Russetfur

Russetfur is a sleek, scrawny, dark ginger she-cat with dark green eyes.

Tallstar's Revenge

 * Red is one of the cats that Talltail and Jake meet when they are searching for Jay. When the two travellers are presented in front of Jay, she pads to Jay's side and asks them who they are. Jay replies it was Marmalade and Pixie who brought them. She congratulates Marmalade, and when she sniffs Talltail, Jake tells her he's a Clan cat. When Talltail explains he's looking for some rogues, she says aloud that perhaps he wanted to join them. When Jay tells Talltail and Jake that Red found the rogues in an alley, and Red confirms this.

Yellowfang's Secret

 * She is first seen as Red, a young kittypet, who spends time with Pixie and Marmalade, two other cats living in Twolegplace. When Yellowpaw and Raggedpelt come to inquire about Featherstorm and her possible mate, Red is one of the cats who, along with Pixie, escorts them to see a she-cat called Jay, an elderly but extremely snappy kittypet. After they ask their questions, she, Pixie, and Marmalade attempt to escort them out of their territory, but the two ShadowClan cats flee before they can catch them.


 * Red and Boulder then arrive on ShadowClan territory, wanting to join the Clan, as they were impressed by the way ShadowClan fought, but showed the cats mercy. Cedarstar agrees to give them a trial of sorts and lets them stay in ShadowClan for a moon, giving Red the new name of Russetpaw. Boulder refuses to be given a new Clan name.


 * The Twolegplace cats, led by Marmalade, come to bring Russetpaw and Boulder back to the Twolegplace, thinking that they're with ShadowClan against their will. They then have a battle. When Raggedpelt kills Hal, Russetpaw is distraught and is seen lying on Hal's body. When Yellowfang calms her down, Russetpaw reveals that Hal was her father, confirming Russetpaw as Raggedpelt's half sister.


 * Russetpaw and Boulder tell Marmalade that they came to ShadowClan on their own accord, and Marmalade and the Twolegplace cats leave. Pixie is upset and tells Russetpaw that they are always welcomed back. Russetpaw and Boulder tell her thank you, but they now train as apprentices to become warriors.


 * Raggedpelt does not trust Russetpaw or Boulder, he is afraid that they will tell Cedarstar about the time when he visited Twolegplace. Yellowfang makes them promise not to tell, and they stand faithful to their word.


 * Russetpaw and Boulder are later made warriors, Russetpaw receiving the name Russetfur. As a warrior, Russetfur shows much enthusiasm for being a Clan cat, and never looks back to her kittypet roots. She frequently participates in normal Clan duties without hesitation.

Firestar's Quest

 * At the Gathering, when her Clanmate, Tawnypelt, is announced as a warrior, Russetfur does not cheer for her as she would another cat, because, since Tawnypelt was born in ThunderClan, she always doubted her loyalty.

A Dangerous Path

 * She is mentoring an apprentice named Cedarpaw.

The Darkest Hour

 * After Tigerstar dies and Blackfoot becomes leader of ShadowClan as Blackstar, she is named his deputy.

Midnight

 * As Tallstar delivers news that WindClan has run out of water, he is met with a challenege. Russetfur speaks up, saying that the river borders WindClan's territory. Tallstar tells Russetfur that the river is in a dangerous area, and that it's not safe for WindClan to get water.

Moonrise

 * Russetfur is leading a border party when she finds Firestar and his patrol on her territory, when Firestar comes to ShadowClan to talk to Blackstar about the Twoleg destruction. She and her border patrol attack them, although, before she does, she is seen scaring Leafpaw. She lets them see Blackstar in the end.

Dawn

 * Russetfur and all of ShadowClan shelter at the ThunderClan camp when the ShadowClan camp is destroyed.


 * When all of the Clans are in the mountains, she tries to save Smokepaw from falling but she only dislodges more rocks, Smokepaw falls, and she manages to save herself.


