Reedclaw

Reedclaw is a small, pale tabby she-cat.

Hawkwing's Journey

 * Reedkit is born to Plumwillow and Sandynose alongside Dewkit and Finkit. She is the third and last to be born. Plumwillow guides her and her brothers' to her belly so they'd suckle. Plumwillow requests Hawkwing to help take care of them with her, since their father has disappeared and he helped her cope with the birth. Hawkwing thinks they'll never be his but they seem very tiny and perfect, so he agrees.


 * A moon later, Reedkit, Dewkit, and Finkit tumble out of the nursery, tripping over each other in their race to greet Hawkwing first. He loves them all and loves the time he spends with them. He tries to talk to his apprentice Curlypaw, but the kits launch onto him. They dig their claws into his pelt, joyfully squeaking, and swarm over Hawkwing when he flops over. Finkit bites his tail and Reedkit explains that the adult cat is a rabbit and they are hunting him. Hawkwing playfully wails, saying they are too good hunters as he cannot escape. As they pummel their adopted father, Plumwillow watches their game, and Hawkwing walks over to her with the kits hanging off him.


 * Sounds of Twolegs are heard, and Plumwillow is anxious of her kits safety, due to the dogs coming with the Twolegs. Hawkwing distracts the kits by asking who can throw a moss-ball the furthest. One kit yowls they can, but another contradicts them, while the last kit shouts to watch them before they scramble and fall to to get a moss-ball, shredding it in their eagerness. The sound of dogs drown out the kits' squeak, and they appear in camp. Hawkwing shoves Reedkit onto his back and the kits are taken out of camp, but one dog follows them so the kits are shoved into a thicket, wailing in terror. The dog eventually leaves and Plumwillow thanks Hawkwing for saving her kits, but the tom insists they both saved the kits. Reedkit, Finkit and Dewkit creep to their mother, eyes still wide with shock, and they snuggle up to their mother and Hawkwing. The warrior thinks they are not his kits but wishes they were.


 * The kits and their parents return to camp at night and Blossomheart asks if the kits are okay. Hawkwing explains they are fine, just a bit scratched since they hid in a thicket. He lets Reedkit slide off his back. Plumwillow says she’ll take her kits to the nursery since they are exhausted. The kits, who are normally very energetic, are struggling to walk as they are herded to the nursery. Hawkwing notes they are not scared anymore since they don't understand how much danger they were in, while Plumwillow states the sooner they forget, the better.


 * Dogs attack the camp again and this time, the kits are cornered then chased out of camp. They hide in a small Twoleg den where a Twoleg kit finds them and brings out Reedkit's littermates. The she-kit follows them, eyes wide in terror. Plumwillow and Hawkwing rescue kits with their adopted father pushing them into the bushes, and Hawkwing urges them to run as fast as they can. The kits squirm through bushes to reach the woods, being urged on until the family reaches the trees. Plumwillow asks if they are okay, sniffing them over, but Reedkit insists they are fine. Hawkwing points out this is the second time the kits were in danger because of dogs, and Plumwillow expresses how she doesn't like the fact they are not afraid of Twolegs, adding to her kits that they should be. Hawkwing is convinced they have to leave because the kits are growing up unafraid of Twolegs.


 * Back on SkyClan territory, Leafstar exclaims they are found and asks the kits if they are hurt. Reedkit explains they were faster than the dogs and hid in a little Twoleg den, and Hawkwing thinks that now they are not scared, they'll boast for moons. Leafstar praises the kits for being brave before they are taken back to camp to the Clans' welcomes. Plumwillow protests to give the kits space since they are tired and need to eat and sleep. The Clan eventually settles with the kits telling their story twice, and Hawkwing notes that the dogs get bigger every time. They do not finish the story the second time as they grow too tired so they curl up to their mother in a heap.


 * Hawkwing tells Leafstar the Clan should leave since Reedkit, Dewkit, and Finkit were almost killed the day before. The Clan leader agrees it's time to leave, but Reedkit wails in disappointment before she asks why they have to leave, as she likes it beside the lake. Hawkwing touches the she-kit's head and reassures they'll find a new lake to live by, one with less Twolegs. The kits are settled to sleep with Plumwillow telling them it'll be a long day tomorrow. Before they can leave however, Twolegs arrive at the camp and take Fidgetpaw. Hawkwing is desperate to save Reedkit, Dewkit, and Finkit. The kits are gathered together, their mouths wide open as they stare at the invading Twolegs, as if they don't believe or understand what they see. The kits are pushed along until they realize they are in danger so they rush to the camp entrance. Once they exit the camp, they panic, scattering in different directions, though Hawkwing and Plumwillow manage to round up the kits and they all head towards the lake. They run past some Twolegs who chase so they run to rock outcrops, with the kits being shoved into a rabbit burrow, and Hawkwing signals them to be quiet. Reedkit, Dewkit and Finkit crouch wide-eyed as they listen to the Twolegs walk around, so they wait until the Twolegs leave before the kits are led towards the lake. Hawkwing expects Twolegs to appear and sweep the kits away and is desperate to not lose them. They reach tall grass and collapse where some Clanmates are already waiting.


