Into the Wild/Chapter 17

"What did Ravenpaw know? At the Gathering, had his account of the battle with RiverClan been true? Was Tigerclaw responsible for Redtail’s death?"

— Firepaw questioning Tigerclaw's loyalty in Into the Wild, page 199

Into the Wild
Chapter number:	17 (of 25)
Page numbers:	191-199
Point of View:	Firepaw
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 17 (of 25)

Page Numbers: 191-199

Chapter description

The cats make their way through WindClan territory. When Tigerclaw starts to sniff the air, Bluestar replies that there is no need; ShadowClan won’t be there that day. They make their way to ThunderClan territory and Graypaw says he can still smell ShadowClan, and Firepaw suggests that the breeze must have carried it from WindClan. Ravenpaw stops suddenly and says he hears something. Firepaw listens and the cats hear the sound of a battle.

Bluestar hurries them forward and they charge in to the camp, which is under attack by ShadowClan. They hurl into battle and Firepaw faces a tabby queen, who he sends back through the tunnel. Firepaw spots Blackfoot by the nursery, picking up kits, and the apprentice starts to spring towards the deputy, but is attacked by a tortoiseshell warrior. He struggles to call out that the kits are in danger, but when he briefly looks at the nursery, Blackfoot is still there. He uses his submission trick to defeat the tortoiseshell and rushes to the nursery. Blackfoot is gone and Yellowfang is standing over the kits, protecting them.

The warriors chase the rest of the ShadowClan cats out and start to lick their wounds. Frostfur announces that the kits are okay, thanks to Yellowfang, but Rosetail had been killed. Firepaw puts in that her opponent had been Blackfoot. Bluestar approaches the apprentices and tells them that Lionheart had been injured. As Graypaw rushes to Lionheart, letting out a yowl, Firepaw realizes that this is the scene from his dream. Spottedleaf presses against Firepaw and tells him that Lionheart is on his way to StarClan. Firepaw approaches Lionheart's body and licks his neck, thanking him for his wisdom and how much he had taught him, before settling beside Graypaw for his vigil. Beside him, Bluestar whispers that she doesn’t know what she’ll do without him before limping to her den, looking utterly defeated.

Graypaw, Firepaw, and Ravenpaw sit with Lionheart. Firepaw watches Tigerclaw come up and briefly lick Lionheart, staring at Ravenpaw, as Spottedleaf does her rounds. Bluestar calls a meeting to announce the next deputy at moonhigh. Everybody expects Tigerclaw and that is whom Bluestar chooses. Tigerclaw says he is honored and promises to serve the Clan the best he can. Ravenpaw whispers that she never should have chosen him, since he had wanted to be deputy ever since he had taken care of Redtail, stopping abruptly.

Characters

Major

• Firepaw

Minor

• Graypaw
• Bluestar
• Tigerclaw
• Ravenpaw
• Frostfur
• Goldenflower
• Brindleface
• Blackfoot
• Darkstripe
• Smallear
• Patchpelt
• One-eye
• Unnamed tortoiseshell
• Unnamed tabby queen
• Unnamed tabby
• Unnamed kits
• Unnamed tortoiseshell
• Yellowfang
• Unnamed black tom
• Whitestorm
• Rosetail
• Lionheart
• Spottedleaf
• Longtail

Mentioned

• Brokenstar
• Redtail

Important events

Ceremonies

Tigerclaw's Deputy Ceremony
Bluestar: I say these words before the body of Lionheart, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice. I have not forgotten how one cat avenged the death of Redtail and brought his body back to us. ThunderClan needs this fearless loyalty even more now. Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan. Reference: Into the Wild, page 199

Deaths

• Lionheart
• Rosetail