The Shattered Horn - the first book in the Thunder on the Plains arc.
Blurb[]
A thrilling new arc in Erin Hunter’s bestselling Bravelands series! Set in the African highlands and told from three different animals’ points of view, this is a perfect adventure for dedicated fans and readers new to the Bravelands world.
Echo, a water buffalo, is chosen by the Great Spirit to lead after a horrific accident—but can’t command the respect of any of his herd. Stride the cheetah is keeping secrets from his coalition that could get him killed for disloyalty. And Tailgrabber, a young hyena, is desperate to find peace between her clan and the lions of Noblepride—even though it marks a betrayal of the hyenas’ longstanding allegiance to the Great Devourer.
As the structures that once guided their lives begin to crumble, can each of these three unlikely allies hold their own against the coming storm?
Full of epic adventure and thrilling intrigue, this adventure will thrill readers who love the Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire series, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who’ve made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenon.
Plot[]
Prologue[]
Starlight's point of view.
Starlight and her herd watch elephant calves, Storm, Sunbeam, and Ash play in a lake. As she contemplates her old age, her role as Great Mother, and her peaceful reign over the Bravelands she notices a group of baboons debating a gazelle by the lake. They come to her and introduce themselves as Sprint the gazelle, as well as Pebble, Twig, and Trunk Middleleaf, alongside Mango Highleaf. They ask Stralight if Sprint’s claims of a gazelle Great Parent that was only a shadow are true. Starlight replies that not all stories of Great Parents are true but are based on a seed of truth. She tells them that Great Mother Prance continued to guide Bravelands after she died when the Mountain erupted. Mango asks in shock if the Mountain did explode. Starlight struggles to recall the events of the story and starts telling the beginning when Thorn was Great Father.
While telling the story, most of the animals gathered around the lake turn their heads towards a noise as the ground shakes. Mango asks if it is another eruption, but Starlight assures him that it is only a female herd of buffalo traveling to meet with the males for their migration. The Great Mother continues to explain that the buffalo believe that they summon rain from the sky when they migrate and shake the earth. Sprint asks what would happen if the buffalo failed to migrate, to which Starlight claims that she has never heard of such a situation before and that she only knows what the buffalo believe. As the group watches the buffalo, Starlight sees something in the dust that their hooves are making. She knows that the others can’t see it and that it is a sign of something wrong in Bravelands that the Great Spirit does not know what it could be.
Chapter 1[]
Stride's point of view.
Stride, a young male cheetah lays beside his friend, Pace, and the rest of his coalition as he waits for his leader, Jinks, to decide what to do. Pace makes a joke about how he wishes that the cheetah hadn’t stolen the sun, and asks if Stride recalls the tale. Stride recounts his mother’s tale of when the world was forever dark and the sun did not exist but was hidden Underground by Death. Death was jealous of how the Great Spirit loved the living so he horded the sun in a deep black ravine. The Great Spirit knew that life cannot carry on without the sun so it picked a cheetah to to steal the sun back. The cheetah succeeded but was chased by Death, pursuing him throughout all of Bravelands. The cheetah was faster than Death for a long time and ran circles that caused the sun to rise and set. But when the cheetah got tired Death caught him in the end. The Great Spirit, impressed by the cheetah, ensured that the sun would rise and fall every day to pay tribute to his sacrifice.
Towards the end of the tale, Jinks nags Stride and the rest of the coalition to hunt. Pace is annoyed and Stride sees that even Jinks’ lieutenant, One-Ear, is irritated. As the coalition prowls across the plains Jinks finds them a herd of buffalo. Stride credits that Jinks has a knack at finding prey despite being an annoying bully. Stride notices that there are no calves in the herd and Pace informs him that it’s a male herd travelling to meet with the females. Jinks confidently decides to hunt down one of the males, but Stride hesitates since there are no sick or elderly buffalo. When Pace questions his decision, Jinks teases him and asks if he can outrun a buffalo. Pace tells him that it’s dangerous hunting such large prey especially if the rest of the herd catches them. Jinks claims that he managed to hunt a buffalo by himself and that its easy if you use your brain. Stride is skeptical of his claim and sarcastically thinks that he might as well be Great Father Zag back from the dead. One-Ear supports Jinks’ claim by saying that he saw him do it. Stride questions if the coalition can hunt something smaller somewhere else but Jinks cuffs him in the jaw and tells Stride that he can leave the coalition and hunt by himself if he doesn’t want to go after buffalo. Stride apologizes and says he is on board with hunting buffalo. Jinks directs his coalition’s attention towards a young buffalo grazing farther than the rest. As Jinks springs towards the buffalo’s neck, One-Ear jumps on the target’s back, as Pace and Stride bite at the buffalo’s hooves. The buffalo calls out to its herd and scratches Jinks’ neck. With the herd charging towards the cheetah’s the coalition retreats. As the cheetah reach a safe distance, Stride lashes out at Jinks for making the decision to hunt the buffalo. Jinks dismisses Stride and insists on hunting something elsewhere.
