Lakeshade

A large, muscular tom with thick silver-gray tabby fur and darker stripes. Scars from his rough training and past battles are mostly hidden beneath his pelt. He has webbed paws like many Riverclan cats and sharp canines that stick out a little. His dark blue eyes seem to have a resting look of judgment.

After the treaty with Thunderclan was announced to the clan and he seemingly supported it, his father gave him two scars on his cheek and nose. Not long after when he was exiling Stormgaze and Leopardstalk, he gained more scars on his throat, chest, and stomach, which goes onto one of his hind legs.

Like his parents he’s rather rigid about his reputation and likes to test his limits with training, which has evolved to pushing his clanmates to do the same. While he has no issue with half-clan cats, he used to keep things merely civil with them in an effort to hide his relation to his half-clan kits, which no longer matters now that his secret is out. He holds a complete loyalty to Riverclan and would do whatever is necessary to keep his clanmates safe, even if it would mean breaking a code or two.

If necessary, he’ll work himself to the bone to make sure the clan is fed and the borders are defended. After his ‘mistake’ as a young warrior—as his father would've called it, he just feels the need to constantly make up for his disloyalty and it has the potential to cause more issues. Closed off and fearful of what cats would think of him if weakness or disloyalty was shown, he's become defensive and deep down is rather insecure with his conflicted feelings.

As of late, his been nostalgic for his younger days and often wonders about what could have been if he'd left with Briar. He feels his life would've been a lot simpler if he'd gone away with her and raised their kits off by themselves. While he makes no move to force himself into their lives now and knows it's too late to repair all the damage, he's left it clear they can come to him if they're curious.

PRE-RP(48 moons at start of rp)

Lakekit and his sister Pebblekit grew up in Riverclan to strict parents who strove to prepare their kits for the day they’d be warriors. Lakekit learned how to swim almost before he could walk and his father Stormgaze certainly made sure he could catch small minnows and tadpoles. By the time his apprenticeship rolled around, Lakepaw had already understood the basics of hunting fish, though catching bigger ones that would actually feed the clan was a little harder than scooping out a tiny minnow.

His mentor was a strong warrior and he was constantly pushed to try more difficult skills. It didn’t help that his father often interfered with his training, asking Stonefang to give their son a bigger challenge—something Pebblepaw also had to suffer with her own mentor. Lakepaw constantly did everything in his power to meet the ever heightening expectations and tests. He’d trained to fight two warriors at once, learned to swim in rough and flooded waters, and at one point was even asked to scale a small part of the gorge that ended with him nearly plummeting to his death had his mother, Hailfall, not come to his rescue.

Lakeshade certainly felt as though he’d earned his warrior name when the time came. The young warrior was glad to be free of Stonefang’s teaching methods and could now be somewhat free of his parent’s strict oversight. Despite being a strict code-follower at heart in more recent times, Lakeshade had a small rebellious phase after becoming a warrior. He met up with a loner named Briar for moons without telling a soul and the two grew close over that time before Briar suddenly disappeared.

Lakeshade would return to his warrior life, forgetting about the loner for a time. It would be soon after that he’d develop a strong dislike of loners and rogues. Pebblespots lost her life fighting a rogue that crossed the border while she was taking a break from her time in the nursery to hunt. In an instant he’d lost his sister and his nephew had lost his mother. His parents were equally devastated and demanded the rogue be hunted down. He was part of the patrol that brought the tom down, his rage fueling his claws when he struck the final blow.

Moons passed, another deputy was assigned after Redstar outlived her current one. Lakeshade was just given his nephew, Rainpaw, as his apprentice when Briar remade an appearance with three kits. Immediately his fur had prickled at the sight. She was too weak with illness to spot him in the crowd but her claim of her kits being half Riverclan was taken as truth upon seeing how two of the three had webbed paws similar to many in the clan. He never stepped forward to claim the orphans even as his son grew to bear a similar resemblance. No one else seemed to notice—thank Star Clan.

He continued on serving as a faithful Riverclan warrior, often pushing himself to be better much like how he’d grown up, and watched as Rainpaw became Rainbreeze. His parents would retire to the elders' den, his mother passing after a harsh leafbare. After the death of their deputy Shredleaf, Lakeshade was announced as the next deputy. Redstar began to train him for life as a future leader for Riverclan, hoping that he’d be able to maintain peace for the clan. Time would tell though. Lakeshade is a little too hopeful sometimes to show off Riverclan’s strength in battle should Thunderclan try to take back Sunning Rocks.

