Moonrise/Chapter 4

"I've sensed panic over in WindClan territory. Their scent marks on the border are filled with fear."

— Mothwing about WindClan to Leafpaw and Sorreltail in Moonrise, page 57

Moonrise
Chapter number:	4 (of 24)
Page numbers:	42-59
Point of View:	Leafpaw
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 4 (of 24)

Page Numbers: 42-59

Chapter description

Brackenfur and a gray ShadowClan warrior break apart from combat at Firestar's yowl of command. Graystripe looks up from the tabby he was fighting, but still firmly presses his paw against the tom's neck. Firestar orders Graystripe to let the tabby go, as ThunderClan is not in ShadowClan territory to fight. Graystripe hisses that it is hard to do anything when they jump on ThunderClan like they just did, before releasing the skinny tabby. Leafpaw bounds across the clearing to Cinderpelt, worried Russetfur might still attack the medicine cat, as the deputy is not likely to take orders from a rival Clan leader.

Russetfur flicks her tail towards Cedarheart, ordering him to warn Blackstar that ShadowClan is getting invaded and to fetch more warriors. Cedarheart then streaks off into the bushes. Firestar points out there is no need to warn the ShadowClan leader, as he is not invading their territory or stealing prey. Russetfur demands to know what ThunderClan wants and asks what she is she is supposed to be thinking when a Clan invades their territory. Firestar apologizes, leaping down the tree and saying that he knows he isn't supposed to be here, but he needs to discuss a topic with Blackstar too urgent to wait for a Gathering.

Russetfur growls, asking what is so urgent. Firestar flicks his tail towards the path of destruction left by a monster on ShadowClan's side of the Thunderpath. He desperately asks if that is enough. Russetfur silences him with a hiss, saying that if he thinks ShadowClan is weakened, before being cut off by Firestar, who protests that he didn't say that. He continues that ThunderClan is having the same trouble in their own territory, then asks if Russetfur will drive his Clan out, or let them speak with Blackstar.

Russetfur narrows her eyes before giving a curt nod and telling the ThunderClan patrol to follow her. She leads the way through bushes, the ThunderClan cats bunched behind her and the tabby ShadowClan warrior following them close behind. Leafpaw's heart begins to pound as unfamiliar scents flow around her and the day grows darker, clouds making shadows in their path. She tries not to jump at every noise something makes or to stare around as if a ShadowClan warrior is lurking behind every tree. Soon Leafpaw becomes aware of a stronger ShadowClan scent in front of her.

The dark ginger she-cat leads them around a thick clump of hazel and Leafpaw stops in her tracks as she sees a line of tense ShadowClan warriors with the light of battle in their eyes. Cinderpelt mutters close to Leafpaw's ear that the place they have entered is the ShadowClan camp and Blackstar looks like he isn't going to invite ThunderClan in. Blackstar is standing in the middle of his warriors and Leafpaw sees his pelt showing multiple scars of battle. As the rest of ThunderClan enters, Blackstar taunts Firestar, asking him if the great Firestar can go anywhere in the forest he wants. Firestar ignores this and instead nods a courteous greeting.

Firestar begins by saying that he has come to talk about the Twolegs and that they have to decide what they will do if it continues. Blackstar retorts that ShadowClan does not talk to ThunderClan and will make its own decisions. Firestar exclaims that the forest is being destroyed and Leafpaw hears the exasperation in his voice, as it was hard for her father to keep calm while the ShadowClan leader insists on them being enemies. Blackstar shrugs his shoulders, saying that the Twolegs have only knocked down a few trees and went away and that Firestar is panicking over nothing. Leafpaw wonders if Blackstar really believes this and can't believe he can be such a fool.

Firestar asks steadily if it continues, what Blackstar will do, as the monsters are frightening the prey. If the Twolegs claw up more territory, Blackstar may not have enough prey to feed his Clan in leaf-bare. A couple of ShadowClan warriors start to look uneasy at Firestar's words, but Blackstar stares definitely at him. The huge white tom retorts that ShadowClan has no reason to fear leaf-bare as they will just eat rats from Carrionplace. Cinderpelt twitches her ear impatiently, stating that the last time ShadowClan tried that, half their Clan died from sickness.

A small tabby crouching at the end of ShadowClan's battle line starts to speak boldly, stating that he was ill himself, and if Cinderpelt hadn't saved him he could have died. Leafpaw recognizes him as Littlecloud, the ShadowClan medicine cat. Blackstar orders Littlecloud to be quiet, as the sickness was a punishment from StarClan because Nightstar was not the proper leader, so there is no harm in eating the prey there now. Cinderpelt retorts tartly that there is a danger if the leader silences his medicine cat. Blackstar glares at the gray she-cat but says nothing. Firestar pleads for Blackstar to listen to him, before stating that he thinks the forest is coming to a great trouble and that they can only survive if they work together. Blackstar dismisses him, saying that Firestar should say what he has to say at the next Gathering. Leafpaw thinks that Blackstar is partially right, but that the Twolegs won’t wait until the next full moon to continue their destruction.

Firestar says that if that’s the way Blackstar wants it, then he’ll leave. He offers Blackstar to send a messenger into ThunderClan if the Twolegs cause more trouble, but Blackstar says that that won’t be necessary. Blackstar tells Russetfur to gather some warriors and escort the ThunderClan cats out, and tells Firestar that ShadowClan will be increasing patrols along its border with ThunderClan. Russetfur does as Blackstar says, and when the ThunderClan cats cross the border into their own territory, Russetfur hisses at them to not come back. As they walk back to camp, Leafpaw suggests quietly to Cinderpelt that they should maybe try talking to WindClan. Cinderpelt says she has a point, as Ravenpaw said there were more Twolegs than usually there. Leafpaw suggests that Firestar should talk to Tallstar. Cinderpelt says that Tallstar is too proud to admit to his Clan starving, and Leafpaw exclaims that Firestar has to do something. Cinderpelt says that Blackstar was right in that they should wait for the next Gathering, but that she’ll talk to Firestar about it.