 * The Clan finally leaves the lake as planned. As the journey goes on however, a sickness starts to spread. Reedkit and Dewkit follow Plumwillow with a sick Finkit, eyes wide from fear. Plumwillow wishes to stay with Finkit but Hawkwing insists she must take care of her remaining kits. The queen glances at Reedkit and Dewkit and Hawkwing insists they need her, so she decides to remain with Reedkit and Dewkit and the two kits are swept back to their temporary den.


 * Three sunrises later, the Clan grows very weak. Reedkit and Dewkit look so frail that a little wind would blow them over, and they were once strong and sturdy. A day later, Sandynose, Reedkit's father, finally reunites with SkyClan. He wishes to meet them and Plumwillow calls for their kits; Reedkit, Dewkit, and Finkit drowsily come out. They gaze warily at Sandynose before their mother explains he is their father. Reedkit is bewildered, looking at Sandynose to Hawkwing then back again, murmuring that she thought Hawkwing was their father. Plumwillow explains to her that Hawkwing helped raise them and still loves them, but Sandynose is their true father. Sandynose thanks Hawkwing for taking care of his kits, but Hawkwing remembers the time he spent with the kits, playing, telling stories and begging for him to teach everything he knows. The kits eagerly talk to their father as Hawkwing notes he cannot be a father to them anymore.


 * Sandynose plays with the kits, tossing a ball to them one at a time and they bat it back in turn. They leap onto Hawkwing when he comes over, growling mockingly and battering his ears until Hawkwing notices Sandynose's hurt look, and tells the kits he has to see Leafstar and leaves their game.


 * That night, the kits wake up Hawkwing and he asks what they are doing, since they are meant to be in the nursery with Plumwillow. Reedkit disdainfully flicks her tail, stating he is there, meaning Sandynose. Dewkit requests Hawkwing to send their father away since he is deputy, but Hawkwing points out Plumwillow would be sad then. Reedkit shrugs and points out she wasn't upset before Sandynose's return. The kits are settled in Hawkwing's nest before he tells them about Pebbleshine and his lost kits. Reedkit states that's terrible, and Hawkwing explains if he found his kits he would still want to be their father, and asks if they understand what he means.


 * Reedkit replies she sort of understands. Hawkwing explains he wants the kits to get to know Sandynose, but Reedkit protests she doesn't want to get to know him. The deputy flicks her ears, pointing out that was not nice and asks if they don't want to hurt Sandynose. Reedkit replies that they don’t and shakes her pelt, complaining it isn’t fair. Hawkwing says he is not their father but still cares about them, promising he'll help them if they come to him. The kits are disappointed with Reedkit adding she guesses they can try to be nicer, but complains though that he doesn't know how to play their favourite games like Hawkwing does. The tom insists to give their father a chance, touching noses with the kits. He sends them back to the nursery and the kits wiggle out of his nest to do so.


 * During a Clan meeting, Leafstar calls Reedkit and her brothers forward. The kits give exchange glances of wonder before walking up to Leafstar. Plumwillow protests about the state of their fur, but Leafstar moves on with the apprentice ceremony. Reedkit is renamed Reedpaw, and is given Bellaleaf as a mentor. The Clan cheers her new name as Hawkwing is disappointed he didn’t get to mentor one of the kits, but he notes he did mentor them, throughout their kithood, and the other two that didn't get Hawkwing as a mentor would have felt left out and upset about their own mentors. The new apprentices' crowd around their parents to discuss the ceremony. Reedpaw asks if it was amazing when the Clan cheered their names. Sandynose tells his kits to behave and listen to their mentors, then they'll be great warriors, and the apprentices' promise they will. They then rush to Hawkwing, who tells them that they survived a lot to become apprentices. The kits scurry to their mentors and Reedpaw flings herself at Bellaleaf, announcing that she wants to catch a mouse, and she demands for her to show her how. Bellaleaf says for her to stop squealing first, then promises to teach the hunter's crouch. As the apprentices leave with their mentors, Hawkwing reminds himself they are not his kits but he would always hold a place for them in his heart.


 * In the graphic novel ending, Sandynose asks his kits if they are ready, and Reedpaw replies that they are. The tom tells Leafstar he is taking his kits to hunt and they’ll be back with fresh-kill before she knows it. Finpaw says he'll catch a squirrel, but Reedpaw bets he won't. As they leave, Plumwillow checks on Hawkwing since the apprentices are really attached to Sandynose instead of him now. Hawkwing explains he enjoyed teaching them when they were kits, but their real father should take the role of father, not him. Later, the apprentices and Sandynose returns with Reedpaw announcing Dewpaw caught a squirrel, and then she settles to eat some fresh-kill.

