"Onestar, I love you. We share a kit, and you have been my closest companion for so many moons. I haven't always understood the decisions you made, especially lately, but I would never give up on you for a mistake like this. Our lives are too short." |
— Whitetail to Onestar about his secret in Onestar's Confession, page 440 |
Whitetail is a small[7] pure[3] white she-cat.[7]
Whitetail was a WindClan elder who previously served as a warrior under Tallstar's and Onestar's leaderships in the forest and lake territories. She was born to Sorrelshine with an unknown number of littermates. As an apprentice, Whitepaw was mentored by Onewhisker, and after earning her warrior name, Whitetail gained a reputation for being clever, patient, and understanding. She spent some time in the nursery caring for other queens' kits. She and Onewhisker maintained a close friendship for many moons and relied on each other when Twolegs began poisoning rabbits that killed many of their Clanmates. The two eventually became mates. Unbeknownst to Whitetail, Onewhisker had been seeing the kittypet Smoke, but Onewhisker broke ties with her after realizing his feelings for Whitetail. He kept Smoke and their son Darkkit a secret from Whitetail out of fear of losing her. Whitetail supported Onewhisker when he was abruptly chosen to succeed Tallstar as leader, and the pair eventually had two daughters, Heatherkit and Galekit, though Galekit was stillborn. Whitetail later mentored Breezepelt and was chosen to go on the journey to the beaver dam. After the Great Battle, Whitetail retired to the elders' den. Following the reveal of Darktail's parentage, Whitetail forgave Onestar for keeping it a secret. Later, Whitetail died of unspecified causes and went to StarClan.
History[]
In The Prophecies Begin arc[]
Fire and Ice[]
- Whitepaw is a WindClan apprentice and her mentor is Onewhisker. She returns back to the moor with her Clan after being chased out of their territory by ShadowClan warriors led by Brokenstar.
A Dangerous Path[]
- She is now a warrior with the name of Whitetail.
In The New Prophecy arc[]
Dawn[]
- She is now a queen. She travels with the Clans from the forest to find a peaceful new home beside the lake.
Starlight[]
- "Calm down. Can't you scent the kits? He's only defending his nursery."
- ―Whitetail to the others when Smoky confronts them Starlight, page 227
- Whitetail brings Leafpaw to the sick elders. Crowfeather, angry that Leafpaw is there, tries to push her away, but Whitetail tells him to leave her alone. She continues to watch until Onewhisker tells Crowfeather to stay with Leafpaw because he wanted Whitetail for a hunting patrol. On the way to a Gathering, Cloudtail and Mudclaw get into an argument with a loner named Smoky that steadily escalates. Before a fight can break out, Whitetail stops Mudclaw, asking if he did not smell the presence of kits, and explaining that Smoky was only defending his nursery.
Twilight[]
- A WindClan patrol consisting of Crowfeather, Webfoot, Weaselpaw, and Whitetail meet a ThunderClan patrol at the border. They listen as Brambleclaw tells them that Firestar sent them to find out if Onewhisker had traveled to the Moonpool yet. Whitetail corrects him, saying he was called Onestar now. When ThunderClan is attacked by badgers, Onestar brings WindClan warriors to help fight them off, with Whitetail among them. As the battle finishes up, Whitetail sees that their missing Clanmate, Crowfeather, had returned.
In the Power of Three arc[]
The Sight[]
- Whitetail: "Be gentle, Crowfeather. He's had a bad shock. (to Jaypaw) You're safe now, little one. I'm Whitetail. This is Crowfeather, and these are our apprentices, Heatherpaw and Breezepaw. We won't hurt you."
- Breezepaw: "I think he might have guessed that by the way we just saved his life!"
- The Sight, pages 118-119
- When Crowfeather rounds on Jaypaw harshly for being away from his camp, Whitetail pleads to him to be gentle, as Jaypaw had just recovered from shock. She licks Jaypaw's ear, reassuring him that he was safe. As Jaypaw relaxes against her fur, Whitetail introduces herself, Breezepaw, Heatherpaw and Crowfeather, and adds that they wouldn't hurt him. When Breezepaw sarcastically says that Jaypaw should have figured that he was safe as the WindClan cats saved his life, Whitetail sharply tells Crowfeather that she wishes that he'd teach his son some manners. Turning back to Jaypaw, Whitetail asks Jaypaw several questions, but receives no information except that he would be in trouble when he went home. As Jaypaw begins to leave, Crowfeather instructs Whitetail to take Heatherpaw and Breezepaw back to camp while he guided Jaypaw home. She calls to Jaypaw, telling him to see his medicine cat as soon as he returns home.
