☆ KITTENHOOD • 00─04 moons • 00/00─00/00
A sheltered child, periwinklekit had plenty of littermates to play with, a doting mother, and though his sire was absent from his life it was never something he thought much of. A bit shy, he made only a few friends but kept them close, especially treasuring the time spent with his 'best friend' dustkit. From an early age however, it was apparent something wasn't right with the young tom. Sometimes sleeping too little and sometimes too much, Peri suffered from what could only be described as a 'sleeping sickness' that seemed to have no real cause or cure. As his apprenticeship neared, he fell more and more ill, until he was so sick he passed out while playing. What should have been a simple cold had left him terribly ill. During his sickness his real parentage came to light - and though skeptical he quickly accepted Hyacinthbreath's presence in his life as his second mom. His little family would only grow with the addition of Cloudkit and the reappearance of his older brother Rune, quickly renamed Snowshadow.
Due to his illness his own apprenticeship was held off for a half-moon. While sick and even once he was not, he spent much of his time in the medicine den, growing fond of Dandelionwish and Leechpaw during his stay. It was while watching his siblings and their excitement for their apprenticeships that he finally acknowledge to himself that it wasn't the life he wanted. The sight and scent of blood left him feeling ill, the thought of having to fight another cat unthinkable. He didn't want to become a warrior - but neither was he interested in learning about the awful herbs he had to eat, and so he said nothing, simply going along with what was expected of him. When hyacinth stepped down from her role as senior warrior shortly before his ceremony, he found himself terrified that someday it might be him on the other end of sootstars claws.
☆ APPRENTICESHIP • 04─11 moons • 00/00─00/00
Periwinklepaw becomes an apprentice, given Jaggedoak as his mentor, but things go awry quite quickly - one of his first times leaving camp ends in disaster when he wanders off and ends up in the jaws of a fox. He is rescued by his best friend, his siblings, and his brother in all but blood, cementing his affection for each of them. Hyacinthbreath is exiled not long after. He spends time confined to camp, helping Dandelionwish with fetching herbs so as to busy his paws in the meantime. A wave of greencough sweeps through the clan not long after, claiming Wisteriapaws life and leaving Peri feeling empty. During this time, windclan raids skyclan for herbs, resulting in Dandelionwish's removal from his position and Vulturemask's promotion, leaving the boy yet again terrified for his friends, his family. Dandy flees in the dead of night, with only an overheard conversation by Peri and a bloodied battle within the camp ensues.
By the time he is finally cleared of his injuries and his illness, a full moon has passed. Already at a severe disadvantage in his training after missing two moons of his apprenticeship, Peri avoids battle training for a long time, instead focusing on hunting. Though the scent and taste of blood still leaves him dizzy, he quickly adapts to where he can at least differentiate prey from feline. His first catch is a rabbit and he quickly becomes a skilled hunter. During this time he begins to make his first friends since Dustpaw, becoming fast friends with Dazzlepaw, Azaleapaw, and Snailpaw; and forming a tentative sort of friendship with Gravelpaw. He quickly finds a growing distaste for Firepaw and Icepaw however, only made worse when Firepaw gets made a warrior early, leading to a prank gone wrong and a punishment he'll remember for moons to come. Due to this prank, he has an argument with Gravelpaw - the words the two spit at each other leaving the boy hurt and reeling, questioning himself and what he stands for.
With distrust growing within the clan, Peri is reassigned to the tutelage of his brother Snowshadow. The tom, alongside Vulturemask, begin training Peri on how to fight - having finally convinced him that cats aren't the only dangers, that his life is worth protecting. He meets with his mother during a gathering, spending the time curled at her side listening to Smogmaw as he tries to start drama, and cementing a distaste for the tom. For this, he is re-assigned yet again - this time to Bluepools careful watch. As tension builds between the clans, Hyacinthbreath kills Juniperfrost upon the border, leading to an all out battle. Peri warns his mother of this, and they say what should be their final goodbye as they cut ties. When he returns, he's put under surveillance again, though he's never fully caught.
