Few cats can compare to the level of haughty confidence that Rosewhisker possesses. A tall she-cat with a long ginger pelt so light in color it nearly resembles cream; she makes a striking first impression. Pretty, radiating confidence, and easily mistaken as charming, it isn't difficult to get along with her - until you spend more than five minutes in her vicinity. And then the vain sneer, the emotional abrasiveness, and high level of critique are likely to push away any who got the wrong idea about her before truly getting to know her.

Though a large cat, Rosewhisker knows how to step quietly - a necessary trait in a tracker. She's a decent hunter, but where she really excels is finding the prey, even when the forest seems entirely void of a decent catch. An ideal hunt would have her at the head, sniffing out mice, birds, hare; and another hunter, or even a pair of them, there to make the actual catch. She's not incapable on her own, but she knows what her strengths are.

Her long coat hides a multitude of scars. It's not uncommon for predators to come down from the mountains, and she's done her fair share of chasing off any undesirables who might be threatening RidgeClan's borders. Even if those scars were not hidden, she views them as a point of pride, not an eyesore.

Rosekit was born yowling and she proved to be just as difficult through every subsequent stage of life. She grew fast, as did her siblings, and their rowdiness was not easy for Tawnystripe to keep up with, no matter how eager a mother she was. Though not particularly rougher than any other kits their age, Russetkit in particular had a habit of accidentally knocking their peers down and then very genuinely apologizing after. Rosekit watched this countless times, until eventually, only their siblings would play with him.

It was a shame, she thought. Russetkit was so sweet - he just wasn't used to his own size.

Over time, one never saw Russetkit without Rosekit following after. She had to look after him, she felt, and his adventurous spirit often got him into trouble. Luckily, Rosekit learned from a young age that she was more than capable of finding him, no matter where he ended up.

Though soft for her brother, Rosekit was a snarky little fuzzball from the beginning. There was a natural arrogance to her - like she knew what she deserved as early as her first breath, and the world was failing to meet her expectations. Coupled with how difficult she was to read (a problem that only grew as she aged), it was easy for others to assume she had a superiority complex. And maybe, as a kit, she did suffer from that sort of pride. As a warrior, the only cat she competes with is herself. She always strove to do better than her previous best.

Unsurprisingly, that trait benefited her well as an apprentice, even if the new learning and responsibility did not mellow her out much. With Nightfrost's often stern guidance, Rosepaw's irritability and tendency to isolate (except in the case of Russetpaw) was curbed instead into efficiency, self-reliance, and a focus on productive outlets, such as hunting.

Her rebellious streak was dampened by her desire to impress her mentor. She wouldn't miss practice hunting or fighting when she could be praised for her efforts instead. She never bragged, but she didn't turn down an opportunity to show off either. This desire to stand out made her a little unlikable to the other apprentices. To this day, she enjoys receiving praise, but is quick to spot false flattery.

While she wasn't quick to make friends, her grace and emerging beauty began to attract the attention of young toms. Despite this, she has never taken a mate, and it seems unlikely to her clan mates that she ever will.

Briefly, she considered that she might follow her mentor's footsteps and commit to being a Guardian. In fact, her training was extended by a moon to supplement that potential. But in the end, Rosepaw's talents were better put into tracking. That decision was, unfortunately, partially made due to tragedy: on what would have been one of their last hunting tests as apprentices, Russetpaw vanished.

No one could find him, at first. Rosepaw and her remaining siblings called out for him, Tawnystripe searched until her feet could carry her no further, patrols were sent out; but there was no sign of the young ginger tom.

Rosepaw found him days later, washed up on the banks of the river. After checking him over, the medicine cat declared that he must have fallen in, and the current was too strong for him to fight.

It was devastating. If a rival clan had killed him, at least she could have vowed for vengeance. A pure accident put her in gloom for moons following the incident.

Worse, she was named for the act of finding her brother. Rosewhisker, for her exceptional tracking abilities. She hated that they hadn't been exceptional enough to find him before it was too late.

She didn't accept pity or aid from her peers, instead lashing out when any tried to sympathize with her grief. Only her siblings could understand, or if not them, then really only her parents could. She didn't want to hear it from anyone else.

Growing withdrawn, it was easy for her to miss the signs of her clan growing intolerant. Eyes always set on the stars, never on what was happening in front of them. Searching for prophecy and meaning where there were only accidents, mistakes, and death.

Wolfstar began to rise without her even noticing. While her clan mates sought StarClan and war, she sought dreams where Russetpaw still laughed and still was sweet even when she was sour.

By the time she truly came out of her stupor (she couldn't mourn forever), Wolfstar was ready to lead the clan to war. Though she disagreed with the spirit of his beliefs, she held her tongue, instead focusing on the day to day needs of the clan. Mouths needed to be fed. Elders needed to be tended to. Queens needed to be aided. None of that stopped simply because Wolfstar wanted to claim the Mooncave.

Somewhere along the way, Rosewhisker started making friends again. Not many, but there was only so long that her truest companion could be Appleheart. While she appreciated long talks with him, reflecting on what was lost, she had to face the future eventually. Through her mentor, she found friendship in Sorrelstripe, Nightfrost's daughter. Perhaps it felt natural because in many ways they shared the same traits: fondness for a brother, a level of coldness that made them difficult to relate to, and tendency to be practical. Though she wouldn't call them close or vulnerable with each other by any means, it's always nice to feel another is reliable.

Eventually, Wolfstar's war arrived. Rosewhisker was one of few selected to remain at camp, to ensure that no surprise attack occurred in retribution, and to prepare the camp to receive any injured.

There were many injured. Focused and determined, Rosewhisker helped the medicine cats distribute herbs and stop whatever bleeding she could. Some, she later learned, did not immediately return; but in the moment, she had to focus on the cats in front of her, and making sure the elders and queens still felt safe in their nests.

No retaliation came, but still, she could feel it in the forest. The Valley was tired of the violence RidgeClan had produced. All they could do now was recover and hope that time healed the blood spilled; especially with Wolfstar among the dead, too.

Rosewhisker holds some beliefs as a warrior dear to her heart:

• No hesitation. Doubt gets you killed. Doubt slips you into the water, where you'll drown before anyone can find you.
• Family is as valuable as the clan; one is not held over the other.
• Both family and the clan are more important than any hungry mouths in another other part of the Valley.
• Politics are meaningless. All they can do is show their genuine devotion to the code and work ethic, and the other clans will make their judgements based on what they see.
• StarClan is well and good, but what matters is what's there in front of them now, not what's waiting for them in the stars.
• Warriors should know their own worth. Even a talented cat who doesn't know their own strengths is essentially without value.

These beliefs are pretty firm, she's not likely to change any of them any time soon. In the time since Wolfstar's death, Rosewhisker has been focused on helping her clan rebuild and quietly judging Mushroomstar's actions as the new leader. 

Pre-Plotting: Rosewhisker is Gingerfang's grand-daughter through Tawnystripe and admires her grandmother's legacy. She was opposed to Wolfstar's view points, though she did not actively attempt to stop him, focusing instead of the practical parts of being a warrior and mourning for her brother.

Her current viewpoint is a mix of Mars and Uranus. She believes RidgeClan should focus on the realities of tending to their own wounds after everything that happened, working on rebuilding their strength and independence, and she doesn't mind shouldering the burden of being RidgeClan's strength while they attempt to accomplish all of the above. At the same time, she thinks the clan has spent so much time looking up that they forgot what's important and material. She doesn't really care if they have an Oracle or not; she cares that the clan isn't distracted by nonsense when they have real problems that need attention. Their strength isn't in the stars. It's in their abilities, their dedication, and their loyalty to the clan.

Family: Though she doesn't get along with every member of her extended family (how could she? there's so many of them), she does value family greatly and deep down loves every one of them. Even if she's not always good at showing it overtly.
Friends: Rosewhisker values allies more than friends. Every warrior should be an asset to their clan, and she strives to be a great asset for RidgeClan, even if she's a bit of a prickly one, too. Many of her friends are either guardians who accompany hunters or other hunters and trackers, as they're most often on rotation together.
Romance: Not a focus of hers. She never felt compelled to be a mother.
Rivals: Most just prompt an eye-roll from her.