Post by Fawn on Sept 30, 2012 11:44:34 GMT -5
Name: Blackwolf
Age:28 Moons Died age 91, 2/23/2019
Gender: Tom
Clan: NightClan
Rank: Senior Warrior/Elder
"I don't run the track, no I make the track run." -Until it Breaks, Linkin Park
There's no other way to put it, Blackwolf is a bully; he delights in the torment and humiliation of others, the first to point out the flawsand imperfections in anyone he views as beneath him in order to boosthis own ego. A favorite target of his is any apprentice that belongsto either RainClan or TreeClan, and he delights in traumatizing thenew enemy-Clan apprentices, often filling their heads with the fearthat he will personally hunt them down or seek them out in battlelater. Blackwolf's hobby as a bully stems from getting bulliedhimself, but more on that will be revealed in the history.I'm gonna survive nomatter what, and then I'm gonna beat you at your own game.
Survivability is extremely high on this cat's list of priorities, Blackwolfpossessing a surprisingly strong, vehement spirit, the tom oftenstanding firm in the face of hard times and tough situations. Thoughhe selfishly does all he can to make sure he not only survives butcomes out on top, Blackwolf is a strong believer in Clan unity, andfully believes in "If the Clan does well, I am doing well"mentality. He is still surprisingly enduring, and while he is by nomeans the most likeable cat in the forest, he can at least be admiredfor his ability to always make a comeback. One of Blackwolf's mostobvious traits is his reverence for StarClan that borders on fear ofthings that are someone what out of his control. He has faith in theidea that if he does not upset his warrior ancestors, then he'llsurvive even longer than most of his friends and comradeswill. Blackwolf thanks StarClan for every meal he catches, and he canoccasionally be seen chatting up the NightClan medicine cat, (tryingto win favor with the StarClan cats, no doubt, as Medicine Cats andMed. Cat apprentices are the only cats he treats with total respectbesides the leader and deputy) and he always ends his conversationswith "Hey next time you and StarClan decide to shoot the breeze,put in a good word for me, yeah?"
And then, like a greatblack cloud of feathers and sharp talons, the raven descended uponthe helpless apprentices!
In spite of all his bullying, Blackwolf appears to have developed quitea ocal talent, and is a decent amateur storyteller, Blackwolf beingthe first to tell the kits scary stories and the first to sing to theapprentices of his numerous and poetically exaggerated exploits.Blackwolf was also, at one point, called forward to speak a briefeulogy of a fallen friend, and thus he grew enough confidence in hispublic speaking skills that he has really come to hone it into a craft.
Go ahead smirk, someday you're gonna be working for me, and we'll see who's smirkin' then.
Having adopted an old world thinking from a young age, Blackwolf believesthat NightClan will one day take over the whole forest, unite theClans into a slave-and-master relationship – with anyone whoopposes them being slaves, and anyone who sided with them becomingslightly less privileged than the NightClan cats themselves.Blackwolf has invested in the strength of his Clan, not just by doingeverything he can strengthen it and solidify it's power, Blackwolf seems to truly believe that out of all the Clans, NightClan iswithout a doubt the best and most powerful. It's no surprise Blackwolf's bigoted, an elitist who doesn't think that loners andkittypets or even half-Clanners have a place in the forest, let alonein NightClan, and holds intense disdain for the other Clans for theireasy acceptance of those "rejects", as he prefers to callthem. Continuing with the old world mentality of the days ofRaggedstar and before, Blackwolf has a certain amount of dislikereserved exclusively for TreeClan. He thinks that Clan is nothingmore than a bunch of tail-kissing, mouse-brained fools who can gochoke on their hero complexes and meddlesome, overbearing mindset.Because Blackwolf was not born during the time of Firestar, nor hashe met the legendary tom in his dreams, he has heard little of thefiery cat's feats in NightClan, and more or less views him as a'kittypet leader' who probably wasn't worth all the hype. The ideathat TreeClan had a kittypet for a leader is completely blasphemousto this young tom, and he has no issues at all with calling them outon it. "What's next TreeClanners? You appoint a Twoleg your deputy?"
This is me. Don't like it? Too bad.
Blackwolf has some positive aspects often times overshadowed with the bad, butthis solid black tom is fiercely loyal to his Clan, extremelyprotective of his younger siblings, very stubborn, pious, anddisplays fine leadership skills amongst his peers.
Perhaps with a little growing up and slightly more open-minded thinking,Blackwolf could turn out surprisingly admirable.
Age:
Gender: Tom
Clan: NightClan
Rank: Senior Warrior/Elder
"I don't run the track, no I make the track run." -Until it Breaks, Linkin Park
Description
Blackwolf is a jet black tom with broad shoulders, wide paws, a thick tail, and the signs of multiple battles and hardships all over his body. From a close encounter with a rat during his apprenticeship, Blackwolf has a nasty split ear and a scar on his right front paw. Taking care of his sleek black pelt is always a priority for this tom, and even though he's never hesitated going into a fight, he does take personal grooming seriously, and as such his coat always looks healthy, his claws are always sharp, his teeth are always clean. Blackwolf's head is broad and masculine, with a rather boxy muzzle and long jet-black whiskers, the darkness of his pelt amplifying the beautiful unusualness of his eyes. Blackwolf was born with two blue eyes, as all kits are, but by the time he reached 4 moons, his right eye had changed to the color of fossilized amber. Though he is relatively normal in appearance (minus the eyes, though they're appealing rather than appalling) Blackwolf does sport a rather nasty scar that's reminiscent of quite possibly the scariest moment in his entire life. The scar is slightly diagonal, the top of the scar facing his left shoulder, stretching diagonally down towards his right paw. It's raised and gray with age; if he smooths the fur a certain way, he can make it less noticeable, but he's never been particularly self-conscious of such a once-in-a-lifetime 'achievement.'
Aside from a few scars hidden beneath his thick black coat, his body is otherwise unmarred.
The years have not been kind to Blackwolf. Though still lean and powerful, his muscles hardly wasted despite his advancing age, Blackwolf now boasts an even more impressive array of scars. He's taken beatings and taken lives. His age now shows in the silver flecking his muzzle, and the stiffness of his joints in the morning.
A ridiculous injury, borne of going on patrol with NightClan's most nefariously klutzy little idiot (Oakblaze), has slowed Blackwolf down these past moons. The wound in his hip - put there by a long splinter of wood, and exacerbated by the struggle to pull himself out of the water - has healed, but the pain lingers. His gait has a slight hitch in it now, and this will likely worsen as the moons go by.
The years have not been kind to Blackwolf. Though still lean and powerful, his muscles hardly wasted despite his advancing age, Blackwolf now boasts an even more impressive array of scars. He's taken beatings and taken lives. His age now shows in the silver flecking his muzzle, and the stiffness of his joints in the morning.
A ridiculous injury, borne of going on patrol with NightClan's most nefariously klutzy little idiot (Oakblaze), has slowed Blackwolf down these past moons. The wound in his hip - put there by a long splinter of wood, and exacerbated by the struggle to pull himself out of the water - has healed, but the pain lingers. His gait has a slight hitch in it now, and this will likely worsen as the moons go by.
Short Description
A muscular, average-sized sleek black tom with one amber eye, one blue eye, a torn ear and a noticeable limp.
Personality
(3-4)Positives+
Driven, Calculating, Trustworthy
Driven - Blackwolf didn’t get this far by being lazy. He was driven to excel, and felt competitive enough with his peers and had enough natural skill that he worked hard to get even better. A tough mentor in the form of Tigerscar pushed him to a status he considers superior to the other apprentices that had been in the den the same time as him. He is still driven to be a good, loyal warrior for his Clan. Driven to push his own apprentices to their limits.
Calculating - Blackwolf’s no fool. He may be mean, and seem like a cardboard cutout of a bully, but that doesn’t mean he has the downsides of that stereotype; he’s by no means an idiot. If anything, he’s crafty and intelligent enough to make his insults really hit home.
