Stonepelt

"A good warrior learns from his Clanmates."

— Stonepelt to Bluekit in Bluestar's Prophecy, page 19

Stonepelt
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	ThunderClan
Names
Warrior:	Stonepelt
Elder:	Stonepelt
StarClan resident:	Unknown
Education
Apprentice:	Bluestar
Book appearances
Living	Pinestar's Choice, Crookedstar's Promise, Bluestar's Prophecy
Living	Pinestar's Choice, Crookedstar's Promise, Bluestar's Prophecy

Stonepelt is a gray tabby tom with a long scar on his shoulder and a broad head.

History

In the Super Editions

Crookedstar's Promise

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

Bluestar's Prophecy

Stonepelt is sleeping in the warriors' den when Bluekit and Snowkit are wandering around the camp for the first time. The two hide in the warriors' den, and Bluekit runs into him by accident, waking him up. Bluekit notes that he is even bigger than Dapplepaw as he introduces himself, and asks the kits if they are looking for Stormtail. Snowkit eagerly inquires if her father is there, but Stonepelt tells the kit he is out hunting. Bluekit declares they weren't after Stormtail but are hiding from Patchkit and Leopardkit, causing Stonepelt to sigh that he supposes they're playing hide and seek.

Bluekit defensively says they didn't want to be sheparded around the camp by the older kits and intead look around it themselves, making Stonepelt remind them that a good warrior learns from his Clanmates. Snowkit blurts out that she thought it would be more fun doing it for themselves which causes Stonepelt's fur to bristle; he meows in annoyance that it isn't fun being woken up from a well deserved nap by a horde of stampeding kits. Bluekit's sister apologises, and the gray tom snorts that it's what happens when kits are allowed to wander. His gaze then wanders over to the fresh-kill pile, and decides that since he is awake he might as well eat, leaving the two kits alone.

After being caught sniffing around Pinestar's den, Featherwhisker takes the sisters to meet the elder's instead. Bluekit tries to hide her frustration at being herded around again, but reminds herself about what Stonepelt had said; that a good warrior learns from her Clanmates.

When Bluekit and Snowkit are waiting to meet their father, Stormtail, for the first time, Bluekit is disappointed when Stonepelt walks into the camp with a bird in his mouth instead of her father. She shuffles her paws as he walks part, hoping he wouldn't notice her, as she isn't sure if he is still angry at her for the incident in the warriors' den. Stormtail growls that Stonepelt had told him they had interrupted his sleep the previous day, and warns them to stay away from it in the future before he pads off.

At Leopardkit and Patchkit's apprentice ceremony, he is sitting next to Speckletail. Moonflower walks up and sits behind Speckletail and Stonepelt, telling Bluekit and Snowkit to sit next to her. Looking over his shoulder, Stonepelt asks if the kits are there to see their first Clan meeting and Bluekit nods, glad to see warmth in the warrior's eyes. Moonflower turns to Stonepelt and asks him if he knew what the meeting was about, but before he can answer, Speckletail tells Moonflower that she thinks Pinestar has something special planned for two kits.

Bluekit sees both Stormtail and Stonepelt in the clearing after she and Sunfall return to the camp, padding towards the commotion from the direction of the nettle patch. After learning that WindClan scent has been found inside ThunderClan's borders, he says that leaf-fall always makes them more nervous, and it won't be the first time hunger has driven them to hunt over the border.

Pinestar spontaneously decides to call a meeting as the Clan disperses from the discussion; he decides both Bluekit and Snowkit are to be given their apprentice names. The leader gives the gray-blue she-cat Stonepelt as her mentor, and the tom pads to her side. After the ceremony, he remarks teasingly that Bluepaw is still not allowed in the warriors' den, and nudges her head with his nose.

On Bluepaw's first day of training, he asks her if she is ready to climb the ravine again, shaking the new apprentice from her thoughts. She asks if they're going out immediately, and he meows that it's better if they begin as soon as possible, considering a batle with WindClan may be on the horizon. He leads the way out of the camp and Bluepaw exciedtly thinks about what she may learn from him on her first day; whether it could be how to find the juciest prey, or fierce battle moves, her heart racing as she follows the tom along the ravine.

His apprentice speeds up after they encounter both Sparrowpelt and Snowpaw, who are also going into the forest. Scree clatters down after her and Stonepelt warns the she-cat to be careful, as Clanmates could be following them. Bluepaw apologises as she slows down, but her frustration is evident as the gray tom advises her that speed isn't everything, and a warrior who runs ahead of the prey will catch less. They catch up to Bluepaw's sister before Sparrowpelt calls to Snowpaw that he'll show her the river. Bluepaw queries if they'll go to the river too, but Stonepelt shake his head and explains he has something much more important for her to do. As she follows her mentor she then asks if they're going to hunt, but he meows that they won't today as he leaps over a fallen tree and waits for her. She continues to ask what they'll do, asking if they'll go on a border patrol, or even show her the borders, but he responds in the negative to all her guesses.

As they pad down a slope Bluepaw attempts to guess some more, this time asking if it'll be batle training, and thinks her mentor must have something really amazing planned if he is being that secretive. He responds that they'll do that another time, causing her to ask what they're going to do. Stonepelt stops in front of an oak tree before saying that he's going to teach her how to gather moss for the elders, much to her dismay. He reminds her that it keeps their nests warm, and when she shes to explain something, he intterupts, calmly asking Bluepaw if she wanted the elders to come up there and gather it themselves. She almost says she thought it'd be something better but bites it back before starting to claw at the moss.

