to be saved from it. Salmonstar mourned for the loss of his sister and littermate, and his mother and brother comforted him as they all grieved.
   But Looneyes had no one. No one in their family really liked Looneyes, and Salmonstar was only just growing to like the tom. Looneyes suffered terribly from the loss of his mate, having temporarily shut down as he followed the elders to bury Sparrowchirp. He remained there for a long time, where Salmonstar eventually found him the next day. Looneyes confided him--something Salmonstar thought would never happen. He told him how Sparrowchirp was always so peppy and full of life, how he never would have expected her to go first. Looneyes admitted to feeling lost without her. Salmonstar didn't know how to reply for awhile, and before he could, Looneyes kept going. He asked what he was going to do with the kits. Looneyes had the kits for Sparrowchirp, and he didn't know how to care for them alone. He wasn't sure he could. Looking at them would only hurt more. Salmonstar could partially understand this feeling, being painfully reminded of how Avocetbur had died giving birth to his own children. But he wasn't in love with Avocetbur, and Looneyes clearly loved Sparrowchirp. It could be worse. Salmonstar had to believe he would be okay.
   But he wasn't. As the days went on, Looneyes still never was quite himself. Salmonstar noticed him avoiding the nursery and visiting Sparrowchirp's grave often, and he was clearly stuck in the past. It was not a sight that Salmonstar thought he would ever see. Would this be okay for the kits? He figured it wouldn't be. So he approached Looneyes again after days of giving him time to grieve. He asked him what he was going to do about the kits, but he didn't reply. It was obviously that he didn't know either. Salmonstar had thought long and hard about this before approaching him, and he brought up an idea for Looneyes to ponder; someone else should adopt his kits to love and care. Not just anyone, but someone that needed them in her life just as much as they would need her. Looneyes stared at Salmonstar for the longest time, and at first, Salmonstar thought he would reject the idea. He would be surprised if he did, but after a long and awkward silence, Looneyes agreed. He emphasized that he doesn't blame the kits for existing, and that they were a form of Sparrowchirp's love. However, he was not fit to be a father, especially in his grieving state. It would in the kits' best interests to be raised by someone that could be there for them and love them rather than someone that struggled to look at them for a reason they had zero part of. Salmonstar could see the maturity that Looneyes had in his words, the maturity that he had since they were all kits. He thought this the best possibility for everyone in the long run, so together, they approached the cat that Salmonstar had in mind: Finchbreeze.
   The old she-cat was taken by surprise when Salmonstar and Looneyes proposed the idea to her. She was still in a terrible mental state from Blackstrike's departure, though she had found herself slowly returning to her duties. But the thought of kits that needed a loving mother seemed to have brought her out of her sadness immediately, and she mumbled many things under her breath before agreeing to take in the kits. They all visited the nursery together to tell the surrogate about what was happening, and from then on, Finchbreeze made her involvement quite clear as she visited the nursery often to prepare for the kits. Looneyes, although involved far less, still ensured the surrogate's health and comfort. And less than half a moon later, they welcomed three little kits.
   Finchbreeze had taken her role as mother seriously, taking over for the surrogate as soon as the birth was complete. Salmonstar convinced the reluctant Looneyes to go visit them in the nursery, and when Looneyes came back out, his brother-in-law seemed to be just a bit happier. He told Salmonstar that their names were Duckkit, Juncokit, and Chickadeekit--all names that Sparrowchirp had pondered over when they were deciding names. Looneyes rambled on about their small sizes and fluffy fur like his, how Sparrowchirp would have been so happy with them. Salmonstar sympathized with him and reminded him that Sparrowchirp still loved them from StarClan. Looneyes didn't reply as he began to return to his duties, but he paused for a moment to thank Salmonstar for giving him the courage to meet his kits.
   Life in HailClan progressed smoothly, with both its ups and its downs. Salmonstar got to name his cousin a warrior, giving him the name of Minksnow. But not a day later, he was hit with the grief of a warrior reporting to him that Squirrelbark had fallen from a cliff. They couldn't find his body to recover, but it was a steep fall, one that was highly unlikely to be survived by. Salmonstar was heartbroken to hear his eldest had passed, and he and Elkshade mourned in a silent vigil with the rest of their kits. This was not long after Salmonstar and Elkshade had pondered the idea of having a litter, and now they couldn't imagine the thought. Not when they had just lost one. They needed the time to grieve.
   Despite the sadness in Squirrelbark's loss, the clan had to continue on. Salmonstar was quick to resume his role as leader, though he spent the nights continuing to think about his son and sister. He felt the hole they had left terribly, and he struggled to sleep many nights despite Elkshade's presence. So when Bliss had returned alongside their companion, Claypaw, and an unknown rogue, Salmonstar was surprised out of his grief for a bit. Bliss told Salmonstar that the rogue, who went by the name of Pepper, was expecting their kits. They requested that the kits grow up in HailClan, as Bliss had once done moons ago. This place was their home before, and they wanted their kits to know about their history as warriors and to make the decision to be clan cats themselves. Salmonstar found their reasoning endearing, if not interesting, and he agreed to let them stay. Claypaw, too, was allowed to stay, but Salmonstar told him that he would need to contribute. After all, with leafbare approaching, they would need all the extra paws around to feed the extra mouths. The young cat was eager to agree, and Bliss and Pepper went to the nursery to begin building a nest for their upcoming kits. Salmonstar truly wondered what the future would hold for those kits, and was interested to see if any of them truly decided to stay in HailClan when the time came for them to choose.
   Watching the cats that Salmonstar trained grow and learn was always the best feeling, so Salmonstar was proud to not only name Spiralroot a mentor for the first time, but to also name his current apprentice a warrior. Spiralroot was always close with Salmonstar, and assigning Hawkpaw to him for training just felt so right. Spiralroot made a great big brother, and that would make him a great support for the young cat. Meanwhile, Juniperpaw became Juniperberry, a full fledged warrior of HailClan. Salmonstar remembered the day he had meant the young tom, walking so casually across the territories as a kittypet and demanding to be accepted into a clan. He remembered how arrogant he and Lilacpool once felt about him, and he could see how much Juniperberry had grown. He was a true warrior, despite his blood and lineage, and Salmonstar was proud to call him one of his apprentices.
   This all came at such a great time, too, for snowfall came in suddenly and rapidly. The air chilled around them quickly, and suddenly, finding prey became more difficult. Thicketskip began to arrange more hunting parties in hopes to commbat it, but already, the clan began to struggle with rationing. Whispers of an early leafbare went around camp, and Salmonstar worried immensely. Was this because of the damaged Crystal Falls? Was StarClan unable to help them? He had to hope that they would make it through this leafbare safely, as they had for many seasons prior.
   But more mouths to feed made it all the more difficult. Fawnpatch had suddenly came to Lilacpool and Salmonstar with exciting news; he was expecting kits! Him and Moosebranch weren't expecting to have kits, nor did they plan it, but it was happening. And they were both very excited about it. Salmonstar, having been so busy and in his own mind, hadn't even noticed how close his brother had gotten with the she-cat, but he was happy for the two of them as they both decided to move into the nursery for their upcoming litter. Yet, at the same time, Salmonstar was worried; what did this leafbare mean for all of their upcoming kits?
   The cruelty of leafbare came just as early when a young apprentice by the name of Ravenpaw died of starvation. Salmonstar, concerned, glanced around camp to see how everyone was already growing noticeably thinner. What's worse, is that sickness seemed to already try to spread as Beavershine came down with a cough. And getting enclosed in the camp for an entire day due to a snowstorm did not help. They weren't able to hunt at all for that day, making it all the more difficult. Salmonstar went into a deep conversation with Thicketskip after that, where they agreed that they should try and stretch their hunting parties to Misty Mountain in hopes to find more prey. They needed to be prepared in case that happened again, and they hoped that Misty Mountain still housed a decent amount of prey compared to their forested territory.
   It came back to bite them, though, when Minksnow never returned from the mountain after going up to hunt. Seeing his aunt distraught in his disappearance, Salmonstar wondered if he made the right call. Misty Mountain wasn't their territory, and they didn't know it all too well, especially the younger warriors. Maybe they shouldn't hunt there? But what else could they do to combat the lack of prey? He had to pray that Minksnow would return, and he requested that any parties going to Misty Mountain have a senior warrior that may know the mountain better. Hopefully this would combat anymore missing clanmates, and maybe their could find Minksnow while they continued hunting in the mountain.
   As the days passed on and the clan continued to struggle, Salmonstar noticed something was off about his son, Harenose. He found his son often lost in thought, staring off into space or losing focus on his tasks. He asked him directly if he was okay, and Harenose tried to reassure him that he was fine. Salmonstar wondered if he was lying; perhaps he was still missing Squirrelbark, or he was affected by the lack of prey. But he didn't want to press Harenose too much, especially when there was so much to do. So he reminded his son that he was welcome to talk to Salmonstar whenever he wanted before they moved on.
   The clan celebrated new life, regardless of their circumstances. When Bliss's kits were born, it was something worth smiling about, especially when they were all three born healthy. And less than a moon later, Fawnpatch gave birth to two lovely kits, and him and Moosebranch named them Buckkit and Doekit. Salmonstar couldn't help but feel amused at the family names, and he was eager to meet his niece and nephew in the nursery. But he had other matters to attend to.
   Days before Buckkit and Doekit's birth, the sixth moon of Rippletide's kithood had come and gone, and it was time to evaluate her progress with the clan. Although she was still widely disdained and scorned, she had done nothing to consider her a threat still. So Salmonstar held up to her punishment and granted her the ability to become an apprentice. And he knew exactly who to assign her to. Although there had been many seasons that Salmonstar doubted him, he had come to learn what a great mentor and cat he truly could be, and he felt that this cat could assist in Rippletide's reform. So Salmonstar assigned her to his brother-in-law, Looneyes. Despite having partaken in the murder of Looneyes' father, Kitestar, Salmonstar believed that Looneyes would put aside this personal conflict for the sake of the clan. That isn't to say he didn't still worry, and he asked Looneyes for progress reports everyday. He was pleased to hear that Rippletide really was trying; she was listening to Looneyes and was doing her duties dutifully. Salmonstar felt reassured at this news, and as the news continued to come good, he began to soon forget to ask Looneyes about it. He trusted that his brother-in-law would come to him if anything were to happen.
   The clan continued to struggle with prey, especially as they worked hard to keep up with all of the new kits. Patrols continued as usual between both the territory and Misty Mountain. Until one day, an avalanche on the mountain occurred. Harenose had come racing into camp saying that the patrol he was with needed help because they got hit with an avalanche. The clan didn't hesitate to jump into action, collecting cats that could dig through snow to find their clanmates and carry them back if they needed. Laurelpaw, too, joined in case there were injured cats that needed immediate attention, and Salmonstar also joined the patrol. His large stature would make good for carrying injured, not to mention the guilt that ate at his heart. Him and Thicketskip agreed to use Misty Mountain, and now it not only caused Minksnow's disappearance, but now an avalanche. This was a mistake, and he was going to own up to it. He was glad that Thicketskip had also joined up with them on the mountain after hearing the commotion.
   The rescue group broke up into pairs and began their efforts in digging. They were all carful in their movements, not wanting to cause any more snowfall on their buried clanmates. Salmonstar had joined his son, and they went to go look for his aunt, Rootsun, who had gotten buried with Harenose. But what they found was her lifeless body buried partially in the snow. The sight of it shocked the both of them, and Salmonstar was the first to shake himself out of it and told Harenose to go help the others. Laurelpaw had come over to see the commotion, and with their confirmation, Rootsun was deemed dead.
