Lionpaw, Ashfur, Stormfur, and Brook return from a hunting patrol. Ashfur tells Lionpaw that he did a good job. Stormfur comments that something is wrong. He hears Jaypaw tell Leafpool that he is going to collect herbs. Leafpool tells him to bring someone with him. Instead of objecting, he suggests bringing Hollypaw. Hazelpaw tells Lionpaw the news of the upcoming battle between WindClan and RiverClan. Lionpaw realizes the missing kits might be in the tunnels, but he doesn't know how to tell anyone. He is ordered to help the camp prepare for an upcoming battle, in case WindClan attacks them as well. He worries that looking for the kits is the wrong thing. He hears Tigerstar whispering to him to forget about the kits and help his clan. He decides that helping the kits is helping his clan and heads off to look for them. He finds Jaypaw and Hollypaw and tells them he thinks he knows where the kits are. ThunderClan warriors show up and he hides from them, afraid that they will send him back to camp. Jaypaw covers for him by telling the warriors he is not sure where Lionpaw is, and tells the warriors he and Hollypaw will be back to camp soon. After they leave Lionpaw comes out of hiding and admits that he has been secretly meeting Heatherpaw in tunnels that run under their land. He says he has stopped meeting her but Hollypaw is furious. Jaypaw calms her down by pointing out what is done is done. After some pressure from Jaypaw, Hollypaw admits RiverClan's problem. The three decide to search the tunnels themselves to find the kits and hopefully avert a battle. Lionpaw takes them to the tunnel where they run into Heatherpaw and Breezepaw. Breezepaw is hostile and Lionpaw and Heatherpaw feigned ignorance of the other knowing about the tunnels. Jaypaw worries about the coming rain, much to Lionpaw's annoyance. They decide to look for the kits together.
Jaypaw offers to go first in the tunnels. Breezepaw angrily points out that Jaypaw is blind. Hollypaw snaps back, asking if Breezepaw can see perfectly in the dark. Jaypaw leads the way but when he feels someone press against him he angrily reminds Breezepaw that he is leading. Everyone assures him Breezepaw is behind him. Fallen Leaves speaks to him, telling him that since Jaypaw walked with him like a brother he will take Jaypaw to the kits. Deciding to trust Fallen Leaves, Jaypaw lets himself be led to the kits. They find the kits stuck behind a boulder and get them out. Jaypaw worries they won't have time to leave before the tunnels flood, though he doesn't say this to the other cats. Fallen Leaves leads him back to the main cave but the river is flooded and they cannot cross it and some of the tunnels have caved in. Everyone panics, wondering what to do. Jaypaw sees Rock with his stick, and their lines drawn on it. Then he watches as Rock crosses their lines out, realizing Rock means they live. Jaypaw decides the river must flow out of the cave into the lake and convinces everyone to jump into it and let the current take them away.
Hollypaw and the cats wash out into the lake and swim to the shore. Jaypaw says they should take the kits to Leafpool before doing anything else. At first Breezepaw seems to disagree, then he changes his mind since the ThunderClan camp is closer. Before they can head there Jaypaw hears the sounds of a battle. Realizing that WindClan and ThunderClan are about to fight they decide to take the kits to the border instead. Hollypaw sees Jaypaw talking to the stick - he tells her he is not coming to the border. Hollypaw and Breezepaw reach the border first, telling Firestar and Onestar that they have found the kits. The rest of the cats follow. Lionpaw is about to confess the location of the tunnels when Hollypaw interrupts, claiming they found the kits on ThunderClan's shore. She feels since the tunnels have caved in there is no reason for Lionpaw to get into trouble. All the other cats, including the kits, back up her lie. Onestar admits that he did not attack RiverClan, just demanded the return of the kits. He also says he will trust RiverClan to move off of the island by the next Gathering. Firestar tells Hollypaw she was right but Hollypaw responds it was never about being right. The WindClan cats leave, but Heatherpaw stays behind to say goodbye to Lionpaw. Firestar watches them closely as she acts close to Lionpaw, but Lionpaw does not return her affection. Hurt, Heatherpaw leaves. As she does Hollypaw realizes she can no longer be friends with Willowpaw, because without the warrior code they are nothing.
It has been a day since the battle. Lionpaw has not been training because Ashfur wants him to rest and recover - but he is tired of resting. He goes for a walk to the tunnels, sad over the lose of Heatherpaw. Tigerstar and Hawkfrost come to him to tell him how proud they are of him. Liopaw tells them he feels so empty inside. Tigerstar tells him that friendship worthless, and that he has learned an important lesson. Tigerstar says he will teach him more, and that one day Lionpaw will be so powerful he will have no need for friends, and that he will never regret his choice.
I am glad a battle was averted on both fronts. Onestar did listen to what Leafpool was trying to tell him. Hopefully next Gathering RiverClan really will be off of the island.
I am amused that Tigerstar and Hawkfrost are proud of Lionpaw, considering he did the exact opposite of what they wanted him to do. But, maybe their pride came from him rejecting Heatherpaw? Publicly, even. Tigerstar was right, though. Lionpaw did learn an important lesson about friendships outside of his clan. But, his words, yet again, make me feel bad for Darkstripe. Tigerstar does not have friends. His blood is important to him, but not his friends. I wish Darkstripe could have seen that. Now, instead, he is doomed to forever walk alone in a shadowy world, rejected by Tigerstar because he never meant anything to him in the first place.
I feel bad for Hollypaw since she now feels she has to end her friendship with Willowpaw, but really she does. Running off to RiverClan was beyond foolish. I understand the argument of helping the other clans (and actually support it) but they do not live in a world with no borders - because they do not want to live in such a world. And the one time Tigerstar tried it, it was a bloodbath. The actions of Firestar have both built friendships (like in Leopardstar's case) and destroyed them (like in Onestar's case). Everyone has to want change for it to happen - and not everyone wants that.
As for Jaypaw, I cannot imagine this is it for the stick and the warrior cats of old. It might be, but if it was he would have gone to the border with everyone else, not stayed with the stick.
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