Firestar's Quest/Cliffnotes

These notes are brief, noting major events and minor events in Firestar's Quest that will be of consequence later. They are intended to be used as a reference for those looking for specific events for re-reading and the book discussions.


 * A Gathering occurs between the ancient Clans. Cloudstar comes late because Twolegs destroyed SkyClan's territory, and he brings his entire Clan. Swiftstar asks him why.
 * Cloudstar pleads for the other Clans to give him some of their territory.
 * Redstar, the ancient leader of ThunderClan, boldly suggests that SkyClan should leave.
 * Birdflight, Cloudstar's mate, is unable to leave. Cloudstar is horrified but he knew he could not put his kits in danger. They promise they will wait for each other forever.
 * SkyClan leaves the forest. Cloudstar vows never to look to the stars again.


 * Bramblepaw completes an assessment given by Firestar.
 * Firestar wonders if there is another place, besides StarClan for coldhearted cats. He hopes that neither he nor Bramblepaw will have to walk it in the future.
 * Firestar has a dream of a grey cat with white patches on his fur. He tries to ask him who he is, but this mysterious cat disappears.


 * Firestar dreams of a clan fleeing on a moor and reports it to Cinderpelt. After she gives him the explanation why she can't help.
 * Firestar gives Bramblepaw his warrior ceremony, giving him the warrior name Brambleclaw.
 * Firestar sees a vision of the same gray and white cat in a puddle but decides not to report it to Cinderpelt.
 * He and Sandstorm leave camp to go to Sunningrocks and sees another vision of cats swimming in the river.


 * Firestar and Sandstorm return to camp. Firestar goes to Cinderpelt's den to ask about his visions and dreams.
 * Firestar has the dream again.
 * Longtail comes back from hunting with his eyes swollen, having been clawed by a rabbit.
 * While leading the clan to the Gathering, Firestar has another vision of the unknown clan.
 * At the Gathering, Blackstar announces Tawnypelt as a new warrior.
 * Tallstar reports three kits born to Ashfoot.
 * Firestar has a vision of the strange cat at the Gathering, but before he could do anything Mudclaw passes through the cat and the cat vanishes.


 * Firestar goes to the Moonstone after he realizes he saw the cat too many times.
 * He sees Bluestar while talking to StarClan.
 * She tells him that the fleeing cats he saw are from SkyClan. When Firestar asks why they were driven out, Bluestar points out that there were only four trees that may have only stood for four Clans.


 * Firestar is shocked about this.
 * He learns more about SkyClan. He learns that they lived where Twolegplace is now. But he is angry at Bluestar and StarClan for not telling him and for driving out SkyClan.


 * Firestar runs away in anger.


 * He wondered if StarClan lied about the number of Clans in the forest.
 * He returns to his Clan, thinking his duty is to ensure that they live happily in the forest.
 * Longtail seems close to losing his sight.


 * Spottedleaf visits him in a dream and tells him to help SkyClan.
 * Firestar joins a hunting patrol to take his mind off of SkyClan. He meets Smudge in the forest.
 * Smudge tells him that SkyClan is appearing in his dreams also.
 * Firestar meets Hattie, a kittypet living in his old home.


 * Firestar promises to sleep in Smudge's garden. SkyClan visits him in a dream.
 * The visitor turns out to be ancient SkyClan's leader, Cloudstar

Chapter 8

 * Firestar talks to the ancient leader of SkyClan. He is told how SkyClan's camp looked, and that they are scattered. He is asked to rebuild it.
 * Firestar is told to go to the source of the river. He also learns that he is chosen because he is not descended from the cats who drove SkyClan out.
 * He joins a patrol with Ashfur, Thornclaw, Willowpelt, and Sootpaw
 * Sootpaw scents a badger.
 * The badger prepares to attack him.

Chapter 9

 * Willowpelt saves Sootpaw, but is killed by the badger. Firestar attacks the badger and Thornclaw helps to drive it off.
 * Firestar returns to camp and sends a patrol after the badger. Rainpaw, Sootpaw and Sorrelpaw are badly shaken.
 * The Clan sits vigil for Willowpelt.
 * Silverstream visits Firestar in a dream. She tells him that the life she gave him was loyalty to what he believes is right, and that it is not always following the Warrior Code.
 * Firestar meets with Cinderpelt, Sandstorm, and Graystripe. He tells them what he is going to do.
 * He wants Sandstorm to come with him. Sandstorm gladly accepts.

Chapter 10

 * Firestar and Sandstorm leave. They go upriver, toward the source.
 * A WindClan patrol scents them, but doesn't see them.
 * As they go further upriver, they reach some Twolegs with a dog. The dog chases them to a hedge.
 * At night, they reach fields of wheat. They reach a Thunderpath at the end.
 * They sleep near the river.