Leafpaw is outside the warrior’s den calling for Sorreltail. Sorreltail pokes her head out and tiredly asks what’s the matter. Leafpaw asks if she wants to go on the dawn patrol. Sorreltail says no, and asks what this is all about. Leafpaw says that she wants to go visit WindClan, and when Sorreltail asks what will happen if they meet a patrol, Leafpaw says that she’s a medicine cat apprentice, so it’s okay. Sorreltail agrees to go with Leafpaw.

Sorreltail and Leafpaw reach Fourtrees as the morning dew is drying. They stand at the edge of WindClan territory, and notice that there are no rabbits. The two she-cats dart across a WindClan territory and reach the Thunderpath. Next to it, a long scar where the moorland grass has been torn away stretches from the Thunderpath to the foot of the hill where Leafpaw and Sorreltail are crouching. Long wooden stakes mark the length of it, and a monster sits silently at its end. There is still no scent of rabbit, and Leafpaw wonders if the Twolegs have taken them. Sorreltail and Leafpaw suddnenly pick up a harsh, disgusting smell, but before they can investigate it, three WindClan warriors appear racing toward them. The WindClan cats surround them, and Leafpaw recognizes Tornear and Mudclaw. Before the ThunderClan cats can explain themselves, Mudclaw orders the WindClan warriors to attack.

Sorreltail and Leafpaw flee, and accidentally end up in RiverClan territory. Sorreltail tells Leafpaw to keep going, and Leafpaw looks back and sees that the WindClan patrol is still pursuing them. Leafpaw and Sorreltail whirl around to face the WindClan warriors, and Mudclaw leaps at Leafpaw. Suddenly, Mothwing shoots out of a nearby bush. Leafpaw tries to fight off Mudclaw, but he is overpowering her when Mothwing drags him off Leafpaw. The WindClan cats flee from Mothwing.

Leafpaw thanks Mothwing and introduces her to Sorreltail. Leafpaw apologizes for being on RiverClan territory and says they’ll leave right away, but Mothwing says that there’s no rush and that she’ll get some herbs to calm them down. After Mothwing vanishes, Sorreltail asks Leafpaw is Mothwing is always this dismissive of the warrior code. Leafpaw says that she and Mothwing are medicine cats, but Sorreltail points out that medicine cats have to follow the warrior code too. Sorreltail remembers that Mothwing’s mother was a rogue, and says that that explains it. Leafpaw defends Mothwing, saying that she’s a loyal RiverClan cat and that is doesn’t matter who her mother is. Sorreltail soothes Leafpaw, saying that she never said that Mothwing’s mother being a rogue made Mothwing a disloyal Clan cat, but that it might be why she’s more relaxed about Clan boundaries.

Mothwing returns with herbs, and Sorreltail and Leafpaw eat them. Mothwing asks if they are hurt and says she can fetch some cobwebs, but Leafpaw that there’s no need, and that they really should be leaving. Mothwing asks what the fight was all about and what they were doing on WindClan territory. Leafpaw explains that they wanted to see what then Twolegs were up to, and when Mothwing looks confused, Leafpaw describes how Twoleg monsters are destroying WindClan and ShadowClan territory. Sorreltail glances doubtfully at Leafpaw, and Leafpaw knows that she doesn’t like sharing this information with a rival Clan. Leafpaw shakes her head, thinking that it’s okay if she tells another medicine cat. Leafpaw finishes by saying that Firestar talked to ShadowClan, but they didn’t want to admit that anything was wrong, and that Mothwing saw how on-edge WindClan was. Sorreltail says that no Clan would want to admit that their territory is being destroyed. Mothwing says that they’ve had no trouble in RiverClan, but that she’d sensed panic in WindClan. Sorreltail says that there are no rabbits there, and Leafpaw murmurs that everything’s changing. Mothwing starts to say something about an ambitious cat taking advantage of the unrest inside the Clans, but breaks off. Leafpaw asks what she was going to say, and Mothwing says that she wasn’t going to say anything. Leafpaw wonders if Mothwing knows of another ambitious cat like Tigestar.

Suddenly, Mothwing springs to her paws and says that a RiverClan patrol is coming. She leads Leafpaw and Sorreltail through some bushes to a slope that leads up to the ThunderClan border. Mothwing says that they can always come to RiverClan for fish if they’re hungry, then tells them to run. Leafpaw and Sorreltail reach the border unseen and cross into ThunderClan territory. Leafpaw glances back to see Mothwing’s brother, Hawkfrost, emerge from the undergrowth followed by two RiverClan warriors. Leafpaw notices Hawkfrost’s broad shoulders and rippling muscles and is relieved that he didn’t catch them. She thinks again of how much Hawkfrost reminds her of another cat, but can’t quite put her paw on it. Sorreltail reminds Leafpaw that they should get back to camp, and that she needs to decide how much of this she wants to tell Firestar about.

Characters

Major

• Leafpaw
• Sorreltail
• Mothwing

Minor

• Firestar
• Brackenfur
• gray ShadowClan warrior
• Graystripe
• tabby ShadowClan warrior
• Cinderpelt
• Russetfur
• Cedarheart
• Blackstar
• Littlecloud
• Hawkfrost
• Sorreltail
• Mudclaw
• Tornear
• Hawkfrost

Mentioned

• Nightstar
• Tallstar
• Onewhisker
• Tigerstar
• Sasha