Thorn

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

**Thorn**, or **Thorn Greatfather**, was a male baboon, and one of the three protagonists of *Bravelands*. He was Berry's mate, and formerly Great Father of Bravelands before passing away and being succeeded by Prance Herdless.

## Appearance

Thorn was a lithe baboon with gray fur on his face and a torn ear, and he possesses a round face and a long tail. As is usual for baboons, the rest of his fur is a rich tawny-brown, with bright amber eyes. He has long legs and a lean build. At the age of thirteen, Thorn's fur begins to gray.

## Personality

Thorn was shown to be very determined and confident in himself. He tends to keep unkind words to himself and would rather help others than be blunt with them. He despises bullies prefers to face conflict head-on rather than avoid it. Thorn was shown to have an unsure side. Thorn was also very persistent.

By the Second Arc, Thorn has shown to become quiet wise in his old age. He is shown to remain his composure when he and Prance confront Grandmother at her lair even though Thorn himself didn't have long to live. Near the end of his life, Thorn recognized Prance as a worthy successor and appointed her as the next Great-Parent during the last seconds of his life.

## Biography

### *Broken Pride*

*Warning: This section is incomplete. Please help complete it! There might be some information missing in the middle of some paragraphs.*

One year after Fearless joined the Brightforest Troop, Thorn and his friend Mud are participating in the first part of the Three Feats. This Feat is called "Steal the Egg of a Flesh-Eating Bird." As they wait for a buzzard to leave her nest, Mud tugs Thorn's fur and tells him that Pebble, another baboon from the troop, has arrived and is climbing the tree to get at the eggs.

Thorn silently bares his teeth at Pebble. He reassures Mud that Pebble has no chance of snatching their eggs due to his impatience. Thorn recalls his parents who had died several seasons ago and how they were happy to remain Deeproots, the lowest ranking baboons of all. Thorn loved his parents, but he had no wish to remain a Deeproot for the rest of his life just because his parents were.

Thorn is determined to complete all the Feats so that he can be promoted to Highleaf, and he could join with the senior baboons in fighting to defend his troop and be with the love of his life, Berry. According to troop law, Thorn could not be mates with Berry unless they were in the same rank. Hunger interrupts Thorn's thoughts, for he and Mud had been watching and waiting at the buzzard's nest for two days and only crawled inch by inch every time the bird flew off. Pebble, on the other hand, has chosen to climb directly up the tree immediately. The buzzard attacks Pebble and shouts threats in Skytongue. However, the bird doesn't pursue Pebble for long and returns to its nest and looks suspiciously at the trees below before relaxing. The bird then flies away from the nest, heading westward. Suddenly, Nut flings himself from the opposite treetop to get the eggs. When Mud and Thorn believe that they lost their chance, the buzzard flies back and claws Nut. Nut runs away, and the buzzard chases him, allowing Thorn to steal the eggs. Unfortunately, when they get the eggs and are heading back, Nut steals Mud's egg. Thorn offers to give Mud his egg, but Mud refuses. Nut and Thorn become Lowleaves, but Mud remains a Deeproot.

For the second Feat, they have to cross the Crocodile River. Mud warns them to be careful, as crocodiles don't follow the Code. Nut crosses safely and throws rocks at the crocodiles to provoke them. When Thorn asks the two watching Highleaves, Mango and Branch, if that was allowed, they just shrugged it off, making Thorn angry. He, Mud, and Fearless try to figure out how to cross and develop an idea. Fearless breaks a branch from a tree to create a log for them to cross to the other side. Thorn realizes Nut is still throwing rocks at the crocodiles. As he scans his surroundings, he finds some storks and then exclaims that he has an idea. He ran into the middle of the storks and yelled insults at them, much to the birds' annoyance and anger. Thorn made it across, but Mud didn't, and a crocodile bit him. In the last feat, Thorn lets Mud win him to escape the fate of being a Deeproot.

*More coming soon!*

Thorn eventually finds out that Stinger murdered both Bark and Grub to rise to power. Thorn confronts Stinger about his murders, and Stinger threatens to kill him if he stands in his way.

