Tallstar's Revenge/Chapter 29

"You're a Clan cat, aren't you? From over the fences? I've always wondered about the wild cats who live in the woods."

— Jake to Talltail in Tallstar's Revenge, page 316

Tallstar's Revenge
Chapter number:	29 (of 45)
Page numbers:	313-318
Point of View:	Talltail
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 29 (of 45)

Page Numbers: 313-318

Chapter Summary

Talltail's PoV

Talltail is confronted by a massive dog, and it lunges at him. It tears fur from the tom's shoulder, and, screeching in pain, he leaps over a fence and charges through a narrow passage. He arrives at a Thunderpath, the dog still barking behind him. Talltail doesn't want to find out if the dog can jump the fence, so he flees across the black surface, dodging into a tiny gap between two small Twoleg dens. He continues running, dodging around corners and jumping over fences, making sure the dog doesn't have the chance to catch him. The tom finally scrambles to a halt, finding no sign that the creature followed him. Red stone walls loom over him on three sides, and blood wells on his shoulder wound. Talltail limps toward a pile of stinking bundles, thinking that, though it smells like Carrionplace, it is still shelter. He crouches behind it, attempting to catch his breath. The black-and-white tom begins to panic, wondering how he's supposed to find Sparrow when he can't even find his way through Twolegplace. Talltail wishes that Barkface was there to give him herbs. Heatherstar's words about being alone and taking care of himself ring in his head, and he tells himself he can do it.

He hears a clang, jerking up his head as his pelt begins to bristle. A dog yelps excitedly, and Talltail thinks that it might have tracked him. A cat screeches in alarm, and for a moment the tom tells himself to leave it to defend itself. He then thinks that he didn't train to be a warrior just to let cats get hurt, and he races toward the noise. A ginger tom is trapped in a corner, his green eyes wide with alarm. A badger-sized dog barks in the tom's face, while the cat rapidly swings his claws at the beast. Rage lights in the ginger cat's eyes, and the warrior realizes he just needs some luck for the fight to go his way. Talltail leaps onto the dog's shoulders, ripping into its flesh. The dog yelps, and the two cats begin fighting side-by-side, matching each other move for move. Its eyes cloud with confusion, then fear, and it yelps, running off.

Talltail turns to the ginger tom, asking if he's alright. He sniffs the stranger's pelt, finding no blood scent. The tom says that the dog didn't get close enough to bite him, and he's just catching his breath. He heaves himself to his paws, staggering a little; he explains that it's just a sprain. The tom then thanks Talltail, telling him that he thought he was a goner. The black-and-white tom asks what he means, and the ginger cat explains that it's another word for dead. The warrior prepares to leave, as it is starting to rain. The stranger asks for his name, mentioning that his own name is Jake. Talltail introduces himself back, and Jake asks if he's a Clan cat.

The WindClan cat explains that the Clan Jake has seen is ThunderClan. The kittypet asks if Talltail is part of ThunderClan, and the tom explains that there's more than one group. The black-and-white tom says he has to go, thinking he's not there to make friends, and tells Jake to leave before the dog comes back. Talltail enters a tiny meadow next to a stone den. He continues to find himself in the small patches of grass, wondering why Twolegs put up so many barriers. As the tom lands on another wet patch of grass, he finds and ginger-and-black kittypet sheltering under a bush near the Twoleg den. Talltail attempts to calm her, but alarm flashes in her eyes, and she huddles deeper under the bush. She warns the tom that her Twolegs will chase him off. He asks if she's seen any rogues near by, and the kittypet replies that she's only seen him. When the tom reveals that he's a Clan cat, the she-cat says that's worse than a rogue; she runs off, leaping over the fence.

Talltail shakes out his coat, feeling tired and hungry. He has no idea if he's getting closer to the rogues, and he doesn't know if he'll even find his way out of Twolegplace. The tom finds a small Twoleg den, void of Twolegs or kittypets, and figures there's prey there. Talltail stalks toward it, noticing a hole that may have been created by a rat. He wrinkles his nose as he creeps into the small den, and he convinces himself that smells can't hurt him. The tom sees a shape lying on the ground, and, upon getting closer, realizes it is a dead rat. Talltail blames kittypets for it, wondering why they catch prey if they're not going to eat it. As he eats, he realizes the rat has a barely noticeable sharp taste, but he tells himself that Twolegplace prey tastes different than regular prey. The tom takes another bite, and his belly heaves; he convinces himself that he has to eat in order to stay strong. Despite the taste, Talltail devours the entire rat, and he longingly thinks of moor rabbits. The weight in his belly makes him sleepy, and he curls up in the stinking den, flattening his ear against the thundering of the rain. The tom tries to ignore the small jabs in his belly, convincing himself that he ate too fast, and falls asleep.

Characters

Major

• Talltail

Minor

• Jake
• Unnamed ginger-and-black kittypet she-cat

Mentioned

• Sparrow
• Barkface
• Heatherstar