Post by ḞḶIṆṪ on Sept 3, 2009 18:24:19 GMT -8
Name: Ridgepaw
Gender: Tom
Age: 6 moons
Rank: Apprentice
Clan: Windclan
Appearance:
His form can best be described as slight. Typical of a Windclan cat, Ridgepaw is small but lithe. He doesn’t look like a runt of a large cat, his size suit’s him well. He looks perfect for it and has a graceful frame. From his bones look like they were made to work together perfectly with his small demeanor. His chest area extends back to his haunches in one rather curved line. It’s clear he was made to run, his ribs are large and give extra room for breathing. He darts threw the wind with the tiny bit of space he takes up. This speed is fuelled by his legs. No, there not exactly short. In fact he has particularly long limbs ending in large paws. Though there on the big side, Ridgepaws feet never trip him up and actually seem to provide greater balance and support. The extend back to his legs again, though long there not disproportioned. It’s clear only a thin layer separates his fur from muscle. The same is true every where beneath Ridgepaws pelt, he’s not bulky but somehow when looking at him it’s obvious he’s anything but defenseless.
Apart from his general cat body, this little apprentice has some great defenses. He has thick black claws hooking out from his paws. They, like his paws, are large. Near the base these hooked weapons are fat and smooth, apparently harmless. But follow down the bone and they curve in a deadly way forming a half moon arch as they file to a point. Within his jaw Ridgepaw hinds thorn like fangs, the color of ebony. One of the lower pair abruptly cuts off half way up forming a jagged end. The tooth was broken in his earlier years but it’s razor peaks are still sharp and can certainly slice, if not kill. Along with his obvious weapons, Ridgepaws tail is as much a part of his fighting as his claws and teeth are. Used like a rudder, he flings it around during battle to keep up with his natural Windclan speed.
It could even be said that Ridepaws pelt is part of his fighting array. His typical tabby fur practically melts in with the grass and brush of the plains. Light brown threads steal across his coat coupled with a pleasant silver under coat that sparkles after he cleans his fur. Marking up this casual from are large black streaks banding his fur all over. These dark markings are especially visible along his back legs where they darken more then on his back. They provide Ridgepaw with excellent camouflage even as he breaks cover in chase of prey. Unlike many cats pelts, his fur is short but thick along his hind legs and back. It thins only hear his ears, face, and paws. Under the rolling sun this little tom often gets hot though in winter he hardly notices the seasons chill.
The most stunning thing about him are definably his eyes. A quick glance would revile there general yellow hue the pail color of the sun. Upon closer inspection though, anyone would see the dark amber flecks dappling around his irises. Few cats get to look so close though and these beautiful marks are often only seen when Ridgepaw cares to look up. The sunlight ascents them and under it they seem to burn gold. In his eyes are where most of Ridgepaws expression comes from. His face is often strangely emotionless but although he tries, he can’t keep his eyes from giving away his feelings. It’s painfully obvious to any cat what’s going on inside Ridgepaws head. This fact has often made him look away from others while he talks or listens.
Other then his eyes Ridgepaws hole body leaves little surprises. All his forms creativity comes in small pieces. For instance, his whiskers are amusingly long, they dangle out at a slant from there own weight. Each is an unbroken frosty white color and give his already white mouth a more aged look. Oh yes, beneath his ruddy triangular nose the fur turns a shark white shade that seems to transfer to his pail wishers. All his fur gets lighter near his face except for the tear like stains trailing from the corners of his eyes and the near parallel hashes where his eye brows would be. Further above these are his ears. They’re much like his paws in there large curved way. They have the most useable point and make it obvious who Ridgepaw’s listening to.
Personality:
Young Ridgepaw is a far cry from a perfect clan member. From an early age, beginning in his kithood, he got into fights with his own clan members. He is a tom who is easily affected by what other cats think and say. Any word and log between his fur and sink in the wrong way. And this young tom often takes things the wrong way. He doesn’t seem to believe cats have anything good to say about him and he isn’t the kind of cat to back down from a fight. It’s not that he loves to fight, but Ridgepaw thinks anything less then challenging those who attack you is cowardly. And he is desperate to prove he’d no coward. He has gained several small nicks and scars from members of his own clan because he hasn’t the patience or understanding to here others out.