*More coming soon!*

### *Code of Honor*

*Warning: This section is incomplete. Please help complete it! There might be some information missing in the middle of some paragraphs.*

*More coming soon!*

At the end of the book, after Thorn attempts to murder Stinger, Fang stops him. Thorn is presented in front of the Brightforest Troop, with Stinger saying that he 'used' Berry, who is seen with her eyes dark with disgust. Stinger claims that Thorn killed Starleaf after presenting the troop with her body. Mud then furiously attacks Thorn, as Starleaf is his mother, and mauled his old friend's shoulder. Thorn shrieks that he didn't kill Starleaf. Stinger orders Mud to stop. Thorn then tries to attack Stinger once more, but Fearless intervenes. Stinger orders the Strongbranches and Fearless to kill Thorn. Fly suggests that they kill him in a tree. Thorn tells Fearless that none of this was his fault, and he didn't blame him; he blamed Stinger. Fearless opens his jaws to bite Thorn with a death blow at the end of the book.

### *Blood and Bone*

During the beginning of the book, Sky arrives and sees the Strongbranches and Fearless surrounding Thorn. Sky cries for them to stop, grabbing all their attention but Fearless's. As soon as Fearless is about to execute Thorn, Sky lurches toward him, scaring the Strongbranches away. She then crashes into Fearless, who is left unconscious while Sky grabs Thorn with her trunk and starts running away. Thorn thanks Sky for saving him and explains that Fearless hates him because the former thinks he's a traitor. He then proceeds to tell her that Stinger is the one who broke the Code and orchestrated the rhinoceroses attack on her grandmother. The furious Sky says the Stinger should be exiled from Bravelands for his crimes, but Thorn disagrees. He explains that even though the Code states that one should only kill to survive, Stinger broke the code several times by killing for greed and ambition and should be killed. However, Sky still believes that Stinger's punishment should be exile instead of death. After Sky reveals that the Great Spirit resides within her and her mission to find the new Great Parent, Thorn parts ways with Sky and heads for the tree where Nut and the late Starleaf were hiding. When Thorn enters the hollow, he finds a battered Nut, who explains that he tried to fight off the Strongbranches, but there were too many. They then hear the Strongbranches approaching and depart from the hollow and make a run for it. While fleeing, Thorn covers himself and Nut with dung to mask their scent. When Nut asks where they're going to hide next, Thorn decides that they should head to Leopard Forest as it's the last place Stinger will look for them because the forest is home to leopards, which eat baboons.

When Fearless regains conscious he feels bad for letting Thorn get away and apologies to Stinger for falling to eliminate Thorn. Stinger reassures Fearless that it wasn't his fault Sky intervened and help Thorn escape. Stinger then lies and convinces Fearless that the Striders have been driven mad from Great-Mother's death. As Fearless prepares to leave Tall Trees, Mud (Who had been assigned to be Sky's Driftleaf) explains thay he his nervous for his upcoming misson. Fearless reassures Mud that it'll be better than Thorn's "Treachery".

While hiding out in Leopard Forest, Thorn and Nut are hanging out in the treetops, sharing fruit. Their feast is cut short when they a captured by Highleaves of the Crookedtree Troop, who bring them before their Crownleaf, Tendril.

Tendril spares Thorn and Nut's lives on the condition that they'll be permanent members of Crookedtree Troop, whether they want it or not, to prevent them from committing treason. Tendril reveals that the troop wasn't always this cautious with outsiders but let in a stranger into their troop long ago, and in return, this baboon committed treason. This baboon is later revealed to be Stinger. After Thorn and Nut become members of Crookedtree Troop, the troop is attacked by Spite Cleanfur and Thornwood Troop. Nut seeing an opportunity, tries to convince Thorn to flee with him using Thornwood's attack on Crookedtree Troop as an opportunity to make a break for it. However, Thorn convinces Nut to stay and fight alongside him and that it's better if they spent the opportunity to flee Crookedtree Troop and wait for another opportunity for them to flee. After learning that Stinger was the treacherous Baboon who killed Marula Crownleaf and fled, kidnapping Berry in the process, and that Pear Goodleaf is her distraught mother, he realizes in shock and excitement that he ended up finding something he wasn't looking for in Leopard Forest, the evidence to prove that Stinger is a fraud. Thorn then convinces Pear Goodleaf and a large portion of Crookedtree to follow him as they confront Stinger and expose the monkey for the fraud he is. Thorn arrives at Baboon Island with Pear and Nut in tow, to convince Berry that he truly meant it when he told her that he really loved her and not an unrepentant jerk who was taking advantage of her. Berry is initially skeptical of Thorn's claims. However, she comes around when Thorn reveals that he found her mother, whom Stinger lied was dead. Pear also confirms that Thorn was telling the truth when he called out Stinger for being at fault for the things the latter accused Thorn of doing. Berry feels bad for getting mad at Thorn and agrees to leave with Pear for Leopard Forest.

