- Below contains in-depth information for chapter twenty-four of SkyClan's Destiny. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.
- Chapter Number: 24 (of 35)
- Page Numbers: 301-309
Chapter Summary
Leafstar's PoV
- Leafstar greets Snookpaw as he pads down the trail behing Billystorm. A few sunrises had passed since the Twoleg nest raid, but Leaffstar is still aware of tension within the Clan. The cats mill around her, where she stands at the foot of the Rockpile with Sharpclaw. The deputy orders Ebonyclaw to lead a hunting patrol with Frecklepaw, Bouncefire, and Sparrowpelt. Leafstar is surpsrised that Sharpclaw put a daylight-warrior at the head of a patrol, then wonders if he had a hidden motive, since Sparrowpelt is one of the Clan’s best hunters, and was also critical of the kittypets. Leafstar wonders if Sharpclaw hopes Ebonyclaw will fil and Sparrowpelt will take over. She knows he is a strong deputy, but can’t help but wonder if he’s trying to stir things up.
- Snookpaw meows that it’s great to be back, and says that he really missed the Clan. Leafstar dips her head and says they missed him too. She asks if he’s alright. Snookpaw says he’s fine, but then coughs. Leafstar looks at him in alarm, but he assures her that he’s really fine, and can’t wait to start training again. He adds that he can’t stay all day, though, as his housefolk would then be worried. Leafstar feels a sudden pang when she sees the love and respect for his Twolegs in his eyes, and she wonders what it would be like to live with a housefolk. Snookpaw goes to join Billystorm.
- As the patrol’s leave, Leafstar sees Fallowfern’s kits stalk up to Clovertail, who is sleeping near the stream. Nettlekit squeals that she’s a huge Twoleg, and that they must scare him off or he’ll attack the camp. Plumkit announces that she wants to be Sharpclaw and lead the attack. Rabbitkit protests that he want to be the deputy, and adds his sister is a she-cat, so she can’t be Sharpclaw. Plumkit mutters that she can, then changes her mind and says she’ll be Cora. Creekkit announces that he’ll be Stick, and asks Nettlekit what he’ll be. Nettlekit mews that he’ll be Billystorm, since the daylight-warrior knew everything about fighting. Plumkit says that he can’t be Billystorm, as the ginger-and-white tom is not a real warrior, and Rabbitkit agrees that he’s a kittypet. Creekkit points out the he hadn’t even been in the raid. Leafstar listens in alarm, wondering if the kits forgot how Billystorm taught them. She worries if even the kits picked up the tension between daylight-warriors and full Clan cats. Nettlekit says he doesn’t care, and will still be Billystorm. Plumkit meows that he can’t play with them if he’ll be Billystorm. Nettlekit watches his littermates play for a heartbeat, then decides he’ll be Spparrowpelt, and joins his siblings.
- As Leafstar watches, she is aware of a cat standing beside her, and turns to see Billystorm. She is embarrassed when she realizes that he must have heard every word the kits said, and she apologizes. The daylight-warrior shrugs and murmurs that they were right, as he wasn’t part of the raid. Leafstar winces, and is relieved when he says nothing else, and tells her that he’s leading a hunting patrol. He adds that Sharpclaw thought she’d want to join him, Snookpaw, and Cherrytail. Leafstar says that would be great, paws tingling at the thought of hunting with Billystorm and the others. There is a startled screech from Cherrytail as the kits pounce , but Leafstar leaves Fallowfern to save her denmate, and follows Billystorm up the trail, with Snookpaw and Cherrytail bringing up the rear.
- Cherrytail tells Snookpaw that he can’t hunt birds the same way as squirrels. Snookpaw argues that they both hide in trees, so leaping up and stalking along the branches works for both. Cherrytail reluctantly agrees, then adds that he should be really careful when jumping on them. Leafstar leaves them to debate, and picks up her pace to pad beside Billystorm. She apologizes about the raid, and mews that they should have waited for them. She promises that it won’t happen again, but Billystorm interrupts that he understands why they did it, and that he doesn’t bear her any ill will. He pauses to taste the air for prey, and then adds that he knows the daylight-warriors are in an odd position, and that perhaps the time to make a choice is coming. Leafstar finds that she is suddenly nervous, and whispers asking which he would choose. Billystorm sighs that it’s so hard, since he loves his housefolk, who are kind to him. He adds that he know they make his life much easier that it would be if he lived in the Clan all the time. He takes a deep breath and looks at Leafstar, murmuring that he still couldn’t leave her. The SkyClan leader’s heart beats faster, and she breathes that she wouldn’t want him to. Her muzzle touches Billystorm’s, and their tails twine, when Cherrtail yowls, “Stop!”
