DOVECLAW, windclan warrior

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

n a m e : Doveclaw
a g e : 29 Moons
g e n d e r : She-cat
c l a n : WindClan
r a n k : Warrior
s t a t u s : Fighting Fit
a p p r e n t i c e : Smokepaw
m a t e : Tigerheart

d e s c r i p t i o n .

Long Limbs . Lithe . Brown and Cream . Dark Points . Short Fur . Blue Eyes

Doveclaw is a lithe warrior, about average size for a WindClan she-cat. This means that she's a bit on the small side, but also extremely long-limbed and slender, giving her a rather fragile appearance. Her delicate frame sports a long, mobile tail and slender limbs, which are tipped with dainty paws. She has large, sharply triangular ears with slim tufts on the ends, and a lean face with sharp cheekbones. Staring brightly out of that face are two large, blue eyes, which seem to spark with vigour and passion. Her pelt is a soft mixture of soft brown and pale cream, darkening on her face, paws, and legs until they look dusted with cocoa. Her fur is darkest on her ears, which are tipped with dark brown, and her nose is completely black. Doveclaw moves with a kind of subtle grace, which spins an illusion of peace that is immediately shattered when she opens her mouth. Hidden behind her unassuming visage is a tongue sharp enough to cut stone, which is rather startling when combined with her low, sweet voice.

p e r s o n a l i t y .

Sharp-Tongued . Fierce . Straightforward . Proud . Loyal . Honorable . Honest

Sharp-tongued and hot-headed, Doveclaw is a fierce and proud cat. She's quick to take offense and just as quick with her threats, for this is one warrior who doesn't know the meaning of 'retreat.' If she feels challenged or threatened in any situation, the first thing Doveclaw will do is verbally flay the subject of her ire. Claws follow shortly after, but if she isn't able to resolve the conflict at hand immediately, following up later with revenge is not below her. Not one to scheme or think things through excessively, she prefers to face her enemies head-on rather than sneak around to stab them from behind. Honour and honesty are two virtues that she takes very seriously, and are perhaps her only obviously good qualities. While she isn't naive enough to expect honesty from every cat she meets, one thing that is sure to ignite Doveclaw's volatile temper is the severing of a promise or the telling of a lie. StarClan help any in this tiny warrior's path if she has been back-stabbed by anyone, for though she is not mighty, her wrath is something to be both respected and feared.

Respect is something that she demands in any relationship, whether it be casual, formal, or romantic. Doveclaw will not lie down for anyone, and never hides from a challenge. She isn't particularly looking for a mate or kits, but she isn't against the idea either. One thing she cannot abide is a mate who tries to smother her, because Doveclaw is a cat who protects others, not the other way around. She's not overly wary of meeting new cats, but it does take some time and good chemistry to form a strong relationship with her. She is very loyal to her friends, and will do anything for someone she trusts and respects, with the exception of sheathing her vicious tongue. Doveclaw's snark is something every cat has to deal with, whether they're her own mother or a warrior from an attacking Clan. Still, those who know her well recognize the difference between her usual satire and truly vicious remarks. The few cats who have grown close to Doveclaw despite her caustic exterior find a loyal and determined cat inside.

h i s t o r y .

Doveclaw was born an only kit, to two very different parents. Her mother, Fawnstep, was as pale and unassuming as her moor-coloured fur, a creature who never spoke a word unless someone else told her to. Her father Darkpelt was a dominating, controlling cat, one who demanded that everything was done his way and submitted to authority only grudgingly. Some would have thought that he and Fawnstep were soul-mates, while other, more cynical characters might have scoffed that no other she-cat would put up with him. Whatever the case, it's obvious that there was little love in the two cats' relationship. All throughout Doveclaw's kithood, she was witness to her father's derogatory treatment of her mother. Later, when she was a bit older, Darkpelt turned his attentions on her as well, and set about trying to mold her to his will. However, Dovekit was not so easily subdued as her mother.

By the time Dovekit was ready to be apprenticed, she had earned the eternal ire of her father and several painful marks to prove it. Though Darkpelt was always careful not to break the skin, whenever his kit disobeyed him or even showed signs of having a mind of her own, the tom punished her savagely. Though Dovekit had at first thought her mother Fawnstep would protect her against such cruelty, she soon found out that her mother was to timid to do anything but watch. She said nothing to anyone and always covered up her daughter's injuries, afraid of what Darkpelt would do if he was caught. Dovekit, ashamed and angered by her mother's cowardice and her father's cruelty, disowned them the day she was named an apprentice. From that time on, she did her best to ignore the both of them completely.

Dovepaw was apprenticed to a skilled, but inattentive warrior. He wasn't a very good teacher, and the feisty apprentice had to stalk him for every lesson and tip, or he would go on patrols without her and generally forget about her altogether. By this time, she had developed quite an unstable temperament due to the various discrepancies in her kithood. Dovepaw tended to be rebellious, defensive, and stubborn, the type of cat who often jumped to conclusions prematurely. Nevertheless, she fought her way through apprenticeship through sheer force of will, despite her absent mentor, stalking, dangerous father, and estranged mother. During her time as an apprentice, she befriended a fellow she-cat named Thrushpaw, as well as three apprentices both older and younger than she from RiverClan, whose support went a long way to helping her become a warrior. After a long and arduous apprenticeship, she was given her warrior name at the age of 14 moons. The close, though at times somewhat unusual, bond she shared with these four cats would prove invaluable during the moons to come.

Unfortunately, Doveclaw's challenges did not end with her becoming a warrior. With her ascension to warrior status came another kind of change: her father, who hadn't pursued her much as an apprentice, redoubled his efforts to bring 'the one who got away' under his control. After several moons of confrontations and threats, Darkpelt eventually found Doveclaw while she was hunting alone and attacked her, trying once and for all to force her into submission. The wiry she-cat proved tougher than she looked, and held her ground determinedly though the battle-hardened tom was both larger and more experienced than her. Eventually, her own life at risk as her frenzied father pushed harder and harder, Doveclaw was forced to slay her own father in self defense. Another cat might have dragged his body to the gorge in an attempt to cover it up, but that was not Doveclaw's way. She returned to camp and told the entire Clan what had happened, and never looked back.

Moons passed, and the death of Darkpelt was forgotten, told only in nursery tales and even then not terribly accurately. Owning up to her crime had worked well for Doveclaw, for most were horrified by her father's actions, and in time those who weren't eventually forgot to shoot the she-cat dirty glances. But not everything in Doveclaw's life could be safely revealed to her Clanmates, even if she wished it were so. The other cats of WindClan would never understand her reasons for mating with a ThunderClan tom in secret, and certainly they wouldn't accept her continued relations with him. It would be impossible to trust a warrior who loved a cat of another Clan—how could they know where her loyalties truly lay? Doveclaw knew the truth, but no other cat ever could. So she kept her secret hidden, and prayed that there would never be a day when she needed to meet Tigerheart in battle.

m o t h e r : Fawnstep
f a t h e r : Darkpelt

o t h e r .

The Pretender by Foo Fighters

I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense
Spinning infinity, but
The wheel is spinning me
It's never ending, never ending
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

[Yoko]

ACCEPTED! Welcome Back Doveclaw!