Stoneheart

**Stoneheart** is a large gray tom with powerful shoulders and green eyes.

## History

He and his brother, Thistlepaw are apprenticed to Nightfire and Cactusclaw. The apprentices are trained by the two, and sometimes assisted by other warriors, as there were instances Nightfire and Cactusclaw are unable to train them.
Stonepaw and Thistlepaw become warriors, Stoneheart and Thistlestorm. As young warriors of ShadowClan, they are eager to serve their Clan. While hunting, they chase a squirrel across the RiverClan border, where they are captured by RiverClan warriors and held hostage at their camp. Dapplestar notices them and chastises them for crossing the border, adding that Talonstar had let his warriors get out of sight, and there must be a remedy. She orders that the two warriors must be executed for their failed following of the warrior code. The two young apprentices are horrified, but all of RiverClan seems to be in deep agreement with their leader.
The day of their execution, Stoneheart and Thistlestorm are forced down by two RiverClan warriors. Right before their executioner's claws come down, they shut their eyes. They hear Talonstar's war cry and look up to see several RiverClan cats caught by surprise by massive ShadowClan warriors. They are checked on by their old mentors, Nightfire and Cactusclaw, who reprimand them and state that it should be them killing them and not Dapplestar. The two cats leap into battle, and so do Stoneheart and Thistlestorm, furious of their treatment and eager to defend their Clan.
Their mother, Graycloud, gives birth to a second litter. They visit their younger siblings from time to time, but their father, Seedfall, aware of their boisterous antics, limits their visits.
After a second attack on ShadowClan's camp, the ShadowClan cats patch up camp. Stoneheart is sent on a patrol with Eveningfrost, and they find a young ThunderClan apprentice in the marsh. Stoneheart initially thinks it to be a squirrel, and is about to pounce, until Eveningfrost tells him it is an apprentice. The two cats bring the apprentice, Dewpaw, back to their camp, where Talonstar allows her to stay. Stoneheart pesters the young apprentice, wanting to know the details of ThunderClan life, wanting to teach her how things work in ShadowClan, and often mispronouncing her name. When ThunderClan cats come to bring her back, he finds himself missing the she-cat.
In the battles between ShadowClan and RiverClan, Stoneheart fights fiercely for his Clan, believing they should never give up. He offers to lead patrols himselves, but the senior warriors note that he is too young to realize the true strength of RiverClan's animosity towards them, and believes this as just a matter of skirmishes.
When ShadowClan territory is set ablaze, Stoneheart helps his Clan to safety. He glances at the burning territory and announces they need to stay and protect it, but Hawkflight tells them that they cannot protect their lives. Stoneheart notices that Graycloud and Seedfall are not with them, and asks to look for them. Owlfang snaps that he only has a few minutes. Stoneheart and Thistlestorm race into the territory, but are only able to find a barely living Seedfall. They drag their father's body to ThunderClan territory, but are grimly aware that no other cat could have survived the fires raging on in ShadowClan territory. Owlfang promises they can go back the next day to look for their bodies until RiverClan claims the territory completely.

## Quotes

**Stoneheart**: "*I’ll die for my Clan.*"

**Nightfire**: "*Oh, and you think that sounds heroic to you, doesn’t it? Tell me, Stoneheart, have you killed a cat?*"

**Stoneheart**: "*No.*"

**Nightfire**: "*Ever see a cat die in combat?*"
**Stoneheart**: "*No.*"
**Nightfire**: "*I’ve killed cats. And I’ve heard them dying. And I’ve watched them die. There’s nothing glorious about it, nothing poetic. You say you want to die for your Clan… but you know nothing about dying, and nothing about serving your Clan!*"

—Stoneheart and Nightfire

**Stoneheart**: "*We can't leave our territory! Dapplestar and her Clan want it... we have to stay and protect it!*"

**Hawkflight**: "*We have already lost our territory, Stoneheart. We can retake our land... but we can't retake our lives.*"

—Stoneheart and Hawkflight