Redtail: Tigerclaw remains a menace to society
Redtail is a pink nose, a heavy, snowy-white tom with silver-and-black tabby with unusually long front claws, and a stripe of darker fur, and yellow eyes. A ThunderClan tom, born in ThunderClan. Redtail grew up as a hunter among the forest creatures of the ThunderClan territory, but as he grew older, his love for his Clan was greater than his love for his hunting. He never joined another Clan, but in ThunderClan, he became the closest friend of Ashfoot, leader of the clan, who died because of his love for Redtail.
Appearance and Personality
Redtail is the only Clan cat who is called to the medicine cat's paws, and who, like Ashfoot, is never seen in the day time. He is large for a tom, and is very tall.
A ThunderClan deputy who was born in ThunderClan, Redtail is a strong hunter, who loves to follow the hunting calls of the Clan, but he was also trained by Firestar to fight from a very young age. He also loves his clan, as he showed when he left ThunderClan in order to find Ashfoot.
When he left ThunderClan, his Clanmates gave him a great deal of praise. "Redtail has always been strong, but there's no mistaking what he's made of now," Tigerclaw told Crowfeather, who found him in a ThunderClan camp, near the river. "I think he'll be a good leader, and so will you. You'll find him strong in the ways of the warrior code, but more open to new ideas. He's not like any other ThunderClan cat. Even though you're a deputy, I still think you should keep a warrior's eye on him."
Redtail was happy to have found Ashfoot, but he was sad to leave ThunderClan. "It was good to be part of ThunderClan, to share hunting and fighting, to learn new ways and to be with my kin," he told Firestar. "And I know Ashfoot would've been proud to know that I found you and was chosen as your deputy."
The two cats spent two moons hunting together, and Redtail showed all his skill and experience in the forest. He always found a place for a small kill, and helped Ashfoot to bring fresh-kill into ThunderClan's territory. When they finally returned to ThunderClan, they were told that Ashfoot had been found at the edge of the forest, dead and cold. Redtail had loved Ashfoot very much, and Tigerclaw admitted that he knew Redtail would miss the old ThunderClan leader.
Redtail took his deputy duties seriously, but he was also worried about his Clanmates, who were going through very hard times. Firestar decided that the Clan was still strong enough to carry on without a leader. He appointed Redtail as deputy, and it was a great relief to many of the cats in ThunderClan.
As deputy, Redtail was often troubled by what was happening in the Clan. "I keep thinking about what happened to Ashfoot," he told StarClan. "The other Clans have been so busy fighting each other, they haven't thought about how hard it is to be in one Clan."
Redtail's deputy responsibilities were not easy. He was responsible for all the patrols, as well as being in charge of the warriors during battle and raids. He had to organize the warriors and make sure that they trained properly. He was also in charge of the supplies, which meant getting the Clan's fresh-kill and carrying it all the way back to the camp. "I have so much to learn," he told ShadowClan, "but it will be easier to learn it here, than if I tried to learn it at home."
One night, Redtail was out on patrol, following the border of ThunderClan's territory and listening for the signals from ThunderClan warriors. The patrol went beyond the border and was caught by a group of ShadowClan cats, led by Tigerclaw. ShadowClan had been hunting near the ThunderClan border, and they accused Redtail of trespassing on ShadowClan land. Redtail denied this, but Tigerclaw didn't believe him. "You don't have the skills of a warrior," he told him. "You should have stayed in ThunderClan. The Clan needs strong warriors."
Redtail was scared, because he was sure that if they gave Tigerclaw reason to attack, he would not be able to fight. "I'm not trying to hide that I'm not a great warrior," he replied. "But I'm still a cat who was born in ThunderClan. I can fight better with my Clanmates than with strangers. If I'm attacked, I'll be able to fight back."
Redtail didn't know if he was right, or whether Tigerclaw had guessed what Redtail would say. If he went with ShadowClan now, Tigerclaw would not let him come home.
But when Tigerclaw's patrol arrived at the border of ThunderClan's territory, the deputy's courage came to the fore. "Tigerclaw has trespassed on our territory," he declared. "This patrol will cross the border, and fight as ThunderClan warriors fight."
The patrol crossed the border, and the ShadowClan cats attacked. They were much larger than the ThunderClan cats, and at first Redtail could do nothing to stop them. In desperation, he leaped onto a boulder in the center of the clearing and began fighting them, using his teeth and claws. The ShadowClan cats could easily overwhelm the much smaller ThunderClan cats, but the Clan's deputy gave his all. His only hope was that help would arrive in time to save the Clan from annihilation.
When it became clear that the ThunderClan patrol was doomed, the ShadowClan cats turned and fled across the border. "Thank StarClan," Redtail breathed.
Redtail was very upset about what had happened. He felt as though his Clanmates had deserted him, and his only satisfaction was that he had been able to warn Firestar about the danger of the attack.
Tigerclaw had told Redtail that he wanted him dead, and so he was furious when Firestar let the deputy live. "You can't trust a cat who thinks he's too good for ThunderClan," he spat. "It shows just how much the Clan needs leaders like you, who stick up for what they believe is right."
The Clan was too badly mauled by the ShadowClan cats to recover quickly. While most of the injuries to the Clan were small, a few cats lost their lives, and Redtail was one of them. He did not come home to mourn his Clanmates, because by now he knew that none of them would survive another attack. The other cats would be too scared to fight, and Tigerclaw would certainly order them to retreat. He couldn't be part of such a failure, so he did his best to hide his grief from the other Clans. "My wounds will make me seem weak," he told Firestar when he returned home. "You need to tell them I have been struck by a thunderbolt, or they'll think I'm too weak to lead."
StarClan was kind to Redtail, but they could not cure the pain he felt in his heart. He missed his Clanmates, and he missed Ashfoot, who had been his mentor and friend.
It was a cold night, and Redtail's wounds were frozen and sore. He felt sick from the pain in his body, and he couldn't eat his usual share of prey. He told Firestar that he wanted to return to ThunderClan to be near Ashfoot, and he begged him to let him. "He was the cat I loved most, but it isn't my choice whether I stay in ThunderClan or go back home," Redtail told him. "But he would be glad to see me back, even if I'm not strong enough to lead."
As the warrior left for ThunderClan, Redtail turned back to Firestar and asked, "How can I lead if I can't stand up for the Clan?"
The next night was very stormy, and the lightning hit the ThunderClan territory and lit up the sky. Redtail took shelter by the ThunderClan border. He knew the Clan was preparing to leave the forest, and it scared him. How would he manage on his own? But he also felt his Clanmates and friend were waiting for him there. He felt calm, even as the winds lashed the trees, until the moment when he saw a pair of eyes reflecting in the storm, and he knew the Clan cats were waiting for him, too.
"Thank you for coming back to ThunderClan," Ashfoot said to him. "You are one of my chosen cats, and I have left you my ThunderClan name. If you ever want to become a warrior, then you must go back to your Clan, and ask your Clanmates to be your friends and allies."
Redtail said he would never leave ThunderClan, and that he was proud to be a ThunderClan warrior. But he still couldn't eat any prey, and he knew he would die soon if he didn't eat soon. "I'm sorry I'm too weak to lead," he told Ashfoot. "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you from Tigerclaw's attack."