moonrise: part five

A vigil is kept for Dappletail and cats argue about Cloudtail and Brightheart's absence. Some think they ran away to live with Twolegs. Firestar agrees that it is a possibility but both Cinderpelt and Graystripe disagree, saying Bringhtheart would never allow it and they would never abandon their only kit. Firestar says how it is odd that the scent trail ended at the Twoleg monsters and didn't go beyond them. The clan is in turmoil between everything that is happening. A cat starts crying out in agony. They turn to see who it is when Dustpelt emerges from the nursery. He and Ferncloud have lost a kit. Firestar and Dustpelt, two cats that have never gotten along, comfort each other.

The clan cats speak to the tribe cats, who are led by Talon. They find out that they were sent to defeat the Sharptooth but failed, and since they were ordered not to return until they were successful they feel they have no choice but to remain away. Srormfur finds himself missing Brook and questioning if he might be the cat from their prophecy. He finds himself confiding in Talon both his fears for the tribe and his confusion with the prophecy. He sleeps and dreams of Silverstream, who he at first mistakes for Feathertail. Stormfur asks her what he should do, but she won't answer him. Instead she tells him that the Tribe of Running Water and the Tribe of Endless Hunting are just like them and should also be honored. He wakes up and announces that he is going back to help defeat the Sharptooth. The rest of the cats agree to go with him and Squirrelpaw has an idea to use something else to kill Shatptooth since all the cats have failed.

Sorreltail and Leafpaw are out hunting and gathering herbs when Sorreltail accidentally chases a squirrel into RiverClan territory - and Hawkfrost catches her.

Hawkfrost wants to take Sorreltail to Leopardstar and he does not care that it was an accident. Mothwing tries to talk him out of it, but he won't listen. He hopes that since ThunderClan is currently weak Leopardstar will allow an attack so that RiverClan might steal their land. Mothwing argues back that Leopardstar will never attack Firestar after he helped her get control of her clan back. Hawkfrost responds that it is not about favors, but the warrior code, and he desperately insists that it must mean something. He also points out that with Mistyfoot missing he could be next deputy. Mothwing tells him he is going about this all wrong, that he should let Sorreltail go and let ThunderClan die on their own and then take their land - why fight and risk injury to their own warriors when there is no need. Leafpaw is devastated. Hawkfrost agrees to let Sorreltail go and Leafpaw tells the cats she will tell Firestar everything they just said. Hawkfrost does not care and leaves. Mothwing pleads with Leafpaw to believe her, that she was only saying those things so Hawkfrost would leave. Sorreltail does not believe her. Leafpaw asks if Tigerstar is their father and Mothwing admits yes.

I do not know if Stonefur is the cat of the prophecy - and I was right about Feathertail also being a gray cat - but he does seem to have a paw in both worlds. He is clearly torn between his duty to both RiverClan and StarClan and his feelings for both Brooke and the tribe cats. I find myself hoping that in the end he chooses to go back to them after everything is settled with RiverClan.

As for Hawkfrost, the use of the word "desperate" when he was talking about the warrior code was interesting. It makes me question his coldness and his ambition. If those are just byproducts of a desire to belong and have a place in this world then they can easily be overcome by giving him a purpose - which he seems to be striving for. If, to him, being deputy then clan leader gives him a reason for his life then it makes sense. However, I think he needs another reason to wake up in the morning. Not that there is anything wrong with those ambitions, but he is striving for them for the wrong reason.

I do wonder about Mothwing. Is it just that she is able to read her brother so well? Or is there something more going on there? Yet his blind ambition does seem to disgust her. She seems to be the opposite of her brother - so desperate to fit in like him, but floundering instead of having a clear goal. And that would explain her mood swings as well as her flaunting the warrior code.

I have to say, at first I didn't really care for these two side stories - the tribe cats and Hawkfrost/Mothwing - but they are slowly becoming more interesting to me then the main story.

Lastly, it was nice to see Firestar and Dustpelt comfort each other considering their uneasy past. Actually, I am sad that Longtail isn't in these books at all but Dustpelt seems to have taken his place - as a senior warrior that Firestar does not get along with personally but trusts completely.