Longears

Longears is the most senior warrior in BeeClan. Ever since he was young, Longears enjoyed roughhousing with the other kits and getting under every cat's paws and, like most kits, declared that would be leader one day.  Unlike most kits, Longears harbored this dream his entire life, keeping it alive through his apprenticeship and even as a warrior. His mentor, Owlperch, tried to temper his ambition, and after several moons of training, it seemed he was finally getting through to Longpaw. He praised Longpaw's skill and courage, but warned him of the dark places he could go if he wasn't careful, and Longpaw agreed, saying he would never break the warrior code, no matter how badly he wanted to be leader. Owlperch seemed to be the only cat Longears ever truly listened to, and the two became closer than Longpaw was with his own father, the mild-mannered Mallowmilk. However, when Owlperch was exposed for having an inter-clan relationship shortly after Longears became a warrior, Longears was furious and rejected whatever he had once considered to be "wisdom" from his former mentor. Owlperch had cautioned him against desctruction and preached the important of the code to him, only to break it himself. How dare he hold Longears to higher standards than he held himself? How dare he betray his clan--and Longears-- like this? Owlperch tried to approach Longears about it one night in private, but Longears lashed out instead, refusing to tolerate Owlperch's hypocrisy. He took matter into his own paws, telling Owlperch that BeeClan had no place for codebreakers, and that if Owlperch didn't leave, then Longears would make him. Owlperch, accustomed to Longears's temper tantrums, told him off sternly, but his condescending response only angered Longears further. Longears gave him one more warning, and when Owlperch shrugged it off again, Longears attacked him and killed him. He sat for a long time just staring at Owlperch's dead body, watching the blood leak from his wounds, fascinated and horrified by what he'd done. Eventually, he broke out of his trance and hid the body, washing his paws and rolling Owlperch's body in fox dung to hide his scent. No cat every found out about his crime. Longears often dreamt about the murder, reminiscing about the rush of power he had felt and fantasizing about doing it again, but always holding himself back, Owlperch's quiet voice in his mind reminding him of his commitment to the code. Still, Longears's dreams of leadership were once again untampered, and he convinced himself that he was still destined to become leader and did everything to prove it, constantly going over the top in battle, hunting all day, training his apprentice longer hours than every other cat. When Pricklestar became leader and chose Graytail over Longears, it was like a claw swipe to the face. Stupid Pricklepelt becoming deputy had been bad enough, but expected. But Graytail, a cat just as young as the new Pricklestar, who'd barely had an apprentice? Longears was furious, and committed to do something about it, until the most unexpected thing happened. A she-cat caught his eye, and by whatever miracle, he caught hers as well. Pouncefur was nearly as amibtious as Longears, yet refused to lose her compassion like Longears had, and as a result, was a much more popular cat than Longears, making the two a somewhat unlikely couple. Longears had barely had a friend before, much less a partner, but as soon as the two got together, they were inseperable. For the brief time that they were together, Longears softened somewhat, joining his Clanmates to share tongues at sundown, making small talk with his wife's friends, and even help train some of the apprentices when they were have diffiuclites with battle moves. His dreams of warm, sticky blood between his claws faded, as did his memories of Owlperch's wide, shocked eyes, or the sound he made when he died. Maybe, Longears began to think, this is what being a part of the Clan is about. Maybe he doesn't have to be a leader, set apart from the crowds, as long as he has Pouncefur by his side. The couple welcomed three kittens into the world together, further solidifying Longears's contentment. He proudly raised his children to be strong, competent warriors, and for a moment, life was perfect-- until it wasn't. Pouncefur was killed in the first raid on BeeClan by the Heirs when she was out on a small border patrol. She and the other cats never stood a chance, and although reinforcements arrived before any other casulaties could occur, it was far too late for Pouncefur. At once, Longears reverted back into his former self, brooding in the shadows all day, snapping at anyone who spoke to him, and regarding the world with a cold, uncaring eye. He believes that if they had stronger leadership, Pouncefur wouldn't have died, a mistake he isn't willing to let happen again, no matter what he has to do to fix it.