Post by hannah on Nov 15, 2011 19:38:46 GMT -5
NAME: Redhawk
AGE: 38 moons
RANK: elder
GENDER: tom
CLAN: ShadowClan
Redhawk, as his name alludes, is a ginger tomcat. Most of his pelt is a brilliant tabby orange. All four of his paws are white, as is his chest and muzzle. He has a creamy tail -- a mix of orange and white. His fur is of medium-length, the perfect pelt for all seasons of the year. He has dull amber eyes. Though you would expect an elder to be weak and defenseless, this is not Redhawk. He may not be able to see you or hear you well, but that doesn't mean he isn't strong. He retired early, after all, and he still retains all the knowledge he gained as an apprentice.
He may be an elder, but he will not let you pity him because of it. He is still strong; he insists that he is. He seems to be completely unaware that he stumbles when he walks, that he is missing vital information because his hearing has completely disappeared in one ear, or that he can no longer fight appropriately in battle, his reflexes slower than they used to be due to his impaired vision.
He didn't become this way with age. He wasn't born this way. As a warrior, he had an unfortunate run-in with a badger, who attacked him fiercely. It wasn't until later that he realized the badger was simply protecting its kits, as Redhawk would do in a heartbeat. He was losing the battle, and he knew it. The last thing he remembers of the incident is two fuzzy outlines driving the badger back to its den.
When he woke up, those fuzzy outlines never became any clearer. It seemed that he had become partially blind as a result of the battle and, as he soon learned, he had also lost part of his hearing. Although he tried to cope, he knew it was futile. He requested to move into the elders den where he could sleep peacefully; while his vision and hearing had been impaired, he could feel things even better than before. The tiniest movement woke him up. He could sense other cats from the feeling of the ground beneath his paws. It bothered him all too much, and he knew that he was hopeless in battle anyway. At 37 moons, he was officially declared an elder, the youngest any Clan had ever seen.
They say that elders are grumpy, and this is no lie. Maybe it's because Redhawk was forced into retirement at such a young age. Either way, he is a harsh and demanding cat, strict with anyone he deems a mouse-brain. His temper is short, causing him to snap at cats who ask him too many questions, who badger him too often, or just happen to rub his fur the wrong way on that day. It is best not to argue with him.
He chooses not to dwell on the moons where he could still see and hear well. Those moons bother him and make him sad, and he has decided that sadness is too much of a burden. He will gladly entertain the kits and tell stories to anyone who will listen, but never about himself. He has trouble accepting the fact that he is an elder, but then... it's only been a moon.
He's still adjusting to the feeling of being so helpless. It's a difficult concept for any cat to accept. As a cat who had always wanted kits and a family of his own, he has since tossed that fantasy to the bottom of his list. Who would waste their time getting to know a blind and deaf elder? Instead he focuses his energy into caring for the kits when their mothers need a break.
KIN: none