Battle for Quick Water

"Quick Water killed Sun Shadow. She cost me one of my lives. She's put herself outside the code now. StarClan would know that killing her was just. [...] But Quick Water isn't one of us anymore. We have to make sure our Clans are safe. Even if it costs me everything."

— Shadowstar to Windstar in Shadowstar's Life, chapter eight

Battle for Quick Water
General information
Book:	Shadowstar's Life
Date:	Leaf-fall
Place:	SkyClan's territory
Outcome:	Stalemate; Shadowstar and Quick Water kill each other Shadowstar is the first leader to lose her ninth life SkyClan is eventually driven out of the forest by Twolegs
Combatants
ShadowClan WindClan
SkyClan ThunderClan
Leaders
Shadowstar Windstar
Skystar Thunderstar
Commanders
Raven Pelt Gorse Fur
Owl Eyes
Strength
Mouse Ear Juniper Branch Unnamed ShadowClan warriors Unnamed WindClan warriors
Quick Water Flower Foot Birch Honey Pelt Unnamed SkyClan warriors Unnamed ThunderClan warriors
Death and losses
Shadowstar's ninth life
Quick Water
Chronology
Preceded by:	SkyClan-WindClan conflict
Followed by:	Destruction of the SkyClan forest territory

The battle for Quick Water was a battle that took place in Shadowstar's Life in SkyClan's territory when ShadowClan and WindClan attacked SkyClan and ThunderClan for harboring Quick Water. This was the first major battle between the Clans since the Great Battle, and it resulted in the first time a Clan leader lost their last life.

Summary

Premise

"It's not 'a few Twolegs.' More and more of them are coming, more often now. Some times they come in groups, with big Twoleg monsters. They've been patrolling, looking very carefully at SkyClan's territory. I think they're hoping to take it over as their own. If they do, what will happen to SkyClan?"

―Skystar about the Twolegs ^{Shadowstar's Life, 242}

Seasons after the groups became Clans, Skystar, leader of SkyClan, begins to notice Twolegs patrolling his territory more frequently. This continued action worries the SkyClan leader greatly, but his claims are dismissed by the other four Clan leaders at the Gathering. Skystar's worry extends to his warriors, who also grow concerned about their future.

Overview

"She did it because she's a Clan cat. You've all been so worried about the Twolegs taking your territory. From the lives she knows I've lost, maybe she decided I could be close to my last. Perhaps she thought the opportunity was worth breaking our new code. If Sun Shadow and I had both died, ShadowClan would have been without a leader. It would have been easy to move in and take our territory."

―Shadowstar accusing Quick Water of killing Sun Shadow ^{Shadowstar's Life, page 261}

Quick Water, a SkyClan warrior and one of the original cats who followed the sun trail to their new home from the mountains, becomes obsessed with securing SkyClan's future. With the other Clans not believing SkyClan, Quick Water decides to take matters into her own paws. She believes SkyClan can secure ShadowClan's territory if their leadership is destroyed so she lures dogs to kill Shadowstar and Sun Shadow, her deputy. However, Shadowstar survives and remembers the pair of amber eyes watching them die. Shadowstar, who is now on her last life, is later attacked by Quick Water by the Thunderpath. Realizing it's Quick Water attempting to kill her, Shadowstar successfully convinces Skystar to exile Quick Water for breaking the warrior code. However, Thunderstar believes Quick Water and allows her to join. At an emergency Gathering, Skystar allows Quick Water to rejoin his Clan, and WindClan stands with ShadowClan. Despite not wanting to break the peace since the Great Battle, Shadowstar resolves Quick Water must die. ShadowClan and WindClan unite to confront ThunderClan and SkyClan about harboring Quick Water. In the resulting battle, Shadowstar and Quick Water kill each other but Shadowstar forgives Quick Water before they die.

Description

Quick Water's mission

«Amber eyes...Shadowstar gasped as she remembered the eyes she'd seen watching her from the dark woods as she fought the dogs. She knew she had not imagined that cold, unblinking gaze. But would one of her Clanmates have looked on as she and Sun Shadow died? Without trying to help? A cold feeling spread through her belly. Some cat had watched them die.»