As the cheetahs look for food, Jinks comments on how he wants to take some prey back to Flicker. Stride is annoyed to hear Jinks ramble about the female he is courting and dreads at how often this is a topic of conversation. As Jinks continues to exaggerate about Flicker and how the Great Spirit has destined her to be his mate, Stride tells Pace that he bets that Flicker is fly-ridden. Pace tells him that he actually met her and she is impressive, and One-Ear asks if Stride is jealous. Stride tells them that if he really wanted a mate he could have easily have one, but he wants to stay in the coalition because he was promised to live a fun independent life. Stride smells impala and decides to hunt it down. Pace asks if he can do it after the attempt with the buffalo. Stride decides to take the chance and chases the impala. His vision loses color and he feels that he is also being hunted in the chase. When he finally catches the impala, color returns to his world.
Chapter 2[]
Whisper's point of view.
A female buffalo calf named Whisper is grazing on the Quaking Plains alongside her friend, Murmur. The calves watch the plains waiting for the male herd, Murmur’s mother, Thunder, jokes that they will regret not appreciating the peaceful days before the males come. Another buffalo named Clatter comments on how big and noisy the males are. Murmur is still excited to see the males because she will be reunited with Quake. Whisper jokes that despite Quake’s youth, he doesn’t compare to the herd leader, Bellow. As the buffalo continue to talk, Whisper notices that her younger brother Echo is gone. She frantically searches until she sees him playing with a rhino calf outside of the herd again. When she scolds her brother for not being cautious of predators, Echo tells her that his friend, Rockside, and his mother are nearby. As Whisper is about to take her brother back to the herd, they see a cloud of dust in the distance and find the male herd approaching. Whisper and Echo run back to their herd to inform the others. Echo asks Thunder if they will start the migration once the males arrive. Thunder tells him that they will need some time to be reacquainted with the males before migrating. Echo is excited at the prospect of migrating and can’t wait to see the rest of Bravelands. Whisper informs him of the hardships of migrating and notes to herself that Echo doesn’t remember the last migration where after he was born, their mother was too weak to continue migrating and was left behind. Whisper still recalls the promise that Thunder and Roar made to her mother about taking care of her and Echo. She hopes that with Bellow’s guidance, the herd will be able to safely make the migration and that Echo will be able to join the males when he returns.
Chapter 3[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
A young adult female hyena named Cub stalks an elderly gazelle with a limp alongside her clanmates, Skullcracker and Hidetearer. Skullcracker and the rest of the pack cackle at the gazelle to distract it while Hidetearer and two other hyenas ambush it from behind. As the hyenas surround the gazelle, Skullcracker tells it to give up and that it no longer has a shadow. The gazelle tells the hyenas that it will never stop running and that a gazelle once outran its death. Skullcracker tells Cub to make the kill and take her name. As the other hyenas tease Cub, she feels insulted that the pack had to corner a gazelle for her to kill and that she hadn’t killed her own prey and taken her name by now. Despite her fury at not being able to catch her own prey, she takes the opportunity since she doesn’t want to be a Cub any longer. The gazelle sees that Cub hesitates, and comforts the hyena, only to trick her and run away. Cub chases the gazelle and grabs it by the tail as the rest of their pack piles onto it and kills it. When the gazelle is dead the entire pack feasts on its flesh, but Skullcracker strikes Cub away and tells her to eat last.
As the pack finishes eating, they leave Cub to eat the leftovers. Skullcracker and Hidetearer name Cub, Tailgrabber. But Tailgrabber is insulted by the ridiculous name and tells them that it doesn’t count because she didn’t kill the gazelle. The pack leaves to rejoin the clan as Backbreaker and Neckbiter laugh at her new name. Tailgrabber eats away at the remains and sees that the flies on the gazelle are moving strangely. Tailgrabber has a vision of standing in a dead plain with the skeletons of buffalo towering over her. The largest skeleton has a broken horn and turns its head towards Tailgrabber and asks for help. Tailgrabber returns to herself as the flies disperse and asks the Great Devourer what her vision could mean.
