The Forgotten Warrior

The Forgotten Warrior is the fifth book in the Omen of the Stars arc. Leafpool is the cat chasing the squirrel 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 an unnamed cat is travelling, apparently heading for the lake. A tom who lives in the area confronts the traveler and threatens him, but the cat grows curious, and eventually questions him. As they talk, the tom grows less hostile and asks if the traveller was lost. The voyager answers with amusement and claims he isn't lost, and then 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 Bumblestripe 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 mountains, 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 are not 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 abruptly tells Ivypool that he saw her in the Dark Forest, revealing that he is training with them as well, which shocks Ivypool. He tells her it's only making them better warriors, meaning he doesn't understand what is to come.


 * They go to the WindClan border to wash their paws in the stream, where they get into an argument with Heathertail and her apprentice Furzepaw, and Breezepelt with his apprentice Boulderpaw. Here the Dark Forest cats start to take sides with Ivypool and Birchfall, 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 embarrasment.


 * Tigerheart tells Dovewing that Dawnpelt thinks Jayfeather murdered Flametail by drowning him, and is planning revenge.


 * Later, 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, searching Molepaw's memory, but they say that didn't see the rescuer clearly.


 * Then when Onestar reports a ThunderClan warrior around the WindClan border, Lionblaze and Jayfeather are convinced that it is their sister, Hollyleaf.


 * Lionblaze then figures out that the wandering cat turns out to be Sol. Sol is welcomed by the Clan, but not trusted by the senior warriors. Sol told the Clan that he was the one who saved Cherrypaw and Molepaw from the fox. Poppyfrost and Berrynose respect him and tells him that he is always welcome. He disappears at a time, and Dovewing and Ivypool set out in search of him, to find out that he betrayed ThunderClan by telling WindClan their whereabouts.


 * As Owlwhisker knows somebody is out there, and in their panic, Dovewing and Ivypool meet a stranger, who introduces herself as Hollyleaf. They are awe-stricken, but Hollyleaf says there isn't enough time for questions. Hollyleaf saves them but before she can run away, Lionblaze finds her and brings her back to the Clan. She goes back to ThunderClan and willingly tells the truth about how Ashfur died. But before Hollyleaf gets to the part about killing Ashfur, Brambleclaw joins in and says that he was there at the event, but Hollyleaf didn't see him. Brambleclaw continues to speak and says Ashfur leapt at Hollyleaf and they fought, but he slipped and fell into the water, and Hollyleaf was only defending herself. They also find out that it wasn't Sol who saved Poppyfrost's kits: it was Hollyleaf.


 * Hollyleaf teaches cats underground fighting, so they would be prepared for WindClan's attack.


 * Yellowfang comes in a dream with Jayfeather and angrily demands for him to tell Cinderheart who she really is. Jayfeather, unsure with her decision, talks to Leafpool about the situation. Leafpool immediately objects, because Spottedleaf came to her in a dream saying they should keep quiet about this, and then Cinderheart can be the warrior she wants to be, and do what she couldn't do when she was Cinderpelt.


 * Lionblaze is disappointed since Cinderheart thinks he's special because of the prophecy, and that they cannot be mates. Jayfeather becomes furious and goes into one of Cinderheart's dreams. He shows the past to Cinderheart, and at the end, the vision shows Cinderheart born, and Jayfeather tells her she was Cinderpelt. Cinderheart suddenly remembers all the herbs, and Cinderpelt's life.


 * Ivypool wakes up to find herself in the Dark Forest, then Hollowflight rushes up to her to tell her that there is a meeting happening in the Dark Forest. Ivypool and Hollowflight show up at the meeting, and Ivypool notices Blossomfall and Birchfall at the meeting. The meeting takes place at the heap of fallen trees where Ivypool fought Antpelt. After the meeting, Ivypool demands that the Dark Forest make her a warrior. They tell her if she can beat Antpelt, she will become a warrior. Antpelt and Ivypool fight a hard battle, in the end, Ivypool manages to slice Antpelt from throat to tail. Antpelt is defeated and fades away. Brokenstar tells Ivypool that she is a warrior. Breezepelt gets furious with Ivypool for killing Antpelt, and he threatens her.


 * After Jayfeather tells Cinderheart about her past, she then wants to become a medicine cat again. Mousewhisker and Cherrypaw eat poison water hemlock, mistakenly thinking it would cure their stomach aches. They are revived 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 agree with this, though Mistystar and Onestar say Jayfeather should be suspended from medicine cat duties until he could prove his innocence. A thunderstorm errupts, showing StarClan's disapproval. The Clans go home right away.


 * WindClan attacks through the tunnels, but ThunderClan is prepared and defeats WindClan. Hollyleaf attacks Sol and nearly kills him, even though Hollyleaf is smaller and thinner than him, 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 Sol runs away. It ends as Hollyleaf and Dovewing leave 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.