[faceclaim]

[ 0 MOONS - 5 MOONS ] It was a gloomy day when Robinwing went into labor, fitting for what would occur. A she-kit was the first to be born, but she came into the world silent and still, and despite the medicine cat’s best efforts, she would remain that way. Robinwing named Sparrowkit for her brown fur and murmured a sorrowful farewell in her daughter’s ear before another spasm overtook her. In the morning, after a lengthy and difficult night, Wrenkit was born. He, too, was silent and still, but he wouldn’t remain that way. The medicine cat worked relentlessly to bring him to life, determined not to lose another kit. They were overjoyed when Wrenkit gasped for air, but when they looked up at Robinwing to share the good news, she was gone. Wrenkit’s father, Eaglestrike, who had elected to linger outside the nursery, was called into the den and told the news. He took one look at his surviving kit, who was frail and looked a lot like Robinwing, and left.

Wrenkit was left in the care of a queen named Nettleflight, a single mother with three sons. The oldest of her litter was named Boulderkit and her second-born was named Stonekit, while her youngest was called Pebblekit. Nettleflight struggled to connect with her kits and even seemed to hold a grudge against them, so when Wrenkit came into the pictured, she seemed to give up on trying to bond with them. The medicine cat did most of the work in nursing Wrenkit to full health while Nettleflight did very little. She never smiled, never laughed, never played with her kits, and never curled around them when it was time to sleep. She fed them when she had to, looked at them with a distant look in her eyes like she wasn’t actually looking at them, and sometimes, she’d lose her temper when they asked her a single question. Wrenkit quickly learned to steer clear of Nettleflight when he could and if she asked - or rather, ordered - him to do something, he didn’t hesitate to do it.

He spent most of his time with Nettleflight’s boys, who were less than a moon older than he was. They also knew to leave their mother alone and would advise Wrenkit to do the same. They enjoyed his company and always included him in their games. Boulderkit, Stonekit, and Pebblekit became Wren’s best friends. When the four of them erupted from the nursery every morning, some of their clanmates would groan in annoyance while others would chuckle at the sight. Boulderkit was a passionate cat with quite the imagination and he usually acted as their leader. Stonekit was phlegmatic and reserved, but also incredibly protective of his family. Pebblekit was an old soul, quiet and shy, but also surprisingly wise for his age. When Wrenkit revealed to them one day that he’d rather be a she-cat, all three of them were supportive. And when Wrenkit started correcting her clanmates about her gender, they helped spread the word so nobody would address her by the wrong pronouns. The four of them were very close and despite not being related by blood, Wrenkit considered them to be her brothers.

[ 6 MOONS - 11 MOONS ] When Boulderpaw, Stonepaw, Pebblepaw, and Wrenpaw were apprenticed, they remained as close as ever despite their duties taking up a lot of their time. Wrenpaw was granted Tigerfern as her mentor. Tigerfern was kind and level-headed, but also a bit reticent. Wrenpaw immediately admired her. Tigerfern wasn’t a particularly talented warrior and while she was decent at most things, she wasn’t anything special, either. However, she made an excellent teacher. Wrenpaw didn’t exactly excel anywhere, but she wasn’t terrible. Her favorite part of training was chasing squirrels through the treetops, but her least favorite thing to do was patrol the river, which never failed to spit water at her as she walked along its edge. In general, her favorite thing to do was babysit the kits. She absolutely adored children, so she looked forward to giving the queens the break they so desperately needed. She’d even volunteer to bring fresh-kill to the elders, queens, and kits as often as possible, just so she could visit the nursery.

