Icefang

basic description > Large, dark grey tabby tom with white markings, blue eyes, and protruding teeth
build > Large and muscular, though thin in his stomach/sides area
fur description > Very long, wild, and almost always unkempt
breeds > Maine Coon Mix
height > 35 cm
weight > 11.2 lbs

voice > Derek Mears
scent > Swamp water and damp bark

scars > N/A
accessories > N/A
banned traits > Rogue Past

Positive Traits
positive >
    >> Empathetic > Icefang has a wonderful ability to be able to read and understand the feelings that another is feeling. Even if he doesn't understand their feelings, he tries to figure it out and talk out the other's emotions. Not that he's the greatest at doing it, he still wants to put his ability to detect emotions to use.
    >> Dedicated > He is prepared to carry out orders, duties, and anything else that he has set his mind to do. Icefang doesn't get off track when he's working on something else. Because of this, he is very trustworthy.
    >> Honest > When he speaks, Icefang speaks his mind truthfully. He doesn't see any sense in lying, so the words he speaks are always his honest opinion.

neutral >
    >> Loyal > As soon as Icefang attaches himself to someone, he gains a strict loyalty to them. He believes that loyalty is important in gaining respect, especially after the many cats he's worked for. His loyalty is unwavering and he is sure to show it to those he is loyal to.
    >> Obedient > Regardless of whether his thoughts on someone is negative or positive, if they are his superior and give him orders, Icefang will follow through. He is well-known for keeping promises and following the rules, and doing what is told comes before anything else in his mind.
    >> Stoic > Icefang keeps a straight face on him at all times, having hardly ever shown emotion. Most cats don't know what he's thinking or feeling due to his lack of emotions. Even when he is impressed surprised, or some other extreme emotion, Icefang is good at hiding his reactions.

negative >
    >> Dependent > Icefang can't be without someone. He has grown a fear of being alone and living only for himself, to the point that he'll find anywhere where he can be with others. Because of his dependency, he does whatever he must to stay with the others, which makes him easy to contain.
    >> Sadistic > Although he cares about those he gets close to, Icefang finds pleasure in the pain of his enemies or even strangers. He will find himself become more energized when he sees defeated cats. Though he doesn't always feel this, he can be a completely different cat when he does.
    >> Passive > Rather than making his own story, Icefang lets it play out on its own. He doesn't work to change anything or go against what is happening. He believes that things that happen are probably meant to happen, and so he simply follows.

Parents
 parents >
    >> Luna > Dark blue-gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes and no claws > NPC > Unknown
    >> Oreo > Black tom with white patches and blue eyes > NPC > Unknown

siblings >
    >> Moonlight > White she-cat with blue eyes > NPC > Deceased
    >> Percy > Black tom with white patches and amber eyes > NPC > Deceased

mate >
    >> Seaheart > White she-cat with gray tabby patches and green eyes > Played by Spacecat011 > Alive

kits >
    >> Brookheart > Brown tabby tom with white spotting and blue eyes > Played by skywardnight > Alive
    >> Mistyshine > Blue tabby she-cat with white spotting and blue eyes > Played by ZodiacDream > Alive
    >> Puddlestorm > Dark gray tabby tom with high white coverage and green eyes > Played by ScorcherSoldier > Alive
     >> Dewlight > Gray tabby tom with white spotting, a lighter underside, and green eyes > Played by Sn0wbranch > Deceased

     >> Rainpaw > Dark gray tabby tom with white patches and blue eyes > Played by Mothfluttter > Alive
     >> Riverpaw > White she-cat with gray tabby patches and blue eyes > Played by iPann > Alive
     >> Skypaw > White she-cat with blue-gray tabby patches and green eyes > Played by RubyRose364 > Alive

