Sunset/Chapter 12

"Do what you want, Hawkfrost. I've tried to be a good medicine cat and to serve my Clan as best as I can, but I can't go on lying. You were made deputy once before, when the Twolegs trapped Mistyfoot, and you'll be made deputy again―if you don't do anything stupid. If you tell the truth about me, you won't look so good yourself, will you?"

— Mothwing to Hawkfrost in Sunset, pages 165-166

Sunset
Chapter number:	12 (of 23)
Page numbers:	161-177
Point of View:	Leafpool
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 12 (of 23)

Page Numbers: 161-177

Chapter description

Leafpool is shocked by the fighting at the Gathering and recalls her vision of blood being spilled. All around her the clearing is full of clawing and screeching cats as she calls out to StarClan with a plea. As though they hear her, the moonlight fades which sends the island clearing into silence as Barkface calls out that StarClan is angry with them. Firestar's voice rises above the following screeches, and agrees with the older medicine cat and ends the Gathering. Both Leopardstar and Onestar agree with the ThunderClan tom, but Blackstar remarks their argument isn't over and Leafpool is shocked to hear Hawkfrost agree with the ShadowClan leader. Leafpool makes an inward remark about the tom, feeling her mistrust of the dark tabby as she is left wondering how much influence he had over Brambleclaw.

She watches with relief as cats begin breaking apart to leave with their Clans. Leafpool pushes her way through the mass of cats, determined to speak with Mothwing before leaving. Heavystep's death weighs heavy in her thoughts as she tries to seek out her friend, as does Mothwing's recent vision regarding Stormfur and Brook. The tabby she-cat wonders why if the golden cat was receiving visions, why Mudfur hadn't passed on the message about catmint to her instead. However, Leafpool concludes that her friend may have lied, forced by her brother, having noticed the tension between the two siblings. Passing a couple of WindClan warriors, the medicine cat finds her friend with Willowpaw. Before Leafpool approaches the pair, Hawkfrost beats her and berates Mothwing as Willowpaw is sent away. Mothwing defends herself from the dark tabby as Hawkfrost continues to argue, bringing up the fact Stormfur would be considered as Mistyfoot's deputy if he stays. The golden she-cat attempts to defend him, much to Hawkfrost's displeasure but in the end, Mothwing tells her brother that she will remain loyal to RiverClan above him. Hawkfrost makes a simple threat about her status as he leaves, following another defending statement from Mothwing.

As Hawkfrost stalks off, Leafpool approaches Mothwing and notices she looks drained from the previous exchange. The brown tabby wonders if she should mention she had overheard the argument, but decides against it. Instead, she begins by apologizing for Heavystep's death and Mothwing sadly states that she couldn't find catmint at all. Leafpool falters in silence, and Mothwing questions her about it. The ThunderClan medicine cat goes on to explain what Mudfur had shown her and that she wasn't sure if she would believe her. This prompts the two she-cats to converse about Mothwing's lack of belief in StarClan, which still confuses Leafpool to a degree. As they talk, Leopardstar calls for her medicine cat and Mothwing bids her friend farewell as Leafpool tells her again where to find catmint. Leafpool pads towards the shore of the island, to leave. As she does, she passes by Crowfeather and the two greet each other quickly and then decide it is best to not see each other anymore due to what had happened between the pair of them. She wishes him goodbye, but the tom doesn't look back at her.

Back in ThunderClan camp, Daisy frets over Berrykit's healing tail, despite the kit's little concern over it. Berrykit mentions that it makes him like a warrior, as it shows how brave they can be. This upsets Daisy as she pleads for Leafpool to do more, but the tabby she-cat tells the concerned queen she's done all she can. The pair of cats remind the young tom not to sneak out of camp again, as he admits it was wrong to do, but states that camp is boring. Leafpool tells him once he becomes an apprentice, then he will be allowed to explore and the young tom tells her he wants Brambleclaw as his mentor. She also adds that it'll be another couple days before he goes back to the nursery. With that, Daisy takes her leave and just as she does, Brightheart appears with catmint. Leafpool thinks back to how she had initially resented the other she-cat, but now as ThunderClan's sole medicine cat, she was very thankful for the extra help. Brightheart takes her leave and Leafpool tidies the den up, but as she does is reminded of Cinderpelt and her habits. Her thoughts then drift to the idea of training an apprentice and then Willowpaw, Mothwing's new apprentice. Leafpool wonders how the young cat will learn to share with StarClan, due to Mothwing's disbelief in their warrior ancestors. As her thoughts turn to the older cat, she recalls the quarrel between the two siblings, wondering what is going on between them. Leafpool is snapped from her thoughts by squealing from Hazelkit and Mousekit in the camp's clearing. The two siblings chase a butterfly as the medicine cat warns them to watch where they're going. They ignore her, so Leafpool follows after them.

The tabby follows them into the thicket, in case they get stuck. She finds them with the butterfly, dead on the ground. Hazelkit tells Leafpool she's be the best hunter, but the she-cat is caught in the sight of the butterfly's torn wing. She wonders why the sight is familiar, but cannot recall. Mousekit interupts her thoughts, telling her about a tortoiseshell she-cat that had shown them the butterfly. Leafpool is confused, asking if he means Sorreltail, but he says it was a different she-cat that they didn't recognize, but that she smelt of ThunderClan. The kits then add that she had disappeared before scampering off, leaving Leafpool staring at the butterfly in confusion. She then realizes the cat the kits saw is Spottedleaf, and then the butterfly makes sense as she connects it to Mothwing and Hawkfrost. Leafpool wonders if Hawkfrost had faked the sign Mudfur had seen that made him take the tom's sister on as his apprentice. But, as she thinks about, she becomes sure that is what the sign means given what she had overheard at the previous Gathering as well. Her thoughts then turn to Willowpaw again, and wonders if she could show her how to share with StarClan. Leafpool questions the notion though, as she's not Willowpaw's mentor and that should be up to Mothwing instead, but the golden she-cat's lack of faith makes her training difficult.

Characters

Major

• Leafpool

Minor

• Barkface
• Firestar
• Leopardstar
• Onestar
• Hawkfrost
• Mothwing
• Willowpaw
• Crowfeather
• Daisy
• Berrykit
• Brightheart
• Hazelkit
• Mousekit
• Spottedleaf

Mentioned

• Brambleclaw
• Heavystep
• Mudfur
• Stormfur
• Brook
• Mistyfoot
• Tigerstar
• Squirrelflight
• Ashfur
• Cinderpelt
• Sorreltail