SKYPAW

REDWOODCLAN

long-haired black torbie and white molly with pale amber eyes.

With long fur that lends itself to a frame that already promises to be imposing, Skypaw is a good example of what one might expect from a well-bred RedwoodClanner. Adolescence has led to a recent growth spurt that makes her slightly disproportionate if one looks closely, with legs that are perhaps a little too long for her body and a build that vacillates between leanness and stockiness. Certainly she is a cat who will be able to use the canopy to her advantage, as evidenced by her long tail and her even stature.

Skypaw’s pelt is a dark mixture of black tabby and red tabby, though her red colouration comes second to the deep brown hue cut through with black classic markings. Rather, her torbie markings seem a little indecisive, appearing around her neck and in patches across her flank. These are most notable when she is in direct sunlight, and so they offer few problems when trying to remain inconspicuous amongst RedwoodClan’s forestry. White fur coats her chest and neck, creeping up her chin to end in a patch on her left lip.

Still in the process of losing the last of her kitten roundness, Skypaw's face is a youthful one. This is offset by the fiery light that is often present in her eyes, her mouth twisted in determination whenever she is training with her mentor or sparring with her denmates. Despite this focus, it is easy to see that she is an open cat, her face often telling the story of anything she may be feeling. Her ears are tall and set fairly far apart on her head, and her eyes are round and bright. 

Perhaps the most notable trait that Skypaw exhibits, and indeed always has, is her determination. This can be both a benefit and a disadvantage to her in equal measure, giving her a strong motivation to do whatever she sets her mind to but simultaneously making her inclined to overwork herself and suffer for it later. She is an ambitious cat, always looking towards the next goal she has in mind, and Skypaw finds that her horizons are large and bright, extending beyond the confines of her own clan. Many of her kithood days were spent wondering about the other clans, particularly as her formative moons were spent knowing that the other clans were in closer proximity than usual, and she has a curiosity that is difficult to sate.

Not one to often partake in the sort of mischief that her brother does, Skypaw can be seen as a serious feline. Her training is approached with severity and focus, and she finds it easy to block out external factors in the interest of achieving what she wants. In this way, Skypaw can often come across as distant, finding it difficult to let loose in the way that her brother seems to do so naturally. The lack of focus of some of her denmates is frequently a thorn in her side, and in her worst moments, Skypaw can be haughty and dogmatic in her approach to anything she deems lacking.

An idealist, she struggles to root herself in the moment, always thinking about what’s next for her personally and the clan (even the island) at large. Skypaw is an optimist through and through, refusing to give into defeatism, and takes pride in her ability to approach situations with what she sees as open-eyed hope. In reality, she has a tendency to gloss over negativity in relation to herself or her views of the future. This makes it difficult for her to accept criticism, despite the fact that she has no qualms over criticising any slacking of her denmates or, especially, her brother.

Honest (to a fault) and genuine, Skypaw doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations, especially when she feels she is the one in the right. Someone looking for blinded comfort should avoid her unless they are comfortable with their own potential flaws being pointed out, but Skypaw can always be relied upon to provide the truth in whatever shape it appears to her. This, naturally, can lead to her upsetting others, but Skypaw wastes little time in worrying about what others may think about her. She is comfortable even amongst all of her contradictions, and though she seeks out friendships, she does not rely on them.

Born to the cold, Skykit spent much of her kithood sequestered in the nursery where it was warm and safe. Her mother, Greensong, was a welcome source of warmth and comfort even as her father, Dustflight, often carried snow in on his pelt from his eagerness to see his kits when he could. Enamoured by the world that lay outside, so close to her but somehow still intangible, Skykit developed an intense interest in the things that she was kept from. She sought out tales from the other queens and her own parents about the world outside, and these informed the wide-eyed conversations and adventurous plans that she shared with her littermate, Dusk-kit.

Through this time, she developed a very close relationship with her brother. The truth of her parents’ tumultuous yet loving relationship remained unknown to her, and her father’s past promiscuity is something that she has not yet truly had to consider. Despite Dustflight’s kit with Tansytoes, another RedwoodClan molly who later died, her father was attentive and loving, and that was all that Skykit ever needed to know.

When the snow melted and the floodwaters ravaged the island, the young she-cat found herself faced with the knowledge that there were cats from other clans seeking refuge with RedwoodClan. Dustflight grumbled about the presence of the LichenClanners frequently, but the only real proof that Skykit had of this change was the lean meals that found their way into the nursery. Even still, she had never known anything other than that, so the LichenClanners seemed to her almost mythical, and she yearned to get out of the nursery and see for herself. Within the safety of the nursery, though, Skykit found little opportunity to really see those from the other clans and groups, let alone interact with them.

Eventually, she did vacate the nursery, though by the time she reached her sixth moon, LichenClan had returned to their own territory. The newly minted Skypaw was apprenticed to Windstorm, an accomplished warrior, and took to her training with fierce vigour. She finds herself continually interested in the relations between RedwoodClan and ThistleClan, and makes effort to listen to and converse with the warriors around her who speak of ThistleClan’s continued presence at Bear Stones. Though her brother attempts to distract her from it, Skypaw brushes his attempts off and endeavours to understand as much as she can about the situation, preferably before they leave.