Him and Gravelsnap make up, only cementing this strange friendship they have formed. Peri confesses his concerns and disbelief of the supposed river-shadow-sky alliance to Snailstride one night, only to learn that Firefang was nothing but a tattle-tail, a spy for Sootstar. His hatred of her only grows. He continues to train with Bluepool, though there are a few road bumps along the way, such as Dazzlepaws sudden death in the tunnels, and the fox-cub Peri finds trapped and then kills. He's left with a sickening sense of guilt and grief for both events, leading to him starving himself to the point of passing out. When he recovers once more, he is put under intense scrutiny and tested - he's lied too, told that his mentor is leading a patrol to kill his mother. He spends the night at his sisters side, wracked with guilt for keeping this 'attack' a secret, but passes the test. His moonstone visit is tempered by Tigerfrosts death and gathering markers for the lead warriors death, but Peri enjoys it nonetheless.
☆ WARRIORHOOD • 11─30 moons • 00/00─00/00
Having passed all his tests, though Sootstar is unhappy about it Periwinklebreeze is made a warrior alongside his sister and a few others with supposedly tainted blood. He is, notably, one of the only ones to have cheers for his coming of age, though they are few and far between. The next day, he has a disastrous moment with his closest friend - confusing platonic affection with romantic and given a sudden spur of the moment confession to Snailstride, only to be flatly turned down. Things grow awkward between the two after that, Peri focusing his attentions on his growing feelings for Gravelsnap instead.
Still a freshly made warrior, a border patrol goes wrong when riverclan kidnaps Cottonpaw and holds her hostage. For once, peri has no qualms fighting as the event goes against his morals, and even Hyacinth's warning doesn't stop him. Unfortunately, Clayfur is out for blood, and Peri barely escapes the incident with his life - limping off half-dead, severely injured, and soaking wet. He doesn't make it back to camp on his own, instead found by a tunneler patrol hours later. He is once more confined to the medicine den under Vulturemask's watch. While healing, Vulturemask is brutally killed, leaving Peri once more numb with grief.
His heart only hardens with each loss, each death, and he takes it out on his clanmates. Gravelsnap is a comforting presence during this time, while Bluepaw is the opposite - a tension rising in him as he faces the fact he likes the black-and-white cat as more than a friend but cannot say it for fear of getting rejected once again.
Time heals all wounds, and soon enough Peri finds his grief lessening. He spends more time trying to get to know his younger clanmates, the same apprentices he once kit-sat now becoming friends. Things are still strained with most of the clan, but with his renewed interest in battle the negative opinions of others seem to have mellowed out, or at least become less obvious. Unfortunately, the good things don't last - they never do. A strange and public confrontation between Thriftpaw and Peri finds the young warrior startled by the number of cats taking his side, strengthening his growing trust and loyalty; but he loses the golden-furred tom as a friend that day.
With yellowcough now sweeping through the clans in wave after wave, what at first is only a concern in the back of his mind turns into full blown terror as the seemingly incurable illness claims it's first moorland victim - Snailstride. Shocked by his friend's sudden death, Peri finds himself endlessly comparing their death to his brothers, trapping him in a loop of grief and trauma. Meanwhile, both Azaleafrost and Gravelsnap catch yellowcough - his terror only rising. He spends his days and nights listlessly wandering the moors, fretting and praying to starclan, begging them forgive him for whatever he must have one for them to keep taking away his friends. Whispers of a cure finally reach windclan, and his friends are treated - but it's not enough. They've already gone through the clans full supply, and yet cats are still falling sick.
With no herbs in sight, starclan sends the clans a sign - each medicine cat gifted part of a prophecy. The clans must unite and travel on a journey far from home, to the mountains where it is cold and snowy and lungwort still grows. Sootstar calls for volunteers, and tired of sitting by idly as every cat he loves dies, Periwinklebreeze volunteers himself. Fully expecting to die on the journey, after the restless visions and nightmares that have haunted his dreams, he goes to apologize to Bluepaw and say his final goodbyes to Gravelsnap - only to be greeted by a confession of love. His one-sided feelings weren't so one sided at all, and he leaves his recovering friend with a promise to return home safe - one he doesn't intend to fulfill.