Trustworthy - Blackwolf cares about two things; NightClan and his family. If entrusted to do right by either one, you can bet all the fish in the river that he’ll get it done. He can be trusted to put NightClan’s well-being almost always above his own.
(5-6)Negatives-
Callous, Prejudiced, Mean, Obstinate, Rough, Violent
Callous - He doesn’t care about your feelings. He doesn’t care that his words are going to hurt. He says what he thinks and doesn’t apologize.
Prejudiced - The other Clans mean nothing to him. If a great big flood swept through the valley and only NightClan survived, the only negative for that in his eyes is that NightClan wouldn’t have any battles with their neighbors anymore.
Mean - Blackwolf isn’t just rude, he’s deliberately mean-spirited. He was a bully throughout his apprenticeship, and those habits persist even through adulthood and probably into his elder years. He gets a special kind of thrill in verbally hurting others. It’s cathartic for all the verbal abuse he suffered from his father, Hawkscreech.
Obstinate - This is a stubborn, stubborn tom. A recently acquired injury that should put him in the elders’ den is being treated as a minor inconvenience. He doesn’t give a damn what you think, he’s going to keep trying to be a warrior at least until Darkpaw’s finished her training, and a few moons after. Nothing short of another injury is going to change his mind.
Rough - Blocking the way? He’ll push through. Taking forever to do something, he’ll deliver a painful bite to the tail or ear if it’ll get you to move faster. He’s impatient, but he also has no tolerance for fools and bumbling novices. He’s argumentative and physical.
Violent - He loves a good fight. He loves the thrill of it. The violence of it. The power and the adrenaline. He enjoys using his claws, and he’s learned how to use them well.
There's no other way to put it, Blackwolf is a bully; he delights in the torment and humiliation of others, the first to point out the flawsand imperfections in anyone he views as beneath him in order to boosthis own ego. A favorite target of his is any apprentice that belongsto either RainClan or TreeClan, and he delights in traumatizing thenew enemy-Clan apprentices, often filling their heads with the fearthat he will personally hunt them down or seek them out in battlelater. Blackwolf's hobby as a bully stems from getting bulliedhimself, but more on that will be revealed in the history.I'm gonna survive nomatter what, and then I'm gonna beat you at your own game.
Survivability is extremely high on this cat's list of priorities, Blackwolfpossessing a surprisingly strong, vehement spirit, the tom oftenstanding firm in the face of hard times and tough situations. Thoughhe selfishly does all he can to make sure he not only survives butcomes out on top, Blackwolf is a strong believer in Clan unity, andfully believes in "If the Clan does well, I am doing well"mentality. He is still surprisingly enduring, and while he is by nomeans the most likeable cat in the forest, he can at least be admiredfor his ability to always make a comeback. One of Blackwolf's mostobvious traits is his reverence for StarClan that borders on fear ofthings that are someone what out of his control. He has faith in theidea that if he does not upset his warrior ancestors, then he'llsurvive even longer than most of his friends and comradeswill. Blackwolf thanks StarClan for every meal he catches, and he canoccasionally be seen chatting up the NightClan medicine cat, (tryingto win favor with the StarClan cats, no doubt, as Medicine Cats andMed. Cat apprentices are the only cats he treats with total respectbesides the leader and deputy) and he always ends his conversationswith "Hey next time you and StarClan decide to shoot the breeze,put in a good word for me, yeah?"
And then, like a greatblack cloud of feathers and sharp talons, the raven descended uponthe helpless apprentices!
In spite of all his bullying, Blackwolf appears to have developed quitea ocal talent, and is a decent amateur storyteller, Blackwolf beingthe first to tell the kits scary stories and the first to sing to theapprentices of his numerous and poetically exaggerated exploits.Blackwolf was also, at one point, called forward to speak a briefeulogy of a fallen friend, and thus he grew enough confidence in hispublic speaking skills that he has really come to hone it into a craft.
Go ahead smirk, someday you're gonna be working for me, and we'll see who's smirkin' then.
