Wildfur

Wildfur is a Marsh Colony mentor who is currently mentoring Pool. He is the eldest son of Crowstalker and Blueflower, the brother of Patch, and the elder half-brother of Night and Fog. He is one of the main characters of Clouded Moon: Shifting Roots.

Appearance
Wildfur is a tall, dark ginger-and-white calico tom with narrow blue-green eyes and a few orange markings. He is large and fluffy, with ragged cheek fluff, long, tufted ears, large paws, a scruff on his muzzle and chin, three stripes on his tail, and large, bushy eyebrows. There is a thick, manelike ruff around his neck, and his pelt appears to have multiple layers.

Personality
Wildfur is Marsh Colony's resident loner. An outcast in his own Colony, Wildfur has shoved everyone away, just as they shunned him after the death of his brother Patch. Some cats wonder why Wildfur hasn't left Marsh Colony altogether, or even why Hawkshell hasn't just exiled him. Wildfur does still perform his Ranger duties, though — in solitude — and Hawkshell hasn't given up on trying to make him a functional part of the Colony. Wildfur is well aware of Hawkshell's meddling, and it only causes his bitterness to grow. He knows that he is only welcome there as long as he's useful, and even when he is trying his best, he feels like nothing more than a burden and an embarrassment. The pressure to try and fit into a home he doesn't belong in has left Wildfur with a resentment toward his Captain, his Colonymates, and above all, himself.

He manages to stay civil and polite with everyone in Marsh Colony, but it doesn't change the fact that they rejected him when he needed them most — and he can't forgive them for what happened when he was younger. He continues to suffer from his past experiences and has a lot of bottled up guilt. Wildfur will has the occasional nightmare about Patch, and he feels sick to his stomach every time he looks at Tigerstripe. He remains on poor terms with both of his parents, and just can’t seem to feel at home in Marsh Colony.

Forgetting all the angst for a second, Wildfur does have a softer, sweeter, more insecure side that is often buried beneath his layers of resentment and self-loathing. It only ever really comes out when he is with Spottedshadow. She is the only cat he feels that he can really open up around, and he sees her as something of an escape from his normal life. He loves her and is very protective of her. If only she wasn’t so far away in Field Colony...

Pre-Series
Wild and his brother Patch were born to Blueflower and Crowstalker in Marsh Colony. Their parents stopped being mates very soon after their birth, and they were so torn up over their own emotional issues that they were quite distant from Patch and Wild. They only checked on the brothers every now and then, and so the pair was instead raised mainly by the other keepers in the nursery without any real parental figures to look to. Because of this, they had a very strong bond, and were about as close as they could be.

As they grew older, however, they became disruptive in the nursery due to their above-average sizes, so they were made into new-claws a moon early. It was really just an excuse to move them out of the nursery, though; they were not officially new-claws, as they had no mentors and were still not allowed to leave their base. Really, they were just limited to base training before they should have been. At first, Wild had been eager and excited to be a new-claw, but it wasn’t long before he realized that base training was a far reach from what he’d thought it would be. About a moon went by, and the brothers became restless doing tedious new-claw tasks around their base without purpose. Wild was feeling particularly bitter now, angry that they were getting no more attention as new-claws than they had as kittens. And so he formulated a plan with Patch: they were going to sneak outside, hunt down tons of prey, and impress every Ranger in the Colony upon returning with all of their catches.

It seemed like a great idea, and so they set off on the expedition, sneaking out of base and tramping through their territory. Unfortunately, though... their little adventure went terribly wrong. Once they had reached the Alliance Lake, Patch had the idea of trying to catch a fish — because wouldn’t the Rangers be pleased if they came back with rare prey? Wild was interested and agreed with that logic. He didn’t want to get his own paws wet, but he encouraged Patch to make an effort. Patch courageously did so, but he was quickly pulled out to deep water. He panicked, not knowing how to swim properly, and ended up getting his feet tangled in some weeds. He became trapped under the water, and Wild couldn’t free him in time. Patch drowned. Wild failed to save him. It was very traumatic for the young tom, and he was left with severe survivor’s guilt. Blueflower and Crowstalker went from paying minimal attention to Wild to outright giving him the cold shoulder, blaming him for his littermate’s death; and now the rest of Marsh Colony seemed to resent him just as much as he resented them.

