Sorrelfoot

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* Headshot

Sorrelfoot was a ThunderClan medicine cat and elder who served under Poppystar's, Boulderstar's, Ashstar's, Harestar's, and Antstar's leaderships, living from Reverse 2 Generation to after Twenty-First Generation. She was born to Sweetcloud and Furzestep alongside her brother, Shiningkit. She was apprenticed to Ravenfur before training under Nightshade as a medicine cat, and mentored Leafpuddle and Oliveleg. She was shocked upon witnessing Smokepaw's revival during a forest fire and developed a distrust of StarClan after they convinced her to poison Smokepaw. She started seeing a ghost named Needlecloud around this time. She pushed Nightshade off a cliff after Nightshade admitted she was planning on killing Smokeface's kits. She trained Leafpaw after her death, but Leafpuddle was killed shortly after earning her warrior name. Moons later, Sorrelfoot trained former kittypet Olivepaw in a shaky mentorship. She retired to the elders' den after her brother, and eventually died of old age a moon after Smokeface. Despite being allowed into StarClan, she choose to walk in the Dark Forest alongside Smokeface.

# Appearance

Silver ~~tabby~~ she-cat with green eyes.

# History

Sorrelkit always dreamed of being a medicine cat, but, unfortunately, her denmate two moons older than her, Smokepaw, had already taken the position due to her 'gifts.' While disappointed, Sorrelpaw didn't let that stop her from being the best warrior apprentice under the ThunderClan deputy, Ravenfur, ever! She trained hard, and enjoyed spending time with her brother, Shiningpaw, and denmates, Smokepaw and Robinpaw. But her moment came when Smokepaw resigned from being a medicine cat, and the two she-cats traded places, allowing Sorrelpaw to train under Nightshade. Sorrelpaw was excited and eager, and not even Nightshade's sharp tongue and constant glares could stop Sorrelpaw from jumping around like a kit. But she knew her mentor appreciated her enthusiasm, even if Sorrelpaw could never understand why she and their leader, Poppystar, seemed to despise Smokepaw so much. It made her wonder what Smokepaw had done. Was it simply because Smokepaw didn't want to be a medicine cat despite her gifts?

Sorrelpaw remembered when the storm suddenly started on the way to the Gathering Island, and when Smokepaw slipped off the tree, alongside a few other warriors. Most swam to safety with the help of RiverClan cats, but one warrior never surfaced, and for a long time, Smokepaw didn't either. Sorrelpaw was ecstatic when her friend appeared, and confused why Poppystar and Nightshade didn't share the same relief. But the storm raged on for days after, and then lightning struck and caught the forest on fire. The entire clan ran to the shores of the lake for safety, but Ravenfur and Smokepaw never made it with them. When Poppystar realized her brother and deputy was missing, she said she was going in after him. When Sorrelpaw asked if she was going to look for Smokepaw too, Poppystar hissed to her that it would be StarClan's will should she die. Sorrelpaw was shocked, but retreated to helping the elder, Rattail, who's fur had been burned off from a previous forest fire, and was not fairly well, inhaling too much smoke from this fire. But Sorrelpaw was terrified for Smokepaw's life as time went on, so she told a WindClan apprentice from a patrol that had come to help ThunderClan to watch over Rattail. The apprentice named Driftpaw, nervous and stuttering with a fluffy up pelt, didn't have time to agree before Sorrelpaw was racing off into the forest fire. There, Sorrelpaw discovered Smokepaw collapsed on the ground, where she gave her last puff of smoky breath before dying. Sorrelpaw
sadly began to drag her friend's dead body away from the fire best she could, only for Smokepaw's body to spasm as she jumped back into life. Sorrelpaw was confused, but happy to see her friend alive, and quickly helped her to the lakeshore. By the time they were back, Poppystar was there, and outraged. Both Rattail and Ravenfur had died, while Smokepaw had lived.

When the fire was drenched by heavy rains, the ThunderClan cats returned to their camp, and Smokepaw was in the medicine cat den, recovering from the smoke she inhaled. Nightshade refused to give her honey to soothe her throat, but Sorrelpaw snuck her friend some anyway. But, in her dreams, StarClan visited her, and told the young medicine cat apprentice to feed Smokepaw a certain kind of berry. So, Sorrelpaw set out to find some, and a starry spotted gray she-cat guided her to some, although her gaze was sad. Sorrelpaw picked the round, black berries, and took them back to camp, where Nightshade greeted her, then questioned with cold eyes why she had *those* berries. Sorrelpaw explained to Nightshade what StarClan had told her, and Nightshade let her feed them to Smokepaw. But to Sorrelpaw's horror, Smokepaw began spitting and jerking when she ate the berries, and Sorrelpaw soon watched the life fade from her eyes again. Sorrelpaw begged Nightshade to help, but Nightshade told her this was StarClan's will, reminding Sorrelpaw of Poppystar's words. Sorrelpaw cried until Smokepaw woke again. She begged for answers, but nobody would answer her. Sorrelpaw apologized to Smokepaw, but Smokepaw just glared at Nightshade, and told Sorrelpaw she knew it wasn't her fault. Nightshade went outside to explain to their clanmates what the yowling was for. Sorrelpaw heard her tell them that Sorrelpaw accidentally brought a poisonous type of berry to give to Smokepaw, but that it was okay as Smokepaw lived. Then, a voice whispered in Sorrelpaw's ear, and she saw a vague starry outline, as a she-cat's voice whispered in her ear, "Black nightshade berries. As deadly as deathberries. An omen... but not even StarClan has realized it. They are blinded, young Sorrelpaw." Sorrelpaw stared around for the cat, but it was only here and Smokepaw in the den, and Smokepaw had her head buried in her paws. Sorrelpaw curled up beside her, terrified, and now uncertain whether her mentor, and StarClan, were to ever be trusted, when they were capable of something like this... But surely, StarClan had some reason, for wanting Smokepaw dead...? But it just didn't make sense...!

But Smokepaw healed, and Sorrelpaw got no answers beside 'StarClan's will' and that 'Smokepaw was a scourge to the Warrior Code' from her mentor. And from her starry ancestors, well... They never seemed to appreciate when Sorrelpaw screamed at them, demanding just one 'why.' Smokepaw soon became a warrior, much to Poppystar's apparent displeasure, and was named Smokeface. Sorrelpaw was pleased for her friend, as well as her brother and her denmate, now named Shiningblaze and Robinface respectively. But during a fight with SkyClan over prey, Smokeface got a nasty bite on her tail, that became infected when she refused to see Nightshade, and Nightshade lied and told Sorrelpaw Smokeface would be fine. Sorrelpaw wanted desperately to heal it, but Nightshade stopped her from doing so around every corner, and Smokeface told Sorrelpaw to let it be. But the starry ghost appeared, and told Sorrelpaw that even StarClan could be cruel, just as a cat in the living world could be. She pointed to the poppy seeds and told Sorrelpaw that at the very least, she could make Smokeface's fifth death painless. So Sorrelpaw feed Smokeface poppy seeds, and watched as her breathing stilled. She knew when she died, and waited with her for when she jerked back awake. She welcomed her, but distantly. Smokeface thanked her, and Sorrelpaw didn't say anything, just moved to get herbs to finally cure the infected tail. Nightshade was upset when she saw Sorrelpaw do so, but Sorrelpaw hissed that she already died, so wasn't it enough? Nightshade growled, but left it alone. Smokeface told her she didn't have to stand up for her, and Sorrelpaw said she did, even if she couldn't understand why StarClan hated her. Smokeface told her she displeased StarClan, and Sorrelpaw snarled that hasn't every cat once? She pushed to know what Smokeface did, and Smokeface finally told her the truth: Smokeface had a strange ability to walk in StarClan- or the Dark Forest- nearly every time she slept, and, as a young and foolish apprentice, barely seven moons old, her StarClan friends gave her nine lives, and now StarClan was upset at her and those nine for disrupting the 'balance' of life and death.

Sorrelpaw found it ridiculous and hypocritical of StarClan to torture a cat for a mistake they made so young. From that point on, she openly despised StarClan and distrusted Nightshade and Poppystar. She refused to speak to StarClan at half-moon meetings, and bitterly accepted her medicine cat name of Sorrelfoot. When Smokeface became pregnant with her kits, and then gave birth, Sorrelfoot did her absolute best to make sure neither Smokeface nor the kits died during it, knowing StarClan would find anyway to kill Smokeface again, and perhaps, in their cruelty, kill her kits too. Sorrelfoot was pleased to see the two she-kits, Spotkit and Snowkit, remain healthy. During their birth, Sorrelfoot saw the starry ghost watching over them with loving eyes, and noted how similar her spots looked to Spotkit's, and how her body shape resembled all three of the she-cats'.

It seemed StarClan did have some force of mercy, as they left Smokeface alone while she raised her kits, although Sorrelfoot did yell at them at them one half-moon meeting, threatening them if they dared harm those kits. But something did happen during the six moons Smokeface raised her kits- two somethings. The first was Sorrelfoot confronting the ghost cat, who explained herself to be Needlecloud, Smokeface's mother who had died at birth, and a grandkit of the Sisters, an old group that occasionally visiting the clans. She couldn't reach StarClan, but was content to wander the clans as a ghost, occasionally appearing to cats, although it was easier with cats that had a connection to StarClan or spirits- such as a medicine cat. She didn't interfere much, and couldn't really, but she wanted the best for her kin and clan.