Having adopted an old world thinking from a young age, Blackwolf believesthat NightClan will one day take over the whole forest, unite theClans into a slave-and-master relationship – with anyone whoopposes them being slaves, and anyone who sided with them becomingslightly less privileged than the NightClan cats themselves.Blackwolf has invested in the strength of his Clan, not just by doingeverything he can strengthen it and solidify it's power, Blackwolf seems to truly believe that out of all the Clans, NightClan iswithout a doubt the best and most powerful. It's no surprise Blackwolf's bigoted, an elitist who doesn't think that loners andkittypets or even half-Clanners have a place in the forest, let alonein NightClan, and holds intense disdain for the other Clans for theireasy acceptance of those "rejects", as he prefers to callthem. Continuing with the old world mentality of the days ofRaggedstar and before, Blackwolf has a certain amount of dislikereserved exclusively for TreeClan. He thinks that Clan is nothingmore than a bunch of tail-kissing, mouse-brained fools who can gochoke on their hero complexes and meddlesome, overbearing mindset.Because Blackwolf was not born during the time of Firestar, nor hashe met the legendary tom in his dreams, he has heard little of thefiery cat's feats in NightClan, and more or less views him as a'kittypet leader' who probably wasn't worth all the hype. The ideathat TreeClan had a kittypet for a leader is completely blasphemousto this young tom, and he has no issues at all with calling them outon it. "What's next TreeClanners? You appoint a Twoleg your deputy?"
This is me. Don't like it? Too bad.
Blackwolf has some positive aspects often times overshadowed with the bad, butthis solid black tom is fiercely loyal to his Clan, extremelyprotective of his younger siblings, very stubborn, pious, anddisplays fine leadership skills amongst his peers.
Perhaps with a little growing up and slightly more open-minded thinking,Blackwolf could turn out surprisingly admirable.
History
Black-kit
Blackpaw:
Becoming Blackwolf:
Life Goes On:
What's Black, White and Red All Over?
The Final Seasons
Updated June 30th, 2017.
The Final Seasons
Updated February 23rd, 2019
September 30th, 2012 - February 23rd, 2019
Blackwolf was born not as a result of a happily mated NightClan queen and NightClan warrior, he was actually the result of a tryst between the NightClan queen Heatherflower and Shadowpelt, a NightClan warrior. Heatherflower's actual mate had been a standoffish, blunt tom by the name of Hawkscreech, and while the couple had had their first fight and took some time off from each other, Heatherflower spent a little too much time with Shadowpelt, a tom of which she's always felt a certain amount of fondness for. One thing led to another, and that by the time Hawkscreech and Heatherflower had settled their differences and got back together, Heatherflower was expecting.
To avoid spreading the news of this scandal, Hawkscreech, by the time Heatherflower's sole kitten was born, kept the identity of Blackwolf's real father a secret, and instead pretended to be the young tom's father to the end. Just at the end of Newleaf, a healthy black tom-kit with a startling resemblance to Shadowpelt was born, but Hawkscreech, who's own father had been black-furred, was able to play it off as a bit of the kit's grandfather showing through. The rest of the Clan was none of the wiser, particularly young Black-kit.
His personality began to make itself apparent at a young age; he quickly became the 'ring leader' of his own group of friends – Hawk-kit, Dogkit and Ratkit – and occasionally butted heads with a bold young tom with dark tabby stripes by the name of Pinekit. It was an enormous relief when Pinekit and Black-kit left the nursery to become apprentices, and because they had been born two moons older than Black-kit's little group of friends, Hawk-kit, Dogkit and Ratkit were only able to watch as Black-kit stood before the NightClan leader and was passed under the tutelage of one of NightClan's most trusted warriors.
