Post by envy on May 18, 2015 18:34:47 GMT -5
Lichenstrike
RainClan | Warrior |
34 moons | She-cat |
appearance
**build
despite the exponential amount of fur upon the she-cats frame, she is quite thin but not skinny. her body is a strong, her bones strung with lean muscles that give her the speed required to be a successful hunter . while her body is lean, her legs also follow suit, being long and making the cat appear taller than she actually is. her shoulders are narrow, and so are her haunches, creating the appearance of lichenstrike being long. her tail is proportionate to her body, and constantly in motion. her paws are lithe, yet strong, and her claws are well maintained despite the amount of blood she has unwillingly spilled in her lifetime.
**pelt
the she-cat has unusually long feathery fur that hides her lean frame. painted in a palette of dark and light browns, her markings are quite aesthetically pleasing to the eye. she has the typical markings of a tabby, sporadically strewn throughout her fur. if you were to touch her pelt, it would feel soft, though abused as though it could use a thorough cleaning. her chest is completely white, along with a strip down her belly, and stretching up onto her face and encasing her muzzle and slightly between her eyes. the markings on her face highlight her eyes, and her eyes are outlined with a dark cream colour.
lichenstrike has a few scars on her body, most of which have been covered by her fur, but three very distinct scars are showcased upon her face. recieved in a nasty scuffle with her brother, her flawless coat is broken up by one long scar stretching from the center of her left eye, to the base of her chin. either side are two shorter scars received at the same time by littleheart.
**eyes
lichenstrike's eyes are the windows to her very soul. all of her emotions are conveyed through the pale green orbs, and while she tries to hide what she feels, it is a losing battle.
despite the exponential amount of fur upon the she-cats frame, she is quite thin but not skinny. her body is a strong, her bones strung with lean muscles that give her the speed required to be a successful hunter . while her body is lean, her legs also follow suit, being long and making the cat appear taller than she actually is. her shoulders are narrow, and so are her haunches, creating the appearance of lichenstrike being long. her tail is proportionate to her body, and constantly in motion. her paws are lithe, yet strong, and her claws are well maintained despite the amount of blood she has unwillingly spilled in her lifetime.
**pelt
the she-cat has unusually long feathery fur that hides her lean frame. painted in a palette of dark and light browns, her markings are quite aesthetically pleasing to the eye. she has the typical markings of a tabby, sporadically strewn throughout her fur. if you were to touch her pelt, it would feel soft, though abused as though it could use a thorough cleaning. her chest is completely white, along with a strip down her belly, and stretching up onto her face and encasing her muzzle and slightly between her eyes. the markings on her face highlight her eyes, and her eyes are outlined with a dark cream colour.
lichenstrike has a few scars on her body, most of which have been covered by her fur, but three very distinct scars are showcased upon her face. recieved in a nasty scuffle with her brother, her flawless coat is broken up by one long scar stretching from the center of her left eye, to the base of her chin. either side are two shorter scars received at the same time by littleheart.
**eyes
lichenstrike's eyes are the windows to her very soul. all of her emotions are conveyed through the pale green orbs, and while she tries to hide what she feels, it is a losing battle.
personality
**Driven
Lichenstrike is a no excuses kind of cat. If something needs to be done, she expects it to be done now, and done right. She takes her warrior duties very seriously, and gets very irate when someone fools around on a patrol, or would rather lay around camp. Lickenstrike enjoys the prospect of training an apprentice, though she would be a hard mentor to please as she has high expectations for everyone in RainClan.
**Curious
The wonders that the world holds has always fascinated her and unlike so many other cats, that never wore off when she became a warrior. New smells, new cats in the Clan, she loves to look into. They fill her heart with wonder, and she has been known to wander off on her own more than once when something peaks her interest. Lichenstrike loves getting to know her Clanmates, simply because while they grew up within the moors of RainClan, everyone’s experience has been different.
**Conscientious
Lichenstrike is really good at extrapolating information from instructions. If she is told to do something, she will go the little extra mile to make sure it is completed completely. She makes a point of knowing everything that is going on around her to the best of her abilities. She has a really strong work ethic, because she is scared to disappoint anyone with her abilities.
