Post by mararene2 on Apr 10, 2020 6:16:52 GMT -5
Alright, who has read the latest book, The Veil of Shadows? It came out two days ago, and I got it today and read it all in one sitting, so it is all very fresh.
So, there are some things I'd like to point out that convince me it is Ashfur. I suppose it is a new book so I will caution with SPOILER ALERT! Read detailed plot references from Veil of Shadows at your own Risk!
So, there are some things I'd like to point out that convince me it is Ashfur. I suppose it is a new book so I will caution with SPOILER ALERT! Read detailed plot references from Veil of Shadows at your own Risk!
So, I thought early on that the voice was someone else other than Starclan, and then when Bramblestar was possessed it was clear there was evil afoot... But who? The initial actions, the confusion of memory, and the testing of others was all very odd and could technically be any cat. But, specifically, the treatment of Squirrelflight sparked thoughts of Ashfur, and then it grew from there.
In The Veil of Shadows some new key points are revealed. One of the BIGGEST tells is physical, and that is that we were given an eye color--- dark (or the adjective may have been "deep") blue. Who has dark blue eyes? Ashfur.
Then, the obsession with Squirrelflight continues. Even though he exiled her, Bramblestar becomes frantic with the thought of finding her and bringing her back. Running the risk of exposing the Rebel camp, Squirrelflight conspires with Bristlefrost and Mothwing to fake her own death to keep Bramblestar from searching for her any longer. When he thinks she has died, he genuinely is distraught and grieves her. During the battle he is distracted and stunned by seeing that Squirrelflight is really alive.
Later after the battle and he is a prisoner, Squirrelflight is checking on the health of Bramblestar's body (the Imposter is being looked after by Shadowsight/Shadowclan as a prisoner to preserve the body for the real Bramblestar to return). He wakes up and says, "I came back for you." He also mentions to Bristlefrost earlier in the book that there is still love between them no matter what has happened.
So... Who has blue eyes and was desperately in love with Squirrelflight? Ashfur. In all the books, there were only ever three cats interested in or in love with Squirrelflight: Bramblestar, Ashfur, and Stormcloud. Stormcloud had a crush on Squirrelflight from the journey to find Midnight but moved on to be with Brook. So, he's ruled out (eye color aside).
Though I was sad to see it, Ashfur already proved just how malicious he could be when he tried to burn Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather in front of Squirrelflight.
In the physical description, Shadowsight says the light was too intense to make out a fur color, but he could see the blue eyes. It was also mentioned at one point that the imposter was believed to have once been a Starclan cat. Well, Jayfeather confirmed once before that Ashfur had made it to Starclan.
In Shadowsight's spirit-trip to the Dark Forest (where is finds the lost spirit of Bramblestar locked away in a hollow tree), he stumbles on a pool of water and stars that is basically caged by tendrils. The imposter had told Shadowsight that if one was clever enough, the could find a way to walk between the worlds...This could mean that while Ashfur made it to Starclan, his soul never recovered from the malice that was planted. Starting in Starclan, he could have found a passage between the two and used it to trap or subdue Starclan from the inside.
When Harestar loses a life, he says he made it to Starclan's hunting grounds, but everything was blurry and faint. This could indicate that barrier weakening Starclan, while not completely trapping it. Other cats who have since died are trapped as ghosts in the forest, unable to pass on because of the barrier. It could also explain the difficulty getting messages through from Starclan, who if blocked might not even be able to see everything themselves actually. I read some people pointing out the subtle mention of everything being covered in ASH in the fire vision Shadowsight sees... I think that would be clever foreshadowing. This makes me keep thinking ASHfur is to blame. And that found the bridge between heaven a d hell, essentially.
To even find Bramblestar, trapped in the Dark Forest, Shadowsight had to dive into the Moonpool, which means the connection is there, just usually it is underneath Starclan's more powerful presence.