Blackpaw:
It was around this time, as Blackpaw trained under the wily Tigerscar that his father's resentment towards Heatherflower's tryst with Shadowpelt was taken out on him. Hawkscreech, still unable to get over the fact that Heatherflower had cheated, saw Blackpaw as a constant reminder of this, and took his frustration out on the young tom by constantly criticizing him, bullying him under the guise that he wanted to make him stronger and couldn't have a weakling for a son. Blackpaw at first was confused by this behavior from his father, and took everything to heart – before the older tom's criticisms and insults just proved to be too much. By the time he was 10 moons old, Blackpaw was insulting his father right back, and their relationship soon morphed from 'loving' father and son to unusual enemies, a mutual resentment building up between the two due to moons and moons of friction.
Intent upon surpassing his belligerent, hardhearted father, Blackpaw readily threw himself into training, absorbing as much information as possible, the young tom having a creative, intensive mind that could hold and process a great deal, while his own sense of athleticism and power allowed the tom to develop excellent muscle memory and hone his instincts.
Blackpaw acquired the deep V-shaped tear in his ear from a rat attack on his way to the Moon Tree with the NightClan medicine cat, a journey all apprentices must make sometime before their warrior ceremony.
Blackpaw's first real battle came when he was 12 moons old; in a raid against TreeClan where their borders met, Blackpaw and Pinepaw were a part of the attack party, and, flanked by experienced NightClan warriors, the two apprentices got their first taste of TreeClan cat blood. Both toms performed very well, Blackpaw in particular making Tigerscar and his Clan very proud as he took a particularly nasty chunk out of the former TreeClan deputy, Birchfur, though he was unable to defeat him, he had certainly left the warrior with a little something to remember him by. Blackpaw hadn't come out unscathed, he sported a few long scars from Birchfur raking his claws down his back, but they, along with his pride, eventually healed over.
Becoming Blackwolf:
Blackpaw earned his warrior name through one particular feat of incredible bravery and quite possibly incredible foolishness. A kit by the name of Ibiskit had gone missing one early morning in Greenleaf, and the whole of NightClan had stirred itself to track down the vanished kitten.
Though it was extremely advised against, Blackpaw and his rival Pinepaw (his posse had been sent on search parties already), searched along the marshlands, fully aware of the sinkholes hidden amongst the muck.
Pinepaw found the kitten, huddled at the base of one gnarled looking tree. Blackpaw found the fox it was hiding from.
Knowing a fight was inevitable, the jet-black warrior threw himself upon the ginger menace, intending to leave Ibiskit's safety to Pinepaw. The tabby tom who had been competing and spurring him onward could not sit idly by while Blackpaw and the fox ripped each other to shreds; using his back legs to kick the nasty, foul-smelling marsh-mud into the fox's eyes, Pinepaw was a major contributing factor to the young apprentice's victory. The two apprentices then coordinated their attacks to take down the dog-fox, and it was Blackpaw who delivered a killing bite to the back of the fox's neck, just as Pinepaw had been flung away from him.
Wounded but triumphant, Blackpaw's howl of victory was drowned out by Pinepaw's wail of misery.
Pinepaw had stepped into a sinkhole! With Ibiskit wailing in fear, the tabby apprentice scrambled for some kind of hold, but he was unable to find anything that wasn't mud, rotting wood or wet, slick grass. Horrified, Blackpaw grabbed a nearby stick, and, holding the end of it in his mouth, held out the other end for Pinepaw to grab. It worked for but a moment, but the stick snapped, and Pinepaw began to sink faster. Blackpaw tried the stick method repeatedly, and when he himself attempted to brave the ooze and grab Pinepaw with his teeth, that plan was openly refused by the rapidly sinking tom.
Sensing his fate, Pinepaw, now an equal in the eyes of his lifelong rival, told Blackpaw to take Ibiskit back to camp. It was the first time Blackpaw's stubbornness had ever been cracked by the hard hammer of fate.
Unable to watch his friend die, Blackpaw took Ibiskit and fled the marshlands, running into a NightClan search party, who then escorted the kit and apprentice back to camp.
Once there, Blackpaw sang of Pinepaw's bravery, and several experienced warriors braved the marshlands in search of the trapped apprentice, but there was neither hair nor whisker left of young Pinepaw. It was with a heavy, aching heart that Blackpaw was promoted to the rank of warrior, taking the name Blackwolf in honor of his courage and his loyalty. Though it was scarcely any sort of consolation, Blackpaw had stood beside Pinepaw's mother and father as they accepted Pinepaw's warrior name in place of their fallen son, NightClan wishing to honor the young cat's bravery so that he might be accepted into StarClan as a fully fledged member of his Clan.
