Thunder Rising/Chapter 26

==Chapter description==
:Gray Wing is leading his patrol across the moor, heading towards the forest. He realizes that it is easier to breathe once he steadies his pace, thinking that he's finally over it at last. As his patrol nears the edge of the forest closest to his brother's camp, he decides to keep an eye out to look for the bad thing in Pebble Heart's dream. As the group passes the first rows of tree, Gray Wing tries to find any signs of Clear Sky's guards. He can't find anything, so they keep going until a yowl splits the air in front of them. Wind Runner takes the lead, and races towards the sound. As Gray Wing is following, he detects fox scent, and begins to wonder if this was why Pebble Heart had received the omen.
:Wind Runner weaves her way between two oak trees and disappears into a clump of ferns. Gray Wing follows her, realizing that he was in a clearing. He notices a skinny tortoiseshell she-cat lying splayed on the center of the clearing, covered in wounds. Turtle Tail immediately recognizes the cat as Bumble, and begins to lick her friend's wounds. Cloud Spots pushes himself forward to examine Bumble's wounds. Giving his head a shake, he declares that Bumble is dying. Gray Wing asks the former kittypet who did this to her. Bumble opens her mouth to reply, but due to her weakness from her wounds, all she can utter was a faint sigh. Cloud Spots murmurs that he is picking up some cat's scent. Gray Wing sniffs the air and realizes with horror and disbelief that it is his brother's scent. Cloud Spots shares Gray Wing's doubts, but Wind Runner is determined that Clear Sky attacked the former kittypet. Gray Wing tries to defend his brother, but Turtle Tail interrupts him.
:Clear Sky arrives to challenge the hostile group. Gray Wing demands an explanation; Clear Sky appears to feel betrayed by this inquiry and asks if Gray Wing really believes his brother would be capable of this. Turtle Tail yowls that she does believe it, because he is mad with power and has only been hurting cats ever since he arrived here. She asks Gray Wing what's next. The group is ready to attack, so Gray Wing feels like he cannot let his doubts show, or else they will tear Clear Sky apart. Gray Wing simply tells his brother to leave, but Clear Sky, eager to prove his innocence, explains that Bumble was hunting on his territory and had to be punished, only to be attacked by a fox later on. The group accuses him of lying, and when Gray Wing does not jump to his defense, Clear Sky stalks off.
:Turtle Tail tries to comfort Bumble in her final moments and mourns the fact that Bumble had to suffer so much in the Twolegplace. Cloud Spots declares Bumble as dead, and Gray Wing agonizes over the new light this has put Clear Sky in.
:Back in the hollow, Gray Wing explains what has happened. There's an outcry when everyone learns that Clear Sky got away without consequences. Tall Shadow intervenes and claims it would be foolish to launch an attack over the death of just a kittypet, to which Turtle Tail objects, saying Bumble was her friend. Gray Wing is relieved to see some of Tall Shadow's old leadership skills again, and declares they will keep an eye out on Clear Sky by sending out patrols the next day. In private, he asks Tall Shadow what she thinks they should do, and when he muses about how she's starting to regain some of her energy now that Moon Shadow isn't suffering anymore, Gray Wing asks if Tall Shadow wants to be a leader again. She declines, but advises Gray Wing to formally welcome Wind Runner and Gorse Fur into their group. They decide something has to be done about Clear Sky in the near future.
:Gray Wing joins Turtle Tail, who seems very upset and grief-stricken over Bumble's death, though she assures him that this is not his fault. Gray Wing tries to comfort her by saying things will look up now that Tall Shadow is helping with leading again, and that he will deal with Clear Sky, because nobody else can.
==Characters==
===Major===
*Gray Wing
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
===Deaths===
*Bumble dies from her wounds.
==Notes and references==
Category:Thunder Rising
Category:Dawn of the Clans arc
Category:Chapter subpages