onyxfeather

[attr="class","arrgenMAINTEXT"]onyxfeather is a constantly evolving organism that presents a drastically different version of himself with each passing moment. the tall ebony tom is neither warm nor cold, brave nor cowardly, noble nor deceptive. onyxfeather is a direct product of his mentor's teachings: a soldier molded to look out for shadowclan and shadowclan only. he is, and always will be, what he believes shadowclan needs him to be.

most importantly, adderfang painted a picture for him of a world that is cruel and unforgiving. onyxfeather's mentor passed onto him a lot of jaded assumptions and biases about outsiders to shadowclan that present themselves in the way onyxfeather has learned to carry himself. in the face of other clans and outsiders, onyxfeather is not known for his warmth. at gatherings, the tom truly believes he is among the enemy. he believes strongly in the need for self-discipline and secrecy, this results in a placid exterior that may come off as standoffish and unwelcoming. onyxfeather has little interest in making friends with those outside shadowclan. gatherings are merely a formality, and also an opportunity to learn the juicy weaknesses of those that rival him and his clan. ever heard of the old saying "keep your friends close and your enemies closer"? well that's a load of mouse-dung. the way onyxfeather sees it, the closer you allow the enemy, the more likely they are to learn your tender weaknesses. in this way, even allies are considered enemies who aught to be kept at a tail's length at all costs.

onyxfeather has little compassion for the struggles of those outside of shadowclan. their problems are theirs alone, and it is extremely unlikely that the ebony tom would welcome their burdens on to shadowclan. he can be reluctant to extending his aid to those that would otherwise oppose shadowclan, and because of this onyxfeather might come across as somewhat cruel and brutal. onyxfeather understands (or believes) that the other clans will always look out for themselves. this presents a very cynical view that the other clans can never be trusted, and shadowclan can be betrayed at any given time. but it is important not to forget that he is a creature of exceptional strategy and tact. the warrior is not so proud as to reject his allies if it could spell future hardships for shadowclan. while alliances under onyxfeather's watch may be strained at the best of times, he may welcome them so long as they bring shadowclan a practical advantage. it is also not unlike onyxfeather to deploy the use of psychological warfare to erode down his enemy's hard exteriors.

when it comes down to it, onyxfeather is committed, but merciless. his only concern is to ensure shadowclan's survival, no matter the costs. if that means trampling, stamping out, or annihilating shadowclan's competitors along the way (ie. conflict with the other clans), so be it. adderfang taught him the shadowclan came above all else. starclan's will and the warrior code, though important, are secondary to his duty to his clan. this is what makes onyxfeather so potentially dangerous. living in the forest is survival of the fittest, and if the others can't survive in league with shadowclan's needs, then that's their problem to sort.

among his comrades, onyxfeather is a different creature altogether. he is a warrior that worries too deeply, and analyzes too much. the tom's tendency toward self-discipline and overly-analytical strategy can make him slow to act. he must understand all sides of the issue, consider their outcomes and consequences before he can commit himself to an action. he is also no stranger to playing the devil's advocate. while he thrives playing on the sidelines where he can drink in all the information around him, onyxfeather is an opinionated tom who frequently struggles to hold his tongue. this, in itself, is an interesting quality for someone who demands self-discipline from himself and also those around him. this, again, is a quality deeply instilled in him by his former mentor, adderfang. onyxfeather holds his clan mates, and own apprentices especially, to exceptionally high standards. he expects nothing but the best from those around him, especially when it comes to interacting with the enemy clans. this might sometimes strain onyxfeather's relationships with those in shadowclan that do not share is ideals for how things aught to be. the ebony tom does little in the way of establishing meaningful relationships with who do not easily identify with his "work ethic" (ie. how he sees the world).

at the end of the day, there is no denying onyxfeather's passion and commitment to his clan. he gets along well this those he perceives as hard working and loyal to shadowclan. onyxfeather leans toward a dry and grim sense of humour that might break down his otherwise stoic exterior to reveal a warrior who tries not to take himself to seriously. as a mentor, onyxfeather can be tough and hard to please, but only because he wants nothing but the best for his apprentice. as a comrade, onyxfeather is as loyal as they come, who will have his clan mates' back even at the cost of his life. within the walls of shadowclan's camp, the tall ebony tom is an intuitive warrior who can be rather unconventional in his approach to training and conduct. he's not one to instantly take charge or bark orders because he can recognize the intelligence and ingenuity of those around him. onyxfeather is a creature that thrives on observation, allowing those to make their own mistakes to learn. he walks a fine line between the need to know and control, and letting creatures be creatures.

