dustpaw

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Dustpaw has always been mature for her age, and she takes every available opportunity to show it. She holds her head high, proud of her role and of the chance she has to serve her Clan, doing her best to keep up with ShadowClan's finest, among them her parents and older siblings. Though her appearance and demeanor still has most of its apprentice-hood charm, she tries her best to distance herself from kit-like games or humor about her age.

She has both a knack and a passion for learning, always actively seeking someone to teach her something, regardless of the topic. Enthusiastic in her studies, Dustpaw relishes the chance to put her skills to the test and is quick to put her newfound knowledge to use. Despite her slight tendency towards reservation and a preference to keep her opinion to herself unless necessary, she thoroughly enjoys witty banter and is quick to befriend anyone who can keep up with her in that regard. Her fascination for the unknown knows no bounds, and Dustpaw has always been a bit of a romantic- both in the sense that she loves things and others dearly- especially romanticized stories of the past, or the ideals of others, or listening to them speak passionately. It's easy for her to get swept up in the enthusiasm of others and be excited for them- just as easily as she likes to make friends.

Despite her maturity, intelligence, and passion, there are many lessons Dustpaw has yet to learn. She has a hard time picturing her future or what she wants to do with her life. She feels aimless, where her family seems to know exactly what they want or where they stand. Her older brothers flourished as warriors, her parents a happy couple. Her littermate is content. Dustpaw wants more, but she doesn't know what that is, what it means, or what she's good at.

So she pours her whole self into her training, the only thing she knows and is proud of. Dustpaw works herself to the bone, until her pads are cracked and everything hurts, and then she keeps working. Though she maintains a calm and brave face in stressful or painful situations, her underlying emotions are tumultuous. She is easily frustrated, even at things that are beyond her control- and she can't help but feel like everyone else sees right through her. The only distraction she finds, the only thing that quells her anxieties, is when she is helping others. But she has not figured out that she needs to take care of herself first, and her priorities always put herself last.

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She was born alongside her sister in the middle of the night to a pair of relatively young warriors for their second litter. Heatherkit, elder by a few heartbeats, was named for her darker red fur that favored her mother's side, while Dustkit's pelt combined Fallownose's ginger and Hemlockheart's white coloration. Out of all her siblings, her fur was the only one with substantial white in it ("the only one that proves they're mine," Hemlockheart would joke with a smile). Her siblings were already accomplished apprentices, and by the time she and Heatherkit were nearly ready to be apprentices they'd earned their warrior names: Oatcloud for his calm demeanor, Ryefoot for his speed, and Fennelclaw for her fierce ability in battle. Dustkit especially idolized her elder siblings, and the whole family was close, taking turns to dote on and watch over the newest members of their family.

Their own apprentice ceremony arrived inevitably, and the two sisters sat with their tails touching as they received their names: Heatherpaw and Dustpaw. Dustpaw beamed with pride the first time she touched her nose to her newly assigned mentor's. That first night in the apprentice's den was a sleepless one, as Heatherpaw and Dustpaw curled together whispering excitedly about how much they were looking forward to training together- and even more, how much they were looking forward to joining their older siblings in the warrior's den.

Dustpaw so far is proving to be an apprentice with a lot of potential, clever enough to catch onto many of the lessons her mentor has to teach and hard working enough to practice on her own when her weaknesses were obvious. She had a quick love for battle, perhaps from moons of play-wrestling with her older siblings and the romantic idea of protecting her clanmates from the worst like legends of warriors past. It helps, too, that her older brothers and sister are more than willing to offer their own learned tips and enable her workaholic nature.

Her life is simple enough. Her parents are happy, she is close to her siblings, she is on track to become a fine warrior like her parents an siblings before her. There is nothing she could possibly want- but she still finds herself stressing about the future, her training, and her place in the Clan.