Into the Wild

Into the Wild is the first book in The Prophecies Begin arc, the original series of Warriors. Firepaw is featured on the front cover.

Dedication

 * For Billy—who left out Twoleg home to become a Warrior. We still miss him very much. And for Benjamin—his brother who is with him now in StarClan.


 * Special thanks to Kate Cary

Blurb

 * FIRE ALONE CAN SAVE OUR CLAN...


 * For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others.


 * In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty... who may turn out to the bravest warrior of them all.

Major Events

 * ThunderClan cats battle with RiverClan on Sunningrocks. Tigerclaw and Oakheart fight briefly, before Tigerclaw saves his Clanmate, Mousefur, from another RiverClan warrior. Redtail orders the ThunderClan cats to retreat.
 * Bluestar is greeted by her medicine cat, Spottedleaf. Spottedleaf reports to her on the wounds of the cats in battle. They talk briefly before Spottedleaf receives a sign from StarClan—"Fire alone can save our Clan."
 * Rusty, a kittypet, has a dream about hunting for a mouse. He wakes up and quickly exits the house to go into the backyard. Rusty decides to go into the forest beyond his fence. He is stopped by his friend Smudge, who warns him about the dangers of the forest.
 * Rusty goes into the forest and finds a mouse. He nearly catches it, but is attacked by another kitten. They fight, but it ends quickly and the strange kitten introduces himself as Graypaw. Graypaw explains Clan life to Rusty, until more ThunderClan cats appear.
 * Bluestar and Lionheart, Graypaw's mentor, scold Graypaw before they question Rusty. Bluestar praises Rusty's instincts, but is furious when Rusty suggests he hunt on her territory. Rusty apologizes, and Bluestar offers to let him join ThunderClan.
 * Rusty is brought to ThunderClan. The Clan is unhappy with this, and a warrior named Longtail attacks him. Rusty's collar breaks in the fight, and Bluestar decides this is a sign from StarClan that is meant to become a Clan cat. She makes him an apprentice, and gives him the name Firepaw.
 * Ravenpaw bursts into camp to declare that Redtail is dead. He faints, and Spottedleaf takes him to her den to recover.
 * Tigerclaw enters camp and further explains what happened—he states that Redtail was killed by Oakheart, and that he killed Oakheart to avenge Redtail's death.
 * Graypaw shows Firepaw around camp.
 * Firepaw begins his training. Because he does not have his mentor, Tigerclaw and Lionheart share in his training. They show him the territory.
 * Two moons pass, and Firepaw goes on his first solo hunting mission. He is attacked by Yellowfang. She is weak, and he defeats her. She asks her to kill him, but he takes pity on her and goes hunting for her instead. He is caught feeding her by his Clanmates. Yellowfang and Firepaw are brought back to camp. Yellowfang is revealed to have been the medicine cat of ShadowClan.
 * Bluestar announces to the Clan that WindClan has been driven out by ShadowClan. She makes Firepaw her apprentice. She says that Yellowfang will stay in ThunderClan, and that Firepaw must care for her.
 * Firepaw returns to training after spending a few days caring for Yellowfang. The mentors assess their skills by sending the apprentices off to hunt on their own. He finds an attacks an intruder, which turns out to be Smudge. They talk briefly before parting ways.
 * Firepaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw go to the Gathering. Ravenpaw tells a story to other apprentices about the battle where Redtail and Oakheart dies, but says that Oakheart died before Redtail. The meeting begins, and cats question where WindClan is. Brokenstar declares he chased them off and threatens to do the same to the other Clans, unless they agree to share their hunting grounds with ShadowClan.
 * Crookedstar says he has already agreed, but Bluestar says she must discuss it with her Clan. Brokenstar additionally reveals one of his warriors has gone rogue and is a threat to kits. Though he doesn't name her, everyone believes this to be Yellowfang.
