Wolfstep

"We don't have any apprentices just now, and we need to start training young cats."

— Wolfstep on Brokenstar's training of underage kits in Yellowfang's Secret, page 452

Wolfstep
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	ShadowClan
Names
Kit:	Wolfkit
Apprentice:	Wolfpaw
Warrior:	Wolfstep
StarClan resident:	Wolfstep
Kin
Mother:	Poolcloud
Father:	Toadskip
Sister:	Foxheart
Half-sister:	Littlekit
Half-brothers:	Cloudpelt, Nightstar, Clawface
Mate:	Fernshade
Son:	Badgerfang
Education
Mentor:	Brightflower
Apprentice:	Tangleburr
Book appearances
Living	Leopardstar's Honor, Yellowfang's Secret, Redtail's Debt, Onestar's Confession, Blackfoot's Reckoning
Living	Leopardstar's Honor, Yellowfang's Secret, Redtail's Debt, Onestar's Confession, Blackfoot's Reckoning

Wolfstep is a gray tom with a torn ear.

Wolfstep was a ShadowClan warrior under Cedarstar’s, Raggedstar’s, and Brokenstar’s leaderships in the forest territories. He was born as Wolfkit to Toadskip and Poolcloud along with his sister Foxkit. He was apprenticed to Brightflower as Wolfpaw, and later earned his warrior name, Wolfstep. He mentored Tanglepaw and became mates with Fernshade, who he fathered Badgerkit with. After his death, he ascended to StarClan.

History

In the Super Editions

Yellowfang's Secret

Foxpaw: "Yuck! I don't want them sleeping with us. I bet they're full of fleas."

Wolfpaw: "Don't worry. We'll make sure they get all the worst jobs, like checking the elders for ticks."

^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 145}

Wolfkit is a young ShadowClan kit, and the son of Toadskip and Poolcloud. His sister is Foxkit, and the two love to tussle around and play-fight with each other. As Yellowkit awakens from her dream, she finds herself in the nursery, and is squished by the two kits, who are play-fighting with each other. As Yellowkit makes her way out of the nursery, along with Rowankit and Nutkit, she can hear the squeals of Wolfkit and his sister, who followed the three older kits outside to see the snow that had fallen.

Not long before newleaf, Wolfkit and his sister become new apprentices, with Wolfpaw having Brightflower as a mentor. As the ShadowClan cats make their way out of camp for a training session, Wolfpaw and his sister get excited at the thought of being outside of the camp, and as they make their way towards a clearing for training, they almost run into Yellowpaw, who furiously calls them mouse-brains, hissing and barely getting out of their way to avoid being tackled.

At the thought of hunting practice, Wolfpaw shows disdain. He is soon reprimanded by Yellowpaw's mentor, Deerleap. The older cat tells the battle-eager apprentice sternly that he can go back to camp to take care of the elders and search their pelt for ticks. He shakes his head, and they continue with their training. During this, Deerleap decides to pair up apprentices with apprentices so they can learn, and she pairs up Foxpaw and Yellowpaw, as well as Rowanpaw and Nutpaw. As there isn't another apprentice to pair Wolfpaw up with, Deerleap says that Wolfpaw can work with her instead, and he feels appalled.

After Yellowpaw scents enemy cats on their territory, Deerleap sends Wolfpaw and Foxpaw back to camp with Blizzardwing, who is told to bring reinforcements to help. This upsets Wolfpaw, and he says that he wanted to be part of the battle. He is reprimanded, and told he is much too young to be part of battle.

During a raid on the Carrionplace rats, Wolfpaw shows disdain at again not being allowed to go, complaining that he and his sister are always left behind. He is reprimanded yet again, this time by Stonetooth, the ShadowClan deputy, who tells Wolfpaw that the rats are big enough to eat him. At Yellowpaw's warrior ceremony, both Wolfpaw and Foxpaw are envious when she receives her warrior name, Yellowfang. Foxpaw assures her brother that they'll become warriors before too long, although she is ignored.

