Into the Forest

"I understand your concern, but I can guarantee you, you won't have to worry about Furrypaw or Gingerpaw causing trouble. Being former Twolegs, and knowing about us means they know what mistakes to avoid. They know all the traps others before them have walked into, and know how to avoid temptationg. They're smarter than every cat in the forest combined."

— Bramblestar about Furrypaw and Gingerpaw in Into the Forest, page 143

Into the Forest is the first book in the A Merged World arc. Furrykit is featured on the cover.

Information

General

Author: Warriorcat1195

Cover Artist: The mixed works of Warriocat1195, Word2013, and Google Images

Details

Publish Date: December 10, 2015

Identification: Warriors Into The Forest.docx 

Editions: Online, Word2013 doc.

More Info

• Allegiances
• Chapter summaries
• Read the book here
• Character List

Chronology

Preceded by: The Apprentice's Quest

Followed by: Forbidden Love

Dedication

To:

Erin Hunter

My real-life Gingerpaw

The Blurb/Summary

There will be another to follow in my pawsteps...

A young kittypet runs away from home and into the wild. But she has a secret. She joins ThunderClan. But why does she understand Twoleg? Why does she know everything there is to know about the Clans?

The kittypet becomes a medicine cat apprentice. When she has a vision, she realizes the whole Clan is in danger. What will happen to the kittypet, to ThunderClan?

The Praise

"Warriorcat, I love this! I've always wanted to view a story about a twoleg turning into a warrior and meeting the Clans and especially showing the Clans the different ways of twolegs. I love love love Furrypaw's humor and especially the "See you later, alligator" scene. I am definitely reading more!"

--Foxstep1

"This is really good!"

--Bolt78625

Detailed Plot Summary

The prologue starts with Bluestar wandering around, then pouncing on Yellowfang. Yellowfang asks why Bluestar is in such a good mood, and Bluestar replies that her apprentice has returned to her. Yellowfang begs her not to go on about Firestar again, and, very upset, Bluestar runs off to find him. She calls, and hearing Firestar's reply, runs towards him, and he tells her that he saw a vision in a puddle, that there would be another to follow his pawsteps. Bluestar asks if he meant a kittypet becoming a warrior, and Firestar replies that this one would be special, and would know more about both the Twoleg world and the Clans than they do.

A kitten wakes up in a nest of blankets with her mother, Silky, and her siblings. She hears her owners talking about how it was time to sell the kittens, and she thinks how they'd only sell three kittens, and later that night, sneaks out and runs out onto the marsh under a full moon. The kitten approaches a tree-bridge to an island, and listens for signs of life. Detecting none, she runs back, past her house, and onto the moorland, calling for Onestar and WindClan the whole way, until finally arriving at a shallow scoop in the ground. She runs in and calls for Onestar again, then asks him for an escort to ThunderClan. Onestar calls Nightcloud , and tells the black she-cat to take the kitten to ThunderClan. Nightcloud reluctantly agrees, and on the way, comments to the kitten that she looked similar to Brightheart, and asked if she knew who that was. The kitten replies that Brightheart went with Swiftpaw to kill dogs in the old forest, ended up getting her face scarred for life, mated with Cloudtail and gave birth to Whitewing, and mentored Jayfeather for a bit. This surprises Nightcloud, but they keep walking. 

Arriving in ThunderClan's camp, the kitten and Nightcloud go to see Bramblestar, and the Nightcloud tells Bramblestar that the kitten knew a lot. Bramblestar asks for proof, so the kitten tells Bramblestar what she'd said to Nightcloud about Brightheart, and adds that his mate, Squirrelflight, lied to him about giving birth to Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf, and that they're Leafpool and Crowfeather's kits. Bramblestar asks how she knows, and the kitten asks if she could explain in the morning. Bramblestar allows her to stay the night and dismisses Nightcloud.

When they wake up, Bramblestar asks for an explanation, and the kitten asks if she could tell the whole Clan at once. Bramblestar reluctantly calls a meeting, and the kitten explains that she was originally a Twoleg, and in the Twoleg world, there were books called Warriors, which were about the Clans. She was obsessed with the books, and when she died, she asked someone in Twoleg StarClan if warrior cats were real. When the answer she received was yes, she asked to be born near the lake. Bramblestar names the kitten Furrykit and sends her to the nursery with his mate, Squirrelflight, and their kits, Firekit and Bramblekit, who were the same age as her. Squirrelflight agrees to suckle her, since she wasn't quite old enough for fresh-kill.

