PERSONALITY

- | anxious, cautious, cowardly, meek, fawning, insecure, naive

Most cats of Eagleclan would describe Dapplecreek as a sweet and gentle cat, much like her mother Shadepool. Calm and collected, she never discriminates or treats ill of clan-blooded felines or outsiders. She is a talented storyteller and tries to connect with the newest kits and apprentices of Eagleclan.

But none know of the pain she relives every night, and the night terrors that plague her mind as she sleeps. Though Dapplecreek would never admit it, she is still the same, insecure she-cat that she was in her youth. She puts on a smile, and acts as if everything is okay, but it couldn't be far from the truth. She worries what others think of her, and worries if she'll ever truly feel better. The loss of her parents, brother, mentor, mate, and kits has really put a wall between her and her clanmates. It is rare for her to let this wall down and truly admit how she really feels.

CONNECTIONS

Nightwhisper - father, murdered

Shadepool - mother, murdered

Volerunner - brother, died of greencough

Sootnose - sister, played by Gemini

Stormgaze - ex-mate, killed during a border skirmish

Snowkit - son, murdered

Redkit - son, drowned

Quailchirp - ex-mentor, died of greencough

Wolfsnout - ex-apprentice, adoptable

HISTORY

Born to Nightwhisper and Shadepool, Dapplekit and her siblings, Volekit and Sootkit were raised under the gentle gaze of their mother. Dapplekit was a social butterfly amongst her kin, and as soon as she was able to open her eyes and find her footing, she'd scamper off to the other queens' nests.

Unbeknownst to her, Volekit and Sootkit soon formed a close bond. Dapplekit wasn't never truly interested in playfighting or mossball catching, taking after her mother, Shadepool. Nightwhisper, though tough on the exterior, found somewhat of a soft spot for little Dapplekit. Most believed it was because she reminded him so much of Shadepool. Dapplekit was oblivious to her father's harsh ways with her sister, Sootkit.

When she was around 4 moons old, a grey tabby kit, named Stormkit noticed her sunbathing alone. Stormkit was quiet, shy even, amongst the rowdy litters in the nursery. 1 moon her senior, Stormkit had sat heavily on his hunches next to Dapplekit and asked how she felt about becoming an apprentice. Set back by the question, Dapplekit merely shrugged. Truthfully, she hadn't given it much thought. Why would she want to become an apprentice when she had parents who loved and doted on her, and a safe and warm nest?

Stormkit opened up to her, that he was afraid. Wide-eyed, Dapplekit remained quiet. Embarrassed, Stormkit attempted to escape the awkward conversation, but Dapplekit snatched his paw in hers and urged him to talk to her.

Even after Stormkit and his siblings became apprentices, he still brought Dapplekit prey and flowers he'd find on patrols. The thought of joining Stormpaw in the apprentice den gave Dapplekit the push she needed to prepare herself for her own apprenticeship.

When her and her siblings became 6 moons old, Dapplekit was given her apprentice name, Dapplepaw. Assigned to a flamboyant tom named Quailchirp, the two became more of friends than a mentor-apprentice relationship. Named for his chatty nature, Quailchirp was mediocre at best in fighting and hunting. Dapplepaw didn't mind, and was actually relieved to see she didn't get a tough, battle-scarred mentor like Sootpaw or Volepaw.

Though the leader got an earful from Nightwhisper after her naming ceremony, with words like 'mousebrained-warrior' thrown around like spoiled prey, Dapplepaw decided she'd make the most of her apprenticeship. Besides the normal hunting and battling, she riddled Quailchirp's mind for stories and legends. She loved to share tongues with her brother and Stormpaw, as well as the other apprentices, soon building her popularity amongst the youth of Eagleclan.

More agile than strong, Dapplepaw discovered she had a knack for fishing, despite the prey not being a common choice for the clan. Quailchirp entertained her training and practice, often sunbathing as he watched her strike the water and try not to fall in.

As she and Stormpaw grew closer, her relationship with her sister had all but dissipated during their apprenticeship. Dapplepaw tried to talk to Sootpaw, or invite her to sit with them during meal times, but Sootpaw would always refuse, preferring her own solitude. Dapplepaw noticed her father scolding her almost daily, and even her mild-mannered mother would chime in. When Dapplepaw would ask them about it, they'd merely avoid her questions and turn their attention towards her own training. "You need to make this family proud" her father would always say.

Though she never mentioned it, even to Stormpaw, the weight of her parents' pressure was a burden that often left her second guessing herself, or feeling unsteady on her own paws. When Quailchirp noticed her messing up easy tasks, or getting confused on patrols, he asked what seemed to be bothering her. But Dapplepaw only laughed, saying she had slept wrong, or ate bad prey.

