Skyfang [NPC]

Being the oldest cat in the clan, it's understandable how much history comes with that title. Skyfang was born long ago to Erminestep and Puddlefur. The two were mates but they were not a very loving couple. Not outwardly. The two raised Skykit alongside Nightkit.

Skykit was always used to feeling different from his sibling. The more serious-minded Nightkit was eager to get to training from an early age and looked up to their parents for their approval. Skykit didn't share that drive and was used to being scolded for it.

Becoming Skypaw was nice enough. To earn some freedom. Wasn't that something every apprentice wanted? Nightpaw soon outpaced Skypaw and his sister was making a mockery out of him. It was... frustrating. The one reprive was Ashpaw, a younger apprentice who once stepped in to tell off Nightpaw for bullying her brother.

Admittedly? That might've been when he fell in love with Ashpaw. The two became good friends and when they became warriors, everybody assumed they'd get together. If that was the case, it was a slow warm up. Ashwing certainly fell for him, but Skyfang was uncertain. He felt like he was pretty sure he liked her but it wasn't that feeling others described it as.

But eventually, everything everybody suspected would happen did and the two became mates. They tried for kits, per the pressure of both of their parents, but it was a struggle. By the time Ashwing was pregnant, Skyfang was ready to give up. But by StarClan, it happened. Yet in that same breath, their blessing was a curse. Ashwing was sickly after the birth of their only kit, Coldkit, and would pass from complications. That left Skyfang to raise Coldkit all on his own.

The two had a troublesome relationship and it only got worse the older Coldkit got. When he became an apprentice, the two seemed entirely at odds and barely spoke. SKyfang wanted to tell his son again and again he was proud of him, loved him, wanted to be there for him. The same words his parents never gave him. But it just never happened naturally.

Life became harder for a short while. Erminestep and Puddlefur were long retired and finally succumbed to their old age one after the other. Nightroar, his sister, was caught under the hooves of a stampeding deer herd and lost her life. Skyfang felt... alone with no family to help raise Coldpaw. It was this time she also came to terms with personal things she only ever revealed to Ashwing. Yes, she felt she wanted to live her true life and came out as a molly. It was one of the very few times Coldpaw and Skyfang spoke in depth. He mentioned he was happy for his mom and hoped she would be happier. Somehow, that felt like the only time the two really connected.

Coldpaw would soon become Coldfoot. He'd become a fine warrior and soon a patrol leader. Skyfang admitted exhaustion from age and retired. Now with all of this free time, she spends it mostly attempting to reconnect with her son yet moons of failing to be an emotional parent seemed to have caused their damage.