Darkest Night

 * As Twigpaw scans the ThunderClan camp, she sees Finpaw and Dewpaw clumsily training, with Reedpaw jeering at them. Reedpaw is mentioned to have stayed at camp to pick burrs out of moss previously collected, while Twigpaw, Finpaw, and Dewpaw go out to collect twigs. Reedpaw is mentioned by Dewpaw, who says she followed the stream to find more moss to gather. When Twigpaw returns to camp, Reedpaw pokes her head out of the den, her eyes shining as she says she found so much moss, adding that it’s a bit damp, but it will dry out soon.


 * Reedpaw is seen helping Leafpool pile mud and moss against the walls of the medicine den to keep rain out. When Leafstar announces Twigpaw and Violetpaw are ready to receive their warrior names, Reedpaw and the other apprentices crowd around them excitedly.

River of Fire

 * Reedpaw is one of the SkyClan apprentices in the apprentices' den during a fierce storm; the wind uproots a pine tree and it crashes down onto the den. The cats present yowl out the names of the young cats, who all report to Leafstar when she orders them to do so to check that they're safe.


 * A half moon after the storm, Leafstar takes her turn to talk after Harestar at the Gathering. She reports that both Dewpaw and Reedpaw have earned their warrior names, and are now known as Dewspring and Reedclaw.

The Raging Storm

 * Reedclaw falls ill, and Finleap sneaks to SkyClan's camp to visit her, despite living in ThunderClan now. Leafstar asks how she is, and Finleap replies that she's almost better. She berates him for coming, and says he's sorry. Twigbranch asks the tom if Reedclaw was at least glad to see him, and he says yes. Finleap apologizes to Bramblestar the next day, and the leader assigns him and Twigbranch to clean out the elders' den for the next moon. Finleap reflects how seeing his kin made him feel, and contemplates leaving ThunderClan if Twigbranch doesn't want to be with him.


 * When Leafstar chooses to have SkyClan leave the lake, the Clan wakes on their final day. Reedclaw whispers that the leader hasn't spoken yet as she sits next to Dewpsring. When they do leave, the warrior ushers Quailpaw and Sunnypaw out of camp. On the journey, she ensures Violetshine stays on course, despite the driving rain. The queen snaps at her, but then apologizes afterwards. Reedclaw races to get help when Sunnypaw starts to sink in mud. She affirms that the other apprentices are safe. The warrior later returns to the Clans when SkyClan is rescued by a multi-Clan patrol.

Lost Stars

 * Reedclaw is given Needlepaw as her first apprentice. During a training session, Rootpaw watches Needlepaw and Reedclaw practice battle moves. After drawing the session to an end, Reedclaw leaves Needlepaw to train with her brother, while she and the other mentors hunt. At another training session, Reedclaw and Dewspring demonstrate a battle move together for their apprentices. Dewspring tells the apprentices to watch carefully, and that he is going to attack Reedclaw, and despite him being bigger and heavier, she is going to win. Reedclaw flattens herself to the ground as Dewspring rears up, and gazes at him with wide eyes as if she is terrified. She launches herself forward and scoops Dewspring's hindlegs out from under him, then pins him to the ground. After Needlepaw successfully pins Rootpaw, she asks Reedclaw if that was okay. Rootpaw throws Needlepaw off of him, then pins her to the ground, and Reedclaw's tail curls up with amusement and she praises both apprentices, then tells them to try again with Needlepaw attacking this time.


 * On their way back to camp they pass Tree, and Dewspring tells him they just had a good training session, and Needlepaw and Rootpaw are doing really well. Reedclaw agrees that they're working hard and are always cheerful, even when they tell them to clear out soiled bedding. Later, Reedclaw is on watch at the camp entrance when Rootpaw returns after he met Shadowpaw on SkyClan's territory during the night. She asks where he has been and gives his fur a deep sniff, wondering why he smells of ShadowClan. Rootpaw explains Dewspring let him stay out the hunt longer and, not wanting to give Shadowpaw away, lies that he must of strayed too close to the border. Reedclaw gives him a skeptical look through narrowed eyes, mewing okay, but he must get back to his den now. As Rootpaw pads off, he is conscious of Reedclaw's gaze following him.

Interesting facts

 * Reedclaw has kittypet blood through Clovertail and Waspwhisker, loner blood through Fallowfern, and rogue blood through Patchfoot.

Members
Mother:
 * Plumwillow:

Father:
 * Sandynose:

Foster father:
 * Hawkwing:

Brothers:
 * Finleap:
 * Dewspring:

References and Citations
КамышелапкаSchilfpfote (WC)ReedclawReedpawTrzcinowa Łapa (HJ)