A half moon goes by and Dappled Pelt returns. She is full of complaints about Clear Sky's camp and is happy to be home. As the cats talk it is clear that there is some hostility towards Clear Sky, which upsets Gray Wing. Everyone goes out hunting and the ground gives out under Rainswept Flower. The cats rescue her and discover a series of old rabbit tunnels. Everyone begins to see the benefits of the tunnels - especially if there is a battle with Clear Sky, which upsets Gray Wing who refuses to believe that could happen. They get Tall Shadow who is excited over the tunnels. She feels they should live in them during the winter for protection. Over the next few days all the cats move in and Gray Wing privately admits to himself that living in the tunnels would offer protection if they have to fight other cats.
One day Gray Wing sees Frost and Jagged Peak approaching their camp. He calls out a greeting to them but Jagged Peak looks miserable and Frost ignores him. Frost leaves and an embarrassed and hurt Jagged Peak explains that because he can no longer hunt and contribute Clear Sky told him that he cannot live with them. He begs Gray Wing to let him come back to the tribe's camp because with winter coming he will not survive on his own. Gray Wing is furious and assures Jagged Peak that he will always have a home with them. After bringing Jagged Peak to Tall Shadow, Gray Wing confronts Clear Sky. But Clear Sky stands by his decision, infuriating Gray Wing and causing him to attack. Clear Sky easily beats him and tells Gray Wing he is no longer welcome in the camp. As he leaves Storm tells him that Clear Sky really does feel he is doing the best thing, but she seems worried. Gray Wing, however, is still upset and heads back to camp. Everyone is making Jagged Peak feel welcome and Cloud Spots is determined to figure out how to help him. Time passes and one day Gray Wing is out hunting a squirrel when Fox attacks him, accusing him of stealing prey. Gray Wing tries to talk to Clear Sky but Fox's attacks are so ferocious Gray Wing fears he will be killed. In desperation he fends off Fox's attacks and accidentally kills him. Clear Sky is furious, disowning Gray Wing. He won't listen to anything Gray Wing has to say in his defense. Storm finally speaks up, telling Clear Sky she has had enough. She tells Clear Sky she is tired of the way he treats her and blames him for Fox's death. She apologizes to Gray Wing and leaves.
Gray Wing begs Clear Sky to go after Storm, but Clear Sky refuses feeling that Storm has made ber choice. When he asks after Jagged Peak, Gray Wing becomes hopeful, but again Clear Sky disappoints him. Clear Sky feels that Storm and Jagged Peak are in the past and he must take care of his cats. Gray Wing invites Clear Sky to visit them whenever he wants, but privately he wonders if Tall Shadow would actually allow that. Days pass and Hawk Swoop prepares to have her kits. This makes Gray Wing think of Storm and he decides to go to Twoleg place and find her. A dog chases him and Turtle Tail saves him. She is thrilled that Gray Wing has come to visit her but he embarrassedly admits he is there for Storm. This upsets Turtle Tail who pretends she doesn't know where Storm lives but Bumble tells Gray Wing that they do know. She takes Gray Wing to see Storm but Storm refuses to talk. She feels these are her kits and she wants nothing to do with Gray Wing and Clear Sky. Gray Wing is upset but accepts her decision.
Gray Wing returns home, feeling he is doing the wrong thing. When he wakes up in the morning he resolves to talk to Storm again. He heads towards Twoleg place and runs into Turtle Tail who tells him to come quickly, Storm is in danger. They reach her den to find a monster destroying it. Gray Wing is unable to save Storm, who dies telling Gray Wing that she just wanted to keep her kits safe. All the kits but one are dead. Turtle Tail helps Gray Wing carry the kit away. Turtle Tail names the kit Thunder and tells Gray Wing to bring it to his father. Gray Wing brings him to Clear Sky, much to the annoyance of Clear Sky's guards, but Clear Sky refuses to take the kit in. He feels he only brings suffering to those he loves. Gray Wing is furious with his brother but Clear Sky won't back down and admit he is wrong. Their relationship dies and an angry Gray Wing brings the upset kit, who doesn't understand why his father doesn't want him, to his camp. The arrival of Thunder causes some debate. Some cats fear that Clear Sky will use this as an excuse to attack their camp. Gray Wing threatens to leave if they kick the kit out. In the end it is decided that Thunder should stay. Gray Wing tells Thunder not to worry, that from this moment forward he will be his father.
I am in complete shock. I mean, I knew things were going to get bad, but this is worse then I imagined. Clear Sky kicking out Jagged Peak, writing off Gray Wing, and refusing to take in his son Thunder. This is awful. And reading as Gray Wing slowly comes to the realization that his brother is not the man he grew up with. This ending is so sad. And I guess I'm just in so much shock because I am used to ThunderClan being the heroes of the story, while Clear Sky is so clearly not a hero as he makes every single wrong decision that he possibly can.
However, I am willing to bet that Thunder becomes the Thunder of ThunderClan - and I bet that clan is Clear Sky's group. I am willing to bet that when Thunder grows up he goes back to his father's clan to lead it and change it. And I bet that Gray Wing's group will become WindClan. I can't wait to start the next book and find out what happens.
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