 * Dustpelt and herself are seen talking to each other at the end of the Great Journey. Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw express surprise at Dustpelt being able to speak so friendly to a cat from another Clan, but then he states that he'll be back to normal when the Clans separate again.

Starlight

 * Blackstar calls her over to him, to sort out something. Russetfur sits at the bottom of the tree stump, with the other deputies. When Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw are chatting, Tawnypelt tells him that she better check in with Russetfur, in case she has something for her to do.


 * Russetfur, Rainwhisker, Dustpelt and Hawkfrost chase away two foxes that try to attack the cats gathered at the lake. Because of this, the Gathering ends and the Clans separate to their own territory. Russetfur later on accuses Tawnypelt for being disloyal to ShadowClan.

Twilight

 * Russetfur is mentioned leading a border patrol, she went back to camp to fetch Blackstar, and he claims he never knew anything about some of his warriors supporting Mudclaw.


 * At the first Gathering of the book, Russetfur is sniffing the bottom of a rock, flanked by Rowanclaw and Oakfur. Ashfoot walks up and sits beside her on the oak roots.


 * After Tawnypelt's dispute with one of the two kittypets, she gets help from ThunderClan, and leads a ThunderClan patrol to camp, and tells Blackstar that they will help defeating the two kittypets. Russetfur is outraged and calls Tawnypelt disloyal to ShadowClan, but Blackstar accepts ThunderClan's help.


 * Russetfur leads the patrol of ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats that trap the two kittypets. When she hears Brambleclaw's plan, she comments on how he is pretty smart for a ThunderClan cat. Russetfur then directs the cats into two groups and they attack the kittypets. She tells Rowanclaw, Oakfur, Thornclaw and Cloudtail to creep in opposite directions, cutting off an escape route for the kittypets. She tells the kittypets to leave the Clans alone or they'll be killed with no mercy.


 * Later at a Gathering, Russetfur joins Tawnypelt's talk with Squirrelflight and Ashfur for a while before the Gathering starts.

Sunset

 * She is the leader of the ShadowClan patrol that is made up of Oakfur and Cedarheart. They make no move to help Berrykit when his tail is stuck in the fox trap, saying that because he has kittypet blood he isn't a real Clan kit and they are not bound to help him, which results in breaking the warrior code, so they waited under a hazel bush, watching the ThunderClan patrol sort out Berrykit and free his tail. When they tell her that they have learned how to deal with foxtraps, Russetfur tells them that their Clan is smart enough to stay away from them.


 * She and a patrol of Cedarheart, Oakfur, and Rowanclaw. They at first outnumbered the ThunderClan patrol that they confront, when ShadowClan attempts to steal ThunderClan territory. Russetfur tells them how they need more territory, and how ThunderClan can't defend it, because of the badger attack, repairing the camp and that they lost their medicine cat. Brambleclaw threatens to give her the same welcome that he gave the badgers, but Russetfur still attacks. She first leaps on Brambleclaw, scoring her claws down his shoulder. She then tries to bite his throat but he manages to throw her off. He pins her and she wriggles under his weight. Although she counter-attacks and bites his tail, a new patrol comes, and she goes after Firestar. Firestar defeats her and ShadowClan retreats.


 * At a Gathering, Russetfur sits beside Mistyfoot, Ashfoot and Brambleclaw, on the oak roots.

The Sight

 * When Mousepaw shows Lionpaw around at the gathering, Berrypaw reminds Mousepaw that he had almost told Russetfur that Firestar was going to give up the land by the stream before Firestar had a chance to tell them himself. Russetfur also tried prying secrets out of Heatherpaw, but the young apprentice was careful to not say anything.


 * Russetfur leads what seems like all of ShadowClan's warriors and apprentices to take some of ThunderClan's territory, and when Lionpaw goes to fetch help from Firestar, she sends two cats after him, who are stopped by Graystripe and Squirrelflight. She starts fighting with Hollypaw and Graystripe. As she stares in dismay at her Clanmates thrashing helplessly in the undergrowth, she calls the retreat and Russetfur and her warriors scramble away to their own territory.

