redtail's debt: part two

Redtail is upset about the upcoming battle, but Tigerclaw gives him a pep talk pointing out that they need to protect their borders and no one will get hurt as everyone will be out of the camp hunting and patrolling. They are just going there to destroy the camp. This reassures Redtail, who is worried that Stagleap will feel betrayed by him. However, when they get to the camp to destroy it, Tigerclaw has no problem attacking the undefended cats. Much to Redtail's horror Tigerclaw wounds a queen and threatens her kits right after another ThunderClan warrior had just reassured her. As the camp gets wrecked Bluefur refuses to let her warriors attack the medicine den. Tigerclaw calls her soft but Bluefur stands her ground. WindClan's warriors return, led by Stagleap, and a fight breaks out. Redtail feels guilty at the disappointed look Stagleap gives him. Bluefur becomes badly wounded and is unable to call a retreat so Redtail calls one. Tigerclaw is furious with him but Redtail stands his ground. As the ThunderClan cats leave Tigerclaw calls Redtail a coward. Redtail sees what Tigerclaw truly is for the first time. He tells Tigerclaw he no longer owes him anything. He realizes he is loyal to ThunderClan, not Tigerclaw. 

Time has passed and Bluefur is now Bluestar with Redtail as her deputy. Tigerclaw is furious that Redtail called a retreat in battle over Sunningrocks but Redtail stands by his decision and Bluestar supports him. Later, Redtail overhears Tigerclaw as he tries to undermine Redtail by convincing Bluestar to let him mark Sunningrocks as their own again. Bluestar gives him permission for this, but specifically tells him not to fight. Tigerclaw realizes Redtail overheard everything and tells him not to try and stop him. Redtail says he doesn't want to stop him, he wants to help him. Tigerclaw is surprised by this but Redtail has two motives - marking Sunningrocks and keeping an eye on Tigerclaw.

Dustpaw begs Redtail for permission to go, pointing out that Ravenpaw is going. Redtail refuses his apprentice and worries about taking Ravenpaw along. He makes a comment to Tigerclaw about this but Tigerclaw mocks Redtail and rubs it in that Redtail should know he would keep an apprentice safe. The three cats head out to Sunningrocks, and Redtail talks with Ravenpaw. He hears echos of Tigerclaw in Ravenpaw's chatter about being a warrior and resolves to talk with Bluestar when they return to camp. They reach Sunningrocks and start to mark their territory when a RiverClan patrol led by their deputy, Oaheart, finds them. It seems like a fight will break out and the ThundClan cats are outnumbered. But Redtail and Oakheart seem to reach a temporary agreement. The cats are about to part ways when Tigerclaw attacks.

Redtail tells Ravenpaw to run, but Ravenpaw refuses stating Tigerclaw was right about Redtail. Redtail feels momentarily annoyed that Tigerclaw is badmouthing him to an apprentice but shifts his focus back to the fight that is breaking out. Redtail realizes Ravenpaw is in danger and places himself between the RiverClan warriors and the apprentice. He tells Ravenpaw to run but the apprentice refuses. He gives him an order to go back to camp and get help, but Tigerclaw undermines him by taunting Ravenpaw into joining the fight. Oakheart threatens to kill Ravenpaw so Redtail attacks him, accidentally killing him.

Tigerclaw voices surprise at Oakheart's death, stating he didn't think Redtail had it in him. But Redtail is furious and privately blames Tigerclaw for the death of Oakheart. The fight momentarily broken up Redtail orders Ravenpaw back to camp. Ravenpaw refuses again, stating he owes Redtail. Angry, Redtail insists that Ravenpaw owes him nothing. Tigerclaw backs Redtail and insists Ravenpaw leave. Tigerclaw goes to resume the fight but Redtail declares it over and the remaining RiverClan cats flee. As Redtail watches them go Tigerclaw strikes, killing him. As he lay dying Tigerclaw says it is for the good of the clan, as they need a real deputy, and that Redtail should have been loyal to him since he saved his life. Redtail awakens in StarClan, where Sunstar greets him. Distraught, he begs Sunstar to send him back as his clan has no clue a murderer lives amongst them. Sunstar says he cannot send him back, and takes him to a pool so he can see what is happening at camp right now. He sees Tigerclaw giving a report and wonders what lies he is telling now. Then he sees a stranger amongst his clanmates. Sunstar tells him this cat is about to be named Firepaw. The words of the prophecy "fire alone will save your clan" come to mind as he realizes Firepaw, not Tigerclaw, is his clan's future. And he knows his clan will be just fine without him.

When Redtail died before it meant nothing. I'm not sure Rusty even met Redtail. I think he only met Bluestar and Lionheart before joining the clan. He was just an announcement when he was first taken to the camp - that Redtail was dead, killed by Oakheart who Tigerclaw killed in revenge. Redtail was never anything more than a name used to fuel Tigerstar's ambition. It was nice to see him get some backstory, to have his character fleshed out. And, it gave some backstory on Tigerstar. His justification for killing Redtail further explained. It wasn't just a desire to be deputy. Tigerstar felt that Redtail had betrayed him. He saved Redtail as an apprentice so Redtail should have been just as loyal as Darkstripe and Longtail.

It was good to see Redtail stand up to Tigerclaw, even though it was obvious it was coming. And it was especially nice to see Redtail reject Ravenpaw's feeling of indebtedness. He was probably thinking of his own supposed debt to Tigerclaw, and didn't want Ravenpaw manipulated the way he was when he was an apprentice.