Ebonypaw defends the actions of Oakstar.
When I first read Mapleshade’s Vengeance, I disliked Oakstar because he exiled Mapleshade and her kits. But after thinking about it in his perspective, I’m kind of neutral on him.
Before Mapleshade’s Vengeance, Oakstar’s mate Shinecloud had broken her neck. Frecklewish and Birchface was all he had left. But then Birchface also died. The battle made it seem like Appledusk purposely drowned Birchface. He was experiencing grief, and to find out one of his Clanmates was expecting Appledusk’s kits made him furious.”I want Mapleshade to tell us herself. She let me believe that my son Birchface was their father. I cannot imagine that one of my warriors would dare to tell such a lie.” -Mapleshade’s Vengeance, page 39. It made him even more angry when Mapleshade lied about having Birchface’s kits. He exiled Mapleshade to ensure his Clan was loyal.
Oakstar didn’t know Mapleshade was going to kill Frecklewish and Ravenwing. “He [Oakstar] didn’t expect Mapleshade to go rampage and kill everybody when he banished her”-Su Susann, https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10155433124217454&id=29566467453&pnref=story
Oakstar later learned from his mistake and decided to keep Squirrelwhisker in Thunderclan when he found out Squirrelwhisker was expecting Eaglestorm’s kit. “You could say he learned from his mistake. He didn’t expect Mapleshade to go rampage and kill everybody when he banished her. Especially his medicine cat. It was very hard for the clan to be without one until Cloudberry was ready to take over. So he took care to not make this mistake again and was more open minded when Squirrelwhisker came home pregnant with Eaglestorm’s kit.” -Su Susann, https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10155433124217454&id=29566467453&pnref=story
Oakstar later became mates with Sweetbriar and had Pinestar. Oakstar was a great father to Pinestar and truly cared about him. “My son is going to be the finest warrior this Clan has ever known!” -Pinestar’s Choice, Chapter One. “I want you to be ready to fight those mangy Riverclan cats!” Oakstar meowed. “They will not take another son from me!” -Pinestar’s Choice, Chapter One. “I always knew you [Pinestar] would be leader one day.” -Pinestar’s Choice, Chapter Five.
However, there are still things he did wrong. He shouldn’t have exiled Mapleshade’s kits, since the warrior code states that kits are important, even if they aren’t your Clanmate (Though the reason for banishing Mapleshade’s kits may have been Ravenwing telling him Mapleshade’s kits were a danger to Thunderclan). He also shouldn’t have exiled Mapleshade and her kits during a storm. He could’ve let them stay until the storm was over. That’s why I’m neutral on Oakstar. However, that does still make him flawed.
Good article, love that you cited things 😀 Personally, I definitely don’t think he’s a good person (cat). Although I can understand him, putting out what is essentially three young children and their mother (in human terms) in a storm isn’t something that should be acceptable or justifiable, ever.
Agreed.
Using quotes from one author is useless. They all have different opinions.
I agree with Emberfang – banishing three infants and their mother is inexcusable.
Plus, seriously, he had to banish a mom and three infants to learn from a “mistake?”
Great article, Ebonypaw! Nice points too! I agree with lots of what you said (I actually had no opinion on Oakstar). 👍🏽
While I can understand Oakstars anger and pain. He should’ve never endangered those kits, kits regardless of clan are to be kept safe, it’s in the code.
They were too little to survive on their own, which was partly why they died, on top of the river being flooded.
However what you said about Ravenwing is true, he learned of the kits through a sign from StarClan (actually looking back, why did StarClan send him a sign about the kits? Maybe Birchface was bitter about his good name being put as the father of half clan cats or something), but anyways regardless he received a sign figured it out and told Oakstar. The added word of his medicine cat plus his added grief made things worse.
That being said Oakstar should’ve punished Mapleshade not her kits, her kits had done no wrong aside from being born. But even then I’m torn as would the kits have been happy with their mother exiled and them stuck in ThunderClan.
