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Post by Rainshadow on May 19, 2019 6:19:44 GMT -5
I've seen a lot of people annoyed with the glaringly big inconsistency at the end. Personally I was more confused than anything since I kept waiting for a rockslide that never happened. I also kept waiting for Oakheart to say that no ThunderClan warrior should hurt Stonepelt or something (or was that in a different battle? Can't remember).
But in the end, I actually like the novella's version of events more than the original one. I always thought the rockslide was a bit lame. Plus, I like how agonized Redtail is over the fact that he actually killed a cat. Because as the novella also showed, Redtail really was a cat who would never murder another cat. Not willingly.
Anyone else prefer this version? Or perhaps a mix of both?
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Post by morningflower on May 19, 2019 6:30:55 GMT -5
Yes! Honestly, I thought it was more interesting. Plus, Bluestar accepted without question that Oakheart would kill Redtail in TPB, so obviously she suspected he had a dark side, lol. It was a really interesting moral exploration and I wish this had been the way it had been all along.
It's frustrating that this was a mistake and not a conscious choice by the author, and I was really annoyed the first time I read it. But after I thought about it, I ended up really liking Redtail!
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Post by Rainshadow on May 19, 2019 6:50:11 GMT -5
The novella made me really love Redtail as well! And the premise of owing a cat your life was interesting as well. I loved how Redtail tells Ravenpaw he doesn't owe him anything when he saves his life- very nice!
Thinking more on that ending, it would have made it a lot harder for Fireheart as well if he found out that Redtail had actually killed Oakheart. How would he have convinced Bluestar then? Would he bend the truth, like Tigerclaw had, to suit his need or wouldn't he? Even if that meant Tigerclaw got his way?
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Post by Moonblazer on May 19, 2019 6:57:19 GMT -5
Tbh I prefer this version as well. I like it as an AU novella, both versions are good to me!
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Post by Haze on May 19, 2019 7:37:23 GMT -5
I guess that in this version of the events Tigerclaw wins because it was one of the major plot points in the original series and now Fireheart don't have any concrete evidence.
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Post by morningflower on May 19, 2019 7:41:11 GMT -5
The novella made me really love Redtail as well! And the premise of owing a cat your life was interesting as well. I loved how Redtail tells Ravenpaw he doesn't owe him anything when he saves his life- very nice! Thinking more on that ending, it would have made it a lot harder for Fireheart as well if he found out that Redtail had actually killed Oakheart. How would he have convinced Bluestar then? Would he bend the truth, like Tigerclaw had, to suit his need or wouldn't he? Even if that meant Tigerclaw got his way? Hm, I've of the opinion it wouldn't have changed much. Fireheart didn't convince Bluestar with the story, anyway. He came to her with his story, which he'd done extensive investigating for, and she didn't believe him. She only believed Fireheart after Tigerclaw had attacked her. Fireheart already didn't trust Tigerclaw because Ravenpaw didn't, and he was immediately more interested in what Oakheart and Graypool were hiding. Edit: scene from the book where Fireheart tells Bluestar about the rockfall death “I…I went to see Ravenpaw again,” Fireheart admitted. “After the last Gathering.” He was ready for anger as he made his confession, but the Clan leader remained calm.
“So that’s why you were late,” she observed.
“I had to find out the truth,” Fireheart meowed quickly. “And I—”
“Wait a moment,” Bluestar interrupted. “Ravenpaw told you at first that Redtail killed Oakheart. Is he changing his story now?”
“No, not at all,” Fireheart promised. “I misunderstood him. Redtail was partly responsible for Oakheart’s death, because he drove him under the overhanging rock that collapsed on top of him. But he didn’t mean to kill him. And that’s what you couldn’t believe,” he reminded Bluestar. “That Redtail would deliberately kill another cat. Besides…”
“Well?” Bluestar sounded as calm as ever.
“I went across the river and spoke to a RiverClan cat,” Fireheart confessed. “Just to be sure. She told me that it’s true: Oakheart died from the rockfall.” He looked at his paws, bracing himself for Bluestar’s fury that he had been trespassing on enemy territory, but when he looked up again, there was nothing in the leader’s eyes except for intense interest. She gave him a slight nod, and Fireheart went on.
“So we know for a fact that Tigerclaw was lying about how Oakheart died—he didn’t kill him himself, in revenge for Redtail. The rockfall killed him. Isn’t it possible that he is lying about Redtail’s death as well?” As he spoke, Bluestar began to look troubled, narrowing her eyes so that only the faintest sliver of blue showed in the dim light of the den.
She let out a long sigh. “Tigerclaw is a fine deputy,” she murmured. “And these are serious charges.”
“I know,” Fireheart agreed quietly. “But can’t you see, Bluestar, how dangerous he is?”
Bluestar sank her head onto her chest. She was silent for so long that Fireheart wondered if he should leave, but she had not dismissed him.
“There’s something else,” he ventured. “Something strange about two of the RiverClan warriors.”
Bluestar looked up at that; her ears flicked forward. For a heartbeat Fireheart hesitated to spread the rumors of a temperamental RiverClan elder, but his need to know the truth gave him the courage to go on. “Ravenpaw told me that in the Sunningrocks battle Oakheart stopped Redtail from attacking a warrior named Stonefur. Oakheart said that no ThunderClan cat should ever harm Stonefur. I…I had the chance to speak to one of the RiverClan elders. She told me that Oakheart brought Mistyfoot and Stonefur to her when the were tiny kits. It was leaf-bare, and she said that the kits would have died with no one to take care of them. -Graypool—the elder suckled them. She said that…that they had the scent of ThunderClan kits. Could that be true? Were kits ever stolen from our camp?”
For a few heartbeats he thought Bluestar had not heard him, she was so still. Then she rose to her paws and padded forward a couple of paces until she stood almost nose to nose with him.
“And you listened to this nonsense?” she hissed.
“I just thought I should—”
“This isn’t what I expect from you, Fireheart,” Bluestar growled. Her eyes glittered like ice, and her hackles were raised. “To go into enemy territory and listen to idle gossip? To believe what a RiverClan cat tells you? You would do better to think about your own duties than to come here telling tales about Tigerclaw.” She studied him for a long moment. “Maybe Tigerclaw is right to doubt your loyalty.”
“I—I’m sorry,” Fireheart stammered. “But I thought Graypool was telling the truth.”
Bluestar let out a long breath. All the interest she had shown before had vanished, leaving her expression cold and remote. “Go,” she ordered. “Find yourself something useful to do—something that befits a warrior. And never—never—mention this to me again. Do you understand?”
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