However, Nut is captured by Brightforest forces. When Fearless returns to Baboon Island to warn Stinger about Sky and Loyal, he learns that Berry left with Thorn. Fearless (believing that Thorn kidnapped Berry) agrees to track them down and kill Thorn. However, when Stinger orders Fearless to destroy Crookedtree for housing Thorn, Fearless refuses, as while he still convinced that Thorn betrayed Brightforest, he knows that Crookedtree would never deliberately house a code-breaker and naively assumes that Thorn "lied" to Crookedtree Troop that he was good when he was supposedly an evil individual. Due to Fearless's stubborn refusal to break the code, Stinger sees no reason to fake his innocence and reveals his true colors to Fearless by admitting that the latter was merely his pawn for his schemes and confessed that he, Stinger, was at fault for Snarl's death. Stinger then admits that he aligned himself with Titan, and threatens to kill Thorn and Fearlesspride as well. After an enraged Fearless flees from Stinger, he reflects how he was cruel to both Loyal and Thorn for scapegoating the pair for Stinger's actions.

Later, Thorn is chatting with Berry when they spot a repentant Fearless, who reveals that he didn't come to fight Thorn but to apologize for getting mad and trying to kill him earlier. Fearless says he knows it wasn't Thorn who did all those crimes, but Stinger. Thorn also learns from Fearless about Stinger's alliance with Titan and forgives Fearless for his earlier betrayal. Later on, Fearless, Thorn, and Sky gather their forces to take down Stinger and Titanpride. Fearless leads his pride and Loyal after Titan and his forces while Thorn, Berry, and Sky go after Stinger. Stinger is confronted by Berry for his deception during the former's confrontation with Thorn and Berry. Stinger flees to the edge of the island, where he's confronted by Sky, who throws him in a watering hole in retaliation for his schemes, particularly for sending the rhinos after Great Mother, as she was Sky's grandmother. A float of crocodiles eats him. With Stinger gone, the three protagonists celebrate their victory with their allies at Baboon Island.

### *Shifting Shadows*

In the first chapter, Thorn's reminiscences his father taught him about how mangoes were juicy before they decayed. Recently, the troop had been pushing for him to become Crownleaf, but nothing official has happened yet.
Later, when Crookedtree Troop attacks, Thorn is knocked to the ground during the battle, presumed to be dead. That's when Windrider and her flock come and pick Thorn up. Thorn thinks that he's dead and that he's being carried to where spirits go. He is surprised when they start bringing him toward the mountains, but he isn't very concerned, still convinced that he is dead.

*More coming soon!*

In the end, Berry is elected the new Crownleaf, and she renames Brightforest Troop to Dawntrees Troop

