Midnight (book)/Chapter 17

==Chapter description==
:The morning after the encounter with the kittypets, Brambleclaw is awakened by Squirrelpaw to learn that Feathertail and Crowpaw have gone missing. Brambleclaw worries that the two might have decided to turn around and go home, as they hadn't received a saltwater sign like he and Tawnypelt did. However, Feathertail and Crowpaw soon return, carrying prey with them. The silver tabby explains that since the other cats were sleeping, she and Crowpaw had decided to hunt in a nearby thicket, adding that there was still some fresh-kill left there that they hadn't been able to carry. Brambleclaw heads to fetch the rest of the prey, praising Feathertail and Crowpaw for their hunting. The WindClan apprentice remains hostile, however, growling that the dark tabby shouldn't talk to them like he is their mentor. Brambleclaw ignores him, thinking that he is determined to be difficult.
:Over the next three days, the journeying cats cross farmland, traversing fields of sheep and avoiding Twoleg nests. They pass a field with horses, which are some of the biggest animals that the cats have ever seen. Stormfur and Feathertail assure the group that horses aren't hostile and wouldn't intentionally hurt them. Brambleclaw is still afraid of the large creatures, fearing that they might accidentally tread on the cats. Luckily, however, the horses pay no attention to them and they make it to the other side safely.
:The next field the group crosses has cows, which take no notice of the cats, either. The area after that is covered with stiff yellow grass, and it has a large monster traveling through it. Owing to the sharp grass and the danger of the monster, Brambleclaw and the others are forced to skirt around the outside of that field. While going around, they also are able to catch some mice and they stop for a moment to eat them. Finally, they reach the end of the field, where they see a fence made of thin, shiny material interwoven like twigs. The holes are too small for a cat to fit through, but there is a gap between the base of the fence and the ground for a cat to crawl through to the other side.
:Brambleclaw flattens himself to the ground to try to get under the fence when they suddenly hear Squirrelpaw yowl that she is stuck. Halfway under the fence, the ginger she-cat has gotten herself entangled with ends of the thin, shiny material. Brambleclaw and Stormfur begin to discuss the best way to free her, but their suggested methods, including digging up the fence posts and biting through fence material, are ineffective. Crowpaw growls that it was Squirrelpaw's fault for getting stuck in the fence anyway, and suggests leaving her behind if they can't get her out. Stormfur and Brambleclaw, however, snap back that they aren't leaving anyone. Meanwhile, while the three toms are arguing, Feathertail and Tawnypelt devise a way to get her out—rubbing the juice from dock leaves on Squirrelpaw's fur to make it slippery. Squirrelpaw tries again to wriggle herself out, and with her fur slick now, she succeeds.
:That night, the six cats shelter under some thorn trees. When Brambleclaw wakes up the next morning, Feathertail tells him excitedly that she has received her saltwater sign, in the form of a dream about sun-drown-place. The two warriors realize that this means the only of the chosen cats who hasn't received a dream is Crowpaw, and worry that he will be upset. Feathertail decides that she will be the one to tell him, when she thinks that he is in a good mood. Brambleclaw jokes that she'll have to wait a long time for that. The RiverClan warrior defends Crowpaw, however, saying that he is just lonely and that it was hard for him leave his Clan when he was just about to become a warrior.
:Brambleclaw remains uneasy about Crowpaw, though. He also worries because it is cloudy outside, and even though he knows where the sun had set, he fears that they will soon lose the direction if the sun doesn't come out again. He prays that StarClan will show them the way to sun-drown-place, and protect them when the foretold danger arrives.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Mitternacht (Buch)/Kapitel 17fr:Minuit/Chapitre 17
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Midnight (book)
Category:The New Prophecy arc