Winds of Change Spoiler Thread!

Already? Cool

Hardcover.

Update: Spoilers will start in about 20 minutes' time. Use this time period wisely to grab snacks, go to the bathroom or whatever. He will start where the preview left off. Spoiler season full steam ahead!

The story picks up with the Clans moving to their new territories. Ashfoot has already been named deputy off-screen and is giving orders

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Jaysnow

-Webfoot approaches Onewhisker and Ashfoot about where a space can be cleared for Barkface’s herbs, Onewhisker is unsure/confused and asks Ashfoot and Mudclaw for their opinion, Mudclaw ignores him and leaves the area

-Mudclaw questions going back to apprentice duties and starts helping the apprentices dislodge a tree

-Mudclaw is telling cats who ask him questions that it’s not his decision anymore as he is no longer deputy.

Yeahhhh, considering how he acted with Onewhisker and tried to get his supporters to turn on him, I'm not surprised Mudclaw is petty about Ashfoot. Big shock here. (Sarcasm) I never liked Mudclaw from the start.

I'm not surprised, but Mudclaw being petty could be either entertaining or annoying. I liked that his relationship with Tornear is being explored a bit, though.

-They find berries, both agree the berries are pathetic. As they pick it up, they encounter a dog, Barkface climbs up a tree while Mudclaw easily defeats it. On the way back, Mudclaw asks Barkface if he knows for certain of StarClan came w them to the lake, as what if leaders can never get 9 lives again. Barkface tells him to have faith. Webfoot approaches them and tells Mudclaw that Leafpaw is in the camp and that is sounds like they have the same sickness in TC and that she brought herbs for the sick elders (Morningflower and Darkfoot). Mudclaw does not look pleased with this news. Tornear is telling Onewhisker that they ran into her and Thornclaw hunting on WC territory, as if it’s not bad enough she is in their camp. Onewhisker tells them they don’t need to overreact as none of the boundaries have been fully marked yet. This is what Mudclaw was afraid of as how a new leader handles conflict is a mark of his strength and Onewhisker is botching it. Onewhisker thanks Leafpaw for her help. He tells Leafpaw that TC can have the boundary in the woods Thornclaw and Tornear were having a dispute about. Mudclaw yells at him asking if he is completely mouse brained, giving away territory for couple of healing herbs. Onewhisker is like “look at everything TC has done for us..” Webfoot supports Mudclaw but Onewhisker refuses to hear more. Mudclaw calls him a traitor.

-Mudclaw reflects that it is a good thing Onewhisker didn’t try to stop him when he walked away after calling him a traitor as he might have gone for his throat. Mudclaw refuses to believe that StarClan wanted WC to be rolling over for TC, showing them their bellies. Meanwhile, Onewhisker orders Crowfeather to make sure Leafpool gets back to TC safely. Mudclaw questions if Onewhisker is the leader of WC or if Firestar is Onewhisker’s leader. Mudclaw approaches Onewhisker and desperately begs him to not give away territory. Onewhisker says that setting up good relationships with the Clans is what is more important than few lengths of woodland. Mudclaw walks away and asks Tornear if he really thinks Onewhisker is meant to be leader, as only a traitor would give away their territory to another Clan.

me, a mudclaw loyalist: YEAH! tell onejerk who's right, mudclaw!

Mudclaw questions if Hawkfrost is right and if it’s all Firestar’s plan. Dustpelt spots foxes approaching them. Under Hawkfrost’s command, they round on the foxes, who flee. Mudclaw notes how Hawkfrost didn’t hesitate and seemed fearless, which he cites as being a good quality to have as long as it’s tempered w wisdom. Blackstar suggests they end the Gathering. Hawkfrost approaches Mudclaw as he is leaving and asks him if he could meet him on the island tomorrow at moonhigh as they should talk. Mudclaw agrees.

