Dawnstripe

"With this life I give you patience. Training the young takes kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. They are small gifts, but they will be rewarded many times."

— Dawnstripe granting Talltail a life in Tallstar's Revenge, Page 499

Dawnstripe
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	WindClan
Names
Moor runner:	Dawnstripe
Warrior:	Dawnstripe
StarClan resident:	Dawnstripe
Education
Apprentice:	Tallstar
Book appearances
Living	Super Editions, Goosefeather's Curse, Redtail's Debt, Battles of the Clans
Living	Super Editions, Goosefeather's Curse, Redtail's Debt, Battles of the Clans
Dead	Tallstar's Revenge
Dead	Tallstar's Revenge

Dawnstripe is a pale gold tabby she-cat with creamy-colored stripes, a scar on her muzzle, and a gold-banded tail.

Dawnstripe was a moor runner of WindClan under Heatherstar's leadership in the forest territories, and gained Tallpaw as her apprentice. She mentored him well, and was proud when he earned his warrior name of Talltail. Dawnstripe continued to encourage and support Talltail throughout his life. She eventually ascended to StarClan after she died and gave Talltail one of his nine lives.

History

In the Super Editions

Tallstar's Revenge

«Would he ever know all the trails on the moor as well as Dawnstripe seemed to? She ran ahead, sure-pawed, making each twist and turn as easily as a rabbit.»

—Narrator about Dawnstripe ^{Tallstar's Revenge, chapter 7}

Dawnstripe attends Ryepaw, Doepaw, and Stagpaw’s apprentice ceremony. During Tallkit's apprentice ceremony, Heatherstar assigns Dawnstripe, a moor-runner, as Tallpaw's new mentor. This infuriates Woollytail, Sandgorse, and the other tunnelers, as they were previously promised a new apprentice. Tallpaw is glad to have Dawnstripe as his mentor, as he wanted to be a moor-runner instead of a tunneler. While Dawnstripe is Heatherstar's final choice, this does not stop the other cats in WindClan from being furious with their leader over her choice. Heatherstar tells Dawnstripe to pass on her speed and courage to Tallpaw. Tallpaw thinks of her as brave and one of WindClan’s fastest runners. When the tunnelers refuse to call out Tallpaw’s name at the end of the ceremony, Dawnstripe calls it out loudly and glares at them. Afterwards, Dawnstripe tells her apprentice to go meet his denmates. After a difficult conversation with his father, Dawnstripe tells Tallpaw that Sandgorse will get over it and to leave him be.

Dawnstripe then takes Tallpaw out to see the territory for the first time. Dawnstripe tells Tallpaw that weasels taste bad and he should stay away from them until he learns to fight. Not soon after, a patrol, Shrewpaw, Stagpaw, Doepaw, Hareflight, Ryepaw, Aspenfall, Larksplash, and Cloudrunner come and congratulate Dawnstripe on her new apprentice and Tallpaw on becoming an apprentice. Dawnstripe good-naturedly defends Stagpaw when he is scolded for interrupting Cloudrunner. Dawnstripe and her apprentice then join Larksplash and Ryepaw to renew the scent markers near the RiverClan border. In his excitement chasing a rabbit, Tallpaw does not realize that he nearly fell into the gorge. Luckily, Dawnstripe's quick senses activate and she pulls him up by the scruff. He is scolded for his clumsiness, but it is forgotten as he is taught about the RiverClan border. They pass a tunneling patrol, and Dawnstripe refuses to help them for they know what they're doing. They continue to head back to camp, and Dawnstripe gives a speech on what it means to be a WindClan warrior and assures Tallpaw he will be a good one.

Dawnstripe teases Tallpaw for sleeping late. She takes Shrewpaw and Tallpaw out to train together, with Shrewpaw insulting Tallpaw by calling him Wormpaw and. Dawnstripe hears Tallpaw retaliating with bug-breath and scolds him by saying only kits name-call. Tallpaw tells Dawnstripe that Shrewpaw started it and Shrewpaw accuses him of being a tattle-paw. She steps between them before a fight starts and informs them that they'll be meeting up with the older apprentices to help them with their final assessment. But before they do that, they are instructed to warm up - running laps before they can help. When Tallpaw is ignored by his father, Dawnstripe assures him he must be distracted, thinking about a tunnel. When Tallpaw tries to race Shrewpaw instead of just warming up Dawnstripe is displeased. She tells him he needs to run like Shrewpaw; with longer strides. Tallpaw tries again and Dawnstripe praises him, saying he is a fast learner. After warming up, they move on. Tallpaw has to pretend to be a rabbit, and the three older apprentices will work together to track him. Dawnstripe and Cloudrunner tells Tallpaw that all he has to do is head for a boulder away from the cats, and suggests ways of making it harder for them to catch him. Soon Tallpaw begins to practice battle moves with Shrewpaw. Dawnstripe tells Tallpaw not to be bothered by Shrewpaw's attitude, and Tallpaw decides he'll just have to put up with it.

Tallpaw tries to ask Dawnstripe about the greenleaf visitors but she is unwilling to talk about it. Dawnstripe shows sympathy for Shrewpaw when he is hungry before the dawn patrol. She scolds Tallpaw harshly when he strays too near to the Thunderpath. Dawnstripe and Tallpaw have a heartfelt conversation about his father and whether Tallpaw should be a tunneler. Dawnstripe says Tallpaw he is the best runner she has ever seen. She tells him he will have to put up with Sandgorse’s behavior if Tallpaw wants to be a moor-runner and that his father will come around. Dawnstripe introduces Tallpaw to some ShadowClan apprentices and tells him to know his enemy.

One day, on patrol, Dawnstripe and Tallpaw encounter the tunnelers. As a rule for all moor-runners, the apprentices must spend at least one day underground, and Dawnstripe lets Tallpaw go down with Sandgorse. In the tunnel, the wall floods, and Dawnstripe finds out. She tells Heatherstar, furious because Tallpaw never told her, and Heatherstar bans the tunnelers from the gorge tunnel that they worked on for moons. After he had a terrible fight with his father, Dawnstripe is gentle with Tallpaw. On another patrol some time later, Dawnstripe has to physically stop Tallpaw when he tries to attack a ThunderClan patrol on it’s was to the moonstone. Tallpaw scents ShadowClan moments later, but does not want to make another dumb mistake. Luckily, Stagleap scents ShadowClan too, and they hurry back to camp. They drive the invaders away, but Brackenwing is killed. Dawnstripe assures Tallpaw it is not his fault.

After Tallpaw is dragged out of a tunnel when trying to reach his father, Dawnstripe tries to comfort him. When Tallpaw tells her he wants to become a tunneler, she is shocked but accepts his decision. Heatherstar instead bans all tunneling and Dawnstripe keeps her apprentice. She pulls him out of a tunnel when he tries to go down one and tries to talk to him. When Shrewpaw teases Tallpaw yet again, Dawnstripe snaps and shouts at Shrewpaw for his terrible behavior and his mentor for allowing it. Dawnstripe tells Tallpaw that Sandgorse’s death was an accident, but he is detirmined to blame Sparrow. She has to pull Tallpaw off of Shrewpaw when he attacks him. She takes them both to the Moonstone. Dawnstripe guides Tallpaw through his warrior assessments and he passes easily until its time to show his battle moves when has to step in to stop Tallpaw from killing Shrewpaw. Dawnstripe brushes it off and Tallpaw still becomes a warrior; Talltail. When Talltail says he is leaving, Dawnstripe is distraught and asks Heatherstar if she will allow it. Dawnstripe is overjoyed when he returns. Dawnstrip is present when Talltail realises ShadowClan has been stealing. When ShadowClan attacks, Tailtail tries to shield Dawnstripe from Cedarstar but she does not let him. She is almost killed by Cedarstar but Shrewclaw attacks him and is joined by Talltail. She fetches Barkface while Shrewclaw is dying. She gains a scar on her muzzle from the battle. During Talltail’s leader ceremony, she gives him a life for patience, mentioning training the young.

Yellowfang's Secret

A ShadowClan patrol consisting of Yellowfang, Amberleaf, Archeye, and Wolfstep find a WindClan patrol on their territory. Dawnstripe, Talltail, Redclaw, and Shrewpaw are on the patrol. Yellowfang sees Dawnstripe leaping at Amberleaf during the battle. After the ShadowClan patrol is beaten Dawnstripe tells Talltail to back off, and that they've done enough to convince ShadowClan from trespassing on WindClan land.

When Raggedpelt's patrol arrives, Raggedpelt tells the WindClan patrol to get out or they'll force them to leave. Dawnstripe tells him that it's easy enough to say so. Yellowfang sees that WindClan had suffered injuries as well, and notes that Dawnstripe was missing a patch of fur from her shoulder.

Crookedstar's Promise

Dawnstripe is on the patrol that stops and questions Crookedjaw and Brambleberry while they are traveling to the Moonstone. The two RiverClan cats explain to the patrol that Crookedjaw needs to receive his nine lives, as Hailstar died. The patrol approves, and allows the two to pass without conflict.

Bluestar's Prophecy

She appears as Tallpaw's mentor at a Gathering, when Hailstar, the leader of RiverClan, announces they have a new apprentice in the Clan.

Later, she talks with Hailstar, along with Tallpaw, who has now received his warrior name, Talltail, under her guidance.

In the Novellas

Goosefeather's Curse

Dawnstripe appears once at a Gathering. When Heatherstar reports that a black-and-white dog was on their territory before they chased it out, Dawnstripe purrs that she gave it a scratch it won't forget in a hurry.

In the Field Guides

Battles of the Clans

When Hailstar and his warriors invade the WindClan nursery in order to reclaim Fallowtail's kits, she appears right outside and raises the alarm. She demands to know what Hailstar is doing, seemingly shocked to see that Hailstar would raid the WindClan camp.

Detailed description

Scars gained

The following is a chronological list of scars and/or major injuries that Dawnstripe has gained:

• Scar on muzzle caused by Cedarstar and Newtspeck in a battle against ShadowClan during Tallstar's Revenge.

Character pixels

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

Ceremonies

Lives granted

The following is a list of gifts Dawnstripe has granted during nine lives ceremonies:

Lives granted
Gift Receiver Patience Tallstar

Appearances

• Goosefeather's Curse
• Tallstar's Revenge
• Yellowfang's Secret
• Crookedstar's Promise
• Bluestar's Prophecy (First appearance)
• Redtail's Debt (Allegiance only)
• Battles of the Clans

Trivia

Continuity

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

• On Vicky's Facebook, Dawnstripe has yellow eyes.

Quotes

«Dawnstripe was one of WindClan's fastest runners and had never backed down in a fight. He could learn so much from her.»

—Tallpaw about Dawnstripe ^{Tallstar's Revenge, page 54}

Dawnstripe: "Do you want to train as a tunneler?"

Tallpaw: "No! Never! I don't want to spend my life in the dark with soil in my fur and mud in my claws!"

^{Tallstar's Revenge, page 124}

Shrewpaw: "Poor Tallpaw. Won't Heatherstar let you become a wormpaw? Why not go down there anyway? You know you were born to live underground."

Dawnstripe: "Shrewpaw! Show some respect to your Clanmate."

^{Tallstar's Revenge, page 223}

"A warrior moves with ease, not stiffness."

―Dawnstripe to Tallpaw ^{'Tallstar's Revenge, page 274}

"I'm so proud of you, Talltail. I always knew you'd be a great warrior. You were right to train as a moor runner and turn your tail on tunneling."

―Dawnstripe to Talltail ^{Tallstar's Revenge, page 499}

External links

• Exclusive! Leopardstar's Honor: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

Fan content

• Nine Lives Ceremony Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Apprentices Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Our favorite rogues artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)