Meadowpaw

Thistleclan

Petite seal lynx point she-cat with blue eyes

Meadowpaw was born smallest in her litter of two, her short limbs and small torso making her appear sickly and defenseless from the start. As a kit, her head was a bit too large for her body and had the tendency to send her tumbling if she ran too quickly. This inevitably resulted in her learning to be more careful in her movements, her steps more measured and purposeful. This trait has continued into her adulthood and Meadowpaw continues to walk and react to situations with a delicacy to her actions. She has stout, pointed ears and a short tail to go along with her other small features. Now a full grown adult, her physique has remained compact and certainly resides as one of the smallest cats within Thistleclan. She’s fine with her size and even uses it to her advantage so that she may remain light on her feet in moments that require speed and dexterity.

What was once creamy white fur has now given way to a light brown hue that has progressively spread to encompass the majority of her frame. There are still fragments of her body that reflect the bright white fur of her mother, though this accounts for about %25 of her pelt now. The tips of her face and tail are a seal lynx pattern that has deepened with age and almost appear as if they are tabby markings. Along her back and feet the beginnings of her seal coloring is starting to show, though they continue to remain predominantly white. With soft, long fur Meadowpaw has the appearance of the fluffiest of clouds.

Vibrant blue eyes captivate any onlooker, the round orbs always hosting a myriad of expressions and emotions. She has a rather angular face and is defined by the petite brown nose she hosts. While her rounded ears and small muzzle are framed with short white, whiskers; most of her features are dwarfed in comparison to her large eyes.

Meadowpaw holds within her the heart of a believer. She believes in the power of friendship, courteousness, and above all; love. Perfectly polite in her mannerisms and way of speaking she is constantly saying 'please' and 'thank you' to those around her and will not shy away from helping others in need. Though she may feel overworked, underappreciated, or looked over Meadowpaw will always lead with her niceness first and sternness second. Once Birchsong was exiled, Meadowpaw had to rely on the kindness of others to be cared for as she was still a tiny, helpless kit. She continues to remember and be thankful for that affection that was gifted to her and feels giving back to her clan is the best way to show her appreciation. With the departure of her family, Meadowpaw has cemented herself into the use of phrases she picked up from Birchsong as a kit. Any kind task or word performed on her part bring the memories of her mother back to the surface. Desperate to relive any moment she can from her kithood, Meadowpaw is sometimes nice simply for the sake of feeling a shred of her past joy once more.

Because of her polite, soft features, and apprehensive tendencies, Meadowpaw is sadly often overlooked and not taken seriously. The war has left her in a constant state of worry and although things in Thistleclan have improved, Meadowpaw still feels a shadow hanging over them. Expressing these concerns has had mixed results for her and she's had several instances where her concerns are brushed aside or ignored; likely due to her inability to force others to listen to her in a clan full of bold or harsh personalities. Her concerns are easy to ignore and she struggles to find ways for her voice to be heard in a clan where medicine cats tend to be seen as healers and nothing more.

Once not a fan of deception, Meadowpaw would rather have told the truth and faced punishment than be caught in a lie. After the reveal of her linage however; she feels not all truths are worth their prices. The truth did nothing but hurt her family after it was exposed to Thievingstar. In a flash Birchsong was banished for the mistake of feeling love. In turn, Meadowpaw's interest in finding truths has died after the discovery that morality is told in shades of gray as opposed to the black-and-white she originally believed. With this change came an intense desire to bring nobility to the world around her by shaping it with her own deeds. She considers her actions carefully and they are decided on the basis of their honor and integrity; her belief that good things come to those who are good to others a strong central part to her morality.

Though she spent a long time feeling uncomfortable under the scrutiny of others, Meadowpaw has grown to accept attention be it positive or negative thanks to her role as the medicine cat apprentice. Shadepool has been a fundamental part in the shaping of her confidence and though she can still feel nervous in crowds, Meadowpaw is willing and able to express herself when the need arises. She is honest in her feelings and beliefs and will not lie for the sake of others, though she may fluff her words to soften the blow.

