Daisyspring

basic description > Small, light cream calico she-cat with heterochromatic eyes
build > Dainty and lean
fur description > Thick and soft
breeds > Moggy
height > 20 cm
weight > 6.8 lbs

voice > Christy Altomare
scent > Lavender and Marigold

scars > Three scars across her belly
accessories > Poppy and daisy flower crown
banned traits > N/A

Positive Traits
positive >
    >> Compassionate > There's a place in her heart for everyone. Daisyspring is ready to be there for someone in need of a friend at all times, and she tries to understand the pains of others as best as she can. She's a cat that anyone can rely on to talk about their problems and emotions and not feel judged.
    >> Patient > Daisyspring never seems bothered by delays and issues. She's the time that is willing to sit through an entire conversation about the other individual and listen to it all. She would rather take things slow and steady than rush into everything.
    >> Kind > She doesn't seem to have a drop of malicious blood in her body as Daisyspring emits friendliness. She has an overall kind aura that never seems to change, and she becomes a friend to everyone around her, regardless of their own attitude towards her.

neutral >
    >> Reserved > Having such a big heart for others, Daisyspring tends to close off her own problems and emotions so that she can focus on others. She can be hard to read sometimes as she doesn't like to show what she is feeling to others. She tends to put on a mask of happiness no matter what she is truly feeling, not wanting others to worry about her.
    >> Dreamy > She can often be found daydreaming and being lost in her own thoughts. Daisyspring creates many fantasies of what her future can become in her mind, sometimes setting the bar for herself and her expectations a little too high.
    >> Unaggressive > Daisyspring doesn't care for violence and aggression. She's very mellow and would rather resolve issues through conversation than claws and bloodshed.

negative >
    >> Passive > Being very non-confrontational, Daisyspring tends to be a bystander to everything. Even if there's something happening that she dislikes, she finds it hard to act, often sitting on the sidelines and watching in dismay.
    >> Timid > She is easily scared and shows a clear lack of confidence. Though she enjoys to talk with others and make friends, approaching them is a completely different story, and she struggles to initiate anything. This doesn't tend to show once she opens up more, but it's a matter of getting her to open up first.
    >> Aimless > Daisyspring often goes with the flow and has no sense of reason or direction with her actions. Even when she's given instructions, Daisyspring may mess things up. If she has no direction, things just simply don't go according to plan.

Mental Illness: Short-Term Memory Loss
- Daisyspring is unable to remember short-term memories, such as what she did that day.
   - This can include what she ate in the morning, information from conversations, and even what prey she's caught that day.
- She'll be able to remember important events in her life, but things that don't make an impact on her she has a harder time remembering. Over time, however, events will eventually develop into long-term memory and she'll be able to remember them with a basic reminder.
- She'll need to be reminded constantly about basic things.
- However, her body has excellent muscle memory and often can fill in the holes of her memory when it comes to hunting--not much with fighting, though.

Parents
 parents >
    >> Acorntail > Brown ticked tabby she-cat with yellow eyes and a bobbed tail > Played by ScorcherSoldier > Deceased
    >> Egretfrost > Gray-and-white tabby tom with orange eyes > Played by Hugh-Janus > Deceased

siblings >
    >> Rabbitpaw > Cream-and-orange she-cat with orange eyes and a bobbed tail > Played by ScorcherSoldier > Deceased
    >> Warrenpath > Brown patched tabby tom with yellow eyes > Played by0PrinceofDarkness0 > Alive
    >> Juniperfern > Grey ticked tabby tom with yellow eyes > Played by Hugh-Janus > Deceased
    >> Moorstride > Tortoiseshell she-cat with a lighter undercoat and orange eyes > Played by Sn0wbranch > Deceased

mate >
    >> N/A

kits >
    >> N/A

extended >
    >> Batflight > Maternal Grandmother > Dark brown tabby she-cat with a white chest
    >> Brackenspots > Maternal Grandparent > Rosette spotted brown agender cat
    >> Amberpounce > Paternal Grandmother > White she-cat with patches of golden-brown tabby markings and brown eyes
    >> Softcloud > Paternal Grandfather > Pale grey tom with darker points and blue eyes.
    >> Timberpaw > Aunt > Brown tabby bicolour she-cat
    >> Wolfpaw > Uncle > Greyish brown tabby tom
    >> Littlekit > Uncle > Rosette spotted tom
    >> Finchhop > Aunt > Dark brown tabby she-cat with white
    >> Bramblingthorn > Great Uncle > Light brown rosette spotted tom
    >> Parsleystone > Great Aunt > Light brown patchy tortoiseshell she-cat
    >> Finchwhisker > Great Aunt > Brown she-cat

    >> Quailbelly > Niece > Brown she-cat with rosettes and hazel eyes > Played by Mothfluttter > Alive
    >> Rabbitlily > Nephew > Cream color-point tom with blue eyes > Played by drakkeosaur > Alive
    >> Lilybreeze > Niece > Dilute calico she-cat with amber eyes > Played by priestofbast > Deceased
    >> Elkstone > Nephew > Brown-and-white bicolor tabby tom with green eyes > Played by GhoulFoole > Deceased
    >> Mountaincall > Nephew > Tan-and-brown tom with green eyes > Played by Winter5587 > Alive

    >> Crocusclaw > Grand Niece > Brown colorpoint tabby she-cat with blue eyes > Played by Sn0wbranch > Alive
    >> Bellflowerfox > Grand Niece > Cream colorpoint tabby she-cat with turquoise eyes > Played by SnorlaxJax > Missing
    >> Cygnetpaw > Grand Niece > Gray-and-white colorpointed tabby she-cat with mismatched blue eyes > Played by halcyon0211 > Deceased
    >> Frogletfern > Grand Nephew > Brown colorpoint tabby tom with green eyes and a bobbed tail > Played by Melontine > Alive
    >> Fireflykit > Grand Niece > Dilute calico tabby she-cat with green eyes > Played by drakkeosaur > Alive
    >> Squirrelkit > Grand Niece > Brown tabby she-cat with heterochromatic yellow and green eyes > Played by lilyspite > Alive

kithood [ 0 - 6 moons ] >
    Daisykit is Acorntail and Egretfrost's last-born kit, after her sisters, Rabbitkit and Moorkit and her brothers, Warrenkit and Juniperkit. Though she was small, she never let herself be left out of the fun.
    It was found out early on that she had a hard time remembering basic things, as noted when she would ask the same questions only moments apart. This brought up some concerns about her future as a warrior. Would she be able to remember her training? What about basic commands? It never bothered Daisykit, though. As long as someone would answer her question, she was happy, even if she forgot the information moments later. The clan could only hope that she would grow out of the issue, or at least learn to get through it during the worst times.
    Aside from learning about her short-term memory loss, Daisykit's kithood was overall natural and uneventful. She was able to meet kits from other clans during the Festival of Snow, including a group of kits from MarshClan. She doesn't remember their names though. Other than this, though, she waited patiently to become an apprentice, eager to learn and grow into a warrior.

apprenticeship [ 6 moons - 12 moons ] >
    Finally, the time came! Daisykit was going to become an apprentice! She was fidgeting and restless as she waited for all of the other apprentices--Deerhop's kits and Daisykit's littermates respectively--as they went through their ceremonies and earned their mentors. She couldn't wait to find out who her mentor would be.
    And then it was her turn. The youngest of them all, Daisykit stepped up in front of the newly-named Ashstar eagerly and graciously went through her apprenticeship ceremony. Renamed Daisypaw, she was given Magpieflight for a mentor. She had never interacted with the tom before but was nevertheless excited to work with him. He looked really cool! She spent the rest of the day wondering about all of the new things that Magpieflight would teach her, all-the-while forgetting everything he told her about.
    Shortly after the nine kits became apprentices, CloudClan not only regained a warrior in Ravenfrost, who was Deerhop's kits' father, but EmberClan and MarshClan declared war against CloudClan and HailClan. Daisypaw was worried; she nor any of her denmates were ready for a war. She herself was terrified of the idea of going into battle and fight cats that could instead be friends. Of course, she would do as Ashstar asked her to, but she only hoped it wouldn't lead to anyone's downfall.
    Thankfully, though, most of Daisypaw's apprenticeship went off without a hitch, save for her issues with forgetting what she was taught. This time of her life was the hardest for her memory loss. Though she never seemed to realize it, she would often forget what Magpieflight would tell her or teach her, to the point it was repeated to her several times on separate accounts. But after multiple times, she would eventually get it. It often left Daisypaw a bit behind on her teachings, which made her feel like she wasn't ready for what was next. But even if her mind didn't remember, her body would seem to have the muscle memory for the moves she had learned previously. So she seemed to turn out relatively okay despite some of her--and her clanmate's--concerns.
    As she continued her training, she began to make friends outside of her brothers and sister. Her first friend was a fellow apprentice by the name of Dogpaw, who was a fun and excitable she-cat. Daisypaw enjoyed her company, and her unique personality made her easier to remember for the calico. Her other friend was a newly named warrior by the name of Swiftwind. At least, she called them a friend, though no one really knew whether the warrior felt the same way.
   Unfortunately, even Daisypaw could not escape the war completely. While she was lucky in which she was never directly involved in the war, her sister, Rabbitpaw, was. She was a part of one of the patrols that got in a nasty fight with a MarshClan patrol. Neither clan seemed to win that battle. CloudClan returned with the body of Stormygloom and severely injured cats, including Rabbitpaw and her mentor, Flowersmoke. Days later, Rabbitpaw succumbed to her wounds. Daisypaw was stricken with grief, having to deal with the first major death in her life being her spunky sister. She wasn't sure how to take it, but it left her down for a good while as she tried to pick herself back up. Eventually, though, she managed with the help of her friends, her mentor, and especially her family.
    Thankfully, the rest of her apprenticeship went okay. War still loomed somewhere out there, but Daisypaw did her best to not think about it. She watched as her friend, Dogpaw, became a warrior by the name of Dogskip. That didn't change their friendship, though. Daisypaw continued her own training, trying her best to remember everything, though often not the most successful. But it was enough, as the day came for her to become a warrior.