Anyways, this all points to me that a Cat from Starclan found a way to walk the line, and eventually control it enough to possess Bramblestar once he lost a life.
Now, the only bit that doesnt necessarily make sense to me for it to be Ashfur is his taking control of all the clans...
So here is my theory. The book mentions that MOST of the Dark Forest cats were killed in the Great Battle. Not many remained. Well, we know Hawkfrost (who did have blue eyes but was not in love with Squirrelflight) and Tigerstar the first were both fully destroyed. So, it's not them. But who was left in the Dark Forest? At some point the Dark Forest gained enough power to come back to the real world for the battle. Well, if Ashfur found a passage from Starclan to there, perhaps he met the remaining Dark Forest cats. Perhaps they helped him devise his plan. He'd get to live Bramblestar's life, which hed always envied, and then in turn, he could enact the revenge if the Dark Forest cats by destroying and seizing control of the clans. All put together, maybe it gave Ashfur the power he needed to possess Bramblestar.
Towards the end of the book, The Imposter keeps complaining about pain. This made me think the body is rejecting the foreign soul. So, either way, I have a feeling it can't last. And Bristlefrost overhears him arguing about taking control but when she looks, there is no one physically there... Bramblestar is still trapped and unreachable so it can't be him. He did mention Spiresights spirit in menacing passing to Shadowsight and implied he had done something with him so maybe that's who he was arguing with... But now I wonder if it is the Dark Forest accomplices.
The book ends with Squirrelflight declaring that she knows who the imposter is. She mentioned just before that the cat felt familiar but she couldn't place it, meaning it should be someone who had once known well but hadn't seen in a while. Unless they are going to reveal some affair she had with a random non-clan cat while on a mission somewhere, I once again feel this points to the only other familiar cat who had adamantly loved her and already tried to murder her family to get back at her for not loving him back... Ashfur.
I will end this long post by saying that I was disappointed originally to see Ashfur take the turn with trying to kill Lionblaze, Hollylead, and Jayfeather. I always thought of him as kind and loyal like Ferncloud. Back in the old forest afyer everything that happened with his mother,Brindleface, being needlessly murdered for dog bait in the original Tigerstar's dog pack plan, I figured he would have reason to never be so malicious and evil. But... He actually does have a long backstory of building resentment and bitterness. And anger at the world. Plus with the whole eye color and the Squirrelflight fixation. I'm pretty convinced it is him and maybe some dark spirit accomplices.
Anyone else?
In The Veil of Shadows some new key points are revealed. One of the BIGGEST tells is physical, and that is that we were given an eye color--- dark (or the adjective may have been "deep") blue. Who has dark blue eyes? Ashfur.
Then, the obsession with Squirrelflight continues. Even though he exiled her, Bramblestar becomes frantic with the thought of finding her and bringing her back. Running the risk of exposing the Rebel camp, Squirrelflight conspires with Bristlefrost and Mothwing to fake her own death to keep Bramblestar from searching for her any longer. When he thinks she has died, he genuinely is distraught and grieves her. During the battle he is distracted and stunned by seeing that Squirrelflight is really alive.
Later after the battle and he is a prisoner, Squirrelflight is checking on the health of Bramblestar's body (the Imposter is being looked after by Shadowsight/Shadowclan as a prisoner to preserve the body for the real Bramblestar to return). He wakes up and says, "I came back for you." He also mentions to Bristlefrost earlier in the book that there is still love between them no matter what has happened.
So... Who has blue eyes and was desperately in love with Squirrelflight? Ashfur. In all the books, there were only ever three cats interested in or in love with Squirrelflight: Bramblestar, Ashfur, and Stormcloud. Stormcloud had a crush on Squirrelflight from the journey to find Midnight but moved on to be with Brook. So, he's ruled out (eye color aside).
Though I was sad to see it, Ashfur already proved just how malicious he could be when he tried to burn Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather in front of Squirrelflight.
