Into the Wild (Warriors, #1)

by Erin Hunter

He felt embarrassed by his kindness. “Look, if you don’t want this . . .” “Ah—no,” Yellowfang meowed hastily. “I do want it.”

“As always, Bluestar, you are tied to your Clan like a queen to her kits,” observed Barley, not unkindly.

“He thinks Barley sent us into a trap.” “And what do you think?” Bluestar rasped. Firepaw didn’t look up, but concentrated on pressing the last bit of cobweb into place. “Barley is a loner. What would he gain by sending us into a trap only to rescue us

“Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan.”

“Perhaps a truly loyal cat would have fought at the side of the Clan that raised her.” “But then I’d be fighting for my Twolegs!” Firepaw pointed out.

found family trope hits me every time

“He always knew how to give a good speech. He could make you believe a mouse was a rabbit if he set his mind to it. Perhaps that is why I was so blind to his faults.”

“It’s okay, Ravenpaw,” Firepaw purred, touching the skinny black body with his nose. “I’ll help you get out of this.”

It must be a good sign, having new kits in the camp.” Yellowfang shrugged. “Sometimes,” she muttered darkly.

“Brokenstar insisted on training them too hard and too young. He took two of the kits away for battle practice.” Yellowfang took a deep, wheezing breath. “They were only four moons old. They were already dead when he brought them back to me. They bore the scratches and bites of a full warrior, not of apprentices. He must have fought them himself. There was nothing I could do.

“Why didn’t you tell her it was Brokenstar?” Firepaw asked in disbelief. Yellowfang shook her head. “I couldn’t.” “Why not?” The old she-cat hesitated. When she spoke, her voice was heavy with regret. “Brokenstar is ShadowClan’s leader. Noble Raggedstar was his father. His word is law.”

'also, funny story, he's my son'

They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.”