On the night of the gathering, those gathered for the journey depart, Periwinklebreeze among them. After a breif round of introductions, the group heads out - past highstones and on towards the mountains. Things quickly turn for the worst however, starclan clearly testing them. Their path is blocked by raging river, the only crossing a broken bridge. Periwinklebreeze crossess safely, but many of the others fall in and have to be rescued by the traveling riverclanners. Nobody dies, but it still leaves him shaken - memories of his own near near death by the riverside back home resurfacing. Spurred on by the memories, he braves asking Dovethroat how his mother is - only to find out Hyacinthbreath had been exiled from riverclan. He leaves the conversation with heart wounded and mind reeling - wondering what, exactly, had become of his mother, and if she was okay wherever she was.
After recovering and traveling further onwards, its not long before the group is separated by a rockslide. Utterly terrified, Periwinklebreeze throws himself into the darkness and is left trapped alongside a pawful of others. With Clearheart at the lead, the group makes it through the winding paths - with limited supply of water and food, Periwinklebreeze chooses to abstain for eating at all during this time - and in the coming days they finally reach the surface to regroup. After taking some time to heal and rest up, the group continues their travels - only to come across the next obstacle in their path. A steep clifface seems to be the only path onwards, and with the help of the skyclanners they make their way up. On his way up, Peri slips, and has to be pushed the rest of the way up by Duskpool. Once reaching the top, Periwinklebreeze faints - the fact he once again almost died finally catching up to him.
As the journey drags on with no end in sight, Periwinklebreeze finds himself confessing his motives one night - starting a heavy conversation between the travelers on why they had each volunteered to take on such a task. At last, the cats reach the summit - and find upon it a lush field of lungwort, more than even their paws can carry. Relieved that their burden is over, all cats turn thoughts homeward - Periwinklebreeze no exception. Still, Sharpshdow voices thoughts of staying, and while he can't help but entertain what it would be like to be free of Sootstars rule, Peri knows they must all return home. There are far to many sick cats depending on them, and he doesn't want the burden of more deaths upon his conscience.
On the trip downwards however, things turn out not to be all sunshine and daisies - Cherrypaw is nearly snatched up by a hawk, and Little Wolf gives up her life to save her. The group grieves their first lost upon this journey, and a solemn mood takes over - they've gotten lungwort, but at what cost? As trees grow denser, it becomes harder to travel - thunderclan now bears the burden of providing prey for them, as the others begin to get caught in the tangles of bramble thicket. Peri finds himself sleeping sounder then ever beneath the tree cover, but can't help but miss his home.
The bad luck only continues - a fox attack separating some of the group from the rest. Once reunited with their missing members, they continue to press onwards - onto rolling hills and towards hightsones, only to be met yet again by snapping jaws and howls. This time dogs bear down upon the group, and it's left up to windclan to lead them away. Periwinklebreeze is left with hardly a moment to think, and in the end makes a choice he fears will cost him his life - he pushes Orangeblossom out of the way, and leads a snarling dog away from the group. The beast catches up to him quickly and mauls him, but not before he gets a good swat directly against it's eyes, sending it fleeing. Bloodied and bruised, he limps his way back to the others - thankfully all alive, if worse for wear. In the aftermath, Peri finds himself blinded, while Stormywing has lost the use of her legs.
Now faced with a choice, the group splits up - and Periwinklebreeze remains behind with those helping Stormywing along, worried his own injuries will only slow the lungwort carrying cats down. At the end of his journey, Periwinklebreeze comes away feeling as though he has made new friends - Bobbie and Greeneyes at least are held in high regard, and many of the others he is at least fond of if not close to. Still, with weary paws he and Sedgepounce return home at last - delayed, but not lost.
