#mistyfoot's actions are

[battleforwarriorcats]

literally thought of this all the time when writing my really dumb bfdi/wc crossover. there's no way mistyfoot shoulda jus "forgotten" about the guy who literally put her own brother six feet under?!?!?! in front of her face?!?!!?

nah cuz the sheer amount of untapped character potential is INSANE. what do you mean mistystar and the cat who murdered her brother and never showed remorse for it were both leaders who had to interact at the same time and nothing came of it. fuck you

[t4twnyclaw]

i was thinking about this but i do not care for leopardstar, truly. her actions and compliance to the murder and ethnocide of her own clan is baffling enough (tigerstar specifically wanted 'half-clan' cats dead.)

but while thinking about her, i thought how to further make her actions horrifying. what if she were friends or more specifically a mentor to silverstream (or mistyfoot, stonefur, even feathertail) imagine the person who helped make you who you are today- a teacher, an older sibling, a parent, because mentors are kinda all those things.

now imagine leopardstar fighting tooth and nail to bring her dead apprentice's kits back to her clan, feathertail and stormfur, to only within like 6 months, disregard them to an ethnocide brought on by some bozo named tigerstar. what.

[sorreltail]

rambling about fireheart & bluestar & mistyfoot (and whitestorm!) with truly No point to it

bluestar and fireheart’s relationship through TPB, until she dies, is such a beautiful thing that, to give warriors credit, we do get a lot of compared to most literature- young male and older female relationships that are solid, emotional, loving, deeply respectful…. fireheart is a guy who is largely surrounded, supported and shaped by women, partly because his potential male role models/friends keep being evil/murdered/faking their own deaths. he looks up to bluestar with devastating sincerity, loves her unconditionally and protects her at great cost to himself and often even others. her and yellowfang are his maternal figures, with whitestorm in a really interesting older brother role (that i think bluestar’s promise absolutely drove home flawlessly) where he’s both trying to keep bluestar together, use his position as basically the last remaining senior warrior to hold the CLAN together, and fill bluestar’s position as mentor to fireheart that she should be playing since he’s a young and inexperienced deputy. together they’re very “two oldest siblings are trying to take over running the household because our single mum is not well but we can’t let any of the little siblings or the school or the neighbours find out or they’ll take us away.” fireheart’s watching bluestar’s trauma force its way to the surface through tigerclaw’s actions and he just loves her, he wants her to be okay. even if he needs her and she is not being what he needs from his leader.

his kinship w/ mistyfoot through TPB is really lovely, one of my fave side friendships that fireheart has. they’re in such similar positions from the moment they meet, on either side of the “my best friend is having an illegal affair” coin, they’re scared, they have such similar personalities, he saves the life of her son (reedwhisker!!!1!!!!!!!!) and he is the one who finds her and tells her that silverstream is dead and brings her to the grave. he is there when bluestar reveals the truth about her and stonefur and it is together that they bring bluestar onto the riverbank and sit with her while she dies. it’s together they carry her home to her den and he is the one who defends her to thunderclan. he is there to rescue her from tigerclan and he welcomes her into thunderclan forever if she wants it. that is his sister through and through man……. they’re on the journey together

[cryptidclaw]

Star Bluefrost!

Bonus, Bluefrost post Tigerclaw's betrayal!

Design Notes:

Blue has the slender (Oriental shorthair/Siamese inspired) body type of her father. She looks a LOT like Stormtail, but she's blue instead of brown.

During Tigerclaw's attack, he clawed her chest, leaving her a scar over her leader mark, I like the symbolism, since this can represent her subsequent loss of faith in the Stars.

Character Bio:

Star Bluefrost

Bisexual; Cis Molly; she/her

Age as of 1st arc's beginning: 9 cycles; 52 Hyrs

Title meaning: -frost = a cat with a particularly cold or serious personality.

Leader of Thunder Order; Was in line due to being Star Sunfall's apprentice. Gave up her kits to stop Thistleclaw from becoming Second.

Second(s): Redtail (apprentice); Lionheart (Star Sunfall's son); Tigerclaw (nephew); Fireheart (apprentice)

Successor: Star Fireheart

Mentor: Star Sunfall

Mother: Moonflower

Father: Stormtail

Siblings: Snowstorm

(Ex-) Mate: Star Creekstorm

Kits: Star Mistyfoot; Stonecliff; Moss

Grandkits: Reedwhisker; Perch; Carp; Stonestream; Rippletail; Beechfur

Adoptive Grandkit: Primrosedawn

Other notable kin: Goosefeather (uncle); Whitestorm (nephew); Star Tigerclaw (nephew)

Extra notes: Star Bluefrost is a gray character (literally and figuratively lol)! She does cruel things (Brightheart's og name) and makes some bad decisions (giving up her kits) but that does not make her a horrible person. She was under extreme stress and trauma during the time she gave up her kits, and at the end of her life she was suffering from an extreme mental break that probably involved some dementia. This doesn't excuse her actions, but I love her character for how flawed and complex she is!

This cat is one of my favorite soggy traumatized meowmeows <3

....

[Image 1 ID: A digital drawing of Star Bluefrost, an au version of Bluestar from Warrior Cats. She is standing with her right side showing and a calm expression. She is a slender long legged short furred blue gray cat with white on her muzzle, around her eyes, on her paws, and tail tip, she also has a white spot on her chest in the shape of a diamond/star. Her fur is a darker shade of blue on her back, tail, legs and around her face She has a scar over her shoulders, her scar, inner ears, and nose are all pink and she has blue eyes ./End ID]

[Image 2 ID: A digital drawing of Star Bluefrost, an au version of Bluestar from Warrior Cats. The image is the same as the previous one, but now Bluestar has wide open fearful eyes, her ears are back and she has a scowling expression, her fur is scruffy and fluffed out on her back tail and neck, and her claws are unsheathed. She now has three slash mark scars going across her diamond/star marking on her chest./End ID]

[bonefall]

Deerfoot Refresher

wdym by “catching deerfoot” ? i have a vague memory of deerfoot having a gorey death in BF but don’t remember completely

@figgybeans

[Image ID: Deerfoot from Warrior Cats. He is a solid brown cat with yellow eyes, long whiskers, and dark brown paws, tail tip, and mustache. His upper lip is slightly cleft, permanently showing his front teeth. He's drinking some sort of pink liquid refresher from a glass with a straw.]

Deerfoot is a ShadowClan warrior who has opposed Thistle Law since Brokenstar took power. He's a son of Lizardstripe and Mudfoot, and the brother of Tangleburr and Runningnose.

He was actually one of my first reduxes so I'm super fond of the whole Mudlizard family lmao

Him and Tangleburr are the "two halves" of ShadowClan symbolically. Tangleburr immediately threw her weight behind Runningnose and Brokenstar and enthusiastically supported every campaign they engaged with. Deerfoot meanwhile was working with Nightpelt to plan the coup.

How did he not die during Runningnose's Plague? Maybe he got lucky. Maybe Runningnose couldn't bring himself to kill his brother. In any case, when TigerClan rolled around, Deerfoot did as Deerfoot does and organized the rebels once more.

He meets his end after helping Mistyfoot, Featherpaw, and Stormpaw escape to safety. He was the only cat captured in the 'Great Escape', and refused to snitch on any of his accomplices, paying with his life.

Because of his actions, Reedwhisker, Mosspelt, Stumptail, Mudfur, Jaggedtooth, and others were never discovered as rebels. He saved them all with this sacrifice.

[notwarriorswiki]

What was Brambleclaw / Tawnypelt’s relationship to Mothwing like?

TLDR; close, but very aware of loyalties.

I wanted Brambleclaw's desire to know his biological family to be very integral to his character, drawn to them due to feeling scorned in ThunderClan all of his life. He and Tawnypelt up until that point had remained close in canon, the two honestly relieved seeing each other both on the journey in Midnight. Based on Brambleclaw's desire to know Hawkfrost, I really wanted that feeling to be then consistent with Mothwing.

Tawnypelt has a reverse Brambleclaw situation with ShadowClan - she's not disliked for being Tigerstar's daughter, but more for her ThunderClan blood. During this time period ShadowClan is still tense with ThunderClan, so her journey is more about proving herself to them and her loyalties there rather than craving the familial bond between her and her blood siblings. Tawnypelt is a clan-first character, while Brambleclaw sought out a family he believed would accept his blood because, well, they share that blood.

