Thunder Rising/Chapter 18

==Chapter description==
:Clear Sky and his son arrive at the edge of the burnt forest. The light gray tom announces to his son to work on his leaping skills and instructs his son to jump from one tree to another. Thunder hesitates to start climbing, but Clear Sky tells him some words of wisdom. Thunder manages to get onto a tree and hangs on top of a branch. Clear Sky tells him to get moving, so Thunder launches himself onto the next tree, and he lands awkwardly on the branch. Clear Sky scornfully tells him that he is too slow, causing Thunder to be more annoyed. Wanting his father's praise, he quickly leaps to the next tree, but the branch below him cracks and sends him to the ground. He lands on his paws and sees his father's disappointed gaze. His father tells him that he showed good courage, but his recklessness could lead to injury. 
:The following morning, Thunder decides to go hunt alone, wanting his father to praise him when he came back to camp with a lot of prey. He pauses beside an oak tree to scent for prey, but smells cats. He sees two cats in the distance and realizes that it is River Ripple along with a black-and-white she-cat. He hesitates to drive the silver tom away, remembering how he helped them during the fire. He turns around, taking a few pawsteps, but stops when he sees a black tom appear in front of him. The black tom hisses at him, and Thunder turns and flees. He realizes that the black tom is pursuing him and tries to shake off his pursuer. He fails to do so and decides to climb an ash tree. The black tom climbs the tree after him and leaps at him. Thunder feels the black tom's claws rake at his sides and feels his grip on the branch slipping and he and the black tom begin to fall. 
:Thunder lands on his paws, and quickly pins the black tom when he sees him on his side. The ginger tom tries to explain that he didn't mean any harm, but Clear Sky arrives and tells Thunder to unpin the cat. Thunder does so, and the black tom and the she-cat begins to flee. River Ripple turns to follow them but stops. The silver tom stares at Clear Sky coldly and tells him that he needs to stop trying to tell other cats what to do. Clear Sky retorts, telling the tom he can do what he wants. Thunder tries to intervene, but Clear Sky stops him. River Ripple tries to encourage him to speak but is stopped by Clear Sky. River Ripple walks away, and Clear Sky turns to Thunder, congratulating him for expanding the territory. Thunder feels miserable, and wonders if he made the wrong decision to join his father.
==Characters==
====Major====
====Minor====
====Mentioned====
==Trivia==
*This chapter aligns with chapter ten of Riverstar's Home.
==Notes and references==
de:Donnerschlag/Kapitel 18
Category:Thunder Rising
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Dawn of the Clans arc