Unfortunately, the windclan Periwinklebreeze returns to is not the same home he left - he finds out all that has happened while he was gone. Rogues, raiding the camps and chasing all the clans out - his sister, Nightingalecry, had caught yellowcough after he'd left - Hyacinthbreath had joined the stars. Sootstars insanity grows, and when she blocks the other clans access to mouthermouth he finds himself being attacked by one of her loyalists for voicing worry that starclan might retaliate. No longer recognizing the place he once called home, when Sunstride rebels, Periwinklebreeze choses to follow - begging Gravelsnap to come with him.
After fleeing the moorlands, those who stood against sootstar take shelter in horseplace. The barn cats are kind enough to offer shelter and food while they recover, but Periwinklebreeze can't shake the worry and fear for those he's left behind. He takes comfort in Gravelsnap and Bluepool's presence beside him - reassuring him that he had made the right choice. During this time, he meets a loner named Michael and befriends him, and is trusted with leading his first patrol. A pawful of refugees arrive over the coming days, until Sootstars loyalists attack the horseplace at last - leaving a bloody battle in their wake.
After tending to what wounds they could, the rebels return to windclans camp to end things once and for all - where Periwinklebreeze finds himself clashing with Thriftfeather, coming away with a new scar on his forepaw. Their plan succeeds, with Sootstars loyalists fleeing and leaving her behind, captured. Sunstride brings word of starclans decision - that to gain his nine lives Sootstar must first loose all of them. As the clan gathers to witness her trail, Periwinklebreeze finds himself snapping - lunging for her, hoping to kill. His actions spur on a frenzy, but in the end it's Sunstride who deals the killing blow. In the aftermath, Periwinklebreeze is startled to find himself promoted to lead warrior.
New-leaf arrives in a burst of flowers and growth - it seems starclan has blessed windclan for their actions in removing Sootstar. He learns from the newly rejoined Irispath the truth of his mothers death - that she'd died directly at Sootstars paws - and focuses on his newly arrived nibbling's. In the meantime, he continues to meet with Michael in secret, and agrees to take in the tom's kits when he admits fearing he cannot care for them. Upon his return with three bundles of fur, the clan questions his motives but in the end they are allowed to stay - drawing a rift between him and Gravelsnap once more.
Strange twoleg activity has windclan on high alert - and the sudden appearance of an omen in the sky leaves Periwinklebreeze restless. The sun disappears - a warning, perhaps? Not long after, apprentices report fire upon the moorlands and Periwinklebreeze is tasked with taking a patrol to confirm. The news is grave - they're surrounded on three sides, with no sign of this twoleg-made fire stopping any time soon. Sunstar is attacked by a dog and dragged into the flames - leaving windclan without a leader. The council argues amongst themselves on what to do, but in the end Scorchstreak takes matters into her own paws, striking a deal with Riverclan to rescue the kits, queens, elders, and injured of Windclan - and when Sunstar returns, he makes her deputy for her actions. Peri takes shelter at the beech copse with the kits, watching as starclan at last douses the flames with rain. Upon his return, Sunstar speaks to Peri in private, before announcing at the next meeting that he is to take on the full role of a queen. He is windclans first tom-born queen, a strange thing, but his clanmates seem to accept his reassignment with grace.
As life struggles to return to normalcy in windclan, Sunflowermask and Slateheart vanish - leaving Peri reeling. He focuses his days on spending more time with his family - doting on his kits, his sister's kits, and sheeppaw - who quickly takes up the place of his honorary little brother. Prey is still scarce, and patrols take to stealing - resulting in the loss of Bluepool to the gorge. Periwinklebreeze takes her loss hard, grieving his third mentor, and even Slatehearts reappearance can't shake his grief.
Gravelsnap drags him away from the nursery for a hard talk - accusing him of taking on another mate and having kits. Furious, Peri explains the truth - that they were not his by blood, but he did admittedly know far more of their true origins then he'd told Sunstar and the others. The conversation ends with an admittance and confirmation that the two of them still love each other, they've just both been waiting for the other to make a move.
