Vixenfur is an orange she-cat with sleek black legs, black ears, a white chest and belly and mint-green eyes. She has a long, fluffy white-tipped tail. Her appearance has been described as fox-like.
Vixenfur was a warrior of RiverClan in the forest territory. Vixenkit was born to Beetlenose and Sunfish with her littermate, Grasskit. Silverkit became her adopted sister and the two remained close throughout their apprenticeship and short time together as warriors. Sunfish gave Vixenkit her name due to her resemblance to a fox kit. Vixenpaw was mentored by Leopardfur. She earned her warrior name of Vixenfur due to her striking, bright orange pelt and her courage that she shared with her mentor. She served under Leopardstar until she was believed to have died in the ferocious battle against BloodClan. In reality, she survived only thanks to the help of medicine cat apprentice and secret mate, Cottontail, who saved her life and helped stage both their deaths to the Clans. The two she-cats then lived out their days peacefully side-by-side, dwelling not far from their friends Ravenpaw and Barley.
As a young warrior, Vixenfur was eager to see through RiverClan win Sunningrocks back. Having been raised knowing the story of LeopardClan and their ownership of Sunningrocks, Vixenfur fought fiercely for control of the territory alongside her clanmates. The infamous battle that began the series was the battle that resulted in the death of her mother, which only ignited Vixenfur's rage and grief further. She took out her anger on her enemies in battle, in particular Redtail, during a patrol to Sunningrocks. Knowing Redtail was the last cat to lay his claws on her mother, Sunfish, Vixenfur's snarling was what encouraged the chaos to break loose. When Oakheart was killed, Vixenfur backed down, heartbroken that Sunningrocks yet again had the blood of her Clan spilled onto its grounds.
"You cannot control who you love. I know what that feels like, Silverstream. I'm happy for you."
―Vixenfur to Silverstream upon learning about her feelings for GraystripeFire and Ice, chapter 9
Vixenfur and Silverstream were both strong warriors in their own right, but both were struggling to find a mate. Vixenfur expressed to her sister that she did not feel attraction to any of the toms, even Dreamfur, who had feelings for her. Her fur only felt hot when she was in the presence of Cottontail, the medicine cat apprentice, who was also a she-cat. While Silverstream did not have any attraction to other she-cats, she agreed that none of the toms appealed to her either, and wondered if she would be alone for the rest of her life. Vixenfur assured her that she was beautiful and surely, a tom would catch her eye in the future. Then, Vixenfur is assigned her first apprentice, Sweetpaw.
Meanwhile, hostility continued to burn between ThunderClan and RiverClan that resulted in a border skirmish. In that skirmish, Vixenfur watched with horror as her brother, Whiteclaw, was seemingly killed by Graystripe. The situation broke her heart, especially so soon after the loss of her mother, but she still struggled to believe that Graystripe intentionally killed Whiteclaw, even as her former mentor Leopardfur swore vengeance on ThunderClan.
Sure enough, Vixenfur was convinced of Graystripe's innocence when Silverstream told Vixenfur about the way she heroically saved Graystripe's life. The way her sister's eyes sparkled when she talked about Graystripe had Vixenfur's whiskers twitching with amusement, and she couldn't help but to cheer them on despite knowing that their relationship was against the Warrior Code. She felt as though finally, someone understood her, falling in love with someone she shouldn't.
"He was a great friend to me. He would have been a wonderful mate, yet I never felt the same. Why? What is the matter with me?"
―Vixenfur about Dreamfur when sitting vigil Forest of Secrets, chapter 12
Yet again more disaster struck RiverClan when the camp was flooded. Vixenfur survived the flood, helping the cats evacuate under Leopardfur's orders, though she could not save everyone. Vixenfur had to make a quick choice between her best friend, Dreamfur, and her apprentice Sweetpaw, who was struggling not far from her friend. Vixenfur chose to save Sweetpaw after seeing the encouraging look in Dreamfur's eyes. She joined her clanmates in mourning for Frogleap, Dreamfur, Robinkit and Woodkit. She carried especially heavy guilt over Dreamfur, who was her closest friend growing up, and who did not deserve to die and have his feelings remain unrequited. She wondered what was wrong with her, and why she could not love a tom back, even a perfectly good one like Dreamfur. Cottontail, expressing similar grief for not being able to save the kits, allowed Vixenfur to confide in her. The two of them comforted each other in those hard times, feeling their bond deepen. Despite her troubles, Vixenfur watched on with fondness as Graystripe assisted RiverClan after the flood, brushing pelts with Silverstream all the while. She met Fireheart at this point and sensed that he was a good cat, earning a silent respect for him despite not knowing much else.