In the physical description, Shadowsight says the light was too intense to make out a fur color, but he could see the blue eyes. It was also mentioned at one point that the imposter was believed to have once been a Starclan cat. Well, Jayfeather confirmed once before that Ashfur had made it to Starclan.
In Shadowsight's spirit-trip to the Dark Forest (where is finds the lost spirit of Bramblestar locked away in a hollow tree), he stumbles on a pool of water and stars that is basically caged by tendrils. The imposter had told Shadowsight that if one was clever enough, the could find a way to walk between the worlds...This could mean that while Ashfur made it to Starclan, his soul never recovered from the malice that was planted. Starting in Starclan, he could have found a passage between the two and used it to trap or subdue Starclan from the inside.
When Harestar loses a life, he says he made it to Starclan's hunting grounds, but everything was blurry and faint. This could indicate that barrier weakening Starclan, while not completely trapping it. Other cats who have since died are trapped as ghosts in the forest, unable to pass on because of the barrier. It could also explain the difficulty getting messages through from Starclan, who if blocked might not even be able to see everything themselves actually. I read some people pointing out the subtle mention of everything being covered in ASH in the fire vision Shadowsight sees... I think that would be clever foreshadowing. This makes me keep thinking ASHfur is to blame. And that found the bridge between heaven a d hell, essentially.
To even find Bramblestar, trapped in the Dark Forest, Shadowsight had to dive into the Moonpool, which means the connection is there, just usually it is underneath Starclan's more powerful presence.
Anyways, this all points to me that a Cat from Starclan found a way to walk the line, and eventually control it enough to possess Bramblestar once he lost a life.
Now, the only bit that doesnt necessarily make sense to me for it to be Ashfur is his taking control of all the clans...
So here is my theory. The book mentions that MOST of the Dark Forest cats were killed in the Great Battle. Not many remained. Well, we know Hawkfrost (who did have blue eyes but was not in love with Squirrelflight) and Tigerstar the first were both fully destroyed. So, it's not them. But who was left in the Dark Forest? At some point the Dark Forest gained enough power to come back to the real world for the battle. Well, if Ashfur found a passage from Starclan to there, perhaps he met the remaining Dark Forest cats. Perhaps they helped him devise his plan. He'd get to live Bramblestar's life, which hed always envied, and then in turn, he could enact the revenge if the Dark Forest cats by destroying and seizing control of the clans. All put together, maybe it gave Ashfur the power he needed to possess Bramblestar.
Towards the end of the book, The Imposter keeps complaining about pain. This made me think the body is rejecting the foreign soul. So, either way, I have a feeling it can't last. And Bristlefrost overhears him arguing about taking control but when she looks, there is no one physically there... Bramblestar is still trapped and unreachable so it can't be him. He did mention Spiresights spirit in menacing passing to Shadowsight and implied he had done something with him so maybe that's who he was arguing with... But now I wonder if it is the Dark Forest accomplices.
The book ends with Squirrelflight declaring that she knows who the imposter is. She mentioned just before that the cat felt familiar but she couldn't place it, meaning it should be someone who had once known well but hadn't seen in a while. Unless they are going to reveal some affair she had with a random non-clan cat while on a mission somewhere, I once again feel this points to the only other familiar cat who had adamantly loved her and already tried to murder her family to get back at her for not loving him back... Ashfur.
I will end this long post by saying that I was disappointed originally to see Ashfur take the turn with trying to kill Lionblaze, Hollylead, and Jayfeather. I always thought of him as kind and loyal like Ferncloud. Back in the old forest afyer everything that happened with his mother,Brindleface, being needlessly murdered for dog bait in the original Tigerstar's dog pack plan, I figured he would have reason to never be so malicious and evil. But... He actually does have a long backstory of building resentment and bitterness. And anger at the world. Plus with the whole eye color and the Squirrelflight fixation. I'm pretty convinced it is him and maybe some dark spirit accomplices.
Anyone else?
