Broken Shadow

"No! No! Fallen Leaves, I didn't mean it! I want to stay with you!"

— Broken Shadow after leaving had been decided in Long Shadows, page 222

Broken Shadow
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	The Ancients
Names
Name:	Broken Shadow Broken Shadow
Book appearances
Living	Dark River, Long Shadows, Sign of the Moon
Living	Dark River, Long Shadows, Sign of the Moon
Dead	Hollyleaf's Story, The Last Hope
Dead	Hollyleaf's Story, The Last Hope

Broken Shadow is a slender, orange tabby she-cat with thick fur, white paws, and amber eyes.

History

In the Power of Three Arc

Dark River

Though Broken Shadow is not mentioned directly by name, she is first seen as a queen sadly watching her son, Fallen Leaves, enter the tunnels for his assessment with Rock to become a sharpclaw. She tells him he must be careful, as he is her eldest and the first kit of hers to enter the tunnels and face the ordeal. Broken Shadow protests his leaving, saying that the skies look like it might rain and that she smells it on the wind. Fallen Leaves continues on stubbornly, not wanting to put off his becoming of a full sharpclaw any longer.

Long Shadows

She is shown to be almost insane with grief at the loss of her son Fallen Leaves, declaring that Jay's Wing was lucky to come out of the tunnels at all. As her voice shakes with sorrow and her eyes gleam with bitterness, Broken Shadow asks if he had forgotten that Fallen Leaves had not returned from the tunnels. Another queen, Rising Moon, tries to persuade her to lie down. Broken Shadow tells Rising Moon she doesn't understand, but allows Rising Moon to lead her away anyway. Broken Shadow is seen being groomed by the other she-cat gently like a mother with her kit. Stone Song is revealed to be her mate, and grieves just as much about his son, Fallen Leaves.

Later, when the decision is being made on whether or not to leave the lake, Broken Shadow is led to the clearing by Rising Moon and Chasing Clouds, being too dazed with grief to know where she was. As the matter is being discussed, Stone Song mentions that Fallen Leaves had never returned from the tunnels. Broken Shadow then lets out a soft wail, causing her mate to glance at her, eyes full of love and pain. When the cats start casting stones, she is the fifth cat to vote, and is led to circle by Stone Song and Dark Whiskers. She pads over to the 'leave' side when casting the stones, along with her mate, Stone Song; however, when it is confirmed they were leaving, she wails that she did not mean to leave, because she wants to stay with her deceased son, still in denial that he is dead. Rising Moon does her best to comfort Broken Shadow, though to no avail.

When Jay's Wing tells Stone Song about speaking with their ancestors, Stone Song comments that it will help Broken Shadow to know that Fallen Leaves could still be there and look after them.That night Broken Shadow has a prophecy in her dreams. the prophecy was that Stone Song whould kill her. Broken Shadow is grieved and doesn't believe the prophecy. The prophecy was from Falling Leaves and she knew this was not true.

In the Omen of the Stars Arc

Sign of the Moon

When Whispering Breeze begins to argue with Stone Song about getting comfortable in the caves, Broken Shadow speaks, her voice soft, though edged with grief and tiredness. She says that they should have never had left the lake, limping into view from the darkness at the cave's edge. Jayfeather feels a rush of pity as he surveys Broken Shadow's condition, noting that she must still be grieving for Fallen Leaves. Her pelt is thin and her amber eyes are dull as she repeats her words, asking what would happen if Fallen Leaves maybe found his way out of the tunnels and they weren't there. Half Moon pads over to Broken Shadow and draws her tail down the grieving mother's side, murmuring that it wouldn't happen. Broken Shadow hisses that Half Moon didn't know that and Fallen Leaves would think she had abandoned him and that he would be all alone. Pulling away from Half Moon, Broken Shadow rounds on Jayfeather, saying that it was all his fault, as he cast the final stone which made her leave her son behind.

Stone Song then proceeds to step between Jayfeather and Broken Shadow, telling them to stop. His voice is firm but his eyes are soft with sympathy as he gazes at Broken Shadow. Stone Song reminds her that she was among the cats who chose to leave and that they abide by the casting of stones. As he lays his tail over Broken Shadow's shoulder, Stone Song leads her away from the edge of the cave, telling her that they should find her some fresh-kill and then she'd need to rest. Stone Song reassures her that they would all feel better after a good sleep.

Rising Moon follows the two and stays with Broken Shadow as Stone Song greets Jay's Wing.

As Furled Bracken suggests leading the cats who wanted to leave the mountains back to the lake, Broken Shadow says that Fallen Leaves might be there, and is noted with a brighter gleam in her eyes. She then tells Furled Bracken to take them home.

The Last Hope

She is first seen in the prologue when the cats of StarClan and the Tribe of Endless Hunting gather and talk with the other ancestors, as well as Rock and Midnight. Broken Shadow is greeted by Slant, alongside Owl Feather. She returns the greeting, spiking her fur to muffle the stone-cold air. Broken Shadow greets Half Moon, saying it was good to see her again. Broken Shadow then frets, as the meeting continues, that they needed to find the fourth cat soon, as time was running out rapidly. When Midnight and Rock arrive, Broken Shadow is noted to be shifted her paws, greeting Midnight. She adds that she didn't realize that the badger knew Rock. When Rock thanks all of the cats for safeguarding the prophecies and passing them down from forgotten cats, Broken Shadow sighs, remarking that so many lives had been lost. Rock reminds her that all lives were brief, causing her to get angry at Rock for not saving her son, Fallen Leaves. When Slant asks if the Clans fight alone in the final battle, Broken Shadow unsheathes her claws, vowing that she will fight beside her son.

She is seen in Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing's dream. She is mentioned to flinch when Jayfeather said that some cats didn't make it out of the tunnels, probably remembering Fallen Leaves, who had died in the tunnels. She told them that many cats have been waiting for them to save the Clans, but it is noted that an image of the burning reed flashes across her mind.

Broken Shadow is later seen comforting Fallen Leaves when he reacts to Hollyleaf's death in the battle versus the Dark Forest. She strokes his back with her tail, telling him that he will see Hollyleaf again, and that her life is not yet truly over.

In the Novellas

Hollyleaf's Story

Broken Shadow is briefly mentioned by her son. Fallen Leaves explains to Hollyleaf that his mother was very kind, and that she never wanted her son to go into the tunnels, and he thinks that she knew something was going to happen to her son. Fallen Leaves goes on to say that he wanted to be a sharpclaw, and not even his mother could stop that.

Trivia

• She has been mistakenly called Broken Shadows.

Character Pixels

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

Family

Members

Mate:

Stone Song: Status unknown

Sons:

Fallen Leaves: Deceased, verified the Tribe of Endless Hunting member

Unknown Kits: Deceased, Residence Unknown

Tree

Template:Stone Song Tree

Quotes

Broken Shadow: "Are you sure you are ready for this?"

Fallen Leaves: "I'm ready."

^{Dark River}

"You're lucky Jay's Wing survived the challenge! Have you forgotten that Fallen Leaves never came out of the tunnels?"

―Broken Shadow ^{Long Shadows}

"My mother was called Broken Shadow. She was very kind and beautiful. She... she didn’t want me to go into the tunnels. I think she knew something bad would happen."

―Fallen Leaves ^{Hollyleaf's Story}