*More coming soon!*

### *The Spirit-Eaters*

In *the Spirit-Eaters,* Thorn reveals to Sky that he's the latter's grandmother's successor. Thorn sends the vultures to spread the news that the Great Parent has returned to the Bravelands and is hosting a Great Gathering. As Thorn arrives at the Watering Hole to deliver his speech, the attendants make way for Thorn. There, Thorn reveals that he is the new Great-Parent. Thorn also sees the ghosts of some of the former Great Parent's only visible to him. After receiving an endorsement from his attendants, he is tackled by Fearless. When Thorn cites how Fearless tried to murder him the last time a Great Gathering was held, Fearless looks away in embarrassment. When two Leopards arrive with the corpse of their friend, Thorn discovers that their murder is the Golden Wolves' doing when he discovers their heart to be missing. Fearless, Ruthless and Keen volunteer to travel to the Dead Forest to hunt them down. Later on, Sky brings Thunder's Herd to make a clearing in the forest Dawntrees resides in for Thorn. After the clearing is finished, Thorn and co. are interrupted by a float of Crocodiles, who demand Thorn to help them with their problem with a pod of Hippos who accused the crocs of the death of their infant and threaten to wage an all-out war against the Hippos in revenge if Thorn refuses to oblige to their request. Thorn investigates the circumstances of the baby Hippo's death with help from Sky. After Sky reads the baby's skeletal remains, they discover that the Golden Wolves
were at fault for the murder, not Muddy River Bask. Thorn and Sky then report their findings to Plunge, leader of the vengeful pod, who then agrees to call off his and his pod's feud with the crocs on the condition Muddy River Bask calls of their upcoming attack. Tear, the Muddy River Bask leader, agrees to call off his forces, allowing both parties to coexist with one another. Back at the Great Father Clearing, Mango arrives to report that the Crownguard
is usurping Berry's authority behind her back. Thorn then agrees to inform Berry on this matter. Berry, however, disapproves of Thorn's intervention deeming it unnecessary.

She tells Thorn that she'll handle the Crownguard and not to expect her to be perfect at her job. When Sky visits Thorn, She announces that Boulder and his herd brothers are planning the migrate soon since it's the time of the year where Sky's species begin their migration. Sky is initially hesitant since it's her duty to protect Thorn. Thorn reassures her that she should join her brother and his fellow bulls in the migration and that he'll be fine. Sometime after Sky's departure, Fearless and his small pride turn to him to use his powers to track down Titan. However, Thorn is unable to find him, much to Fearless's dismay. Later, a battered Tendril arrives to seek Thorn's aid. Thorn notches that she has an infant attached to her, which Tendril revealed to be her son, Seedling. She explains that she needs his help despite their negative history because she lost her Troop to forest fire while in exile. The fire happened sometime after she bore Seedling, forcing her and her son to live in poverty with no Troop to protect them. She reveals that she was also spotted by Dawntrees sentries and is not only terrified for herself but her child, as Seedling has nobody but Tendril to protect him. Thorn sends them to Vulture Mountain. Unfortunately, Thorn learned a few days later from a Meerkat mob that an unknown assailant attacked Tendril with Seedling in her possession. Thorn Mud, Nut, and Spider leave the Great Father Clearing to investigate Tendril's assassination circumstances. After coming across Tendril's corpse, the baboons find Seedling to be nowhere in sight while discovering that Tendril was struck in the head by a stone. Thorn and co immediately conclude that a member of Berry's Crownguard was responsible for inflicting the fatal head wound on Tendril.

### *Shadows on the Mountain*

The Great Father has been mentions a couple of times throughout the book, his health was mentioned to be weakened with his sight and hearing. Fig Highleaf had visited Mistfriendherd to warn the zebras about some strange things going on and she asked the herd for any suspicions so she can bring any information back to The Great Father. Prance was brought to the Baboon Forest by Gallant and his pride, and an old baboon came to her and poked her and examined her, and offered her a half-eaten mango. The old baboon had said that once he was able to jumped onto a high boulder, but now he can barely climb at all, then he talks to a vulture nearby. The old baboon has asked Prance what her name was, and she replied and mentioned her Herdless rank. He asked what brought her here, and she said that the lions brought her. He asked again and Prance said she didn't know, the old baboon said that she was safe and there won't be any harm, so Prance told him her whole story. Prance has said that the Great Spirit had abandoned her and she was alone, causing the baboon the have a negative reaction, confusing Prance. The old baboon says that the Great Spirit has never abandoned any creature, and he believes the Spirit has a special purpose for her. Prance laughed with doubt, asking why the Spirit would be interested in her. The baboon said he knows it. Prance then understood what was happening and who was right in front of her, the old baboon confirms this. Prance apologized to the Great Father. The Great Father has asked who would send the lions to get her, and Prance knew it would've been him. The Great Father asked her to call him Thorn. He asked whether if she wasn't impressed, and Prance says she never expected to meet the Great Father, Thorn said the same thing. Thorn has heard stories about a gazelle who cheated death, but it wasn't bad like a threat that has come to Bravelands for the past moons. Prance said she can help whenever she can. Thorn has confirmed that they would need all the help they need.