Mothwing and Hawkfrost grew up in a similar situation to Brambleclaw in a sense - many of their clanmates were incredibly hurt by Tigerstar and the actions of TigerClan, and Leopardstar was already on thin ice with a lot of her warriors. Things didn't help when Leopardstar stood up especially for Hawkkit and Mothkit, in an act of good faith sure, but of course it's soured by them being Tigerstar's kits. Hawkfrost looked to always prove himself and be the best warrior, admittedly a similar approach to Brambleclaw's. He learned a lot from Leopardstar - I mean she mentored him - and that came with some good and some bad if we're being honest with how Leopardstar is. Mothwing on the other hand always wanted to be a healer but everyone said she was "tainted" with her father's blood and thus didn't give her a chance. Hawkpaw saw this all throughout their apprenticeship - the way Mothpaw didn't smile proudly when she caught a fish, or how she squeaked when she was knocked over by him during training. She wasn't a bad warrior apprentice, but she wasn't happy nor thriving. Hawkpaw both believed his sister deserved to be a medicine cat, but also believed that it came with benefits that would help them both excel and not be looked down upon - hence he made the fake moth wing sign.

Brambleclaw is drawn to his kin and seeks them out, as does Hawkfrost - hence the two find themselves close. Tawnypelt is more reclusive and while receptive and polite, she isn't drawn to The Dark Forest by the beckoning of family time. Mothwing is repelled by her kin - wary of them due to everything she's been told. As a medicine cat, she wants absolutely nothing to do with her half-siblings when she learns about them at first, and keeps her distance.

Hawkfrost only has the stories of his father to go off of - a curiosity always sat within him. He finally feels like he has acceptance with a family, unlike what he felt with RiverClan. His goal was always to make everyone see him as a strong and capable cat - but little did he know he kept digging himself into a hole. He is so happy to have a brother, admiring their similarities. He's always been the outcast of RiverClan riding on Leopardstar's tail to get by. He thinks Mistyfoot is only deputy out of pity rather than deserving the title, Hawkfrost thinking this due to the scorn Leopardstar receives. He's genuinely super loyal to her in my rewrite and strived for deputyship much like Brambleclaw at first. Tigerstar manages to get in his head and flip him around as he allows that hatred for Mistyfoot to fester.

Mothwing saw this jealousy and anger consume her brother. She sees him pull away from her to spend time with Brambleclaw at gatherings - her brother who she truly did cherish. She's worried about him and actually begins talking with Leafpool about it, who is surprised how hesitant she is to admit she too is worried about Hawkfrost and his intentions as they morph and clash with the rather naive Brambleclaw. Mothwing considers speaking to Brambleclaw, getting to know him as Hawkfrost insists, but still finds herself too scared. And Tawnypelt isn't all too interested (since after Dark Forest dreams, she noped out of there).

On a darker path than before, Hawkfrost requested Mothwing to stand as RiverClan's head medicine cat when he became leader, and how very soon he would be deputy. Mothwing pieces together that her brother plans to kill Mistyfoot, and finds herself at crossroads on being loyal to her brother, who had always been there for her - or supporting RiverClan who still silently judged her worthiness, especially Mistyfoot. Still, she ultimately does end up speaking to Mistyfoot, giving her warning and revealing Hawkfrost's plan before it can play out - however it turns out Mistyfoot wasn't the first target.

It was Firestar.

Luckily the ThunderClan leader didn't die that day, but Hawkfrost did. Brambleclaw killed his brother to defend his leader, and it was through that devastation that Mothwing decided not to run away from her kin anymore. Tawnypelt too saw just how alone her brother had been feeling, and memories of the journey had her desiring to maintain their relationship - not led it fade away. One might thing the death of Hawkfrost would drive the siblings away, but rather it brought them closer, and now they speak at gatherings regularly - but still - their loyalties lie with their Clans, and they always will. See Mothwing proved her loyalty to Mistyfoot that day, who acknowledged she had been unfair to Mothwing for something she couldn't control - just as Mistyfoot couldn't control her own half-clan blood that had her life put at risk in TigerClan.

Tawnypelt proved herself a loyal ShadowCla cat when Blackstar acknowledged her upon his death and had her kits with a mate who used to judge her as well. Mothwing proved herself dedicated to RiverClan and healing, standing at Mistystar's side as she was granted her nine lives, and Mothwing even found an apprentice. And of course, Brambleclaw proved himself to ThunderClan and Firestar, realizing he had a family there who had loved him all that time.

Still, it's nice to chat with your siblings at gatherings.

[nightly-ruse]

Okay fine I’ll make a Mothwing post

<no one’s forced me I just think about the all the time and need to :))))>

So Moth is the loner kit of a runaway kittypet and literal war criminal, she has two siblings being Hawk and Tadpole. As a kit Tadpole drowns. After this Sasha finally brings her kits to Riverclan where she plans to stay with them but runs away after being confronted by her friend Feathertail for mothering kits of Tigerstar and learning of his death.

This already sets up pretty clear lasting effects on the remaining kits being Moth and Hawk. It’s pretty easy to infer that some form of survivor’s guilt could start here and I think in Moth’s case it works well. Also a very rocky kithood as they traveled a lot, lost a sibling, were brought into a new group and then lost their mother. They grew in post-Tigerstar Riverclan where it’s likely a lot of cats held a harsh resentment towards the guy plus any of his kin, especially those directly effected by his actions like Feathertail, Mistyfoot, Stormfur.

She was trained initially as a warrior by Mistyfoot who was the current deputy and pretty harsh, stubborn, but willed. This rubbed off on Mothpaw herself becoming strong willed and independent though far more open minded. As she neared the end of training she felt a call to be a healer and tried to take up the path but was rejected by Mudfur, even though he needed a apprentice he wasn’t going to let a cat be his apprentice without assurance they were chosen by starclan’s paws for it (possibly also fueled by a initial distrust for her being a tiger spawn with outside roots)

But she was finally accepted after Mudfur found a sign, a torn moth’s wing. Such a clear sign. She was trained like she wanted and named Mothwing for the sign that let her be a healer.

As a character I’d say she’s independent and goal focused, definitely loyal to those she fully trusts but not able to easily trust many. She also has the most clear visage into the biases of the clans for her obvious outside roots and in clan blood. Her sibling dies from a attempt to try and cheer up their momma leaving her with survivor’s guilt. Once finally having a real home she is pretty regularly treated still as a outsider beside her brother Hawkfrost as the kits of Tigerstar. Her own mentor being rather short tempered to both of them because Mistyfoot’s brother Stonefur was killed by Tigerstar. Her and Mudfur probably weren’t incredibly close as he was so distrustful of her before having a sign. She becomes a healer and opens herself up for starclan to be the best healer ever.

<TNP>

Around now she meets a new cat on her first journey to the moonpool being Leafpaw. Leaf is a gifted and cute little apprentice and the two got on well even if they didn’t get the most time to talk. Mothwing is still learning and it’s tough. She doesn’t know if she really fits into it well. But Leafpaw helps her the whole way. The two bond a lot and Mothwing goes out of her way to help Leafpaw back teaching her a lot of things.

And then Sasha comes back. Their mother who left as they were but kits. Begging for them to rejoin her as Kittypets instead. Mothwing harbors no anger towards her mother just sadness. She doesn’t know why she left so early on in their lives. But this is her home now. She declines and Hawkfrost does as well though he’s a bit more aggressive about it. Sasha also reveals for a fact that Tigerstar was their father but they both pretty much already knew it, mostly just revealing it to every other cat.

The clans pick up and start the journey to the lake. The clans are closer then ever before, Mothwing grows closer with Leafpaw, Tawnypelt, and many others. She wonders.. maybe the clans together isn’t so taboo. It’s so much nicer this way. No laws that cause pointless battles, prey stealing isn’t a thing, she can just be friends with cats. But she doesn’t bring it up much, just in a few passing words to Leafpaw occasional when they’re alone.

But her brother has been so distant. She goes to him and asks what’s with him. She’s made friends with other cats yes but his bonds are different, she’s seen him egg on things he didn’t need to, his temper higher then ever. A confrontational while their all alone and he reveals the thing she never would believe. The sign that made her a healer? He did it. He ripped the wings off that moth and planted it there for Mudfur to find.

