Pinepaw has just been made an apprentice and is out with his mentor, Mistpelt, for the first time. She shows him twoleg place, where a kittypet startles him. They pass some twolegs by the thunderpath. Mistpelt tells him they are building a tunnel. She is worried about ShadowClan invading. They head back to camp where Mistpelt reports to Oakstar. Oakstar is proud of his son, and tells him to listen well to Mistpelt and train hard. A month later Pinepaw is out on a hunting patrol when he hears ShadowClan cats. He calls out an alarm and the hunting patrol faces the intruders. Mistpelt tells him to run back to camp and get help but he ignores her order and chooses instead to fight. They drive the ShadowClan cats off and Mistpelt compliments him for fighting good.
Nettlebreeze tells the assembled apprentices a story about the evil Mapleshade, and how she murdered cats she held responsible for her kits deaths. Fallowsong breaks up the gathering, insisting she doesn't want the apprentices getting nightmares. Pinepaw is sent on a hunting patrol and accidentally comes between a fox and her kits. He debates between running and fighting, knowing that either way he is probably doomed, when another cat jumps over the fence and saves him. They leap up onto the fence where Pinepaw finds out his rescuer is a kittypet, much to his shock. They part ways with Pinepaw wondering if he will ever see her again.
Pinepaw is getting ticks off of the elders when the patrol comes racing in, speaking of kittypets in their territory. Oakstar consents to an attack on the cats. Doefeather, the deputy, picks the cats she wishes to take with her and Pinepaw is one of them. She tells them to rest because they leave at nightfall. The cats quietly invade twoleg place. Doefeather breaks them up into three smaller groups and tells them to attack any kittypet they find. Pinepaw is in a group with Squirrelwhisker and Mistpelt. Hearing a noise, Mistpelt sends Pinepaw to investigate. Pinepaw is nervous to go off on his own but he obeys his mentor. He finds the kittypet who saved him before. She is nursing her kits and ready to defend them. Pinepaw tells her she has nothing to worry about, that he won't attack her. They talk about why the clan cats are there invading. A light comes on and he gets a good look at one of her kits - and his eyes. Mistpelt calls him back and he leaves. Back at the camp Oakstar is pleased with the news of the attack. He is especially pleased with Mistpelt's report that Pinepaw bravely went off on his own, not knowing what dangers may be ahead. Pinepaw is not exactly happy with the praise, since he knows he found a kittypet and refused to attack her. Oakstar names his son Pineheart and his clan cheers his new name.
Leaf bare is ending and Pineheart is relieved. This has been a harsh one, with many cats dying, and as deputy Pineheart was frustrated with his inability to help his clanmates. The clan is happy to see Pineheart and his hunting party return with quite a bit of fresh kill. As the clan divides it amongst themselves, he brings a squirrel to Doestar. Doestar refuses to eat, but Pineheart insists there is enough for everyone. Goosefeather is with her, since she is so weak. Pineheart leaves the den and seeks out Cloudberry. The old medicine cat looks weak, but Pineheart asks her anyway about Doestar. Cloudberry admits that Doestar is on her last life. Pineheart is upset, feeling he is not ready to become clan leader. Cloudberry assures him he will be fine and then leaves him. Pineheart goes back to Doestar, who tells him that her sister Deerpaw was just there visiting her. Upset because Deerpaw has been dead for years, Pineheart asks what she wanted. Doestar admits that Deerpaw wanted her to go with her, but that she didn't feel like leaving her nest just now. Pineheart talks of making the apprentices into warriors and Doestar's mind returns to the present. Doestar speaks to him of becoming leader soon. Pineheart tries to tell her his time is still far away but she won't hear it. As they talk she collapses. Pineheart is worried for her but Cloudberry shows up and assures Pineheart that Doestar is just tired.
Doestar has died, and Cloudberry alone sits vigil with her in case whatever sickness took her from the clan is contagious. Goosefeather takes him to the Moonstone, where he immediately sees Doestar and receives his nine lives. Thunderstar gives Pinestar one of his lives, and while doing so tells Pinestar that he has a choice to make, and so lo g as he can live with the outcome then he has made the correct one. Pinestar wants to ask Goosefeather all about what happened but Goosefeather is already leaving and Pinestar is forced to follow. Pinestar settles into his life as leader. Feeling bored one day he decides to go for a walk. He finds himself by twoleg place where he runs into a cat who feels he knows him. Pinestar is shocked to realize the cat is right, they do know each other. Pinestar recognizes him from back when he was an apprentice participating in the attack on twoleg place. The young cat is one of the kits he found that night. The cat's name is Jake and they talk. As Pinestar returns to his clan he is happy to have met Jake and hopes to see him again one day.
So, knowing that Pinestar will eventually leave his clan, I assume the choice he will be faced with is staying or going - and he will choose going. Though, I guess the question is why is he going to feel the need to make this choice? Meanwhile, kittypets seem to hold a certain allure to him, unlike the rest of his clanmates. Bluestar (when she is eventually born) has the same allure, but not as bad as he seems to. He didn't participate in the attacks. I understand not attacking the queen who saved him before, but he didn't try to attack anyone else. I'm not sure Pinestar is ready to be a leader... Or even wants to be one...
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