Journey to Midnight

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"A time of trouble is coming to the forest. A new prophecy must be fulfilled if the Clans are to survive. You have been chosen to meet with three other cats at the new moon, and you must listen to what midnight tells you."

— Bluestar to Brambleclaw in Midnight, page 8

Journey to Midnight
General information
Book	Midnight
Locations	The forest territories, Sun-drown-place
Duration	Ten days
Participants	Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Stormfur, Feathertail, Tawnypelt, Crowpaw
Outcome	The traveling cats find Midnight, who tells them that the Clans must leave the forest.
Chronology
Preceded by:	Battle for the farm
Followed by:	Journey to the forest territories

The journey to Midnight takes place in Midnight, when six Clan cats travel to the sun-drown-place to meet Midnight.

Summary

Premise

The four Clans of feral cats have been living in the old forest ever since they were founded by the ancient leaders. However, Twolegs start to destroy everything in the forest in order to create another Thunderpath, and the cats are forced to find a new place to live. As not even StarClan knows a place nearby that will fit all the Clans, they appoint four cats, one from each Clan, to travel to the sun-drown-place—namely, the ocean, that is far west from the Clan territories—where they can learn if such a region is available, and how to reach it.

The chosen cats are Brambleclaw of ThunderClan, Tawnypelt of ShadowClan, Crowpaw of WindClan, and Feathertail of RiverClan. Despite the fact only the four chosen cats were supposed to go, two other cats accompany them, Squirrelpaw of ThunderClan and Stormfur of RiverClan; thus there are six cats in the party to find a new place to live.

Overview

After they receive their dreams of StarClan and decide what to do, the cats set off towards the ocean, or in their language, the sun-drown-place. During the journey, they get in trouble several times, but manage to survive. They meet Midnight, a badger living in a cave near the shore, who reveals that the forest is about to be destroyed, and the Clans must move to a new location, which they will find by following a "dying warrior", which is actually a shooting star.

On their way home, the six cats take the mountain route, where they meet the Tribe of Rushing Water, who force them to stay, believing that Stormfur, the non-chosen cat of the two RiverClan cats who went on the journey is part of a prophecy of theirs. Feathertail, Stormfur's sister and the chosen cat of the two RiverClan cats, dies to save the Tribe from Sharptooth, a mountain lion, fulfilling the prophecy, and the five remaining cats continue their travels, and eventually arrive home.

Description

StarClan's choice

The events start out during early leaf-fall. During a meeting of StarClan warriors, Bluestar speaks of a new prophecy, revealing that the forest will be destroyed soon, and four cats must undertake a quest to save the Clans, finding them a new place to live. Feathertail is chosen by Oakheart, Crowpaw is chosen by Deadfoot, Tawnypelt is chosen by Nightstar, and Brambleclaw is chosen by Bluestar. Although the StarClan warriors are surprised with some of the choices, they eventually approve of them, and agree to prepare the cats for the journey by contacting them in their dreams.

Bluestar appears in Brambleclaw's dream, telling him about the prophecy, and that he must meet with the three other cats on the night of the new moon, listening to what midnight has to tell them. She does not reveal more, but states that all will be made clear in due time, then disappears. The other three cats receive similar dreams from their ancestors as well.

Brambleclaw wonders why StarClan had sent a message about great danger to one of the youngest, and least experienced warriors in the Clan, instead of the leader or the medicine cat, and decides to disregard it, not even mentioning it to Firestar. However, after learning at a Gathering that his sister Tawnypelt had the same dream, except with one of her ShadowClan ancestors, he begins to take the sign seriously.

Preparation

The chosen cats meet at Fourtrees at the next new moon. Brambleclaw is followed by Squirrelpaw, while Feathertail brings Stormfur along. They discuss about the vision, and Crowpaw almost starts a fight, getting into arguments with every cat, but he is stopped by the others. They wait for midnight, as the ancestors told them, but midnight passes and there is no sign from StarClan. They discuss what to do next, and if they should tell their Clan leaders about the dream. Finally, they decide to wait for more signs, and agree to talk at the next Gathering.

The following night, Brambleclaw has a dream about drowning in salty water and even after waking up, he feels the taste of salt in his mouth. When Ravenpaw visits ThunderClan the next day to tell Firestar about the Twoleg activity, Brambleclaw tells him about the dream, and Ravenpaw states that the place in the dream is actually a real location, and can be reached by walking in the direction of the setting sun. Brambleclaw wonders if StarClan actually wishes him to go there. He meets in secret with the other chosen cats, and they agree that they should find that place.

The six cats meet to begin their journey.

They agree to meet at Fourtrees the day before the next half-moon. Meanwhile, Firestar is worried about an omen about fire and tiger that Cinderpelt had received when looking into a burning clump of bracken, hinting that Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw present a danger to the Clan, or to each other, and tries to keep the two cats apart; nevertheless, they both leave to join the others.

The six cats meet, and the four chosen cats argue about whether the two others should come, as they were not chosen and might represent a danger to the mission, but they finally accept their presence and start off, wondering why StarClan could not tell them what they needed to know right there, and why they must undertake a long and dangerous journey instead.

To the sun-drown-place

The cats follow the edge of WindClan's territory, and in the evening, they arrive at Barley's barn. They meet Barley and Ravenpaw, who greet them warmly and offer them shelter for the night. They leave the next day at first light, and Ravenpaw accompanies them to Highstones, showing them the safest way to go, as the recent Twoleg activity around the Thunderpath made traveling dangerous. On the summit of Highstones, they gaze out over endless, unknown territories, and Ravenpaw tells them about places they will encounter and should avoid.

They follow a path across fields divided by Twoleg fences where sheep graze, then cross a narrow Thunderpath with a hedge on the other side. Thrusting through the hedge, they get separated, ending up in gardens of different Twoleg nests. Brambleclaw and Feathertail remain together, but cannot find or even scent the other cats, and are almost attacked by a dog. They slip back to the Thunderpath through the hedge, and eventually, find Stormfur and Crowpaw, being cornered by two large kittypets. Squirrelpaw and Tawnypelt appear shortly after to join the fight, which is broken up by a Twoleg emerging from the nest, and the Clan cats can get away. They go on, and find shelter for the night near a stretch of a broken-down wall. Tawnypelt has her salt-water sign, and the others realize that they are on the right path, being watched over by StarClan.

During the next three days, the six cats travel through farmland, avoiding Twoleg nests and meeting nothing more threatening than sheep, cows and horses. They come across a wheat field where a monster is harvesting the crop, and catch several mice. Squirrelpaw gets stuck under a Twoleg fence while trying to squeeze through a hole under it, and Tawnypelt manages to get her out after spreading dock leaves on her fur.

Feathertail has her salt-water sign in a dream. The weather turns cloudy, but the Clan cats continue their journey, remembering where did the sun set the day before. Later that day, they are chased by a dog, and escape by climbing up tree trunks, Crowpaw saving Feathertail's life in the process. A Twoleg shows up to take the dog away. The cats meet an old loner who introduces himself as Purdy and leads them into a large Twolegplace where they can catch fish from a pool in a Twoleg garden. Crowpaw has his salt-water sign, confirming that they still are on the right path.

Purdy graciously helps the cats around the Twolegplace that he knows well.

The cats eat kittypet food in another garden, but a Twoleg kit appears and catches Feathertail. Squirrelpaw and Stormfur rub themselves against the kit's legs, and it drops Feathertail, making it possible for all six cats to escape. They continue through the Twolegplace, with Purdy guiding them; the hard surface of the paths making their paws burn, and by the end of the day, they are all hungry and exhausted. As the clouds break up, they see the setting sun behind themselves, confirming that they were traveling in the wrong direction. The Clan cats get angry at Purdy, but being lost in the Twolegplace, they have no other option but to continue following him. They find shelter for the night on an empty lot surrounded by a spiky fence.