Suddenly the spot she always tried to fill is shattered, she wasn’t chosen by starclan. She wasn’t ever meant to be a healer. She was a fraud. She’d fooled every cat into accepting her as one of their own. While a more strong headed cat would have snapped at Hawkfrost for planting the sign she turns on herself. And starclan itself. They hadn’t ever given her a dream like every other healer had described, they didn’t send a sign for her even her brother had done it. They hadn’t cared for her at all. They let her father get into power even giving him lives despite being a murderer. They promoted the bloodshed and anger the clans festered especially towards outsiders.

Mothwing renounces, to herself, the starclan side of her role and focuses on the healing part instead. At least that side was in her own paws and real. She COULD heal the sick and injured. They couldn’t do anything to mend any cat they just supposedly took them from the living.

But Hawkfrost did still plant that sign. She said she’d turn him in for what he’d done and he turned around and said if she did that she wouldn’t be a healer would she? Pressured into faking a sign to get rid of Stormfur and Brook, just like he did, she feels even more tied to his secret keeping.

Paranoia is at a peak here from hiding the fact she had no sign plus her brothers actions. When the elders get poisoned from her actions she breaks down and spills her distrust of starclan to Leafpool who is shocked but doesn’t freak out too much, acknowledging the skills Mothwing does have instead of the skills she doesn’t. When Willowpaw is made her apprentice she does worry as to how she’s supposed to fake teach her apprentice about starclan but her friend comes in and says she’ll help. The two train Willowpaw, Mothwing doing the real healing part while Leafpool trains her in star reading.

Despite it all her worlds finally slowing down more. Until she wanders across the beach like she had grown accustomed to for a meeting with Leafpool and finds her brother’s dead body, stake through the heart his blood making the waves scarlet in color. The final stray light from the sun showing her the murder before darkness fell over it all. He hurt her, but they were siblings. They had always been together. And now they weren’t. While a weight of paranoia fell of her back the sadness that tugged on her heart made it seem like just pebbles. All alone she buries him facing the water in a place no cat would easily find, stalks of blue forget me nots flowering his gravesite. She’d learn just a few days later the role he’d had in so much more, the Windclan rebellion, Mudclaw’s turn, Tigerstar’s ghost.

One day as she fell asleep at his grave she dreams into the dark forest and sees him again, with their father. The place dark and gross a spot on her soul. But as they tried to pull her into their madness she declined and turned back. She loved Hawkfrost and would always grieve her brother, but she wouldn’t do anything either asked. Those cats weren’t her brother or father.

The survivor’s guilt before now a pit. She keeps living while everyone dies. Why does this keep happening to her?

<POTS and OOTS>

It’s settled more. She trains Willowpaw, helps Leafpool, grows plants. It’s simple. It’s just another moonpool meeting when she meets Jaypaw, the fiesty little tom makes comments and she just laughs them off. She’d never pressure her friend but she can feel something different with Leafpool, the way her round amber eyes always worriedly look to Jaypaw or windclan during gatherings. Their usual chats somehow sadder. But she tries to help where she can.

She names Willowpaw to Willowshine for the light she always had to her and smiles as her former apprentice giddily rests by the moonpool. A part of her remembers when she had been so excited to speak to the stars but never getting a answer. That was so long ago now.

Times passes and at the gathering she notices a tension in Leafpool she’s never seen, and then Hollyleaf announces the truth about her parentage. Mothwing hisses as she curls around her friend. The young apprentice she used to know in Hollyleaf gone. She remembered when Hollypaw trained as a healer, she remembered how much the black cat padded after her own apprentice. That wasn’t the burned angry cat before her now.

OOTS comes around and Leopardstar dies, she takes Mistyfoot to the moonpool to become Mistystar but when her now leader jumps up from her sleep she stares at her with icy cold eyes. When they get back to camp Mistystar does her first action as leader and forces Mothwing to tell everyone before closing their borders. Despite being explicitly told she wasn’t to help any cat Mothwing runs to Thunderclan and talks to Leafpool and Jayfeather telling them not to put so much trust in starclan. Jayfeather tells her of her brother’s actions, and she breaks more. The memory of him coming to her as a ghost fresh like it had just happened. She shakes it off and denounces him again.

Then the great battle. Where spirits crossed into the living. She watches as her brother runs in and attacks their own, as if he had no care for them at all. Dapplenose dead at his spirit claws. Mothwing can’t stand for it anymore and chases him away as he turns to her. And yet she can’t let him go. She chases after into the real battle but finds him just as he’s killed the second time, gone again before she could ever see him. She’s truly alone now. The battle left so much broken and torn back open. Old wounds freshly scratched again. She just tried her best to fix it.

<Between Arcs>

The battle ended and it was still rough. The clan’s life changed as they knew the balance between life and death wasn’t so clear as they thought. Mothwing acknowledges yes Starclan exists but it isn’t as knowing or powerful as they think. A dead cat isn’t suddenly smarter then they were before. Many just as they were in life except put on a pedestal for no reason. It was hard.

After Mistystar revealed her sign being fake to the whole clan many gave her looks. But she didn’t try to think about it much. She still healed her clanmates and collected herbs. She still had Leafpool at least. And then, she wasn’t there. A gathering again as Bramblestar pulled himself onto the tree and announced the death of her friend, killed in a battle. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t bear it. Mothwing traveled over and begged for something more, no cat would answer her, beside Squirrelflight. The two had talked occasionally but not much more than that though they held strong respect for each other. The real truth came out. Leafpool killed in a pointless battle protecting a pregnant queen, one done purely to get her by her mate.

Just like before. Someone she loved gone without her being there. Over nothing. A cat everyone loved and cared for, who’d been with her for so long. Her anger towards the clans grew here. A survivor’s guilt and long set trauma twisted into a fiery rage to the cause of it. Battles, fruitless disagreements that lead to death, a constant judgement for no reason.

<TBC>

As winter comes around it’s stronger then before. Her held anger a ember kept under her tongue. As she travels to the moonpool it feels different, walking up with no cat by her side, no silly jokes or whispers in her ear. Even more as she walks up and sees that pool frozen over. The last remnant of her. Even as the chilling breeze feels like shards hitting her she feels the flame inside grow setting her mind on fire.

And then Shadowpaw, the newest apprentice, calls her and Jayfeather codebreakers. She can’t believe it. What has either of them done? She may not side with the grumpy tom much but Jayfeather was one of the most stubbornly loyal cats she’d ever met and nothing near a codebreaker. And yet as she turns to Mistystar for her leader and former mentor to disregard the apprentice’s words she doesn’t. Pushed even more by Bramblestar, Mistystar looks to her and agrees to exile Mothwing.

Outraged she denounced her leader, the thunderclan leader, Shadowpaw, every cat siding with them. She plans to just find some place but is taken in surprisingly by Shadowclan. Their leader Tigerstar far more disapproving of the other leaders decisions and unsure of her own kit’s visions. She joins the rebels and channels her anger to help them. When Mistystar begs for her back Mothwing doesn’t even hesitate as she chooses to stay in Shadowclan, welcoming both Icewing and Harelight to join her.

As a settled healer of Shadowclan she still distrusts and resents Shadowsight. The cat caused all of this and didn’t see the clear manipulation used on him. She tells Tigerstar that the healer needs more training clearly and both Tigerheart and Puddleshine agree. Her anger growing still. And then as the prisoner, being Ashfur, escapes and takes Squirrelflight with him into the unfrozen moonpool Mothwing grows scared. She knew where that led. She tries to stop Willowshine from going in but she couldn’t. And she dies. Another cat, gone, without her being able to do anything. Grieving once again. She’s shocked by Shadowsight wanting to go in even after a cat before him died, her disagreement with him dripping away. She apologizes for placing such blame on him and being so mean, giving him her hope that he’d come out safe.

And he comes back, Ashfur gone forever, Bramblestar back in his body, Squirrelflight safe, and yet Willowshine was still dead. And as she returns to Riverclan she still feels resentment towards Mistystar, and sadness as she takes her previous apprentice’s place as the mentor of the new Frostpaw.

<So far ASC>

She trains Frostpaw. The grief still fresh and hurting she tries to train Frostpaw but it’s hard. She cannot forgive Mistystar for what she did and no apology given. She can’t ever catch a break. Mistystar gets in another fight, the clan lost most trust in their leader after the events of TBC start turning on her and a argument against Duskfur takes too much and dies. And then Reedwhisker dies. Both gone- while they weren’t close it’s clearly something important and now Riverclan has no leadership.

It’s too much and when thrust into leadership from her apprentices strange sign Mothwing is overwhelmed. It feels like a curse has fallen Riverclan when Curlfeather dies barely after being announced as leader. Wrapped up in it all she feels it most when Tigerstar invades the clan over her kits death. Mothwing doesn’t blame her at all just grieves the lost life she could’ve saved, the one she could’ve actually stopped and she failed.

And yet every time she tries to help her new apprentice Frostpaw it just gets worse, but she can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right especially about Splashtail. He reminds her so much of… him.

[twilights-800-cats]

<< Chapter 29 || Chapter 30 || Chapter 31 || From the Beginning || Patreon >>

Chapter 30

Crowflight watched the last of the ambush patrol stream out of camp, leaving a trampled gorse barrier in their wake that sunk some of the hope that had risen in Crowflight’s heart.

Poppyfoot had worked so hard on that, he thought miserably. Now, it will have to be re-done. His heart felt so unbearably heavy. WindClan itself seemed as broken as the barrier that protected it.

“See you out there,” Tinystar meowed gruffly, ignorant of Crowflight’s concerns. His ice-blue eyes were glimmering with a desire for battle. He flicked his tail at Tawnypelt, as if sensing that the chosen cats were in this together, and the two of them hared off, slipping through a gap in the gorse.

“Onewhisker, please, you oughtn’t go...” Whitetail’s voice was raised weakly in the howling wind. “Your injuries...”

Crowflight glanced back at his Clanmates. Though Onewhisker had called them to action, none of them seemed eager to move immediately – and perhaps that was because Onewhisker was struggling to hold himself up, propped up by Whitetail’s shoulder.

“We must drive them out,” Onewhisker gasped. Blood dripped from a tear in his lip. “Every one of them...”

Her gaze troubled, tired, Ashfoot mewed, “Even Mudclaw, and the cats that supported him?”

Onewhisker did not answer. He pushed himself away from Whitetail and steadied himself on his paws. He turned to his Clan and meowed, “Any cat fit enough to fight comes with me. The rest are to stay and tend to their wounds.”

The warriors of WindClan shifted, nervous. When Ashfoot straightened her back, though, and lifted her tail, the spark returned to their eyes. Crowflight felt a rush of love for his mother, able to inspire even in this desperate situation.

Ashfoot’s eyes were hard when she looked over her Clan. When she was done with her assessment, she turned to Onewhisker and meowed, “We are with you.”

“Ashfoot...” Onewhisker meowed, his tone somber. “You need to stay here. If something should happen to me...”

Ashfoot curled her lip, then turned her muzzle away. She limped off towards the medicine cat den, where Shadepool was waiting for her. Crowflight hadn’t noticed the tortoiseshell she-cat during the initial push – she must have slipped in when the rebels were gone.

“We’ll take care of them,” Shadepool meowed, her voice reassuring as Ashfoot passed her. She dipped her head to Onewhisker and said, “Go.”

Onewhisker gave her a grateful nod. Lifting his tail, he yowled, “For WindClan!”

“For WindClan!”

Onewhisker and all of WindClan – even Softbreeze and Emberstep, who had stayed with Mudclaw during the initial fighting – surged forward, plowing through the snow that had collected in the clearing.

As one, the chosen cats followed. Crowflight took the lead, but the others matched his stride as he had taught them. Nightfrost was at his shoulder, with Stoneheart just a pace behind. Mistyfoot was a tail-length away, covering Crowflight’s other side.

This was what Crowflight had wanted for so long – all of them, together, surging out into the unknown. The shimmer of the powdered snow almost made it seem like Feathertail’s shape was near, too, and when Crowflight glanced up at the sky, he told himself that Stormfur was looking down on them, cheering him on. Perhaps he had been the one to send the snowstorm?

The WindClan cats, though injured, were the masters of the moor. In the howling blizzard, the shapes of cats were hard to distinguish, but the swirling wind carried the scents of Clans and blood. Quickly they caught up with the ThunderClan cats and Mudclaw’s rebels, splitting off to aid in the skirmishes that were taking place all along the snow-covered Verdant Moor.  

Stoneheart veered away, slamming himself directly into one of his Clanmates, who was wrestling with Cloudtail. With a strong paw swipe he’d laid them low, pinning them to the snow-crusted earth and hissing, “Go home - now!”

Crowflight swallowed, watching Stoneheart’s Clanmate shiver and wiggle free. They fled, tail tucked, and Stoneheart watched them go, his eyes narrowed.

He has no issue with fighting his own Clanmates! Crowflight felt a little bit of discomfort, as he could see Tawnypelt blatantly avoiding the RiverClan cats that were tangled up in the fighting. Is that a ShadowClan thing, or a Stoneheart thing?

A few cats ran past him, fleeing the ferocious claws of Nightfrost and Mistyfoot. Nightfrost was about to cheer when he was knocked off of his paws by the dappled body of Falcontail. The two writhed in the snow and panic seared Crowflight’s pelt.

He charged at the slimy RiverClan tom, fastening his teeth into his scruff and hauling him off Nightfrost. Falcontail hissed and struggled, but Crowflight flung him away, straight into the claws of Mistyfoot, who wasted no time giving him a piece of her mind. Stoneheart joined her, trapping the RiverClan cat between them and blocking him from the others.

“Are you alright?” Crowflight meowed, turning back to Nightfrost.

Nightfrost looked stunned, but his scratches weren’t deep. He got to his paws. “I’ll be okay,” he mewed. “I think...”

Crowflight helped him up. “Shadepool would never forgive me if something happened to you...” he breathed, glancing at Nightfrost’s fur. “So, you’d better not be lying...” Black cats were hard to examine, but with all this snow whirling around them it was even worse.  

“Please,” Nightfrost hissed, shaking his pelt. “I don’t think there’s a thing you could do wrong in her eyes - she loves you, Crowflight.”

Crowflight stared at Nightfrost, wide-eyed. It felt as if the cold had sucked the air from his lungs. “W-What?”

Nightfrost blinked, surprised. “Uh...”

Crowflight watched him struggle, as if the words were an opponent that Nightfrost needed to fight with tooth and claw. “I... I don’t think I was meant to say that,” he admitted.

“But is that true?” Crowflight asked, thrusting his muzzle close. Suddenly, the battles happening around him didn’t seem to matter. He needed to know this more than anything else, ever. “Does she love me? Really? Has she told you that?”

Nightfrost’s pale blue eyes were wide to their whites. “She’s never had to, Crowflight. It’s obvious as the moon!”

Crowflight sighed. “I love her, too,” he meowed, quietly. “Night, I love her so much...”

“Crow,” Nightfrost began, his tone full of pain, “you know that’s against-”

Though his next words were obvious, they were cut off – a familiar screech of pain carried over the wind and hills.

Duskwhisker!

Crowflight raised his head. Where was she? In the white, swirling blizzard, he could barely make out individual cats.

“It’s coming from close to the shore!” Nightfrost hissed.

Crowflight saw him take off, a black streak in the powder white. Crowflight followed, keeping his nose to Nightfrost’s tail-tip. Everything else would have to wait, but Crowflight had to admit to himself that finally saying the words aloud made him feel as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

They found Duskwhisker at the bottom of a hill near the stony shoreline, struggling against Leafwhisker and Blackclaw, Falcontail’s closest allies. Nightfrost leaped from near the bottom of the hill, landing squarely on Leafwhisker’s shoulders, while Crowflight let his momentum carry him straight into Blackclaw.

The two rolled and tumbled onto the stones, claws locked in one another’s fur. First Crowflight was on the bottom, but Blackclaw’s greater weight made it impossible for Crowflight to dislodge the RiverClan warrior with his hind paws alone – the failure earned him a smack that bounced Crowflight’s head against the pebbles, blinding his eyes with starlight.

Crowflight felt claws digging into his belly as he struggled to recover. He flailed at Blackclaw uselessly, his claws lacking the strength to beat the black warrior’s thick coat. As pain seared his body, Crowflight thought of Shadepool, and how ironic it would be if he were to die here, after finally confessing his feelings – and not even to her directly, which he was sure she would scold him for when they met in StarClan.

