//Un//marked

// unmasked recap //

// Unmarked is the sequel to Unmasked, so I strongly encourage anyone who has stumbled across this novel to take a look at Unmasked first. If you are not so inclined, here is an in-depth summary (or recap, for those of you who need a refresher on the events of the first novel), that will help you understand the events occurring in Unmarked.

// SPOILERS AHEAD //

The story begins with a grey tom sitting atop a log and looking into the distance. He waits for the return of a hunting patrol led by Heatherfur, his loyal deputy. As he waits, a new figure emerges – Finchwatcher, his medicine cat, who tells him she knows of his true feelings for Heatherfur and that the Clan must always come first. Over the course of their conversation, the sky begins to darken until the entire moon is swallowed up in a lunar eclipse and Finchwatcher, in horror, realizes that StarClan warned them of this night. In the darkness, they are attacked by two traitors and Sootstar manages to kill both, but not before they take Finchwatcher's life. Hearing the sounds of battle, the MoorClan leader dashes off to his camp.

When he arrives, he scents all three of the Clans – MoorClan, RockClan, and SeaClan. Aware that something is not quite right, Sootstar follows the scents to the High Rocks, the Clans' Gathering Place, and finds a mass of cats gathered. Among them are Rushclaw of SeaClan, Robinfang of RockClan, and Heatherfur of MoorClan. The MoorClan leader is caught eavesdropping and dragged out of hiding by the rebels. Heatherfur explains that the rebellion must go through and overthrow the structures of the Old Clan Life because of how weak the Clans have become as a result of their love and kindness towards each other. Before the eyes of all those gathered, she kills Sootstar.

Centuries later, this story is played out by Nightkit, Flamekit, and Cinderkit, who play the roles of Robinfang, Heatherfur, and Sootstar, respectively. During this reenactment of the Masked Uprising, Nightkit is distracted by his thoughts of what lies outside of their Clan, DarkClan. The kits are chastised by Snowdapple, a caretaker, when Flamekit attacks Nightkit and knocks him off of a High Rock. Dawnstar, the leader of DarkClan, sees this and cuffs the caretaker for attempting to prevent the kits from reenacting the uprising; this is the first evidence of how poorly the caretakers are treated and how even a small gesture can spell out treason.

The moment Dawnstar leaves, Hailwatcher approaches the kits, offering to tell them a story. Nightkit, always eager to hear the truth-teller's stories, listens raptly as the spotted tom picks up where the kits left off in their reenactment, telling of Robinfang's appointment to truth-teller status and her new name, Robinwatcher. As the story comes to a close, Dawnstar calls a Clan meeting and the three kits are apprenticed: Cinderpaw to Marshclaw, Flamepaw to Rowanstorm, and Nightpaw to Hailwatcher. Nightpaw's white-rimmed eyes set him apart from his siblings, earning him the place of the truth-teller's apprentice.

That same day Hailwatcher takes Nightpaw to MoorClan territory and tells him of MoorClan's history, the purpose of the guardians of truth (guarding the truth-teller at all times), and explains why Nightpaw in particular was picked to be his apprentice. Putting ideas of greatness into his mind, Hailwatcher ensures that his apprentice has the foundation of loyalty to DarkClan firmly in place. As the truth-teller's apprentice, however, Nightpaw is not allowed to speak to others about his training and the tom finds himself slightly jealous of Cinderpaw and Flamepaw.

For the next half moon, Nightpaw is made to clean dens as part of his training; this is so he can learn the value of obedience. He, however, does not realize this and becomes frustrated with the lack of time he is spending with Hailwatcher. When patching the nursery, he becomes aggravated with the kits; Sedgecloud snaps at him to be careful and, when Nightpaw retaliates, he realizes that the caretakers cower before him.