#Patchpelt (mentioned)

[buddicat]

heres how runningred as sandstorm's parents can still win

[maskymoo]

To be honest, I never realized that Willowpelt and all her siblings had such interesting, in-depth stories if you took the time to look at them and make your own inferences from them.

Willowpelt herself and her relationship with her kits, Leopardfoot relationship with Pinestar and being the mother of Tigerstar, Patchpelt and the multiple relationships he's had, Spottedleaf if you decide to rewrite her story to a more respectful story reflecting on hard, but sadly realistic situation that accused in her life, and Redtail persisting to improve himself and rise through the ranks in his life before being killed by his own nephew.

Not to mention the kits of these siblings, like the close bond Tigerstar, Darkstripe, and Longtail had with each other, or how Longtail was close with his half-brother, Swiftpaw, before Tigerstar indirectly killed his cousin.

Also, Darkstripe nearly kills his own half-sister, causing not only his own family pain but probably also devastating Longtail in the process after what happened to Swiftpaw, before he was killed by his own half-brother, Graystripe.

Tigerstar also had an interesting upbringing with his grandfather, and father being Thunderclan's leaders before Pinestar left, leaving behind Tigerstar and his mother. He also had an older cat constantly being paranoid about him (not trying to shit on Goosefeather, just stating a fact), and the loss of his siblings. Also, the only father figure in his life was a bad person, making Tigerstar nearly kill a cat at some point.

And then he continues with his actions by taking advantage of his kits while both dead and alive. We all already know about Tigerstar's dictatorship and what did to get there, so I'll skip all that, but all of that info is still important.

He leads Hawkfrost to help him continue his selfish goals, and during his time alive, he manipulated his own sister, which traumatized her. Not to mention Tigerstar manipulated his grandson to train in the Dark Forest.

Bramblestar also later abuses his mate Squirrelflight and isn't that nice of a cat later down the line after being a pretty good person in the previous books.

In the end, this family faces generations having trauma and while some cats are able to move on and live normal lives like Sorreltail, Rainwhisker, Sorreltail, Graystripe, and nicely Tawnypelt, it's sad to see how it still affects them later on.

Damn, this entire family needs some therapy.

[redux-iterum]

How did Patchpelt get separated from the rest of the Clan btw? Was it he took a wrong turn, stopped for a moment or could he just not keep up with his Clanmates which lead to him going off the path?

I didn't mention it as much as I should have, but he had developed a cough over the course of the time skip that was harsh enough to slow him down and make him frailer. In the fire itself, the smoke made him suffer a coughing attack which slowed his speed and caused him to get left behind. He couldn't even call out to the rest of the Clan before flames cut him off from them and he was trapped. He tried fleeing in a different direction, and just wound up trapped worse. He spent his last moments praying that his son and grandson made it out alive.

[everybody-loves-purdy]

The Genetic Journey of Two Sisters: an Analysis of ThunderClan’s Gene Pool

Flashnose and Daisytoe made their debut in Goosefeather’s Curse, and are revealed to be sisters born to unknown parents. Although these sisters fade into the rest of ThunderClan’s old history, their genetics encompass the entirety of ThunderClan, bleeding into two other Clans. Here is an analysis of their profound genetic impact, starting with Flashnose. (Cats who’s names are red have kits)

Flashnose + unknown tom have a single daughter together: Swiftbreeze. Later in life, Swiftbreeze and Adderfang have five children: Leopardfoot, Patchpelt, Redtail, Spottedleaf, and Willowpelt. Leopardfoot and Pinestar have Tigerstar, Mistkit, and Nightkit. Patchpelt and Goldenflower have Swiftpaw & Lynxkit, while with Robinwing, he has Longtail. Willowpelt, with unknown toms, have Darkstripe & Graystripe. With Whitestorm, she has Sorreltail, Rainwhisker, and Sootfur.

→ Tigerstar and Goldenflower have Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt, and with Sasha, Tadpole, Hawkfrost and Mothwing. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight have Sparkpelt, Alderheart, Dandelionkit, and Juniperkit. Sparkpelt and Larksong have Nightheart, Finchlight, and Flickerkit. Tawnypelt and Rowanclaw have Tigerstar II, Dawnpelt, and Flametail. Tigerstar II and Dovewing have Lightleap, Shadowsight, Pouncestep, Birchpaw, and Rowankit, while Dawnpelt and Crowfrost have Strikestone, Sleekwhisker, and Juniperclaw.

→ Graystripe and Silverstream have Feathertail and Stormfur, and with Millie, he also fathers Briarlight, Blossomfall, and Bumblestripe. Stormfur and Brook have Pine that Clings to Rock, Lark that Sings at Dawn, Feather of Flying Hawk, and Breeze that Rustles the Leaves. Blossomfall and Thornclaw have Stemleaf, Shellfur, Plumstone, and Eaglewing. Stemleaf and Spotfur have Stempaw, Graypaw, and Bristlepaw.

→ Sorreltail and Brackenfur have Cinderheart, Poppyfrost, Honeyfern, Molepaw, Lilyheart, and Seedpaw. Cinderheart and Lionblaze have Fernsong, Sorrelstripe, Hollytuft, Spotfur, Snaptooth, and Flywhisker. Fernsong and Ivypool have Thriftear, Flipclaw, and Bristlefrost. Sorrelstripe and Dewnose have Bayshine and Myrtlebloom. Spotfur, as previously mentioned has Stempaw, Graypaw, and Bristlepaw with Stemleaf. Thriftear and Bayshine have Moonpaw.

→ Poppyfrost and Berrynose have Cherryfall and Molewhisker.

→ Lilyheart and Snowbush have Larksong, Honeyfur, and Leafshade. As previously mentioned, Larksong and Sparkpelt have Nightheart, Finchlight, and Flickerkit.

This wraps up Flashnose’s genetic line, moving us into Daisytoe’s genetic line.

Daisytoe and Rooktail had Moonflower and Goosefeather. Moonflower and Stormtail had Bluestar and Snowfur. Bluestar and Oakheart had Mistystar, Stonefur, and Mosskit. Mistystar and Blackclaw had Reedwhisker, Primrosepaw, Pikepaw, and Perchkit. Snowfur and Thistleclaw had Whitestorm. Whitestorm and Brindleface had Ferncloud, Ashfur, Elderkit, and Tulipkit. With Willowpelt, he also had Sorreltail, Rainwhisker, and Sootfur. Ferncloud and Dustpelt had Spiderleg, Shrewpaw, Birchfall, Larchkit, Hollykit, Foxleap, and Icecloud. Spiderleg and Daisy had Toadstep and Rosepetal. Birchfall and Whitewing had Dovewing and Ivypool, who’s mates & kits were previously mentioned.

Although Daisytoe and Flashnose’s bloodlines began separately, they converge at certain points (i.e. Whitestorm x Willowpelt, Tigerstar II x Dovewing) to form an extensive genetic pool that is responsible for 30/46= 65% of the current ThunderClan population (as of Wind) & 6/30= 20% of the current ShadowClan population. Holy shit.

I’d add Robinwing x Fuzzypelt as an honorable mention, but given the fact that their son (Dustpelt) and their granddaughter (Ferncloud) have kits, their line merges with Daisytoe’s since her great-grandson is Whitestorm, who’s also Ferncloud’s father. Alternatively, we could focus on Frostfur, but since both of her sons took mates from Flashnose’s genetic line, their entire family line is one with Daisytoe & Flashnose’s.

Times like this make me feel very fortunate that certain information was retconned. If the fact that Redtail & Brindleface had Sandstorm remained canon, this would make Squirrelstar, Leafpool, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf all related to Flashnose. Which raises that ThunderClan percentage from 65% to 76%. This would also make Lionblaze and Cinderheart related.

Seeing how much ThunderClan grew from these pair of sisters is always a “wow” moment for me. Their spirits have likely faded from StarClan’s ranks, but I can’t help but wonder if they ever looked down on their descendants and felt proud of how big their families have grown.

I’ve never seen the exact percentages before that’s absolutely wild. It’s insane how these one off characters that no fan would really remember otherwise, let alone remember they are sisters, have ultimately become the root of most of the current ThunderClan incest problems.

[wc-confessions]

TW: Discussions of incest in warriors

While I agree for the most part with incest anon, I do want to point out that at some point, you have to draw the line regarding what is and isn't incest.