But then Blackclaw’s weight lifted, and Crowflight was freed. He heard a splash, and a terrified yowl. As Crowflight’s vision came back to him he saw Blackclaw flailing the choppy gray waters of the lake.

“Rabbit-heart,” Duskwhisker hissed beside him. Her whiskers were touched with snow, twitching in amusement. “I just threw him into the shallows! You’d think a RiverClan cat could tell that...”

Blackclaw seemed to realize it a moment later. Soaked to the bone, he pulled himself out of the water and fled around the lake, towards RiverClan territory. Leafwhisker followed him a moment later, bleeding from several new scratches.

“He was tough!” Nightfrost breathed, shaking out his pelt. There was a new nick in his ear and a cut above his eye. “StarClan, what’re those RiverClan warriors learning? I’d like some of it...”

Duskwhisker’s nose touched his ear. “Are you alright?” she asked, her breath warming his face.

Crowflight nodded, getting to his paws. His head hurt, and his belly was sure to be sore for days, but he was otherwise unharmed. “Thanks, Dusk,” he mewed gratefully.

Duskwhisker scoffed. “Any time, fluff-brain.”

Crowflight moved to touch his nose to Duskwhisker’s, but he saw from the corner of his eye that Nightfrost had stiffened, as if he’d heard something on the wind. Crowflight strained his ears – all he could hear were the sounds of the wind and, somewhere in that, the sounds of a battle slowly waning.

Then, the voice came: “Crowflight! Nightfrost!”

He saw her dark shape outlined in white. “Shadepool!” Crowflight gasped. “What in StarClan’s name are you doing here?”

Shadepool skidded down the hill, scattering powdery snow in her wake. Her eyes were wide to their whites, her fur fluffed up against the cold. She was breathless, her sides heaving, and she nearly stumbled and landed on her face. Nightfrost caught her before Crowflight could.

She must have run all the way here. Even with Crowflight having taught her how to run properly on open ground, the harsh winds and unfamiliar hills would’ve made it difficult. How did she even know where we were?

“Ash...Ashfoot...” Shadepool panted.

Crowflight started. “Ashfoot?” he repeated. Worry shot through him, colder than the wind. “What about her?”

Shadepool’s eyes were desperate and sorrowful and wide when she looked up at Crowflight. “She’s gone!”

Crowflight’s world rocked.

“Gone? What do you mean, gone?” Duskwhisker demanded, stepping forward. She glanced at Crowflight, asking the question that he dared not: “Like...?”

“Not dead,” Shadepool managed, finally catching her breath. Crowflight had almost let himself feel relief, but that was short-lived as the medicine cat meowed on: “I was tending to Thistlepaw when I smelled infection in her wound – it must’ve opened sometime during the fighting. I went to get something for it inside Barkface’s stores, but when I returned, Ashfoot was gone!”

“Barkface and Ryewhisper didn’t see her go?” Nightfrost asked.

Shadepool shook her head. “They were so busy – Thistlepaw is very hurt, and Robinwing was taking a long time to calm down, because we can’t give her herbs right now; not to mention the cats coming in from the battle!”

She paused, taking a gulp of steadying air. “As soon as I noticed Ashfoot was gone, I had to go after her! Her wound’s reopened and infected - she doesn’t have long!”

“So where is she?!” Crowflight demanded, his voice shrill.

“I... I followed her scent as best as I could, but I lost it over the hills when the snow covered up her trail,” Shadepool confessed. Her eyes were pools of worry. “I knew I had to find help, so I felt for Nightfrost, and...”

“Duskwhisker, get Shadepool back to the camp,” Crowflight ordered. Duskwhisker opened her mouth, ready to hiss, but Crowflight interrupted her: “You were just fighting two warriors at once, not to mention any other wounds you’re hiding. Nightfrost and I are fresh, and Shadepool needs to help Barkface and Ryewhisper tend to the others!”

Still, Duskwhisker looked like she might be stubborn. Crowflight insisted, lowering his muzzle to Duskwhisker, “Please - there’s no one else I trust more to keep Shadepool safe!”

Duskwhisker closed her jaws. Then, she hissed, “Fluff-brain!” before lashing her tail at Shadepool. “Come on!”

Shadepool’s eyes searched his, and she thrust her nose forward, brushing against his chin. “You know, don’t you?” she murmured.

“I do.” Crowflight breathed in her scent.

“Then we’ll figure it out later,” Shadepool decided, stepping away. “Good luck – StarClan guide your paws.”

She and Duskwhisker left, climbing up the hill, and Crowflight sighed. He glanced at Nightfrost, who looked quite concerned.

Crowflight felt a flash of frustration. Now isn’t the time to worry about codes!

Nightfrost seemed to sense that. “Let’s go,” was all he meowed.

The two took off up the hill, into the wind. At the top, Crowflight’s gaze searched the white world for his mother – the blizzard had cleared up some, and the visibility was much improved, but the wind still pierced his coat and thrust powdering drifts into the air. Small breaks in the dark gray clouds exposed a pale purple sky speckled with evening stars.

There were no more pockets of fighting cats – now it seemed as if the ThunderClan and WindClan cats were fully engaged in driving away the rebels, chasing them towards the Arrival and RiverClan territory. Crowflight spotted Tinystar’s small shape harassing a group of ShadowClan cats, some of his warriors by his side. Tawnypelt was harrying ShadowClan warriors while Stoneheart had no trouble driving the RiverClan cats away with Mistyfoot by his side.

There was no sign of Ashfoot and, much to Crowflight’s dismay, Onewhisker or Mudclaw.

He scanned towards the Arrival, and spotted two warriors streaking after one another, with a third straggling behind. Crowflight narrowed his eyes. If the two were running, why would an injured cat be pursuing them?

A break in the clouds lit up their pelts – two brown, one gray.

“There they are!” Crowflight rasped. “Ma!”

He didn’t wait for Nightfrost. He sprang, paws pounding and skidding against the snowy hillside. He heard Nightfrost scrabbling after him, swearing and struggling, but Crowflight did not dare help him this time.

To his dismay, he didn’t catch up to them – they were far ahead by the time he had caught their trail. Their scents were muddled by the wind and snow, but there was a thin trail of blood that had to have come from Ashfoot – it smelled wrong, tinged with the infection that Shadepool had been worried about.

Nightfrost caught up, breathless. “Is that her?” he gasped.

Crowflight nodded, his heart in his throat.

Why is she following Onewhisker and Mudclaw?

He raced after his mother, her wavering blood-trail an easy guide. Nightfrost was at his side, panting, his tail bushed against the cold. They passed over the WindClan border, and still the trail went on – even over the boggier parts of the Arrival, there were specks of blood on the bent, frozen reeds.

By the time they had caught up to Ashfoot, all that remained of the storm were the harsh winds and the thick layer of snow caught up by the lowlands.

The three cats were circling one another beneath the boughs of the single old cedar that was leaning out over the water. Mudclaw seemed cornered, bristling and hissing, lashing out with his claws at Onewhisker, who was aggressive but exhausted. Between them was Ashfoot, as if her bleeding body could stop them from killing one another.

“What is she doing?” hissed Nightfrost.

“I have no idea...” Crowflight murmured back.

By the time the two toms had prowled closer, the rebels had been chased over the river. Mudclaw was all that remained of his struggle – even Falcontail had fled him. ThunderClan and WindClan warriors alike closed in, though they kept their distance, seeking only to block Mudclaw’s means of escape back onto WindClan territory. Tinystar kept them from advancing any further.

“... there’s been enough bloodshed!” wailed Ashfoot, her voice finally reaching Crowflight’s ears as he drew closer. “Surrender, Mudclaw, please! This needn’t end in anyone’s death!”

“I never wanted to hurt anyone!” snarled Mudclaw. He looked as if he might strike Ashfoot, his eyes wide and wild, his back up in a steep arch. “I just wanted what was best for WindClan – why can’t any cat see that?!”

Onewhisker hissed, “So you brought in cats from outside the Clan to attack us? To what end?!”

“To make you all see reason!” Mudclaw snapped hoarsely.

Onewhisker edged closer. “I think you lost your reason for this rebellion long ago, Mudclaw,” he growled. “It’s time to end this!”