Almost four moons later, a dawn patrol comes back and announces a badger and her cubs on ThunderClan territory. Bramblestar calls a meeting, saying that no one can go out alone, and no one can go out without another warrior. Firekit and Bramblekit persuade Furrykit to take down the badgers, so they sneak out and start fighting them. Firekit gets a nasty scratch on his side, and Furrykit quickly uses her medicine cat knowledge to try to treat the wound, but she didn't get farther than cobwebs. Furrykit and Bramblekit get minor injuries, and they scream for help. Poppyfrost appears, and fights the badger for the kits. Both die in the process, so the kits drag Poppyfrost's body back to camp, apologizing over and over. Squirrelflight punishes them, and Berrynose is extremely upset since Poppyfrost was his mate, and he'd already lost Honeyfern. 

A quarter-moon later, Furrykit Firekit and Bramblekit have their apprentice ceremony. Furrykit becomes Furrypaw, with Jayfeather as a mentor. Firekit becomes Firepaw, with Lionblaze as a mentor, and Bramblekit becomes Bramblepaw, with Brackenfur as a mentor. Right after the ceremony, Spiderleg comes in, saying he isn't feeling well. Jayfeather diagnoses whitecough, and since it's leaf-bare, sends Furrypaw to find catmint. Lionblaze passes with Firepaw and offers to take Furrypaw to see the territory with Firepaw, and get catmint on the way. Jayfeather and Furrypaw agree, and they finally come back with catmint, though there was barely any there, since most was wilted. Jayfeather assures everyone that it was only Spiderleg with only whitecough, and that the pitiful supply would be enough.

Five days later, Furrypaw is standing in the medicine den, with Jayfeather panicking because Spiderleg was worse, Thornclaw, Briarlight, Berrynose, Sandstorm, Graystripe, Millie, and Purdy were also sick with greencough. Squirrelfight comes in with Birchfall. Furrypaw asks if she should go to the abandoned Twoleg nest for catmint, and Lionblaze appears, saying he'd been checking it every day, and gave them a few stalks. Lionblaze says that was all there is, and suggests sneaking into WindClan territory again for catmint. Jayfeather denies. 

Jayfeather tells Furrypaw to rest so she doesn't get sick, and she falls asleep, dreaming of her greatest memories as a Twoleg--ones she'd never come close to reliving as a cat. She wakes up, and Jayfeather finds her sad. He comforts her, and Furrypaw looks up to discover her mentor's eyes dull and tired, and he is wobbly on his paws. He collapses into his nest, with the scent of illness coming off of him, and Furrypaw realizes he has greencough. She goes to find Leafpool, who assures her it'll be okay, and comes back to camp to help. She works with the little catmint they have, giving it to the most sick. Bramblestar comes in with Bumblestripe, then questions why Leafpool was there. He looks down on the sick Jayfeather, and understands. 

Leafpool tells Furrypaw to take a break so she wouldn't get sick as well, and she falls asleep again, dreaming of more of her best memories as a Twoleg. She wakes up sad again, questioning her decision to become a cat. Leafpool comforts her, saying that it was the best decision, and that she'd make good memories here, and would make all four Clans proud of her. 

Five days later, all the sick cats were better, except Spiderleg and Jayfeather, who had minor whitecough. That night was the half-moon. Furrypaw asks if they need herbs, and Jayfeather sends her to get tansy, and to bring as much as she could. Furrypaw asks if Firepaw could come, and Jayfeather comments that she'd been spending a lot of time with Firepaw, and Furrypaw says they were like littermates, but Jayfeather points out that she seems to ignore Bramblepaw. Furrypaw quickly rushes out of the medicine den and grabs Firepaw to collect tansy. On the way, they stop by the lake to swim, since it's something Furrypaw likes to do. Firepaw admits that he felt he was running away from his brother to spend time with Furrypaw, when before she'd come along, the two apprentices had promised to do everything together. Furrypaw quickly gets the tansy and they head back to camp, where Furrypaw tells Firepaw to spend the day with Bramblepaw. 