They press on, and are attacked by rats while passing by a dump. They manage to defeat the rats, but Tawnypelt gets an infected bite on her shoulder and limps painfully for the rest of the journey. They rest in an abandoned building, and Brambleclaw worries about the journey that has gone so disastrously wrong, but Squirrelpaw comforts him, telling that StarClan are watching over them.

It takes the cats three days to get out from the Twolegplace, and enter a forest where they find shelter, prey, and burdock root for Tawnypelt's wound. They rest until next morning, then go on, leaving the forest and walking across a dry moorland. In the evening, they finally glance a large expanse of blue-green water reflecting the orange rays of the setting sun, knowing that they arrived at their destination.

The sun-drown-place

As they climb down the cliffs, the soil gives way and Brambleclaw and Stormfur fall into the water. Brambleclaw nearly drowns, but Squirrelpaw saves him. They find the cave seen in the dream where they are supposed to wait for midnight, and enter.

Salt-water sign

During and before the journey, each of the four cats selected by StarClan has their "salt-water sign", a dream or illusion of drinking or swimming in salty water. This convinces even the most skeptical ones that they are on the right path, and indeed following StarClan's will.

• Brambleclaw has his sign right after the first meeting at Fourtrees: a dream about drowning in cold, salty water; the currents carrying him towards high cliffs edged by jagged rocks where a cave is visible.
• Tawnypelt has her sign on the second evening of the journey, when she laps up water from a puddle and finds it tasting of salt, when no other cat tastes the salty tang.
• Feathertail has her sign on the sixth day of the journey, in a dream about drinking salty water in a stony landscape.
• Crowpaw has his sign later the same day while catching fish from a Twoleg pool.

The Clans

Back in the forest, all cats are worried about their missing Clanmates. Soon, all leaders find out that the other Clans lost cats as well, and discuss about it on a Gathering. They are uneasy, wondering why StarClan did not send them a message. Only Leafpaw, Squirrelflight's sister knows about the mission StarClan gave to the cats, but does not tell about it to any other cat.

When Tawnypelt gets an infected bite on her shoulder, Leafpaw senses Squirrelpaw's distress and sends her a dream suggesting that burdock root should be used for treating rat bites.

Midnight

Midnight gives the warning to the travelling cats that the forest will be unsuitable for Clan life.

As the six questing cats enter the cave, they meet a badger, one of the deadliest enemies of the forest cats. They panic, but the badger does not seem to be hostile, and introduces herself as Midnight. The cats understand that the StarClan warriors referred to her when they told to "listen to midnight."

Midnight leads them to the back of the cave and treats Tawnypelt's wound, while Brambleclaw tells them about their journey. She eventually reveals that all Clans are in danger, as the forest is about to be completely destroyed by Twolegs to construct a new Thunderpath, and there is no way to stop it. The six cats must lead the Clans to find a new home, which will be shown by a dying warrior seen while standing on Great Rock.

Brambleclaw realizes that the journey has brought them very close to each other, and how much his companions mean to him. He agrees that they have become one.

Characters

Brambleclaw

Brambleclaw is the chosen ThunderClan cat who leads the journeyers.

Brambleclaw, the son of Tigerstar, is chosen to go on the journey by Bluestar. Although young and inexperienced at the time, he is a natural born leader, taking responsibility for the others right from the start of their journey and stating that if any of his companions are hurt or even killed on the journey, it will fall upon his shoulders. The other five cats soon look up to him and become used to taking orders from him. In other words, he is the unofficial leader of the six.

Tawnypelt

Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw's sister, is chosen by Nightstar. Although some StarClan warriors doubt her loyalty, having changed Clans, Nightstar insists on sending her, and Bluestar remarks that it will take cats with a paw in two Clans to understand what has to be done. She is the one who gets the group moving, and is smart and practical. She gets along well with Feathertail, and thinks very highly of her. She gets an infected wound while fighting rats, but carries on and never complains, despite barely being able to move.

