Tawnypelt

Tawnypelt is a slender, mottled dark tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes and well-muscled shoulders.

Firestar's Quest

 * Tawnypaw is spoken about by her brother, Bramblepaw, during his final assessment as an apprentice, when he wonders when her ceremony will be, and if she'll be made a warrior soon. Firestar reassures him that Oakfur will have been training Tawnypaw well, and because she is his age she'll probably be made a warrior soon. Tawnypaw later confirms Firestar's suspicion when she introduces herself to the newly named Brambleclaw as "Tawnypelt".

Forest of Secrets

 * Tawnykit and Bramblekit are born to Goldenflower and Tigerclaw. Later in this book, she ventures from the nursery for the first time in the company of her mother. She is mentioned as being pale ginger, like her mother. Later on, her fur darkens and grows darker patches, thus her being a tortoishell.

Rising Storm

 * During the fire that sweeps through ThunderClan territory, her brother is rescued from the burning camp by Fireheart, while she is with the rest of the Clan. She and her mother, Goldenflower, escape safely, but Goldenflower notices that Bramblekit, her brother, is missing. Bramblekit is returned, and all three get safely to RiverClan territory.

A Dangerous Path

 * Brackenfur becomes her mentor in this book, though Sandstorm is disappointed that she could not mentor her. She secretly goes with her brother and Darkstripe to meet their father, Tigerstar. Fireheart decides it's time to tell Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw about their father, and when he does, Tawnypaw resolves to do much better than her malignant father.

The Darkest Hour

 * When the cats are walking back in to the camp after the dog pack attack, Tawnypaw and her brother, Bramblepaw, are seen bouncing eagerly behind Cinderpelt.When Fireheart calls a meeting, she asks him if he is going to be their new leader. Later, after Smallear, an elder, insults her by telling her she will end up with the same fate as her father, and other incidents, Tawnypaw becomes extremely upset and later runs away to her father Tigerstar in ShadowClan. Firestar attempts to follow her, but she is careful to throw him off her trail. When Tigerstar's ambitions are revealed by Firestar, Tawnypaw stands with her new Clan rather than her father. After the battle with BloodClan, when Firestar asks her if she wishes to return to ThunderClan, she denies his offer, telling him she needed to be someplace where she feels she belongs.

Midnight

 * Tawnypelt is chosen by the former ShadowClan leader, Nightstar, now a member of StarClan, to be the ShadowClan cat to go on the journey to speak with Midnight, the badger. She, Crowpaw, Squirrelpaw, Stormfur, Feathertail, and Brambleclaw all meet at Fourtrees, the day after they all recieve the same dream. Crowpaw wonders why there is six of them, when there was only supposed to be four, which Deadfoot had told him. Stormfur insists that he will not let Feathertail go alone, while Squirrelpaw reveals that she had followed Brambleclaw. The six discuss the dream, and plan to gather on the day of the Gathering.


 * They do gather, and plan again to go on the journey the day before the half-moon. They all agree to this and go back to their own Clans.


 * On the day before half-moon, they meet again, and take off. They cross a Thunderpath, and rest for a bit, then get moving. They see sheep and cows on their way. Squirrelpaw gets stuck in a fence, Tawnypelt and Feathertail help to get her out with dock leaves.


 * Currently being chased by a dog, a cat named Purdy tells them to climb up a tree, where they will be safe. Feathertail is still stuck in the open, with the dog. Crowpaw risks his life to save hers. They ask what the cat's name is. After a series of questions, he finally replies, "Purdy." He leads them to a pool where ther are fish so they can eat for a bit. Then, Purdy shows them the way to the sun-drown place. Brambleclaw asks where they might have any shelter or food.


 * Purdy shows them to a Twoleg nest, where Stormfur, Feathertail, Brambleclaw, and Squirrelpaw drink milk from the bowls, while Tawnypelt and Crowpaw keep guard.


 * She receives a severe bite on her shoulder in a battle with rats, and limps painfully most of the time because it became infected. The cats eventually find burdock root (a root used for rat bites), thanks to the special bond between Leafpaw and Squirrelpaw, and Tawnypelt's wound is temporarily soothed. When Squirrelpaw jumps into the sun-drown-place to save Brambleclaw, she is shown to be angry, but later confesses that she feels helpless because of her wound, not being able to help Squirrelpaw and the others. When they meet Midnight, the badger continues to cure Tawnypelt's wound with more burdock root.

Moonrise

 * Tawnypelt is seen doing much better, her shoulder healed from Midnight's burdock root. She is determined to start looking after herself again, and prove that she is strong, but Midnight calls her a foolish warrior, saying that she needs rest. Midnight applies more burdock root to her shoulder while Tawnypelt rests. The root cured the infection, but she had started to limp again when they entered the mountains, and was barely able to leap over the gap in their trail. Her shoulder got worse and worse, and after her plunge over the waterfall she was barely able to walk.