Ignoring that they're warrior cats for a moment, these are fundamentally small communities. To have two unrelated cats back to the fifth generation (third cousins), you'd need 16 individual cats. Back to the sixth (fourth cousins) you'd need 32 individual cats. The Clans literally are not big enough to have that many unrelated cats, especially when you also have to account for similar ages if you want to be unproblematic. Even humans, with 8 billion some people to choose from, are tenth cousins with each other because we have a shared ancestor. That's what makes us a species. For a Clan of around 40 at a time, you're eventually going to be having everyone be around fourth cousins with each other. It's unfeasible to assume that you can never be mates with anyone you grow up with because your great-great-great grandparents were related. Plus, that's setting aside the whole xenophobia of the Clans, which is already a big ask in-universe. And also that they're cats, so they tend to have multiple kids, and if many of them go on to have kids... eventually you're asking them to die out by never mating.

I only bring this up because you mentioned Larksong and Sparkpelt, who share Lionheart and Frostfur as great-great grandparents. If they were savannahs, with Lionheart/Frostfur being a serval x domestic cat pairing, they would be considered f5 - the very limit of what most breeders consider savannahs, after which they're treated as fundamentally domestic cats. I'm not saying breeders are great moral compasses, but no matter your angle - moral, genetic, what have you - there's a point where it just doesn't matter. Maybe your line is third cousins, in which case I can understand, but again keep in mind how small their communities are. If you want to play a fun game, try and find someone they're not related to that isn't Finleap or Twigbranch. Bonus points if they're also not problematic in some other way, like being mentor/apprentice at the same time.

Also, there are dozens of better ways to point out how awful the Erins are when it comes to family trees. Anyone remember Willowpelt and Patchpelt? How about Dustpelt and Ferncloud, who were literally uncle and niece (ignoring all the other problems they have)? Never forget Silverstream and Whiteclaw, her foster brother. The Erins need to do better, but going at them over third cousins is a low bar when there's so many other examples that can't even clear that.

.

[transhet-lionblaze]

Warriors: Into the Wild Rewrite

Prologue

Tigerpaw trudged through the forest, the heat getting to him as he dragged along a fat rabbit. He was ready to get back to camp, the bright sun beating him into submission as his paws were slick with dirt that made his steps feel unsteady. He wasn’t prepared for such a harsh greenleaf, but the heat was unbearable. The good thing was, prey was plentiful, and Tigerpaw was just glad he wasn’t a WindClan cat, running for rabbits under the hot sun with no trees for shelter. 

He walked along, hoping to smell the familiar scent of his mentor, Thistleclaw the clan deputy, so he could show off his prize, but to no avail. He wandered around the forest, before deciding it was too hot to be playing hide and seek with a grown tom, and just prayed he’d finished his patrol early and was already back at camp. 

As Tigerpaw pushed his way through the ferns encircling the camp, he saw most cats lingering in their nests. Spark Lion was perched on the high rock, his yellow fur gleaming as the sun hit it. Tigerpaw dropped his catch on the fresh kill pile, before he heard a familiar mew call his name.

“Over here!” A cheerful and bright sounding tom with pure white fur waved his tail to signal Tigerpaw. In front of the apprentice was a large robin, big enough for the two of them to share.

“Did you catch that yourself, Whitepaw?” Tigerpaw purred while sitting down next to the tom.

“Nah, Patchpelt had me cleaning ticks all day, said it’s an apprentices duty. But once dad gets back, he’ll get an earful. Thistleclaw says that elder care should be reserved for the medicine cats, who don’t provide any food or protection to the clan.” 

“What was that?” An irritated mew sounded from next to them. Tigerpaw looked up, seeing a dark tortoiseshell who’s fur seemed almost red in the sun’s beams. 

Whitepaw looked flustered, before saying, “I was just joking, Spottedpaw! I know medicine cats are some of the most important cats in the clan, it’s just.” Whitepaw paused for a second. “I was parroting what my dad said, so blame him, not me.”

Spottedpaw seemed to scowl at the mention of Whitepaw’s father, and seemed on edge as she asked, “Where is Thistleclaw today?” 

“Out on patrol,” Tigerpaw said. 

Spottedpaw looked out at the clearing, her eyes seeming to move past the brush that ensnared the camp. She sighed, before walking off, not even saying goodbye. 

“How rude,” Whitepaw mewed playfully, but Tigerpaw just stared as the she-cat left. 

His friend pawed at Tigerpaw playfully, grabbing the tabby tom’s attention. He swished around, only to see a mischievous grin on the white cat’s face. “Why you staring,” he asked.

Tigerpaw flushed, his fur spiking up at the question. “None of your business,” he growled, but it sounded more like a squeal. Whitepaw laughed at the failed attempt to intimidate, before finally taking a bite of the prey in front of him. 

Tigerpaw followed suit, grabbing off a chunk of the meat and swallowing it hastily. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the savory taste of blood hit his tongue, and he swallowed greedily. 

As the sun dipped lower in the horizon, Tigerpaw kept finding himself glancing at the entrance. “What’s got you so worried?” Whitepaw asked after finishing his meal. 

“Thistleclaw…” Tigerpaw let his words drop off as he got up. “I’ll be back, I wanna make sure he’s ok.” 

Whitepaw scoffed, “He’ll be fine. He’s the strongest warrior in the clan, not even Spark Lion could raise a paw to him!” 

Tigerpaw tried to listen to his friend and let the worry wash away, but he couldn’t get rid of this nagging feeling. Without saying another word, he walked off, trying to keep to the shadows of the trees. He lifted his nose, trying for a scent of his mentor, but everything seemed to come up dry. 

Tigerpaw continued to walk forward, until, finally, he was able to grasp onto something near the river that led to the RiverClan border. He walked through a copse of trees, before something bright red halted him in his tracks. 

A mangled corpse, neck snapped in two with scars all over his body. He could tell the now dead cat had put up a fight, but it took a second for Tigerpaw’s brain to catch up to speed and realize who the cat was.

Thistleclaw. 

Tigerpaw tried to call out, to see if, by a miracle of StarClan, Thistleclaw was ok, but he stood. Still. Silent. His shaking legs barely were able to hold the weight of his body now, as he looked up to a cat licking a bloodied paw. 

Tigerpaw stared straight at them, his eyes fixating on the cat, now sure that they were the one who committed this deed. His eyes went dark and turned to slits, his claws unsheathed without him even realizing it, but he knew he couldn’t fight back. Not yet. 

“I’ll destroy you,” he mumbled under his breath, “I’ll kill you.” His words were but a whisper that was caught by the wind, even Tigerpaw himself could barely hear the declaration, but he felt it in his heart. Anger surged in him, and he knew what he had to do.

“I will kill you.” 

[heepthecheep]

How and why Harper Collins chooses the specific stuff it wants to make canon is an enigma to me. Because like

For awhile a lot of the weird "author said such and such on her Facebook or in an email" stuff wasn't considered canon. But now the family tree on the the website is considered canon, and it adopts many of the things Su Susanne or whomever said. But not all of it, only somethings

For example, if you go by the wiki, Robinwing and Fuzzypelt had Frostfur and Brindleface, then something happened and Robinwing got with her ex-husband's apprentice and had Longtail. Then apparently her and Patchpelt didn't work out, so she got back together with Fuzzypelt and had Ravenpaw and Dustpelt before conveniently both dying seemingly days before the plot begins. They also had two deceased children who are never mentioned in the books at all, despite there being at this point multiple opportunities for them to have been.

So all of this stuff, most of which is never mentioned in the actual book is considered canon, but....

Leopardstar's siblings can't have their formerly canon names, Sorrelshine and Skyheart (and probably a few other queens I'm forgetting) have children that seemingly don't exist, Nightpelt and Clawface have no mother despite there being 2 different she-cats that could be (because they are/where in a relationship with night/claw's father), and despite weirder families existing, Sandstorm isn't allowed to have parents

But don't worry, Cherrypaw and Chestnutkit totally existed! For sure. They aren't just a conspiracy theory made up by Dustpelt

[cryptidclaw]

Yeahhhhh I always tend to… disregard the parents/family not outright mentioned in material.

Cause in the desperation to give the cats parents it often times just muddled the gene pool 8n8

which Y’know the canonical Clans who value blood purity to the point that after book 1 if the sire is unknown you’re a traitor- makes sense I guess. But god the Clans would’ve died out so long ago if this had been a thing for generations.

