HIGH POSITION AUDITIONS 6/5

( the positive ) : passionate, dependable, generous, serious, fiercely loyal

( the neutral ) : casual, competitive, outspoken, domineering, deceptive

( the negative ) : stubborn, strong feminist, sometimes rash, led by emotions, unforgiving

• born to juniperfang and embertail, their only kit.
• apprenticed to a amiable tom named newtnose.
• his mother, embertail died in a border skirmish three moons before he was named a warrior. this made for a long period of depression.
• named dawnclaw in honor of his skill in battle.
• came out of his depression, embracing his new title.
• trained young cat named mosspaw who later was named mossbelly.
• courted a tom named littlebreeze; they had a brief romance before dawn broke it off so that he could focus more on his duties.
• trained another apprentice named sprucepaw who was later named sprucestorm
• had a few short-lived flings with littlebreeze, but nothing more.
• announced as deputy after shadestrike died.
• juniperfang was named an elder, the tom losing his sight rather swiftly as he aged.
• became leader shortly after storkstar died.

a sleek gray and tan tom slipped across the land silently, keeping close to the ground and often hiding his lean frame behind a slope, tall grasses, or a bush. he was stalking something, but it was by no means prey. his fixation was a silver she-cat, her name ivyleaf. dawnstar had become suspicious of her as of late, seeing her personality change from its usual obnoxious arrogance to a more withdrawn and secretive sort of attitude; it bothered him. cats didn't change that swiftly, they weren't generally so fickle with their personalities. having known the she-cat since she was a kit in the nursery, dawn had figured it was something more than a failed crush or an issue with family.

so the leader had found himself tailing the young warrior, his honey amber eyes watching her closely. what he discovered was much more than he'd anticipated. ivyleaf was speaking to a small patrol of riverclan cats, thinking she was safe to speak as loud as she pleased since she was safely under the cloak of night and most of her clanmates should have been in camp sleeping. dawnstar was grateful for her youthful ignorance, but enraged to find that one of his warriors was less than loyal to him and the clan. she was plotting a raid on windclan with those river rats!

dawnstar had gone back home, and he'd waited. no words had been spoken to ivyleaf about what he'd witnessed. two sunrises went by, and the riverclanners came. having been long prepared for them by then, dawnstar retaliated against the enemy clan's forces in kind. few warriors were badly injured, and the gray leader himself had only obtained a few scratches and scrapes. the attack had ended quickly, and he returned to camp with purpose; now was the time to confront the traitor.

padding up to the silver she-cat where she sat lounging in the shade of a bush, dawnstar beckoned her out for a chat. it appeared she knew what was going on, as she didn't even blink at his next words.

"ivyleaf, i witnessed your meeting with riverclan. why?" he'd wanted to give her a chance to explain herself. maybe they'd forced her. but his hopes were in vain. the she-cat steadily replied that she hoped to join their ranks, as she'd found a true home there. nodding thoughtfully, dawnstar got to his paws and gestured for a pair of warriors to come to him. "escort ivyleaf from the territory; she is hereby exiled for conspiring with riverclan concerning the raid." the tom explained calmly before padding to the stump he made clan announcements from to inform the clan.

strengths : intelligent, strategic, awareness, eidetic memory, loyal

weaknesses : quiet, holds grudges, no interest in leadership, malicious, sensitive

• Born during a particularly harsh Leaf-Bare, coalkit and his sister, silverkit, were the only survivors out of a litter of five.
• coalkit and silverkit were given to another queen when their mother's milk ran dry.
• as he grew older, coalkit learned things at a breakneck pace and struggled to stay entertained.
• it became evident early on that coalkit was blessed with an unfading memory.
• coalpaw trained under (any TC elder), but proved difficult to connect with.
• his memory continued to be a distinct advantage throughout his training. though he had a very active and eventful apprenticeship, coalpaw's reclusive nature never saw him in the spotlight.
• developed quite the crush on fernpaw, an apprentice that had always been quite nice to him.
• at a relatively young age, coalgaze was given his warrior name in reference to his mind's eye and powerful memory. his former peers came to resent him for ranking up so quickly.
• diligent and organized, coalgaze proved to thrive as a warrior, and quickly found a niche for himself amidst frequent patrols and hunts. whenever possible, he assisted both fernpaw and his sister, silverpaw, with the last bits of their training.
• during a time of chaos, thunderclan's deputy perished. foxstar named coalgaze as their replacement to utilize his unique skills to help push thunderclan through their challenging time. it was a radically successful plan, and continues to work-- though coalgaze shies away from some aspects of leadership.
• with skyclan's arrival, coalgaze remains surprisingly neutral, though the early skirmishes saw a very different side of him. now that there is a peaceful alliance of sorts, he remains subdued and respects foxstar's decision, though he will not and cannot forget what happened.