extended >
    >> N/A

kithood [ 0 - 6 moons ] >
        Luna was a house cat that had become pregnant by a stray tom named Oreo when she got out of the house one day. At first, she didn't care about her pregnancy, knowing that the twolegs will send the kits somewhere when they were older and that she wouldn't have to concern herself with them for very long. And it wasn't long after that she had her kits in the twoleg den that she knew and loved; three kits, two sons and a daughter. The daughter was named Moonlight, and the youngest tom was named Percy. The oldest of the litter was a large tom-kit, far bigger than his siblings and much rowdier. He was named Mittens for the white sock-like markings on his feet.
    What the family of cats wasn't expecting was for the twolegs to not know of Luna's kittens, and without the funds to care for four cats, much less the one they normally had, they were forced to abandon the she-cat and her kits. Luna was devastated--not because her kits had no care, but because she had just lost the only home she ever knew because of little scraps of fur she never wanted. So, as soon as she was able to wean her kits off of milk, Luna left them alone to find herself a new family to join.
    Alone out on the streets was hard for the three kits. They were far too young to be on their own, and none of them knew how to fend for themselves or hunt for food. Mittens, being the strongest of the three, tried to work through their hardships and keep them all alive. He learned to hunt the street rats or scavenge for twoleg food in their silver cans. His brother, being the weakest, was the first to pass away. Mittens and Moonlight, heartbroken by their loss, buried Percy the best their small bodies could close to where their mother had nursed them. They didn't leave the place for about a moon before leaving. And then leaf-bare hit; the rats began to hide, and there were moments where the twoleg food was frozen. It became harder to find food and warm shelter. Being too weak to do anything, Moonlight would stay in the shelter while Mittens went out to find something. This worked for a while until Mittens made one mistake that he will always remember.
    One day, while out for a hunt, Mittens was starting to feel the effect of weakness on his own legs. He felt as if he couldn't walk for much longer. So when he managed to catch a decent rat, he felt obligated to it. If he gained his energy back, he could hunt better for his sister after all. So, having convinced himself with that, Mittens ate the rat. The next thing he found was a measly piece of twoleg food for his sister, but he figured it would be better than nothing for her. That is until he came back to his shelter to see his sister had passed away. His entire mental health crashed at the sight, realizing that if he had just brought back the rat, he could have maybe saved her. She, nor Percy, deserved their deaths. And here's Mittens, the brother that couldn't save his littermates. However, he knew they wouldn't have wanted him to mourn and lose time over it, so with a heavy heart, Mittens buried Moonlight beside Percy and moved on.