Also a contender to the Squirrelflight and Ashfur being niece and Uncle- at one time Greystripe’s parents were Patchpelt and Willowpelt. Who are full blooded siblings. I don’t remember when this was eventually swapped out to just Willowpelt being his mom, but it was there for a hot minute.

OUGH the Willow and Patch thing is so funney though,,, like why did they DO that????

also fun fact I constantly forget who Willow, Red and Spotted are related to in canon bec I only think of them as Rosetail's kits now LOL. like Patchpelt is Willow's brother???? untrue. Either way he's not her baby daddy!!!

[talonslockau]

Fire and Ice - Chapter 12

Chapter 11 || Index || Chapter 13

With their bellies full, the two apprentices found their way over to the elders' den, where the elders were enjoying the afternoon sun on their fur. Though Graypaw strode forward confidently, Firepaw lagged behind, trying to keep his paws light as though the silence would keep them from noticing him. It didn't.

"So we finally get to meet the new apprentice." He looked over to see the brown tabby Halftail talking, one eye open as he observed the two approach. “Here I was thinking we’d finally get to meet you when you joined us yourself.”

Firepaw dipped his head respectfully to the elder, hoping that such displays of courtesy would get on the tom’s good side. “Tinyfrost has been keeping me busy.” He mewed.

“The past few days have been quite eventful. We can hardly blame them.” A white molly spoke up from a sunny spot nearby. Her only eye was soft as she regarded the two. “It’s good to meet you at last, Firepaw. And how is my only grandson doing?”

Graypaw shifted nervously beside him. “I’m doing good, One-eye.” He mumbled, barely audible even to Firepaw. “I’m just here to help Firepaw out, since it’s his first time on elder duty.”

“I should have guessed you two weren’t here out of the goodness of your hearts.” One-eye rolled her eye as she glanced at a small tom beside her. “What did you do to get assigned to take care of us ancient sods, hmm?”

Firepaw’s tail lowered further as he remembered his thorough humiliation at the paws of Patchpelt. “I talked back to Patchpelt.” He grumbled, not daring to look directly at any of them.

“That bitter old crow probably deserved it.” He blinked up in surprise as the tom next to One-eye spoke. “He likes to act all big and mighty, as if he wasn’t quite the little hothead back when he was an apprentice.”

“Remember when he tried to kill every adder in Snakerocks? He was in the healer’s den for a moon!” One-eye chortled as she remembered the distant memory. “His warrior ceremony was delayed for a season because of it.”

Firepaw allowed himself a small smile at the thought. “He acted like he’d never heard such a disrespectful apprentice.” He admitted out loud.

“Oh, nonsense. If talking back is the worst thing you do as an apprentice, you’ll be the best apprentice Thunderclan has ever had.” One-eye purred at the thought. “Remember the trouble Bluestar got into, Smallear? She once brought a fox back to camp!”

The tom next to her snorted. “Oh, I remember. Goosefeather thought she was either going to be the death of the Clan or its greatest warrior.” He glanced over to where she was talking with Quickflash. “I’m glad she ended up being the latter.”

Firepaw looked back and forth as the two bantered. “Who is Goosefeather?” He asked quickly, glancing at Graypaw in the hopes he would explain. The other apprentice just shrugged, clearly as clueless as he was.

“Goosefeather was Spottedleaf’s mentor. He was a crazy old tom, even by healer standards. He used to constantly claim Starclan was going to destroy us all.” Halftail rolled his eyes. “When One-eye lost her eye, he said it meant the Clan was doomed to blindly stumble into danger. When I lost my tail, it was a sign that the first cat to climb a tree would die on the spot!”

Firepaw shivered at the thought. “At least Spottedleaf doesn’t seem that…odd.”

Halftail purred at the mention of the Clan’s healer. “On the contrary! I dare say Spottedleaf is the best healer this Clan has ever had. No thanks to her mentor.” He sighed as a distant look came into his eyes. “She was always so level-headed, even as an apprentice. Between that and her beauty, she had all the young toms in the Clan wrapped around her paw. She broke many hearts the day she chose to become a healer instead.”

One-eye snorted. “Those days are long past. Besides, I doubt these apprentices want to hear about your old crush. I certainly don’t.” She grumbled, tail flicking languidly. “Why don’t you two start by taking out our old moss? Just be careful not to disturb Rosetail in there. She had a bad vole, and I’m certain she doesn’t want to be woken up by two noisy apprentices.”

Graypaw nodded. “Of course, One-eye. C’mon, Firepaw. We’ve got to take their old bedding out to the dirtplace, so we can replace it with fresh bedding. Just follow my lead.” With that, he dipped into the hollow of the elders' den, the other tom quickly padding after him, careful not to make any sound.

It was dark inside, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust. When they did, he could see several well-made nests, sturdy woven branches containing an almost excessive amount of moss. There were many more of them than there were elders outside, but he could tell through scent which ones were vacant and which ones were occupied.

Close to the back of the hollow, he could see a dark shape moving faintly; Rosetail, if he had to guess. He carefully avoided it as he came up beside Graypaw, who was busily scraping together One-eye’s nest. He did his best to copy him, bundling together the mossy padding that reeked of Smallear with his paws until it was as compact as he could make it.

He then watched as Graypaw collected the moss under his chin, and carefully did the same, tucking it as close as he could to his chest to prevent any from falling to the ground as they made their way outside. The three elders, now dozing in the sunlight, didn’t pay them any mind as they trundled past and through the entrance of camp.

He was thankful that his fellow apprentice knew the way without even needing to look up, a feat he was yet to accomplish. They made their way up the ravine, away from camp, until they reached a sandy clearing covered in tall, bright yellow flowers. The sweet fragrance of the flowers was the first thing he scented, doing its best to cover up the smell of the dirt beneath it.

Copying the gray tom, he dropped the moss ball at his feet, taking a moment to spit out stray hairs and bits of moss before raking his former burden open and doing his best to scatter it under the flowers.

“The elders seemed quite charmed by you.” Graypaw finally spoke, glancing back at him. “Guess you didn’t need to worry, huh?”

Firepaw shrugged. “I think they were mostly being nice because One-eye was.” He felt a pang as he thought of the love with which she had spoken to her grandson. “She seems to really care for you.”

Graypaw flicked an ear dismissively at that. “I’m her only grandson. It’s not that weird.” He glanced over to the ruddy tom. “I mean, surely your grandparents were like that, right?”

He felt a pang at the mention of his family. “I never met them.” At the surprise in Graypaw’s eyes, he sighed. “Kittypets don’t really have families. I was only with my mother until I was two moons old.” He glanced down at his paws, scuffling them in the dirt. “I barely remember her or my littermates. I don’t even know who my father was.”

“That’s horrible!” The other apprentice gasped, outright horror in his voice. “Two moons old? That’s barely old enough to eat prey!”

“Yeah. They usually take us away as soon as we don’t need milk.” He shrugged. “It was just normal, though. I didn’t really think anything of it until…” He glanced back to camp, unsure how to explain how deeply Clan life had shocked him.

“I see.” There was silence for a few moments. “Well, I know my mom would adopt you in a heartbeat if she knew! Dad too, probably.” He was surprised as Graypaw gently rubbed against him. “And I know I’ve always wanted a brother.”

Firepaw looked up to meet him in the eye, managing a small smile. “I don’t know about all that…” He trailed off, before leaning back into Graypaw. “But I’m glad to have a good friend in you.”

The fluffy gray tom nodded firmly. “Always. Best friends.” He finally pulled away, flicking his tail towards the forest edge. “C’mon, let’s go fetch some moss for the new nests.”

Firepaw followed Graypaw as he made his way up the ravine slope, carefully leaping from boulder to boulder until they reached a cluster of sturdy maple trees. "Now, the trick to collecting moss is to collect it as high up as possible. The lower stuff is always wet, and the elders despise wet moss more than anything else."

"More than Shadowclan?" Firepaw asked jokingly.

The other apprentice nodded grimly. "Even more than Shadowclan. At least Shadowclan doesn't disturb their dozing!" Reaching up a moss-covered trunk, Graypaw hooked his claws in and pulled away a layer of moss with a satisfying ripping sound. "Plus, the dry stuff tears away easier than the wet moss. Once you start feeling a lot of resistance, that's when you should stop and try another spot."

