[Fawn]

Name: Snowlark
Age: 37 Moons
Gender: She-Cat
Clan: NightClan
Rank: Warrior

Picture:

Face Close Up



Description:

Snowlark is a beautiful cream-white furred she-cat with light tawny rosettes resembling leopard-markings. She has darker, wider tawny stripes across her narrow chest and front paws, the striping along the tip of her tail is so dark it's almost black, along with distinctive tabby markings along the she-cat's cheeks. Her eyes are frost blue, her whiskers are white and medium length; Snowlark's body is a little longer of limb and tail than most, with graceful slim legs and well-formed paws. They don't look like paws that had once traveled the rough terrain that was StoneClan territory, but her paws, like the she-cat herself, are a bit tougher than they look.

She has small rounded ears, a dark pink nose, and a noticeably light bone-structure. Definitely not as heavy or as physically strong as some of her other fellow NightClanners, Snowlark is actually built more for speed than anything else. She is a superb hunter, with excellent tracking abilities and a good grasp of timing.

Snowlark has sustained heavy scarring along her throat, front and back legs, but the fur has managed to grow over the raised flesh, and now they are nothing more than painful reminders of fights long past.

Description Summary: A beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes, tawny facial markings and leopard-like rosettes.

Personality:
Good Traits: Charming. Eloquent. Chatty. Honest with herself. Emotionally Sound. A Doer. A superb hunter.

Negative Traits: Ambivalent. Vain. Selfless to a fault. Does not handle rejection well. Overly sensitive in the defense of apprentices.

There's no way this she-cat couldn't be considered charming, if she was able to stay in NightClan for three moons under the doting eyes of Stripestar, a Clan she did not belong to and a leader she shouldn't have known quite so well. Formerly called Rosefeather, Snowlark definitely has some remarkable people skills; empathetic and sympathetic without coming off as weak, she can tell a joke, take a joke, and has a certain vibe that gives off warmth, friendship and happiness on a regular basis. Graceful and warm, she doesn't seem like the typical NightClan warrior, and in a way, she isn't, but Snowlark isn't all sunshine and soft breezes, she has warrior blood in her (despite her father's kittypet roots), and that blood with always answer the call when the cats and the Clan she loves are in need of protecting. Snowlark has a certain emotional strength about her that's easy to read, but difficult to replicate; it takes a lot to be in a new Clan that doesn't trust you with very few friends and all eyes always on you. But Snowlark did not crumble; there were times when she wanted to, but she was able to persevere, hold her head up high and rise above the negativity and the teasing, even if sometimes that seemed like an uphill battle.

While she has mostly forgiven her Clanmates for their harsh treatment of her in the beginning, a few cats in particular have stuck out in her mind, and what with her distinctive ambivalence, Snowlark can't help but be a little undecided in how to treat some of them. On one paw, they did tease her terribly and threaten to run her out of NightClan, but on the other paw, they are NightClan warriors, her Clanmates. Though she wouldn't go as far as to say she holds a grudge against them, she is certainly a little suspicious of their actions nowadays, but she does accept their kindness and gives it in return if that kind of situation presents itself.

Despite any inner turmoil, Snowlark has always been honest with herself. That's not easy to do, considering how complicated life can get sometimes, but Snowlark is cut from a very fine cloth, the kind that enables her to step back and look at her own actions, able to see them for what they are. She's remarkably clear-headed when it does come to major decisions, so this ambivalent personality of hers is more of a quirk than a fault.

Snowlark has apparently inherited that typical NightClan tenacity, she's ferocious when necessary, steadfast in times of emotional turmoil, and rather...stalwart about her decisions and what she feels is right. Though she will ultimately side with her Clan, Snowlark is willing to deal with only so much inner conflict before she has to act on her best intentions. Snowlark knows her...tightly-held moral code (that isn't as predictable as one might think) might get her into trouble one of these days, but Snowlark is prepared for the consequences. Neither wishywashy nor cowardly, she may not have NightClan blood, but she was most certainly has their spirit.

