Sandgorse

Sandgorse is a pale ginger tom with green eyes, wide, broad shoulders, and dull, thin, patchy fur.

Tallstar's Revenge

 * Sandgorse is seen nosing his way past some warriors leaving camp. Tallkit notices that his pelt is speckled with earth as Sandgorse tells Woollytail that he's left a pile of sticks at the tunnel entrance. He then tells Woollytail that he'll have to manage shoring up the roof without him, as he wants to show Tallkit something. Sandgorse announces that it's time he learned how to dig. He hears Shrewkit jeering at his nurserymate and snorts, saying he's a typical moor-kit, 'scared of getting sand in his eyes.'


 * He talks briefly to Woollytail before heading out, asking if sticks will be enough to hold up the tunnel ceiling, then suggesting if they should take a different route to the gorge. When cave-ins are mentioned, he glances over to the elders' den, as if he's thinking about Lilywhisker's crushed leg as a result of one. He finishes the conversation and continues on with Tallkit. He takes him over to a patch of earth behind Tallrock and explains that it's a good place to start learning. He instructs that being a tunneler takes more than just digging, explaining that it's a good place to hunt during leaf-bare when all the rabbits have taken shelter from the cold, saying that's why Shattered Ice first started WindClan's tradition of tunneling. He proceeds to try and teach Tallkit the proper way to tunnel, making some progress until Tallkit falls into the hole he is digging and hurts his claws. Tallkit lets out a frustrated wail and runs off to his mother.


 * Sandgorse chases after him, trying to reassure Tallkit. He says he was doing great, but Tallkit protests, saying he wasn't. Sandgorse is persistent, trying to talk Tallkit into continuing practice, but Palebird, his mate, shooes him off, saying his son is simply frightened. He leaves for a bit, but returns shortly, asking if Tallkit has calmed down yet. Tallkit asks if it's alright if he goes, noticing the eagerness in his father's tone, but noticing that his mother is sad. Sandgorse insists that he follows and takes him over to a cluster of rocks near the elders' den, wanting to help him practice moving rocks. A meeting is called and Sandgorse orders Tallkit to wait there.


 * The other tunnelers are visibly upset and angry when Heatherstar doesn't give an apprentice to a tunneler when Doepaw, Stagpaw, and Ryepaw are apprenticed, but Sandgorse reassures them, saying they'll have Tallkit in just a few moons.


 * When Shrewkit taunts Tallkit for his tunneling blood, Tallkit protests, saying digging is a great skill and that Sandgorse is helping building a tunnel down into the gorge. He says he's proud to follow in his father's steps, though he is secretly dreading becoming a tunneler.


 * Sandgorse returns to camp from being out helping build tunnels. He greets Tallkit cheerfully and asks if he's had a good day. Heatherstar addresses Sandgorse, asking how work is going on the gorge tunnel, looking concerned with the tunnelers' mud-streaked pelts. He reports that work is going fine. When Reedfeather asks if RiverClan will be able to see the tunnel entrance from the bottom of the gorge, Sandgorse tells him that they're using bramble to conceal the opening. He looks at Tallkit and explains with excitement that he can't wait to show the tunnel to him.


 * Once the conversation is over, he asks Tallkit to help him clean away the grit from his ears. Palebird rushes over, mewing that he's getting Tallkit all dirty. He objects, saying he's helping him clean off. He goes on to say that he can't wait until all three of them can run through the tunnels as a family. When Palebird says it might be some time before she joins them, Sandgorse is startled and concerned. He assures her that she'll be strong enough to join them by the time Tallkit's an apprentice. When Palebird turns away and leaves, he sends his son off to go comfort her.


 * At Tallkit's apprenticing ceremony, Sandgorse is outraged when Heatherstar assigns Tallpaw to Dawnstripe, a moor-runner. He insists that Tallpaw has the physique of a tunneler, pointing out his long tail, strong paws, and short fur, but Heatherstar holds his gaze and explains that Tallpaw prefers running freely. Palebird jumps down beside her mate and says Tallpaw will be able to chase prey underground just as well as above, but Heatherstar holds her original decision. Sandgorse continues angrily, growling that tunneling is his kit's nature and that his kin are tunnelers stretching back several generations. Heatherstar shuts him down again and he turns tail on his son's ceremony.


 * After the ceremony, it's mentioned by Aspenfall that if Tallpaw is anything like his father, he's an early riser as well. Tallpaw thanks the moor-runners for their welcome, but says he must go talk to Sandgorse. Tallpaw asks Sandgorse if he wants him to go tell Heatherstar he'd rather be a tunneler. Sandgorse asks if it's what he wants and when Tallpaw hesitates, he fiercely repeats himself. When Tallpaw responds that it's not, Sandgorse snaps at him to not bother then. He's saddened and says he had such plans for their family. He then angrily looks over at Heatherstar and lashes his tail, saying no cat can change the fact that he was born to be a tunneler before marching away. Dawnstripe tells Tallpaw that Sandgorse will just have to get used to things.


 * It's later, briefly, mentioned that Sandgorse named Tallpaw after his lengthy tail.


 * While Tallpaw is out on a border patrol, Sandgorse reappears as he bursts out of a tunnel entrance, his fur spiked up and eyes wide. He calls back down into the tunnel and gets responses back, straightening up and explaining that there was just a cave-in, though everyone's fine. He asks if they're patrolling the borders and then responds himself that he'd been digging down in the tunnels all night. Ryestalk asks if they're tired, to which he responds that they're so close to completing the tunnel, saying he's not resting until work is complete. He looks back up and says that it'd be the perfect time for Tallpaw to get some tunneling experience. Tallpaw protests, saying he's still patrolling, but Dawnstripe says Heatherstar does want apprentices to spend at least a day underground. They then go to work and it's said it's the first time Sandgorse looks at Tallpaw with pride in a half moon.