It seemed simple enough with how he had described it, so Firepaw looked around for his own spot. "How much do we need?" He questioned, hopeful that they would be done with their work swiftly.

"As much as you can carry." Graypaw's words quickly dispelled any illusions that this would be quick. "The more layers, the happier they are. If it were up to them, they'd get Starclan themselves to pull the clouds out of the sky for them to sleep on!"

The ginger tom snorted at the thought. "Too bad we can't possibly live up to those standards." He responded, stretching as far as he could up another tree and ripping away the soft plants covering it. He was surprised how easily it folded under his claws, gently falling onto his fur.

"They sure try to make us." Graypaw's voice was weary, evidently speaking from experience. "When we were kits, Smallear was always getting upset that we couldn't collect dry moss in two shakes of his tail. Luckily One-eye talked him down most of the time." He huffed angrily at the memories of past scoldings.

He glanced over to the gray tom curiously. "Is it normal for kits to do apprentice duties?" He wondered aloud as he scraped down another layer of moss.

The other apprentice grumbled. "No, it's not. But when Dustleap and Sandstorm became warriors, only Ravenpaw was left to do apprentice duties, and he couldn't wait on the elders all the time. He had training to do, after all." He sighed as he half-heartedly gathered more bedding. "And since we were old enough to go out of camp, Mom thought it would keep us out of trouble if we did some apprentice duties instead."

He nodded sympathetically at the explanation. "That must have been terrible."

"I hated it, but Pepperpaw and Dewpaw loved listening to the elders' stories. And anyways, all that practice means I can help you out now!" He glanced over the moss they'd gathered. "This should be enough for Smallear and One-eye's nests. Let's head back." Gathering up what he'd collected into a tight ball, Graypaw flicked his tail for Firepaw to follow him.

He quickly copied the other with his own pile of moss, careful to tuck it under his chin before following his friend’s fluffy tail through the forest. After a few moments, it was with a flicker of surprise that he realized he recognized where they were; already, the path out of camp and up the ravine was becoming familiar to him, his paws slipping easily into the well-grooved pawprints of those that came before him.

Soundlessly, the two made their way through the entrance and filed into the dark hollow of the elders’ den, where Rosetail was still sleeping. Firepaw watched as Graypaw dropped his moss ball into the now-empty nest, then expertly raked it open to scatter the moss within. He carefully began to cut into his own, still focused on Graypaw as he began to knead the moss with his claws, pulling it apart and fluffing it so that it filled the woven nest to the brim.

It was surprisingly more difficult than he expected, carefully massaging the clumps out to give the nest a light, fluffy feeling. It seemed nest-making was a skill just as much as hunting or fighting was, one he was certain he would get a lot of practice in before he became a warrior.

It wasn’t long before he had finished, by which point Graypaw had already gathered up Halftail’s dirty moss and begun carrying it out. Firepaw didn’t hesitate to follow him, trotting quickly towards the entrance to catch up with the other tom.

Graypaw glanced at him in surprise as he finally came up alongside the fluffy apprentice, quickly pausing and dropping the moss. “Oh, hey. I don’t think I’ll need help fetching Halftail’s moss or making his nest…” He blinked and glanced over to where the three elders were still sunning themselves. “Maybe you should check and see if they want anything else? Any more prey, maybe, or if they have any ticks that need cracking? The season’s still young, but…” He trailed off as he looked back to Firepaw.

Firepaw flicked an ear uneasily. “Are you sure? I mean, this is my punishment…”

Graypaw waved his friend’s worrying away with a paw. “We’re both on elder duty now. Let’s meet back up at the nursery, alright?” With that, he picked his bundle back up and disappeared through the bramble tunnel.

“Alright…” Firepaw echoed after him, turning to look over the elders. He crept forward, keeping his tail down as he made his way to them. “Uhm, now that we’ve finished with your nests, do you want us to fetch you anything?” He kept his voice low, careful not to let it get loud enough to disturb Rosetail inside.

“Yea, some peace and quiet.” Smallear snapped, opening one eye to glare at the new apprentice. “We’re not mute. If we want something, we’ll tell you.” He flicked his tail lazily as he closed his eyes again. “Now go away.”

None of the other elders spoke, and Firepaw wasn’t about to argue with such an obvious dismissal. Delicately tiptoeing away, he turned to scan the clearing, searching his memory for where the nursery was. After a few moments, he spotted two queens sitting outside a thicket of brambles and bracken, which he belatedly recalled Graypaw mentioning to be the nursery.

He made his way across the clearing, dipping his head in respect as he approached. "Good afternoon. Do you need any help in the nursery?" He asked, glancing between a golden-furred queen and her snow-colored companion.

The white queen was the first to respond. "We don't need any of your help." She snapped, blue eyes narrowed as she fixed him with a steely gaze.

He was taken aback by the cold response, about to walk away when the other queen spoke. "What Frostfur means is that we have everything taken care of. Pepperpaw was already by before sunhigh to make sure we had what we needed." She gently placed her tail over Frostfur's flank as though to calm her. The other queen glanced at her briefly, but didn't dispute her words. "It's good to finally meet you. I'm Goldenflower, and this is my mate, Frostfur." She shot a warm glance towards the other queen, whiskers twitching as she gave a gentle smile.

Firepaw allowed himself to relax slightly at the much kinder words from the second queen. "I'm Firepaw. But, uh, I guess you already knew that, from my ceremony." He added quickly, feeling the warm blush of embarrassment heating his fur.

Goldenflower's only response to his stammering was to purr. "Thank you for coming by, Firepaw. It's good to know that our Clan has such dedicated apprentices in these trying times." A shadow flickered across her face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "But we needn't keep you from your other duties. If we need anything, we'll let you know."

He nodded, grateful for the dismissal. "Of course, Goldenflower. Anything you need." With that, he hurried away, eager to get away before he could further embarrass himself in front of the two queens.

To his surprise, Graypaw was coming across the clearing towards him, evidently done with Halftail's nest. "Sorry, Firepaw." The fluffy tom panted, clearly having tried to arrive quickly enough to help him. "I should have warned you."

Firepaw glanced behind him to see the two queens deep in conversation. "About Frostfur?" He guessed, turning back to the other apprentice.

He winced and nodded. "Don't say it to her face, but everyone else calls her 'Frostfury', because of her tongue." Graypaw brushed against him sympathetically. "It's not just you, don't worry. The only cats she spares from her tongue lashings are kits and her mate."

"It wasn't that bad. She just surprised me, that's all." Firepaw shook his head. "I mean, everyone's been so welcoming, except for Dustleap and Sandstorm… I guess I should've expected a few other cats to be mad about it."

Graypaw snorted. "Don't take it to heart. She's mad about everything. Even Starclan, I bet." He gestured to the healer's den. "On the positive side, that just leaves helping Spottedleaf out before we're done for the day!"

He grinned at the thought of getting the rest of the day off. Though the sun was setting, it was still high enough in the sky that they would have some time before needing to return to their nests. "Lead the way." He told Graypaw eagerly.

The two made their way over to the gap in the ravine wall that hid the healer's den. He couldn't wait to see what was inside, though he was glad that it wasn't because he was injured. Peering in, he heard the faint rustling of someone else inside.

He was surprised to see that the cave inside wasn't dark at all, but lit by a large crack in the ceiling of the cave high above them. Farther in, a small waterfall trickled into a deep, clear pool, providing ample amounts of clean water for the healer and their patients. To his right were the same well-made nests of the elders' den, filled to the brim with soft moss. And to his left…

"Graypaw! How can I help you?" A long-furred tortoiseshell molly pushed away from where she was sorting through a stockpile of several dozen flowers, eyes widening as she noticed him standing there too. "And young Firepaw! It's nice to see you at last. I'm sorry I wasn't able to treat you after your fight with Dustleap, but it seems you've recovered just fine."

Firepaw nodded, taking a furtive lick at his shoulder, where a deep cut from the fight with Dustleap still ached. "He didn't really get me anyways." He lied, hoping she wasn't able to see any scratches from where she was.

Her green eyes glinted at him in the low light. "I see." She responded, her tone flat and unimpressed. "You should let me look you over, just in case. If you're not careful, these sorts of wounds can get infected, and then it'll be a bigger problem for me than it was in the first place."

She approached, close enough that he could see the beginnings of silver fur flecking her muzzle. "No, it's quite alright." He mumbled, shaking his head and backing away. "We actually came here to see if we could help you with anything."