 * Tawnypelt is doing much worse when they find the Tribe, and although they all want to leave, Tawnypelt couldn't manage to keep up with them. She is angry, and says that if she is holding them up they should just come out and say it. The next day, her shoulder is no better. She would not be able to leave, and when they wake her her words are brave but her voice is filled with pain. She is a bit scared at being left alone with the Tribe while her friends go hunting, but she is made comfortable and welcome by the kit mother, Star That Shines On Water.


 * They are kept with the Tribe for several days, because although Stoneteller's herbs are working, she still needs time to heal. She is doing much better, though, but is getting sick of staying in the cave all day long, saying that the noise of the waterfall is driving her crazy.


 * She, along with all of the other journeying cats, are outraged that the Tribe cats wanted to keep Stormfur with them, and says that she'll tear their pelts off and feed them to the eagles, despite her shoulder injury. She says that the mountains are a hundred times worse than Twolegplace, and is questioning Midnight's wisdom along with Crowpaw. But when Squirrelpaw and Crowpaw almost fight, she supports Feathertail in saying that they couldn't fight among themselves, because if they fight their mission will fail. She also wonders if Stormfur actually is the promised cat to save them from Sharptooth, because he wasn't one of the chosen cats in the first place.


 * When they are driven out of the Tribe, Tawnypelt takes the first watch, saying that her shoulder if fine. She and Feathertail, also, are the ones that steal Stormfur out of the Cave of Pointed Stones, while the others attack the cave guards.


 * Tawnypelt, along with all of the other forest cats, help the Tribe try to defeat Sharptooth with the deathberries. When the plan fails, she reaches safety halfway up the cave wall near the entrance. She is devestated at Feathertail's death, as they had grown to be close friends over the journey, and is seen looking on with misery in her eyes.


 * Finally, they find something to celebrate as they are traveling home and see Highstones.

Dawn

 * In Dawn, Tawnypelt runs ahead of the other cats with Crowpaw, eager to be home again. The other cats find her and Crowpaw facing Owlpaw, a tiny WindClan apprentice. Along with every other cat, she is worried that her leader, Blackstar, would not agree to come to the Great Rock. She does persuade him, though, and meets with the other journeying cats, their leaders, and their medicine cats. Blackstar is eager to leave, but he and Leopardstar are the first to leave the Great Rock with their cats. Blackstar says that he will leave the forest with or without a sign. His Clan is starving, and they need to go.


 * Later, Tawnypelt runs to the ThunderClan camp, and begs them to help her when the Twolegs are attacking ShadowClan, saying, "Help me, please, for the sake of the ThunderClan blood that runs through my veins!" proving she never had a blood change, and she has no ShadowClan in her. WindClan is there, and both ThunderClan and WindClan agree to help, and ShadowClan eventually shelters with ThunderClan at Sunningrocks since their camp is destroyed. Throughout the entire series, Tawnypelt doesn't seem to be aware that Hawkfrost and Mothwing are her half-siblings, but it was mentioned in Dawn that they are Tigerstar's children to all the Clans by Hawkfrost's and Mothwing's mother, Sasha.


 * She, and all the journeying cats, help guide, protect, and feed the clans when they are traveling. She is comitted to her clan, and fights to prove that she is loyal even though she is among her mother and siblings while she is traveling.
 * Tawnypelt had also said that the kits of Tallpoppy were frightened of her when she came home, thinking of her as a stranger.

Starlight

 * Tawnypelt helped to explore the new territories for all the Clans when they reached the lake, and helped to discover her own Clan's new home. Despite difficulties finding a good home for ShadowClan, she eventually found one. In Starlight, Tawnypelt's role is small. Unlike Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt does not acknowledge that Hawkfrost is her half-brother or Mothwing is her half-sister, and unlike most of ShadowClan's warriors, Tawnypelt does not help Mudclaw with his coup; although she remains neutral and does not side with Brambleclaw either.

Twilight

 * Squirrelflight sees Tawnypelt being attacked by a hostile kittypet, Jacques, that lives in their territory. She explains to Squirrelflight how Jacques and his tabby friend, Susan, gave an apprentice, Talonpaw, such severe injuries that he died soon after dragging himself back to camp. The kittypets' Twolegs also threw something at Cedarheart, badly injuring his leg. Together, ThunderClan and ShadowClan come up with a plan to stop the kittypets from attacking ShadowClan without their Twolegs interfering. Tawnypelt volunteers to use herself as bait to lure the kittypets away from the Twoleg nest so the others could ambush them. When their plan is successful, Blackstar thanks ThunderClan at the Gathering, where Onestar then angrily calls Blackstar and Leopardstar terrible leaders for depending so much on ThunderClan.

