Owlnose: a look at RiverClan’s new deputy
BY THE EDITOR
Icestar’s choice of deputy may have been a surprise to some – after all, Owlnose’s earlier experience with a leadership position didn’t exactly go over well. So why did she choose him, and was he the right choice? Today, we’re taking a closer look at RiverClan’s new deputy!
Owlnose is the son of Petalfur and Mallownose, born alongside his littermates Jayclaw and Brackenpelt in the moons following the Great Battle, during the time of the Great Storm. His mother was killed in a battle against the Kin when he was still a young warrior, and seasons later he lost his brother Jayclaw when his kits with Curlfeather were still very young. He’s lived through the Clan’s loss of their home to the Kin, the reintegration of SkyClan among the lake Clans, the struggle against the Sisters for territory, supporting the Impostor in battle on his leader’s orders, and now the near-destruction of his Clan through the deaths of Mistystar and Reedwhisker and through Splashtail’s tyrannic rule. While still a young cat, he’s definitely seen some hardships and struggles through his life, both personally and for his Clan at large.
And yet, when Frostpaw chose him as the cat she thought StarClan meant to lead them, it was because she was looking beyond the obvious choices, not because of any of his own qualities that made him seem particularly suited for the role. There were much older cats with more wisdom and experience that would make more obvious choices, but even among the younger cats, his tendency to leap to anger, his lack of apprentice, and his indecisiveness made him ill-suited to be thrust into leadership so immediately as he was. His brief stint as RiverClan’s leader went predictably poorly. With all of the pressure on him to suddenly make all of the decisions and pull his worried and disorganized Clan back together, Owlnose lacked the confidence to stick to any hard decision or successfully convince the other Clans of his authority. He ended up willingly ceding power and was much happier as just a regular warrior.
So why choose him as deputy now after such a disastrous run as leader? While Owlnose didn’t perform at his best as leader, he truly distinguished himself during the Clan’s time under Splashtail’s rule. He had time to see just how bad things could be under such a cruel leader, and while he’d done the best thing he could think of for his Clan in giving up leadership when he hadn’t been ready for it, his regret at not saving the Clan from Splashtail taking over made him determined to be the sort of warrior his Clan needed to get through this newest hardship. He showed strength and courage through the coup against Splashtail, risking his life to try and rally the Clan against their tyrant of a leader, and to get Troutkit away from Splashtail during the battle so RiverClan could finally turn on him without fear.
During the uncertain time after Splahstail’s death, when Frostpaw’s life hung in the balance and no cat knew whether RiverClan would ever find a new leader, Owlnose was one of the few who stayed determined to keep the Clan together. He soothed his Clanmates’ worries, assuring them that as long as they kept true to each other, and true to the faith and honor of true warriors, they would see each other through this hardship and find their true leader. He argued against the other Clans taking in the fleeing RiverClan warriors, determined to keep his Clan from scattering.
The maturity, courage, and faith he showed during this hard time, so different from the weak uncertainty of his leadership, showed the true warrior’s heart that lay within. Perhaps all he needed all along was the chance to properly grow his confidence and experience with leading before being given the full responsibility of it, and serving as deputy to an experienced leader rather than being thrust into full leadership as before might give him the perfect chance to do that. Perhaps he’s the right cat to lead RiverClan one day, perhaps not, or perhaps we’ll never find out. But as things stand right now, he seems like just the right cat to serve as Icestar’s second-in-command and help her rebuild this scarred and shaken Clan.
