pinestar's choice: part two

Pinestar has led a raid on WindClan's medicine stores, but it is going horribly wrong. Goosefeather told him that StarClan wanted him to lead this raid, assuring him of their success, but they are being horribly defeated. He sees two cats sneak into the stores, and feels relief, but they are followed by two WindClan cats and the medicine cat, who blocks the door, and Pinestar's relief turns to fear. The fight inside the den spills out, and Morningflower is killed. Bluepaw sees her mothers death, and cries out in agony. Pinestar calls the retreat. Heatherstar tells him the attack was unjust and StarClan would never have granted them victory. Bluepaw keeps begging Morningflower to get up, but she does not. Pinestar goes back to collect the young apprentice. Later on he tells Jake all about the fight. Jake points out to him that at least the cats blame Goosefeather for the defeat. Pinestar counters that he is the leader and is responsible for the cats. He confesses to Jake that he worries about Goosefeather and his prophecies. He also admits he thinks Goosefeather has had a prophecy about him that he isn't sharing. As he visits with Jake another cat named Shanty comes along. Pinestar dozes off listening to Jake and Shanty talk, feeling happy to have no responsibilities right now.

Pinestar and Smallear are dozing in the sun when Smallear tells Pinestar he made the right choice to mate with Leopardfoot. Pinestar doesn't want this conversation with his warrior and is glad when Smallear leaves. But he does wonder if he will have kits with Leopardfoot - and if he could bear to train them to have them fight and possibly die in the service of the clan. Pinestar sneaks off and finds Shanty. Shanty's human comes out to pet her and Shanty convinces Pinestar to let her pet him too. Pinestar does and realizes it is not quite so bad. He and Shanty get into a fight over honor and the warrior code - Shanty arguing that she might not be part of a warrior clan, but she and her twolegs make a clan of their own. Pinestar understands what they mean and they make up. Then they doze off together. As he sleeps he sees Doestar. She speaks to him of the fight with RiverClan over Sunningrocks. His response - a sarcastic reply over how he can't wait for more cats to lose their lives over stones to warm themselves on - shocks Doestar. She reminds him of his loyalty and duty to his clan. She then tells Pinestar that Leopardfoot is expecting his kits. She also warns him that the tom has a shadow over his destiny, and will have the power to destroy ThunderClan. Pinestar doesn't know what to do and Doestar responds that he must teach the tom about loyalty, honor, and compassion to try and avert his dark destiny. Pinestar wakes up and leaves Shanty, feeling ashamed for being with her and also feeling that no matter what he does he cannot escape his duties.

Pinestar sneaks carefully back to the camp. Lionpaw caught him the other day talking to Jake's twoleg, and he lied to the apprentice, saying he only pretended to befriend the twoleg to learn more about kittypets. He doesn't want Lionpaw or anyone else catching him again. In the camp he feels like Bluefur is watching him carefully, looking for hints that he has been spending his time with twolegs. Featherwhisker appears, telling Pinestar that Leopardfoot's kits are coming. Swiftbreeze, her mother, is worried since it is a month early. Featherwhisker asks Pinestar to sit with Leopardfoot, but Pinestar declines, saying he doesn't want to get in the medicine cats way. Bluefur and Swiftbreeze are shocked at Pinestar's response. As the day goes on Pinestar still refuses to visit her. He can feel his clan judging him, but he cannot make himself go into the nursery. When Bluefur announces it is two queens and a tom, all he can think of is Doestar's prophecy. Pinestar races through the trees, unable to face Leopardfoot. He runs to Shanty, unable to keep the prophecy to himself any longer. He finds her and tells her that Leopardfoot had her kits. Shanty is confused, feeling this should be good news. Pinestar starts to tell her the truth but a monster suddenly heads towards them. Pinestar tries to knock Shanty out of the way, getting hit himself. As he loses his second to last life Thunderstar comes to him and tells him the time to make a choice is near. Pinestar wakes up and finds Shanty dead. Her twolegs come out of their den and find her and start to mourn her. Pinestar returns home and seeks out Leopardfoot. She is upset with him for not coming sooner. All three kits are very sick and weak, the tom weakest of all. Pinestar finds himself hoping that StarClan will take the tom before he grows up. Leopardfoot tells him she named the kits. As he looks at them Tigerkit, the tom, opens his eyes and looks and Pinestar, causing him to jump back in shock. When he tells Leopardfoot what happened she doesn't believe him since it will be days before he opens his eyes.