As he sat high within the branches among the leaders of the other clans, Coalgaze swept his eyes out across the warriors the other clans had brought with them. With little difficulty, he was able to pinpoint the same ginger tom that had raked his claws across Silverflower’s shoulders during her first tentative border patrol since her time in the nursery. A bitter malice coiled in his stomach, and Coalgaze forced himself to remain still and quiet as Mothstar continued to provide updates from Skyclan. He kept his breathing shallow so that they wouldn’t hear the beginning stages of green cough skulking about inside of his lungs.

No one in Thunderclan had been spared, least of all Foxstar, who had barely been able to rise from his nest. It was why Coalgaze had even found himself attending the gathering in the first place.

”We’re grieved to report the loss of Toadpaw, who caught sick following an injury gained in a skirmish,” With his eyes still trained on Liontooth, Coalgaze couldn’t tell if Mothstar’s tone was as accusing as his pinned ears were marking it sound. The smoky colored tom waited patiently for the other leaders to finish providing those gathered with their updates before stepping forward. Slowly, the curled tips of his claws began to reach out and prick into the bark of the tree branch.

”Though another harsh winter wracks each clan in the forest,” Coalgaze’s voice carried out and filled the clearing, and only the sharper ears among the cats would have picked up on the wet, sick sound that lingered at the very edges of his tone.

”Thunderclan proves resilient and strong, and with my sister, Silverflower, returned to the nursery, it’s likely we’re expecting another strong, healthy litter.” The short-furred tom’s muscles bunched for a moment before he pounces forward to situate himself on a more central branch.

”Aspenpaw has very nearly finished her training and will soon be named a warrior—and several others will follow suit before New Leaf,” Coalgaze took a moment to pause. It was a bold plan to continue with what he had to say, but if Skyclan’s warriors had been lying to their leader about what happened at the borders, then perhaps they all needed a quick nip to check their place.

”A bout a Green Cough currently settled on Thunderclan, but our Medicine Cat is both diligent and resourceful, and thus far, no cat has been lost.” Coalgaze forced a very small smile and slowly turned his head back to look up at Mothstar, his ears perked forward with an eerie attentiveness, ”Thunderclan sends its sincerest regrets to our friends among Skyclan for the loss of Toadpaw,” Dark brown eyes slowly narrowed until only slender slits remained, ”We had little idea that when our warriors rallied to defend our territory from an aggressive intrusion that it would be from Skyclan, or that any patrol would venture so close to the border, knowing about the sickness within from the last Gathering.” Even before he finished, cats gathered below began to hiss and spit, prickling with hostility.

They could afford to lose Skyclan as allies—the other clans still didn’t trust them. Perhaps Thunderclan’s willingness to expose their behavior publicly would force them to remain in check a little longer—at least until Foxstar was healthy enough to resume his mantle of leadership.

Then perhaps their leaders could figure out what to do about their agitated warriors and borders.

• Heronkit was born in a litter of two, alongside Minnowkit. Their mother, Salmonsplash, never announced the name of their father - though there were some suspicions among the clan, such as her old mentor and even a loner who had been hanging around the outskirts of the clan's territory.
• Heronkit and Minnowkit are horrible bullies, with Minnowkit being the ringleader and their mother encouraging it.
  
• So when Vultureclaw becomes Heronpaw's mentor, he is stuck with a rude, rebellious kit of an apprentice who is used to throwing his weight around to get what he wants. Vultureclaw manages to shape the brute of an apprentice into something far more dangerous - muscle that thinks.
• Heronpaw becomes Heronstrike after hatching a plan to ambush the loner who has been poaching from riverclan caches since before his birth. The loner - who is potentially Heronstrike's father - is unfortunately killed while fleeing from Heronstrike's sister, who becomes Minnowmask for her part in the plan. He is fourteen moons old.
  
• He is given his first apprentice, a shy little she-cat named Smokepaw. She leaves his care a devout follower of starclan and a fanatical loyalist named Smokeheart.
  
• He sires his first litter with a she-cat by the name of Maplepool. They have a single she-kit who they name Pikekit. The pair drift apart quickly and he isn't too saddened when Maplepool is killed by a fox.
  