Spottedleaf tilted her head at him, clearly considering whether to push it further. Finally, she shrugged and stepped back. "Well, I don't need any more herbs at the moment. Dewpaw already came in and volunteered to go look for some feverfew just after sunhigh. She should be back soon."

Pausing for a moment, the healer glanced over to one of the nests. "I'm actually going to see Rosetail and make sure it's just a bad vole she ate." She stepped towards both of them, lowering her voice to a whisper. "However, I feel as though Ravenpaw is bothered by more than his injuries, but he won't talk to me about it. Could the two of you talk to him instead? He might be more willing to open up with other apprentices."

Firepaw glanced at Graypaw, who shrugged and nodded. "Sure, if Ravenpaw wouldn't mind some company." The gray apprentice replied amicably.

She nodded and pulled away, turning back to her herbs. "I think he could use some company now that he's stable." Her voice was flat again as she picked out several flowers Firepaw didn't recognize. "You three can talk until I get back from tending to Rosetail. After that, he needs his rest." With that, she collected her herbs and pushed past them to the entrance.

Firepaw turned his attention to the nests, which were all empty, with one exception. "Hey, Ravenpaw. How are you feeling today?" Graypaw padded over softly, nosing the older apprentice gently.

The black tom lifted his head to look at them, his eyes containing a clarity they hadn't the night prior. “I’m doing better.” He admitted, his voice a little raspy. “I’m sorry for spooking you last night. I’d just had a bad dream, and...”

“It’s okay. We understand. It’s been a difficult few days.” Graypaw shushed him with his paw before turning to Firepaw. “Do you remember Firepaw? I told you about him when I got back from my first patrol.”

Ravenpaw’s ears perked as he looked from Graypaw to the flame-colored apprentice. “This is that kittypet?” He asked, tilting his head as he studied the tom from head to toe.

“I was a kittypet.” Firepaw admitted with a dip of his head. “But Bluestar allowed me to join. I’m training under Tinyfrost now.” His fur prickled along his spine as he mentioned his mentor, trying not to think of the fury in the warrior’s gaze during that morning’s training.

Ravenpaw’s expression was unreadable for several moments, before he finally nodded solemnly. “It’s nice to meet you, Firepaw. I’d like to say I’m looking forward to training alongside you, but…” He nosed his shoulder, which was covered in something pale.

“That was quite a nasty wound you got during the battle. Do you think it’ll scar?” Graypaw jumped in, purring as he nosed his friend’s good shoulder.

“That’s what Spottedleaf said. Right before she said I’m not allowed to leave the den for half a moon.” The sleek black tom sighed as he rested his head back on his paws. “Dad’s not…” He swallowed hard, gaze flicking away from the two of them. “He’s not happy.” He mumbled.

“Yeah, he was really upset at Riverclan. But you can’t blame him. They killed Redtail and injured you!” Graypaw huffed. “He worries about you, you know.” He added with a small purr.

“Something like that.” Ravenpaw mumbled, still not looking back to them. “I appreciate you guys checking in on me, but I’ll be fine. Really-”

“Graypaw? Firepaw?” A voice interrupted him from behind them, and the two apprentices turned to see Dewpaw had entered the den, carrying a bundle of small white flowers. “What are you two doing in here? Ravenpaw’s supposed to be resting.”

The two looked to each other, as Firepaw debated whether to mention Spottedleaf’s task. “We just wanted to see if Ravenpaw was okay after last night, was all.” He finally said, erring on the side of caution.

She paused, glancing past them to the dark apprentice. “Well… that’s probably okay. But you should get out before Spottedleaf comes back. She looked like she was almost done with Rosetail when I walked by.” She turned away, beginning to sort the flowers into a small stone cubby.

“Uh, yeah, of course.” Graypaw mumbled as the two toms turned back to Spottedleaf’s only patient. “We’ll see you later then, Ravenpaw.”

He sighed and flicked his white-tipped tail to the entrance. “Yea. Later.”

The two hurried out to see Spottedleaf making her way over to them, still holding several herbs. “Firepaw! Graypaw!” She called, setting down her bundle as she stopped in front of them. “How did it go?”

“Well…” Firepaw hesitated as he glanced at his companion. “I think he’s okay, given everything that happened. He’s just upset that he’s not able to train at all for a while.”

The healer sighed at his words. “If his mentor wasn’t Darkstripe, I would let him train sooner. But Darkstripe has always been eager to impress Tigerclaw and Bluestar, and I’m afraid if I gave him the okay, he’d get straight back to battle training… Though...” She trailed off, lost in thought for a moment, before she shook her head wistfully. “But that’s not something you two need to worry about. Thank you for checking up on him for me. I suppose he must just be taking Redtail’s death hard.”

“It was no problem. We’re glad to help.” Graypaw purred, dipping his head respectfully. Firepaw quickly copied him. “Is there anything else you need, Spottedleaf?”

She shook her head. “Not right now. Have a good evening, you two.” With that, the tortoiseshell molly picked up her herbs and trotted past them into her den.

Firepaw glanced around camp. It didn’t seem like the late day patrols had returned yet, and with the exception of a couple of hushed conversations, all seemed quiet. “So what do we do now?”

“Now?” Graypaw let out a huge yawn. “I’m exhausted. The dawn patrol leaves far too early.” He flicked his tail towards the apprentices’ den. “I’m gonna take a nap. You’re welcome to join me if you want.” With that, he made a beeline across camp towards their fern-covered den.

Firepaw paused for a moment, glancing towards the warrior’s den to see if his mentor was watching. He didn’t see him, and after a couple of moments he shrugged and followed Graypaw. He’d done his duty to the Clan, after all; if his friend was so relaxed, he had no reason to worry.

He pushed his way through the ferns to see the fluffy tom had already collapsed on his sleeping spot. “Good dreams, Graypaw.” He purred softly as he circled his own nest, kneading it for several moments before laying down.

“Mmph.” The other apprentice only grunted, clearly already half asleep. With a small smile, Firepaw closed his own eyes, allowing himself to drift into a dreamless slumber as the sun began to fall below the tree line.

[burning-thistles-bt]

What exactly spawned frostfurs hatred of the firesibs and co™? -frost hater anon

short answer: conspiracy theories

long answer: she used to love them! but she also loved gossip, and she had no qualms gossiping about the cats she loved. and Spottedleaf? oh, her romance drama was a pool of gossip waiting to happen. so of course Frostfur bought into and joined her mother Robinwing and Speckletail and Smallear in their circle of "did you hear? did you see? did you know?" Frostfur would tell her friends Spottedleaf and Willowpelt it was "just gossip" but just gossip hurts. Spotted and Willow began to feel uncomfortable around her and removed her from their kits' lives. the Firesibs were already starting to feel like Frostfur thought they were "strange," and didn't like being around her that much either. but she was still nice to them.

at first it was just that the gossip created a divide between them --- Frostfur still liked them, and some of the sibs even liked/tolerated her. but the gossip started getting more... outlandish. Frostfur stopped hanging out with her 'pawhood friends as much because the older gossipers didn't and she followed their lead, and, on the flip side, Spottedleaf, Willowpelt, Whitestorm, etc. stopped hanging out with her because she made them uncomfortable. Speckletail's mentorship of Lightningpaw, and how they didn't get along and Lightningpaw was rebellious, started to add fuel to the fire to the "Firesibs aren't good for this clan."

Chapter 29 is when Frostfur first mentions that "It’s almost like that family’s cursed." It's only partly malicious. She was starting a speculative rumor that Patchpelt got with his sister Willowpelt (which is false btw), because he was a "womanizer" and the others dismissed her theory of Willowpelt's mate being a ShadowClan tom (which was the truth, and she was kind of mad/petty that they refused to believe her). She is specifically talking about Spottedleaf and her siblings when she talks about the curse in this scenario, citing their poor romance lives as reasons for being "cursed." She doesn't mean they are seriously cursed, just that they have bad luck/bad blood. But it's that one little idea that slowly starts to form and stick like a burr. She mentions the idea of a "curse" more frequently, beginning to say that the Firesibs have bad luck (aka a curse) because their mom is a medicine cat and that broke the code.

Believe it or not, Airpaw/leap is the one who starts buying into and perpetuating this idea of being cursed. Obviously, Frostfur is his third mentor, and she's not the kindest to him, and, while we never see what she says to him specifically, it's clear she got in his head with the possible things pertaining to "a curse." He's genuinely the first cat who believes he's cursed. Even at this point, it's more just a word than a reality to Frostfur and the others.

It's not until Copperleaf and Clawface steal Frostfur's kits that she begins taking the curse seriously, and that StarClan specifically sought to curse their family. She's looking for someone to blame, and, I mean, Copperleaf's right there and he's Spottedleaf's kit, and it all just makes sense! "StarClan has cursed your family and anyone close to them will suffer!” She's saying she was close to them in this sentence - that because she let herself be close to that family, her kits were stolen.

It's from this point onward that Frostfur is outwardly hostile and aggressive with the Firefam. She doesn't want any of them touching her family, and she wants her family and friends separate from theirs. She genuinely starts to believe that the Firefam is cursed, and that the Firefam has bad intentions for ThunderClan. But, even then, she can still manage to be courteous to them. Of course, as time goes on, and more 'bad' things happen to her family --- Lionheart's death prior, Brindleface's kits getting sick, Cinderpelt's accident, etc. --- the idea of a curse only festers and turns her into a cruel being.

But even at her rudest, there was a sliver of kindness in her that respected that they were clanmates (hence why she never attacked them prior) and that perhaps they meant to be good cats and they were only cursed to do evil. She thought it would just be best if they stayed on their side of ThunderClan, and her group (Speckletail, Brindleface, some of the elders, some of the apprentices, etc.) stayed on their side. Ideally, the "cursed" would be kicked out, but unfortunately, Bluestar just wouldn't listen to her.

But Brightpaw's injury was the last straw, and all hell broke loose. She no longer cares about maintaining a curtness with that wretched family. They destroyed her entire family as far as she can see. Brindleface, Ravenwing, Cherryfur, Elderpaw, Fernpaw, Brackenfur, Cinderpelt --- they all choose the cursed family and met horrible fates for it (or in her eyes, they did). Brightpaw and Thornpaw were victims in it, and she never should have trusted Tulippaw because his father was Whitestorm. Even her friends --- Speckletail, Goldenflower --- began to distance from her and leave her alone.

She doesn't care about drama and gossip anymore. She cares about doing what StarClan clearly wanted and chasing out the fifthly cursed. She doesn't care about a code anymore. She'd kill if she knew how to be a killer.

Good thing she doesn't.

[dreamingblacktabby]

Thistlestar's Reign(Part 1)

Leader: Thistlestar - Gray patched tom with yellow eyes

Deputy: Tigerclaw - Big dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and huge front claws

Apprentice: Dustpaw

Healers: Featherwhisker - Pale gray tom with amber eyes

Spottedleaf - Pretty dappled tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors: Patchpelt - Black and white tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Ravenpaw

Bluefur - Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice: Firepaw

Rosetail - Diluted torbie with a bushy red tail and yellow eyes

Apprentice: Dewpaw

Lionheart - Big golden tom with green eyes

Apprentice: Graypaw

Whitestorm - Big white tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice: Sandpaw

Darkstripe - Dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Cherrypaw

Brindleface - Pretty dappled gray she-cat with green eyes

Redtail - Tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes and a distinctive bushy red tail

Willowpelt - Diluted tortoiseshell she-cat with unusual blue eyes

Runningfoot - Lithe brown tabby tom with green eyes

Mousefur - Small brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Chestnutface - Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Longtail - Pale tabby tom with black tabby stripes and an elegant long tail

Apprentices: Ravenpaw - Skinny black tom with white markings and heterochromia

Dustpaw - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Cherrypaw - Tortoiseshell she-cat with purple eyes

Sandpaw - Pale ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes

Graypaw - Big gray tom with yellow eyes

Firepaw - Small ginger tom with green eyes

Dewpaw - Torbie and white she-cat with green eyes

Queens: Frostfur - Pretty white she-cat with blue eyes

Kits: Cinderkit, Brightkit, Brackenkit and Thornkit

Nurses: Dappletail - Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Speckletail - Golden tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Goldenflower - Big golden queen with green eyes

Kits: Swiftkit and Lynxkit

Elders: Smallear - Small gray tom with folded ears and amber eyes

Sparrowpelt - Skinny tabby tom with amber eyes and part of his tail missing

Pale-eye - Pale gray tabby she-cat with a green eye and a scarred face

Robinwing - Small brown she-cat with a distinctive ginger chest

Part 1 under cut

A queen is fleeing through the forest when she is ambushed and killed by Thistlestar

He notices a bundle and finds two kits inside which he attempts to drown before Featherhwisker stops him, reminding him that killing the kits goes against the warrior code

Featherwhisker then has a vision about the two kits and tells Thistlestar that if he kills the kits than ThunderClan would fall into ruins

Thistlestar agrees to take them in despite hating the idea and they are given to Willowpelt and the other queens

Cut to the future where Firepaw is training with Sandpaw but ultimately loses to her because she’s had more training than him

Bluefur praises Firepaw for how well he did after Firepaw complains about losing

They return to camp in time to hear a patrol explaining how ShadowClan attempted to move the border which pisses Thistestar off

Thistlestar complains about Brokenstar and Crookedstar both being such big problems recently, mentioning how Fuzzypelt had been recently killed in fights over Sunning rocks

Thistlestar tells Tigerclaw to prepare a raiding party on ShadowClan for them trying to move up the border

Bluefur mutters to Firepaw about how many raids Thistlestar has been sending out lately and she’s growing worried for the rest of ThunderClan

Firepaw is sent off to check the bedding in the nursery before he’s dismissed for the day

The queens greet him as he enters and the kits beg Firepaw to play moss ball with them 

Firepaw asks about Dewpaw(Princess) to which the kits explains she’s out hunting with Patchpelt

That evening Firepaw settles down to eat with Dewpaw, Graypaw, Ravenpaw and Sandpaw

Sandpaw announces that she, Graypaw, and Dustpaw were chosen to go on the raiding party to ShadowClan which relieves Dewpaw and Ravenpaw who didn’t want to go

Dustpaw arrives and states the reason Dew and Raven weren’t chosen was because they had both failed their battle assessments

Firepaw watches the raiding patrol leave the next day before Darkstripe arrives and announces the remaining apprentices would be doing battle training

Firepaw ends up going against Cherrypaw and she goes overboard, leaving deep scratches on the sides of his neck

Bluefur chews Cherrypaw out for it but Darkstripe defends his apprentice, stating Firepaw needs to get better at fighting if he wants to ever survive an actual battle

Firepaw is brought to the healers’ den where Spottedleaf tends to his injuries and questions what happened

Featherwhisker bemoans the trouble ThunderClan is going through if their apprentices are becoming too violent to which 

Spottedleaf mentions that Featherwhisker is thinking of retiring

Cherrypaw comes into the den and apologizes to Firepaw for going overboard before insulting him for not being clan born

The raiding patrol comes back with a dead Chestnutface which causes Robinwing to fall deeper into her grief

A couple days pass and Dewpaw attempts to convince Robinwing to eat but she refuses

Ravenpaw and Longtail come in and manage to convince their mother to eat a little bit but Pale-eye states she has lost the will to live

Dewpaw overhears Darkstripe stating the loss of an elder is better for the clan because its one less useless mouth to feed

Dewpaw brings this up to Rosetail who warns her Darkstripe will face no punishment for his words because he’s Thistlestar’s son

Cute moment with Swiftkit and Lynxkit asking where papa Lion is at, revealing Goldenflower was a surrogate for Patchpelt and Lionheart

Firepaw goes hunting alone and gets attacked by Yellowfang who is too weak from sickness to actually win the fight

Firepaw takes pity on her and feeds her which gets him in trouble when a patrol finds him

Yellowfang is brought back to camp to be questioned and Firepaw is berated for breaking the warrior code

Yellowfang is questioned extensively and Thistlestar decides to keep her as a prisoner to possibly extract more information from her in the future

Firepaw is put in charge of her care and stripped of the possibility of going to the gathering as a punishment for feeding Yellowfang 

Firepaw is very upset over this because he’s hasn’t been to a gathering yet

Dewpaw, Ravenpaw, Graypaw and Sandpaw secretly help Firepaw care for Yellowfang, and Yellowfang in turn kinda adopts the apprentices

Dewpaw is allowed to attend her first gathering and when she arrives she notices that the ShadowClan apprentices seem really small

