Spottedkit and her den mates play. She wants to be clan leader, having them fight against pretend rogues, but everyone feels she is too bossy and leaves. Spottedkit complains to her mother, Swiftbreeze. Swiftbreeze points out that a clan has to work together - including the clan leader. Spottedkit declares how things will be when she is clan leader, and she already had her deputy picked out in Whitepaw. Tall turns to Tigerpaw and his mentor Thistleclaw, and how Thistleclaw is teaching him advanced moves. Swiftbreeze resolves to speak to Leopardfoot, Tigerpaw's mother, but Spottedkit feels it will do no good. Ever since Pinestar, Tigerpaw's father, left the clan to become a kittypet Tigerpaw feels he has to be the best. Seeing the hunting party return, Spottedkit heads over the the fresh kill pile. Thistleclaw let's her and Whitepaw take some feathers, but when Spottedkit tries to play with them Bluefur yells at her. Thistleclaw intervenes, saying it was his fault but this leads to him and Bluefur exchanging words over his apprentice, Tigerpaw. Bluefur leaves and all the kits playfully rush Thistleclaw knocking him down and winding him. Spottedkit tells them to stop and sends Whitepaw to get Featherwhisker, their medicine cat. Thistleclaw is fine and tells Spottedkit that she would make a good medicine cat but she declares she is going to be a warrior.
Spottedkit is made an apprentice. She is given the name Spottedpaw and Thrushpelt is named her mentor. As she trains she and Thistleclaw grow closer. One day while they are all out on a hunting patrol Thistleclaw asks her why she hasn't been on any hunting patrols in a while. She tells him that Thrushpelt felt she wasn't ready. Thistleclaw clearly disagrees with Thrushpelt and Spottedpaw feels pride in Thistleclaw's faith in her. Thrushpelt leaves to stalk some prey and Thistleclaw encourages Spottedpaw to climb a tree after a squirrel. Against her better judgement, she does but Thrushpelt catches her and yells at her to come down, causing her to fall. The hunting party brings her to Featherwhisker's den.
Spottedpaw spends time in the medicine den resting and recovering. Out of boredom she starts to help Featherwhisker with his chores. She worries about returning to her training, fearing Thrushpelt might receive another apprentice if she takes too long to heal. A couple days later Featherwhisker goes out to collect herbs and Goosefeather, the head medicine cat, goes off to rest with the elders. Seeing her chance, Spottedpaw leaves the den. Everyone is happy to see her and she is eager to return to her duties - but Sunstar tells her she cannot yet. Thistleclaw asks Spottedpaw to go for a walk with him and they head off into the woods together, sneaking off before Featherwhisker spots them. As they walk Spottespaw tells Thistleclaw of her ambition to one day become clan leader. Thistleclaw tells her that there is nothing wrong with her ambition and that everyone should serve the clan the best they can. Realizing Thistleclaw's ear is hurt she offers to take care of it, feeling that her knowledge of herbs will impress him. But it has the opposite effect as he tells her only the weak get hurt and need help. Spottedpaw is confused by Thistleclaw's attitude but it changes to determination not to get hurt again. As Spottedpaw stands there with Thistleclaw she feels happy.
Spottedpaw is all better and Featherwhisker clears her to return to duty. Thrushpelt takes her out to see how well her shoulder is. She favors her injured leg, but Thrushpelt is happy with what he sees. The split up to go hunting and Spottedpaw overhears Thistleclaw and Bluefur arguing. She creeps towards them to see what is going on. She watches as Thistleclaw, Bluefur, and Tigerpaw confront a young kit who has strayed into their territory. Thistleclaw is egging Tigerpaw on to attack the kit while Bluefur is insisting enough is enough. Spottedpaw watches on, horrified, as Tigerpaw draws blood. Bluefur finally puts a stop to it, and Spottedpaw is relieved but disturbed. Bluefur tells Thistleclaw that if she ever witnesses something like that again then she will report him to Sunstar. Thrushpelt finds her and the two go off to hunt by snakerocks. Back at camp Spottedpaw is tired. Thrushpelt tells her to eat something and rest. Thistleclaw joins her in her meal and talk turns to the kittypet whose attack she witnessed. Spottedpaw is upset but Thistleclaw insist he and Tigerpaw did nothing wrong. They get into a fight and, upset, Spottedpaw runs off. Thistleclaw finds her and apologizes. He admits his feelings for her and she says she feels the same. He asks her to prove it by meeting him that night. Spottedpaw doesn't know where he will take her but she resolves to trust him.
