The Darkest Hour/Chapter 5

"Remember the whole Clan is behind you. No cat will ever forget that you and Bluestar saved us from the pack."

— Ravenpaw reassuring Firestar about his position as leader in The Darkest Hour, page 64

The Darkest Hour
Chapter number:	5 (of 30)
Page numbers:	57-65
Point of View:	Firestar
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 5 (of 30)

Page Numbers: 57-65

Chapter description

Inside the Moonstone cavern, Firestar jolts awake in terror. He can only see a slight shaft of moonlight, and his fur feels sticky and smells like blood. His heart thuds, and sees Cinderpelt urgently gesturing for him to leave. Firestar follows the medicine cat, remembering to stay silent until they've left the Mothermouth. His paws skid on the floor in his haste, and he pushes past Cinderpelt and into the tunnel. As Firestar stumbles along the passage and into the open air, he is filled with horror at the thought of being buried alive. The air feels too thick to breathe, and he panics imagining an endless tunnel, trapping him in blood and darkness.

Firestar finally bursts out into the open, and digs his claws into the loose earth of the hillside. Moments later, Cinderpelt emerges and asks him what happened. He asks if she knows already, and the medicine cat answers that she knows the ritual was interrupted, due to the scent of blood. She asks if he received his nine lives and name, and he nods. Cinderpelt meows the rest can wait, and says that they need to go. Firestar is exhausted, but agrees that they need to get away from the Mothermouth cave. Shakily, he descends the hill, with the gray she-cat padding beside him. As soon as they get off the incline, the ginger tom sits near a hawthorn bush, insisting he needs to rest.

The two cats share tongues, and Firestar debates whether to tell Cinderpelt about his blood-soaked vision. He relives Bluestar's prophecy, hoping that it won't come true. Cinderpelt reminds him that he doesn't need to talk about it yet, and the tom agrees. Firestar reveals that he has had prophetic dreams in the past, and she is surprised, especially after finding out that they always come true. The leader feels overwhelmed, almost wishing he was still a warrior in the den with Sandstorm and Graystripe. However, he pushes these thoughts aside, assuring Cinderpelt that he'll talk to her when he's ready.

They decide to keep moving, but soon, both cats are too exhausted to continue. They are near Barley's farm, so Cinderpelt insists that they should rest there. Firestar agrees, and they soon meet Barley coming out of the barn. He greets them, and the two Clan cats relay that Firestar is now leader. The loner expresses his sentiments for Bluestar's death, and invites them inside. They walk in, and Firestar remarks that there's a lot of prey here. Barley calls to Ravenpaw, and the black tom scrambles down the hay. Ravenpaw says he's sorry about Bluestar, and will never forget her. The black loner comments to Firestar that StarClan made a good choice in making him leader. Ravenpaw invites the Clan cats to hunt, and both readily agree.

Firestar catches a mouse, and quickly devours it. Ravenpaw invites him to have more, as there are plenty to spare. He and Cinderpelt eat as much as they can, and then lay on the soft hay. The Clan cats fill Ravenpaw and Barley in on recent news, telling them about the dog pack. Both loners are shocked, and the black tom comments that he knew Tigerstar was bloodthirsty, but not to this degree. Firestar thanks StarClan that plan didn't succeed, even though it was a close call. Barley points out that he needs to stop Tigerstar, before he does something else. Firestar agrees, but admits that everything is overwhelming without Bluestar.

Cinderpelt reminds the tom that the whole Clan supports him, and will never forget how he and Bluestar saved them from the dogs. Ravenpaw pledges that he's also available to help as well, whenever needed. Firestar thanks him, blinking in gratitude. Ravenpaw asks if he can come to the camp to visit Bluestar's grave, and the leader readily agrees. Ravenpaw mews his thanks, and says that while he may not be a warrior, he's more than willing to help fight against Tigerstar any day.

Characters

Major

• Firestar
• Cinderpelt

Minor

• Barley
• Ravenpaw

Mentioned

• Bluestar
• Graystripe
• Sandstorm
• Redtail
• Tigerstar