Brokenstar announces that he chased out WindClan and demands for ShadowClan to be allowed to hunt on ThunderClan AND RiverClan territory

Crookedstar hesitantly accepts but Thistlestar straight up rejects the idea and warns Brokenstar that if his warriors step foot on his territory there would be blood spilled

Thistlestar also berates Crookedstar for being such a weak leader and giving in so easily

Thistlestar returns to camp and announces to the rest of the clan to be prepared for a war with ShadowClan

Thistlestar gives Yellowfang an ultimatum, telling her to help ThunderClan beat ShadowClan or be executed for being an enemy

Yellowfang only agrees to helping him to take down Brokenstar which leaves her with a shaky alliance with Thistlestar

Featherwhisker warns Thistlestar that a war with ShadowClan would lead to more losses within ThunderClan but Thistlestar says it is an honor to die for ones clan

Featherwhisker attempts to protest further but Thiestlestar forcefully retires him, stating he has gotten too soft in his old age

Spottedleaf warns Thistlestar against retiring a healer right before a war so Thistlestar gives her Yellowfang as an assistant and offers to give her Dewpaw or Ravenpaw as an apprentice since they were useless in a fight

Thistlestar orders for every warrior to partake in battle training in preparation for the upcoming fight but tells Dewpaw and Ravenpaw to focus on hunting for the clan 

ShadowClan attacks ThunderClan camp and attempts to kidnap the kits but fail

Rosetail and Redtail are killed and Thistlestar loses a life which angers Thistlestar

He orders cats to reinforce the camp walls and for the injured to get well rested because ThunderClan would be going after ShadowClan in a couple days

Dewpaw mourns the loss of her mentor and is given to Willowpelt to complete her training

Firepaw sees the ghosts of fallen ThunderClan cats who tell them many more would be added to their ranks if Thistlestar kept up his attacks without a strategy

Firepaw brings this information to Tigerclaw who tells Thistlestar who decides Firepaw’s vision was a sign he should be a healer

Firepaw protests against this but Thistlestar makes him Spottedleaf’s apprentice anyway, stating they need more healers for the upcoming battle

Dewpaw grows increasingly nervous about the upcoming battles and confides in Sandpaw about her desire to run away from ThunderClan

Firepaw is learning herbs from Spottedleaf when she has a vision and tells Firepaw that he would save the clans

Firepaw isn’t sure how to respond to this and leaves camp to collect more herbs for the battle that would take place the next day

Firepaw spots ShadowClan cats heading towards ThunderClan camp and rushes back to warn the clan

Clawface and Blackfoot are caught trying to sneak into camp and brought before Thistlestar

Thistlestar orders for the two to be executed and their bodies to be left at the border for ShadowClan to discover

Firepaw sees a ghost(Goosefeather) who tells him that the clans would be filled with blood if Thistlestar is not stopped

Firepaw repeats this warning to Tigerclaw who responds by stating it wouldn’t be ThunderClan blood that would be spilled

The next day Thistlestar decides to lead the attack on ShadowClan, leading a large number of cats out of camp

Dewpaw and Ravenpaw go to the healers den where Firepaw tells them about his vision and Dewpaw suggests getting WindClan’s help

Spottedleaf warns her that WindClan had been chased off by Brokenstar so they likely wouldn’t be able to return until he is gone

When the battle patrol returns they return with a dead Cherrypaw 

Thistlestar announces that that he has killed Brokenstar and left ShadowClan leaderless

Dustpelt, Sandstorm and Graystripe are made warriors for doing so well in the battle

Firepaw helps tend to the injured cats and notices that none of the apprentices are celebrating over the victory as they mourn Cherrypaw

The warning about spilled blood rings in Firepaw’s ears and he knows Thistlestar needs to be stopped before more innocent blood is lost

That night Dewpaw comes to Firepaw and announces she would be going to find WindClan to bring them home but Firepaw convinces her to wait until the next gathering before she does anything impulsive

Yellowfang is called to Thistlestar’s den and she is given the option to swear loyalty to ThunderClan and become another healer or she will be exiled

Yellowfang decides to walk away while she still can and as she’s leaving, Dewpaw tells her she should find WindClan which she agrees on

Firepaw wonders what the future holds in store for ThunderClan

[redux-iterum]

Oh man I saw a glimpse of the asks before I scrolled down to the chapter and was sure it was Snowpaw who died in the fire at first. I put off reading for a bit because of that lol.

Obviously spoilers so you can’t confirm, but Fireheart mentioned a howling scream :( there goes my hope that if Patchpelt died it was smoke inhalation that got him and not burning to death :(

[warriorcatsamino]

I’m Sorry.

Something that really appealing about the Warriors series is the fact that some of the ‘background’ cast actually has pretty developed stories when a reader takes the time to read between the lines. The character depicted in the piece above is one of these ‘background’ characters who actually has a lot of development. I’m referring to Longtail; the one that attacks Firepaw when he first joins Thunderclan and later retires early due to be blinded by a rabbit. Before I get into my analyze and opinion on him, I will give a quick summary of his backstory. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead for most of the main series along with stories in the field guides. Also for Firestar’s Quest ⚠️ According to the Warriors Wiki, Longtail was “a ThunderClan elder who lived under Firestar's leadership in the forest and lake territories and previously served as a warrior under Bluestar and Firestar. He was born to Robinwing and Patchpelt and was later apprenticed to Darkstripe. Longtail was one of Tigerclaw's strongest supporters, and he challenged Firepaw when he first joined ThunderClan, but was defeated by the kittypet. After Tigerclaw's betrayal, Longtail refused to join him, slowly earning Fireheart's respect. After his apprentice, Swiftpaw, was killed by Tigerstar's dogs, Longtail further turned his back on him. He gained Ferncloud as an apprentice and later became a mentor to Sootfur. Longtail was blinded by a rabbit and forced to retire early, but remained valued by the Clan. Longtail formed a close bond with his fellow elders, Mousefur and Purdy, but was killed by a falling tree. He ascended to StarClan and reunited with Mousefur during the battle against the Dark Forest. He was saddened when Mousefur was killed by a Dark Forest tom and killed him in turn.” 

First thing I want to discuss about Longtail is his pelt color. In most of the fandom’s head, he was a light sandy tabby (ranging from a similar color to Sandstorm to more of a Rootspring yellow) however that is not his actual fur color. In the books he is actually a pale silver tabby with dark stripes. The idea of a ‘yellow’ Longtail was made popular by the well-known SS Warrior Cats who animated the first book in a hyper anime style. For whatever reason, the designers behind the series made the choice to color Longtail a bright yellow as opposed to his silver color. I often wonder why this choice was made..What do you think? Was it to make him stand out more? Or was it purely for aesthetic reasons? 

Similarly, as illustrated by the piece above, Longtail had a pretty close to his apprentice Swiftpaw. Close mentor-apprentice bonds aren’t super common in Warriors, usually mentors are just a guide for apprentices but there isn’t much friendship there. Swiftpaw & Longtail actually seemed to have a friendship, starting from the moment Longtail was assigned Swiftpaw. Swiftpaw unfortunately died pretty early on in the series due to dogs after he & his friend Brightpaw went to investigate what was eating prey at Snakerocks. Longtail seemed genuinely heartbroken by his death. Checking the Longtail page on the Wiki, supposedly Swiftpaw was his half-brother. Longtail’s parents are Robinwing & Patchpelt; Swiftpaw’s parents are Goldenflower & Patchpelt, that makes them related through their father. 

Something sad that I just noticed is Tigerstar took everything from Longtail, despite Longtail supporting him for years. It was Tigerstar’s plan to destroy Thunderclan that killed Swiftpaw and caused Longtail to be looked at with distrust. Little side note but Fireheart’s judgement of Longtail is completely unfair. Longtail proved his loyalty to Thunderclan when he broke off his friendship with Tigerstar and expressed disgust at his actions. Not to mention, Longtail risked his own life when he rescued Fireheart from falling off a log into rushing water. If Longtail truly hated Fireheart, he would have let him drown. Similarly, Longtail tried to warn Fireheart about strange sounds coming from Snakerocks and Fireheart completely dismissed him, believing him to be lying solely due to his former connection with Tigerstar. It’s honestly such a shame that Longtail was blinded as I feel he could have definitely been a good candidate for deputy. How symbolic would it be! Fireheart finally trusting Longtail by giving him the deputy position..

