Forest of Secrets/Chapter 19

"ShadowClan and WindClan! They’re coming to invade our camp!"

— Brackenpaw to Fireheart in Forest of Secrets, chapter 19

Forest of Secrets
Chapter number:	19 (of 30)
Page numbers:	189-201
Point of View:	Fireheart
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for chapter nineteen of Forest of Secrets. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 19 (of 30)

Page Numbers: 189-201

Chapter description

Shocked and furious yowls erupt; Fireheart is scared and so is Sandstorm, who leans against Fireheart, shaken. Tallstar whips around and glares at Bluestar, and asks if it is true. Bluestar ignores him and faces Nightstar and waits until the commotion dies down. When it does, she questions Nightstar if his Clan has been spying on hers. The ShadowClan leader spits that there is no need to when ThunderClan's apprentices gossip so freely. Fireheart remembers Swiftpaw with the other ShadowClan apprentices. He sees the cat looking quite guilty as if he had blabbed away the secret to his friends quite so soon after Bluestar had ordered them to keep quiet about it.

Bluestar hesitates and Fireheart feels a pang of sympathy for his leader as most of the Clan was unhappy with the decision and now she couldn't defend herself. Tallstar questions if it is true again. A moment later, Bluestar defiantly raises her head and proclaims that it is. Tallstar calls her a traitor as she knew what Brokenstar did to them. Bluestar struggles to keep calm and hisses that nobody dares call her a traitor. The WindClan leader says he dares because he believes that she broke the warrior code by sheltering Brokenstar. Around the clearing, all the WindClan cats support their leader by chanting 'traitor'. Tigerclaw and Deadfoot face each other, snarling. Fireheart springs up, his fighting energy raising in him. Willowpelt and the WindClan queens turn against each other, and a couple of ShadowClan warriors threateningly walk over to Darkstripe as Mousefur leaps to his defense.

Bluestar yowls to the Clans to stop as they are breaking the truce. She asks if they want to feel StarClan's wrath, and, in response, the moonlight slowly fades away. Every cat freezes as a wisp of cloud covers the moon. All cats sit down but continue to glare at each other, and Whitestorm rushes over to speak with Tigerclaw. Crookedstar calmly stands beside Bluestar and gently asks why she's done this; the blue-gray she-cat answers that Brokentail was now blind so he wasn't of any danger, and queries if they would starve him to death. Nighstar says he would because no death was too cruel for Brokentail, and turns to Tallstar and asks if he would forget the cat that drove him out, which causes Fireheart to wonder why the ShadowClan leader was so intent on leading WindClan to support him. Tallstar says they know how much this means to his Clan and he would never forgive Brokenstar. Bluestar tells him he's wrong because the warrior code says to show compassion. She asks Tallstar if he remembers that ThunderClan helped them when they were driven out and fought against RiverClan for them. The blue-gray she-cat questions if WindClan owes ThunderClan at all. The WindClan leader gets angry by this and claims that his Clan does not owe anyone and has pride. Bluestar meows that no Clan can own another but compares that he was weak but shown compassion, so if they didn't do that for Brokenstar, they would not be any better than the cruel leader himself.

Nightstar tells Bluestar that Brokentail never showed compassion, and questions why they should show any to him. He orders her to drive Brokentail out, and Bluestar angrily responds he cannot tell her how to run her Clan. Nighstar tells her that if she keeps on sheltering him, ShadowClan would cause trouble. Tallstar adds that so will WindClan. Bluestar is silent for a moment before she says ThunderClan does not take orders and does what is right. Nightstar scoffs that it isn't right to shelter Brokentail but Bluestar cuts him off saying the argument is over; questioning if they forgotten there were other matters to discuss. Crookedstar starts to speak about the flood as Tallstar and Nightstar exchange glances.

Sandstorm gets closer to Fireheart and claims she knew there would be trouble about Brokentail as soon as Nightstar started to speak. The ginger warrior says he knows but if Bluestar drove Brokenstar out, it would seem as if she was giving in and no one would respect her for that. Sandstorm purrs in agreement, and then Fireheart tries to concentrate on the Gathering but finds he can't with WindClan's hostile stares. He wishes the Gathering would come to an end.

It seems to Fireheart to be a long time until the moon finally sinks and cats began to divide into patrols and pad away. As warriors form around Bluestar, Fireheart catches sight of Onewhisker and the WindClan tom apologizes and says he remembers what ThunderClan had done for WindClan. Fireheart thanks him but is cut off by Tigerclaw who snarls at Onewhisker. The ginger warrior waits for a rebuke when Tigerclaw snarls at Bluestar saying that now two Clans were fighting against them and they should've thrown out Brokentail a long time ago. Fireheart is not surprised that the deputy is unhappy with the former ShadowClan leader's stay, especially now that it causes reason clashing with other Clans interests'. Bluestar tells Tigerclaw this is no place to be arguing among themselves as they could once they got back to camp. Nightstar cuts into their conversation, asking how they plan on doing so, because he isn't letting them cross ShadowClan territory on their way back.

Bluestar looks uneasy but Crookedstar offers to allow them to cross his territory. With a glance at Fireheart, he adds that Clans should help each other in these times; Fireheart guesses this is because he and Graystripe had caught prey for RiverClan. Tigerclaw asks why they should trust RiverClan but Bluestar interjects, saying thanks and accepting the offer. ThunderClan follows Crookedstar, flanked by RiverClan cats as ShadowClan and WindClan hiss at them. Fireheart notices Graystripe trying to get close to Silverstream, but another RiverClan queen was talking to her. The queen asks her if she's tired because of the long journey while expecting kits. Silverstream responds to Greenflower that she's fine, while casting a frustrated glance over at Graystripe.

Bluestar drops back to Mistyfoot and meows that she heard Mistyfoot had kits and asks her if they are well. The RiverClan warrior looks slightly surprised and replies that two of them were swept away in the river, but Fireheart and Graystripe saved them. Bluestar looks sympathetic and says she is relieved that they are okay, and queries if they have recovered. Mistyfoot mews they are all fine and will be apprenticed soon. Bluestar comments that she's sure they will be fine warriors. Fireheart notices how both she-cats have the same colored pelts, and same as Stonefur who padded alongside. He guesses cats from different Clans could have same pelts. This leads him to wonder if they could have same pelts, then they could have the same minds too and have no need to quarrel.

In the second dawn since the Gathering, Fireheart wakes up to see Graystripe is not in his nest. He guesses that his friend has gone to see Silverstream and he has to take cover for Graystripe's apprentice. The ginger warrior asks Brackenpaw if he wants to go hunting. Brackenpaw's eyes shine and he asks if they are going now. Fireheart meows that they are and implies he's hungry.

Fireheart likes the presence of the serious apprentice, but is concerned that Graystripe isn't taking his mentor duties seriously. He feels disappointed that his best friend isn't giving much meaning to his Clan, but pushes the thought away as he leads Brackenpaw up the ravine, and at the top, he asks the apprentice what he can smell from up there. The apprentice meows he smells mouse, rabbit, blackbird and some other bird he does not recognize. Fireheart tells him that is woodpecker. The ginger apprentice concentrates and suddenly shouts fox. Fireheart asks if it fresh, to which Brackenpaw responds it is stale and been around two to three days ago. Fireheart is relieved and instructs the apprentice to hunt by the two old oaks. He goes the other way to look for prey and sees a thrush. The ginger warrior gets into a hunter's crouch, and just then, Brackenpaw calls frantically for Fireheart. The thrush flies away immediately and Fireheart angrily scolds Brackenpaw for scaring the catch away, but the apprentice interjects, meowing someone is coming and he can smell them.

Fireheart questions who, and Brackenpaw, scared says that ShadowClan and WindClan are coming to invade the camp.

Characters

Major

• Fireheart

Minor

• Tallstar
• Bluestar
• Nightstar
• Crookedstar
• Onewhisker
• Tigerclaw
• Greenflower
• Silverstream
• Mistyfoot
• Brackenpaw
• Sandstorm
• Deadfoot
• Willowpelt
• Darkstripe
• Mousefur
• Whitestorm
• Stonefur

Mentioned

• Swiftpaw
• Reedwhisker (unnamed)
• Pikepaw (unnamed)
• Perchkit (unnamed)
• Primrosepaw (unnamed)