Briarlight is refusing to eat. Sensing what is wrong, Jayfeather sends Millie away. He accuses Briarlight of starving herself because she cannot hunt any longer. She confesses to Jayfeather that she feels so worthless. He gives her chores to do to help him out around the medicine den, cheering her up. As he is checking his herb store Yellowfang comes to him. He asks what she is doing there since they will meet at the Moonpool that night. She tells him that Lionblaze fighting the fox alone was a sign. He says it is a sign that Lionblaze is an idiot but she tells him no. She points out that yesterday four different patrols returned to the camp at the same time and together they could not drive away the fox. Only Lionblaze alone could. Therefore when they stand against the Dark Forest, ThunderClan must stand alone. Together the four clans will fall, like the four patrols failed. But ThunderClan alone can beat them and survive. Jayfeather argues with her but she counters that the three belong to ThunderClan alone, so therefore only ThunderClan will survive. Jayfeather meets up with Willowshine and Kestrelflight. ShadowClan never comes so they leave without Littlecloud and Flametail. Everyone dreams. Jayfeather doesn't bother talking to his own ancestors since he already saw Yellowfang. Instead he enters Kestrelflight then Willowshine's dreams. They are both told of a danger coming and how their clans must stand alone. Yellowfang comes to him again, asking if he believes her now. When they wake the two cats race off. Jayfeather tries to warn them about the Dark Forest but StarClan stops him. They send him a vision of StarClan freezing and then breaking. Only Rock remains unharmed.
In the den Ivypaw is alone. She knows her sister is sneaking out at night to practice being a better warrior since Ivypaw is so much better - but she also knows it won't work. She dreams of fighting ShadowClan and saving the warriors of her clans. Suddenly Thistleclaw attacks her for still sleeping. She gets him off of herself and Hawkfrost compliments her. She asks why Thistleclaw doesn't have an apprentice of his own. Thistleclaw mutters that he used to have an apprentice but she didn't pass the final assessment. Something in his tone tells Ivypaw that failing the final assessment does not mean more training so you can try again. Hawkfrost has the cats fight in the water. It feels oily and sluggish on Ivypaw's fur and she doesn't like it. She is paired with Darkstripe, who she doesn't like. Darkstripe cheats, and tries to drown Ivypaw. Hollowpaw saves her and the two knock Darkstripe down into the water. After training Tigerstar praises Ivypaw. He also asks her if she knows where Tigerheart is. Ivypaw looks for Tigerheart every time she comes to the forest but doesn't admit this to Tigerstar. She says she hasn't seen him. Tigerstar responds that Tigerheart has been coming later and later every night. Ivypaw offers to ask after him at the next Gathering but Tigerstar says he will track him down. Something in his tone tells Ivypaw that it is not okay to skip a practice. Ivypaw wakes up and finds Dovepaw has returned. Whitewing pops in to wake them up since they overslept and finds Ivypaw covered in blood. She freaks out, saying Jayfeather must be sent for immediately. Ivypaw tries to claim it was just a thorn in her nest but her mother won't hear of it. Cinderheart amd Jayfeather arrive. Ivypaw worries that Jayfeather will tell everyone the truth but he just warns her to be more careful and tells her the wounds are infected. Dovepaw provides a thorn for Ivypaw's nest and Cinderheart is baffled how it got there. Everyone leaves but Cinderheart stays, asking Ivypaw to confide in her. Ivypaw tells Cinderheart she has been training extra at night. Cinderheart thinks she means training alone in the woods and feels relieved. Ivypaw tells her that everyone acts like Dovepaw is already a warrior and how she is determined to be the best warrior in the clan. Cinderheart tells her she is proud of her, but asks her not to sneak out anymore at night. Feeling guilty, Ivypaw agrees.
Angry and upset, Dovepaw seeks Jayfeather out. In the medicine den Bumblestripe is telling Briarlight about all the blood from Ivypaw's cut and Jayfeather is telling Bumblestripe he is exaggerating. Seeing Dovepaw, Jayfeather leaves the den with her and tells her that she needs to make her sister stop coming back so wounded before she gives everything away. Dovepaw becomes even angrier, telling Jayfeather she is worried about her sister dying. Lionblaze comes over and calms them both down, pointing out to Dovepaw that if they ask Ivypaw to stop going to the Dark Forest she is not going to listen. Dovepaw realizes he is right. Jayfeather tells them that StarClan wants the clans to stand alone. He also tells them that he tried to warn the other medicine cats about the Dark Forest since he knows StarClan isn't, but he was given a vision of StarClan being destroyed and never got to pass on his message. Lionblaze becomes angry, since he feels this means he has to fight the Dark Forest alone. He voices the wish for a normal life, which surprises Dovepaw. Jayfeather continues on, telling Dovepaw that they need Ivypaw to spy on the Dark Forest for them. She becomes angry, feeling that they are just using her sister and don't care if she gets hurt or not. She runs off to go hunting. Ivypaw finds her, but they just get into another fight. Ivypaw accuses Dovepaw of being disloyal for sneaking out every night to see Tigerheart. Dovepaw accuses her of being disloyal for visiting the Dark Forest. Ivypaw counters that Tigerheart visits the Dark Forest too and is one of the best warriors there. Dovepaw refuses to believe her sister and tells her that if she tells anyone about her nightly visits with Tigerheart then she will tell everyone that Ivypaw is training with the Dark Forest. Upset, she runs away.
Flametail is out looking for herbs but he cannot find any. Tigerheart and his patrol come by and Flametail smells borage on them. They tell him where they were and he races off to collect it. It is not what he needs, but it is better then nothing. Back that the camp Littlecloud finally confronts him about his visit to the Moonpool. He knows Flametail didn't go and wants the truth. Flametail admits that he spent the night in the woods because his vision told him that he had to break ties with the other medicine cats. They get into a fight over Flametail's vision. It ends when Littlecloud starts coughing. Worried for his mentor, Flametail apologizes and helps him breathe again. The two cats make up, with Flametail promising never to lie again. Blackstar summons him. He has been having troubling dreams of darkness and death. Flametail tells him he has had no new visions. Rowanclaw sends him back out for herbs and sends Dawnpelt and Toadfoot with him. On the way back to camp Dawnpelt steps in a frozen puddle that breaks beneath her. Flametail has a vision of drowning, trapped beneath the ice. He pushes Dawnpelt out of the way. She is angry with him since she was never in any real danger. He wonders what this new vision means.
I am a bit surprised by StarClan's actions. I was hoping ShadowClan clan was just being upset and moody even though they said there were borders now. But apparently all the clans are divided. Plus they won't even tell their clanmates what the danger is that is coming. I understand the argument of not knowing who to trust, but all of them united have a better chance against the Dark Forest then alone. And Yellowfang's interpretation of Lionblaze taking on that fox alone was interesting.
And I can't help feeling that Ivypaw is a blind idiot. She was almost blinded in the Dark Forest, she has seen cats seriously hurt there, and now Darkstripe tried to drown her. Clearly these cats are not good cats. Yet she keeps returning.
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