Cloudberry (TC)

"All kits are special! To their mothers, they are the most perfect creatures that ever walked in the forest. But as medicine cats, we must treat our Clanmates as equals. None is more deserving of our care than another. You should know that by now."

— Cloudberry to Goosefeather in Goosefeather's Curse, chapter 8

Cloudberry (TC)
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	RiverClan ThunderClan
Biographical information
Cause of death:	Sickness
Names
Kit:	Unknown
Medicine cat apprentice:	Unknown
Medicine cat:	Cloudberry
StarClan resident:	Unknown
Education
Mentor:	Echosnout
Apprentice:	Goosefeather
Medicine cat position
Preceded by:	Ravenwing
Succeeded by:	Goosefeather
Book appearances
Living	Pinestar's Choice, Goosefeather's Curse
Living	Pinestar's Choice, Goosefeather's Curse

Cloudberry is a white she-cat with yellow eyes. She has thick, long fur, bony haunches, and a broad, flattened muzzle.

Cloudberry was a ThunderClan and RiverClan medicine cat that served under Oakstar's and Doestar's leaderships in the forest territories. She was originally trained by Echosnout in RiverClan, but after the death of Ravenwing, she decided to join ThunderClan, preventing the other Clan from not having a medicine cat of their own. She recognized Goosekit's gifts of speaking with StarClan cats and seeing the future, and she persuaded him to become her apprentice. She pressured him to keep his gifts a secret from his Clanmates. After sickness whisked away Doestar's last life, Cloudberry remained by her side, knowing the illness would also kill her, while Goosefeather took Pineheart to receive his nine lives. After her death, Cloudberry joined StarClan.

History

In the Novellas

Pinestar's Choice

«The medicine cat was so frail that Pineheart could hardly believe she had survived the hunger. Somehow she had clung to life, eating bark and dry leaves with the rest of the Clan when prey had vanished altogether. And here she was, still caring for them all, still fussing over her Clanmates as if they were her kits.»

—Pineheart thinking about Cloudberry ^{Pinestar's Choice, chapter 4}

Cloudberry is ThunderClan's medicine cat. Cloudberry, despite her old age, manages to survive the Great Hunger by eating bark and dry leaves with the rest of the Clan and caring for her Clanmates. After the period of scarcity, Cloudberry takes some prey to Mistpelt, warning the elder to not eat too much prey or it will make her sick. By moons later, Goosefeather is Cloudberry's apprentice.

Pineheart, the Clan deputy, asks about their leader Doestar's condition, and Cloudberry admits that Doestar is on her last life and ailing. She reassures Pineheart that he is brave and skillful like his father, Oakstar, and their Clan deserves a leader like him. After Doestar dies, Cloudberry succumbs to the same illness, as she had refused to let any other cat nearby in fear of anyone else catching it. She then quietly speaks to Goosefeather, and Pineheart observes that she is too weak to take him to Highstones.

Goosefeather's Curse

Cloudberry: "You have been a good apprentice, Goosefeather, and you will be a good medicine cat. Trust your instincts and remember everything I have taught you. Good-bye, my friend."

Goosefeather: "I don't want to leave you."

^{Goosefeather's Curse, chapter 10}

Cloudberry warns Goosekit and Poppykit to not play hide-and-seek near her den as it flattens the ferns, and the kits grumble about the elderly cat's attitude. Windflight's patrol soon returns, and he asks about his apprentice, Swiftpaw. Cloudberry says she has not seen Swiftpaw, but Windflight recalls that Cloudberry asked her to fetch comfrey leaves. While the warriors are searching and hunting, Goosekit speaks to a brown warrior that tells of Swiftpaw's location, and Swiftpaw is found. There is confusion as Goosekit's description does not match any cat in the Clan, but Cloudberry announces that it is important that Swiftpaw is safe, and orders Goosekit to come with her and Doestar.

Cloudberry asks Goosekit to describe the cat that told him where Swiftpaw was. Goosekit describes the tom, mentioning his fur is not as thick as Cloudberry's. Doestar is in disbelief and wonders if it could be a sign. Cloudberry asks more questions about the mysterious cat, and prompts him to describe others in camp. Goosekit describes the cats he does not know the names of, including a cat beside Nettlebreeze. Cloudberry asks Goosekit to describe that cat, and Cloudberry takes Goosekit to ask Nettlebreeze. She asks the elder if knows a pale orange she-cat with a white belly and paws, the cat that Goosekit described. Nettlebreeze claims it is his mother, Dawnfeather, and asks if she has brought a message from StarClan. Goosekit starts gasping, but Cloudberry clamps her tail over his mouth and lies to Nettlebreeze that Dawnfeather is watching over him.

The white she-cat then steers Goosekit across the camp into her den, explaining that Dawnfeather died prior to Cloudberry joining ThunderClan, and the brown tabby warrior was Beetail, the deputy under Oakstar's leadership. She thinks that only Goosekit can see the spirits of ThunderClan cats from many moons ago, but is unsure of the nature of his powers. She tells Goosekit he has a gift, one that not every cat will appreciate and to keep it a secret. When Goosekit surmises that the Clan would appreciate knowing their ancestors are with them, Cloudberry snaps at him that warriors are trained to be suspicious of anything outside the warrior code. Goosekit instantly remembers that Cloudberry was from RiverClan but joined ThunderClan after the Clan's only medicine cat, Ravenwing, was killed. He wonders if ThunderClan was at first unwelcoming even though they needed a medicine cat. Cloudberry insists that Goosekit has to become her apprentice, and hopes StarClan will guide her on how to help Goosekit with his gift.

Doestar names Cloudberry to be Goosekit's mentor during his apprentice ceremony. The Clan is in an uproar, as Goosepaw is only four moons old. Cloudberry asks the Clan to trust her decisions, and reassures them they are doing the right thing. Later during the half-moon, Cloudberry takes Goosepaw to Mothermouth to give him his first introduction into life as a medicine cat. When they finally reach the Moonstone, Echosnout mutters that Goosepaw is too young. Chiveclaw defends Cloudberry, saying if she thinks Goosepaw needs to start training now, he asks who they are to object. Goosepaw questions the point of speaking to StarClan if he can see them everywhere, and wonders if he can be a medicine cat already. Cloudberry replies in exasperation that it is still important to speak with StarClan at the Moonstone. She grumbles that he has only been her apprentice for a quarter moon, and has basic medicinal knowledge. After Goosepaw rushes out during the half-moon meeting in terror at what he had seen, Cloudberry comforts him, reassuring that they will have to try to find a way to control his gift.

Her apprentice later receives a vision of kittypets attacking a ThunderClan patrol, rushing back to camp to report to her, Doestar, and Pineheart. Cloudberry wonders if it could be a vision of the future, and urges Pineheart and Doestar to send a patrol to find Squirrelwhisker's patrol as they could be in danger. Doestar is inclined to believe Cloudberry, but Pineheart questions why they are believing an apprentice. Cloudberry defends Goosepaw, and Pineheart leads a patrol to find Squirrelwhisker's patrol.

When they return to camp with fresh herbs, they find Squirrelwhisker injured. Cats step aside so Cloudberry can reach Squirrelwhisker, and Doestar remarks that it was not luck that Pineheart's patrol was there to save Squirrelwhisker and the others. Doestar however calls for a Clan meeting, and announces that Goosepaw had a vision. She asks Cloudberry to have Goosepaw receive his full name, and Cloudberry gladly agrees to give Goosepaw his full name at the next half-moon. However, she insists that she is sure Goosepaw knows he has lots to learn and will continue his training until she joins StarClan, fixing her apprentice with a look. Cloudberry performs Goosepaw's medicine cat ceremony and renames him Goosefeather. Echosnout hopes he does not get any ideas about knowing more than the other medicine cats, and Cloudberry reassures that Goosefeather knows he will never stop learning.

While examining their herb storage, Goosefeather asks about taking on an apprentice of his own, though Cloudberry remarks that as far as she is still concerned, he is an apprentice, since it was Doestar's idea to give his full name, not hers. Goosefeather snaps he earned it as he saw the kittypets attack the patrol. Cloudberry explains his visions are a gift from StarClan, but everything else needs to be taught and learned, and orders him to fetch more herbs.

Cloudberry later helps Larksong as she gives birth. When Goosefeather arrives, the first kit is born, and Cloudberry draws the bundle to Goosefeather to clean him up. Another kit is born, and Cloudberry pushes him to Larksong to her kit so he can feed. As the medicine cats watch the tom-kits suckle, Goosefeather expresses awe and amazement, and Cloudberry agrees. Goosefeather experiences visions of the kits' futures; one will be a medicine cat and the other will be the Clan leader, and asks Cloudberry if he should inform Doestar. She replies that only StarClan knows the future, and implores him to let the kits' grow up without this burden. Goosefeather is put out by this, because Cloudberry knew he would be a medicine cat, however Cloudberry explains he was always different, but believes StarClan has gifted this to him for a reason. From then on during other births, Cloudberry insists on dealing with them on her own, instead sending Goosefeather to get soaked moss and fresh bedding in fear of him seeing the futures of the kits.

The medicine cats stand at the fresh-kill pile and finds soft prey for Nettlebreeze who's complaining about a toothache. Goosefeather and Cloudberry have a conversation about Sunkit that ends in an argument, with her insisting that all kits are special in unique ways. The she-cat stops when Doestar approaches, asking if every cat has eaten. Cloudberry reports almost every cat has, and says she can have the remains of a squirrel, pushing it towards her leader. Doestar refuses, despite the medicine cat's continued urging.

