Tigerstar makes a speech, arguing that there is no room for cats with divided loyalities - or cats who are an abomination because they are from mixed clans. Leopardstar does not stop Tigerstar as he orders Stonefur to kill the two apprentices to prove his loyality. Stonefur refuses, saying only Leopardstar can give him orders. Leopardstar backs Tigerstar and Stonefur refuses to kill the kits. Tigerstar orders Darkstripe to kill him and the two cats fight. Stonefur gets the upper hand and Tigerstar orders Blackfoot to finish him off. Firestar and his friends watch as Blackfoot murders Stonefur.
Darkstripe asks for permission to kill the two apprentices but Tigerstar mocks him for being unable to defeat Stonefur. Tigerstar allows the kits to live for now and sends them back to their prison. The gathering breaks up and the cats try to figure out how to save Graystripe's kits. They roll in the crow food so they will smell like TigerClan and follow the path. They find Jaggedtooth guarding the prison and Ravenpaw distracts him by insisting that Tigerstar is asking for him. They find Mistyfoot with the young apprentices and they all start back to ThunderClan territory. They pass back through the clearing with the hill of bones and Mistyfoot says goodbye to her brother.
Suddenly an alarm is given that the prisoners have escaped and they make for the river. As they are crossing some ShadowClan cats attack but suddenly a ThunderClan patrol is there to help. They get away safely but once back at the camp Firestar finds out that Tawnypaw is missing. They look everywhere for Tawnypaw but are unable to find her. Goldenflower accuses Firestar of never trusting her kits and storms off. Bramblepaw tells him it is not his fault
Not all the cats are happy that three RiverClan cats are in their camp, but Firestar insists it is the right thing to do and Whitestorm stands by him reminding all the cats that they are half ThunderClan. After everyone has calmed down a badly wounded Mudclaw suddenly appears looking for help because his clan is under attack from TigerClan.
As if things couldn't get more disturbing. Leopardstar's refusal to stand up for her deputy speaks volumes - especially when he is murdered right in front of her. And she won't speak up for the apprentices. These cats are in her care and she is silent - harkening back to Firestar warning Mistyfoot that Tigerstar has no equals, only followers.
The sudden attack on WindClan when they were given a month to respond is interesting. It could be retaliation against Firestar for taking the prisoners or it could just be a scare tactic to make WindClan surrender sooner so ThunderClan stands alone.
And the persecution of the half RiverClan half ThunderClan cats seems far more personal. If the four clans are supposed to join as one then it is illogical to execute half breed cats. It is far more likely that the four clans would start building stronger bonds with each other which would naturally move to mixed kits being born. I really cannot see the logic in this and instead just see Tigerstar looking to hurt RiverClan by dividing them against themselves and hurting Firestar by taking kits that belong to cats who are important to him.
Then there is Tawnypaw's disappearance. I am sure she has gone to TigerClan, tired of cats questioning her loyalty. While I can understand this in theory, in reality I cannot. While she does not know of the current crimes her father just committed she does know all about the past ones - including the dog pack that almost destroyed them all. I understand her frustration but joining the side of someone who has no regard for anyone's life but his own is not the answer. I feel especially bad for Bramblepaw because he is on the receiving end of that distrust far more then his sister is.
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