Cypressstar

Appearance
Cypressfur is shown to be a large, fluffy brown tom with broad shoulders and deep green eyes.

Personality
He is a strong and courageous warrior that is more on the silent side. He prefers to think before acting, and is a reserved but noble warrior. He doesn't let things affect him outwardly, and is as fierce as a badger in battle.

Book Appearance
Cypressfur is born to Halfstar and Leafpuddle alongside his brother, Blazepaw, and sister, Ivyleaf.

The Cursed Blood

He is first mentioned as Thornpaw's mentor, and is shown battling her in the golden tabby's Battle Ceremony. He is not going easy on her, but is defeated by her when she uses a dirty trick.

When Maplekit becomes an apprentice, he is seen congratulating her, telling her that he wishes she could've been his apprentice had he not been chosen to train his former one before being called away by the newly named Thornpetal.

In Chapter Four, he spies Maplepaw peering into the warriors' den and gently tells her that she's not supposed to go in there, causing her to whip around in shock. He is firm in his words as he tells her to stay out, but guesses why she was looking in there and retrieves Whorlface as he takes a nap.

In Chapter Five he is called by Archclaw to follow after him to battle against CloudClan. As the warriors stream by, he pauses by Maplepaw, who had been bullied by the deputy and bows his head, looking rueful before he goes after his deputy. After the loss of the Battle Territory, Cypressfur finds Maplepaw hiding in the Great Marsh, ashamed at what she had done. He drags her out of her hollow log and calls her a disgraceful apprentice and releases her out of pity when she agrees and further shames herself. He stays beside her as he comforts her and tells her that Shadepelt will be taking over her training while Whorlface recovers. She feels well enough after the chat to follow him back to camp.

In Chapter Seven he's mentioned by Owlpaw as a cat that Underwater is interested in.

In Chapter Eight he reveals himself to Maplepaw as she mourns her brother after his death. He watches over her until she wakes up from a nightmare and then tries to talk to her about her dream. When Maplepaw demands what he wants, he leans forward and presses his cheek to hers and responds with wanting her to be alright. She leans into him and he presses his pelt against hers while he continues to comfort her, and when Maplepaw begins to tell him her nightmare, Archclaw appears and teases Cypressfur, who quickly moves away from the apprentice. As Maplepaw leaves the two warriors, Cypressfur is seen bristling and looking rigid.

In Chapter Nine, he is spotted by Maplepaw going to the fresh-kill pile, and feels hurt when she approaches him and he abruptly turns away in response to her 'hey'. He settles beside Thornpetal, and ignores the satisfied look the golden tabby shoots at Maplepaw as he eats. Maplepaw realizes that Cypressfur is avoiding her because of something that Archclaw had said to him.

In Chapter Ten Cypressfur spies Maplepaw arching her spine in alarm as she stares up at Archclaw, who is too close for the senior warrior's liking and he snaps at the deputy that they need to discuss patrols. He is seen with a fire in his eyes as he stands at the mouth of the warriors' den.

In Chapter Eleven Maplepaw notes that Archclaw no longer approaches her directly, and wonders if Cypressfur had said something then at the warriors' den that made the deputy leave her alone. He is gossiped about in the Clan as to when Thornpetal would move to the nursery with his kits.

In Chapter Twelve Maplepaw thinks back on the last three moons of her apprenticeship and recalls how Cypressfur often stepped in when Archclaw tried to get closer to her, but refuse to pursue her himself. He instead stuck by Thornpetal who mockingly twined their tails together around Maplepaw, who decided to conceal her hurt and move on from the brown tom.

In Chapter Thirteen Cypressfur remains in the den as Maplecrow is trying to wake the senior warriors after Halfstar's death. He asks if she's alright and guides her out of the den, wrapping her back in his fluffy tail. He doesn't separate from her as his death is revealed, and Thornpetal screeches that Maplecrow killed the leader. She stared desperately at Cypressfur for him to look at her when Archclaw focuses on the she-cat.

In Chapter Fourteen Cypressfur is mentioned in passing thought as Maplecrow moons over him in the same fallen long he had once found her in.

In Chapter Fifteen, he is assigned on patrol with Thornpetal and Maplecrow by Creektooth. They were speaking to each other when she approached, and stopped to look at her. He raises his tail as a signal to leave and they head out. Maplecrow wishes them to just become mates already as she pads behind them. Cypressfur orders Thornpetal to stay and mark the border as he and Maplecrow go on ahead to check out the abandoned fox den by the Battle Territory. As they're walking, he abruptly sits down and sighs, bowing his head as if in defeat. She says his name and Cypressfur murmurs that he hopes she doesn't hate him. He shudders with emotion as he admits that he's had feelings for her since she was an apprentice and slept beside Owlpaw's grave. He says he was captivated by her beauty and life and just wanted to comfort her in life. Cypressfur admits to Maplecrow what Archstar had tried to get him to do, and told her that it should only be when a she-cat receives her warrior name. His words make her realize that she should've been in Moonpaw's place, and is told that she was mostly protected by her father, Shadepelt. Cypressfur says that Archstar sees the same in Maplecrow as he does. Cypressfur explains to Maplecrow about the challenging of leaders that often results in submission, but Archstar amped it up to death, which was why Waspwing died. He gets closer to Maplecrow and says that he wanted to admit his feelings to her in case anything happened, and hoped she felt the same while inching closer to her. Maplecrow touches his nose with hers and says that she does feel the same. Cypressfur purrs and presses his side against hers while rubbing his face and cheek against hers. They continue to lovingly press against each other, while two cats stare at them maliciously in the shadows.

In Chapter Sixteen Maplecrow thinks about that day and wishes that they could become mates soon. Cypressfur participates in the first rebellious meeting lead by Tinylarch. He is mentioned by Cinderbush to be a fierce warrior that is on their side, against Archstar's reign. Cypressfur asks Tinylarch what they should do to oppose Archstar.

In Chapter Seventeen Cypressfur halts Maplecrow and wishes her luck, briefly pushing his nose into her cheek before leaving with Barkclaw to go hunting. When he returns, he deposits a bird on the fresh-kill pile and he signals to her to meet him in the forest with a tilt of his head. As he heads out to follow her trail, he brings her two mice, carrying them by his tail and giving her one to eat. They ate in silence until Cypressfur begins to share tongues with her. He asks how Cinderbush is, and Maplecrow responds that her three toms are fine. Cypressfur admits to her that he wants the same thing, but the two agree that only after Archstar is no longer leader. Thornpetal appears and Cypressfur first protects Maplecrow, before she told him that Archstar was looking for him. Cypressfur whispers to Maplecrow to be careful and leaves past his apprentice. Thornpetal then says that she'll kill Maplecrow if she gets too close to Cypressfur, as Archstar has already promised the senior warrior is already promised to Thornpetal.

In Chapter Eighteen, Cypressfur is standing in the center of the Battle Territory during the attack, and begins to closely grapple with Sparrowchest, a senior CloudClan warrior. Maplecrow is reminded that it was Cypressfur's preferred style of fighting, to get close and not allow the other warrior a chance to mess up without striking.

In Chapter Nineteen Cypressfur is noted to be staying back from a Gathering, as Maplecrow thinks, with Thornpetal. She thinks of Cypressfur when Shimmertail is fondly looking over at some toms from her Clan. He is also named as one of the cats who disapprove of Archstar's leadership and have united under Tinylarch and have finished learning about the secret kittens of Honeydrizzle. When Raventail takes a seat beside Maplecrow, he gives the tom a withering look, despite telling Maplecrow that they could only pursue their relationship further once Archstar was no longer a leader. The story takes a turn to reveal their argument, and Cypressfur claims he's trying to protect her by letting Thornpetal think that she still has a chance with him so she doesn't target Maplecrow. When given the jibe that some part of him likes Thornpetal, Cypressfur harshly states that if he did she would have already been in the nursery with his litter, but he likes Maplecrow and wants to only curl around her while she is around their litter. Back in the present, he flattens his ears when Raventail brushes his pelt against Maplecrow's.

In Chapter Twenty Maplecrow sees Cypressfur gently staring at her. Cypressfur and her then stayed out late to talk about their potential future, no longer arguing. The brown tom asks what's wrong when Maplecrow stops abruptly, and is as shocked as she is when they notice Rowanpelt cowering in the center of camp beside Archstar. They realize that there had been a traitor at the meeting. Cypressfur bows to show obedience to Archstar when he demands it.

In Chapter Twenty Three Maplecrow notes that Cypressfur stays as far away as he could from her now for fear that their relationship would be discovered. He follows her into the pine forest and asks if she's really going to go through with the plan. Cypressfur calls for her to wait as she begins to go through with the motions, and once in camp they stage their fight. Maplecrow states that she can't believe she spent moons padding after him, and Cypressfur asks if she could give up on them just like that. After they finish their faux fight, he storms into the warriors' den.

In Chapter Twenty Four Maplecrow mentions the split between her and Cypressfur as she shares a mouse with Archstar. They bump into each other when he exits the warriors' den and gives her a glower that severs her heart, but she doesn't react as she slips by him. When Barkclaw is struck down, he stares after Maplecrow in worry as she leaves with the brutal leader, but looks away when she signals with a twitch of her whiskers.

In Chapter Twenty Five Archstar names Cypressfur the mentor of Wasppaw. Archstar's reasoning is that he did wonders with Thornpetal, and he hopes Cypressfur will train another loyal warrior. In a flashback, Cypressfur rejects the idea of letting Maplecrow lead the coup against Archstar, saying that she would be in too much danger. Maplecrow gently argues with him that every cat would be in danger, and agrees to the mission. Back in the present, Cypressfur brushes his fur against Maplecrow's and praises her, saying that the other warriors chosen to kill Archstar will take it from there so she can finally rest easy.