Some of his problems start from the very basis of clan life. He never took a liking to the warrior code. Ridgepaw often eats prey he catches and then brings back whatever else is left. Several cats suspect this behavior and it is partly why he get’s into fights. The thing is, Ridgepaw just can’t let things go the way more laid back cats can. It’s almost like because he breaks the code so often he feel he has more to prove, though anyone can see he’s going about it the wrong way. He also fails to understand other aspects of the code, particularly, why Wiindclan bothers to obey it. Ridgepaws not the ambitious type when he pictures steeling prey from other clans it really is only because he does want the clan of the moors to prosper greater then any other clan out there.
What older cats dislike about him most is how little he respects them. Though he steals meals, Ridgepaw often feels the older warriors have failed to sufficiently help the clan. He is fairly smart and thinks they should already have come up with ways to not go hungry in the winter; ways to trick there neighbors so they can take more food. When he here’s there complaining he often finds himself disgusted and will go out of his way to make a less then pleasant remark. For this, Ridgepaw has had to deal with cleaning out the elders den. It is the reason he is slowly learning to hide his general disdain for many of the members in his clan. His face has become extremely blank and only his eyes betray his emotion.
Although Ridgepaw hates elders and many of the more complaintive warriors, there are members of his clan he respects without any special conditions. These are the other apprentices and queens. Mostly his high regard for apprentices is because they have to deal with warriors bossing them around and not speak up about it. He respects the queens for there gentleness and fierce protection of there kits. It’s his opinion that they are the strongest group in the clan. To many cats surprise the prideful Ridgepaw adores kits. He has to pains against them and well willingly give his time up to play with a lonely youngster.
Outside Windclan, there are a wide variety of cats Ridgepaw sort of envies. These are the rouges and loners. Not the eat you soon as look at you type though, he rather likes the kind that fend for themselves in a more noble manner. This free life calls to Ridgepaw, he’s half tempted to pair up with one of these cats and learn the ropes of living in the true wild. He feels the life is harder but more rewarding, that there is more pride in being a rouge because you must do everything yourself. He isn’t a cat to chase them away from clan territory, instead he either watches, or in rare cases even ventures to talk to them.
He’s not a shy cat in anyway. He doesn’t mind being heard when he’s facing someone who he thinks has done him wrong. But this is not the only way Ridgepaw is. Beneath the burly tom is a much quieter character. Having his own way, Ridgepaw would stay out of the lime light, preferring to keep to the sidelines and watch. During debates that don’t include him such as clan meetings, this new apprentices is surprisingly not inclined to say anything. His outspoken ways end when not faced with someone he feels is a failure or someone attacking him. This to is another reason Ridgepaw wouldn’t mind being a rouge. At such a young age he is torn between a life lived by himself and away from all his disdain and a life protecting those of his clan he respects. Much of what he may do depends upon his mentor.
It may seem impossible but there are those cats who can gain Ridgepaws respect, the perhaps few would put forth the effort to do so. For cats Ridgepaw accepts, he treats them like friends and family. He finds himself extremely happy to be around them and even do things for them. It’s like he becomes a whole different cat, the kind of cat a clan would be proud of. He becomes less quiet around these individuals and will happily be opinionated and joke with them. He’ll be loyal to, there thoughts will be weighed heavily and he will deeply value them. Ridgepaw seems troubled because he has a hard time getting over others failures. Once he does respect someone though, it is hard to break and will be upheld for a lifetime.
History:
BIRTHDAY| Ridgekit was born to a pair of young proud warriors. His mother gave birth to him and two little sisters in late winter. She was weak from prolonged food deprivation and yet she managed to bring her new born kits safely into the world. Ridgekit was named first out of the three. His bold black markings would be the foundation of his name. His youngest sister was a beautiful mix of silver with a brown under belly and inner legs. She was given the name Shorekit, with her parents apparently feeling her pelt resembled water meeting sandy banks. His middle sister’s pelt was a light brown streaked with darker brown waves. She was awarded the name Wavekit for obvious reasons and the family began to grow in strength as the warmer moons approached.
