| "They all must be full of doubts about [Brambleclaw's] vision of sun-drown-place, and why they had to go there... Perhaps StarClan had gotten it wrong this time. Perhaps in the end, not even the faith and courage of warriors would be enough to bring them through safely." |
| — Brambleclaw worrying about the quest in Midnight, page 166 |
- Below contains in-depth information for chapter fourteen of Midnight (book). If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.
- Chapter Number: 14 (of 24)
- Page Numbers: 164-175
Chapter description[]
- Reaching the base of Highstones on the far side, the six questing cats discover that the land immediately beyond Clan territory consists of fields separated by Twoleg fences. The cats encounter a number of sheep inside of the fields, and although they know that these animals are not dangerous, they try to stay clear. Stormfur comments that the sheep are staring at them as if they have never seen cats before. Tawnypelt responds that they might not have, as there is no prey in these fields and thus no reason for cats to pass through.
- Feathertail then brings up the prophecy, wondering why StarClan is sending them to sun-drown-place and why they have to hear their ancestors' message at midnight. Crowpaw growls that Brambleclaw might be able to explain this, since he was the only one who had supposedly seen sun-drown-place. Brambleclaw replies that he doesn't know anything more about the prophecy than anyone else, and that they all must have faith that things will work out in the end. The WindClan tom, still hostile, hisses that it's easy for Brambleclaw to say that.
- Squirrelpaw intervenes in their argument, leaping to Brambleclaw's defense and saying that he didn't ask to have the second dream – it isn't his fault that StarClan chose him. Crowpaw stalks away with a bad-tempered snarl, and Brambleclaw thanks his Clanmate for backing him up. The ginger she-cat, however, snaps that she didn't do it for him; she did it because she didn't want the dark gray apprentice to think WindClan was so much better than ThunderClan. Brambleclaw realizes that Squirrelpaw was the only cat to defend him against Crowpaw, and that not even his sister Tawnypelt had attempted to. He realizes that all the other cats must be full of doubts about the quest, and worries that he might have made a mistake leading them onto it.
- The cats continue to travel onward, and a little after sunhigh they reach a Thunderpath which they must cross. Squirrelpaw and Crowpaw briefly quarrel again, but Tawnypelt interrupts them and also warns the apprentices to be careful, as Thunderpaths are dangerous even for experienced warriors. Brambleclaw adds that they need to plan what they will do on the other side, since the far edge of the Thunderpath is bordered by hedges and they can't see what is over there. Stormfur suggests that they all cross as the same time and run straight through the hedge, thinking that all six of them together will be enough to deal with whatever is on the other side. Thinking the dark gray warrior's plan is sensible, Brambleclaw agrees to it.
- Brambleclaw gives the signal to cross the Thunderpath, but when he passes through the hedge, he finds himself in a Twoleg garden, and he has to dive for cover in a bush as a Twoleg kit races towards him. The dark brown tom finds Feathertail also sheltering in the bush, but Squirrelpaw and the other three cats are nowhere to be seen. They realize that they will have to leave the yard that they are in to find their companions, so they decide to climb up onto a fence. A dog in a neighboring garden spots them and begins to bark loudly, throwing itself at the base of the fence as it attempts to get Brambleclaw and Feathertail. Luckily, a Twoleg spots it and drags the dog back into its Twoleg nest.
- With the dog out of the way, the two look for the other questing cats in the nearby yards, but are unable to locate them by sight or sound. Brambleclaw hopes that this is a good sign, as he thinks they would make a lot of noise if they were struggling against a dog or Twoleg. Knowing that the gardens are too dangerous, the dark tabby proposes heading back to the other side of the hedges and hoping they meet up with their companions there. However, back beside the Thunderpath, there is no sign of Squirrelpaw or the others. Feathertail catches a mouse and the two share it, although they are both uneasy about their missing Clanmates. The sun sinks further in the sky, and the other four cats remain missing. Brambleclaw decides to go searching for them again when there is suddenly an outbreak of angry shouting in one of the gardens, and he and Feathertail realize that their companions must be in trouble.
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| Midnight (book) chapters | |
|---|---|
| Prologue • Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Chapter 7 • Chapter 8 • Chapter 9 • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 • Chapter 13 • Chapter 14 • Chapter 15 • Chapter 16 • Chapter 17 • Chapter 18 • Chapter 19 • Chapter 20 • Chapter 21 • Chapter 22 • Chapter 23 • Chapter 24 • Epilogue | |