About halfway to her graduation, Pebblepaw started to feel under the weather. Gradually, he began to lose weight and his appetite vanished. He’d always been the smallest of the four of them, but also the hungriest, so everyone was gravely concerned when he stopped eating as much. He missed a couple training sessions, so weak he couldn’t lift himself out of his nest, which prompted his mentor to speak with the medicine cat about his health. Pebblepaw was immediately moved into the medicine cat den. Although every possible treatment was tried, Pebblepaw’s health only worsened as time went on. Two moons after his symptoms started showing, he joined StarClan. Boulderpaw, Stonepaw, and Wrenpaw were distraught, but found comfort in each other. The pain of losing Pebblepaw would linger for moons, but so long as they had one another, it was a little more bearable. At Pebblepaw’s vigil, Nettleflight showed up - probably just for appearances. But when she dozed off, Boulderpaw completely lost it on her. Wrenpaw and Stonepaw had to pull him away before he could get himself in trouble. Nettleflight simply walked away without saying a word.

[ 12 MOONS - 15 MOONS ] Graduating was bittersweet. It would’ve been the best day of their lives if Pebblepaw had been with them, but he wasn’t. None of them could muster a genuine smile when the leader granted them their names. As Bouldernose, Stonefrost, and Wrensong stood guard outside camp that night, they each relived memories involving Pebblepaw and wished he was with them. When dawn came, they slept and dreamt of Pebblepaw, and when they woke, Wrensong realized Pebblepaw wouldn’t want them to be so dejected. Bouldernose and Stonefrost agreed, and started off their new way of mourning by sharing silly stories of Pebblepaw with anyone who stopped to listen. They found new friends in a she-cat named Cottontail and a tom named Sapwhisker, two best friends who would listen to their stories about Pebblepaw. Wrensong was instantly drawn to Cottontail, who was bold, but a bit cocky. Sapwhisker was kinder and quieter, but Wrensong wasn’t addicted to his personality like she was to Cottontail’s.

Wrensong padded after Cottontail like a lovestruck fool. Just at the sight of her radiant smile, Wrensong would feel her heart skip a beat. She was so busy trying to earn Cottontail’s affection that she didn’t realize Sapwhisker was trying to earn her’s - until he pulled her aside one day and asked her to be his mate. Wrensong rejected him as kindly as she could and revealed to him that she liked Cottontail. Even after being turned down, Sapwhisker continued to try and win her heart, unwilling to accept that Wrensong didn’t like him that way. About a moon later, when his courting reached a point where he rarely left her side and asked her daily if she’d changed her mind about becoming his mate, Wrensong’s brothers got involved. They’d noticed how uncomfortable she looked in Sapwhisker’s presence and how he wouldn’t leave her alone. No matter how many times she asked, Bouldernose and Stonefrost never told Wrensong what they said to Sapwhisker, but whatever it was, it worked and he began to leave her alone. He wouldn’t even look her way anymore. Wrensong was just sorry their friendship didn’t survive.

Shortly after Sapwhisker started leaving Wrensong alone, Cottontail approached her and stated she didn’t think they could be friends anymore. When Wrensong asked why, Cottontail said Sapwhisker had told her about how Bouldernose and Stonefrost had intimidated him just for being friends with Wrensong. As much as she wanted to, Wrensong couldn’t argue that her brothers had done no such thing. First of all, she knew they’d said something to Sapwhisker, though she wasn’t sure what, and second, she wouldn’t be surprised if Bouldernose and Stonefrost had bullied Sapwhisker. She knew they’d do anything for her. She simply apologized for what happened and wished Cottontail well. When Wrensong confronted her brothers later, Bouldernose was quick to apologize while Stonefrost stated that Sapwhisker deserved it. That’s when it struck Wrensong that the cat she loved didn’t even want to be friends anymore. She was heartbroken and rarely left her nest or ate, ignoring Bouldernose and Stonefrost when they tried to comfort her.

Sapwhisker entered her life again when Wrensong was still feeling bad about losing Cottontail. He started bullying Wrensong, insulting her and pushing her around - but only when nobody was nearby, especially her brothers. Wrensong didn’t fight back, too distraught about losing both Cottontail’s friendship and earning a bully in her former friend, Sapwhisker. As his cruelty continued, she just began to feel worse and worse until she stopped eating and sleeping, despite spending most of her time in her nest. Bouldernose and Stonefrost noticed when she stopped taking care of herself and one day, refused to leave her alone until she told them what was wrong. Wrensong was reluctant to share the truth with them and made up a couple of lies, but her brothers knew her too well and saw right through them. Eventually, she told them Sapwhisker had been bothering her and she begged them not to get involved this time. Bouldernose and Stonefrost didn’t make any promises.

