a forest divided: part one

Clear Sky finds himself with the spirit cats. He sees the other leaders there too. Storm approaches him and tells him that they grow tired of waiting. Clear Sky is confused by what she means. She reminds him that they are to grow and spread like the blazing star. Storm leaves to talk with Thunder and Fluttering Bird comes over, furious with him for not obeying them. She tells him he just follow his heart and find his home. When he wakes up he decides that Fluttering Bird meant the cats should all live together so they can grow and spread.

Clear Sky heads to his brother's camp so he can share Fluttering Bird's news. He catches a rabbit along the way and enters the camp. He finds Thunder and Gray Wing discussing hunting and the weather. Thunder is upset to discover Clear Sky hunted on their land. Clear Sky is confused since he thought the cats were growing closer and he brought it for Jagged Peak and Holly. Clear Sky is eager to talk to them and Tall Shadow. When Tall Shadow arrives he talks about their dream with the spirit cats and how the spirit cats want all of them to band together. However, Thunder, Gray Wing, and Tall Shadow disagree with him. Tall Shadow wishes to move to the pine trees, Thunder tells him he can't kill cats over the borders that he created then reject them, and Gray Wing tells him that other cats have feelings about where they want to live too. Clear Sky is devastated that they are rejecting his plan outright. Thunder flat out tells him to leave. Tall Shadow suggests waiting until the storm passes. Upset, Clear Sky goes.

Thunder feels guilty, feeling maybe he was too hard on his father. Tall Shadow sends him after to make sure Clear Sky gets home okay. He meets up with Clear Sky but then they run into a badger. Clear Sky gets wounded so Thunder takes him back home. Everyone is upset with him for bringing Clear Sky back but Thunder felt he had no choice. Thunder and Jagged Peak get talking and Jagged Peak decides that too much time has passed. He jumps up on the rock next to Tall Shadow and tells her they need to settle this. Thunder feels that they should wait until Clear Sky is gone but Dappled Pelt tells him they have already waited too long. Everyone gets swept up in the excitement of leaving the moor and it is decided that stones will be used to make their decision. 

Everyone gets a stone and it is decided that four circles will be made: one for Clear Sky's camp, one for the pine trees, one for the moor, and one for River Ripple's camp. Wind Runner is not included as she wants space from all the cats for now. Everyone is excited that they get to pick where they want to live. Gray Wing tells everyone that Turtle Tail said they should follow their hearts. Thunder is shocked, since that is what Storm told him, but he is unsure of what to pick. Sparrow Fur and Owl Eyes pick Clear Sky's camp. Gray Wing is sad, but tells them they must follow their hearts. Pebble Heart chooses to go with Tall Shadow so Cloud Spots chooses to go with Clear Sky. Pebble Heart is worried to lose his mentor, but Cloud Spots assures him he will do fine and points out that the healers should split up. As everyone picks their group Thunder is shocked - and a little upset - by Jagged Peak's boldness. He tries to tell himself that Jagged Peak's confidence is a good thing. Unsure, Thunder picks Clear Sky's group. It is what Lightning Tail has picked and he sees the desperate look in Clear Sky's eyes. He feels his father needs him and some support for right now. He says his goodbyes to Gray Wing, who is sad to be losing two of Turtle Tail's kits. But Gray Wing feels he must stay with Pebble Heart and Tall Shadow for a bit longer. 

Gray Wing says goodbye to his kits. He watches as Pebble Heart and Cloud Spots say goodbye to each other. They agree to meet at every new moon at Fourtrees. Gray Wing falls behind the group. He overhears two cats - Slash and Fern. Slash is cruel and is forcing Fern to spy on them in their new home. Slash mentions Star Flower betraying him. Gray Wing catches up to everyone and because of his breathing Jagged Peak has to help him cross the road. Gray Wing doesn't want to spoil Tall Shadow's happiness so he decides to keep quiet for now about what he overheard. Jagged Peak makes a comment about Gray Wing's state that upsets him. He snaps at his younger brother and Tall Shadow diplomatically intervenes. Gray Wing feels becoming a father hasn't made Jagged Peak confident, just arrogant. 

Three things.

One, Clear Sky is clearly misinterpreting what the spirit cats want, however for once I don't think it is because he feels he knows best and everyone else knows wrong. He genuinely seems to want to bring everyone together. I don't know how he would really feel about having too many leaders in one camp, though. I just hope Thunder and I are right about his motives. Clear Sky can be an arrogant, know-it-all jerk.

Two, speaking of arrogant jerks... What is up with Jagged Peak? Both Thunder and Gray Wing feel put off by the way he is acting. Will he become Tall Shadow's new second-in-command? Will someone tell him to knock it off? I'm glad he has found a new level of confidence, but that doesn't give him the right to treat others the way he is treating them. Once he would have been beyond mortified if someone told him he was acting like Clear Sky - now I think he would just be furious.

Three, Gray Wing really should have told Tall Shadow about Slash and Fern... I have a bad feeling about this...

Actually, four things. Does the title - "A Forest Divided" - refer to Clear Sky and Thunder? Thunder will never be happy in his father's camp. And we know he eventually goes on to form his own. With only one book left that has to happen soon. At least they have finally broken into four camps. But they need five - Thunder and Clear Sky still need to split.

No, five things. I was so excited to see the birth of the new moon medicine cat meetings - even if they are taking place at fourtrees. When will they discover the moonstone? Especially since Pebble Heart has been dreaming of it since he was a kit?