• He is given another apprentice, Shellpaw. Pikekit becomes Pikepaw.
• Shortly after Shellpaw and Pikepaw's graduation to Shellpelt and Pikefang, he becomes deputy.
• He meets Swallowfrost. They have a fling and produce two kits, Storkkit and Dovekit. Swallowfrost rejects the kits when it is revealed Dovekit is deaf, so Heronstrike raises them.
• Storkpaw becomes an apprentice and Doveflight joins the elders. Salmonsplash and Vultureclaw are both killed by a case of greencough in the elders den.
  

name: cedarstorm

clan: skyclan

rank: deputy

age: forty-one moons

brief personality: 

• standoffish, especially to outsiders. occasionally comes off as rude to his own clanmates, but he's just very cool and detached when speaking.
• sarcastic, which adds to the amount of rudeness that he rubs off onto others. he's not trying to be rude, it's just his way of being funny, what with his dry sense of humor and all.
• loyal, he would do anything, absolutely anything for his clan. skyclan is the most important thing in his entire life. its survival is crucial, and he will not stand to let the other clans bully them or take away from their land. in fact, he's convinced they need more land anyway.
• tongue-tied, when it comes to gentle matters. he's hard on the outside, and softer matters often make him unable to speak. he's too standoffish to treat hardly anyone with kind words, aside from a few friends, and even they are used to his somewhat rude ways.
• fatherly, because he's a sucker for younger cats and their insatiable thirst for knowledge. he was the same way when he was younger, too. mentoring has always been one of his favorite parts of being a warrior, and the tom's often spending his time giving advice to other mentors, showing kits a few things here and there, and demonstrating hunting and battle techniques alike to groups of apprentices.
• strong believer in starclan, that is, he is very thankful to them for guiding them to skyclan's new home among the other clans. cedar may not care exponentially for the other clans, but the stars above them at night are the same stars that shone brightly above them moons ago, and for that, he is thankful. his belief in starclan is unshakable.

brief history:

• born to two skyclan warriors, mistynose and jaywing in newleaf
• had a sister named laurelkit and a brother named berrykit
• had an typical apprenticeship under a senior warrior named robinwing
• laurelpaw was killed in an accident with twolegs at nine moons
• cedarpaw grew very reclusive after his sister's death
• took the young mothpaw under his wing around that time
• berrypaw became berryclaw and cedarpaw became cedarstorm
• a few moons later, cedarstorm was given his first apprentice
• berryclaw had kits with a lovely young she-cat
• cedarstorm eventually mentored one of his nephews
• served as a calm and cool leader during skyclan's troubles
• was named deputy when mothstar became leader

cedarstorm's fur bristled uncomfortably as he exited mothstar's den. it had taken a lot, but the tom had finally convinced the she-cat, albeit not too calmly, that there was no point in forcing herself out of her den and all the way to the veiled tree. while the silvery tom's own health was not perfect, cedarstorm had been lucky enough to be one of the first to suffer from the illness. though he was still recovering, the tom's strength was returning, though his pelt lacked luster and remained dull. nonetheless, he was far healthier than she was at this point, and as deputy, it was his duty, not only to her but to his clan, that he lead them to the gathering.

"ivorypetal, liontooth, berryclaw," the tom's voice rang clear through the clearing. he watched as his brother emerged from the warrior's den, his brown tabby-marked face clouded with worry. a frown broke across cedarstorm's visage. hollywhisper's health was on a sharp decline, but cedarstorm needed his brother with him at the gathering. silently, he touched his nose to berryclaw's shoulder, then pulled back and cast his icy gaze over the other two warriors. "i will be leading us to the gathering. liontooth, berryclaw, bring your apprentices. ivorypetal, go find the healthiest cat you can. we're leaving soon."

the small patrol broke off, and within a few minutes, the full patrol had gathered around the silver tabby tom. the apprentices were healthy enough, though berryclaw's was still recovering from a slight cough. cedarstorm turned his gaze to the young tom. "hold back your cough as best you can, briarpaw." the deputy mewed firmly. he turned slightly to peer at each of the cats individually. their pelts were dull and unruly, and the eyes of at least three of them had a sick, glossy look, but it was the best patrol they could muster. "we're ready."

the trip went quickly, for the skyclan camp wasn't that far off from the mossy forest, and from the mossy forest, the veiled tree. its vines hung about its crimson limbs. below, the cats of the other clans sat awaiting the arrival of skyclan. cedarstorm cursed under his breath. they were the last to arrive, which meant all eyes would be on them! with a scowl, the tom flicked his tail to dismiss the patrol and approached the tree. his back legs scrunched up and he leaped into the branches, sinking his claws in and holding himself steady. "i will be speaking first." the tom announced with a quick look at the other leaders before he turned quickly and faced the gathering before objections could be made.

