Midnight (book)/Chapter 5

==Chapter description==
:Brambleclaw is at Fourtrees, following Bluestar's instructions to meet with three other cats at the new moon and to try to listen to what Midnight has to say. He is waiting to meet with Tawnypelt and the two other cats mentioned in the dream when another cat, Squirrelpaw, comes into the clearing. Furious at the ginger apprentice's arrival, Brambleclaw demands to know what she is doing there. She replies that she had seen him leaving, so she had followed Brambleclaw all the way there through the forest. Brambleclaw asks her why she can't just mind her own business, but Squirrelpaw argues that it is every cat's business when a warrior sneaks out of camp at night. Desperate to get Squirrelpaw away before the others arrive, Brambleclaw growls that he doesn't have to tell her anything and that this has nothing to do with her. Squirrelpaw, however, stubbornly refuses to go home before she learns what is going on.
:Tawnypelt appears, asking why Squirrelpaw is here and why Brambleclaw had told her about the dream. He informs his sister that he hadn't told Squirrelpaw, and that she instead followed him there. Squirrelpaw exclaims that it is a good thing she did, asking what Firestar is going to think about Brambleclaw sneaking off at night to meet a ShadowClan warrior. Brambleclaw defends himself that Tawnypelt is his sister and that they aren't plotting anything, but Squirrelpaw questions as to why they are being so secretive if that is the case.
:Feathertail and Stormfur now enter the clearing, Feathertail asking if Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, and Squirrelpaw had the dream as well. Brambleclaw replies that he and Tawnypelt did, just as Squirrelpaw asks what dream they are talking about. Feathertail explains that it is the dream from StarClan warning of trouble ahead. Feathertail explains that only she had the dream, but she had told Stormfur about it and he had insisted upon accompanying her when she came to Fourtrees to hear what midnight has to say, worried for Feathertail's safety. Feathertail points out that the meeting is not dangerous after all, because they all knew each other and had all received a message from a StarClan warrior: hers from Oakheart, Brambleclaw's from Bluestar, and Tawnypelt's from Nightstar.
:Stormfur asks why Squirrelpaw is here if she didn't have the dream, but Squirrelpaw points out that he didn't have it either and that she has just as much right to be here as Stormfur. Brambleclaw points out that Stormfur had come invited, unlike her, and Tawnypelt offers to help Brambleclaw chase her off. Brambleclaw decides to let her stay, though, knowing she will go straight to Firestar if they send her away. 
:The WindClan apprentice Crowpaw shows up, acting aggressively. Brambleclaw isn't pleased to see him, as he has previously had an argument with him. Crowpaw, who will only talk with Feathertail, states that he had the dream as well, speaking with WindClan's former deputy Deadfoot. Feathertail tells him that this means that one cat from each Clan had received it. Squirrelpaw interrupts Crowpaw and Feathertail's conversation, the ginger cat saying that they should be less quick to believe the dreams. She adds that if the Clans are really in danger, StarClan would more likely send a dream to a leader or medicine cat, and suggests that they might all be stuffing themselves with too much fresh-kill.
:Crowpaw demands to know who requested her opinion, but Squirrelpaw replies that she doesn't need his permission to speak, as he isn't even a warrior. Crowpaw growls that she isn't a warrior either, that she hadn't even had the dream and that no one wanted her here. Squirrelpaw retorts that she didn't see the other cats acting very welcoming towards him either. Furious, Crowpaw leaps at the ThunderClan apprentice, but Brambleclaw knocks him away from her and hisses for him to back off. Crowpaw obeys, although he still glares with hostility at the tabby warrior, and Squirrelpaw snaps at Brambleclaw that she can fight her own battles. Brambleclaw tells her that she cannot fight here, because there are more important things to worry about. He says that if the dreams are true, the Clans will have to work together.
:Brambleclaw looks around the clearing to see if the sign has come, because he knows it must be midnight by now. When nothing happens, Tawnypelt and the others realize that StarClan is not going to show them anything. Crowpaw declares that the dreams mean nothing, and that there is no prophecy and no danger, and the WindClan apprentice storms off. 
:After Crowpaw leaves, and the other cats are about to go as well, Brambleclaw tells them to wait up, because they can't pretend they never had the dreams and they need to decide what to do next. The five cats agree to meet at the next Gathering to discuss the dream in case there is another sign by then. Feathertail and Stormfur say they will inform Crowpaw of the meeting when he comes to drink by the river. They also, after some discussion, decide not to tell their leaders of the dream - although they know it is against the warrior code not to, they feel it is wrong to talk about it.
:The five of them part, all heading back to their own territory. As they walk home, Squirrelpaw excitedly asks Brambleclaw if she can come to the next meeting, exclaiming that she never thought that she'd be part of a prophecy from StarClan. Brambleclaw reminds her that she isn't a part of it, as she hadn't received a dream. Squirrelpaw points out that she knows about it, and that if StarClan didn't want her to, they would have kept her away from Fourtrees. She asks if Brambleclaw would share any more information he found out about it if she promised to keep quiet about the dream and the meeting. Knowing how much trouble he'd been in if Squirrelpaw told Firestar about it, he agrees to the deal, but wonders if he's making a big mistake.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Mitternacht (Buch)/Kapitel 5fr:‎Minuit/Chapitre 5nl:Middernacht (Boek)/Hoofdstuk 5
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:The New Prophecy arc
Category:Midnight (book)