rogue [ 6 - 34 moons ] >
        On his own now, Mittens became stronger as he became the only cat he had to care for. His body grew at a faster rate, his muscles toned up, and he felt an overall boost in his energy. He became more confident about walking around the streets of the twoleg place. Despite his cute name, Mittens was a force to be reckoned with as he won many fights against other cats for scraps of food, to the point that he was respected by others. However, he still had another issue.
    Mittens was lonely. He missed his brother and sister, and sometimes even his mother. He not only wanted but felt he needed someone with him. So, he ended up joining a group of cats that lived in an alleyway. It was only a group of about five cats that looked out for each other. They hunted for each other, took care of each other, and even kept each other warm. They were like a family. This was quickly destroyed by another group that came in and took over their family. They began to take ownership over the alley they lived in, bully the cats in Mittens' group, and got to a point where the cats had two choices: join the group and face being under one leader, who was known as Bane, or leave the alleyway and risk getting killed if they tried to return. Most of the group ended up leaving, but Mittens, being the type that wanted company, forced himself to stay.
    For a long time, he let Bane and his cats control him and the other two cats of his group that remained. He was forced to hunt for cats and then never given back for his work, or sleep in the coldest areas of the alleyway. His mind knew it was worse than he was trying to make it out to be, but Mittens continued to hope it would change. And it never did. It was around his twelveth moon that Mittens decided he had enough. He was tired of Bane's reign and how he and his family were being treated. So Mittens challenged Bane for the leadership position. And he was quick to learn that Bane was all talk and no fight, as he was quick for Mittens to defeat and cause to run off. Not without his own pain, however. Before Bane ran, some of his cats jumped Mittens. They broke the end of his tail, and his jaw was broken from the force of the cats, as well. Although his jaw managed to heal, his teeth are permanently stuck in an underbite, and his tail will never heal from the break. Then, it was over just as fast as it had started. With Bane and most of his higher-ranked cats gone, Mittens became the new leader of the group.
    But it was no longer the same after that for him. He was now treated as a leader. Conditioned by Bane, even the cats from his original group felt the need to bow to him rather than consider him an equal anymore. It not only made Mittens uncomfortable, but he was lonely again. He would lay at the top of the dumpster and look down on the group of cats he ruled, who came in and out of the alleyway every day. He would try to change the group back to how he remembered it, but he knew he couldn't erase the scars that Bane had left on both his cats and Mittens'.
    Mittens left the group after about a moon of being their leader, leaving an old friend of his, Harley, in charge. He couldn't stand the separation he felt with them. If he had to choose between being with cats that only treated him as a leader or being alone, he would rather live his life for himself. And he did for a few more moons. He stayed in the same twolegplace, and on the occasion, he would see cats from his old group. They seemed much happier, even with him gone. He was happy for them, but was he happy?
    On his sixteenth moon was when the Storm suddenly became a thing. He didn't know where they had come from or what their intention was. And, at the time, Mittens didn't care. To him, The Storm was another group looking for food and shelter, another group to avoid. That is, of course, until their leader, Onyx, approached Mittens. The leader had said he had heard Mittens name around the area as one of the biggest and baddest, and Mittens didn't deny it. He knew he had a reputation for his fighting and being the leader that beat Bane. Not that he was proud of it, of course. But Onyx, however, was interested in this strength. He wanted that strength on his side. So, when he learned Mittens weakness of loneliness over the time he spent with the large tom, Onyx offered the company of the Storm to Mittens with Mittens returning the favor in his strength. And Mittens, desperate for said company, agreed.
   Having promised him good company and a full belly, Onyx recruited Mittens to The Storm. The first thing that happened as a cat of The Storm was that Mittens had to change his name due to Onyx not liking his previous name. So, Mittens renamed himself to Freeze, as it applied to his pelt just as well as Mittens did. The newly named Freeze, being the type to just follow along, was quick to adjust to his new name. Onyx declared him an alpha for his large and muscular stature. At the time, Freeze didn't understand what this meant but was quick to find out. When he tried to converse with omegas, he would be told by the other alphas that they were below him. He would be told to let them hunt for him, or he should talk to the other alphas than waste his time on the omegas. Freeze didn't quite like the dynamic, but he gave Onyx the benefit of the doubt about his group.
    Freeze was quick to learn about Onyx's hatred for kittypets when he had The Storm attack one and addressed his thoughts on them publicly as he used them as an example. Freeze, knowing of his kittypet blood through his mother and he assumed his father, shifted uncomfortably at the thoughts that Onyx mentioned. If his bloodline was revealed, would he be dropped down to the omegas, or worse, kicked out? He didn't want that. So, Freeze hid his history and kittypet blood from the eyes of The Storm, eventually suppressing that thought about him for many moons to come. It would no longer be important, as he had more important duties in The Storm to worry about.
