Bonepaw

Lichenclan

mottled tom with blue eyes

Bonepaw is a small, athletic young cat. Short, sturdy legs and big toe pads help him to navigate the crags and rocky beaches of the island caves. He feels wholly at home in Lichenclan's thick cave network, crawling through narrow passages with ease thanks to his short legs and slender frame. His long thin tail aids his balance when bounding along the craggy shoreline. He moves and plays much like a river otter, leaping over and twisting through obstacles. Though more fine and much softer as a kit, Bonepaw's pelt is shortening and becoming more wavy as he comes of age. His head and body have short, downy fur, while his belly, lower legs and tail are tufted with feathery fluff.



Brown tabby stripes are interrupted by clouds of white, giving him the appearance of a duckling in molt. Just like the texture of his pelt shortens, the color also lightens as he ages, though the stripes and dark ears remain and become more contrasted. Bonepaw has large ears and long whiskers, set on a long pale face, resembling a small bobcat. He has round, pale blue eyes.

Hanging at the rear of every patrol, in the midst of fellow apprentices is Bonepaw. Though small, like his mother Owlheart, Bonepaw is quickly growing stronger. Eager to please, he tries to train hard, but there is reserve and hesitancy when he realizes what it means to apply his warrior training, what he must soon be prepared to do. He shies away from any talk of war with Redwoodclan, seemingly uncomfortable, but is happy to converse with his clan mates. He makes the rugged terrain of the Island shores look like a walk on the beach - literally. Bonepaw delights in exploring the network of caves, scaling the rocky cliffs, and roaming the birch forests of his home. He can think of no other clan he would rather belong to, proud to be a Lichenclan cat and ambitious to prove himself as a warrior.

He is not without uncertainty - Bonepaw cares deeply for his fellow apprentices and his clan. He wonders often, though rarely aloud, what will become of his clan.

Hawkpelt was dark, stoic and kind; Owlheart was small, mousy, and clever. They complemented each other well, gravitating together as warriors who placed their trust in Starclan and Minnowstar's leadership. They appreciated the importance of Starclan's will, followed it to the best of their abilities, though Owlheart didn't always understand their methods. They passed stories and legends on to their single offspring, Bonekit, hoping to impress on him the importance of a Lichenclan warrior's role and the lessons of Starclan. He took them at face value, didn't fathom questioning their existence. He knew Starclan existed, his ancestors were with them, and if he wished to join them one day he must uphold the warrior code. Though he had no littermates, he was quick to befriend the other kits due to his playful nature. To his delight and Owlheart's bane, Lichenclan's caves were an amazing playground, ripe for exploration, and he was keen to wander and explore them as much as he was able.

Excited, ambitious, and keen to please, on the edge of his sixth moon Bonekit could only imagine the best of outcomes. He was strong, ready to take on warrior duties. He would become a keen hunter, crawling through the undergrowth of the island, pouncing on hares and chasing coyotes away from his kills. He would learn more about Starclan so he could better demonstrate their will. Bonepaw would do his best to resemble Lichenclan, become a warrior no one would dare disrespect.

Shortly after apprenticing, Owlheart was killed early in a battle with Redwoodclan. Some more faithful warriors lamented the loss, but always with a hint of distaste for Owlheart's waning belief, which she had never been outspoken about but they had begun to suspect. Others felt her small size and hesitancy in battle would eventually have caused her downfall. Hawkpelt stopped quoting his lessons to Bonepaw, spent more free time watching the waves climb the shore, and his uncertainty passed on his only kit. Only a moon following the death of his mate, Hawkpelt disappeared on a hunting patrol. The scent of coyote lead his patrol mates to the conclusion that he had been hunted, though they couldn't find any evidence of a skirmish.

The vigor of warrior life was not entirely lost on Bonepaw: he believed he must remain strong, though he often caught himself watching the entrance of the cave, expecting to see his father trotting in with a small bird in his jaws and sometimes a flash of brown fur would cause him to turn his head, before his sense returned to him. Still, he could not suppress the small seed in his mind, planted by his parents and watered by the growing murmurs in the clan. Why would Starclan want war? Did they really have a plan in motion? Were his ancestors really hungry for blood, or did they possess some other motive? To what lengths would Minnowstar go to uphold Starclan's will?

But the main question on his mind these days is, what place, if any, does Bonepaw have in Lichenclan?