Silverstar

Silverstar is a tall, slender, long-furred silver tabby tom with a white muzzle and chest, white paws, sharp blue-gray eyes, and a deep, jagged scar on the right side of his face.

## Personality

Silverstar is an exceptionally cold and aloof cat. He is often unapproachable even to his own Clan, to say nothing of how he acts towards cats outside of it; he is extremely skeptical of outsiders, and is far more likely to turn them away or chase them out than to even hear their explanation as to why they're on his Clan's territory. Amongst his own warriors, he is hardly any better, keeping everyone on a tight work schedule and expecting all to perform their assigned duties to the best of their abilities, at all times. He is a strict perfectionist, and it shows, as he grooms his fur to pristine conditions every day, walks with straight and upright posture, eats his prey neatly and quietly – and he expects his warriors to strive to reach the same standards. He hates slobs and delinquents, and while he will not take action to specifically punish the former, he will do so for the latter, not tolerating any goofing off or disobedience within his Clan, even if it's just a silly and ultimately harmless mistake by an apprentice. He's strict, and expects to be obeyed, not insulted or questioned, so warriors giving him sass are not something that he appreciates. Despite his stoicism and sternness, he is considered an extremely admirable warrior in terms of skill and accomplishments, his capabilities in battle rumored to be unmatched, all fearsome grace, capable of tearing through more than one enemy warrior at once seemingly without so much as ruffling his fur. Of course, these rumors are exaggerated to some extent, but he is indeed a strong battler, and he has a keen mind for strategy, allowing his warriors to outmaneuver their opponents more often than not. His Clan's ability to defend itself is a point of pride for him, and he will sometimes push back warrior ceremonies for apprentices whose skills he does not consider up to par. He is generally a proud individual, not taking any insult to his Clan lightly – however, he is more likely to simmer and hold a grudge than outright fight another Clan over an insult. He is a strong isolationist, preferring that his Clan be self-sufficient than either rely on other Clans or allow other Clans to rely on them; he will refuse to share any troubles that his Clan may be having at Gatherings, presenting a strong and united front at all times, and he often refuses to offer aid to other Clans who have fallen on hard times, preferring to keep his own Clan strong and healthy, and reserve their resources for keeping it that way rather than attempting to help other Clans. He *may* make alliances with others, but only if he knows he has a clear upper hand over his chosen allies, preferring to keep the power scale tipped in his own favor, and always remaining vigilant for potential betrayals. His distrustful and harsh disposition make him a difficult cat to read, and an even harder cat to get close to, a fact that Silverstar himself is keenly aware of. He does not usually care if he's seen as unapproachable or cold, so long as his warriors follow his orders, but he does find himself alone with his thoughts more often than he would like; while his prideful and cold attitude – as well as his impassive and unreadable resting face – make him seem unshakeable and assured of his every decision, he does have his regrets, and they weigh on him. While he plays off his usual attitude towards cats outside his Clan as pure disdain for them, he is really more terrified of his Clanmates getting hurt; he has seen many cats cut down in battle before, and will never engage in a conflict if he thinks it will hurt his Clan more than it will help them – and even then, sometimes, he won't get involved. He fears being powerless to help or protect the Clan he is responsible for, and even more so the few cats that he would consider his loved ones. He is also deeply insecure about his looks; while he usually adopts the behavior of someone who looks good and *knows* it, he takes very great pains to conceal any and all scars or wounds that he has sustained, most especially the one on his face, believing that revealing them would shatter others' illusions of him and instead warp their perceptions into thinking him a hideous beast on top of a seemingly uncaring one. The only time he visibly softens is around kits. He considers kits to be a precious gift to the Clan any and all times that they are around, and though he won't go easy on them if they break rules, he will occasionally indulge them with a story, little gifts of feathers to play with, or treats of honeycomb to enjoy.

## History

He was raised to be a loyal warrior since he was young, born as the only kit of his parents – his mother, the Clan's deputy, and his father, a highly respected senior warrior. He was taught the importance of his contributions to the Clan and of his appearance and stature within the Clan from a young age. He was always somewhat reserved as a result, but he was once far more carefree, forming a few close friendships with his denmates when he became an apprentice, and one of them – a she-cat named Wildpaw – even became his mate sometime after they got their warrior names. However, at this point in his life, he began to experience loss – first, his father was cut down in a border skirmish, then shortly after he became a warrior, one of his best friends was lost to illness, after the Clan had given away some of its herbs to another Clan in need. His mother died a few moons later in a different battle. His remaining friend lost his mate, and died of grief himself shortly thereafter. When Wildheart became pregnant with Silverleaf's kits, he thought perhaps he'd have a chance to have a family and find happiness again – but instead, Wildheart died, leaving behind only a single son, whom Silverleaf named Featherkit. Silverleaf did his utmost to raise his son, but his grief made it difficult for him to connect to Featherkit, plus his duties to the Clan when he was named deputy, and then leader, and his frequent perfectionism eventually resulted in father and son drifting apart from one another. Silverstar's greatest regret in life is not being a better father to Featherkit when he was younger and it really mattered – now his son is a fully-grown warrior, and as immensely proud of him as Silverstar is, he and his son are at odds in terms of their views and behaviors, and Silverstar is unsure how to overcome the distance between them to be close like he desperately longs for.