Chapter 11

 * Firestar and Sandstorm continue along the river as a storm begins to brew. They scent dog and hear Twoleg voices, and climb up a tree until the danger's past.
 * Ahead, they see Twoleg nests swarming with Twolegs. They decide to go around the nests, making their way through a parking lot, and arriving back by the river.
 * It starts to rain and Sandstorm convinces Firestar to seek shelter in an abandoned nest for a while. They head out again, despite the breaking storm and the flooding river.
 * They are almost washed away by the river.


 * Sandstorm angrily confronts Firestar again about his love for Spottedleaf. She almost decides to go home alone.


 * A tree falls over and Firestar crosses to the other side where it looks dryer. A giant wave washes the fallen tree away, and Sandstorm disappears.

Chapter 12

 * Firestar desperately searches for Sandstorm, blaming himself. He sleeps under a jutting boulder.
 * Next morning, he runs across a bridge, startling an old dog and several Twolegs. He returns to the abandoned nest, only to find it empty, and sleeps again
 * A fox wakens Firestar the next morning and he flees to the riverbank safely. A dog scents him and Firestar climbs a wall to escape.
 * Firestar becomes lost amongst the Twoleg nests and gardens. He meets a white kittypet who is of no use.
 * A monster chases Firestar up a wall where he falls into a pile of Twoleg rubbish and falls asleep from exhaustion.

Chapter 13

 * Firestar is found by cats called Cora and Stick.
 * They take him to a clearing where other cats gather, and let him drink and feed. Firestar pleads with them to introduce him to the other cats to help him find his mate.
 * Firestar has a wash, and waits till the other cats come. Cora introduces him to some other cats, who are gossiping.
 * They hear a cat named Shorty telling a story of how he frightened away Twoleg kits when they were holding a ginger cat. Shorty agrees to take Firestar to the place where he rescued the ginger cat, whom Firestar thinks is Sandstorm.
 * Firestar falls asleep, but does not see Shorty in the morning. After eating, he falls asleep until the sun is setting again.
 * Firestar is annoyed with Shorty for not waking him during the day, but they go to the place anyway, finding a piece of Sandstorm's fur on the fence.
 * A bad-tempered tortoiseshell attacks when Firestar trespassed in her yard, trying to find a trace of Sandstorm.


 * Sandstorm appears, and helps him fight off the tortoiseshell.
 * Shorty shows them back to the river, and they leave to search for SkyClan.

Chapter 14

 * Firestar and Sandstorm travel up the river, eventually stopping to rest and eat. They take shelter among some roots and fall asleep.
 * Firestar receives a dream of SkyClan, and his resolve to find them is hardened as he sees their suffering. He sees that they have a great ability to jump after witnessing one of their hunting patrols.
 * The two travel along the river for three sunrises, and try to find signs of SkyClan. After crossing a Thunderpath, Twoleg kits try to grab them, but they escape to a waterfall in the river.
 * Sandstorm catches a fish as Firestar relaxes in the cool spray of water. They climb up the cliff, find shelter, and sleep until the next day.
 * Sandstorm returns from hunting as Firestar wakes up, and they journey onward. They find a dead rabbit, and signs of other cats marking a territory.
 * During a period of rest, Firestar dreams of SkyClan cats in the new territory, in a cave with many warriors. As they go farther, they have to skirt gorse thickets near the cliff. When they stop to hunt, Sandstorm looks over the edge of the cliff and discovers that the river has vanished.

Chapter 15

 * They travel into the gorge, looking for the end of the river. As they find it and drink, Firestar spots caves, and knows he found where SkyClan made their home.
 * They explore the caves, finding claw marks on a column of stone in one. Firestar wonders what the tiny clawmarks are from, and why they go crosswise across the cat scratches. They discover that cats come here, but not permanently. Firestar is confident that this is where SkyClan once lived.
 * They hunt, and then take shelter in the warriors' den for the night. Firestar wonders if SkyClan scattered too long ago for any hope of rebuilding their Clan.

