Brackenwing

"My dear friend. You're the only one who saw Finchkit before she died. No one else understood my grief."

— Palebird after Brackenwing dies in Tallstar's Revenge, page 181

Brackenwing
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	WindClan
Biographical information
Cause of death:	Gut injury
Names
Warrior:	Brackenwing
Queen:	Brackenwing
StarClan resident:	Brackenwing
Kin
Mate:	Redclaw
Sons:	Shrewclaw, Barkface
Book appearances
Living	Tallstar's Revenge
Living	Tallstar's Revenge
Dead	Tallstar's Revenge
Dead	Tallstar's Revenge

Brackenwing is a pale ginger she-cat.

Brackenwing was a WindClan warrior under Heatherstar’s leadership in the forest territories. She had two sons with her mate, Redclaw; Shrewkit and Barkkit. Brackenwing was killed in a battle with ShadowClan after her kits were made apprentices. She ascended to StarClan after her death.

History

In the Super Editions

Tallstar's Revenge

Brackenwing: "I don't know why you gave Finchkit a name."

Palebird: "She needed a name."

^{Tallstar's Revenge, page 21}

Brackenwing is a WindClan queen, her kits being Barkkit and Shrewkit, and her mate is Redclaw.

Inside the WindClan nursery, Brackenwing soothes Palebird about Tallkit's second sunrise outside of the nursery, promising her that Barkkit and Shrewkit would watch out for him. As Palebird speaks to Tallkit, Brackenwing returns to the nursery, rabbit scent in her fur, and asks which cats missed the moor in there. She settles down, and Palebird answers that Mistmouse missed the moor, to which Brackenwing replies that she hadn't felt the wind in her fur for a long time. Palebird mentions that she missed tunneling, but Brackenwing responds by flicking her tail over her paws and remarking that she wouldn't tunnel for a while. As they speak of Finchkit, Brackenwing questions Palebird's reasoning to give Finchkit a name. Palebird remarks that she needed a name, but Brackenwing disagrees, saying that she lived for a mere moment, and that StarClan would name her.

When Heatherstar mentions Leafshine after none of the newly made apprentices are tunnelers, Tallkit recalls Palebird and Brackenwing speaking of them. As Tallkit reenters the nursery, Brackenwing, fur ruffled, sits up as Palebird settles in, and asks of the location of her kits. Tallkit wonders if she knew that Barkkit was to ask Hawkheart if he could be his apprentice, but decides not to inform her, and notes that her kits were outside. Tallkit attempts to get some of Palebird's milk, but fails, and Brackenwing comforts Tallkit, leaning in to lick his ears. She notes that her kits were eating from the prey heap, and preferred the taste of said food. Palebird remarks that he would enjoy feasting with older kits, and Brackenwing lifts him out of her nest, lowering him to the floor. She requests for him to let Palebird sleep, and points for the entrance. As he departs, Brackenwing tucks wool around her, informing her to get some sleep.

Tallpaw offers Palebird to watch him train, but Brackenwing hurries over, warning him not to bother his mother, as she needed rest. As he heads off, he listens to Meadowslip speaking to Brackenwing and Palebird, asking them if they thought the greenleaf visitors would return. Brackenwing answers that she thought so, as she couldn't recall a time that they didn't. She expresses her hopes of Wee Hen returning, commenting on her frailness the last time she was seen. Brackenwing notes that Wee Hen and Whiteberry spoke to each other a lot, and rumors spread of her settling in. Meadowslip questions the ways they would explain her to the other Clans, and Brackenwing points out that WindClan wasn't the first to take in a rogue.

When the visitors arrive, Brackenwing and Meadowslip hurry after Larksplash, and crowd around Reena, Brackenwing running her tail tip along Reena's spine, and asking if they found someplace warm to shelter in. During the battle with ShadowClan, Brackenwing compliments Shrewpaw's move, and ducks and spins around to strike a blow at a ShadowClan she-cat. After the battle, Redclaw, her mate, leans over her, and calls for Hawkheart that his mate was bleeding, as Brackenwing lies still. Hawkheart orders Barkpaw to fetch the needed herbs, and crouches beside Brackenwing to sniff her wound, identifying it as a gut wound. He rolls her gently onto her side, and Tallpaw winces as he sees blood flowing from Brackenwing's wound. She groans, and her eyes roll back until their mere whites show, and Redclaw assures her that Hawkheart would fix her. Palebird states her name, and other cats comment on the situation. When Barkpaw returns, Redclaw asks if he can save her, as her eyes close. Hawkheart remarks that it was too late, as she's lost too much blood. Shrewpaw then returns, and informs his mother that they won the battle, but Brackenwing merely twitches, and falls still.