The second thing was Nightshade's death. Sorrelfoot saw how she looked at Spotkit and Snowkit, and when Nightshade realized Spotkit could also walk in StarClan, Sorrelfoot knew she had to do something about Nightshade's sneer. When Sorrelfoot realized Nightshade had black nightshade berries hidden in her den, she confronted Nightshade outside of camp, on the edge of ThunderClan's territory, nearby some cliffs. She asked what Nightshade was doing with said berries, holding them out to her, and Nightshade snarled that she would only do what StarClan willed, and that she would never harm a kit... unless StarClan wanted it. Sorrelfoot spat that she was insane- that even StarClan would not wish the death of a kit, even if they would of an apprentice- and the two medicine cats fought. But Sorrelfoot won, kicking Nightshade off the cliff, and watching as her body hit the ground with a hideous snap. Sorrelfoot took the berries and dropped them on top of Nightshade's body before walking away, as Needlecloud watched her with a sad frown.

And of course, Nightshade still got into StarClan, but Sorrelfoot wouldn't expect anything else.

When the kits in the nursery were apprenticed, Sorrelfoot was overjoyed to receive Leafpaw as an apprentice. The she-cat was just as excited and kind as Sorrelfoot was when she first became an apprentice, and it brought bittersweet memories to her. She loved Leafpaw, and trained her well, although she definitely lacked in the StarClan aspects, but she still allowed Leafpaw to speak to them at half-moon meetings. Leafpaw was a kind soul, and Sorrelfoot was never prouder to give her her medicine cat name, Leafpuddle. Even as Smokeface lost two more lives- one to lightning, and another to dogs, Sorrelfoot found herself happy with Leafpuddle...

Until StarClan took her away, and she was found with her guts ripped out on the edges of ThunderClan territory, oh so close to where Nightshade had been killed. Sorrelfoot whole-heartedly blamed StarClan, and found herself paranoid that now StarClan wanted her dead too, even if it meant leaving the clan without a medicine cat. She was heartbroken when her father and the current deputy, Furzestep, died, and Boulderclaw, formerly Smokeface's apprentice, took his place. She could tell Smokeface did not like Boulderclaw, but Sorrelfoot didn't mind the tom, as he seemed to not be a 'StarClan worshipping fool' as Sorrelfoot would put it. When Poppystar died in a battle with WindClan, and Boulderclaw became Boulderstar, Needlecloud told Sorrelfoot to be wary of him, so Sorrelfoot did so, even if she found herself agreeing with him on some aspects, particularly the 'StarClan can be ignorant and weak' aspects.

When Smokeface caught greencough that refused to go away, Sorrelfoot and Spotstorm stayed closely by her side until she died and awoke again. She decided to retire to the elders' den, hoping that StarClan would finally give her peace. Sorrelfoot was not that optimistic.

When a former loner and kittypet, beaten up by Boulderstar, decided to train as a medicine cat, Sorrelfoot was hesitant, and outright mean to her new apprentice, Olivepaw, at times, but Olivepaw matched her snark and bitterness, and Sorrelfoot soon found herself growing attached to the cat even as she told herself not to, after what happened with Leafpuddle. Olivepaw quickly earned her name of Oliveleg, and Sorrelfoot was pleased to see she had a similar distrust, or at least wariness, towards StarClan.

As drama with ThunderClan raged on, Sorrelfoot soon retired to the elders' den to be an elder with her brother, Shiningblaze, and Smokeface. She was pleased to see that StarClan seemed to finally leave her and Smokeface alone, even if she found herself bitter at what a mess the clans had become under StarClan's apparent 'watch.' Smokeface died a moon before her, and Sorrelfoot was paranoid that she had not truly lost her last life, waiting for her to spring out from the ground. But when it seemed like she was truly dead, Sorrelfoot worried that StarClan was not kind to her in their afterlife. Soon, Sorrelfoot died too, and was surprised to find herself in StarClan, while Smokeface was in the Dark Forest.

# Fun Facts

* She can walk between both StarClan and the Dark Forest.
* She was sort of friends with Driftleap.
* Boulderclaw killed Leafpuddle.
* She had a crush on Smokeface.
* During one of her arguments with Nightshade, she said, in response to Nightshade saying "StarClan has never led me astray," "Clearly, StarClan led you astray when they let you choose *me* as an apprentice."
* Family Tree: