Lionblaze sneaks into the tunnels, trying not to think of all the fun he used to have with Heatherpaw. He quickly steals the catmint and turns to leave but Heatherpaw is in the tunnels blocking his way. Feeling nothing but hatred for him she calls him a thief and tells him her name is Heathertail now. Lionblaze sees a vision of himself murdering Heathertail. Even though it didn't happen it felt real. She lets him leave with the catmint but she tells him he better be careful not to turn into Tigerstar. As he leaves he feels the line between himself and his ancestor blurring.
Lionblaze brings the catmint to Jaypaw. Jaypaw is worried what to say to Leafpool about finding the catmint but she is so happy she doesn't press him for details, assuming that StarClan showed him where to look. Since that isn't a lie Jaypaw doesn't worry about it. Leafpool declares it more then enough to cure the clan. That night when they travel to the Moonpool, Leafpool announces it is time to make Jaypaw a full medicine cat. He is shocked and feels slightly guilty since they stole the catmint but convinces himself it is okay since they saved their clan. He worries that Leafpool will name him Jaywing and doesn't wish it. He feels that even though he was Jay's Wing in a previous lifetime he wants to be his own cat in this lifetime. Leafpool names him Jayfeather, much to his relief, and they settle down to dream. He hopes to get a good dream and dreams of Brightspirit. He thanks her for her help and she says she once thought to be a medicine cat but StarClan had a different plan for her so now she seeks to help cats of any clan or tribe. Jayfeather asks if he will ever see her again but she tells him that is not for her to know. He wakes with the other cats and he and Leafpool head back to camp. Brambleclaw is there and is very stressed out with how much work there is to do and how little help there is. Jayfeather tries to tell the cats that his name has changed but no one cares. Brambleclaw assigns duties to everyone and accidently gives Ashfur to different tasks to lead. Berrynose interrupts, all annoyed, to tell Brambleclaw so. Brambleclaw tries to apologize but Squirrelflight interrupts, angry at Ashfur for not speaking up. Jayfeather is shocked at the fury spilling from her. Brambleclaw tries to smooth things over but Squirrelflight lashes out at everyone for not being more of a help to Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw finally gets Squirrelflight to quiet down and apologizes to Ashfur, which Ashfur coldly accepts. Jayfeather feels pride for his mother and father and feels Ashfur is overreacting but as everyone goes about their assigned duties he wonders if he is missing something between Squirrelflight's anger, Brambleclaw's desire to quickly make amends, and Ashfur's coldness.
While out on a hunting patrol with Ashfur, Hollyleaf thinks of the Gathering that just happened. Blackstar said nothing about Sol and Brambleclaw only said that Firestar was sorry he couldn't make it. She wonders just how much everyone hides from each other. As Hollyleaf passes the twoleg nest Lionblaze comes out with some cats who are ready to go home. It is just Millie and Briarkit who are left - and Firestar who refuses to leave them. Hollyleaf knows that Lionblaze and Jayfeather are lying to her about the catmint and she is upset because they aren't supposed to keep secrets from each other. Back at camp a huge storm breaks out. Thornclaw yells that the forest is on fire. Firestar evacuates the camp and Hollyleaf looks for Squirrelflight so she can help her injured mother out of the camp. She doesn't find Squirrelflight but she does find Jayfeather and Leafpool. She tells Leafpool she will take Jayfeather, much to Jayfeather's annoyance because he feels he can go in his own. Lionblaze finds them and the three go to leave but the tunnel into the camp suddenly catches fire trapping them. Suddenly Squirrelflight is there and helps them climb a cliff wall out of the camp. When they reach the top fire separates them from Squirrelflight, trapping them on the edge of the cliff. Squirrelflight tries to bring a branch over for them to climb across but she is winded from her injury. Ashfur appears and helps Squirrelflight move the branch, but Hollyleaf doesn't feel relieved. There is a look in Ashfur's eyes that she does not like and she is proved right when Ashfur refuses to let the cats cross. He tells Squirrelflight that she hurt him when she left him for Brambleclaw and now he wants to hurt her in return. He admits to helping Hawkfrost try to kill Firestar but since that did not work he will now kill Squirrelflight's kits. Realizing she can't fight the warrior in her state Squirrelflight confesses that they are not her kits.
Squirrelflight convinces Ashfur that she is telling the truth and he leaves, telling her that her secret is not safe with him. Jayfeather and his siblings cross the branch and demand the truth from Squirrelflight. She admits to them that she did not birth them and that Brambleclaw does not know. She also will not tell them who their parents are. Jayfeather can sense anger and disbelief from his siblings but he feels calm. Hollyleaf and Lionblaze send Squirrelflight away. The three discuss what to do since it is only a matter of time before Ashfur tells their secret. For now they decide to return to camp, help to rebuild, and keep quiet.
Lionblaze tells his siblings they need to talk. Hollyleaf is determined to find out who their parents are but Lionblaze is more worried about Ashfur talking. Lionblaze feels this news will destroy Squirrelflight and even though she lied to them she did raise them and love them. Hollyleaf doesn't care about Squirrelflight. She is more worried about what will happen if their parents turn out to be rogues or kittypets. She is terrified that they might not be clan cats after all. Jaypaw points out that if Squirrelflight is not their mother then maybe the prophecy isn't about them after all. Hollyleaf freaks out and Lionblaze questions how that can be true - and what Tigerstar will do when he finds out they are not kin. The time for the next Gathering approaches and Lionblaze overhears Ashfur ask Firestar if he can go to the next Gathering. Realizing what he intends, Lionblaze talks to his siblings. They decide they must speak to Squirrelflight. At first when she sees them approaching she is hopeful that they have forgiven her but she quickly realizes that is not the case. They tell her what Ashfur intends and she promises to speak to him. When Hollyleaf speaks of her fear that they will be driven from the clan Squirrelflight tries to assure her that Firestar would never do that but Hollyleaf does not believe her. Jaypaw is unconvinced that Squirrelflight will be able to reason with Ashfur so Lionblaze speaks to him as well. But Jaypaw was right. Neither Squirrelflight's or Lionblaze's words have any effect on Ashfur and Lionblaze wonder what to do next.
Okay, holy cow, so much stuff makes sense now. So two things bugged me. One, was Leafpool naming Jaypaw. I really thought she was going to name him Jaywing up until she said Jayfeather. I was shocked and thought to myself that she really needed to let Crowfeather go and should not give Jaypaw that name. The other was what I assumed was poor writing involving the birth of Squirrelflight's kits. Squirrelflight's milk didn't come in but she gave birth outside the clan and didn't come back for days? In a snow storm? The kits should have died. I assumed that was poor writing but now I realize that is not the case.
Leafpool and Crowfeather are so obviously the parents. Leafpool, forbidden to have kits, would of course turn to her sister for help. And of course Squirrelflight would lie for her since they are best friends. This also explains how deeply Leafpool loves Jayfeather. I'm not saying you can't love your sister's (or brother's) children just as deeply as your own, but Jayfeather constantly remarks on how strong - and suffocating - Leafpool's feelings for him are. Jayfeather is her one kit that she gets to keep, in a way. And since Jayfeather is the one kit she gets to name she names him for Crowfeather. And of course Squirrelflight's milk never came in because she was never pregnant. Leafpool must have been with her so the kits could eat. And there is no way Leafpool could have had kits in secret in the camp so she and Squirrelflight had to go away for a few days. All of this makes so much sense right now.
Right now my mind is blown by this plot twist that I never saw coming so I need to process this. But I do want to say that Hollyleaf's obsession with the warrior code is bad, just like I said. It is now broken for her since she doesn't even know if she is clan born or not. And of course Firestar is not going to kick her out! Daisy and her kits were adopted into the clan. Leaving aside the Leafpool part, Firestar would never kick out three cats who were raised believing themselves to be full blooded ThunderClan cats. He would never kick out any cat period (except for Darkstripe) but he certainly would not kick out loyal cats no matter who their parents are. And lastly, I am pretty sad about this Ashfur development. All along I was envisioning another Darkstripe. Instead he was a Longtail, only Ashfur was driven insane by grief. I do not see this ending well.
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