Fern Leaf

Fern Leaf is a sleek, lean-muscled, scarred night-black she-cat with nicked ears, scars marking her flanks, a short tail squared at the end, knotted fur, and green eyes.

A Forest Divided

 * Fern is first seen by Gray Wing talking to Slash after he had scented strange cats. Slash and Fern are both arguing about going to spy on the moor cats. Fern whines that she doesn't want to go by herself, causing Slash to growl at her and lash out, snarling that she's not a kit anymore. As Gray Wing edges closer, Fern whips her head around, having heard Gray Wing stepping on some branches. After Slash declares the sound was probably prey, Fern gets excited at the prospect of eating - but to her dismay, Slash says they'll eat later. As Slash orders her to follow the cats to their new pine forest home, Fern asks why, getting another lash across her ear. Fern still doesn't want to go alone, wondering why Slash won't go with her, to which he replies that he has other things to do. Fern is terrified as Slash tells her she knows what he'll do if she fails. As Fern watches Slash leave, the fear in her eyes hardens to pure hatred.


 * Gray Wing scents Fern nearby as she watches them from the shadows. As the chase ensues, Fern stops by the Four Trees to hunt. As Gray Wing calls her name, Fern whips around, clearly startled as she hisses, completely alert, fear flashing in her eyes as she rears back and unsheathes her claws. Gray Wing tells her he is not here to fight in attempt to calm her, but she demands to know what he wants. He asks if she recognises him, but she simply asks why she should, and Fern looks horrified when he reveals he is one of the forest cats and knows of her spying. The fur lifts along her spine as she tells Gray Wing all she can smell in the forest is the scent of sap and stagnant water when he asks if he had learned their scent. It is noted that Fern's pelt is dull and her ribs are visible through it, so Gray Wing comments that it must be hard to find prey among the forest stench, but Fern defensively says that she isn't used to hunting alone, and prey is scarce because of the sickness. Gray Wing asks if Slash used to hunt for her, and she admits he helped her, and after Gray Wing points out that she looks pretty hungry, she glances ruefully at the grass and says she wouldn't be if she hadn't been interrupted, and her mouse is probably gone now.


 * After taking another look at her skinny flanks, Gray Wing thinks she needs more than a mouse, to which Fern lifts her chin and says she can take care of herself. Gray Wing then offers to help her hunt like Slash used to, and Fern narrows her eyes, asking why he'd do that. After Gray Wing explains why he wants to help and tells Fern he thinks Slash is a bully, she asks suspiciously how he knows him, and he tells her of how he saw them talking on the moor. Fern seems to shrink, Gray Wing telling her she shouldn't let Slash push her around. She wails at him, wanting to know what else she could do as if she doesn't do as he says, he will kill her.


 * After Gray Wing speaks of Slash's treatment of Fern not being fair, she snaps at him that she has no choice. Her gaze then darkens, and she asks him not to tell Slash he has seen her, to which Gray Wing is curious as to why he would speak to Slash. Fern backs away from him, trembling, and he tells her he will not hurt her. Fern hisses and bats a weak paw at Gray Wing, the hit easily missed. Gray Wing tells her she needs food, and hurries away to catch a mouse. When he comes back, Fern is still crouched where she was before, clearly very frail. She gobbles the mouse down, licking her lips as she finishes and sits up, every last morsel eaten.


 * When she asks his name, Gray Wing tells, and she thanks him, before Gray Wing asks her to convince Slash that he is wasting their time with the mountain cats. She frowns, unsure how, and when Gray Wing tells her to tell Slash that they are too strong, Fern simply tips her head and tells him that Slash would never believe that there were cats he could not beat. She suggests that she could distract him by telling him that the cats have found fresh, new source of prey behind the pines, adding that he will not be able to resist checking it out, as he is very greedy. She explains that this will give them time to prepare, as Slash will make his attack soon. She advises that they make their camp as strong as they can and practice fight because he will not come alone. Gray Wing asks if she will be okay, and Fern promises she will be okay, and takes his advice to stay in the clearing as she does not need to spy on them anymore, and there is prey. He wishes her good luck, to which she nods, hope in her eyes.


 * When Gray Wing is trapped in a Twoleg rabbit trap, Fern appears to help him. Thunder acts hostile, demanding to know who she is. She replies that Gray Wing knows her, and she circles them, clearing avoiding Thunder. When it's suggested that she may have set the trap, Fern purrs with amusement, saying that if she knew how to she'd never go hungry again. She rolls her eyes at Gray Wing, not being able to believe that he was mouse-brained enough to walk into it. She tells him to stop struggling, giving Thunder a warning look, adding that he needs to stay still. She warns him that it may hurt as she needs to slip her teeth around the vine to loosen it. She does this, making Gray Wing shudder. Fern begins to wriggle her head and the vine loosens as she jerks her head back.



Trivia

 * Fern is not listed in the allegiances of A Forest Divided, despite appearing in the book.
 * She is mistakenly mentioned by her old name despite receiving her new name.

Members
Mother:
 * Unnamed she-cat:

Sister:
 * Beech: Deceased, Residence Unknown