warriorhood pre-missing period [ 12 - 60 moons ] >
   When her brothers and sister became warriors, alongside Deerhop's litter, Daisypaw was worried she wasn't ready. So when Ashstar called her up and gave her the name of Daisyspring, she felt like she was dreaming. She still does, as there are times where she still doesn't remember what Magpieflight had taught her. It eventually comes back. Nevertheless, Daisyspring loved her new name, and now she got to serve her clan to the fullest beside her friends!
    So it was heartbreaking to the new warrior when one of said friends died. Swiftwind had become involved in the war, and just like Daisyspring's sister, succumbed to their wounds. Daisyspring feels the lack of their presence around camp more than she originally did, now knowing she'll never forget their name or their face. She misses them greatly. Because of this, Daisyspring has since become terrified of the war and fighting, and while she is still her peppy, fun-loving self, she has noticeably been keeping close to her friends and family more than she used to. She's afraid of losing any more of them.
    So she was thankful when the war had ended. It wasn't without more loss, but Daisyspring was glad to know that no more unnecessary loss would happen. Tensions suddenly seemed to loosen, even if just a bit, and the young she-cat felt like she could live again. So, she did! She began to become closer with her friend, Dogskip, watching as her friend became a mentor; she began to involve herself more in clan activities from patrols to den building; and, most of all, she was happy again. Everything was going back to normal.
    Except, it didn't. Nevermind a HailClan cat coming to join CloudClan and then their leader going missing, but... so did Dogskip. Her friend was just suddenly gone. Daisyspring looked for her everywhere in camp and around the territory, but she was nowhere to be seen. She was heartbroken at the loss of yet another friend, even if it wasn't necessarily by death. Daisyspring didn't have much time to process it though; when it was determined that Dogskip would not return, her new leader, Sparkstar, gave her the duty to continue Beechpaw's training. She didn't know what Sparkstar's motives were in doing this--maybe it's to keep Dogskip's disappearance off her mind? Daisyspring sure didn't feel this way. If anything, taking her friend's apprentice on only makes her feel worse. She tried not to show it though, putting on a smile for the young apprentice. Daisyspring would have to try her best to mentor them, even if she wasn't confident in doing so.
    Dogskip's disappearance hit Daisyspring in different ways, though. While she was still her friendly and bubbly self, she never got too close to another cat. Not for a long while. She was terrified of losing them. And she felt justified in her fear when Sparkstar died hardly two moons after becoming leader herself. Starlingstar rose up to leadership, and he chose Thrasherwing for his deputy. If Daisyspring was honest, she was hoping maybe the new leader would re-consider her being Beechpaw's mentor. It's not that she didn't like the young cat, but she felt horrendous underqualified not to mention not in a good mindset to do so. But nothing was said about it. So, with a strained smile and congratulations to the new ranks, she went about her life, albeit at a slightly more melancholic pace.
    Well, she must have done something right. Because Beechpaw passed their warrior assessment with little issue, and then they were a warrior by the name of Beech-howl. Perhaps Daisyspring should have been more proud and happy for her former apprentice, but seeing their ceremony only hurt them more. She remembered that Dogskip was so excited to get an apprentice, and she knew that her friend would've loved to have seen Beech-howl grow into the cat they were. She provided them a meek congratulations before quickly moving on, her heart heavy.
    Maybe she would have always had this slight sadness to her hadn't she begun opening up again. It was quite a few moons after Dogskip's disappearance did she decide to try again, but this time, with a cat no one would expect the little calico to get along with. Poppysnap. It was not intentional on Daisyspring's side, but her hunting outing with the other she-cat brought her to open back up just a bit, even if there were a few rocky areas of that road to friendship. She's still not quite sure if Poppysnap sees her as her friend, much less her equal, but all she can do is keep trying. After all, she enjoys having another friend again. She just doesn't want to get her hopes up too high in case something happens.
    There are other cats she actually has gotten to know and befriend, though she couldn't say she remembers them too well save for seeing them in camp. These cats included Branchleap and Newtcatcher. While Branchleap was really a one-time conversation, Newtcatcher has been working hard to keep a friendship with Daisyspring, to the point that she recalls his name at least. He's kind and patient with her memory loss, and she feels safe when she is with him. It truly is great to have friends again, even if you have a looming fear in the back of your head that they'll disappear.
    For awhile, things seemed to be going well again. Though there were setbacks in the clan, like a sudden fox attack against a patrol and some deaths, Daisyspring's life seemed to be returning to normal. At least, as normal as Daisyspring's life can be. She continued to open herself up more, absolutely doting on the new kits that continuously filled up the nursery and spending time with her friends again. Even her smiles were becoming more genuine as she got back into the swing of life. Things were going so well, surely they couldn't go downhill again so soon. Right?
    It started with the loss of another friend. Though she could never remember his name, she remembered the large, lazy tom that would let her use him for a pillow while basking in the sun. He told her once he would give her flowers when newleaf came, knowing how much she loved them. She remembered that, but not his name. And he never got the chance. Yes, Newtcatcher had suddenly passed after eating a bad piece of prey. The void he left was neither bigger nor smaller than what the losses of Swiftwind and Dogskip's losses left, and Daisyspring stopped sunbathing for a while afterward. After all, it wasn't the same without her grumpy friend.
    At least she still had Poppysnap. The other calico had seemed to open up to her more, if slowly, and it warmed Daisyspring's heart to know she still had a friend. It helped keep her mind off of Newtcatcher, and one day, she promised to go pick flowers with Poppysnap. She wasn't good at promises, but it was flowers! How could Daisyspring forget flowers, especially when she can go pick them with her friend?
    The epidemic reached CloudClan around the time newleaf began. Daisyspring was terrified; what if one of her friends or her family caught it? What if they never recovered? All of these negative thoughts made Daisyspring's mind whirl, and she began to fumble more and more with her warrior duties. With every new case, she had to thank StarClan that it was no one she was close with. Not that the sicknesses or the losses were any easier. There were cats that lost their loved ones or feared they wouldn't recover. In truth, there was no victory in this battle. No matter who the sickness took, it was still sad.
    And then they had another issue to deal with. Out of nowhere, HailClan's territory suddenly flooded, including their camp. They were forced to evacuate, coming to CloudClan and requesting shelter. Of course, CloudClan granted their request, squeezing two clans into one camp. It was quite the change, and even Daisyspring became overwhelmed by the amount of cats. Her work only got worse, often failing at hunting parties and getting lost on the borders. It was just so much to take in, with the epidemic and HailClan's situation.
   She was thankful to have Poppysnap though. Her friend helped her get her mind off of it, as they went and picked flowers as promised. If she was honest, Daisyspring definitely forgot about it at some point, but seeing her friend struggling just as much as her with the changes, she knew that the flower picking would benefit them both. And it did. It helped get their minds off of so much, and Daisyspring experienced a vulnerable Poppysnap that day. Something she never thought she'd see. It was a wonderful day indeed, and she certainly won't forget it any time soon as she weaves the flowers into her nest.
    That day couldn't come any better. Shortly after, Moorstride was swept away by the river, alongside Ferretshadow. Though she was not close with her sister, it still broke her heart. And then Poppysnap's sister, Rootcry died to the epidemic. She wanted to be there for her friend, but she didn't know how. After all, she wasn't doing all that well, herself.
    HailClan returned to their camp. They had lost their leader in the process of being with CloudClan, and a queen had died giving birth to her kits, too. Truly, no clan was safe from the disasters that were brought down on them. Daisyspring still gave them a proper farewell though, secretly glad that things would begin to go back to normal. Hopefully.
    CloudClan at least had something to celebrate when Waverose chose Bramblepaw to be CloudClan's next herbalist. It felt relieving to everyone to know that Waverose had chosen someone new, so long after Shadeleaf's passing. Daisyspring, herself, didn't react all too much to it. She didn't know Bramblepaw, and if she was being honest, she likely wouldn't remember Waverose if not for her being the clan's herbalist. Still, she figured if everyone else was happy, then she should be, too. She figured that must mean the clan will be in good paws in the future by having two herbalists, right?
    They certainly needed that pick-me-up, because it wouldn't be long after that CloudClan would have a nasty run in with some dogs. The dogs had been released from the twoleg place, and they wasted no time in deciding to play with the cats. Lochpaw, Gustpaw, and Martenfang had all been seriously injured by the dogs, and thankfully, they had Waverose and Bramblewhisper to treat them. But no one could be there for the deceased kittypet. An old CloudClan warrior, and Thrasherwing's father, Chestnut, was killed in the attack. Daisyspring didn't really know who he was, save for Poppysnap briefly mentioning how he was her uncle. But he obviously meant a lot to Thrasherwing, because there were whispers about how she acted after the initial attack.
    And there was also the fact that Thrasherwing never came back. She had been left along to mourn her father, but days passed, and she never returned. Many were worried that she had been taken by the dogs like her father, while others thought she just refused to come back. Some said she probably went back to the life of a kittypet. Regardless, Daisyspring was admittedly worried for their deputy, but the clan had to move on. Unfortunately, that meant assuming that she wasn't coming back. So Starlingstar named Brookshine as the new deputy, and with a heavy heart, CloudClan went about their business.
    The dogs remained a problem for the clan. Other cats were killed over the course of the time they were loose, like two young warriors named Elkcreek and Comfreylight. Daisyspring, meanwhile, was constantly accompanied by Poppysnap. She never really understood Poppysnap's desire to be on the same patrols as her, but she certainly didn't mind. It was nice having a familiar face everywhere she went, and she gladly welcomed her friend's company.
    Within the clan, news continued to spread. It wasn't much of a surprise to others when Algaebreeze and Thistleflame became mates. The two had always been close it seemed, and Daisyspring congratulated them heartedly when she heard herself. Poppysnap seemed a bit surprised by the idea that Thistleflame could get a mate, but she didn't linger much on the idea, because she soon became busy herself by becoming a mentor for the first time. Her apprentice was Pantherpaw, a young and hardworking cat. Poppysnap always seemed so happy to be able to train an apprentice. Daisyspring admitted that it fit her quite well. Though whenever she came to Daisyspring for some tips, Daisyspring would falter. She never found herself a proper mentor, even if she did train Beech-howl. She was never close with her apprentice, and she didn't quite remember how she got through their trainings. She felt terrible that she couldn't give Poppysnap any advice, though her friend didn't seem too upset at the notion. She was thankful when Poppysnap would change the topic of their conversation to something else.
    It was a joyous day when Swansong returned to CloudClan. She had come back with a rogue by the name of Foxy--or Fox, as he preferred--and she looked so happy with him. Poppysnap seemed pretty skeptical about him, as well as Starlingstar and some others, but Daisyspring could only comment on the happiness on his and Swansong's faces. What mattered was that Swansong was home, happy and healthy, right? If Foxy gave her that happiness, then what did it matter that he was a rogue? Besides, it sounded like he had saved her from life-threatening injuries. That had to mean something. And it did, because Starlingstar welcomed him into CloudClan alongside Swansong, much to the calico's delight. Daisyspring was happy for them. It seemed things would begin to look up for CloudClan.
    To solidify this idea, the cats that were injured in the dog attack recovered. They were released from the herbalist's den, and though Gustpaw was left with a permanent limb, he remained optimistic and happy. On the topic of the dogs, twolegs had come onto their territory to capture the dogs. At first, the cats were worried that the twolegs would go after them, but as the dogs disappeared one by one, they realized the twolegs were friends and not foes--at least, at that time they were.
    If it wouldn't be the dogs, though, it would be something else to terrorize CloudClan. Brookshine was suddenly killed--murdered--when cats would deathberries in the rabbit that she had eaten. Who would do such a thing? It petrified Daisyspring to think someone was so mean so as to harm their deputy, and she found herself struggling to have an appetite for a while after that. Unfortunately, Brookshine's death meant that Starlingstar had to name a new deputy once again. But he didn't get the decision--at least, he said he didn't. He was told that StarClan showed him a sign, and so he named Grasshopperhill the new deputy. Not too many cats were happy by this decision, including Starlingstar. Daisyspring, herself, was a bit worried about the idea of listening to him; he wasn't a very nice cat from what she had heard. But they would have to push through it. Besides, CloudClan had it far better than another clan did.
    Everyone was on their toes when the scent of HailClan wafted through their camp's entrance. But the possibility of hostility was immediately removed when they saw two senior warriors with three young kits. Another cat accompanied them, but given the lack of aggression, CloudClan could quickly discern that they were not here for trouble. The red tom, Ruddyheart, explained to them that HailClan was under their deputy, Robinear's, leadership as Swanstar had fallen unconscious from illness. However, Robinear's leading techniques were not agreeable with some, and after she exiled a cat for breaking the warrior code, cats have left HailClan, including Ruddyheart and his family. They were here in CloudClan to request refuge, and Starlingstar was quick to give it. As they settled in, though, the concern for HailClan's future could be seen flooding through Daisyspring's clanmates, and she, too, had to wonder if they would be okay.
    Apparently they wouldn't be. Over the course of several days, more HailClan cats continued to show up to CloudClan's camp. Starlingstar never turned them down, and while Daisyspring agreed that they deserved the refuge they needed, she quickly grew uncomfortable with the cramped feeling of the camp being too small for a clan and a half. So she began to spend more and more time outside of camp, which was quite out of the ordinary for the small calico. She enjoyed going out and picking flowers to make flower crowns, or she'd go visit the pond that had some ducks in it. It was around this time that she began to converse and get to know Drakefeather. She only knew him enough from his hard work around the clan, but to know he had a soft spot for the tiny ducklings in the pond warmed Daisyspring's heart. Maybe they would never get much closer than this, but Daisyspring saw a new side of Drakefeather this day, and she hoped to see more of it.
    Being outside of camp didn't mean Daisyspring could escape the horrors of being a warrior, though. One day, she had come home to see the clan preparing a vigil for a cat. The flowers in her mouth had fallen when she saw the deceased: Magpieflight. Her mentor had been found by the twoleg place, where he had been run over by a monster. Daisyspring couldn't help but cry for Magpieflight, and she curled up beside him for his vigil. It had felt like forever since her sister passed, or Newtcatcher, or Dogskip. Why did Magpieflight have to go, too? She couldn't make sense of it all, and she cried herself to sleep up until the elders took Magpieflight to be buried.
    For awhile, Daisyspring remained numb and unreactive to everything around her. She had noticed when her niece and nephew became apprentices, or that another HailClan cat had shown up to CloudClan. Her flower crowns in progress had been forgotten and wilted, and she laid in her nest for some time while she mourned her mentor. It wasn't until she heard that Pantherpaw had died of a heatstroke. It took her a moment to process--especially to remember who Pantherpaw was. Then it hit her; that was Poppysnap's apprentice! As if her grief had been washed away, Daisyspring had sprung up from her nest to find her friend, who clearly was taking the loss of her apprentice hard. Daisyspring was quick to press herself to her friend's side in an attempt to comfort her. She didn't really know how to comfort someone... but this is what others did for her. They were there by her side and made sure she knew, too. She would do that for Poppysnap. Even if Poppysnap tried to push her away, Daisyspring would keep coming back, and she was thankful for when the taller she-cat finally accepted her efforts. It allowed the two to grieve together.
    While the two she-cats were learning to move on, HailClan's herbalist had shown up with Swanstar's body and several more of their clanmates. When questioned, Orchidfrost announced that Robinear had gone into self-exile. What did that mean for HailClan? No one was sure, but without a leader to lead them, they were broken and lost. Orchidfrost seemed hopeful to help Swanstar recover from whatever was keeping him unconscious with CloudClan's help and resources, and Starlingstar agreed. Sure enough, it seemed to work, because Swanstar began to see improvements. It was a joyous day when the herbalists said that Swanstar had opened his eyes for the first time in moons. Sure enough, he was on the mend, and it wasn't too long after they had come to CloudClan did Daisyspring see the fluffy white tom walking around camp. It was relieving to hear that he was doing better. Perhaps that meant that HailClan would return home soon, too.
    Chestnutwind and Cougarblaze announced they were expecting kits, and it was thanks to Drakefeather that they were. The tom had agreed to become a donor for their kits, though he would not participate in the kits' lives. Still, to hear how he so generously helped the two she-cats become mothers warmed Daisyspring's heart. She knew there was something good about Drakefeather. He may come off a bit short-tempered and aloof at times, but he never turned a blind eye to his fellow clanmates--or the ducks. She was glad to call herself his friend as the clan congratulated the young she-cats on their expecting litter.
    The happiness of upcoming kits was shrouded by death, however. Swanstar's body had been found near Hope Bridge, void of life and riddled with injuries. The news was a shock to everyone, and when they went to go inspect the body and area, all they could find was some gray fur in his claws. Someone had deliberately killed him. Daisyspring felt chills run down her spine. Was this not unlike how Brookshine died? Sure, she wasn't killed in battle, but someone had killed her. That, Daisyspring would never forget. There were cats with the intents to kill in the clans, it seemed. Nothing felt safe.
    Poppysnap was adamant that Thistleflame had murdered Swanstar. Daisyspring didn't agree nor disagree with her. She was never close with her friend's brother, but although he seemed quite intimidating... would he really do that? She couldn't make sense of why he would, but Poppysnap didn't want to wait to find out. She confronted Starlingstar, and all Daisyspring could hear was her and him shouting in his den. She was forced to cover her ears, not wanting to hear it. Starlingstar had disagreed with Poppysnap and dismissed the idea, much to Poppysnap's anger. She left his den angry, and Daisyspring followed behind her quickly, feigning ignorance to her fear. She was afraid--not of Poppysnap, but of her change in mood--but she wanted to be with her friend and support her in whatever way she could. Poppysnap eventually apologized to her, and Daisyspring was quick to accept it. She knew Poppysnap didn't mean to get loud and angry, but sometimes, she couldn't help it. It's like when Daisyspring got loud and excited, right? Well, maybe not exactly, but it was close enough for her. She would always be there for her friend, even if Poppysnap one day didn't want her to be.
    That included when Starlingstar forbade Poppysnap from going to the gathering. Daisyspring couldn't quite figure out if it was a punishment or not, but Poppysnap didn't seem all too bothered by it. In fact, she seemed pretty accepting of the consequence. Daisyspring decided to stay behind with her, and she was thankful she did. When the sun suddenly disappeared and the storm started, it took everything in her not to hide in the warriors' den for the rest of the day. Being with Poppysnap helped her stay strong, and when the sun began to return as the storm settled into a light rain, she already was feeling a lot better and comfortable.
    Apparently, there was more to that storm than the two she-cats realized. Cats that went to the gathering returned, soaked and shaken. When questioned as to what had happened, they were stunned to hear the news: a ghost had appeared at the gathering. She introduced herself as Blizzardfang, the leader of spies that she had planted across the clans. There were spies in the clan? But... why? Everyone in the clans are cats that Daisyspring knew, or at least could remember wandering around every day. Is she saying that some of her clanmates... were spies? Did their loyalties no longer reside with CloudClan? Daisyspring couldn't make sense of it, but the thought of it had her trembling a bit. Who would do such a thing? And not only that... but Hope Bridge was gone. Burned down after being struck of lightning. Their sense of hope was gone. Would they be okay? Poppysnap ensured her that she was safe and that she wouldn't let anything happen to her, though the thought didn't escape her mind for a good while longer.
    She tried her best to keep her mind off of it. At least there were happy moments to help her do so. For one, Foxy was able to complete his training and earn his right as a warrior in CloudClan! Perhaps some cats were skeptical of him, especially after the appearance of Blizzardfang, but Daisyspring was happy for him and Swansong, especially when they announced their mateship about half a moon later. There were some new apprentices, too, though Daisyspring didn't get any. She was pretty thankful for that though; the kits were her previous apprentice's, Beechhowl's, and though they continued to thrive as a warrior, she still never felt quite like their mentor. They would train well under the mentors they received.
    Poppysnap helped keep Daisyspring's mind off of the whole Blizzardfang thing. And when she wasn't with Poppysnap, she'd be making flower crowns or go visit the ducks with Drakefeather. The fear in her heart slowly diminished until it was all but forgotten, thank StarClan. She once more enjoyed life doing what she loved, and though there were times where she felt like she was forgetting something, she would quickly become distracted by the positives.
