If any one is wondering, here's most of River Ripples and Gray Wing's interactions.
Their first meeting:
“Remember that there are tensions now,” Gray Wing warned her, swallowing a mouthful.
“What tensions?” a new voice chimed in.
Gray Wing stiffened. Looking around, he spotted a silver-furred cat sitting on a rock in the middle of the river. Water swirled a mouse-length beneath his paws and his elegantly curled tail.
“Who’s that?” Rainswept Flower exclaimed, shocked. “What cat likes sitting near water?”
The silver cat leaped neatly across a line of stones and climbed the bank until he stood beside them. He looked friendly and completely at ease. “Hi,” he meowed. “My name’s River Ripple.”
Wind and Gorse exchanged a glance; clearly, the newcomer was a stranger to them, too.
“Are you a rogue?” Gray Wing asked.
River Ripple shrugged. “I don’t like giving myself labels. I live by the river”—he flicked his tail toward the opposite bank—“and that’s all any cat needs to know.”
“I’m Gray Wing, and this is Turtle Tail and Rainswept Flower,” Gray Wing began with a polite dip of his head. “And these two are Gorse and Wind.”
As he spoke, he noticed that River Ripple was only half listening; he was eyeing the remains of the pigeon. “That looks tasty,” he remarked, swiping his tongue around his whiskers.
Gray Wing snorted with amusement and pushed the rest of the prey over to the silver tom. That
was a pretty heavy hint!
“Thanks.” River Ripple bent his head and demolished the pigeon in a series of neat, rapid bites.
“I’ve never seen a cat eat so delicately,” Turtle Tail commented.
Neither have I, Gray Wing thought. So elegant, even when he’s hungry!
River Ripple met Turtle Tail’s gaze, then shrugged. “I’m a cat full of surprises,” he meowed. He dipped his head to the others, then, with a flash of his tail, raced back across the stones and plunged into the undergrowth on the opposite bank of the river.
Gray Wing and his friends looked at one another. “I think that was his way of saying good-bye,”
Gray Wing meowed. I’ve never met such a strange cat!
“Weird . . . ,” Wind murmured.
It's pretty comical, but it's nice to see Gray Wing share his food with him, and then noting how elegant, strange and amusing River Ripple is at the same time.
The next time is during the fire scenes:
At last Gray Wing could manage to breathe, though he still felt as if he had swallowed fire. He couldn’t understand how he could be in so much pain on the inside, where the flames had never touched him. Struggling to his paws, he opened his jaws to speak to the other cats, when River Ripple forestalled him.
“Not every cat would find it in him to jump over fire,” the silver-furred tom meowed. “Most of them would panic until it was too late.”
Gray Wing winced at River Ripple’s words: they came a bit too close to home for his liking.
“It’s good to see you again, Gray Wing,” River Ripple continued, as calm as he had been the day they had met by the river.
“My name is Tall Shadow.” The black she-cat shouldered her way to the front. “I’m the leader of these cats. Thank you for your help.” She was trying to sound in control, but her voice was shaking and Gray Wing could tell that she was almost overcome by emotion. “Can you really get us out of here?” she asked River Ripple.
“Certainly,” the silver tom assured her. “I can show you the way out of the fire and back to your hollow, but you have to trust me.” He turned away and padded to the bank of the stream.
Tall Shadow stared after him. “Are you birdbrained?” she asked. “We’re not all going to be able to swim the stream. Cats don’t like water. Jackdaw’s Cry and Thunder only went in because they had no choice.”
Gray Wing winced at her sharp tone, when River Ripple was only trying to help. But he recognized how stressed she was, and besides, he had to admit she was right. Just here the stream was wide, swirling into pools; he couldn’t see how deep it was. He didn’t feel like plunging into it, injured as he was, and Moon Shadow was certainly too weak to manage it. River Ripple didn’t respond to Tall Shadow. Instead, he padded down the bank and out into the stream. The ripples swirled around him, barely covering his paws.
Gray Wing let out a gasp, and Thunder exclaimed, “You’re walking on the water!” River Ripple turned back; in the light of the flames, Gray Wing could see a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
“No, I’m not,” he replied. “I’m walking on rocks and stones just below the surface. They’ll hold any cat’s weight.” Gray Wing tried to clear his throat.