As a curious cat, Meadowpaw has a lot of interest in the world around her. Not content to waste her time in camp, Meadowpaw would rather learn the scope of her surroundings. She's heard the stories of how their land was once lost to them and though she did not live through such hardships; the love of her home runs deep within her. Every day she is discovering new things in their forest; every recognized landmark like a personal stamp across the map of her life. She feels pride in Thistleclan but always believes as a medicine cat her duty is meant for the island as a whole, not just those that reside within her own clan's borders.

As sweet as she is, Meadowpaw has a reoccurring issue with making decisions. She worries about hurting others both physically and emotionally and feels her choices may have long term repercussions. The simple choice of Birchsong leaving camp with Cedarkit had such a cascading effect on everything, how can Meadowpaw be sure she wont slip up even more and cause further pain and suffering. To this effect she tries not to jump to conclusions however it's become problematic as she tends to stay still for too long when it's more important to keep on moving.

Born to Birchsong and Oleander, Meadowkit was the runt to her litter of two. Nestled beside the more brash and daring Cedarkit, she lived her life happily bouncing from one game to the next. Thanks to her large family Meadowkit had never felt as if she didn't belong within her clan. This coupled with the belief Maplebranch was her father made her first few moons of life a wonderful experience. She loved her family deeply, especially her sister though the two didn't always see eye-to-eye.

Nestled between the age of four to five moons, Meadowkit grew sick and was quarantined in the medicine cat's den. While she recovered from her fits of coughing and sneezing, Birchsong took Cedarkit out for an adventure in the territory. Away from the watchful eyes of camp Cedarkit met their true father; Oleander - a rogue who'd talked his way into the warrior's heart. Under her very nose Oleander stole Cedarkit from them and ran. The events brought to light not only the continued threat of rogues to the clan but her very lineage as a half-clan cat.

As punishment for her deeds, Birchsong was quickly banished and suddenly all that was left of her family was her. Meadowkit was vehemently defended by her adopted father, Maplebranch however it didn't stop the whispers and side-eyes given to her by the very clan she'd called family. As an apprentice, Meadowpaw continued to struggle with her identity, though she refused to acknowledge such feelings. One day only a moon into her apprenticeship she awoke with a dream sent by Starclan that lead her into the depths of the medicine cat den. Confessing the visions she'd seen to Shadepool, the tom shared with her he'd been experiencing his own dreams that led him to her. Shortly after Meadowpaw was named the medicine cat's apprentice, a duty she immediately felt she was not strong or capable enough for.

The first few moons of Meadowpaw's apprenticeship were a struggle as she tried to understand why Starclan had picked her. Herb names never stuck, treatment procedures were a mix of confusing instructions, and Starclan remained a far off dream she was unsure was real at all. Only after Thievingstar's death and the appointment of Stagstar as the new leader did Meadowpaw finally feel as if she was truly chosen by Starclan. Her first time at the lagoon where the new leader received his lives validated her connection to the stars and she returned from the experience intent on giving her new role her all.

Moons passed and her confidence steadily grew as Shadepool encouraged her spiritual side and her uncle, Firfoot supported her physical strength. Meadowpaw looked up to the both of them and appreciated them but her eyes never left the clan's border, her wish to find her mother and sister never fading. She spent a lot of time on the creek's edge looking for answers or signs of her lost family until one day a chance encounter with the rogue Hawthorne told her they were still alive and residing within Lichenclan's borders. Hope renewed, Meadowpaw waited impatiently for signs of them until she spotted Cedarkit at a Gathering and although the reunion was heartfelt, it was short-lived.

Soon after, Thistleclan became involved in the war efforts against Lichenclan as they finally became allies with Redwoodclan. Happy to see the two clans getting along, Meadowpaw was hopeful it would be the end of the war and finally lead to the return of her family. Battles raged and cats suffered but in the end, Minnowstar died and with her - the war. Meadowpaw eagerly awaited the return of Birchsong and Cedarkit as peace returned to the island but she is still left waiting, all the while feeling as if the shadows have not truly left her clan.