Rushpaw

## Description

Rushpaw is a light brown tabby she-cat with darker brown markings. Her eyes are dull blue in color and her ears naturally curl back a bit.

## Personality

Rushpaw has a notoriously bad attitude, to say the least. She thinks very highly of herself and quickly becomes defensive if anyone challenges her sense of self. Her tendency to become aggressive causes most cats to avoid or dislike her. However, she's not a complete lost cause. She's..working on it. Since her apprentice

ship, she's learned to temper her ego and can occasionally make small, if not a little awkward, talk with other clanmates. It can just take a very persistent or tolerant cat to get along with Rushpaw at times.

One of her redeeming qualities is that she's fiercely loyal to DustClan. She would never do anything to purposely hurt or betray her clan.

## Life Events

Rushpaw was born into SeaClan, the temporary alliance between DustClan and ReedClan. She does not value this experience in any way.

She once had a streak of pestering warriors to teach her things or allow her to leave camp as a kit, believing herself to be fully capable of doing what a warrior can. She has since realized this is not a realistic request.

After a falling out with Frecklekit and a bit of advice from Clayfur as a young kit, she started to attempt to hold her tongue and ego back. This does not mean she will ever be a very sociable cat however. Some things never change.

She's developed a very close relationship with Clayfur. The warrior was the first cat in DustClan to see potential in Rushkit. Clayfur taught Rushkit the hunting crouch in a solo session as well as some battle moves along with Oasiskit. Rushkit also attended Clayfur's warrior ceremony.

During training with Oasiskit, Rushkit had gone a little too far with her smaller clanmate, which was quickly stopped by Clayfur. Frustrated at the intervening, Rushkit challenged Clayfur's authority before shortly being quelled again, as Clayfur made her promise that she would never hurt a clanmate. After this argument, Rushkit was welcomed to try to teach Oasiskit the hunting crouch herself. However, the two kits butted heads as Rushkit's ego bubbled to the surface once more. Clayfur pointed out that Oasiskit was very similar to Rushkit, both being stubborn but eager to learn, which Rushkit reluctantly considered. This was also around the time that Clayfur admitted to wanting to ask Gingerstar to be Rushkit's mentor. The young cat was thrilled at the news, firmly declaring Clayfur to be one of the best warriors that DustClan has.

Later on, Rushkit encountered Oasiskit again. The two were more friendly this time but still ended up bickering and fighting for a time. This pulled the attention of their clanmates Bouncepaw, Rosepaw, and Tumbleleap, who all tried to ease tensions between the two. Between the hyperactivity of Oasiskit, the eagerness of the apprentices, and the awkwardness of Tumbleleap, Rushkit quickly became overwhelmed by the situation and stepped back. She did however spend some time with Tumbleleap later. The two discussed their connections with Clayfur, as Rushkit learned that Tumbleleap was the warrior's adoptive father and past mentor. Tumbleleap then gave the young kit a fighting lesson, teaching her to modify the move Clayfur had already taught her. Rushkit found him to be a good teacher and a respectable warrior, even joking with the warrior briefly afterwards.

Shortly afterwards, Rushkit became Rushpaw, with Gingerstar naming Clayfur as the young cat's mentor. The two went on a tour of DustClan's territory for their first training lesson together, talking about the strengths and weaknesses of other clans. Along the way, Tumbleleap made an appearance and interrupted their training with a surprise tackle to Rushpaw. Despite being a good natured prank, the attack startled Rushpaw and stirred her into a verbal conflict with Tumbleleap. She hit a nerve with the warrior, who seemed genuinely upset. The training session quickly ended afterwards, with Rushpaw retiring to her new den to deal with an uncomfortable feeling of guilt swimming in her chest.

Eventually, Rushpaw accompanied Clayfur to the apprentice's very first gathering. It went smooth and was kinda boring in Rushpaw's opinion. Gingerstar did however announce that Rushpaw had become an apprentice during this time. Rushpaw additionally met Hummingpaw, the other brand new apprentice from GladeClan, as well as Foamsplash of ReedClan, Clayfur's secret lover. Clayfur and Foamsplash were incredibly friendly with each other over the course of the gathering, which Rushpaw ignored up until Clayfur started to act strangely and asked Rushpaw to go back to camp without her. She pretended to listen but secretly tracked Clayfur down, who was meeting with Foamsplash. Clayfur eventually ran into her and the two had a confrontation. Rushpaw was reeling from what she had witnessed and became cold towards Clayfur. She had admired Clayfur as everything a DustClan cat should be - that image had suddenly been ripped away. Nonetheless, Rushpaw covered for Clayfur when they returned to camp late, having even offered for Clayfur to draw her blood to make their story of being attacked believable. Clayfur declined however, refusing to hurt her apprentice, and the two tiredly parted ways for the night.

