The First Battle/Cliffnotes

Contents

These notes reflect a bulleted list of major and minor events in The First Battle that can be easily navigated. They are intended to serve as a reference for those looking for specific events in re-reading and book discussions and include links to the relevant chapter subpages further detailing each chapter's events.

Prologue

• Gray Wing's point of view.
• Gray Wing watches the Tribe in a dream.
  • He views Jay Frost trying to help an elder rid of stones in their nest.
  • He notices Misty Water and Lion's Roar arguing over Misty Water refusing to eat.
  • He looks at Snow Hare and Twisted Branch sharing tongues with each other.
  • He also sees Dewy Leaf's kits running underfoot.
• Stoneteller notices him and they discuss his life on the moor.
  • Gray Wing thinks about how the tribe cats had seen so much death when they left the mountains.
  • Stoneteller tells him that she believes in him, and that changes made in blood were also new beginnings.

Chapter 1

• Clear Sky's point of view.
• Clear Sky watches Thunder and Frost leave, and thinks that Thunder doesn't understand why Frost had to leave the camp.
  • He remembers how Falling Feather told Thunder she almost wished she could go with him
• Clear Sky spots Falling Feather and confronts her about her comment to Thunder.
  • She tries to defend herself, and calls him greedy.
  • Clear Sky rakes her across the nose and says that cats in his camp should never doubt their loyalty to him.
• Clear Sky calls a meeting.
  • He announces that Thunder and Frost had left the forest.
  • He tells the forest cats there is no room for disloyalty and that Falling Feather would be punished for thinking about leaving with Thunder and Frost.
    • The cats are ordered to report any signs of her disloyalty, and to take her prey and give her orders if they wish.
• After saying that expanding borders is for their own good, Clear Sky tells Fircone and Nettle to demonstrate their fighting skills, as they would need them for defending borders.
  • The two cats show good promise and have to be dragged off of each other to stop fighting.
  • Clear Sky explains how the forest cats would begin training for battle to protect their borders.
  • Leaf asks Fircone for a demonstration of his fighting techniques.

Chapter 2

• Gray Wing's point of view.
• Wind Runner and Gray Wing argue over whether or not to start a fight between Clear Sky's cat and themselves.
  • Rainswept Flower asks what there was to fight about, as Clear Sky chose to live in the forest and they chose to live on the moor.
• Turtle Tail's kits come tumbling out of the brambles.
  • They attempt to play in the clearing, but Gray Wing tells them to play out of the way.
  • Turtle Tail worries that they will fall when they begin a bramble-climbing contest, but Gray Wing reassures her.
• The adult cats continue to argue until Gray Wing asks Cloud Spots for his opinion on the matter.
  • He says that the prey heap was empty, and the kits would be hungry soon.
  • Gray Wing sends Jackdaw's Cry, Shattered Ice, and Gorse Fur out hunting. Hawk Swoop joins them.
• Wind Runner, Gray Wing, and Tall Shadow discuss the problem of Clear Sky's constantly expanding borders until Rainswept Flower interrupts them.
  • She and Cloud Spots smell the air excitedly, and Hawk Swoop runs into the clearing, saying that Thunder was home.
  • Gray Wing spots him and warmly tells him that he had grown.
• He then asks why Thunder had left the forest, but before Thunder can answer, Frost limps into camp, and Hawk Swoop explains why they left. This reassures Gray Wing that Thunder isn't a spy.
  • Cloud Spots tries to examine Frost's wound, but Frost bristles until Cloud Spots explains what he is doing.
• Gray Wing asks again why Thunder left, but takes him just outside camp for the answer.
  • Thunder and Gray Wing discuss Clear Sky's cruelty and Thunder tries to tell his uncle that they must either defend their borders or convince Clear Sky to stop taking land, or he will take everything.
  • Gray Wing agrees to try to reason with his brother.
• They reenter the camp and Gray Wing tells Tall Shadow his plan, and she questions his safety.
  • Tall Shadow tells him he can go as long as others are with him, and he calls a meeting.
  • The group gathers around him, and explains his plan.
    • Cloud Spots voices his concerns about doing it so soon and Thunder agrees with him.
• Gray Wing climbs into his nest, soon joined by Turtle Tail and her kits.
  • Jagged Peak offers the kits prey, which they eagerly eat.
• Just as Gray Wing begins to fall asleep, he hears Pebble Heart crying out, clearly having a dream.
  • Pebble Heart mews that kin shouldn't be fighting and that he and his siblings were all alone.
  • Gray Wing comforts him, despite worrying about the dream's meaning.

