Gorsetail (PoT)

"Yeah, get back into your own territory, or we'll tear your fur off."

— Gorsetail threatening Lionblaze and Jayfeather in Sunrise, page 294

Gorsetail (PoT)
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	WindClan
Names
Warrior:	Gorsetail
Queen:	Gorsetail
Elder:	Gorsetail
Kin
Mate:	Beechfur
Daughters:	Thistleheart, Swallowtail, Sedgewhisker
Education
Apprentices:	Crouchfoot, Hootwhisker
Book appearances
Living	Power of Three, Omen of the Stars, A Vision of Shadows, Lost Stars, Super Editions, Novellas
Living	Power of Three, Omen of the Stars, A Vision of Shadows, Lost Stars, Super Editions, Novellas

Gorsetail is a mottled, very pale gray-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes and a gray-and-white paw.

History

In the Super Editions

Crowfeather's Trial

As the cats make their way back to camp from the memorial stones, Gorsetail walks with a cluster of her Clanmates, exclaiming she can't believe Onestar tells them to remember the fallen warriors, but he's fine with the traitors who killed them remaining in the Clan. Crouchfoot defends the cats who turned against the Dark Forest after they learned of their true intentions, and Leaftail meows not all of them did, and the cats turn to stare at Breezepelt. Gorsetail murmurs that it doesn't seem right for Breezepelt to stay, saying Onestar doesn't think he's a traitor because he didn't try to kill a WindClan cat, but thinks fighting for the Dark Forest is just as bad, and wonders how they can ever trust him again. Unaware of Crowfeather being within earshot, she meows the Clan would be better off if a badger took care of Breezepelt. At Crowfeather's shocked gasp, the cats look at him with expressions of horror. Gorsetail begins to say something, but Crowfeather ignores her.

Hootpaw tells his Clanmates about the strange white creature he saw in the tunnel entrance, saying he believes it was a ghost cat, and it looked like it wanted to give him a message. Gorsetail asks what the message was, and Hootpaw gives his fur an embarrassed lick, saying it didn't give him one, and just vanished back in the tunnel. Later, she eats and vole and mews that she thinks rats are living in the tunnels, and the white cat Hootpaw saw was a snow white kittypet going in after them. She says if it wasn't a ghost then, it might be one now, only a kittypet would be dumb enough to take on a whole colony of rats alone.

After Nightcloud goes missing in the tunnels and is presumed dead, at her vigil, Onestar officially makes Gorsetail Hootpaw's new mentor. When cats speak against Breezepelt, Gorsetail defends the tom, and says they forgive their Clanmates, even if they've made terrible mistakes. She then goes hunting with her apprentice, Crowfeather, and Larkwing. Later, after overhearing Breezepelt's advice to the apprentices to be careful, Leaftail and Gorsetail are seen with their heads close together as Leaftail whispers that Breezepelt is supposed to be some scary Dark Forest warrior, but he sounds more like a mouse-heart. Crowfeather hisses at them to get back to work, and the two cats bound away. During another attempt to get rid of the stoats, Gorsetail and Larkwing are ordered to place rabbits near one of the tunnel entrances to lure them out so they are easier to fight.

She is on dawn patrol with Hootpaw and Furzepelt, and leads Bramblestar, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze into WindClan's camp when they wish to speak with Onestar. Afterwords, Onestar gives Gorsetail and Furzepelt the order to escort them back to ThunderClan's territory. When Crowfeather figures out where Nightcloud is and is gathering Breezepelt and Heathertail to go rescue her, Hootpaw asks Gorsetail's permission to join. Gorsetail grants it, so long as she comes along too. Crowfeather agrees and they set off. With a severe look, she tells Hootpaw to stick by her if they run into any stoats. When they pass through ThunderClan's territory and have to disguise their scent, Hootpaw is reluctant to get their smell on his fur, and Gorsetail cuffs him around the ears and says he will do as he is told, or they could still go back to camp.

