Burnclaw

**Burnclaw** is a small, pale, burned-out ginger tabby tom with darker stripes. He is strong with muscular legs and has a thick ruff of fur around his neck. His eyes are a light amber, and his square muzzle is flecked with grey.

## Personality

Burnclaw is an amiable cat, always happy to dole out advice or kindness to younger Clanmates. He enjoys entertaining the apprentices and kits with stories of his and Blazestar's youth, and generally gets on well with younger cats; he has mentored a few apprentices in his time. He is, however, not a particularly traditional mentor, often giving instruction in a riddling sort of manner. This, he proclaims, is to encourage independence and critical thinking. Though not quick to fight as Blazestar is, he was a skilled fighter in his day, and still a very good one now.

## History

Born alongside his sister Blazekit to a mother who died in kitbirth, Burnkit was raised by his father Wildheart. He became an apprentice and then graduated to a warrior, earning the name Burnclaw, without much event. For the majority of his life he sat back and took his time enjoying life, watching as his sister rose to deputy and then leader of EagleClan. Aside from training a few apprentices, he has done little in the way of advancing his ambitions, largely because he never had any. A moon before the Highlands ambush, he was made the mentor of Boulderpaw.

### First Leaf-fall

Burnclaw is woken, as are many others, by Blazestar's shouting at the Highlands patrol that morning, but rolled over and went back to sleep. Later, he is woken again by Boulderpaw, who asks him to take her out training. He agrees to take her out battle training.

As they leave camp, Boulderpaw asks him what he thinks her warrior name will be. Burnclaw returns the question, and she comes up with either Boulderstorm or Boulderfrost. He suggests that it is more important how the name fits than how it sounds, then asks where she would like to train, hoping that she will say the Peak so that they won't run the risk of meeting Bloodhides. Fortunately she does, and they begin making their way up.

Finding a particularly firm ledge, Burnclaw sits down and begins instructing Boulderpaw on battle strategy by asking her what she would do in certain situations. At the end of his questioning, he impresses on her the importance of forethought in a battle, and evaluating what she is able to about an enemy. He then suggests that they spar, but first Boulderpaw asks him if he believes Blazestar to be a good leader, or if she makes decisions he sees fit for the Clan.

Burnclaw is surprised by the directness of her question, and he explains that though Blazestar is no doubt a good warrior, good warriors do not necessarily make good leaders. He reflects on the circumstances surrounding Blazestar's rise to leadership, unsure if even Blazestar's predecessor actually expected her to succeed them, though remembering that Blazestar had at least made a fair deputy. Expecting that the expedition to the Highlands is Boulderpaw's main concern, he assures her that he thinks it a good idea, though admits that he is less certain of the cats she chose to make the journey. At Burnclaw's mention of her mother, Boulderpaw pleads for Burnclaw to tell her something embarrassing that Ermineflight has done. Although Burnclaw reflects on some of Ermineflight's past mistakes, he firmly tells Boulderpaw that cats should not be mocked for past errors that they have taken care to not repeat.

They move on to begin sparring. Though Boulderpaw keeps his advice in mind, their fight ends with Boulderpaw yielding after being grappled. Burnclaw offers her another attempt at escaping the grapple or having another spar entirely, though when Boulderpaw misunderstands and says she wants to try jumping onto his back again, Burnclaw agrees. She asks how she can stay on his back without slipping off, and Burnclaw tells her that she should instead focus on doing as much damage as possible before she is thrown off or crushed by her enemy. He allows her onto his back to try out what attacks she thinks would be best. Boulderpaw batters his head, thinking it best to daze and concuss her enemy, and Burnclaw suggests that she could also rake their back to reduce their movement. They end their sparring and begin their return to camp, with Boulderpaw asking a few more questions about battle strategy on the way.

They arrive in camp shortly after Smokefall's kitting has finished. Burnclaw notes the traces of a past commotion in the camp and the lack of concern now it is over, as well as Grapeclaw's kits playing in the middle of camp despite the late hour, and guesses what has happened. He settles down in a corner of camp to rest his eyes, later returning to the warriors' den to sleep in his nest.

The following morning, Burnclaw is awoken like many others by the commotion of Peapaw and Ermineflight's return, and their announcement of an ambush by the Bloodhides. He notices Peapaw frozen in the middle of camp after the reinforcements leave, and goes over to her, suggesting that she get something to eat. Peapaw claims she doesn't deserve to eat after freezing up in battle while her Clanmates were attacked, and needing Ermineflight's help to flee. Guiding her to the fresh-kill pile, Burnclaw assures her that it's only natural to be afraid, and to her disbelief that Burnclaw himself is afraid in battle. He adds that bravery is not something innate, but something chosen, though all that matters this day is that she came to get help in the end.