Outcast

 * She is on the patrol with Oakfur and Rowanclaw that finds Birchfall and Berrynose in ShadowClan territory.


 * Later, Russetfur is also on the patrol with Toadfoot and Ivytail that finds Brambleclaw and Lionpaw when they come to ShadowClan camp to fetch Tawnypelt and help the Tribe. She goes into Blackstar's den and comes back out with him. She wonders what was so important that couldn't wait until the gathering. When they ask Tawnypelt to go, Russetfur says Tawnypelt can't go because she has kits. Russetfur and Blackstar are surprised when Tawnypelt says she'll go. Russetfur says she should have known she was disloyal, but Rowanclaw defends her.

Eclipse

 * It is mentioned when Jaypaw enters Littlecloud's dream that Blackstar has been allowing her to organize all the patrols. When Hollypaw asks for help when WindClan attacks, Russetfur organizes the ShadowClan cats who will fight alongside ThunderClan.


 * Russetfur later finds Sol, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw on the border. She asks them if they were sent by Firestar to spy on them. She doesn't want any fighting between them, so they brought the cats to ShadowClan's camp, for Blackstar to question them.

Long Shadows

 * Russetfur continues being Blackstar's deputy when ShadowClan no longer believes in their warrior ancestors.


 * When Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jaypaw trick ShadowClan into throwing out Sol and make them believe in StarClan again, they look over the ShadowClan camp and see Russetfur listening to Sol, while he is standing on top of a rock.


 * At Blackstar's command, she easily makes the transition back into believing in StarClan after they casted out Sol.

Sunrise

 * When a ShadowClan patrol spots Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather past the border, she leads a patrol with Ivytail and Oakfur to their camp to warn Firestar that they must not see them on ShadowClan territory ever again. Firestar tells her that he may have been looking for herbs, but Russetfur didn't believe him. As they leave, she also says that she hopes they will get their Clan under control.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * Russetfur escorts her warriors that were chosen to go find what was blocking the water--Toadfoot and Tigerheart. She answers Brambleclaw's questions with grunts, and isn't too friendly with the other deputies either. Dovepaw remarks she looked old, but Lionblaze tells her that she can still hear perfectly fine. She is very hostile to the rest of chosen cats, warning them about prey-stealing when they have to travel through her Clan's territory.


 * Russetfur is seen on a patrol confronting a RiverClan water patrol who is guarding the water. She argues with them, telling them that they don't own the water, and that everyone has the right to drink the water from the lake. Graymist tells her that the fish belong to them and threatens to claw Russetfur and her patrol's ears off.

Fading Echoes

 * She joins Littlecloud and Blackstar to talk with Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Jayfeather. Jayfeather notices stiffness in her movement and the scent of strengthening herbs on her. He notes that she would probably not live through leaf-bare. When Firestar tells the ShadowClan cats his demand for them to give back the stretch of territory with the Twolegplace, Russetfur challenges the claim that ShadowClan have pushed the borders too frequently. She then goes on to say that the land belongs to ShadowClan now.


 * Russetfur fights against ThunderClan over the territory with the rest of her Clan. During the battle, Russetfur is seen biting into Firestar's neck, trying to kill him, with a long string of drool clinging to her cheek. She, again, attempts to kill him, clamping her jaws over Firestar's throat, letting him thrash around, even though he was slipping in a pool of his own blood. Lionblaze rushes over to help his leader, and drags Russetfur off. As she lets go of Firestar, she collapses beneath his feet which unexpectedly kills her, much to Lionblaze's surprise and dismay. Blackstar tries to wake her but to no avail; he leaves with his warriors telling ThunderClan that the land was not worth her death. Owlclaw wails that she was dead and ShadowClan runs off.

