Flame Over

Frozen Lake

Tribe of Floating Stones

bulky orange and white tom with fiery eyes

With a broad face and thick jowls, Flame is an imposing and hefty figure. Proportionately, his body is compact, but his large size makes up for his square conformation. His fiery golden eyes blaze even more brightly than his rich, orange pelt. White markings have frozen his mouth and chest into cold stone, chin tipped high and proud. Flame’s thick fur adds to his bulk. Though he appears to carry extra weight, especially in his neck and chest, it is all muscle. A medium-length tail trails behind him, helping his balance.

+ Prepared, Traditional, Experienced
- Unrelenting, Reserved, "Not easily impressed"

Immensely organized, Flame never goes on patrol unprepared. He keeps a mental list in his head for everything he does, and checks it thrice. This used to get him into trouble as a younger Stone Guard, as he had problems adapting to unexpected situations. This changed when he temporarily left the Stone Guards to aid the Prey Hunters, filling in to find food and meeting his mate at the same time. The new role was humbling to Flame. He has since become more accustomed to changes in plan, but still prefers for things to go his way.

A traditional cat, he values the ceremonies and customs of the tribe. Believing that every cat has a set purpose, he values practicality over dreams. The cats across the sandbar shook his world. At first, he quietly objected to their help, especially given that he and his children had remained healthy. But when he contracted the sickness himself, he begrudgingly changed his tune.

The knowledge Flame had gained through numerous battles with the local wildlife made him somewhat of a legend to his children, particularly Sunrise, who viewed him as a noble, experienced knight. In his time as a Stone Guard, he bravely fought off coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and even -- on one rare occasion -- a black bear. Despite his many moons of service, he is not cocky or arrogant, but maintains a healthy level of confidence and certainty in his skills.

Not one for emotions, Flame keeps his feelings in check. When his mate passed away, he spent little time mourning her death, resisting the urge to cry. Instead, he found other ways to occupy his time and block out her absence, namely monitoring his children’s progress in their training. Though his intentions were good, outside observers would have noted his meddling.

Few things draw up his brow and his reactions are usually neutral. Flame does not raise his voice or his paws unless he needs to. He can be overly critical and blunt, lacking subtlety. While he does not come across as necessarily cold, his words can be harsher than he means them to be.

Kithood: Flame was born a serious man. Even as a kit, he had a penchant for stolidity from the moment he left his mother’s womb. There were no squalls of hunger or displeasure, just a silent reverence of the world and everything in it. This was partially the reason for his name -- the young tom was determined, but guarded, like a fire smoldering in dead of winter over still water.

To-Be: A calculating youngster, Flame was big on practicing his talents, drilling endlessly and long into the night to build the muscle memory he needed to become the Stone Guard he aspired to be, like his father before him. He laid out careful plans and executed them to the letter. As he embarked on more patrols away from home, he had to learn to be more malleable in his plots.

Stone Guard: His promotion came as no surprise after all the The more Flame learned, the more adept he became at the skills he needed to become a remarkable Stone Guard. Never backing down from a fight, he was as efficient as he was powerful, brimming with internal and external strength. His inflexibility about plans morphed into elasticity as he tackled new foes with the help of his team mates, facing danger with resilience and unflappable gall. He became even more adaptable when he stepped in to lend a paw to the Prey Hunters during a particularly harsh season, learning how to defeat prey just as well as predators.

For all the battles he fought, however, a different event brought him even more happiness. The birth of his children was possibly his proudest moment in life, and one of the few times that he found himself filled with unbridled emotion. While naming newborn kits traditionally fell to the Teller, their mother, Wind Under Hawk’s Wing, was so moved by Flame’s reaction to one of their daughters at dawn that she insisted that Flame grant the fiery molly her name instead: Sunrise That Burns the Sky.

His time with his children marked the few moments of his life where he sought out bliss and laughter, playing with them in the waters that surrounded the tribe islands. While he loved Sunrise’s siblings, Bee and Fox, it was clear that Sunrise was his favorite, bursting with energy and the will to learn. He fostered her admiration and encouraged her to train hard.

Tragedy struck the family when Flame’s mate, Wind, suffered a fatal fall during a hunting expedition. Her passing left a hole in Flame’s heart that he immediately attempted to fill with busy work -- namely, keeping Sunrise on the right path. Her goal to become a Stone Guard was admirable, but he strongly believed that her skills were better suited to a Prey Hunter. Flame took it upon himself to inform the Teller and the head prey hunter at the time, Moth Guided by Fireflies. This betrayal caused father and daughter to drift apart.

Over time, the two reconciled their differences, but due to Sunrise’s higher rank and their previous unease, Flame still feels slightly strained around her.