Chapter 16

 * Firestar and Sandstorm awake to two kittypets calling insults and throwing stones down at the cave. Firestar is furious, but they run away and escape any punishment.
 * They explore around the gorge, noting the different prey-scents and cat-scents. They hide from young Twoleg males as they come down to the end of the river to swim.
 * They venture up a trail, and discover a large rock, that Firestar realizes could be used to watch for anything coming.
 * They determine that SkyClan could live well here with their jumping ability, and go to sleep for the night.
 * Hunting the next morning, Firestar gets into an argument with a dark brown rogue about scaring off a bird, and the rogue leaves angrily. Sandstorm lectures him, telling him he can't expect the cats who live here to know about the warrior code.
 * They catch some mice, and as they travel to the cave, Firestar sees the kittypets from the previous morning traveling back toward the Twolegplace, as if they had come to the gorge for some reason. When they reach the cave, Firestar is furious when he discovers the kittypets have left a rotting dead mouse in the cave, letting its stink fill the whole cave.
 * Sandstorm and Firestar talk about how the rogues here didn't know of any Clan or warrior code, or how to act around the Clans. Firestar realizes he has to make a start somewhere, and tells Sandstorm that they would talk to the kittypets the next day.

Chapter 17

 * Firestar and Sandstorm trick the kittypets into coming down to the cave, and then trap them at the edge of the cliff, by blocking the only route through the brambles. The kittypets fearfully introduce themselves as Cherry and Boris.
 * Firestar tells them what they are looking for; the cats who used to live here, and Cherry says there used to be fierce cats who lived in the caves, long ago.
 * The kittypets tell about Moony who goes on to the large rock in the gorge and stares at the full moon, saying he's mad and tells about cats in the stars.
 * Firestar lectures them about how they've treated him, then lets them leave after they promise not to bother him. Firestar and Sandstorm search for Moony in the rain up along the gorge, until they find a gnarled tree on the cliff face with the same cat-scent in the cave.
 * They draw near, but Moony comes out, spitting at them and telling them to leave him alone.

Chapter 18

 * Firestar and Sandstorm leave Moony alone, hoping to see him at the full moon. The two of them look for moss; not finding any, they share a thrush.
 * Firestar ventures near Twolegplace, surprising a rogue on the way, and feels despair at the loss of SkyClan.
 * At the full moon, Firestar and Sandstorm hide as Moony begins his silent vigil on the large rock. Moony tells them to come out and introduces himself with his real name, Sky.

Chapter 19

 * Sky explains their mission. In the morning, Firestar and Sandstorm hunt, feeling homesick for ThunderClan.
 * When they return to the den, they find Sky gone.

Chapter 20

 * They go out to try and look for him, but find him coming back with moss. He shows them where he got the moss, the Whispering Cave.
 * Sky takes both of them around the gorge and shows them where SkyClan territory was, which caves were which, and border marks, reliving his memories.
 * They go out of SkyClan territory, and Sky becomes uncomfortable and turns them back when they reach a run-down barn.
 * Later, Firestar thanks Sky for showing them around and tells him they'd leave soon, thinking there was nothing he could do about the loss of SkyClan. Sky tells him he must rebuild SkyClan; that's what he was sent there for.

Chapter 21

 * Firestar goes hunting alone. He spots the brown rogue from before, but he disappears before he can speak to him.
 * He notices Cherry and Boris watching him and shows them some hunting techniques. He calls them out from their hiding place and teaches them a little about hunting. They catch a squirrel.
 * When he returns, Sandstorm asks him why he didn't ask them to join SkyClan. Firestar replies that he isn't sure whether he wants to rebuild SkyClan after all.

Chapter 22

 * Cherry and Boris return begging for another hunting lesson. Sandstorm takes Boris and Firestar goes with Cherry. He teaches Cherry about her ancestors and offers her and Boris the chance to become part of the new SkyClan.
 * Back at the gorge, the two cats agree to give it a try. Sandstorm and Firestar decide to explore the boundaries.
 * They fight off a fox to protect a she-cat with kits, with the help of the brown rogue. The she-cat introduces herself as Clover and her kits as Bounce, Rock and Tiny. The tom is called Scratch.
 * Both agree to join the new Clan.

Chapter 23

 * Firestar leads Cherry, Boris and Scratch on a hunting patrol. He explains about patrols within a Clan. Cherry and Boris go rushing into a kittypet garden, and Scratch scolds them for not looking.
 * Back at the gorge, Sandstorm has been trying to teach Clover some fighting moves and is frustrated when Clover doesn't want to learn. Firestar and Sandstorm go down to the river to bathe their paws. Cherry and Boris have an idea to hold a meeting to try and recruit more cats to SkyClan.
 * Firestar goes with Cherry and Boris to talk to some cats about the meeting. Scratch takes him to meet some rogues. Firestar feels a menacing presence in the undergrowth.
 * He tells Sandstorm about all the cats he'd met and they sleep.

