darkest night: part two

Alderheart tries to eat but everything going on in the camp either annoys him or makes him sad that Twigpaw is gone. Hawkwing and Violetpaw arrive and Alderheart excitedly asks after Twigpaw. He is upset to learn she is still an apprentice. Hawkwing asks for help in finding their former clanmates. Bramblestar doesn't want to send a patrol but Hawkwing only wants one cat to led them to the gorge. Alderheart volunteers but is told no. Molewhisker offers his help and Alderheart is upset, as he knows Molewhisker doesn't want the SkyClan cats here. The SkyClan cats leave and Alderheart wonders how happy Twigpaw can be as a SkyClan apprentice. Later he and the medicine cats go to the moonpool. RiverClan never shows. Puddleshine says SkyClan needs help and he is needed in his clan. Alderheart volunteers but Jayfeather tells him no. It is decided Leafpool will go. The cats dream of StarClan and Alderheart sees both Purdy and Echosong among their ranks. Leafpool is thrilled to see Hollyleaf. Echosong gives them a new prophecy and the cats wake up. Alderheart wonders where Needletail is as she wasn't amongst StarClan's ranks.

Violetpaw, Hawkwing, Blossomheart, Rabbitleap, and Molewhisker go on their journey. They travel for days and one night while sleeping Violetpaw has another nightmare about Needletail. Unable to fall back asleep she leaves their shelter. While wandering the trees she sees Needletail. She runs to her friend, only to discover she is dead with no stars in her pelt and worries that Needletail is in the Dark Forest now. Needletail will not tell her why she is there, then walks away then disappears. Violetpaw cannot find her way back to their camp. She decides to settle down for the remained of the night where she is when Hawkwing finds her and brings her back to their nest. 

Twigpaw helps Dewpaw and Reedpaw work on the nests. Dewpaw is worried about Finpaw and how depressed he is. He says Finpaw will not see him, and suggests Twigpaw try. When they are done Twigpaw enters the medicine den. Leafpool isn't there and Finpaw doesn't want to see her. She tells Finpaw how upset she feels for what happened. Finpaw opens up and the two cats hang out for a bit. Leafpool arrives and changes Finpaw's bandages. Twigpaw realizes how happy she is to have found Finpaw and hopes he feels the same.

The medicine cats have a meeting to discuss the prophecy and how their leaders are reacting to it. Leafpool never shows and they wants Leafstar's opinion so they go to the SkyClan camp. While there Alderheart gets to see Twigpaw but she is distracted by Finpaw. He is sad that she is settling in so well and secretly wishes she misses ThunderClan. The medicine cats leave, leaving Leafpool behind, and go to RiverClan where they run into a patrol. However, the patrol will not let them pass and is openly hostile, refusing to let them see Mistystar, Mothwing, or Willowshine. Alderheart is shocked as at the gathering Mistystar said the borders were closed, but cats were still allowed to bring important information. Unable to convince the warriors to let them pass they leave. Alderheart is worried that none of the clan leaders care about the prophecy. Rowanstar and Harestar's response to the prophecy is to do extra border patrols, Bramblestar is indifferent until he gets more information, Leafstar is more worried about setting up a camp, and they cannot even get to Mistystar to tell her about the prophecy. 

Hawkwing has taken the lead from Molewhisker as he recognizes the territory. He brings everyone to see a loner named Barley who lives in a barn. They discover Cherrytail (Hawkwing and Blossomheart's mother) and Cloudmist (their sister). Violetpaw feels overwhelmed to have so much kin now. The cats catch up but Cherrytail doesn't want to leave. They decide to spend the night then head to the gorge, stopping back on the way to the lake to get Cherrytail's decision. 

Twigpaw really is settling into SkyClan! Maybe she did make the right decision after all.

As for Mistystar, I am surprised. I was surprised when Mothwing and Willowshine didn't appear for the meeting, but I'm even more surprised by the refusal to let the medicine cats cross the border. Even Onestar did not go to that extreme.

I am glad Purdy is in StarClan where he belongs, but Needletail clearly is not. I hope she is not in the Dark Forest like Violetpaw worries. And why did she visit Violetpaw just to refuse to tell her why? And lead her away from the SkyClan cats and get her lost for no apparent reason?

darkest night: part one

A tom anticipates the coming change of seasons when he sees fur flash. He calls out to the cat and recognizes Needletail. He is happy to see her as it has been a while. He greets her and realizes she is sad. She tells him that she trusted the wrong cat and needs help making it right again. As the tom talks to her, he realizes Needletail is dead.

