𝙴𝙿𝙸𝙿𝙷𝙰𝙽𝚈 ; rants, random, etc.

thoughts on Stormtail

Now, I've read Bluestar's Prophecy twice. It's funny, because I didn't have an opinion on Stormtail the first time I read the book. I was alright with him.

*upcoming spoilers, obviously*

Nearing the end, Bluestar notes that Stormtail and Dappletail are a thing, but that some she-cats never have kits no matter how much they want to (thank the lord- imagine the devilish children they would bear). I was shocked by this relationship and believed it came out of nowhere. But when I was rereading, I noticed things that, to my very stupidity, I think I was unaware of before. The signs were there, early on, even when Moonflower was still his mate, and even when Dappletail was nothing more than a newly-named warrior. I thought Stormtail was just strict and all that jazz, but he's an unfaithful mate.

The first sign is in the earlier chapters. I'm not sure exactly when this happened, but I think it was the day / evening before the attack. Stormtail helped Dappletail refresh her battle skills and ate with her as well. Hmm, sUspiCioUs. Dappletail could've gotten help from anyone- realistically, Windflight, her previous mentor. Why is this random tom helping her? "Oh, but he's a sEniOr wArriOr! Very talented and experienced! That's why she needed his help!" Shouldn't he be visiting his kits before the battle, reassuring them? Couldn't he have eaten his meal with his mate, like any reasonable tom in a serious relationship would? Okay, let's continue.

During the battle, Moonflower is part of the raid on the medicine den. When she's flung out of the medicine den by Hawkheart, facing a large, fatal danger and already suffering some bad wounds, Stormtail doesn't even bat an eye. The least he could do was turn his gaze around in panic, look even the slightest concerned for his mate. But no, he was busy 'protecting' Dappletail, who wasn't even that hurt. She could've fended by herself for a couple of minutes, that's for sure. She wasn't inches away from death the way Moonflower was. When you really think about it, Stormtail was a strong ThunderClan warrior. He could've defeated Hawkheart. He COULD'VE been the difference between life and death for Moonflower. Unfortunately, these are all just "ifs" and "could haves". Moonflower was killed, and you can't turn back time.

If the mangy tom didn't want to protect Moonflower as a mate, the least he could have done is protecting her as a Clanmate. Clanmates are supposed to be there for each other in times of peril. ThunderClan is a whole, a community, and they're all linked in some way or another. You know, it's the first thing in the Warrior Code, in bold: "Defend your Clan, even with your life." Sometimes, Hollyleaf's obsession with the Warrior Code doesn't surprise me at all. I realize that most Warriors forget the code. In Squirrelflight's Hope, almost all the StarClan cats attending Leafpool and Squilf's trial (except Moth Flight, and perhaps Littlecloud, unless there's something I don't know about him lol-) have equally broken the Code. Many Warriors, including Stormtail, toss it around like a piece of prey at a feast.

Goosefeather caused the battle, so he indirectly caused her death, but not as directly as Stormtail. That tom frustrates me much more than the crazy medicine cat. Goosefeather indeed cared about his sister. He knew her choice of mate was a bad one. But Stormtail didn't care. So, that's why I draw a line between them.

In conclusion, I realize now that Moonflower's death could have easily been prevented. Unfortunately, Stormtail didn't care about Moonflower, preffering Dappletail, and didn't protect her during the battle as he should have. I acknowledge that the clearing was overwhelmed with fighting cats, and many ThunderClan cats could hardly give a glance away from their opponent, but I think that there was a large opening and plenty of time for Stormtail to stop Hawkheart. He didn't want to save Moonflower for anything. I often go as far as thinking that he might have preferred Moonflower dead. After all, he wasn't around during her vigil, was he?

If anyone has opposing views, or a different opinion on Stormtail, you're welcome to leave it in the comment section~