a forest divided: part two

Thunder sits with Clear Sky, watching as Acorn Fur trains Owl Eyes and Sparrow Fur how to hunt. Clear Sky butts in to her training session and overrules her. Thunder notices Acorn Fur is upset but she says nothing. She and the kits leave and Lightning Tail arrives, looking for his sister. Clear Sky tells him she just left. Lighting Tail can't smell her trail which annoys Clear Sky. Thunder assures him that with time he will be able to differentiate between the forest smells. He asks Clear Sky if he wants to go for a walk, but Clear Sky becomes offended, accusing Thunder of trying to show him around his own territory. Thunder assures him that is not the case but Clear Sky won't listen. Instead he says he will patrol his boarders and asks Thunder if he wants to come along. Thunder is frustrated by how Clear Sky turned everything into a battle, but agrees. Lighting Tail whispers a comment to Thunder about Clear Sky's attitude. Father and son take off and Thunder feels that Clear Sky is deliberately picking the most difficult trial for Thunder to follow. Since Thunder keeps tripping over roots he follows a trail parallel to Clear Sky, but that only makes Clear Sky angry. When Clear Sky freezes Thunder thinks there is danger ahead, but it is only kittypets. Clear Sky contemplates asking kittypets to join them when they run into Star Flower. She and Thunder clash over her father - and what both of them perceive as the others betrayal. Clear Sky intervenes, saying the blame for One Eye should go to him, not his son. Star Flower plays on Thunder by hinting she might starve to death. Clear Sky doesn't want anything to do with her but Thunder convinces him to take her in. Clear Sky agrees with the understanding that Thunder explains her presence.

Gray Wing is out hunting. He catches a lizard when Pebble Heart finds him. Pebble Heart insists he come back to camp and get treated for his breathing. Pebble Heart, Holly, and Gray Wing get talking about making better nests. Pebble Heart leaves to get some herbs and when Gray Wing looks anxious (because he is thinking of Slash and Fern) Mud Paws offers to go with him. He starts to help Holly with building her den but Jagged Peak pushes him away, saying it is his kits and he will help build it. Gray Wing diplomatically leaves and notices Tall Shadow looking uneasy. Slate arrives for a visit and asks Gray Wing to visit, but he feels he cannot when he doesn't know what is going on with Slash and Fern. Mouse Ear talks about hunting so Gray Wing starts to organize a hunting patrol. This angers Tall Shadow and Jagged Peak, who accuse him of bossing the cats around and trying to take leadership back. Gray Wing tries to defend himself but Tall Shadow won't listen - and tells him that he isn't as healthy as he used to be. Mid-argument Gray Wing takes off because he smells Fern. Tall Shadow calls after him, telling him she was only thinking of his health, but he is determined to prove her wrong.

Gray Wing finds Fern and confronts her. He realizes that although she has been spying on them she really knows nothing. He tries to convince her to tell Slash to leave them alone. She tells him she will lie to Slash and say they found a rich hunting ground beyond the pines, but that it is only a temporary solution and Slash will come eventually. After that he goes hunting a catches a rabbit. He realizes another cat and her kits were tracking the rabbit too. As they are half starved he gives them the rabbit and tells them to seek out Clear Sky's camp. Exhausted, he sleeps on the moor. 

He finds himself in Stoneteller's cave. She tells him that he cannot change the past, just the future. He wakes up to Slate screeching. He finds her under attack from a fox. After he helps her fight the fox off she brings him back to Wind Runner's camp so Reed, a cat who lives with them, can treat his wounds. Gray Wing finds Wind Runner happy in her new home, though overprotective of her kits. He keeps trying to leave, worried that his friends might be worried about him, but everyone convinces him to stay and rest. He falls asleep, deciding he will return home after a nap.

Clear Sky watchesover his camp in satisfaction. He also watches Star Flower, feeling she is a bit arrogant since she doesn't contribute much. He thinks back to when Star Flower joined their camp, and how upset Leaf and Lightning Tail were. However, he has to admit, she is trying to fit in. As Clear Sky watches Star Flower he realizes Thunder still has feelings for her - and that Star Flower knows this. He decides he has to talk to Thunder, but he feels he needs to wait for the right moment so his son will listen to him. Clear Sky decides to patrol the borders on his own. Star Flower follows him. The two cats talk and Clear Sky begins to wonder if he has finally found a cat who will be loyal to him. He orders her to obey and gain his trust. She agrees to do that.

First of all, I hope Clear Sky isn't going to be an idiot and fall for his son's ex - especially when that ex betrayed everyone. And, more importantly, that would be a massive betrayal of his son. Second of all, Clear Sky wants to unite the cats but he is acting like an arrogant jerk and is only succeeding in driving them away. Now I'm even more convinced that this title is about Clear Sky and Thunder splitting into two groups with the way Clear Sky is treating his son.

Meanwhile Gray Wing, Tall Shadow, and Jagged Peak clearly need to have a talk. And Gray Wing really needs to tell everyone about Slate and Fern. But instead he runs off mid argument to confront Fern - which is good but instead of returning home he escapes to the moor. He needs to settle things with Tall Shadow before finally realizing he is in love with Slate. More importantly, I'm sure everyone is freaking out over his disappearance.