“I’m sorry,” he croaked, “but I can’t go yet. I’m sorry I led the rest of you into danger, but the whole reason I came here was to look for Clear Sky—he’s my brother,” he added to River Ripple.
The silver tom gave him a long, hard stare. “You think that Clear Sky can’t look after himself and his cats?”
Gray Wing hesitated. “Well . . . he can,” he admitted. “Clear Sky’s excellent at surviving.”
River Ripple’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, yes, he’s very good at that.”
Suddenly the air was full of tension that had nothing to do with the encroaching fire. Have I been really stupid? Gray Wing asked himself. Have I been utterly reckless, leading my denmates toward the fire in the first place? Have we risked our lives for nothing?
River Ripple returned to the bank and padded up to Gray Wing. “Your leader is struggling,” he murmured. “Your spirit is strong, and now you need to be strong for every cat.”
Glancing around, he added in a louder voice, “First we need to get you all to safety. Then we can think about helping Clear Sky and his group—if they need helping.”
“Right,” Gray Wing agreed. Relief and gratitude surged through him that River Ripple had presented him with a clear plan. “Let’s do that.”
River Ripple doesn't have any issues with being stern with Gray Wing when he has to be, but also encouraging to him. River Ripple helped save a lot of cats, and also was first to join in and help Gray Wing call out to Clear Sky while he was still in the fire. After the whole incident they were very thankful to him before he left again.
In TFB, River Ripple is one of the cats that helps rescue Turtle Tail's kits along side Lightning Tail and Thunder.
There's a small interaction after the Great Battle:
Ferns swished near the top of the hollow. He jerked up his gaze. Was Dappled Pelt back already? The fronds rippled as a pelt moved through them. Clear Sky narrowed his eyes, glancing at Gray Wing. “Who’s coming?”
Gray Wing lifted his head numbly. His nose twitched. “River Ripple.” Clouds still covered the moon and shadow gripped the hollow but, as the long-furred tom stepped into the clearing, Clear Sky recognized his silver pelt. “What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly. This was none of the rogue’s business.
River Ripple glanced around the bodies. “I watched the battle.”
Thunder stared at the rogue. “And you didn’t try to help?”
“Who would I have helped?” Sadness glistened in River Ripple’s eyes as he leaned down to sniff Fircone’s body. “This battle was not mine.” He turned to Clear Sky, his gaze sharpening.
“Why did you leave the mountains? Did you need something to fight over so badly? Before you came, we hunted and slept and lay in the sun. We fought over prey, but no cat ever killed another.” He blinked. “You brought death here.”
Clear Sky met his gaze stubbornly, trying to ignore the shame that burned beneath his pelt. “This wasn’t my fault,” he insisted. “I just wanted to make sure there was enough prey for every cat.”
River Ripple glanced down at Fircone’s body. “There’ll be plenty now,” he muttered dryly.
Fur brushed the ground beside Clear Sky. Gray Wing had dropped into a crouch. His breath was hoarse, thickening his mew as he spoke. “We let it go too far.”
Not to mention the part where Turtle Tail thanks River Ripple for helping her kits, and both she and Storm defend him from Clear Sky, in front of Gray Wing.
In Blazing Star, they have a very meaningful moment together, that was both heavy, to light hearted, to encouraging and then playful. I think it's quite a beautiful scene between the two, that sums up the dynamic of their relationship well.
“So much has changed,” he sighed aloud, “inside and out.” Gray Wing felt that he couldn’t even lead a hungry cat to a pile of prey, much less take responsibility for their whole group. He knew some of his denmates would be glad to see him take up the leadership again, but nothing was further from his thoughts. Not without Turtle Tail’s support, he sighed inwardly.
Gray Wing pricked his ears at the sound of paw steps padding up behind him. Without turning his head, he knew that a cat had come to sit beside him.