DURING RP

He went about with his deputy tasks up until the gathering. Lakeshade listened to Houndkick’s proposal but refused to befriend any Thunderclan cat due to their bloodied history with Riverclan. Things grew aggressive as he took Jaycrest’s words to be a threat to take back Riverclan’s rocks. While Lightningstar snapped at Houndkick, Lakeshade felt humiliated over Redstar threatening to remove him as deputy. He’s angered about the berating, feeling as though he was defending Riverclan but ashamed for being publicly called out in front of the whole gathering.

After the gathering, Lakeshade would decide to try making ammends to Houndkick for the snappy comments. He didn't want to make an enemy of Windclan despite his disagreement about the idea for peace between the clans working. After receiving permission from Redstar, he'd journey across the thunderpath into clanless territory to hunt for a prey-gift for the apology. It was there he'd meet 'Flint', a rogue in the area. Aspensplash would also reveal herself, having followed him. With Flint's help, they'd return with mice for the clan, though Lakeshade was ashamed to admit he was beyond poor at hunting land prey.

Shortly after, he'd go through the gloomy, flooded territory to the twoleg bridge that had a sliver of land that bordered Windclan's. Sitting in wait uncomfortably close to the Thunderclan border as well, he would finally cross paths with Houndkick and offer the mouse as a gift. Lakeshade would keep the apology brief and to the point, not failing to notice the other deputy's unease, before heading back home.

A vision from Star Clan early in the moon saw his son Floodcurrent and two other warriors: Cuckoocall and Ottersplash going off on a journey far from the clans.

And then the treaty happened. Redstar, foolish in her age perhaps, set an agreement to share the territory that belonged to Riverclan with the tree-dwellers. Lakeshade feigned support of it when it was announced to the clan but really didn't see the point. Nor did he trust Thunderclan to hold up their part of the deal. But he was on ever thinning ice and kept his complaints to a minimum...

The rain continued through the moon. With rivers flooding, Lakeshade took to trying to better his land hunting. Not wanting clanmates to critique his failures, he'd often journey back into clanless territory. Part of him hoped Flint would be there again so he could take up her offer to help teach him.

But it would be the former Shadowclanner, Swanflower he'd meet. The rogue listened to his complaints about clan life and Redstar as the two chatted. Complaints turned into plotting. Suggestions were thrown about but the idea to have more half-clan kits to prove he wasn't heartless against them was the one they decided upon. A plan was set. Swanflower would have his kits if he provided her with information and would kill Creekstep at Sunningrock to pin it on Thunderclan. A way to end the unneccessary treaty and prove he was willing to care for half clan cats. His roll as deputy was in jeapardy—he'd seen how Redstar seemed to be involving Lilystream and Clayfoot in important things. This could be his last chance at redemption.

The tom was able to easily manage his deputy duties while still sneaking off to check on Swanflower—closer to the twolegplace than he liked—and make sure she was well. Lakeshade didn't love the rogue, but wanted to make sure she was well. By the end of the moon, the kits were starting to show. He'd be lying if he claimed he wasn't concerned for their plan but he steeled himself, refusing to repeat the past in its entirety with these new kits once they came. He just had to survive and cling to his position until then...

That was why he kept his distance from the other deputies at the gathering. In fact, he mostly kept quiet up until Minkjaw began to cause a ruckus with a Thunderclan warrior. Aspensplash stood between the two warriors but Lakeshade would make his way over, telling Minkjaw the gathering wasn't the time or place for such a scene. He returned to his place and listened to the leaders speak, not failing to hear Dawnstar seemed hesitant to continue the trial treaty. But no further incidents came and as he was leaving, Lakeshade would give Aspensplash a quick thanks for trying to keep their clanmate out of trouble.

During the next moon Bluepaw would approach him while he was hunting in the river. It was... an interesting encounter. Lakeshade hadn't payed much mind to Lilystream's apprentice before yet this young cat seemed genuinely interesting in talking with him! It almost unnerved him, making the deputy wonder if this was a trick. It also began to open his eyes to just how few cats in the clan seemed to want to know him beyond being their deputy.

Things took a turn when Redstar revealed Hailfall had spoken to her in a dream, exposing Lilystream, Aspensplash, and Floodcurrent as his kits. There would be a confrontation. He'd try to explain it was to protect them from Stormgaze, though would silently admit it was also to protect his own reputation in the clan. Lakeshade would mention how he hadn't known they'd existed until Briar brought them and how he'd let her leave, respecting her wishes for them to not see her dying. He made it clear he wasn't looking for forgivness but would be open to talking about things and even showing where he buried their mother.