Night Whispers

 * When Fernshade argues with Yellowfang about the previous battle between ShadowClan and ThunderClan, Fernshade mentions that she is the one who is going to have to fetch Russetfur to join them. At the end of the prologue, Yellowfang tells Fernshade to tell Russetfur that she was sorry.


 * Russetfur's body is seen after the battle with Blackstar crouched over her. After ThunderClan leaves, Tigerheart gently picks up Russetfur and puts her on Rowanclaw's back.


 * Russetfur is later seen when Flametail visits the Moonpool as a StarClan warrior. She is shown to be younger and stronger than she was at the time of her death. Flametail also feels her and Sagewhisker's presences when Blackstar summons him to discuss signs from StarClan later on.

The Last Hope

 * She appears in StarClan on a patrol with Raggedstar and Hollyflower, when Jayfeather and Spottedleaf come to find Flametail. She initially attempts to prevent the ThunderClan cats from crossing into ShadowClan's corner of StarClan, but Raggedstar reminds her of who Jayfeather is, and she grudgingly allows them through.

Into the Woods

 * When Sasha first visits ShadowClan, she is invited to go on patrol with Russetfur, Blackfoot, Jaggedtooth, and Rowanpaw. Russetfur seems to notice how nervous Sasha is, so she comforts her by telling her that she, Jaggedtooth, and Blackfoot all used to be rogues. She also tells Sasha that ShadowClan was almost destroyed, but that Tigerstar put them back together. Sasha becomes fond of Russetfur, and speaks well of her.


 * When Sasha catches a squirrel, Russetfur compliments her on her catch.

Return to the Clans

 * Russetfur is on the patrol that finds Sasha, who accidentally crossed the ShadowClan border. The new warriors don't know who she is, and are debating on what to do with her. However, Russetfur recognizes her, and helps her by convincing the other warriors they should let her go. One of the warriors smells milk on her, and hisses that she must have kits nearby. Sasha whispers to Russetfur that if they find her kits, they'll steal them. Sasha admits she did have kits, but lied saying that they died from the cold. Russetfur is horrified, and tells her that she should leave.


 * Later, Russetfur finds Sasha's den, and sees her kits, Hawk, Moth, and Tadpole, and asks if they are Tigerstar's. Sasha confirms this shakily. Russetfur commented that the toms looked a lot like him, and Sasha begins begging her not to tell Tigerstar about them. Surprised, Russetfur tells Sasha that Scourge, the BloodClan leader, killed Tigerstar. She brings Sasha a mouse, and tells her that she should leave. She thinks if any other ShadowClan cat found out that the kits were Tigerstar's, they would want them for warriors. Before leaving, she turns to Sasha and says that she has a wonderful family, and she hopes that they would grow up to be strong and healthy.

Battles of the Clans

 * In "Dustpaw Speaks: Shadows in the Forest", Russetfur is part of the ShadowClan patrol that invades ThunderClan territory. After the ThunderClan patrol appears to have retreated, she is eager to keep on with the attack, but is soon confused by more patrols attacking from different sides. She shrieks that she thought all of ThunderClan was there. She retreats when Blackfoot gives the order.

The Ultimate Guide

 * Russetfur has her own page.


 * Born to Twolegplace rogues, Russetfur is given the name Red by her parents. She and Boulder, another Twolegplace cat, came to ShadowClan after seeing their lifestyle- organized and disciplined. She and Boulder are welcomed by Cedarstar, and Red is given the name Russetpaw. Training harder than any other apprentice, she soon received her warrior name, Russetfur. Although she had left her kittypet life behind, Russetfur is devastated when Raggedpelt kills Hal, her father, in a fight. She had never found out, however, that she and Raggedpelt shared the same father, making them half siblings.


 * Russetfur dedicated her life to serving ShadowClan, gaining a reputation among the Clans for having a very sharp tongue, and fearlessness in battle, and having a lot of pride for her Clan. She also has a very short temper, and she keeps apprentices and younger cats in line with her words and high expectations for her cats.