Sunset

 * In Sunset, Tawnypelt, like Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw, is visited by Tigerstar, offering to teach her to become a "true", ambitious warrior, yet she rejects him, telling Tigerstar that he only became leader by twisting the warrior code out of proportion in order to get what he wants, while she wants to become leader only if StarClan wishes it. She then tells Brambleclaw that he should stop listening and following Tigerstar's malicious teachings because he had been accepting everything they had tried to avoid since they were kits. She even tells him she was happy that Tigerstar was killed by Scourge after discovering the tyrant he was. Also, until Sunset, she doesn't seem fazed when Brambleclaw mentions that he shares his dreams with Hawkfrost.


 * Later, Tawnypelt was seen greeting Brambleclaw at a Gathering. Brambleclaw is surprised after Tawnypelt reveals to him that Hawkfrost had told of ThunderClan's badger attack, and that Littlecloud, who had gained the information from Leafpool, had said nothing. Tawnypelt also unveils her slight mistrust of her half-brother, Hawkfrost.

The Sight

 * She has now moved into the nursery, mentioned as a queen.

Dark River

 * In Dark River, she has given birth to three kits, named Dawnkit, Flamekit, and Tigerkit. The father was Rowanclaw, and most cats were shocked when, at the Gathering, Blackstar announced the name of Tigerkit as it seemed to most cats that she was naming him after her father, Tigerstar.

Outcast

 * Lionpaw and Brambleclaw go to ShadowClan's camp to ask if she will accompany them to the mountains, where the Tribe of Rushing Water live. Dawnkit misbehaves by attacking Lionpaw, and Tawnypelt scolds her. She agrees to go to the mountains and leaves her kits, Dawnkit, Flamekit, and Tigerkit (who had asked to come), in Snowbird's care, as well as her mate Rowanclaw. She is accused by Russetfur, the deputy of ShadowClan, of being disloyal to her Clan by choosing to go, and Rowanclaw defends her by stating how he was proud of his mate, and how he hadn't forgotten how much help the Tribe gave them on the Great Journey.


 * On the journey to the mountains, she is in high spirits and is encouraging to the apprentices, except when they got themselves attacked by dogs. She remembers the first journey to the sun-drown-place along with the other warriors, and grows nostalgic and sentimental.


 * In the mountains, she, as well as a patrol of Cave-Guards and Prey-Hunters, are attacked by the invaders. She fights well in the battle against the rogues, helping the Clan cats and Tribe of Rushing Water win, and later leaves to go back to the forest with the other Clan cats.

Eclipse

 * Jaypaw helps to heal her sore pads in the mountains, and is seen saying goodbye to Brook and Stormfur.
 * Later, when Hollypaw races to get ShadowClan to help ThunderClan against RiverClan and WindClan, Tawnypelt if one of the first helpful cats she sees. Hollypaw explains the situation to Tawnypelt, and Tawnypelt quickly takes her to Blackstar and Russetfur. Tawnypelt's kits, Tigerkit, Flamekit, and Dawnkit, were spying on their conversation and demand to go to the battle with their mom. Tawnypelt scolds them, but it is obvious how proud she is. She leaves before the actual battle party is planned and comes with Hollypaw to the battle as quickly as she can.


 * Jaypaw confronts her when he is looking for wounded cats. He smells her and the rest of the ShadowClan party and demands to know how she can fight against her own kin. She corrects him, and sends Mousewhisker back to the camp as of an eye injury.

Long Shadows

 * Tawnypelt moves into ThunderClan with her kits due to Sol making ShadowClan lose most of Clan faiths and traditions. After Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, Tigerpaw, Dawnpaw, and Flamepaw create the fake sign, which turns out to be real, and ShadowClan is restored, Littlecloud comes to ThunderClan and requests that she returns and that no cat blames her for her decision. She takes her kits back to ShadowClan.

Sunrise

 * Tawnypelt is seen once at a Gathering when she greeted Hollyleaf warmly. Hollyleaf pushes the tortoiseshell she-cat aside, and Tawnypelt doesn't conceal her shocked surprise at Hollyleaf's rudeness.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * Two of Tawnypelt's kits are now warriors called Dawnpelt and Tigerheart, while Flametail, her third kit, is the medicine cat apprentice under Littlecloud. She now has an apprentice, Starlingpaw.
 * When the cats return from the journey to free the water, Tawnypelt is the first cat to greet them, when she is on a patrol with Owlclaw, Redwillow, and Starlingpaw. She calls out to them, "Tigerheart! Toadfoot! You're safe!" She touches noses with Toadfoot and licks Tigerheart all over, inviting them to come back to the ShadowClan camp and tell them everything. She sends her apprentice back to tell Blackstar, and is overjoyed at seeing all of them.