[ 16 MOONS ] The next moon, something horrible happened. Sapwhisker’s lifeless body was discovered in the forest with Stonefrost’s scent all over the area, though Wrensong’s brother was nowhere to be found. When Bouldernose was asked if he knew anything about Sapwhisker’s death, he claimed to not know a thing, but Wrensong had a feeling he did. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Stonefrost had killed Sapwhisker for hurting her. Part of her was beyond grateful for what Stonefrost had done, but another part of her was upset she’d probably never see him again. He’d have to stay far away from the clans after killing one of their own. Wrensong began to take care of herself again after hearing the news. She only had one brother left and she couldn’t waste what time they had together. Bouldernose was overjoyed when Wrensong asked him to go hunting with her one day, something they hadn’t done since before Cottontail rejected her.

[ 17 MOONS - 20 MOONS ] After Sapwhisker’s death, Cottontail became angry, particularly with Bouldernose and Wrensong. She was convinced Stonefrost’s siblings knew exactly what he’d had planned, an opinion she was very vocal about. Often, Wrensong and Bouldernose would see Cottontail sharing a meal with Nettleflight, the two of them looking right back at them with piercing glares. Wrensong and Bouldernose did their best to avoid the two, but it wasn’t easy. Nettleflight tended to steer clear of them and simply stare at them with contempt from a distance, but Cottontail made an effort to approach them frequently and she wasn’t exactly nice. Wrensong felt for Cottontail, she really did, and she tried to be compassionate, but Cottontail was just cruel, insulting her and Bouldernose and spreading false rumors about them. A couple moons after Cottontail started bullying them, Wrensong had enough. She’d felt sorry for Cottontail, but she didn’t deserve Wrensong’s pity anymore. After Cottontail wished bad things upon Wrensong, Bouldernose, and Stonefrost - wherever he was - during a patrol, Wrensong attacked her. Their fight was broken up by their patrolmates, and both Wrensong and Cottontail were punished with a moon of apprentice duties.

[ 21 MOONS - 25 MOONS ] Cottontail left Wrensong and Bouldernose alone after the fight, though she and Nettleflight continued to send them glares whenever they passed by. Wrensong and Bouldernose paid them no attention. Instead of focusing on their rivals, they focused on their new friends. Flywhisker and Reedcloud had entered Wrensong and Bouldernose’s lives after the altercation. Flywhisker was Cottontail’s sister, but the two didn’t get along. Flywhisker was anxious and sickly, and Cottontail would never admit it, but Flywhisker was confident that Cottontail thought she was the superior littermate. She’d admired how easily Wrensong had stood up to Cottontail. The two siblings had been happy to accept her friendship. Reedcloud was much younger than the three of them and had just earned his warrior name a few moons earlier, but he was equally as anxious as Flywhisker. Reedcloud and Flywhisker had bonded over their shared traits, as well as the fact that they were both weavers. Reedcloud followed Flywhisker everywhere and made the same connections she did, so he also pursued a friendship with Wrensong and Bouldernose, who were happy to have him.

As the next few moons came and went, Wrnsong’s bond with Flywhisker and Reedcloud strengthened, but while Reedcloud was more like a younger brother, she started to feel nervous around Flywhisker like she had with Cottontail. She knew immediately that she’d developed feelings for Flywhisker. Before she could act on her feelings, Bouldernose pulled Wrensong aside one day and revealed he liked Flywhisker. Wrensong considered telling him that she liked Flywhisker, too, but somehow managed to bite her tongue. Her brother had done so much for her and he deserved to have a cat like Flywhisker at his side. Wrensong encouraged Bouldernose to talk to Flywhisker and felt her heart break as she watched them exit camp for some privacy. She spent the day with Reedcloud, trying not to think about how the cat she liked and her brother would likely return to camp as mates. When the two of them came back later that day and told Wrensong they were mates, she forced herself to smile and congratulate them. She was happy for them, but she was also sad for herself. Wrensong just hoped her feelings for Flywhisker wouldn’t linger.