I feel as though Longtail could have remained a warrior, despite being blinded. It’s a little known fact that cats are super adaptable; even if one of their senses are hindered, they can use their sense of hearing, smell, taste and touch to navigate their surroundings. Sure it might be hard for him to fight against enemy warriors who can see but there is more to being a warrior than fighting such as hunting or marking borders. Something I find quite strange is Longtail is one of the only known characters to have been injured by prey. It could be argued that Rippletail (that guy in OOTS) was killed by prey but beavers aren’t really prey for cats. Longtail’s situation shouldn’t be so rare. In real life, prey often does what it can to defend itself, which includes fighting back against an attacker. Rabbits (especially wild hares) aren’t as helpless as people often think. They have very sharp teeth and claws that they could easily use to defend themselves with. It is pretty rare however that a rabbit would hit a cat right in the eyes which they could be blinded. 

Last thing I want to mention is I’m glad Longtail was able to have another apprentice after Swiftpaw. The fandom really didn’t need another Brightheart situation where a cat is promised an apprentice but never received one. Longtail mentored both Fernpaw (aka Ferncloud), which is interesting as Tigerstar did murder her mother Brindleface to give the dogs a taste for blood. He also mentored Sootfur, but had to stop training him after going blind. I have a little headcanon that Longtail never became close to his apprentices after Swiftpaw’s death; I think he actively tried to distance himself from them. 

According to the original artist, the title of this piece “I’m Sorry” could mean a number of things. It could mean Longtail is sorry for not being able to help Swiftpaw or Swiftpaw is sorry that he failed Longtail as an apprentice. What do YOU think? Me and the rest of the SMT want to know your thoughts on Longtail and his situation. Feel free to leave all your thoughts, opinions and feedback in the comments below. While you are at it, if you liked the art style of this piece, I’d recommend showing the artist some love by liking the original post or giving their profile on Amino a follow. Supporting the original artist directly benefits this account! It motivates more creators to allow the team to post their content, which in turn gives us [the team] more to post for you all. Do you want daily Warriors content like this? Consider joining the Warriors Amino. We have an active, fun and creative community who posts artwork, writing, crafts, polls, quizzes [and more!] all about the battle cats you know and love.

Original Post linked here.

Original Artist linked here.

~ 🍵🥔

[troutfur]

Fire augur AU: I think Stonestar and Deputy Fire might come to an agreement to let Thunderclan have the Sunningrocks after the fire and have access to the river for water, especially with the loss of Yellowfang, Halftail, and Patchpelt. Sandstorm would be taking over as Augur, Fire would be basically doing all leader duties as Bluestar slips into madness, and then there's the dogs cutting off access to the part of Thunderclan territory that's still green and fresh. I think this might be where Greystripe might let something slip to either Misty or Mosspelt during a gathering. He knows things are getting dangerous, and that Thunderclan needs help, and he also knows Riverclan is willing to give it (mostly for Fire) so...

We're getting close to TigerClan with the Fire patrician AU here and this may be as good a time as any to mention I'm still struggling to figure out what exactly happened in TigerClan in Augur AU. While I like the idea y'all suggested of Stonestar and Leopardsun having had a period in which they were married but not exactly on good terms with each other as a direct result of TigerClan, a rift that only heals as they have Willowpaw in the new territories, I still can't find what angle Tigerstar would use to convince Stonestar this is a good idea.

I certainly like the idea of keeping Leopardsun as the main actor in setting up the partnership because in her hubris she thought he could keep Tigerstar on a leash, but beyond that...

ANYWAY! For RiverClan Fire patrician I'm wondering how much of a chance Tiger would even get when he's got known beef with Fire. I feel like that would severely affect his chances of convincing both Stonestar and Leopardsun. I feel like that's a major wrench in his plan.

[bumblegaze]

Couple of major changes to Cloudtail.

Firstly, Cloudtail gets a rename to Cloudpath. He is named after a cat who provided him a lot of guidance as an apprentice, Whitepath (canon: One-eye).

He has much the same characterization as canon as a kit and young apprentice, but under the elders’ guidance, he becomes a bright young cat, if not still a bit brash at times.

Fireheart brings him to Thunderclan in mid-winter at Princess’s request, and Brindleface is hesitant at first to take him as her own, but seeing him curled up next to Ashkit and Fernkit, she caves. Whitestorm names him Cloudkit for his fluffy white fur. Even before he’s named an apprentice he shows an affinity for hunting and tracking, convincing his siblings to sneak out to hunt for the clan and catching his first prey. He is punished when he returns to sleep in the elder’s den for a few nights. By the third day he barely sees it as a punishment, and begins spending lots of time there, Whitepath and Sparrowtail (canon: Halftail) becoming like grandparents to him.

As an apprentice he still becomes tempted by the lures of kittypet food and is briefly captured. When he returns he is chastised by Whitepath for giving in to temptation when he could have been using his hunting skills to feed the hungry clan. He swears off breaking the code, but he is otherwise not punished for his actions.

He is devastated following the fire and the death of Sparrowtail and Patchpelt. He grieves harder than most with his lack of faith in Starclan or any sort of beyond. He heals but feels more resentment towards stories of their ancestors as a result and he begins to share his opinions on them. When it’s brought to the attention of Bluestar by an offended clanmate, she laughs it off, saying that it was not her job to make any cat believe in Starclan when it was clear their ancestors were punishing the clan.

He becomes a warrior soon after, named Cloudpath, not only for his skills in tracking and his bond with the Thunderclan elders, but, as mentioned by Bluestar, he ‘walks a unique path that the clan would do well to learn from.’

Cloudpath is remise that none of the other apprentices are named warriors with him, but does not dwell on it. This is something he regrets deeply after Swiftpaw and Brightpaw’s accident and he becomes protective over Brightpaw during her recovery. He refuses to call Brightpaw by the name Lostface, something that is met with a mixed response by his clanmates.

When Firestar becomes leader, Cloudpath urges him to grant her a naming-changing ceremony, a ceremony he has heard about from the elders. Firestar grants her the highest honor he knows to give her through name, the suffix -heart. He says he never felt he properly lived up to it, but that she had shown great bravery, and she deserved it far more than he had. Cloudpath is overjoyed and soon after, he and Brightheart become mates.

Thank you for the ask @ace1z! Admittedly I did not plan to write this much but here we are lol. I plan to make a full lore post regarding the -heart suffix and other naming traditions in the clans soon, so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested!

WC REWRITE/AU ASK GAME 🐾

send an ask with the name of a canon character and I’ll tell you what major changes I’ve written for them!

[everybody-loves-purdy]

The lack of Robinwing and Fuzzypelt's presence in Into The Wild and Bluestar's Prophecy (when we're introduced to their kits as apprentices) basically confirms for me that Robinwing and Fuzzypelt both died before or just after their kits were apprenticed. At the end of Bluestar's Prophecy, it's mentioned that many cats died due to the previous season's harsh leafbare, with ThunderClan losing warriors such as Stormtail, Leopardfoot, Poppydawn, etc. Making that connection, along with the circumstances of Poppydawn's death and knowing that Dustpaw and Ravenpaw would've been kits around that time if my theory is correct, this paints a tragic picture. Robinwing becomes pregnant with kits, underestimating how harsh the coming leafbare would be. When ThunderClan is beginning to run out of prey, she would die very similarly to Rainfur. She exhausts herself to the bone to ensure the survival of her kits, even in the days after Fuzzypelt himself has died from starvation, sacrificing every morsel of food to guarantee the survival of his mate and kits. I hc that in the end, it was just Patchpelt. Being Longtail's father and having been close to the kits, he becomes Dustkit and Ravenkit's primary caretaker in the final two moons before they're apprenticed. Patchpelt briefly becomes mates with Goldenflower, but there is no real love between them. Goldenflower is looking for love and Patchpelt is looking for anyone to fill the void that Robinwing's death left. The two split amicably just days after Swiftkit is born, but Patchpelt's announcement to retire shocks those he wasn't close to. Patchpelt wasn't old, but neither was he young. However, Bluestar had paid attention to how the tom's black muzzle had seemed to whiten faster as death tore through his family. Swiftbreeze, Adderfang, Leopardfoot, and now it had been his own mate. Bluestar doesn't object to Patchpelt's request to retire.

I love this, this is great - it really helps fill that gap and I’ll definitely be taking this as headcanon