Boldstar

A longhaired ticked tabby tom with a graying muzzle

Boldstar is a dark gray tom with long hair. The underside of his body is a much paler gray than the top-side. Pale fur also runs down the insides of his back legs, and subtle ticked tabby primal stripes are hidden in the fur at hocks, elbows, chest and neck. His muzzle is gray, and his ears are tipped in dark tufts. Boldstar is a very large cat, solidly muscled despite his age.

Boldstar is a cat who resembles his name. He marches into spaces as if he owns them, taking up space he feels he deserves. Boldstar’s devotion to RiverClan lies at the heart of what he thinks is important and will do anything he feels necessary for the protection of his clan. He has an aggressive side that he isn’t afraid to show, especially when its a cat from another clan. Boldstar would much rather deal with them claws first than voice first if they’re on his territory.

• Born in the Moon of Lion's Glory (2013) 046
• The Leader named them Graykit in RiverClan during the Moon of Lion's Glory (2013) 046
• Made an Apprentice as Graypaw in RiverClan during the Moon of Tiger's Wraith (2013) 052
• Named a Warrior as Graystrike in RiverClan during the Moon of Lion's Glory (2014) 058
• Became Leader as Boldstar in RiverClan during the Moon of First White (2018) 114

[Kittenhood 0-6]

Born to an unassuming queen one quiet summer, Graykit joined his siblings in the nursery without any fuss. And there they stayed with only the occasional trip to keep boredom at bay. There were no exciting incidents or daring escapes, simply the care and safety of their mother and the occasional dotting on them by their father.

[Apprenticeship 6-12]

Being apprenticed was much better in Graypaw’s opinion. Without his mother fussing over everywhere he went and what he did every second of the day he was much happier. And his mentor was teaching him so many interesting things! It was as much work as it was fun, but it was also worth every second. During this time his mentor instilled an intense sense of service to the clan into him. Clan before self, all the time. As the teaching set in, the work seemed less than before.

[Warrior 12-26]

Graystrike was proud of his new name as he stood vigile over camp that first night, ready to serve the clan more than before. Which made the change when apprentice duties ended a bit of a surprise. Like every warrior before him he’d been doing a full warrior’s work and then some already. His mentor laughed and insisted every new warrior felt that way. And so he patrolled, and hunted, and just as everything seemed perfect, when he was 22 moons old and out hunting for the clan Graystrike was carrying his catch back from across the rock path towards camp that he saw a thing that nightmares are made of.

It was a dog with a black body and brown marks on the face and feet, long bodied and short legged, but clearly tracking. It didn’t take more than a few moments of watching to guess that the dog was following cat scent and heading toward camp! As soon as he was struck with the realization Graystrike dropped the squirrel he’d been carrying and tore towards the dog. The fight between Graystrike and the dog was fierce, but it ended in both of them streaming blood as the cat drove the dog back towards the little place two-legs lingered in their strange flapping dens.

Breathing heavily, Graystrike collected the forgotten squirrel (wasting prey was against the code, after all) limped, bleeding, back to camp. After a few days of healing under the watchful eye of the Medicine Cat a meeting was called that shocked him to his core. Graystrike became Boldstrike for his driving off of the dog.

Thankfully, the rest of that first year as a warrior was quiet.

[Warrior 27-45]

It seemed as if his first year as a warrior used up all of the major excitement that was possible for Boldstrike’s life. It was a year without him being directly involved in much more than typical border squabbles and the occasional run-in with a smaller predator. He’d grown into a massive cat, something that he appreciated when it was time to run off foxes and the like. Boldstrike’s size came from his sire-line, as his mother was of average size, but his father was large like Boldstrike.

Boldstrike continued to devote himself to his clan, serving the best he could and ensuring as much care be taken with every duty he was assigned as if it was the first one out of the apprentice’s den. Boldstrike didn’t think anything of it other than he was sad to see a friend leave for StarClan when the Deputy was killed on the river in a hunting accident. Being named deputy sent Boldstrike for a shock.

[Deputy 45-68]

In some ways, being a deputy was like being apprenticed again, only this time learning how to be a leader. Boldstrike wasn’t sure how he would learn the ceremonies and everything in a reasonable amount of time, but he managed. It was 23 moons later when he was 68 that his Leader’s last life was spent.

[Leader 68-87]

If there was one thing that was taught to Boldstar by the leader who brought him up was that he had 9 lives to use for the good for the clan. His first was spent pulling another cat from the river after a hunting accident. That was his only experience with something the Medicine Cat called ‘Dry drowning’ when failed to get air several hours after he’d dove in and nearly drown to make the rescue.

The second death was 10 moons later and involved an eagle trying to take a member of the patrol he was with. He came away deeply scored on the gut and no amount of Medicine Cat’s care would have saved him, only StarClan’s Grace.

Boldstar was fortunate to have since avoided the need to spend any more of the 9 precious lives StarClan had given him, but he planned to continue to spend them as the Clan needed and ensure the safety of as many of his cats as he could.

• A bold choice for breakfast… (13CF'20)
• Heralds We All [Gathering] (14CF'20)
• Mint & Nettle Grow Stronger (2FF'20)
• Urtica dioica in the dawn light (22TL'20)

[Genealogy Details]

• Preceeded as Leader by Sleetstar