Line #17 Recap/WarriorCatsTheHeartOfAWarrior


1	[[quoteright:201:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heart_of_a_warrior.jpg]]
2	''The Heart of a Warrior'' is the third and final volume of the ''Ravenpaw's Path'' manga trilogy, which takes place between ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsFirestarsQuest Firestar's Quest]]'' and the second series.
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5	The book begins with Ravenpaw and Barley preparing to leave [=ThunderClan=] camp to take back their home. Firestar is coming with them, and he's bringing along a patrol containing Cloudtail, Brightheart, Brackenfur, Graystripe, and Brambleclaw[[note]]Brambleclaw is referred to as "Bramblepaw" in the narration, but he received his warrior name in ''Firestar's Quest'', which is chronologically earlier than ''Ravenpaw's Path''.[[/note]]. Firestar offers to give Barley and Ravenpaw a full send-off if they wait around for a little while, but Barley wants to leave without a big fuss. However, Firestar's daughters Squirrelkit and Leafkit show up, demanding to join the patrol. The entire Clan comes to see what the ruckus they are making is about, and end up giving a big send-off to Barley and Ravenpaw after all.
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7	On the way to the barn, the patrol meets some [=WindClan=] cats led by Deadfoot. [[note]]Deadfoot died in ''The Darkest Hour''. Mudclaw is deputy in ''Firestar's Quest'', which is chronologically before ''Ravenpaw's Path'', and ''Midnight'', which is chronologically after ''Ravenpaw's Path''. Try not to think too hard about that.[[/note]] The cats aren't there to attack them. Instead, Deadfoot wants to wish Ravenpaw good luck in reclaiming his home.
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9	When the patrol arrives at the farm, Firestar decides to set up camp in an abandoned cowshed. Cloudtail, Brightheart, Brackenfur, and Brambleclaw are sent to hunt, while Firestar, Graystripe, Ravenpaw, and Barley head into the cowshed. From the roof of the shed, Ravenpaw points out Snapper and Willie to Firestar. The two rogues seem to be having trouble with the dogs. Firestar decides to look in the barn, so Ravenpaw and Barley lead him in. The rogues have made a complete mess of the place, upsetting Ravenpaw greatly.
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11	Back at the shed, Firestar outlines an attack plan. Ravenpaw gives him some info about the barn, and then the patrol rests up. Ravenpaw notices Barley having his recurring nightmare about Violet, and Firestar promises to make things right again.
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13	The patrol waits until nightfall to sneak into the barn. However, the chickens go crazy when they see cats, and their squawking alerts Snapper to the patrol's presence. Firestar tells the patrol to charge anyway, and Ravenpaw ends up fighting Tess. After breaking off his skirmish with her, Ravenpaw realizes that Willie has brought the remnants of Neo [=BloodClan=] into the barn, including Barley's brothers Hoot and Jumper. Just then, the farmer shows up and chases the cats out of the barn.
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15	The next day, Firestar and Ravenpaw see Pounce and Snapper running away from the farm. Ravenpaw scoffs at their cowardice. Then, the patrol regroups and Firestar explains his new plan. Brackenfur and Brambleclaw will go to the front door and serve as a distraction, while the other six cats will enter the barn through a hole in the roof and surprise the rogues.
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17	That night, they put their plan into action. Unfortunately, the hole in the roof was mended during the fire repairs. Ravenpaw angrily tears a new hole in the roof, and the patrol uses it to attack the invaders. Firestar chases them out of the barn, and many of the Neo [=BloodClan=] cats flee. Just when victory seems assured, Pounce and Snapper reappear with a horde of Neo [=BloodClan=] cats. Instead of deserting, they were actually getting reinforcements! The reinforcements completely surround the patrol, making escape impossible. Willie gloats about how Ravenpaw is now facing his demise, while the new cats take down every member of the patrol.
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19	Suddenly, the dogs appear! They remembered how Ravenpaw courageously saved them from the fire, and they pay him back by attacking the barn invaders. With the dogs on their side, the odds favour the patrol. Cloudtail defeats Minty, Barley defeats Snapper, Brightheart chases Minty's kits away without harming them, and Graystripe slaps Pounce in a scene reminiscent of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''. Ravenpaw takes on Willie and pins him down easily. However, he is interrupted by the screams of Barley's brothers. Barley decides to save them from the dogs, and lets the stay despite the arguments of the [=ThunderClan=] cats. All the other rogues and Neo [=BloodClan=] members are chased off, and Firestar tells Ravenpaw to come to him if he ever needs help. Ravenpaw and Barley make a nest, while Barley's brothers do nothing.
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21	The next day, Ravenpaw convinces Barley to take a relaxing walk while he explains barn life to Hoot and Jumper. Ravenpaw cleans up the messy barn, then shows Hoot and Jumper around the farm. He takes them to where the herbs are, shows them how to catch mice, and lets them eat tasty grain under the chicken coop. However, all they want to do is sit around and be lazy. After running around all day, Ravenpaw decides to take a nap. However, the barn is a mess when he wakes up. Hoot tells Barley that Ravenpaw sent Jumper and him to hunt and fetch herbs while he took a nap. Ravenpaw tells Barley that they're lying, but Barley brushes him off.