   Thankfully, she was the only one to be lost in the avalanche. Though the others were clearly chilled and would need to be observed, they were all without any major injuries, which relieved Salmonstar. But it was clear that Misty Mountain was too dangerous. Thicketskip announced that the mountain was off limits for hunting, and Salmonstar supported the idea. Though it would be harder to get through the leafbare without the extra prey that the mountain had to offer, it would still be better to not lose anymore clanmmates to its dangerous conditions. After they made this decree, Thicketskip joined up with the rest of the rescue patrol while Salmonstar took the job of carrying his aunt back to camp just behind the rest. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell his mother of Rootsun's death, but he only hoped that she had found peace in StarClan.
   The other cats that had been in the avalanche were kept by Orchidfrost and Laurelpaw for observation. In the mean time, Salmonstar had the chance to lighten the mood by naming some new warriors, Mallowbark and Sablefoot. In addition, there were four new apprentices to give to warriors, too. He carefully picked out their mentors, and in the end, he gave one to Seasong, who showed him compassion during the avalanche, and he gave another to Harenose. He could see that his son was still shaken by his great aunt's death, and Salmonstar hoped that giving him an apprentice would take his mind off of things. He wasn't sure if it was the right decision, but he would know in time if he needed to make adjustments. For now, he was just happy to see the clan cheering for the new apprentices, despite the catastrophes that they had been experiencing in the last couple of moons.
   The harsh leafbare continued to be a struggle to the clan when Orchidfrost began to come down with whitecough. Salmonstar was reminded painfully of the epidemic of greencough that spread across the territories last leafbare, and he worried if this was the start of it again. Even worse, it just had to start with their medicine cat. Perhaps it was lasting effects from when he fell in the water back at Crystal Falls. Because not half a moon later, his condition worsened into greencough, and he was put on bedrest. Would Laurelpaw be alright on their own? They were so young, with an entire clan to care for while their mentor fought such a nasty illness. Salmonstar made sure to come and check on them often, and he told Laurelpaw that he was open to helping the young cat if they ever needed it.
   One day, a patrol led by Thicketskip returned to camp with a young kit. Curious, Salmonstar walked over to get a report from his deputy. She told him that, while the border with CloudClan remains peaceful, they came in contact with a small patrol of CloudClan cats and this kit. By the scent that the kit gave off, Salmonstar could tell she was a kittypet, and he questioned why she was so far from home. She commented that she wanted to join HailClan, and that she knew about the clans from her grandfather. The leader was surprised, but before he could even think to protest, Jaggedheart stepped up and said she would take the little she-kit in if he would allow it. He stared down at this kittypet, whose name was Velvet, for a long time. She looked familiar to him, if distantly, and someone told him to let her join. So, albeit a bit reluctantly, he agrees to allow Velvet to stay and for Jaggedheart to adopt her. However, he told her that her name would not quite suit the clan life, and he asked her if she wanted a new name. So that day, she became known as Foggykit, a future warrior of HailClan. It was another mouth to feed, yes, but Salmonstar felt that it was right to let her in.
   And it balanced in the worst ways when Aspencloud was found dead near Misty Mountain. Given the state of his body, it was presumed that he was attacked by a predator. Salmonstar felt terrible for his former mentor, who now had to grieve for yet another one of his younger kits, and it reminded him painfully of losing Squirrelbark. Worse, Aspencloud's death shattered his daughter, Avocetflame. The young warriors had clearly been in love, as Salmonstar could deduce based on the way they interacted with each other. And now, they didn't get to grow old together like their parents would. Avocetflame began to close off with Aspencloud's death, and Salmonstar tried to comfort her as best her can. But nothing could cure a broken heart. So, he instead emphasized the enforcement he and Thicketskip put down on avoiding the mountain. They now knew it was not just nature that the mountain used to combat them, but predators, too. He would not lose another cat to that mountain, he would not let another family get torn apart.
   Turns out that Salmonstar didn't have to worry for Laurelpaw nearly as much as he thought. Orchidfrost, in his weakened state, mentioned Laurelpaw's excellent proficiency and independency in their tasks as a medicine cat without that, and he felt the young cat would be be a fine solo medicine cat. Orchidfrost, therefore, had deemed them a full medicine cat, and he gave them the name Laurelsprout. It was not the traditional way for a medicine cat to receive their name and rank, but with Crystal Falls still a disaster and their connection with StarClan uncertain, it was the best they could give. Salmonstar approved of this notion, and he decided to make the announcement of Laurelsprout's new name and rank to the clan in a meeting, where everyone cheered and congratulated their new medicine cat.
   But Salmonstar's family didn't have much time to celebrate. The snowstorms, as harsh as they can be, continued to roll in, and one of them took multiple of their loved ones. During a storm, in which everyone had taken shelter from its sudden coming, Duckkit and Buckkit had gotten caught out in the storm and gotten lost. Moosebranch, concerned for the kits, had left the safety of the nursery to go and find them, but none of them returned. Once the snowstorm passed, Salmonstar sent out an emergency rescue party to search for the three of them. But all they ended up finding were their bodies. It broke his heart, breaking the news to Fawnpatch and Finchbreeze about their deaths. He watched as they both held their remaining kits close and grieved heavily. Fawnpatch, especially, seemed terribly distraught. Though they were not mates, Fawnpatch and Moosebranch were incredibly close, to the point that they may as well had been such. And now, he not only lost his loved one, but also his son. Salmonstar comforted his younger brother, staying with him in the nursery until it was time for him to return to his own den. He didn't want to leave them, his family, but he also wanted to give them the space to grieve alone, too.
   On his way back to his den, Salmonstar saw Looneyes out in the middle of camp, staring blankly at the star-filled sky. He didn't interrupt the tom, figuring he was grieving his lost daughter, and figured he could talk to him in the morning. But by then, Looneyes had returned to normal, getting on with his duties and acting as if nothing happened. At least, that's what it looked like to the naked eye. Salmonstar saw him stumble over a branch sticking out from the snow, or how Looneyes stopped what he was doing, as if he forgot. Duckkit's loss was clearly affecting him, but he wanted to act like he was okay. Salmonstar respected his decision and didn't pry, though he did make a note for Looneyes' duties to be lightened a bit for the next moon while he learned how to cope.
