Stoneteller (Half Moon) lies in the cave with the other cats. Everyone is hungry and there is not enough food to go around. A hunting patrol returns, but they didn't find enough food to bring any back. Stoneteller can sense everyone's despair and wonders what to do before they all die from starvation. Lion's Roar hints to her that maybe the cats should leave, but she can't agree. She feels this is where Jay's Wing sent them so this is where she must stay. Suddenly she sees a vision of golden light. No one else can see it and she realizes it means that some cats must leave so that those who stay can survive.
Gray Wing and Clear Sky, brothers, are out hunting for the tribe. They catch a hawk which Clear Sky wants to eat. Gray Wing, however, thinks back to the starving cats in the cave and insists they bring the prey back. The tribe is thrilled to see so much food and are grateful to Gray Wing and Clear Sky for bringing it back instead of eating it themselves. Lion's Roar makes a comment about the mountains having fed them enough and Gray Wing sees Stonetellet shoot him a look. Quiet Rain, Gray Wing's mother, comes over to ask him to eat too. He insists he will later as he watches his younger siblings play. Jagged Peak, his brother, is a strong, young cat but Fluttering Bird, his sister, looks weak and tiny by comparison. Shaded Moss announces that Stoneteller will speak. Some cats wonder if Stoneteller will finally announce a successor in Shaded Moss but instead she speaks of a vision of a new land with plenty of prey. She then announces that Shaded Moss will go there with whomever wishes to travel with him. The cats are shocked but what is even more shocking is how many immediately volunteer to go with them. Clear Sky wishes to go, and wishes Gray Wing to come with him, but Gray Wing is unsure. Jagged Peak and Fluttering Bird wish to go as well but Quiet Rain insists that they stay with her as they are too young for the journey. Bright Stream is unsure and Clear Sky asks her to go with him. As everyone discusses the idea a hunting party returns without food. Turtle Tail excitedly asks Gray Wing if he will go with her but he looks around the cave, unsure if he can leave it.
Hunger wakes up Gray Wing. He sees Clear Sky and Bright Stream discussing the future. Bright Stream is unsure if she wants to go and decides to go hunting with Gray Wing. They catch a rabbit and share it. Bright Stream realizes Gray Wing intends to stay and asks him. He admits it. As they bring the rest of the rabbit to the tribe they see the cats who will leave head off to look at the path they will take. They invite Gray Wing to join them but he makes an excuse of bringing the rabbit back to the cave. Inside Quiet Rain cannot wake Fluttering Bird. Gray Wing rushes to get Stoneteller but there is nothing to be done. After Fluttering Bird dies Clear Sky asks his mother to join them but she refuses. However, after Clear Sky leaves she tells Gray Wing that he must leave. She tells him that while she doesn't want him to go she cannot bear to lose another of her children like this. She feels Jagged Peak is too young for the journey so he must stay, but her other sons should leave.
Gray Wing approaches the group of cats who are leaving and admits he is considering changing his mind. Clear Sky and Turtle Tail are happy he might be joining him. Suddenly there is a commotion as Dewy Leaf realizes Moon Shadow is planning on leaving. She is furious since she is pregnant with their kits. This leads to a debate over whether or not Moon Shadow has the right to go. Stoneteller intervenes and tells the cats about the vote to leave the lake. She proposes a vote to see if any cat who wishes to leave has the right to leave. Jagged Peak wants to vote as well but Quiet Rain tells him no. However Stoneteller says every cat must vote. When it is Gray Wing's turn to vote he votes to stay, feeling that this is their home. Stoneteller counts the rocks and gives everyone the answer. The cats who wish to leave can.
Everyone is outside. Stoneteller and Shaded Moss speak about the upcoming journey and the dangers. Clear Sky tells his family goodbye. The cats part ways and the tribe adjusts to their new life without their tribe mates. Jagged Peak wants to learn to hunt and a reluctant Quiet Rain agrees after Gray Wing points out that if he isn't trained he will try and train himself. Gray Wing takes Jagged Peak out and watches as his brother catches a rabbit - Gray Wing did have to save him from hawk, but he is proud of his young brother's accomplishment. The next day Quiet Rain cannot find Jagged Peak anywhere. Gray Wing asks the elder, Misty Water, to help him find his brother. Misty Water used to be the best tracker of the tribe. She finds his trail following the cats who have left. They return to the cave where Gray Wing breaks this news to his mother. She insists Gray Wing go after Jagged Peak. He doesn't want to, insisting that Jagged Peak can look after himself, but Quiet Rain gets her way in the end.
Okay, I'm going crazy over here. I know that the clans were named after their founders - Thunder, Shadow, Wind, River, and Sky. None of these cats have those names. Tall Shadow is a female and could, potentially, be the also female Shadow but she is really the only one who fits the criteria. I'm dying to figure out how these tribe cats become the clan cats. Also, I figured the clan cats were related to the tribe cats since some of them have lived in the past with the tribe and in the present with the clans, but I never figured they were so closely related as to actually be tribe cats. How did their tribe code turn into the warrior code? They are so very different. How did they lose their pacifist ways? Although, the tribe clearly isn't established in their ways yet. They are still on their first Stoneteller and don't place feeding the tribe before feeding the hunters. That was so shocking, to see the hunters eating and then bringing their scraps back to the elders and queens. Something like that would never happen in the current tribe or clans.
As for Jagged Peak, I am not surprised he ran off, after wanting so badly to go! I am sure Gray Wing will find him, but since this book is Gray Wing's story he clearly has to leave - and he just as clearly does not wish to.
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