The following day, Rushpaw spent some time in the training area to blow off some steam after a fitful night's rest. When she returned to camp, Clayfur was there to take her to do some battle training. Rushpaw used the time to release even more frustration and was even praised by Clayfur for her quick learning. This brought about a split second of pride in Rushpaw, before it was swallowed once more by the complicated feelings she now held for her mentor. Clayfur insisted that the two talk things out, to which Rushpaw haphazardly brought up all her frustration, worries, and concerns. She admittedly to feeling hurt when discovering Clayfur with a tom from another clan, as well as questioning how long Clayfur could keep the lie going and if Clayfur would ever leave DustClan. All of this escalated into Rushpaw demanding that Clayfur own up to having broke the warrior code, for if she ever brought Foamsplash into DustClan, she shouldn't hold any shame for what she had done. Rushpaw, however, is a terrible cat when it comes to conveying emotions and instead ended up upsetting Clayfur further. Clayfur left her apprentice after their fight and Rushpaw retired back to the training area to deal with everything that had happened.

Later, seeking advice on how to apologize to Clayfur, Rushpaw met with Foamsplash at the gathering place. The tom at first nervous about the apprentice having discovered his secret but obliged to her request. He essentially told her to be straightforward with how she felt.

Eventually, Rushpaw did met back up with Clayfur and did her best to apologize, which seemed to soothe her mentor a bit and put the two back on good terms. Rushpaw ushered Clayfur back to the warrior's den to sleep and take care of her physical ailments, having a small encounter with Flowerpaw on the way. Flowerpaw confided in Rushpaw that she was struggling with her mentor after having been inducted into the Society for a short time. Rushpaw was shocked at first but respected that the she-cat had come back to her clan on her own accord. She also offered for Flowerpaw to train with her and Clayfur some days, just to get a break from her own mentor.

Even later on that same day, Rushpaw spotted Sunnypaw returning to camp after having fought the gang cat, Omen. The medicine cat was extremely avoidant of her despite being clearly injured, which just made her press harder for information. She helped him dress his wounds and managed to pry out that he was experiencing a fear of death. Rushpaw attempted to help, pointing out that he in fact did not die and that surviving a gang cat attack took guts. However, Sunnypaw was too stuck in his own head to hear her at the time. She let him be and promised not to tell Gingerstar or Fadedpath about the event until he was ready.

Rushpaw had an encounter with the newly apprenticed Oasispaw, who decided to run off on her own into DustClan territory. Rushpaw, concerned about the presence of gang cats on their territory lately, followed her to make sure she stayed safe. Oasispaw decided to scale a tree and Rushpaw tried her paws at it as well, despite never having climbed before. The other apprentice kept pushing higher up into the tree until it was clearly unsafe. Fortunately, Oasispaw's sister, Boarpaw, arrived and together her and Rushpaw were able to get Oasispaw to come down. Rushpaw injured her paw on the way down herself, which is still pretty decent for her first unsupervised climb. The three cats chatted briefly on their way back to camp. During this time, Rushpaw recommended that Boarpaw tell Oasispaw's mentor, Forestwatcher, if she was worried that her sister was getting into any more trouble. She also told the cat to talk to her own mentor or someone else she trusted if she ever needed to, sensing some unease in the young cat. Then Rushpaw left to get her paw treated, running into Sunnypaw again. The medicine cat's demeanor had completed changed since the last time they had met, leaving Rushpaw confused. She didn't mention his attack however and the visit was mostly uneventful.

The newly apprenticed Blazepaw came around camp boasting about being the best one day, drawing Rushpaw's attention. She engaged him in a spar battle, hoping to win and show him a little humility. The clan's deputy, Fadedpath, intervened however, enraged with the apprentices' behavior. Fadedpath took the two cats, along with a few other apprentices who had gathered to watch the fight, to spar properly within their territory. Rushpaw came only to prove herself to the deputy, whom had insulted her and her mentor severely during their previous altercation. When it was time to fight, she went up against Oasispaw in a decently well-matched battle. Fadedpath pointed out areas that all the participants of the battles could improve upon, which Rushpaw reluctantly respected. When it came to the spar between Sunnypaw and Bunnypaw, who was a deaf apprentice, she came to Sunnypaw's side when Bunnypaw accidentally hurt the medicine cat. She witnessed Fadedpath comfort Bunnypaw, who became very distressed by the accident, and Rushpaw was struck by this softer side of the deputy. This was short lived however as Clayfur and Fadedpath got into a brutal argument, in which Fadedpath degraded Clayfur further and banned her from leaving camp for a moon. Rushpaw was enraged by this display and stayed back to try and talk some sense into Fadedpath, even after her mentor stormed off. She admitted her gratitude for the training Fadedpath provided but tried to push for Fadedpath to treat Clayfur with some respect. The deputy refused however, stating Clayfur was reckless and disloyal to the clan, only thinking about herself. Rushpaw tried to bring up Fadedpath's fondness for Bunnypaw as an example for how Fadedpath could better treat her warriors, but that unfortunately prompted a breakdown as the deputy recalled some harsh memories. Rushpaw gave in and let Fadedpath return to camp without having been able to make her point to the she-cat. Rushpaw visited the medicine den briefly to get treatment for her injured paw again, encountering Sunnypaw and Clayfur. Clayfur had just discovered she was pregnant but hadn't told Rushpaw at that moment due to Rushpaw's obvious exhaustion. The apprentice thanked Sunnypaw for his care and then retired to the apprentice den, skipping Fallowpaw and Acornpaw's apprentice ceremonies. Despite having little respect for Fadedpath for how she treated Clayfur, a seed of doubt had been planted in the apprentice's mind to whether her mentor really was endangering the clan. Her heart and mind ached from all that had happened since she had been apprenticed, wanting to get away from it all for just a moment.

