Flywhisker

"Your luck is going to run out if you go on tempting fate like this."
This article contains major spoilers for the recently released, The Place of No Stars. This also includes the reveal of the identity of the impostor. Please proceed at your own discretion.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

"That sounds great, Flipclaw, but unfortunately, we can’t all live inside your imagination. Only you can live there."

— Flywhisker to Flipclaw in Graystripe's Vow, page 65

Flywhisker is a striped gray tabby she-cat.^[3]

Flywhisker is a ThunderClan warrior who has served under Bramblestar's, the impostor's, and Squirrelflight's leaderships in the lake territories. She was born to Cinderheart and Lionblaze as Flykit along with her siblings, Snapkit and Spotkit, and had three older sibings: Fernsong, Hollytuft, and Sorrelstripe. She was renamed Flypaw and apprenticed to Twigbranch, though the pair struggled to work together and communicate. Afterwards, she earned her warrior name of Flywhisker. After rough times in ThunderClan, Flywhisker joined Thornclaw, Flipclaw, Snaptooth, and Graystripe on a journey to discover what it means to be a Clan cat. During the journey, she rejected Flipclaw's advances, and decided to become a kittypet with Snaptooth.

History

In the A Vision of Shadows arc

River of Fire

"We'll be good at it!"

―Flykit about helping Briarlight with her exercises ^{River of Fire, page 42}

Twigpaw makes the journey back to ThunderClan with Finpaw, and Sparkpelt leads them to the camp. When the two young cats enter, Twigpaw sees her old Clanmates again, her gaze passing over Cinderheart and Blossomfall. As they sit at the nursery's entrance, their kits frisk around their paws, playing joyfully.

A short time later, sickness begins to fall on ThunderClan. Alderheart is worried about Flykit and her siblings, since they have started venturing out of the nursery. He recalls how keen they are to explore, but imagines what strength they might need to ward off sickness.

As the medicine cats herd cats to the nursery, Alderheart sees Cinderheart with her kits, Blossomfall, and Ivypool. Blossomfall tells Briarlight, her sister, who Leafpool had moved to the nursery, that the kits can help with her exercises, and they hurtle themselves at the brown she-cat excitedly. Daisy stops them with her tail, and the small cats scramble over her; the cream she-cat warns them to be gentle.

A storm breaks out overhead ThunderClan's camp, with rain and lightning. Alderheart swiftly goes to the nursery, and as he enters, the ginger tabby gazes at Cinderheart, sheltering Snapkit, Flykit, and Spotkit from the cold. Blossomfall asks where they should go, and Alderheart suggests the elders' den, since Graystripe and Millie will be happy to see kits. The medicine cat sends the two queens with their kits to the warmer den, and races away back to the medicine den.

Alderheart wonders what might happen if the current raging sickness gets passed on to Cinderheart or Blossomfall's litters, but the queen spends the night with Flykit and her siblings in the elders' den. Alderheart ends up heading back to the nursery, having remembered Ivypool giving birth, and meets the silver-and-white she-cat's litter fondly. After a quick checkup, the young tom moves on to Cinderheart and her kits.

He notes that Flykit, Snapkit, and Spotkit are much older and bigger than Thriftkit, Bristlekit, and Flipkit. Cinderheart begs Alderheart not to disturb her sleeping son and daughters, as, according to the queen, they don't sleep much. Despite this, the gray she-cat strokes her resting kits affectionately, adding that she wouldn't want them any other way. Daisy says that Cinderheart's kits will be apprenticed quickly, and Alderheart agrees. Later, Dovewing comes back to the Clans with Tigerstar and visits ThunderClan's camp. Alderheart tells the gray she-cat the news about Cinderheart and Ivypool's new litters, and she listens eagerly.

The Raging Storm

"She'd learned that her apprentice worked better when they were in an unusual part of the forest. Fresh stimulation seemed to keep her focused, and so, whenever she could, Twigbranch challenged Flypaw with tricky battle moves or prey that was hard to catch."

―Twigbranch about Flypaw ^{The Raging Storm, page chapter 17}

Flypaw is now an apprentice with Twigbranch as her mentor. She is clearing twigs littering the training clearing, complaining about the work. Flypaw asks why Spotpaw and Stempaw can't help and points out that Plumpaw is stronger than her and would be better at dragging sticks. Twigbranch tells her that Plumpaw is hunting with her mentor and littermates, and Flypaw wonders why they can’t hunt. Her mentor answers that she doesn't know enough hunting moves, to which Flypaw says she’d know some if Twigbranch would let her train instead of clearing sticks. Twigbranch answers that Bramblestar asked them to do it, and comments how her littermate Snappaw isn’t complaining.

