Mudleaf

Thistleclan

dark-brown tabby with bright orange eyes

Small even by Thistleclan norms, Mudleaf is named for her rich brown coat and leaf-fall colored eyes. She easily melts into the swamp and dark thicket surrounding her home, only revealing herself when necessary. A thick layer of fur acts like armor from rain and cold and it is often kept well-groomed. Short legs and broad paws make an easy task of combing the dense thicket.
Mudleaf has a round head and short snout, and despite the grumpy appearance it gives her she has a generally kind nature.

Assisted by the natural dark shade of her coat, Mudleaf is a true lurker. On the hunt, patrol, even in battle she crouches low and calculates movement. Safe at home, she feels most comfortable off to the side where she is able to watch the coming and going of her clanmates. Her tendency to hang back and observe is an advantage to her warrior lifestyle. A method of analyzing and thinking fast is applied to everything she does.
Mudleaf is a very practical she-cat, preferring not to waste energy arguing. She can become impatient when dealing with stubborn cats, but generally is supportive of her clan-mates. Even if a cat is deemed somehow "weaker" she looks for their strengths and encourages them. The island changes constantly and not everything goes according to plan. To Mudleaf, a warrior must be ready to work with the way of nature. Attempting to force it to one's will is a great error.
Though she is fierce in battle and a clever hunter, Mudleaf has an odd fondness for insects.

Mudkit was sole born in the last of Barkpelt's litters. Barkpelt, a ginger she-cat, and Greyclaw, a striped tom, were seasoned warriors. Having no siblings, and being a somewhat reserved kit, she spent more time with her older family members, idolizing the skill of her warrior father and uncle, Needlebite. When she became an apprentice, Mudpaw would still visit her parents when she could find the chance, and her mother imparted much of her wisdom onto her kit. Needlebite became her mentor, and his affection for Greyclaw was not lost on Mudpaw. As his apprentice she received no special treatment, but was encouraged to use her natural camouflage to her advantage, and he taught her to "live as a warrior": patient, fierce, brave, reserved, and methodical. Always do what will serve the clan, always uphold honor. Needlebite was influential to Mudpaw in showing her that no task was impossible, one could face any opponent with the right attitude. One day, under the Great Owl Tree, Needlebite and Mudpaw were training with a small group of apprentices and warriors. This was the time of invading rogues and foxes, and being a small apprentice, Mudpaw asked Needlebite for more training time. She felt vulnerable, under-prepared, and her mentor was happy to provide. As the rest of the training group headed back to camp, the pair decided to continue for a little while longer.
It turned out Mudpaw would have to face the danger sooner than she thought, as Needlebite crouched to pounce on her, a flurry of bright red fur shot between them. Terrified, Mudpaw instinctively leapt into the fray to try and help her uncle, but she was clueless, and there was so much blood and movement that she couldn't tell who was where. It was a pair of vicious foxes, and they tossed the cats around like a kit with a mouse.
Hearing their yowls, their training companions rushed back in time to save Mudpaw and chase off the foxes. Yet, for Needlebite, it was too late, and though Mudpaw was badly scratched and bitten, she had been spared both death and handicap. Internally, the damage had been done, and though Greyclaw loved his kit he became distanced from her for sometime as he believed she had been too cowardly, hesitated, and her mistake cost him his beloved brother. Mudpaw hadn't had a chance to prove her strength and she couldn't bring up the subject with her father long enough to tell him what really occurred. She was determined to show Greyclaw that she was not responsible for Needlebite's death, that there was no chance she would have been able to face the foxes alone...though she herself if there wasn't more she could have done, if she couldn't have made a move a bit earlier...
Moons passed and Mudpaw was named Mudleaf when she became a warrior. She dug a neat den, deep with a narrow entrance and was proud of her work. The foxes were still a looming threat, costing many cats their loved ones if not their own lives. It seemed there wasn't a clan cat unaffected by a fox or rogue cat. Thistleclan began to feel like it had a fragile future, and Thievingstreak was preparing to end their threat once and for all. Patrols were larger in response to the danger, and both Greyclaw and Mudleaf being excellent hunters, found themselves working closely together for the first time in moons. Together, they worked to bring down large amounts of prey to add to the fresh-kill pile. Greyclaw, being a bulky, silver-streaked tabby was much easier for prey to spot, and he would scare them from their hiding spots, right into Mudleaf's. She would spring out on hares, ducks, frogs, rats, and other creatures who ran unwarily into her path. Sometimes she could even chase them right into their dens, if it was large enough. It gave her a satisfaction to work closely with her father, and he soon saw for himself that Mudleaf had been training hard to impress him. After earning his trust once again, they were able to discuss what really occurred in the shadow the Great Owl Tree.
Recent years arrived, and Mudleaf has counted herself lucky to see both of her parents retire as elders. She still visits them in the camp, and sometimes visits the Great Owl Tree when no one is training, sitting quietly and meditating for moments, before returning to her duties. She still believes in the warrior code, and lives up to it in every way she can. Now that the invading packs of rogue cats threaten Thistleclan once more, she knows hesitating to act will put her clan in danger. She believes great change is on the horizon, and is determined to face it despite her fears of what may come.