Nettlesky

A longhaired primal ticked torbie with brilliant green eyes

Nettlesky is a medium-sized longhaired primal ticked torbie with brilliant green eyes and a bushy tail. There’s a patch of white on her lower belly. Like her mother, Nettlesky has the same build as her formerly non-RiverClan grandparent. She’s lean and muscular, sheds infrequently, and the fur at her neck ruffs out. Tabby markings are seen on her face, legs, and tail, but the rest of her coat is a ticked blend of black and red.

Nettlesky is often lively and talkative, but she’s also flighty. She’s easily bored by herself and will seek the company of other cats. Though she is more interested socializing with her friends, Nettlesky knows when to be serious. She’s unafraid of combat, loves going on patrols, and relishes fun. She knows she’s not as young as she used to be, but she refuses to see herself as old and plans to act as young as she feels until her body itself stops her.

• Born in the Moon of Turning Leaves (2015) 074
• Made an Apprentice as Nettlepaw during the Moon of First Green (2016) 080
• Named a Warrior as Nettlesky during the Moon of Cheetah's Flight (2016) 086

Nettlesky was born Nettlekit in the Moon of Turning Leaves (2015), apprenticed as Nettlepaw in the Moon of First Green (2016), and made a warrior as Nettlesky in the Moon of Cheetah’s Flight (2016).

Talonwhorl, one of Nettlesky’s maternal grandparents, had been a loner before being accepted into RiverClan. Nettlesky’s mother Rosepelt was always ready to correct anyone who thought their blood tainted the Clan. They died during Nettlesky’s kithood, but she doesn’t remember too much about them anymore. She does know their blood was strong. Nettlesky, Rosepelt, and later Thornstrike all resembled Talonwhorl much more than their respective other parents (although Rosepelt never named Nettlesky’s sire, because she wasn’t sure which of her chosen toms he’d been). Aside from that, Nettlesky believed her kithood and apprenticeship uneventful, and she grew into a spirited warrior.

In the Moon of First White (2017), she gave birth to Thornstrike and two other kits. The litter had been sired by Swiftstripe, who had been taken before the kits were born. The two had been friends for as long as Nettlesky could remember. In the late Moon of Cheetah’s Flight (2017), Nettlesky witnessed Swiftstripe run a rogue out of RiverClan’s territory, but he drove them across the Thunderpath and got hit by a monster. Nettlesky was unable to reach him before the monster’s Twolegs picked him up and took him away.

Nettlesky, though she always remembered Swiftstripe as a heroic cat, felt guilty about what had happened. The way she saw it, the loss was her fault, because she was the one who had finally gotten him confident in himself after what felt like a lifetime of apprehension. Had she not tried so hard, he might not’ve gone so far past the border. On the other paw, it was a selfish, detrimental thought. Her Clanmates were their own cats. RiverClan had lost a warrior, but Swiftstripe had gown down successfully defending it from an intruder, and through him and Nettlesky, the Clan would gain new kits.

As a queen, Nettlesky was lenient with her kits. She enjoyed motherhood in theory, but she hated being stuck in the nursery. When the kits were old enough, she wasted no time getting them out and about around camp. Alternatively, if they did not want to be out and about, she still would be, but she would keep an eye on them.

So long as they stayed out of trouble, Nettlesky let them do what they wanted. She believed that giving them the most independence would let them blossom into their truest selves… That and Nettlesky was sure she was more than fast enough to stop them before they got themselves hurt. Rosepelt was also still around to help out and see them named warriors.

All in all, although there’ve been some harsh seasons in all their lives, Nettlesky feels she did a good job raising her kits all those moons ago. She can feel her body slowing down little by little, but she’s optimistic about the future.

• In dappled moonlight comes the call (14TL'20)

Extra family info for IC reference:

• Rosepelt, Nettlesky’s dam – longhaired lilac primal ticked torbie
• Blackbranch, Nettlesky’s unknown sire – black
• Talonwhorl, Rosepelt’s afab parent – lilac ticked Somali, formerly kittypet turned loner known as Kai
• Flamestem, Rosepelt’s sire – ginger tabby

Swiftstripe – one of her best friends and the sire of her first litter

Her appearance is based on Somali cats. Her maternal grandparent Talonwhorl was a Somali who did not fully fit official breed color standards. They were lilac ticked with brilliant green eyes, but had a white locket and lower belly spot. They were born in 2010, then wound up homeless and joined RiverClan as a young adult in early 2011, under a leader called Shellstar. Talonwhorl died of illness in early 2016 during Nettlesky’s kithood. Rosepelt died of a fever in 2019, when Thornstrike and her siblings were young warriors.