Pinestar dreams of the nursery, of Tigerkit's cold amber eyes, and of blood everywhere. Silvery cats hold him down, telling him his son is evil and the downfall of his clan. When he asks them what to do they tell him to murder Tigerkit. Pinestar yells out no and pushes them away. He wakes to find Goosefeather in his den. Goosefeather asks after Pinestar's dream, but Pinestar tells him it doesn't matter. But Goosefeather tells him it does matter and that Sweetpaw is dead. Pinestar speaks of his hope that everything was better but Goosefeather tells him not to be a fool, and that StarClan has told Pinestar exactly what is going on. Pinestar leaves his den. Tigerkit wants to play with him but Pinestar brushes him off and leaves. He finds himself in twoleg place, at Jake's den. He eats the pellets the twolegs give him and decides it doesn't taste that bad. Lionpaw catches him, asking what he is doing, and tells him RiverClan is invading. Pinestar makes his choice, and tells Lionpaw he will not join the fight and asks the young apprentice to tell the clan he is dead. Lionpaw is angry and refuses to lie for Pinestar because he wants to become a kittypet, and tells Pinestar he should be brave enough to tell the clan himself. Lionpaw races away and Pinestar follows. At the camp he announces his decision to leave them and become a kittypet. Everyone is upset and angry, but Lionpaw speaks up asking if they really want a leader who does not wish to lead. Pinestar tells Sunfall that he knows he is leaving the clan in good hands. Some of the cats wish Pinestar well, while others ignore him. As he leaves he tells Lionpaw that he was right, he needed to tell the clan himself. He tells Lionpaw that he hopes Sunfall names him Lionheart. Leopardfoot tries to stop him, reminding him of their kits. Unable to tell anyone about the prophecy in the hope that Tigerkit will be treated fairly, Pinestar responds that he will be proud of his kits and forces himself to tell Tigerpaw especially of him.

Pinestar goes to Shanty's house folk. At first the male doesn't want him there but the female convinces him it is okay. Pinestar seeks out Jake to tell him that he left the clan to become a kittypet. Jake is impressed and offers to show Pinestar around. Pinestar tells him that he must go home now, his house folk will be looking for him. As he leaves he tells Jake that his new name is just Pine now.

This was a sad story. Pinestar clearly never really wanted to be leader - not because he wasn't capable or didn't care enough for his clan, but because he cared too much. Every death weighed heavily on him and he just wanted his clan to live in peace and safety. But that isn't their way of life. Their way of life is a struggle for survival and it was too much for him.

Then add the prophecy about Tigerkit! And I think Tigerkit did open his eyes, since Pinestar knew his eyes were amber colored. I don't know if StarClan really did send him the dream to kill Tigerkit or if it was just an ordinary nightmare, but I think it is possible. Especially since Goosefeather clearly knew some of what was going on. But either way it showed that the truth of Tigerkit was too much for Pinestar to handle. He couldn't kill an innocent kit, but he also couldn't bring himself to spend time with that kit and try to raise him right knowing the truth that he did know.

I don't know that he made the right decision to leave. I understand why he made it, I'm just not sure it was the right one. With Pinestar gone in theory Tigerkit would grow, judged by his own actions and not a prophecy. But the problem with that is Pinestar knew the truth and no one else did. He knew that Tigerkit could be evil and he wasn't there - and didn't trust anyone else with the knowledge - to make sure Tigerkit made the right choices. And Tigerkit didn't.

I heard a rumor - years ago - that Firestar might be descended from Pinestar. I remember talking to my ex about it when we first started reading these books. The theory was Pinestar had kits with a kittypet and one of those kits was Rusty, which is why he heard the call of the forest and became such a great warrior - he had the blood of a clan cat in him. I was hoping the story would end with a confirmation of that but it didn't. But if Firestar is Pinestar's son, then that would make Tigerstar hate him all the more. Can you image your father having another son, who was half kittypet, and who was better at everything then you are? That would burn Tigerstar all the more.

This was a good story, but it was sad. But it was good to see the why behind some things happening. And for a final thought, what was up with Goosefeather? And that raid on WindClan? Pinestar almost felt as if he couldn't trust Goosefeather. Was it just that Goosefeather also knew the truth? About Pinestar and Tigerkit? Or was it something more? He seemed fine in Spottedleaf's story, but in Pinestar's story he seemed off. I don't know, and my question might never be answered. It could simply be that Pinestar was under so much pressure he was imagining things about Goosefeather. But that raid was still odd.

pinestar's choice: part one

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...