    She joined a hunting patrol with the deputy, Grasshopperhill, one day, alongside many other cats. She mostly kept to Poppysnap as they walked towards their destination, and when the party decided to split up to get the most out of the party, she went with Poppysnap as well as the young Claypaw. There was a storm brewing up in the sky, which admittedly frightened Daisyspring with the thunder and lightning, but they hoped they would beat it out with hunting and get home before it would start raining. She remained enthusiastic as she began to track the scent of a rabbit. It wouldn't be the thunder that would scare her out of her hunt, however. Instead, a cry emitted from a cat had her jumping a tail-length up in the sky. Alarmed, she looked back at Poppysnap, who was quick to take the lead and race back to where the cry was heard. Daisyspring and Claypaw followed, but when they arrived at the scene, they couldn't believe what was there.
    The senior warrior, Rosecry, laid dead underneath her clanmate's paws. And that clanmate was... it was Drakefeather. Daisyspring stared at him, horrified. She wasn't even listening to what everyone was saying, not except Drakefeather. He explained how it was him that let the dogs loose the dogs, and poisoned cats, and even killed some MarshClan cats. How could he? He announced that Grasshopperhill had something to do with it all, too, but at that point, Daisyspring couldn't process anything else. Gusthowl attacked Drakefeather while Daisyspring found herself collapsing into Poppysnap, who did nothing but comfort her throughout the entire time. She had covered her ears and shut her eyes tightly, begging for it all to stop. She hadn't noticed the appearance of Starlingstar and other cats, and it wasn't until Poppysnap gently spoke to her that she realized it was all over. She opened her eyes and... Drakefeather was dead. Gusthowl and Algaebreeze killed him. Grasshopperhill was gone, too, being taken out by Starlingstar. But it was... it was all so much. She barely processed what Poppysnap said to her. She needed to check on the ducks. She needed to... she needed to get away.
    Poppysnap accompanied Daisyspring to the pond, where the ducks sheltered from the rain in the reeds. She was relieved to see they were alright; it was as if she thought something bad would happen to them the moment that Drakefeather died. But it wasn't enough. She wasn't ready to return to the camp, to reality. She sat quietly there, and Poppysnap sat beside her. The taller calico let her speak her mind as Daisyspring poured out her heart. How could Drakefeather do that? Why did Grasshopperhill betray the clan? Just... why? Even Poppysnap could not make sense of it, but she assured Daisyspring she would be with her through it all. Through it all, Poppysnap was there for her. And it sent relief and love through Daisyspring's body. She promised Poppysnap she would be with her, too. They ended up professing their love for each other in that moment of need, promising they would be together through it all.
    Returning to camp was, admittedly, difficult. Daisyspring hated hearing cats whisper and say nasty things about Drakefeather, but she tried her best to block it out. Starlingstar wasted little time in naming a new deputy, choosing a she-cat by the name of Halfbranch for deputy. Daisyspring didn't really know her, but with what happened with Grasshopperhill, she couldn't help but be worried. Would Halfbranch be safe? Would she keep CloudClan safe? She figured only time would tell, but for now she would put her trust in the new deputy.
    Though her deputy could not stop the losses the clan would face. While they still mourned Rosecry--Daisyspring still mourning Drakefeather, too--more cats wound up missing. It was a shock to hear that Gusthowl was seen being taken by twolegs, and one of Beechhowl's young kits, Sandpaw, was snatched up by a hawk. Her brother, Mudpaw, also disappeared. Whether he went chasing after the hawk or to find his missing brother, Claypaw, no one was quite sure, but Beechhowl and Fawnfall seemed incredibly worried to have lost so many of their beloved kits. Daisyspring didn't know how to comfort her former apprentice. She could hardly handle her own grieving when she lost loved ones, how was she supposed to help them?
   She at least got to celebrate her beloved when Poppysnap was assigned another apprentice. She was given the second chance that she rightfully deserved when Starlingstar called her up to mentor Cobblepaw, among many other newly named apprentices. Daisyspring cheered loudly for her. And Poppysnap didn't end the excitement there, for a couple days later, she suggested to Daisyspring that they officially announce their mateship. The thought of it had Daisyspring bashful, but she agreed. She was thankful for the warm congratulations and positive reception to their news, especially her father, who seemed happy to welcome his former apprentice as his new daughter-in-law. Daisyspring would no longer call Poppysnap her best friend, but her mate... that sounded wonderful on her tongue. She may have quickly exhausted the word in the first few days, but it would never get old for her as she smiled every time she said it.
    The good news kept coming when Mudpaw returned to CloudClan. He looked exhausted and worse for wear, but he was alive. Unfortunately, he didn't have any of his littermates with him, but his return still made Beechhowl and Fawnfall happy nonetheless. Daisyspring was happy for their small family, praying for the best for them all.
    When twoleg monsters began to stray from the thunderpath and onto their territory, Daisyspring was curious about what they were doing. She certainly never had the confidence to get up close and personal with them, but she would sometimes become distracted mid-hunt when a monster passed by. Poppysnap told her to stay away from them, though, and she though she didn't need that reminder, she was thankful to oblige all the same. Besides, they would have much happier news to celebrate in the coming days.
    Everyone was worried when they found Rippletide covered in terrible wounds in her nest. She was quickly rushed to the herbalist's den while many speculated how she could have gotten in such a state. It would soon be answered, though, when it was announced at the gathering that Blizzardfang had been killed, betrayed by her own spies, and hopefully putting an end to the spies' plans, too. No one explicitly said that Rippletide took part in it, but it seemed like a reasonable explanation. Daisyspring, personally, was just thankful for it to all be over. If only no one had gotten hurt in it all, though... So many cats lost their lives to it, both good and bad. Maybe those cats never would have turned bad if Blizzardfang never spoke to them in the first place. Would Drakefeather had been different? She wouldn't know, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
    There was still the concern of HailClan, however. The clan was still split up between CloudClan and EmberClan, and with no leader or deputy to run it, many wondered what would happen to the clan. Thankfully, though, it would soon be resolved when Orchidfrost one day came into CloudClan's camp announcing for HailClan to gather around and head straight towards the newly constructed Hope Bridge. The camp quickly became wider with less cats around, and for the first time in a long time, Daisyspring felt she could breathe properly. At one point, she saw a cat come to CloudClan to speak with Starlingstar. He had introduced himself as the new leader of HailClan, Salmonstar, and that they were recovering well. He thanked Starlingstar for his generosity in helping HailClan before returning back to his territory. Daisyspring was happy for HailClan, though she was even more thankful for the room in the warriors' den and her ability to move more freely in her camp.
    Not all of the HailClan cats ended up staying there, though. It was about half a moon after Salmonstar became leader when two cats smelling of HailClan came to CloudClan's camp. Daisyspring could scarcely recognize them, though they weren't complete strangers. Apparently, the small black cat was Poppysnap's cousin, while the white tom was their mate. They announced--quite loudly--that Salmonstar had chosen to keep Rippletide in HailClan's ranks and have her be retrained as a warrior. This, of course, confirmed that Rippletide was one of Blizzardfang's spies. Murmurs of shock rose from the cats around her, and even Poppysnap's eyes narrowed at the news. Daisyspring's ears only drooped at the dark tones in the atmosphere while the two HailClan cats requested to join CloudClan. Starlingstar, of course, granted them their request. In addition to joining, Littlestrike changed their name to Blackstrike. Daisyspring couldn't shake off the feelings of unease that it all set up. Surely Salmonstar made his decision for a reason... right?
    She tried not to think very hard on it. Instead, she focused on the good in the clan, like her brother's daughter and son being named warriors and Bramblewhisper becoming a full herbalist. There were also some new kits in the nursery, which Daisyspring went to visit and say hello to. She never quite saw herself being a mother, but she was quite childish herself, so she got on with kits well. It was like making new friends whenever kits were born. Finally, things were looking good again. And hopefully it wasn't just for CloudClan.
    Except it wasn't looking up. The world was ready to force them to tackle something else, and it hit CloudClan hard. The herbalists went to attend their typical half-moon meetings, but when they returned, the clan was stunned to see that Waverose was not with Bramblewhisper. The young herbalist relayed what happened, and the terrible news was difficult for everyone to swallow: ghosts had attacked the herbalists at Crystal Falls, killing not only Waverose, but a MarshClan warrior. What had Daisyspring horrified, however, was learning that one of the attacking ghosts was Drakefeather. Why...? Was he not at peace in death? Was he not... in StarClan? In truth, she never knew something other than StarClan existed, but perhaps even if he was in StarClan, maybe he still wasn't satisfied. She couldn't make any sense of it. Apparently, it would be his last deed though, for before the MarshClan warrior was killed, he had ended Drakefeather's life a second time. But Daisyspring didn't want to hear anymore of it. Shaking her head, she quickly escaped the camp to go see the ducks. They were her comfort in that moment, alongside Poppysnap. They were still there with her.
    The clan mourned Waverose, though her death would not put a halt in anything else. A new kit was born in the nursery, while Beechhowl's remaining kits, Mudhorn and Dustcloud, were named warriors. Daisyspring forced herself to smile through it all, but her heart ached terribly. She thought she was finally behind her friend's betrayal, but it only rushed back to her whenever she so much as glanced at the herbalist's den. She was thankful when Poppysnap or her friends would help distract her, but it didn't help when she was alone. And StarClan... she hated being alone.
    CloudClan would soon fall into temporary disarray when they found Bramblewhisper dead at MarshClan's border. Their surviving herbalist, gone. They were suddenly without an herbalist at all, leaving them vulnerable should anyone become injured or sick. But with Bramblewhisper's cause of death unknown to them, Starlingstar couldn't just leave her with her vigil. They had to know the truth. So he requested an investigation with MarshClan, who took the request critically. They thought it meant that CloudClan insinuated they were the reason for Bramblewhisper's death and promptly refused. It wouldn't be until some CloudClan cats tried to cross the border to investigate for themselves and the uncovering of tunnel entrances did Sandstar reluctantly agree to the investigation. MarshClan and CloudClan went together in the tunnels to try and find a cause, and they were shocked to find a bobcat, who promptly attacked them. Apparently, the tunnel even collapsed and cats had to be dug out. Daisyspring had refrained from joining any patrol pertaining the investigation, but she worried for the injured cats. Some of the more critically injured CloudClan cats stayed in MarshClan for treatment, but the others returned to camp, where no one was there to treat them. What was CloudClan going to do for their injured? And what about the bobcat?
    The clan did their best to try and help their injured, but still some of them showed signs of infection. Daisyspring didn't dare try to approach the idea of healing a cat. She barely knew the difference between one leaf from another, never mind the different things that different herbs could do. Even if someone did tell her what they did, who was to say she could remember them? Though it seemed everyone was feeling this was, some scratching their heads at the herbs. When Creamytail showed up in CloudClan and announced she would be their temporary herbalist, the sighs of relief flooded the camp. A trained herbalist would be there to help them, and everyone was thankful for that notion. She even had the injured CloudClan warriors from MarshClan with her, who also settled down in the herbalist's den while Creamytail was quick to get to working with their injured.
    MarshClan continued investigating the bobcat. Perhaps now that they knew the cause, they realized what a real threat the bobcat would be not only to CloudClan, but also to MarshClan. When they discovered its den, Sandstar came to Starlingstar with the information. They came up with a plan to drive out the bobcat, where they would infiltrate its space from every side and chase it off. Even thinking about the bobcat, knowing the injuries it caused to other cats and what it can do, had her trembling. But when Starlingstar began looking for volunteers for the attack, and Poppysnap stood up... Daisyspring did, too. She couldn't let her beloved mate go into this alone. It was dangerous! Poppysnap tried to protest it, saying the exact reason why Daisyspring chose to go. Even Starlingstar seemed a bit skeptical about the idea. But Daisyspring was firm on her decision. She would be there with Poppysnap, even if it meant just being emotional support. Thus, did their discussion promptly end with Poppysnap relenting and Daisyspring joining the efforts in chasing the bobcat away.
    As mentioned previously, Daisyspring ended up more as support than frontlines. She was assigned to a group of cats that would only jump in if it was needed, while Poppysnap was a part of a direct flanking group. She watched Poppysnap get into position with worry, but she stayed with her group while the others began to make their way towards the target. She couldn't believe her eyes when she first saw the bobcat. It was huge. No wonder it hurt so many cats! Would Poppysnap be okay? She had to believe her mate would be okay. She was smart and strong and would beat that thing.
    She watched the fighting go down with baited breath and frozen paws, crouching a bit in fear behind her leader. Just when she would think they were doing okay, someone would get knocked down, like Thistleflame. Poppysnap stayed strong though, and when support was officially called in, Daisyspring took a deep breath in before shaking out her paws and launching herself into the action. Her small body and lack of fighting skills would make it difficult for her to make much of a difference, but she followed the lead of the apprentices in the attack, swiping at the bobcat's ankles or belly. She would be delighted whenever she landed a hit, and as Poppysnap came to join her side, she couldn't help but give her a glance of happiness. She was doing something. They were winning!
    That thought was thrown out when she felt a large paw hook under her and, without a moment to process, she was flung into the air. Daisyspring's underside flared in pain, but it was forgotten when she came into direct contact with a tree, her back striking it forthwith. The pain blinded her as she cried out, and though she desperately wanted to stay awake--to be there for Poppysnap--it all came rushing to her at once. Her vision darkened, and suddenly, she was losing consciousness.
    She could hear the screaming, a familiar voice over her head. She could feel herself moving, though it wasn't her paws carrying her. The soft feeling of moss enveloping her from all sides was refreshing, and something cool on her belly. She didn't know what it was, but it suddenly made everything feel better.
    When Daisyspring woke up, she was in the herbalist's den. Poppysnap laid beside her, and though she looked tired, she wasn't asleep. Daisyspring couldn't help but greet her in her cheery voice, which seemed to evaporate the tension in her beloved mate's shoulders. Poppysnap relayed what had happened after Daisyspring lost consciousness: the bobcat was successfully chased out, and Thistleflame had carried her back to CloudClan's camp, where Creamytail quickly treated her. They eventually learned that Sandstar had also lost his life in the efforts, but the bobcat had not returned. They had won. Daisyspring breathed a sigh in relief as she nuzzled into her mate's side. All that mattered was that Poppysnap was safe and that CloudClan would be able to live without fear of that terrible bobcat again.
    At some point, Thistleflame had to join the herbalist's den. Creamytail deduced he had internal injuries from when the bobcat kicked his chest. Daisyspring felt terrible, knowing he had carried her. Did that make the injuries worse? She didn't know how to approach him, but he opened up the door when he told her that he was glad she was going to be okay. He seemed so scary when they were young, but seeing him there in that moment... he wasn't too unlike Poppysnap. A hard exterior with something softer on the inside. It... made him easier to talk with, thinking about him like Poppysnap. Though she knew Poppysnap would never agree with her, Daisyspring could see the similarities in them and realize they really were littermates. She thanked Thistleflame for carrying her and caring for Poppysnap in her time of absence, which he only shrugged at and said he was doing his job. Somehow, that just didn't seem right, but Daisyspring only smiled.
    It was nice having some company in the herbalist's den. She enjoyed Lochjaw's optimism while Hazestorm kept to himself. She found herself talking with Thistleflame the most, getting to know him more. He truly wasn't so different from his sister. At one point, she got her paws on some remaining flowers and vines from leaf-fall and wove pretty flower crowns for everone in the herbalist's den. She shyly offered Thistleflame one made of thistle flowers, which he gratefully accepted. Though Hazestorm didn't seem interested, she still made one for him, as well as Lochjaw and Creamytail. She said they would help them heal faster with positive emotion, though it was really just her wishing from her heart that they would all be okay.
    Creamytail officially named Cirruspaw as her apprentice and CloudClan's future herbalist. The clan celebrated the prospect at having a new herbalist in the future, and Cirruspaw was quick to work. Because of her predicament, Daisyspring saw the young she-cat quite often for her first moon of training. As her injuries healed, Cirruspaw would come check on her while Creamytail remained focused on the other, more serious matters. Daisyspring watched the young herbalist apprentice with interest. This would be the clan's next herbalist, and Creamytail would go home to MarshClan when Cirruspaw finished her training. She put faith and trust in Cirruspaw and prayed for her good fortune in the future.
    Outside of the medicine den, there seemed to be a lot happening. While one mateship was proudly announced, many cats also announced their expecting litters. From Starlingstar and Hickorybreeze to Leopardbite and Gloomthorn. Even Swansong was finally expecting her first litter with Foxy! There was so much happening that Daisyspring couldn't be a part of, though she wasn't sure she minded it all that much. It was kind of nice being in the herbalist's den, away from the action. And Poppysnap visited her whenever she could. Daisyspring would eventually be ready to return to her duties, but for the remainder of the moon, she was content resting and weaving more flower crowns.
    She had to return to her duties eventually, though, so when she was officially released from the herbalist's den, Daisyspring was quick to jump into hunting parties. Thistleflame and the others were also released, much to her delight. She couldn't believe how much the territory had changed in her time recovering though. Prey was already becoming difficult in the beginning in leaf-fall, and now it seemed to be getting worse as hunting parties would be lucky to bring home a rabbit. The snow had also quickly accumulated, with more on the wind, too. Daisyspring was never good with the leafbare and cold climates, but it would be her first snowfall sharing a nest with Poppysnap, which relieved her. They could share each other's warmth when they would need it most.
    Hazestorm unexpectedly died. After looking him over, the herbalists realized he likely had some internal injuries from the bobcat attack that went undetected, and now it was too late to heal him. Though she never got close with him, even in their time together in the herbalist's den, Daisyspring still mourned the younger tom. She hoped he found his way to StarClan and was happy and without pain there. No matter how grumpy he may have been, he deserved that much.
    The weather continued to prove difficult when Sorrelpaw, one of Chestnutwind's kits, had to rest in the herbalist's den for a terrible cough. It was assumed that it was from the cold weather, and Daisyspring worried for the young she-cat. Even worse, the oncoming snow ended up being far worse than they thought. It snowed so hard and covered the fields so fast that they were forced to stay sheltered in the camp all day, away from the cold and harsh climates. Unfortunately, that meant no hunting, either. Daisyspring never ate much compared to her clanmates, anyways, but she wondered how everyone else was holding up. Was Poppysnap okay? What about her brothers? Hopefully they'll be able to get back to hunting the next day, even if it meant trudging through the snow.
    The clan wouldn't dare let the weather dampen their moods, though--not with all of the good news to follow it. A good amount of their apprentices were named warriors not long after the blizzard, including Poppysnap's apprentice, Cobblestep. Daisyspring could see the pride swelling in Poppysnap and also cheered for the young she-cat beside her mate. Days later, the nursery began to quickly fill up with kits as queens gave birth. While Hickybreeze and Swansong both had four kits, Leopardbite gave birth to a staggering six. Daisyspring couldn't imagine that amount of kits, though she had to remember that her own parents had five kits. These kits would be raised in such harsh weather, though... would it all be okay?
    The clan focused heavily on trying to find prey, especially as the snow continued to pile on. There were times where they were snowed in again and couldn't do anything. Hunger began to wash through the clan, though Daisyspring didn't find herself being heavily affected by it. She was always a small cat that didn't eat much, but she worried for her clanmates. Would they be okay? What about Poppysnap? The weather attacked in more ways than just the hunger, for when Sorrelpaw was finally released from the herbalist's den a moon after her admission, she was no longer able to talk. The cough she had had stolen her voice, it seemed. Daisyspring felt terrible for the young she-cat, but she by no means was in a position to comfort her. She only hoped Sorrelpaw could push through it.
    The saddest part about the cold weather for Daisyspring was when the ducks migrated. She had forgotten that that was a thing, so when she had gone to visit the ponds, not only did she find the water had frozen over, but the ducks were gone. She, admittedly, cried about it for a bit. Poppysnap reassured her that they would come back when the weather got warm again, but Daisyspring already missed them terribly. They were a comfort and a joy to the small calico. She prayed hard for their migration to be safe and to return soon.