 * Playing a vital role in the founding of new ShadowClan territory by the lake, Russetfur is the one who leads cats to take on two troubling kittypets. The cats had lived in a Twoleg building among the pine trees. Russetfur helped greatly in establishing the territory for her Clan, and defended it until her untimely death- killed by Lionblaze in battle.


 * Although her death was a shock to all Clans, and whispers had spread that such an old cat should not have participated in battle over territory, she died on behalf of ShadowClan, and that is a death worthy of Russetfur, and one that she would have chosen for herself again and again, having died bravely for the Clan she loved.


 * It is mentioned on Boulder's page that Boulder and Red went to ShadowClan and asked Cedarstar to accept them as a warrior, and Cedarstar agreed. It is also mentioned on Flametail's page that he successfully treated his Clanmates after the battle in which Russetfur died. She is last mentioned during Tigerclaw's leadership ceremony, where it is told that her support of Tigerclaw had helped him become Nightstar's successor.

Ultimate Leader Election: Firestar

 * She challenges Firestar when he comes to the ShadowClan border to help two injured cats, Pouncetail and Otterheart, from a RiverClan patrol that was stealing prey from ShadowClan. She, along with Smokefoot and Rowanclaw, say that the two cats are ShadowClan prisoners, although they are injured, but Firestar points out that they had stepped onto ThunderClan territory, so he takes them back to his camp to care for them. Russetfur is annoyed by this, but she lets them leave.

Beyond the Code: Brightspirit's Mercy

 * Russetfur appears with the rest of her Clan at the Gathering. When Blackstar confesses that ShadowClan was starving, she says he shouldn't say things like that in front of the other Clans. He retorts that it was obvious.

Tigerclaw's Fury

 * During Tigerclaw's time in ShadowClan, it is noted that he is impressed by Russetfur, as despite originating from Twolegplace, she was as deadly as a cat from the forest when she would chase prey. While on the hunting patrol, it is said that Russetfur's muscles strain themselves, as if she is imagining her first pounce. She then tips her head to a side, and asks what else was there in ShadowClan prey. When Tigerclaw suggests to hunt near ThunderClan, Russetfur and Ratscar brace their shoulders, and narrow their eyes. Tigerclaw then catches some prey, and Russetfur comments on how quickly he killed it. After a fight with ThunderClan, Russetfur remarks that Tigerclaw killed Runningwind. She then shifts her paws, and claims that they needed to escape.


 * Once Tigerclaw gives the signal, Clawface, Russetfur, and Ratscar plunge into an elder bush, and race back to the Thunderpath. As Fireheart is about to attack Tigerclaw, Blackfoot brings several cats who are not ill, including Russetfur. After the fight, Clawface and Russetfur retreat to the Thunderpath's edge, their flanks heaving, and they are covered in scratches. When it is reported that Whitethroat dies, Russetfur claims that he would have not died in vain. Around the time of the following Gathering, Russetfur comments that she didn't think Runningnose would have to inform the other Clans of anything, as it would be obvious that Nightstar had died, and that they were leaderless.

Interesting facts

 * She has kittypet blood, because her father, Hal, was a kittypet.

Mistakes

 * In Return to the Clans, she is shown with a white muzzle, underbelly and paws.
 * In Night Whispers, Fernshade mentions that she was Russetfur's mentor. However, it is revealed in Yellowfang's Secret that Featherstorm was her mentor.
 * She was mistakenly described as tawny russet, and fox-colored.
 * She is shown with light green eyes.
 * She was mistakenly described as dark red.

Members
Father:
 * Hal:

Half-Brothers:
 * Raggedstar:
 * Scorchwind:

Half-Nephew:
 * Brokenstar:

Half-Nieces:
 * Hopekit:
 * Wishkit:

References and citations
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