    For many moons, Freeze continued to work under Onyx. Though it was similar to Bane's group, Freeze didn't feel the same about the tyranny as he did with his group. Maybe it was because there were no cats in The Storm that he knew, or Onyx had a vibe that made Freeze want to follow him, but it never bothered him as Bane did. He began to get used to the rankings of The Storm, to the point that he began to follow what was told of him; don't talk to the omegas, and focus on your duties. He steadily climbed towards gaining Onyx's respect and becoming a high alpha, as his leader would call it. He got used to the constant fighting, even against his own group that he used to love and cherish. As long as he could keep the company he had from The Storm, he would do anything.
    And anything meant fighting the clans. Freeze was in the first wave of cats that encountered CloudClan and stole their territory. He was quick to follow Onyx's orders in driving out the clan cats and claiming the territory. Though, for the first time in a long time, he felt wrong in doing so. He didn't get the same thrill he did when he won a battle or sent a cat running. In the end, something felt amiss.
    It wasn't long until Freeze met the rogue, Dropletshine. Though they shared the same type of name as the clan cats, they didn't reside in the clans like the others. They seemed laid back and, despite being within The Storm's territory, seemed optimistic. At first, Freeze was ready to drive out, or even kill, the rogue. That is until Dropletshine broke through his chipped armor and discovered that he wasn't satisfied with the way things were going. Faltering through his facade, Freeze managed to refrain from attacking the rogue. Instead, Dropletshine managed to get him to sit down and have a conversation. They went into the history of the clans, their beliefs, the warrior code, and general information. And the information fascinated Freeze. What caught his attention most was the warrior code, specifically how cats fed the queens, kits, and elders first. It made him think back to his littermates, buried back at home. Where he could have been with Moonlight if he had come back with that rat. He realized she would have survived if he lived by this code the warriors went by. So, after that day, his mind was changed about the clans, but he was forced to keep it to himself so long as he was loyal to Onyx.
    He continued seeing Dropletshine around, and a few times he would try and warn the rogue about being near the territory. And his fears came true when Dropletshine was captured and held prisoner by Onyx and The Storm. He kept silent about his brief friendship with Dropletshine, being sure to be careful around them. Then Sea, one of the few omegas that Freeze was friends with--and, admittedly, was closer than friends with--failed her hunting trip and was also made an example of by Onyx. Freeze believed that his friends were going to die, but was pleasantly surprised that they were alive and safe, having escaped the CloudClan camp that they resided in. He has seen Sea, now Seaheart, on the other side of the borders and conversed with her. Freeze was happy to hear that she was happy again, and although she tried to persuade him to join her, his loyalty to Onyx came first. So, he remains in The Storm, begrudgingly preparing for his next battles against the clans.
   Freeze continued his lonely and battle-ridden life in The Storm, slowly becoming more depressed about being there. He hated not having Sea, and to top it off they were becoming more aggressive with the clan cats. He had joined a raid on the clan known as HailClan's camp, where he assisted in the destruction of their herb stocks, and sadly the death of their medicine cat, Fogflower. Freeze didn't want any cats to die that day, for it was not their mission, but yet King insisted on it. And then there were the many attacks on MarshClan's territory, where The Storm was sure to keep the clan cats away from the border. Around then was when Freeze began to question why he was still there when he approved of nothing that Onyx decided. Yet, he knew he had a promise to uphold with Onyx; for his strength, Onyx provided a home. And he couldn't break that.
   Then came the night that his life would change once again. It was a quiet night in the CloudClan camp, and The Storm was going about their night like usual. Freeze had just been taken off guard duty and laid down to rest when the yowls of battling hit his ears. He was quick to react and, when he left his nest, he didn't feel surprised to see the clan cats had come to attack The Storm. Even so, he had a duty as an alpha to execute. What he wasn't expecting, though, was to fight his old friend Seaheart. It hurt to attack her and made him feel more wrong than he ever has, and his first betrayal to The Storm was letting her live. And he continued to be hesitant in his actions up to the end of the battle, where Onyx and King were killed by the clan cats. Freeze, in the panic of the other rogues, fled the CloudClan camp and took shelter just outside of the borders. The Storm was no more, and Freeze was once again alone.
   Freeze, however, knew he couldn't be alone for long. He now had no one controlling him as Onyx did, and he couldn't just go back to his normal life back in the twolegplace with Harley and his old group. For a moment, he didn't know what he would do, and he wandered the borders of the clans for two days. But it was his mind going back to Seaheart, who spoke so warmly of her new place in MarshClan, that brought him to a decision: he wanted to join a clan. Though he knew it wouldn't be easy. CloudClan would never accept him after what The Storm did, and he was sure that news got around about his assistance in HailClan's medicine cat's death. The only other clan he knew of was the very clan where Seaheart was, but would they accept him as they did for her? The only way to find out was to simply ask.