What ties into her love of apprentices, however, is her sensitivity when it comes to anyone criticizing them. Snowlark can't seem to get it out of her head that apprentices are just bigger kits, and while this mindset won't dampen her training of her own apprentice(s), they do make her think twice before getting comfortable with the idea of seeing some of NightClan's youngest going off to battle. Of course they have to earn their stripes somehow, and if NightClan is in danger, then they have every right to answer that call, but Snowlark will be watching out for them – part guardian angel, part avenging one, should they fall before a more experienced warrior. This charming, chatty she-cat has her downsides just like everyone else, and one of her vaults, though not hugely obvious or unexpected, is her vanity.

She won't admit it, but she's secretly very grateful that her fight against Darkstripe had not damaged her face; though the scars on her body have healed well enough, she is still rather mindful of their existence. She's torn between feeling sorry to have such battle scars when she'd lost so poorly, and hating them because she might feel that they detract from her beauty. It's never been a secret that she's been attractive, and her mother let this concept solidify in her mind from a young age, and while Snowlark isn't the type to just flaunt it and draw attention to herself, she is rather careful to avoid any facial injury. A torn ear wouldn't be the end of the world, but that's about all she could tolerate.

One last thing to mention, is that while Snowlark isn't particularly difficult to impress, it is a tough job to catch her attention in terms of romance. She seems to know exactly what she wants, and unless she finds a cat that matches what she considers an ideal mate, Snowlark's heart likely isn't going to budge. Of course, her immovable feelings might have a little something to do with the NightClan deputy, Boneshadow, of whom she is crushing on like apprentice crushes on another apprentice, her affection for him evolving past that of a student's crush on a mentor. What's a bit surprising, is that Snowlark more than likely wouldn't handle rejection well. Though she IS emotionally strong, romance is uncharted territory for her, and considering the nasty experience she had with Darkstripe, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume she would react poorly to being shot down. Though this has not yet happened to her, when it finally does, it probably won't end well.

History:

Snowlark is the daughter of Frozenleaf and Leopardclaw, the littermate to Fawnchaser, all three of which are StoneClan cats. Born to two StoneClan warriors as Rosekit, she came second in their litter of two, just after Fawnkit. From an early age, her personality began to really take hold, the strength of her character indeed strong enough to charm and chat-up just about anyone she talked to.

Her earliest moons were spent with happiness, affection and that ever-present kitten curiosity, Rosekit without a doubt completely entwined with the innocence of youth. That innocence was short-lived, however, a 3 or 4 moons after her apprenticeship to an older tom by the name of Darkstripe. Perhaps the StoneClan leader had assumed Darkstripe would never set his sights on a she-cat so young, the StoneClan leader giving the libidinous, chauvinistic tom the benefit of the doubt even when he didn't deserve it.

This proved to be a mistake that almost cost Rosepaw her life.

As far as tutoring went, Darkstripe was a skilled and talented warrior, he lacked the wishywashy behavior of inexperienced mentors and the set-in-iron ways of the older, senior warriors. He would've been the perfect mentor for the malleable, charming, promising little Rosepaw, had he been thinking of their relationship in terms of student and teacher instead of seeing her as a future paramour. At first, Rosepaw thought he was just being overly friendly, but when his open flirting started to border on creepy, Rosepaw immediately spoke to her father, Leopardclaw about it. The tom, disgruntled, had a brief chat with his daughter's mentor as a result, and even though it resulted in Darkstripe being mean, Rosepaw was certain it would finally stop the uncomfortable flirting in it's tracks.

Temporarily assuage it, more like; shortly after her vigil as the newly made Rosefeather, her mentor approached her again once more on the subject of becoming mates. Their age difference wasn't so awful, but it was a lot broader than she'd like it to be, beside the fact that he put a bad taste in her mouth thanks to the rocky start of her apprenticeship. Now that they were both warriors, and therefore Darkstripe's actions would be a lot less frowned upon, Rosefeather's former mentor reached full on stalker tendencies. It became so severe that Rosefeather complained to the StoneClan deputy, which once more invoked Darkstripe's ire, but Rosefeather was reaching the end of her rope.

Now spitting and hissing at him the second he even hinted at starting a relationship, a deep wedge was driven between them, not that they'd ever been close to begin with. Rosefeather was certain that she flatout did not like him, not even a little, nor would she ever. She told it to his face after putting up with 6 moons of his invasive behaviors; whether this was the best thing or the worst thing she'd ever done was...debatable.

Shortly after her brother Fawnchaser was dealing with the death of his first apprentice, Weaseltooth, (of whom she'd been able to comfort a little, the she-cat presently wrapped up in her own issues), her problem with Darkstripe finally came to a conclusion. What Rosefeather had not been aware of at the time, being a young she-cat of only 22 moons, was how fine the line was between love and hate. While Darkstripe's feelings had been obsessive, they were still categorized under 'love'; when she rejected him for the final time, Darkstripe's love for Rosefeather turned into hatred the same way a cigarette sparks a wildfire.

While they were at the edge of StarClan's Claws, Darkstripe having followed her on one of her hunting trips, Rosefeather confronted her stalker and gave him a piece of her mind. He gave her a piece of his claws. The battle was violent and relentless, but it was clear that Rosefeather was outclassed: Darkstripe had taught her how to fight, yes, but she had only been given the bare minimum, Rosefeather had then realized, the tom selfishly keeping his best moves, the cleverist techniques all to himself. Though Darkstripe's intention probably hadn't been to kill her, he definitely got close. After Rosefeather had lost the strength to fight back and was too badly injured to continue, Darkstripe chased her from StoneClan's territory.

The battered, abused young warrior left a blood trail from StoneClan's border, through StarClan's Claws, the she-cat nearly drowning in her efforts to feebly cross the stream into TreeClan territory. Her calculations were off, however, and Rosefeather found herself soaked, bleeding, exhausted and near unconsciousness at the NightClan border. She passed out just as Dapplecloud, the then Medicine Cat of NightClan, stumbled upon the she-cat while out collecting herbs.

>>The Recovery<<

The combination of her injuries and nearly getting washed away in RainClan's river had resulted in the young she-cat contracting pneumonia. A large number of NightClan cats stated that trying to save her would be a waste of herbs and effort, but fortunately, Rosefeather's arrival had caught the attention of Stripestar, the leader of NightClan at the time. Having recently lost his own daughter, Snowpetal, Stripestar had reeled back in shock upon discovering the uncanny resemblance Rosefeather had to the child he had lost. With an almost feverish gleam in his eyes, Stripestar had ordered Dapplecloud to heal the young StoneClan she-cat; though Stripestar did not neglect his duties as leader, he would occasionally wind up in the Medicine Cat's den to check on Rosefeather's progress. Once she was capable of talking without wheezing and pleghm rattling around in her chest, Rosefeather grew acquainted with Stripestar, her charming, chatty personality not at all damaged by Darkstripe's claws, even though her body had been.

Rosefeather hadn't noticed until she was well enough to travel outside the den and look at herself in a puddle, that Darkstripe had purposefully avoided damaging her face; his obsessive love and hatred for her had likely been at war within him on the day he'd attacked her. Rosefeather wasn't the least bit grateful for the selective mauling, but it was nice to know that while her neck, forelegs and haunches was deeply scarred beneath her snowy fur, she could at least keep her looks. With Stripestar for company and the fact that Darkstripe could never harm her here, Rosefeather, to the surprise of everyone, flourished.

She was able to come out of her shell, and for the first time in many many moons, her shoulders were not tense with stress, her eyes were not full of irritability, and her words were no longer those of a cat begging to be left alone.

>>Becoming Snowlark<<

For three full moons, Stripestar allowed her to stay within NightClan, the she-cat trying to shake off the last of her illness and injury. The NightClan leader neglected to mention Rosefeather at any of the gatherings, and for all StoneClan knew, or at least what Darkstripe had told them, she had been eaten by Demon and that was that. Though Rosefeather longed to reassure her family that she was alright, she was reluctant to leave NightClan. In those three moons that she spent recovering, she had actually made friends, acting as almost a big sister to a group of three apprentices by the name of Whisperpaw, Saffronpaw and the only tom in the group, Loudpaw. Though she had far from earned the favor or even the mild acceptance of some of NightClan's older members - many of which were concerned with Stripestar treating her like a long lost daughter returned to him - Rosefeather was respectful, helpful and most of all, a joy to be around.