For another moon, Wild was forced to carry out his new-claw duties without being a real new-claw, trapped in the base that hated him with cats he couldn’t feel safe with. He was depressed and angry, and he took out his feelings by being unruly and causing as much trouble for as many cats as he could. If it was already what they expected of him, it didn’t really matter, right? If they all thought as he did — that he should have drowned in Patch’s place — then there was no good reason why he shouldn’t just upset them even further, right? He made himself a problem and a despised delinquent within the Colony, spiting many cats into hating or at least avoiding him. He told himself that it was fine, and that he preferred it that way. It wasn’t like he was bothered by being alone anyways, after all. Plus, he probably deserved it.

Finally, once he had reached six moons old, Hawkshell gave him an official ceremony and switched him to field training, giving him Tigerstripe as his mentor. Tigerstripe was a young and rash Ranger with temper problems. Hawkshell’s hope was that the two of them would find a balance and help each other get better... but no. It backfired terribly. Tigerstripe and Wild were horrible to each other. They each dished out all of their hatred and fury on one another, and learned nothing whatsoever, getting no work done. Wild felt patronized and insulted, again believing that Marsh Colony had failed him, simply pinning him on the most convenient option available: in this case, a scarcely-experienced cat with raging anger issues. How flattering. Their relationship was toxic at best, and on bad days, it was borderline abusive. It eventually got to the point where Tigerstripe and Wild did not even bother to try training anymore, instead going to extreme lengths in order to avoid each other, accomplishing nothing at all.

The only solace that Wild found during this time was in the form of a Field Colony molly named Raven. He met her for the first time at a Moonlight Gathering — an intriguing and pretty young cat. Wild was cross and hostile towards her at first, as he was with everyone, but to his surprise, she didn’t back off right away. She seemed determined to get to know him. Wild was perplexed and unused to such attention. It was particularly unusual for a new-claw from another Colony to approach him, for his own Colonymates had been spreading rumors over the past couple moons that Wild had murdered his brother, causing other cats to be wary and frightened around him. He had become almost desensitized to it by then.

But Raven? She didn’t seem to believe or care about the rumors. She was smart and funny and she seemed nice enough. But best and strangest of all, she understood his emotions. She related to his feelings of alienation and loss. Wild was amazed at her empathy and positive outlook in the face of her own personal tragedies, and he felt rather drawn to her — just as she was to him. Wild and Raven would seek each other out at every Moonlight Gathering since then on simply in order to vent out their baggage and sentiments. They bonded at first as friends, but their connection soon became stronger, and the two got closer and closer until a mutual crush had developed between them. Wild was overwhelmed by how strongly he felt about Raven; it was the most he’d ever cared about anyone since Patch had died. On some level, it scared him — but on another, it was exhilarating. It was refreshing to him to know that he could still feel love in such a pure way.

Finally, he passed his assessment and earned his Ranger name: Wildfur. He still hated everything about his life in Marsh Colony, but at least he had a friend in Raven, now named Spottedshadow — and seeing her gave him something to look forward to each moon. Oddly enough, though, before he’d been a Ranger for long, he was approached by Blueflower. It startled him, as he’d barely spoken with his mother after his brother had died, but she seemed like she was trying to settle something. She talked to Wildfur. She spoke to him about Patch. She was trying to make amends. And Wildfur listened, and he heard, but he just couldn’t wrap his head around it. Blueflower had blamed him for Patch’s death. Inadvertently, her neglect had been the thing that caused it. And now she thought she could just walk up to him and forgive him, as if he was the one who owed her an apology? As if that would do either of them a favor? Unable to hold it in, he lost his temper at his mother. She flared right back up at him, and it dissolved into a bitter and nasty argument. They then parted ways on even worse terms than they had been on before they’d spoken.

More coming soon...

