Yarrowleaf/History

Bramblestar's Storm

 * Yarrowleaf is one of the kits that Blackstar reports on. He tells the Clans at a Gathering that Snowbird has given birth to three healthy kits. The other two kits are Yarrowleaf's siblings, Bluebellkit and Beenose.

Tigerheart's Shadow

 * Yarrowleaf is mentioned by Tigerheart, Berryheart, and Slatefur. When Berryheart asks if her parents still have their younger daughter Yarrowleaf, Tigerheart replies that ShadowClan thinks she willingly went with the rogues after the battle. Berryheart is shocked, saying that she thought Yarrowleaf would have returned to the Clans.

The Apprentice's Quest

 * When Alderpaw and Leafpool cross through ShadowClan territory to get catmint, they encounter a patrol, which includes Needlepaw. She greets Alderpaw, and explains that though he met Sleekpaw already, the other apprentice is Yarrowpaw, calling her a furball. The ginger apprentice growls that Needlepaw is a furball herself. Tigerheart, who is leading the patrol, insists on escorting the medicine cats to the edge of their territory, and the apprentices bring up the rear.

Thunder and Shadow

 * When Rowanstar orders Crowfrost, Tigerheart, Scorchfur, and Spikefur to find the rogues on ShadowClan land, Spikefur asks if he should bring Yarrowpaw; Rowanstar replies yes, saying that it would be good training for her.


 * Alderpaw attempts to create small-talk with Yarrowpaw as he is escorted back to the ShadowClan camp. He asks where Needlepaw was, and Yarrowpaw replies suspiciously that it was none of his business.


 * At the half-moon meeting, Leafpool reports with a heavy sigh how ShadowClan has more apprentices than the Clan can handle; Beepaw and Yarrowpaw refuse to believe in a bunch of dead cats they've never seen.


 * After Needlepaw and Violetkit return from visiting the rogues, Rowanstar reprimands Needlepaw for breaking the rule. As Needlepaw retorts how dumb of a rule that is, Juniperpaw, Sleekpaw, Strikepaw, and Yarrowpaw pad closer to her with interest. Violetkit notes the apprentices probably planned the rebellion that Needlepaw started. She agrees with the other apprentices how they deserve more respect and that ShadowClan should return to its glory days of being the most powerful Clan in the forest. When Violetkit is returned home by Darktail and his cats, Violetkit overhears Wasptail calling for Yarrowpaw and Strikepaw because Crowfrost is ordering the day's patrols. Yarrowpaw and Sleekpaw defend the rogues for trespassing since they wouldn't have been able to rescue Violetkit if they weren't there.


 * Later when Violetkit is looking for somebody to talk to, she spots Yarrowpaw and Beepaw practicing battle moves while Sleekpaw watches. After Rowanstar denies the rogues' request to join ShadowClan, Needlepaw reignites the rebellion again. She declares she wants to take control of her own life and not listen to the Clan ways and StarClan. Yarrowpaw agrees and is especially tired with listening to ThunderClan and wishes to hunt wherever she pleases. Needlepaw, Sleekpaw, and Juniperpaw decide to leave ShadowClan and join the rogues. Even though Yarrowpaw was in favor of the rebellion, she decides to remain in ShadowClan, along with Strikepaw.


 * During the next Gathering, Alderpaw can't find Needlepaw, so he tries to find Strikepaw and ask about how Violetkit's doing. Rowanstar announces her warrior name—Yarrowleaf, along with Strikestone.


 * When Violetpaw rejoins ShadowClan, she notes the majority of her Clanmates didn't trust her yet, but Strikestone and Yarrowleaf offered to share prey with her at the end of the day.


 * At the next Gathering, Sparkpelt mentions she ran into Spikefur and Yarrowleaf on a border patrol; the brown ShadowClan warrior dragged Yarrowleaf away from Sparkpelt before she could reveal too much. Sparkpelt believes it was important, but Alderpaw thinks Yarrowleaf might be trying to spread gossip.


 * When Twigpaw sneaks into the ShadowClan camp, Scorchfur and Yarrowleaf sleepily pad from the warriors' den with Snowbird and Tigerheart.


