*STORMBOUND SPOILERS*

I actually have the compleate opposite opinion of Frostfire. The first time he was introduced to the series he was nothing but a big brute that Rockwing sent to do his bidding. But as the series progressed, and we got to see more of him, we also got to learn more about his past which gave us some insight as to why he does what he does.

I think one of the worst things by far that Frostfire was responsible for was when he attacked Morningleaf's escort in Stormbound -- a group of pegasi that was lead by non other then his sire; Iceriver. This may be an unforgivable offence in the eyes of many, but if you took a look at this situation in the context of the rest of Frostfire's up to this point, there is no way that at least for him, this wasn't justifiable.

First of all, he was basically abandoned by his dam. I can't imagine how it would feel to have your own mother of all people, willing give you up just so she could remain in a position of power, and to make things worse, his sire didn't try to get him back. I know it was a bit more complicated then this, but since he was only a weanling at the time, I believe that this would be a pretty accurate summary of Frostfire's side of the story.

If that wasn't bad enough, he was then raised by freaking Rockwing who was not exactly a model grandparent. I mean, I seem to remember that Rockwing himself would make the other foals torment Frostfire when he first arrived in Mountain Herd. Ture, Frostfire was able to overcome this and became one of the youngest captains in Anok, but I'm sure that just this experience alone would be enough to permanently scar a pegasus for life.

I am by no means trying to make excuses for Frostfire, I am only wanting to make the point that there was a lot of lead up to what happened in Stormbound. I suspect that he was harboring a lot of pent up aggression towards his parents since to him, they had completely abandons him, and Iceriver just ended up taking the brunt of it.

As for his character development, I believe that he may have ended up as one of the most developed characters in the whole series. Like I said above, in his first appearance, Frostfire was nothing but a big brute that did whatever Rockwing told him without question. However, by the end of Windborn, Frostfire had become a loyal and devoted mate to Larksong, and sire to Starfrost, willing to do whatever it took to ensure their safety.

Sorry about the rant.