But he'd turn the conversation on Redstar during this confrontation. Claiming how she had done nothing to enforce the changes she wanted to the clan. Questioning how she expecte to make peace when her own clan was rotting. Lakeshade would claim she was too weak to get rid of cats, instead appeasing them. Even challenging her reasoning for making him deputy as nothing more than a way to keep cats like Leopardstalk and Stormgaze quiet.

It was decided, as his barriers broke down and world crumbled before the truths spilling out, that his last decree as deputy would be to exile Leopardstalk and Stormgaze. The main offenders but certainly they couldn't be the only ones. Redstar would reveal his sins to the clan while he stood, doing his best to hide behind his typical cold exterior until it was his turn to speak. He would step forward, exiling his father and Leopardstalk, but not getting to finish before Stormgaze attacked him.

It had been unexpected. Lakeshade had leapt to Lilystream, Aspensplash, and Floodcurrent's defense as his father lunged in their direction. But he'd fallen for his father's feint. Jaws had locked around his throat and claws tore into him. By the end of it he was bordering death. So close he saw Pebblespot appearing in the camp to collect and banish Stormgaze to the Dark Forest. Her promise that he wouldn't die, yet, the only assurance he got as clanmate's paws tried to save his life and she vanished back to Star Clan.

Spending most of the moon recovering, he unhappily saw Rainbreeze sneaking off to check in on Swanflower and the litter that would surely arrive soon. It wasn't until the end of the moon when, externally, he was deemed well enough to start warrior duties again... And would give him the chance to continue sneaking out once more. Though, unbeknownst to him, he'd torn open a deeper wound with his actions that would slowly start taking his life in the coming moons.

While he didn't go to the gathering, Rainbreeze told him all about it. As the time grew nearer for the kits to be dropped off to be collected, he'd make a final trip to the twolegplace to meet with Swanflower and discuss the final pieces of the plan. He'd also inform her of the latest dramas between the clans, even feeling petty enough of his demotion to mention Redstar had lost a life. Although he spun it to avoid mentioning his demotion, letting her believe he was still deputy. After that... he laid low and went about his days until it was time to put the plan into motion.

Telling Creekstep that the deputy asked him to check out this cat at Sunngingrocks claiming to be his and Doveheart's kit, it was all to easy to get the older tom to run straight into the trap. He almost felt bad, really. At this point the plan had long since failed. But he was already in too deep and he feared what Swanflower might use the kits for if he bailed on the plan. So Creekstep unwittingly went to his death and Lakeshade joined the next border patrol that would go past Sunningrocks. The body would be spotted, cats would be sent to alert both Dawnstar and Redstar.

Lakeshade would try to stand and keep in the background as the scene played out. The kits would be found, and he internally winced as the recognition they showed him was all too obvious. He should've been more descreet. This plan never would've worked even if he was still the deputy right then. The deal was made to divide the kits between the clans and he had to keep himself from launching at Dawnstar as Thistlekit was taken and crying out for him, his sister Piercingkit being stolen away along with him. Redstar wasn't pleased, of course, but he'd been granted the mercy of raising Russetkit and Spottedkit... For now. He was sure once the seasons changed or they became apprentices he'd be exiled for this. How the mighty fall.

And keep falling... The moons weren't kind to him. He held no illusion that his presence in the furthest back corner of the nursery was unwanted. He'd even resorted to making a back exit so he didn't have to squeeze past Ottersplash, especially as leafbare dragged on. He'd strike a deal with Dawnstar one day at the border. Practically pleading to see his kits and offering them fish or other prey when he could catch it. Just so he could see they were still alive. So he could know they weren't being turned against him. Dawnstar's excuses were like claws digging into his skin. It was too cold (true), they couldn't make such a trip (true again), and that maybe when it was warmer... He knew he was being used yet couldn't bring himself to stop trying after hearing the full extent of the famine his kits were going through in Thunderclan.

And then the pain began growing. He was good at hiding it, trained to keep weakness hidden and push through pain but it was always there. It was easy to hide his lack of appetite when prey was so scarce. His thick coat hid the full extent of his weight loss and anything that could be noticed appeared to just be the usual thinning brought on by leafbare. But he knew something was wrong. Coughing up blood became common, though he was careful to hide it. His shortness of breath was also easy to hide when he could excuse himself from longer patrols because of his kits. The agony though was the worst part. Lethargy passed off due to lack of energy from hunger or playing with the kits. Sometimes he'd attempt to ease the pain by chewing clawed off pieces of willow bark but... it was cobweb on a gapping wound: useless.

Lakeshade isn't sure how long he has, but he's intending to hide this for as long as he can. No need to worry his nephew and it isn't like any other cat would care.