Chapter 24

 * Firestar asks Sky to speak at the meeting, but the elder cat refuses, saying Firestar knows better how to lead the cats. Firestar holds the meeting at the Rockpile, telling the gathered cats about the Clans, and about StarClan.
 * Scratch, Cherry, Boris, Leaf, Patch and Hutch agree to join Clover and her kits in the new SkyClan.

Chapter 25

 * Sandstorm and Firestar discuss how to sort out the dens. They each take out hunting patrols, Firestar goes toward the old Twoleg barn, and he notices a lack of prey and smell of crowfood around it. He stops to teach Hutch and Patch how to do the hunter's crouch.
 * Patch makes his first catch, and Cherry makes a big leap to catch a squirrel but she misses and gets caught in a tree.
 * The patrol moves to the cliff top to get more prey.
 * When Firestar's patrol returns to camp, he sees Scratch arguing with Sandstorm, saying that warriors should eat before queens and elders. Sandstorm tells him that's not how a Clan works, he grudgingly agrees to let Clover eat first.
 * Sandstorm and Firestar talk about how Scratch has to realize that warriors aren't the whole Clan, and Clover has to realize Clans aren't just for protection.
 * Firestar calls a clan meeting to give the cats their new names: Scratch becomes Sharpclaw, Patch becomes Patchfoot, Clover becomes Clovertail, Hutch becomes Shortwhisker, Leaf becomes Leafdapple, Cherry and Boris become Cherrypaw and Sparrowpaw. Cherrypaw's mentor is Sharpclaw, while Sparrowpaw's mentor is Leafdapple
 * Leafdapple shares some doubts with Firestar, she thinks she might not be up to mentoring, but Firestar and Sandstorm reassure her.
 * Bounce, Rock, and Tiny want Clan names too, so Firestar names them Bouncekit, Rockkit, and Tinykit. Firestar also renames Sky as Skywatcher.
 * Skywatcher calls Firestar to his den, and tells him the prophecy: "There will be Three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in their paws."
 * Firestar is unsure what it means, and asks StarClan to help him with what is to come.

Chapter 26

 * Firestar, Leafdapple, Sharpclaw, Cherrypaw, and Sparrowpaw set borders.
 * Firestar goes into Skywatcher's den to tell him about the set borders, only to find out Skywatcher had died.

Chapter 27

 * Sandstorm continues to train Clovertail.
 * Rainfur, a cat who refused to join SkyClan, comes to Firestar and begs them to help his mate and his kits. He explains that his mate, Petal, is a kittypet and lives with an abusive Twoleg that hardly feeds her. Firestar agrees to help and takes Sharpclaw, Leafdapple, Rainfur and Patchfoot with him.
 * They come up with a plan to have Sharpclaw and Patchfoot distract the Twoleg, and have Leafdapple and Rainfur rescue Petal.
 * The plan works. They save Rainfur's mate and the two kits.
 * Rainfur seems to want to join SkyClan. Petal doesn't have enough milk, but Clover agrees to suckle them. Petal names them Mint and Sage. Petal doesn't make up her mind yet about living in SkyClan, but stays anyways.
 * Firestar and Sandstorm are still looking for a medicine cat. Firestar hopes for a sign.

Chapter 28

 * Cherrypaw makes good progress in her training. Firestar tells Sharpclaw how to give Cherrypaw assessments.
 * Patchfoot is hurt by rats. Firestar realizes that is the reason why he didn't feel safe.
 * Firestar, Cherrypaw, and Sharpclaw patrol the barn with rats. The rats' leader speaks cat, and says that they have killed cats before, and can do it again. The rats go back in the barn.
 * Firestar realizes that the rats were the reason why the first SkyClan was driven out. He also finds out that the tiny claw marks in the nursery weren't made by kits.
 * Firestar tells the whole Clan about the rats. They agree to attack them and drive them out, making Firestar worry that he is not leading them to their deaths.

Chapter 29

 * Sandstorm tries all her best to heal Patchfoot with the marigold, but has no success.
 * Spottedleaf visits them from StarClan when Patchfoot is asleep. She tells them that burdock root is best for rat bites. She gets upset with Firestar when he admits that Spottedleaf visited him in dreams, but Spottedleaf tells her that Firestar could never be with her, and that Firestar loves Sandstorm. Firestar and Sandstorm agree, and before she leaves, she tells Firestar she'd do anything to make things different.
 * SkyClan prepares for the battle. Firestar and Sandstorm fear that they will never get a medicine cat in time. Skywatcher visits Firestar, and Firestar asks him why he never told him that rats drove out the old SkyClan. Skywatcher says that he wanted Firestar to figure it out himself, and if he told Firestar too soon, he might have given up. Firestar also asks about Leafdapple being a medicine cat, but he says that it is not Leafdapple's destiny, and that the cat that is destined to be a medicine cat hasn't heard of SkyClan yet but dreams of StarClan.
 * Firestar and Sparrowpaw go to Twolegplace, hoping to find the cat. They bump into Oscar, a bossy cat who refuses to join SkyClan. Firestar asks him if he dreamed of cats with stars in their fur, but he says no.
 * A cat called Echo interrupts their talk and says that she dreams of cats with stars in their fur.

