Saturday, July 20, 2019

the first battle: part two

Clear Sky has taken Alder and Birch out for training, against the wishes of Petal. He takes them racing through the trees, frustrated at their inability to keep up. Privately he thinks they have to do better if they expect to survive. When the kits object to how hard he is pushing them he discounts their concerns. They reach their goal and Clear Sky announces that they will now play hide and seek. He tells Birch to wait while he and Alder hide. He takes Alder to a spot that he has already picked out. He tells her to roll around in some foul smelling mud to hide her scent, hide behind a tree, and attack Birch when he comes. Alder refuses to attack Birch, feeling it isn't fair since Birch won't be expecting it. Clear Sky grows more and more frustrated with her and actually lashes out with his paw. He calms down and apologizes but then Alder hears a dog and races off after her brother. Clear Sky follows and back at the tree where they left Birch they find the dog has chased the young kit up the tree. Clear Sky freezes, unsure what to do. Petal arrives gets the dog to chase her. Clear Sky joins her and they lead the dog away from her kits towards some twolegs wandering around. The twolegs deal with the dog and they return to the kits. Birch and Alder want to go home and Petal tells them they can. Alder admits that Clear Sky wanted her to attack her brother and Petal is angry, feeling that Clear Sky should have shown them how to hide from an enemy before how to attack one. As they head back to camp Clear Sky wonders if he is doing the right thing, and just what Gray Wing, Quiet Rain, and Bright Stream would think. Later on, at the camp, two rogues arrive. Their names are Dew and Thorn and they wish to join Clear Sky's group. All the other cats are hostile, but Clear Sky thinks it might be a good idea. He asks what they bring to the group, so Dew and Thorn speak of their skills. Clear Sky tells them it is not enough so they admit to spying on the moor cats. They tell Clear Sky that the moor cats are practicing battle moves and are even training their kits how to fight. They also tell him that Thunder is with the moor cats. Clear Sky is furious and believes that Thunder was sent by Gray Wing to spy on them. He decides that if Gray Wing wishes for war then he will have it. Clear Sky welcomes the rogues into his group.

Hidden in the mist, Thunder and Jackdaw's Cry wait for the others to arrive. Unable to bear the silence any longer Thunder confronts his tribe mate, since he knows Jackdaw's Cry never wanted him around. Jackdaw's Cry is surprised by Thunder's words, and stands by his decisions. But he also tells Thunder it doesn't matter since Thunder is here to stay. Before Thunder can respond Gray Wing shows up. He asks Thunder and Jackdaw's Cry to go alone and set up a meeting in two days time with Clear Sky at Fourtrees, because it is neutral ground. The two cats are scares but agree. They enter Clear Sky's territory where they are met by a hostile Petal. Thunder tries to remind her of their friendship but she is uninterested. Falling Feather is with her. She is thrilled to see her brother and offers to bring the cats to Clear Sky. They go to the camp.

Clear Sky is furious at the arrival of his estranged son and former tribe mate. Petal makes sure that he knows that Falling Feather led them to the camp. Clear Sky decides to hear their message from Gray Wing, even though he thinks this is a farce, and takes the moor cats along with Falling Feather to a secret location. He believes that the moor cats are lying to him and are trying to deceive him, since they are already training for battle, but he decides to go along with the charade. The cats arguing, with Clear Sky insisting he only wants his cats to flourish. This angers Jackdaw's Cry who points out that Clear Sky crippled Jagged Peak and murdered Misty. Falling Feather speaks on Clear Sky's behalf, much to his surprise. He agrees the meeting with Gray Wing and they head back to his camp. When they reach there he announces that he will meet with Gray Wing at the full moon and that Jackdaw's Cry is willing to stay in the camp as a hostage until the meeting is over. He makes it very clear that whatever happens to him will happen to Jackdaw's Cry. Thunder is horrified since they never agreed to that but Jackdaw's Cry insists it will be okay. As soon as Thunder leaves Clear Sky announces they must prepare for battle.

Worried, Thunder races back to camp. Along the way at cat attacks him. He attacks back and the cat claims he was just playing. Thunder points out that cats who play have their claws sheathed, which he did not. The strange cat introduces himself as Tom and says he is looking for Bumble. Thunder takes him to Bumble's grave. Tom also tries to find out where Turtle Tail and his kits are. Tom goes back and forth between friendly and angry so rapidly that Thunder begins to feel uncomfortable. He deliberately avoids giving Tom any real information but he tells him that he will pass along his message to Turtle Tail. Tom makes Thunder so uncomfortable that when he heads back to the hollow he follows a rabbit trail to do so to hide his scent. He doesn't know why but he feels he must protect the kits from Tom.

Back at camp Gray Wing and the others are impatiently waiting for Thunder and Jackdaw's Cry to return. Gorse Fur offers to go hunting near the border so he can keep an eye out and Tall Shadow agrees, telling him to take others. But before he can leave Thunder arrives alone. Gray Wing is worried, especially after Thunder gives his report. Some cats, including Hawk Swoop, Wind Runner, and Turtle Tail, wish to lead a rescue mission to save Jackdaw's Cry. Gray Wing feels like everything is unraveling and there will be war before peace talks can happen. However, Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur speak up and say their father's wishes should be honored. In the end, Tall Shadow sides with Gray Wing and those who wish to wait. Thunder then tells Gray Wing about Tom. Gray Wing wishes to go chase him off but Turtle Tail says this is something she must deal with. Gray Wing, Turtle Tail, Tall Shadow, and Thunder go to meet with Tom at Bumble's grave. There, Turtle Tail and Tom exchange words, arguing over her refusal to return and her refusal to let him meet their kits. They fight, but Tom is so large he pins Turtle Tail down and starts to smother her. Gray Wing and Thunder attack, helping Turtle Tail. Tall Shadow puts a stop to the fight, telling them to show respect for Bumble's grave. Gray Wing accidentally mentions the area where they live and Turtle Tail tries to pretend she cares nothing for the kits, but Tom isn't deceived. They part ways, worried they haven't heard the last of Tom. As they leave, Tom says it is a pity that Bumble was the one who died, not Turtle Tail. Gray Wing has an attack where he can't breathe and his tribe mates have to help him back to their camp. Cloud Spots gives him herbs and he sleeps. As he sleeps Stoneteller tells him to wake up, that his loved ones are in danger. Panicking, he wakes but he convinces himself it was just a dream. He falls back asleep but then Turtle Tail wakes him to tell him Wind Runner is having her kits.

So much is going on here! First of all, neither side wants war but both see it as inevitable, which is helping to bring the war about. And, the first full moon meeting - which is always a truce - is about to happen at Fourtrees.

Tom is not going to give up on his kits so easily, and I suspect even Stoneteller sees this and that is what her message was about.

Lastly, serious props to Jackdaw's Cry for calling out Clear Sky on his bullshit. However, I do think Clear Sky does care about his cats, I just think he is showing it all wrong. I'm glad he got a POV this book. He is still completely wrong, but it is nice to see how he logically arrives at his decisions.

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