Feathertail

Feathertail is the chosen RiverClan cat who often mediates the group.

Feathertail, a RiverClan warrior and Stormfur's sister, is chosen by Oakheart. She is peaceful and caring, and usually stops the toms from arguing. During the journey, she falls in love with Crowpaw, the WindClan cat. She is a good friend of Tawnypelt, and helps her when she is injured.

Crowpaw

Crowpaw, the one mentioned with no kin within the group, is chosen by Deadfoot, the former WindClan deputy and his father. He is the youngest cat to be sent to the journey; while the other three are roughly of the same age, Crowpaw is five seasons younger, and still an apprentice. The other StarClan warriors think he is too young to participate in the perilous quest, but Deadfoot convinces them to let him go. He is a defensive and snappish cat and has a barbed tongue, always arguing and disagreeing with the others. Crowpaw falls in love with Feathertail during the journey and grieves heavily following her death.

Stormfur

Stormfur, Feathertail's brother, is not a chosen cat, but he follows his sister, worried about her because of all they have been through together. He is a good friend of Brambleclaw.

Squirrelpaw

Squirrelpaw is the daughter of Firestar, and the youngest cat in the party. She is not one of StarClan's chosen cats, but forces Brambleclaw to let her go with him. She manifests a tireless courage and refuses to think that they will ever fail in their mission. There are several times when her determination and will to succeed puts fresh heart into all her companions. Her fiery attitude bothers the other cats, but neither Stormfur nor Brambleclaw seem to care, as they both fall in love with her. She grows especially close to Brambleclaw, and finally ends up becoming his mate.

Characters that took part in the journey

Brambleclaw

Squirrelpaw

Tawnypelt

Crowpaw

Stormfur

Feathertail

Map

The forest-lake map in Secrets of the Clans

Quotes

"Darkness, air, water, and sky will come together, and shake the forest to its roots. Nothing will be as it is now, nor as it has been before. […] The doom will come, but if the Clans meet it like warriors, they may survive. […] Four cats must be chosen to hold the fate of their Clans in their paws. […] If the Clans cannot work together now, they will be all destroyed. Maybe it will take cats with a paw in two Clans to understand what has to be done. […] Remember that every Clan will be lost if one of our chosen cats should weaken or fail."

―Bluestar to the rest of StarClan ^{Midnight, pages 2-5}

"[Firestar's] prophecy has been fulfilled. Maybe it's your time now. Remember that StarClan don't like to make things obvious. They send us prophecies, but they never tell us exactly what we should do. They expect us to show courage and loyalty to achieve what has to be done, just as Firestar did."

―Ravenpaw to Brambleclaw ^{Midnight, page 95}

«Warriors of StarClan, watching us and guiding us on our journey, if only I could speak to you right now. I wish I could ask you if we're really doing the right thing, and why we have to travel so far. I wish I could ask you what trouble you have foreseen for the forest.»

—Brambleclaw's thoughts ^{Midnight, page 195}

"When you set out, you were four. Six with friends who would not stay behind. Now you are one. In days coming now, all Clans must be one. If not, trouble destroy you."

―Midnight to the traveling cats ^{Midnight, page 296}

"In days to come, you need each other. Your journey not end here, young warrior. It only just begin."

―Midnight to Brambleclaw ^{Midnight, page 300}

Trivia

• The journey is the only known event when StarClan willingly chooses and contacts warriors and apprentices who have never had prior contact or affinity for the spirit world.
• The journey to the sun-drown place takes ten days; this can be deduced both from the references to time intervals during the journey, and from the moon phases (they start out a day before half moon, and arrive the second day after full moon).

See also

• The lake territories
• Midnight
  • Midnight (book)/Cliffnotes
• Moonrise
  • Moonrise/Cliffnotes
• Journey to the forest territories (TNP)

External links

Fan content

• More sun-drown-quest artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)