Chapter 4[]
Stride's point of view.
Stride is trying to drag away his catch hoping that predators don’t find him an attack. He knows that it is wrong to take the entire impala for himself instead of bringing it back for the coalition, but he hopes that his excuse of being to tired to bring it back will be enough for Jinks. As he drags the impala to a copse with a baobab tree in the center surrounded by marula trees, he hears a voice telling him to stop coming here. Stride sees his brother, Fleet in a tree and tells him that the impala was for him. The two cheetahs eat the catch and Stride notices the weak condition his brother is in due to his broken back leg. When the brothers finish eating, Fleet tells Stride that he mustn’t keep coming to him now that he is in a coalition and has a life of his own. Stride insists that his brother can’t live without his help and that he will d anything he can for him. As Stride leaves, Fleet thanks him and warns him not to get caught.
When Stride leaves, something strikes him across the ear and he sees a startled female cheetah that then smacks him across the face. Stride tries to calm the cheetah down, and she exclaims that he surprised her. Stride lies and says that he was hunting a warthog and lost it in the bushes. The cheetah asks if this is his territory, but Stride says no, she also says this isn’t her territory either. The cheetah introduces herself as Flicker, and Stride tells her his name before quickly leaving. Stride hopes that Flicker won’t mention seeing him to Jinks.
Chapter 5[]
Whisper's point of view.
Whisper watches as the females and the males greet each other. She, Echo, and Murmur keep close to Thunder until Murmur spots Quake and runs towards him. As Quake and Murmur greet each other, Whisper realizes that he looks more like an adult than she remembered. Murmur asks Quake about the scars on his rump, and he brags that he drove off some cheetahs by himself. As Murmur and Quake pretend to be mature and strong, Whisper and Echo see Bellow as he and his brother approach Thunder and her friends.
Echo is invited by another adult male, Shout, to play by the river bank with all the other male calves including Quake. As Whisper watches him intently from afar, Murmur rambles about Quake and how she plans to name their calves Bellow and Cry after her grandmother once Quake becomes herd leader. Thunder tells her daughter that she shouldn’t get too attached to one particular male and that Holler was believed to be the next herd leader when Rumble was dying but his brother was chosen instead. Stampede and Clatter also add that the females must ensure the herd continues. Whisper asks how herd leaders are chosen and how they know the path of the migration. Thunder explains that the previous leader teaches the new leader the path in a sacred ceremony under the moonlight. As the conversation continues, Whisper spots Echo trying to get into a circle of buffalo but is pushed into the mud by Quake. Furious, Whisper marches towards the male buffalo until she accidentally steps in some mud and gets stuck. With mud up to her head, Whisper struggles as the males gather around her and warn her of approaching crocodiles. The adults pull Whisper out of the mud and gang up on the crocodiles. Murmur asks Whisper if she is alright, and Whisper explains that she wanted to defend Echo. As the males return from the river, everyone notices Bellow limping and sees he has been wounded on the side. Thunder and Holler come to aid him, and Echo feels that the accident is his fault because he couldn’t defend himself. Quake disagrees and says that both Echo and Whisper are to blame for Bellow’s injury and putting the migration at risk.
Chapter 6[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Tailgrabber returns to the her Clan to see males and cubs eating while the females are discussing something. She wonders if she should tell the females about her vision as most of the time in never goes well, not even with her sister, Nosebiter. Tailgrabber sits at a distance from Backbreaker and listens to Spinesnapper’s story of how she mauled the paw of one of Noblepride’s strongest cubs. Skullcracker and Hidetearer agrees and complain about how Noblepride continues to encroach on their territory. Tailgrabber sees Spinesnapper’s scar on her flank and Backbreaker’s injured muzzle and notices how many clan members have similar marks showing the escalating battles with Noblepride. Tailgrabber doubts that her Clan’s false sense of victory will prevent Noblepride from retaliating but decided not to mention it.