**Cold
While she has some fine qualities, she can be quite cold towards other cats when she is in a bad mood. Her eyes become devoid of all emotion, and while she tries her best to control her mood, she inevitably fails most of the time. Lichenstrike has a tendency to be very standoffish on issues that can be easily resolved and she doesn't have a whole lot of time for being disrespected. basically, if you disrespect her once, you are going to be on her Sh** list for awhile. At least until you can make up for the disrespect in a certain way.
**Confident
The strong she-cat has confidence coming out of every orifice. It doesn't matter what she is doing, she feels no shame in doing it, even if it would embarrass another cat in the same situation. She has a way of carrying herself that demands respect, She always walks with her head held high, refusing to be ashamed of the gnarly scar on her face.
**Honest
Lichenstrike has never, and will never, be good at lying. Due to this, she has an uncanny ability to make cats feel like crap about themselves just because she hasn't figured out a way to be honest without being rude. Her honesty can come off as a slight towards another cat, when in reality she just doesn't want to sugar coat. She is slightly worried about being misquoted and having her intentions questioned, so she makes sure they know what she means.
Lichenstrike is a no excuses kind of cat. If something needs to be done, she expects it to be done now, and done right. She takes her warrior duties very seriously, and gets very irate when someone fools around on a patrol, or would rather lay around camp. Lickenstrike enjoys the prospect of training an apprentice, though she would be a hard mentor to please as she has high expectations for everyone in RainClan.
**Curious
The wonders that the world holds has always fascinated her and unlike so many other cats, that never wore off when she became a warrior. New smells, new cats in the Clan, she loves to look into. They fill her heart with wonder, and she has been known to wander off on her own more than once when something peaks her interest. Lichenstrike loves getting to know her Clanmates, simply because while they grew up within the moors of RainClan, everyone’s experience has been different.
**Conscientious
Lichenstrike is really good at extrapolating information from instructions. If she is told to do something, she will go the little extra mile to make sure it is completed completely. She makes a point of knowing everything that is going on around her to the best of her abilities. She has a really strong work ethic, because she is scared to disappoint anyone with her abilities.
**Cold
While she has some fine qualities, she can be quite cold towards other cats when she is in a bad mood. Her eyes become devoid of all emotion, and while she tries her best to control her mood, she inevitably fails most of the time. Lichenstrike has a tendency to be very standoffish on issues that can be easily resolved and she doesn't have a whole lot of time for being disrespected. basically, if you disrespect her once, you are going to be on her Sh** list for awhile. At least until you can make up for the disrespect in a certain way.
**Confident
The strong she-cat has confidence coming out of every orifice. It doesn't matter what she is doing, she feels no shame in doing it, even if it would embarrass another cat in the same situation. She has a way of carrying herself that demands respect, She always walks with her head held high, refusing to be ashamed of the gnarly scar on her face.
**Honest
Lichenstrike has never, and will never, be good at lying. Due to this, she has an uncanny ability to make cats feel like crap about themselves just because she hasn't figured out a way to be honest without being rude. Her honesty can come off as a slight towards another cat, when in reality she just doesn't want to sugar coat. She is slightly worried about being misquoted and having her intentions questioned, so she makes sure they know what she means.
+ honest , conscientious, driven | - arrogant , condescending , cold
background
**before life
poppyheart and brindlestep were an odd pair. poppyheart was a strong queen with even stronger opinions and a fierce loyalty to the warrior code. brindlestep was a quiet tom, with an easily swayed opinion and an open mind and a lack of faith in the cats in the sky. for some reason, the two clicked together, and after a few short meetings, poppyheart fell madly in love with the quiet warrior. a few moons later, the she-cat found out that she was pregnant and both parents were ecstatic.
poppyheart's body wasn't as strong as everyone thought, including herself. pregnancy ripped her body of its strength, leaving her a shell of bones with a large stomach. her once shiny silver tabby pelt had lost its lustre and her blue eyes were dull and lifeless, constantly riddled with the pain that her body was in. brindlestep distanced himself from his sick and dying mate, scared that he would lose her and his unborn kits. the thought was too much for him to bare.