warriorhood [ 34 - present moons ] >
    Freeze went to Maskstar with the thought that he would be chased out or, worse, killed. But he was surprised when Maskstar agreed to let him into MarshClan, and although he was delighted, he could see that some of the members of the clan seemed skeptical about it. In hopes that he could help the situation, he requested to get his name changed to better fit in with the clan. He was given the name Icefang, which he wondered if it alluded a bit to his previous name. However, he was glad to get rid of the name Freeze, as he felt he was putting behind his past with The Storm along with it.
   Icefang makes sure he works hard at any moment that he clan to show his new loyalty to MarshClan. Although he's not the best hunter, he tries to join every patrol, even if it's more like guarding the other cats, and he is always asking for duties in the camp. He is glad to be back with Seaheart, too, especially now that they can be open with each other again. He hopes the clan will come to accept him soon as he settles into his new life.
   It took Icefang a lot of time and patience to adjust to clan life. He was so used to doing nothing but guarding and fighting, so when he was told he had to hunt and patrol, as well, he was concerned. Icefang hadn't had to hunt for his own food since before he became Onyx's underling, which seemed like seasons ago. And, to top it all of, the stares he got. It was clear that no one trusted him like they trusted Seaheart. It made adjusting harder, as he didn't get this type of backlash even as an alpha in the Storm. He knew it would take the clan time to get used to him. And he was thankful that Seaheart was there to help him figure out how to adjust.
    Time seemed to pass quickly. Icefang was progressively getting used to his new life, and the other cats were starting to acknowledge him as a clanmate. It was the first time in a long time that Icefang could say he was happy. He didn't think anything could sour his mood. That is until one of his clanmates announced she was expecting kits and was forced to give up her training with her apprentice. And Maskstar had the bright idea to reassign the apprentice, named Hootpaw, to Iceffang. His heart fell at that. Sure, he should be proud that Maskstar trusted him, but why? He didn't know what it was to be a warrior! He was still learning about the Warrior Code and hunting himself. Icefang was worried about himself, but even more worried for poor Hootpaw. He had heard the stories of her father being killed in the final battle with the Storm. How was she going to take having a former alpha being her mentor, who didn't know the slightest clue of being a mentor?
    In his panic, there was one beacon of light that brought him back out of the darkness: Seaheart. His longtime friend, the one he trusted so much and put his faith into. She told him she would be glad to help him train Hootpaw. He was grateful to have her support. And he was even happier when she confessed her love for him. If he was being honest, he thought they had already considered each other to be together, but he was all the more ready to confirm his feelings for her, as well, and they announced their mateship shortly after.
    The two working together to train Hootpaw made Icefang feel better about his situation, though he knew his apprentice was still wary about him. And when Seaheart ended up getting her own apprentice, Puddlepaw, Icefang began to panic a bit again. Sure, they could still work together with both apprentices, but he felt that now Hootpaw would have to rely on him more now. But, he thankfully didn't have to worry about that for too much longer. It wasn't long after Puddlepaw became an apprentice that he fell through the ice. Hootpaw didn't hesitate to jump in and save him, and for her bravery, Gullstar rewarded Hootpaw with her warrior name, Hootsong. As suddenly he became a mentor, Icefang was not. He was relieved to have the weight off of his shoulders, but his job wasn't done. He continued to work as a second mentor to Puddlepaw, helping the young tom in battle techniques and defense where Seaheart lacked. But knowing the tom wasn't his direct apprentice still made Icefang feel better.
    Unfortunately, that didn't get to last for long. Puddlepaw had, once again, fallen into the water, but with no one to help him, he drowned. Seaheart was heartbroken, and Icefang became her crutch. He, too, felt the absence of the peppy tom at their sides, and it made things hard for the couple. Things began to look up, though, when Seaheart discovered she was expecting kits. Underneath the excitement that Icefang couldn't contain at the news were nervousness and fear. He never had a father figure, so he never imagined himself being a father himself. But he forced himself to push those thoughts away and declared that he would be the best father that their kits could ever hope for.
    With Seaheart now in the nursery, Icefang took it upon himself to work twice as hard to make up for her absence. It was hard continuing his duties without her by his side, and he even tried to hunt in her stead, though it never worked out well. He even tried to involve himself with his other clanmates more, speaking to other cats and participating in patrols with others. He slowly began to gain the trust of his clanmates more and finally become a MarshClan cat.
