Sandadder
Warrior of Windclan
As the mooncave came into view, his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest, his mind simultaneously freezing and racing. There was no doubt in his mind that Starclan would accept him. They needed him. Windclan was in desperate need of a strong and dependable leader, and he knew that he was the right choice for the position. Instead, part of him wondered if StarClan would grant him his nine lives with Desertstar still in leadership. Would they make him wait until she’d been dealt with, and leave him to take her down without the reassurance of extra lives? Sandadder shook his head and turned to face Briarfrost, deciding not to worry about it for now. “This is as far as you need to go. Wait for me up here,” he told her, taking a deep breath to steel himself as he stepped into the cave and began following a spiraling path that led him deeper down. There was hardly a sound except for the water lapping at the cave walls below, and the occasional drip of condensation from the stalagmites. "How peaceful," he mused, looking around the darkness with wide and curious eyes. Though he wished it’d been on better terms, he admittedly felt excited to be here. It’d been his lifelong dream to come here, as deputy, and receive his nine lives.
As he neared the magical pool, he could distinctly feel the prickle of something otherworldly. The warrior bent down to drink the cold water, and made himself comfortable on the stone floor. It didn’t take him long before he fell into unconsciousness. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a starry meadow surrounded by glowing spirits. Awestruck, he struggled to speak at first, overwhelmed with the honor of being before his ancestors. as exciting as it was, though, he had come here with meaningful purpose and needed to find his resolve. Swallowing hard, he forced himself onto his paws. “I, Sandadder, have come to seek council with StarClan!” he announced, standing tall with a look of determination shining in his amber eyes. “Windclan is in need of a new leader, and I’ve come to humbly offer myself as a suitable replacement. Give me my nine lives and I will restore honor to the once feared and noble Windclan.”
Sandadder
Warrior of Windclan
Sandadder cried out in pain, stumbling away from the flames that engulfed him, and looking rather shocked. He hadn’t expected such a response from Starclan, especially not a negative one. How could they reject him like this? They needed him! Despite the red hot fire that burned his skin, a chill ran down his spine at the anger threaded in the Starclan cat’s calm voice. Even still, it wasn’t enough to dissuade him. “What!? No! You’re wrong. I’m here to save Windclan before it’s completely destroyed!” the tom argued, unwilling to accept their answer. There was no doubt, that leaving would be the right thing to do, and yet Sandadder’s body didn’t obey him. The urge to stay, if only just a little while longer to convince them how utterly mistaken they were, was bigger than any rational thought telling him it was madness.
Even though it hurt to, he forced himself to open his eyes in order to continue pleading with them, but instead fell silent at the sight before him. “Wait— I know you,” he stared at her, lips curling in disgust when he realized the cat standing before him was none other than Tinyflame. “You’re mates with Hailgaze, Windclan’s Deputy,” he growled, not bothering to hide his disgust. If she was there, that could only mean one thing. “If you’re here then the problem is much bigger than I thought, and I can no longer trust the word of Starclan as they have been infiltrated by Desertstar’s followers.”
T I N Y F L A M E
StarClan's hunting grounds, which have been renowned among the living as a warm, inviting atmosphere, were anything but in the presence of Sandadder. The stars did not shine in this setting. Birds did not sing. The breeze was still. The warriors of StarClan — their presence was not welcoming. No one greeted him. No one responded to his pleas.
Before him, fire struck. Sparks of flames burst forward from the darkness and swallowed the warrior's surroundings whole. The heat licked at his hindquarters and threatened to consume him from the very spot he stood. Even in a vision, the blaze seemed more real than the very ground before him. It singed his fur. It burned his lungs. And it held a promise to devastate him alive.
From within the flames, a lone figure stepped forward. Instead of parting for her, the warrior appeared to have been the source of the fire. As her paws gracefully carried her, the singes followed, lingering nearby as she stopped before Sandadder.
"You do not belong here." Tinyflame told him, her voice lacking kindness and set in stone. "For you, who have disgraced your Clan and turned on your kin, StarClan has this to say,"
"In your care, WindClan would become its own downfall."