Prey was scarce due to the poisoning of the fish, and Vixenfur struggled to find anything positive to cling onto. Besides the warmth she felt when she was with Cottontail, she did not have much to look forward to each day. This feeling only worsened when Silverstream died during kitting, causing Vixenfur to endure even more loss than she had already been through. Even so, she mustered up the strength within herself to provide companionship for Graystripe, the only other cat to truly understand the pain Vixenfur was going through after the loss of Silverstream. At this point, Vixenfur found out the truth about Whiteclaw, and chose to believe Graystripe's side of the story over Leopardfur's.
Vixenfur searching for Swiftpaw and Brightpaw within the flames (Art by m-a-r-z-y, dA)
"You saved us once, I'm only returning the favor!"
―Vixenfur to Fireheart when assisting during the fire Rising Storm, chapter 27
Vixenfur took time to mourn all the recent loss in her life. During that time, she helped to train Graystripe on how to swim and hunt fish. Bonding with Graystripe helped both of them grieve Silverstream, and watching the kits grow up filled them with optimism. Now that her former apprentice, Sweetpelt, had earned her warrior name and completed her training, Vixenfur secretly wished to become the mentor to Featherkit, who had grown attached to Vixenfur.
Vixenfur and Cottontail remained close. Even though Cottontail had her warrior name, she remained Mudfur's apprentice, next in line to become the medicine cat. Their close friendship was not frowned upon, but both cats began desiring more out of the other, and Cottontail recognized her feelings as love. Troubled by this and knowing that medicine cats were forbidden from love, Cottontail tried to put some distance between herself and Vixenfur, but ultimately, she struggled to uphold this distance, especially when Vixenfur was becoming lonelier by losing so much family at once.
Fire ravaged ThunderClan territory and spurred Vixenfur into action. Sick of the bloodshed between both Clans, she charged forward into the flames alongside her sister Grasswhisker, as well as Graystripe, Fireheart, and other ThunderClan warriors to recover anyone left behind. She was able to recover Swiftpaw and Brightpaw and guide them to safety, but in the process, Grasswhisker lost her life. Vixenfur could not believe yet another one of her family members had died in such a short time, and she began to wonder if anyone would be left around her when she grew older. At this time, Cottontail put aside her own fears of falling in love and expressed to Vixenfur just how much she loved her.
Grief-stricken by losing so many cats in her life, Vixenfur heatedly proposed to Cottontail that they should run away from the Clans and "start a Clan of [their] own." Cottontail told her that she was getting carried away by fantasies, but the thought remained in her mind.
"History is repeating itself. RiverClan's glory has never shined brighter, and Leopardstar is proof of our enduring greatness."
―Vixenfur about RiverClan and its new leader, Leopardstar A Dangerous Path, chapter 8
Witnessing Leopardstar's ascension to leadership after Crookedstar's passing, Vixenfur reflected on the legend of LeopardClan with chills of excitement in her pelt. She felt invigorated again and felt that if she had survived this long, it must mean that she had a duty to fulfill for her Clan. Vixenfur continued to train hard for her Clan and become a reliable warrior for Leopardstar. Meanwhile, Cottontail felt bitter that Vixenfur seemed to forget her idea to run away together. When Cottontail received a prophecy that Leopardstar was going down a dark path, she was not sure who to tell, afraid of what may happen if she revealed her prophecy to Leopardstar herself. Upon telling Mudfur, her mentor hesitated to believe her and remarked that she had been awfully "distracted" lately, referring to her conflicting feelings over Vixenfur.
"I can't believe you were once my friend! How could you be so cruel!?"
―Vixenfur as she faced off against Sweetpelt The Darkest Hour, chapter 28
Dazzled by memories of kithood and tales of the legendary past, Vixenfur was eager to support Leopardstar's joint effort to combine Clans with ShadowClan and become TigerClan. She admittedly felt strangely about the Clan being named after Tigerstar rather than Leopardstar, but the importance of their names compelled Vixenfur to believe that things were as they should have been.
As time passed, Vixenfur grew more doubtful of the choice to combine Clans. Only when Stonefur was brutally murdered did Vixenfur realize how twisted their situation had become.
Vixenkit was born to Beetlenose and Sunfish alongside her sister Grasskit. Beetlenose often visited the nursery so that he could see his mate and their kits. When Silverkit would not let Vixenkit into the nest, Vixenkit complained to her mother, Sunfish, who comforted her and said that Silverkit would let her in if she asked nicely. Silverkit said that she was only trying to make Vixenkit and Grasskit grow up faster, since she was bigger than them.
Overall, Vixenkit was rather shy and reserved as a kit and was not as adventurous as Grasskit. She enjoyed Silverkit's company and looked up to her, but often hid behind her when frightened. She spent most of her kithood playing pretend with Grasskit and Silverkit, often enjoying the role of hero in their make-believe stories. Tales of ancient LionClan, LeopardClan, and TigerClan always excited her and had her imagination running wild.