- Leafstar leaps back, and Billystorm springs away from her, eyes starled and fur fluffing up defensively. But Leafstar sots Cherrytail with her back to them and the tortoiseshell she-cat is talking to a cream-colored tom who looks vaguely familiar. Leafstar realizes that it was the cat they’d watched hunting near the border. He is crouched in the shade of a straggly bush, and Snookpaw demands why he is in their territory. The tom flattens his ears, and Leafstar orders the apprentice to back off a bit. However, she adds to the tom that Snookpaw’s right, as he turned down the change to join SkyClan, and must now stay out of their territory. The loner ducks his head and meow that he changed his mind, and would like to join the Clan if they’ll have him. He adds that his name is Egg. Billystorm pads up and asks why he changed his mind, as it is a bit sudden. Egg blinks rapidly, as if unsure how to answer the question. Leafstar tells him that the offer still stands if he can prove his loyalty to SkyClan. Egg replies that he can, and asks to start now. Leafstar turns to Billystorm, asking him to take the hunting patrol from there, while she takes Egg back to camp.Billystorm looks uneasily at Egg, and offers to come with her. Leafstar is pleased at the thought the Billystorm wants to protect her, then reminds herself that she’s Clan leader and doesn’t need preotceting. She briskly mews that she’s fine, and says that maybe they could hunt together another time. Cherrytail and Snookpaw stare wide-eyed at her inn amazement, and, feeling embarrassed, she doesn’t wait for Billystorm to reply. She orders Egg to come with a whisk of her tail, and the two head go to the camp.
- As they head down the gorge, Leafstar notices that Egg’s very jumpy, and almost as spooked as Shrewtooth. She asks why he changed his mind to join them, and he stammers that it just made sense. At that moment, they arrive at the top of the trail. Egg follows Leafstar down the trail, and the leader sees his eyes stretch wide with interest at the activity in camp. Tangle and Lichenfur wash themselves on a rock; Tinycloud and Rockshade drop prey on the fresh-kill pile, and other cats crowd around Sharpclaw as he sorts out more patrols. By the time the two cats reach the bottom of the gorge, Sharpclaw is heading toward the training area with their apprentices. Leafstar announces that Egg decided to join SkyClan, and introduces him to Sharpclaw. Egg dips his head, and Sharpclaw says that they’re glad to have him. He offers Egg to come with them to do battle training. Egg’s tail shots up and agrees, and Sharpclaw tells him to come, leading the way up the gorge. Leafstar is about to follow, when her deputy tells her they’ll be fine. Leafstar first bristles, and then she figures that her deputy wouldn’t want her breathing down his neck the whole time. She thinks that she’ll ask Sharpclaw to mentor Egg. She knows that Egg is over six moons old, but he needs to go through an apprenticeship to learn all the ways of the Clan. In spite of a spatter of rain, se feels warm, happy to have such a promising new addition to SkyClan, especially when he inherited legs and skills of the old Clan. Leafstar watches Lichenfur and Tangle fluff their fur against the rain and snatch a piece of fresh-kill before going back to their den; Echosong returns with a mourthful of herbs; and Fallowfern’s kits protest as their mother tries to herd them back to the nursery. She notes that everything would be perfect if Billystorm decided to live here all the time.
Characters
Major
Minor
Mentioned
- Ebonyclaw[1]
- Frecklepaw[1]
- Bouncefire[1]
- Sparrowpelt[1]
- Cora[3]
- Stick[3]
Errors
References and Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Revealed in SkyClan's Destiny, page 301
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Revealed in SkyClan's Destiny, page 302
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Revealed in SkyClan's Destiny, page 303
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Revealed in SkyClan's Destiny, page 304
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Revealed in SkyClan's Destiny, page 306
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Revealed in SkyClan's Destiny, page 308
- ↑ Revealed in SkyClan's Destiny, page 305
| SkyClan's Destiny 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 • Chapter 25 • Chapter 26 • Chapter 27 • Chapter 28 • Chapter 29 • Chapter 30 • Chapter 31 • Chapter 32 • Chapter 33 • Chapter 34 • Chapter 35 • Comic | |