    The nursery would give Daisyspring a bit of a distraction when Rabbitlily, Warrenpath's kit and Daisyspring's nibling, announced that they would be having kits. Daisyspring felt joyous at the news, though she was reminded of how crowded the nursery already was and the lack of food. Were the new kits going to be alright? They'd have to be! She would do what she could for her new family members, even if she wasn't the greatest at it. She congratulated Rabbitlily and told them that she looked forward to meeting the new additions when they were born.
    The hunger began to take its toll when suddenly the wave of new warriors passed away of starvation. This meant Cobblestep, Poppysnap's former apprentice, had died, too. Daisyspring was terrified of the idea that cats were dying in this way, but she tried to comfort Poppysnap as best she could. After all, she knew how much it meant to her beloved mate that Cobblestep had made it to warriorhood. They at least had the ability to celebrate Poppysnap's parent, Deerhop, retiring. They could go visit their parents in the elders' den together now!
    This leaf-bare seemed to continue to spring surprises on them, especially when it came to kits. Daisyspring was in camp when Poppysnap had led a patrol in with an unfamiliar kit tailing them. Many eyes watched with curiosity as the patrol took her to see Starlingstar. Daisyspring, meanwhile, approached Poppysnap with innocent questions. Turns out, the young kit was a kittypet that came looking for the clans. Specifically, she wanted to see HailClan. Thistleflame had volunteered to take the kit to HailClan, but Poppysnap stopped him and got him to agree to take the kit--Velvet was her name--to see Starlingstar first. The kit stayed with CloudClan for a good part of the day before Thistleflame and Martenfang took her to HailClan's border. By the time they returned, Velvet wasn't with them. HailClan had agreed to take the kit in as their own. Daisyspring was curious about it all, but she didn't comment ultimately. When she looked at Poppysnap for a sign of reaction, she could see relief in her mate's eyes. Perhaps it was best that CloudClan ddin't take another kit in. Not when they had so many already.
    Starvation struck once more when Warrenpath's mate, Shrikefoot, passed away. Perhaps he had been saving his own meals for the rogue surrogate that carried his grandkits, or he was just that considerate to the rest of the clan. Either way, his death impacted many, from Warrenpath to Martenfang. Daisyspring stuck close to her brother's side while he grieved, but she was shocked when he announced that he would be having a second litter of kits. Is this how he planned to cope? Kits were wonderful and all, but... it just didn't seem like the right time. Both the season and the moment didn't feel right. But Warrenpath seemed adamant, so all Daisyspring could do was congratulate him and look forward to meeting her future nieces and nephews.
    The weather continued to prove to be an uphill battle when cats began to develop whitecough and greencough. Daisyspring wasn't one for remembering many things, but she could never forget the epidemic last leaf-bare that took the lives of many. She pointedly avoided the herbalist's den for some time, afraid of the idea of this sickness. It was not like her to avoid that den, having been a light to patients whenever she brought flower crowns. But she felt something terribly wrong about this all, and her instincts would end up being correct when the whitecough and greencough took the lives of clanmates, including Poppysnap's cousin, Blackstrike. She felt terrible for the affected, especially when she saw Martenfang looking a bit lost by the death of their littermate. It reminded Daisyspring painfully of when she lost Rabbitpaw and Moorstride. She was thankful her brothers were still around.
    Rabbitlily's kits were born, and all four were healthy. As promised, Daisyspring came to see them, and her eyes lit up at the sight. They were all so cute! Were all kits that small when they were first born? Their birth felt like a breakthrough, for the weather began to get warmer, if slowly, and the snow turned to rain. Daisyspring constantly found herself dragging Poppysnap to the ponds in hopes to see the ducks. She would often get her hopes up too high, but Poppysnap reassured her that it was early and they would be back. She's right, they would be. They had to come back.
    The world came crashing down around her when her parents suddenly passed away. Both Egretfrost and Acorntail were found dead in their nest, having died of starvation. How had she not noticed how skinny they got? They must have been passing their meals to the new members of the family. But... they were elders. They deserved a peaceful rest, and the prey that was rightfully caught for them. So why... why did they have to die? Their loss was extremely difficult for the entire family. Daisyspring and her brothers leaned on each other for some time, though when Warrenpath was busy helping Rabbitlily or preparing for his own kits and Juniperfern was out with his own friends, Daisyspring would go to Poppysnap. Her mate seemed sympathetic to the situation. Egretfrost was her mentor, after all. They supported each other through the loss as Daisyspring cried into her shoulder often. It would take her many days after her parents passing to stop crying herself to sleep.
    She was quickly snapped out of it when she heard that Rabbitlily's son had been injured and had to be taken to the herbalist's den. She asked around about his condition, but she was reassured that he would live. In the meantime, her attention was diverted towards the nursery, where she would get to meet her new niece and nephew. Warrenpath's kits were healthy and safe, all three of them. Like Rabbitlily's kits once before, they were so small. She was thankful that, as these kits would grow, the weather would only get better. It would only get better from here.
    She noticed not long after visiting the nursery that Martenfang was nowhere to be found. The large warrior wasn't hard to spot in the camp, and she was one of the few cats that Daisyspring remembered well, having been Poppysnap's cousin. She asked her mate about the warrior out of curiosity, though she didn't quite expect the answer she was given: Martenfang went back to HailClan. Turns out they wanted to be with their family, with Finchbreeze and their new siblings. Thinking on it, it made sense. They just lost their littermate, and family was important. What Daisyspring would give to be with her parents one more time. She decided that was for the best for Martenfang, and she wished the warrior well in her thoughts.
    It was about a moon after the incident that Creamytail and Cirruspaw finally released Frogletkit from the herbalist's den. He seemed alright overall, but the family learned that his head injury led to some form of blindness. Daisyspring felt terrible for the young kit. To have something so traumatic happen at such a young age. It wasn't something to be forgotten. But he seemed like such a strong kit, surely he would get through it. That's right, with newleaf on the horizon, he would not only make it through his challenges, but rise above them!
    Daisyspring was distraught to hear yelling in camp one day. It was from one warrior to another, and when it was all over, the one yelling had left camp in a huff. Daisyspring didn't understand how her clanmates could just yell at each other like that, but she tried to. She asked Poppysnap about it, and Poppysnap said that the angry one, Leafdrift, was the father of a now missing apprentice, Snailpaw. The cat he was yelling at was Snailpaw's mentor. So he was blaming her for Snailpaw's disappearance? Sure, a missing cat wasn't good, but... it wasn't right to blame others. Surely the young cat had to be alright somewhere out there. That's what search parties were for. It had to be alright.
    Finally, their visits to the ponds would proof fruitful! At the crack of newleaf, Daisyspring and Poppysnap spotted the first duck that returned. Within days, it was like the flock had never left to begin with. She cried with happiness at the sight of them, and some of them even approached her in recognition! Things were looking up with this, she knew they would. Seeing the ducks just made everything feel better.
    The nursery suddenly became a lot less crowded when Starlingstar, Swansong, and Leopardbite's litters all ranked up. Daisyspring held her breath while Starlingstar called each new apprentice up to receive their mentor. She had only ever had one apprentice before, and she wondered if the leader thought it was time for her to have another. She, personally, never wanted to have to train another cat again. and her breath was released with relief when she was, yet again, looked over. Thank StarClan! Perhaps Starlingstar could see her anxiety at the thought, or perhaps he truly believed the cats he called would be better suited. Either way, she was simply happy to see the new apprentices meet with their mentors and prepare for their first days of training. Those fears of these kits being raised in such a terrible leafbare suddenly felt like they never existed when she saw their glee at their being apprentices.
    She heard a rumor that a rogue had been killed the night of the gathering. Daisyspring never really went to gatherings, as the large amount of cats honestly scared her. But it scares her even more to hear that the gathering had been put on halt when they heard screeching, and later did they find a dead cat. The cat was supposedly Wild, the former EmberClan leader. If she was being honest... she didn't really remember the she-cat. She had blocked out much of the war from her mind. But even so, did Wild deserve a death like that? Does anyone deserve a death like that? The thought had Daisyspring shaking, and she curled up tight to Poppysnap's side that night from her fear.
    It was also around this time that twolegs began to invade CloudClan's territory. At first, they didn't seem to be doing anything, though their monsters straying from the thunderpaths were scary. And then the monsters began to get bigger, ones that could pull up the ground and destroy the territory. CloudClan chose to stay far from the twolegs and whatever they were doing, but from the distance, they could see something being built in the northeast. It was big. Really big. And it was scary. Daisyspring didn't like it, and she was quite alright with staying away.
    The clan celebrated Cirrusflight becoming a full herbalist. They felt all the more secure knowing they had someone they could put their trust in. At the same time, it was admittedly a bit sad when they had to say goodbye to Creamytail. Now that Cirrusflight's training was complete, there was no need for the MarshClan herbalist to stay. Daisyspring had kind of forgotten that Creamytail wasn't even CloudClan. She had gotten so used to having her around! Nevertheless, she wished the herbalist good wishes before she left, and she reminded herself that she could still see the young herbalist at gatherings when she went.
    Even better, the same day, Snailpaw had returned. Though, he didn't come alone; a sandy tabby tom followed him, one with a terribly twisted leg. Something about him seemed familiar, but it simply couldn't click in her head until Poppysnap said that he was Gusthowl, one of Leafdrift's older sons that had gone missing. So Snailpaw left to bring him back! That's amazing. Snailpaw ended up being named a warrior early for his deeds, being named Snailbelly. Daiayspsinrg joined in with the clan in celebrating the two warriors' returns. Yes, newleaf really did bring good things.
    Well, it did for a time. All of a sudden, the prey was starting to act weird and taste weird. The clan deduced it was likely from whatever the twolegs were doing, but that couldn't stop those who had already eaten it. Some cats died almost instantly, while others were admitted to the herbalist's den. Among them was Juniperfern, and Daisyspring worried nonstop for her brother. He ended up succumbing to his illness days later, and Daisyspring cried. Why did StarClan have to take her brother, especially so soon after their parents? It wasn't fair.
    Starlingstar decided to organize a patrol to investigate what the twolegs were doing, and Daisyspring decided to join. She was still over herself with grief, and though she was scared, she wanted to know what was so important to the twolegs that it had to take Juniperfern and so many of her clanmates. The monster activity had gone down significantly, and the weird building they created was done. That was where they would investigate.
    It was already quite terrifying from a distance, but seeing it up close... it was huge! Daisyspring was amazed that the twolegs could make something so massive and sturdy as they checked the walls. It wasn't anything like the dens they made. The patrol ultimately broke up into groups, with some checking out the den and others going towards the fences. Daisyspring opted to stay near the leader--with his permission--alongside Windpaw as they approached the fence. They were in awe at the sight of a massive creature, which stared back at them calmly. It was... kind of cute. It's big eyes and floppy ears had Daisyspring nearly forgetting how big and terrifying it looked. The cats decided to try and cautiously walk around it, but curiosity got the better of Windpaw, and she reached out towards it. Something about the motion seemed to spook to large creature, because it suddenly made a high-pitched noise and reared back. Windpaw grabbed a hold of it and was taken with it, much to the surprise of everyone else. Starlingstar tried to approach, fearing for his daughter's safety, but the large creature suddenly wasn't so harmless anymore as its hooves made sudden contact with the ground in fear. Daisyspring watched with horror as Windpaw was thrown off, and the creature... oh StarClan, it was coming for her. Daisyspring watched with wide eyes. She urged her legs to move, but she couldn't. She was frozen in fear, staring up at the creature. It had reared up again, and she watched as its hooves came down. She expected the worst... but it never came.
    Daisyspring was shoved out of the way, and she was dazed for a moment in the grass. When she managed to shake her head clear, she looked around, only to see a motionless body where she previously stood. No... No it was Starlingstar. She creeped back over to him, as if trying to be quiet, but her voice only grew louder as she called for leader. He had to wake up. He had to. But... he looked so small. The creature had struck him in the back, and it was clear that something had broken. As soon as the creature ran off, called away to some other place, the cats gathered around their leader, begging for him to get up. And then he spoke. His voice was weak, but he was alive. Daisyspring cried as she apologized profusely. It was her fault he was like this. Thistleflame demanded space, and all Daisyspring could do was comply as her brother-in-law helped Starlingstar up to what paws he could use.
    A voice shouted above the chaos. Heads turned to look, and... Daisyspring recognized that cat. For a moment, her name alluded her, but the pelt was familiar. Small, brown colorpoint. Confident and commanding. It was CloudClan's former deputy, Thrasherwing! She called for CloudClan to retreat, and Daisyspring, terrified and remorseful, didn't hesitate to follow Thrasherwing home. She prayed that Thistleflame could get Starlingstar home alive. He had to come back alive. He had a mate and kits waiting for him. He... he had a clan waiting for him. They all had to make it back alive!
    Daisyspring collapsed the moment she got to camp. She felt so small, so helpless. There was hardly a moment in between her moment of panic and Poppysnap coming to her side. The scent of her mate had her breaking down, and she couldn't find her words. Her sobbing had ceased when she heard Thistleflame say something. He had returned with Starlingstar. The leader had something to say, but when Daisyspring tried to look at him, she couldn't bear to see. His eyes met her, and all she could do was bury her face into Poppysnap's shoulder. She did this... it was her fault her leader was injured. She cried as her leader said his final words, and by the time she managed to compose herself once more, Starlingstar was gone.
    Daisyspring was kept off warrior duties for a bit after this. She was too traumatized to do anything but stay in her nest. She had later learned that the other half of the patrol went sideways, too. Gloomthorn had been captured by the twolegs, but Thrasherwing--or Peanut, as was her name now--said the twolegs wouldn't harm him. She said that the twoleg den was called a barn, and the creature that killed Starlingstar was called a cow. Halfstar's first order as leader was for anyone and everyone to stay away from the barn, which Daisyspring had no issues complying to. She couldn't imagine ever approaching that place again. It was scary, and it already left too many scars on her mind. Meanwhile, Peanut returned to her twolegs as a kittypet after Starlingstar's vigil, which only left Daisyspring more sad to see her old clanmate would not be coming home.
    Not everyone listened to Halfstar's words, though. Thistleflame, alongside Gloomthorn's family, had ultimately gone back to retrieve Gloomthorn about a moon after the investigation. They succeeded in bringing him back, though they were punished for going behind Halfstar's back. Daisyspring didn't try to make sense of any of it; she was just glad that no one got hurt going back to that cursed place. All the better that they got Gloomthorn back.
    Lupinestorm was named deputy, though Daisyspring couldn't find it in her to celebrate. Starlingstar shouldn't have died; he should still be leader and Halfstar deputy. Not that Halfstar was a good leader, but... it shouldn't have come to this. She tried to congratulate the deputy, but it was admittedly half-heartedly.
    Progressively, Daisyspring got better. She slowly returned to her duties, but she didn't join any border patrols that went near the weird barn or the twoleg place. She also rarely left Poppysnap's side, taking great comfort in being with her mate. She especially enjoyed whenever her mate suggested they go visit the ducks. They always made her feel better. But Daisyspring was in no state of mind to join a gathering, so she stays home and rests in the warriors' den while Poppysnap went. What Poppysnap told her when she came back was surprisingly, though. Apparently, CloudClan wasn't the only clan going through a lot. EmberClan was suffering from a flood which had taken both their leader and their senior herbalist, and MarshClan was also dealing with the loss of their leader. HailClan had it better, though they were dealing with a large tree that had fallen into their camp and killed some of their warriors and elders. What in StarClan's name was happening for so much to happen to the clans at once?
    That wasn't all that was announced at the gathering, though. Apparently, cats across the territories have been having visions, including cats in CloudClan. Dropletshine had a vision, too, something about a place they had visited before. The leaders ultimately decided it would be good to investigate this place in the rogue's vision, and they announced that they would pick some cats from each of their clans to accompany Dropletshine on this journey. Daisyspring was curious, but more worried than anything. With everything going on, who was to say something wouldn't happen on this journey of theirs? She couldn't even imagine leaving her clan right now. She only prayed that Halfstar didn't see anything in her and would let her stay home.
    Her prayers were answered when, days later, Halfstar announced her chosen cats for the journey. She called up Otterbounce, Gorsewing, Windpaw, and Jaypaw to get ready to meet the others at Hope Bridge. Two apprentices... would they be okay? Especially Windpaw, who was still dealing with the death of faer father. Daisyspring tried to be optimistic as she always was, but... it was difficult in those moments. She still joined her clanmates, however, in saying farewell and giving good wishes to her clanmates as they left for their quest.
    At least she got to celebrate Rabbitlily's kits becoming apprentices. That was a nice change of pace for her, as it was the first good thing she got to experience in what felt like forever. As always, she was thankful she was not called up to mentor someone, though she felt she would have been okay if it had been one of her great nieces or nephew. Still, she thought the choices for them were good and that they would be okay.
    Except, as always, the world had other plans. It was not long after the quest cats left that an earthquake suddenly hit the territories. Daisyspring had never experienced something like this before, and it left her terrified. She waited with baited breath at Poppysnap's side for the trembling to stop, and when it did, she couldn't find herself breathing a sigh of relief yet. There were cracks all through the ground, and she later learned that cats had fallen through those cracks. Others were killed by debris, like Foxy being crushed by a tree, and some were lost to the tunnels. It was terrible overall, and Daisyspring was struck with terror at the fact that something like this could ever happen. She especially felt terrible for her former apprentice, Beechhowl, who lost their mate in the earthquake. She prayed they would be alright, but when she attempted to approach them in means to comfort them, she found her paws freezing up. She couldn't bring herself to do so.
    Instead, she checked to make sure the ducks were okay. They were clearly spooked, and one of the ponds looked a bit odd from the earthquake, but overall, they seemed okay. Within days, they were back to swimming circles in the water again, as if the earthquake never happened. How a creature could go back to normal so casually like that... Daisyspring wondered what kind of strength ducks truly had to do so. Perhaps some day, she would have that strength, too.
    The earthquake wasn't finished at just the end of its rumbling. Cygnetpaw, one of Daisyspring's great nieces, was swallowed up by a sinkhole about a moon after the incident, and the family grieved for her. Perhaps she was still alive somewhere inside the earth, but that in of itself was terrifying to think about it, and Daisyspring would rather think that Cygnetpaw was peacefully living out her days in StarClan alongside Egretfrost and Acorntail and everyone else.
    CloudClan began to feel overwhelmed by apprentices when Halfstar began to assign two apprentices to mentors. Daisyspring couldn't believe her ears when it first happened with Gusthowl. She was thankful her niece and nephews wouldn't go through with that, though, for Warrenpath's kits were given their own mentors. And Daisyspring was still thankful she never became a mentor when a fight suddenly broke out in camp among the apprentices. It was a moon before Warrenpath's kits became apprentices, but it was etched in Daisyspring's mind. The yelling and the outbreak of claws in camp. She hid in the warriors' den until some cats finally broke the fight up. She never figured out what it was about, and quite frankly, she didn't want to know. She was just thankful she wouldn't be the mentor reprimanding any of those apprentices later.
    Some of the punishments for those apprentices involved being held back. So when Starlingstar, Swansong, and Leopardbite's kits became warriors, Lynxpaw and Servalpaw were held back for their actions. Still, it was nice to see all of the new warriors. CloudClan continued to grow and thrive, despite everything that continued to happen to it. It still gave Daisyspring hope, even if they had heard nothing from the quest cats or StarClan.
    It wasn't long after the long ceremony of new warriors that the brush-fire broke out. Daisyspring and Poppysnap had gone to visit the ducks, and the fire was so close they could smell the smoke and see the flames. The ducks were startled by the fire, and they quickly took off the sky. Daisyspring cried for them, worried about them, and without a second thought she chased after them. Poppysnap called out for her, but it was hopeless. So Poppysnap followed her, and the two chased the ducks for what felt like forever.

Missing [ 60 - 74 moons ] >
    Daisyspring didn't know where they were going. She hadn't even noticed when they passed the borders. She kept her eyes trained on the ducks, desperately praying for them to land. When they did, she noticed quickly how one of them wobbled in its landing and seemed to fumble when it walked. As the two calicos got closer, she noticed the burns on its wings and gasped. The poor duck had been injured in the fire, likely when they had taken off into the sky. It took everything in Daisyspring to not cry for the small creature as her body trembled. How could leave it like that, knowing it could mean life or death? She turned and begged Poppysnap to stay at the duck's side, at least until it healed. Whether it returned to CloudClan afterwards in the future or not, she didn't care. She just couldn't imagine leaving it to die.
    Although her mate was reluctant, Poppysnap eventually agreed. Daisyspring was overjoyed. She hadn't even considered how far from home they were, or whether their clanmates worried for them. Her mind was on one thing, and that was the duck. The two she-cats formed a temporary camp to rest at, not far from where the flock of ducks stayed. They would take turns hunting--though Poppysnap certainly hunted more than Daisyspring--and would check on the ducks frequently. Whenever the burned duck would stray a bit from its family, Daisyspring would be quick to help guide it back. Though its healing process was slow, it was still alive. That's what mattered to her.
    When her mind wasn't on the ducks, Daisyspring, admittedly, found herself cherishing the quiet moments with Poppysnap. Though she would undoubtfully go home to her clan and continue her duties some day, the peace of not fighting for prey or sharing borders with the twolegs and their terrifying creatures was... it was nice. Was it wrong for her feel this way? Of course she missed her family--what little was left--and she knew that the clan was always there for her. Truth be told, where would she be without her clanmates? But there was so much sadness and fear in living in the clan. Perhaps it was because that was all that Daisyspring would remember. She came to cherish this peace and quiet with Poppysnap, knowing it would be temporary. It helped her prepare for her return to CloudClan some day, as well as remember the importance of her clan.

