Because that is totally what this chapter was all about. fo' serious.
I'm really sorry this took so long, since I try to update once a week and it's been two. I was kinda burnt out after December (during which I updated much more quickly than normal) and I've been crunched for time, too...plus I've been suddenly flooded with a whole bunch of delicious ideas for my next fic (which I think will be titled Thin Ice...it's a more refined version of the idea that I had for a story about Scourge, the one on my profile) which has meant that my inspiration for Chilled has waned a bit. No worries, though, I'll try to plug away as diligently as ever.
Anywho~
@Sara Darkotter: I feel this way about most of my characters, tbh. Even the bad ones are difficult for me to entirely hate ('cept Blight, he's stone-cold ebil)...and I do find her issues to be intruiging.
@Spottedstream: Yup c:
@ReploidCat: Yep, Brightstar's a piece of work! As for Chilly, it does seem odd that he isn't just telling her what she wants to hear...I wonder why that might be...winkwink.
@The Last Clan: Perhaps! But Brightstar is much too prideful to let anything so embarrassing slip (being the illegetiamate child of a queen and a rogue is bad enough!) so Sootpaw might never hear such a thing. As for the prophecy, we've only heard bits and pieces of it. Bluepaw's being rather clingy, and so far she and Shimmerfrost appear to be the only ones with the full scoop.
@?: You didn't list your name, so unfortunately I can't address you, but I found your review to be interesting. While I agree with the slow pace (mostly because I am setting up plot points that will collapse like dominoes in my mad scheme of chaos and destruction and character development and awesome...which isn't really an excuse, but it's all I've got!) some of the other parts of your review confuse me. I'm sorry, but I can't really see Sootpaw as a Sue. I ran her through several supposed-sue-tests, and she came out just fine, and I don't honestly think that she embodies any of the core aspects of being a Sue. She isn't incredibly popular, she's not gifted at hunting or fighting (or any combination thereof |D), she doesn't have a dozen lovers following her around (unlike Spiderpaw and his harem, ehheh...), she doesn't receive special attention from the adults (positive or negative). Her only Sue-boon would be her special dreams, but she really doesn't like them at all, and if I was in her position, I wouldn't either; dreaming of evil dead cats and failed journeys isn't really my idea of fun...not to mention that she can't tell anyone for fear of being ostracized (because, come on, if someone came out and told the Clan they were aiding the cat that attempted to murder their leader, how mcuh do you want to bet the Clan would turn on them?). Plus, her father's position really has nothing to do with her. She's proud of him, but she doesn't receive any special privileges. He's too busy to be a good father for her (he broke his promise to show her the territory, remember) and he punishes her as he would any other kit, not to mention that she doesn't even have a mentor (and is pretty hampered by this, compared to the other cats she's with). I don't really see how her decision to go on the journey had anything to do with her father or her acting spoiled, and she's not at all like Squirrelpaw. Squirrelpaw was bold, outspoken, and completely unafraid of adventure or ridicule, whereas Sootpaw is much more timid and awkward.
As for Jaggedclaw and Bramblethorn...I'm honestly not sure what to say. I'm sorry you don't like Jag being crippled, I guess, but in the end it was my decision. I was tired of having every character get off completely scot-free, and I wanted to experiment with characters who didn't have the bonuses of being able-bodied warriors, not to mention that it's taking Jag's character in an interesting direction. As for Bramblethorn, his death was decided the moment that certain characters came into being (said characters were introduced waaay back in Chapter 33 of Shattered, but I knew they would exist well before that). I'm not quite sure if many of you realize just how far back I had certain things planned out. I had some major, major plotpoints already staked out halfway through Shattered, even though some of them haven't yet made themselves obvious. Bramblethorn's death was not the result of a so-called "Bus Crash" (for non Tropers, a "bus crash" is a term for when a character no longer has a purpose on the show and has to be written off; more specifically, it is when a character is written off by dying, such as Kutner's suicide on House). Bramblethorn was fated to die well before Shattered ended. His death set off two separate chains of events (one of which was Chillpaw being named a warrior, which has in turn spurred almost all of Chilled's plot!) that will become quite evident very soon.
I realize some parts of this reply are cryptic, but I honestly cannot say much more without releasing quite a few spoilers, and no one wants that. If you could explain your feelings a bit further (specifically on Sootpaw's Sue-tendancies, your issues with Jag being crippled, and why you disliked Bramble's death) I would appreciate it.
@Nightkill: Awesome in a terrible snubby way, yes. |D
