(feather.)- on the wind; [torw]

[Emma (: [one]]

ooc: I don't like posting my characters before they are finished, however when I tried to get to my personal forum this morning, this message showed up: "We could not load the forum that you are attempting to access. Please try again later." I know, scary. :x Anyway, since I can't get to those characters whom I had all nice and ready, I'll have to start from scratch. Bear with me while I write this, please.

currently: done, finally
total word count: 2449
ic:

Feather on the Wind,
48 moons
she-cat
Tribe of Rushing Water
prey-hunter

Appearance: From kit-hood, it has been clear that Feather was destined for the life of a prey-hunter. With the traditional lean build of the hunt, Feather utilizes her long, powerful legs and narrow body in scouring across the territory and raking in prey for her tribe. Though, one trait is unique to Feather: the she-cat is signifigantly smaller than the majority of tribe cats, and often appears to others as though she is an elder to-be. However, her slight size is far from a disability of her's- it gives Feather an advantage over other cats in that she can walk upon the ledges and slip between the cracks that the average prey-hunter wouldn't be even bold enough to attempt. Her miniature paws, long, balancing tail, and stout, narrow shoulders make such moves possible.

Altogether, Feather's thin pelt is rather unideal for the mountains. Though the solid, dull gray coloring helps the huntress better blend in with her mountainous surroundings, her short pelt offers little defenses against the cold that chills the mountain's peak. Feather possesses no unique markings upon her body but youthful tufts of fur around her cheeks and ears. Her long, graceful tail is the single exception to her kit-thin pelt: from the base to the tip, her tail fur has grown long and wispy, lending it a floating appearance. Hence, the source of her tribe name.

The prey-hunter's eyes are generally insignifigant. A yellow-green in color, the round orbs manage to shine in even the dimmest light. Symmetric with her personality, Feather's eyes always seem to glimmer with an irreplacable contentedness, though the expressive gaze oftentimes reveals her other emotions, as well.


Personality: Feather possesses a sweet-minded persona, and is one who cares blindly for every other. Always facing the brighter side of things and determined to give every cat the benefit of the doubt, Feather is a positive she-cat who hold can hold onto hope in the most desperate of situations, and will encourage every other to do so, too. She likes to believe that there is always a solution where everyone can win, and will fight to find said solution with a strong-headed obstinancy.

While Feather is fair, she is the last to support a conflict, and will do everything she can to avoid fighting and work problems out in a peaceful manner. She thrives on helping others and always puts the tribe's wellfare before herself. With a tendency to worry excessively, Feather can often lose herself in random trains of thought, and is easily and frequently distracted. Her lack of concentration hurts her ability to both hunt and battle, however her sharp instinct and quick reactions make up for the lack.

In an effort to make friends everywhere and please everyone, Feather often second guesses herself and her actions. She frequently overthinks situations, and is quick to blame herself for what she has, or could have, done.

History:

Blue = Kithood.

"Ah, Feather, come on," Gray whined as he skidded to a halt beside his sister. The tiny she-kit crouched upon the cold, grey stone floor of the cave, with her paws clamped down in front of her over the struggling body of a fat grasshopper. Gray was glaring stubbornly at the smaller sibling. "You always get it. Let someone else have a chance!"

"It's not her fault you're such a lousy hunter, Gray," commented Silver from the other side of the cave, where she sat near their mother, washing a paw. From where she stood, Feather could see Gray flattening his ears in embarrasment at the remark. It wasn't necessary for Silver to have called that across the entire cave, Feather thought with a pang of sympathy for her brother. Lifting her paws gingerly off the frightened bug, Feather stepped backwards, next to Gray's still form.

"I'm not a lousy hunter," he muttered with downcast eyes, to maybe her, or to maybe no one.

"Of course you are," Feather teased, flicking his ear with the tip of her tail affectionately. "You're going to be a great caveguard, and every cat knows that a good caveguard is useless at hunting."

Gray growled, then, but it was playful and far more lighthearted then he had been a moment before. "I'll show you who's useless at hunting!" he mewed challengingly. But before either kit could take the first step towrad the now fleeing insect, a quiet call from their mother stopped them in their tracks.

"Maybe you can tomorrow, Gray," the larger she-cat purred as she strode over, Silver tagging along at her heels. "But it's getting late, and we should return to the nursery and find ourselves something to eat."

Feather looked out to the waterfall that fell over the mouth of the cave. Through the cascading rivulets of water, the tiny gray kitten noticed the light shining through in bleeding tones of red and orange. The effect cast a vibrant, yet tranquil state over the entire cave.

"Okay, Mother," Feather agreed before Gray could state the objection poised in his opened mouth. "Come on, Gray!" she called over her shoulder as she trotted off in the direction of the Nursery cave. Behind her, she saw her brother sigh and nod reluctantly, before giving chase after his smaller sister.

Red = To-be

"Feather." The gray to-be looked up from where she lay beside her siblings, the three of them tearing into a large falcon which Silver had earlier caught. Feather's instructor, Hawk that Soars through Air, was padding over to the trio of young cats.

"Yes, Hawk?" Feather answered her mentor brightly, ready to rise and return to the mountainside for an afternoon hunt. The lightly colored tabby shook his head and motioned her back down to the ground when he saw her intention.

"I just wanted to alert you," the tom prey-hunter went on. "Myself and the rest of your instructors spoke with the Healer today. We all feel unanimously that you three are ready to graduate. Congratulations."

