Fawnbriar

RedwoodClan

a ruffle-furred black mackerel tabby with blue eyes.

Gangly and fair as a nymph, of her mother’s beauty, Fawnbriar is a lucky inheritor. Narrow features, gently sculpted, a tapering muzzle, and proud cheekbones—it is not a matter of debate whether or not Fawnbriar is a product of good breeding. Her coat is long and unkempt, prone to ruffling and matting at the rear and tail, giving her a roguish appearance. And against the dark complexion of fur and stripe, two blue eyes peer through, startling in their pallor.

Positive Traits: exuberant, outgoing, steadfast, unrelenting.
Neutral Traits: overbearing, independent, nativist, straightforward.
Negative Traits: prying, mischievous, stubborn, grudge-bearing.

Age has done little to temper this one—Fawnbriar has managed to maintain a large part of herself throughout the war and remains, for the most part, the same mischievous and outspoken kit she was moons ago. Beyond the nursery and the apprentice den, her over-exuberance has been redirected into her responsibilities. Rare is there a day when she is not training, patrolling, or exerting energy on some other miscellaneous tasks. She enjoys being kept busy, and when she cannot do that, she enjoys the company of family and friends to excite the more idle parts of the day.

To many, Fawnbriar’s outspokenness can make her seem overbearing, while her independence and refusal to accept help can make others who extend aid feel repulsed by her grand declinations. Yet for those who know her and can look past these faults, Fawnbriar is a stalwart friend, however stubborn and prying, and expresses immense care for all those close to her. She is matter-of-fact, blunt to a fault, and yet undeniably easygoing to those she is close to, and rarely purposefully turns her ire onto anyone—lest they be from across the border or someone who might have slighted her before.

To those few, she is a terrible and bitter creature. Slow to forgive and even slower to forget.

Basic Fear(s): That harm might befall her family or that she might lose them prematurely.
Basic Desire(s): Desires to grow strong enough to lift the burden off her parents’ shoulders; she feels the need to mature quickly to prove her ability to achieve this.
Key Motivation(s): Fawnbriar is driven primarily by family and loved ones. With her father newly appointed as the Clan deputy, she strives to uphold his views and support his cause however she can.

✦✦ Season 2021, Leaf Fall | RedwoodClan welcomes three new kits: Fawnkit, Milkweedkit, and Rook-kit. The offspring of Robin-nose and Tigerpool, the litter is adamantly guarded against the conflict at their borders and is raised in relative peace, without mention of the war or the hardship their Clan faces.

✦✦ Season 2021, Leaf Bare || As Fawnkit is weaned, she develops an interest in her denmates—a litter of Icesong’s kits, whose teachings under their mother leave them privy to a world Fawnkit can scarcely comprehend. From them, she learns of the things her mother never dared to whisper of and grows enamored with the valiant tales of war and conquest. Wanting to make a name for herself, Fawnkit grows more daring and unruly and leads an expedition into the wilderness to hunt down the fabled LichenClan warriors from the stories. However, instead of a LichenClan patrol, they are befallen by a raccoon and saved by Tigerpool. As the three kits are marched back to the nursery, Tigerpool pulls Fawnkit aside. In a glade lit by fireflies, he warns her against the dangers of the wilderness and speaks solemnly of his own mortality, and Fawnkit makes a silent vow to grow strong enough to protect her family in his stead. Soon after, she is titled an apprentice, and her training is passed on to RedwoodClan’s deputy, Icesong.

✦✦ Season 2022, New Leaf || Under Icesong’s tutelage, Fawnpaw quickly develops into a promising young apprentice, and her efforts are finally rewarded by her first taste of battle. She accompanies Icesong in a raid on LichenClan’s shores, where she comes face-to-face with her first enemy. Despite her training, Fawnpaw is ill-equipped to face off against two hardened LichenClan warriors and is saved by Ploverpelt, who is scarred in her defense. Together, the two flee before they can endure any further harm, and later learn of the untimely ends of countless cats they once called peers. The shame of the retreat weighs heavily on Fawnpaw’s conscience. Though no cat blames her, she blames herself. Shortly after the battle, Fawnpaw approaches Ploverpelt to address the events at the shore and finds herself upending the emotions she had not thought to have. Despite the earnestness of her words, Ploverpelt denies her feelings, which angers her so greatly that Fawnpaw vows never to speak to him again.

✦✦ Season 2022 Green Leaf || In response to Fawnpaw’s contributions during the war effort, Fawnpaw is granted her warrior title early and is granted the name of Fawnbriar. Though her ascension into warriorhood is a time for celebration, the war and its toll still weigh heavily on RedwoodClan, particularly on the shoulders of her mentor Icesong and old rival Mallowpaw after the death of their kin. Although formerly rivals, feuding over the attention and affection of the Clan’s deputy, Fawnbriar finds herself sympathetic to Mallowpaw’s grief, and the two slowly develop a bond and become slow friends.

✦✦ Season 2022, Leaf Bare || An alliance is forged between RedwoodClan, ThistleClan, and LichenClan’s rebels, and an attack is launched against their enemies under cover of night. Amidst the fighting, Fawnbriar and Mallowfrost fight side-by-side only to find themselves outmatched by two seasoned LichenClan warriors. It is only by luck that they escape their adversaries, shaken and badly scarred. While their nerves settle and the pounding of their hearts fades, Fawnbriar admits her feelings for Mallowfrost, and the she-cat does the same.

✦✦ Season 2023, New Leaf || A storm rolls over the island, flooding the forest and submerging the territories of LichenClan and ThistleClan. Opening their borders to the newcomers, RedwoodClan stoops beneath the strain of sharing their land between three factions, and Fawnbriar, among many others, questions the sustainability of harboring allies in their land and feeding them their prey.

✦✦ Season 2023, Leaf Fall || Tensions stir between RedwoodClan and ThistleClan as demands for the Bear Stones are made. Fawnbriar, feeling the stress of the negotiations through her father’s recent appointment as deputy and her own unspoken responsibilities, grows weary at the prospect of more fighting so close to Leaf Bare. But it is not only the tension at the border that unsettles her; Mallowfrost has grown more distant since Icesong’s retirement underground and with each night, the nest they share goes cold in her absence. Confronting Mallowfrost, Fawnbriar grows vaguely aware of her mate’s use of poppy seeds and is reluctant to continue the relationship. The two part ways, however reluctantly, and Fawnbriar grows more listless in Mallowfrost’s absence.

✦✦ Season 2023, Leaf Bare || Seeking purpose in Mallowfrost’s absence, Fawnbriar encounters Woodfrost, a seasoned and well-respected warrior of RedwoodClan. He tempts her with news of the war effort against ThistleClan, and though the thought of fighting does not appeal to her, the chance to claim purpose in her life is appealing enough. She ties herself to the isolationists within her Clan and joins the preparations against ThistleClan. During the training effort, Fawnbriar meets Mallowfrost again. Their separation has already begun to cause a strain on their ability to work together, and as they attempt to rekindle their battle bond, they are forced to acknowledge they are not the same cats they once were.