Hailstar

Hailstar is a thick-pelted gray tom with yellow eyes.

Crookedstar's Promise

 * Hailstar is first seen in the prologue, responding to his mate, Echomist, when she calls for him. The camp is flooding, and Echomist is carrying their kits, Petalkit, and Beetlekit, out of the nursery, leaving Volekit behind. Hailstar is seen grabbing his kit before the water reaches his nest. He tells his Clanmate, Timberfur, to take Volekit to the elder's den. Hailstar then orders his mate to follow him, and she obeys.


 * He then calls to his deputy, Shellheart, asking for his opinion. He replies that the elders' den won't be safe for very long. Hailstar makes the decision to abandon camp. Brightsky objects to his orders, but he replies that they must. He debates with her, for Brightsky does not want to leave everything that their ancestors built for them. Shellheart convinces her, and she finally agrees. Echomist arrives to bring the kits out to abandon camp, asking where to go. He tells her to head for higher ground, flicking uphill. When the elders wonder if they are really leaving the camp, he replies that it is just for now. He goes to check if anyone's being left behind, helped by Shellheart. It is noted Duskwater has gone missing, and Rippleclaw asks Hailstar if he can see her from up there. He replies no, and checks the den for warm bodies. He doesn't find anyone, and wades off to higher land, asking if they're all there.


 * Later, when RiverClan's camp is being rebuilt, Hailstar insists on sleeping out in the open and refuses to let his den be rebuilt until the rest of the camp is finished. After Stormkit is knocked out of a tree by a magpie, Hailstar tells him that it wouldn't have happened if he had stayed in the clearing. He is amused by this behavior, and calls to Shellheart. He then tells Shellheart that Stormkit will be a brave warrior if he doesn't drown himself before training. He suggests they do something about the magpie, as it's beginning to think it owns RiverClan teritory. Shellheart asks if they should drive it off or catch it and Hailstar responds by saying that they should catch it due to lack of fish. Shellheart immediately wants to send out a patrol to catch the magpie, but Hailstar tells him to wait until Rippleclaw's patrol returns. Tanglewhisker mutters that he hopes they've caught something edible, and Birdsong replies that she is certain that they have. Echomist wonders why they never buried any of the fish that were washed up by the flood like ThunderClan does, and Hailstar says that fish don't keep like forest prey. When the kits volunteer to help rebuild the camp, Hailstar's whiskers twitch, and he says he's not going to turn down a genuine offer of help. As long as they stay in the camp, there's no problem.


 * Rippleclaw returns and reports that ThunderClan has taken Sunningrocks. Hailstar looks to his warriors for their opinions about what to do. The general opinion is not to fight, and the medicine cat, Brambleberry, backs this up by saying that she had lost all of her herbs during the flood and will be unable to tend to wounded cats. Hailstar agrees not to fight but sends Shellheart to tell Pinestar, the ThunderClan leader, to enjoy Sunningrocks while he could because RiverClan would take them back when they wanted to.


 * After Stormkit has recovered enough from his accident, Rainflower insists that Hailstar change Stormkit's name from Stormkit to Crookedkit. Hailstar's voice is somber as he performs the Renaming Ceremony, suggesting that he doesn't quite agree with Rainflower's choice.


 * Shortly before Oakkit is to be made an apprentice, Rainflower visits Hailstar's den to tell him who she wants to mentor her son. When they are done talking, Hailstar calls a Clan meeting for the Apprentice Ceremony. He calls to Oakkit and then calls to Shellheart. Surprisingly, he makes Oakpaw Shellheart's apprentice despite the fact that they are father and son. This was what Rainflower had suggested to Hailstar earlier.


 * When Crookedkit returns to RiverClan after his brief hiatus with Fleck and Mitzi, Hailstar is waiting for him in the center of the camp. He is surprised to learn that Crookedkit had been hunting for himself. He then growls that the kit had everyone worried but that it's good to have him back. Hailstar then goes on to welcome Crookedkit back into the Clan, saying that he was born in RiverClan so that's where he belongs. Most cats back up his decision. However a few, Rippleclaw and Cedarpelt, do not agree. After the decision is made to allow Crookedkit back into the Clan, Hailstar wonders where the kit was. He says that he went to ask StarClan if it was his destiny to be a kit forever. Hailstar wonders what StarClan told him and Crookedkit says that he never reached the Moonstone but found his answer when he saved Mitzi's kits. He then promises never to run away again and Hailstar dips his head saying that RiverClan always needs strong warriors.


