Mud

***Spoiler Warning:** Plot and/or ending details follow.*

**Mud** or **Mud Starleaf** is a character in *Bravelands*. He is a male baboon and Thorn's best friend. Mud's mother was Brightforest Troop's Starleaf. He used to reside in the Dawntrees Troop but choose to live in self-exile alongside Nut and Spider when the Crownguard exiled Thorn and Berry for speaking out against them.
Following Titan's defeat, Mud becomes a Starleaf for Dawntrees.

## Appearance

Mud is scrawny 25+ year old baboon with grayish brown fur. Mud has one brown eye with gray film covering the socket where his other eye used to be in its place.

## Personality

Mud is a smart and intelligent baboon with a kind heart. According to Thorn, he doesn't have any violence within him. His weakness makes him an easy target for bullies such as Nut. Despite this, he always tries to avoid violence and simply ignores Nut instead. He never blames others for his own problems. At the end of *Code of Honor,* however, Mud is revealed to be naive as he didn't hesitate to believe Stinger when he claimed that Thorn was at fault for his mother's death. However, after Sky confronted Stinger at a meeting, Mud begun to realize that Stinger had lied to everyone at the meeting, including him. Mud regretted nearly killing Thorn in anger, realizing that he had blamed his former best friend for Stinger's actions as he was the one who caused Starleaf's death, not Thorn. His loyalty to Thorn is what prompted him to join Thorn in exile when he was banished by Berry Crownleaf and again by the Crownguard.

Years later, Mud becomes distrustful of Prance Herdless due to her perceived role in Thorn's poisoning. However, Mud soon realizes this is not the case.

## Biography

### *Broken Pride*

Mud is first seen talking with Thorn in their first Feat. Then Nut steals his egg, and Mud does not become a Lowleaf, though Thorn does. He kindly denies Thorn's offer to give him his egg.

Mud later brings Fearless back to the camp.

### *Blood and Bone*

After Fearless regains conscious, Mud and Fearless discuss Thorn's "betrayal". When Stinger assigns Mud to the Driftleaves, Mud express concerned do to his lack of fighting skills, but Fearless reassures him that spying on Sky and co. will be better than Thorn's supposed betrayal. Mud later tracks down the Great Herd (Then a small group), and requests Sky to recruit him into her group to insure the elephant and her group to cause any more "trouble".

Rock expresses his reluctance since he along with the rest of his squadmates know Stinger's true motives of assigning Mud to spy on them. Sky however informs Rock and Silverhorn that they have no choice as if they refuse to let Mud into their group, the latter will go straight to Stinger who will do something worse to the group as punishment for their defiant. Later, Mud returns to Stinger who intends to host a meeting for Sky Strider to attend to claiming that it's to help her recover from "her declining mental health" and orders Mud to bring Sky and co. to the meeting. Mud subsequently returns to Sky to give her Stinger's invitation. Although Rock and Silverhorn are reluctant to let Sky attend the meeting, Sky reluctantly agrees to attend Stinger's meeting hoping to sway public opinion to her side. Although this was unsuccessful, Mud manages to come to his senses as a result of Sky's persuasion and feels bad for ending his friendship with Thorn after realize that he'd been scapegoating his former best friend for Stinger's actions/behavior.

Mud later joins Thorn into exile after the latter rescues/reconciles Berry. Mud is present alongside Berry when Fearless seeks them out to apologize to Thorn for letting Stinger destroy their relationship. Because by then, Fearless learned from his last meeting with the Crownleaf that Stinger was indeed Bark's (and Grub's) murderer and that Fearless was merely a pawn for Stinger confirming that the latter was indeed and evil individual. Later Mud learns that Stinger want to meet up with Sky again. Since Stinger is unaware that Mud has discovered the former's deception, Mud manipulates Stinger into thinking he has the upper-hand by claiming that Sky's followers are self- serving. Mud then leaves to warn Sky. When The Great Herd and Fearlesspride declare war on Stinger, Mud sides with the Great Herd. In the aftermath Mud exclaims shock that Thorn and Nut did indeed become friends due to their unfortunate history. Mud then reveals that Stinger informed him of Thorn's alliance with Nut. However Mud didn't believe him since he no longer trusted Stinger by then.

