River (book)/Chapter 17

==Chapter description==
:Mothwing tells her apprentice that she will be leading a patrol to search for Reedwhisker, explaining that as a medicine cat, her duty is to take responsibility for her Clan. Frostpaw reluctantly follows Mothwing to the fresh-kill pile where they meet with teh rest of the patrol, Curlfeather, Splashtail, and Gorseclaw. Gorseclaw and Splashtail doubt Frostpaw's ability to lead the patrol, but Mothwing reiterates that Frostpaw's ability to speak with StarClan is why she will lead.
:Curlfeather suggests starting near the greenleaf Twolegplace and the patrol heads out. They move along the edge of the lake to the half-bridge. Frostpaw heads near the border, and realizes Splashtail is no longer following her. After some bickering, Frostpaw demands the warrior to listen to her order. As they near the ravine, the RiverClan cats call out the deputy's name. While Frostpaw looks for clues, Gorseclaw finds the deputy's body at the bottom the ravine. As they cautiously approaches Reedwhisker's body, Frostpaw begins to blame herself for the death of the tom, but her mother reassures her not to blame herself. 
:Reedwhisker's neck is broken and he has large scratches along his back. Curlfeather believes the fall must have killed him, though Frostpaw briefly ponders if a badger killed him. Gorseclaw carries the lifeless tom on his back. The patrol heads back to camp while speculating the fate of RiverClan now that their leader and deputy are dead. Frostpaw comes to the realization that she must decide who will lead her Clan now. 
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
===Deaths===
*Reedwhisker is found dead, presumably from falling into the ravine, though the cause is unknown.
==Notes and references==
Category:River (book)
Category:A Starless Clan arc
Category:Chapter subpages