 * After Crookedkit saves Fallowtail's kits, Graykit and Willowkit, from a heron, Hailstar appears from his den to see what's going on. After hearing about how big the heron was, he congratulates the warriors and apprentices who fought it off. Then he calls the Clan together for a meeting and makes Crookedkit an apprentice for his bravery. He assigns Crookedpaw to Cedarpelt because the warrior distrusted Crookedpaw when he returned to the Clan.


 * The next day, Hailstar leads the dawn patrol. When he returns, he finds to his surprise that the WindClan deputy, Reedfeather is sitting in the RiverClan camp. Reedfeather says that he has come to RiverClan to bring his kits home. As everyone wonders what he could mean, Fallowtail lets out a cry of protest. The WindClan warrior responds by saying that they are as much his as her's, implying that he is their father. Hailstar asks if it's true that Fallowtail's kits are half-Clan and she does not attempt to deny it. Reedfeather says that they will grow up stronger in WindClan, but Hailstar refuses to allow Reedfeather to take the kits despite Reedfeather's threat of war. Desperate to keep peace, Fallowtail tells Hailstar that Reedfeather may have the kits. Hailstar is surprised, but allows Reedfeather to have the kits.


 * Later, Hailstar is on patrol with Piketooth and Beetlenose when they encounter Reedfeather. Reedfeather tells them about ThunderClan's attack on the WindClan camp to steal Hawkheart's medicine supplies. Hailstar immediately returns to camp to tell Brambleberry to hide her supplies. Later that day, Cedarpelt reports Crookedpaw to Hailstar for defeating a warrior in a training fight. The leader tells the apprentice that, though he may want to finish his training early, he should be patient and enjoy his apprenticeship while it lasts.


 * Suddenly Shellheart, Owlfur, Softwing, and Oakpaw race into the camp to tell Hailstar that, while they were on patrol, they were attacked by a huge dog and that Oakpaw drove it off. Hailstar makes Oakpaw a warrior with the name Oakheart for his bravery.


 * That night, Hailstar leads his Clan to a Gathering. There, he announces that RiverClan has been free of Twolegs since the snowfall. Ottersplash then reminds him about the Twoleg kits that fell through the ice and Owlfur says that "they won't be back for a while!" Hailstar goes on to announce that Oakheart is now a warrior. Many RiverClan cats are annoyed that Hailstar said nothing about Fallowtail's kits.


 * The following evening, Hailstar announces to his Clan that they will be taking back Sunningrocks tonight. When the battle patrol arrives at Sunningrocks, Hailstar tells his newest warriors and Crookedpaw that this is their first battle and that they will have many other chances to prove their strength and skill. Hailstar then tells Shellheart to prepare the battle line. Suddenly, a ThunderClan battle patrol arrives. Hailstar announces that Sunningrocks is RiverClan's again and Pinestar orders ThunderClan to attack. Pinestar lunges at Hailstar and the two leaders begin to fight. After a while, Shellheart orders RiverClan to retreat. When they return to the camp, Hailstar loses his eighth life from his wounds. Several of the Clan are angry at Hailstar because he was unable to lead them to victory.


 * A few nights later, Hailstar launches a raid on WindClan to return Fallowtail's kits to RiverClan. As they near the river with the kits, Reedfeather attacks them with four of his Clanmates. The RiverClan patrol splits, Timberfur and Rippleclaw carry the kits across the river and Hailstar, Owlfur, and Ottersplash stay behind to fight. Reedfeather hits Hailstar with a blow so hard that it stuns him. When Hailstar recovers, the two toms fight and Hailstar ends up holding Reedfeather's head beneath the surface of the river. Caught up in the frenzy of the battle, Hailstar does not realize he is killing the WindClan deputy until Owlfur stops him.


 * Sometime later, Hailstar names Graypaw and Willowpaw apprentices. Brightsky is Graypaw's mentor and Owlfur is Willowpaw's.


 * The next day, Hailstar calls Crookedpaw to take a walk with him. He questions the apprentice on his goals and says that Brambleberry is worried about him. This implies that Brambleberry may know he is training with a Dark Forest warrior and has shared her concerns with Hailstar. Hailstar does not mention this again.


 * One moon later, Hailstar is dozing when Crookedpaw comes up with a plan to scare away a troublesome dog. After listening to the plan, Hailstar suggests that the Clan scare the dog now. He forms a battle patrol, consisting of himself, Cedarpelt, Whitefang, Rippleclaw, Beetlenose, Oakheart, Ottersplash, Rainflower, Piketooth, Fallowtail, Shellheart, Shimmerpelt, Softwing, and Crookedpaw. Something goes wrong, but the cats stick to the plan and the dog is scared away. Hailstar is impressed by Crookedpaw's bravery.