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23	That night, Hoot and Jumper decide to go on a walk with Barley so that they can catch up. Ravenpaw has to stay behind, and he notes that the three brothers are happy when they return. Hoot and Jumper make Ravenpaw get them a mouse, and they steal his nest while he's catching it. Ravenpaw goes to sleep confused, wondering if he ever had a bond with Barley.
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25	In the morning, Hoot and Jumper order Ravenpaw to get them another mouse. Barley sits in the corner with a somber expression on his face. Ravenpaw heads out to get the mouse, thinking that Barley doesn't want him any more. He is considering finding a new place to stay when he hears Barley snarling. Ravenpaw rushes back into the barn to see what has Barley so upset.
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27	Barley turns out to be screaming at his brothers. He calls them out for abusing Ravenpaw, then tells them to get out. Hoot and Jumper threaten to mug him, but Barley beats them up instead. Hoot and Jumper insult Barley as they leave, while Ravenpaw watches happily. Barley tells Hoot and Jumper that he pities them. They have no understanding of loyalty, so they'll turn on each other eventually.
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29	Barley apologizes to Ravenpaw. He had wanted to believe that Hoot and Jumper had changed, but in the end they were the same lazy cats. Barley then leads Ravenpaw up onto the roof, where they gaze over the territory they fought so hard to regain. Barley says that the farm is their place, and the book ends with a narration from Ravenpaw.
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31	->'''Ravenpaw''': "He's right. I guess I was afraid to believe it, but he's right. We're as strong as a Clan, the two of us. And this territory is ours. All our own."
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33	!!Tropes appearing in this volume:
34	* BigDamnHeroes: The dogs repay Ravenpaw and Barley for saving them in an earlier volume by showing up and defeating the [=BloodClan=] cats.
35	* CirclingBirdies: Pounce gets a circle of stars when Graystripe smacks him upside the head.
36	* {{Colorization}}: ''Ravenpaw's Path'' was originally drawn and released in black-and-white, in three different volumes. James Barry later colorized it and it was re-released as a single volume.
37	* ADayInTheLimelight: The manga trilogy is Ravenpaw's, aside from the novella ''Ravenpaw's Farewell''.
38	* EarnYourHappyEnding: The book ends with Barley and Ravenpaw happily savoring how they have reclaimed the farm for themselves.
39	* EasilyForgiven: An unintentional example. During ''Shattered Peace'', Ravenpaw and Barley are chased off the farm they live on by the farmer, because he is tricked into thinking they killed his chickens. The farmer says that if he sees them again, he'll shoot them. However, when they come back and defeat the rogues who took over their home in ''The Heart of a Warrior'', the farmer doesn't care, despite still thinking they killed his chickens.
40	* HeroicRematch: Ravenpaw faced off against [[BigBad Willie]] in ''Shattered Peace'' and got completely crushed. They fight again in ''The Heart of a Warrior'', and this time it is Ravenpaw who is victorious.
41	* LazyBum: Hoot and Jumper are freeloaders that insist they need Ravenpaw to "show" them how to hunt and prepare sleeping areas.
42	* NoHonorAmongThieves: At the heart of it, Barley can't help but pity that this is the worst of his brothers' vices. Thus far, Hoot and Jumper have thrown every ally they've ever had under the bus, especially when it was convenient. Be it Barley, Violet, their Neo [=BloodClan=] or Willie's brand of Neo [=BloodClan=], it always ends with them burning bridges somehow. Barley even wonders how long it will take before Hoot and Jumper turn on each other.
43	* PutTheirHeadsTogether: Bramblepaw smashes together the heads of two [=BloodClan=] cats as Ravenpaw, Barley, and [=ThunderClan=] fight to re-take the barn.
44	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Barley delivers one to his brothers after he overhears them ordering around Ravenpaw like a slave. He calls them out on their behavior towards Ravenpaw and himself and tells them to leave. And when they try to pretend they didn't care to live on the farm anyway, Barley tells them that he pities them, since they have not a loyal bone in their bodies. As far as he's concerned, it's only a matter of time before their disloyalty extends to ''each other''.
45	* SeriesContinuityError:
46	** Deadfoot was gone by the time of ''Firestar's Quest'' since he's nowhere in the Allegiances and Mudclaw's the deputy. This takes place after that book, so he should not be appearing on patrol.
47	** Brambleclaw was made a warrior close to the start of ''Firestar's Quest''. This takes place after that book, but he's still an apprentice here.
48	* UndyingLoyalty: Barley comments that Ravenpaw is more loyal than Hoot and Jumper ever could be in a thousand lifetimes.
49	* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Under the assumption that Barley's asleep, his brothers boss Ravenpaw around and have him go catch a mice for them. Not long after, he confronts them on their atrocious behavior towards his friend.
50	* WingdingEyes: A dead mouse that the [=BloodClan=] kits are playing with has an X for an eye.
51	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: An indirect one. When Barley lets his brothers back into his life, Ravenpaw starts to believe that he favors them over him since they're blood and he's not. And it doesn't help matters when the brothers boss Ravenpaw around. But then Ravenpaw overhears Barley give his brothers an earful for essentially treating his best friend like a slave. In response to his brothers' arguement, Barley declares that Ravenpaw is not only [[FamilyOfChoice family to him]], but also more loyal than the two brothers could ever be in a thousand lifetimes. This raises up Ravenpaws morale about what his friend truly thinks of him.

Context Recap / WarriorCatsTheHeartOfAWarrior