Thunderstar is out with his deputy Lighting Tail and warrior Owl Eyes and their apprentices Apple Blossom and Snail Shell, respectively. The apprentices are showing off their hunting moves and doing very well. Apple Blossom spots a RiverClan cat across the border and calls out a friendly greeting. Thunderstar is happy. It wasn't that long ago that the clans were fighting, but then they united against the rogue Slash and now peace has been in the forest for many moons. The apprentices want to take a break and rest, so the older warriors tease them with stories of their own heroics when they were their age. As they talk Thunderstar feels grateful to have Lightning Tail for his deputy. Back at camp petty disputes are breaking out. Thunderstar wishes that just because there is no need to fight outside the camp, the cats didn't feel the need to fight inside the camp. Without something to focus on every small thing seems to blow up into a big fight. His adopted daughter, Blue Whisker, does not help. Blue Whisker was given to him by Moth Flight, the WindClan medicine cat. She had kits and gave one to each clan to tie them further together. He loves Blue Whisker as his daughter, but sometimes she seems to enjoy stirring up trouble. He puts an end to the argument between Shivering Rose, Thistle, and Clover as well as another argument between Leaf and Pink Eyes. He goes to his den, wishing to curl up with his mate Violet Dawn, but she isn't there. He finds her in the medicine den with Cloud Spots, the medicine cat, and feels like he is interrupting. Cloud Spots leaves and Violet Dawn tells him she is expecting kits. Thunderstar is overjoyed. That night he cannot sleep so he leaves his den. Lightning Tail is on guard so they talk. Thunderstar admits to being scared that he won't be able to protect his kits. Lightning Tail tells him he cannot protect them from everything and assures him that the whole clan will be there to protect them as well. Then Thunderstar confesses his fear that he won't be a good father. His own father, Skystar, wanted nothing to do with him. Lightning Tail tells him that while Skystar was his father, Gray Wing raised him and cared for him - and he is nothing like Skystar. Lightning Tail's words comfort Thunderstar.
Thunderstar is with Violet Dawn and Milkweed. He is worried the queens - as well as the rest of the clan - are not getting enough to eat. It has been raining for days so all the prey are hiding and the scent trails are washed away. A hunting patrol comes back but they have only caught one mouse and one vole. Milkweed's kits share one while she and Violet Dawn share the other. Feeling frustrated, Thunderstar declares he is taking out another hunting patrol and picks his cats. His clan objects, feeling there is no prey so there is no point in going out. Upset, Thunderstar starts to respond but Lightning Tail cuts in. He talks about what wonderful hunters they are and how the clan cares for each other. His speech rouses the cats and his patrol, along with Lightning Tail, head out into the woods. They have good luck since Apple Blossom accidentally disturbed a mouse nest and Thunderstar finds a large bird. They head back to camp with all their prey. It is not enough for everyone to eat until they are full, but it is enough for everyone to have some. As Violet Dawn heads towards the prey Milkweed stops her, scenting dog. As Thunderstar goes to sniff he hears them barking.
The cats scramble up the trees. Thunderstar looks around to make sure everyone is safe. He sees Violet Dawn, Owl Eyes, and Snail Shell trying to help Clover, who has a sprained ankle. Knowing the dogs will be here any moment Thunderstar decides he has to act quickly. He races at the dogs, hoping to distract them. Two of them chase off after him and he climbs up a tree to escape them. He looks back and sees the three cats standing between Clover and the remaining dog. Violet Dawn goes for the dog's eyes, giving all four of them a chance to escape up a tree. Rain comes, drenching everyone, but the dogs don't leave until nightfall. Thunderstar determines it is safe and tells his clan to come down. The next day the rain has finally stopped and everyone has recovered from the dog attack, but Thunderstar still worries. He decides that peace between the clans has made his clan too complacent, and he is worried the dogs might return. Speaking with Lightning Tail and Violet Dawn, he decides they need to look for the dogs to make sure they are safe. It is also decided that patrols will be stepped up and that the other clans must be warned. Lightning Tail will pick cats to warn the clans but Thunderstar wishes to warn SkyClan himself.
Thunderstar goes to SkyClan territory and runs into Dew Petal and Honey Pelt. Dew Petal is Skystar's daughter and greets him as her brother, asking if she can visit Violet Dawn's kits since they are kin. Honey Pelt is Blue Whisker's brother, and adopted son of Skystar, and eagerly asks after his sister. Thunderstar feels both happy and sad seeing his kin. He is glad that Skystar has finally learned how to he a father but he is upset that he never got that experience. They take him to Skystar and the two leaders talk. Thunderstar tells him of the dogs and realizes that Skystar already knew about them. Skystar tells Thunderstar that they only caught whiffs and he never thought the neighboring clan was in any danger but Thunderstar doesn't believe him. Skystar talks about the odd scent the dogs had and offers to help track them. He disagrees with Thunderstar's idea of attacking them but wants to help in any other way he can. They track the scent through ThunderClan land and across the thunderpath. They follow it to a place where a bunch of twoleg monsters are broken and dead, and realize this is the scent the dogs carried and that this must be their home.
Thunderstar decides he wants a better look at the dogs and their home. He, Lightning Tail, and Violet Dawn discuss plans between themselves. Lightning Tail and Violet Dawn both want hin to join Thunderstar, Thunderstar wants him to stay home. In the end Violet Dawn and Lightning Tail win. Thunderstar calls a clan meeting, but as the sleepy kits try to join he amends it to a meeting for anyone old enough to catch their own prey. He tells of the plan for him and Lightning Tail to go away for a few days to see about the dog problem. He places Violet Dawn in charge with Owl Eyes as her deputy. The next day the two cats leave. Following the trail they come across a rogue nest that was attacked by the dogs. They find a dead cat, which makes Lightning Tail furious because she was abandoned to the dogs. Thunderstar says they should bury her so they do. Eventually they reach the Twoleg place and watch the dogs. There are four now and they are badly mistreated by their twolegs, which makes Thunderstar feel bad for them. The twolegs take them in and the cats look for how the dogs escaped the strong fence. They find a part of the fence that is pulled away from the ground, big enough for the dogs to escape through. Thunderstar wants to try blocking the hole with rocks but as they work it becomes apparent that it won't work. Then he decides to weave brambles into the fence. Lightning Tail likes the idea since the brambles are strong and will poke the dogs and the two cats get to it. But as they work the dogs are let out again. The biggest one sees them and makes eye contact with Thunderstar, causing him to yell at Lightning Tail to run.
So I wasn't quite sure what to expect coming into this. I don't know these characters and have no clue of the story line since I haven't read the prequel books yet. I thought about saving the story until I do but then decided against it since I don't know when I will be buying (and reading) those books. It could be a year from now, after all.
So far this is a good story, though nothing is really happening. Clan life seems to be a bit different. The clans are more friendly. And, Moth Flight, a medicine cat, had kits! And this is okay! And she gave one to each clan to tie them further together! And this is okay! And Thunderstar is actually from SkyClan! And this is okay! This is very different from the Warriors world I am used to. Yellowfang had to hide her kit. Leafpool lost her position as medicine cat because she had kits. Jayfeather and Lionblaze are scorned for being half clan. Yet, it appears, everyone probably has some half clan blood in them. (Leaving aside ShadowClan is half rogue, which everyone conveniently forgets when they are mad at ThunderClan.) And, I get the impression, that the clans are newly formed. Also, the names are different. The leaders have the word "star" added, but there is no "paw" or "kit." And Lightning Tail is not Lightningtail. There seems to be no naming ceremonies. And from the feel of it, when Thunderstar called his clan this was the first time he added the part about everyone who could catch their own prey. And, they have no elder's den. No one is actually an elder, even though they are old. They are still considered warriors. I know I am ignoring the story line itself, but that is because I really don't understand what is happening (beyond there are dogs terrorizing them) and am more focused on the discrepancies.
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