Stoneclaw

lichenclan

longhaired gray tom with bright green eyes

A coat as dark as the stone face after rain. That's what his mother named him after, on the stormy day he was born. He grew into his name, steady and tough, standing tall against the very stones he was born. Kitten-blue eyes turned bright and green; his downy pelt grew out to be lengthy and water-resistant; soft, rounded facial features became angular, rugged looks; the high pitch in his voice turned deep and resonant.

Beneath all of his feathery fur and the hardy element for which he was named, he's a much leaner tom than first meets the eye. He makes for a graceful, nimble hunter of the caves. His legs are where most of his muscle went, especially around his paws, thanks to a life spent scaling steep cliffsides and leaping over rocks. The bottoms of his pads are calloused over to such a point that he doesn't bat an eye at rough terrain.

Stoneclaw was raised to have strong values, which have molded him into the cat he is today. Without his faith, without the warrior code, he would not be who he is - and he wholly embraces that truth. He's dedicated to the life he was born into, approaching each day as its own, never letting past failures and grief pull him down into pits of despair.

With both determination and courage that are invigorated by his desire for success, everything he does is for his Clan, his friends, his family. He serves them selflessly and tirelessly - only ever wanting the honor of being a warrior in exchange. Stoneclaw will never give up on what he believes in because that, in turn, would be giving up on everything he has.

Because Stoneclaw holds himself to such high standards, he often robs himself of normal experiences. He is so focused and driven that he doesn't allow himself the time for things that he deems unnecessary or even harmful, distracting. His whole life, LichenClan has been at war with RedwoodClan. He needs to be ready to leap to his Clan's defense at any moment. He doesn't have time for things like play or love or relaxation.

Of course, sometimes his mind wanders to the things he misses out on. And sometimes, he slips up; he gives in at the behest of someone else or simply out of desire to be... free of stress and worry. But as soon as something happens to bring him back from the moment, he battles with himself for making that mistake. Because of this mental block, he struggles internally with what he truly wants. No one would ever know it, though because all they see, all he wants them to see.. is a warrior.

Mentor: Duckpuddle
Apprentice(s): n/a

Mother: Paleflower
Father: Mistclaw
Uncles: Frostfang, Icestrike [father's side]
Brother: Cloudkit
Sister: Featherkit

Paleflower had the makings of a fine queen, and Mistclaw - though considerably older - was one of the most devout, talented warriors in the Clan. They made a pairing worthy of StarClan, and everyone was excited for them when Paleflower announced she was expecting his kits. The pair had many ambitions for their first litter, wanting them to have the best upbringing possible so they could become excellent warriors. Mistclaw would teach them how to fight and hunt, and Paleflower would teach them the ways of their culture. They would have many litters to support their Clan, contributing to its strength and success.

It should have been that simple and yet... their dreams of a huge family never would come to fruition.

Paleflower's first and second litters were made up of only a single kit each time, and each time the kits were stillborn. There was a third pregnancy as well, but a miscarriage in the earlier weeks prevented them even a chance at life. After that point, Paleflower was told that another pregnancy would be a risk to her health.

Mistclaw had grown distant in his mourning, and Paleflower was faced with the reality that she could never be the one thing she was meant to be; a mother. Her faith suffered for her lost kits, cursing StarClan for taking them from her time and time again. Why? She would ask over and over. What had she done so wrong?

Paleflower's fourth and last pregnancy was not met with congratulations or excitement, but concern and bewilderment. It had been her choice, in the end, to try again. Mistclaw worried for her; he'd been against it at first... but they made a compromise. They would try again and, success or failure, it would be the last time.

When the pregnancy took and she began to show, Mistclaw did everything in his power to keep her away from her warrior duties. He announced her nest-ridden and enlisted the other queens to make sure she didn't do anything remotely strenuous. As much as she didn't like the special treatment, Paleflower wanted so badly for this time to be different. She prayed harder than she ever had before, begging StarClan to let her kits have a chance at life.

So when the time came, and Paleflower went into labor, everyone gathered around, holding their breath. When her only kit came into the world, he mewled louder than any newborn, and a sigh of relief could be felt in everyone's hearts.

His parents named him Stonekit, hoping that a name like that would give him strength. And it did. He survived his first night, first week, first month, until he grew old enough that there was nary a doubt in anyone's mind; he would have the life his mother wanted for him.

Stonekit's moons as a kit were spent listening well to his parents. Paleflower taught him the ways of StarClan, the Warrior Code, the other Clans (heathens), and so many invaluable lessons in character. Mistclaw introduced him to the ways of the warrior, taught him to be strong and fast and how to face the things he thought he couldn't. His parents gave him faith, honor, and bravery; the tools he would need to survive life in LichenClan. Especially as war with RedwoodClan began again..