Synopsis
Wildfur makes his official debut in Shifting Roots: Chapter 1. He is first seen trailing behind the rest of Marsh Colony as they cross the tree-bridge to the island, dragging his paws and looking menacingly bitter — but his expression softens as soon as he looks up and sees Spottedshadow. Followed by Pool, he approaches where she is sitting with Dawnfrost, Wolfthorn, Swiftmask, Peach, Grey, and Moss, and greets her with a brief nuzzle. He introduces her to Pool before sitting down beside her. When speaking to Pool, Moss asks why he isn’t “big and scary-looking” while casting a glance at Wildfur. Wildfur is not insulted in the least by this, and only exchanges an amused look with Spottedshadow. They then settle down to listen as the Moonlight Gathering commences.

Once Hawkshell announces the deaths of Sunfire and Breezeheart, Wildfur reassures Spottedshadow that he will be careful and alright. Clouds cover the moon and one by one, the Colonies begin filing off of the island. Wildfur and Spottedshadow linger behind, fondly watching their new-claws — Pool and Peach — as they practice their battle stances. They accidentally lean too close together for a moment, then remember that they are in public and quickly pull away. They say their goodbyes with a slight touch of their noses. Wildfur then takes his leave with Pool close behind him.

Very shortly afterwards, he is indirectly mentioned by Peach when she teases Spottedshadow about how there “weren’t enough cute Marsh Colony new-claws”, playfully implying that her mentor’s feelings for Wildfur had been obvious.

Crowstalker
Crowstalker is Wildfur's father. As Wild grew up, Crowstalker and Blueflower split, causing them both to be so torn over their emotional issues that Crowstalker became quite distant from Wild and his littermate, Patch. After Patch's death, Crowstalker gave Wild the cold shoulder, refusing to talk to him or even associate with him. Months later, Crowstalker would bring back his two children: Night and Fog. This likely caused even more distress to Wildfur, breaking their relationship further.

Blueflower
Blueflower is Wildfur's mother. As Wild grew up, Blueflower and Crowstalker split, causing them both to be so torn over their emotional issues that Blueflower became quite distant from Wild and his littermate, Patch. While Blueflower was coming to terms with everything, however, Patch died—so like the rest of her Colony, she blamed Wild for his brother's death. Secretly though, Blueflower also burned with guilt, and this guilt pushed her to briefly try and reach out to Wild—only for both cats to recoil at the attempt and lash out at each other. Since then, Blueflower has grown on her own, though Wildfur can't help but feel resent upon seeing her.

Patch
Patch was Wildfur’s brother and only littermate. The two were inseparable during their kittenhood and early new-clawship, doing everything together and sharing a special bond due to their parents’ distance. Wild loved Patch very deeply, and his death was the thing that caused such a drastic change in his nature.

After Patch died, Wild became afraid to ever open up or love again. He got resentful and lashed out at everyone, pushing away anybody who had the nerve to try and get through to him. Internally, he was being eaten alive by guilt, blaming himself for his brother’s death and sometimes even wishing that he’d been the one to drown instead. He has gotten a bit better about that since then, but he can still never forget the trauma of the incident in which Patch was killed, and he still has nightmares about it often.

Night and Fog
Night and Fog are Wildfur's half-sister and half-brother, respectively. Wildfur doesn't pay much attention to the two, disliking the fact they even exist.

Spottedshadow
Spottedshadow is Wildfur’s love interest, and they are unofficially courting. Their love is inter-Colony and forbidden, however, which compelled Spottedshadow to turn down Wildfur’s proposal that they meet in secret on the basis that it would be disloyal to their Colonies. Wildfur was hurt, but he understood it. He understands Spottedshadow very well, and he respected her wishes. In spite of being unable to see one another often, they both have a very strong and genuine love for the other.

Wildfur particularly cares about Spottedshadow more than anything. She is one of the only friends he has and is very precious to him, being one of the few cats he feels comfortable opening up around. He considers her to be his only escape from his life in Marsh Colony and loves her with all of his heart.

Tigerstripe
Tigerstripe was Wild’s mentor, and the two of them were both horrible to each other. Tigerstripe felt insulted that he got left to deal with a soft-hearted, useless new-claw, and Wild was furious that yet again Marsh Colony had abandoned him to the most convenient option available. They despised one another and every second they had to spend together was like torture for them both. Wild barely learned anything during his time as Tigerstripe’s new-claw and ended up teaching himself most of what he knows.