They are found by a ThunderClan patrol, and after hearing the situation, Ivypool allows them to stay, with her and Bumblestripe as an escort. Gorsetail begins to protest, however, Crowfeather stops her with a lash of his tail, and agrees to let them stay. Along with her Clanmates, Gorsetail murmurs her own agreement. After they are chased by foxes, they climb trees to escape, and Gorsetail grabs Hootpaw as he jumps from his tree to the one she is in. Upon reaching the Thunderpath and a monster passes, Gorsetail warns Hootpaw that they are dangerous and and have killed cats before, but Hootpaw appears to be too excited to take her words too seriously.

When they reach some Twoleg nests, Gorsetail warns Hootpaw to not do anything stupid. Gorsetail keeps watch while the others help free Nightcloud from the Twoleg nest. As Nightcloud dodges the male Twoleg, Gorsetail runs between his legs, nearly tripping him. The rescue mission is a success, but they return to camp to find the stoats have attacked while they were away. Gorsetail and Breezepelt are ordered to repair the camp. She and Breezepelt are sent to RiverClan to ask for Mothwing's help with herbs.

Bramblestar's Storm

Gorsetail is a part of Nightcloud's patrol, along with Hootpaw. They demand to know what the ThunderClan cats are doing with the big white bird, claiming to have injured it, and that Molewhisker would never have caught it otherwise. While Sandstorm quietly tells Bramblestar that Firestar would have let them have the bird, he retorts that he isn't Firestar. Gorsetail overhears this, muttering that he absolutely isn't Firestar.

She is a part of another WindClan patrol that Bramblestar sees on his way back from investigating the border. When he asks Crowfeather how the WindClan cats are, they retort that they haven't crossed the stream. Gorsetail insults Jessy, Minty, and Frankie, sarcastically saying that they're very effective additions to ThunderClan's hunting patrols.

Tigerheart's Shadow

Tigerheart's Shadow does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

In the Power of Three arc

The Sight

Even though she is not listed in the allegiances, she does formally appear. She tells Sedgekit to come inside the den, interrupting the kit in the middle of informing Millie that kittypets can't be real warriors when she returns to the Clans with Graystripe.

Dark River

When Leafpool and Jaypaw visit the WindClan camp to speak to Onestar, Gorsetail comes running into the clearing, frantic. She tells Onestar that her kits, Swallowkit, Thistlekit, and Sedgekit, have gone missing. She says that she had left the nursery to stretch her legs, but when she came back they had disappeared. She had tried to follow their trail, but it had disappeared near RiverClan's border. She is convinced that a hawk took them all. Onestar tries to calm her down, saying that a hawk wouldn't be able take three kits at once. He then promises to send a search patrol to look for them.

Afterwards, a WindClan patrol consisting of Ashfoot, Breezepaw, and Heatherpaw run into the clearing. Ashfoot tells Onestar that they saw a RiverClan patrol on their territory, and that they had found rabbit blood where the RiverClan patrol had just been. Gorsetail becomes terrified, and questions if they're sure it was rabbit blood they had found. WindClan becomes convinced that it was RiverClan who took the kits.

Her kits wander into the underground tunnels and get lost. Hollypaw, Jaypaw, Lionpaw, Breezepaw, and Heatherpaw enter the tunnels to go and find them. They soon rescue the kits and bring them to Onestar, stopping the battle that would have ensued between WindClan and ThunderClan, and stopping a battle against RiverClan in the process.

Outcast

Outcast does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Eclipse

Eclipse does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Long Shadows

Long Shadows does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Sunrise

Gorsetail's kits, Sedgekit, Swallowkit, and Thistlekit, are now apprentices with the names Sedgepaw, Swallowpaw, and Thistlepaw. When Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze came to the WindClan border to see Crowfeather, she is on a patrol with Owlwhisker and Weaselfur and tells the ThunderClan cats that they had better stay off their border or they will tear their fur off. She is very hostile towards them for crossing the border.

In the Omen of the Stars arc

The Fourth Apprentice

The Fourth Apprentice does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances. Two of her kits are now warriors, with the names Sedgewhisker and Swallowtail.