[ 26 MOONS ] Wrensong had nothing to do with her kin for her entire life, so when she’d heard about two moons earlier that her father and his new mate were going to have kits, Wrensong thought she didn’t care very much. She didn’t give the news too much thought, but when the day came that all her siblings were born and all her clanmates were talking about the kits, Wrensong felt hurt. Why hadn’t she been enough for her father, but these kits were? She tried visiting the nursery later in the day to see what made the two newborns so special, but she couldn't bring herself to actually walk into the den. She attempted to visit the nursery several times that moon, but every time, she never even got close. She considered talking to Bouldernose regarding how she felt about her kin, but she had a hard time confiding in him ever since he became mates with Flywhisker. Wrensong ended up dealing with her feelings by simply pretending the problem didn’t exist. She made a great effort to avoid her kin, to the point where she’d get up and leave camp if she saw her father, his mate, and their kits behaving like a happy family.

[ 27 MOONS - 30 MOONS ] For the next couple moons after her younger brothers were born, Wrensong focused on trying to distract herself from her feelings for Flywhisker, mostly by spending a lot of time with Reedcloud. Reedcloud was sweet and thoughtful, and he listened when Wrensong complained about her father and his new family. It was nice to finally talk about it, but when Bouldernose moved into the medicine cat den after catching an illness, the last thing on her mind was her biological kin. Wrensong learned from Flywhisker that Bouldernose had been showing symptoms for days and he’d tried to act like he was fine, but Flywhisker had forced him into the medicine cat den once his fever made him delirious. In the midst of the night, Bouldernose joined StarClan and his family were informed immediately. Wrensong realized rather quickly that Flywhisker seemed to be handling Bouldernose’s death quite well and when she confronted Flywhisker, the other she-cat broke down and revealed she’d never loved Bouldernose, but had loved Wrensong. It was all too much, so Wrensong had to walk away.

At Bouldernose’s vigil the following morning, Wrensong was outraged to see Nettleflight crouched beside Bouldernose, her face buried in his neck while she shook as if with silent sobs. Wrensong suspected she was faking. On the outskirts of camp sat Cottontail, a content look on her face. The only reason why Wrensong didn’t completely lose it on both of them was because on one side of her sat Reedcloud and on the other sat Flywhisker. Despite the tension between them, Flywhisker still crouched beside her, a comforting presence. For a moment, Wrensong wondered if Flywhisker was just at Bouldernose’s vigil to act as the grieving widow, but she knew she was being cruel and that Flywhisker was better than that. Flywhisker was mourning a friend, yes, but she was also comforting Wrensong, the cat she loved. Upon realizing this, Wrensong pressed against Flywhisker’s flank. The two of them were attached at the hip after Bouldernose’s vigil, but they also failed to address their feelings for each other.

About a moon after the vigil, Flywhisker revealed to Wrensong that she was expecting Bouldernose’s kits. Wrensong struggled with the news, but ultimately found it within herself to be happy for Flywhisker, who was excited to become a mother. She was also nervous for Flywhisker, whose health had never been that great. She’d been in and out of the medicine cat den her entire life, and Wrensong feared the pregnancy and labor would be too much for Flywhisker. However, she buried her concerns instead of acknowledging them. Wrensong and Flywhisker included Reedcloud in their celebration, the three of them immediately discussing potential kit names in their excitement. Flywhisker suggested naming her kits after Wrensong’s brothers, but she worried the children would inherit her brothers’ reputations, too. Pebblepaw was the only one of her siblings to have a good reputation. Stonefrost was a murderer and there were rumors Bouldernose had been his accomplice. She couldn’t do that to the kits, no matter how much she adored her brothers.

