tawnypelt's clan: part one

Tawnypelt dreams of ShadowClan and Rowanstar, before ShadowClan was destroyed by Darktail. She wakes and leaves the warrior den where she sees Dovewing, a former ThunderClan cat, with her kits. Juniperclaw snaps at Dovewing and Tigerstar, formerly Tigerheart, intervenes. Tawnypelt feels sad at the state of her clan. There are strange cats in the camp, rogues that are now a part of ShadowClan, and she can feel the unease and resentment over Rowanstar's failure to keep their clan together. She is Tigerstar's deputy now but she doesn't want the position and doesn't feel like any cat respects her in that position - including Tigerstar. She wants to go hunting but Tigerstar insists she stay in camp and help rebuild it. She tries to offer advice to the cats she is working with but they deliberately ignore her. Frustrated, she leaves for some air and Tigerstar follows her. She tells him of her worries and feelings but he brushes her aside, telling her he will make the cats in the camp respect her. They are interrupted by Dovewing, who is crying for help as her and Tigerstar's kit, Shadowkit, is having a fit.

Shadowkit is moved to the medicine den. When he briefly wakes up he tells Tawnypelt that something is falling and cats will die. Tawnypelt believes it to be a bad dream but Dovewing believes it to be a vision. Puddleshine, the medicine cat, is stumped and goes to Leafpool for help. Shadowkit has his vision again and Tawnypelt believes he is seeing the Tribe of Rushing Water.

Tigerstar doesn't agree with her and Dovewing is unsure. Their argument leads Tawnypelt to ask why no one will listen to her when she is deputy. This leads to a clan argument as resentment comes to the surface over the way Rowanstar handled Darktail's destruction of their clan. Tigerstar forcefully ends the argument but Tawnypelt is left to wonder if ShadowClan is her home anymore. Leafpool arrives and is unsure how to help Shadowkit. Tawnypelt voices her belief that the vision is of the Tribe. Leafpool concedes that this could be true. Tawnypelt wants to take him there but Tigerstar is furious and forbids it. He becomes even more angry when Dovewing sides with Tawnypelt. He declares that as leader he forbids a trip to the Tribe.

That night Tawnypelt decides to sneak Shadowkit out of the camp. She almost succeeds when Dovewing catches them and raises the alarm. This leads to another argument between the three cats in which some very harsh and cruel words are exchanged between Tigerstar and Tawnypelt. He accuses her of sabotaging his attempts to save ShadowClan and she accuses him of being a tyrant like the previous Tigerstar. Dovewing breaks up the fight by saying she is taking Shadowkit to the Tribe because it is the right thing to do. Tawnypelt and Dovewing take Shadowkit and leave, leaving behind a furious and hurt Tigerstar.

As Tawnypelt and Dovewing travel to the Tribe the two cats bond over Shadowkit and being mothers. Tawnypelt begins to realize that she actually likes her son's mate, even if she was born in ThunderClan.

So, I clearly should have read A Vision of Shadows before this series. I know nothing about Darktail, the destruction of ShadowClan, Dovewing leaving ThunderClan, the death of Rowanstar, etc. However, I will say Tawnypelt has a rough path, currently. Her clan is clearly broken and some cats clearly blame her for this. However, just as clearly, others don't. She seems to be wrestling with leaving but I hope she does not. Her only remaining child is Tigerstar. And now she has grandchildren. And, she is clearly starting to bond with Dovewing. I do not think she would be happy anywhere else - except, perhaps, with Rownstar in StarClan...

And I am curious how Dovewing ended up here. She was in love with Tigerclaw but she had moved forward with her life. In the end it was implied she found a mate in her own clan. And, she looked back on Tigerclaw as being reckless and her love for him as reckless. Yet, here she is. She is a bit fluffy in this story, while she was a loyal warrior before, but I will chalk this up to Tawnypelt's very blatant bias and crotchetiness.