 * Hailstar helps go get dry grass and moss for new nests, but when the rats attack, is killed. Later on, Crookedjaw goes to the Moonstone with Brambleberry. Dawnstripe, Talltail, and Reedfeather stop them, but they explain that Hailstar was dead, so the WindClan cats say they are allowed to pass. When they reach the moonstone, Hailstar gives him the life of courage telling him to let his heart lead him forward. It is noted that he looks young and healthy again.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * Hailstar is first seen as the leader of RiverClan, appearing at the Gatherings several times, although during the second Gathering in the book, he brings his Clan to the meeting late, which he claims is due to the bad weather.


 * Later into the night, he announces a new warrior, Oakheart. Hailstar also tells the other Clans that the Twolegs have stopped bothering RiverClan, and that the fishing is still good, despite the ice. Several times, Hailstar is seen launching an attack on Sunningrocks to reclaim them, and although he failed the first time, he later stole the rocks without even having to fight ThunderClan. Much later, after Sunstar becomes ThunderClan's leader, Sunstar takes a patrol to RiverClan's camp and convinces Hailstar to give up the rocks without a fight.


 * Hailstar loses his last life from a rat bite. His deputy, Crookedjaw, takes on role of leader, becoming the newly named Crookedstar.

Code of the Clans

 * He appears briefly when two ThunderClan warriors, Dappletail and White-eye, fall into the river. They are trying to catch a fish, because White-eye wants to know what they taste like, but she falls in, and Dappletail tries to rescue her. His warrior, Owlfur, fishes Dappletail out, while Hailstar rescues White-eye. Dappletail thinks about how much trouble they'll get in after being rescued by the RiverClan leader.


 * He brings out White-eye from the river after she "caught" a fish, correcting her by saying she squashed it against a rock, and that it wasn't hers to catch it the first place. He rightly accuses the two ThunderClan warriors of stealing just before Pinestar and Sunfall show up. Hailstar invites them across, and Owlfur suggests that the two cats be punished by making them eat the fish they were trying to catch. White-eye comments that it is disgusting, saying that it was "wet, cold, slimy, tasting of stones and muddy reeds," and Hailstar lets them go, saying nearly being drowned was enough of a lesson.

Battles of the Clans

 * In the story "The Lost Kits", he decides to take Fallowtail's kits back from WindClan. In the beginning of the story, he is seen looking for a sign from StarClan telling him if he should leave the kits where they are. When nothing moves, he realizes that StarClan had spoken with their silence, saying that the mission would go on. He goes to the Warriors' Den and calls Timberfur, telling him to get Rippleclaw, Owlfur, and Ottersplash. They meet outside the camp and Hailstar explains that they were going to take back Fallowtail's kits from WindClan.


 * When Rippleclaw points out that WindClan had doubled their patrols, Hailstar tells them that they hadn't patrolled around the cliff and he knew because he had been watching them. He leads the cats across the border and to the top of the cliff. When they are making their way through WindClan territory, he wonders whether it was wise to bring Ottersplash on the patrol since her white markings flashed in the darkness. He quickly shakes the thought away, thinking that they might need her. When they get the the WindClan camp, Timberfur and Rippleclaw attack the guards, and Hailstar and the rest of the patrol enter the camp. When they get into the nursery, a queen named Dawnstripe lets out an alarmed cry, waking up the WindClan cats.


 * Hailstar finds Fallowtail's kits and takes them out of the nursery, where he finds a line of WindClan warriors waiting for him. Hailstar and his patrol dash out of the camp, with the WindClan cats storming after them. He tells his warriors to get into the river. When he is running towards it, he is attacked by Reedfeather. The WindClan cat was about to strike, when he stops, seeing that the patrol was in the river. Hailstar dashes over and knocks Reedfeather into the river, where he pushes him down into the water. Hailstar is stopped by Owlfur, who tells him that he is killing Reedfeather. They drag him out of the water and head back to the camp, winning Fallowtail's kits.

Trivia

 * He has been mistakenly called female.
 * He has been described with amber eyes.
 * He has been mistakenly described as the WindClan leader.

Members
Mate:
 * Echomist: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Sons:
 * Voleclaw: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Beetlenose: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Daughter:
 * Petaldust: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Grandkits:
 * Vixenkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Grasskit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member