"Really?" Feather's yellow eyes shone as she looked up in total surprise at her mentor. "Oh, Hawk! Thank you!" The tabby just nodded gruffly, before turning and walking back to a group of older cats. "Can you believe this?" the she-cat burst, turning her gaze back to her siblings. She looked from each cat to the other excitedly. "We're going to be full-grown prey-hunters now! Well, and a cave-guard for you, Gray."

Gray just shook his head slowly at her, his eyes wide with shock. On her other side, Silver just stared at her younger sister, taking in her excitement, before returning to their shared meal.

Green = Adult-hood

"You're leaving?" Feather stared at her sister, her yellow eyes bright with confusion. "What do you mean?" Silver sghed in exasperation.

"I mean exactly what I say," Silver told her tiredly. "This place, this mountain- it's all too old, too quiet. I don't want to be a prey-hunter, and I don't want to live so far away from everything else in this world. There's got to be more out there than what's up here."

"Is this all because the Healer wouldn't let you train as a caveguard and learn to fight?" Feather cried out in objection. She couldn't understand how anyone could be so fixated on being so violent, let alone her own sister, whom she trusted more than anything in this world.

"No, of course not," Silver scoffed, lashing her tail behind her. "Bird taught me how to fight anyhow, and she says I'm pretty talented at it. No, Feather, this is about being more. Being greater than just another prey-hunter for this isolated tribe of ours. I want to be something larger than this, something better."

"It's not so bad being a prey-hunter," Feather murmured, looking down at her paws. In the dim moonlight, the gray fur faded almost perfectly into the scrubby rock on which they stood, and Feather had to flex her claw muscles to see any certain distinguishment between the two colors.

"I never said it was," Silver answered, her voice softer now. "But it's not what I want." Feather looked up to meet her sister's level green eyes. She wore a determined look upon her light gray face, which glowed silver in the moonlight that struck across it. Feather figured her face must be masked in shadow, as she had her back turned to the moon.

"I won't stop you if you feel you have to go," Feather said finally, her voice faltering. "But I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Silver replied, stepping forward and pressing her muzzle to her sister's. "And Gray. But I do have to go, and I have to go, now. I want to be long gone by the time anyone figures out I left." Silver stepped back, then, and stared straight into Feather's soft eyes. "And you swear you won't tell them where I went?"

Feather swallowed. "I swear."

Silver nodded then, and purred a faint goodbye as she stepped back from her sister. Feather watched silently as the larger she-cat turned and made her way slowly down the side of the mountain, her pawsteps making no noise on the hard gray stone. Silver never looked back once, though Feather remained there, waiting for her to until the small, glowing form dissapeared around a bend in the trail farther down the mountainside. Feather stayed sitting there long after, her shoulders hunched against the cool breeze, under the watchful eye of the moon. Only when it began to sink toward the western horizon did the small she-cat finally stand, stretch, and start back for the warmth of the cave.

RP Sample:

Her breath billowed out from her muzzle in heated clouds, rising as a vapor in front of Feather's face before dissapearing into the sky above. How long had she sat here for, gazing before her straight into a cold gray wall? The still-water chill was starting to set into her bones so that Feather felt if she shifted at all, they would snap in two. But still, she could hear the faint movement just within the mouth of a crack at the base of said wall; the taunting, faint movement. She knew that the mouse within would be drawn out sooner or late by his inevitable hunger, but it was a matter of exactly how much more time that would require of her.

It wasn't until she began to miss the feeling in her nose that the mouse made any sign of advancement. It was quick and brief; if Feather had closed her eyes at that instant, she would have missed the quick flash of a brown mouse nose shoved out the narrow opening. Excitedly, Feather tensed her aching muscles, spurred on by the first movement since she had begun her vigil. Then, step by step, the mouse slowly emerged from his den of rock, blinking in the bright, snowy light.

It took all of Feather's willpower not to tremble with anticipation, knowing that the mouse would not be fooled if the rock in the snow started shivering. Already the she-cat could feel the warm body in her mouth, and taste the sweet essence of the meat on her tounge. But still, she waited, crouched among the tall drifts of mountain snow, her slitted yellow eyes fixed upon the quivering body of the rodent. It sniffed the air cautiously once, twice- and then hopped forward a step to the left. There it plunged its long nose into the snow, shoving the ice around for any sign of edible seeds or grass. Feather knew that in just moments, the mouse would pay for its foolishness.

When the small, faint shadow flitted silently over the ground, Feather knew her long wait was about to be satisfied. The hunger in her stomach was throbbing now; when was the last time she had eaten? The prey-hunter couldn't remember for certain, but she estimated it was some time around yesterday's morning patrol. Then her thoughts were graciously distracted from her hunger at the sudden arrival of a second predator to her prey. The cold air blasted against Feather's face as the falcon bore down upon the scrawny rodent in the snow. As soon as the squeal of the mouse was cut off, Feather launched herself from her hiding place towards the pair of prey, desperation lending strength to her limbs.

The shriek of the falcon split the silence in the air as Feather's claws snagged the bird's great wing. Bird and cat tumbled to the ground, where the prey-hunter quickly scrambled to her feet and leapt atop her prey, pressing it to the ground with the force of her jump. In a humane instant, Feather had snapped both the falcon's and the mouse's neck. Closing her eyes, she tilted her face to the sky, and murmured a relieved prayer of thanks to the Tribe of Endless Hunting for their gift. The Nursery would not go hungry again tonight.

[Hollystar]

Approved! Nice profile!