“I never thought I’d see such death here.” Gray Wing recognized the voice of the loner, River Ripple. “This is my first time back since the battle.” Gray Wing nodded his head in acknowledgment, his dark memories threatening to overwhelm him. He remembered the hopes he and his denmates had shared when they set out from the mountains, looking for a better home. His body shivered at the painful realization that the journey had led so many of them to their deaths. Turtle Tail, Bright Stream, Moon Shadow . . . and that wasn’t all. Rainswept Flower, Hawk Swoop, Falling Feather, Jackdaw’s Cry—all gone.
“By next greenleaf,” River Ripple went on, his voice gentle, “this grave will be covered in wildflowers. You should not keep returning, day after day.”
Greenleaf . . . Gray Wing was momentarily puzzled. Ah, that’s the rogue cats’ name for the warm season. Recently the mountain cats and their descendants had begun using these terms, too.
Gray Wing twitched his whiskers. “How do you know what I’m doing?” he asked. “I thought you said you hadn’t been back here until now?”
River Ripple let out a soft mrrow of laughter. “Oh, Gray Wing, have you learned nothing? I may be a loner, but I know more than any cat. I see what you all do and where you go.” Gray Wing felt the brief touch of a tail-tip on his shoulder. “Stop tormenting yourself,” River Ripple went on. “There’s nothing for you here. Go back to the cats who love you.”
Gray Wing felt his throat tighten and when he managed to speak his voice was wet and raspy. “I can’t bear to think of them, all alone.”
“But they’re not alone,” River Ripple told him. “Didn’t you see them among the spirit-cats? They’re not buried beneath the earth; they’re running with the stars.” He gave Gray Wing a gentle nudge. “Stop fretting—do you think your old friends are hanging around here, waiting for you to visit? Of course they’re not. You must think of the living . . . they’re the cats who need you now.”
Gray Wing turned to face River Ripple, knowing that he was right. Something within him calmed. “Thank you for being so kind,” he mewed, touching noses with the silver-furred tom. “Are you sure you won’t come to live with the rest of us in the hollow?”
River Ripple shook his head. “Thanks, but no.”
“Okay,” Gray Wing meowed. “But will we see you back here when we meet again?”
“Yes, I’ll come,” River Ripple answered. “I’ll be too curious to stay away. And in the meantime, if I catch you here again, I’ll be demanding the prey from your next hunt!”
In response, Gray Wing leaped away, racing through the trees toward the hollow. “You’d have to catch me first!” he called back over his shoulder.
There's this moment when River Ripple joins the gathering:
Then the group of cats parted and River Ripple brushed between them and padded up to Gray Wing. His perfectly groomed pelt shone silver in the moonlight.
“Greetings,” Gray Wing purred, amusement bubbling up inside him. “I don’t have any prey to share, you know.”
River Ripple dipped his head, his eyes glinting with humor. “I wouldn’t miss this meeting,” he mewed. “I remember how scared you all were, the last time the spirit-cats appeared.”
I believe this scene is the most notable:
Meanwhile, Clear Sky had beckoned some of his other cats, including Acorn Fur, who gave a nervous nod to Gray Wing. “Acorn Fur, I’ll put you in charge of making sure Sparrow Fur always has enough prey,” Clear Sky instructed. “And Quick Water, see if you can find some more marigold leaves to put on her wounds when she wakes up. And all of you, keep your eyes open,” he finished. “You know what for.”
Gray Wing realized that Sparrow Fur was in good paws. There was no need for him to stay there any longer. He backed up and slipped away through the trees, trying not to feel hurt when no cat called after him.
The sun was setting as Gray Wing reached the edge of the forest. A chill wind had set in, ruffling his fur. The cold seemed to go right through to his bones. Suddenly Gray Wing drew to a stop. The journey back to the hollow seemed like a huge effort. He felt no joy at the prospect of going home.
He would need to see Jagged Peak, and while he knew he should apologize to his brother for his harsh words, he was still finding it hard to forgive him for letting Sparrow Fur go out alone. Petal was wrong, he thought sadly.
No cat really needs me. Instead, Gray Wing found his paw steps leading him along the edge of the forest to the place where so many of his friends were buried beneath the spreading branches of the four oaks.
