Puffinflight

Puffinflight is a short, chubby tortoiseshell and white cat with light blue eyes. She has medium-length fur, and is primarily black with white and ginger tabby patches on her face, underbelly, tail and paws. She has a white ruff around her neck, and a heart-shaped ginger patch on her chest.

Puffinflight is a fairly quiet and withdrawn cat. She's overly polite, conscious of boundaries, and has a tendency to not talk about herself much. She's easily anxious and frightened by battle, so while she isn't in love her her job, she's internalised the idea there isn't really another place in Shadowclan for her- and after Iceflower's death, it's not like there's anyone else to take on the vitally important role, anyways.

Puffinflight had a very lonely apprenticeship under a strict mentor and lacks any real friends in her clan, so her introversion and her desperation to connect with people are often at conflict. Her relationship with her mentor Iceflower also lead to a general disillusion with clan tradition and the feeling of being trapped in a hierarchy. She has a rebellious streak that she exerts in her own way, using her position to excuse border trespassing and spending as much time outwith her clan as possible. One thing her loneliness lead to though was her discovering a fondness for nature and geography- in abundant spare time she likes to explore the very boundaries of her territory and beyond, observing changes on the coast and forest and learning about different animal and plant species. If Owlstar wasn't so insistent on the importance of the Warrior-Healer structure, she thinks, and she didn't have such an in-built sense of duty to healing, this is how she'd love to contribute to her community.

Puffinkit was born in Shadowclan alongside her sibling Midgekit to Feathergaze and Foamheart. She decided from kithood that she wanted to be a healer rather than a warrior, due to a general lack of interest in the latter position. However, unbeknownst to her, Shadowclan's current healer Iceflower was a bitter and resentful cat who happened to harbour a grudge against Puffinkit for being the grandchild of Iceflower's mother's remarriage that she disapproved deeply of. Iceflower's training was harsh to the point of malice, and Puffinpaw quickly came to realise just how miserable she was to be. The sister of Shadowclan's leader, Iceflower can get away with frequently berating her, and isolating her from her clanmates, while Puffinpaw is forced to watch her relationships with family and friends naturally deteriorate.

Desperate to find someone, anyone to confide in, Puffinpaw latched onto Mintpaw, a friendly Thunderclan healer apprentice around the same age as her that she met at Moonpool meetings. Mintpaw introduced her to his sister Sheeppaw at a gathering, and the three would meet up in secret from then on to hang out. Puffinpaw's relationship with Sheeppaw gradually developed past friendship, and as Mintpaw became more busy with his healer duties Puffinpaw would still use every oppurtunity to get out of Shadowclan and meet with Sheeppaw. The Thunderclan apprentice was concerned by Puffinpaw's fear of her mentor and hatred of her clan life, but wasn't sure how to approach her about it in any way besides moral support.

One day during her apprenticeship, Puffinflight notices a hidden clearing to the north of Shadowclan territory- near the unpatrolled Windclan border- carefully tended and full of deathberries, as well as other poisonous plants. A few moons later, Mintleaf's mentor Hazelcloud is found dead one morning, presumably after eating sick or poisoned prey. Mintleaf is distraught with grief, and Puffinflight, making note of her own mentor's animosity towards Hazelcloud is... uneasy. One day, she takes Sheepheart to show her the poison clearing, and the two nervously come to the conclusion that Iceflower is not just an abusive mentor but a very active threat.

The next time Sheepheart tries to meet up with Puffinflight, she can't find her. Frantically, she checks around the edges of Shadowclan territory, but before she can find her girlfriend she is ambushed by Iceflower, near the yew clearing. Iceflower has been aware of their relationship for moons, and is furious to actually find the Thunderclan cat on their territory and near her secret ground, threatening to kill the tresspasser "like that nosy healer". Puffinflight suddely discovers them (Mintleaf in tow, having followed Sheep out of Thunderclan), and she throws herself at Iceflower with rage, overpowering the older cat and stepping between her and her girlfriend. Iceflower runs north into Windclan territory, and Puffinflight tends to her partner's wounds, dread slowly filling her heart as she realises she'll need to go back and explain to Owlstar why she attacked his sister. Sheepheart offers refuge in Thunderclan, but Puffinflight declines, swayed by guilt and not wanting any harm to come to Sheepheart in her own clan. During this, Mintleaf slips out and heads up to Windclan in pursuit of Iceflower.

Iceflower doesn't come back, and is found dead by a Shadowclan patrol that night on a trainline running through Windclan. Claw marks are evident, and Owlstar is furious, throwing Shadowclan into conflict as he blames Windclan for mudering the healer. Meanwhile, Mintleaf, the true culprit, wracked with grief guilt and paranoia, turns hostile towards Puffinflight as he believes she's ratted out an ally of his in Windclan to try and protect him. Their friendship is terminated, and Puffinflight turns entirely to Sheepstar, who is buried in her own stresses as she's caught in a succession dilemma in Thunderclan.