Tailgrabber addresses the females and inform them of her vision. A majority of the group groans but Spinesnapper insists on hearing Tailgrabber’s vision. When Tailgrabber finishes it, Spinesnapper tells her that it sounds important and that they must inform their matriarch, Gutripper at once. Tailgrabber catches on that Spinesnapper is mocking her as Hidetearer and Backbreaker join in on the bit. Tailgrabber tells them that she gets the message and decides to leave, but Skullcracker insists that its an imaginative tale and that she should tell it to the males. Tailgrabber tells Skullcracker to shut up which angers her. Tailgrabber’s sister, Nosebiter, comes with her cub and breaks up the tension. As the other females leave, Backbreaker mutters how Tailgrabber thinks she is so important because she is Gutripper’s daughter, even if she can’t hunt. Nosebiter nurses Cub and asks Tailgrabber how she got her name. Tailgrabber begins the story of the impala* but stops and tells her sister that it wasn’t really important and how she was named despite not making the kill. Nosebiter tells her sister that having a name is better than having no name and that she should take this as an opportunity to create a fearsome image. Tailgrabber asks if having visions is considered fearsome. Nosebiter thinks that Tailgrabber’s vision of dead buffalo sounds like an oppurtunity for a meal and tells her sister that she should focus on the present instead of the future. Both sisters say that hyenas survive however Tailgrabber wonders if there is more to surviving. Before Nosebiter takes her son to her den, she tells Tailgrabber to keep a lookout for Noblepride instead of visions as she agrees with her sister's sentiment that Noblepride will come after them.
Chapter 7[]
Stride's point of view.
Stride returns to his brother’s territory a few days later with a dik-dik. As he fights against the wind, Stride recalls how Jinks’ coalition didn’t want to go hunting today and how One-Ear warned them of an approaching storm. Flicker catches Stride off guard and asks what he is doing so far from his coalition. Stride tells her he likes to hunt with them but lies and says he prefers time alone. Flicker sympathizes with him and says she would also want to escape Jinks. Amused by their shared annoyance with Jinks, Stride hides his catch under a bush as he gossips with Flicker. He asks Flicker what she sees in Jinks and how Jinks talks about being her mate nonstop. When Flicker hears this she is angry at the fact that Jinks believes that she is his mate when she never said so.
Stride tries to end the conversation and leave but Flicker stops him and asks why he comes here every other day with fresh kill. Stride lies and says he likes hunting, but Flicker guesses that Stride is a better hunter and is hiding his kills to protect Jinks’ fragile ego. Stride tells her that she guessed right but Flicker spots a sandstorm in the distance and both cheetahs run away. Stride and Flicker shelter behind a boulder as the storm passes over them and they help each other out of a dune that buried them. Stride realizes that the storm passed over Fleet’s territory and runs to the copse calling his brother’s name. Stride hears his brother’s mewling and spots his buried tail and rushes to dig alongside Flicker. After rescuing Fleet, Flicker introduces herself and leaves to find the dik-dik Stride hid. Stride, amazed at Flicker’s quick understanding of his brother’s situation is worried now that Flicker knows his secret. Stride asks if his brother is alright, and Fleet asks who Flicker is. Stride tells him that he has met her before and that she is not his mate. Flicker returns to give Fleet the dik-dik and Stride and Flicker leave Fleet to rest and eat. Flicker tells Stride that Jinks wouldn’t accept his decision to hunt for a disabled cheetah that isn’t a part of his coalition. Stride tells her that if he tells Jinks he will be expelled or worse, but if he stops feeding Fleet, his brother will starve. Flicker offers her assistance in helping Stride take care of Fleet.
Chapter 8[]
Whisper's point of view.
Whisper overhears Clatter and Thunder gossiping about Bellow’s injury and how he is sleeping a lot and his leg won't stop bleeding. As Clatter leaves to gossip with other buffalo, Whisper looks toward the tree that Bellow is resting under and the guard of male buffalo surrounding him. Echo approaches Whisper and asks if Bellow is alright and if he is responsible for his injury. Whisper reassures him that he had nothing to do with Bellow’s injury, but thinks to herself that it's her fault that Bellow is injured. Bellow approaches the herd alongside his brother Holler to address any concerns about his injury. Whisper notices that the wound on his flank is open and raw, and how Bellow walks with a slight rolling limp. She also follows Holler’s gaze to see Bellow’s trembling leg that was hidden. Bellow announces that he feels strong and that the herd should prepare for migration.
