| “ | Cats of ThunderClan, I can no longer be you leader. From now on, I will leave the Clan and live with housefolk in the twolegplace. (...) I have been honored to serve you this long. The rest of my life will be spent as a kittypet, where I have no battles to fight, no lives depending on me for food and safety. (...) I have given eight lives to ThunderClan- each of them willingly. But I am not ready to risk my nineth. (...) I am doing this for ThunderClan, I promise. | „ |
| ~ Pinestar stepping down as leader |
Pinestar is a posthumous supporting character in the Warriors series, being a supporting character in Bluestar's Prophecy and Goosefeather's Curse, and the titular protagonist of Pinestar's Choice. He was the leader of ThunderClan in between Doestar and Sunstar, who often visited his kittypet friends in the twolegplace to escape the stress of Clan life. He is the father of Tigerstar, who became terrified of his son when he was warned of his bloody future, but refused to kill him when StarClan demanded him to. Eventually the stress becomes too much for him, and he steps down as leader, going to live as a kittypet.
Appearance
Pinestar is a large tom with thick, dark reddish-brown fur and green eyes. He has a torn ear, and his face is covered in scars.
Biography
Pinepaw is born to Oakstar and Sweetbriar after the deaths of his older siblings, Frecklewish and Birchface.
Pinestar's Choice
Pinepaw is a warrior apprentice, with his mentor being Mistpelt. While his mentor takes him on a tour of ThunderClan's territory, they pass by the twolegplace and Pinepaw looks at the fence that divides the forest from the houses, wondering if twolegs built it to keep Clan cats out. Mistpelt responds that most twolegs aren't scary, just lazy, and adds that though they can explore the twolegplace, they need to respect the kittypets' borders just like the borders of a Clan. As they leave, Pinepaw wonders what the life of a kittypet must be like.
After seeing the borders to ShadowClan and RiverClan, the two start heading back home, with Pinepaw happy that he's already seen so much of the territory already. When they get back to camp, Sweetbriar bombards Mistpelt with question on how Pinepaw did while Oakstar praises his son, and he promises to himself to try and live up to his father's praise.
A moon later, Pinepaw sees a few ShadowClan cats intruding while out on patrol. Mistpelt tells him to go get help, but instead he stays and helps fight off the trespassers. Later still, he and his fellow apprentices listen to an elder named Nettlebreeze recall how a tortoiseshell she-cat named Mapleshade killed his older sister Frecklewish, as well as the previous medicine cat Ravenwing until Fallowsong interrupts and tells the apprentices that they need to be on patrol. While out hunting, he picks up the scent of what he believes to be prey, only to follow it and realize that it's a fox with three cubs. The fox is about to attack when a large kittypet she-cat comes to Pinepaw's defense, scaring it away. The orange-and-white kittypet, named Crystal, tells him to be careful. He's stunned that a kittypet could scare off a fox like that, and she replies that not all of them are cowards like the Clans believe. As she leaves, Pinepaw realizes that he didn't get the chance to thank her.
A few moons later, Mumblefoot report the kittypets causing trouble for the Clan, and Oakstar decides to have a patrol scare them away from the forest, with Pinepaw reluctantly going with them. As Oakstar's deputy Doefeather begins splitting the patrol into smaller group to warn the kittypets to leave ThunderClan alone, Mistpelt tells her apprentice to go check a small wooden house. He's surprised to see Crystal again, now with three kittens. He warns her what's happening, and she thanks him before taking her kits and slinking into the shadows. After regrouping with the rest of the patrol, Doefeather declares the mission a success. When they get home, Oakstar makes his son a warrior for his bravery, and he earns the name Pineheart.
Much later, after Oakstar's death, Doestar becomes the new leader of ThunderClan and selects Pineheart as her deputy. Pineheart reflects on how the Clan had suffered through a terrible famine that claimed many lives, and now Doestar is deathly ill and on her last life. He takes a squirrel to Doestar and convinces her to eat it, heading outside and telling two squabbling apprentices to take the day off before asking the medicine cat Cloudberry about the leader's condition. The white she-cat grimly states that Doestar may die of her sickness soon, and he runs back into the leader's den, waking up the sickly she-cat. She says shell make the apprentices into warriors soon, and tells Pineheart that he'll be a great leader in her stead. He tells her hell do his best to protect the Clan, and the leader slumps in her nest before Cloudberry enters and tells the deputy that she'll need some rest.
Just a few days later though, Doestar dies of illness, and Pineheart and Cloudberry stare at her body, the former thinking how she was at least able to name some new warriors before she died. Goosefeather then takes Pineheart to the Moonstone to get nine lives from StarClan, as Cloudberry had caught Doestar's affliction and is too weak to do so herself. During his leadership ceremony, he's given a life of survival from Doestar, a life of judgement from Oakstar, a life of corage from Hollypelt, a life of loyalty from Harepounce, a life of knowledge of war and peace from Stagleap, a life of trusting wisdom for protection from Pearnose, a life of the strenght of a nursing queen from Hawkfoot, a life of making difficult choices from Thunderstar, and a life of compassion for weaker cats from Morningstar. He then earns the name Pinestar, but unbenownst to him, Goosefeather had seen a glimpse into the future where the leader becomes a kittypet, but stays silent about it. When he gets back to camp, Pinestar chooses Mumblefoot as his first deputy.