 * Yarrowleaf and Snakekit fall ill to the sickness spreading around the ShadowClan camp. Later, after ShadowClan acquires the lungwort needed to cure the yellowcough, Yarrowleaf is among the few remaining to recover completely. Scorchfur arrives in the medicine cat den to check on his mate and daughter. Puddleshine replies they are recovering well. Yarrowleaf wakes up and greets her father; Scorchfur glowers at Puddleshine that she doesn't seem much better. When Puddleshine insists she's just tired, Scorchfur protests she wouldn't have gotten sick if Rowanstar had acted sooner. She, like the rest of her family, remain with the rogues when take over ShadowClan.

Shattered Sky

 * During a battle between the Kin and the Clans, Twigpaw is bowled over by something. She twists around to see Yarrowleaf glaring at her with a baleful gaze, her breath riffling Twigpaw's whiskers and claws digging into her shoulders. Twigpaw manages to knock Yarrowleaf off, but she manages to keep her grip on the apprentice, before she parts her jaws to sink them into Twigpaw's throat. Before she can, Ivypool gets her claws into the rogue's neck, forcibly hauling her away from Twigpaw and flinging her to one side. Ivypool is about to pounce on Yarrowleaf before Tigerheart forces his way between the two, giving her the chance to flee. Ivypool snarls at Tigerheart, reminding him that Yarrowleaf isn't his Clanmate anymore, and Tigerheart watches her flee, anguish in his gaze.


 * Yarrowleaf and Zelda are the cats on guard when Violetpaw convinces them she'll keep watch for a while. Yarrowleaf wipes her tongue around her jaws, claiming that's great and her belly thinks her throat has been torn out. She and Zelda leave in the direction of the fresh-kill pile. After Violetpaw manages to sneak some food to the RiverClan prisoners, she hears Yarrowleaf and Zelda returning, picking up their pawsteps and voices. As they come up to her, Darktail's voice cuts across the clearing, asking where Violetpaw is. She nods to both Yarrowleaf and Zelda before leaving.

Darkest Night

 * Yarrowleaf is mentioned by Rowanstar to have fled with what was left of Darktail's rogues, along with Sleekwhisker and Spikefur.


 * Later, when Leafpool reveals that Tree is able to summon ShadowClan's fallen cats, they find out more about Yarrowleaf. Scorchfur, Yarrowleaf's father, asks Lioneye, Mistcloud, and the other ghost cats if Yarrowleaf, Sleekwhisker, and Berryheart are among them. They say no, and if they are not among the dead cats present, then they are alive.

River of Fire

 * Violetshine, Tree, and Sandynose visit the former ShadowClan camp, and Violetshine discovers Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker in the nursery. She alerts Sandynose and Tree, and notices that Yarrowleaf is heavily pregnant. Sandynose appears and hisses at the two she-cats; however, he is reluctant to attack the queen, instead focusing on Sleekwhisker. She crouches between him and the ginger she-cat, hissing in defiance at the intruding cats. Yarrowleaf shouts Violetshine's apprentice name, and Sandynose asks the black and white she-cat if the two she-cats were ShadowClan cats, and Violetshine confirms so by saying the ginger cat is Yarrowleaf. Violetshine feels uneasiness in her belly, knowing that both she-cats were some of Darktail's closest followers. Sandynose says that while that was all and good, the two of them still crossed their borders. Tree asks if Sandynose is really going to hurt a pregnant queen, and Violetshine sees his amber eyes full of warmth and sympathy for Yarrowleaf, who seems very scared and confused.


 * Sandynose admits that while he won't attack Yarrowleaf, he won't welcome them especially since they're the ones who betrayed Rowanclaw. Violetshine adds that they were both very loyal to Darktail, and helped drown cats. Sleekwhisker tells the SkyClan patrol that they've realized that following Darktail was a mistake, and they have decided to come home. She asks where is ShadowClan, to which Sandynose retorts that they aren't part of a Clan anymore. Yarrowleaf begs the patrol to allow her and Sleekwhisker to stay, saying they just want to be ShadowClan cats again. Violetshine snorts that both of them were fine with Darktail killing their Clanmates, and accuses Yarrowleaf of now, all of a sudden, seeing the value in a Clan only because she is expecting kits. Yarrowleaf cringes away from her, saying that it isn't like that.