[ 31 MOONS - 36 MOONS ] The day Flywhisker went into labor was a long one, but the labor itself was quick. Flywhisker wanted Wrensong to be present and, of course, she couldn’t say no to her. It started late into the morning and was over before midday. When the first kit, a she-cat, was born, she wasn’t breathing. The medicine cat passed the kit along to Wrensong and instructed her on what to do. Wrensong didn’t give up on the kit even as the second child, another she-cat, was born. The second kit wasn’t breathing, either, and though she startled with a shrill mew just moments after the medicine cat started working on her, she barely moved. Wrensong continued to try waking the eldest kit, refusing to give up, even if the child’s chances for survival were slim. The third and final kit, a tom, was born strong and healthy. Once the two surviving kits were placed against Flywhisker’s belly, the medicine cat stopped Wrensong and said the first kit had joined StarClan. Wrensong reluctantly moved away from the lifeless form and curled around Flywhisker, trying to ignore the pain in heart as she comforted her friend.

The other she-kit didn’t survive the night. Flywhisker didn’t even have time to think of what to name her. Wrensong hadn’t left the nursery since the labor started, unable to bring herself to leave her friend’s side. And after Flywhisker’s second kit passed away, Wrensong didn’t think she’d ever leave the nursery. Flywhisker waited a few days before naming the tom, afraid to strengthen her connection to him when she feared she might lose him, too. Fortunately, he became stronger by the day and once Flywhisker was sure he’d remain with them, she named him Spiderkit for his black fur. In the next couple of moons, both Flywhisker and Wrensong bonded with him, but of course, Spiderkit was especially close to Flywhisker. The pregnancy and then the labor had weakened Flywhisker to the point where she struggled to walk long distances and caught colds quite frequently. Spiderkit was very protective of her, helping her walk every time she left the nursery and aiding the medicine cat in treating Flywhisker’s symptoms. When Spiderkit woke Wrensong one day and told her that Flywhisker wouldn’t get up, Wrensong was alarmed. Flywhisker wasn’t a deep sleeper. Wrensong’s heartbroken wail rang out across the clearing upon finding Flywhisker’s lifeless form.

Explaining to Spiderkit that Flywhisker was gone was the most difficult thing Wrensong had ever done. Spiderkit didn’t take the news well and lashed out at Wrensong before storming off. Their relationship had always been good and Wrensong knew Spiderkit was just hurting, but it didn’t make his words hurt any less. At first, Wrensong moved into the nursery with Spiderkit and took care of him, but soon enough, he rejected her. Cottontail replaced her, both her and Nettleflight having taken him under their wings and poisoning him against Wrensong. Wrensong did her best to continue to support Spiderkit, but he only became angrier with her, pushing her away. Eventually, Spiderkit became convinced Wrensong wasn’t a good cat. He blamed Wrensong for Cottontail and Flywhisker’s poor relationship, claiming she’d manipulated Flywhisker, and he also blamed her for Stonefrost killing Sapwhisker, claiming she’d been the mastermind behind it all. Wrensong found comfort in Reedcloud during this time.

[ 37 MOONS - 41 MOONS ] It was a bit of a surprise when Spiderpaw was apprenticed to Reedcloud. The two hadn’t interacted much, but anyone who was close to Wrensong wasn’t on Spiderpaw’s good side. Reedcloud had always wanted to be a mentor, but Spiderpaw didn’t want him to be his. Spiderpaw was a difficult apprentice who eventually reluctantly cooperated during training only because he didn’t want his naming ceremony to be delayed. However, his tongue was sharp and Reedcloud often returned to camp after a long day of training with a defeated expression on his face. Wrensong was always there to provide her friend with comfort. She tried once to join Reedcloud and Spiderpaw on a training session, but Spiderpaw refused to train with her there, and so that became the first and last time she attended a session with them. Cottontail and Nettleflight, but mostly Cottontail, were constantly bothering Reedcloud about how to properly train Spiderpaw. It reached a point where Reedcloud requested Spiderpaw be assigned to another warrior and the apprentice was given to someone else.

