Strawberrysprout

Lineart by Ren | Color & Edits by Jer

## **Overview**

Strawberrysprout is a former medicine cat of ShadowClan.

### **Appearance**

Strawbs is a very unimposing flame point siamese with green eyes and folded ears.

### **Personality**

Strawberrysprout is a gentle and soft-spoken cat who tries her best to be a comforting presence for the cats she cares for. She's very non-confrontational and prefers issues to be solved peacefully, having seen the effects of war firsthand. She abhors violence of any sort and refuses to stock lethal herbs.

## **History**

#### Kithood

Strawberrysprout had a pretty average kithood, born to two generic ShadowClan warriors while under the later moons of Stagstar's leadership. As a kit, she was far more reserved than her peers. While the others in the nursery talked about becoming strong and impressive, she had her own doubts. While she was excited to help do her part for ShadowClan, she wasn't as eager about actually becoming an apprentice. Training to become a warrior, fighting and hunting. She was a non-confrontational and empathetic kit, the idea of fighting and destroying didn't appeal to her. To escape from those worries and pressures, the kit often found herself hanging out in the quiet part of camp that housed the medicine den. Strawberry occasionally found herself helping out the clan's medicine cat, Mantisflight, and when he offered to train her as his apprentice the pieces finally clicked. The path was one that seemed right.

#### Apprenticeship

Strawberry's apprenticeship was intensive, as any medicine cat training is, but she displayed an aptitude for herbs and an affinity for helping those in need. She was rather quiet and dutiful as an apprentice, though awkward and unsure of herself, feeling quite a bit of pressure to succeed. Her apprenticeship was short though, it turned out. Mantisflight had an old injury that caused him to be less and less mobile, leaving Strawberry to do many of the day to day jobs that required a cat to be up and about. Mantisflight deemed her training to be complete and when the next half-moon meeting came around, he gave her her full name and promptly stepped down.

#### Adulthood

Newly named Strawberrysprout was left as the sole acting medicine cat of ShadowClan. While she had cats to rely on for help if she needed it, the young medicine cat struggled to not feel like she'd been abandoned. The adjustment period was long and stressful for her, with a nonstop feeling of inadequacy. Strawberrysprout quickly became exhausted with almost non-stop dire issues that needed her undying attention. She withdrew from socializing, her sole focus on her work. After quite a few moons and much to Strawberrysprout's relief, things began to settle. She began to relax and open up once more, making friends with an apprentice around her age, Rhododendronpaw.

Then along came the apprentice tournament with RiverClan. And the dog attack that interrupted it. And the war with RiverClan that followed. The battles horrified her. She was overwhelmed and in over her head, just trying to keep her clanmates alive. Girlie didn't get a lick of sleep during the war and was running on empty pretty much the entire time. She despised the fighting and the time firmly solidified her distaste for conflict. Hate for conflict, would be the more accurate phrasing. Strawberrysprout would have run herself into the ground without the support of Rhododendronpaw, who was injured in the initial dog attack. She spent time with Strawberrysprout while healing, and helped with gathering herbs and the like. After some time, Strawberrysprout finally asked if Rhododendronpaw would like to join her as a medicine cat. She said yes <3

They made it out on the other end of the war, somehow. While Strawberrysprout had grown far more sure in her capabilities, she was forever changed by the effects of that war. She helplessly watched as cats died. She saw kits maimed and traumatized. She never wanted it to happen again. Strawberrysprout just wanted peace.

Peace, of course, didn't come. Not then. Perhaps not ever.

Strawberrysprout watched as Briarstar's madness took hold, as he forced kits into apprenticeship early, as he became more and more vicious with those at the borders. She watched, unable to help, as Briarstar attempted to execute WindClan's medicine cat, Omensight. Then Briarstar was killed, and she prayed it was over now. That ShadowClan was safe. Hah. didn't happen :')

Chrysanthymumblossom was the next leader in line. When the nine-lives ceremony came around, Chrysanthymumblossom was denied by StarClan. Instead cursed by the Dark forest. Every last life. Strawberrysprout's faith was shaken, fearing the denial as abandonment. Fearing that they were alone and ShadowClan was lost. Her fears were only confirmed by Chrysy's following changes to ShadowClan. Making kits apprentices even younger. Imprisonment for even speaking against them. Brutal executions. Shaking and crying. She had no idea what to do or how to put a stop to it.