Elkflight

## Basics

Art by Stardefi

*“It’s a l-love as fierce as a queens. That’s w-why we do this. Sometimes w-we can’t save everyone, and by Starclan it h-hurts. But that pain will n-never diminish the l-love that burns through e-every medicine cat’s veins.”*

### Appearance

Elkflight is a lanky and tall cat, with a pretty mottled pelt and a constantly worried look on his face. He looks a touch feminine, with delicate paws and a sweet demeanor.

Elkflight weaves feathers into his fur, which often fall out all over the place after him. He keeps an old and slightly battered crow’s feather close to him however, and considers it his prized possession. This has been joined by a sky blue feather, given to him by Newtberry.

### Personality

Superstitious, anxious, and not at all impended by his stutter, Elkflight is a motherly tom. Elkflight was always helpful, emotional. As he grew up, Elkflight's anxiety and compassion grew. With his role as medicine cat, came a fierce love for his clan, thinking of them more like a family.

Elkflight can be rather strict and scolding when it comes to his patients, however. Either from worry or annoyance depends on the cat.

When not performing his duties or telling stories to the youth of Shadowclan, Elkflight can be seen watching his clan go about their lives.

Despite his stutter and anxious nature, he would defend his clan, his family, with his life. His name comes from two very important cats to him who died after shaping his life; Blackmoon and Clearsky.

### Kithood

*Elkkit then realized Bugkit had run ahead as he was talking, and was now waiting for him. His whiskers twitched with slight amusement and concern. **“W-wait up. Just in case,”** he strode over, thin le\*\* gs quickly eating up the ground between the two. **“W-we’re gonna p-protect each other, r-remember?”***

Born during a particularly harsh Leafbare,
Elkkit was raised by Stormflower, the permenant queen of the nursery at the time. From very young age, Elkkit was anxious, often holding himself apart from his peers for fear of judgement. He told himself he didn't need to risk having friends, and was both focused on his worries and desire to prove himself by becoming a warrior.

However, one night as he scampered into the nursery, frightened by the nature of the dark and spooky outside, a young skinny tom named Clearkit called him over, to listen to a story. Here Elkkit formed a strong sense of supersition, weaving a black crow's feather into his fur and keeping his nest lined with acorns.
However, around this time, Elkkit also devoloped Night Terrors, often waking up with a start of pure terror.

And then, Thunderclan camp was set ablaze.
While watching it burn, a scuffy little tom named Bugkit approached Elkkit, and the taller tom attempted to protect him by crouching over him. Elkkit swears to protect Bugkit, forever. Bugkit returns this promise and the two form a quick bond, almost constantly side by side.
As the Thunderclan cat's arrive, taking shelter from the charred camp, Elkkit insists on helping, for once in his young life going against orders. Seeing the refugee cats installs a fierce sense of compassion in the young tom, and he helps care for them from their arrival to when they leave.

One day, shortly before becoming an apprentice, Elkkit assists Dustyflower in the delivery of three kittens, and is absolutely infatuated by them. This sets off inside him a tiny spark, that maybe, his paws would take a different path...

### Warrior Apprenticeship

***Will I really be any good as an apprentice?** He thought sadly to himself, his mind racing. **Maybe I’ll mess everything I try up so badly that Hollowstar decides to banish me!**Elkpaw paused, eyes wide. **I'd never see Bugpaw again!** The thought sent a stab of pain through his chest, and he glanced at his denmate. He couldn’t stand the thought... Bugpaw was his best friend!*

As the world thaws and Newleaf comes, the oldest members of the nursery are made into apprentices. Elkpaw is filled with doubt at the beginning of his apprenticeship- afraid that any wrong move would have him exiled, a loner. With the leader, Hollowstar was his mentor, he had a lot to live up to! however, he wasn't the only one. A pretty molly, shy like him, was also apprenticed to the older tom. Her name was Leafpaw- and Elkpaw feels intimidated by her, in the beginning, and runs off to build nests with Bugpaw. As they do so, they talk about their mentors and hopes for the future. Elkpaw confesses his anxiety and Bugpaw comforts him. When Elkpaw tells Bugpaw he would be a great leader one day, Bugpaw tells him that if he was leader, Elkpaw would need to be his deputy. The thought of spending their lives side by side makes Elkflight beam the rest of the night.

One day before training, Elkpaw invites Leafpaw to share prey with him. Leafpaw is surprisingly kind to Elkpaw, turning his expectations on their heads.She then fixes the feather woven into his fur, which is bent from nightmares. She's flustered but Elkpaw brushes it off, and the beginnings of a friendship form. Leafpaw and Elkpaw are informed Wildfire will be training them and MIstypaw that day- however, Wildfire focuses on Mistypaw, occasionally making a scathing comment on the new apprentices' form. Elkpaw trips and stumbles through the lesson, making Leafpaw smile at one point with his klutzy nature. The two eventaully sit off to the side to talk.

Sparks alight a growing fued between Riverclan and Shadowclan, started with the death of a Riverclan apprentice, Pebblepaw. Elkpaw stays in camp, preparing water and nests for the returning injured warriors. He pauses, panicked, and Bugpaw tries to talk to him. Elkpaw buries his face in his friend's fur, and tells him he isn't allowed to die. Bugpaw reminds him of their promise to protect each other, and Elkpaw realizes that even with his dislike of fighting, he would draw his claws and bare his teeth for Bugpaw's sake. The two cuddle in the clearing, Elkpaw reveling in that fact that Bugpaw makes him feel safe. When the injured warriors arrive, Elkpaw jumps into action, bringing them water and prey.

One warrior, **forgot the name, edit later,** had his eye torn out in battle. Elkpaw takes care of his kits, Nightkit and Acornkit. He leads them into the apprentice den, and tells them old stories and legends. They end up sleeping in Elkpaw's nest, the lanky tom curled around them. Elkpaw is woken up by Bugpaw, who apologizes for waking him, only for Elkpaw to tell him he's just glad he got to see him. The next morning, Acornkit and Nightkit run off to brag about sleeping in the apprentice den, and Elkpaw and Bugpaw start their apprentice duties. The two first, on Elkpaw's insistance, stop to talk to Berrystem. Berrystem and Elkpaw make friendly conversation, and Berrystem makes a joke about just how close Elkpaw and Bugpaw had gotten. Elkpaw is unusually flustered, but tells Berrystem he'd rather be close to Bugpaw than any other cat.

-elk, thistle and clear talk together, and night tackles elk playfully

-elk goes to a gathering, and immediatly, per tradition, is bulllied by flarepaw. elk panics and curls up in a ball, crying. a tc appie, dovepaw, tries to comfort him.some cats take flares side and shout at him, peonyshine attempts to step in. thornpaw stands up for elk. peony tells flare off and and thorn and hs mentor, tumblebreeze, helps elk back to camp. elk is given poopy seedds-, and thus is in the meddie den when black comes in, severly injured via chicken...

===Medicinal Apprenticeship
**WIP**===
blah blah GREENCOUGH DEATH AHHH

## Quotes

“N-no matter what,” Elkpaw mewed, voice trembling. “You a-aren’t a-allowed to die in a b-battle. Whether R-riverclan breaks in o-or in a f-future b-battle.”