on her own now, except for the constant diligance of the medicine cat, poppyheart became even more ill as her kits aged and were ready to be born. fear gripped the medicine cat, but poppyheart's devotion to her unborn kits was unwavering and she vowed that she would see to it that they were born healthy into the warm embrace of another queen.
there were no secrets as when the kits were born. poppyheart's yowls of pain and fear ripped through the clan, and her mate fled the camp his body shaking with horror at the cries of poppyheart. after ten long minutes of agony filled cries, the queen fell silent, and draw in her last breath, dying to the sounds of her healthy kits mewling for their mother. the other queen, who had agreed to care for the kits swiftly took them in, and named them. lichenkit, for the long furred tabby, olivekit for the short haired tabby, and littlekit for the runt of the litter, a silver tabby.
**kithood
her adoptive mother didn't hide it from herself and her siblings that their mother had passed while bringing them into the world. the kittens grieved for their dead mother, thankful that she was there with them in spirit. they met their father, though his emotional disconnect from his kits were not lost upon the three. they felt unloved by their father, and while they longed for the affection of brindlestep, they knew they were fighting a battle that they could not possibly win.
lichenkit and her siblings were extremely close to each other. having all lost something, they found strength with one another and they all became best friends. they were a pretty decently behaved trio, though they had a habit of not sleeping when they should've and sneaking out of the den in the wee hours of the morning when the moon was sinking back into the earth. the kits would giggle to each other as they stuck their heads into the dens of the older cats, curious to see what it was like to be an apprentice and a warrior.
their late night escapades were not lost upon the leader, nor their adoptive mother. they thought they were pretty clever, sneaking out every night and that they were never caught. unfortunately for the trio, the rest of the clan wasn't as blinded as they were. a couple moons before they were to be made apprentices, they were caught wandering their way to the entrance to the camp. a soft chortle made all three kits jump out of their skin and turn around in fear. both the leader and their mother were sitting with their tails wrapped around their paws with a smile on their faces.
"lichenkit, olivekit, littlekit." the leaders voice sounded more amused than angry, and the three looked at each other skeptically. weren't they in trouble? lichenkit shook slightly, as their mother swept towards them shaking her head. "get back to the nursery you three, or i won't make you apprentices." the leader laughed at them, before heading back to his den. lichenkit looked up to her mother horrified at the thought of never becoming an apprentice. that night, the brown tabby didn't sleep.
**apprenticeship
the leader's threat was empty however, and on their sixth moon, the three troublemakers became apprentices. lichenkit was nervous for what being an apprentice held. she was scared that her relationship with her siblings would become weaker now that they would be training one on one with a mentor. her olivekit and littlekit didn't seem to feel the same way though. they ran up to their mentors and touched noses with them without hesitation, without a glance back to their forgotten sister. lichenkit watched them receive their apprentice names, before she received hers and found out who her mentor was. a soft smile was all she gave to her mentor and a swift touch of the nose.
while her siblings got right into their training, lichenpaw felt as if she was just being told what to do. feeling rebellious, she hardly listened to her mentor and did her own thing. this didn't fly very well with her mentor who had had enough of her antics, and cuffed her over the ears hard enough to send her spiralling.
"i don't know what is going on in that head of yours, but you need to smarten up. you aren't a kit anymore, it's time to grow up and become a part of this clan." his voice was harsh, but the truth of the matter fell on lichenpaw like heavy rain. she was ashamed of the way she had been acting. she wasn't a quitter, she was a fighter, just like her mother was. everything changed after that day. the apprentice had a whole new view of life, and what was expected of her.
she began training harder than ever, determined to become a great warrior. as she trained, she felt her body growing stronger, she was able to run longer, and hunts were no longer as difficult if it called for a mighty chase. lichenpaw wasn't much of a hunter, having a soft side for the cute and fuzzy baby animals that rainclan called food, but she was a heck of a fighter.
even on her first fighting training session, the she-cat amazed her mentor with her swift pick up of the complex moves that some other cats struggle with the most. she was light on her paws, and was nigh impossible to hit at the best of times. however, that didn't mean she didn't get smacked out of the sky for being too cocky during a dual with her mentor. she learned to keep her head up and her eyes open to anything, and everything that went on. now, she can't single handedly win a war, but she could definitely hold her own during a battle.
lichepaw progressed at an exceptional speed while fighting, but her hunting took a lot of hard work and dedication. she had so many mental blocks up against hunting young prey; she would just melt and become completely and totally useless. there were numerous times where she had public chastisements for her idiocy during a hunt where instead of stalking to kill, she stalked to play. she wanted nothing more than to catch a baby bunny and cuddle with it. that seemed a much nicer way for the young mammal to go than having its neck cracked.
lichenpaw would never make a great hunter, but her fighting abilities were not ignored.
**life as a warrior
her warrior ceremony was shared with her siblings, both of which had done exceptionally well in hunting and average in fighting. lichenpaw felt immense pride at being better than the both of them at something, though she was pleased to know that they excelled in other aspects. the three apprentices sat anxiously waiting to receive their warrior names just as they had done several moons ago as kits. olivepaw was called upon first, and was commended for her quick paws, and even quicker mind. she was to be known as olivestep. her brother, littlepaw, though still small in size, had a commendable amount of courage and a huge heart. he was to be known as littleheart.
the apprentice was all a flurry when her leader addressed her. she barely mumbled out "I do" before she was receiving her new name. lichenstrike. it had a nice ring to it, and her chest swelled with pride as a loud purr erupted from its depths. she gave the leader a lick on the shoulder and she looked around with an expression of pure ecstacy on her face as the rest of rainclan chanted her name as they had previously done with her siblings.
sitting still for her vigil was probably one of the hardest things she had ever been asked to do. having had issues keeping herself still as it was, she wanted nothing more than to jump around for joy and to talk to her siblings about their new names and how proud she was of the two of them. however, neither olivestep or littleheart seemed to be paying much attention to her as they sat and stared out into the rainclan territory. lichenstrike's heart dropped, along with her happiness. everything had changed apparently. no longer were they the inseperable, no longer were they the trio of trouble. now, they were just three warriors who shared the same parents.
lichenstrike became a very studious warrior. she was always punctual for patrols, and had no problems helping out where she was needed. unfortunately, she began to withdraw into herself, making her come off as cold the majority of the time, at least towards her siblings. holding conversations with them was becoming increasingly difficult as she began to loathe them a little more each day. littleheart was lazy, and was usually late for patrols, and olivestep was turning into a harlot. at least, that's the way the tabby saw it.
as she approached her twenty-fifth moon, her brother received an apprentice. jealously welled up inside of the she-cat like a monster, making her hatred for littleheart stronger than ever before. it got to the point where she refused to even acknowledge his existence. when asked what was wrong, she would lie to her fellow clanmates, not wanting them to think less of her for hating one of her only remaining kin. she shouldn't have worried though. everyone knew what was gnawing away at her, it was easy to tell by the way her whiskers twitched and her eyes grew dark whenever they were to be on a patrol together.
shortly after littleheart's apprentice became a warrior, olivestep got pregnant. lichenstrike made a point of congratulating her sister, though the bitterness she felt failed to not enter her tone. olivestep smiled and said thank you, before flicking her tail in her sisters face and sauntering off. lichenstrike was mad for three days.
unable to take the success of her siblings anymore, lichenstrike went out on a solo hunt in the early morning hours to clear her head. this wasn't who she was, wasn't who she wanted to be. she was lichenstrike, daughter of poppyheart and brindlestep. strong, kind, and honest. not weak, mean, and brooding. she thrashed her claws around on the moors, scarping dirt, and sending unknowing insects flying from their sanctuaries.
"lichenstrike?" she froze where she was, and turned around already seeing red. she knew the voice, she knew the almost silent gait and she knew that silver tabby pelt anywhere. littlestep was looking at her with concern clearly etched onto his face, but she didn't care. she was mad, and he was available.
"what in starclan's name do you want, fox dung?" anger oozed from her words, and her eyes flashed with malice.
"i wanted to talk to you about the way you've been acting." he started, only to be cut off by a scoff. he pressed on. "you've become mean. everyone in the clan has noticed it and they're worried about you. i'm sorry i got to train an apprentice before you, you'll get one soon enough, i'm sure of it. and olivestep is really happy about having her own kits, so please don't ruin that for her." he was pleading now.
"you don't get to tell me what i am. i am my own cat!" losing herself in her head, she leaped at her brother who yowled for her to stop before diving out of the way. she knew he wouldn't fight her back, she wanted to strike him down where he stood, before he could even raise a paw to stop her. she landed on the ground and spun to lunge at him, but her head exploded in pain and she was sent sprawling.
lichenstrike laid on the ground for several minutes, her cheek stinging where she had been struck, the smell of blood strong. he had missed her eye, but from the pain resonating from her cheek suggested that he had done some serious damage. her chest heaved with the horror of being struck down by her own brother, but wasn't that what she had been trying to do to him? she flinched when she caught the flash of silver out of the corner of her eye, and grimaced when she felt his tongue on her cheek licking the blood from her pelt.
her wounds healed, but they left a scar. she was reminded of her scar every time a kit looked at her and their mouth opened in awe. they must of thought she had gotten it during a huge clan battle. if they only knew. she would think to herself sadly. littleheart made a point of talking to his sister more, and acting like a brother instead of just another cat in the clan. they became close again, but there would always be that anger separating them. lichenstrike had a new respect for her brother; he was the only cat to call her out, and put her in her place when she needed it.
a few moons shy of thirty, lichenstrike finally got her wish of become a mentor. she is currently training her first apprentice.
poppyheart and brindlestep were an odd pair. poppyheart was a strong queen with even stronger opinions and a fierce loyalty to the warrior code. brindlestep was a quiet tom, with an easily swayed opinion and an open mind and a lack of faith in the cats in the sky. for some reason, the two clicked together, and after a few short meetings, poppyheart fell madly in love with the quiet warrior. a few moons later, the she-cat found out that she was pregnant and both parents were ecstatic.
poppyheart's body wasn't as strong as everyone thought, including herself. pregnancy ripped her body of its strength, leaving her a shell of bones with a large stomach. her once shiny silver tabby pelt had lost its lustre and her blue eyes were dull and lifeless, constantly riddled with the pain that her body was in. brindlestep distanced himself from his sick and dying mate, scared that he would lose her and his unborn kits. the thought was too much for him to bare.
on her own now, except for the constant diligance of the medicine cat, poppyheart became even more ill as her kits aged and were ready to be born. fear gripped the medicine cat, but poppyheart's devotion to her unborn kits was unwavering and she vowed that she would see to it that they were born healthy into the warm embrace of another queen.
there were no secrets as when the kits were born. poppyheart's yowls of pain and fear ripped through the clan, and her mate fled the camp his body shaking with horror at the cries of poppyheart. after ten long minutes of agony filled cries, the queen fell silent, and draw in her last breath, dying to the sounds of her healthy kits mewling for their mother. the other queen, who had agreed to care for the kits swiftly took them in, and named them. lichenkit, for the long furred tabby, olivekit for the short haired tabby, and littlekit for the runt of the litter, a silver tabby.
**kithood
her adoptive mother didn't hide it from herself and her siblings that their mother had passed while bringing them into the world. the kittens grieved for their dead mother, thankful that she was there with them in spirit. they met their father, though his emotional disconnect from his kits were not lost upon the three. they felt unloved by their father, and while they longed for the affection of brindlestep, they knew they were fighting a battle that they could not possibly win.
lichenkit and her siblings were extremely close to each other. having all lost something, they found strength with one another and they all became best friends. they were a pretty decently behaved trio, though they had a habit of not sleeping when they should've and sneaking out of the den in the wee hours of the morning when the moon was sinking back into the earth. the kits would giggle to each other as they stuck their heads into the dens of the older cats, curious to see what it was like to be an apprentice and a warrior.
their late night escapades were not lost upon the leader, nor their adoptive mother. they thought they were pretty clever, sneaking out every night and that they were never caught. unfortunately for the trio, the rest of the clan wasn't as blinded as they were. a couple moons before they were to be made apprentices, they were caught wandering their way to the entrance to the camp. a soft chortle made all three kits jump out of their skin and turn around in fear. both the leader and their mother were sitting with their tails wrapped around their paws with a smile on their faces.
