return to the clans

Sasha dreams of Tigerstar, but he never speaks to her. She raises her kits (Tadpole, Hawk, and Moth) in the woods, always fearing that Tigerstar might find them. But she doesn't want to leave either. She keeps her kits close to her and to their den. One day she runs into a ShadowClan patrol. Russetfur is in it and covers for Sasha by pretending not to know her. Later Russetfur comes to her den and asks if the kits are Tigerstar's. Sasha admits it and asks her not to tell him. Russetfur tells her Tigerstar is dead. Sasha has mixed feeling about the news.

One day her kits sneak out to Twoleg place looking for Ken. They know how much Sasha misses him and want to do something nice for her. While there they get trapped in an abandoned house. Sasha follows their scent, and with the help of another cat named Shnuky, who had seen the kits wandering around, finds them. While in the house an old pipe breaks and the house starts to flood. Sasha finds them and tries to save them but Tadpole drowns.

Broken, Sasha takes her kits back to their den. She dreams of Tigerstar again. And this time he speaks. She asks if Tadpole is with him. He says no, but he is safe. She runs into Pine one day who tells her all about the clan cats fighting BloodClan, and Sasha realizes he is describing Tigerstar's death. Realizing she needs help Pine takes her to a nearby farm to live with other cats, who he says are very nice. But once Pine leaves the other cats turn on Sasha and actually attack her kits. She attacks back in return and realizes they were really just all talk. She takes her kits away from and decides she needs to make a decision.

She tells her kits the good about Tigerstar and forbid them to ever tell another cat he is their father. Then she goes to RiverClan territory and waits for a patrol. She throws herself on their mercy and the clan takes her in, making her kits apprentices. Leopardstar offers repeatedly to make her a warrior but Sasha always tells her she is not ready. One day, between overhearing other apprentices pretending to kill Tigerstar and Leopardstar speaking of taking her to a Gathering, Sasha decides it is time to go. She takes her kits and tells them it is time to leave. They tell her they don't want to go and she realizes that so long as she is not around no one will know her children are Tigerstar's and they will be safe, so she leaves them.

I have to say this was by far the most depressing story ever. Between losing Ken, Tigerstar's treachery, living in constant fear of ShadowClan, losing Tadpole, and then giving her kits up Sasha's story is awful.

Yet, I can't help but feel all of this could have been avoided. Yes, hindsight is 20/20, but none of this needed to happen this way. She could have stayed with the captain, happy and cared for. She could have been more open with her kits about pretty much anything and everything. By keeping them in the dark about Ken, Tadpole died. And keeping them in the dark about Tigerstar after moving in with a clan was plain stupidity. She had to know they would find out the truth eventually. At least now I have my answer - Leopardstar never knew the truth about the kits, only Russetfur did.

And while I do understand some of Sasha's coldness now - it is pain - I don't understand all of it. And I don't understand Hawkfrost's comment to Mothwing about both of their parents only thinking of themselves. Everything Sasha did was to both try and protect her kits and give them the freedom of the world. However, maybe I am not being fair. Sasha's refusal to confide in her own kits could influence how Hawkfrost sees her.

One thing I am curious about is Sasha's dreams of Tigerstar - are they real? Tigerstar not walking with StarClan makes sense. Is Tadpole with StarClan now? Or is he somewhere else?

While this gives me a glimpse into her character - and Hawkfrost and Mothwing's - it mostly leaves me with more questions.

escape from the forest

Sasha tells Tigerstar she is uninterested in his offer. Tigerstar is furious and they argue. As he leaves he tells her she is nothing. Sasha spends the next days unsure what to do. Missing Ken she decides it is time to find him. She tells Pine goodbye and leaves for Twoleg place. As she walks around the town she smells Ken. She finds his old clothes in a used clothing store, but he is not there. The Twoleg who runs the store chases her out. She runs into BloodClan and they escort her to the edge of town, warning her to never return. She realizes Ken's clothes were there but not Ken because he is dead.

She wanders around looking for food and shelter. She takes refuge on a boat that gives tours. The passengers are excited to see a cat but the captain is surprised and locks her up. He lets her go when they dock and Sasha is unsure where to go now. However, word of the captain owning a cat on his boat spreads and his business takes off. People like taking boat rides with Sasha so he adopts her. Sasha decides that the captain is lonely and nice, like Ken, and stays. She even inadvertently saves his business when a rival tour company tries to burn his livelihood down.

One day on the boat Sasha sees a sack in the water. Captain catches it and another cat is inside. He adopts that cat too, naming him Patch, and the three of them live happily together, but Sasha knows she has to leave soon because she is pregnant and she wants her kits to know the woods she loves so much. The water freezes and captain has to close business for the winter. He loads up his truck and Patch joins him. Sasha refuses to go and although they are sad, captain and Patch respect that. Sasha heads back to the woods.

I just want to say that so far this is the most depressing story ever. Sasha was happy with captain and Patch and I really feel that she should have just stayed instead of striking it out in the woods again. I am not sure I fully understand her motives. Yes, she is happy in the woods and feels free but it is also more complicated then that since there are the clan cats and she is now an enemy of Tigerstar. Unless she wants to raise the kits with him? But I cannot imagine that since she ran in horror from his vision. I understand the longing to return to the woods but I don't understand leaving the safety of the captain - especially since she is about to have kits.

into the woods

Sasha is a kittypet who happily lives with her twolegs. Her twolegs let her explore outside and she enjoys hunting for food. But one day Jean, the female twoleg, dies and Ken, the male twoleg, has to leave to go to a senior home. Sasha does not understand any of this, she just is scared because her twolegs are no longer there. Ken has arranged to give Sasha to someone else since he cannot take her with him but Sasha runs away and hides in the woods waiting for Ken's return.

She hunts for her own food and finds a den close to Ken's nest so she can watch for his return. She meets a rogue named Pine who tells her about the differences between kittypets, rogues, and clan cats. He also takes her collar off of her because she is no longer a kittypet. Sasha cannot bear to part with the collar in case Ken comes back so she keeps it in her den.

She goes exploring looking for the clan cats to see if they are real. Hidden out of sight she sees Tigerstar and some other clan cats. The next day she goes back and works up the courage to introduce herself. The ShadowClan cats are angry, but Tigerstar is not.

As the days go by Tigerstar and Sasha grow closer. He eventually finds out she was once a kittypet and furiously leaves her. She tries to figure out ways to make it up to him but cannot. One day while hunting two foxes attack her. Tigerstar saves her by attacking the foxes and she helps. She tries to show him her kittypet life but he is uninterested. He actually tells her she must only refer to herself as a rogue. He brings her to ShadowClan where she is welcomed. So many of the clan are former rogues that they see no problem with her status. While there ShadowClan meets a ThunderClan patrol. They call Tigerstar a traitor before going on their way. Sasha asks him what they meant and Tigerstar tells her a story about how he was unjustly kicked out of his clan and Firestar is determined to rule the forest.

Tigerstar invites her to live with the clan and she tells him she must think on it. Secretly she is wondering if Ken will return to her. Tigerstar says he wants an answer the following night. Sasha debates what to do - wait for Ken or join the safety of the clan since winter is coming. She is also falling in love with Tigerstar. She sees Tigerstar talking to some warriors. She listens in on their conversation and finds out that Tigerstar is actually the blood thirsty cat who wants to rule all of the woods. He has plans to takeover Leopardstar and RiverClan as well as destroy Firestar and ThunderClan. Sasha runs away horrified only to run into Tigerstar who wants an answer.

I have to say, this Sasha is very nice - not the cold cat of the novels. I wonder how she got there.

At first I was shocked that Tigerstar would even have anything to do with her but he just assumed she was a rogue and his clan is full of them. But knowing how he feels about "pure blood" I am still surprised. His hatred and anger over finding out she was once a kittypet is understandable - especially with how much he hates Firestar. But it is interesting to note that neither Sasha or Firestar changed his mind about kittypets. He still hates them even though they keep proving over and over that they have their worth in his world. He even insists Sasha must lie about her kittypet roots - which is absurd. 

I am curious what will happen next now that she knows the truth about Tigerstar.