onyxfeather, in a lot of ways, is a warrior of radical passion. his need to put shadowclan above all else is a dangerous concoction to those that oppose shadowclan. despite his tendencies toward dispassion and indifference to outsiders, he acts in what he truly believes to be best or his clan. these qualities, in many ways, may lead onyxfeather down the wrong path, but he only acts in ways that he perceives to be right for shadowclan (not necessarily right for everyone, or the right choice overall).

[attr="class","arrgenMAINTEXT"]kithood.
onyxfeather's life in shadowclan began not unlike most do: with the union of two young lovers. his mother and father, separated only by a few moons, shared most of their lives together from the very beginning. they made the nursery their home, then the apprentice den, and later the warriors den. blackwing, onyxfeather's father, was a charismatic and charming tom who lived and breathed for his clan. he seemed contented in serving his purpose as a shadowclan warrior. silverclaw was a feisty she-cat with a sharp tongue and clever wit. they were an unusual pair, given their contradictory attributes, but they seemed to work together. blackwing was silverclaw's grounding rock, her voice of reason and steady reassurance. silverclaw kept blackwing on his toes, pushing his limits and broadening his horizons.

silverclaw, however, was the mother that was never meant to be. shortly after becoming warriors, it was discovered that the she-cat was pregnant. while blackwing was elated with joy, silverclaw dampened her anxieties for her mate's sake. she'd never aspired to be a mother and never experienced that maternal drive. blackwing couldn't have been more proud of the small creatures that began to form in her womb. yet with each passing moon, silverclaw's uncertainties grew with the swelling of her belly. blackwing comforted her with whispers of sweet nothings and support. while her anxiety never subsided, she withheld her fears of motherhood for her mate's own happiness.

finally, silverclaw brought three little toms into the world. the first was a large smokey tom who's fur was closer to a dark gray than a black. he was named viperkit, after the dark scales of the serpent and for the prowess he would one day possess. the second tom was black as a moonless night, like his father, with a shiny black coat and kitten-blue eyes that would one day become a brilliant amber colour. this second little tom was named onyxkit. and finally, there was littlekit, named after his slight stature. and unlike his two brothers, littlekit carried the silver markings of his mother.

viperkit was a boisterous and competitive kit. he enjoyed pushing his limits, and the limits of their freedoms. the large tom thrived on play fighting with his brothers and testing the patience of his fellow nursery-mates. littlekit, on the other hand, was a soft spoken and thoughtful soul. like his father, littlekit was pleasant to be around and easy going. despite the strenuous relationship with his mother, and the sometimes irritable annoyances of his brothers, littlekit seemed hardly bothered by the hardships of the world. and finally there was onyxkit, a confident and clever little tom. like viperkit, onyxkit was exceptionally competitive and the two brothers frequently butt heads over who aught to be the trio's "ring leader". onyxkit didn't have the brute strength of viperkit, but he was a clever creature that took his victories with calculated force. and when the tension grew to be too much between the dark brothers, littlekit was always there to smooth those ruffled feathers.

their days in the nursery played out rather uneventfully. silverclaw continued to struggle with motherhood and affection did not come naturally to her. she yearned to be back in the warriors den with her mate and serving her duty to the clan. as the toms grew older, and were no longer dependant on silverclaw's milk, she returned early to the warriors den. onyxkit, viperkit, and littlekit carried out the rest of their kit-hood under the watch of a surrogate queen until they reached six moons. blackwing visited them frequently, doting over his kits as any father would. as a result of silverclaw's standoffish nature with the kits, she did not have a close relationship with them after departing back to the warriors den.

it is perhaps this moment in time that fostered onyxkit's standoffish nature. he was a thoughtful and observant kit, and sensed the reluctant his mother put off. he didn't understand how blackwing could be so warm, yet the she-cat that had bared them seem the squirm at their very sight. and when she left, well that settled it then. if silverclaw wanted to abandon he and his brothers, the onyxkit didn't need her either. if there was one thing onyxkit took from silverclaw, it was her fiery nature and it would take a special kind of warrior to dampen his flame.