Snappaw drops the stick he was helping Finleap move, mewing he wants to be the strongest apprentice in ThunderClan. Flypaw scowls, telling him to not get too strong or else he’ll be clearing every branch in the forest. She brightens when Finleap suggests battle training and crouches, sticking her hindquarters in the air, lashing her tail, and bares her teeth. Snappaw rushes to join her and they hiss at each other. Twigbranch leads Flypaw away to see how she does in an ambush. Flypaw gets distracted and pushed over multiple times, making Twigbranch snap.

Flypaw defends herself and believes Twigbranch is making it difficult on purpose because she wants her to fail. They try again, and Twigbranch is more gentle this time. Finleap praises Flypaw and calls her a natural, making her brighten. Twigbranch says there’s no such thing as a natural and skill comes from work and training. Flypaw gives a stinging comment, mewing that she must be very skilled, since she trained for moons, which makes Twigbranch snap, saying she must learn respect. Finleap and Twigbranch discuss Flypaw in private, while Flypaw and Snappaw finish clearing the sticks. Then they go check the ShadowClan border, where they find Puddleshine trapped beneath silverthorn, and Flypaw and Snappaw are sent to fetch help from camp.

More Coming Soon

In The Broken Code arc

Lost Stars

Flywhisker volunteers to go on a patrol that Bristlefrost leads. Due to the danger of the ice the cats are walking on, Flywhisker suggests heading back and going around the other side of the lake.

Darkness Within

Flywhisker goes to the special Gathering held to honor the cats who fell in battle with the imposter. She, along with Snaptooth, walk past Bristlefrost and Rootspring as they talk about some of the problems ThunderClan has, and how they are trying to rebuild after being torn apart. Soon after their Gathering, Flywhisker is also present for the argument between Thornclaw, Lionblaze, and Squirrelflight. Flywhisker is curious about the dispute between the older warriors, her eyes shining as she watches them argue. Flywhisker appears to agree with Thornclaw, her tail twitching the entire time as she listens to the senior warrior bring up the point that Firestar's kin have been leading ThunderClan for a long time.

Flywhisker is one of the cats who agrees with Flipclaw's suggestion of a wander, and she is joined by Snaptooth and Thornclaw. Shocked, Squirrelflight looks at her warriors and asks if they have plans to return to ThunderClan. Flywhisker is honest, and says that she does not know for sure if she will return. Graystripe, seeing the arguing between Thornclaw and Lionblaze, also decides to join Flywhisker and the others, deciding that this is not the ThunderClan he knows.

Bristlefrost later thinks of Flywhisker, saying that her Clan is unraveling like a nest. She thinks that Flywhisker, Snaptooth, and the others still have not returned yet, and is not sure if they ever will. She tries to not lose hope, and wishes for Flywhisker and the wandering cats to return to ThunderClan.

The Place of No Stars

Coming Soon

In the Super Editions

Squirrelflight's Hope

After completing her training, Flypaw earns her warrior name of Flywhisker.

Graystripe's Vow

"That sounds great, Flipclaw, but unfortunately, we can’t all live inside your imagination. Only you can live there."

―Flywhisker rejecting Flipclaw ^{Graystripe's Vow, page 64}

Flywhisker, Graystripe, Thornclaw, Flipclaw, and Snaptooth all leave ThunderClan to wander for a moon. She tells Flipclaw that he's not her type, and rejects him again when he imagines what the patrol should do. She wonders what life would be like as a kittypet, and Snaptooth tries to discourage her, but she defends herself. As the wander continues, Graystripe becomes close with the young cats, but he surprises them when he declares that he is going to the Tribe of Rushing Water. When Graystripe goes to the mountains, Snaptooth and Flywhisker stay behind. Later, he reminisces on the night where Flywhisker broke Flipclaw's heart, and he assumed that that was one of the reasons Flipclaw had decided to accompany Graystripe on his quest to the mountains.

In the Novellas

Spotfur's Rebellion

Coming Soon

Daisy's Kin

Daisy recalls that Flywhisker had been one of the cats who had left ThunderClan on a wander. She wonders if she should've gone with Flywhisker and the others that day.