“Please tell her that I miss her just as much as she misses me. And I will love her kits as if they were my own. Berrynose does love her. He’s just scared of losing her as he lost me. I am watching over both of them.” —Honeyfern to Jayfeather about Poppyfrost.
Honeyfern is a sleek, lithe, dappled, light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Honeyfern was a ThunderClan warrior under Firestar’s leadership in the lake territories. She was born as Honeykit to Sorreltail and Brackenfur alongside her siblings Molekit, Poppykit, and Cinderkit while badgers were attacking ThunderClan’s camp. She became an apprentice named Honeypaw with Sandstorm as her mentor. Shortly after being apprenticed, her brother Molepaw died of greencough. She and Poppypaw earned their warrior names, Honeyfern and Poppyfrost, and she and Berrynose grew closer, even talking about kits. Honeyfern saved Briarkit from a snake, but was unfortunately bitten and died. She ascended to StarClan.
After her death, Poppyfrost and Berrynose became mates, and Honeyfern informed Poppyfrost from StarClan that she approved of their relationship. She participated in the Great Battle and fought alongside her sister.
Honeyfern in Twilight
She and her siblings were born during the badger attack on ThunderClan’s camp to Sorreltail and Brackenfur. Cinderpelt sacrifices her life when a badger enters the nursery. She and her siblings are the first kits to be born in the hollow.
Honeyfern in Sunset
When Brambleclaw makes his way into the nursery, Sorreltail, Brackenfur, and the body of Cinderpelt are inside, with Sorreltail curled around her kits. The four kits burrow blindly into her fur, seeking warmth and their mother’s milk. After Rainwhisker delivers news of Sootfur’s death, Sorreltail twists in a spasm of grief, dislodging her kits and causing them to mewl faintly in protest. Brackenfur calms her down, and the kits once again settle back into place.
In an attempt to distract the grieving queen, Brambleclaw asks if she has given the kits names yet. The tom is named Molekit, while the others are named Poppykit, Cinderkit, and Honeykit.
Deciding to visit Sorreltail, Leafpool makes her way into the nursery where Daisy is watching Berrykit, Hazelkit, and Mousekit playing. Their mother warns them not to disturb Sorreltail and her kits because of how tiny they are. Leafpool later gives borage to Sorreltail for her milk, and Brackenfur claims the four kits are worse than famished foxes in how much milk they need. In a dream with Spottedleaf to show where Cinderpelt’s spirit has gone, the former medicine cat brings Leafpool to the nursery where Honeykit and her siblings are sleeping beside their mother.
Honeyfern in The Sight
Honeykit is now an apprentice with the name of Honeypaw, with Sandstorm as her mentor. She and her sisters, Poppypaw and Cinderpaw, share tongues. Hollykit comments that they remind her of Sorreltail. Later, Honeypaw yowls an alarm when she scents two RiverClan cats, who turn out to be Mothwing, the RiverClan medicine cat, and her apprentice, Willowpaw, who are looking for Leafpool. She is ashamed, though Sandstorm later remarks that Honeypaw had done the right thing, cheering the apprentice up. She later playfights with Poppypaw outside the apprentice’s den.
On Jaypaw’s second day as an apprentice, she is the only one still asleep. Jaypaw quickly leaves the den, commenting that he did not want her telling him about all of her exciting apprentice duties that day. On the night of the Gathering, Lionpaw thinks it’s odd that Honeypaw and her siblings are not going with them, while Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, and Mousepaw are, even though they’re not Clanborn.
Honeypaw is on the dawn patrol the day after Graystripe and Millie come back. She is said to be clustered around the two cats when Leafpool and Hollypaw come to check on them. Yet again, Honeypaw is on the dawn patrol with her mentor and Graystripe when Hollypaw quits her training as a medicine cat and later becomes a warrior apprentice. On the night of the second Gathering, Honeypaw is talking to Cinderpaw, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw. When Cinderpaw asks if Blackstar will mention the border skirmish, Honeypaw says that ShadowClan never speaks of their losses. She then crosses the tree bridge right after Sandstorm, Firestar, and Squirrelflight.
Honeyfern in Dark River
Honeypaw is on a dawn patrol with Sandstorm, Dustpelt, and Hazelpaw. Later, she gives a mouse to Lionpaw that had been caught by the sunset patrol, thinking he was hungry. Lionpaw asks her if the kits and elders had already eaten, which she confirms, and then talks about the fight with WindClan. She asks him if he’s okay. She tells him to meet them if he wants, padding out of the apprentice’s den.
Honeyfern in Outcast
Honeypaw trains with Lionpaw, Poppypaw, and Cinderpaw, while Berrynose is on guard. Later, she admits to Hollypaw that she has a crush on Berrynose. Hollypaw asks herself why anyone would love Berrynose, saying he is ignorant and a pain in the tail. She comments that they were not even warriors yet, and why an apprentice would be thinking about mates. On a patrol, Honeypaw is one of the first cats to detect WindClan scents around the border area, and she and Hollypaw quickly run back to camp to warn Firestar of the intruders.
Honeyfern in Eclipse
Honeypaw suns herself with Cinderpaw and Poppypaw. Icepaw comes over with prey in her mouth, and Honeypaw admiringly asks if that was her first catch. Jaypaw, Hollypaw, and Lionpaw are later spying on Honeypaw and her siblings during their warrior assessment, since Jaypaw wanted to see how Cinderpaw was holding up. Lionpaw comments to Jaypaw that Honeypaw looks nervous. She asks Poppypaw where she should hunt, to which her sister tells her to trust her instincts. Lionpaw later hears the apprentice cursing as she misses a catch.