When Red and Boulder show up in ShadowClan, asking Cedarstar if they can stay, Foxpaw says that they're covered in fleas, and she doesn't want to share a den with the former outsiders. Wolfpaw says that he and his denmate will make sure that the newcomers get all the horrible apprentice tasks, like cleaning up the elders' pelts for ticks.

When a badger attacks Raggedpelt and Yellowfang, Wolfpaw and his sister are part of the patrol that goes to attack it. Although Stonetooth was originally going to forbid the apprentices from going with them, Archeye, a fellow warrior of Yellowfang, speaks up and says that they should take the apprentices with them, to see how they would handle the experience. They are joined by Archeye, Mousewing, Scorchwind, and Newtspeck. Wolfpaw is the one to scent the badger, although he is told by Yellowfang, who is leading the patrol, not to attack on his own, and to wait for the rest of the cats.

Soon after, Wolfpaw and Foxpaw have their warrior ceremonies, obtaining the names Wolfstep and Foxheart, respectively. Throughout the book, after gaining his warrior name, he is seen on patrols, and helps out Raggedpelt and the other ShadowClan cats with battle training. Cedarstar sends him on a hunting patrol with Yellowfang, Archeye, and Amberleaf, and this turns into a confrontation with WindClan, who have been trespassing on ShadowClan territory. The patrol finds Talltail, Dawnstripe, Redclaw, and Redclaw's apprentice, Shrewpaw, who deny any trespassing, and instead accuse ShadowClan of the same thing. After the minor skirmish, Wolfstep and Archeye go to inform Cedarstar of the incident.

At Raggedpelt's suggestion to attack the Carrionplace rats, Wolfstep is one of the cats who volunteers to be on the patrol, saying that he can help trap the rats by building a wall. Both he and Foxheart are on the patrol, and they are joined by Featherstorm, Raggedpelt, Newtspeck, Frogtail, and Lizardstripe. The patrol of cats are joined by Yellowfang and Sagewhisker, who stay out of harm's way in order to assist those who are wounded. Wolfstep, along with the others, attempt to attack the rats, although at the cost of one of Cedarstar's lives, leaving him with only one left.

When Cloudpaw is injured, after being ambushed by rogues, Yellowfang orders Wolfstep to go back to camp and inform them of what's happened, telling him to also let Sagewhisker know. He stands with Ashheart when Lizardstripe brings out her kits, Deerkit and Tanglekit, to see ShadowClan's camp. He gains an apprentice of his own out of Lizardstripe's litter, being given Tanglepaw. When Foxheart dies, both he and his mother, Poolcloud, are upset, and Wolfstep comments that she would have made a good leader one day.

When Brokenstar becomes leader of ShadowClan after the death of Raggedstar, Wolfstep is one of the cats to voice his opinion of Brokenstar's idea to train kits that are under six moons old. He says that the Clan doesn't have apprentices, so they should start to train younger cats. Not long after this, Wolfstep's mate, Fernshade, blesses Wolfstep with a young kit, who is named Badgerkit. Wolfstep is overjoyed, and shows great delight in having a son.

When Brightflower's two young kits, Marigoldkit and Mintkit, go missing, Wolfstep wonders if perhaps the two kits could have tried to follow them out of camp, possibly wanting to catch up with a patrol. As Brokenstar tries to defend Yellowfang when she is accused of murdering her younger littermates, Wolfstep says that Yellowfang had been under a lot of stress. He contemplates the thought of the medicine cat committing murder.

In the Novellas

Blackfoot's Reckoning

When Blackfoot is shown the past upon receiving one of his nine lives, he recalls Badgerkit's early apprentice ceremony. Wolfstep stands beside Fernshade as they both look on shocked, as Blackfoot reasons that they would find the situation hard as parents but that the early ceremony should be seen as an honor.