By the time Stonekit became a 'paw, he was more than ready for it. He was determined to help feed and protect his Clan, and especially join the fight against the scourges of the redwoods. He saw things as they were from a young, ambitious LichenClanner's perspective; the other Clans had more territory, more hunting grounds, more room to grow and thrive. It was only fair that LichenClan fight for their right to the same things as the others.

With cats like Mistclaw and his uncles - Frostfang and Icestrike - in his ear, battle was not something Stonepaw feared. He vied to fight alongside his Clan-mates, seeing it as the highest honor, the best way he could possibly serve his Clan. He wanted to be like his father, strong and skilled; a force to be reckoned with, to keep his home safe and to fight in the name of StarClan. The other Clans were dishonorable because of their lack of strong faith, and because of that they were weaker in all other ways as well. Young Stonepaw knew that, with time, their dark paths would be their downfall.

Duckpuddle, his mentor, didn't take things easy on him - not even from the start. She was harder on him even than his own father, testing his limits as far as they would go. It was stressful, especially with the added pressure of wanting to impress Hemlockheart and Minnowstar. But he pushed on with strength and determination. He had to be good enough, he wouldn't let himself be held back like the others.

Though his arc of apprenticeship was largely unimpressive, with no special feats to speak of other than rigorous training and dedication, he was glad to fly under the radar. Even happier still when it seemed that, near the end of his apprenticeship, his mentor was proud of his progress. While he'd wanted to outshine the other apprentices in more impactful ways, he was just as happy to make his family and his mentor happy. It meant that, in turn, his leader would be happy with him as well.

During this turning point for Stonepaw, there was another battle with RedwoodClan. This time, his father did not return unscathed, telling him stories of a blessed victory. Mistclaw was carried back into the caves by other warriors, bleeding profusely from deep scores in his flank. The warrior didn't make it through the night.

Although Stonepaw's image of his father being invincible was shattered by reality's cruel grip, he was still proud of his dad. Dying for their Clan was the most honorable death a warrior could have, and he knew that his father wouldn't have wanted to go out any other way.

The event served only to strengthen Stonepaw's faith in StarClan, and fueled his need for LichenClan to continue winning their crusade against the other Clans.

After that, Stonepaw threw himself into his duties as much as he could. He tagged along every border patrol he could get his claws in, ready for the moment when a RedwoodClan warrior would be bold enough to cross his Clan. And eventually, he got the opportunities to show them the consequences of doing so. In one particular border skirmish against the RedwoodClanners, he gravely injured another apprentice. She was fiery and wholly deserving of the walloping he gave her but, she was far less experienced and far younger. The fight was almost too easy for him, and it was at that point that his mentor knew he was ready to move up in rank.

****

He was named Stoneclaw, for his prowess. And, perhaps, in honor of his late father. His head had never been held higher than that moment.

In his first gathering as a warrior, Stoneclaw would come to find out by eavesdropping that the wounds he'd left the RedwoodClan apprentice with... had grown infected and killed her. In the moment, he internalized his reaction. But it's stuck with him ever since, and he still wrestles with how he feels about it even today. Even though LichenClan's cause was just and favored by StarClan, he didn't want to kill anyone.

Stoneclaw has spent most of his time hunting, training, and serving Minnowstar [and, by extension, StarClan]. He remains indifferent to the dissent among some of his Clan-mates, hearing their mutters and whispers in the dead of night. He thinks very little of those warriors with so much doubt, brushing it off as cowardice or some deep-rooted issue in their lives. At the bottom of it, he didn't understand how anyone couldn't see what Minnowstar was trying to achieve for the Clan.

When Hemlockheart disappeared and Bristlefur took his place, Stoneclaw realized that he didn't like the latter's approach to things, even though they were very similar - which led him to feelings of confliction. Something about that change of face made Stoneclaw begin to question things.

LichenClan later launched an attack against RedwoodClan and lost, much to Stoneclaw's shock, and to make matters worse Minnowstar withdrew for a time. It was the first time Stoneclaw had truly recognized that something was wrong with his leader. Thinking that she just needed time, he was confused by his leader's 'sudden' instability that followed. He eventually rationalized and deemed it all to be because Minnowstar was too stressed out. Stress could drive anyone crazy, after all.

So he carried on with his warrior duties and fealty, especially in the hopes that he could ease some of the weight on his leaders' shoulders, doing whatever he could to be helpful rather than troublesome. He fully believes that there are those not as loyal to LichenClan as they should be. With that being said, he's come to consider all of this mess to be their fault. If they were more loyal, more humble, more faithful.. StarClan would bless them with victory again.