The gray tom puts his paw over hers as he asks for her to stop, since she is pulling up dirt alongside the moss. He shows her how to gather it properly by using her claws, demonstrating and ending up with a neat square of moss. Bluepaw copies him, and while her piece is smaller and more ragged than his, he praises her and tells her to keep practicing. Stonepelt watches as she does so, her pieces becoming less ragged and thicker as she slowly starts to become better at it. She pauses for a moment to look at him for some approval, and notes his eyes are glowing as he purrs that she is a natural, and even if she doesn't know it, she is learning valuable hunting skills. The she-cat blinks and asks how, and he explains that with every swipe of her claw she is getting more controlled, and she learns how to cleanly scratch an enemy's muzzle and kill prey swiftly.

Stonepelt also shows Bluepaw how to carry as much moss as possible when she attempts to grab it with her teeth. He warns that they'd have to make several journeys if they carried it that way, before demonstrating how to squash it down and roll it up into a bundle. Stonepelt then tucks the moss under his chin, leaving his jaws free to carry even more. Bluepaw purrs and thinks that he looks funny like that, causing him to sternly tell her to not twitch her whiskers at him, and if she'd rather climb the ravine twice. Bluepaw shakes her head and he flicks his tail, meowing that he thought as much. The pair then make the trek home, with Bluepaw dropping her bundle twice. Stonepelt waits patiently both times as she regathers it, and breaking her fall as she attempts to scramble down the ravine with her prize.

Bluepaw encounters her denmate, Leopardpaw, and explains she's been learning how to use her claws and carry two pieces of prey at once. Leopardpaw sniffs that she's obviously been moss gathering, and walks off. Bluepaw spots Stonepelt watching in amusement beside the fallen tree, beofe growling under her breath and gathering her moss again before rejoining him. As she spits out her moss, she asks if there's some rule against putting thistles in a denmates nest, making the tom shake his head with a twitch of his whiskers. He purrs that he didn't think there was, but she certainly wouldn't be the first to do so, and proceeds to gather his moss bundle and pushes his way into the den of the fallen tree. He starts picking through the old bracken of Weedwhisker's nest, and his apprentice hurries over to help him. The gray tom tells her to pass him the most after they remove most of the old bedding, with him expertly clawing it apart and tucking it into what bracken is remaining. He finishes with a promise to Weedwhisker that they'll get some fresh bracken the next day.

Weedwhisker climbs into his fresh nest as they start to change out Larksong's bedding, becore complaining that there is a thorn in it. Stonepelt immediately offers to take a look for the ginger tom, looking through the nest until he finds some tough moss with some root in it. Weedwhisker sighs that every new apprentice seems to do that, before climbing back in and sniffing that the moss is also a little damp. Stonepelt reassures him that it'll dry now that it is away from the tree. While Bluepaw thinks that the orange tom seems to be ungrateful, her mentor simply turns away and patiently begins to work on Larkson'g nest again. Once they have finished with making new bedding and disposing of it, Bluepaw is worn out, so the gray tom meows that she deserves a meal, and should get something from the pile and share with her denmates. Soon after, he promises to take her hunting the next day, surprising Bluepaw and causing her to look up at him. He tells her that they'll leave at sunhigh, and see if she can use what she's learnt on real prey.

He takes her out for her first hunting lesson the next day, along with Snowpaw and Sparrowpelt. Stonepelt is very proud when Bluepaw catches a squirrel as big as she is. As a reward, he decides to take her to the Gathering. Just before leaving for the Gathering, Stonepelt is seen talking to Stormtail near the camp barrier. He is the said to of introduced Bluepaw to a RiverClan cat.

The day after the Gathering, Stonepelt is seen sheltering beside a nettle patch with Goosefeather and Featherwhisker. He tells Bluepaw to eat and then go clear out the nursery. Later, when Goosefeather is sent a vision from StarClan in a vole's fur, Stonepelt is seen hurrying out of the warriors den with Dappletail. During the battle with WindClan, he receives a bad injury on his shoulder, leaving a large scar on his shoulder. When it doesn't heal properly, he is forced to retire as an elder, as he cannot hunt or fight properly anymore. Sunfall then takes his place as Bluepaw's mentor.

When Bluepaw and her new mentor, Sunfall, are out hunting, Bluepaw thinks about Stonepelt and wishes that he was still her mentor rather than Sunfall. Later in the book, when Smallear cannot get any sleep in the warriors' den because of Bluefur's kits, he says that he would see if he could squeeze in for a nap in the elders' den with Stonepelt.

At the end of the book, his former apprentice is now ThunderClan's leader. Bluestar mourns for Stonepelt, but she never mentions how her former mentor died.

In the Novellas

Pinestar's Choice

Stonepelt is one of the cats who joins Moonflower on the assult on WindClan's herb supply. While Moonflower is killed by Hawkheart, Stonepelt escapes with his life, although he has a bad wound on his shoulder.

In the Field Guides

Secrets of the Clans

Stonepelt was Bluestar's first mentor and a very well-respected senior warrior of ThunderClan. It is revealed in this book that he took her to the Gathering on her second day as an apprentice because she had caught a squirrel very well for a new apprentice, and the squirrel had been as big as she was. Stonepelt was so impressed, he let Bluepaw go ahead of the older apprentices.

Trivia

Interesting Facts

• Stonefur is named after him.

Character Pixels

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

Quotes

"Speed isn't everything...A warrior who runs ahead of the prey catches less."

―Stonepelt teaching Bluepaw to hunt ^{Bluestar's Prophecy}

"The first lesson of hunting is patience."

―Stonepelt explaining what Bluepaw's first hunting lesson would be about ^{Bluestar's Prophecy}