In Chapter Twenty Six Cypressfur's brother, Blazepaw, is mentioned as he had given a life to Whorlface that the queen tore from Archstar. Cypressfur moved to take Archstar's next life, after Shadepelt, but Hornetstripe steps in to take that life, much to every cat's surprise. Cypressfur moved next and blinds Archstar before snapping his neck with his paws before stepping back to take his place beside Maplecrow. When they had finally killed him and sank his body into the sinking mud, Cypressfur is noted to have relaxed along with a few of the other warriors. Cypressfur is noted to by Maplecrow to be the cat that gives her determination and strength, thankful to have him by her side once again. They share a tender look, tails curling, as he licks her muzzle gently before they head back to camp.

In Chapter Twenty Seven Moonpaw tells Maplecrow that she and Cypressfur will raise her litter to be the best NightClan warriors they can be. She states that no better father could be given to this litter, and that he will be proud of them no matter what. Cypressfur wakes her up from her prophetic dream with a lick on the cheek He had cuddled her when she had fallen asleep by Tinylarch's body and they rise to their paws as Flamewhisker takes her body away. Maplecrow is excited that she and Cypressfur were expecting.

In Chapter Twenty Eight Shadepelt asks Cypressfur to be his deputy, and the warrior is honored, bowing low for the newly named leader. The Clan chants both Shadepelt's and Cypressfur's names. He presses his side against his mate's as they watch Shadepelt leave for StarClan's grounds, and comments that they have paw steps to take before they fix what has been broken in the Clan. Cypressfur learns that Maplecrow has something to tell him.

In the Epilogue, Cypressfur lays beside his mate while their litter suckles at their belly. Cypressfur compliments their looks, and they purr together while he rests his chin on her shoulder. He suggests the name Lynxkit for the very fluffy she-kit that he notes 'looks like him' and then Chasingkit for the black tom with a pink nose and paw pads for the lithe body he has akin to Maplecrow's. He comments that he likes Havenkit's name and snuggles closer to his mate. Thistletoe comes and tells the deputy that Shadestar demands to see him in his den, and to hold strong as the leader will likely want to argue names. Cypressfur grunts in amusement before he unwinds himself from her and leaves while she calls after him to not bring the leafbare cold back.

The Cursed Blood: The Wild Flames

In Chapter One, Cypressfur is seeing battling his apprentice, Wasppaw, for his apprentice's Battle Ceremony. He slaps Wasppaw down before his apprentice launches at the deputy and they roll across the area provided for them, neither able to grab hold of the other. Cypressfur is witnessed by Lynxkit to have finally slammed down his apprentice, knocking the air from him. Cypressfur does not fight in the position of the deputy, as he had already fought Wasppaw, so he agreed with Shadestar to allow Creektooth to take his place in that battle. He catches Lynxkit as she launches forward to greet the newly named Waspfur and Firefang, He nudges her back to Maplecrow and greets his mate while she herds back the rest of her litter. He tells her she looks frazzled, and Maplecrow dares him to try looking after four kittens. Moonkit claims that he wants to go to the Battle Territory and Cypressfur twitches his whiskers in amusement and asks his son if he's sure he can win against a full grown CloudClan warrior. He crouches down and bares his teeth to act like one, asking what he would do if he faces against Smokestar. Maplecrow stops the interaction when Moonkit squeals that he'll kill Smokestar. Cypressfur tells his mate to take it easy, that Moonkit knows that it's wrong to kill, that he was just playing. As Maplecrow continues to go off, Cypressfur defends that they are just kits and she huffs off to the nursery. Cypressfur tugs Lynxkit and Moonkit close to him and asks them to watch after Maplecrow as he cannot always be there to do so. He states that they are his pride and joy in the Clan, and that they are going to be great fighters.

In Chapter Two he urges Maplecrow to take Chasingkit to the kittypet place so he could be cured by the Furless after he was bitten by a snake. As Maplecrow races away with her kitten, Cypressfur commands Kinkleaf and Tornclaw to follow after her.

In Chapter Four he tells his kits that he's proud of them for not succumbing to worry and moving along patiently. Moonkit bravely states that the Clan has to, and Cypressfur nuzzles him and tells him he's brave. He asks where Havenkit is, and Lynxkit responds that she's still in the nest. Cypressfur orders his kits to stay put and returns with her, yawning in his grasp before he sets her down. He asks if the three would like to go ahead with the Battle Ceremony, leaving their brother until he comes back. They all say no, and Cypressfur allows them to wait and goes to speak with Shadestar.

In Chapter Five Cypressfur tenderly touches his nose to his mate's and then fiercely rubs his face against her while purring loudly. Cypressfur tries to encourage Chasingkit after he talks freely about the kittypets he met, and asks if Chasingkit wants to return to be a kittypet.

Trivia

 * Cypressfur never got along with Ivyleaf
 * Cypressfur had the most crushes of any tomcat in NightClan, with Underwater, Yellowfoot, Thornpetal, Maplecrow, and even some cats from other Clans falling for him.
 * The cats that were glaring at Cypressfur when he was with Maplecrow were Thornpetal and Archstar.