Chapter 30

 * Firestar asks Echo if she has dreamed of a gray-and-white cat, and she says yes. Firestar tells her that they are the spirits of her warrior ancestors. Firestar asks Echo if she has heard of the cats who lived at the gorge, and Echo says no. She agrees to join Firestar, leaving Oscar.
 * Echo joins SkyClan as a medicine cat and is gets along well with Clovertail and Petal. She learns the herbs and medicines very quickly.
 * SkyClan has a gathering. Since there is no other clan, Firestar decides that the cats in SkyClan just share news. Echo gets her clan name, Echosong. While the clan cheers, Firestar silently thanks Skywatcher.
 * Patchfoot heals, and Echosong is learning very quickly. Echosong tells Firestar that she doesn't know if she could be a good medicine cat, and is reassured when Firestar tells her to sleep on Skyrock, and that StarClan may see her in a dream.
 * At night, Echosong tells Firestar that she dreamed of cats that were extremely frightened, and one tried to call her, but couldn't hear him. Firestar suspects it's the first SkyClan fleeing.

Chapter 31

 * Cherrypaw finds many rats over the cliff top, possibly doing a suprise attack. Firestar warns the cats to be careful.
 * The rats attack them. Firestar is immediately attacked, but manages to kill one, and the other rats flee in fear. The rest of SkyClan seem to manage, but suddenly, all of the rats stop at once and leave.
 * Firestar thinks that the rats came back either to scare them off, or lead them into a trap. He checks to make sure the kits are safe. Fortunately, they are. When they visit the apprentices, they are safe, too. Firestar realizes that the battle isn't over yet, and they must take the fight over to the rats. The others agree.
 * Rainfur and Petal have their warrior name ceremony - Rainfur's name is confirmed, and Petal's name is Petalnose. Petalnose joins SkyClan along with Mintkit and Sagekit.

Chapter 32

 * Firestar and Cherrypaw leads the SkyClan warriors to the rats' barn to attack them. Leafdapple tells Firestar that he doesn't need to come with them, but Firestar still wants to come.
 * They go into the barn, with the rats prepared. Firestar orders both patrols to stick together. The rats attack them.
 * Rainfur and Firestar are trapped.

Chapter 33

 * Firestar loses a life. He recovers and finds out that Rainfur is dead.
 * Firestar hears Spottedleaf say "Not many, but one." This means that the individual rats don't have a mind of their own.
 * Firestar kills the rats' leader, and the rats flee in fear.


 * SkyClan wins the battle.

Chapter 34

 * Shortwhisker decides Clan life is not for him, and leaves for his housefolk.
 * Echosong gets a sign from StarClan, saying that Leafdapple should be leader.

Chapter 35

 * Firestar and Echosong bring Leafdapple to the Whispering Cave for her ceremony.
 * Rainfur appears and tells Firestar he forgives him.
 * Leafdapple gets her nine lives: endurance from Cloudstar; hope from Skywatcher; love from her mother; healing wounds with words from Spottedleaf; wisdom from Redstar; sympathy and understanding from Birchstar; selflessness from Swiftstar; determination from Dawnstar; and faithfulness from Birdflight.


 * Cloudstar and Birdflight are reunited.
 * Fawnstep, ancient SkyClan's medicine cat, promises to walk in Echosong's dreams. Leafdapple is more confident.

Chapter 36

 * Leafstar makes her first duties as a leader.
 * Bouncekit, Rockkit, and Tinykit become apprentices, receiving the names of Bouncepaw, Rockpaw, and Tinypaw.
 * Leafstar appoints Sharpclaw her deputy.
 * Cherrypaw and Sparrowpaw become warriors and receive the names of Cherrytail and Sparrowpelt.
 * After saying their farewells, Sandstorm and Firestar return to ThunderClan.

Epilogue

 * Firestar returns from a patrol consisting of him, Mousefur and Brambleclaw.
 * Firestar heads to the nursery, where Sandstorm is with their she-kits, Squirrelkit (named for her bushy tail) and Leafkit (named after Leafstar and perhaps Spottedleaf as well).
 * The prophecy Skywatcher gave Firestar haunts him again, and wonders if the three will be descended from his kits.