Squirrelflight's Hope/Chapter 24

"I know the warrior code is important. I never would have broken it if I hadn't felt I was doing the right thing. I hope the mistakes I've made, I've made out of love."

— Squirrelflight to StarClan in Squirrelflight's Hope, page 350

Squirrelflight's Hope
Chapter number:	24 (of 30)
Page numbers:	332-352
Point of View:	Squirrelflight
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 24 (of 30)

Page Numbers: 332-352

Chapter description

Squirrelflight and Leafpool wake up in a flower-dappled meadow. While Squirrelflight in unsure of where they are, Leafpool recognizes it as StarClan. As Squirrelflight fervently protests, Larksong arrives to greet them, explaining how they aren't in StarClan quite yet. While Alderheart and Jayfeather are trying to save their bodies, their spirits are allowed to walk in StarClan, though their ultimate fates are still unknown. In an nearby pond, Larksong shows them the ThunderClan camp. Bramblestar paces anxiously outside the medicine den while Alderheart and Jayfeather treat their bodies. Squirrelflight is determined to return home to her family. Other StarClan cats arrive to greet them, and Squirrelflight and Leafpool are soon surrounded by their former Clanmates and kin. Squirrelflight warmly reunites with her father Firestar, Hollyleaf, and her two youngest kits, Dandelionkit and Juniperkit, who eagerly tell their mother how Longtail and Mousefur have been teaching them how to hunt. She also meets Sparkpelt's son, whom Larksong named Flickerkit. To Squirrelflight's surprise, she spots Ashfur nearby, though Hollyleaf explains how the two of them had made amends. Mousefur adds how the Dark Forest appears to be nearly empty following the Great Battle.

After the joyous reunions, Firestar announces that Squirrelflight and Leafpool may not be allowed to enter StarClan if they die, since both of them broke the warrior code. He guides his daughters to a clearing in a forest, where Tallstar, Bluestar, Crookedstar, Yellowfang, Moth Flight, and Littlecloud appear. Firestar explains that they will decide if Squirrelflight and Leafpool deserve a place in StarClan, adding that his daughters are fortunate enough to defend themselves as most cats have their fate decided as they die. Moth Flight calls Leafpool first, and the tabby she-cat nervously pads forward. The white medicine cat explains how she established the rule forbidding other medicine cats from having kits to prevent them from feeling the same grief she felt after giving her up own kits. Leafpool explains that she fell in love, though Moth Flight accuses her of putting her own feelings before her Clan. Leafpool defends her decision, insisting she gave up Crowfeather and her kits to remain a loyal medicine cat, adding that her kits helped to defeat the Dark Forest. While Yellowfang reasons that she and Bluestar also broke the warrior code by having kits and still have a place in StarClan, Moth Flight is less convinced. Leafpool reasons that she does not regret having her kits. She wishes that StarClan punish her instead of Squirrelflight, who only protected Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze and her sister.

Firestar nudges Squirrelflight forward, and Crookedstar bluntly remarks how she lied to her mate about their kits. Bluestar accuses her of choosing to defend the Sisters instead of her own Clan, but Squirrelflight insists she just wanted to protect every cat. Taking a moment to consolidate her thoughts, Squirrelflight apologizes for lying to her Clan and StarClan. She hopes that any mistake she has made, she made out of love. After a moment, Crookedstar thanks Squirrelflight and Leafpool for their time and guides the other StarClan spirits out of the clearing. Yellowfang adds that they will let them know if they are allowed in StarClan after deliberating. Squirrelflight and Leafpool comfort each other, and Bluestar, Crookedstar, and the others soon return. Crookedstar announces that they've decided to let them enter StarClan, though warns that if their lives are not over, they will have to be re-trialed. While Squirrelflight is pleased, she's not ready to leave behind ThunderClan. Firestar sympathizes with her, though he suggests exploring their future home in the meanwhile.

Characters

Major

• Squirrelflight
• Leafpool

Minor

• Larksong
• Bramblestar
• Alderheart
• Jayfeather
• Cinderpelt
• Sorreltail
• Ferncloud
• Firestar
• Hollyleaf
• Dandelionkit
• Juniperkit
• Longtail
• Mousefur
• Flickerkit
• Ashfur
• Tallstar
• Bluestar
• Crookedstar
• Yellowfang
• Moth Flight
• Littlecloud

Mentioned

• Sparkpelt
• Flurry
• Flamekit (Unnamed)
• Finchkit (Unnamed)
• Darktail
• Tree
• Honey Pelt (Unnamed)
• Bubbling Stream (Unnamed)
• Spider Paw (Unnamed)
• Blue Whisker (Unnamed)
• Crowfeather
• Lionblaze
• Mistystar (Unnamed)
• Stonefur (Unnamed)
• Mosskit (Unnamed)
• Brokenstar (Unnamed)
• Hopekit (Unnamed)
• Wishkit (Unnamed)

Important events

• Squirrelflight and Leafpool defend their past to StarClan, and the two are allowed in StarClan.

Errors

• Squirrelflight is mistakenly called flame-colored.
• Crookedstar is said to have spoken for the first time, when he spoke on the previous page.
• In the audiobook version, Crookedstar is mistakenly referred to as “Longstar” by the narrator. This mistake is not present in the text.
• The trial scene presents several different continuity errors:
  • In The Forgotten Warrior, Bluestar tells Jayfeather that StarClan does not judge the dead or choose their fate. However, in Squirrelflight's Hope, StarClan organizes a trial for Leafpool and Squirrelflight to decide if they can stay with them or not.
  • StarClan berates Leafpool and Squirrelflight for their lies. However in Leafpool's Wish, StarClan themselves encourage Squirrelflight to take in Leafpool's kits, lying that she will never have kits of her own. StarClan even promises to provide support for Leafpool before she's even aware she is pregnant.
  • Moth Flight states that they chose Lionblaze and Jayfeather as part of the prophecy and they could have chosen any cat, but The Fourth Apprentice establishes that the prophecy did not come from StarClan, and the StarClan cats themselves were unsure who the Three exactly were.

Quotes

Squirrelflight: "Bramblestar made me deputy! Did you see?"

Firestar: "Of course I saw. And you're a great deputy."

^{Squirrelflight's Hope, page 336}

"I don't regret having my kits. Only that I lied about being their mother. I wish I'd had more courage, but I thought I was doing the best for everyone by choosing to remain a medicine cat. But please don't turn Squirrelflight away. Everything she did was out of loyalty for me. I couldn't wish to have a better sister. She wanted to protect my kits and me, and she was willing to sacrifice everything to keep us safe. If some cat must be punished for what we did, punish me, not her."

―Leafpool to StarClan ^{Squirrelflight's Hope, page 347}

Leafpool: "If they stop you from joining StarClan because of me, I'll never forgive myself."

Squirrelflight: "Whatever they decide, you're the best sister I could have asked for."

^{Squirrelflight's Hope, pages 350-351}