Fading Echoes

 * When Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Jayfeather are escorted to the ShadowClan camp to take back the clearing, Tawnypelt is in camp and calls out, "Firestar?", showing that she is confused and perplexed seeing the ThunderClan leader inside the ShadowClan camp.

Secrets of the Clans

 * In this book, Tawnypelt gives the reader a tour of the ShadowClan lake camp. It also says that she was the one to discover the Clan's new camp. She is also the one who talks about how the cats found Midnight and went on the journey.

Battles of the Clans

 * In this field guide, Tawnypelt gives the reader a tour of the battle grounds where some of the most famous fights had been fought.

Cats of the Clans

 * Rock tells the kits how Tawnypelt was not a supporter of Tigerstar, but she could not go on living in ThunderClan where she was judged for her father's actions. She was chosen to go on the Great Journey, and having her as the sole cat from ShadowClan showed to ThunderClan that she had found her true home there. She was very willing to look for new territories, and was the first to see Crowpaw's strengths, and encouraged Feathertail to fall in love with him.


 * She also knows that just because she is a ShadowClan cat does not mean she has to be evil or ambitious; in fact, she turned down her father's promises of glory and power since she knew that she could only achieve her own peace and happiness herself. Rock says her peaceful, rational nature may do a lot to salvage ShadowClan's rather wicked, nefarious reputation.

Ultimate Leader Election: Firestar

 * She is a minor character, only briefly seen voting for Firestar, along with Rowanclaw and Snowbird.

Trivia

 * When she was a kit, Tawnypelt has been described as pale ginger, like her mother. This description later turned to dark tortoiseshell.
 * Also, when she was a kit, she was described as a tabby in The Dangerous Path.
 * In an Author Chat at Wands & Worlds the authors announced her mate was Rowanclaw, a character who had (due to an author error) spent time as the incorrect gender.
 * She has been mentioned with amber eyes.
 * She has SkyClan blood because her grandmother, Leopardfoot, is Spottedleaf's sister.
 * She was called Tawnypaw several times in Dawn, even though she was made a warrior in Firestar's Quest.

Members
Mate:
 * Rowanclaw:

Daughter:
 * Dawnpelt:

Sons:
 * Tigerheart:
 * Flametail: Deceased, Residence Unknown

Father:
 * Tigerstar: Deceased, Verified Place of No Stars member

Mother:
 * Goldenflower: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Brother:
 * Brambleclaw:

Half-Brothers:
 * Hawkfrost: Deceased, Verified Place of No Stars member
 * Tadpole: Deceased, Residence Unknown
 * Swiftpaw: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Half-Sister:
 * Mothwing:

Grandfathers:
 * Pinestar: Deceased, Verified StarClan Member
 * Smallear: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Grandmothers:
 * Leopardfoot: Deceased, Suspected StarClan Member
 * Speckletail: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Great-Grandfather:
 * Adderfang: Deceased, Suspected StarClan Member

Great-Grandmothers:
 * Swiftbreeze: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Sweetbriar: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Distant Grandfathers:
 * Cloudstar: Deceased, Verified SkyClan ancestor
 * Gorseclaw: Deceased, Verified SkyClan ancestor

Distant Grandmother:
 * Birdflight: Deceased, Verified SkyClan ancestor

Aunts:
 * Nightkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Mistkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Uncles:
 * Lionheart: Deceased, Verified StarClan member
 * Snowkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Great-Uncles:
 * Patchpelt: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Redtail: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Great-Aunts:
 * Spottedleaf: Deceased, Verified StarClan Member
 * Willowpelt: Deceased, Suspected StarClan Member

Distant Great-Aunt:
 * Spottedpelt: Deceased, Verified SkyClan ancestor

Cousins:
 * Sandstorm:
 * Darkstripe: Deceased, Verified Place of No Stars member
 * Sootfur: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Rainwhisker: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Sorreltail:
 * Graystripe:
 * Squirrelflight:
 * Leafpool:
 * Molepaw: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Cinderheart:
 * Honeyfern: Deceased, Verified StarClan member
 * Poppyfrost:
 * Stormfur:
 * Feathertail: Deceased, Verified StarClan and Tribe of Endless Hunting member
 * Briarlight:
 * Blossomfall:
 * Bumblestripe:
 * Lionblaze:
 * Jayfeather:
 * Hollyleaf:
 * Molekit:
 * Cherrykit: