Softwing

"Can he do that? Change his mind about what he wants to be?"

— Softwing about Mudfur becoming a medicine cat in Crookedstar's Promise, page 375

Softwing
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Last known:	RiverClan
Names
Apprentice:	Softpaw
Warrior:	Softwing
Queen:	Softwing
Kin
Mate:	Owlfur
Daughters:	Dawnbright, Mallowtail
Education
Mentor:	Fallowtail
Apprentices:	Skyheart, Stonefur
Book appearances
Living	Tallstar's Revenge, Crookedstar's Promise, Leopardstar's Honor, Redtail's Debt, Onestar's Confession
Living	Tallstar's Revenge, Crookedstar's Promise, Leopardstar's Honor, Redtail's Debt, Onestar's Confession

Softwing is a small, lithe, snowy-white she-cat with tabby patches.

Softwing was a warrior of RiverClan under Hailstar's and Crookedstar's leaderships in the forest territories. She was an apprentice named Softpaw with Fallowtail as her mentor, and she and Whitepaw trained together to become warriors. She eventually earned her warrior name, Softwing, and became mates with Owlfur. She had two kits, Mallowkit and Dawnkit. Softwing later mentored Stonefur.

History

In the Super Editions

Crookedstar's Promise

"I don't know why we have to learn to climb. It's not natural."

―Softpaw to Fallowtail ^{Crookedstar's Promise, page 58}

Softpaw, along with Whitepaw, is weaving reeds into the tattered apprentices' den after the storm that destroyed RiverClan's camp. The kits volunteer to help them, and Softpaw peers out from the structure, asking if they have a whole reed. She signals sarcasm by her tail quivering and stating that they'd be finished quickly with help like this.

She is on the dawn patrol with Whitepaw, when Stormkit thinks about how he wants to go outside the camp after asking Brambleberry, and mutters that the two apprentices are lucky. Later, Softpaw drags stale moss from the elders' den while the elders share fresh-kill with Hailstar and Shellheart. Her mentor, Fallowtail, waits at the entrance, and calls for Softpaw to come, for she wants to teach her a new battle move. Softpaw answers that it won't be long.

After Rainflower convinces Hailstar to rename Stormkit to Crookedkit, Hailstar gets ready to call a Clan meeting. Softpaw lifts her chin and hisses to Whitepaw that they might be getting their warrior names. Whitepaw glances at his mentor, but Softpaw's guess turns out to be wrong. Later, Fallowtail teaches Softpaw how to climb a tree, which she complains that RiverClan cats shouldn't need to learn how to climb, because it isn't natural for them. When Crookedkit returns to RiverClan from his journey to find the Moonstone, he comes to figure out that Softpaw, along with her denmate Whitepaw, had earned their warrior names, Softwing and Whitefang.

After a Twoleg kit falls into the icy river, a patrol consisting of Shellheart, Owlfur, Oakpaw, and Softwing returns to camp. Softwing announces that Oakpaw saved them from a dog. Softwing and the patrol explain that a dog attacked them but Oakpaw stalled the dog long enough for the patrol to climb up a tree. Softwing compliments Oakpaw, stating he was brave, and that the dog nearly got her. Owlfur, acting protective, curls his tail over her back. Softwing is then chosen for the battle patrol to take Sunningrocks from ThunderClan.

Softwing later shares a bony trout with Brambleberry. They hear a dog bark, and Crookedpaw suggests Softwing and Shimmerpelt to lure it away since they are fast. Softwing is quick to accept when Hailstar asks if they are quick enough. Softwing and Shimmerpelt lure out the dog and then run. After, during Shimmerpelt's kitting, Echomist and Softwing are huddled near Mudfur, having an urgent, whispered conversation, with Willowpaw pacing around her. Hailstar chooses Softwing for the patrol to remark Sunningrocks as RiverClan territory. Hailstar tells Softwing to mark Shellheart's side. Softwing later gets an apprentice, Skypaw. Owlfur teases Softwing, saying Skypaw will wear her whiskers off. Softwing responds saying she can handle her.

Softwing is chosen for the second patrol to show ThunderClan that Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan. When Mudfur beats Adderfang, Softwing defends him by saying Mudfur did win Sunningrocks for them. When Skypaw begs Softwing to visit Sunningrocks, Softwing tells her they will later, after Skypaw clears out Birdsong's nest. When Mudfur decides to train as a medicine cat under Brambleberry due to the fact that he wants to save lives instead of destroy them, Softwing asks Timberfur if he is allowed to do that. Later, Softwing takes Owlfur as a mate, and together they have two daughters, Mallowkit and Dawnkit, who later become warriors with the names Mallowtail and Dawnbright.

Leopardstar's Honor

«Of course, Tanglewhisker and Softwing preferred birds. She shuddered. Why would any cat want to eat their way through smelly feathers when fish came from the river clean and easy to bite into?»

—Leopardfur's thoughts about Softwing's preferred choice of prey ^{Leopardstar's Honor', page 77}

Softwing takes her apprentice Skypaw on a fishing lesson along with Sunpaw and Leopardpaw. When Whitefang and Leopardpaw separate from the group to look for a shallower part of the river, Softwing promises to catch up with them later. When Skypaw comforts Leopardpaw when her father is injured after defending Sunningrocks, Softwing calls her apprentice to come help tidy the fresh-kill pile. Softwing observes Skypaw's warrior assessment, though she fails to catch anything, but Softwing commends her technique. Skypaw eventually passes and earns her warrior name of Skyheart.

Leopardfur is determined to bring home prey for Softwing, Graypool, Mallowkit, and Dawnkit. Leopardfur checks in on the queens while repairing the nursery. Hailstar decides to lead an expedition to fetch dry bedding from the barn for the queens and the kits. After Oakheart's death, Leopardfur asks Softwing to lead a hunting patrol. Later, Softwing commends Leopardfur's patrol on their catch. She later patrols the ThunderClan border.

Onestar's Confession

Softwing is now mentoring Stonepaw.

In the Novellas

Redtail's Debt

Speckletail tells Sunstar her patrol found Softwing, Owlfur, and Ottersplash on Sunningrocks.

Character pixels

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

Kin

Members

Mate:

Owlfur: Living (As of Leopardstar's Honor)

Daughters:

Dawnbright: Living (As of Leopardstar's Honor)

Mallowtail: Living (As of Leopardstar's Honor)

Tree

Softwing ♀

Owlfur ♂

Mallowtail ♀

Dawnbright ♀

    = Tom

    = She-cat

    = Gender unknown

Appearances

• Tallstar's Revenge (Allegiance only)
• Crookedstar's Promise (First appearance)
• Leopardstar's Honor
• Redtail's Debt (Mentioned only)
• Onestar's Confession (Allegiance only)

Trivia

Interesting facts

• Unlike the rest of RiverClan, Softwing prefers to eat birds over fish.

Author statements

• Kate believes Softwing to have green-brown mackerel tabby patches.

Mistakes

• In Crookedstar's Promise, it is stated that her kits had died; however, they are shown as warriors later on in the book.
• In Crookedstar's Promise, in the allegiances, it is stated that Fallowtail was her mentor at the time Softwing was an apprentice, but at the time Fallowtail was in the nursery.

Continuity

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

• On Vicky's Facebook, Softwing resides in StarClan.

Quotes

"Maybe we'll get our warrior names by chasing that dog!"

―Softpaw to Whitepaw ^{Crookedstar's Promise, page 84}

Owlfur: "She'll wear out your whiskers."

Softwing: "I can handle her."

^{Crookedstar's Promise, page 340}

External links

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

Notes and references

Author references