   The clan celebrated when Laurelsprout announced that Orchidfrost was doing better. The older medicine cat's illness had lessened back to whitecough, and he was moving around again. Things looked to be looking up--at least, until a few days later, when Orchidfrost was found dead in his nest in the morning. His sudden death shocked the entire clan, especially Laurelsprout, and Salmonstar was distraught over the loss of his old friend. It was thanks to Orchidfrost and his visions with StarClan that HailClan was reformed, and everyone had great respect for him up until his last day. Salmonstar helped Laurelsprout prepare for the vigil, and still he followed the elders to Orchidfrost's final resting place. There, Salmonstar stayed long after the elders left, where he thanked Orchidfrost for all of the service that he gave HailClan. He couldn't think as to how this coudl have happened to such a wonderful medicine cat, especially when he was doing so well. But he didn't care about that in that moment. He just wanted to say goodbye to one of his most trusted allies.
   It was difficult, not seeing Orchidfrost around the camp. Slowly, everyone returned to their routines without the medicine cat there, though it never felt quite right. Then again, Salmonstar wasn't sure anything felt right anymore, especially when Sage suddenly appeared in HailClan. He recognized the young she-cat quite well, as she had trained under Elkshade in her time with HailClan. Ruddyheart had told him that she had gone missing during the clan's split, and Elderstorm, Finchbreeze's former apprentice, had left the clan in his grief over th eloss of Sagewillow. But here she was, in the flesh, in front of them. Salmonstar came out immediately with the questions on his mind; why was she there, and where had she been? She answered him honestly, telling him that she and Elderstorm--or Storm, as he went afterwards--found each other and decided to continue their lives as rogues. But leafbare didn't have mercy on anyone, and Sage came back to their den to find him dead of hypothermia. She spent the next moon grieving for him, before she had decided to turn back to her home here in HailClan in hopes that they would take her back, as she didn't want to be alone. Salmonstar sympathized for the young she-cat, and he offered her his condolensces for her loss. He couldn't even imagine telling Finchbreeze about the fate of her former apprentice, knowing she was sill grieving for Duckkit's death. Rather, he agreed to allow Sage back into HailClan; after all, this was her home. She was always welcomed back. But when he called her Sagewillow again, she requested her name be changed to Sagestorm in honor of Storm. Shocked but with understanding, Salmonstar agreed to the change, and the clan welcomed back an old face.
   And they only continued to see old faces when a few days later, Martenfang had shown up at the camp's entrance, too. Salmonstar began to wonder if this would be a trend of cats returning to HailClan, though Martenfang told him they would not be staying. Privately, they told Salmonstar that Blackstrike had passed away to greencough, and they were there to break the news to their mother. Salmonstar felt distraught and horrified at the news; Blackstrike and Whitetalon had left for a better life to CloudClan, and now one of them was dead? He gave his condolences to Martenfang before agreeing to let them stay for the day. However, before he let them go see Finchbreeze, he warned them that she has not been herself as of late. He didn't give specifics as to why, but he simply told them that their clan had been through a lot that has affected the old she-cat, and he asked that Martenfang tread carefully around her. With this agreement, Martenfang went to the nursery to be with their mother.
   By the time Martenfang had left, Salmonstar had poked his head into the nursery to check on the old she-cat. Lilacpool told him that she was clearly in a state of shock from the news and was not taking it well. Hearing this, he had Laurelsprout go check on Finchbreeze and to give her something to help her sleep, all while glancing back at the camp entrance where Martenfang left. Surely the CloudClan warrior felt just as terrible, losing their littermate? Salmonstar knew that feeling all too well. He hoped that they would be okay and that Starlingstar would continue to support them in their times of need while Salmonstar supported his own clanmates, too.
   At least he would be able to give Finchbreeze distractions in warrior duties. It was not long after that his nephews would become apprentices by the names of Juncopaw and Chickadeepaw respectively. He saw Looneyes watching beside Finchbreeze, and he could see the pride in his brother-in-law's eyes for his surviving kits, which made him smile. These kits, despite everything they went through, were loved very much,a nd they would be just fine. He gave Juncopaw to his own son, Feathercloud, while Chickadeepaw went to Ruddyheart's daughter, Bearbranch. Both were respectable warriors that he greatly trusted, and not just because they were family. He felt they would help Juncopaw and Chickadeepaw discover new things about themselves and learn to become independent cats. Though, he had to admit he was a little worried when he notcied how leery Bearbranch was about Chickadeepaw's love for climbing. But he had to tell himself that they would be okay in the end.
   He also had other apprentices to name over the next few days, providing them to Badgermask, Halfmask, and Avocetflame to train. Halfmask and Badgermask, both as older warriors who previously had apprentices, would be alright in the long run. It was Avocetflame he worried for, knowing that she was still grievcing over Aspencloud's death. But she seemed happy to be given her first apprentice, and he felt he made the right choice in the end. Not to mention their family and the clan as a whole got to happily send Ripetidescar their warmest gratitudes as he retired to the elders' den. Being Avocetflame's mentor, she likely felt something about it in the long run, but Salmonstar was happy to see his uncle get the long and well-deserved rest of being an elder. If only his father had gotten that chance.
   The good only continued to come to the clan with the melting of the ice and snow. Perhaps it was too early to think that leafbare was behind them, but Salmonstar felt it promising that the prey would return in full soon enough with the lack of cold weather, even if the rain started to come in so quickly. With the blossoming of newleaf on the rise, the clan continues to celebrate good news as Ruddyheart's kit, Whirlywind, became mates with Beavershine, and Beavershine's half-sister, Pinehawk, announced she was expecting kits. The nursery was in full abundance, with Bliss's kits, Doekit, Foggykit, and the newly born Buttercupkit and Rainstone's five kits. It felt like forever since HailClan was doing so well, and it made Salmonstar's heart swell as cats began to regain their energy and spirit.