Twigpaw is out hunting with her clanmates. She listens as they argue over SkyClan. She realizes some cats are upset she has brought SkyClan to the lake. They feel there isn't enough room for a fifth clan. The argument drags in more cats when they return to the camp. Upset with what some of the cats are saying, Twigpaw leaves them. Ivypool follows her and the two cats make up. Ivypool admits she was just worried about Dovewing and Tigerheart and that she why she argued against looking for SkyClan. A new argument breaks out when Owlnose accuses ThunderClan of not feeding Mosspelt, a RiverClan elder. While most of the RiverClan cats have returned to their camp the badly wounded and elders are still with ThunderClan. Twigpaw is confused as Mosspelt had been sleeping and there is still plenty of prey. Mistystar arrives and puts an end to the argument. She thanks Bramblestar for his hospitality but says it is time for all of the RiverClan cats to leave. The leaders part peacefully. 

Alderheart tends to Tinycloud, the SkyClan queen, and tells her that her litter will be the first SkyClan kits born beside the lake. When they leave Leafpool tells him he should not have said that as not every cat believes SkyClan belongs here, and if SkyClan were to stay it means someone must sacrifice land. Alderheart is upset by her words, and becomes even more so when he realizes Sparkpelt feels this way. When he confronts Sparkpelt she tells him that StarClan only wanted SkyClan found and that they said nothing about SkyClan moving to the lake. She feels that SkyClan should return to the gorge. At the gathering Alderheart realizes there is still much hostility between the clans. The leaders take their places but Leafstar and the rest of the SkyClan cats sit with ThunderClan. Arguing breaks out and some cats feel Rowanstar should step down as clan leader. Things calm down, then Mistystar announces that RiverClan will not be coming to gatherings for a while and RiverClan's borders are closed. She then takes her cats and leaves. When Bramblestar points out they still need to discuss SkyClan she tells them to make the decision without her. Leafstar takes her place beside the other leaders and the debate begins. Sparkpelt says whatshe believes and Tigerheart counters her, suggesting to Rowanstar they should sacrifice some of their land. Rowanstar follows the advice of his deputy and land is set aside by the ThunderClan border. The next day SkyClan prepares to leave and Twigpaw has her assessment, which she passes. But before she can be given her warrior name she tells Bramblestar she wishes to join SkyClan.

Violetpaw dreams of Needletail, who is furious with her. Hawkwing wakes her from her dream and she settles back to sleep. The next day she worries about her dream while trying to settle into her new clan, as she has officially left ShadowClan. She worries about Hawkwing's relationship with Twigpaw and her own place with her kin. Hawkwing tells them of their mother, who is just like Twigpaw, making Violetpaw feel more despondent. But then Hawkwing tells Violetpaw she is just like him, making her feel wanted and accepted for the first time in her life. 

Twigpaw is off with some of the other apprentices gathering twigs for building the camp. She is struggling with fitting in and feels like an outsider. She misses the cats of ThunderClan and the new territory is strange to her - and it doesn't help that Hawkwing and Violetpaw are so alike. As she spends time with the other apprentices she realizes they are more alike than she thought and she starts to open up. On the way back to camp a branch cracks and falls. She grabs Finpaw to save him and the branch lands on his tail. She sends Dewpaw to the camp to get help while she races off to ShadowClan to get Puddleshine. When they return the warriors were unable to move the branch and Puddleshine worries that Finpaw will die from shock, so he decides to cut Finpaw's tail in half. Hawkwing takes Twigpaw away so she doesn't have to see. He brings her back to her nest to sleep. As she dozes off she listens as Hawkwing and Leafstar decide to send a patrol to find missing clanmates.

I can't help but feel Twigpaw should have stayed in ThunderClan. I hope she finds happiness with SkyClan. It is different for Violetpaw, who is a bit needier and who was never wanted in ShadowClan. Twigpaw was loved and welcomed in ThunderClan. She must miss that. However, she is starting to make friends outside of her sister, so that is good. I see Violetpaw being very happy here with her father. Twigpaw, we will have to see. And I am glad space was made for SkyClan, but I am worried about RiverClan closing their borders. 

As for Needletail, who was she meeting with? Why is Violetpaw having a nightmare about her? Is it just a nightmare, or is it a vision? Why would Needletail be hostile if it was a vision? She knew she was sacrificing her life so Violetpaw could escape. I would like to think Needletail is with StarClan now but I doubt it. I don't think she deserves the Dark Forest, though. In the end she chose the right path. But she had rejected StarClan and I don't see her walking with them after everything she did. Is there an in-between place for the clan cats?