Kithood

Dustkit was the only kit of Smallblaze and Stoatstripe, two young WindClan Warriors who honestly didn’t know what they were doing. Dustkit’s parents struggled, a lot more than either of them would care to admit, so Coppertooth would often take care of Dustkit when Stoatstripe just needed to go out and run across the moor.

While normally a kit would have been lonely, Dustkit was more than happy spending time with her denmates or pestering Coppertooth for stories. The one kit who wouldn’t join in her games? Obsidiankit. Coppertooth’s kit never seemed to want to play with the others, but it didn’t stop Dustkit from trying to include her. Even after Obsidiankit went to stay in the meddie’s den, Dustkit always asked if they were okay.

Dustkit admired the Clan’s Warriors. They were all so brave and strong, everything she wanted to be when she grew up. She just hoped that Lightningstar would give her a good mentor.

Apprenticeship

Dustpaw was apprenticed to Houndkick. She’d often seen Houndkick around camp and admired him for standing up for Fogstone when she was brought into camp. To say that she was overjoyed to be given him as a mentor was an understatement. She was ready and raring to go, absorbing everything he taught her and taking every lesson to heart.

At her first Gathering Dustpaw met a new friend. Lilypaw was a kind RiverClan apprentice who happily showed Dustpaw around Fourtrees. The two became close friends, often talking whenever they happened across each other at the border. Even after Lilystream earned her Warrior name, they remained good friends. But not all was right in the world of Dustpaw’s friends. Obsidiankit, now Starlingpaw, was still avoiding everyone.

Eager to get her denmate involved, Dustpaw begged Houndkick to let Starlingpaw join in their training sessions. Houndkick readily agreed, more than happy to help Rabbitmoon out with training. But it didn’t seem to work. No matter what Dustpaw tried, Starlingpaw just didn’t respond. Finally, Dustpaw snapped. She demanded to know what Starlingpaw’s problem was, to which Starlingpaw asked her why she would put her energy into something that was purposefully being made hard for her.

“Why wouldn't I put energy into this? We're Clanmates, we're supposed to look out for each other and be there for each other! Not avoid each other!”

Dustpaw’s response echoed through her own ears and stuck with her for days after the confrontation. And then there were cats around her falling sick, including her parents. Cats began dying and Dustpaw did everything she could to try and help. Houndkick was a shoulder to lean on, her mentor becoming more of a father to her than either of her parents had been her entire life. Even so, she was distraught when Smallblaze and Stoatstripe died.

Houndkick continued to support her and with help from cats like Lilystream she was able to recover from her grief and pass her assessment.

Warriorhood

Duststorm was named for her electric personality. She was thrilled to be a Warrior and immediately went to Houndkick after the ceremony to thank him before her vigil. That night, she could have sworn that she had seen Ashjump slinking through the moorlands… but she couldn’t quite be sure.

Her time as a Warrior went smoothly until everything in WindClan crashed down. Mothbelly, their loyal deputy, was murdered. Houndkick was devastated by his father’s death and Duststorm was there for him as he had been for her. Ashjump was exiled for the murder of Mothbelly and much to Duststorm’s joy Houndkick was named deputy.

She continues to support him as he settles into his role as WindClan’s deputy. Duststorm is Houndkick’s number one supporter, but there’s always time to make new friends.

It was during one of her nightly runs by the Thunder Path that she heard noises coming from the tunnel. She called out, thinking it was one of the apprentices messing around, only to realize that it was someone else attempting to sneak into WindClan territory. After a struggle, she was able to wrestle the black and white ShadowClan cat out of the tunnel and dragged him back to camp. While she didn't get his name, the chaotic nature of the tom and his weird personality certainly got Duststorm's attention. Even if she and Houndkick had to chase him back across the moor.

The rest of the moon went by with very little trouble, mostly training Flickerpaw and doing her usual duties. She was thrilled to get the chance to go to the Gathering and was quick to chat with Lilystream again. However, anger burned beneath her pelt as she learned of how Lightningstar had treated Houndkick. She had seen it before, Lightningstar belittling her dad in camp, and shooting down his attempts to try to be a deputy and she was sick of it. While Duststorm would never allign herself with Ashjump she was itching to teach her arrogant leader a lesson about treating his Clanmates like dirt. And she would do anything to prove that he places unrealistic expectations on those around him.

The Brightwood

Duststorm's sour opinion of Lightningstar would turn around incredibly quickly. It wasn't long after the Gathering that she found herself in a strange drea. She was running... running with cats all around her, a few that she recognised from the waking world and many that she didn't. The dream brought a warning of an impending plague that was sure to destory the Clans.

