YOUTH

0 . Mudbriar was a rather vain molly, a hunter who valued her beautiful looks and disliked her name's association with grime. Her mate Stonehollow had no preferences on kitten names, so when their first litter was born, Mudbriar named her only daughter after Bellflowerfur, the kitten's grandmother. The name was long, elegant, and beautiful; Befitting of such a lovely kitten, Mudbriar coo'd. Bellflowerkit, despite her mother singing her praises, was born with a broken tail, likely the result of a tumultuous delivery. Lupinemoon made the decision to amputate the tail once it became obvious that it was inflamed due to a bone infection, likely saving Bell's life. Stonehollow was much less creative, and Mudbriar did not care what her boys were to be named, and so he decided they'd be called Rock-kit, Boulderkit, and Pebblekit.

Their kittenhood proceeded without incident. Because Stonehollow and Mudbriar were soul-bonded, the kittens enjoyed the protection of the powers that be, rough-housing and playing freely. Although Mudbriar attempted to teach Bellflower her graceful and mature ways, Bell was far more interested in wrestling with her brothers and father. At times, the kittens were so engrossed in play with their father that Mudbriar was left alone in the nursery. They were only kittens, after all, and so they could not have known how their focus on their father was hurting their mother. Eventually, Mudbriar became distant, and she and Stonehollow's relationship became more dutiful than romantic. Bellflower and her brothers were oblivious to this.

An older kitten in the nursery named Brindlekit was the only other who could challenge Bell's wit. Though it was often Brindlekit who won their scuffles, she and Bellflower developed a healthy rivalry, keeping each other on their toes and vying for top dog of the nursery. When Brindlekit became Brindlepaw, she'd return to the nursery often, giving Bellflower the run-down on what she'd learned so that she didn't have an advantage, keeping them on equal footing as they continued to compete.

TRAINING

6 . By the time they became novices, Bellflower's brothers had a noteworthy headstart on her height. However, she was far more clever than them, and used her wits to hold her own in their little contests. For the envoys, they were both a delight and a headache to train - Each of them were bold, curious, and eager, while also being quite difficult to control.

6 . Strong storms loosened the earth and caused a series of cave-ins along the Scout tunnels, which caused a patrol to get trapped. Salmonsun and several berserkers attempted to dig through the mud to get to the Scouts. Salmonsun was trapped in another resulting mudslide during the escape, losing two lives in the process. Sturgeonbite, the Hunter Envoy, became the next Champion soon after as Sturgeonsun. Bellflower and her brothers, all aspiring to be berserkers like their father, opted to join the vigil held at the beach for Sturgeonsun with their parents. There, they all challenged each other to see who could become Champion fastest.

6. The novice siblings were all adamant up until the day of their apprentice ceremony that they be named berserkers, to which the Cardinal exasperatedly acquiesced. Bellflowerpaw's mentor was to be the berseker Stormclaw.

Bellflower was shocked when Brindlestripe was named as the envoy, so soon after graduation. For the first time in their relationship, Bellflower felt blind jealousy towards her friend. This wasn't fair - The only reason Brindlestripe was winning was because Bell wasn't yet old enough to be considered for envoy! She soon quashed the feeling, but held on to a bit of resentment, the size of a grain of sand, in her heart. Time was an injustice she couldn't wrestle into submission, and that really irked her.

Bellflowerpaw trained hard, harder than any other apprentice. Brindlestripe, always two pawsteps ahead, helped Bellflowerpaw hone her skills after training had concluded, accelerating her far ahead of her brothers. When it came time for her ceremony, Bell acknowledged her warrior name Bellflowerfreckle, but was determined to earn an epithet before Brindlestripe. That, she knew, would prove once and for all that she was the best!

ADULTHOOD

16 . Several Pathfinders and Berserkers were escorting the Cardinal, Martenstar, to the mountain peak when they were caught by a formidable squall. No one on the patrol survived, which led to Viperchill, the Pathfinder Envoy and only envoy with a mate, to become the next Cardinal. The other council members were outwardly hesitant to inaugurate Viperchill. Bellflower's brother Pebbleskip had been on the patrol, and had been taken to the grave with Martenstar. She celebrated his life more fiercely than any other, dancing and singing on the beach well into the dawn to comemmorate his journey to the ancestors and the honor that came with dying in the line of duty.

18 . The winter was especially dire that season, drastically culling their numbers through environmental hazards and illnesses. Viperstar immediately enacted extreme policies to preserve the clan's population, casting a strong taboo over fling litters and allowed those kittens to starve in order to feed the other kittens. Though this policy was extremely controversial, it was effective in improving soul-bound litters' mortality rates. Bellflowerfreckle was opposed to the policy, but understood why it had been enacted. Sometimes, doing your duty wasn't easy - She knew that all too well. She and her mother Mudbriar argued fiercely over Viperstar's policy, leading to nearly a moon without contact. When the two did begin to speak again, their relationship was unsteady...

32 . The salmon run was remarkably abundant through the summer and into the early fall season. No belly went hungry and the Watcher population was at an all time high. Many interpreted this as a sign the ancestors were pleased. Bellflower and her brothers challenged the other berserkers to a salmon eating contest, with Bellflower coming out on top, devouring piles upon piles of fish. In this time, Bellflower was bested yet again as Brindlestripe earned the epithet Brindleshade for her achievements in battle, yet another blow to Bell's confidence.

40 . Sturgeonsun passed suddenly and without warning in the line of duty, as Champions often did. In his place, Brindleshade was elected. Bellflower, struggling internally, discussed the situation with the newly named Brindlesun, and the two friends agreed that she was not the right choice for envoy, as it would be a conflict of interest for Brindlesun. Instead, Sunfreckle was named as the berserker envoy.

Life grew unsteady as rumors began to spread that the Ancestors, displeased with Viperstar as their representative, had rescinded all contact with the Cardinal. Several cats received prophetic dreams later revealed to be a warning of Viperstar's oncoming demise. The Cardinal departed for the mountain's peak, seeking to parlay. In his absence, a pack of hungry coyotes mounted an attack on the camp, desperate for food and willing to devour anything they could find - Including cats.

44 . Viperstar returned from his journey just before the coyotes began to attack. No class was spared from the fight, and despite their reinforcements to camp, injuries were still plentiful. The coyote leader - a massive albino beast - nearly killed a Berserker. Instead, Viperstar jumped into the battle to take the blow for them, sacrificing his remaining lives. What remained of the coyote pack was killed shortly after. Bellflower had hardly liked Viperstar, but she could not deny that he had sacrificed himself for a berserker, a feat few thought him capable of.

44 . Sandbarbelly, the Disciple Envoy, was chosen to ascend to be the next Cardinal, but she refused to uphold the sacrifice required. With evidence brought forward about the prophetic dreams, the Council decided to hold a vote; everyone of graduated age could speak to and chose whether this tradition needed to continue. In the end, majority voted to spare Sandbarstar's mate and end the tradition. By the next day, the rains began. Bellflower was among those who voted to spare Lambear, having always been skeptical of the more brutalist traditions the Ancestors enforced. Even when the rains began, she stubbornly refused to go back on her choice, asking why spirits who were supposed to keep them safe were now actively trying to drown them.

46 . The flora that normally bloomed this time of year wilted and died due to the lack of sunlight from the rains, drastically hurting herb availability. Prey populations struggled to recoup from the previous avalanche and now dire food supplies, leading to some Watchers going to bed hungry. Still, Bellflower refused to admit that sacrificing Lambear may have been the correct call, citing the spiteful nature of the rains.