A Clan in Need

Plot summary

Ravenpaw wakes up in the Moonstone Cave. Barley wakes up from a nightmare, telling Ravenpaw of his life in BloodClan, where he had three littermates. After leaving their mother, Barley and his sister, Violet, continued living together. It is against BloodClan rules for families to stay together, so when they were caught, they were brought before Scourge. As a punishment, Violet was attacked and nearly killed by her and Barley's brothers, Jumper and Hoot, who had renamed themselves Ice and Snake.

After Barley is finished, Ravenpaw tells him that ThunderClan will help them. They encounter a patrol of WindClan warriors. The patrol thinks that Barley and Ravenpaw have kidnapped Crowkit, a mischievous young gray tom. When Mudclaw sees that it's Ravenpaw and Barley, he tells the patrol that they are friends. Ravenpaw promises to help look for Crowkit and the patrol leaves. Ravenpaw suggests that they travel to ThunderClan through Fourtrees. As they pass by the Great Rock, they find Crowkit struggling to climb to the top. They hear fighting, seeing that Mudclaw's patrol has crossed the ThunderClan border to accuse a ThunderClan patrol of stealing Crowkit. A fight is narrowly avoided when Ravenpaw and Barley appear with Crowkit.

The WindClan patrol leaves with Crowkit. Dustpelt agrees to take Barley and Ravenpaw to Firestar. When they reach the ThunderClan Camp, they are greeted by several cats. As they pass by the nursery, they meet Sandstorm and her daughters, Squirrelkit and Leafkit. Ravenpaw congratulates Sandstorm, and Firestar appears. He asks what's brought Barley and Ravenpaw to ThunderClan. They tell him everything, and Firestar agrees to help. Ravenpaw goes to Firestar to find out what's wrong, as some ThunderClan cats return from fighting. He learns that BloodClan cats have been attacking patrols. Firestar must help ThunderClan before he can send anyone to save the farm.

Ravenpaw and Barley go on a hunting patrol. As they return, they are attacked by BloodClan cats. There is a short fight, during which one of the BloodClan cats, Snipe, seems to recognise Barley. When another ThunderClan patrol arrives, the BloodClan cats flee. When they return to camp, Barley hints to Ravenpaw that he might have known Snipe before. Shortly afterwards, Firestar and Graystripe ask Barley for help in finding BloodClan's home in the Twolegplace. Barley takes offense and runs off into the forest. Ravenpaw goes to him and tells him that he must tell Firestar anything he knows.

Rainpaw and Sorrelpaw leave to go hunting. As Ravenpaw tries to coax information out of Barley, Rainpaw runs back to camp. He says that they were attacked by BloodClan and that Sorrelpaw is hurt. They find her and bring her back to camp. Barley sees what happened, and he goes to Firestar to tell everything he knows. Barley tells Firestar about Snipe and that he doesn't know much. Ravenpaw suggests that Violet might know more, reasoning that she still lives in Twolegplace. Ravenpaw and Barley leave to find her. When they do, she tells them that BloodClan is getting organized again. Violet leads them to a friend of hers, Mitzi. Mitzi's son, Fritz, was kidnapped by BloodClan one moon before. She followed the cats when they took him and learned where their home was. She gladly takes them there.

Violet, Barley, and Ravenpaw return to ThunderClan to tell Firestar where the BloodClan cats live. He gathers a battle patrol. The patrol slips out of camp and heads to the place that Mitzi showed them. When they arrive, they find all of BloodClan assembled before Ice and Snake. Violet and Barley's brothers are the new leaders of BloodClan and suddenly, surprisingly, Violet walks forward to them. She calls to them, telling them that their names are Jumper and Hoot and that she is their sister. Seeming to have forgotten about their kin, Ice and Snake are ready to let BloodClan slaughter her when Barley leaps up too. Upon sight of their brother, they are reminded of that day, seasons ago, when they tried to kill their sister. Now, they want to try again.

Firestar gives the order to attack. BloodClan and ThunderClan become a single, fighting mass. Suddenly, the battle is over. Ice and Snake walk over to them when Barley and Violet pounce, catching their brothers by surprise. Seeing that they are about to be beaten, they plead for mercy. Barley says that they've been attacking cats and stealing prey, so now they must pay. Ice and Snake try to wriggle out of punishment by claiming that they never did anything. It was the rest of BloodClan. With that, BloodClan turns on them and they drive their leaders away. Only one cat stays behind, and it is Fritz, Mitzi's son. He, Barley and Violet leave to go back to Violet's housefolk and Fritz's housefolk. Firestar promises Ravenpaw that when his clan has rested, he will lead a patrol to drive Willie and his group of rogues from the farm.