    One night, Daisyspring thought she heard something. A slight shuffle of the grass awoke her from her slumber, and she groggily looked out from her and her mate's nest to check what was going on. In her blurred vision, she saw something small moving about the undergrowth. At first, she thought it was one of the ducks and didn't think much of it. But as she went to lay her head down, she realized that ducks have two legs, not four. She looked up again, this time more alert. In front of them was a small kit playing with a butterfly. What was a kit doing out here all alone? And so late into the night, too.
    Daisyspring tried to call out to the kit, but the small being didn't respond. Instead, it began to run off, chasing the white butterfly it had been playing with. Daisyspring cried for the kit to come back, worried for its safety in such a big and unknown territory. She didn't think twice about waking up Poppysnap. Rather, she scrambled out of their nest and raced after the young kit, stumbling over her paws as she did.
    She didn't know how long she had been running, desperately trying to keep the kit in her vision, but by the time they had stopped, nothing looked familiar anymore. The kit had finally stopped and turned to Daisyspring. It smiled at her playfully, the butterfly forgotten, and began to run towards her. Daisyspring let out some strange noise in surprise, closing her eyes to brace for the small kit's impact. But it never came. She felt something cold--like mist, almost--brush her legs before disappearing. She opened her eyes and turned around, looking for the kit. A faint light was all that was left. There was no kit there.
    But... what happened to the kit? Was it okay? Daisyspring couldn't wrap her head around it, and even when she tried, it only made her dizzy. Perhaps the kit went home. Perhaps she had nothing to worry about. At least, not until now. When Daisyspring figured the kit would be okay--it had to be okay--she turned to go back to camp where Poppysnap waited. Except... which way led back to camp? Everything looked the same, especially in the dark. She looked around frantically for any sign of a trail. She tried to catch her old scent and to follow it, but at some point, it became mixed with some strange smell that she couldn't pinpoint. Her ears drooped and her body shook as she realized she was lost. Still... she had to try to get back. Poppysnap was waiting for her! She kept walking, albeit in circles, hoping something would look familiar. But as the sun began to rise, she was none the wiser of her situation.
    For days, Daisyspring tried to find her way around the unfamiliar territory back to her beloved. And, unbeknownst to her, for days she only grew further. She would tire herself out searching and then sleep for an entire day. It had been moons since she had been alone, and it felt like the first time in forever since she had to remind herself to hunt and eat. Thank StarClan her belly had that built in feature. But it didn't fill the hole in her heart as she began to terribly miss Poppysnap.
    Was this StarClan punishing her? Did they hear her thoughts when she believed that being away from the clan was nice? Did they want to prove something to her by separating her and Poppysnap? Sleeping became harder for Daisyspring. She missed Poppysnap's warmth, and when she closed her eyes, she began to experience nightmares. She would see horrible things, like the bobcat coming at her in the tunnels or the cow crushing Starlingstar under its powerful hooves. She would see her parents' vigil, or her brothers'. She would recall hearing the news of her sisters' passing. It was scary. She hated being alone.
    Daisyspring didn't keep track of time. Even if she wanted to, she wasn't sure she could. Sometimes, the moon would be bright and clear. Other times, it was completely shrouded by clouds or the trees. When it got dark, Daisyspring would retreat to somewhere safe. The dark was really scary. She tried to think about the positives when she rested. Poppysnap was likely looking for her, too. Was the duck alright? Oh StarClan, she sure hoped it was. What about that kit? Did it make it home safely?She would ask herself these questions for a stretch of time before her eyes would begin to droop and she would lull to sleep.

    Then, one morning, she woke up to a familiar face. He stared down at her, quiet, almost melancholic, nudging her gently with his paw. His touch was faint, almost ghostly, but it was there. He urged her to get up. Daisyspring begged for him to let her sleep, but his voice grew more urgent. It wasn't until his voice was matched with a growling that she finally turned around and opened her eyes. A large creature--a badger--stared down at where she slept. Oh StarClan... she had taken this badger's nest.
    Daisyspring apologized profusely, scrambling to get up. The badger didn't react to her frantic motions, staring at her with its upturned lip. She crept along the walls towards the exit, practically exhausting herself of 'sorry's. The badger watched her for a moment before finally turning back to its nest, where it pushed the moss she was laying in, almost fluffing it. Daisyspring, meanwhile escaped the den.
    She ran away up until she came across a river. She was out of breath, and she hadn't realized that that familiar face was beside her again. Unlike her, he didn't seem to be winded, and she finally looked up at him. This time, she was of clearer mind. Before, when she was half-asleep, she didn't really register who was with her. For a moment, she had figured she was back in camp and he was telling her that she was on patrol. Or... something. But it wasn't until just now that she realized the cat standing beside her was dead.
    She couldn't believe her eyes, and she wondered if that badger really did kill her. Newtcatcher stared at her blankly, but he was quick to cover his ears when she finally screamed. He urged her to stop and to calm down. She wasn't dead. Somehow, he was there, and he wasn't quite sure why. He said that the last thing he really remembered was lazing around in StarClan, and the next thing he knew, he was wandering this strange territory in this ghostly form. But... Daisyspring could have sworn she felt his touch. He reached towards her, and though it was faint, she felt something when his paw rested on her shoulder. He was... very much there. But his touch was cold. He wasn't alive.
    He asked her why she was so far from CloudClan. Daisyspring's ears drooped before giving him the full story. How she and Poppysnap followed the duck, how she lost sight of Poppysnap, how she'd been wandering for what felt like forever looking for Poppysnap. With each sentence, Daisyspring felt more and more dejected. She was never going to be able to go home, was she?
    Newtcatcher listened earnestly, and as Daisyspring began to trail off, he sighed. He told her she looked smaller than he last saw her. He asked if she had been eating, and she replies that she did when she remembered. He asked if she had been sleeping. She said when the nightmares didn't wake her up. He grumbled something under his breath before telling Daisyspring to follow him. She wasn't sure she should. He should be dead... what if this was StarClan playing with her again? But... where else was she going to go? With her tail dragging behind her, Daisyspring followed her ghostly friend. To where, she wasn't sure.
    Newtcatcher helped her find some prey to catch and a safe place to sleep. He kept her company at night, and though he was no Poppysnap, his presence began to grow comforting enough. She was able to sleep through the night. Though it took time, she felt her energy renew with each pounce in a hunt or when her and Newtcatcher would travel. They didn't start traveling again until he deemed her fit to do so, though she urged him that she was okay. Still, none of this fixed her issue of being away from home. Whenever she successfully caught something to eat, she would look around happily to tell Poppysnap, only to remember her beloved was nowhere to be found. She wanted to go home and tell her brother how much she loved him. She wanted to see her nieces and nephews and even Thistleflame. She wanted to go home, but she didn't know how.
    Newtcatcher seemed to catch onto her melancholic mood. After all, it was very unlike the small calico to be so sad. So one morning, when Daisyspring awoke to see he wasn't there, she grew worried. At least, until he came back and told her to follow him again. Unlike before, she jumped up and was quick to keep his pace. They walked for a long time, and Daisyspring watched as the sun rose to its highest point. They only stopped once to eat, and though Daisyspring's feet began to grow tired, Newtcatcher urged her to keep going. When she asked him where they were going, he said it was a secret. She would groan--complain even--but she continued to follow him. She felt like she was beginning to fall asleep on her paws, staring at them blankly, when Newtcatcher finally said they had arrived. She looked up from her paws with a tired look, but any exhaustion she felt was completely washed away by the sight in front of her.
    With the sun setting behind it, Daisyspring stood in front of a wide field of flowers. Despite the chill in the air, the flowers, slowly wilting, swayed in the wind gently. There were many different types of flowers there, ones that she had never seen before in CloudClan. Her jaw had dropped in awe as her eyes began to sparkle. It was beautiful.
    She walked the rows of flowers carefully, scared she would step on one. There were so many shapes, so many colors. Was she sure that Newtcatcher didn't just bring her to StarClan? He indulged her with knowledge, saying he found the field by chance. Somehow, Daisyspring knew it wasn't by chance, but she didn't question him. He guided her through them with his body, and he came to a stop by a particular patch, where she saw some wilting poppies and daisies intermingling. The sight of them choked Daisyspring up. Was this...? StarClan hadn't abandoned her. Far be it. This had to be their sign. She would make it home. She would see Poppysnap again. She had to.
    Newtcatcher said he would help her get home. She readily agreed, but before they left, she wanted to pick some of these flowers. They were too beautiful, with too much going for them. Of course, she wasn't quite expecting to pick nearly all of the poppies and daisies that were there, but... they were a symbol. A symbol of her love and determination. She spent the day weaving them intricately into a crown, something she had not done for moons. Precariously, she put it on her own head. It was so light, like a feather, but also so heavy. It would remind her of the good luck to come.