"mothstar will not be joining us this evening, for she has other matters to attend to." cedarstorm began, "the prey is running well with us, though the weather has been a tad too rainy. however, a little damp weather isn't going to make skyclan up and leave." his tone changed and he looked to his right, locking eyes with the windclan leader.

"several patrols have scented windclan in the mossy forest," cedarstorm remarked before continuing, "and before windclan goes blaming it on breezes, i'd like to note that i myself found a dead, half-eaten rabbit with windclan stench all over it, far from the hillsides." his jaw tightened. "if any cat dares to set foot in our lands unwarranted, they will face severe consequences. we will not be bullied from these lands. we will fight." the tom's steely gaze swept through the clearing. he settled himself into a sitting position before nodding the other leaders on. "that's all."

• [positive] - devoted, strategic, tactful, patient, selfless (only when concerning shadowclan)
• [negative] - unrelenting, apathetic, long-fuse temper, pessimistic, lacks self-respect in some areas

• Was born with a condition that ousted her from the litter (severe conjunctivitis). Expected her to die and so gave her an atypical name so as not to become attached: Cough.
• Survived, though was now emotionally separated from family & littermates.
• Coughpaw was renamed to Viperpaw when, as an apprentice, she killed a viper in defense of a clanmate.
• Never made reparations with family. Instead focused on training and studying other cats.
• Became a warrior, named for her longer than average canines. Served faithfully and did not take a mate for multiple reasons.
• Was selected as deputy for her devotion to the clan and her ability to organize. The choice wasn't entirely unexpected and she stepped up to the job respectfully.
• Has since worked tirelessly to make Shadowclan as strong as possible.

It had taken nearly a full day of coaxing, facts, and a dash of bullying but she’d managed it; she’d shown Newtstar the folly of his foolhardy belief that he should go to the gathering. The second the other clans laid their scheming eyes on his body they would have known the toll this illness was taking on him. There was no doubt in her mind that they would use that to their advantage and she absolutely refused to let that happen.

After making sure their medicine cat had all she required to treat those that were sick, Viperfang set about deciding which cats would be best to bring. Judging by reports, there had been no obvious signs of Shadowclan’s weakness if seen by the borders. It would be best to take an all or nothing approach. She singled out only the healthiest cats and though it would leave the camp nearly defenseless, it should make the other clans believe they were as ready for combat as ever.

Once the announcement was complete, the group set off at a brisk pace. The faster they arrived and got talking the faster they’d be able to return and recuperate. As they neared the meeting point, Viperfang ordered the warriors and apprentices to slow down. It would not do to arrive out of breath and fatigued. Glancing over the cats, she arranged them so that the sickest were located in the center with the healthier cats ringing them. “You all know how crucial this meeting is. I trust you’ll hold your tongues when needed and sing praises of our fine hunting when asked. Now, let us go.” With that she led the cats to veiled tree, her head raised in command.

They streamed into the shadows, happily at home in the gloom. She did not babysit the warriors and apprentices as they intermingled with the other clans; she trusted them to know their limits. When the time came for the leaders to speak, she took her place with quiet dignity, ignoring the curious looks shot her way. Patiently she listened as the other leaders spoke, never making so much as a peep. However, just before Skyclan’s leader began his tirade, she broke in.

With a voice cool as morning dew, she gave Shadowclan’s report. “Newtstar sends his regrets for being unable to come. A badger was sighted earlier in the day and he simply could not allow such a threat to go unattended. I’m sure you all understand what it is to protect your clans from danger.” There was a certain odd tone in her voice that raised the hairs of a few pelts. She’d not insulted anyone but these fool cats were always too quick to lead to the defense of their unendingly wounded pride.

“Prey is plentiful. Our elders complain that the apprentices are going to make them fat.” In that statement she showed how adept their apprentices were at hunting. “We have a new warrior: Greyrasp. He is courageous beyond measure.” She paused there, to let the praise flow over them.

“Oh, and one more thing. Do not think that we do not see every single paw that strays over our borders. You may not see us, but we are always watching you.” With a pointed glare she fell silent. Let them fear the dance of shadows beneath the trees. Shadowclan would never fall.