 * Firepaw hurries ahead to warn Yellowfang, but she refuses to leave. Some cats want Yellowfang to be banished or killed, but Bluestar says that she has done nothing wrong and will stay in ThunderClan.
 * Bluestar travels to the Moonstone with Tigerclaw, Firepaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw. They go through the Mothermouth to reach the Moonstone.
 * Bluestar dreams at the Moonstone and declares they must hurry back to camp. On the way, they run into Barley, who suggests a different route home. They are attacked by rats, and Bluestar loses a life. Bluestar tells Tigerclaw that it was her fifth life that she had lost.
 * They return to camp to find it being attacked by ShadowClan. Blackfoot kills Rosetail and attempts to steal kits, but Yellowfang stops him. Lionheart dies of his wounds shortly after ShadowClan retreats.
 * Bluestar makes Tigerclaw deputy. She also invites Yellowfang to officially join ThunderClan.
 * Firepaw overhears Tigerclaw telling Darkstripe and Longtail that Ravenpaw was missing on the journey to the Mothermouth, and suggests to them both that he is spying for ShadowClan.
 * The apprentices split up for training, and later, Ravenpaw tells Firepaw and Graypaw that he was sent to ShadowClan territory to hunt. That night, Ravenpaw tells Firepaw that it was Tigerclaw that killed Redtail.
 * Brindleface's kits are born.
 * Bluestar reveals to Firepaw that it was not the fifth life she lost to rats, but her seventh.
 * Frostfur cries that someone has taken her kits. While searching for the kits, Firepaw discovers the body of Spottedleaf. Yellowfang disappears, and Frostfur blames her for killing Spottedleaf and stealing her kits.
 * Bluestar sends Firepaw to find Yellowfang. He notices Frostfur chasing Ravenpaw away from the nursery, and decides Ravenpaw is no longer safe in ThunderClan. He and Graypaw lead Ravenpaw towards Barley's den, and Firepaw says he will tell ThunderClan that Ravenpaw is dead.
 * Firepaw and Graypaw return to their own territory to find Yellowfang. They find her in ShadowClan territory, and she says she knows that Clawface, a ShadowClan warrior, has taken the kits to Brokenstar. She also reveals that Brokenstar trains kits at three moons, and that she was driven out of ShadowClan because he falsely accused her of murdering kits that he had killed himself.
 * Firepaw goes back to find a ThunderClan patrol to help them rescue the kits. He explains to Whitestorm that Yellowfang is trying to save the kits, and Whitestorm leads the patrol to attack ShadowClan. A few ShadowClan elders help them, as they do not support Brokenstar's leadership.
 * Firepaw fights in the battle, and nearly kills Clawface. Whitestorm stops him, and as Firepaw looks for another fight, he sees Yellowfang and Brokenstar fighting. Brokenstar reveals that he killed his father, Raggedstar, as well as the kits he blamed Yellowfang for killing. Firepaw attacks Brokenstar, who mocks him for trying to fight a Clan leader. ShadowClan then turns on their leader, and Brokenstar flees from the camp.
 * ThunderClan takes their kits and returns home, with Yellowfang deciding to stay with ThunderClan as their medicine cat.
 * Firepaw and Graypaw have their warrior ceremonies, earning the names Fireheart and Graystripe.

Births:

 * Brindleface gives birth to four kits, two being Ashkit and Fernkit, though they are not mentioned to have names yet.

Deaths:

 * Redtail, who is killed by Tigerclaw in a battle with RiverClan the day Rusty joins ThunderClan.
 * Oakheart, who is killed in battle with ThunderClan the day Rusty joins ThunderClan.
 * Bluestar loses a life fighting rats on the return trip from the Mothermouth.
 * Rosetail, who is killed by Blackfoot in ShadowClan's attack on ThunderClan.
 * Lionheart, who dies of his wounds after ShadowClan's attack on ThunderClan.
 * Spottedleaf, who is killed by Clawface.

Promotions:

 * Rusty becomes Firepaw, later apprenticed to Bluestar.
 * Yellowfang is made a ThunderClan cat.
 * Yellowfang is made ThunderClan's medicine cat.
 * Firepaw becomes Fireheart.
 * Graypaw becomes Graystripe.