 * Yarrowleaf explains that she and Sleekwhisker have been living with the remnants of the Kin, but they grew more and more troubled by the fact that he cats were only looking out for themselves with Darktail's demise. Sleekwhisker confirms this, saying that the remaining cats refuse to accept the idea of "Kin". Yarrowleaf explains that Spikefur is dead. The brown tom was sick, and despite herself and Sleekwhisker trying to help him, the other cats refused to forage for herbs, but before she can continue, she buries her nose into her paws. Sleekwhisker continues for her, saying that no cat would help treat him or even fetch him prey. Sleekwhisker admits that she tried her best, but couldn't take care of him as well as the expecting Yarrowleaf, which led to the tom's demise.


 * Yarrowleaf speaks up again, revealing that she took Nettle as a mate, and she is expecting his kits, but she was scared to raise the unborn kits among rogues, which made her think of when she was in the nursery, surrounded by cats who cared about her. She finishes that she wants that for her kits, and wants ShadowClan. Violetshine is unsure how to break the news of ShadowClan's demise to the queen, and sees Tree looking deeply disturbed, as if realizing how serious the loss of ShadowClan really is. A silence follows the cats, and Sleekwhisker breaks it, asking what Sandynose meant when he said Rowanclaw, asking that he surely meant Rowanstar. Violetshine corrects her, saying she is Violetshine now, and SkyClan has returned to the Lake, and Rowanstar, now reverted back to his warrior status, has disbanded ShadowClan, merging the remaining ShadowClan cats into SkyClan. Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf stare at each other in disbelief, and Yarrowleaf, stammering, asks how ShadowClan cannot even exist anymore. Violentshine can't think of a way to answer to her question.


 * Sandynose sternly tells the two she-cats that they need to think long and hard about what they want to do now. He meows that the SkyClan leader, Leafstar, is in charge and he isn't sure if she'll allow them into SkyClan. He adds that if it was ShadowClan they wanted, perhaps they should think again. Looking deeply troubled, Yarrowleaf and Sleewkwhisker are silent for a moment, until Yarrowleaf finally declares that they want to join SkyClan. Sleekwhisker agrees, saying that they've been through a horrible time since they left and they aren't here to cause trouble. Her voice is so fervent that Violetshine is almost convinced, but not quite, remembering the terrible deeds Sleekwhisker committed when she was one of Darktail's "Kin". Sleekwhisker continues, saying that any Clan is a Clan, and that's the only life they want.


 * Yarrowleaf agrees and solemnly apologizes for deserting ShadowClan, saying that she now knows where she needs to be. Violetshine is doubtful about whether she and her Clanmates should trust Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker, especially since Yarrowleaf is going to have a rogue's kits, wondering if its wise to bring half-rogues into Clan territory. However, she can't deny that the former ShadowClan looked sincere when they said all they want to do is get back to normal. Eventually, she and Sandynose agree to take them to Leafstar, though they are unsure what the SkyClan leader will say.


 * Yarrowleaf is quickly exhausted on the way to the SkyClan camp, dragged at by the weight of her kits. Violetshine is impressed by her resolve to keep going. When they arrive, Yarrowleaf halts, her legs shaking as she looks around her. Violetshine can tell she is finding it hard to accept that things have changed, and that she is making her way to a completely strange camp and strange Clan. Yarrowleaf then spots Tawnypelt and Rowanclaw at the far side of the camp, sharing tongues and not looking like leaders or senior warriors at all. Yarrowleaf stares at them for a moment, then, with her head drooping, hisses to herself that this is terrible and she feels responsible. Tawnypelt then spots Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker, and is enraged to see the two deserters. She bounds up to Yarrowleaf to attack her, but stops upon realizing that she is expecting kits. Nevertheless, Tawnypelt angrily spits that ShadowClan's demise is the fault of Yarrowleaf and all the other deserters. Yarrowleaf's parents Snowbird and Scorchfur bound up to their daughter and support her, while Juniperclaw and Strikestone touch noses with their sister Sleekwhisker. Yarrowleaf hastily explains that things were bad with the rogues, that Spikefur is dead and that she wants to come home to ShadowClan to have her kits.


