A Dangerous Path/Chapter 21

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"But that’s not true, is it? You blame us. I don’t care what you’re saying now. I’ve seen the way you look at me. You think I’ll be a traitor just like he was. You’ll never trust me, whatever I do!"

— Bramblepaw to Fireheart in A Dangerous Path, chapter 21

A Dangerous Path
Chapter number:	21 (of 27)
Page numbers:	239-250
Point of View:	Fireheart
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for chapter twenty-one of A Dangerous Path. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 21 (of 27)

Page Numbers: 239-250

Chapter Summary

Fireheart's PoV

Brackenfur warns Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw to stay back, as the place they are is dangerous. He and Fireheart are at the Thunderpath with their apprentices. Bramblepaw comments that it doesn't look dangerous, but at the same time Fireheart snarls for him to get back as a monster approaches. The dark brown tabby leaps out of the way just in time; a speeding monster whooshes by and stirs the young tom's fur. When it passes, he is shaking. Tawnypaw is astonished and asks what that thing was. Fireheart replies that it was a monster, which carries Twolegs, but it never leaves the Thunderpath, so they're safe as long as they stay away from it. Gazing sternly at his apprentice, the ginger tom explains that when a warrior tells him to do something, he does it. He can ask questions, but only afterwards. Bramblepaw nods and apologizes.

His mentor notes that he is already recovering; other experienced warriors would've been extremely scared of having such a close encounter with a monster. Since they left camp, the tabby has proven himself to be eager to learn, brave, and curious. Fireheart and Brackenfur are giving their apprentices a tour of the territory, and the former is finding himself moving with stealth along the trails, afraid that he will encounter the dark presence in the forest. He is keeping away from Snakerocks because of what happened there; he knows he will have to deal with the trheat soon, but the warrior is waiting until Lostface can tell them what happened. Tawnypaw asks what is on the other side of the Thunderpath. Her mentor replies that it is ShadowClan territory, and asks if they can smell the scent.

Both apprentices taste the breeze that carries the Clan's scent towards them, and the tortoiseshell announces that they've smelled that before. Brackenfur is surprised and Bramblepaw explains that Darkstripe brought them to the border to meet their father. Fireheart mentions to Brackenfur that he saw both of them, wanting the younger tom to know that this wasn't news to him. He forces himself to add that he can't blame Tigerstar for wanting to see his kits. Tawnypaw eagerly asks if they an see their father. Her mentor tells her no, because Clan cats don't go onto each other's territory. If a patrol catches them they will get themselves into trouble. Bramblepaw insists they can go if they tell ShadowClan Tigerstar is their father, as the ShadowClan leader wanted to see them last time.

The ginger tom snaps that Brackenfur already told them no, and if they set one paw across the border he'll have their tails. His apprentice looks at him for a while before inquiring why nobody in ThunderClan ever talks to them about their father, and why he even left in the first place. The warrior stares back, and can't see a way out of this conversation. He promised Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw's mother that he would tell her kits about Tigerstar, but he thought he had more time to think about what he would say. Brackenfur murmurs that Fireheart doesn't reveal the truth, someone else will.

Relenting, he says they'll find a place to rest and then he'll tell them. They come to a dip in the ground, both apprentices following curiously. He settles down and reminds them that ThunderClan is proud of them both, and they'll definitely be fine warriors. What he says now won't affect that. Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw slide from curiosity to uneasiness, and Fireheart knows they must be wondering what they will hear. He continues and says that Tigerstar is a great warrior, and always wanted to be leader. Before he left ThunderClan, he was deputy. Bramblepaw announces that he wants to be deputy as well. His mentor's fur prickles at the tom's ambition, much like his father's. He orders the tabby to be quiet, and the young tom obeys.

He explains the battle at Sunningrocks, where Tigerstar killed Redtail, the ThunderClan deputy, and blamed it on RiverClan's deputy. However, they soon found out the truth. Pausing, Fireheart looks at the two apprentices and finds them staring back in horror and disbelief. Tawnypaw asks if he really did kill a cat of his own Clan, while her brother cries that he doesn't believe it. Feeling sick with the effort to tell these two apprentices the truth about Tigerstar without adding his own bias, the ginger tom meows that it's true. Continuing on with the story, he adds that the dark brown tabby hoped to made deputy after Redtail, but Bluestar chose a cat named Lionheart instead. His apprentice asks if his father killed Lionheart too. Fireheart says no, the former ThunderClan deputy died in a battle with ShadowClan. That's when Tigerstar became deputy, but he wanted to become leader.

The ginger tom doesn't want to burden the young cats too much with the more minor stories, so he picks up when Tigerstar brought rogues from the forest to attack his Clan. In the midst of the chaos, he tried to kill Bluestar. Tawnypaw gasps that he couldn't do that; the blue-gray she-cat is their leader. While straining to keep his voice neutral, the warrior explains that Tigerstar thought he could become leader in her place. However, he was exiled, and he joined ShadowClan, becoming their leader.

More Coming Soon

Characters

Major

• Fireheart

Minor

• Brackenfur
• Tawnypaw
• Bramblepaw

Mentioned

Coming Soon