Chapter 3

• Thunder's point of view.
• Thunder walks back to camp, carrying a mouse.
  • He looks around the camp, but can't spot Acorn Fur or Lightning Tail.
• He enters Cloud Spots' den and offers the mouse to Frost.
  • When Thunder asks Frost how he is, Cloud Spots tells him that his friend has a fever and the infection in his leg had been left for too long.
  • Frost asks if he will survive and Cloud Spots assures him he will.
• Thunder pads out of the den and sees Jagged Peak playing with Owl Eyes and Sparrow Fur.
  • He realizes that he is in fact teaching them battle moves, and gets into a heated argument with Jagged Peak.
• As he stalks away from Jagged Peak, Hawk Swoop comforts Thunder, and reassures him that he will be accepted by the others eventually.
• Suddenly, Lightning Tail jumps on Thunder, knocking him over.
  • He and his sister greet Thunder warmly and bombard him with questions.
  • Wind Runner calls them away to battle training, and Thunder objects strongly, provoking and argument with Wind Runner.
• After Tall Shadow officially welcomes Wind Runner into their group, Turtle Tail leads an angry Thunder away to talk to him.
  • She tells him that the other cats were just worried about what Clear Sky would do next and want to be ready.
  • Thunder decides that if they have to fight, he'll help them.

Chapter 4

• Gray Wing's point of view.
  • Tall Shadow reports that she had formally welcomed Wind Runner and Gorse Fur.
  • He notices Thunder behind her, bristling, and agrees to join the she-cat at the rock in a minute.
• When asked what was bothering him, Thunder tells Gray Wing that Wind Runner was teaching the kits to fight.
  • Gray Wing, confused as to why this is a bad thing, tells his nephew that they must be prepared, in case talking with Clear Sky doesn't work.
• Tall Shadow calls Gray Wing back over to her, and Wind Runner tells him she is expecting kits.
  • Gray Wing warmly congratulates her, but Wind Runner worries that her kits will be resented, as they will be extra mouths to feed, then suggesting that they leave after Tall Shadow mutters that it was a bad time for kits to be born.
  • Gray Wing strongly protests, saying that Wind Runner has earned her place many times and her kits will be raised by the rest of the group as if they were their own.
• He and Tall Shadow leap onto the rock with the rest of the group surrounding them.
  • Tall Shadow announces that Wind Runner was expecting kits.
  • The group voices congratulations and concerns for the coming cold season, but Tall Shadow assures them that there will be enough food.
  • They decide to celebrate with a feast, eating like mountain cats by sharing.
• Gray Wing goes to his nest after the feast and drifts off.
• He is woken when he hears soft murmuring outside his nest.
  • Rainswept Flower and Jagged Peak move away from his nest, and Gray Wing follows them.
  • The two discuss how Gray Wing talking to Clear Sky won't work, and how Rainswept Flower might be a better option.
• As the two walk back to camp, Gray Wing questions whether Jagged Peak might be right.

Chapter 5

• Clear Sky's point of view
• Birch, Alder, and Clear Sky are running through the forest. Clear Sky thinks that the kits are slow.
  • He tells the kits that they were going to play hide and seek to practice finding their enemies.
• Alder and Clear Sky go and hide while Birch stays behind to give them time before going after them.
  • When they come to a clump of ferns, Alder suggests they hide behind them, but Clear Sky tells her to hide behind a tree and attack Birch when he comes looking for her.
• Alder protests, saying they didn't warn her brother.
  • Clear Sky tries to explain that cats with battle tactics are more likely to win battles than those who don't, however dishonorable it may seem.
  • He then orders her to roll in some mud to disguise her scent.
• Suddenly, they hear a dog heading towards Birch, and Clear Sky races after it.
  • The dog circles the beech and leaps at Birch, barely missing his tail.
  • Petal suddenly comes racing up the slope, and she and Clear Sky distract the dog until a Twoleg calls the dog away
• They find the kits and Petal agrees to take them home.
  • As they walk, Alder tells Petal about their training session.
  • Petal glares at Clear Sky, telling him the kits were to young for battle training.
• The later that day, Clear Sky is woken up by yowling.
  • He discovers that two rogues had come to ask if they could join the group.
  • They tell him the information they knew about the moor cats.
• Clear Sky comes to the conclusion that Gray Wing was starting a battle.
  • Clear Sky accepts the rogues, and promises himself he'll bring his brother war.

