DuskPAW

REDWOODCLAN

amber eyed dark sunshine classic tabby tom

Duskpaw is a large cat, from strong Redwoodclan bloodlines that have held onto the well built frames boasted of by their ancestors. He's long. From his extended frame, to his legs, to a tail that is as long as his body. His profile is rectangular, his back a long straight line that shifts minutely as he walks. His legs are long but noticeably thick with muscle, including his very wide paws which are heavy with fur. He tends to hold his broad head low as he walks, setttled between his shoulders. This gives him a focused, intent aura. He is not so densely muscled as other big toms in his clan, instead he is slightly leaner, and this lends to a speed that most would not expect from him. 13" height. 

Duskpaw's long fur is a riot of golden fiery whorls. The classic lines of his tabby markings are spun into patterns of rich color that gleams. From the pale cream on his chest and stomach, and the bright gold and dark amber hues that decorate his back, to the thick black tip of his tail. In Greenleaf the patterns are most apparent, the classic lines thickening and becoming incredibly distinct. In leaf-bare when his fur grows, the patterns fade due to the pale colors of his undercoat being overgrown by more long sunshine fur.

Duskpaw's head is rounded but oblong, with a tall forehead crowned by perfectly triangled ears which are decorated heavily with delicate fur. His amber eyes are centered amongst the darkened lines of his tabby markings, which fade around his nose and chin into pale cream fur. His nose is a delicate peachy tan outlined by black, adorned with a multitude of long white whiskers,  some of which curl aggressively both down to his neck and up around his face. 

Duskpaw is naturally prone to mischief. He wants to enjoy his day, and unfortunately for others that usually means being the brunt of jokes or the victim of pranks. None of it is mean-spirited, however, and he'll get quite a thrill from anyone that decides to try and beat him at his own games. He's naturally charismatic, good at using charm and humor to stay on the good side of any cat who gives him the time of day. For all that, Duskpaw doesn't always understand when enough is enough - timing is everything, and since he's young Duskpaw won't always have a great grasp of that. This can lead to him pushing boundaries that should be left alone, and possibly upsetting the very cats he's trying to befriend.

Any major accomplishments made by Duskpaw will be taken swiftly to heart - and don't expect to ever stop hearing about them. Duskpaw wants the very best for himself, and once he gets it he's not afraid to show off. He's also not shy about showing jealousy should another cat achieve something he didn't, which can drive him to try crazy things that others wouldn't in order to achieve success. 

He's not overly serious about his duties, but he'll complete them quickly and without complaint if it means going back to his free time. 

Dusk-kit was born to loving parents, Dustflight and Greensong. He came yowling into the world beside his sister, Skykit. Two large healthy kits to bless Redwoodclan. And to Dusk-kit, that was the whole story. The truth is more complicated. 

Dustflight was an accomplished warrior in the clan, and a handsome one. His golden coat and gleaming eyes attracted the attention of mollies from the time he was young, and for many seasons the tom bore not a care for anything beyond simple trysts with pretty she-cats. That would change, however, when the tom found himself courting Greensong without even intending to. How could he not? She was beautiful and humorous, and accepting of his previous tom-cat ways. Being with her was as easy as breathing. Too easy. It was frightening to the tom, who had never had such a deep connection to anyone before. Unsure of himself, he also had relations with another molly, Tansytoes. He regretted it, especially when it became apparent that she had stronger feelings than he was prepared to deal with. Her confession of carrying kits set a panic in Dustflight - he didn't want to be trapped in a family he didn't wish for. 

He went to Greensong and confessed his mistakes. And despite her hurt, she agreed to try and build a real relationship with him - so long as truth and faithfulness existed between them. Dustflight never acknowledged the son born to him from another molly, not even when she died. And several moons later when Greensong purred to him in their nest that she was expecting, Dustflight felt all the calm certainty and love that he'd been waiting for. He couldn't wait to be a father.

Dusk-kit's early days were strange, even before he opened his eyes he was aware of threatening extremes. The soft warmth and heavy milk of his mother seemed to be warring with bitter cold and harsh winds that howled even through the thick aged wood which guarded the nursery. By the time he and Skykit were old enough to tumble and play outside of the nest, he finally saw why. The world was blanketed in what Greensong called snow, and going outside of the nursery was forbidden until it was gone. Dusk-kit grew used to watching his father flounder through the blizzard to reach them, emerging from that white nightmare with his fur caked in freezing powder. Dusk-kit hated how it made the nursery cold, and his fur wet and clammy. He was grateful for his mother's rasping tongue to keep him warm. 

Proximity kept he and his sister Skykit emotionally close, the two sharing everything with each other despite the bits of their personalities that were at odds. They tussled in the nursery and entertained each other with imagined stories of their future adventures. 

And just when the snow began to melt, and Dusk-kit thought that he'd finally get to explore camp and - if he managed to be sneaky enough - the forest that he'd heard so much about, new hardships presented themselves. Water, water everywhere - that's what Dustflight said. The other clans were being driven out by the floods. Suddenly Dusk-kit found himself surrounded by more cats than he'd ever dreamed of, having to share the camp he barely knew himself with Lichenclan cats who - his father grumbled - had barely stopped being the enemy. Perhaps the lean meals were an inconvenience, but he'd never known anything else, so Dusk-kit thought it a worthwhile trade if it meant being fascinated and entertained by so many cats. 
 
He was named an apprentice to Gullheart in his sixth moon, and a more suited match there couldn't have been for the two. It also happened to be the same moon when Lichrnclan left Redwoodclan's borders and returned to their own. Duskpaw knew it was the way of things, but found himself almost at a loss - the camp seemed so empty. It would take him a few moons to get used to so much empty space and quiet. Though, the big young tom certainly benefitted from full meals all his own. 

As a growing apprentice, Duskpaw does his best to complete his duties as soon as he can - mostly so that he can get back to having real fun. And while his sister is preoccupied with the fact that the senior warriors grumble over Thistleclan still living in Bear Stones, Duskpaw does his best to distract her from it. It'll all get solved soon, anyway. What's the worry?