blackfrost

thistleclan

black and white she-cat with green eyes

It is not the dark color of her pelt or the delicate slopes of her frame that immediately draws attention to the she-cat, but it is the dignified way in which she holds herself, a perfectionist by flesh and blood. Blackfrost is keenly aware of how she is perceived, so she carries herself like a warrior, chin held high and back and tail straight as a pine. Even on her thin and wiry silhouette, the she-cat appears to possess immense power, never wanting to appear weak. It’ll be moons before she packs on legitimate muscle or poses any threat. Yet glancing at her, Black-kit already exudes an alluring demeanor and simply can garner control by walking into a situation and making her demands.

Formidable in color and hue, or at least to ThistleClan’s standards, Blackfrost is named after her dark, black coat. Most of her body can be hidden in the shadows, concealed under a heavy, fir-tree bough. She looks much like her mother and the other dark she-cat’s of her ancestry. Yet large swatches of white stretch at her undersides and just beneath her chin. She has alabaster paws and a striking clash of white upon her muzzle. It is broken up by splotches of charcoal, creating a strange marking across her already dark nose.Her fur is not particularly long nor is it completely short. The she-cat carries a medium-length coat with decent feathering at her stomach, tail, and cheek tufts.

Green eyes perch upon her face in a dangerous narrow, embodying Blackfrost's stand-offish and unapproachable nature. Always calculative and cold, the she-cat’s slanted face mirrors her untouchable demeanor. She does not want to get close to anyone, unless it’s for her own gain, and the triangular slants of her face and ears merely echo that. Stark white whiskers trail from her maws and brows in menacing streaks and further demonstrate Blackfrost's overall commanding appearance.

Everything in Blackfrost’s world can be meticulously ordered, and thus, justified by this hierarchy, whether she is judging someone by rank, skill, or moral. Her reasoning happens linearly; everything has a cause and an effect. Someone is always a winner or a loser. Good or bad. There is no in-between. This makes the black and white she-cat painfully direct and decisive. She is objective to a fault, never shying away from hurting a den-mate to speak her truth. Blackfrost is a natural born leader, but not by ways of charisma or general likeability. Rather she is assertive, forceful, and blunt. Her presence merely commands those around her, whether they like it or not.

While her demeanor aids her in accruing power, it is often off-putting to her den-mates. The she-cat has few friends, not that this bothers her in the slightest. Friendships and the emotions attached to meaningful connections are considered weak to Blackfrost. Her few ties in the Clan are either derived by those she wants to impress or those she wants to use for her own gain. Everything in her life revolves around making her parents proud. This will push her to become a powerful warrior, one who meticulously perfects the art of fighting and hunting, but only after forcing herself past her own limits.

Yet she will be terribly guarded and emotionally stunted, never choosing to explore her own identity as an individual. No one will hear about her struggles or darkest doubts. Instead they will quietly fester, pushing the she-cat to act cruelly towards her den-mates and herself. She will often feel immense shame and moments of inferiority. Prone to violent outbursts under heavy amounts of stress, Blackfrost may fall victim to the pitfalls of her perfectionism because she will be too detached from the real world and its natural limitations.

While new-leaf struck the pine forest, melting the snow in great heaps, Graygaze propositioned Squirreltail, a promise for the future on his tongue. Regarded as one of ThistleClan’s most powerful warriors, the korat tom proposed a litter born at her belly this coming green-leaf. Squirreltail was the best hunter in the Clan, he decided, and the black and white she-cat readily agreed. So it only made sense for them to bear kittens out of duty, and ensure longevity and prosperity for their Clan.

The deal was made, and a few moons later, Squirreltail gave birth to three healthy kits, two toms and a she-cat. Named after colors, they were called Silverkit, Black-kit, and Bluekit.

As the middle kit and the only she-cat, Black-kit opened her eyes, already feeling a foreboding sense of inferiority and desire to prove herself. With a strict mother, and an alluring, distantly figured father, Black-kit quickly learned that to be seen favorably: she must disregard her emotions and adhere herself to the cold and detached life of a powerful warrior.

This began by rough-housing with her brothers. Routinely, Black-kit would goad them into play fights, though the 'play' was certainly up for debate. If they didn't want to fight her, she'd just tackle them and beat the pulp out of them until she won. She always hoped her father was watching, yearning for his approval, though she never met him.

It was in her early moons that she learned about the truth of her origins. The only reason she and her mother were alive was because her aunt, Thievingstar, sacrificed her four remaining lives to save them. Learning this only inflated the young she-cat's ego and gave her even more reasons to be a pain in the tail.

Graygaze first made his appearance to his kits when they were only three moons old. They found him in the middle of camp, lazily swatting at a fly, which he later ate in front of them, much to Black-kit's chagrin. After hearing about the great warrior and his battle prowess, she expected someone completely different. Where was the strong warrior her mother talked so much about?

Despite his lackluster appearance, Black-kit continued to seek his approval by training with her brothers, usually against their will. So what if he ate bugs? Squirreltail wasn't making up stories. Graygaze had to be a secretly powerful warrior. They just didn't know it yet.

Shortly before her apprenticeship, Black-kit sought out her first unintentional friend, an older apprentice named Foxpaw. She was the daughter of another renowned fighter, so Black-kit challenged her to a fight. Foxpaw humored her, though somewhat annoyed, and taught her a few battle moves. Black-kit refused to admit her admiration out loud, but secretly returned to the nursery, feeling like she had made a friend.

As she neared her sixth moon, her brothers escaped camp one morning. Black-kit watched them leave, choosing to look the other way and not to tell her mother. They deserved to get in trouble. But it was a mistake. When Squirreltail found out they were missing, she gathered her father in a panic and forced the information out of Black-kit. She got in a lot of trouble for refusing to tell them, especially because of how they found her brothers.

Nearly dead, Bluekit was carried back to camp, torn and bloodied. They had awoken a fox in their stupidity, and it attacked them. Silverkit was spared, but Bluekit's face was ravaged. The beast took half of his visage, including his eye. Black-kit was further punished, and in a rage, she visited Bluekit in the medicine cat's den and took her fury out on him. Never would she associate with them again. They were dead to her.

Despite getting in trouble, she was allowed to become an apprentice. While her brothers were forced to remain in the nursery for an extra moon. But perhaps her father did punish her after all. Instead of receiving a senior warrior as her new mentor, Blackpaw was assigned to Swallowfrost, a young she-cat with a nasty temper. They immediately butted heads.

Blackpaw called her out for being inexperienced and demanded a new mentor. Deeply unamused and unimpressed, Swallowfrost deemed her an ungrateful brat, and thus began their partnership. Swallowfrost put the young she-cat through harsh trials and tribulations. Blackpaw was sent out to try and track through the bog during the night, and forced into lengthy sparring sessions. But the work eventually humbled Blackpaw just enough to earn her mentor's respect.

During her apprenticeship, she found herself growing closer to Foxpaw, who shortly left the den and earned her warrior name as Foxclaw. Despite their difference in rank, they spent a lot of time together, lamenting their den-mates, such as the annoying Lionpaw or their brothers. They enjoyed sparring together and venting about their equally messed up families, though Foxclaw was always much more composed than she.

One day, her father unexpectedly summoned her out into the forest. Always obedient when it came to him, she followed, expecting a long day of training or perhaps a punishment. But her father did neither. Instead Graygaze imparted a final cryptic message, denouncing everything he once taught her. He did not wish for her to become the strongest warrior on the island. No, he wanted her to discover what it means to become a true warrior.

Confused and enraged, Blackpaw tried to get her father to explain, but he dismissed her, refusing to say anymore. It was one of the last times she ever spoke to him. Summoned to fight in the Great War, Graygaze never returned to ThistleClan's camp. Slayed by a LichenClan tom, he passed fighting alongside Foxclaw's father, who carried him back to the pines.

Blackpaw attended his funeral from a distance, completely empty inside. Her entire life had been devoted to him and his expectations of her. What was there for her to do? In a fit of rage, she gathered Foxclaw one night and they left camp together. She screamed and vented to her friend until Foxclaw offered to spar, giving her an outlet for her anger. Blackpaw had to stop caring so much. She had to learn to control her emotions, her rage.

At eleven moons, she became a warrior after saving a pregnant queen, Mistflower, from a fox. Out on patrol, the beast attacked them during a frightful snowstorm. Together they were able to drive it off, but not before the queen went into labor. Blackpaw nursed her to her paws and led her back to camp, where she later gave birth to her kits. For her heroism, Stagstar named her Blackfrost. The name was perhaps in honor of her mentor, the storm she faced, or perhaps her icy attitude. Any reading fit her well.

A young warrior, Blackfrost keeps only a few close to her heart. Her family is largely shunned from her life. She refuses to acknowledge any of them, except occasionally her mother. Most of her den-mates, save for Foxclaw and Swallowfrost, are detestable to her. And with her father dead and his final cryptic message? Blackfrost struggles to find purpose beyond proving herself as one of the strongest warriors in the Clan — which was exactly against Graygaze's wishes.