There's not much time to think on things however before the night of the gathering arrives - and with it, Sootstars remaining loyalists. Having fashioned themselves as Duskclan beneath Granitepelts rule, they attack the camp - aiming for the nursery, to kill and to steal kits. Periwinklebreeze faces off against Thriftfeather once more, who seems unwilling to fight. He nearly lets the other warrior leave, but the sight of Nightingalecry's body falling to the ground nearby, dead at the paws of her mate of all cats, drives him into a rage and he tries to kill the golden-furred tom. Thriftfeather barely escapes with his life as Duskclan retreats, and in the coming days Peri is wracked with guilt and remorse for attacking a cat who didn't even fight back.
Vulturekit is discovered missing soon after, and Peri assigns the newly promoted Bluefrost to take a patrol to search for him, with no results. Sootspot and Hollyhockpurr try to comfort him, but in truth its no use. He holds vigil for his sister with Cottonpaws help, and takes his anger out on Brackenpaw, but the grief doesn't lessen. Vulturekit is found and returned by Bluefrost, who says she found him wandering - Periwinklebreeze later gets Vulturekit to admit he'd had help, from Thriftfeather of all cats. Peri agrees that Bluefrost had been right - this should be kept a secret, but decides that should the tom ever need anything, he'd owe him one. With his childs safe return, Periwinklebreeze finally has time to think - pulling Gravelsnap aside, and asking them to be his mate - properly this time. With final confirmation of their love, the two make things official, and agree to start sharing a nest as soon as Peri leaves the nursery. While spending time together, the two stumble upon something strange - two kits, claiming to be orphans. Bringing them back to camp, they plead with Sunstar to allow them to join windclan - claiming responsibility for them. Periwinklebreeze renames them Mourningkit and Weepingkit, still somewhat blinded by Nightingalecry's death.
Now six moons old, all five of the kits in his charge are ready to be made apprentices. Periwinklebreeze speaks to Sunstar privately, and asks that he be assigned one of them - Vulturepaw, who is the only one of his siblings to be made a moor runner. Periwinklebreeze follows through with his promise, moving into Gravelsnap's nest with little fanfare - and a good amount of ribbing from their clanmates. Unfortunately, they do not get to do much training - yellowcough sweeps through windclan once more, with first Periwinklebreeze and then Vulturepaw himself catching the sickness. Quarantined to the badger sett once more, Peri is plagued by haunting memories - and in his delirium, confesses to his apprentice that he fears their bloodline to be cursed. During this timeframe, Cottonsprig vanishes - leaving Wolfsong to name Celandinepaw his new successor.
Freshly recovered from Yellowcough, a surprising sight meets his eyes - Bluefrost has had her kittens outside of camp, but it is not only them she brings back, but Thriftfeather. Though startled by the revelations, he in turn asks that Sunstar at least hears the tom out - admitting that Vulturepaws return had not been luck at all. He argues with Gravelsnap about keeping secrets, but promises to trust them from now on, while Sunstar's trust in him wavers after this. Despite apologies and promises given in private, the leader leaves in the middle of the night with no warning. When Scorchstar returns, Periwinklebreeze is shocked - blaming himself and his lack of trust in the elder tom. He swears not to repeat the same mistake, throwing himself wholeheartedly into his responsibilities once more.
News of Mallowlarks death is brought to windclan, and Sheeppaw manages her first catch - to Peri's excited praise. Weepingpaw vanishes in the night - much to Peri's consternation, his attempts to track her down coming up empty. Duskclan continues to cause trouble, even leaving behind a dead body, but it's minimal - until an early leaf-bare brings far bigger worries.
Vulturepaw manages her first catch, to Periwinklebreeze's pride, and though things are worrisome Windclan continues to survive. At the gathering, Periwinklebreeze finds himself sitting in the deputy spot - temporary though it may be. Resolve hardening, an omen from starclan warns of an incoming blizzard - one that Peri doesn't heed. After failing to find bedding, he sets off on his own at dusk, returning the next morning with a rabbit in his jaws but greencough and frostbite to show for his foolishness. Cottonsprig's best attempts can only do so much for him - and as fever and sickness ravage him - more tba