Later, Ashfoot sees Mudclaw leave camp, who says that he is just going for a walk to clear his head. Mudclaw approaches the island and mentions how he isn’t a good swimmer and never has been and that whatever Hawkfrost wants to talk about better be worth it. The trees on the island remind Mudclaw of the old forest but that doesn’t make him any less cautious of Hawkfrost. Hawkfrost says that this is as private a place as can be found around here and tells him the he has figured out what has been going on between Firestar and Onewhisker and that he bets Mudclaw has too. Hawkfrost says that Firestar is trying to get both WC and TC under his control and that once he dies, no doubt he will go after RC and ShC as well, especially after Onewhisker has his 9 lives. Mudclaw says that even though he doesn’t like the situation anymore than he does, it is hard for him to believe Onewhisker would actually lie about this. Hawkfrost tells Mudclaw not to think Onewhisker is lying to him, but that *Firestar* is lying to him. He continues by saying that it’s obvious that Firestar already has Onewhisker and Brambleclaw under his paw and asks if either of them lie unless Firestar forced them too. He tells Mudclaw that Brambleclaw would be a better leader than Firestar once he is free of Firestar’s influence. Mudclaw reflects that what Hawkfrost says makes sense but he still can’t forget that Brambleclaw is Hawkfrost’s brother either. Hawkfrost says that until the med cats can find out how to reach StarClan, he and Mudclaw still have time. Time to find allies as there are plenty of cats who won’t want Firestar to have power. Mudclaw tells Hawkfrost that he is not telling him everything and asks him what he is really planning. Hawkfrost replies by saying when Mudclaw names his future deputy in WC, he hopes he remembers who his friends really are. Mudclaw isn’t sure whether or not he means he wants to be WC deputy while also being RC leader.

Mudclaw replies by telling him he makes good points and that if action is needed to be taken, he knows to take his help.

Hawkfrost’s words echo in Mudclaw’s head all night and he shares them w cats he trusts, telling them to think about who stands to gain if Onewhisker is made WC leader instead of him. They hear Onewhisker, Ashfoot and Barkface discussing whether or not to mark their borders yet. Onewhisker decides to have them marked, choosing to not mind what Firestar said. Mudclaw asks the group of cats how certain they are that Tallstar chose him and that it wasn’t just what Firestar told them. Crowfeather says he doesn’t like Mudclaw’s words or thoughts and that he wants no part of what he is planning. Webfoot tells Mudclaw to not mind him and asks Mudclaw to tell them more.

Tornear later tells Mudclaw to be careful as Clanmates turning on each other is the absolute worst thing for the Clan. Mudclaw refuses and says the absolute worst thing is to have a leader they can’t trust.

Onewhisker asks Mudclaw to show Weaselpaw and Owlpaw battle moves in case the foxes return, Mudclaw asks why, as they have their own mentors. Onewhisker says that Mudclaw is the best fighter in WC. Mudclaw replies w “maybe later”. Onewhisker tells him to do it *now* and that it is an order. Mudclaw reflects how he can’t disobey a direct order in front of the whole Clan...yet. He trains the apprentices. He tells Weaselpaw to imagine him fighting a big TC tom...like *Firestar*. Onewhisker intervenes and says they aren’t practicing to fight Firestar and TC, but foxes. Mudclaw says that fighting foxes is important but it’s also important for them to be ready to fight other Clans. Onewhisker refuses and calls off the training session. Mudclaw asks Tornear if he now sees why he is worried. Tornear responds that he does.

Mudclaw goes on ShC territory and locates and approaches Cedarheart. He tells Cedarheart that after Tigerstar, he and the rest of ShC know how dangerous it is for one cat to have too much power and that there are some things he needs to know about Firestar and Onewhisker, things that Mudclaw think Cedarheart will want to hear.

Mudclaw later has pains in his belly. He spots a fox (in the camp?) and he wonders if it is possible that something that seems bad, not just bad, awful, can be done for good reasons. If it’s for the good of WC. He wonders if something awful could in truth be the right thing to do. He wonders if it would be simpler and better if the fox, now right behind Onewhisker, simply killed Onewhisker. Tornear alerts the Clan about the fox and the warriors all round on it and attack and the fox flees. Tornear asks Mudclaw why in StarClan’s name he didn’t alert them about the fox and why he didn’t attack and asks him if “he surely wasn’t thinking about....”, Mudclaw says, “I - well - everything just happened so fast”. Tornear is like, “Don’t tell me you’d let a fox kill a Clanmate” and asks him if he is jealous of Onewhisker. Mudclaw tells him that he never would’ve meant for Onewhisker to get hurt and that it’s not jealousy, it’s that Onewhisker is bad for the Clan and that Tornear must see that. Tornear says he has heard enough and that he won’t accuse him in front of the Clan but that from now on he doesn’t want to hear anything else about Onewhisker. And to leave him out of his problems.