At 12 moons old, Dapplepaw and her siblings were named warriors. Named Dapplecreek, Sootnose, and Volerunner, respectfully, Dapplecreek nuzzled her parents and Stormgaze after their yowls had died down. The queens and elders teased Dapplecreek as to when she and Stormgaze would make things official finally, as the two 'had always been so close'. Dapplecreek could only blush and turn away from their invasive questions.

She had always believed that her and Stormgaze would become mates when they were named warriors, but once she actually became a warrior, she was hesitant to be nest-ridden so soon. As she sat, sunbathing after a dawn patrol, her mother and father came to sit with her. Once small talk turned hot seat, the two questioned what Dapplecreek was going to provide to the clan. Protection, like her brother? Prey, like her sister? Shadepool and Nightwhisper made it perfectly clear as to what role they expected Dapplecreek to play, leaving her with a foul taste in her mouth as they padded away.

Eventually, Stormgaze and Dapplecreek became official. Though she was ecstatic, and loved Stormgaze more than every star in Silverpelt, the pressure she got from her parents to have kits seemed to spoil her joy. After a season, she realized her sickness was more than just rotten prey, but rather a belly of kits.

Stormgaze was a natural caregiver, constantly checking in with Dapplecreek. She knew he'd be an amazing father, and that his gentle and kind nature would nurture their kits into wonderful clanmates. As her belly grew larger, she could almost feel a fiery gaze from her sister across camp. Guilt weighed on her shoulders each time she'd catch Sootnose's scent, or make accidental eye contact across camp. She wanted to share the happiness with the soon to be aunt and uncle, but each time she'd approach Sootnose she'd only lash out.

After some mild complications with her pregnancy, Dapplecreek was sent to the nursery until her kits were born. Stormgaze tried to get out of as many patrols and hunting parties as he could so Dapplecreek wouldn't go mad alone in the nursery, but eventually the leader demanded the warrior return to his duties.

During the final moon of her pregnancy, a strange silence settled across the camp. Finally, Dapplecreek waddled over to the medicine cat's den to see what was the matter, only to see her mate laying on the bloody floor. Crying as she crossed the den, she demanded to know what happened to him, and why no one came for her. The medicine cat explained that he was long dead before the patrol had brought him back to camp, and there was nothing anyone could do to save him. An accidently nick to the wrong artery left the warrior to an early grave.

Dapplecreek wasn't quite the same after they laid Stormgaze to rest. Even during her labor, all she did was cry out for Stormgaze. When neither one of the kits looked like him, Dapplecreek refused to name them. The queens and medicine cat begged for her to name them, as she needed to begin nursing if she expected them to live. Finally, after a few days, she quietly named one Snowkit, and the other Redkit.

After a nightmare shook Dapplecreek awake in the nursery, the queen quickly realized her kits were no longer nuzzled against her belly. Frantic, she barged into the warrior's den, begging for a patrol to be made to help look for the kits. The kits were much too young to be able to explore outside of camp, which meant they had to have been plucked from her nest.

Without a proper scent to follow, the patrol searched high and low, this time returning not only with a still Snowkit and Redkit, but with the mutilated bodies of her mother and father. Dapplecreek couldn't believe her eyes, falling to the forest floor, gasping for breath.

Burying her kits next to Stormgaze's grave, Dapplecreek felt defeated and empty.

It hopes to raise her spirits, Dapplecreek was given an apprentice after she returned to her warrior duties. The bushy grey tom was mouthy, reminding Dapplecreek of her own sister, Sootnose. Wolfpaw was disobedient, and a nuisance to the clan. At first, Dapplecreek wondered why she was being punished. Wolfpaw didn't respect her, and frankly didn't care to hone his skills with some wetpaw.

Eventually, after coming to Wolfpaw's aid on more than one occasion, the tom realized he would have had a lot easier of a time becoming a warrior if he'd just listen to Dapplecreek instead of doing things his way. After moons of butting heads, and being refused an assessment, Wolfpaw became a warrior named Wolfsnout.

Dapplecreek still mourns the death of her parents, mate, and kits. While she puts on a pleasant face, she struggles with night terrors and bouts of depression and anxiety. She longs for connection, especially after the passing of her mentor and brother to greencough. Her and Sootnose are far from being civil to one another, but Dapplecreek still secretly hopes she can change that. She is completely in the dark about Sootnose's murder streak, and her connection with her kits and parents' murder.