—Shadowstar's thoughts about the amber eyes she had seen ^{Shadowstar's Life, page 229}

Twolegs begin to encroach on SkyClan's land, which unsettled Skystar and his Clan, especially when the other Clans dismiss his concerns at a Gathering. Urged by her fear of losing her home, Quick Water believes they can easily take ShadowClan's territory if Sun Shadow and Shadowstar are dead. While Shadowstar and Sun Shadow are returning home after the Gathering, Quick Water leads five dogs and watches as the dogs tear them apart. Sun Shadow dies and Shadowstar loses her eighth life. Shadowstar recalls amber eyes watching them that night and grows paranoid of any cat with that shade of eye color.

At the next Gathering, Skystar continues to urge the other Clans to act with more and more Twolegs patrolling his territory. Quick Water argues with Windstar when she insists it's not WindClan's problem. WindClan and RiverClan are hesitant to redraw borders in case SkyClan needs new territory, much to ThunderClan and SkyClan's despair. Shadowstar will only agree to help once she views the Twoleg activity herself and scout out new territory for SkyClan. Skystar gives her three days to make her decision. While scouting unclaimed territory by the Highstones, Quick Water shoves Shadowstar onto the Thunderpath in hopes of killing her, but the monster misses her. Quick Water then attacks Shadowstar but she is chased away by Raven Pelt. As Quick Water flees for her own territory, Shadowstar and Raven Pelt both confirm Quick Water as the killer.

Alliances

Shadowstar: "Quick Water is a danger to the Clans. Even if you don't care about my life, or the threat to ShadowClan, sheltering a cat who tried to kill me could drag all the Clans into battle. Is that what you want?"

Thunderstar: "Your threats won't change my mind. I believe Quick Water, and, if this leads to a battle, at least my conscience will be clear. You have to understand: I've trusted Quick Water all my life. She's lived through everything the Clans have had to face. She deserves the benefit of the doubt, doesn't she?"

^{Shadowstar's Life, pages 271-272}

Shadowstar and her patrol visit SkyClan's camp and accuse Quick Water of attempting to kill her by the Thunderpath, with both Shadowstar and Raven Pelt testifying that they saw her. While Skystar and his warriors initially defend Quick Water, Skystar exiles Quick Water when she can't prove where she was earlier though he isn't pleased about it. However, Thunderstar believes Quick Water and allows her to join ThunderClan. Shadowstar and Raven Pelt notice her scent in ThunderClan's territory and confront Thunderstar. Thunderstar insists that he trusts Quick Water and he won't be threatened by Shadowstar's threats. Shadowstar warns this might lead to battle between the Clans. At an emergency Gathering, Shadowstar reveals to the five Clans what Quick Water has done and calls for her exile from ThunderClan. Quick Water maintains that she's done nothing wrong. As the Clan leaders debate, Skystar decides to allow Quick Water to return to SkyClan since he never heard her side of the story. While ThunderClan stands with SkyClan, Windstar believes Shadowstar. Windstar confers with Shadowstar after the meeting and both agree to fight SkyClan and ThunderClan to kill Quick Water, with Shadowstar revealing she is on her last life.

Attacking Quick Water

Shadowstar: "No, we are not here to attack SkyClan either. Our quarrel isn't with either of your Clans. We're here to protect the warrior code. Quick Water tried to kill me, and she killed Sun Shadow. She's a murderer, she's broken the code, and we can't let her stay in the Clans."

Thunderstar: "We settled this, Shadowstar. Quick Water explained why her scent was there. Let's not let this come down to teeth and claws. You were mistaken about who attacked you. You must have been."

^{Shadowstar's Life, page 290}

The next morning, WindClan and ShadowClan meet at SkyClan's border, ready to confront Quick Water. ThunderClan and SkyClan promptly meet them, and Shadowstar tries one more time to convince them to exile Quick Water. Realizing both Clan leaders won't give in, Shadowstar attempts to attack Quick Water and the forest erupts into battle with four Clans fighting. During the battle, Shadowstar notices Quick Water fighting Raven Pelt and she rushes to save him, not wanting to lose another deputy to her. The battle begins to die down as the two she-cats face off, both delivering fatal blows to each other. As both slowly die, Quick Water admits her ploys to try to kill ShadowClan's leadership for SkyClan and asks for forgiveness. Shadowstar forgives her and both she-cats pass away.

Aftermath

"I am sorry. Sincerely. I made a terrible mistake. It's like I've been crazy for moons—all I could think about was whether SkyClan would have to leave our territory. I stopped caring about anything else, even whether other cats lived or died. I don't deserve to be forgiven. I'm so ashamed."

―Quick Water apologizing to Sun Shadow, Shadowstar, and Gray Wing ^{Shadowstar's Life, page 297}

Quick Water and Shadowstar reunite in StarClan, with Quick Water apologizing once again for her actions. Gray Wing shows them an image of the future, revealing that the Twolegs will one day destroy SkyClan's home. While Quick Water and Shadowstar are disheartened, Gray Wing reveals that the five Clans will reunite around a lake.

Characters

Shadowstar

"Quick Water has broken the code we all promised to live by. Skystar did the right thing and exiled her from his territory, only for Thunderstar to welcome her into his Clan. We cannot allow this murderer to stay in any Clan's territory. She's no longer a true Clan cat."

―Shadowstar at an emergency Gathering ^{Shadowstar's Life, page 274}

Shadowstar was the first Clan leader to lose her ninth life

Shadowstar was the first leader of ShadowClan. After the loss of her eighth life and the death of her beloved deputy Sun Shadow, Shadowstar grew paranoid of amber-eyed cats. She also begins to worry about naming Sun Shadow's successor since she's on her last life. While scouting potential new territory for SkyClan near Highstones, Shadowstar is shoved onto the Thunderpath. Raven Pelt and Shadowstar learn her attacker is Quick Water. She leads her patrol to SkyClan to demand Quick Water's exile for killing Sun Shadow and attempting to kill Shadowstar. Back at their camp, Shadowstar names Raven Pelt her deputy. However, Pebble Heart shares a dream of ShadowClan still in danger. When Shadowstar learns that ThunderClan is harboring Quick Water and Thunderstar refuses to exile her, Shadowstar becomes resolved that Quick Water must die. WindClan joins them in the fight, and Shadowstar attacks Quick Water when she catches her fighting Raven Pelt. Shadowstar and Quick Water kill each other, and Shadowstar forgives her.

Quick Water

"It was true. I led the dogs to attack Shadowstar and Sun Shadow. I thought if they were both dead, we could take their territory, and ensure the safety of SkyClan. And then I tried to kill Shadowstar again, up by Highstones. I know it was wrong, but I was so scared."

―Quick Water ^{Shadowstar's Life, page 294}

Quick Water was a SkyClan warrior and one of the cats who traveled from the mountains to settle in the forest territories. While she served as a loyal cat to SkyClan, Quick Water grew increasingly uneasy of Twolegs invading their territory and feared what would happen to SkyClan. Quick Water resolves to save SkyClan's future, no matter the cost, and figures SkyClan could take over ShadowClan's territory if their leaders were killed. She lures dogs to kill Sun Shadow and Shadowstar, and when Shadowstar survives, she tries to shove her onto the Thunderpath. Quick Water lies that she played no role in their demises, though Skystar initially exiles her. However, Thunderstar believes her and allows her to join ThunderClan, trusting the word of his long-time friend. Shadowstar resolves that Quick Water must die for breaking the warrior code, and her sanctuary results in a war between the Clans. Quick Water and Shadowstar kill each other in battle, though Quick Water apologizes to Shadowstar before she dies. In StarClan, Quick Water is somber that SkyClan's territory will eventually be destroyed, but Gray Wing gives her the peace of mind that the Clans will reunite someday in the future.

See also

• Shadowstar's Life
• Shadowstar's Life/Cliffnotes