    A few days before Seaheart was expected to deliver, Wildstar made a shocking proclamation; EmberClan was declaring war against CloudClan. Icefang had heard of their accusations against CloudClan for stealing prey, and the declaration only made him more uneasy. He had just escaped one life of battle and was not prepared to enter another one, especially when he had kits on the way. So when Gullstar sided with Wildstar against CloudClan, he was at a loss. He was not prepared to go to war, but he knew he would. He was loyal to MarshClan, and if that meant fighting, then fight he will.
    Around this time was when Icefang finally made friends with his former apprentice, Hootsong. After speaking with her older brother, Heavytalon, and learning why she despised him so much, he was thankful to realize she was not completely correct. The issue, which was that her father had been killed by the Storm in the final battle, caused her to not trust him, believing he could have been involved in the late tom's death. Knowing this wasn't true, as Icefang spent the majority of the final battle with Seaheart, Icefang wanted to clear things up with Hootsong. He wasn't ready to give up on having some sort of relationship with his apprentice. After a long talk with her, Icefang believes they're finally on the right path to a better future. He only hopes that now, he'll be able to stay on that good streak with her.
    Seaheart gave birth to four healthy kits. Three toms and a she-kit, Icefang was ecstatic, despite the emotion not showing on his face. The two agreed on names for all of the kits, with Seaheart naming two of them, Icefang one, and then working together to name their youngest. Icefang named Book-kit, their first-born, while Seaheart named their daughter Mistykit after her mother and Puddlekit after her late apprentice. Their last-born was named Dewkit, which alluded to their friend, Dropletshine. Icefang came to a surprising, but pleasant, realization that day; he finally had a family.
    For a bit, life was peaceful for Icefang. Yes, there was a war going on, and yes Icefang involved himself. He found himself in border skirmishes when he would accompany hunting patrols by the border, but he never got involved in anything big for a while. Rather, he got to spend time with his beautiful mate and kits, enjoying the idea of being a part of a family for the first time since... well since he was born. His kits were happy and healthy, his mate was safe, and he was there with them. It was perfect. But of course, the war eventually had to come and catch up with them. While it never affected them directly, it was tough to watch his clanmates return from battles injured, but thankfully not dead. At least, not yet. It was to the point that Icefang realized he would have to take further action as a warrior of MarshClan. He became busier with his work, having little time to visit the nursery save for the night time. And then there was the first major battle he was involved in. He ended up going against a CloudClan warrior he recognized all too well; he knew him as Flowersmoke, the cat that had pitted himself against Onyx many moons ago. Recognizing Icefang as a former Storm member made the CloudClan warrior more amped to fight, though it was practically meaningless as Icefang crushed the tom and sent him running home with internal injuries. He hadn't fought before under the warrior code, so Icefang prayed that the tom would be okay in the end as he jumped back into the fight. Thankfully, though, it didn't last much longer as CloudClan retreated and MarshClan returned home, where Icefang curled up with Seaheart and his kits that night silently hoping that Flowersmoke could do the same.
    Despite his concerns from that battle, Icefang continued to accompany his clanmates on patrols in case they got into another battle. But most of the time, the patrols were uneventful and, if he was being honest, boring. They weren't the same without Seaheart. Although he loved his kits to death and wouldn't want it any other way, Icefang couldn't wait for Seaheart to return to her warrior duties and they could begin working together again. After all, they made a better team than two individuals.
    All these thoughts were swept away along with his son, Puddlekit, when the young kit was suddenly found nearly drowned in the river and brought back to camp. Icefang and Seaheart were relieved to hear he was alive after all the searching they had done for him when he disappeared, but the unnatural angle, clear disfigurement, and blood coming from Puddlekit's jaw made Icefang's fur shiver. Tansyskip, MarshClan's medicine cat, was quick to diagnose him with a broken jaw, much like Icefang once had when he was younger. But Puddlekit had so much more on his side than he ever did at a time like this; medicine, a healer, and cats that loved and supported him surrounding him. He could only hope that would be enough to heal his son so that he wouldn't have to deal with the same problems Icefang had to.
    While Puddlekit rested and healed in the medicine den, Icefang and Seaheart's other three kits went on to become apprentices. Icefang was sure to be at the front of the crowd as he watched them all gain their apprentice names and be assigned their mentors, not just because he was proud of them, but also to see who would be their new crutches. But he had nothing to worry about; the warriors they were assigned seemed all well and good, and Icefang looked forward to seeing his kits in action. He was only sad that Puddlekit was unable to join them as he glanced at the medicine den, seeing his son sitting by Seaheart with a clear, forlorn look.