    Newtcatcher led the way with a confidence that Daisyspring certainly didn't have. They walked for days, and once more, she would lose track of time. Yet, she wanted to keep going. When she would urge him to continue, Newtcatcher would tell her to rest. She would pout, but she would agree. It wouldn't do good for her to grow exhausted and delay their return home any more than she already has. Whenever she asked Newtcatcher if he needed to rest, he would shake his head. She guessed ghosts didn't need that. She wondered if he missed the cats that he left in StarClan. Who did he have there? Perhaps his mentor. She recalled him being close to him, though she didn't quite remember the cat herself. Perhaps his apprentice, who was also in StarClan. Or, supposedly. Who was to say that they hadn't been thrown out of StarClan, too? As Newtcatcher helped her more and more, Daisyspring prayed to StarClan to let him back in when all was said and done. He deserved it.
    At some point, they came across a faintly familiar place. It was a makeshift camp, with an old nest and some bones of prey long since eaten. It was where her and Poppysnap stayed to care for the duck. She paused to sniff the nest, but whatever scent her or Poppysnap left was gone. Poppysnap had moved on. Perhaps she was still looking for Daisyspring. Was it right for her to go home without her beloved? Newtcatcher assured her that Poppysnap would find her way back, too. If anything, she could already be there, waiting. Daisyspring didn't want to hold her breath, but she did. Did she worry Poppysnap that much? They must hurry. But first...
    She checked the area for the ducks, but they were also nowhere to be seen. She halted their trek to stay for a couple days in hopes to see the ducks, but they never came. They, too, seemed to move on. Would she see them again when she got home? She sure hoped so. She hoped the burned duck made it and was among them. How she would love to see them again. Newtcatcher urged her to continue their trek, and Daisyspring agreed.
    The two walked for what felt like forever. Nothing seemed familiar after they left the makeshift camp to Daisyspring. How Newtcatcher knew the way, she couldn't say. Did he always know? Maybe. Maybe he didn't bring her back until now because she wasn't in a state to do so. He always did worry about her health when he was alive. It seemed he was not any different from that.
    Then, a big, eerie twoleg den came into view, not far off. Daisyspring felt a tremble in her paws seeing it, and she couldn't decide whether it was out of fear or excitement. On one paw, that was where Starlingstar met his end because of her. It was where those terrifying creatures lived. But on the other paw... it meant she was home.

warriorhood post-missing period [ 74 moons - present ] >
   Daisyspring wanted to run. She wanted to race home and see her friends and her family. Newtcatcher let her, but when her breath began to fail her, he urged her to take it slower. How could she, though, when she was so close? Crossing the border into CloudClan sent a wave of nostalgia and love through her. Though it was terribly cold--something she noticed days before--the wind had never felt warmer in her fur. It was as if it was welcoming her home.
    Any sane cat would stop to breathe before going into camp, especially when they had been away for so long. But not Daisyspring. She barged her way through the entrance, her chest heaving to catch her breath. She hadn't noticed how Newtcatcher had disappeared. Her mind was only on what was in front of her as she stared with wide eyes. She was met with the same shock, cries of shock and disbelief and joy. But only one of them mattered the most to her.