Starlingfern

**Starlingfern** is a sleek black she-cat with a white flash on her chest and green eyes.

## History

Starlingkit is born to Cloverdew and Splashbreeze, along with her brothers Silverkit and Ripplekit. Cloverdew is weak from kitting, and spends most of the days afterwards sleeping while her kits prodded at her to play. Pale-eye, the medicine cat, frequently stays in the den to monitor Cloverdew's health. Starlingkit is mesmerized by Pale-eye's ghostly blue left eye, and asks the she-cat why her eye is like that. Pale-eye tells her that it was a gift from StarClan, and that she was born that way long ago. Starlingkit is still curious, and Pale-eye goes on to say that she cannot see out of it, but she can see perfectly out of her right yellow eye. When the medicine cat leaves, Starlingkit plays with moss in the corner of the den, pretending to "treat her mother" with herbs.
Starlingkit begins to enjoy her conversations with Pale-eye, and the medicine cat begins to open her up to the world of medicinal remedies and herbs. Starlingkit's brothers, Silverkit and Ripplekit, play with each other instead. Dapplestar begins to notice this interest Starlingkit is taking in Pale-eye, and asks the medicine cat if she thinks she is ready for an apprentice. Pale-eye accepts the offer, as she is finding a liking to the she-kit herself.
Starlingpaw is apprenticed, and given to Pale-eye as a medicine cat apprentice. She works hard with Pale-eye to learn and memorize poultice concoctions and herb usages. The medicine cat often takes Starlingpaw to the lake to get away from camp for a short period of time. The two cats spend time sitting along the shore and speaking about various matters.
One night, Starlingpaw has a distressing dream. She finds herself in a forest with a small clearing nearby. She approaches the clearing, and looks through the branches at a ghostly image of a mother and kit. Starlingpaw finds it hard to find the exact outline, but she can see the small kit suckling against her belly. Suddenly, a dark figure approaches - but Starlingpaw can see no distinct features. The figure takes the kit away from its mother, and the mother yowls in agony as she is left alone. The ghastly figure melts into the ground, and eventually becomes mist.
Starlingpaw awakens, frightened. Pale-eye notices her flinch, and asks her to tell her what she had seen. Starlingpaw explains her dream to the medicine cat, and her mentor replies by saying it was definitely a premonition of a future event. Since the figures were vague, Pale-eye warns that this event may be too far in the future to see clearly. Starlingpaw is rattled, but is told to just relax and carry on with her training.
When Rippleleap and Silvershade are made warriors, Starlingpaw is teased by them for still holding an apprentice name. Pale-eye tells the toms that she simply has more to know than them, which will end up making her smarter than them in the end.
When Starlingpaw is deemed worthy of receiving her full name, she named Starlingfern by Pale-eye. Pale-eye tells her that she chose this name because Starlingfern is gentle like the small starlings that hop along the shade of the forest undergrowth. She commends her for her patience, and that it will go a long way when she is the sole medicine cat of RiverClan. Starlingfern is honored, and continues to learn under Pale-eye even after earning her full name.
One night, Starlingfern wakes up to find Pale-eye's nest empty. She follows her scent out of camp, and comes upon a scene near the cliffs. There are scattered herbs along the rocks, and Pale-eye is being interrogated by a ShadowClan patrol. It is raining heavily, and Starlingfern's vision is blurred through the raindrops blowing into her eyes. The ShadowClan patrol grow closer to Pale-eye in an effort to intimidate her, and she takes a step back. The loose rock crumbles underneath the weight of her paw, and Pale-eye slips off the side of the cliff. She catches herself with her front paws, yowling at the ShadowClan cats to save her. The ShadowClan patrol remains frozen, unsure of what to do. Starlingfern, unable to conceal herself any longer, breaks out of the undergrowth and rushes to the cliffside in an effort to help. As she approaches, and begins to extend her paws, Pale-eye loses her grip and plummets to her death.
Starlingfern lays in the rain before the paws of the ShadowClan patrol. They attempt to apologize, but she tells them to leave as Otterstar will see to them later. At the mention of the leader, the cats scatter. Starlingfern falls asleep at the cliffside underneath the storm.
In the morning, Starlingfern returns to RiverClan. She informs Otterstar of Pale-eye's death, and that her life could have been saved if the ShadowClan warriors had done something. Otterstar is furious with ShadowClan, and promises Starlingfern that they will pay for what they have done to Pale-eye. Shimmerwing offers to retrieve Pale-eye's body, but Starlingfern says that it would be too dangerous to trek to the bottom of the cliffs. She adds that Pale-eye is where she would be happiest - among the trees.
## Theme Song

* **Seven** by Taylor Swift

*Please, picture me in the trees. I hit my peak at seven feet in the swing over the creek, I was too scared to jump in. But I, I was high in the sky, with Pennsylvania under me. Are there still beautiful things?*
## Quotes

**Starlingfern**: "*They say a strange cat lives on the moon. Do you know what that cat is called?*"

**Shimmerwing**: "*The cat in the moon.*"

**Starlingfern**: "*Why did that cat end up in the moon? Do you know?*"

**Shimmerwing**: "*He went to pick flowers of a wondrous tree that grew on the moon.*"
**Starlingfern**: "*And then what happened?*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*It is said that if you mix flowers with water and then drink it, you will attain immorality. The cat plucked all the flowers from the tree to keep for himself, and in doing so, he angered the gods.*"
**Starlingfern**: "*And then, still immortal, he was imprisoned in the moon.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Yes.*"
**Starlingfern**: "*The moon should be viewed from afar. We must not pursue something beautiful in an attempt to take something from it. And yet, all those with power try to reach for the moon. The medicine cats of the Clans have seen so many warriors try to reach the moon. But none of them ever came back down to the ground. What about Dapplestar? You must watch over her so she does not lose her way. Watch over her.*"

—Shimmerwing and Starlingfern