apprenticeship.
on onyxkit's sixth moon, he and his brothers would be apprenticed. onyxpaw was awarded a senior shadowclan warrior known as adderfang. his mentor was as equally as stubborn as onyxpaw, impossible to please, and unrelenting in his training tactics. in the beginning, the two butt heads more often than not. onyxpaw was an intelligent and intuitive apprentice, who picked up quickly on the skills adderfang had to offer. but he struggle to understand his mentor's extremisms, harsh tongue, and sometimes convoluted way of interpreting the world. despite onyxpaw's strengths, he was also naive and fiercely opinionated. he took adderfang's words for granted, quipped back at the tom's sharp remarks, and struggled not to undermine adderfang's vision of the world.

his mentor combatted onyxpaw's stubborn nature with sheer will power and round-the-clock effort. adderfang worked onyxpaw's pads to blood and bone, and when the apprentice felt like he couldn't take another step, pushed him even further. the ebony apprentice resented him greatly, at first. adderfang didn't seem to even know what a compliment was, and onyxpaw endured practicing the same skill over and over and over again. with time, onyxpaw became to worn to fight back with stubborn will or wit. adderfang broke the apprentice down to his very basics, and from those blocks built himself an apprentice that was the spitting image of what every apprentice should. adderfang is attributed with molding onyxfeather into the very warrior he is today.

adderfang painted a world for onyxpaw that was both cynical and unrelenting. he instilled the fear of starclan into onyxpaw, and above all else, and undying loyalty to shadowclan. his mentor channeled onyxpaw's competitive nature against viperpaw frequently. after all, apprentices couldn't get into trouble if they were too busy besting each other. he also elevated shadowclan's need to thrive and prosper into motivation that pushed onyxpaw to do better and be stronger.

it was during this time that onyxpaw began to change. his unfounded arrogance melted away to confidence. adderfang clipped his fighting spirit and silenced that combative tongue, creating a creature that was reserved and introspective. adderfang taught onyxpaw how to see the world and those around him, to be ever watchful and thoughtful. he developed the young tom's intelligent mind into a creature that was tactical and focused. no longer was onyxpaw an unruly apprentice that thought he knew better. although adderfang created what he thought was the perfect apprentice, he also instilled in onyxpaw all of his biases. like the teacher that taught him, onyxpaw became increasingly cynical and jaded against those outside of shadowclan. he resented the other clans for competing with shadowclan's resources, and outsiders were nothing but vultures looking to capitalize on shadowclan's scraps. onyxpaw became unforgiving, even radical in his devotion to shadowclan. he became unsympathetic to the plights of those outside of his clan, and looked lowly upon those that did not devote themselves entirely to loyalty.

perhaps that is why onyxpaw and viperpaw's relationship was never exceptionally strong. onyxpaw grew to be calculated and controlled, always, while viperpaw revelled in his increasing freedoms. viperpaw was a skilled warrior apprentice, but he scoffed at his duties frequently and tended to take things with a grain of salt. viperpaw was an opportunist who to tended to capitalize on what would benefit him and while you couldn't call him disloyal, he was definitely a soul that looked out for himself first. and onyxpaw resented him for that. onyxpaw saw a creature that was lazy and non-committal. viperpaw was irritating at best, with an ego that onyxpaw would have like to smear out. meanwhile viperpaw saw in his brother a tom that was becoming increasingly withdrawn. onyxpaw took the world too seriously, had become standoffish, and only fostered relationships that were more business than pleasure.

becoming a warrior.
by onyxpaw's twelfth moon, it was time for the three brothers to be made into warriors. viperpaw became viperstrike, for his formidable power in combat. littlepaw became littleleap, for despite his small stature, the silvery tom was incredibly agile. and finally, onyxpaw became onyxfeather. the ebony tom, too, took on a name that called to his agility. onyxfeather was light on his paws and moved with the grace and confidence a regal creature. as onyxfeather poised his wiry body with sure-footedness, he too possessed that sureness in himself. finally, they had become warriors.