A week later, Pinestar visits the twolegplace for a quick nap, but is woken up by an orange kittypet tom named Jake. He recognizes Jake as one of Crystals children, and the young tom tells him about his mother and siblings, Ferris and Whiskers. Jake is intrigued when Pinestar tells him that his mother saved him from a fox when he was an apprentice, and as the orange tom leaves, Pinestar considers returning to the twolegplace later to pass the time hanging out with Jake.
Later, Goosefeather finds a vole with it's fur blown back by the wind and interprets it as an omen from StarClan that WindClan will destroy the forest. He convinces Pinestar to lead an attack on WindClan the next day to prevent this, stating that the moor cats' medicine den will need to be destroyed after finding a bit of catmint in the vole's fur. As Pinestar leads the attack however, he looks out over the battle while wresting with a WindClan warrior and begins to regret his decision. After Moonflower raids WindClan's medicine den and is killed by their medicine cat Hawkheart, Pinestar calls for his Clan to retreat. When they return to camp, the Clan lambasts Goosefeather for his plan getting his sister killed, and though Pinestar diffuses the situation, his trust in his medicine cat faulters greatly.
Pinestar visits Jake and confides in him about the attack, and the kittypet tries reassuring him that he can still trust Goosefeather. He's still worried, but relaxes a bit when Jake begins gently kneading his side. As they converse, a brown she-cat kittypet named Shanty shows up, complaining about how annoying a fellow kittypet named Tyr is. As the three hang out together, Pinestar begins wondering if the twolegplace is where he truly belongs.
Back in camp, Smallear points out to Pinestar that he and Leopardfoot have been hanging around each other a lot recently. Pinestar is made uncomfortable by this and distracts himself by thinking of the recent battles ThunderClan has had, and how he now only has two lives left. After Smallear leaves, he wonders if he and Leopardfoot will have kittens together, and if he would be the mentor of one. He then slips out of camp to visit the twolegplace again, noting how it no longer feels scary and foreign, but like a place of comfort. When he gets there, Shanty says that Jake is spending time with his mate Quince today, but she can give him a tour of her owner's house. She then introduces him to her owners, and though he's reluctant at first, he lets them pet him. He asks Shanty how she lives a life like this, and she retorts that she and her owners are like a family, and just because she's not a Clan cat doesn't mean she doesn't have any loyalty to her loved ones. Pinestar apologizes for judging her lifestyle, and soon the two take a nap together.
Doestar's spirit visits Pinestar in his dreams, concerned over his apathy towards the conflict between ThunderClan and RiverClan over Sunningrocks. She then tells him that Leopardfoot is expecting their litter, warning him that a tom born of it will have the power to destroy the Clan if his father does not guide his pawsteps carefully. Pinestar is terrified, and wakes up when Shanty begins shaking him. She tells him he should be getting back to camp, and as he leaves he worries if he'll be able to stop something he's about to create. Later, when RiverClan once again begins demanding ownership of Sunningrocks, Pinestar asks Shanty for advice, and when she tells him that fighting over it isn't worth it, he lets the neighboring Clan have the patch of land.
When Leopardfoot goes into labor early, he stays outside the nursery, dreading the birth of his son. The kitting takes a long time, and Pinestar tells everyone to stop worrying and go eat. He feels someone glaring at him and knows what he said was wrong, but can't get Doestar's warning out of his head. Bluefur, who was helping with the kitting, then announces that three kittens have been born: two she-kits and a tom. Pinestar is filled with dread when she announces the last part, running off to the twolegplace that night. He finds Shanty standing in on the thunderpath and tells her that his kits have been born before collapsing from exhaustion. Shanty runs over to him when a monster approaches them both. Pinestar tries and fails to get his friend out of the way, and both of them are run over. Pinestar loses his second-to-last life, and revives to see Shanty dead. Her owners find their cat and grieve for her, with Pinestar grieving alongside them. He then leaves, too distraught by Shanty's death and fearful of his son to return to camp until the morning.
When he gets back to camp at dawn, he enters the nursery, where Leopardfoot says she was waiting for him all night and asks where he went. After he apologizes, she tells him that she's named their kittens; the pale gray she-kit is Mistkit, the pure black she-kit is Nightkit, and the dark brown tabby tom is Tigerkit. Due to being born early, all three kits are very small and weak. Pinestar shudders when he hears Tigerkit's name, and leaps back in fright when he sees his son staring up at him with bright amber eyes. Leopardfoot tells him to be careful, because all three kits are very small and weak due to being born early, insisting that he pray to StarClan for their litter to survive.
That night, Pinestar has a nightmare where he sees Tigerkit in the nursery, before the brown tabby suddenly grows massive and blood pools at the leader's paws. He hears voices chanting at him to kill Tigerkit, but he refuses to bring harm to an innocent kitten. Goosefeather then wakes him up to tell him that an apprentice named Sweetpaw died of sickness after eating a spoiled mouse. The medicine cat adds that the dream he just had is important, which shocks Pinestar that he knew, and Goosefeather tells him that StarClan already told him what's going on. After Pinestar exits his den, Tigerkit approach him and asks to play moss ball, but his father declines, still shaken by the night terror and wary of his son because of it.
