Shrikethorn fits the bill for a MistClan cat, lean and agile with long limbs and a narrow chest. Her fur is short and sleek, and a soft, stormy gray from nose to tail-tip, broken up by darker tabby striping and white patch on her throat. She blends well among the grasses and forest of her clan's territory, especially on a misty or overcast day, and the texture of her fur is perfect at keeping out the damp—though is less resistant to the bitter cold of leaf-bare.

Her eyes are a deep, burnt shade of copper, and often seem thoughtful and calm, putting other cats at ease around her. Her posture is equally relaxed, graceful and confident in every step.

Love is a doing word."

If she closes her eyes, she can almost see the soft, smiling face of her father, all downy white fur and odd-colored eyes. But most of Shrikekit's memories of her father are gleaned second-hand from her mother, Robinbelly. She learns of his kindness, his laughter, and his selflessness—which inevitably claimed his life, lost to the jaws of a wolverine as he saved the life of his apprentice.

But her father's death left a void, a cold spot in the nursery that Robinbelly did her best to cover with watery smiles. But she was hurting, that much was plain to Shrikekit.

Her two brothers were rowdy. Kitekit, the oldest, was full of fire and vigor, adventurous beyond bounds. Swallowkit was more timid, but followed Kite like a moth to a flame. They were a lot to handle, and the fragility behind Robinbelly's eyes made Shrikekit ache.
She stepped up. Her brothers never thanked her for it; to them, she was just a bossy stick in the mud, always getting in the way of their fun. And maybe she was. But at least her mother didn't worry as much.

Shrikekit became an outcast among her peers thanks to her reputation as a stickler, so she found solace in the elders' den. They didn't mind her sitting quietly. She listened to them talk, stories of a warrior's valor, a leader's sacrifice, and the nobility of clans standing together against adversity. She listened to tales of StarClan, their ancestors glittering in the sky above and coursing through the earth all around them, whispering in every rustle of leaves. Sometimes, when she was out in the camp, she would press an ear against the bark of the Skytree, listening for StarClan's voice.

---

Kitepaw batted her away as she gave his ears a final lick, muttering crossly. All three of them were well groomed and gleaming under the misty morning light. Having just called for a clan meeting from the Skytree, Russetstar leaped down.

Shrikekit listened solemnly as he recited the ceremony to give them their apprentice names, orange eyes wide and attentive. When she turned to meet her mentor, she was met with the solemn gaze of Elkclaw, a sturdy tom with swirling tabby fur.

Elkclaw was quiet in a similar way to Shrikepaw. He never talked to her like a dumb kit, always taking her concerns seriously. Her was was driven, focused, and finally gave her a sense of direction that wasn't dictated by looking after her family. Her scattered sense of self was honed into a razor point under his guidance, and slowly, she found herself looking to him as a father figure.

As her twelfth moon approached, however, she found in herself a budding apprehension. Was she truly ready to accept the mantle of becoming a warrior? Only a few days before the ceremony was due, she balked and went to Russetstar. After a talk with him and Elkclaw, they agreed to postpone her ceremony by one moon.

Then the date of her brothers' ceremony came... and went. Confused, Shrikepaw sought them out; why weren't they being named? They were both more than ready, and she knew that Kitepaw especially was hungry for his warrior name. They'd worked so hard.

The three of them talked for a long time. They talked about family, and about sticking together, even when they didn't necessarily see eye-to-eye. They talked about always being there for each other. About earning their names together. They talked about the future, and what it would hold for them.
They talked about love.

A moon later, all three of them earned their names. Shrikethorn, for her steadfast protection of her clan; Kitestrike, for his willingness to defend; and Swallowtail, for his dexterity in the treetops of their forest home.

The three siblings were closer than ever.

---

13-22 moons: with a quiet sense of maturity beyond her age, shrikethorn thrives as a warrior. she takes even the most menial of tasks with utmost seriousness, even going so far as to take on apprentice duties when apprentices are lacking. it benefits her clan, there is no task that's below her.
having learned from her kithood moons, she does not presume to expect others to uphold her own strong sense of duty; every cat contributes to the clan in their own way, and even if their work ethic or responsibility is lacking, every cat is part of the whole that makes mistclan special. still, selfishness in cats does frustrate her, though she tries not to let it affect the way she treats them.
at 22 moons, her hard work is rewarded with an apprentice of her own. elkclaw, who'd become as much a part of shrikethorn's life as her blood relatives, looks on with pride.

22-30 moons: stormpaw is as energetic as her name, bright-eyed and full of life as she touches noses with shrikethorn. she's up before dawn the next morning, barging in on shrikethorn's morning grooming routine, already babbling with questions of what they were doing, when they were going to explore mistclan's territory, what it was like to run through the treetops...
the more mild-mannered shrikethorn is taken aback by the rush of youthful energy from stormpaw, and for the first moon, she fumbles as she tries to adjust. she vents often to elkclaw about the willful young molly, and he looks on with amusement as shrikethorn figures out how to exist in the presence of such unyielding light.
but she does. the rigidity that shrikethorn held herself to for all her life starts to unravel, loosen, and she finds herself rushing through the trees with her apprentice, for the first time understanding the pure exhilarating rush of it, and throws her head back with laughter. by the time her apprentice earns the name of stormlight, shrikethorn has learned as much from her as she'd taught. stormlight's energy is tempered now, able to controlled and focused, and shrikethorn has discovered the joy of absolute freedom.
they stay close after stormlight is named.

30 moons-present: too soon after her apprentice joins mistclan's rank of warriors, they're called to do battle. mistclan's deputy, a fiercely intelligent but senior tom, is lost. as is elkclaw. it's fortunate, she supposes, that she didn't lose any more family members, especially her more timid younger brother. but elkclaw's loss digs deep, hurting more than her injuries. 
it's to her great surprise when violetstar names her as deputy. she neatly packs away the pain of her loss, turning her full attention to the needs of the clan. everyone is hurting, she knows; it's her duty now to remain strong, a sturdy foundation for the cats who call mistclan home.
with hysteria threatening to break out in the clan, shrikethorn stands firm, doing everything she can to bridge the gap between disagreements and keep everyone focused.
there is some doubt, however, among the clan that shrikethorn is too young for the position of deputy. her first apprentice had only just been named. shrikethorn is going to be hard-pressed to earn the respect of many of her clan, especially the Bark, Roots, senior warriors, and even some elders.

Pre-Plotting: Shrikethorn falls into the beliefs of the Branches from [MistClan's plot ad]. we're gonna go more into that in a sec

Family: While Shrikethorn grew distant from her brothers after joining the apprentice's den, she's since rekindled a close bond with them, recognizing that the strength of a family, and a clan, comes from their differences.
As a young warrior, she's worked hard to maintain her closeness with her brothers and mother.

Friends: As a kit, her aloofness and serious attitude hadn't resulted in a surplus of friends her age, but as she left the nursery and then the apprentices' den behind, Shrikethorn has settled well into her place in the clan and among her peers. Still, other than her brothers, most of her friends tend to be older warriors or even elders.

Romance: With all of her focus on serving her clan as a warrior and then deputy, Shrikethorn has made little time for flirtation. While she isn't looking for it, that isn't to say, of course, that romance won't find her.

Rivals: She can't help but feel a particular frustration with cats who seem unmotivated or uncaring when it comes to clan duties, but will try not to be openly irritated with them, remembering her difficulty as a kit for being too much of a stickler. She does her best to keep her negative thoughts about other cats to herself, and any resentments will likely be private ones. Still, her devotion to StarClan and the warrior code may rub some cats the wrong way.

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