viperstrike revelled in his freedom as a warrior, spending more time away from camp than within it, it seemed. onyxfeather busied himself with his duties, but made sure to set time aside to bond with littleleap. they confided in each other often, sharing their aspirations and rooting for each other's success as any brothers should. into warrior hood, littleleap was perhaps the only cat in the whole forest onyxfeather considered a true friend. it wasn't a lack of social skills that made it so for the ebony tom, but rather an inability or perhaps an unwillingness to foster truly genuine or vulnerable relationships with others. blackwing, perhaps, circled the fringes of onyxfeather's small circle, but it was his mother and viperstrike that were truly blips in the radar.

seven moons after their warrior ceremony, a bought of green cough ravaged the shadowclan camp. among those affected by the disease was littleleap. onyxfeather had been confident in his brother's ability to over come it, at first. but no one could have anticipated how vulnerable the young tom was, nor how compromised his immune system must have been. less than a moon labour, and littleleap took his last laboured breath.

blacking's wail throughout the camp haunted onyxfeather. it was a sound the followed him in his dreams. the sight of littleleap's limp body looked so tiny and frail in the nest of that medicine cat den. it was an image that was burned into the back of onyxfeather's eyelids. viperstrike became even more scarce after littleleap's passing, doing whatever it was he did to keep himself busy and out of his own head. even silverclaw mourned the death of her son, and onyxfeather hated her more for it. he'd wanted to spit at her at the time, and to sneer at her cold hearted selfishness. silverclaw couldn't have been bothered to love her children while they were alive, and she didn't deserve to love littleleap after it was too late. after that, onyxfeather stared straight through her as though she didn't exist. he could tell that it bothered blackwing, for the older tom only dreamed of a united family together, of a family that was stronger in the face of tragedy. but it was too late for that. and though onyxfeather had to share a den with silverclaw, she was no mother of his.

first apprentice: acornflight.
shortly thereafter, onyxfeather would acquire his first apprentice. call it dumb luck or a calculated risk on the leader's part, it helped onyxfeather nonetheless. the new responsibility of training a young generation of warriors took the tom's mind off his lost brother. onyxfeather embraced acornpaw with every fibre of his being, and over time, the frayed edges around his heart began to cauterize themselves. it still hurt to think about littleleap, about the life he could have had and everything he left behind. a small part of onyxfeather resented star clan greatly for taking his brother so young, but he had a duty to his clan now. rather than rotting within his own mind, acornpaw gave onyxfeather purpose.

like adderfang had been with him, onyxfeather was a stern and tough mentor. he held her to an extremely high standard, because if she was going to be his apprentice, she would be a model apprentice to her den mates. he longed greatly for his apprentice's success, but he could not coddle her. the ebony tom trained her vigorously, and she proved to be a spirited and dedicated creature. acornpaw was naive, as most apprentices tended to be. she asked a lot of questions - sometimes too many questions - but onyxfeather admired her attentive curiosity and the ingenuity of her mind. she was tougher than she looked, and could roll with the punches despite onyxfeather's hard to please demeanour. while the ebony tom struggled with affection and giving her credit where it was do, there was no denying the unsaid pride the swelled within his chest as acornpaw grew to be an amicable young warrior.

it was in these six moons of his life that onyxfeather discovered the rich relationships there were to gain from those around him. as acornpaw grew and matured, she became his equal. yet onyxfeather felt fiercely protective of the young she-cat, not because she was incapable, but because she was - had been - his apprentice. and even as acornpaw became acornflight, his fierce devotion to her remained unwavering. in a lot of ways, acornflight became what onyxfeather had lost in littleleap's passing. she was someone he was die for, and someone he truly cared for. onyxfeather probably never will be a paternal figure to anyone, but if he ever was capable of such a feat, it was the closest he would come to achieving with her.

the secret: nightpool.
grief has a strange way of changing things, perspective, and emotions. up until the loss of his brother, he's never thought much of relationships beyond the ones forged as a dedicated warrior. perhaps it was the loneliness without littleleap, or maybe it was the way with which onyxfeather was forced to examine his own mortality. whatever it was, grief had brought nightpool into his life. she was a fierce and fiery shadowclan warrior, but most of all, she had been a distraction from onyxfeather's grief. for a while, the ebony tom had enjoyed the she-cat's company in between training acornpaw. onyxfeather wouldn't have called her his mate, but she was something akin to it.