   But it still had to be balanced out. Wolfpaw was found tragically killed with the clear injuries from a bear, and the starvation wasn't done taking its victims as Swiftpaw lost their battle with it. Salmonstar was reminded through these that leafbare was not over, and that he and the clan should not celebrate so soon. There was still so much left for them to get through regarding it, and even if the snow was over, the rain was heavy and made the forest feel terribly damp. He was glad to see everyone keep up their optimism, though, especially when he got to name Hawkbelly a warrior. He was so proud to see how well Spiralroot had trained the young warrior, and he felt this was jsut what the clan needed to get back on their feet and combat the remainder of leafbare.
   When a patrol came home one day with Martenfang, Salmonstar didn't find himself very surprised. The large CloudClan warrior admitted to feeling lost and uncertain since their last visit with their mother. They found themselves wrong about calling CloudClan home, figuring they did it out of grief back when their mother feared them, and they wanted to return to HailClan to be with their mother and adoptive siblings. Some cats showed skeptism towards the idea, including Salmonstar. Would he be wrong to accept them back after they had turned their back on HailClan once? What about the loyalties they had to CloudClan? If they got into war--which StarClan forbid they did--would Martenfang be able to fight for HailClan? Looking into their eyes, Salmonstar could see their regret, and perhaps it was crazy, but he could tell they had no more ties to CloudClan. At least, none that would hinder their abilities to serve HailClan. So, Salmonstar agreed to allow them back into HailClan, knowing that this would benefit both Martenfang and Finchbreeze alike. Not to mention HailClan gains a warrior out of it, which they could certainly use with the rapidly growing nursery. Martenfang was elated to hear this, though Salmonstar reminded them that there was a strong possibility the others would not trust them so quickly. They seemed to understand this, though, and they promised that they would prove themselves worthy of being a HailClan warrior again in time. Salmonstar accepted this answer and told them to go find their mother and tell her the good news. And it was nice, seeing Finchbreeze smile again so genuinely. Yes, this would be very good for the clan in the long run.
   The clan only continue to grow from here. Salmonstar hardly found a time where he didn't need to call a clan meeting, and most every time that he did, it was good news, such as naming apprentices. He had the pleasure of naming Dawnpaw and Lambpaw apprentices, giving them to Juniperberry and Snowfeather respectively. And when it wasn't Salmonstar giving news, it was someone else. Whirlywind and Beavershine announced that they were expecting kits and that Whirlywind would be moving into the nursery. Salmonstar could see the happiness in Ruddyheart's face hearing that he was going to be a grandfather to not one, but two of his kits' kits, and he felt just as happy to hear about his mentor's family's growth. Things had truly turned around for Ruddyheart, and Salmonstar was happy for him.
   Things were going so well for HailClan that Salmonstar almost forgot that bad things could happen. The weather was wonderful that day, so everyone was spending time outside. If they weren't out on patrols or hunting, cats were hanging out in the camp, sharing tongues and meals and gossip. Salmonstar, himself, was peacefully resting atop one of the many roots of the large tree in camp, sunbathing while he tried to catch up on some sleep. The sound of the playing kits and his brother's voice waking him up, though, had him smiling and responding with a kind and peaceful voice. Everything seemed to be perfect.
   Then, Lilacpool approached him. Not as his mother, but as a clanmate. He could see the urgency in her eyes as he dismissed his brother to hear what she had to say. She told him about a dream--a vision--that she had that showed her that Orchidfrost did not just die; he was murdered. Her dream showed that he had been fed deathberries, hence why he made a sudden turn for the worse. The idea of it shocked Salmonstar, though it didn't seem to be completely out of the question. But who would do that to Orchidfrost?
   He didn't have time to consider this, though, nor did he have time to confide in anyone about it, either. He hadn't realized that others had easedropped on the conversation, and suddenly, Laurelsprout was shouting at Rippletide, blaming her for Orchidfrost's death. Salmonstar quickly tried to interfere as everyone else turned to look at Rippletide and the whispering began. Salmonstar had a difficult time getting a hold of the situation as he tried to mention that they don't have all the evidence or back-up to Laurelsprout's claim. Even Laurelsprout admitted to the idea that Orchidfrost could have rolled onto the berries himself by accident. Some even mentioned the possibility that the clan had another traitor among them, completely unrelated to Blizzardfang. The thought of this made Salmonstar's blood run cold, but he couldn't entertain the thought. Regardless, they were all jumping to conclusions and needed to take the time to consider all possibilities. But it was too late; by the time the commotion had finally settled down, they noticed that Rippletide had fled the scene, escaping from the camp.
   Whether the gray she-cat had done it or not, having her outside and alone alarmed Salmonstar. He immediately organized patrols to search for her, but their efforts reeled in no results. In fact, they suffered from it when Burdockbounce fell off a steep ridge looking for his sister, which made Salmonstar feel all the more terrible about the situation. And among the multiple days of commotion, Foggykit had somehow slipped out of camp and disappeared, causing distress in multiple cats. None of this needed to happen. It could have all been avoided if him and Lilacpool had just spoken in private, or if he could have calmed Laurelsprout down. But it did, and they had to suffer the consequences. Dismayed at the results, Salmonstar decides to disband the idea of finding Rippletide and force the clan to move on. Orchidfrost was dead, and Rippletide was gone. At least those that still doubted her did not need to worry about her anymore, though Salmonstar couldn't help but think about the now rogue she-cat often.
   Thankfully, there was plenty to keep his mind off of it all. The clan progressively returned to normal again--or at least, as normal as it could get. They got to celebrate the birth of Pinehawk's kits, and everyone congratulated Finchbreeze and Wisteriapetal when they retired to the elders' den. Salmonstar, personally, felt relieved to see the old she-cats get the rest they deserved, knowing everything they had been through recently. But there was something else on his mind, too.
   Elkshade had approached Salmonstar one day with a shy smile. She told him that she had visited Laurelsprout, and in her visit, she discovered that she was expecting kits. The two had dreamt of having kits for moons, though they had decided to hold it off when Squirrelbark died so that they and their other kits had time to grieve. And now, it was finally happening, and Salmonstar was ecstatic. He wasted no time sharing the news with his family, and he was glad to see how happy his kits were at the thought of being older siblings. He helped Elkshade make her nest in the nursery, putting it close to his mother's, and he ended up spending the first night with her there. He was just so excited, and he felt like a kit again himself. But he realized he would need to return to his own den when Whirlywind's kits arrived, though he promised his beloved to visit her every chance he could.
   While he impatiently waited for the kits to arrive, Salmonstar returned to his duties as leader. The clan leaders and medicine cats decided together that Crystal Falls should be safe to investigate now, and they decided collectively to send cats to check the damage and see what they could do. While HailClan, EmberClan, and CloudClan agreed to allow warriors to join the investigation, MarshClan declared that only the high ranks may go. Tansyskip explained himself with his decision later on, stating that he felt their connection with StarClan was waning when MarshClan decided to start having guards go to Crystal Falls with him and Creamytail, and he would not make that same mistake twice.
   Salmonstar felt sympathetic towards the medicine cat, especially knowing that he was now the eldest of the medicine cats, and he respected Tansyskip's wish to keep MarshClan's cats to strictly those that would normally go to Crystal Falls. On HailClan's side, he trusted Laurelsprout to pick warriors that they trusted and believed to be of the best help towards the recovery of Crystal Falls. Not to mention he wanted Laurelsprout to be safe, especially after what happened last time. However, he also didn't want any apprentices going, as they still didn't know what the sacred place could bring after the last time any cat had gone there. And so the investigation began, and he hoped that soon, the medicine cats could make contact with StarClan again.
   Grizzlypaw's death was a hard beginning to the newleaf after she fell from a steep ridge. Salmonstar told Thicketskip that he was worried about how many deaths they had seen from these falls, and he suggested that patrols stay away from ridges and cliffs in hopes to avoid any further casualties. But he was happy to announce more apprentices, too, including Moosepaw and Bliss's kits, Goosepaw and Tundrapaw. Bliss's third kit, however, had decided to live the life of a rogue with her parent. After the apprentice ceremony, Bliss, Claypaw, and Chamomile said their farewells to the clan before leaving, promising to visit and bring gifts when they had the chance. It was strange to see them gone, having grown used to the older rogue's company again in their time with HailClan, though Salmonstar knew that the clan life was not their destiny. So he bid them warm farewells and told them they were welcome to return whenever they'd like. He knew that Bliss's kids that stayed in HailClan would always be waiting to see them again.
   Over the past moon, Salmonstar had noticed Feathercloud spending time with the she-cat Snowfeather. Perhaps it started during a training session, given that they both had apprentices, though Salmonstar couldn't be too sure. For the moment, they seemed quite happy, and Salmonstar wondered if he was going to be a grandfather soon. That would be nice, and then they would grow up with their uncles and aunts their age and have friends so early on. But that dream seemingly shattered when, out of nowhere, the two warriors began to avoid each other. Salmonstar couldn't make sense of it; did something happen between them? He wanted to ask, but he felt that was going beyond his limits of being Feathercloud's father. It was his son's personal life, and he needed to respect his privacy. He only hoped that the both of them would be okay in the end, and that this would not affect their working together in the future.
   The pace of action began to pick up once again one night during a gathering. While the other leaders were sharing their good news of the many newly named apprentices, their news was interrupted by the hissing and screeching of what could only be a nasty fight. Alarmed, multiple of the cats were quick to leave the gathering place and follow the sounds, including Salmonstar. Of all the things they were going to find, though, he was certainly not expecting to find the body of Wild, battered and lifeless. Even stranger, though, was that there was no traces left from her attacker, despite it clearly being recent. All they could take for evidence was the words of some MarshClan cats that said they saw a cat with dark fur, but it was not much to go on. Regardless, the clans needed to stay alert in case this cat came for others. In the meantime, they buried Wild, and despite the wrongs she made in her past, Salmonstar still mourned her, knowing she had been manipulated and helped make things right in the end.
   Whoever her attacker was must not have had anything against HailClan, thankfully, because they didn't hear anything else about it in their territories. In fact, they had the opposite of bad happen when their clan began to rapidly grow with an abundance in kits. Salmonstar got to name another apprentice, Wolfpaw, who he gave in full trust to Looneyes, but his attention was on the nursery. His dreams of being a grandfather would end up coming true when Snowfeather discovered she was expecting kits, and although she seemed a little agitated at it, he could see that she was also looking forward to being a mother, though it was nothing compared to the excitement Feathercloud experienced hearing he was going to be a father. In addition to Snowfeather's moving into the nursery, Martenfang, too, announced that they were expecting kits with the help of a rogue donor. He felt this helped solidify their place in HailClan, and he was happy to see Finchbreeze so excitedly help move her kit into the nursery. It was great seeing the elder happy again.
   There was also a litter of five born not long after, though they tragically lost their parents before their eyes even opened. Sagestorm ended up stepping up and becoming their mother, which seemed to give her a light of hope for the first time since coming to back to HailClan. Salmonstar smiled at the sight, but he had not the time to congratulate Sagestorm when Elkshade was suddenly giving birth to his own kits. Her birth was a success with all three kits and herself healthy. Two she-kits and a tom, it was love at first sight for both parents. They pondered over names for a long time, but after a lot of thinking, they decided to just name the kits on the fly; Phoebekit, Cricketkit, and Copperkit. They were so beautiful, and despite the packed nursery, Salmonstar convinced the queens to let him stay the first night with his family, and he curled up comfortably to Elkshade's side, gazing lovingly at the kits up until he drifted off to sleep.
   At least he was able to relieve the nursery of one mother and kit when his niece became old enough to become an apprentice. Salmonstar was proud to perform Doepaw's ceremony, giving her to Seasong for training. At the same time, he got to name three new warriors: Alderpounce, Ebonyblaze, and Cougarfeather. After the ceremony, however, he noticed how tense Fawnpatch was about his beloved daughter going out into the big world, and Salmonstar reassured him that Doepaw was in great care with Seasong. She had the clan at her side every step of the way, and Fawnpatch could not be there for her all the time. He hoped he could help ease his brother over time as Doepaw grew up, though he had to admit he felt the same when his own kits became apprentice moons ago in the EmberClan camp. At least Doepaw got to train in HailClan's territory, and for that, Salmonstar was grateful.
   Until everything came crashing down--literally. A tree just above the camp at the edge of the ravine became uprooted and fell into the camp. Perhaps it was due to the harsh winds that they had been experiencing, but the cause did not matter at the moment. The tree fell onto the elders' den, crushing a large portion of it. Unfortunately, Puffinpounce and Wisteriapetal were in the den at the time, as was Cherryhollow, and it killed all three of them instantly. Salmonstar was glad that there wasn't anymore casualties than that, but it still hurt painfully to lose his clanmates. Wisteriapetal and Puffinpounce had just become elders, and now they would get to live the rest of their lives in peace. And Cherryhollow was a respected warrior that died too early. The vigil for them was heavy, Finchbreeze especially mourning for her lost denmates, and Salmonstar went to help the elders bury the three of them the next day.
   The tree caused other injuries, too, when Oriolechirp was caught in the crossfire and was only partially crushed. He was alive, but his prognosis did not look good. And then there were cats that began to have troubles breathing from the dust and debris that the tree had created, sending Tarfeather to the medicine den for her severe symptoms. Unfortunately, neither would live for much longer when they both succumbed to their injuries. After mourning their clanmates, those that were fit enough began working on clearing the tree and repairing the camp. Salmonstar had the elders move to a safer place in the meantime, and Thicketskip was stern on keeping the kits away from the tree. But the work of removing the tree was difficult. While the cats were able to snap off smaller branches and move them out, the trunk of the tree was very much stubborn in staying put. Salmonstar began to wonder if perhaps they needed to incorporate the tree into their camp naturally; perhaps they could make it into the new elders' den. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to try and erase the painful memory from their camp, as well, so he tried his best with his clanmates to do what they can in removing it. Though, he also reminded the others to rest when they needed to, and if push comes to shove, they'd learn to live with the tree in their home.
   The tree was not their only issue. One day, a patrol solemnly brought back the bodies of the young warriors Ebonyblaze and Cougarfeather. Their wounds were easy to discern; they were killed by a bear. The good weather could also bring things like this as bears came out of hibernation, and Salmonstar made a strong point of this while they set up a vigil for them. They had to try to stay positive in the midst of their battle with nature.
   One light that Salmonstar, personally, found for his family was the evergrowing bond between his son, Harenose, and Mallowbark. The two have seemed close since the avalanche, and they only appeared to have gotten closer with everything happening around them. At first, Salmonstar worried for his son, remembering what had happened with Feathercloud and Harenose being evidently more shy and jumpy than his older brother. But Mallowbark was a good cat, and they got on well for moons, so Salmonstar loosened up every time he saw them and smiled. They had each other through it all, which made him happy to know that Harenose was well taken care of. It reminded him that good things were still happening, even if they were in small forms.
   And the next moon only seemed to prove his relief at HailClan's stableness. On top of getting to name more apprentices, Salmonstar looked forward to seeing the newest kits in the nursery whenever he went to go visit his own. Martenfang had given birth to two healthy tom-kits, Ferretkit and Weaselkit, and Salmonstar got to meet the first of his grandkits: Ashkit, Barkkit, Shellkit, and Lizardkit. When he goes to greet them, though, he is taken aback by Snowfeather's protectiveness. She allowed him and Elkshade to come closer, but with a wary glance and stiff muscles. Did they do something wrong? She should know that they would never harm their grandkits, nor would they let harm come to them. But she was even more defensive when Feathercloud approached, and Salmonstar realized that something else was up. He tried to gently remind Snowfeather that they were Feathercloud's kits, too, and he had a right to be in their lives. Though she didn't seem to take it all too well, she also didn't protest. Salmonstar decided not to press the issue much further, at least, not for now. He just had to hope that she would allow Feathercloud to be the wonderful father that he knew his son would be. The kits deserved that.
   But it seemed good things happening could only be said for HailClan. In fact, the tree falling in their camp may have been counted as lucky compared to what the other clans were experiencing. At the gathering, Salmonstar learned that the other clans had their fair share of bad experiences this past moon. If it wasn't the twolegs in CloudClan's territory, it was the flood that chased EmberClan out of their camp, or the bobcats that had returned to MarshClan's home. What was worse was that they all had lost their leaders: Reedstar was taken by the flood; Starlingstar lost his lives while investigating the twolegs' buildings; and Roachstar was found dead, though his clan could not determine what exactly had caused his death. Salmonstar was stunned beyond belief, and he grieved terribly for his lost comrades. He had so much to give to Starlingstar and Reedstar after they so graciously housed HailClan's refugees for moons, and he felt that he had failed them in some way. And Roachstar was so young to have been lost so soon. He offered his condolences to each clan, though deep in his heart, he was also thankful to realize just how stable HailClan was compared to the other clans. Despite the tree, he and Thicketskip were still kicking, and their clan was thriving every day against their losses. He felt terrible for the other clans, and he prayed that their situations would get better soon.
   It was not just these disasters that plagued his fellow leaders and their clans, however. Waspstar announced that a ghost had attacked attacked some of his clanmates and murdered one of his warriors, which was seen in a vision. He went on to state that he felt any visions that cats have be mentioned immediately, especially while the clans continued to work on repairing the Crystal Falls so that the medicine cats had a means to contact StarClan again. The mention of visions reminded Salmonstar painfully of the one Lilacpool told him about, and while he wished not to bring it up again, Waspstar was right; these visions needed to be said. So he told the gathered cats of the vision about their murdered medicine cat. He also urged cats to follow Waspstar's words and to tell their medicine cats about any strange dreams or potential visions that they may have.
