Sign of the Moon/Chapter 15

==Chapter description==
:Stone Song tries to comfort a distressed Broken Shadow after she voices her wish to have voted to stay in the forest. He tells her they'll go and get her some fresh-kill. He then asks Jayfeather (as Jay's Wing) if he is okay, citing his sudden disappearance. In response, Jayfeather tells him the same lie that he told Half Moon: that he was frightened of the responsibility he had incurred by suggesting that the Ancients leave for the mountains, and felt unable to confront the ramifications of his decision. Half Moon, still under the impression that his fear was genuine, reassures Jayfeather that his return means that he does not want to leave them after all, prompting Jayfeather to outwardly reaffirm his resolve despite his private confusion and weariness.
:Chasing Clouds, whom Jayfeather notes looks debilitatingly exhausted, interrupts at this point to inform the group that they need more fresh-kill. Jayfeather briefly grapples with the abject misery of the assembled cats before Chasing Clouds suggests they go on a hunting patrol, to which Jayfeather, Half Moon and Stone Song agree to accompany him on. Jayfeather's sister in this time, Dove's Wing, trots up to ask if he is truly ready physically to hunt; he quells her concerns curtly.
:The patrol leaves the cave. The weather outside is bitterly cold and inclement; the cats find the terrain treacherous to navigate, huddling under an outcropping for a brief respite. Jayfeather, being an untrained hunter, struggles to determine his next course of action. Half Moon begins to address his indecision before being lifted by the wind and left scrabbling for purchase over the ridge. Jayfeather and Chasing Clouds rush to her aid, helping her drag herself back onto the rock. Stone Song wonders if travelling to the mountains is a mistake and is quickly rebuffed by Jayfeather, though he remains unconvinced.
:Jayfeather surveys the landscape and pinpoints a viable hunting spot nestled in a narrow gully. He suggests that the patrol work in teams to comb the thicket for small animals seeking shelter, an attempt to mimic the contemporary Tribe of Rushing Water's hunting customs. Half Moon gets stuck in the thorns and wails in protest, making Stone Song tell her to be quiet before she scares away the prey with her yowling. While Chasing Clouds works on freeing her, Jayfeather spots a shrew in his periphery and futilely attempts to pursue it. To his surprise, however, Stone Song belies no annoyance at his failure, instead commenting that this is a good sign: prey runs in the mountains more abundantly than the cats initially thought. Chasing Clouds, having freed a shivering Half Moon, notes the worsening storm and suggests the patrol begin their journey back to the cave; Stone Song adds that they can hunt on the way.
:As he leads the patrol to the top of the valley, Jayfeather seeks brief shelter from rock to rock. A large shadow is cast overhead, eliciting a frustrated groan from him at the capricious weather of the mountains, until he realizes from scent and sound that an eagle is bearing down on Half Moon. He yowls a warning to the rest of the cats, who manoeuvre out of harm's way; Half Moon attempts to seek shelter under a rock but slips on a patch of ice, allowing the eagle to fasten its talons into her back. Jayfeather hurls himself bodily onto Half Moon to weigh her down and tells her that he will not let go, even as the eagle begins to ascend with both cats in tow.
:Chasing Clouds launches himself onto the eagle in turn with a caterwaul, causing it to relinquish its grip on Half Moon and sending both her and Jayfeather tumbling to the ground. The eagle throws Chasing Clouds off, stunning him; it then swivels to grab him by the shoulders. Half Moon shrieks in fear as Jayfeather and Stone Song spring to action, securing a grip on each of Chasing Clouds' legs as the eagle struggles to take flight. Together, they manage to pull him free, despite Jayfeather's fleeting fear that they will all be carried away; the eagle leaves with an enraged cry.
:Simultaneously, a loud rumble is heard; dazed, Jayfeather looks up and sees masses of snow dislodging from the crags overhead in the beginnings of an avalanche. He feebly calls for his fellow patrol members to run before they are almost immediately overcome, losing all visibility in an instant. As the avalanche rages around him, Jayfeather silently asks if this is the end.
==Characters==
===Major===
 
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
fr:L'empreinte de la lune/Chapitre 15
Category:Omen of the Stars arc
Category:Sign of the Moon
Category:Chapter subpages