The Forgotten Warrior

The Forgotten Warrior is the fifth book in the Omen of the Stars arc. Leafpool is the cat on the background of the cover.

The Blurb

 * The end of the stars draws near. Three must become four to battle the darkness that lasts forever....


 * With a divided StarClan driving a treacherous rift between the four warrior Clans, the spirits of the Dark Forest are gaining strength. Ivypool's role as a spy becomes more dangerous with each passing day, and Dovewing is haunted by nightmares about the mountains.


 * Then an outsider appears in ThunderClan's midst, spreading discord and pushing the Clans farther apart. As tensions mount and Clanmates turn against one another, the warrior cats will be forced to choose whose word they can trust - before it's too late.

The Praise
''"The end of the stars draws near. Three must become four to battle the darkness that last forever." The fissures between the warrior Clans have become almost irreparable, but they grow even deeper with the arrival of an outsider. With questions of trust and treachery festering everywhere, the warrior cats clench their teeth and hope desperately for safe passage."''


 * Barnes and Noble

Plot Summary

 * The prologue starts as a unnamed cat is travelling, apparently heading for the lake. A tom who lives in the area confronts the traveller, and threatens them, but the cat grows curious, and questions the traveller. As they talked, the tom grew less hostile and asked if the traveller was lost. The traveller answers with amusement they weren't, and leaves the Tom, heading for the lake, thinking of plans of vengeance.
 * Jayfeather keeps thinking of his feelings for Half Moon, and his problems with Briarlight, who, as Lionblaze had told him when he returned to the mountains, had her brother bring her out into the forest, and was almost killed by a dog.
 * Bumblestripe comes to Jayfeather, concerned about Dovewing, who has been having nightmares about the mountain, and Swoop being carried off by an eagle.


 * Ivypool wakes up from a rough night in the Dark Forest, and talks with Dovewing, who is concerned about the fact that her powers aren't working. She leaves her sister to go with Whitewing to collect moss and prey for the elders, when Whitewing sends Ivypool to help Jayfeather, who is out looking for Marigold.
 * They find that the marigold has been eaten by rabbits, but Ivypool finds some of it stored inside a tree, which puzzles both of the cats.
 * Ivypool then suggests that they use foxdung to keep rabbits away from the marigold, and goes with Birchfall to collect some from an old fox den.
 * Birchfall suddenly tells Ivypool that he saw her in the Dark Forest, revealing that his is training with them as well, shocking Ivypool.


 * They go to the WindClan bored to wash their paws in the stream, when they get into an argument with Heathertail and her apprentice Furzepaw, and Breezepelt with his apprentice Boulderpaw, and Birchfall acts with more aggression then usual, until a Patrol consisting of Sorreltail Bumblestripe, Hazeltail, and Berrynose intervene, and bring Ivypool and Birchfall back to ThunderClan camp.


 * Meanwhile, Dovewing is collecting moss with Whitewing, and they discuss Bumblestripe's affection for her, much to Dovewing's embarrasement.


 * Tigerheart told Dovewing that Dawnpelt thinks Jayfeather murdered Flametail by drowning him, and is planning revenge.
 * Cherrykit and Molekit are apprenticed to Rosepetal and Foxleap. They have a run in with a fox and a mysterious cat saves them. Jayfeather questions them what the cat looks like, but they haven't saw him clearly.
 * Lionblaze is looking for a wandering cat who turns out to be Sol. Sol is welcomed but not trusted. Sol told the Clan that he was the one who saved Cherrypaw and Molepaw from the fox. Poppyfrost and Berrynose respected him and told him he was always welcome. He disappeared at a time, and Dovewing and Ivypool went to go look for him, to find out that he betrayed them by telling WindClan their whereabouts.
 * As Onestar knew somebody was out there, Dovewing and Ivypool met a stranger and the stranger introduced themself as Hollyleaf. They were awe-stricken, but Hollyleaf said there wasn't enough time for questions. Hollyleaf saves them and before she can run away, Lionblaze finds her and brings her back to the Clan. She goes back to ThunderClan and tells the truth about how Ashfur died. As Hollyleaf finished speaking, Brambleclaw interrupted and says that he was there at the event, but Hollyleaf didn't see him. Brambleclaw continued to speak and says Ashfur leapt at Hollyleaf and they fought, but he slipped and sliced his neck on the rocks, and Hollyleaf was only defending herself. They also find out that it wasn't Sol who saved Poppyfrost's kits, but it was Hollyleaf.
 * Hollyleaf teaches cats underground fighting, so they would be prepared for WindClan's attack.
 * Yellowfang came in a dream with Jayfeather and angrily told Jayfeather to tell Cinderheart who she really is. Jayfeather, unsure with her decision, talked to Leafpool about the situation. Leafpool immediately disagreed, saying they should keep quiet about this, because Cinderheart can be the warrior she wants to be, and do what she couldn't do when she was Cinderpelt.
 * Lionblaze was disappointed of how Cinderheart thinks he's special with the prophecy, and they cannot be mates. Jayfeather got angry and went into one of Cinderheart's dreams. He showed the past to Cinderheart, and at the end, it shows Cinderheart born, and Jayfeather told Cinderheart she was Cinderpelt. Cinderheart suddenly remembered all the herbs, and Cinderpelt's life.
 * Jayfeather tells Cinderheart about her past and she then wants to become medicine cat again. Mousewhisker and Cherrypaw eat poison water hemlock by accidently thinking it would cure their stomach aches. However, they are saved by Jayfeather, Cinderheart, and Leafpool.
 * Yellowfang gets angry with Jayfeather for making Cinderheart a second medicine cat, and Jayfeather reminds Yellowfang that she told him to. Yellowfang, embarassed, said she was distracted, and told Jayfeather it's Cinderheart's choice to become a medicine cat or a warrior.
 * Jayfeather speaks with Cinderheart about who she wants to be, and she said she wanted Lionblaze, but she can't, because of the prophecy.
 * At a Gathering, Dawnpelt and Tigerheart accuse Jayfeather of murdering Flametail. None of the leaders agreed with this, and StarClan gets angry, and a thunderstorm happens. They went home right away.
 * WindClan attacks, and as they walked through the tunnels, ThunderClan was prepared and defeated WindClan. Hollyleaf nearly kills Sol, and Sol said that many seasons ago, he met another Clan in the gorge far away (possibly and very likely SkyClan) and they haven't accepted him to be one of their warriors. Hollyleaf lets him go, saying they have to let the warrior code rule their hearts, and it ends as Hollyleaf, Dovewing, and Ivypool are leaving the tunnels.

Trivia

 * Hollyleaf has been confirmed to be the Forgotten Warrior.
 * The Forgotten Warrior is about how difficult it is to go back to a life you thought you'd left behind. It's also about forgiveness, and acceptance, and coming to terms with guilt.