"You were always destined to become leader of RiverClan. It was never anything to do with me. Your path was marked out by the stars countless moons ago. But who cares about destiny except fools? I should have been ThunderClan's leader! But ThunderClan cast me out when I took a RiverClan mate. […] Our kits were perfect! But they drowned. […] Their father blamed me! And RiverClan cast me out, too. Can you imagine what that feels like? To be rejected twice? To be a loner when all you tried to do was to love? But don't worry, I made them pay. I looked for revenge wherever I could! Why do you think I'm here? I earned my place in the Dark Forest. But what made it worse was that the father of my drowned kits took a RiverClan mate! He promised he would only love me! They had a daughter, and she had a son, and do you know who that son was? […] Shellheart. Your father." |
— Mapleshade to Crookedstar in Crookedstar's Promise, page 479-480 |
- Below contains in-depth information for chapter thirty-nine of Crookedstar's Promise. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.
- Chapter Number: 39 (of 40)
- Page Numbers: 472-481
Chapter description[]
- Crookedstar offers to fetch honey for Willowbreeze, but Brambleberry declines, stating that Willowbreeze has greencough. She adds that the catmint isn't working. Coughs shake the nursery and Crookedstar asks what he can do for her. Brambleberry tells him that Willowbreeze wants to name their kits and prompts him to go in.
- Willowbreeze's eyes are streaming, and she says that she is sorry for leaving him to raise their kits. Crookedstar states that he won't let her leave him. She purrs that he will be a wonderful father, and that she loved being with him. Crookedstar tells her to stop talking like that, and his mate tells him to help name their kits. Crookedstar says the gray kit's name will be Minnowkit, and the black kit's name will be Willowkit, after Willowbreeze. He says the palest kit's name will be Silverkit. Willowbreeze echoes the names, and says that they are lovely before closing her eyes to rest. Crookedstar wraps himself around her, closing his eyes as well.
- Brambleberry enters the den and tells Crookedstar that the names that he'd given his kits are beautiful. She then says that she is sorry that Willowbreeze has gone to StarClan. Crookedstar realizes that his mate is cold to the touch, and his anguished yowl rips through camp. He states that he never promised her this, and his Clanmates are shocked. He races out of camp, yowling Mapleshade's name. He asks where she is, saying he takes back his promise. Oakheart calls his name, and Crookedstar collapses. His brother asks what he had promised, and Crookedstar states he can't say. Oakheart tells him to come back to camp, since their Clanmates are worried. Crookedstar blindly follows Oakheart.
- Sunfish is squeezing out of the nursery, Silverkit in her jaws. Brambleberry tells Crookedstar that she is taking Silverkit to the elders' den where she will be safe. When Crookedstar asks where Willowkit and Minnowkit are, the answer is that they are still in the nursery. He barges into the nursery, letting out a agonized moan. Crookedstar curls into the nest with his kits and holds them tight. Brambleberry soothes his worried Clanmates. Crookedstar closes his eyes as the kits grow quiet.
- Mudfur wakes him up at dawn, saying that the two of the kits are dead and are with Willowbreeze now. Crookedstar stumbles blindly across camp as Fallowtail and Graypool say they are sorry the kits died. He thinks he can't escape his promise. Thinking he is destined to lose every cat he cares about, memories swirl in his head. He thinks of Willowbreeze's death and other tragedies that occurred during his life. Angry at Mapleshade, Crookedstar wills himself to go to the Dark Forest, where Mapleshade greets him.
- Rage scorches through him, and Crookedstar lunges for Mapleshade’s throat. Mapleshade ducks away and slams her forepaws against his cheek. Crookedstar stumbles to the ground, then spins away in time to knock aside another strike and flings Mapleshade away with his claws. Mapleshade throws herself at him, but Crookedstar slides underneath her, swiping her hind legs away. As Mapleshade struggles to find her paws, Crookedstar lands on her back and snaps his teeth around her spine. Mapleshade pushes up with a force that surprises him and Crookedstar flies back. She then pins him to the ground.
- Crookedstar tells her to kill him for he has nothing to live for now, but Mapleshade states that letting him live would be better revenge. Crookedstar asks what he ever did to her. Mapleshade's eyes flame with hate, and she tells him that he was always destined to be leader of RiverClan. Mapleshade states that she should've been ThunderClan's leader, but she had been cast out when it was revealed she had a RiverClan mate. Mapleshade's eyes blaze harder, and the she-cat tells him that their kits were perfect, but they had drowned.
- Crookedstar tries to wriggle away, but Mapleshade yanks him back to face her. Mapleshade tells him that their father had blamed her, and that RiverClan had also cast her out. Mapleshade states that she earned her place in the Dark Forest. The she-cat tells Crookedstar that what made it worse was that her mate then took another mate, and their daughter had a son. Mapleshade reveals that the son was Shellheart, and asks if he understands. Crookedstar asks what he is supposed to understand, and Mapleshade calls him a mouse-brain, saying her kin should've been the leaders of RiverClan. Mapleshade tells him that she endured so much betrayal, and that many cats hurt her. Mapleshade states she wanted to test her loyalty to see if he would betray her, and recites the promise Crookedstar had made all those moons ago, telling him that she could take all of his loved ones because he promised. Crookedstar tells her that she is crazy, and Mapleshade states that because she is dead, he can't hurt her. Crookedstar wakes in his nest with blood welling on his pelt.
Characters[]
Major[]
Minor[]
Mentioned[]
Deaths[]
- Willowbreeze: Succumbs to greencough.[3]
- Minnowkit: Succumbs to greencough.[4]
- Willowkit: Succumbs to greencough.[4]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 472
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 473
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 475
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 476
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 477
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 478
- ↑ Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 474
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 479
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 480
- ↑ Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, page 180
Crookedstar's Promise chapters | |
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Prologue • Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Chapter 7 • Chapter 8 • Chapter 9 • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 • Chapter 13 • Chapter 14 • Chapter 15 • Chapter 16 • Chapter 17 • Chapter 18 • Chapter 19 • Chapter 20 • Chapter 21 • Chapter 22 • Chapter 23 • Chapter 24 • Chapter 25 • Chapter 26 • Chapter 27 • Chapter 28 • Chapter 29 • Chapter 30 • Chapter 31 • Chapter 32 • Chapter 33 • Chapter 34 • Chapter 35 • Chapter 36 • Chapter 37 • Chapter 38 • Chapter 39 • Chapter 40 • Comic |