- After dogs attack WindClan, Whitetail is mentioned when Crowfeather asks Breezepaw if he had checked the barrier all around. Breezepaw tells his father that Whitetail had ordered him to do so. After Nightcloud tells Crowfeather to have more faith in his son, Breezepaw chimes in, stating that Whitetail was his mentor, not him.
Dark River[]
- "We have woodland in our territory. It makes sense to use it. And we don’t want to be dependent on one sort of prey anymore. The elders still speak of the hunger WindClan suffered when Twolegs started poisoning the rabbits before the Great Journey."
- ―Whitetail explaining why WindClan hunted woodland prey Dark River, page 123
- At a border skirmish with ThunderClan, Whitetail fights for WindClan, battling against Brightheart and Poppypaw. Poppypaw is seen holding onto her back while Brightheart slashed at her ears. She leaves with WindClan when Ashfoot calls for a retreat. When Leafpool and Jaypaw come to WindClan asking for Onestar, Onestar appears on a returning patrol with Whitetail and Weaselfur following behind him.
Outcast[]
- Whitetail is on the patrol that escorts Squirrelflight and Hollypaw to WindClan's camp. When Squirrelflight asks how Breezepaw's training is going, Whitetail answers her by telling them that Breezepaw had led a patrol of apprentices to see if the dogs had come back without a single warrior for backup. Hollypaw remembers the story of Swiftpaw and Brightheart, who had done the same thing. Tornear goes on and explains how Breezepaw then caused a skirmish with RiverClan for which Onestar had to apologize to Mistyfoot. As they reach camp, Whitetail takes Squirrelflight and Hollypaw over to Onestar's den to see if he was there. Squirrelflight explains to Onestar how the Tribe of Rushing Water needed their help and asked Crowfeather to come with them to the mountains. Onestar decides that Crowfeather will go and bring Breezepaw with him, appointing Whitetail as Heatherpaw's temporary mentor.
Long Shadows[]
- Her apprentice becomes a warrior, Breezepelt.
Sunrise[]
- She, Tornear, Crowfeather, and Heathertail come across a ThunderClan patrol waiting at the border. Whitetail unsheathes her claws at the sight of them, suspicious. When Firestar requests to be taken to WindClan's camp to speak with Onestar, Tornear leads them there, while Crowfeather and Whitetail flank the patrol on either side. Once Firestar reveals that Ashfur had been killed at the border, her Clanmates are outraged that ThunderClan thought they had anything to do with his death. Whitetail says that none of them had any quarrel with Ashfur, and had no reason to kill him.
In the Omen of the Stars arc[]
The Fourth Apprentice[]
- «She spoke with conviction, her air of authority reminding Lionblaze that she was the most senior warrior, even though she was so small.»
- —Lionblaze's thoughts about Whitetail The Fourth Apprentice, page 139
- Later, Lionblaze organizes the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats to hunt to avoid breaking border rules. Whitetail points out that she and Sedgewhisker are more than capable of hunting for themselves. However, she sees the logic after Lionblaze allows the pair of she-cats to hunt for the patrol later on. The warrior offers her praise to Dovepaw's catch and eats her fill. After the cats eat, the white she-cat suggests they take turns leading. Lionblaze agrees, and allows her to take the first watch. Under her lead, the cats find water but as they do, Lionblaze alerts the patrol to dogs. Whitetail, Sedgewhisker and the RiverClan cats don't move as they reveal they can't climb trees. Dovepaw helps her into a tree and after the danger passes, Lionblaze reassures the senior warrior that had they needed to run away, she and Sedgewhisker would have outpaced them all. At Whitetail’s suggestion, the cats rest where they are that night.
- Whitetail and Sedgewhisker catch a rabbit as the patrol return from their respective hunts. She encourages the RiverClan cats to enjoy shared prey despite their protests of them not catching anything. However, after Rippletail and Petalfur manage to catch some fish to share. Whitetail tries some of the prey but states she would prefer to stick to her rabbit. Afterwards, the patrol continue on their way and Petalfur notices some strange animals. Whitetail tells her they're sheep and that they are seen all the time by WindClan cats. The she-cat leads them along the field but a dog sees them. Whitetail calls for them to head towards the sheep as the Twoleg won’t let their dog near the other animals.
