Lightblaze

Lightblaze is a long-haired white tom with light gray spotted tabby patches. He has yellow eyes, and a long scar across his back to his left shoulder.

Lightblaze has no memory of his parents, and he only knew River as a mother figure for a short time before he and his brother were taken in by ForestClan. He is one of the first members of the newly formed Clan who lived as a kit in the Clan while not being born into it.

## History

### **Before the Clan**

Light was born as an unnamed kit to two unknown parents. He was abandoned not long after he was born; being carelessly left in the open where predators could get to him. River took Light in and started to feed him on what milk she had left from her own son, Weasel. Not finding any traces of his parents in the territory, River was reluctant to give herself an adopted son to raise alongside her own, but she couldn't leave the kit to fend for himself in the wild.

Weasel and Light had bonded very well with only a moon difference to their age. It was hard for them to not call each other brothers despite the lack of common blood in their veins. Wherever one of them were, the other was bound to be nearby. They took care of each other when River had to go out to hunt for them all. Things were going smoothly, and the she-cat was hoping to take both tom-kits out on a small journey with her so they can travel the world as a family.

Plans were cut short when River fell ill hard and quick. Both kits had to watch in terror as days passed where their mother didn't have the energy to get up and move around; coughs coming out consistently and sleeping the day away more than usual. River knew that she needed to find a way to hunt and feed them all. Food was running low, and the kits weren't able to care for themselves completely yet. She needed to find help.

Gathering what strength she had, River guided Weasel and Light out of their home to find any form of nearby assistance to care for her sons. Eventually, they ran into a small group of cats that appeared to be patrolling what had to be their territory based off of the scent markings. The leader of the patrol, a dark gray tom, met with River and heard out her pleads to have them look after her kits. She feared she wouldn't have much longer to live with how badly she had fallen ill, and she refused the tom's offer to be seen by their healer.

Giving a farewell to her sons, River promised that she would come back for them when she got better. Light was quick to cry out how that wasn't fair, and that he wanted to stay with her or have her come with them. He was frustrated with Weasel's silent acceptance in letting this happen as they were being left behind by their mother. After she left and the patrol started to take them home, Light convinced himself already that River was never coming back, and that left a stain of betrayal in his heart.

### **Lionstar's Leadership**

>
> **Lightblaze:***"How could you have just stood there and watch?! It's your fault he's dead!"*
>
> **Weaseltail:***"Lightblaze-"*
>
> **Lightblaze:***"Don't! I don't want to hear it, Weaseltail. You didn't stand with me in staying with River, and now your hesitance in battle cost us the life of a great tom. You're weak."*
>
> - Lightblaze and Weaseltail after Lionstar's death
>
>
>
>

Upon arriving at camp with the patrol, Sorreleyes gave himself the responsibility of helping to look after and raise the two kits as if they were his own. The gray tom was way older, but he still kept up with the pace of the newly named Lightkit and his brother as they grew older. Weaselkit had grown highly interested in Clan life and history, always asking questions from the three original Clan members, while Lightkit was more withdrawn about wanting to learn. He was upset that River had left them both with these cats, and now they had to start learning the way of the Clan as if they weren't just abandoned by their mother.

Whenever Weaselkit was learning about whatever it was that the older cats could teach, Lightkit would hover nearby just to build up on his own knowledge of this new apparent life of his. He never directly asked questions, and when some of the Clan cats interacted with him he'd firmly deny that he needed anything from them. His behavior caught the eyes of Lionstar, who knew that the kit would end up being a pawful as an apprentice. The young tom needed an adamant paw to put up with his attitude, and the leader had made his decision on who was best to keep an eye on him.

Lionstar became a role model in the apprentice's eyes. Lightpaw was still dealing with feeling betrayed by River abandoning him as a kit, and he often got snippy towards the older cats of the Clan and Weaselpaw especially. The leader's way of keeping Lightpaw in line helped discipline the younger and intrigue his interest in becoming the best warrior he could be. Lightpaw started to open up more to accepting ForestClan as his home and started to firmly think of his Clanmates in a higher standing than he originally did. He pushed himself to improve upon his skills, and his pride often led to him starting arguments and competitions with Weaselpaw in order to prove himself better than his brother.

On a patrol with Lionstar, Sunheart, and Weaselpaw, they stumbled across an abandoned kit wailing for her mother to come back. The she-kit's cries agitated Lightpaw as it stirred up unwanted memories of the she-cat who had left him and Weaselpaw moons ago, and who had never returned as she had promised them. For the following days, it bothered Lightpaw to watch as his brother would make sure that the kit, now named Driftkit, was settling into the Clan alright. The kit had been left behind, and it further fueled the anger that Lightpaw was starting to feel towards all outsiders.

Lightblaze was made a warrior alongside Weaseltail, feeling both proud and annoyed as the Clan cheered for both of the new warriors. He had proved himself worthy enough to become a warrior, but so did his brother. That was fine, as Lightblaze continued to plan on surpassing Weaseltail and proving to the Clan that he knew what was best for them all.