 * Sandgorse calmly instructs Tallpaw while they work on the tunnels. He is ecstatic, telling Tallpaw how pleased he is that Tallpaw is there to see them complete the gorge tunnel. Sandgorse grows excited as the tunnelers keep on digging, explaining that the clay is wet where they're digging, meaning they're close to hitting air. However Mistmouse snaps at them to stop and a creak can be heard. Sandgorse snaps at Tallpaw to turn and run. Water explodes into the tunnel and Sandgorse barges past Tallpaw, demanding he keep his nose to his tail and continues running away from the water spilling into the tunnel.


 * They finally escape the tunnel and all Sandgorse can express is annoyance that they got the location wrong. Tallpaw is shocked that Sandgorse wasn't instead scared, but Sandgorse only points out that they didn't drown and that they simply learned for next time. Sandgorse, instead, is shocked that Tallpaw didn't enjoy the excitement, clearly not seeing their lives were truely at risk down there. Tallpaw snaps, finally saying that just because Sandgorse enjoys tunneling doesn't mean he does as well.


 * Sandgorse purrs loudly when Algernon is chatting and he asks for him to tell more.


 * When Woollytail unknowingly assists a hunting patrol with catching a rabbit, including Reena, one of the visitors, he mentions that Sandgorse, along with Plumclaw, are underground, working on a second gorge tunnel. Dawnstripe is shocked to find out the first tunnel flooded and asks Tallpaw what he's talking about, and Tallpaw admits that it happened while he was working underground with Sandgorse.


 * Sandgorse is seen again, along with the rest of the tunnelers, with Heatherstar and Reedfeather facing them stiffly. After the finish talking, Sandgorse approaches Tallpaw, a furious expression on his face. He snaps at him, asking why he told Heatherstar about the flooded tunnel, calling his son a coward and a tattler. He hisses at Tallpaw, telling him to stay away from him and the tunnels.


 * The next day, Sandgorse shoots Tallpaw an angry stare as he's getting prey.


 * When ShadowClan attacks, killing Brackenwing, Sandgorse returns soon after, seeing what happened. He then overhears Shrewpaw blaming Tallpaw for Brackenwing's death. His eyes darken as he looks over at his son, and Heatherstar tries to explain that it's not Tallpaw's fault. Cloudrunner turns blame to the tunnelers, asking where they were when the attack happened, and Sandgorse responds angrily, saying the tunnels help with defense and that it would have given them an escape route. He adds that the tunnels are big enough for the entire Clan to hide in, but Cloudrunner squares him up, challenging his suggestion. Heatherstar pushes between the two and says that the Clan can't let the tragedy divide them.


 * Sparrow later inquires about the tunnels, with Sandgorse responding that they had to end work, bitterly explaining that an apprentice got scared by a flood.


 * Sparrow continues to ask about the tunnel, implying that he'd like to go see it, which Sandgorse responds proudly to, stating that he knows it better than his own pelt. Algernon informs Tallpaw that he saw Sparrow going off with Sandgorse to go see the tunnel. Tallpaw goes out to hunt when he feels the group tremble underneath him; he's afraid at first but reasons that Sandgorse wouldn't take Sparrow somewhere dangerous. However, when Sparrow shoots up from a rabbit hole, his eyes wide, Tallpaw demands to know where Sandgorse is. Sparrow explains that he lost him and Tallpaw tries to jump back down into the tunnel after his father.

Woolytail pulls him out after he loses conciseness, and tells him that Sandgorse is dead. Tallpaw then turns on Sparrow, questioning him about why he left Sandgorse in the tunnel. He responds by saying that he was no tunneler, he didn't have partners, not aboveground, or belowground. that he was lucky he made it out, there was no way he could of helped Sandgorse.he was the one with all the skills, he shouldn't have taken him down there. Tallpaw believes he is blaming Sandgorse for his own death. then Woolytail tells him that he should get to Hawkheart. and that Sandgorse answered for his own recklessness.

Hawkheart asks if he was ok, and Tallpaw answers numbly. Palebird rushes out the nursery and asks if they found him. Dawnstripe tells her no and she collapses and Meadowslip runs to her side Tallpaw mumbles that he is dead and collapses, and he feels Sandgorses pain, feeling that he is being suffocated under the mud and feeling pinned and the water. Reena later offers to get him some fresh-kill and Tallpaw refuses. He sees Bess tuck some moss under his shoulder trying to make him comfoterable. Dawnstripe pads in and tells Tallpaw that he needs to eat. and tells him it won't always feel this bad, and he snaps that it will. and maybe if Finchkit lived instead of him maybe Sandgorse would of lived. Dawnstripe tells him not to talk like that. He says that if he insisted that he become a tunneling apprentice Sandgorse would live. He then growls that Sparrow forced him into the tunnels that he was too nosey and botherd him until he took him down, then left him there to die. Sparrow apologizes that Sandgorse is dead, but it wasn't his fault. Tallpaw snaps at him and says he left him to die. Heatherstar jumps between them and says that words wouldn't change anything and that they should all go to sleep.

Tallpaw dreams of Sandgorses death. Barkpaw wakes him and they go to the moor and watch the sunrise.

Trivia

 * He has been mistakenly described with amber eyes.

Members
Mate:
 * Palebird:

Son:
 * Tallstar:

Daughter:
 * Finchkit: