Stonefang

[Fia]

Name: Stonefang

Prefix Meaning: Named Stonekit for his dull gray pelt.

Suffix Meaning: Given the suffix -fang for his strength and ferocity in battle.

Age: 34 moons

Rank: Warrior

Clan: MoonClan

Description: Stonefang is not a handsome cat by any standards. Unlike that of his generally sleek Clanmates, his fur is a dull, smoky gray that refuses to shine even in the brightest sunlight. Not a single tabby marking appears anywhere on his body, not even on his bushy tail, only emphasizing the stone-like appearance of his pelt. The fur is eternally thick and ragged, no matter how much he grooms it- which, admittedly, isn’t exceptionally often. It’s surprisingly soft and easily matted, and has a tendency to pick of burrs and dirt, merely contributing to its overall shagginess. It doesn’t help that it’s covered in scars from his ears to his paws to his tail, either. Stonefang’s pelt alone gives him a savage, wild appearance, but the image doesn’t end with his fur.

He isn’t a very large cat, being just average in size, but his lean, sturdy frame and the way he’s constantly on alert help make him look thoroughly intimidating. His limbs aren’t either long or short, but rather are well-proportioned to his body and equally strong and muscled. He isn’t the fastest cat in the forest, but he isn’t at all slow- in fact, he’s highly skilled at stalking targets on silent paws, then leaping out in a swift, lethal attack, being extremely light on his feet. In battle, he’s vicious and ruthless, not invincible by any means but a fierce, skilled fighter.

Stonefang’s face isn’t quite as brutal-looking as the rest of him, but it’s equally intimidating. Sharp, striking yellow eyes glare out at the world, forever on the watch for… anything. Prey, danger, any situation that could require his attention. He has neatly shaped, medium-sized ears that are as ragged as the rest of him, but function as well as any cat’s nonetheless. Rather than a pink nose, a dark gray one is set above a mouth full of gleaming white teeth. Silver whiskers, rather than white or black, sprout from his muzzle, surprisingly elegant on an otherwise dangerous-looking tom.


Personality: MoonClan warrior or not, Stonefang is not renowned as a kindhearted cat. He isn’t cruel and certainly doesn’t thirst for blood, but his fiery temper is definitely his most distinctive trait. It doesn’t take much to irritate him and when something does, he doesn’t bother being tactful- he’ll let you know he’s miffed, very, very clearly. He hasn’t lashed out at a Clanmate since he was an apprentice, but he isn’t above hissing and spitting in anger, even at fellow MoonClanners. Fortunately, he has begun to learn to keep his temper in check around young cats, for he knows that aren’t deliberately annoying- they’re just naturally loud and energetic. As long as cats are careful to mind their manners around him, he isn’t horribly unpleasant company. In fact, when he’s in a good mood, he’s actually a fairly good-natured tom, willing to talk, and even to laugh. With his friends, few as they are, he has a lively a sense of humor as any cat, except perhaps a certain young Clanmate of his. He’s just… quick to anger when there’s something to be annoyed about.

Needless to say, but I shall nonetheless: Lightningheart is not his best friend.

Stonefang, fiery warrior that he is, may not be battle-hungry, but he is virtually fearless in a fight. He’s smart enough to know he’s not unbeatable, but he’s still the cat who will charge into battle ahead of all the others, just so he can be sure to take care of the worst of the fighting. If he dies, he figures, he dies for MoonClan and he goes up to StarClan and spends eternity in warrior paradise. But despite his lack of fear in death, Stonefang has a very strong survival instinct, and will struggle through hardships –illness, injury, being lost in a blizzard– through sheer tenacity. He has no patience for those who give in to despair, and rather than sympathize with discouraged cats, he’ll snap at them to grow a spine and get over it. Having been through his share of loss and pain, he knows that grieving is one thing and sulking is another. “Life goes on,” is one of his numerous cold expressions, and he scorns any cat that can’t seem to get on with life after suffering a loss of some sort. Nevertheless, he doesn’t actually hate the world, and is perfectly capable of giving his respect to cats who aren’t ‘pathetically soft’. If Stonefang considers you a friend, he’ll be loyal to the end, willing to put his life on the line for you if necessary. He may not be cheery, gentle, or even exceptionally friendly, but his heart is in the right place and he tries to do the right thing whenever he can- well, at least, when it’s the practical thing. If the right thing isn’t the smart thing, he’ll think twice about it. His friends and his Clan come first, and he’ll go against his own moral code if he has to choose between what’s right and his commitment to MoonClan. And he probably won’t lose any sleep over it. That’s part of what makes him a good warrior- given an order by his leader, he’ll follow it first and question it later, unless it’s just plain stupid.

Despite his tendency to blow up at anything that irritates him, Stonefang can keep a remarkably cool head in times of tension or danger. He’s often the one standing there, staring in frustration at others as they, in his words, ‘run around in circles like a bunch of moonstruck rabbits’. He isn’t necessarily calm and composed –he’s even more likely to snap at cats when he’s stressed out– but he gets angry rather than frightened. Because he doesn't let said anger cloud his thinking, and is basically incapable of panicking, he works as well under pressure as at any other time. Stonefang is fiercely devoted to his Clan, and even though he sometimes feels that Dragonstar is too kind and forgiving a leader –having been there throughout the MoonClan Trio’s apprenticeship– he rarely hesitates to obey an order and deeply respects the older warrior. Dragonstar is probably the only living cat he truly admires, besides his own former mentor. Stonefang has not yet developed the deeper wisdom of the more senior warriors, and he wasn’t born with it as some cats are, but it is growing steadily with time, for he’s forever trying to learn from his leader’s example. While he has never been a particularly proud, ambitious cat, Stonefang is quite comfortable when leading patrols and isn’t shy about ordering senior warriors around. And he certainly doesn’t take cheek from younger ones. He’s a little more forgiving of apprentices, as he is a truly reasonable cat, however harsh he may often appear. Still, if you want to pester or play a prank on a warrior, pick Woodpelt or Lightningheart- not Stonefang.


History: He began life as most MoonClan kits do, born safely and raised by his mother and father. Ravenfur, his mother, was a lively, loving she-cat despite being a proud warrior, and his father, Graystorm, was a warm-hearted tom who spent as much spare time as he possibly could with his son. Stonekit was, basically, spoiled by both his parents and by adult cats in general; but even as a kit, he was a fierce little tom and preferred play-fighting to any other kit games. Still, when he wasn’t trying to mimic the battle moves that older cats obligingly demonstrated, Stonekit was happy to listen to all the exciting stories that his parents and the elders had for him. He was never the most social of kits, but wasn’t disliked and didn’t object to company, though he did get into little fights on occasion. His was happiest, however, learning hunting techniques and fighting moves from his father. So when Graystorm, to general horror, was killed –apparently in cold blood– by someone assumed to be a vicious loner, Stonekit was simply crushed. At the age of four moons, he withdrew from contact with most of the Clan, sticking close to a subdued but supportive Ravenfur and rarely leaving the nursery; but, being a kit, he didn’t take long to recover from the loss and cautiously began to associate with his peers again.

A moon after he’d begun to move on with his life, the young cat became Stonepaw, apprenticed to a stern but genuinely devoted mentor, Icefang. She taught him well and he worked hard, still eager to learn to hunt and fight. He was never particularly interested in learning the importance of the warrior code, much to Icefang’s exasperation, but made up for it with his overall intelligence and battle training, at which he excelled, mainly thanks to his early lessons from his father. Even as he grew older, Stonepaw maintained a close relationship with Ravenfur, and would come home nearly every day and rush over to brag to his mother about his daily accomplishments. The black she-cat, as proud of her son as any she-cat could be of her kits, paid particularly close attention to his training, and would often discuss his progress with Icefang. Occasionally, she would accompany them to watch Stonepaw practice fighting; and it was on one such occasion, when the apprentice was nine moons old, that Ravenfur proved her devotion to her kit, though even now, he wishes she hadn’t.

Ravenfur didn’t take a badger attack or push him out of a monster’s path, as one would assume. No. Ever hear of taking a drowning for someone? Stonepaw, Icefang, Ravenfur, and another warrior-apprentice pair were out hunting along the stream that flows into Moonphase Pond. The stream was flooded after a long period of heavy rain, rushing along with twice its usual depth and force. Stonepaw, always eager to impress his mentor and mother (and young Pebblepaw, the lively tortoiseshell apprentice), boldly declared that he would do the impossible and catch a fish in the swollen stream. Icefang forbade it at once, but the young tom had made up his mind and sprang onto a low branch hanging over the water. And he slipped. But Ravenfur, fast as lightning, leaped up to catch him and drag him back onto the branch. Unfortunately, in doing so, the black warrior lost her balance and tumbled into the rushing water, leaving Stonepaw wailing in despair and struggling to follow her. His mentor forced him back, but before any cat could stop her, the impulsive, headstrong Pebblepaw plunged into the water after the older she-cat. Her mentor, then, hurled himself after her, and succeeded in dragging her to the edge of the stream before being swept away himself. He –Badgerheart– and Ravenfur were found later that day, both caught in a tangle of branches downstream. Stonepaw and Pebblepaw, both stricken with grief and guilt, were never blamed by their Clanmates, none of whom ever knew the true story, except Icefang, who never told a soul- she knew that the apprentices would be suffering enough. But they blamed themselves; yet their mutual self-blame drew them closer together and helped them get through it, though Stonefang still knows that he is basically responsible for the whole tragedy.

Well, life went on. Stonepaw, rather than becoming more reserved as he had when his father died, relied on his growing friendship with Pebblepaw while he struggled to get back on his paws. He threw himself back into his training in an effort to distract himself from the lingering grief, as did the she-cat apprentice. They earned their warrior names together at the age of twelve moons, the fierce young Stonepaw becoming Stonefang, and the brave, strong Pebblepaw becoming Pebbleheart. Even as warriors, the two remained close, and eventually, they did indeed grow to love each other beyond friendship. Stonefang was happy and virtually carefree then, having accepted the fact that his parents watched him from the stars, and that he would join them someday, once he’d lived his life with Pebbleheart. But he wasn’t entirely right. StarClan was, apparently, determined to have all the cats he loved most join them in the heavens. Just a few moons after their warrior ceremony, Pebbleheart caught whitecough, which developed into a terrible case of greencough. She nearly survived –she was a truly strong young warrior– but in the end, according to the medicine cat, Badgerheart appeared to lead the way to StarClan. It wasn’t much comfort to Stonefang, who withdrew into a bitter, angry shell to hide –and hide from – his shattered heart. He hated StarClan, he spat at any cat who tried to reach out to him. He hated the starry cats, he would never forgive them. They could only take so much from him and expect his forgiveness.

But not all cats are cut out for holding onto anger and hatred forever. Stonefang, cold and distant as he had become, continued with his life- what else could he do? He wasn’t about to kill himself, wasn’t stupid enough to even consider it. He eventually was offered an apprentice of his own, but vehemently refused. Learn to care for another cat? Was the leader crazy? But under pressure from the leader, deputy, and medicine cat, he reluctantly agreed to train the little cat. And slowly –very slowly– the ice he’d built up around himself began melting away, little by little. He’d snap at the apprentice, push him to the very limits of his abilities, rarely offer a word of praise- and yet the young cat still struggled to make him proud, every day, whether or not they were training together. Eventually, Stonefang watched with tentatively offered pride as his apprentice grew into a noble young warrior. He’d give affection one more chance, and to this day, he doesn’t regret it. He’s trained a few young cats since then, and been able to be less harsh with them, though his bond with his original apprentice remains the strongest. He has gradually grown less reserved, able to smile at his Clanmates once more, even capable of friendship once he lost his conviction that he would lose any cat he learned to care for. And he has been constantly striving to keep his Clan as strong as it can possibly be. MoonClan, being all he has, is his life, and will remain so.


Picture: files.dogster.com/pix/cats/66/319366/319366_1186349218.jpg

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Your bio has been ACCEPTED and will soon be moved to the acceptance board. Wonderful bio Fia, as always. ^^