- The patrol find themselves near a Twolegplace. Whitetail and Sedgewhisker scent rabbits and find them near a Twoleg nest. Three kittypets appear and guard the rabbits, claiming they belong to the Twolegs. Whitetail argues with them for a bit, but Lionblaze gets the patrol to hunt elsewhere instead. By sunrise, the patrol soon find the brown animals causing the water shortage. Whitetail points out that they would need to be away from the water when the logs are moved. She agrees with Lionblaze’s suggestion to scout the area as the strange animals know the territory better than the Clan cats. Whitetail leads the patrol to investigate the animals, as she notes their large teeth. Thanks to Dovepaw, she alerts the patrol of Twolegs ahead of them. She watches in disgust and annoyance when Sedgewhisker and Petalfur get too close to the Twolegs and get touched by them. When the two warriors rejoin the patrol, she goes to reprimand them but a stranger informs them that the Twolegs are more interested in the beavers. Whitetail repeats the name of the animals as the loner introduces himself as Woody.
- The patrol plan their attempt to dismantle the beaver’s dam. Whitetail, Sedgewhisker, Lionblaze, and Dovepaw, cross the stream while the others remain on the other side. The white warrior and Sedgewhisker head towards the top of the dam, but as they do the beavers attack. She falls from the logs, but catches herself before any serious injury. The warrior tears a claw in doing so as the Clan cats are overpowered by the brown animals. As they retreat, Whitetail limps as she joins the others to help Rippletail and his injury. When Woody scolds them for fighting foolishly, she steps between the loner and Tigerheart to stop the from fighting. Just after doing that, Rippletail succumbs to his wounds and passes away. Whitetail and Sedgewhisker move to comfort the tom’s Clanmate, Petalfur.
- After they bury Rippletail, the patrol decides they have to destroy the dam. Whitetail states they should act quickly, noting the weather is turning and that they still had to return to their Clans to reiterate what had transpired. She offers Woody her sympathy when he blames himself for Rippletail’s death. When they begin to plan how to destroy the dam, Whitetail protests they can’t return to the Clans for additional help as it is too far and that water was their priority. Lionblaze suggests the kittypets they had met earlier and the white she-cat doesn’t dismiss the idea. They find the kittypets and begin planning. Lionblaze organizes Whitetail and Sedgewhisker to be the ones to distract the beavers due to their speed. Woody goes with the two she-cats to give them directions. With that, Whitetail and her two companions begin the plan and draw the beavers away from their dam.
- However, the distraction doesn’t last long as the beavers return with the warriors in tow. The dam breaks, washing the patrol away as Whitetail and Sedgewhisker cling to a branch for safety. As the commotion settles, Whitetail gives her thanks to StarClan for helping them in their task and keeping them safe from the flood. The following day, the patrol make their return to the lake to bring news of their success. The patrol arrive back in ShadowClan territory and slowly part their ways. Whitetail and Sedgewhisker accompany Lionblaze and Dovepaw on the way back to ThunderClan before splitting ways at the border.
Fading Echoes[]
- "The quest is over. You must respect boundaries. Your loyalty should be with your own Clan."
- ―Whitetail to Dovepaw and Ivypaw Fading Echoes, page 66
Night Whispers[]
- When Swallowtail asks where Whitetail is, another cat replies that she is sharing Onestar's den for the night.
The Forgotten Warrior[]
- At a Gathering, when Onestar mentions that WindClan warriors have seen a ThunderClan cat scouting their territory, Crowfeather yowls that he has seen the cat, and Whitetail agrees with him.
The Last Hope[]
- Whitetail is on patrol with Owlwhisker and Crowfeather. They encounter Jayfeather and Mothwing, and Owlwhisker tells them to leave the territory. Whitetail says they are doing no harm, and not to believe everything ShadowClan says.
In the A Vision of Shadows arc[]
Shattered Sky[]
- "I never knew that! Our Clan leader going off to make friends with kittypets!"
- ―Whitetail outraged when Onestar reveals the truth about Darktail Shattered Sky, page 255
River of Fire[]
- "I thought things would get better with the rogues gone. But now I wonder."
- ―Whitetail at a Gathering with only ThunderClan, SkyClan, and WindClan attending River of Fire, page 125
In the Super Editions[]
Onestar's Confession[]
- Coming Soon
Crowfeather's Trial[]
- Larkwing: "But just suppose our Clanmates did return as ghosts. What would we say to them, do you think?"
