Long Shadows/Chapter 19

"Kits are a precious gift, Spiderleg. [...] You should take every chance you can to be a good father. It's even better than being a mentor."

— Leafpool to Spiderleg in Long Shadows, chapter 19

Long Shadows
Chapter number:	29 (of 37)
Page numbers:	232-243
Point of View:	Lionblaze
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 19 (of 37)

Page Numbers: 232-243

Chapter description

Lionblaze wakes up to the sound of coughing, burrowing deeper into the moss, trying to sleep. His dreams were haunted with memories of Tigerstar, taunting his strength and for feeling revolted at the sight of Heatherpaw's body. But when he wasn't asleep, the den was full of sickly cats with greencough. But then Lionblaze remembers that all the infected cats had gone to the abandoned Twoleg nest with Firestar.

He notices Spiderleg lying in his nest, in a coughing fit, realizing Firestar's idea hadn't worked. Firestar advises Spiderleg to see Leafpool, but the old warrior snaps at him not to tell him what to do, and insists that he just has a piece of moss in his throat. Lionblaze disagrees with him and Brambleclaw urges Spiderleg to go see Leafpool. Lionblaze escorts the ill warrior to the medicine den.

Before they enter the den Daisy bounds up and starts fussing about Spiderleg's condition. Lionblaze promises her that he will be taken care of, but the cream-colored she-cat walks away, worry in her eyes. They arrive in the medicine den when Leafpool is asking Jaypaw to collect more tansy from the abandoned Twoleg nest, while feeding Spiderleg the last of it. The apprentice nods and dashes off. Daisy pokes her head into the den, dropping a vole at his paws, trying to persuade him to eat. Spiderleg declines the meal ungraciously, and Daisy is offended, reminding him that their kits were worried about him too. When the old warrior insists she can do a better job raising them alone, Daisy snaps at him that it wasn't her choice, and continues to say that raising kits is special, and her kits probably won't know who Spiderleg is anymore, and storms off. Spiderleg scoffs, but then Leafpool explains to him that kits are a gift, and that he should spend more time raising them, and adds that it's even better than being a mentor.

This makes him angry, and Spiderleg harshly replies that she doesn't know what it's like to have kits. The medicine cat just gazes at him, showing no signs of impatience, and at this Spiderleg apologizes. He admits that he never meant to have kits with Daisy, going on to say that he didn't know how to act around them. Leafpool dismisses this and says that his kits deserve a mother and father, and that Spiderleg is punishing them by not being a good parent. He protests until he bursts into a fit of coughing.

Leafpool's eyes blaze, and Lionblaze feels a surge of affection towards Brambleclaw. He thinks that he had a wonderful father, and if Spiderleg isn't careful, he might end up like Crowfeather and Breezepelt, who don't even like each other. Leafpool tells Lionblaze that he can leave, and the warrior exits the den. As he left, he noticed Brambleclaw picking a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile and dropping it at Squirrelflight's paws. His father told her that he knew how much she loved squirrel. Squirrelflight offers to share, and they settle down next to each other as a surge of warmth spread through Lionblaze, glad that his parents were so close. Brambleclaw calls him over and requests that he go on a hunting patrol, as Ashfur is already waiting. Lionblaze waves his tail and accepts, bounding across the clearing to Ashfur, and thinks of how much he loves his father.

Lionblaze pads along the old Twoleg path with a squirrel and two mice dangling from his jaws, noting that it is his turn to deposit the fresh-kill next to the Twoleg nest. It is drizzling lightly outside, making the path muddy. His mind wanders to Spiderleg, who had gotten more ill, as the Clan's hope plummeted. Everyone was beginning to doubt if Firestar's plan would work, but since then, no more cats had caught the epidemic. The abandoned Twoleg den is quiet and still, and as Lionblaze approaches the trunk where the fresh-kill is, he is surprised to see that the sick cats had left it, refusing to eat. Exchanging the old prey with the fresh, he glances around expectantly, wondering why the old prey was untouched. Lionblaze pauses at the entrance, as Leafpool and Firestar had forbidden anyone to enter. Suddenly an eerie wail arose from the Twoleg den.