“Bring it, craven fool!” Mudclaw seethed. “You’re all for raising your claws with Tinystar backing you up!”

Onewhisker surged forward, but Ashfoot caught him in her forepaws. Her eyes gleamed desperately.

“Stop!” Ashfoot wailed, as the two toms threatened to squish her between them. Blood splattered the snow beneath her from her effort at holding Onewhisker back. “Can’t you see what this will do? If you kill one another, if you...”

The wind changed direction, and there was the most horrible noise – wood splintering, grinding against itself. The old cedar, weighted down by age and snow, began to bend.

Crowflight’s heart shot with horror. “Ma!” he shrieked.

It was too late – the cedar’s trunk broke. For a perilous moment it seemed to hang suspended in the air, and then a gust of wind rattled its boughs and brought it down. It hit the earth so hard that Crowflight felt the quake rattle up his bones, and for a moment the world was drowned in a sea of white powder.

Crowflight coughed. He didn’t care that he couldn’t see, he flailed desperately as he made his way down to the shore.

By the time the powder had cleared, Crowflight had reached the old cedar. He passed Onewhisker, who stared down at the tree in shock and horror. He passed Mudclaw, who was pulling himself out from beneath one of the branches, his hind leg twisted oddly.

Crowflight stopped at the trunk and got down on his belly, ignoring the prickle of needles and the way the sap in the air made his eyes sting. He clawed at the bark, tearing at his claws and paw pads, streaking blood down the wood.

“Help me!” he cried. “Help me, help me, help...”

He couldn’t stop himself from babbling. Crowflight’s gaze was fixed on the tiny tuft of his mother’s gray tail, sticking out from beneath the tree trunk he was trying so hard to move. The snow beneath his paws was red, soaked and sticky, and he told himself it was his own blood, and not the blood of his mother’s broken body.

“Crowflight, stop!”

Crowflight heard Nightfrost’s voice, but it seemed so far away. I must help her! She’s still under there!

Why isn’t anyone helping me?!

He didn’t notice the jaws gently sinking into his scruff. When Stoneheart tried to pull him away, Crowflight dug his claws into the wood until they hurt so badly, he yowled when they pulled free. He landed in the snow and, stubbornly, tried to scrabble his way back – Stoneheart's weight held him down, though, and kept him from moving.

He was aware now of Mistyfoot and Nightfrost winding around him, holding him steady while he shook in the driving snow. Nightfrost’s tongue lapped at his bloodied paws.

None of them said anything, but they didn’t have to. Crowflight shivered and gave up, going limp inside of their huddle. The tuft of his mother’s tail, all that remained of her, fluttered in the wind - until scattered snow covered it for good.

“Look, the tree!” gasped a cat. “It’s made a bridge!”

“We can reach the island now!” said another.

Some cat added, soberly, “Thanks to Ashfoot...”

“Ashfoot saved us,” Onewhisker breathed. He glanced at Mudclaw. “She saved us and granted us a Gathering-place!”

Mudclaw said nothing.

“What happens now?” Tinystar asked. He glanced warily between the two WindClan toms. “Who rules WindClan?”

“Onewhisker,” Mudclaw gasped, before Onewhisker could speak. “The stones spoke as such. I accept their judgment.” His eyes were glazed with pain – his own, or did he feel Ashfoot’s loss, too? Crowflight did not care at this moment.  

Tinystar glanced at Onewhisker, then at the tree. “Congratulations, my friend.” His voice was heavy with the cost of this victory. “Your deputy...”

“I will choose a new one,” Onewhisker promised. He steadied his paws, and his eyes, full of sorrow, touched on Crowflight. “Right now, though, I think there are far more important things.”

He raised his voice, his pale eyes bright. “As leader of WindClan, I forgive the cats that fought against me, no matter what Clan they hailed from – they doubted me, and had every right to do so.” He paused, his gaze softening. “I doubted myself, after all.”

There seemed to be no objection. Onewhisker declared, “Let the slate be wiped clean of this bloody business. That’s what Ashfoot was trying to say, I think.” His eyes touched upon Tinystar. “When next you see WindClan, we will be born anew.”

“I look forward to it,” Tinystar meowed, dipping his head to Onewhisker. He turned to his Clan, gathered up the hill in a huddle. “Come, ThunderClan – let us return home!”

Crowflight felt the weight of his friends shift. Slowly they drifted away, each meowing their good-byes. Mistyfoot ran her tail along his pelt. Stoneheart touched his ear with his muzzle. Nightfrost was last to go, and he held Crowflight as long as he could – but even so, he had to go as well, taking away the last of the warmth that Crowflight so craved.

He stared at the old cedar. The storm had ended, the clouds had cleared. The moor was safe and whole.

The stars were out, and the world was cold.

[everybody-loves-purdy]

leopardstar's honor is truthfully one of my favorite super editions, but when it comes to the patrol that whitefang dies and sunfish is critically wounded, I feel like that patrol would've been the perfect set-up for thistleclaw's death. I'll set the scene, since leopardstar's honor made both lionheart and redtail uncharacteristically greedy for a fight that should have been avoided. thistleclaw is leading the patrol. he goads leopardfur into attacking, but in the process, is responsible for the murder of whitefang, and by extent, what would later be sunfish's death. leopardfur attacks and kills thistleclaw in a fit of rage, taking him by surprise as he sneers at the other members of the riverclan patrol. in addition, i also really like the way that whitefang, sunfish, and whiteclaw's deaths all progressively push leopardfur into developing malice towards thunderclan. three cats she loved as if they had been blood were all taken away from her by thunderclan's actions, in her pov. it would also explain why, even though mistyfoot and stonefur had been lifelong clanmates of hers (and trusted enough to the point where stonefur was made her deputy), that leopardfur would begin to distrust them when the secret of their birth was revealed.

Thistleclaw dying then to Leopardfur would have been so good

Yeah I really like how those deaths push Leopardfur further and further into hating TC too. I only wish that SE had ditched the Frogleap stuff and instead spent more time on exploring Leopardfur’s relationships with Misty and (especially) Stone before finding out the truth of their heritage.

I can’t believe Leopardstar’s Honor single handedly my managed to make random Graystripe manslaughter victim from book 2 into a genuinely really likeable character which I do consider among my favourites.

[mallowstep]

Ok so. I was thinking that leopardstar and stonefur are pretty similar to Emma and mr knightley* respectively (obviously not 100% match) and that they learn and grow from each other like Emma and mr knightley. But there are also other parallels like mudfur and Emma’s father (concerned with everyone’s health vs. being a literal doctor) and blackclaw and mistyfoot marrying each other.

* Emma’s knowledge that she doesn’t need to/won’t marry if she doesn’t want to, matchmaking (which is kind of a thing in LSH but I know you haven’t read it), plus the personality match. Mr. Knightley trying to advise Emma/ see the consequences of her actions.

And then there’s the whole “if I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more” quote which comes from mr Knightley but if we’re being real, could apply to both leopard and stone.

I’m not really sure about Harriet in this, since I think Sasha would be the closest equivalent but I’m not going to put tigerstar in mr. Martin’s spot.

It’s not 100% fleshed out and i would have to re read Emma before actually doing anything with it but I have So Many thoughts if you’re curious (or would love to hear anyone else’s).

okay i don't really have anything to add to this because i haven't read emma but i love you nonnie for writing it

[razmerry]

bluestar?

Bluestar! The OG...

sexuality headcanon

I haven't really thought about it before, prolly bi

gender/pronouns headcanon

cis I suppose

rate them out of ten

8/10 - I think people don’t give her enough credit for being such a well written female character especially from the first arc

favorite thing about them

I loooove her breakdown arc, all of it is laid out very clearly I feel and makes her actions understandable at all points

least favorite thing about them

Oakheart is boring babe. What did you see in him. Why the one night stand. I think I might just not really care for Bluestar’s Prophecy

why i first started liking/disliking them

I don’t know I read the series for the first time when I was like 9. She was blue

do i relate/project onto/kin them?

no she is not like me <3

favorite quote/moment

I’m pretty fond of the scene where she tells Mistyfoot and Stonefur that they’re her kits. I like her expectation that they would be accepting and how it gets destroyed

my fav ship

Bluestar/Yellowfang is pretty cute

my fav platonic friendship

Her and Fireheart first arc... aww. Also this is probably my most controversial Bluestar opinion but I just do not care about Thrushpelt. He’s so whatever

a ship i hate

I guess I don’t really like Bluestar/Oakheart

do i prefer canon or fanon?