### *Shifting Shadows*

Mud plans to become a Starleaf like his late mother. When Thorn asks Mud if he knows who the next Great Parent is, he states that the stones his mother once used told him that the next Great Parent is nearby. Thorn is relieved that the stones didn't tell Mud more about the new Great Parent, as Thorn doesn't want anybody to find out that he is the next Great Parent. When Tendril and her forces attack Tall Trees, Nut rescues Mud and takes him to safety. After Thorn reveals himself to be the next Great-Parent and is subsequently exiled by Berry Crownleaf, Mud (along with Spider and Nut) decided to join their friend in exile even though they didn't need to due to their affection towards Thorn.

Mud, Spider and Nut are present when Thorn is initiated at the lake on top of Vulture Mountain as the Great-Father.

### *The Spirit-Eaters*

After Thorn's initiation, Sky notices Mud, Thorn and Spider. While Sky doesn't recognize Nut and Spider, she concludes that like Mud, they are also friends with Thorn. Mud, Spider and Nut later accompany Thorn when Sky and Thunder's Herd make a clearing for Thorn. Mud is present when some of his troopmates seek an audience with Thorn in order to receive advice on how to deal with The Crownguard. There, it's revealed that the Crownguard secretly disrespect Berry's authority and undermine her when Berry isn't looking.

After Sky returns to announce that she'll be migrating to The Plain of Hearts with Thunder's Herd, she tasks Mud, Nut and Spider to protect Thorn in her absence. Months later, Mud and co. witness a battered Tendril who had recently given birth to a son while in exile. There, Tendril reveals that she and Seedling lost their troop to a Forest Fire not so long ago and has no one else to turn to to help her and her son. For that reason she choose to put her animosity for Thorn aside for the sake of herself and her son as they had nobody else to turn to. When Tendril is found dead with her son fleeing the scene the baboons are horrified by the sight of her body. After close examination, the group discovers that Tendrils attacker struck her in the head with a rock. This causes the group to conclude that the Crownguard was behind Tendril's brutal death.

Mud stays behind along with Spider and Nut when Thorn leaves to confront the Crownguard. After Thorn and Berry are subsequently banished, Thorn returns to the Great Father Clearing with out Berry (as she and Thorn parted ways after having another falling-out). There, Mud informs Thorn that Bloodheart Pack had requested an audience with the latter monkey. Mud warns Thorn not to go since the Gold Wolves are after Thorn's heart since he's the Great Father. Thorn however, goes against Mud's wishes, having lost faith in himself do to the unfortunate events that occurred recently, causing Thorn to become suicidal. Thorn believes that if he sacrifices himself to the Gold Wolves, the Great-Spirit will inhabit a worthier animal. However Thorn's suicide attempts are thwarted by The Muddy River Bask in return for clearing their names earlier. Thorn is then brought back to his clearing and tended by Mud and co. Berry also joins the group and apologizes to Thorn for the argument they had earlier. When a fire breaks out in Tall Trees and the surrounding jungle, Mud and co. assist Thorn and rescuing the imperiled animals.

### *The Venom Spreads*

When Prance is talking to Thorn, the latter orders one of the Vultures to fetch Mud. Mud arrives with his apprentice, Moth.

## References

1. ↑ [1]
2. ↑ Revealed in *Broken Pride*, page 11
3. ↑ Revealed in *Broken Pride*, page 10
4. ↑ *The Venom Spreads*:Chapter 2
5. ↑ The Venom Spreads: Chapter 2
6. ↑ Broken Pride page 112
7. ↑ Broken Pride, page 32