Rushpaw spent a few days avoiding her clanmates to get her head together. She eventually had a small talk with Sunnypaw (later renamed Sunnydune the same day) and Bouncespirit, in which she expressed some concerns about her apprenticeship. The toms both encouraged her that she would be fine and Bouncespirit even offered to help her if she needed it. Clayfur came across the three soon after and called Rushpaw away to talk. She confessed to Rushpaw that she was expecting kits and apologized once more for everything she had done through Rushpaw's apprenticeship. Though disappointed and still dealing with conflicting emotions, Rushpaw chose to forgive her mentor once more and encouraged Clayfur to take care of her kits. She put it in her mind that this would be a new start for herself, separating from Clayfur's issues and focusing on her training once more with her new mentor, Fadedpath. Rushpaw still cares for Clayfur despite everything and the two admitted to feeling like sisters in a way. The apprentice resolved to look forward to this next step on her path to becoming a warrior and hopes that Clayfur will still support her on the way.

The first day of training with Fadedpath was cut short as the deputy had traveled with Gingerstar to ReedClan territory, in order to discuss bringing Foamsplash to DustClan. When Rushpaw finally met up with Fadedpath, they were quickly interrupted by a distressed Boarpaw, who informed them that Roanstrike, another DustClan warrior and Fadedpath's last apprentice, had fallen into the ravine whilst she had been taking Boarpaw and Oasispaw out hunting. Rushpaw accompanied Fadedpath and Oasispaw to the scene of the 'accident', hoping that somehow the warrior was still alive. When they arrived, it became clear there was nothing they could do for Roanstrike, leaving Rushpaw frustrated that they couldn't even give the cat a proper burial. Oasispaw, who had secretly pushed the warrior into the ravine herself, acted extremely disrespectful and nonchalant the entire time, getting on both Rushpaw and Fadedpath's nerves. The deputy sent both apprentices back to camp and proceeded to spent the rest of the day grieving for her lost apprentice.

When Fadedpath and Rushpaw finally got time to train in, they went to the Bonetrees to talk about battle strategies, what to do against larger opponents, and how to defend properly. The two seemed to get along quite well, with Rushpaw appreciating Fadedpath's openness to challenging the apprentice and even roughing her up a little. It was interesting to Rushpaw to see the deputy's true nature, once Clayfur was out of the picture. When the training session ended, the apprentice had developed some solid respect for her deputy and pride in herself for getting her training back on track.

Rushpaw attended the celebratory gathering for the Society's defeat with DustClan. During the clans' usual announcements, Gingerstar mentioned Roanstrike's death, surprising Rushpaw a little. The apprentice didn't expect such news to be brought up but resolved that at least this way Roanstrike could be honored as a warrior in her passing by all four clans. Afterwards, when Halfstar of GladeClan invited the clans to join in celebratory competitions with each other, Rushpaw cheered DustClan on and took pride in how well her clan did in each challenge.

## Relationships

Rushpaw knows Oasispaw, Boarpaw, Silentpaw, Rosepaw, Blazepaw, Fuzzypaw, Shockpaw, Bunnypaw, Flowerpaw, Sunnydune, Bouncespirit, Clayfur, Tumbleleap, Fadedpath, and Gingerstar. Additionally, she has met Hummingpaw of GladeClan and Foamsplash of ReedClan.

Clayfur is Rushpaw's closest friend so far and she treats the she-cat as an older sister. Rushpaw views the warrior as a worthy clanmate, especially after hearing the story of Clayfur's fight against the Society and having seen the scars left from this event. She has also challenged Clayfur to see which of the two can become DustClan's greatest warrior ever.

Rushpaw has some respect for Gingerstar, Fadedpath, and Tumbleleap. She also has a small friendship with Sunnydune.

## Additional Information

Rushpaw hates the nursery with a burning passion. Becoming a queen one day is her worst nightmare.

Friendly/comforting touch makes her really uncomfortable. Examples of this would be touching noses, brushing pelts together with another cat, being nudged with a paw, etc. She does make small exceptions for cats she trusts however.

Rushpaw also doesn't know how to comfort a grieving/sad clanmate, often becoming awkward around such a state.

She may say "thank you" on occasion but will never say "sorry".

## Quotes

"Well, out of all the bee-brains here, you're okay. I'll accept your challenge." (to Clayfur)

"You are. The world's biggest flea-brain.." (to Clayfur)

"If I didn't still care about you, I wouldn't have covered for you.." (to Clayfur)