Character Writing | DNP

[Yellow.]

Honeyfern listening to a clan meeting

“Kestrelstar is calling the clan together Honeyfern, hurry you don’t want to be late!” Fallenstone called to the older warrior as he passed her in the forest, his step quick as he moved through the underbrush.

“Oh and just how is it that you know he’s doing that from all the way out here?” Honeyfern called after the deputy, but it was to late the tom was already to far away to hear her words. “Well guess I better make my way back then.” She mumbled the last words to herself before picking up her step a bit, wondering what could be so urgent that a meeting needed to be called during the middle of the day.

It was only a moment before Honeyfern slipped into the camp, but the rest of the clan was already gathered under the overhand in the cliff with Kestrelstar perched on top to address the cats bellow him.

“Guess I’m a bit late,” Honeyfern whispered to herself as she padded the rest of the way into the camp and settled at the back of the group to hear just what the address was about.

“As is a tradition I would like to announce the first sign of new leaf has been discovered and therefore in accordance with our tradition, the youngest warriors and apprentices will take part in a race from our camp to the lake. The winner of said race shall be the guard tonight and be the first one to welcome in new leaf to the forest and ask the gods to bless us this year.”

“Oh that’s all,” Honeyfern commented to herself as she sat with her tails wrapped around her paws, watching as the cats in front of her quickly began to talk amongst themselves. “Well, it’ll be fun to watch as always, although it’s just a race between Nightwind and Mistwind, there’s a reason those two have the same suffix after all.”

[Yellow.]

Lochness Kit Gang Games

Lochness remembers the games the kits in the city gang played well and from what he's seen they are nothing like the games the clan kits play. For the most part, he hated them all, but if he had to pick one it would probably be the thief game. You see the game was pretty simple, you had half the kits play one group generally they were house pets or loners and you had the other half be members from the gang. In the city raising kits wasn't an easy task so when the gang leader thought they were short they would steal kits from other cats. Of course, the kits born in the gang or those taken to young to remember throught this was all fun and games and at the time Lochness played along with the others.

"I got Robin, we win!" One of the kits would yell as they had successfully taken the kit away from its kitty pet mother and brought it back to the gang.

Lochness could still remember the different looks the older cats sent them, some with pride the kits games and others with shame. Of course, he didn't know it at the time and it wasn't even until he found himself no longer part of the gang that he realized just what was happening. Needless to say, he wishes he could go back and tell his kits self just what they were pretending to do.

[Yellow.]

Amara's feelings on humans

Amara never lived with the humans, she knew about them of course and knew that some dogs did live with them but she never saw the point. She was born to a mother who once knew what it was like to live with them, but she never talked about it and Amara never asked her. Her father was a loner as well and she only met him once, no human in sight.

There were times when he travels would take her by a humans home, sometimes with another dog and sometimes without. Out of curiosity Amara talked to one of the dogs, pets as they were called one day.

“Why do you live with the humans?” She asked first after the dog had happily agreed to talk to him.

“What do you mean?” He asked back, not really understanding her question.

“I mean what do you get out of living with them, what’s the point?”

“The humans are my pack.” He answered simply. “They love me and I love them, we each play out roles in our pack what more to it is there pack is family. Don’t you have a family?”

Taken aback by the answer Amara ended the conversation short and left without answering his question. Of course she had a family! Humans didn’t need to be apart of that. She didn’t see her family often but they were there if she needed. What was so good about having humans that so many dogs would choose to do so.

And the seed of doubt was planted in Amara’s mind, if there really was something to this whole human thing. She never got the courage to try, but she sat and wondered at times, watching other dogs, pets, interact with the humans when she saw them.

[Yellow.]

"You act all you want Siren, but I can see through you, I know what your name means." The older tom called, his tail swaying lazily as he sat atop the fence looking down at the she-cat bellow. 

"Oh and do tell just what acting I am doing?" She purred back. 

"You're a temptress Siren, that's what your name means. Kestrelstar gave it to you because that's what you do, that's how you keep an eye on those are that clan of yours. You're one of there little spies so you can drop the act with me I've got nothing for the clan for you to give them. You come around and make friends, make those fall for you and then after you get what you want you're gone again." 

Tilting her head to the side Siren sat and listened to the tom before jumping up next to him on the fence once he finished his little speech. "Oh, it sounds like you think you've got me all figured out." She purred while moving closer to the tom before she stood in front of him. "But don't forget Brutus that everyone get's something out of this and in the end I just follow orders. And if you know what my name means then you know what happens to those who get to close." 

The threat was clear when Siren told the tom her final words, hopping back off the fence just as quickly as she'd gotten on. The game had been fun for a moment, but the tom was right he didn't have anything for her. She'd keep an eye on the old house cat of course, but there was nothing he could tell or give her that would be of use to the clan. 

"I can't forget that I've seen you handy work first hand!" He called out after her. "You break hearts in more ways then one, I'll stay on your good side and just stay clear thank you very much."

"Yes, but they always come running back Brutus! They always wanna come, but they never wanna leave!" She called back to him before vanishing into the forest already thinking of just where she needed to go next.

[Yellow.]

Siren remembers the first time she came upon a Ridgeclan cat, wounded and smelling of blood and pain. She’d begun to travel from her after training under her master, intent on traveling to a friend of her masters to learn more about there craft when she came upon the dark-haired tom. “Looks like you’ve been through the wringer.” Siren commented as she sat a tail length away from the tom, watching his labored breathing go heavier. 

At first, the tom only laughed, the sound coming out as more of a wheezing, “I guess you could say that. But I’m still alive for now and you don’t see what the other cat looks like, he got so scared he ran off.” 

“Oh is that so?” Siren questioned while opening her mouth to take in the stale scent of another tom, her eyes catching the blood trail that led away from the one in front of her. “You going to ask for help or just lay there until the buzzards find you?” 

The tom seemed to ponder her question at first, before slowly moving his body to stand cuts reopening up as he staggered and Siren took a step back to watch. “No I’ll be okay, can’t have my clan owing you a favor, far as I know you could be with the group attacking us now.”

The word clan caught her attention, her master had said something about clans and how they worked, how they were quite knowledgeable but kept to themselves. “What if I named a price now?” 

“And what would that price be?” 

“You teach me about clan life and the herbs you know, my master has taught me so herbs, but I know there are many more. In return, I’ll keep it where you don’t die and get back to your clan.” 

The tom thought over the question before he nodded, “Alright you have your self a deal. I’m Kestrelwing the deputy of Ridgeclan.” 

Holding back a smile Siren stepped forward to the tom, no Kestrelwing, “Nice to meet you I’m Siren, why don’t you lay back down before you make things worse.

So for the next three days, Siren treated the deputies injuries and helped him rebuild his strength. She’d become fascinated by the strength the tom carried and the will he’d had from the beginning. He’d almost refused help because of the unknown, but when given both sides had reluctantly decided to let her help. The more Siren learned of the tom the more she began to look up to the younger cat and realize she had a lot more to learn from him than just herbs.

[Yellow.]

Except those deemed necessary Falcon was mostly kept away from most of the kingdom or at least most of the lower kingdom. They weren’t to be of use to her yet and only need to see her at times of need, for now, she need not concern herself with them. Or that’s what her mother always told her. But Falcon was a curious soul and how could see one-day rule cats she’d ever met? Why would they listen to her if they didn’t know her? Her father, of course, had said it would come with time, they were things she needed to do now but she would come to know many of the cats in the kingdom as they were her people. But Falcon was never one to wait.

So like any good princess, she snuck out in the night, past her handmaid and the knights that guarded where the royal family stayed. Guarded against what she didn’t know but there were always two around. It was an easy task, something she’d been doing for moons now and could probably do with her eyes closed. It should probably worry her how often she’d been sneaking out but she’d learned so much and could only hope not to get caught yet.

It was the yelling that drew her attention once outside of the royal area, as she snuck past where the nobles and other important cats stayed down to the lower area where cats would be waking up in the early hours. The yawl sounded like one of pure pain and the princess couldn’t imagine someone making such a sound in the heart of the kingdom. Before she thought better of it, she ran.

The sound only drew louder as she got closer, her body slowing as she realized just where her paws had been taking her. A den in the main force just past the nobles, it smelled of blood and herbs inside. She knew it wasn’t the medical den though, but it wasn’t one she’d been to before either.

With ears perked and hair standing on her back Falcon draws closer, ready to defend herself or the other cat if whatever was happening came for her. It was when she heard the cry of a kit that she stopped dead in her tracks. Not a kit in pain, but a new life, a kit taking its first breaths and announcing itself to the world. She’d heard it only once before, one of the nobles had kits moons before and she’d been allowed to be there and watch.

It seemed like she was frozen for hours before she heard the rustling of someone leaving the den and saw the familiar pelt of the physician.

“Falcon, what in the good spirits name are you doing out here so early?” The older tom asked not fire to his worlds thankfully.

“I was just out, exploring and I heard the yelling,” Falcon answered softly, her head hanging a bit as she realized she’d been worried for nothing.

The tom only chuckled in response before flicking his tail to her motioning her forward. “Why don’t you come met the newest members of the kingdom.”

“Oh I couldn’t I’m sure the mothers tired,” Falcon retorted while taking a step back,

“Nonsense trust me she’ll be awake for a way yet and I’m sure she’d love for you to be the first one to met them, come along now.” The physician told her simple while he slipped back into the den and had soft words with the mother inside.

With a sigh Falcon did the only thing she could think of, she followed, she’d been caught anyway mine as well do as the physician wanted.

For a moment the darkness overwhelmed her, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the sight of a mother wrapping around squirming bundles at her side. The physician stood off to the side, glancing to the kits but not moving any closer.

“Princess Falcon it’s a pleasure to met you,” The mother purred when Falcon moved closer for her to see.

“And you as well, congratulations on the kits, I’m sorry I stopped by unannounced,” Falcon answered as respectfully as she could.

The molly laughed before beaconing the princess closer, “No bother dear it’s an honor to have you meet them.”

Following the molly’s cue, Falcon moved closer towards the nest, glancing down at the three squirming kits at her side, all suckling for milk as he side. They were like the other new kits she had seen, carrying only now for there mother and what she could provide. But Falcon knew that in time they would grow and they would be a valuable part of the Kingdom.

“What are there names?” Falcon asked with a smile.

“Well these two I’m waiting on there father to help with when he gets back, but this little one here is Alice. She may be small yet but I have a feeling she’s going to be the strongest of the bunch.” The mother added on the last bit with a laugh as the kit in question rigged closer.

“A good name for a fine kit, I’m sure the others will be just as fine,” Falcon told her with a nod, meeting three new members of the kingdom for the first time.

[Yellow.]

Willowleap and NPC

After things went downhill with her brother Willowleap simply started to not care, about herself, her clan, or even the simplest things like weather she caught enough prey. She’d been so close to her brother as a kit and to have lost him so quickly had broken her. He wasn’t dead, no he was the leader of the clan, but he mine as well be dead in her mind, she sure was.

She’d been traveling along the lake shore by herself when something strange caught her eye. Just off in front of her, lazying about on a lake rolled log was a cat that she didn’t recognize. With little interest Willowleap continued on her path towards the tom, not caring if he was there of not as long as he didn’t bother her. What did it matter to her if there was an outside in the territory, he wasn’t harming anyone that she could see.

“Why hello there?” He called out in a purr once she was close enough to hear his voice, it was soothing and she couldn’t help but notice the allure, although he didn’t move and she only paused for a moment to give him a once over before walking on.

“What not going to run me off? I thought that’s what you clan cats did to those wondering on your land?” He called out to her, his head turning to watch her walk by.

She didn’t pause as she made her way by him, thinking at first to just ignore his questions. What was the point of answering them anyway?

With her lack of response though the tom seemed more determined, rising from his place on the log and leaping off to follow after her. “Are you just not very good at this whole clan thing? Or are you not part of the clan? Come on say something back to me.” He pestered having not gotten the rise out of her that he’d wanted to get.

“Why does it matter to you?” She asked him simply still walking along the shore line, not even slowing as he trotted to catch up with her.

The tom seemed to have not have expected the question to him, his face showing just for a moment a laps in the flirty smile he’d been wearing before the mask slipped back over his face. “Well when I see a pretty molly like you walking along I have to get her attention some how.”

Willowleap snorted at the comment the tom made, getting the picture of just what kind of cat he was.

“Okay that came out wrong, it’s just weird to meet a clan cat who doesn’t care or doesn’t seem to.”

“Just how many clan cats have you meet?” She asked him simply, not really caring one way or the other but realizing that he isn’t going to leave her alone.

“Enough,” He answered vaguely saying more with the one word then he probably meant to, he seemed familiar with Ridgeclan territory. “So why don’t you care about me being here?”

Willowleap sighed as she turned to the tom, “What’s the point?” she asked to his question. “You’re going to do what you want to do and I don’t care to fight you to stop you.”

“What’s the point?” He parroted back head tilting as he ignored her comment after. “The point is you don’t know who I am. What if I was here to hurt your clan or I was a spy for a bigger group coming to take the land you call home?”

Willowleap had to hold back a laugh as his words, some imagination for sure the tom seemed to have. “I could care less what happens to this clan.”

The tom almost seemed to have expected something along those lines, “Alright well what if I was here to kill you.”

“I still wouldn’t care,” She answered simply not even stopping as she spoke.

The tom moved in front of her then to stop her looking her dead in the eye, “You would not care if I were to attack you right now?”

Stopping in her walking and looking up to him Willowleap kept her voice and face black. “I would defend myself but no I wouldn’t care.”

The tom’s face became determined as he looked at the molly in front of him. “Do you not care about your life or is it more then that?” He didn’t wait for her to respond. “Well since you don’t care that I’m here I guess that means I don’t have to leave. So while I’m here I mine as well do something useful. I’m going to make it where you love yourself again.” He stated firmly, a nod to finalize it.

Willowleap did laugh at that finally moving to sidestep the tom, “You have fun with that.”

“Oh don’t worry about me, I’m going to have tons of fun. Because by the end of this moon you’re going to love yourself again that I can promise.”

Looking into his eyes Willowleap wondered just how crazy this tom was and how determined he was to see this through. Could she care again?