Pinepaw was crowned the name Braveheart, for his selflessness and his sacrifice.
Life Goes On:
Though Blackwolf mourned for his fallen friend long after the rest of the Clan had moved on, he too picked himself up out of that sad, desolate place called loneliness, and returned to his old, boisterous, arrogant self. His posse had also been promoted to the rank of warriors, and he now referred to them as Hawkbone, Dogfang and Ratfur; the four were now thick as thieves, and with Blackwolf as their ring-leader, adventure aplenty was certainly not far behind.
What's Black, White and Red All Over?
NightClan was prosperous. Kits were plentiful, food was plentiful, warriors were proud and strong and tough as TigerClan. Blackwolf's own family had been expanded by two new members, Hawkscreech and Heatherflower on their 'second' litter of kits, a pretty silver and white tabby she-kit called Lichenkit, and a white-and-gray tabby tom-kit by the name of Shadekit.
Blackwolf loved them both instantly, and has taken it upon himself to clear the whole forest of predators that may one day harm his younger siblings – a reckless challenge that he would have to face much sooner than he had anticipated.
A patrol made up of Blackwolf, Hawkscreech, Tigerscar, Dogfang and a wily young she-cat called Darkflower, ended up coming face to face with a territorial male badger.
It was the shortest, most painful fight of his entire life.
The NightClan patrol did their best to coordinate their attacks, but no amount of training could've prepared them for this kind of enemy, but Blackwolf, in the face of such mindless blood-lust, even though he felt his soul shake, didn't back down. His attempts as killing the badger – or at least distracting the badger so that Tigerscar or Hawkscreech might kill it – resulted in the badger biting into the young tom's chest.
Blacking out instantly, the warrior, though he'd crumpled under the badger's teeth, had aided his fellow Clanmates in driving the badger back, and even with his blood on it's muzzle, the brock eventually fled. Things weren't looking good for Blackwolf. Fortunately for him, he wasn't awake for the most of it, and the tom finally stirred almost a half a moon later with enough herbs on his chest to make a stew. The Medicine Cat told him that if that badger had bitten him just a little more to the left, and he probably would've died instantly. StarClan had looked down upon him favorably that day, for the badger had missed any vital organs.
Blackwolf spent 5 moons in and out of the Medicine Cat's den – the first two moons were critical, and he was confined to nest-rest for a long while, careful not to put any strain on his slowly healing wound. The last three moons were spent adjusting to the long, jagged scar that cut across his chest; this old battle scar occasionally acts up, and it's usually when it rains or some sort of weather-related event is about to happen. In Blackwolf's eyes, it's both an achievement, a relief (clearly StarClan didn't want him just yet), and a badge of honor. Tigerscar had been badly injured in the badger fight, and had been forced to retire early due to a leg injury. Blackwolf occasionally brings his mentor some prey and sits with him for old time's sake.
The Final Seasons
When Blackwolf was in his 30s, he had his fair share of she-cats pining after him - desperate for the affections of a tom who seemed content to look after himself, first and foremost - but it took a special one to upset the pattern. Ghostlight, a confident young warrior with an attitude that could rival his own, sashayed into his life. With a sweep of her tail, and a glint in her eyes, Ghostlight managed to do what no one else had done; tame the untamable.
Funnily enough, they couldn't stand each other at first, but these two ended up being proof of the fine line between love and hate. After a while, that intense dislike took on a different form. Their courting was hardly the stuff of legend, but it worked for them. Nothing became official until Ghostlight pulled him aside and shook up his world; Ghostlight was expecting kits.
Fast forward, and through a risky kitting, Ghostlight gave birth to three healthy NightClan kits: Hollykit, a black-furred she-kit, Bonekit, a white-furred tom, and Coyotekit, the smallest of the litter. Despite Ghostlight's health scare, she and Blackwolf were happy - and immensely proud of their little family.