as acornpaw's warrior ceremony approached, onyxfeather had begun to adjust to life without littleleap. he still ached with loss, but his mind was once again returning to his accomplishments and duties as a warrior. that's when things began to change with nightpool. onyxfeather became less interested in vying for her attention, not that he needed to work too hard for it. he felt his neediness and dependencies ebbing as his mind once again began to fortify itself. it soon became clear to onyxfeather that he wasn't interested in playing cat and mouse with emotions, he wasn't interested in starting a family or having a she-cat under wing to distract him from his duties. it was with that in mind, that onyxfeather confessed to nightpool that he wasn't in love with her, and that their futures together may not be what she had hoped.

that was when the switch flipped. faced with rejection, nightpool too whirled around and rejected onyxfeather. she resented him for his refusal to reciprocate her love and estranged herself from the tom until he was nothing more than a ghost of her past. some moons later, nightpool would give birth to two kits: crowkit and starlingkit. she never did reveal the name of the tom that sired those kits, and it was those secrets that caused the mother to grow bitter and cruel towards her offspring. those kits eventually grew into warriors, but their existences were inconsequential to onyxfeather. shortly after receiving their warrior names, nightpool was killed in a border dispute with thunderclan and her secrets would die with her.

second apprentice: ebonysky.
at 23 moons of age, life had not yet finished testing onyxfeather. his second apprentice came in the form of ebonypaw, a confident and resilient she-cat. onyxfeather didn't necessarily conflict with ebonypaw like he had acornpaw in the beginning, but their hurtles together arose in the fact that ebonypaw was fully blind. onyxfeather's experience with such a disability had been next to none up until that point, but ashstar must have believed in him when he chose onyxfeather to become her mentor.

their moons together were a time of great experimentation and growing. onyxfeather had to learn to describe a world for ebonypaw that she had never laid eyes upon. he had to learn to channel his others senses, to feel them and understand them as ebonypaw did. with practice, the two became exceptionally close. ebonypaw was a hard worker who never allowed herself to be discouraged or slow down. onyxfeather held high expectations for the young she-cat. despite her blindness, he would never allow ebonypaw's lack of sight to become a weakness nor crutch. onyxfeather was determined to sculpt ebonypaw into a strong and capable warrior that could put anyone to shame who dared underestimate her. like her mentor, ebonypaw was exceptional at combat, with senses that almost seemed mystical in the way she was able to predict and evade a vicious assault. she could hunt with the best of them and her keen senses allowed ebonypaw to track down a target like it was second nature.

as ebonypaw grew to become ebonysky, she and onyxfeather became equals. as a warrior, onyxfeather highly respects ebonysky and their relationship has remained closely bonded in the moons since her warrior ceremony. ebonysky carries her name like a birthright and onyxfeather couldn't be more proud of the strong warrior she has become.

becoming ashstar's deputy.
hardship has never been a stranger to shadowclan, yet their leadership had remained a constant and consistent presence in onyxfeather's life. ashstar has held the mantle of shadowclan leader, with finchclaw his loyal deputy since before onyxfeather's time. in those moons, shadowclan has faced many threats, with rogue invasion being at the forefront. as a warrior, the ebony tom has become acutely aware of the lifeblood the rogue presence strips from their territory. he also feels deeply the resentment and strain ashstar (along with shadowclan) has felt in the face of thunderclan's refusal to assist them in their time of need.

while shadowclan has managed to survive these moons, they have indeed suffered. their latest blow comes in the form of losing finchclaw to the blows of a monster. now left without a deputy, ashstar has called upon onyxfeather to rise to the mantle. on the surface, the two appear unlike in many ways. but it is the undercurrents that draw the pair together, for they both long for a strong and prosperous shadowclan. while onyxfeather adjusts to his new role as deputy, a strives to fill the paw prints left behind in finchclaw's wake. just as he had during his warrior ceremony, onyxfeather has sworn an oath to uphold and protect shadowclan at any cost - a quality he hopes will bring pride to ashstar.

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