He then goes to the twolegplace and meets Tyr, who tells him that Jake is with Quince again. He meets Jake's owners and lets them pet his back and eats the kibble given to him, surprised to find it tastes much better than he'd assumed. Suddenly, the golden apprentice Lionpaw finds Pinestar and tells him that RiverClan is attacking. Reminded of the warning about Tigerkit and exhausted with the constant battles and death, Pinestar decides to leave ThunderClan and become a kittypet, telling Lionpaw to tell the Clan that he's dead. Lionpaw is shocked and refuses to do so, telling Pinestar that he needs to tell everyone of his decision himself.
When he gets back to camp, he asks his new deputy Sunfall if they won the battle, and he confirms that they did. Pinestar then calls a Clan meeting and announces that he's stepping down from leadership and leaving ThunderClan altogether to become a kittypet. This is of course met with outrage, but Lionpaw stands up for Pinestar, asking the Clan if they want to be lead by someone who no longer wishes to lead. He assures his Clan that Sunfall will be a fine leader and thanks Lionpaw for defending him, telling him that if he made him a warrior, he would've given him the name Lionheart. As he leaves the camp, Leopardfoot confronts him, asking what will happen to their kits. Tigerkit is now much healthier, but Mistkit's and Nightkit's conditions aren't improving. He assures her that they'll be fine without him, telling Tigerkit to serve his Clan well before exiting the camp for the final time.
Pinestar arrives at the twolegplace and finds Shanty's old owners there, who are speaking softly to each other before they notice and stare at him. The male twoleg tries to shoo him away, but the female beckons him closer, petting and cooing at him. He's then brought into their house, where he sees Shanty's old bed, toys, and food and water bowls. He eats the wet food he's given before going outside, where he finds Jake. He informs the orange tom that he left ThunderClan, saying his new name is Pine. Jake welcomes Pine to his new life in the twolegplace.
Bluestar's Prophecy
Quite a while after Pinestar loses his last life, Sunstar dies as well and Bluefur succeeds him as leader. During her leadership ceremony, Pinestar appears to give her first life. He gives her a life of compassion, telling her to use both her heart and mind in her judgement.
The Ultimate Guide
Tigerkit - now Tigerclaw - becomes the leader of ShadowClan after getting exiled from ThunderClan for treason. During his leadership ceremony, Pinestar appears in StarClan to give his son his third life. Tigerclaw is shocked to see him, snarling that he was a kittypet. Pinestar then gives him a life for knowing what goes on beyond Clan boundaries, telling his son not to forget that there are good cats everywhere. Tigerclaw replies that he'll be loyal to ShadowClan above all others.
Quotes
| “ | The four Clans will be enemies until the end. And yet we all want the same things: prey to hunt, a safe territory to raise our kits, and peace to share dreams with our ancestors. Why must we hate one another over such simple desires? | „ |
| ~ Pinestar becoming disillusioned with Clan life |
| “ | Leopardfoot: Pinestar, what about our kits? Won't you stay to watch them grow up? Pinestar: They'll be fine with you, Leopardfoot. I'm not a father they could be proud of, but I will always be proud of them. (to Tigerkit) Especially you, little warrior. Be strong, my precious son. Serve your Clan well. |
„ |
| ~ Pinestar saying farewell to Leopardfoot and their kits |
| “ | With this life I give you compassion. Judge as much wit your heart as your mind. | „ |
| ~ Pinestar during Bluefur's leadership ceremony |
| “ | Tigerclaw: Pinestar! Pinestar: Yes, although that is not the name I had when I died. Tigerclaw: Because you were a kittypet. Pinestar: That was my choice for my final life. But I walk with our ancestors for tonight to give you a life for being aware of what goes on beyond Clan borders. There are good cats everywhere, Tigerclaw. Do not forget that. Tigerclaw: I will be loyal to my Clanmates above all others. |
„ |
| ~ Pinestar during Tigerclaw's leadership ceremony |
Trivia
- Pinestar's story is a mirror of Firestar's, in that he was ThunderClan's leader who left to become a kittypet, while Rusty left his kittypet life to join and later lead ThunderClan. Coincidentally, both had the -heart suffix as warriors.
- It can also be noted that they both have links with Tigerstar, as Pinestar is his father and couldn't resolve to kill him, while Firestar is his archenemy and the one who ended him once and for all.
- After Pinestars departure, a new rule was added to the warrior code: "A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet."
- Pinestar is one of the few cats in the series to have no littermates.
- He's the first of three leaders to have stepped down from his position, with the second being Rowanstar of ShadowClan and the third being Owlnose of RiverClan.
- Sunstar was only given eight lives instead of nine because Pine still had one life left.
- Pinestar is stated to be a descendant of the SkyClan cat Gorseclaw on author Victoria Holmes' Facebook.
External links
- Pinestar on the Warriors Wiki
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