Battles of the Clans/In the Midst of Battle

:Below contains in-depth information for "In the Midst of Battle" of Battles of the Clans. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.
==Chapter description==
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:Mistystar greets the two kittypets and hopes that they have seen that there is more to the Clans than fighting. Being in the midst of battle can be simultaneously a whirlwind of movement and moments of clarity. Mistystar mentions how each warrior remembers at least one memorable fight. She points out that Whitewing, Mousefur, and Cedarheart have interesting stories to tell.
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:Whitewing's first battle was against badgers who sought revenge on ThunderClan for chasing away a female and her cubs. She and her mentor Brackenfur first noticed the badgers while they were returning to camp following a training session. Brackenfur orders his apprentice to return to camp immediately as the badgers swarm towards the camp entrance. As the camp clearing erupts into chaos, Brightheart orders her daughter to hide with Daisy and her kits on top of the hollow, but Whitepaw insists on staying to fight. Her father Cloudtail reluctantly agrees right as a badger attacks them. Cloudtail defends his daughter, and Whitepaw slashes at its ears. Whitepaw yowls for her father to help Daisy and her kits to evacuate the camp.
:As Whitepaw wrestles with her badger, she spots Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Brightheart, and Cloudtail helping Daisy and her kits escape up the cliff. Suddenly, Birchpaw wails for help; a badger has him trapped between the stones. She yowls for him to climb up the cliff, but Birchpaw slips and falls. He squeezes himself into a narrow crevice as the badger looms over him. Whitepaw springs onto the badger's back to distract it, slashing at its face. The badger eventually collapses, and Dustpelt yowls for Whitepaw to stop since it is stunned. Another badger arrives, and Whitepaw lets out a panicked yowl when Squirrelflight reveals it is her friend, Midnight. Midnight brings WindClan warriors to help. Whitewing reflects how they eventually won the battle, but Cinderpelt and Sootfur were killed. She still sometimes fears the badgers while hunting, but Whitewing knows her fighting skills will protect her.
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:On a border patrol along the Thunderpath in the old forest, Lionpaw, Swiftbreeze, Sunfall, and Bluepaw are confronted by Foxheart, Crowtail, Frogtail, and Cloudpaw, who are stealing prey. The ShadowClan patrol threatens them, though Lionpaw is puzzled by his Clanmates' bravado. Foxheart threatens to slice Lionpaw's ears, and Sunfall launches the attack. While his Clanmates prepare for battle, Lionpaw panics and flees out of fear. He ends up at Snakerocks and is ashamed of his cowardice. He hides in the cave, fearing that he will be exiled by Pinestar. By nightfall, Swiftbreeze and Bluepaw are relieved to find him at Snakerocks. Lionpaw apologizes for running away, though Swiftbreeze gently insists that it is okay to be afraid but he must have faith his Clanmates will protect him. Courage comes from facing your fears. As they return to camp, Lionpaw hopes that he will find his courage.
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:At the Gathering at Fourtrees, Morningstar of ThunderClan declares that WindClan is stealing their prey but he does not want a fight. His Clan is weak from the harsh leaf-bare and they have many new litters of kits. While his Clanmates protest against his admission of weakness, Morningstar asks the other Clans to share prey until the warm season. However, the other leaders refuse. Morningstar guides his Clan away from Fourtrees, but his Clanmates are furious that he practically invited the other Clans to steal their prey. His deputy Leafstorm accuses him of being too scared of fighting, but Morningstar rather keep his Clan safe by not sending them into battle, reminded of the death of his pregnant mate Songbird.
:Morningstar orders Leafstorm to lead another patrol to Rabbitstar, the WindClan leader, to speak to him again about Morningstar's offer, but the patrol is attacked. Leafstorm breaks into a coughing fit, and the medicine cat Pearnose informs Morningstar that Leafstorm has greencough. After, Morningstar tells Beechfur to prioritize hunting patrols over border patrols. A quarter-moon later, ThunderClan continues to starve as WindClan repeatedly steals their prey and their borders are unguarded. Morningstar attempts to convince Leafstorm to eat, but the deputy refuses. Morningstar's warriors continue to argue against his decisions, and Pearnose suddenly announces that Leafstorm is dead. Songbird's spirit appears, and she urges Morningstar to let his warriors fight. Realizing that he had doubted his warriors' courage, Morningstar rallies his warriors and leads them into battle.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
===Deaths===
*Sootfur and Cinderpelt: Killed by badgers.
==Errors==
*Rainwhisker is said to have died from the badger attack.
*Foxheart is called a tom.
==Trivia==
*"Whitewing Speaks: My First Battle" aligns with chapter 21 through chapter 24 of Twilight.
==Notes and references==
Category:Battles of the Clans
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Field Guides