Furrypaw asks Jayfeather is she can see her parents, and after a while of arguing, he tells her that if Bramblestar says okay, she could go. Bramblestar tells her that it was the half moon and had to go to the Moonpool .

Later, snow begins to fall, and when Firepaw and Bramblepaw get back, she starts a snowball fight. The fight is interrupted by Bramblestar calling a meeting, and Sparkpaw and Alderpaw become warriors, with the names Sparkheart and Alderfoot. Jayfeather then tells Furrypaw it's time to go to the Moonpool, and Leafpool tells him he's not going, despite needing to introduce her to StarClan, since he's still sick. Leafpool takes Furrypaw, and the medicine cats are confused, and Furrypaw is worried StarClan won't accept her, but they do.

The next day, Furrypaw walks into the medicine cats' den with yarrow , then asks Jayfeather when Bramblestar had said when she could leave. Jayfeather replies sunhigh, and Furrypaw tells him it's practically sunhigh now. The apprentice goes out to get Squirrelflight, Bramblepaw and Firepaw, and they trek to the horseplace. Furrypaw enters a Twoleg den, calling for her mother, Silky. Silky frantically covers her with licks, saying she'd been worried, but wasn't the only one who was worried. She steps aside to reveal Furrypaw's sister, who didn't get sold, and would go to the shelter soon if she didn't get sold. After a bit of conversation, Furrypaw realizes that her sister was her best friend from the Twoleg world, who also loved Warriors, and asks if she wanted to come back to ThunderClan with her. She says yes, so they go back to camp, explain everything to Bramblestar, and he names her Gingerpaw, giving her Cinderheart as a mentor.

Later, Furrypaw is on the way to a Gathering. Gingerpaw does not come, however. While there, Bramblestar announces Gingerpaw, and no one likes it. Furrypaw screeches, standing up for her sister, and Squirrelflight agrees with her. Bramblestar leaves the Clans shocked by what Furrypaw and Squirrelflight said, and dismisses the Gathering, taking his Clan home. That night, she dreams of the other three Clans attacking camp, and aiming to kill Furrypaw and Gingerpaw. Furrypaw wakes up, explains her dream to Jayfeather, and he decides to tell Bramblestar. Furrypaw suggests to Bramblestar doubling the apprentices' training, and for her to train both as a warrior and a medicine cat. Bramblestar considers it, then agrees, calling a Clan meeting, and giving Furrypaw to Leafpool as a warrior mentor. 

After a moon, Dovewing wakes everyone up in the middle of the night, meowing the other Clans were coming to the ThunderClan camp, and the battle Furrypaw dreamed about has begun. StarClan fights alongside them, but only Jayfeather, Furrypaw, Leafpool, and Tigerheart can see them. StarClan leads them to victory, but Squirrelflight dies during the battle, and Bramblestar loses a life. Bramblestar appoints Lionblaze as the new deputy of ThunderClan.

At the Gathering that night, Rowanstar calls Bramblestar a cheater, and the ThunderClan leader explains that StarClan was at their side, with Furrypaw, Jayfeather, Leafpool and Tigerheart as witnesses. Mistystar tells Rowanstar and Onestar that StarClan had been on ThunderClan's side, and that they'd made a mistake, and apologizes to Bramblestar on behalf of RiverClan. Rowanstar and Onestar don't believe any of it, though. Afterwards, Bramblestar explains to Mistystar how Furrypaw and Gingerpaw could help the Clans, and Furrypaw thanks him for standing up for her. Bramblestar tells her that she is the most special cat he'd met by far, and she had a bright future.

Trivia

• The author wanted a big fight at the end, but wasn't sure how to tie it all together, until her friend asked to have a character in the book, and for her to be the author's sister, and the author immediately got the perfect idea.
• The author came up with the idea for the book when she fantasized herself living in the Warriors world, originally being human, then becoming a cat.
• The author started writing this before she finished Bramblestar's Storm, so originally had Poppyfrost with Seedpaw, not by herself. She also didn't have the allegiances to The Apprentice's Quest at first, so that explains why Leafkit, Larkkit and Honeykit only appear towards the end of the book.
  • The author suggests that perhaps Poppyfrost was at the dirtplace, and Furrykit and Bramblekit were yowling so loudly she heard it from there, and just dashed to help.