After two seasons, Blackwolf now 46 moons, watched his kits reach the next stages of their lives; apprenticeship. Hollypaw was given to Starlingcry, one of Blackwolf's latest apprentices. Bonepaw was trained by none other than Dimstar himself, and Coyotepaw was given to Sunpulse - one of the many cats on Blackwolf's long list of irritating Clanmates.
Life continued.
Hollypaw became Hollystorm, the first of her siblings to reach warriorhood.
Then, one season later, after a near-fatal encounter with a fox, in which Bonepaw's tail was damaged and Coyotepaw's life was nearly taken, Bonepaw became Bonetail.
After recovering from his injuries, Coyotepaw went on to finish his training, though it took him much longer than Hollystorm and Bonetail.
Despite the ups and downs within the Clan, Blackwolf was happy. His kits (most of them) had achieved warrior status, and he and Ghostlight were still close. The love between them was still going strong, even after 30 moons together; content to reach old age with her by his side, StarClan had other plans. A greencough epidemic struck NightClan hard, and Ghostlight was hit the hardest.
She succumbed to her illness, leaving a devastated Blackwolf and three kits behind. His mate's death took most of the fire and the will out of Blackwolf, leaving behind a cold, bitter shell of a once proud, once lively warrior. Life no longer seemed so great, if she couldn't be here to enjoy it with him.
At 73 moons, Blackwolf is training his last apprentice. Darkpaw, the daughter of one of his closest friends, Hollowcry (who also died during the epidemic), is a bold, aggressive young she-cat with just enough talent to impress even the likes of him. After five apprentices before her, Darkpaw will be the strong end of his mentoring career.
An injury to his hip has left Blackwolf with stiff joints and a limp, and Ghostlight's death has given him little motivation to refuse the elders' den. Had she still been alive, he would have adamently clung to his title of 'senior warrior' long after any cat should've; but the place beside him in the warriors' den is empty, and even his pride seems to have vanished - following his mate's spirit to StarClan.
Despite his new cold outlook on life, his family is continuing to grow. Through his son Bonetail, and Bonetail's mate Lilyfrost, Blackwolf has become a grandfather. Ghostkit, Crowkit and Graykit, are the new additions to Blackwolf's legacy, and one of the few things (apart from Darkpaw) that still manage to get a smile out of the grouchy old tom.
As Darkpaw's training draws to a close, and his kits make it clear that they no longer need the watchful eye of a father figure, Blackwolf looks forward to retirement.
Updated June 30th, 2017.
The Final Seasons
Unsurprisingly, Blackwolf did not stay retired long. Though Darkpaw was now Darkstorm, and his grandkits had become apprentices, the loss of the Branch Trail and Deer Path to TreeClan drove Blackwolf back into the warrior's den.
Furious by Foxstar's negligence, at 88 Moons, Blackwolf rallied a group of NightClan warriors - most of those that could be considered part of his 'posse' - to challenge a TreeClan border patrol. It was the dawn after a Gathering, but the political ramifications meant nothing. All that mattered was that Blackwolf and his group successfully reclaimed the Branch Trail.
Though with a furious deputy and a Clan leader still ill from the fox attack in the previous Greenleaf, NightClan's spirits were high. Foxstar would have to act soon, or the risk the Clan falling into dissent from what many view as sloppy, ineffectual leadership.
Leafbare #6, Foxstar led a NightClan battle party into the Deer Path. Blackwolf was among many chosen to fight, and he found himself paired up against a young TreeClan tom by the name of Brackenstride. Unknown to Blackwolf, the TreeClan cat was Lionstar's son, freshly made a warrior and about to test himself in his first real battle.
Tragically, Blackwolf was fatally wounded in the battle. He bled out in the snow, feeling the soft brush of his deceased mate's fur against him, and leaving the fate of NightClan in the capable paws of his descendants.
Updated February 23rd, 2019
September 30th, 2012 - February 23rd, 2019