Midnight (book)/Chapter 10

Chapter Summary
Brambleclaw's PoV
 * The day before Brambleclaw is set to leave on his journey, he notices that the first signs of leaf-fall are present in the forest. The dark brown tabby doesn't even attempt to speak to Squirrelpaw, not wanting to invite more trouble from Firestar, and he ends up going out hunting with Mousefur and Spiderpaw. Brambleclaw hopes that he can catch enough prey on the hunting patrol to please Firestar and get himself back into the Clan leader's favor.


 * However, the hunt is less successful than Brambleclaw had wished for. Spiderpaw is very easily distracted and plays with falling leaves, scaring away a mouse. The young black tom then stalks a squirrel, but it notices him and rushes off. Spiderpaw pursues the squirrel through the undergrowth, and Mousefur follows after her apprentice. Brambleclaw, left alone, manages to catch a mouse, and tries to find some more prey. However, he suddenly hears a large creature moving in the undergrowth behind him, and turns to find Squirrelpaw caught in a bramble bush. Brambleclaw strolls up to the ginger she-cat, jokingly asking if she is having fun. The apprentice snaps back at him, asking if he'll have time to get her out after he finishes laughing. She then explains that she had gotten stuck because she had been trying to chase a vole under the bush and hadn't realized there wasn't room for her to get through. Brambleclaw then helps Squirrelpaw get disentangled from the brambles.


 * Once Squirrelpaw is out of the bush, she thanks Brambleclaw for helping him, but at that moment Firestar arrives. The ginger tom is furious at finding the two together again, accusing them of disobeying orders and the warrior code. Brambleclaw points out that he's on a hunting patrol like he should be, but Firestar snaps that he doesn't see Mousefur or Spiderpaw anywhere. The dark brown tabby explains that they had gone off chasing a squirrel, and Squirrelpaw asks why Firestar is being so horrible to Brambleclaw when all he had done was help her get untangled from a bush. The Clan leader turns on his daughter, telling her to stay out of it, and the two glare angrily at each other, their pelts bristling.


 * Graystripe pads into the clearing to see what's going on. Upon realizing that Firestar is scolding Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw again, the deputy advises his friend to leave them alone, saying they aren’t doing any harm, but Firestar growls they aren’t doing any good, either. Turning back to the two young cats, he states that the orders that he makes are for the benefit of the Clan, and if that they can't understand that, they aren't fit to be warriors. Squirrelpaw is outraged by her father's last statement, and Brambleclaw is puzzled by the Clan leader's anger at them. Firestar orders the two to split up and continue hunting, and then storms away furiously. Graystripe apologizes for how harsh the ginger tom was before he follows Firestar away.


 * As Firestar and Graystripe leave, Squirrelpaw turns dejected, thinking that her father will never make her a warrior since he thinks she isn't fit to be one. Brambleclaw knows that he hasn't done anything wrong to prompt Firestar's anger at them, and thinks that Squirrelpaw, a hardworking, loyal apprentice, couldn't have either. The dark tabby realizes that he will have to leave on the journey without telling Firestar, and that he won't be able to come back until he has completed whatever StarClan's mission is and be able to prove that he is a good, loyal cat. Brambleclaw considers sending Squirrelpaw away, but then decides to tell her about the dream, knowing she'll feel betrayed if he disappears without informing her of it.


 * Brambleclaw explains that he is leaving ThunderClan, and how he is traveling to the sun-drown-place that he had seen in his dream with the other chosen cats. Squirrelpaw is at first hurt that Brambleclaw hadn't told her yet, but he explains that Firestar's actions had prevented him from doing so. The warrior says that he will spend the night in the forest before meeting the other chosen cats at Fourtrees the next morning, begging the ginger she-cat not to tell any cat where they have gone.


 * Squirrelpaw declares that she won't be able to tell any cat where they're going, because she'll be coming with them. Brambleclaw responds that she can't, as she's not a chosen cat and isn't even a warrior yet. Squirrelpaw shoots back that Crowpaw is an apprentice just like her, and that she knows Stormfur will accompany Feathertail even though he didn't receive a dream. Squirrelpaw growls that she won't need taking care of, and that if the dark brown tom leaves her behind, she'll just follow the patrol on her own. Brambleclaw realizes that it would be dangerous for her to try to follow them alone, and that if he makes her stay in camp, she might tell Firestar where they had gone. Reluctantly, he agrees that she can come on the quest.