She and Poppypaw gain their warrior names, Honeyfern and Poppyfrost, although Cinderpaw does not, due to her injury. Nonetheless, they cheer out their sister’s name during the ceremony. When Honeyfern is looking over at Berrynose for his approval, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw instantly stop cheering for her. It is mentioned by all three apprentices that Honeyfern is mooning over Berrynose and sharing fresh-kill with him.
During the battle with WindClan, Jaypaw finds her and Sorreltail losing a fight against two RiverClan warriors who are assisting WindClan. Jaypaw saves them, although Sorreltail twists her paw.
Honeyfern in Long Shadows
Honeyfern gets greencough and is moved to the abandoned Twoleg nest, where she watches over Daisy’s daughter, Rosekit, who is also sick. Firestar gets infected with greencough and loses a life. Honeyfern is one of the cats gathered around him, watching helplessly with some of the Clan cats and all the sick cats. Later, she tries to feed a mouse to Briarkit, but the kit refuses to eat it, wanting milk and her mother, Millie, who is seriously sick with greencough.
Honeyfern in Sunrise
Honeyfern and Berrynose are now very close and will soon be mates. They appear together, sharing tongues near Lionblaze on the basking rocks. Both of them are watching the kits playing, and discuss having some of their own. Suddenly, she and Lionblaze notice an adder slithering across camp, about to bite Briarkit. Before Lionblaze could do anything, Honeyfern bravely dives for Briarkit, sweeping her aside, and takes the bite herself. Honeyfern screams that her blood is on fire as soon as she is bitten. Berrynose pleads for Leafpool to heal her, but she replies that the poison has already taken hold and she cannot save her. Berrynose tries to comfort her in her final moments, telling her that they would have had wonderful kits and she will die as a hero. When she is nearly dead, he tells her that they will meet again in StarClan. Lionblaze is also regretful because he knew that if he had dived at the snake first, he would not have gotten hurt, and he could have killed it.
Berrynose, Sorreltail, Brackenfur, Cinderheart, and Poppyfrost are the cats who sit for Honeyfern’s vigil. Her mother, Sorreltail, is horribly upset by her death, reminded of Molepaw’s death as well. Mousefur recalls how well Honeyfern took care of her as an apprentice and that she shouldn’t have died so young. She mournfully wishes it had been herself who died instead, as she and Purdy had been basking where she had been just a little while earlier. While passing Hollyleaf, Sorreltail goes to her den in hopes that she’d see Honeyfern in her dreams.
Honeyfern in The Fourth Apprentice
Poppyfrost becomes Berrynose’s mate. Although she loves him, she feels very guilty about stealing him from Honeyfern. She dreams of walking to the Moonpool often so she can speak to Honeyfern and apologize. One day, she finally goes, upsetting the other queens as they don’t know where she is. Jayfeather follows Poppyfrost to the Moonpool, where she says that Berrynose doesn’t love her and still wants to be mates with Honeyfern. She wants to speak with her dead sister, but Jayfeather tells her that warriors can’t speak with StarClan whenever they wish.
Before Jayfeather and Poppyfrost leave the Moonpool, they are attacked by a WindClan warrior, Breezepelt, who wants to punish Jayfeather and his brother, Lionblaze, for being born. He plans to drown Poppyfrost in the Moonpool and blame Jayfeather for it, telling his half-brother that his Clanmates could lie as well as his. Jayfeather tries to make him leave Poppyfrost alone, but winds up having to attack him. Brokenstar comes from the Place of No Stars to join the fight on Breezepelt’s side. As Jayfeather is losing the fight, Honeyfern comes down from StarClan and helps Jayfeather win the fight. When Breezepelt and the Dark Forest cat are gone, Honeyfern tells him that Berrynose did love Poppyfrost, but was scared of losing her as he had lost Honeyfern. She says that Poppyfrost couldn’t see her, but to tell her that she missed her, that she would love her kits as if they were her own, and that she was watching over them. Poppyfrost asks shortly afterward what Honeyfern had said. When Jayfeather tells her, she is pleased that Honeyfern was happy for her and her new family, but still doubts that Berrynose loves her. Her presence is felt by Jayfeather when Poppyfrost gives birth to her kits, Cherrykit and Molekit.
Honeyfern in The Last Hope
When Cherrypaw and Molepaw arrive at the camp, Dovewing looks around to see if Poppyfrost noticed them. She spots her fighting side-by-side with Honeyfern, driving back a Dark Forest warrior. Dovewing notices how well they fight together, as if they had been training with each other for a lifetime. When Poppyfrost runs over to her kits, Honeyfern finishes off the tom they were fighting before following her sister.
Honeyfern in Leafpool’s Wish
Honeykit and her siblings, Molekit, Cinderkit, and Poppykit, tumble out of the nursery just as their father, Brackenfur, walks away after his discussion with Leafpool. Honeykit chases after Molekit, her only brother, saying that she can catch him. She and her siblings are warned by Sorreltail when she fears that her kits are getting in the way of the warriors. Honeykit assures Sorreltail that she and Molekit are only practicing their running, and they’re not getting in the way of any cat. As she brags about how swift she is, Honeykit accidentally runs into Whitepaw, almost knocking the apprentice off her feet. This is seen by her mother, who tells the kit to watch where she is running.