### *The Venom Spreads*

Thorn hosts a Great-Gathering. There he reunites with Sky Strider who has become the Strider's Matriarch. Thorn asks Sky about her calves and Sky responds that Dawn is with her while the latter's brother left last season to be with the bulls. Thorn thanks his attendants for answering his sommuning and reveals that he had hosted this gathering to warn and reassure them about the forces threatening the plains. Thorn reassures the animals that they faced similar threats before and managed to beat them and declares that they should be able to defeat the recent threat as well.
Following the Great-Gathering however, Thorn and co. are ambushed by a horde of snakes and the former is bitten.
Thorn is immediately rushed to Tall Trees where he is being tended by the Goodleaves.
As Bramble and Moonflower continue their trek on the plains, they run into the Striders. After asking for The Great-Father's whereabouts, Sky reveals that Thorn is at Tall Trees. Back at Tall Trees, Prance ponders if there's a connection between Thorn's poisoning and Broadsight's declining mental health (As the latter was bitten by a snake before losing his sanity). So the Gazelle decides to visit Dawn Herd to spake to Broadsight. There, she is able to determine that the serpent's are indeed responsible for Broadsight's insanity. Realizing the threat the sandtounge pose she decides to reunited Shortsight, the son of Broadsight with the rest of his herd before heading back to Tall Trees to warn the baboons about the sandtounge. Bramble and Moonflower finally arrive at Tall Trees only to discover that the sandtounge had poisoned Thorn.

Bramble briefly loses hope while Moonflower reveals that she and her brother left their Mountain Home to warn the Great-Parent about the threat the sandtounge posed to Bravelands. However Mud and Moth restore the Gorillas hope when they deliver another prophecy about some other animal saving the Great-Spirit. As Bramble is walking through the forest, he finds that one of Thorn's guards had apparently fallen asleep on duty. As Bramble attempts to wake them, he finds that the guard wasn't sleeping but had been poisoned by sandtounge.

Realizing that the sandtounge breached Thorn's security, Bramble rushes in to save Thorn who is currently being cornered by a serpant. Bramble kills Thorn's would be assassin before, Mud, Moth and Moonflower arrive at the scene.

When Prance returns to Tall Trees, she and Thorn travel to Grandmother's Lair via astral projection to confront the massive serpent.

Grandmother taunts Thorn that there's nothing he could do to stop her nor her followers when the latter is on the brink of death. Thorn disagrees with Grandmother's statement as those that haven't been infected by her venom will fight for their freedoms even in his absensce.

Following the confrontation at Grandmother's lair, Thorn passes away but not before appointed Prance as his successor. In the Epilogue, Grandmother announces Thorn's death.

## Gallery

Thorn on the cover of Broken PrideThorn on the cover of Code of HonorThorn on the draft cover of Code of HonorA Real ThornThorn and MudThorn (left)Thorn on the Dutch cover of Blood and Bone
## Trivia

* Thorn and his troop are specifically Olive Baboons.
* Thorn is the only protagonist to be an omnivore.
* He's not the first baboon to be the Great Father; at least one baboon named Orchid was the Great Father long ago.
	+ There are at least three other (but likely more) non-elephants who also served as Great Parents.
* Thorn was at least 25 years old when he passed.

## References

1. ↑ *Blood and Bone* page 143
2. ↑ *Oathkeeper,* epilogue
3. ↑ Gillan Phillips Twitter page https://twitter.com/i/notifications
4. ↑ Thorn was 13 when Moonbeam (Who less under a year) made her debut. Typhoon was born at least a year later and was 11 years old when he departed the Striders.

**End of spoiler.**