Brackenjaw

> "*The clans?" Brackenjaw snickers, pausing for a moment to allow it to pass as he regards Spruce coolly. "The clans are weak, staying together like scared little kits, scared to start wars, I'm not like those fools.*"
> ― Brackenjaw to Spruce
>
>

## Education

### Dark Forest Mentor(s):

Lionpounce

**Brackenjaw** is a long-haired ginger-and-white tabby tom.

## History

**Brackenjaw** was born to two unnamed warriors in ThunderClan known for being rather harsh and brash around him. He grew up rather isolated and envious of his fellow clanmates and earned his suffix for his preference in biting during battle, having a fierce bite that was known to severely injure anyone hit but it. Over time, Brackenjaw began to consider himself better than most the warriors in his clan instead of envying them, however. He was also, unknown by his clan, training in the Dark Forest, with Lionpounce being his main mentor there.

### The BloodClan Arc

Brackenjaw first appears in the BloodClan Arc hunting in ThunderClan territory when he's approached suddenly by a rogue later revealed to be Spruce, a BloodClan warrior, after he catches a squirrel, complimenting him on the kill. Brackenjaw immediately asks her what she wants, and Spruce slowly manages to trick him into trusting her, making him admit that he felt the clans were weak and that he wanted to leave for a stronger group. When Spruce asks him if he'd like to join BloodClan, Brackenjaw eagerly accepts the offer, agreeing to spy for Lilith in ThunderClan and bring BloodClan information regarding the camp and its inhabitants. He eagerly gives Spruce information on Wolfstar, Mapleleaf, Creekwhisper, Lynxheart, Shrikethroat, Emberdusk, and Nightingalenose to start off with, promising to meet Spruce every quarter moon to give her more information. When told to try and get rid of the weak cats to start, Brackenjaw eagerly agrees to it.

A day later, Brackenjaw asks Nightingalenose to come hunting with him, heading to the Ancient Oak when she says yes. Brackenjaw has Nightingalenose search for prey on the left side of the tree while he searches the right, and while stalking around he notices Spruce again in the undergrowth and immediately pads over to see what's going on. Spruce explains that Lilith wanted a cat from ThunderClan as a hostage to use as a bargaining chip, and when she spots Nightingalenose hunting nearby she asks Brackenjaw to help her subdue her so she can take her. He begins to head over to Nightingalenose, asking her if something is wrong when she calls out his name worriedly. When she suggests they head back, Brackenjaw suddenly lunges for her, tackling her to the ground and covering her muzzle with his paw to prevent her from yowling out. When told to knock her unconscious by Spruce, Brackenjaw hauls Nightingalenose to the oak and slams her head against the tree, knocking her out successfully. He lets Spruce pick the warrior up before hiding his scent and returning to camp, pulling an excuse out as he skids into camp, yowling that Nightingalenose had been taken. When Mapleleaf asks him what she was doing out of camp, Brackenjaw pretends to be frightened, saying they were just hunting when he heard yowling but found her gone before he could find her. Mapleleaf growls at him for letting a blind cat like Nightingalenose out of his sight before she calls for Wolfstar, who orders Brackenjaw go find Nightingalenose with Emberdusk and Rosemary.

Upon leaving camp, Brackenjaw leads the two cats to the Ancient Oak, allowing them to question him before they find a path of flattened grass to follow, leading all the way to twolegplace. They roll in rubbish to hide their scents when nearing what Rosemary assumes to be a BloodClan camp before climbing into a tree nearest to the building the cats are camped in. When Rosemary spots Nightingalenose being attacked by Lilith, she yowls out that they need to go get help, leaping down from the tree with Emberdusk, though Brackenjaw hesitates so the BloodClan cats that hear them can get closer. He eventually leaps down to run after Rosemary and Emberdusk as they flee, unintentionally distracting a group of BloodClan warriors. They flee from twolegplace to the west side of the lake, Rosemary forcing the patrol to hide underwater in the lake while the rogues run over, unwilling to get wet just to kill three clan cats before leaving.

After several days pass and Nightingalenose is saved from BloodClan after the ShadowClan vs. BloodClan battle, Nightingalenose, upon growing more stronger after three days of rest, reveals that it was Brackenjaw that caused her to be taken by BloodClan to Shrikethroat. Wolfstar calls a meeting after the warrior tells her, and Brackenjaw can be seen groggily walking out into the clearing, clearly having been woken up. When called out as a traitor and told to come forward, Brackenjaw, knowing there wasn't much he could do, stands and looks up at Wolfstar, expecting exile, however Wolfstar, not feeling as merciful, decides that his punishment will be execution. Before Brackenjaw can do or say anything else, Wolfstar lunges for him, forcing him to the ground, taking out one of his eyes in the process. Brackenjaw tries to fight back despite the pain, however, it's futile as Wolfstar begins to slam him to the ground, breaking his jaw from the force. Before he dies, however, Wolfstar asks Shrikethroat to finish him off as revenge for what he did to Nightingalenose, and the large warrior simply positions herself over Brackenjaw and snaps his neck, killing him instantly.

## Personality

Brackenjaw is shown to be cold, hostile, and is typically extremely introverted and quiet. When he does talk, however, he is snarky and confident, and extremely full of himself. Brackenjaw houses seemingly no morals or empathy toward his own clanmates, shown clearly when he easily gives up Nightingalenose to BloodClan, and he yearns for power, wanting to be around cats he believes are close to his level, which ThunderClan, in his mind, did not fit.

## Relationships

### Spruce

Brackenjaw held a flirtatious sort of comradery with Spruce, respecting her despite their few interactions. Whether he was genuinely interested in her is unknown, though he did like her ideas, and was absolutely willing to go with any request she had of him.

### Wolfstar

Brackenjaw held absolutely no respect for Wolfstar. He, at first, desired her position as leader of ThunderClan, however as time passed he instead began to grow hateful of ThunderClan in its entirety, and instead simply wanted her dead just so he could prove how much stronger he was than her. Being executed by her was one of the most insulting things he could ever think of happening to him, and it still angers him even in the Place of No Stars.

### Nightingalenose

Nightingalenose and Brackenjaw had no real relationship before he was ordered to knock her out to give to BloodClan. He, for one, despised how ThunderClan would willingly allow a blind cat to become a warrior, and had little care for her outside of the fact that he felt smug at how much stronger than her he felt he was.

## Trivia

### Interesting Facts

* Brackenjaw is pansexual.
* Brackenjaw is in the Place of No Stars, though is mocked for his death, most cats considering him a coward there for not succeeding in even leaving ThunderClan for BloodClan.