It’s a very difficult predicament, but I still feel a little more thought and care should’ve gone into the fate of those kits. That being said I think bitter emotions, and stupid omens clouded everyone’s minds and caused the tragedy. But the fact that Oakstar punished tiny kits doesn’t sit well with me, at least escort them out. That way there’d at least be an opportunity for someone to say ‘oh hey rivers way too high your kits can’t handle that’ .
Or Frecklewish could’ve helped.
But the more I pick this apart I realize there is no clear cut solution, and everyone had at least a reason behind what they did. And it resulted in 3 innocent kits deaths and their mother suffering a fate worse than death. so I’d give Oakstar a neutral as well. This was just a lose lose for Mapleshade if only Birchface had lived… Man what a twist that’d be.
Hmm…I still hate Oakstar.
But this is a nice article!
Well done, Ebonypaw!!
I experienced the same paradigm shift as you on this subject 🙂
Yeah. I also think Oakstar exiled the kits for the half-clan status not becuase he disliked when he found out that they were appledusk’s, but because Rvaenhwing said that they posed a threat and becuase he just didn’t weant to be taking care of half-claners in his border not because he dispioses half-clan cats epsically kits. And i’m sure he hoped the for the kits well being and survival. I also think he didn’t worry much about maplashade or her kits since the kits had their mother to care for her and i don’t think Oalstar expected to take a huge risk on bringing her kits arcross the river at the worst possible time. This is how mapleshade’s kits died. I think Oaktar was only less caring of what happend to mapleshade (The kits mother).
I agree that he didn’t know that Mapleshade would go on a killing spree after he banished her. I think that he could have just banished Mapleshade and given the kits to another queen.
Wow, this actually convinced me to change my mind about Oakstar. I used to hate him, but after reading this, I get it now. Although, Mapleshade lying that her mate was Birchface isn’t exactly true, because it was Frecklewish who came up with the idea, and Mapleshade didn’t ever deny it nor agree with it. So technically she didn’t lie. However, she did LET him believe, so that’s something to say about it. So I still changed my mind about Oakstar. This is an excellent article 😀
But Oakstar banished three innocent kits because of their parent’s actions into a storm
True but that’s basically what blue fur did
Great job! Your points convinced me to sympathize a bit more with Oakstar 🙂
Totally agree with everything you wrote! I’m sure by now a lot of people know that I don’t like Mapleshade, and I actually submitted an article about one month ago a lot like this one. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who feels this way about Oakstar! Although, I have to admit I think he should’ve just exiled Mapleshade but not the kits. Anyway nice article!
There was an omen stating the kits were a danger to ThunderClan, correct? Or at least, that they didn’t belong or something like that. If he had been acting on only the omen told to him, and had done it safely and humanely, i.e: Waiting until the storm was over, maybe asking RiverClan if they wanted the kits (basically making sure they had a place to be safe) and escorting them to said place, ensuring their safety, it would’ve been more okay. However, it’s because he was acting rashly on pretty much anger and hurt (and of course attempting punishment), and sent these kits and their mother out in a storm, that makes him kind of suck-y. Tbh it’s really a difficult situation. One of those “to save a million people would you sentence a thousand to death?” kind of things. Because if we’re basing the choice in the omen, what would be the correct choice? ThunderClan, or three kits? Do the ends justify the means? If the kits had stayed in ThuderClan, how exactly would they put the clan in danger? etc etc
To me, if it had just been a punishment based on the actions of the kits’ parents, the whole thing would have been pretty clean cut: he hurt some blameless kits, therefore he’s a jerk. However, we have this whole omen thing thrown into the mixture. Still, it’s pretty hard to justify sending whats essentially three children and their mother cast out into a raging storm. That, right there, is pretty darn awful. Now that I’m thinking about it though, I can’t really tell my opinion on Oakstar anymore. Wonderful article, Ebonypaw! 😀
I HATE OAKSTAR SO MUCH.
Could Never Be
u cant defend him. He banished three kids, in a huge and dangerous storm. No matter what the parent did, u should never do that to children