Chapter 6

• Thunder waits in the fog to join Gray Wing in meeting Clear Sky.
  • Jackdaw's Cry comes up behind him, and they discuss Jackdaw's Cry's distaste for Thunder.
  • River Ripple appears from the fog with a lizard in his mouth and offers it to the moor cats.
  • They decline and River Ripple settles down to eat the lizard, saying that Clear Sky was hogging all of the good prey.
• Jackdaw's Cry and Thunder tell him they were going to talk to a Clear Sky that day to tell him he can't claim more territory.
  • River Ripple wishes them luck and offers them the rest of the lizard, but the two politely decline.
• He leaves and Thunder asks if others were coming, before Gray Wing comes up behind them, saying he told the others not to come.
  • He goes on to say that just the two of them should go and tell Clear Sky to meet him at the four trees in a few days' time.
  • They agree and set off to see the forest cats' leader.
• They head into the forest and are almost immediately found by Petal and Falling Feather.
  • Falling Feather greets her brother warmly, but is growled at by Petal, who argues with them before Falling Feather offers to take them to Clear Sky.
• They follow the white she-cat to the camp, where Thunder observes the clearing.
  • He notes two new cats in the clearing and wonders if his father was recruiting more cats.
  • Clear Sky jumps down from an oak branch, greeting the moor cats coldly.

Chapter 7

• Clear Sky's point of view.
• Clear Sky watches Thunder and Jackdaw's Cry come into the camp and fights to keep a calm appearance.
  • He circles the two moor cats, spooking them before telling them he would talk.
  • He calls Falling Feather, and the four head out of camp to speak.
• He leads them to an old oak and slithers under the roots.
  • He notes that he had the advantage inside the cramped space.
• The two toms explain what Gray Wing wants to speak with Clear Sky.
  • They argue about his boundary shifting until Clear Sky agrees to meet his brother at the four oaks.
  • They head back to camp and Clear Sky shows the moor cats that his group was thriving.
• He announces his part of the deal to meet at the four trees; Jackdaw's Cry had to stay at his camp until the meeting.
  • Thunder protests, but Jackdaw's Cry reassures him before Thunder leaves.
• Clear Sky jumps and climbs to the top of the camp's oak and looks out across the land.
  • He thinks about the deaths he caused and decides there was no peaceful way to share the land.
  • He jumps down and tells Petal to gather the other cats around to prepare for battle.

Chapter 8

• Thunder's point of view.
• Thunder is worried about leaving Jackdaw's Cry behind at Clear Sky's camp.
  • Meanwhile he is crossing the boundary between Clear Sky and Gray Wing's border.
• Thunder is attacked by Tom, a kittypet that bullied Turtle Tail in her kittypet days.
  • Tom is surprised that Bumble is dead and blames Clear Sky as he scents him on her grave.
  • Tom claims Turtle Tail to have stolen his kits, Tom then asks Thunder to lead him to Turtle Tail.
  • Thunder refuses to take him to the hollow, but agrees to tell Turtle Tail he saw him.
• Thunder goes in a zig zag pattern to make sure Tom is not following him.
  • Thunder feels he should not know where Turtle Tail lived.

More Coming Soon

Chapter 9

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Chapter 10

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Chapter 11

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Chapter 12

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Chapter 13

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Chapter 14

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Chapter 15

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Chapter 16

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Chapter 17

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Chapter 18

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Chapter 19

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Chapter 20

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Chapter 21

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Chapter 22

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Chapter 23

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