Star (book)/Chapter 1

==Chapter description==
:Nightheart, Sunbeam, and Frostpaw remain close to RiverClan's camp having just seen Splashtail murder Harelight. The ThunderClan tom wonders why no cat had reacted in camp to the brutal killing. He owes it to fear as he looks over to Frostpaw, who was drawn in on herself, potentially remembering how Splashtail had almost killed her in the same manner. Nightheart vows to never let the RiverClan leader hurt the young she-cat again. He recognizes that they should leave and as nudges Sunbeam, the tom sees Berryheart in the camp clearing and feels the she-cat beside him stiffen. Nightheart questions why the she-cat would be there, considering her opinions on Clan swapping and that she had left ShadowClan along with Hollowspring and Sparrowtail. He wonders too if she had been planning with Splashtail, seeing how close she appeared with the tom and that she was now his deputy. The warrior feels nervous with everything he had seen in RiverClan camp and decides that he and the others needed to leave.
:Before he can say anything Frostpaw states they need to find Duskfur, Icewing, and Mothwing. Nightheart and Sunbeam agree as the apprentice notes that finding them is the only chance for the true RiverClan to survive. The three decide to split up to find the other RiverClan cats, discussing the best places for them to hide from Splashtail. They come up with three possible places to check. Nightheart goes to check the Twoleg camp, Sunbeam to ShadowClan, and Frostpaw to see if they had gone to the Horseplace. They each say their goodbyes to each other, with Frostpaw leaving first. Sunbeam shows some concern for the young cat, but Nightheart remains hopeful that she can look after herself. The pair travel together before splitting off to their separate destinations.
:Nightheart watches her leave before heading to the Twoleg camp. He takes in the surroundings of the area, noticing that there are many dogs around. The tom is thankful that they are unable to get him despite them trying. He doesn't find the three RiverClan cats, noting that if they were around their scents would be muddied by the many others around. He watches some of the Twolegs with fires and food, wondering why they burn their food. The warrior draws his attention away, not wanting to get distracted. Nightheart keeps searching for any sign of Frostpaw's Clanmates, such as fur or trodden grass. He begins to doubt though that they were within the Twoleg camp as he is soon chased by Twoleg kits. He flees further into the forest to get away from them. Nightheart manages to break free of the forest and wades into the shallow water of the lake. He is then spotted by dogs who attempt to get to him but are tethered to their Twolegs.
:The tom smells RiverClan scent and wonders if its the three he is looking for. He races for the halfbridge as the Twolegs take their dogs away. Nightheart catches his breath in his new hiding place as a voice calls out to him. He recognizes it as Duskfur and reassures her it is him as they talk about the dogs. She reassures him that no one had been hurt by them, but he smells blood and sees Mothwing with an injured shoulder. Icewing reveals that Gorseclaw had done it to the golden tabby as punishment for questioning Splashtail. As the RiverClan cats detail the cause of the injury to the ThunderClan tom, he is shocked as he tells them they had done the right thing by fleeing. He tells them that Splashtail has ordered for them to be hunted down and killed on sight. Nightheart explains to a puzzled Duskfur that Harelight is dead and that Berryheart is the new SplashClan deputy. Icewing states to them that she will not let Harelight's death be in vain and that they need to get to ShadowClan to get Mothwing's wound attended to.
:Nightheart acts as a distraction for the dogs to allow the three RiverClan cats a chance at fleeing. A large gray dog spots the black tom and watches him as he moves into view. In doing this, Nightheart sets off all the dogs within the Twoleg camp as he flees again. A few dogs try and get to him, however, their tethers keep them in place. The tom manages to return to the shore and then upstream to catch up with the RiverClan cats. He reunites with them but finds that Mothwing is feeling worse. He recommends they stop for the night and that he can find Frostpaw to help until they can get to ShadowClan. Nightheart leaves for the tree stump where he assumes Sunbeam and Frostpaw are waiting. He feels an ounce of hope for RiverClan, but only if they can convince the other Clans to fight too. 
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:Star (book)
Category:A Starless Clan arc
Category:Chapter subpages