Shattered Sky/Chapter 16

"Run! Now! Make this count, Violetpaw!"

— Needletail's last words to Violetpaw before her death in Shattered Sky, page 217

Shattered Sky
Chapter number:	16 (of 22)
Page numbers:	205-218
Point of View:	Violetpaw
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 16 (of 22)

Page Numbers: 205-218

Chapter Summary

Violetpaw is stuffing prey with poppy seeds in order to put members of the Kin to sleep. Although she is nervous, she feels a certain thrill in doing this. She brings the prey to the Kin, and declines to eat with them, saying that she’s eaten beforehand. Darktail does not inquire further, and Violetpaw is glad that he didn’t see past her lie. However, her plan to feed Darktail poppy seeds fails after Sleekwhisker reports the she-cat's actions. Violetpaw begs Darktail to not kill her, and he says that killing her is not punishment enough for her. The leader of the Kin takes her to the prisoners’ den, and brings out Needletail informing both her and Violetpaw that Needletail will pay for the latter’s treachery.

He and Sleekwhisker drag her to the lake as Raven, Roach, and Violetpaw follow. The young she-cat wonders why they are going there until she remembers when Dawnpelt had argued with Darktail, and then disappeared. When they approach the lake, the leader forces Needletail into the water, and then shoves her head underwater. To get them to stop, Violetpaw confesses that she was trying to put Darktail to sleep in order to sneak out the prisoners. Nevertheless, the punishment does not stop, the reason being that it would hurt her much more to see the cat she befriended killed.

Violetpaw begs Darktail to give Needletail a second chance, and he concedes. He states that it wouldn’t be fair to punish Needletail for the crime her friend committed, and promises to spare her life if she kills Violetpaw. The latter is terrified, and doesn’t know what the older she-cat is going to do. She believes that Needletail will kill her, until she realizes that Needletail’s claws are sheathed when she pounces on her. The older cat yells at her to run, before turning and attacking Roach and Raven. Violetpaw freezes for a moment, thinking about how Needletail was her closest and truest friend, before running away on a path to ThunderClan. As she is being chased by Raven, she can hear Needletail's cries of pain as she is being killed by Darktail and his accomplices. Though she feels broken, she forces herself to push away the grief in order to make sure Needletail’s sacrifice is worthwhile.

Characters

Major

• Violetpaw
• Darktail
• Needletail

Minor

• Loki
• Nettle
• Scorchfur
• Sleekwhisker
• Raven
• Roach
• Zelda

Mentioned

• Puddleshine
• Twigpaw
• Dawnpelt
• Rain

Deaths

• Needletail is killed by Darktail.