SPRUCESHADE

THISTLECLAN

Sizable, sturdy and strong, not unlike the tree he was named for. Spruceshade has an extended, full frame held aloft on mighty legs. He is the tallest of his siblings, and the quietest too. Hard muscles formed from a lifetime of action and hardships carry him well both in and out of combat, as he walks on paws that always find the most soundless step. His head sits high on a long neck which carries down into well-set shoulders and a back that is often hunched. He is a strapping tom that knows his own strength and uses it well.

Spruceshade was born with a pale ivory body, but the deep bister markings on his face and limbs were immediately apparent. His tail especially looked like a stick fallen from a spruce tree, and so he was named. As he grew, the pale beauty of his coat darkened along his back until it was the shade of a light acorn. His fur grew long and silky to coat his body, with a fair mane protecting his throat.

An intensely dark face gives away little of this tom’s expressions. His seal point marking is inlaid like a tooth upon his fur, lending to an intimidating air. His eyes sit like pale jewels within that obscurity, cold and observant. His muzzle is well defined, with a longer snout and a wide nose that carries a wealth of whiskers. The best way to know what Spruceshade is thinking is to watch his ears, like two dark trees on a sandy hill they sit and swivel to give away just what he is paying attention to.

TRUSTWORTHY–PATIENT–THOUGHTFUL & RESERVED–UNYIELDING–HAUNTED

Innately honest, Spruceshade has never told a lie in his life. He see’s nothing gain from it, having watched his more rambunctious siblings pay the consequences for fibs as kits together. Instead, Spruceshade focuses on being dependable and up front with the cats around him. He is immensely proud both of being an honest cat, and of his reputation as such.

This tom has the patience of Starclan. It takes a lot for him to become frustrated with his clanmates, probably due to the immense amount of practice he was given from a young age with his siblings, particularly Yewthorn. Due to this he works well with other cats, more than capable of working through any of their more reckless or foolish actions.

Even as a kit, Spruceshade was a quiet and serious cat. When faced with a problem, he prefers to think it over alone, often while hunting as he dislikes the restless feeling in his paws. He prefers to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself unless expressly asked, and even then he may only share them with cats he trusts. This can lead to the impression that he thinks himself better than others, which – while perhaps true in certain cases – is not the norm. His inability to tell cats anything but what he honestly thinks can either cut that impression apart, or build it further.

Spruceshade’s will is as obstinate as any spruce tree. Once this tom has made a decision, he will not be swayed. Given his thoughtfulness and the brash actions that some of his family are prone to, experience has taught him that his judgement is correct and should be adhered to. If he has made his mind up, he is difficult to reason with, and as frequently annoyed his family members with his aversion to conceding.

The death of his father has scarred Spruceshade emotionally. He blames himself for not doing enough, thinks he is not good enough even now. This causes him to push himself to always do more and try harder in his duties. But it also has inhibited him from forming new close relationships with other cats.

Born to Daisythorn and Minkfur, Sprucekit was the largest out of an enormous litter. Despite his size, his brother Yewkit quickly became the most dominant in the nursery due to Sprucekit’s more aloof tendencies. This was fine with the young tom, who didn’t care for the way every cat watched him expectantly due to his size. Yewkit also had a way with words that Sprucekit lacked due to his bluntness, a trait that often got them both in and out of trouble. He found himself often in Yewkit’s company and humoring his incessant chatter, the two brothers like the difference between a full and dark moon.

At six moons Sprucepaw was apprenticed to a senior Thistleclan warrior who was gruff, blunt and sarcastic. Sprucepaw did his duties faithfully and easily, for his mentor told him that doing so would instill good character in him. It was during this time that Sprucepaw developed a love for wandering alone through the forests. He enjoyed the quiet, after all the trees had no expectations for him. Due to spending so much time in the forest, Spruceshade developed the skill of moving silently and unnoticed, both in hunting and fighting. By the time he was made a warrior he had become a deadly fighter, prone to ambushing attacks from tree branches or thick undergrowth.

While he was still an apprentice, a fox attached the camp and dove into the nursery. Yewpaw jumped to the rescue, with Sprucepaw and Firpaw in tow. Together the brothers drove the fox back into the larger camp, but Sprucepaw noticed that one of the kits it had attacked was mortally wounded. He did what he could in the moment to warn the queen, but later learned that the kit had died from its wounds. This caused Sprucepaw to realize the fragility of not only his life but the lives of his clan-mates, and the weight of his actions.

When he was named Spruceshade, the tom set to digging his den with a fervor. He barely rested until it was complete, and eventually connected his den to those of his siblings’.

Spruceshade spent his youth as a warrior honing his skills and performing his duties. While Yewthorn flirted and swaggered to the she-cats, Spruceshade told himself that he would do all he could for the clan. But soon enough green-cough ravaged Thistleclan in winter, taking Daisythorn as a victim. And while he was still mourning the loss of his mother, he and Cherrybite protected the clan from yet another fox attack. However, despite all his training and skill, Spruceshade could not save Minkfur. The image of his father gasping for breath in a pool of crimson still haunts him to this day.

While Spruceshade privately mourned, the clan gained a new leader in Thievingstar. Immediately, Spruceshade did not trust her as a leader. She seemed overly emotional, paranoid, and prone to rash actions. He follows her orders, but prefers to keep his distance.

Spruceshade’s skill and reliability was rewarded with an apprentice, Turtlepaw. He was chipper, bright and friendly. A refreshing light amidst the gloomy demeanor of most Thistleclan cats. He was out of place, which Spruceshade could relate to. As a patient and strict mentor, the tom was sure to keep his apprentice in check without ruining his spirit until he was named Turtledove.

The flooding in Thistleclan’s territory and change in camp areas upset the tom greatly. His shared den with his siblings was lost, the places where the memories of his life lived unreachable. Upon learning that rogues had taken over his old home, Spruceshade was enraged. He threw himself into battle time and time again until finally the clan was victorious and could reclaim their dens.

These days, Spruceshade’s life follows a familiar rhythm. He is mostly content, though the recent banishment of Birchsong has left him with sour feelings. He misses her and hopes that she’ll somehow return to the clan. Though not particularly religious, he offers up sparse prayers to Starclan on the off chance that some ancestor, somewhere, will listen.