KITHOOD| From the very start Ridgekit turned out to be quite a handful. The problem was he failed to be the best at everything. In common games of moss ball he would stumble in the race to catch it or would trip up. Though some would easily shake these instances off, they wounded Ridgekits pride. He’d get angry and aggressive towards others, especially the other tom cats. It must have been he felt he had to be the strong one out of the litter and would always strive to prove it.
The oldest tom loved Shorekit and Wavekit dearly. He would growl at any of the apprentices who commented on little Shorekits beauty, though she in fact loved the attention. Ridgekit would get of huffy and would hate being so young that he just got laughed at. These were the early days when he first launched towards one of the apprentices. Obviously, the older cat didn’t hurt him and instead managed to pin Ridgekit on his side and leave him there. He became humiliated by it, and it came to be the first stages of resent he felt for the warriors how stood there laughing quietly at his predicament.
His main calm in life would become his mother, for his father Rootclaw came to slowly spend more and more time with his easier going daughters. Shinerain, as his mother was called, certainly understood Ridgekit better then anyone in the clan. She saw threw him in a way no one else could. Her guidance slowly brought an end to the fighting and Ridgekits need to prove himself. It could have been that the little tom would have grown up to be a great warrior but as it turned out – this was not to be.
It was as the young trio turned four and a half moons old that Ridgekits life would take a turn for the worst. A fox broke threw the camp boundaries one day. It was warm and so many warriors were out hunting and patrolling. Somehow the missed the foxes, for the vixens mate would show up only moments later. The deadly pair went for the nursery where Shinerain leaped to shield her kits. Her attack was to no avail, she was thrown aside and a red snout would pull Shorekit from the next. The other fox wasn’t as gentle he clawed his way threw the little brother and sisters den. Then it turned and ran as the few warriors made a counter attack. Ridgekit leaped after it, he’d seen Shorekit get stolen by the other fox and he was screaming desperately for his clan members to save her.
Perhaps the confusion was to great though. Ridgekit was trampled and hurt as warriors hurled into the nursery to see how bad the damage was. Just as the tom struggled to his paws he saw Shinerain running all out after the foxes. To this day he can’t forget the crazed look in her eyes. To no avail he tried to get the warriors attention, to get them to go after his mother. They were to distracted though; Wavekit was dead and that fact seemed to whip them out, the didn’t listen to Ridgekit and no one followed his mother, the warriors even prevented him from chasing after her.
It was discovered two days later. Shinerains remains were located in the loner lands, the sent of fox was all around and it could only be assumed it was her. No one had any idea where Shorekit was until a few days after then when the wounded kits body, full intact, was found near the boarder. It seemed the foxes had dropped her when Shinerain attacked but no one had left camp to help her and possible save Shorekit.
After this Ridgekit grew quiet. He was to young to fully feel the pain of what happened to his family. The full wait of had happened never fell entirely on him being only four and a half moons old. But he did change in some ways. Without Shinerain, and only Rootclaw as a parent he reverted back to his typical old behavior. He also came to see many members of his clan as incompetent. He no longer felt much safety or comfort in there presents. Many of the opinions stated in his personality developed in his last two and a half moons in the nursery.
APPRENTICESHIP| Despite the incident in his kithood Ridgekit was made into Ridgepaw at the ripe old age of six moons. The only unusual aspect of his ceremony was the fact that the little tom didn’t receive a mentor. It wasn’t hard to figure out that no one wanted to deal with Ridgepaw, the didn’t have the energy to attempt what Shinerain did, and many had been to hurt to care about him any more. Many cats just left Ridgepaw alone all together and he found he liked it that way. Currently he resides in the apprentices den, in a nest comfortably near the back of there enclosure. He’s become bored with the lack of training and has taken to slipping out of camp for strolls across the Moore land that he loves. One day when he finally receives a mentor Ridgepaw will begin training. Though he’s not inclined to like any warrior it is likely this cat will play a big role in what Ridgepaw’s future will be like. Should they take on the task of becoming his friend and gaining his respect, it is possible he’ll find a place in Windclan. If not, the lands beyond the clan grow more appealing everyday for Ridgepaw.
Theme Song: ...
Code Word: Twisted Warriors
Biography Completion: Yes