 * The SkyClan leader, Leafstar, then joins the debate, saying that this isn't ShadowClan anymore, but SkyClan. Tawnypelt urges Leafstar not to let Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker join, arguing that they are unforgivable traitors who attacked and killed their own Clanmates. Yarrowleaf begs Leafstar to take her and Sleekwhisker in, saying that they have nowhere else to go and have kin in the camp. Tawnypelt coldly growls that she should have thought of that before she betrayed her Clanmates. Rowanclaw starts to make a speech about forgiving Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker, but then realizes that he is behaving like a leader when he no longer is one, and leaves the decision to Leafstar. Leafstar then asks Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker to give her one good reason why she should trust them.


 * Sleekwhisker attempts to assure Leafstar that they're ready to dedicate themselves to SkyClan and they'll do whatever they must to prove they're loyal. The leader seems unimpressed, and makes sure that they really did leave ShadowClan to join Darktail's group. When the two she-cats nod, looking wretched while doing so, Leafstar reveals to them Darktail's crimes against SkyClan; his pretending to be their friend and then attacking them at night with his rogues and driving them out of their home. Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker look at each other in horror, as this is the first time they've heard of SkyClan's story. Leafstar asks them if they know how many cats died because of Darktail's cruelty, and when they answer no, she says that too many had. She doubts that she could ever trust a cat who left their own Clan for a cat like Darktail, asking them why they'd do such a thing. Yarrowleaf wails that she was young and stupid, admitting that she blamed Rowanstar for things that weren't his fault and her life would have been better if she'd been loyal to her Clan. Sleekwhisker simply says that she thought her leader was weak, which outrages Tawnypelt and several other cats.


 * Ultimately, the SkyClan leader decides that she won't allow Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker to join SkyClan, telling the two she-cats to leave. Yarrowleaf yowls in anguish that this is her home and the cats here are her kin. She adds more quietly that she could never be a ThunderClan or WindClan cat, to which Leafstar calmly responds that she will never be a SkyClan cat either, and orders Sandynose and Macgyver to escort them to the border. As the two she-cats are led away, Yarrowleaf sadly wails about the safety of her kits and she has nowhere to go. As soon as they are out of the camp, most of the former Shadowclan cats start arguing with Leafstar, saying that she isn't fit to lead them if she doesn't listen to them and understand their connections.


 * Later on, while Violetshine and Tree are patrolling, they find Juniperclaw sneaking into the old Shadowclan camp. When they reach it, they find him visiting Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker, who want to try and join Skyclan again. They are taken back, where Leafstar gets angry that many of the former Shadowclan cats were in on the secret. Tree makes the suggestion that both cats should at least be allowed to stay until Yarrowleaf's kits are born and weaned, and in that time they can prove their loyalty. At the Gathering, Leafstar announces Sleekwhisker and Yarrowleaf's return, to some anger and dislike.


 * When Twigpaw visits Skyclan to pitch the idea of making Shadowclan again, Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker listen with interest, saying they would love to be part of a new Shadowclan, when Yarrowleaf's kits suddenly come.


 * After the fire in Riverclan's territory, Violetshine notices Yarrowleaf's kits to be gone, and when she takes a closer look, discovers that Sleekwhisker drugged Yarrowleaf with poppy seeds. She wakes up, and after gathering Rowanclaw and Macgyver, they search for the kits. They soon find Nettle, Raven, Sleekwhisker, and Tawnypelt with two kittypets, Susan and Jacques, and Yarrowleaf's kits. Sleekwhisker reveals her plot- to kill Tawnypelt while they watch, or to take Rowanclaw's life in exchange, much to Yarrowleaf's shock and distress. But the two sides fight, and Tawnypelt and Yarrowleaf take the kits back to camp.



The Raging Storm

 * She is mentioned by Hollowkit when he is getting something for his cough. Hollowkit tells Alderheart that Yarrowleaf told him that he tried to poison Puddleshine. The medicine cat explains that he would never harm a cat. Alderheart diagnoses it as a leftover cough from leaf-bare and advises Berryheart to keep the other kits away for a while. She tells him that they're already sleeping with Yarrowleaf's kits.


 * Alderheart soon dozes off after, but is awoken by Yarrowleaf's panicked mew, and she bursts into the medicine cat den. She desperately asks for him, quickly replying that something is wrong with Shadowkit when Scorchfur questions her.