Vixenfur was a young warrior alongside her sister Grasswhisker and adopted sister Silverstream. Their parents had a new litter consisting of Whitekit. While hunting, Leopardfur remarked to Sunfish how Vixenfur, Grasswhisker, and Silverstream grew into fine warriors, though Sunfish remarked they had each other while Whitekit was by himself. Vixenfur watched on proudly during Whitepaw's apprentice ceremony alongside her family. When Sunfish was gravely wounded, Mudfur asked Beetlenose to check on his kits to get him out of the medicine cat's den. Vixenfur, Grasswhisker, Silverstream, and Whitepaw visited Sunfish frequently in the medicine cat's den, though Sunfish eventually died from her wounds.
Whitepaw struggled to refocus on his training following Sunfish's death, so Leopardfur encouraged him to spend time with his sisters. Later, Beetlenose lead a hunting patrol with Vixenfur, Grasswhisker, and Petaldust. During a Gathering, Vixenfur and Whiteclaw chat with some ShadowClan cats. When the camp flooded, Leopardfur ordered Vixenfur and Emberdawn to help evacuate everyone. Vixenfur and Shadepelt helped rebuild the dens following the flood. Following the reveal of ThunderClan sheltering Brokenstar, Vixenfur expressed her shock about ThunderClan's secret during the Gathering.
When a fire struck in ThunderClan's forest territory, Loudbelly's call through the warriors' den wakes up Vixenfur, Leopardfur, and Sedgecreek. Vixenfur later shared a trout with her father Beetlenose and witnessed Leopardfur announce Crookedstar's death. Later, Vixenfur and Mistyfoot escorted Tigerstar into their camp. Now a part of TigerClan, Vixenfur participated in the assault on WindClan's camp when they refused to join. Mudfur treated her injuries following the battle. Vixenfur witnessed Tigerstar's death at the claws of Scourge, the leader of BloodClan. Leopardstar agreed to join Firestar in LionClan, and Vixenfur took part in the battle against BloodClan.
Personality[]
Confident and courageous, Vixenfur has been described as a strong leader amongst her RiverClan warriors. Had she remained a RiverClan warrior, she likely would have been nominated as deputy. She was patient with the kits and apprentices, and her steadfast, level-headed demeanor helped strengthen her image in the eyes of the younger cats in RiverClan. She was determined to do the best she could for her clan and was never afraid to speak her mind.
Vixenfur was fiercely loyal to RiverClan and admired her leader, Leopardstar, but she struggled to stand up against Leopardstar when their leader sided with Tigerstar to form TigerClan. Seeing her leader eventually choose a more righteous path reinvigorated her and affirmed her loyalty to Leopardstar for some time, but her devotion to Leopardstar and RiverClan did not outweigh her love for Cottontail.
Relationships[]
Silverstream[]
Raised as her adoptive sister, Vixenfur and Silverstream were always close. As kits, they bickered occasionally, with Silverstream insisting that Vixenfur needed to grow up faster to catch up to her (as Silverstream was two moons older than her). They trained alongside each other as apprentices with Grasswhisker and often got into mischief; Vixenfur was a bit more apprehensive to break the rules and Silverstream was the instigator, but Vixenfur would usually follow her lead. Once they became warriors and Silverstream began to fall in love with Graystripe, Vixenfur was the most sympathetic to Silverstream's emotions. RiverClan was disapproving but Vixenfur wanted to support her sister above all else. She was gutted when Silverstream's life ended too soon and became a passionate believer that love should not be treated as "forbidden," no matter the Clans where each cat came from.
Cottontail[]
Being the medicine cat apprentice, Cottontail was often in the camp and busy restocking herbs under Mudfur's orders. Vixenfur was drawn to her for reasons unknown.
Dreamfur[]
Dreamfur grew up alongside Vixenfur and was always her closest friend, but his romantic feelings remained unrequited. [TBC]
Venomflare[]
At first, he seemed like a formidable ally, but he turned on Vixenfur and betrayed her trust, making him her enemy. [TBC]
Leopardstar[]
As her apprentice, Vixenfur always looked up to Leopardstar beyond just as her clan leader, but as her mentor. Growing up, Vixenfur's mother, Sunfish, was best friends with Leopardstar, and thus was a constant figure in Vixenfur's life. When she was apprenticed, it was an easy choice to make Leopardstar her mentor. Vixenfur learned her ferocity in battle from her powerful mentor. The deadly wound that nearly took Vixenfur's life was earned when she defended Leopardstar's body as she lost one of her nine lives.
Vixenfur was created in 2007. The creator met Victoria Holmes in 2008, which was when Holmes wrote down Vixenfur's name to potentially be included in a future book. Then, in Crookedstar's Promise in 2011, 'Vixenkit' was introduced to the series. The creator feels this was intended to be Vixenfur until the new writing team turned her into 'Vixenleap' for Leopardstar's Honor.
Vixenfur has an anthropomorphic version. In this state, she often has short, choppy black hair and a 'butch' appearance.