In another flashback, Blackfoot is shown his return to ShadowClan with Tigerclaw. He gives Wolfstep a frog, of which the other warrior is thankful for, recounting how the sickness had made it hard to hunt. The white tom catches up with his sister and her mate, as the two tell him how ill Nightstar had been and that his deputy, Cinderfur, had passed due to the sickness.

Detailed description

Scars gained

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

• Torn ear caused by rats attacking by the Carrionplace in Yellowfang's Secret.

Character pixels

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

Official art

Please do not edit this gallery Wolfstep's icon on the Warriors family tree

Ceremonies

Wolfstep's warrior ceremony

Cedarstar: Foxpaw, Wolfpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life? Wolfpaw: I do. Cedarstar: Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Wolfpaw, from this moment you will be known as Wolfstep. StarClan honors your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan. Everyone: Wolfstep! Foxheart! Reference: Yellowfang's Secret, page 174

Kin

Members

Mate:

Fernshade: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Son:

Badgerfang: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Mother:

Poolcloud: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Father:

Toadskip: Living (As of Redtail's Debt)

Sister:

Foxheart: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Half-brothers:

Cloudpelt: Deceased, residence unknown

Clawface: Deceased, verified the Place of No Stars member

Nightstar: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Half-sister:

Littlekit: Deceased, residence unknown

See more

Half-nephews:

Cinderfur: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Stumpytail: Deceased, verified the Place of No Stars member

Half-grandnephews/grandnieces:

Quietkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Rubblekit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Turtlekit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Tree

Featherstorm ♀

Blizzardwing ♂

Hollyflower ♀

Poolcloud ♀

Toadskip ♂

Nettlespot ♀

Mosspaw ♂

Volewhisper ♂

Flintfang ♂

Blackstar ♂

Fernshade ♀

Wolfstep ♂

Foxheart ♀

Cloudpelt ♂

Littlekit ♀

Dawncloud ♀

Finchflight ♂

Badgerfang ♂

Nightstar ♂

Clawface ♂

Rowanberry ♀

See more

Swampkit

Blossomkit ♀

Stumpytail ♂

Cinderfur ♂

See more

    = Tom

    = She-cat

    = Gender unknown

Appearances

• Leopardstar's Honor (Allegiance only)
• Yellowfang's Secret (First appearance)
• Redtail's Debt (Allegiance only)
• Onestar's Confession (Allegiance only)
• Blackfoot's Reckoning (Flashback only)

Trivia

Mistakes

• There is an inconsistency as to who Foxheart and Wolfstep's mentors are. Shortly after being apprenticed, Blizzardwing is mentioned to be Wolfstep's mentor, while at their warrior ceremony, Brightflower is his mentor. Since a third spot in the book mentions that Foxheart's mentor is Blizzardwing, Brightflower is likely intended to be Wolfstep's mentor.

Continuity

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

• In Su Susann's "Missing Kits" on Vicky's Facebook, Wolfstep was described as a lean tabby with a torn ear, and identfied as a ShadowClan warrior in Moonrise. He was later described as a long-furred, fuzzy gray tabby tom with a white front paw and tail-tip, and green eyes. After Badgerfang's death, Wolfstep and Fernshade had another litter of kits, Whitewater and Ivytail. Wolfstep participated in Mudclaw's rebellion on Mudclaw's side, but perished when he fell into ThunderClan's camp. He went to StarClan.

Quotes

Foxpaw: "What about us?"

Stonetooth: "You're too young. Rats are big enough to eat you."

^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 104}

Wolfpaw: "Here's their trail! We can still catch them."

Yellowfang: "Wait! You can't attack a badger by yourself!"

^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 167}

"Wolfpaw was a good apprentice. I enjoyed training him."

―Brightflower to Wolfpaw's mother, Poolcloud, after he and his sister pass their warrior assessment ^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 172}

"I want to be in the final patrol. I'd be good at building the walls to trap the rats."

―Wolfstep offering to help trap the rats ^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 260}

External links

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