Shattered Sky/Chapter 19

"We all have the same problem. The rogues go on attacking us, stealing territory, threatening vulnerable cats and kits. I know this problem is of my making, and I'm very sorry that I turned away from my friends. I won't do that again; I'm no longer afraid. Darktail and his rogues need to be dealt with, no matter what happens to me—otherwise, they will keep on coming back, and more good cats will perish. [...] WindClan will fight with the other Clans, to drive Darktail off our territory once and for all."

— Onestar agreeing to fight against Darktail with the other Clans in Shattered Sky, pages 262-263

Shattered Sky
Chapter number:	19 (of 22)
Page numbers:	246-263
Point of View:	Violetpaw
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 19 (of 22)

Page Numbers: 246-263

Chapter description

Violetpaw walks with Twigpaw, Squirrelflight, Hawkwing, Reedwhisker, and Tigerheart to confront Onestar; the leaders had sent her and Twigpaw as well to tell their stories. Hawkwing seems to be scrutinizing WindClan’s territory, and he then stops, noticing something. Squirrelflight also notices that there have been no WindClan patrols, and they hear an attack coming from the WindClan camp. They race to the camp to the sight of the Kin attacking WindClan, and the deputies join the fight. Violetpaw tells Twigpaw that they have to fight as well, but Raven quickly deflects Twigpaw’s blow and Violetpaw is intercepted by Roach. Darktail yowls for them to stop, and every cat freezes, staring at him and Onestar. The rogue calls Onestar a coward, and Harespring is confused, as it seems he already knows Onestar. The leader replies that they cannot trust Darktail, and the rogue says that he deserves some of WindClan’s territory after what Onestar did to him. He tells the Clan cats that he knows something that they do not—they do not know who Onestar truly is or what he has done. The fight continues, but the Kin are overpowered this time, and Darktail commands them to retreat, adding that they will return. Although the Clan cats won, Violetpaw can see their uncertainty.

Later, Darktail and his rogues leave WindClan's camp. Onestar states that he must tell the truth, and requests them to bring all the Clan leaders to the camp. The cats are curious, and as the leaders arrive, Rowanstar is impatient. As they settle down, Onestar begins that he is the cause of Darktail's damage. He says that he felt unworthy when he was named Tallstar's successor; as a young warrior, he would sneak away to spend time with kittypets and told dramatized stories of Clan life. Although he was not actually the great warrior he described himself as, the kittypets believed him, including a she-cat named Smoke. Onestar and Smoke became mates in secret, and he later found out that Smoke was expecting his kits. She wanted to join WindClan, but he could not let her: he had told her only about the good side of Clan life and not battle or starvation, and even if she was allowed into WindClan, she would see him as the ordinary warrior he truly was. Onestar continues that although Smoke initially argued, she gave in and went back to the Twolegplace. After this, they would meet a last time—Smoke revealed that only one kit had survived and begged him to take him into WindClan. However, he refused, too worried about how he would explain, and Smoke said that she would raise the kit to hate the Clans.

Bramblestar asks if the kit—Onestar's son—is Darktail. Onestar confirms this amidst the other cats' shock and says that he thought Smoke and their kit would have better lives as kittypets. Violetpaw thinks about how lucky she is to be found by Alderheart. The leader continues that Darktail grew to be resentful towards the father he never had and gathered rogues to drive out SkyClan; Violetpaw notices Hawkwing's sorrow at this. He continues that Darktail finally got the location of the Clans after meeting Alderheart, and when the rogue came to the lake, he realized the cat was his son. During the battle when Onestar joined the other Clans to expel Darktail from ShadowClan, the rogue whispered to him that he would go to the Dark Forest for rejecting his son and told him to think about it on his last life. Darktail's statement evoked fear in Onestar—the rogue had correctly guessed that he was on his last life, and so he retreated. The assembled cats are shocked, and Rowanstar and Kestrelflight exclaim that the Dark Forest is for cats who, unlike Onestar, have dedicated themselves to evil. Onestar sighs that he was selfishly worried about how StarClan would judge him. Violetpaw is sympathetic, but she also thinks about the chaos in the wake of Onestar's flight from the battle. Onestar firmly states that he knows the problem is because of him, and he is no longer afraid—WindClan will fight with the Clans to drive Darktail out.

Characters

Major

• Violetpaw
• Onestar

Minor

• Squirrelflight
• Tigerheart
• Reedwhisker
• Hawkwing
• Twigpaw
• Darktail
• Harespring
• Nettle
• Raven
• Roach
• Bramblestar
• Rowanstar
• Leafstar
• Mistystar
• Crowfeather
• Whitetail
• Gorsetail
• Kestrelflight

Mentioned

• Leafstar
• Tallstar
• Barley
• Ravenpaw
• Smoke
• Sedgewhisker
• Smoke's kits
• Alderheart
• Needletail

Quotes

"Yes, [Darktail] was old enough to understand. StarClan knows where he went for so long, but wherever he was, he grew into a bitter and resentful cat, full of grief for a father he never knew, and hatred for a way of life he never got the chance to understand."

―Onestar to the assembled cats ^{Shattered Sky, page 259}

Trivia

• This chapter aligns with chapter thirty-two of Onestar's Confession.