The next night, Doestar sends for Cloudberry after Goosefeather recieves a vision, the apprentice medicine cat explaining that his vision shows ThunderClan starving in a very cold leaf-bare that is coming. Cloudberry gazes into the distance and says she can think of something to try, remembering a tactic of freezing prey to store it. Both her and Doestar are concerned of their Clanmates reactions if they discover his powers and the details of the vision, urging him to keep it secret.

During a Gathering, Doestar announces the three new litters of kits and Chiveclaw comments to Cloudberry she'll be busy with them, which she agrees. Echosnout snorts that in her day, kits knew to be quiet, but the ThunderClan medicine cat reminds them that she was one of those kits. After the Gathering, ThunderClan heads home in the rain and Goosefeather follows Cloudberry into their den with wet pelts, and she goes to sleep.

The rain doesn't cease, causing the prey that was buried to store and preserve to spoil, leading to a time of hunger. Cloudberry asks Goosefeather if he wants to share some worms with Rainfur and her kits, but he declines. She says that they did everything they could, and it's not his fault they could not avoid this disaster. She points out the rain made the prey spoil and it is just bad luck, but he disagrees. As leaf-bare ends, the starvation passes, but Cloudberry develops a wheeze. Goosefeather leaves to find some catmint, and she advises him to bring back some for aliments of Clan members.

Cloudberry asks Goosefeather to bring her some chervil, gaze flitting at an ailing Doestar. She says she'll take care of the leader, and orders no one else to enter the den. Cloudberry warns Goosefeather to not tell the Clan that their leader is sick, as it is her last life. He later brings supplies to the den, calling for his mentor. Cloudberry brings the prey and moss inside the den, asking him to remain nearby. Cloudberry stands at the mouth of the medicine den, she tells Goosefeather that Doestar has died. He offers to help, but she rejects the offer, as the leader's illness means the vigil must be from a distance. Though concerned for Cloudberry's safety, Goosefeather agrees and watches his Clanmates watch Doestar's body being dragged out of the den in horror. Cloudberry begs them to stay away for safety, and lies down next to the leader.

At dawn, Cloudberry wakes Goosefeather and tells him she'll bury Doestar while he takes Pineheart to the Moonstone for his leader ceremony. The old medicine cat admits she is too weak for the journey, and confirms that he knows what to do. He feels her being pulled to StarClan, and she reassures him that he was a great apprentice and will be a great medicine cat. She urges him to trust his instincts and remember everything she has taught him while saying goodbye. Cloudberry remarks that she doesn't envy his powers, as he is burdened to live with terrible knowledge of the future. She instructs him to put his Clan above all else and prays for StarClan to guide his path, and turns to bend over Doestar's body.

Character pixels

The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. Kit Version Medicine Cat Apprentice Version Medicine Cat Version StarClan Version

Appearances

• Pinestar's Choice
• Goosefeather's Curse † (First appearance)

Trivia

Author statements

• Vicky likes a fan's idea that Cloudberry is a warrior turned medicine cat from a different Clan and moved to ThunderClan to help them. This is proved to be somewhat true as she is a former RiverClan cat.
• Vicky implies on her Facebook that Cloudberry is a tom. However, in Goosefeather's Curse, Cloudberry is a she-cat.

Continuity

The following information is from sources considered non-canon, retconned, or from adapted material.

• On Vicky's Facebook, Su Susann claimed that Cloudberry was a RiverClan warrior who trained as a medicine cat after Ravenwing's death.

Quotes

Cloudberry: "You have a great gift, Goosekit, but it is not one that all the cats will appreciate. You must keep it to yourself. Do you understand?"

Goosekit: "But they might like to know that their ancestors are here in the camp!"

^{Goosefeather's Curse, chapter 3}

Goosepaw: "We're going to see StarClan now, right?"

Cloudberry: "Yes. You have to be very still and quiet for them to come to you."

^{Goosefeather's Curse, chapter 4}

Cloudberry: "Goosepaw! What are you doing? You can't leave until the ceremony is over! I still have to name you as my apprentice before StarClan. Come on, the others are waiting."

Goosepaw: "StarClan knows who I am already. They came to me, all of them, with so many prophecies. I couldn't listen to them all; I was so frightened. They told me that terrible things are going to happen!"

^{Goosefeather's Curse, chapter 5}

Cloudberry: "Every kit is special. You may think you know what will happen, but StarClan knows better than any of us. Let these kits grow up like any other, without the burden of knowing their future."

Goosefeather: "I didn't have a chance to grow up like other kits. You knew I was going to be a medicine cat."

^{Goosefeather's Curse, chapter 7}

Chiveclaw: "You'll be busy with all those little ones!"

Cloudberry: "Thank StarClan, they are all fit and well. Noisy, though!"

^{Goosefeather's Curse, chapter 9}

External links

• More than just blood on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
• True warriors? on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)