The Blazing Star (book)/Chapter 4

==Chapter description==
:Gray Wing gazes across the moonlit hollow to see Acorn Fur rush over to Lightning Tail and share words affectionately. Nettle meets with Dappled Pelt and Quick Water to chat, and they settle down. Upon seeing Shattered Ice talking with Petal in a friendly manner, Gray Wing murmurs that maybe peace will come at last. Tall Shadow, who is beside him, gazes out at Cloud Spots and Leaf, surprised, and agrees.
:Clear Sky walks over to join them, greeting them calmly, and dipping his head, saying it's good to see them. The gray tom scans the cats in the clearing, asking if the spirit-cats will come to them this time. Gray Wing hopes so, but can't explain why he feels so empty, then hears murmuring from outside the hollow, and spots River Ripple emerging to join the gathered cats. He greets the silver tom, amused, and River Ripple dips his head, replying that he couldn't miss the meeting for anything.
:Wind Runner murmurs that it doesn't seem as though they'll appear now, but River Ripple confidently tells her to have faith and wait. Just then, mist begins to swirl in the hollow, and clouds over the clearing; Gray Wing finds himself standing alone, unable to see the other cats among the silver fog. The fog eventually dissolves, and the other cats come into view, as well as the spirit cats, Shaded Moss, Bright Stream, Moon Shadow, and Turtle Tail. Rainswept Flower steps forward, and Gray Wing notices Clear Sky look away, guessing his brother is ashamed to see the cat he killed in the great battle.
:The brown tabby praises the groups for holding up the peace of the gathering, but danger still looms. Wind Runner suggests cats are fighting secretly, suspicion in her amber eyes as she gazes around, causing Gray Wing to snap at her and say it's ridiculous. Turtle Tail paces up to stand beside Rainswept Flower, hurting the dark gray tom's heart to hold her gaze, missing her dearly.
:He asks why the spirit-cats can't just explain to save them time, but the tortoiseshell only replies that cats can fight and fight all they want, but sharp claws don't make wounds all the time. River Ripple says that if something needs to happen, no cat can happen, earning Shaded Moss' praise. Thunder agrees with the silver tabby, admitting he felt everything that happened was meant to, including the fighting. Gray Wing feels his chest tighten, challenging why it needed to, because he made those choices to leave, although Turtle Tail reminds him he was following Jagged Peak.
:Gray Wing knows she's right, since he didn't want to leave the mountains, but needed to help his younger brother, and believes that if he come to the forest, none of the events would've happened. Turtle Tail tells the gray tom not to worry, and although he feels powerless, he is in the woods for a reason; Gray Wing turns his head away, feeling pained to see his mate again.
:Storm bounds forward, sternly telling the living cats the spirits are helping them the best they can, and they are getting all the help they need. This angers Gray Wing, causing him to nearly yowl out his fury, before Bright Stream interrupts, saying in order for the groups to survive, they need to grow and spread like the Blazing Star. Yowling rings out from the gathered cats, but instead of answering the spirit-cats vanish into the night, leaving the groups.
:Gray Wing steps into the spot where Turtle Tail had been, hoping to catch her scent, and he doesn't, seeing as the other spirits left no trace either. He hopes he had been dreaming, rebuking his thoughts, knowing he wasn't. He recalls his dream with Stoneteller, guessing she meant he needed to grow and survive like this Blazing Star. The groups launch into discussion about what the Blazing Star is and what it might mean, before a strange cat joins the conversation.
:The gray tom glances at her to see golden fur and tabby markings, and notices she has white paws and a chest, so he asks who she is, or if she comes from Clear Sky's group. However, his brother doesn't seem to care about the stranger, and River Ripple chooses to leave, knowing the cats will start bickering. Thunder stares at the golden tabby, whiskers twitching, and she approaches him, telling him about the stories she's heard and how great of a fighter he is; the orange tabby puffs out his chest proudly, but doesn't speak. When the she-cat departs, Thunder gazes after her, and Gray Wing thinks about how young he still is.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Dawn of the Clans arc
Category:The Blazing Star (book)