Canon for sure... although with Warriors “canon” is complicated because there’s at least 3 Bluestars and several of them suck. But I love first arc Bluestar

random headcanon

I dunno I think she and Redtail had a lot of fun gossiping and were very close

what color do i picture them as

cat breed headcanon

unpopular opinion

Oh here’s where my Thrushpelt Takes go. Well there’s nothing wrong with him, he’s perfectly fine, but I just don’t get the hype. Like he’s so generic good guy and am I supposed to celebrate him for not trying to force her into a relationship? Good going dude you minded your business

song i associate with them

“Bruno is Orange” by Hop Along

favorite MAP/PMV/AMV with them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjtTd-9EKT0

Lullaby for a Warrior was one of the first MAPs I ever saw, sad it seems to have been deleted :(

[warriorcatsamino]

Mothwing.. and Hawkfrost

I don’t know how many of you frequent the Warrior Cat website but if you do, you probably already know that a brand new series (Series 4) of Minis dropped! The Warrior Cat Minis are official merchandise and are basically the warrior cat equivalent of action figures or Funkopops! The minis currently have 4 series which comprised of 2 characters per box. Boxes are usually released in sets of 3, which means each series has a total of 6 characters. The first series features the following; Firestar + Leafstar, Tigerstar + Tawnypelt and Greystripe + Jayfeather. The second series features; Ravenpaw + Sandstorm, Cinderpelt + Brightheart and Jayfeather (again) + Blackstar. The third series has; Squirrelflight + Scourge, Ashfur + Mudclaw and Yellowfang + Ivypool. The most recent series, released December of 2022, includes Bluestar + Darkstripe, Mapleshade + Crookedstar and the subjects of this piece.. Mothwing + Hawkfrost!

Before I summarize who Mothwing and Hawkfrost are, I want to quickly talk about the minis. I’m honestly unsure how the team behind the merchandise chooses which characters to pick. Do they choose based on popularity? Clan? Design? The most recent books? Past books? Or do they just pick randomly? It’s kinda hard to determine as the current series don’t have too much of a trend.. I mean most of the minis are Thunderclan and some are related in some way. For instance Firestar, Sandstorm and Squirrelflight all have minis along with Firestar’s grandson Jayfeather. Cats from past arcs are featured more than current ones and a large majority of characters are villains, which is interesting..

Anyway, for those not up to date on canon characters, I will quickly summarize who Mothwing & Hawkfrost are. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead for The New Prophecy, Power of Three, Omen of the Stars and A Vision of Shadows arcs along with the newest arc, A Starless Clan. Spoilers also for the Tigerstar & Sasha and A Shadow in Riverclan manga/comics ⚠️

Anyway, for those not up to date on canon characters, I will quickly summarize who Mothwing & Hawkfrost are. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead for The New Prophecy, Power of Three, Omen of the Stars and A Vision of Shadows arcs along with the newest arc, A Starless Clan. Spoilers also for the Tigerstar & Sasha and A Shadow in Riverclan manga/comics ⚠️ 

According to the Warriors Wiki, Hawkfrost was “Hawkfrost was a RiverClan warrior under Leopardstar's leadership in the forest and lake territories and was a member in the Dark Forest. Hawk was born a rogue to Sasha and Tigerstar alongside his littermates, Tadpole and Moth. After Tadpole's death, Sasha took her kits to RiverClan, where he was renamed Hawkkit, and later became an apprentice as Hawkpaw, being mentored by Leopardstar. After becoming a warrior, Hawkfrost was made deputy temporarily, but was demoted back to a warrior after Mistyfoot returned. Following the arrival at the lake, he urged Mudclaw in his rebellion and grew close to his half-brother, Brambleclaw. Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw trained in the Dark Forest by their father, and once Brambleclaw became ThunderClan's deputy, Hawkfrost lured Firestar into a fox trap for Brambleclaw to kill; however, his half-brother impaled Hawkfrost with the fox trap, mortally injuring him; he subsequently descended to the Dark Forest. Hawkfrost trained Ivypool, having such faith in her, until she sided with the Clans in the Great Battle, and in the wake of Ivypool's betrayal, he killed Hollyleaf. Eventually, Hawkfrost faced Mothwing and killed Dapplenose, and after confronting Brambleclaw, his half-brother killed him a second time, making him vanish forever.” Likewise, Mothwing is “Mothwing is the current medicine cat of RiverClan who has served under Leopardstar's, Mistystar's, Owlnose's, and Tigerstar's leaderships in the lake territories. She was also previously a temporary leader alongside her apprentice Frostpaw. She was born as Moth to Sasha and Tigerstar alongside her brothers, Hawk and Tadpole. After Tadpole died, Sasha brought her kits to RiverClan, and Moth became an apprentice as Mothpaw with the Clan deputy Mistyfoot as her mentor. She later earned her warrior name of Mothwing and grew inspired to become a medicine cat. In order to secure power, Hawkfrost faked an omen so Mudfur would accept Mothwing as his apprentice. Mothwing initially dreamed of StarClan, but when Hawkfrost revealed he faked the omen, she refused to believe in StarClan because of it. After Mudfur's death before the Great Journey, Mothwing became RiverClan's sole medicine cat. She formed a close friendship with the ThunderClan medicine cat Leafpool, and she assisted with training Mothwing's apprentice, Willowshine, about StarClan and dreams. Mothwing was manipulated by Hawkfrost to send away Stormfur and Brook from RiverClan, though was finally free from him after his death; she did grieve for her brother. Despite Mistystar learning about her not believing in StarClan, she demoted Mothwing as an elder; however, Mothwing retained her position after an omen. Following the Great Battle, Mothwing revealed that she believed StarClan existed, but questioned their guidance. She was named by a codebreaker by the impostor, eventually being exiled from RiverClan for her birth and took refuge in ShadowClan, becoming a medicine cat for the rebels. Although she was allowed back into RiverClan, Mothwing chose to remain in exile and joined ShadowClan under Tigerstar. She later returned to RiverClan following the defeat of the impostor. After returning, Mothwing became the mentor to Frostpaw, and begrudgingly took up leadership of RiverClan following the sudden deaths of Mistystar, Reedwhisker, and Curlfeather. She acknowledged that RiverClan needed help from the other Clans with their current situation seemingly at odds with StarClan.”

Mothwing + Hawkfrost are actually very interesting characters. What makes them stand out (in my opinion) is they almost serve as a comparison for Bramblestar & Tawnypelt. All four cats share Tigerstar as a father and reacted to his influence in very different ways. Likewise, Mothwing & Hawkfrost entered Riverclan as older kits instead of being born into the clan. They were raised by their mother Sasha for some time before she left Riverclan to protect them. It is revealed in both the Tigerstar & Sasha and A Shadow in Riverclan comics that Sasha didn’t want to be recognized at a gathering by Shadowclan, as some of the cats there knew about her connection to Tigerstar. She wanted to protect her kits from being judged for their heritage. Because of all this, Mothwing & Hawkfrost are more open-minded than some clan cats as they weren’t raised in a clan. On a similar note, Mothwing is the first known atheist medicine cat. All other medicine cats shared a belief in Starclan. Most of the books make it out that Mothwing thinks Starclan exists but chooses not to worship them, often criticizing their role in clan cats’ lives. Mothwing also wasn’t chosen by Starclan to be a medicine cat. A lot of the medicine cats received visions or omens that determines their destiny but Mothwing’s situation was a little different. Since she didn’t believe in Starclan, they couldn’t give her any kind of visions. Instead, her brother Hawkfrost, in an attempt to get his sister in a powerful position in the clan that would secure his leadership, faked a sign by leaving a moth’s wing outside of the former RC medic cat Mudfur’s, den. This made Mudfur choose Mothwing as his apprentice despite not receiving anything from Starclan. The last thing I wanted to touch on relates to a comic released in 2020 about Feathertail. In the comic, Feathertail is depicted as having been extremely close to Mothwing & Hawkfrost, serving as a mentor and second mother figure to them. Then, after finding out their father’s identity, she acts very cold and dismissive toward them. Then she goes on the sun drown place quest and dies saving the Tribe from Sharptooth. I wonder if Feathertail’s death impacted Hawk & Moth. I would have liked to see them mourn Feathertail or act bothered by her death. I know the comic was created after The New Prophecy but Mothwing recently received a novella and it wasn’t touched on there. 

But me and the rest of the SMT would love to hear what YOU think! Do you like Mothwing and Hawkfrost? Do you have a preference for one over the other? Did you buy/will buy the series 4 minis? How do you think the team chooses who to feature? What’s your thoughts on A Shadow in Riverclan, specifically Feathertail’s relationship to Feathertail? What do you think about Sasha’s choice to abandon them? Did you read the new Mothwing novella? Leave all your thoughts, opinions and feedback in the comments below. Did you like the art style of this piece? If you did, consider leaving a like on the original post on Amino. Supporting the original artist directly benefits this account! This is by motivating more creators to allow us post their work which gives us more content to share with you all. On a similar note, do you want more Warriors centered content? I would recommend joining the Warriors Amino where we have a fun and active community that creates art, writing and more based on the battle cats you know and love! 

Original Post linked here.

Original Artist linked here.

~ 🍵🥔

[badgerstep]

👶

🧬

☣️

-@heathfall

👶: Favorite characters as a kid?

ohhh i think bluestar, brightheart, hawkfrost, mistyfoot, scourge, and tawnypelt. not much has changed!

🧬: Genetically accurate or artistic license designs?

artistic! go ham with those little battlecats. i admire the work genetically accurate designers do but i love just gettin a lil silly with it :3

☢️: Worst written character?

CROWFEATHER I HATE THAT SON OF A BITCH IM GOING TO YEET HIM INTO THE SUN FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR ACTIONS YOU LITTLE WORM

[cryptidclaw]

Blackclaw! terrible terrible man. 

His design is pretty straight forward, black cat, buff asshole. 

His sister Skyheart (though I haven’t drawn her yet) actually looks more like Primrosedawn than Blackclaw because Sky has the fluffy curly hair gene that Black passed on to his daughter. 

in RoC Blackclaw was Mistyfoot’s first mate and they had Primrosedawn, Reedwhisker, Carp and Perch together. Blackclaw is a strong and bold cat and Misty respected him and loved him for that, though they didnt agree on everything. Black was very against mixing of the different orders and orders with outsiders, which Misty never agreed with. Misty however didnt pay too much attention to this as many cats in River Order thought this way, and she was more so a minority in the thought. 

After Misty was revealed to be half order Blackclaw abandoned his family, choosing to act like they no longer exist and were never his mate and children. He was discussed with the idea of having a half Order mate and part Thunder children, so he disowned them almost immediately.  This left his kits confused an hurt, and Misty grieving. 

Blackclaw’s sister, Skyheart, however was horrified by her brother’s actions, and she immediately started to care for and help Misty and her kits. Sky stood up for them through everything, and became more of a parent to Misty’s kits than Blackclaw ever was. And eventually Misty and Sky became mates!

Anywho, fuck blackclaw, I love having shitty dude’s mates get with their superior sister. 

[Image ID: a digital drawing of Blackclaw from warrior cats. He is sitting with his right side showing, he has a sneer and a determined look on his face. He is a buff, stalky, short furred, black tom with bright orange eyes. He has several crossing scars on his back and flank, and his scars, inner ears, and nose are all a very dark dull red color./End ID]

[bonefall]

in clanmew, is mistystars name translated as mist or misty?

Mistyfoot's Clanmew warrior name was Sooheffepwyyarr, which is something very interesting in the native language.

Sooheffe is specifically the dewy mist in the morning, caused by night condensation evaporating from the rising sun. You could say it's "morning haze," or "dawn mist." It's when the dawn patron is meant to go out... and, secretly, it was the first moment that Oakheart met his daughter. In the hidden morning haze.

Her official nickname was Soorr. Swansong and Stonefur called her Soo, pronounced EXACTLY like the English nickname Sue.

Blackclaw liked to use Soo long after they'd stopped being mates, as both a taunt of their old marriage and as open disrespect of her rank, especially when she was a leader. He's a jerk!

The various words for mist are very important in Clanmew and describe different things, because this is Fuckin' England™

Morning haze: Sooheffe (Dew + morning-after-sunrise + haze) The mist caused by the changing temperature during the sunrise, as the day begins to heat up.

Dew: Pesoo Dewdrops, condensation.

Haze: Sheffse Mist, smog, heat shimmers, anything that reduces visibility in the air.

Vapor/Steam: Kisheff Gas that rises from hot water. BB!Cats use fire to boil, and this is the word they use for this sort of haze.

Mist: Ffiu The low, cloudy haze that gathers on the ground and tends to be seen during a mizzle (type of rain.)

Fog: Moofs Very thick haze that severely impedes visibility

Swelter/heat shimmer: Ah'hessa The way that the distance becomes wavy and obscured on a REALLY hot day, mostly in WindClan where it can become VERY dry and they can see roads from a distance.

To blow air out of your mouth because you can see your breath: Hhahhehha/Hhaahhe/Hhaahh Haze that comes out of your mouth and nose when it's cold, an action with its own 3-stem verb that can mean serious dedication to working on a cold day, OR playfulness and enjoying the moment

Veil/Cosmic dust: Sh'hoffes A haze that is supernatural in nature, clouding your vision, referencing the passing from this world to the next. To be in a coma is to be "within the veil."

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Warrior Cats: The Darkest Hour - Erin Hunter

"ThunderClan's darkest hour is upon them, as Tigerstar's quest for power plunges all the Clans into the most terrible danger any cat has ever faced. In order to save his Clan and his friends, Fireheart must uncover the meaning of an ominous proclamation from StarClan:

"Four will become two. Lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest."

The time has come for prophecies to unfold, and for heroes to rise ..."

Read Date - July 2024

Length - 315 pages

Genre - Adventure, Fantasy, Animal Fiction

Rating - 9/10

Stars - ★★★★★

Notes -  The reveal that Mistyfoot and Stonefur are Bluestar’s kits was well needed and took long enough, though I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t believe it. That’s just be as an adult reader of Warriors, lol! Fireheart becoming Firestar was a cool process. It’s like the ghosts of Christmas past, but the lives of eight cats. Firestar finally admitting that his dreams are prophetic was cathartic. Like yesss bitch get it. I think it’s VERY very fucking ironic that they address the “how did ‘Rusty’ s family feel when he left isn’t addressed until the last book in the series, when that was the reason I couldn’t read the first book to begin with. Just very very silly all around for me. I should’ve said this a lot sooner but i love the way they speak about cars as if theyre other animals, because it goes to show how cats and other animals of the sort may view our every day activities and lifestyles. The situation with the death berries and SorrelKit was unsuspecting, and I didn’t.. expect it. I say this a lot but i mean it every single time. It’s kinda crazy how Tigerstar is basically trump except this happened nearly a decade before Trump even became a politician which is like... wow politics really just always was like this wasn’t it? Tigerstar’s decision to combine forces is crazy and i can’t believe it’s finally happening after being offered multiple times throughout the series. The Fighting between Stonefur and everyone was insane. I can’t believe that Tigerstar has resorted to senseless fighting in this manner. Ravenpaw joining then was sweet, and I’ve missed him. The rescue mission was exciting, and i like the way it happened. Everyone getting together, and having another mission like old times. Mistyfoot joining Thunderclan was exciting, and Windclan joining with Thunderclan was smart. Tigerstar’s death was also shocking and I never expected this to happen. It was so quick and by such a new clan-- Bloodclan. Having to fight them is insane. Tawnypaw leaving to join Tigerclan was also crazy. The reveal that Barley was apart of Bloodclan is also smart as hell, because he’s not just a random loner anymore. The loner’s joining Thunderclan is also really cool, because i like Barley and Ravenpaw. The fight between Bloodclan and Lionclan was really entertaining and action packed. Darkstripe attacking Firestar shows how different the dynamic is between the start of the series and now. Bringing call the moves from the beginning of the series was also really interesting because you forget it exists! They win, and I’m happy with the ending of the first series!! Mistyfoot becomes deputy and Firestar is leader and there’s a whole new set of adventures set up in the next series!! I loved this so much.