"lichenkit, olivekit, littlekit." the leaders voice sounded more amused than angry, and the three looked at each other skeptically. weren't they in trouble? lichenkit shook slightly, as their mother swept towards them shaking her head. "get back to the nursery you three, or i won't make you apprentices." the leader laughed at them, before heading back to his den. lichenkit looked up to her mother horrified at the thought of never becoming an apprentice. that night, the brown tabby didn't sleep.
**apprenticeship
the leader's threat was empty however, and on their sixth moon, the three troublemakers became apprentices. lichenkit was nervous for what being an apprentice held. she was scared that her relationship with her siblings would become weaker now that they would be training one on one with a mentor. her olivekit and littlekit didn't seem to feel the same way though. they ran up to their mentors and touched noses with them without hesitation, without a glance back to their forgotten sister. lichenkit watched them receive their apprentice names, before she received hers and found out who her mentor was. a soft smile was all she gave to her mentor and a swift touch of the nose.
while her siblings got right into their training, lichenpaw felt as if she was just being told what to do. feeling rebellious, she hardly listened to her mentor and did her own thing. this didn't fly very well with her mentor who had had enough of her antics, and cuffed her over the ears hard enough to send her spiralling.
"i don't know what is going on in that head of yours, but you need to smarten up. you aren't a kit anymore, it's time to grow up and become a part of this clan." his voice was harsh, but the truth of the matter fell on lichenpaw like heavy rain. she was ashamed of the way she had been acting. she wasn't a quitter, she was a fighter, just like her mother was. everything changed after that day. the apprentice had a whole new view of life, and what was expected of her.
she began training harder than ever, determined to become a great warrior. as she trained, she felt her body growing stronger, she was able to run longer, and hunts were no longer as difficult if it called for a mighty chase. lichenpaw wasn't much of a hunter, having a soft side for the cute and fuzzy baby animals that rainclan called food, but she was a heck of a fighter.
even on her first fighting training session, the she-cat amazed her mentor with her swift pick up of the complex moves that some other cats struggle with the most. she was light on her paws, and was nigh impossible to hit at the best of times. however, that didn't mean she didn't get smacked out of the sky for being too cocky during a dual with her mentor. she learned to keep her head up and her eyes open to anything, and everything that went on. now, she can't single handedly win a war, but she could definitely hold her own during a battle.
lichepaw progressed at an exceptional speed while fighting, but her hunting took a lot of hard work and dedication. she had so many mental blocks up against hunting young prey; she would just melt and become completely and totally useless. there were numerous times where she had public chastisements for her idiocy during a hunt where instead of stalking to kill, she stalked to play. she wanted nothing more than to catch a baby bunny and cuddle with it. that seemed a much nicer way for the young mammal to go than having its neck cracked.
lichenpaw would never make a great hunter, but her fighting abilities were not ignored.
**life as a warrior
her warrior ceremony was shared with her siblings, both of which had done exceptionally well in hunting and average in fighting. lichenpaw felt immense pride at being better than the both of them at something, though she was pleased to know that they excelled in other aspects. the three apprentices sat anxiously waiting to receive their warrior names just as they had done several moons ago as kits. olivepaw was called upon first, and was commended for her quick paws, and even quicker mind. she was to be known as olivestep. her brother, littlepaw, though still small in size, had a commendable amount of courage and a huge heart. he was to be known as littleheart.
the apprentice was all a flurry when her leader addressed her. she barely mumbled out "I do" before she was receiving her new name. lichenstrike. it had a nice ring to it, and her chest swelled with pride as a loud purr erupted from its depths. she gave the leader a lick on the shoulder and she looked around with an expression of pure ecstacy on her face as the rest of rainclan chanted her name as they had previously done with her siblings.
