Ermineflight

**Ermineflight** is a slim but muscular, longhaired white she-cat with an uneven black mask facial marking, black ears, and an entirely black tail with a small but distinct black patch at its base. She has a long, narrow face softened by a thick ruff of fur. Her eyes are blue.

## Personality

Ermineflight's precision when climbing overflows to every other aspect of her life. Just as she takes long moments to judge the distance of a jump and the stability of her next pawhold, she waits to consider all the circumstances before making a decision. She has a great disdain for rogues, and for the Bloodhides in particular, viewing them as unclean intruders upon EagleClan's StarClan-given territory. Perhaps surprisingly, she likes kits, and even before she had her own would sometimes volunteer to watch or play with the nursery's current inhabitants. She expresses her love through actions more than words, and likes to bring gifts to her loved ones.

## History

Erminekit was born as the only kit in the second litter of two EagleClan warriors, with Goatpaw and the deceased Greypaw being her older siblings. She grew up fairly close to her aunt Mossnose, then the medicine cat of EagleClan, and though Erminekit herself had no talent for the role, she picked up on both Mossnose's strong belief in StarClan and her strict manner.

As an apprentice she trained alongside Cragpaw and Harepaw, and had little patience for Cragpaw when they were young. However, after they had earned their warrior names of Ermineflight and Cragleap respectively, Cragleap's littermate Harefoot was killed by a predator, and in the aftermath he and Ermineflight fell in love. When Ermineflight was 22 moons old, they had their firstborn Rookkit. Eight moons later, during Rookpaw's apprenticeship, they had their second litter of Mistkit and Boulderkit.

### First Leaf-fall

On the morning of the Highlands expedition, as Blazestar summons the cats chosen for the patrol, Ermineflight wakes Rookflight and urges him to hurry out. As he does, she reflects that Blazestar's temper has only grown worse over the moons, deciding after a moment to go outside and intervene herself. Blazestar responds by ordering Ermineflight to come outside of camp with her and the patrol. Rookflight falls in beside her and asks what's happening, to which Ermineflight has no answer. When he and Drizzlemask joke about the matter, Ermineflight shushes them.

Blazestar stops ahead of them and orders all five of them, including Ermineflight, to go on the patrol to the Highlands. She tells Ermineflight to trail behind and check thoroughly for rogue scent alongside Rookflight. As they leave, Ermineflight remarks to Rookflight that it was smart of Blazestar to separate him and Drizzlemask, or they would have both gotten themselves in trouble before sundown. She checks for unusual scents and pawprints as they continue towards the Valley, and though she catches Blazestar's scent, she dismisses it as old marks and carries on.

Entering the Valerian Valley, the patrol encounters two members of the Bloodhides, Erebos and Vesper. Ermineflight quietly shushes Rookflight when he responds to the rogues' jibes, not wanting to end up in a fight on their way to the Highlands, although is unsure how they will come out of this without one. However, at Erebos' suggestion that six cats fighting only two would be dishonourable, Blazestar allows them to take their prey, though sends Rookflight, Drizzlemask, and Peapaw to escort them. Ermineflight is angered that Blazestar is letting the rogues leave with EagleClan prey and sending the patrol's youngest members with them, but does not openly argue.

Once Rookflight, Drizzlemask, and Peapaw have rejoined them, the patrol continues to the Highlands. While Rookflight and Drizzlemask run ahead, Ermineflight hangs back with Runningwolf and Peapaw, listening to their conversation about the Bloodhides. After Blazestar takes her leave and returns to camp, Ermineflight suggests the rest of them catch up with Drizzlemask and Rookflight before they get into trouble. She reaches the pair first and scolds them for larking around, though appreciates Drizzlemask's suggestion that they go up to the top to get a better look. Peapaw mentions that she'd like to hunt, and Ermineflight asks Runningwolf what he thinks. Runningwolf replies that some of them could hunt while the others go up to the top, with the hunting patrol catching up later. Ermineflight agrees and goes with Drizzlemask to the top of the Highlands while Runningwolf, Rookflight, and Peapaw hunt.

Drizzlemask attempts to make conversation with Ermineflight as they walk, with little result. They arrive at the top and look around for a place to camp overnight. Drizzlemask notices a big pine, and together he and Ermineflight set up a temporary camp and mark the area with their scent. When the hunting patrol returns with their catches, Ermineflight eats with Runningwolf and Peapaw, the latter of whom asks if they are heading back tomorrow. Ermineflight agrees with the plan and suggests they get up and leave at dawn. As they finish their meal, Ermineflight says that she'll keep watch for a while, then wake Runningwolf to take over. However, Runningwolf does not manage to fall asleep when he tries, and instead strikes up a conversation with Ermineflight about how the rest of EagleClan is doing. He suggests that Ermineflight go to sleep now and he'll take over the watch.

Early the next morning, everyone wakes and prepares to travel down into the Valley. Runningwolf officially hands over command of the patrol to Ermineflight, who appreciates it. Peapaw goes over to Ermineflight's side to follow her down, and Ermineflight remarks that her eagerness to get moving is a sign of a good warrior.

Almost immediately after they reach the Valley, they are ambushed by a patrol of Bloodhides rogues. As Rookflight is beset upon by Athena, Ermineflight leaps in to defend him, and together they drive Athena to the ground. She is rescued in turn by Icarus, who attacks Ermineflight. Rookflight grabs him by the tail to distract him, and as Ermineflight frees herself she sees Runningwolf on the verge of being killed by Vesper. She swipes at Icarus' face to drive him away before racing to tackle Vesper. He rakes her badly across one flank, but she escapes by allowing him to knock her down. Seeing Peapaw frozen in fear, she pulls at Peapaw's scruff to encourage her to move, and together the two flee to get reinforcements from camp.

Peapaw and Ermineflight return to camp, Ermineflight briefly weakened by the bloodloss advanced by her sprint. They explain that they were attacked by Bloodhides at the base of the Highlands, and Blazestar sends out a patrol to reinforce the cats still fighting. Before Goatwhisker, who is chosen as one of the reinforcing warriors, leaves, she tells Ermineflight to go straight to Morningbird. Boulderpaw appears next at Ermineflight's side, ushering her into Morningbird's den. They meet Morningbird halfway down the entrance to her den, and together Boulderpaw and Morningbird settle Ermineflight into a nest. Boulderpaw presses moss to Ermineflight's flank wound while Morningbird prepares, then applies, a poultice. She explains again to Morningbird what happened. Mistpaw arrives as well, standing in the entrance and trying to see what is happening. Ermineflight, beginning to recover now that she is lying down, thanks Boulderpaw for her help and assures Mistpaw that Rookflight and the others will be fine.

## Trivia

* Carries Siamese-type colourpoint markings.