    And let's not forget the war. No, it was still happening around them as all this happened. One of their clanmates--Moth-heart--had lost his life, others permanently injured with loss hearing or otherwise, and so much more. But the biggest shock of the war was Gullstar's death. She had returned to camp bloodied and clearly just out of a fight, where she had collapsed in the middle of camp and was surrounded by her clanmates. Icefang, knowing the leader had never truly accepted him, kept his distance all the while listening intently as to what was happening. So when she lost her last life there beside her kits and loved ones... it hurt Icefang. He always wanted to prove himself to her and show he was a clanmate, and now he wouldn't. More than that, though, she died honorably, but undeservingly. Was this what the clans felt when the Storm attacked and invaded them? He hated it. Icefang watched as the clan mourned the loss of Gullstar from afar, though he silently wished her the best of travels to StarClan.
    That left Sandslash--Sandstar--as their new leader. Of course, Icefang didn't really get along well with the tom, either, but he wanted to try his best. A new leader meant a new start. And that new start began with... Seaheart. Sandstar suddenly declared her as his deputy, putting his trust into her to be his second. Icefang, albeit surprised, was proud and happy for his mate. He knew she not only deserved it, but she would also fill the role nicely. Seeing her so confident and happy made the tom fall in love with her all over again.
    There were many other things that Sandstar did in his first moon as leader that Icefang enjoyed. For one, the leader had pulled MarshClan out of the war, leaving the other clans to their own devices as MarshClan recovered. There would, hopefully, be no more deaths in their clan from this, and Icefang can relax once again. And then Puddlekit was finally healed well enough to become an apprentice. Icefang was sad to hear from the medicine cat that his son's jaw would never be the same again, but it didn't seem to mind the young tom. If anything, he seemed... happy? Icefang didn't understand it, but he tried to be happy for Puddlepaw as he gained his apprentice name and his mentor, Marigoldsong. But secretly, he still detested that his son would have to go through the same struggles as him with an unnatural jaw.
    The war didn't last too much longer after Sandstar pulled MarshClan out. The borders became increasingly quiet, and it was at the next gathering where everyone learned Wildstar had been driven to exile by her clan and Reedshine, now Reedstar, became the new leader. He announced the end of the war at that gathering, and everyone rejoiced as best as they could to the news. But they would never get back those they had lost or the injuries they had sustained.
    Thankfully, with the end of the war, things went back to normal quickly. At least, for Icefang they did. He moved on quite quickly from the loss and struggles of it, focusing again on the positives and progression of the clan. Apprentices were made, and every time they were, Icefang had to admit he was thankful to never be chosen to mentor one. Warriors, too, were made. This included his own kits. Brookheart, Mistyshine, and Dewlight became warriors a few moons after the end of the war, and Icefang watched on with pride beside Seaheart as their names were cheered. But he felt sad for Puddlepaw as he, too, had to watch his littermates earn their names without him. He didn't seem too bothered, but rather determined after the ceremony, and Icefang had to convince himself that his son was going to be okay.
    Besides, it was only a moon later that Puddlepaw, too, would become a warrior. He was given the name Puddlestorm, which surprised Icefang. He didn't think any cat, much less Sandstar, would want to give him a suffix that reminded them all of the war. But he didn't protest; seeing Puddlestorm's happiness was enough for him.
    For awhile, the clan and the surrounding forest became quite quiet. It was just the way Icefang preferred. Kits were coming and going from the nursery, and from the look of Seaheart, he wondered if she was longing to have kits again. He would be open to another litter, but only if she wanted to. In the mean time, their daughter, Mistyshine, became a mentor herself to an apprentice named Lilypaw. It filled Icefang with pride to see his daughter become so successful. But that pride was short lived.
    One night, while Icefang was on guard duty, Sandstar's kits, Batkit and Shrewkit, had snuck out of camp. He hadn't realized they were out of the nursery at all; perhaps his senses had dulled since the end of the war. It had been so calm the past season that he wasn't expecting anything, and he was enjoying his moments of respite too much. Because of his lack of supervision, the kits left camp and encountered a badger. They returned one in shock, and the other missing a leg. Icefang felt terrible; he should have seen them leaving camp, or at least heard them, and he didn't. And because of him, they were now being held back a moon from their apprenticeship, and Shrewkit was never the same after the loss of her leg. It made him wonder if he was worthy to be a father again, and it took a lot of reassurance from Seaheart to get him to believe it wasn't fully his fault. Although he definitely doesn't miss the glares that Sandstar had given him since the attack.