Back at camp Spottedpaw watches as the kits play near the elders, disturbing them. She goes other to comfort the elders and Goosefeather tells her he knows who she is, she is the one whose heart is blind and that she will never learn that lesson. Upset, Spottedleaf tries to ask him more but he has fallen asleep and does not answer. The other elders tell her not to mind him but she is disturbed. Thistleclaw comes over to hint to her to go to sleep. She heads to her den wondering how she can ever settle down. Spottedpaw awakens and finds herself in a damp, dark wood that smells wrong. Thistleclaw appears, happy that she made it, and leads her off into the distance. They reach a clearing with a group of cats led by Mapleshade. Mapleshade has the cats fight each other, staring with Thistleclawand Houndleap. Spottedpaw looks around, disturbed by what she sees. She also notices that the cats are from many different clans. When Mapleshade makes a comment about how one of the cats used to be in WindClan, Spottedpaw realizes that some of the cats are dead. She wonders, aloud, if she is dead and if this is StarClan, feeling that StarClan would have looked different. Another cat overhears her and laughs, telling her she is not dead, that Mapleshade brings cats here to fight but that a mistake seems to have been made with her. Thistleclaw finishes his fight with Houndleap and starts with another. Spottedpaw goes to look for herbs for Houndleap but she cannot find any. She approaches him, and tells him she is sorry she could not find any herbs, that she thought StarClan would have all the herbs. Houndleap looks at her oddly and tells her this is not StarClan, but the Place of No Stars. Spottedpaw realizes she is in the Dark Forest, the place where evil cats who are not welcome in StarClan go. She is horrified and wants to know what they are doing there. His fight done, Thistleclaw overhears her and tells her he is there to learn how to be a better warrior. He insists the cats are not evil, just different, and that training with them is a good thing. Upset, Spottedpaw runs away.
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about these novellas. Novellas and short stories are not really my thing, and with the end in sight for the warrior books I wasn't sure how much more deeply I wanted to get involved. I knew my kids had bought me a couple for Christmas so I picked one up for myself last month, figuring it would give me something to read before the new series. But I didn't really expect to like the book. Like I said, short stories and novellas are not really my thing. But holy cow, I LOVE this story so far!
Perhaps it is because I already know the ending - after all, Spottedpaw becomes Spottedleaf, medicine cat - but I am so invested in these characters and her story. Reading as she falls in love with Thistleclaw and Thistleclaw with her, knowing that Thistleclaw is not a good cat, knowing that her heart is going to get broken - all of this is so gut wrenching to read! And reading about her accidentally seeing the fight with Tiny/Scourge! That was a nice throw in - and, that was also my only view ever of Thistleclaw. It is nice to see his side of the story and his desire to be the best warrior ever. And he clearly does love Spottedpaw, but I have to read this story with the knowledge that their love for each other will not be enough to save him. Bluestar always painted him as evil, and seeing him I can see why. But there is another side to him, a side that is good and loves his clan and it is hard to read this story knowing that the evil side will win, because if the good side were going to then Spottedleaf would have never become a medicine cat.
And this glimpse into Tigerpaw! His father, who was clan leader, running off to be a kittypet! No wonder he hates Firestar so much! And no wonder that he always felt he had so much to prove! And for Thistleclaw to be visiting the Dark Forest, no doubt he introduces Tigerpaw to it. Poor Tigerpaw, his destiny was decided for him between his father abandoning his clan and Thistleclaw being his mentor.
My only complaint so far is that Spottedpaw knows of the Dark Forest and that the cats in it are evil. Brambleclaw and Lionblaze had to discover this for themselves, yet Spottedpaw was clearly raised on this belief. I feel like this is an inconsistency. Even Jayfeather, when he came across the Dark Forest, did not know what it was. And Spottedleaf led him away from it, giving him no information on it other then to see if he could "read" the cats there - which he could not. Plus, when Darkstripe found Tigerstar he spoke of being alone and Tigerstar tells him that everyone is alone in the Dark Forest. Yet Mapleshade is clearly arranging fights there and it is hinted that some of the cats at the fight are dead. I hope this gets cleared up as the story moves forward - with a logical explanation.
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