Fireheart is frantic to find Bluestar. Whitestorm reminds him that Bluestar can take care of herself, but Fireheart is still worried. Sandstorm pointing out to him that Bluestar is probably feeling like she is losing control of her clan doesn't help. Bluestar comes back, telling Fireheart that she went to Highstones alone because she could not trust any of the traitors in the clan. She says she went there to demand answers from StarClan but all they would tell her was of a danger in the forest called a "pack." Fireheart tries to interpret this but Bluestar has no interest in even trying to prevent the upcoming disaster.
Days later Bluestar decides to suddenly lead a patrol. Fireheart sees this as a chance for Cloudpaw and Swiftpaw. He sends for Longtail and the four cats escort Bluestar, though she is not overly pleased with his choices. She takes them to the RiverClan boarder, clearly thinking about her kits. When they reach Sunningrocks Leopardstar is there with warriors - including Graystripe - and she is declaring the land as their own. Bluestar denies her claim, Fireheart sends Swiftpaw for help, and a fight breaks out. During it Graystripe sees Stonefur and Mistyfoot attacking Bluestar, who is refusing to defend herself. He gets Fireheart who begs the cats not to attack, admitting to them that Bluestar is their mother.
Both cats are stunned, with Stonefur furious over what he believes to be a lie and Mistyfoot shocked and considering Fireheart's words. Bluestar greets them as her long lost kits and tells them how proud she is of them. Suddenly Graystripe calls out a warning as Leopardstar attacks Fireheart. He fights her off and Leopardstar angrily tells Graystripe to attack. He refuses and suddenly reinforcements are there. The RiverClan cats flee. Bluestar tries to talk to her kits but they want nothing to do with her. Leopardstar banishes Graystripe. Fireheart apologizes to Bluestar for spilling her secret but she tells him it is okay. He asks if it is okay for Graystripe to come back and Bluestar responds that another traitor in a clan full of traitors won't matter. She also retorts that Fireheart should have let the RiverClan cats kill her. Her warriors are shocked by her words but she doesn't care.
Graystripe receives a mixed greeting when he comes back. Some cats are happy, others are angry. Bluestar informs Fireheart that she is going to make Cloudpaw a warrior - but just Cloudpaw. She feels she cannot trust any of the other apprentices and Cloudpaw does not believe in StarClan, which to her is a bonus. Distraught, Fireheart goes to tell Longtail. Longtail angrily tells him he doesn't believe that Fireheart really tried to make his apprentice a warrior. Bluestar holds the ceremony, naming him Cloudtail, but it is a tense ceremony between Bluestar's indifference and the hurt feelings of the other apprentices and their mentors.
The next morning, prompted by Dustpelt, Fernpaw confides in Fireheart that angry over what had happened, Swiftpaw and Brightpaw snuck out to prove themselves. They went to snakerocks to see if they could find the danger. Taking some warriors Fireheart dashes off. They find Swiftpaw dead and Brightpaw badly injured. When asked what happened Brightpaw only says "Pack. Pack. Kill. Kill."
I know that Dustpelt is clearly in love with Fernpaw, but it is still odd that she does not confide in Darkstripe who is her mentor, and makes me wonder if she is questioning Darkstripe's loyalties. I feel like Fireheart should have asked Fernpaw why she turned to Dustpelt instead but he does not.
And I so feel very bad for Longtail. Despite once being one of Tigerclaw's biggest supporters, he has clearly been trying to show his loyalty to his clan - but Bluestar won't acknowledge it. And now his apprentice is dead for that and any trust Longtail has been building with Fireheart - which was already very strained - is destroyed.
As for Bluestar I cannot help feeling her end is just around the corner. She is already so broken and having her kits reject - and even hate her - is only going to make her mental state worse.
No comments:
Post a Comment