The First Battle/Chapter 7

==Chapter description==
:Clear Sky curls his claws into an oak branch, furious that Thunder was there, thinking that he was a traitor. He clenches his teeth as he climbs down and faces his son, while Jackdaw's Cry backs up next to Falling Feather. Petal intervenes by protesting that Falling Feather brought the cats here, but the white she-cat demands if Clear Sky wants to know what they to say. He counters by saying it depends what it is, circling Jackdaw's Cry and Thunder, attempting to intimidate them. He tightens his circle and bumps the black tom with his shoulder, making him jump back cautiously. Clear Sky assumes that the latter is scared, satisfaction surging through him as he challenges Jackdaw's Cry to attack him and die. The black tom's eyes then spark with fear. Thunder mews sharply to stop scaring him and that him and the cats will leave if Clear Sky doesn't want to hear what they have to say. Clear Sky flinches at the disappointment in his son's gaze, so he squares his shoulders and insists that they talk in private as Dew pricks her ears. He growls to Dew to earn her place in the group to listen to the discussion. He beckons Falling Feather to follow as the cats push through hawthorn, and notices that Thunder and Jackdaw's Cry are flanking Falling Feather like an escort, and feels threatened. Clear Sky wonders if he should have brought extra cats for safety purposes, but assumes the three cats won't harm him here.
:He leads the cats across a dry streambed and to a gnarled dry oak. Clear Sky squeezes into the hole in the dusty trunk, followed by Thunder, Jackdaw's Cry, and Falling Feather. He then feels a jolt as he realizes Thunder was as big as he was.
:Clear Sky feels safe inside the confines of the spacious tree trunk, noting that it would hard to fight inside there. Meanwhile Jackdaw's Cry looks up and Thunder shift his paws uncomfortably, feeling yet another wave of satisfaction. He asks them what they have to say, and they say that Gray Wing wants to meet him at the the four trees in a few days to talk. Clear Sky gets angry, thinking it is a trap for a battle as Jackdaw's Cry continues that they have to discuss borders. The pale-gray tom is frustrated, telling him that borders keep cats safe and divide prey amongst cats, but Thunder frowns and says he shifts them a bunch. Clear Sky protests that he only wants cats to flourish, as does Gray Wing. Jackdaw's Cry curls his lip and then demands why he sent Frost away to die, injured Jagged Peak, and killed Misty, asking if he called that flourishing. Clear Sky ignored the guilt in his belly and thrust his muzzle into the cat's face, snapping that he gossips like an old queen. Jackdaw's Cry was unflinching, replying that he knows what he hears, and that things had only gotten worse since Clear Sky took control. The pale-gray tom is furious and stiffens, realizing Thunder had spread all the news, proclaiming again that his own son was a traitor. Falling Feather butts in, saying that their tribe grows bigger every day, though Jackdaw's Cry protests that they weren't a tribe, but rogues. Thunder stops the arguing, repeating that Gray Wing only wants them to meet at Fourtrees. Clear Sky reluctantly agrees to this, but thinks that instead it is a trick. After Thunder and Jackdaw's Cry head back to the ravine, he praises Falling Feather for speaking for him. When the four enter the ravine, Nettle hurries forward and asks how things went.
:Clear Sky replies fine as Fircone limps from the oak tree, and notices Thunder staring at the tom's wound, and growls to his son that his cats fight hard to protect their borders. When Thunder asks what Dew and Thorn was doing there, Clear Sky says that they wanted to join the group, as did Snake, and gazes proudly at Snake. He turns to Jackdaw's Cry and explains that Snake was a rogue from the Twolegplace, and how he'd flourish and be well fed in Clear Sky's group. When the black tom isn't convinced, Clear Sky' tail twitches and he says that it was better to have too much prey than not enough. Jackdaw's Cry remains silent. Clear Sky announces to his cats that he is planning to meet with Gray Wing, and Fircone's eyes narrow as he asks why. The pale gray leader responds in two day's time at a full moon, and adds that Jackdaw's Cry would stay in the ravine until after the meeting at Fourtrees. Thunder flattens his ears, but Jackdaw's Cry dismisses him, saying he was fine with it for now, taking a step toward Falling Feather. Clear Sky is satisfied with this, and says that the black moorcat will be well-fed and taken care of, but that if anything happened to the former at the meeting, then his cats will decide what to do with Jackdaw's Cry. Thunder curls his lip, growling that his father can trust Gray Wing, but Clear Sky protests that Gray Wing can bring him the message himself next time, and that only kits hide.
:He leaps up the oak, clawing his way up to the top and looking over the entire territory. He is pleased with the amount of prey that roamed it, noting that no cat would go hungry. Then Clear Sky remembers how he killed Misty, and how the moorcats believed he'd killed Bumble as well. He closes his eyes and slithers down the trunk, calling of his cats, and telling them to prepare for battle. 
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Der erste Kampf/Kapitel 1
Category:Dawn of the Clans arc
Category:The First Battle
Category:Chapter subpages