Swiftstripe

A gray mackerel tabby bicolor tabby tom with copper eyes

Swiftstripe was a medium-small blue tuxedo mackerel tabby with copper eyes. After he was taken from RiverClan, his right front leg was amputated and part of his left eartip was cut off. He was microchipped but never wore a collar.

In his own words, Swiftstripe was cowardly. He’d been a shy cat since kithood and prone to overthinking, but he tried to be thoughtful of his Clanmates and his self-esteem improved as he got older. He always preferred hunting to fighting and usually tried not to be too reckless. He liked to be prepared for any situation and to be able to instruct others as needed.

• Born in the Moon of Running Prey (2015) 069
• Made an Apprentice as Swiftpaw during the Moon of First White (2015) 075
• Named a Warrior as Swiftstripe during the Moon of First Fishing (2016) 082
• Taken by two-legs and called Bailey during the Moon of Cheetah's Flight (2017) 099
• Died in the Moon of Melting Waters (2020) 131

Swiftstripe was born as Swiftkit in the Moon of Running Prey (2015), apprentice as Swiftpaw in the Moon of First White (2015), and became a warrior as Swiftstripe in the Moon of First Fishing (2016). He became steadfast friends with Nettlesky, and as as warriors, she always tried to counter his self-doubts. It took moons, but he eventually felt more brave than timid. It meant a lot to him when Nettlesky asked him to sire her kits. He was determined to become a good example for them so they wouldn’t be worrisome like he had been.

In the late Moon of Cheetah’s Flight (2017), while out hunting alone, he spotted and confronted a trespasser. The cat attacked. Swiftstripe fended them off and drove them out. However, his body and mind still aflush in the rush of battle, he chased the other cat past the border and onto the Thunderpath. Being farther ahead, the other cat made it across, but Swiftstripe was struck by a monster. In the back of his mind, he thought he heard Nettlesky calling for him, yet on the black stone, he was snatched up by the monster’s Twolegs and later, everything went dark.

Swiftstripe thought he was dead. He didn’t feel much pain, but the next time he opened his eyes, he did not find himself among StarClan. He found himself inside a tiny metal den inside a noisy place with of Twolegs and other creatures. There were a few cats, but none were Clan cats. Swiftstripe learned that it was a cutter’s dwelling, and he had indeed been cut. Among other things, one of his legs was gone. He panicked at first, but soon learned that the only ones who could open his den were the Twolegs. He couldn’t frighten them or get past them. They just made their weird sounds at him when they looked at him or opened the den to give him water and disgustingly soft food. In their unimaginable ways, they would also ease his pain.

Since StarClan had allowed him to survive the monster, Swiftstripe decided that he would not squander his ancestors’ generosity. He did pray that they would forgive him, for the only way he thought he could survive was to debase himself. He hoped that by acting friendly like a kittypet, they might take him back to the forest. Once he was healed enough, one of his caretakers did take him from the cutter’s, but instead of the forest, Swiftstripe ended up in the Twoleg’s own home. He got a large, strange den of his own and was later given access to an outside one attached to the dwelling. It quickly became his preferred place and the Twoleg let him stay as long as he liked. Sometimes they even joined him.

The Twoleg gave him space and let him be, but Swiftstripe could not escape any part of the Twoleg’s territory. He tried to communicate with any cats that passed by his prison, and from wandering cats, he learned more about kittypets and found out that his Twoleg called him Bailey. Over the moons, he came to better understand the Twoleg’s sounds, but he never responded to any cat calling him Bailey. Unless RiverClan’s leader or StarClan themselves came down and renamed him, he would remain Swiftstripe.

Swiftstripe resigned himself to never seeing his Clanmates again in that life. He could hear the Treecut Place in the distance sometimes, but he knew that even if he could get back to RiverClan and they took him back, he likely couldn’t stay a warrior. If him staying with a Twoleg meant the elders’ den would have extra room, that was fine. At least he could still see Silverpelt in the sky. He may’ve been a code-breaker, but he continued to offer his prayers to StarClan for the sake of RiverClan and the other Clans. He hoped that Nettlesky and her kits, if she’d had any, would stay well.

In the Moon of Melting Waters (2020), Swiftstripe passed away from sudden illness and finally made his way to the afterlife.

• No threads have been recorded.

Nettlesky – one of his best friends