[ 42 MOONS ] Tensions between the clans had been increasing over the moons, but Wrensong hadn’t thought a war would occur. When RidgeClan attacked, Wrensong fought alongside Reedcloud. Both of them had been overwhelmed by their guilt for allowing Cottontail and Nettleflight to control Spiderpaw, and they were distracted during the battle by their attempts to find Spiderpaw in the fray. When they finally did find him, he was battling a rival warrior twice his size. Wrensong and Reedcloud hurried to defend him and, perhaps blinded by his rage, or maybe even in some kind of freak accident, Spiderpaw’s claws raked across Reedcloud’s throat. Reedcloud collapsed to the ground, writhing, and Spiderpaw stood over him with wide, horrified eyes. The enemy forgotten, Wrensong dropped beside Reedcloud and called for help, but help never came and he soon stilled. She then turned to Spiderpaw, whether to blame him or tell him he wasn’t at fault, Wrensong couldn’t be sure, but he was gone.

After RidgeClan retreated and PrairieClan returned home, and Reedcloud’s body was carried away for a vigil, Wrensong searched for Spiderpaw. He wasn’t in camp, so Wrensong scoured the territory. She found his scent nearby and tracked it all the way to the eastern border. She sat there for the longest time, staring over the boundary, waiting for Spiderpaw, but he never came. Wrensong went back to camp without him, feeling numb. She learned Nettleflight had been lost during the war and Cottontail would have to retire to the elders’ den due to a severe injury. Their stories were not rare. Many lives had been lost and several had suffered injuries so terrible that it’d be impossible for them to complete warrior duties. Wrensong did what she could to help in the aftermath of the war, treating minor wounds and murmuring words of comfort to those who needed to hear it. It felt a lot like she was just going through the motions. Later that day, when she settled down to sleep, her emotions came back to her all at once. It was a rough night.

[ 43 MOONS - 49 MOONS ] A moon after the war, Wrensong was assigned her first apprentice, probably an attempt by her leader to get her out of the rut she was stuck in. Her apprentice was a timid little thing named Cloverpaw. She’d lost both her parents in the war and despite her suffering, she remained strong. While she was shy at first, she was sweet and became sunny once a bond was formed. Wrensong always had a soft spot for youngsters and quickly grew fond of Cloverpaw, taking her under her wing like she’d wanted to with Spiderpaw. She’d failed Spiderpaw, but she refused to fail Cloverpaw. Surprisingly, Cloverpaw was a natural fighter and Wrensong helped her hone her skills, and when Cloverpaw struggled with hunting, Wrensong worked extra hard to help her succeed. As Cloverpaw neared her final moon of training, their connection reached a point where Wrensong thought of Cloverpaw as her own. While most of their time together was spent practicing hunting and battle techniques, Cloverpaw had come to view Wrensong as someone she could go to when she needed guidance and reassurances. When Cloverpaw was named Cloverberry, Wrensong was the first cat she approached to celebrate with.

[ 50 MOONS - PRESENT ] With her apprentice trained, Wrensong wasn’t quite sure what to do with her life. She remembered being a young cat who liked to help out in the nursery and that short time she and Flywhisker were parents to Spiderkit, and decided to spend her free time aiding MistClan’s queens. She wasn’t surprised to find that helping in the nursery awoke a desire for motherhood in Wrensong, but first, she needed to find someone with a similar desire.

Pre-Plotting: Wrensong relates best to Roots in [MistClan’s Plot Ad]. All three clans suffered when Wolfstar led RidgeClan into an attack on MistClan and Wrensong is of the opinion that each clan has to heal themselves before they can try to help the others recover. She’s not opposed to helping in the future, but she’s aware that right now, MistClan can’t do the other clans any good. Wrensong is also [Frostfeather's love interest] and was adopted from [Rot in the Roots].

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