Thunder and Shattered Ice race back to their group and spot Jagged Peak alone and vulnerable. Gray Wing arrives and distracts the dogs so Thunder and Shattered Ice can help the injured cat. However the dogs eventually realize the cannot catch Gray Wing and turn to easier prey. Shattered Ice takes off, much to Thunder's shock, and he helps Jagged Peak hide in a rabbit den. Twolegs come and take the dogs away and Gray Wing tells them it is safe to come out. He is shocked when he finds out that Shattered Ice left the two cats behind. Thunder exits the den and realizes Wind and Gorse are there too. Gray Wing is upset with Thunder for leaving the camp and Shattered Ice arrives with help, assuaging everyone's fears that he abandoned his friends. Jagged Peak goes to leave the den but is having a hard time maneuvering his way out when the den collapses on him.
Everyone is shocked and Gray Wing desperately tries to save his brother. Other cats help him but he realizes they aren't making any progress. Wind and Gorse tell everyone to stop and they find the correct spot to dig in, saving Jagged Peak. Everyone heads back to camp, so.e making Jagged Peak feel worse for taking off, others making him feel better by standing up for him and letting him take the lead. Gray Wing manages to do both accidentally. Wind and Gorse ask to live with them and Gray Wing says he will speak to Tall Shadow on their behalf. He goes ahead to camp to tell her what has happened and about Wind and Gorse's request. Tall Shadow is not ready to have outsiders live with them, though she does let them stay for a bit in gratitude for saving Jagged Peak. Wind and Gorse are disappointed in her decision when Gray Wing tells them but they accept it. Turtle Tail tells them to be patient. Later Turtle Tail and Gray Wing talk of life on the moor. Turtle Tail is excited to raise her kits there. Gray Wing asks why she left then if she likes the moor so much but she changes the subject.
The cats settle down and Wind and Gorse start to talk about the rabbit tunnels. As the cats listen contentedly, Tall Shadow cuts them off, telling them that they need to leave. Everyone is shocked by Tall Shadow's declaration and after Wind and Gorse leave an argument breaks out. It starts as an argument over whether or not Wind and Gorse should join their group, but it quickly escalates to whether or not Tall Shadow should be their leader. Shattered Ice declares that Gray Wing should be their leader and other cats quickly back him. Gray Wing is dismayed to see that Tall Shadow won't even speak up for herself as the argument spirals out of control. Upset, she leaves the argument leaving Gray Wing to try and calm the cats down, but he knows that she should be doing this as their leader. Everyone wants a change and Jagged Peak is asked how things are run in Clear Sky's group. He is happy to tell the cats and some feel that some of the things Clear Sky does makes sense. In the end Gray Wing gets everyone off to bed but he wonders what will happen now.
The next day Gray Wing and Thunder go out hunting but they end up getting into a fight. Gray Wing because he is frustrated with Thunder's hunting confusion and Thunder because he feels that Gray Wing is always pushing him and doesn't always know best. The two cats make up but before they can hunt more Turtle Tail goes into labor. Gray Wing rushes back to camp and pushes his way into her den after being ordered to stay out by Rainswept Flower and Jagged Peak. She has three kits, much to Gray Wing's joy, but when she hints they need a father he panics and leaves her den. That night as he sleeps he sees Stoneteller. She tells him that change is coming to his future. He immediately thinks of Turtle Tail's kits but Stoneteller says that is not what she means. Time passes and Turtle Tail's kits grow. Gray Wing helps out with them, much to Turtle Tail's happiness, and Jagged Peak starts to find his place in the group. One day Turtle Tail and Gray Wing take the kits out to explore and Bumble shows up, wishing to join their group. Tom blames Bumble for Turtle Tail leaving and has been attacking her. She wants to move to the moor with her old friend. Turtle Tail tries to tell her old friend no but Bumble won't listen. Turtle Tail takes her to Tall Shadow, knowing that Tall Shadow will refuse her.
On the way back to camp they run into Wind and Gorse who are amused by Bumble's belief that she can join the group. When they reach the camp Bumble makes her request and Tall Shadow tries to let her down gently but does an awful job of it. Wind takes over and bluntly tells Bumble she cannot stay. Wind turns to Tall Shadow to back her up and Tall Shadow is put on the spot. Either she has to agree with Wind or find an excuse to let Bumble stay. Tall Shadow elects to do neither and instead offers to walk Bumble home. But before she can Wind and Gorse take over and escort Bumble out. As she leaves Bumble tells Turtle Tail she will never forgive her for this. Tall Shadow asks Gray Wing if she should allow Wind and Gorse to join their group. She then tells Gray Wing that maybe he should be leader. He stands by Tall Shadow remaining their leader, but privately he thinks of his dream with Stoneteller.
What on earth is going on with Tall Shadow? I feel like she is really dropping the ball when it comes down to leadership. She tells Wind and Gorse no when it should have been a (long overdue) yes and then she bungled telling Bumble no, leaving the job to Wind. And she doesn't stand up for herself as a leader and walks away from the fight before things are resolved. She is also unwilling to make basic changes that would be good for the group - look at poor Jagged Peak who cannot seem to find a place and is thwarted from discovering one by Tall Shadow. I feel like she keeps screwing up - and this is such a sharp contrast from how well she led them through the mountains.
I also feel these mountain cats are living in the past a bit. While they all accept the division with Clear Sky they either keep holding onto hope that things will change or they assume that they can ignore the divison and pretend that it doesn't exist. This also ties into Tall Shadow because some cats are tired of the status quo and are looking to Jagged Peak for a change - but Tall Shadow is uninterested.
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