midnight: part five

Cinderpelt sends Leafpaw on an errand, and asks her to take a warrior with her. Sorreltail agrees to go along with her and as the two cats head out they see Firestar returning. He has been on patrol again to find their missing cats. He acknowledges that he cannot do anymore and they are now in the paws of StarClan. Leafpaw and Sorreltail see a confrontation between WindClan and RiverClan over water rights, but keep silent. As the two groups move apart they call out to Mistyfoot. While talking Mistyfoot confesses that Feathertail and Stormfur are missing and ask if they have returned to ThunderClan. Sorreltail tells them no, but they also have two cats missing. The cats speculate if the other clans have missing cats. Leafpaw feels uncomfortable since she knows the truth. She especially feels the burden of knowing two prophecies involving Brambleclaw whereas her clan leaders only knows of one. Back at camp the two cats report to Firestar and Graystripe. Graystripe is in a panic over his missing kits and Firestar decides they need to find out if anyone else is missing at the next Gathering.

Brambleclaw and company run from a loose dog. A voice calls out to them to climb a tree and they do. The Twoleg takes his dog away and the cats meet an elder named Purdy. Purdy takes them to an Twoleg's garden. They have a goldfish pond that can feed them. None of the cats have ever seen gold fish before but Feathertail and Stormfur catch them for the cats and try to teach Crowpaw and Squirrelpawhow to as well. Crowpaw tries to eat one of the fish but it tastes of salt. A Twoleg shows up and chases them off. Crowpaw is angry until Feathertail points out to him that he has received his sign from StarClan. The elder knows nothing of StarClan or the warrior way - and he calls humans Upwalkers instead - but he says he knows of the saltwater and cliff from Brambleclaw's dream and offers to lead them there. The cats are torn and Brambleclaw realizes they are all looking to him for an answer. He agrees, only because they do not know the way out of the Twoleg place they are in.

Purdy leads them around and with all of the cloud cover the cats feel hopelessly lost. When the clouds part they realize that Purdy is leading them the wrong way. Tempers start to run high as everyone wants to get to their destination so they can go home. One night Purdy leads them to a place to sleep but rats attack them and Tawnypelt is hurt. Brambleclaw tells the other cats to get some rest while he watches over them.

Leafpaw awakens and knows that something is wrong - and that it involves a rat bite. She awakens Cinderpelt to make sure they have enough medicine to treat rat bites. After talking to her young apprentice Cinderpelt feels that this might be a sign from StarClan. The Gathering comes and Leafpaw attends. She sits with Mothwing as Leopardstar speaks first and ends the water agreement with Tallstar, who agrees they no longer need it. Hawkfrost asks to speak, and Leopardstar allows it. He accuses WindClan of hunting fish in their river, claiming he has seen it himself. Tallstar is furious and feels he is lying. Hawkfrost admits he was alone when he witnessed it but insists it is true. An argument breaks out. Leafpaw is unsure what to do. She knows WindClan had stolen at least some prey but Dustpelt was not at the Gathering to share his story. She voices her wonder at Hawkfrost starting this fight and Mothwing comes to his defense. The moon starts to cover, showing StarClan is angry.  Firestar calms the cats down, pointing out that they have a truce at Fourtrees and that Leopardstar should not start a battle based on the words of one warrior. Firestar speaks of his missing cats as does Leopardstar. Tallstar admits Crowpaw is missing too and Blackstar grudgingly admits that Tawnypelt is also missing - but he had assumed she had run back to ThunderClan. The Gathering breaks up and the cats head home. Leafpaw tries to get a message to her sister on how to cure rat bites.

I feel like Brambleclaw's story is dragging a bit. They spend most of their time wandering around lost with Purdy.

As for Leafpaw's story, I can't help but feel that something is up with Hawkfrost and Mothwing. One moment I feel that Mothwing is fine, the next I feel she is incredibly hostile and cold. As for Hawkfrost, I do not believe his story. Consistently, throughout the books, no cat outside of RiverClan (other then Graystripe) has known how to hunt fish. And in just the previous chapters it was shown that Crowpaw does not know how to. And if Hawkfrost really saw this, why did he not tell Leopardstar? I feel like bringing it up at the Gathering was a way to stir up trouble. I feel that there is something wrong with this cat, but I do not know what. I could be reading too much into things, but, again, something about him strikes me as wrong.