As a Ranger, Wildfur avoids most of his Colonymates, but Tigerstripe and his friends even more so. He has learned how to suppress the angry, bitter side that Tigerstripe brought out during his new-claw days, but just looking at him now makes Wildfur feel sick to his stomach. Tigerstripe rarely acknowledges his existence, and frankly, he finds that to be a relief.

Pool
Pool is Wildfur’s first new-claw and the first step in his training to become a designated mentor. Unfortunately for him, though, Pool is less than thrilled to be assigned to him and does not look forward to their training in the least. Pool is respectful and obedient towards Wildfur, but he clearly does not like him much and would rather have anyone else as a mentor.

In a similar manner, Wildfur is not entirely sure how to handle the young cat’s training. His own new-clawship wasn’t exactly ideal, and so he isn’t quite certain if he is even capable of being any better than Tigerstripe. He will still do his best, though—he knows that Pool deserves better than he did at his age.

Hawkshell
Hawkshell is the Captain of Wildfur's Colony, Marsh Colony—but Wildfur doesn't respect her very much. He speaks of her poorly in front of others, and much like how he feels about the rest of his Colony, he can't help but feel resentment upon seeing her—though this resentment boils even more due to Hawkshell being the one that assigned him to Tigerstripe.

Hawkshell chose not to announce Patch's death to the other Colonies, leading to Wild feeling even more alone and bitter. Hawkshell can admit to herself that it was poor judgement to assign Wild to Tigerstripe, though she hasn't apologized to him for it. At this point, it's not hard to imagine how Hawkshell would dislike him and mistreat him back.

Dawnfrost
Dawnfrost and Wildfur meet at the Marsh and Oak Colony border to exchange news. Due to an inability to communicate with Spottedshadow (Field Colony lacking a border with Marsh Colony, and Spottedshadow being barred from Moonlight Gatherings), Spottedshadow passes on information to Dawnfrost, which in turn she passes on to Wildfur. Dawnfrost sometimes playfully teases him over his feelings for Spottedshadow. However, she is jealous of Spottedshadow's relationship with him, as well as being jealous of Wildfur himself, and has complicated feelings about cross-Colony relationships due to her previous relationship with Wolfthorn. All of these factors give her complicated feelings about Wildfur and Spottedshadow's relationship, and it shows in her awkwardly looking away while the two nuzzle at a Moonlight Gathering.

Goldenpelt
Wildfur resents Goldenpelt, a feeling that goes both ways. He was able to guess that it was Goldenpelt who barred Spottedshadow from Moonlight Gatherings, insulting him and threatening him before Spottedshadow stops him. While Wildfur wants to protect Spottedshadow from Goldenpelt, he does not fear the possibility of Goldenpelt winning Spottedshadow over romantically. Meanwhile, Goldenpelt finds Wildfur to be both a threat to Spottedshadow and his chances with her. Despite this, he still finds Dawnfrost to be more dangerous in some cases, as Marsh Colony lacks a border with Field Colony and he lacks the ambition and cleverness that Dawnfrost has.

Wolfthorn and Swiftmask
Wildfur is on good terms with Wolfthorn and Swiftmask. The three sat together during the Moonlight Gathering and cheered Larkwing and Aspenbreeze's names together, though they are not notably close.

However, much like Dawnfrost, Wolfthorn and Swiftmask seem uncomfortable with Wildfur and Spottedshadow's relationship; looking away while the two greet each other. Wolfthorn, due to his awkward cross-Colony relationship with Dawnfrost and wondering if they someday could do the same, and Swiftmask, due to his annoyance of their blatant disrespect for separate Colonies. Swiftmask also disapproves of how poorly Wildfur speaks of his Colony—rebuking him for calling Hawkshell, then leaving the Moonlight Gathering.

Trivia

 * Wildfur often has distressing nightmares.
 * However, due to his long fur and blue-green eyes, waking up in the middle of the night makes the other Rangers a little uncomfortable—so Wildfur tries to sleep when other cats aren't in the den, or in the corner, where he disturbs fewer cats.