sitting still for her vigil was probably one of the hardest things she had ever been asked to do. having had issues keeping herself still as it was, she wanted nothing more than to jump around for joy and to talk to her siblings about their new names and how proud she was of the two of them. however, neither olivestep or littleheart seemed to be paying much attention to her as they sat and stared out into the rainclan territory. lichenstrike's heart dropped, along with her happiness. everything had changed apparently. no longer were they the inseperable, no longer were they the trio of trouble. now, they were just three warriors who shared the same parents.
lichenstrike became a very studious warrior. she was always punctual for patrols, and had no problems helping out where she was needed. unfortunately, she began to withdraw into herself, making her come off as cold the majority of the time, at least towards her siblings. holding conversations with them was becoming increasingly difficult as she began to loathe them a little more each day. littleheart was lazy, and was usually late for patrols, and olivestep was turning into a harlot. at least, that's the way the tabby saw it.
as she approached her twenty-fifth moon, her brother received an apprentice. jealously welled up inside of the she-cat like a monster, making her hatred for littleheart stronger than ever before. it got to the point where she refused to even acknowledge his existence. when asked what was wrong, she would lie to her fellow clanmates, not wanting them to think less of her for hating one of her only remaining kin. she shouldn't have worried though. everyone knew what was gnawing away at her, it was easy to tell by the way her whiskers twitched and her eyes grew dark whenever they were to be on a patrol together.
shortly after littleheart's apprentice became a warrior, olivestep got pregnant. lichenstrike made a point of congratulating her sister, though the bitterness she felt failed to not enter her tone. olivestep smiled and said thank you, before flicking her tail in her sisters face and sauntering off. lichenstrike was mad for three days.
unable to take the success of her siblings anymore, lichenstrike went out on a solo hunt in the early morning hours to clear her head. this wasn't who she was, wasn't who she wanted to be. she was lichenstrike, daughter of poppyheart and brindlestep. strong, kind, and honest. not weak, mean, and brooding. she thrashed her claws around on the moors, scarping dirt, and sending unknowing insects flying from their sanctuaries.
"lichenstrike?" she froze where she was, and turned around already seeing red. she knew the voice, she knew the almost silent gait and she knew that silver tabby pelt anywhere. littlestep was looking at her with concern clearly etched onto his face, but she didn't care. she was mad, and he was available.
"what in starclan's name do you want, fox dung?" anger oozed from her words, and her eyes flashed with malice.
"i wanted to talk to you about the way you've been acting." he started, only to be cut off by a scoff. he pressed on. "you've become mean. everyone in the clan has noticed it and they're worried about you. i'm sorry i got to train an apprentice before you, you'll get one soon enough, i'm sure of it. and olivestep is really happy about having her own kits, so please don't ruin that for her." he was pleading now.
"you don't get to tell me what i am. i am my own cat!" losing herself in her head, she leaped at her brother who yowled for her to stop before diving out of the way. she knew he wouldn't fight her back, she wanted to strike him down where he stood, before he could even raise a paw to stop her. she landed on the ground and spun to lunge at him, but her head exploded in pain and she was sent sprawling.
lichenstrike laid on the ground for several minutes, her cheek stinging where she had been struck, the smell of blood strong. he had missed her eye, but from the pain resonating from her cheek suggested that he had done some serious damage. her chest heaved with the horror of being struck down by her own brother, but wasn't that what she had been trying to do to him? she flinched when she caught the flash of silver out of the corner of her eye, and grimaced when she felt his tongue on her cheek licking the blood from her pelt.
her wounds healed, but they left a scar. she was reminded of her scar every time a kit looked at her and their mouth opened in awe. they must of thought she had gotten it during a huge clan battle. if they only knew. she would think to herself sadly. littleheart made a point of talking to his sister more, and acting like a brother instead of just another cat in the clan. they became close again, but there would always be that anger separating them. lichenstrike had a new respect for her brother; he was the only cat to call her out, and put her in her place when she needed it.
a few moons shy of thirty, lichenstrike finally got her wish of become a mentor. she is currently training her first apprentice.
Other:
coded by ulla