   So you could imagine the surprise that ran through the clan cats when Dropletshine mentioned themselves having a vision. They had come to join the gathering that night, and it seemed like almost fate that they had. The leaders urged the friendly rogue to speak of their vision; they were in some far away place that had a lot of cats and a herd of deer, and among them all, there was one shining cat, not unlike a star. The rogue pointed out the potential importance of this cat, and after Pikestar shared her own vision about deer, Dropletshine questioned if perhaps they should go find this place and cat. It sounded like a good idea, but Dropletshine was kind, and no one felt comfortable letting them go alone. Halfstar suggested the idea of the clans offering warriors to accompany the rogue, with the medicine cats piping up with the idea that they can teach the cats that are going some herbs for survival. At first, Salmonstar was skeptical about the idea. Did they not need all the help the clans could get here, in their home? There was so much going on... But as the others agreed to the idea, and he saw Laurelsprout's nod of approval, Salmonstar finally gave and also agreed to give HailClan's support. After all, this was joint effort, and he, too, would not see Dropletshine potentially walking into their own death.
   Everyone left the gathering with this adventure on their minds, and time flew with the gossip before it was time for the quest cats to leave. Salmonstar, Thicketskip, and Laurelsprout had collectively decided on who would represent HailClan on the journey, but before he announced this to the clan, Salmonstar had some ceremonies to take care of. He was proud to name his nephews warriors, giving them the names Juncogaze and Chickadeehop. Chickadeehop was all sorts of happy, and though it didn't show on his face, Juncogaze was just as proud to be called a warrior. And Looneyes was among some of the first to go over and congratulate his sons, alongside Finchbreeze. Salmonstar also named Cinnamonblaze a full warrior of HailClan that day, too. But the time for stretching the quest announcement was gone, and he was to name their representatives.
   Salmonstar announced that among their clanmates, four would be going with Dropletshine on the journey: Bearbranch, Juncogaze, Cinnamonblaze, and Moosepaw. He was concerned at first, yet, to be sending so many young cats. But their generation was so much different to his, and their time was now compared to his and his generation. Still, he managed to convince his fellow high ranks to send an older warrior with them in the form of Bearbranch; she not only had age and maturity on her side, but also the skills of survival, too, after having been washed away by the river and coming back despite all odds. He felt more confident having her with them. After their session with Laurelsprout on herbal knowledge, the clan sent them all off with a heartfelt farewell, and a promise that they would return to them.
   Despite it only being four cats, the camp still felt just a bit more empty without their presences. Salmonstar saw Looneyes constantly reassuring Finchbreeze that Juncogaze would be alright, and he found Goosepaw grumbling about not getting to go with her best friends. The lack of their presences was evident, but he had to hope that this quest would not take them long to return from, and that things would go back to normal once they returned.
   Except Mother Nature had different plans. A day after the quest cats left, the ground began to shake and cracks formed in the earth. It was something Salmonstar had never experienced before: an earthquake. He took quick action to try and calm his clanmates and get them to higher ground, though he felt just as much panic as the rest. He raced to the nursery to help his mate and kits, as well as the other queens and their kits. And while most survived, they were not without casualties. Some cats fell into the earth while others got crushed by fallen debris like trees. Poor Redkit couldn't escape death when a branch struck her, and Ambermask and Winchester weren't in sight when the chaos settled. Everyone was clearly in shock and shaken by the event, and for many days, they treaded carefully, Salmonstar included. He worked hard to barricade the holes and cracks that the earthquake had left in the camp, and he warned everyone to watch their step when they were out in the territories, knowing the ground likely still wasn't stable. But there was another concern that was surely running through everyone's minds; what happened to the quest cats? Were they alright? They couldn't know, but they could only pray that they were long gone by the time the earthquake hit. Salmonstar couldn't bear the thought of never seeing any of them again.
   The clan began to make repairs to their camp, all while trying to remain calm. Though things only continued to happen, and they didn't give them much chance to rest. Not long after the earthquake, Snowfeather suddenly died, and Laurelsprout could only deduce it was from some untreated illness. Salmonstar worried about the kits when he heard this. What of their health? Did they have this illness? Who knows what it could do to kits if it could kill a warrior. But thankfully, the kits were still lively, and Feathercloud moved into the nursery to care for them as a full-time den dad, much like his own father. Salmonstar was sure to offer him as much help as he needed, doubling his time in the nursery to what it previously was. He was happy to see that Feathercloud could now interact with his kits without tension, though he was sad at the cost to get there. Hopefully Snowfeather's death would not affect the kits too terribly, though he knew how close Ashkit was with her. He reminded his own kits to play with them and make friends with them, and Salmonstar included all seven of them in his games when he had the time to play. At least he got to be the grandfather he always wished he had, and it reminded him of what it was like being young again.
   Around this same time, Laurelsprout had made an announcement to the clan to stay away from Bathing Boulders for awhile. When asked why, they said that they had a vision that foretold danger. Salmonstar was concerned at this, knowing that the visions can very much come true. What type of danger was it? Could it be something that they could drive away? He wondered if he should tell EmberClan about this, too, though he figured given how close Laurelsprout was with Briarshade, they would probably already know. He decided if he ever saw a patrol on the border on the off chance, he'd mention it, though for now, he enforced Laurelsprout's warning to patrols to make sure HailClan was safe.
   In the meantime, he was happy to announce six new apprentices in Rainstone's kits and Buttercupkit. They were all quite the pawfuls, and he was sure that their mentors would have quite the time with them. He gave Squallpaw over to his daughter, Avocetflame, and Blizzardpaw to Harenose. Meanwhile, Thicketskip was given Driftpaw, and he entrusted Ruddyheart's sons, Beavershine and Badgermask, with Sootpaw and Flurrypaw respectively. As for little Buttercuppaw, she would be Alderpounce's first apprentice. It felt right to give him one, having been such a good warrior himself, despite his young age. He was confident these new apprentices would do well.
   He also got to name two new warriors, being Goatstride and Lambhorn. It was good to see his clan continue to grow and face their conflicts head on; they didn't hesitate or run from their issues, but they were also careful in what they decided. It felt like it was only a moon ago that Salmonstar was becoming leader of HailClan and promising to return it to its previous strength. Yet, it was seasons ago, and now HailClan was thriving. And he was proud--not of himself, but of his clanmates. They deserved all the recognition for their hard work and resilience, and it was thanks to them that HailClan was where it stood now.