Groaning, Redclaw presses his cheek against her muzzle, and Shrewpaw is panicked, before Hawkheart informs him that she is dead. Tallpaw blames himself, and claims for it to be his fault. Shrewpaw then attacks Tallpaw, claiming that he had killed Brackenwing, and that he would never forgive him. Heatherstar informs him that ShadowClan killed Brackenwing, not Tallpaw, and suggests to move her to the clearing for proper mourning. Hareflight, Aspenfall, and Cloudrunner carry her corpse to the hollow, and Hawkheart lays herbs along her side. Redclaw and Palebird settle beside her body, while Shrewpaw circles it. Palebird presses her muzzle into Brackenwing's fur, and remarks that she was the only one who saw Finchkit prior to her death, and no other cat understood her. Tallpaw wishes to comfort her, but thinks that she wouldn't want him, as he caused her death. After Hawkheart checks his wounds, Palebird and Redclaw still lay beside her body, and Shrewpaw continues to circle. Plumclaw returns from tunneling, and sees Brackenwing's body, asking what happened to her. Sandgorse calls for Palebird, and she lifts her head from beside Brackenwing, claiming that she was fine.

Shrewpaw claims again that Tallpaw caused Brackenwing's death. As Hickorynose meets up with Meadowslip, Hareflight pads toward Brackenwing's body, and agrees with Hickorynose's statement. While Heatherstar speaks to the Clan, she looks at Brackenwing, and announces for them to join together to sit vigil for Brackenwing. She touches her nose to Brackenwing's fur, and several Clanmates join her, including Tallpaw. He calls Palebird, but she ignores him, as she nuzzles closer to Brackenwing. The next morning, Brackenwing's body is being moved, which awakens Tallpaw, and it is revealed that the elders are burying her. Flamepelt agrees to let Palebird assist in the burial, and waits for Whiteberry and Lilywhisker to haul Brackenwing's corpse onto his back. Redclaw and Cloudrunner shoo him away as they carry out Brackenwing, and Heatherstar wishes for StarClan to cherish her as they did.

Once Sandgorse dies, Tallpaw apologizes to Shrewpaw about Brackenwing's death. Hawkheart then heals Tallpaw, and notes of Brackenwing's and Sandgorse's deaths. However, Tallpaw still believes that his Clanmates were only concerned with the fact that he killed Brackenwing. After the tunnels are closed, Tallpaw reminds Shrewpaw that he killed Brackenwing. On his way to the Moonstone, Tallpaw wonders if he would see Brackenwing in StarClan. As he tries to find StarClan in his dream, he wonders if they were angered because of Brackenwing's death. As Shrewpaw and Tallpaw become warriors, Redclaw looks up at the sky, making Tallpaw wonder if he thought Brackenwing was watching.

In a dream Talltail has, he sees Brackenwing slink through the heather, and notices that he is in the WindClan portion of StarClan. He calls out for Brackenwing, but she doesn't stop, prompting him to hurry after her. He believes that he must catch Brackenwing, as he knew her, and races to her side. She doesn't move, and stares down at the slope, where several cats move, making Talltail realize that she was watching the events in WindClan. As they go to get help from RiverClan in order to save Hopkit, Barkface remarks that StarClan didn't save Brackenwing. In another battle against ShadowClan, Shrewclaw snarls at Cedarstar, claiming that this attack would be for his mother, reminding him of Brackenwing.

During Shrewclaw's death, Redclaw speaks in grief that he will die like his mother, defending the moors against ShadowClan.

Character pixels

Main images

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

Alternate images

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

Official art

Please do not edit this gallery Brackenwing's icon on the Warriors family tree

Kin

Members

Mate:

Redclaw: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Sons:

Shrewclaw: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Barkface: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Grandsons:

Tornear: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Mudclaw: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Tree

Redclaw ♂

Brackenwing ♀

Barkface ♂

Shrewclaw ♂

Ryestalk ♀

Tornear ♂

Mudclaw ♂

    = Tom

    = She-cat

    = Gender unknown

Appearances

• Tallstar's Revenge (First appearance) †

Trivia

Mistakes

• She has been mistakenly described as tawny.
• The Warriors website family tree listed her as Brackwing.^[source?]

Quotes

Brackenwing: "I hope Wee Hen made it through leaf-bare. She was very frail last time we saw her."

Meadowslip: "Whiteberry will be disappointed if she doesn't come."

^{Tallstar's Revenge, page 90}

"May StarClan cherish her as we did."

―Heatherstar as Brackenwing's body is sent out for burial ^{Tallstar's Revenge, page 188}