Fading Echoes

Fading Echoes does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Night Whispers

Night Whispers does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Sign of the Moon

Sign of the Moon does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

The Forgotten Warrior

The Forgotten Warrior does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

The Last Hope

Gorsetail appears in a patrol consisting of Owlwhisker, Nightcloud, and Crouchpaw as Jayfeather returns from RiverClan. She helps Jayfeather out of a thornbush using her muzzle. Nightcloud and Crouchpaw call Jayfeather a murderer, and she then silences them, saying he is a Clan cat that needs their help. She asks him if he can walk back to the ThunderClan border by himself, as Owlwhisker inspects him stating he is fit to go. She is padding behind him as they head to the ThunderClan camp. She fights in the WindClan patrol for ShadowClan against the Dark Forest warriors.

In the A Vision of Shadows arc

The Apprentice's Quest

The Apprentice's Quest does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Thunder and Shadow

As Kestrelflight arrives for the medicine cat meeting, Gorsetail and Sedgewhisker stiffly follows him. The other medicine cats protest about their presence, but Gorsetail reassures they are not staying. She halts as the medicine cat reaches the Moonpool. Kestrelflight tells the cats are there due to Onestar ordering so and says to his Clanmates they can go. Gorsetail climbs up the slope after Sedgewhisker to wait outside the hollow. Leafpool asks why Gorsetail and Sedgewhisker were prickly and Kestrelflight replies that Onestar has been heavily reinforcing rules and punishing any cats that break them.

When Leafpool and Alderpaw enter WindClan, Gorsetail's fur is glimpsed among the long grass. Leafpool calls to her and Emberfoot and the cats jerk their heads, anger in their eyes. Leafpool states they need to visit Kestrelflight and Gorsetail asks what for. Leafpool replies that it’s medicine cat business and the two WindClan cats flatten their ears in mistrust. Gorsetail eventually grudgingly agrees to take them to their medicine cat. They led the two cats to WindClan camp and when they arrive, Gorsetail nods to a gorse wall and informs the medicine cats Kestrelflight is in there.

Shattered Sky

Gorsetail is the lead of a patrol consisting of her, Oatclaw, and Featherpelt. They stand behind her as she asks Crowfeather what is going on as he faces a ThunderClan patrol. Crowfeather explains that the ThunderClan patrol want to speak to Onestar but he doesn't want to see them. Bramblestar adds they have very important information and Gorsetail glances at the leader for a moment, drawing a paw over an ear. She eventually suggests that Onestar would want to hear what Bramblestar has to say, and declares they had better escort them to WindClan's camp. Crowfeather asks the she-cat if she is mouse-brained, as she was standing next to him when Onestar ordered all cats to be kept out of the territory.

Gorsetail tells Crowfeather that he is mouse-brained himself as Bramblestar wouldn't come if there was something Onestar didn't need to know, and she'll take responsibility for it if it bothers him that much. Crowfeather mutters and tells her to not come crying to him if Onestar decides to claws her ears, to which Gorsetail dryly states she will take the risk. The she-cat watches Crowfeather's patrol leave before turning to the ThunderClan patrol, telling them to hurry up and that whatever they have to say had better be good. Bramblestar follows her up the slope and when they're close to the camp, Gorsetail sends Oatclaw to warn Onestar of their arrival.

After the ThunderClan cats talk to Onestar, she says that she will escort them to the border, beckoning to a few of her Clanmates to join her with a whisk of her tail. The ThunderClan cats stay quiet, as they see no point in talking to the WindClan warriors.

When Onestar tells of how he used to go off and make friends with kittypets and Whitetail says she cannot believe their leader would do this, Gorsetail points out he wasn't Clan leader then.

Darkest Night

Darkest Night does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

River of Fire

Gorsetail, along with Nightcloud, and Nightcloud's apprentice, Brindlepaw, are seen racing towards RiverClan's territory. They meet with a ThunderClan patrol, and Gorsetail, panting, asks if Sparkpelt, Larksong, and the others are also headed towards RiverClan's territory to investigate the fire that is raging through RiverClan's land. Anxious, Gorsetail worries that RiverClan would not accept their help, due to the borders being closed.