She did not get to truly prove her worth, however, until at 25 moons, TreeClan attacked NightClan; reacting out of instinct and duty rather than instructions, Rosefeather had joined in the fray. Her StoneClan scent was gone, replaced by the sharp, wild tang of a NightClan cat, and Rosefeather, despite her rustiness in combat, had managed to drive off a TreeClan warrior by the name of Feathertail before the battle eventually dissipated. Though Stripestar yelled at her for almost reopening her old wounds, none could deny that the she-cat had fought bravely for a Clan she had not been born into.

Stripestar, after some careful consideration and a consultation with Dapplecloud, allowed Rosefeather to officially join NightClan. However, in order to do so, Rosefeather would have to swear an oath upon the spirits of her warrior ancestors that she would never turn against NightClan, nor would she ever consider herself a StoneClan cat again. Despite being a she-cat known for her ambivalence, Rosefeather was absolutely certain NightClan was the home she'd unknowingly been wanting all along. It was kind of funny, actually, how a Clan known for their friendliness had one cat in particular that nearly killed her and drove her from her home. Yet, NightClan, a Clan full of 'fox-hearts and blood traitors' had given her a new chance at life, a new start, and more friends and happiness than she'd ever expected.

Upon agreeing to Stripestar's terms and pledging her loyalty to her new Clan, Stripestar stripped her of her StoneClan warrior name and dubbed her Snowlark, in honor of the daughter he'd lost and the 'daughter' he'd gained.
>>From That Point On<<

At the age of 25 Moons, the newly dubbed Snowlark took on her first apprentice, which was actually Saffronpaw, the young she-cat's mentor having died during the battle against TreeClan. Already 10 moons old, it was a brief but pleasant two moons spent together, the pair more like sisters than mentor and apprentice. Though her battle skills had been proven, they were still not quite as sharp as they should've been, but her hunting was still as superb as ever. Fortunately for Snowlark, Saffronpaw was an excellent fighter and didn't need much help there.

At 27 moons, Saffronpaw became Saffronflower, alongside her friends Whisperleaf and Loudroar.

While Snowlark was slowly but steadily becoming a fully fledged and accepted member of NightClan, she was able to gain the trust of Boneshadow, a well-respected warrior who acted as a sort of 'mentor' to her for a brief period of time. Stripestar, wanting Snowlark to brush up on her fighting skills, assigned Boneshadow as her temporary mentor; this unusual situation brought about a certain perspective for young Snowlark. She now understood a little of what Darkstripe had felt when he'd been her mentor. Boneshadow had been handsome and wasn't treating her like a roach that had crawled out of a piece of fresh kill; he was always calm, always capable, and for Snowlark, who had spent her apprenticeship under a creepy, persistent, irratic tom with anger issues, Boneshadow was practically her knight in shining armor by comparison.

Though this training only lasted 2 or 3 moons, Snowlark had cherished every moment of it; she knew better than to actually voice her attraction to Boneshadow or hint at it through other means. He was a Clan born cat through and through, and she didn't want her crush-like affection for him to give him a negative reputation or put him in a darker light in the eyes of his Clanmates. That, and she knew first hand how annoying it was when someone liked you and couldn't get the message that you just didn't feel the same.

So their training sessions ended. Her crush on Boneshadow put on the back burner, her thoughts turning to the ailing Stripestar instead.

Stripestar passed away when Snowlark was roughly 31 moons old, and she took it rather hard, the older tom having been like a beloved uncle or doting grandfather in her eyes. He had managed to assuage the ache she had in her heart for her own family, and for the noble leader to have passed, it was like that ache had come back with full force. Ravenfeather, Stripestar's deputy became Ravenstar, and the small but highly intelligent she-cat chose Boneshadow as her deputy. Despite her grief, none had cheered louder than Snowlark.

6 moons have passed since Ravenstar took over leadership of the Clan, with Boneshadow at her side. Snowlark can still be found stealing a fond glance in the handsome deputy's direction, and without another apprentice of her own, she certainly has more time to do so. Make no mistake, she's not standing around making sappy eyes at Boneshadow all day, she is usually found hunting, chatting with a few apprentices (who are by far her favorite members of the Clan, she just loves their enthusiasm and their youth), or helping clear out the bedding in the nursery. Though she is not a NightClan cat by birth, Snowlark has proved and will continue to prove that she is a NightClanner in spirit, pride and loyalty to her new Clan.

>>-FIN-<<

Other:Adopted from Shady~

Theme Song: Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson.