Fire and Ice/Chapter 23

"We shouldn't be fighting among ourselves, especially during leaf-bare. We should be worrying about keeping our Clans safe! [...] We must listen to StarClan."

— Yellowfang after fighting breaks out at the Gathering in Fire and Ice, page 248

Fire and Ice
Chapter number:	23 (of 30)
Page numbers:	243-248
Point of View:	Fireheart
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for chapter twenty-three of Fire and Ice. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 23 (of 30)

Page Numbers: 243-248

Chapter description

A Gathering is taking place and ThunderClan and WindClan are already present. Tallstar and Bluestar, the leaders greet each other. Onewhisker, a friend of Fireheart bounds over to the ThunderClan cat, greeting him. Fireheart remembers the last time he saw the WindClan cat, when they were at the RiverClan border and Whiteclaw fell to his death. Onewhisker asks about Graystripe, as he is blamed for the RiverClan warrior's death. Fireheart says he is fine and points him out in the crowd. Fireheart asks about Morningflower and her kit. Onewhisker says the queen is happy to be back home and her kit is growing quickly. He comments the whole Clan is well, and he is glad to be eating rabbits again instead of rats. He states he hopes he never has to taste a rat again for as long as his lives.

Fireheart detects RiverClan is coming, and ShadowClan too. He scans the ridge of the Fourtrees and spots RiverClan streaming in on their side and ShadowClan poised on their side. Onewhisker spots Nightstar poised with ShadowClan and mutters it is too cold to wait around. Fireheart nodded distractedly as he searches for Silverstream, since she and Graystripe are meeting in secret regularly. She follows Crookedstar down to the fourtrees as he greets warriors of the other Clans. Fireheart wonders if Graystripe would dare talk to Silverstream, but he is too busy talking to a WindClan warrior. He doesn't notice Deadfoot, the WindClan deputy approaching. The deformed tom greets Fireheart and asks how he is. Fireheart turns and says he is fine. Deadfoot nods and limps away.

Onewhisker gives Fireheart a friendly nudge as he mentions he is privileged. Fireheart feels a glimmer of pride. Bluestar yowls for the Gathering to start, much to Fireheart's surprise as the leaders’ don’t usually start so soon. Nightstar and Crookedstar sit close as Tallstar and the other cats gather. Fireheart realizes that this is the first Gathering he has seen with WindClan attending. Fireheart and Onewhisker join the other Clans as they settle below the Great Rock. Bluestar surprisingly doesn’t exchange friendly greetings but instead jumps to the matter very quickly.

She accuses RiverClan of hunting on Sunningrocks, which currently belongs to ThunderClan. She claims ThunderClan patrols scented RiverClan many times there. Crookedstar reminds Bluestar about Whiteclaw's death, and Bluestar defends her warriors, reminding him that her warriors were doing on what they agreed on, bringing WindClan back to their territory. She says that the warrior code says they should not have been attacked. Crookedstar asks about the ThunderClan cat that is spying on RiverClan, and Bluestar is confused, asking if they know this warrior.

Crookedstar admits they don’t, but will soon. Fireheart glances at Graystripe, who is the one that leaves the scent as he often goes to see Silverstream, which is against the warrior code. He wonders if any RiverClan cat will recognize his scent but Graystripe just stares at the leaders, motionless. Tigerclaw, the ThunderClan deputy claims to have scented ShadowClan on ThunderClan territory too, the same patrol of cats. Nightstar claims they are the ShadowClan rogues, and have been stealing prey on ShadowClan territory too.

Tigerclaw gives a disbelieving snort and Nightstar asks if he questions ShadowClan’s word. The Clans murmur as Tigerclaw stares back with distrust. Tallstar speaks up, mentioning that his Clan has also scented these strange scents that seem to be from ShadowClan. Tigerclaw rants that RiverClan and ShadowClan have united against them. Crookedstar points out that it seems like ThunderClan and WindClan have made an alliance, since Bluestar was so certain to bring WindClan back. He asks if that’s why she was so keen to bring them back. Crookedstar asks why they have unusual scents in all territories then. Tallstar claims they don’t belong to WindClan, so must be those ShadowClan rogue cats. Bluestar murmurs those rogues would be a good excuse to invade, and stares at Nightstar and Crookedstar.

As Nightstar arches his back and Crookedstar raises his hackles, Tigerclaw stalks to the Great Rock, and Fireheart wonders if the leaders will fight at this time of peace. Suddenly, a shadow falls over the Fourtrees, a cloud has covered the moon and completely smothered its light. Halftail, a ThunderClan elder shouts that StarClan has sent the darkness. Runningnose, the ShadowClan medicine cat wails that StarClan is angry as this meeting is supposed to be peaceful. Yellowfang, the ThunderClan medicine cat agrees with him, and states they shouldn’t be fighting especially during leaf-bare. They should worry of keeping their Clans safe. Her meow echoes against the silence of Fourtrees as she says they must listen to StarClan.

Characters

Major

• Fireheart

Minor

• Tallstar
• Bluestar
• Onewhisker
• Graystripe
• Nightstar
• Silverstream
• Crookedstar
• Deadfoot
• Tigerclaw
• Halftail
• Runningnose
• Yellowfang

Mentioned

• Whiteclaw
• Morningflower
• Morningflower’s Kit

Errors

• Nightstar is mistakenly called Nightpelt, even though he is a leader in this chapter.