Upon waking from the horrifying nightmare, Duststorm reported to her dad and Lightningstar. After mentioning that Falconpaw had also been present in their shared dream, the agreement was made that she could make the journey to the elusive Brightwood, but Falconpaw would remain in WindClan. While spending the day preparing she came across the ShadowClan tom from the moon before. He introduced himself as Vultureyawp and knowing that they were going to be making the journey together, Duststorm shared a rabbit with him.

She set out with Ottersplash, Floodcurrent and Cuckoocall of RiverClan, Palefur and Beartooth of ThunderClan, Midnightscar, Stormpath and Vultureyawp of ShadowClan and her own Clanmate, Falconpaw. Given the apprentice had managed to sneak away, it was just easier to let him come along.

As it turned out, she and Falconpaw ended up being a great team! Their youth making it easier for them to ask cats for information while they travelled that others in their group may have struggled to get. Things got rocky when the group was split and she was forced to fight off some rogues alongside Midnightmask. With her new scars, Duststorm was nervous about their approach of the Brightwood.

While Beartooth and Palefur went to question two cats on the roof, Duststorm was busy begging her companions to... stop breaking holes in the walls and going into places they knew nothing about. Amazing, great... just what they needed. Too bad she couldn't say "told you so" when Midnightmask, Ottersplash and Floodcurrent all found themselves injured from their little stunt. Everything spiralled out of control very quickly when one of the two cats guiding Beartooth and Palefur was killed by an infected canine.

It was decided that they would split into two groups. Duststorm ventured into the Brightwood with Falconpaw, Cuckoocall, Beartooth, Stormpath and their new guide, Leo. As a team, they worked meticulously to rid the place of infected rats and other small prey. They survived off of Kittypet food that was stored in the place they had chosen to use as ther base or operations. Things were going well... until one day Leo went missing.

Outside the Brightwood, Palefur and Midnightmask had also gone missing. The situation was only made worse when her attempts to tell the outside group about their situation revealed that they'd... wandered off... again. There was nothing left to do except catch up to the others in their search for Leo.

Their search culminated into finding Leo's body... and the thing that killed him. While Duststorm tried to urge Stormpath and Falconpaw to retreat, the ShadowClanner jumped straight into a fight with Falconpaw following. Together, Falconpaw and Duststorm were able to help Stormpath but at a grave cost. The older tom recieved devastating injuries in a bit to free his leg from the jaws of the coyote. If it wasn't for Cuckoocall dropping some steel into the area, things would have been a lot worse. Falconpaw managed to kill the beast using a piece of the metal and finally end the nightmare.

During the commotion, Beartooth went missing. What happened next was a blur to her, but Duststorm was aware of other cats milling around and assisting them. When she awoke next she was once again in a dream. StarClan did what they could to convince the Clan cats to massacre the cats of the Brightwood by showing them horrific visions of their friends and family dying of the Wither. Duststorm, Cuckoocall and Stormpath were quick to deny their ancestors. After all... StarClan's own code dictated that they didn't need to kill to win their battles.

As soon as she woke from the dream, Duststorm approached the leader of the Brightwood cats, Horse. Horse was helpful in sharing information with her and alerted the others that trouble was potentially brewing. This was when she met Timothyfur, a quiet, nervous tom from the Brightwood. Promising to keep him safe while he listened to the Clan cats decide on their next course of action, Duststorm had unknowingly intertwined her life with this coloney of cats.

With help from Cuckoocall, she was able to convince the group not to kill the Brightwood coloney and they opted to wait and see if Stormpath had been infected with the Wither. During this time, she found herself sharing stories with Newbobby and Timothyfur about the Clans and learning everything she could about the Wither from Horse. Most of her time, was spent with Timothyfur who she found herself feeling warm and fuzzy around.

Timothyfur and another young cat named Beethoven grew very close to the WindClan cats, while Horse had taken a liking to Vultureyawp. It was after Cuckoocall suggested that Newbobby join RiverClan that things got... odd. Fireflint, an older molly decreed that the Clan cats were being disrespectful and stealing their younger members. She also took offense to the idea that Newbobby should go to RiverClan to be with a cat he had never met... Redstar. Oh, boy.

Determined to prove the older cat wrong, Duststorm asked Horse if there was anything she could do for the coloney while the stayed with them. Horse couldn't think of anything, and so Duststorm continued to spend a lot of time with Timothyfur who ultimately decided that he would join Duststorm in WindClan. Both of them having developed a crush on each other, Duststorm was secretly overwhelmed, but expressed that he could always return to the Brightwood if he wanted... it was safe now. Clear of the horrific plague.

Setting off back home with a healed Stormpath and a strangely ill Ottersplash, Duststorm and Flaconpaw spent a lot of time chatting with Timothyfur and Beethoven. Home was just over the horizon and with any luck, they would be back after the next Gathering. She couldn't wait to introduce Timothyfur to her dad, but first... someone had to break the news to Dawnstar that his Warriors had gone missing.