Thunder Rising/Chapter 21

"My brother is buried. I won't see another cat die. Of course I'll help. Where do we start?"

— Tall Shadow to Gray Wing about finding Owl Eyes in Thunder Rising, page 233

Thunder Rising
Chapter number:	21 (of 27)
Page numbers:	222-233
Point of View:	Gray Wing
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for chapter twenty-one of Thunder Rising. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 21 (of 27)

Page Numbers: 222-233

Chapter description

Gray Wing steps onto the tall rock and calls for the meeting. He tells the gathered cats about the dogs and asks for everyone to stay in the hollow until the dogs are back where they belong with their Twolegs. After he ends the meeting, he heads over to Tall Shadow and tells her what happened, only to realize that the she-cat was only half-listening to him. Gray Wing tries to reassure her, saying that her brother will get better, but she snaps that he does not know that, and tells him to leave her alone.

He feels tightness in his chest again as he walks back to his old nest. Pebble Heart asks if he is alright, and Gray Wing nods and begins to sleep in his nest. When he awakes, he turns his head to see Pebble Heart asleep, his body twitching. Gray Wing decides not to wake him up and waits patiently for him to arouse. Pebble Heart later wakes up in a shock, and Gray Wing waits for the kit to orient himself into reality and asks about his dream. Pebble Heart describes seeing light at the end of a dark tunnel with strange voices calling for him, but wakes up before he can arrive. Gray Wing reassures Pebble Heart by telling him about Stoneteller and how she used to have dreams. Pebble Heart also tells him of his other dream of a big fight, mentioning that he saw Clear Sky in his dream. Gray Wing advises him not to tell his dreams to any cat for now.

A yowl sounds from the other side of the camp. Gray Wing and Pebble Heart runs over to Tall Shadow standing over Moon Shadow's body, and Gray Wing realizes the black tom must have died in his sleep. Gray Wing thinks that they need to bury the dead cat, remembering how he had helped bury his sister. He asks Jagged Peak to watch over the kits, saying that the kits are too young to experience this. Gray Wing picks up Moon Shadow's body and other cats begin to help. They dig a hole deep enough to bury Moon Shadow in, and Gray Wing speaks an elegy for Moon Shadow after they bury him.

When they return to camp, Jagged Peak announces that Owl Eyes is missing. He explains that he was giving the kits a training session before he realized the small tom was gone. When Gray Wing asks the kits if they know where Owl Eyes went, Pebble Heart shakes his head, while Sparrow Fur shuffles her paws. Turtle Tail demands Sparrow Fur where he is, and the tortoiseshell kit explains that he went to hunt a hare. Gray Wing begins to organize a patrol to look for the missing kit. He sees Tall Shadow wallowing in her grief and asks if she will join the patrol to look for him. Tall Shadow says that she will not see another cat die and agrees to help with the search.

Characters

Major

• Gray Wing

Minor

• Turtle Tail
• Sparrow Fur
• Owl Eyes
• Pebble Heart
• Hawk Swoop
• Acorn Fur
• Lightning Tail
• Jagged Peak
• Cloud Spots
• Dappled Pelt
• Rainswept Flower
• Jackdaw's Cry
• Shattered Ice
• Tall Shadow
• Moon Shadow
• Gorse Fur
• Wind Runner

Mentioned

• Thunder
• Clear Sky
• Stoneteller
• Fluttering Bird

Important events

• Pebble Heart dreams of a light gleaming in the tunnels calling to him. He also dreams of a big fight with Clear Sky.

Deaths

• Moon Shadow succumbs to his wounds from the fire.