- Whitetail: "I'd say we were sorry. Sorry that they never got to live out their lives as members of their Clan."
- Crowfeather's Trial, page 45
Squirrelflight's Hope[]
- When Plumstone and Eaglewing wonder why WindClan hasn't marked the border, Squirrelflight says they're probably having Whitetail's vigil, as the elder recently died.
In the Short stories and plays[]
Beyond the Code: Brightspirit's Mercy[]
- Whitetail appears in a patrol that finds Jaypaw, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze sharing some of ThunderClan's plentiful prey with WindClan, who had been starving. She is later seen with her apprentice, Breezepaw, and Ashfoot.
Character pixels[]
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. |
Official art[]
Please do not edit this gallery |
Kin[]
Members[]
Mate:
Daughters:
- Heathertail:[13] Living (As of Ivypool's Heart)
- Galekit:[13] Deceased, verified StarClan member
Mother:
- Sorrelshine:[14] Deceased, verified StarClan member
Siblings:
- Unnamed kits:[3] Status unknown
Granddaughters:
- Smokehaze:[15] Deceased, verified StarClan member
- Brindlewing:[15] Living (As of Ivypool's Heart)
- Appleshine:[16] Living (As of Ivypool's Heart)
- Woodsong:[16] Living (As of Ivypool's Heart)
Grandmother:
- Meadowslip:[17] Deceased, verified StarClan member
Grandfather:
- Hickorynose:[17] Deceased, verified StarClan member
Uncles:
- Deadfoot:[17] Deceased, verified StarClan member
- Pigeonflight:[17] Deceased, verified StarClan member
First cousins:
Tree[]
= Tom
= She-cat
= Gender unknown
Appearances[]
- Onestar's Confession
- Fire and Ice (First appearance)
- Forest of Secrets (Allegiance only)
- Tigerclaw's Fury (Allegiance only)
- Rising Storm (Allegiance only)
- A Dangerous Path (Allegiance only)
- The Darkest Hour (Allegiance only)
- Blackfoot's Reckoning (Allegiance only)
- Firestar's Quest (Allegiance only)
- Graystripe's Vow (Allegiance only)
- Mothwing's Secret (Allegiance only)
- Midnight (Allegiance only)
- Moonrise (Allegiance only)
- Dawn (Allegiance only)
- Starlight
- Twilight
- Sunset (Allegiance only)
- Leafpool's Wish (Allegiance only)
- The Sight
- Dark River
- Outcast
- Eclipse (Allegiance only)
- Long Shadows (Allegiance only)
- Sunrise
- Hollyleaf's Story (Allegiance only)
- The Fourth Apprentice
- Mistystar's Omen (Allegiance only)
- Fading Echoes
- Night Whispers (Allegiances appearance; mentioned in text)
- Sign of the Moon (Allegiance only)
- The Forgotten Warrior
- The Last Hope
- Dovewing's Silence (Allegiance only)
- Crowfeather's Trial
- Bramblestar's Storm (Allegiance only)
- The Apprentice's Quest (Allegiance only)
- Thunder and Shadow (Allegiance only)
- Shattered Sky
- Darkest Night (Allegiance only)
- Tigerheart's Shadow (Allegiance only)
- River of Fire
- Tawnypelt's Clan (Allegiance only)
- Spotfur's Rebellion (Allegiance only)
- The Raging Storm (Allegiance only)
- Squirrelflight's Hope † (Mentioned only)
- Secrets of the Clans (Mentioned only; retconned)
- Beyond the Code: Brightspirit's Mercy
Trivia[]
Interesting facts[]
- Whitetail's name is a combination of the most common prefix and suffix for a warrior name.
Mistakes[]
- She has been mistakenly called Whitewing.[22]
- She has been mistakenly described as a ShadowClan warrior.[23]
Continuity[]
The following information is from sources considered non-canon, retconned, or from adapted material.
- In Su Susann's "Missing Kits" on Vicky's Facebook, Whitetail and Webfoot were the kits of Crowfur and Larksplash,[24] and her younger siblings were Nightcloud and Gorsetail.[25] She was described with green eyes.[24] Onestar and Whitetail had two litters while living in the forest territories. They had their first litter, Willowclaw and Emberfoot, not long after Whitetail became a warrior, and their second litter was Rustlepaw, a golden tabby tom with a white belly and chest and green eyes, and Drizzlepaw, speckled brown-and-white she-cat with amber eyes. Both apprentices died of poisoned rabbits and went to StarClan.[26]
Quotes[]
- «Through the crisis, the white she-cat had been as steady as a rock, helping wherever she was needed. Both she and Onewhisker had been incredibly busy, especially as Tallstar was too weak to exert himself much. Even when her mother, Sorrelshine, had succumbed to the poison, Whitetail had braced herself and carried on. It terrified Onewhisker to see her break down like this.»
- —Onewhisker's thoughts about Whitetail's grief for the sickness Onestar's Confession, page 109
- Whitetail: "Well done. You're a great hunter! But you're injured, all of you. Off you go to Barkface's den, right now!"
- Onewhisker: "We're fine. (Whitetail bares her teeth) But okay, we're going!"
- Onestar's Confession, page 118
- «And how would I explain Smoke and her kit to Whitetail? he wondered, trying to convince himself that that wasn't the reason he was sending his former mate away.»
- —Onewhisker about Smoke and Darkkit Onestar's Confession, page 175
- Whitetail: "Barkface, come here! Quickly!"
- Onewhisker: "Don't...It doesn't matter...I don't deserve help. I don't deserve you. [...] I was too blind to see what was right in front of me. I knew Mudclaw was dangerous, but I didn't see the attack coming..."
- Onestar's Confession, page 227
- "Back off, Crowfeather. I asked Leafpaw to come."
- ―Whitetail to Crowfeather when he confronts Leafpaw Starlight, page 195
- "She's wonderful! I spent so many moons in the nursery, helping raise other warriors' kits. It feels amazing to be nursing my own. And I just know she's going to grow up to be a great warrior."
- ―Whitetail to Onestar about their daughter Heatherkit Onestar's Confession, page 253
- Whitetail: "Hey! Kittypet! Hi, Millie! Thanks for the rabbit you gave us at the contest. You share like a Clan cat."
- Millie: "It was a day for sharing."
- Dark River, page 16
- «Good choice—Whitetail especially. She's an experienced warrior.»
- —Lionblaze about Onestar's choice in cats going to find the beavers The Fourth Apprentice, page 122
- "I think you're wrong. Okay, we had a narrow escape, but that doesn't mean we have to give up. We're not helping out the Clans by staying in our own territories and watching the lake shrink even further."
- ―Whitetail to Toadfoot The Fourth Apprentice, page 131
- "But it's not stealing if you catch it and give it to us. Can't you just give us permission and make it easier for every cat?"
- ―Whitetail The Fourth Apprentice, page 134
- Onestar: "There's nothing I can do to take back the hurt you feel right now. And there's nothing I can do to atone for what I've done. But I—"
- Whitetail: "Oh, you stupid, stupid furball!"
- Onestar's Confession, page 441
External links[]
- More Ways to Live on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Stand Together or Fall Divided on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Morningstar's Folly - When Peace Isn't the Answer on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- More Than Life Itself on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Reach Beyond Borders on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Exclusive! Graystripe's Vow: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)
Fan content[]
- Changing Seasons Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- Our Favorite Journeys Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- Our favorite Whitetail artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Revealed on the Warriors website family tree (screenshot)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Revealed in Fire and Ice, allegiances
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Revealed in Onestar's Confession, page 35
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Revealed in Squirrelflight's Hope, page 8
- ↑ Revealed in Midnight, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Outcast, page 135
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Revealed in A Dangerous Path, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Onestar's Confession, page 253
- ↑ Revealed in Bramblestar's Storm, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Outcast, page 140
- ↑ Revealed in Onestar's Confession, page 110
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Revealed in Onestar's Confession, page 254
- ↑ Revealed in Onestar's Confession, page 109
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Revealed in The Apprentice's Quest, allegiances
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Revealed in Lost Stars, allegiances
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Revealed in Tallstar's Revenge, page 208
- ↑ Revealed in Crowfeather's Trial, page 211
- ↑ Revealed in Fire and Ice, page 2
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Revealed on the Warriors website family tree (screenshot)
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Revealed in Firestar's Quest, page 40
- ↑ Revealed in Starlight, page 14
- ↑ Revealed in Battles of the Clans, page 103
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Revealed on Vicky's Facebook
- ↑ Revealed on Vicky's Facebook
- ↑ Revealed on Vicky's Facebook