Brackenfur

Brackenfur is a supporting protagonist in Erin Hunter’s Warriors book series. 
He is a ThunderClan warrior who is renowned for his loyalty and earnestness. He trained many apprentices and went through a lot of hardships with ThunderClan, including the battle against BloodClan, the Great Journey and the Great Battle, before resigning as an elder.
== History ==
Brackenfur is born to Frostfur and Lionheart alongside his siblings Cinderpelt, Thornclaw and Brightheart. As a kit, he is kidnapped by Clawface on Brokenstar’s orders, but he is quickly saved by his clanmates and especially Yellowfang, Firepaw and Graypaw.
He is apprenticed to Graystripe as Brackenpaw and is shown to be a very earnest and collected young cat. When Graystripe begins to pay secret visits to his mate Silverstream in RiverClan, Brackenpaw feels left out, thus Fireheart decides to train him by himself.
One day, Brackenpaw scents the presence of ShadowClan and WindClan warriors in the forest while he is out hunting with Fireheart. During the battle that ensues over Brokentail’s life, he shows his skills and bravery by helping Fireheart face Nightstar, which grants him his warrior name Brackenfur. After the ceremony, he feels sorry for his sister Cinderpelt who will never become a warrior due to her leg injury.
As a young warrior, he observes Speckletail’s son Snowkit in hope of becoming his mentor. When it is revealed by Cinderpelt that the kitten is deaf, Brackenfur insists on training him. However, Snowkit is soon after taken away by a hawk, which leaves the young warrior shattered. He is later given Tawnypaw as his first apprentice.
After Firestar becomes ThunderClan’s leader, the latter entrusts Brackenfur with the surveillance of Darkstripe, accused of having poisoned Sorrelkit with deathberries. He loses his apprentice Tawnypaw when she defects to ShadowClan to join the side of her father Tigerstar. Brackenfur later fights in the battle against BloodClan and comes back alive.
Now a respected senior warrior and a mentor to Whitepaw, Brackenfur is considered to become deputy after Graystripe is captured by Twolegs. He grows closer to Sorreltail during the Great Journey. After ThunderClan settles in the lake territories, she announces to him that she is expecting their kits. She gives birth to Cinderkit, Poppykit, Honeykit and Molekit in the midst of the battle against the badgers, during which Brackenfur stays at her side to defend her. Unfortunately, his sister Cinderpelt dies fighting off the badgers. He remains in the nursery for some time to help his mate take care of their litter and eventually resumes his warrior’s duties.
He becomes a mentor to Hollypaw after she gives up on training to be a medicine cat, and he shortly trains Tigerpaw when Tawnypelt seeks refuge in ThunderClan. After Ashfur is found dead and Sol is accused of murdering him, Brackenfur is chosen to be part of the patrol tasked with bringing the rogue back to ThunderClan, alongside Brambleclaw, Birchfall, Hazeltail, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. He almost drowns in the sea with Brambleclaw and Birchfall while rescuing the latter. With the help of Purdy, they finally find Sol and bring the two of them to ThunderClan. Later, he is charged with mentoring Icepaw while her mentor Whitewing is expecting kits.
Brackenfur takes part in the battle against ShadowClan instigated by Ivypaw, during which he and Thornclaw lead the patrol that outflanks their enemies on Brambleclaw’s orders.
Much later, he learns that Sorreltail is expecting another litter of kits. He gently scolds his mate when she gives birth during a walk in the forest away from the camp.
Upon learning that his daughter Cinderheart is the reincarnation of his sister Cinderpelt, Brackenfur questions Jayfeather about StarClan’s plan for her. However he insists that he loves his daughter no matter what.
He participates in the Great Battle and defends the nursery where his mate is also protecting the kittens. Unfortunately, Sorreltail succumbs to her injuries inflicted by the Dark Forest warriors, leaving Brackenfur alone with their daughters Seedkit and Lilykit. After Bramblestar succeeds to Firestar as the ThunderClan leader, Brackenfur and him talk about Sorreltail and the golden tom mourns over her loss.
When a flood hits the ThunderClan camp and all the warriors need to evacuate, Brackenfur helps Bramblestar, Squirrelflight and Dustpelt carry Purdy, Briarlight and Jayfeather out of the camp using the Stick of the Fallen floating on the water.
Brackenfur later grieves when his daughter Seedpaw drowns as she tries to save her sister Lilypaw who fell into the water while they were out fetching sticks alone, reminding him of Sorreltail’s death. He suffers another blow when his friend Dustpelt is killed by badgers, now being alone to supervise the reconstruction of the camp. He is eventually given his granddaughter Sorrelpaw, Cinderheart’s daughter, as his last apprentice, the latter being named after his own mate.
Brackenfur fights on WindClan’s side when Darktail and the Kin attack their camp. Later on, he is the one to warn his clanmates about a mudslide occurring in ThunderClan’s camp. He criticizes Juniperclaw’s appointment as ShadowClan’s deputy since he used to be a member of the Kin. He eventually retires as an elder alongside his sister Brightheart and Cloudtail.
== Appearance ==
Brackenfur is a golden-brown tabby with amber eyes. As an older cat, his muzzle is gray with age. He is said to be tall and strong.
== Personality ==
Brackenfur is a fiercely loyal, wise and serious warrior. Ever since he was a kitten, he was noted to be very calm and to behave with maturity. During his apprentice ceremony for instance, he is much more patient than his sister Cinderpelt, even though he is secretly hiding his excitement. He shows his serious side as an apprentice, often carefully listening to his mentors, and he obeys orders without a second word.
As a warrior, he retains his qualities and is quickly famed for his wisdom. He is patient with all cats, including strangers, and caring for those who are close to him, from his apprentices to his mate Sorreltail and their kits. When he earns his warrior name, he deeply regrets that Cinderpaw cannot follow the same path as him. Brackenfur is also shown to be very protective over Sorreltail, spending a lot of time at her side in the nursery after she has given birth to their first litter. He worries a lot about his daughter Cinderheart’s leg injury and is devastated over the deaths of his son Molepaw, his daughters Honeyfern and Seedpaw and his mate.
Despite his calm and tender behavior, Brackenfur nonetheless displays his bravery during battles, not hesitating to loyally fight for the good of ThunderClan.
== Trivia ==
* He was apprenticed before the age of six months alongside his sister Cinderpelt.
** Despite being from the same litter, their siblings Thornclaw and Brightheart were apprenticed after them.
* He looks a lot like his brother Thornclaw physically but it is said by the author that they are not identical twins.
** They are both golden-tabby toms but Brackenfur has amber eyes whereas Thornclaw’s eyes are light blue.
* Brackenfur is one of the few characters to be alive and present throughout each of the main arcs (except for Dawn of the Clans as it takes place in a long gone past).
== External Links ==
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Category:Voice of Reason
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