Murmur approaches Whisper and tells her how relieved she is that Bellow isn’t badly wounded. Quake passes by and joins the conversation when he hears Murmur greeting him excitedly. He asks if Murmur is excited about the migration, to which Murmur, thrilled to be speaking with Quake, tells him that she was worried about Bellow but is happy to know that he is alright. Quake reassures her that even if Bellow wouldn’t be able to lead the migration they still had his father who is able to take up leadership at a moment’s notice. Whisper tells Quake that Holler hasn’t been chosen and doesn’t know the Way. Quake disregards her concerns and tells her that Holler’s experience is enough and that the buffalo should be more focused on migrating so that the rains will come. The calves catch the scent of lions and Bellow warns the herd to form the Shell. Whisper and Echo join Roar, the other calves, and the elderly in the center of the Shell as the adult males surround them. Bellow wards off the lions but Whsiper hears a commotion and sees that Bellow has collapsed. To protect Bellow, Holler takes control and orders the herd to absorb Bellow. The herd obeys and Bellow is joined with Whisper and the other calves. Whisper comforts him and tells him that everything is alright. The lions leave and the buffalo disperse and look towards Bellow. Bellow, unable to stand, tells his herd that he is unable to lead the migration and that he must find a successor and teach them the Way. Whisper spots a flicker of excitement in Holler and the other males’ eyes. Thunder and Bellow’s other mates join beside him.
Chapter 9[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Tailgrabber daydreams about tricking the gazelle and killing it with a strike to its throat. Her mother, Gutripper, runs to her side and tells her that she is proud of her daughter and names her Breathstealer. Tailgrabber stops daydreaming and returns to her mundane task of patrolling the Clan’s territory. She plans to walk alongside the border to a nearby wood where she will rest. She wonders if the Clan would make fun of her resting but she also believes they would make fun of her if she returned tired. She runs into the wood and continues daydreaming about her alter ego, Breathstealer, and how she would have terrible visions but the rest of the Clan would see them too and believe her.
Tailgrabber spots a lioness in the woods and starts to growl at her. As she threatens the lion, the lion taunts Tailgrabber and starts moving to the side. Tailgrabber tries to put on a show of strength and asks if the lioness is alone. The lioness continues to taunt Tailgrabber and introduces herself as Bold. Tailgrabber tells her that her name is Breathstealer and asks if Bold earned her name or if she is a coward. Bold tells Tailgrabber that her pride leader, Noble, wont secede his territory after the hyenas killed his favorite cub. Tailgrabber tries to ignore her concern for the death of the cub her Clan injured. She then mocks Noble and how lions have a patriarchy instead of a matriarchy. Bold, enraged, tells Tailgrabber that Noble is a descendant of Ruthless and Titan and is the best hunter in Bravelands. Bold then tells Tailgrabber to go back to her Clan and that she isn’t in the mood to fight. Tailgrabber leaves and is excited to tell the Clan about her encounter with the lion. She comes home and finds Hidetearer, Gurtripper, and Nosebiter and tells them about the encounter. Hidetearer asks how long Tailgrabber was chatting, but Tailgrabber lies and says she fought Bold and forced the information from her. Nosebiter tells her sister that she couldn’t have fought Bold because she didn’t smell of lion. Tailgrabber is embarrassed, but Gutripper interupts saying that Tailgrabber did meet a lion and glances at three female lions prowling around camp. Tailgrabber sees Bold leading them and realizes that she followed her home. Gutripper’s Clan and Noblepride fight, with the battle ending with Bold killing all the hyena cubs.
Chapter 10[]
Stride's point of view.
Chapter 11[]
Whisper's point of view.
Chapter 12[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Chapter 13[]
Stride's point of view.
Chapter 14[]
Whisper's point of view.
Chapter 15[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Chapter 16[]
Stride's point of view.
Chapter 17[]
Whisper's point of view.
Chapter 18[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Chapter 19[]
Stride's point of view.
Chapter 20[]
Whisper's point of view.
Chapter 21[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Chapter 22[]
Stride's point of view.
Chapter 23[]
Whisper's point of view.
Chapter 24[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Chapter 25[]
Stride's point of view.
Chapter 26[]
Whisper's point of view.
Chapter 27[]
Tailgrabber's point of view.
Chapter 28[]
Stride's point of view.
Chapter 29[]
Whisper's point of view.
Epilogue[]
Echo's point of view.
Inconsistencies[]
In Chapter 3 Tailgrabber hunts a gazelle but when recounting the tale to her sister she says she hunted an impala[3]
References[]
- ↑ HarperCollins website
- ↑ Revealed on Rosie Best's Twitter
- ↑ pg. 94, Chapter 6, The Shattered Horn