The Raging Storm

Coming Soon

In The Broken Code arc

Lost Stars

Lost Stars does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances. She has now retired and has become an elder.

In the Novellas

Hollyleaf's Story

Hollyleaf's Story does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Mistystar's Omen

Mistystar's Omen does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Dovewing's Silence

Dovewing's Silence does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Tawnypelt's Clan

Tawnypelt's Clan does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Trivia

Interesting Facts

• She and Leaftail have not forgiven Breezepelt for his actions during the Great Battle.

Mistakes

• There are some inconsistencies with Gorsetail's gender. She has been listed as male, female, or no gender at all. These mistakes begin in Dark River, and continue into more recent books, including Bramblestar's Storm and Dovewing's Silence. The following list shows which books have Gorsetail as which gender:
  • Male: The Fourth Apprentice, Fading Echoes, Sign of the Moon, The Forgotten Warrior, The Last Hope, Hollyleaf's Story, Dovewing's Silence, and Bramblestar's Storm.
  • Female: Mistystar's Omen, Dark River, Outcast, Eclipse, Night Whispers, The Apprentice's Quest,Thunder and Shadow, Shattered Sky, Darkest Night, Tigerheart's Shadow, River of Fire, and Crowfeather's Trial.
  • No Gender Specified: Long Shadows, and Sunrise
• While one of her granddaughters was listed as 'Ferntail' in the allegiance list preview for The Apprentice's Quest on Kate's blog, no such character exists in the final printing of the book.

Character pixels

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

Kin

Members

Mate:

Beechfur: Living (As of The Fourth Apprentice)

Daughters:

Swallowtail: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Sedgewhisker: Living (As of Wind)

Thistleheart: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Granddaughters:

Larkwing: Status unknown

Fernstripe: Living (As of Wind)

Featherpelt: Living (As of Wind)

Great-granddaughters:

Whistlepaw: Status unknown

Songpaw: Status unknown

Great-grandson:

Flutterpaw: Status unknown

Tree

Gorsetail ♀

Beechfur ♂

Emberfoot ♂

Sedgewhisker ♀

Thistleheart ♀

Swallowtail ♀

Larkwing ♀

Featherpelt ♀

Oatclaw ♂

Stripekit ♂

Brookkit ♂

Flutterfoot ♂

Songleap ♀

Whistlepaw ♀

Branchkit

Leafkit ♀

Grasskit

    = Tom

    = She-cat

    = Gender unknown

Quotes

Gorsetail: "My kits are gone! [...] Sedgekit, Thistlekit, and Swallowkit! All of them! Disappeared!"

Onestar: "When did you last see them?"

^{Dark River}

Nightcloud: "Murderer!"

Gorsetail: "Be quiet! This is a Clan cat who needs our help."

^{The Last Hope}

Gorsetail: "I can’t believe it! Onestar tells us all to remember the fallen warriors, but he’s fine with the traitors who killed them staying in the Clan."

Crouchfoot: "Hey, that’s not fair, WindClan cats didn’t kill their Clanmates. Most of the cats who trained with the Dark Forest turned against them when they found out what was really going on."

^{Crowfeather's Trial}

Bramblestar: "I'm not Firestar. We caught this fairly, so it belongs to us."

Gorsetail: "Absolutely right, you're not Firestar."

^{Bramblestar's Storm}

"Oh yes. We've seen the latest additions to your hunting patrols. Very effective - not!"

―Gorsetail mocking a ThunderClan patrol ^{Bramblestar's Storm}

Gorsetail: "What's going on? What do these cats want?"

Crowfeather: "They say they have to speak to Onestar. But Onestar won't want to speak to them."

^{Shattered Sky}

Whitetail: "Our Clan leader going off to make friends with kittypets!"

Gorsetail: "Well, he wasn't leader then."

^{Shattered Sky}

External links

• The Journey So Far: The Raging Storm on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only)