He stops dead in his tracks, gathering courage to go in until Cloudtail's face looms in the shadows. The white warrior says grimly that Firestar is dying, and Lionblaze nearly lets out a wail of despair, entering the nest. The Clan leader is lying in a nest in the far side of the den, with a ragged circle of cats around him. Brightheart and Honeyfern are bending over him, holding soaked moss to his lips. Firestar's breath comes rapidly in gasps, and Lionblaze smells another scent alongside sickness in the air.

Brightheart gently tells him that the Clan leader is losing a life. He backs up with the other sick cats and watches Firestar struggle to breathe. Then he lies still.

Lionblaze then sees a faded outline of the flame-colored cat rise from his body, and wonders if that's what it's like to lose a life. He feels as though he has been sitting next to Firestar's body for countless moons when the ThunderClan leader's sides heave and his green eyes begin to focus. Brightheart whispers in his ear that he's with his Clanmates again, and Lionblaze's jaw drops as he has trouble grasping the fact that Firestar had just died and came back. Cloudtail pads up with a roll of soaked moss and gives it to his mate, who places it beside Firestar. He orders Lionblaze to get some fresh-kill, and the golden tabby immediately obeys. He brings it to the Clan leader, who thanks him but warns him not to be in the den, as he could catch the sickness. Lionblaze's fur lifts at this.

Firestar claims he'll be fine as he takes a bite of out a mouse, but Brightheart mews sharply that he's still weak from losing a life and insists that Leafpool should look after him. He shakes his head and says that he would stay with his Clan. Lionblaze hears respectful murmurs all around as Rosekit totters up to Firestar's nest. The cream-colored kit asks if he would keep dying and coming back, but the ThunderClan leader replies that he hopes he won't as Honeyfern shoos Rosekit back to the nursery area. Brightheart touches her nose to Firestar's ear, saying she wished he would stay. He responds that he doesn't have as much to lose, looking over to Millie's nest.

The gray tabby she-cat looks thin and battered, her chest rising and falling as she is sprawled on one side. Briarkit noses her belly, letting out pitiful mews when she can't find milk. Honeyfern offers to bring the kit some fresh-kill, but Briarkit rejects this, saying she wanted Millie's milk. Lionblaze's heart twisted and he turns away. All the sick cats were weak and feeble, and he wonders how long it would be before the die like Firestar. He feels guilty as he tells Cloudtail that he's returning to camp to report the Clan leader losing a life, and promises to return with more fresh-kill. While running back to the hollow, he feels even more guilty, thinking that StarClan did want the sick cats to live. When he got to camp, Lionblaze searches for Brambleclaw, unable to find him until he sees his father and Berrynose entering the camp, laden with prey. He gravely reports that Firestar had lost a life, and Sandstorm is grief-stricken and races out of camp to find her mate. She is devastated when Lionblaze tells her that there's nothing she can do.

Then Berrynose asks what it was like to see Firestar die. The golden warrior shoots him a glare and pads away, hearing Brambleclaw scold the cream-colored warrior as he left. He enters the medicine cat den to see Jaypaw poking through a stack of shriveled herbs. The apprentice whips around and snaps why he's here. Lionblaze then admits that he'll go to WindClan.

Characters

Major

• Lionblaze

Minor

• Firestar
• Spiderleg
• Tigerstar
• Brambleclaw
• Daisy
• Squirrelflight
• Honeyfern
• Rosekit
• Brightheart
• Briarkit
• Sandstorm
• Berrynose
• Cloudtail

Mentioned

• Leafpool
• Graystripe
• Dustpelt
• Ashfur
• Millie
• Crowfeather
• Breezepelt

Important events

• Firestar loses a life.