By now the ground was covered with dead leaves; there was no sign that there was a grave there at all. Gray Wing was shivering with cold, but he couldn’t bring himself to move away. He gazed up at the sky, not feeling surprised when the spirit-cats failed to appear.
But then a voice spoke behind him. “I thought I told you to stay away from this place.” River Ripple stepped out of the undergrowth and pressed himself against Gray Wing’s side. Gray Wing was surprised but also grateful for the warmth of his thick, silver pelt.
“This isn’t doing you any good, Gray Wing. Come back to my island with me,” he invited. Gray Wing looked at him, startled. This independent loner is opening his home to me? River Ripple was already padding away, his tail high in the air. “Well? Are you coming, or what?” he asked. Gray Wing cast a final glance at the grave.
“Yes.” He stood and followed in River Ripple’s paw steps.
It's very soothing and sweet. I kinda like how River Ripple shows up at the right moments, when Gray Wing needs him the most. And without hesitation he invited him to come back with him and Gray Wing followed.
There's this scene when Gray Wing shows up at the next gathering with River Ripple:
“Greetings,” he meowed, dipping his head to Tall Shadow and Thunder.
“Greetings,” Tall Shadow responded. “Let’s all gather around the rock, and—”
She broke off at the sound of more rustling from the bushes. A clump of ferns parted and River Ripple emerged.
“River Ripple!” Thunder exclaimed, pleased to see the silver-gray tom. “How did you know there was going to be a meeting?”
River Ripple paused to give his silky chest fur a couple of licks. “I know everything,” he purred. “When are you going to learn that? And I brought a friend with me.” To Thunder’s amazement, Gray Wing slipped out of the ferns behind River Ripple. His whole body was tight with tension, and he didn’t meet any cat’s gaze. Thunder felt his whole body sag with relief. Gray Wing is okay! He bounded over to the gray tom.
“Gray Wing, where have you been?” he demanded, relief and anger mingled in his voice. “How could you go off like that and leave us all to worry about you?"
Gray Wing still didn’t look at him. “Sparrow Fur didn’t want to come home with me,” he explained, “and I couldn’t face returning to the hollow alone. I—I just needed to be on my own.”
“Yes,” River Ripple meowed. “I found him shivering beside the grave. I took him back to my river island with me.”
“And that’s where I’m staying for now,” Gray Wing added with a grateful glance at the silver tom. “I need some time to think.”
“To think about what?” Thunder asked. “Where has all this come from? Gray Wing, we need you!”
Gray Wing met his gaze for the first time. “Do you? Or am I just getting in the way? I’m not feeling angry, or anything like that,” he went on, overriding Thunder’s attempt to protest. “But I do feel like I’m getting in the way. You’re a great leader, and so is Tall Shadow. Aren’t three cats making decisions too many?”
“No,” Thunder responded, hardly able to believe that Gray Wing was thinking this way. “We were all working together! I thought it was going well.”
Gray Wing shook his head. “You’ve grown into your huge paws, Thunder, and I don’t want to keep you from becoming the cat you should be. So I need to think about the next step for me—and I need space to do that.”
At last Thunder was shocked into silence. He saw how relieved Gray Wing looked to not have to face any more objections.
But before either cat could say more, Tall Shadow stepped forward. “I see your point, Gray Wing,” she rasped. “But did you have to disappear like that? We were all really worried about you—especially Owl Eyes and Pebble Heart.”
Gray Wing dipped his head. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It was shortsighted of me. I’ll never do that again.”
River Ripple understands and knows Gray Win well, and he's very patient with him, while also comforting. He wants Gray Win to think about his own wants and needs, and figure things out at his own pace, while also supporting him every paw of the way, which is really nice.
This part is about Gray and River's hunting date:
Gray Wing and River Ripple continued, keeping well away from the sick vole. “If you like, I’ll teach you some of my hunting techniques,” Gray Wing suggested. “On the moor they seem to think I’m pretty good at working out strategies and sniffing out prey.”
River Ripple murmured agreement, though Gray Wing noticed his whiskers twitching as if he was amused.
“Okay,” Gray Wing began, “there are obviously voles around here. So what we have to do is track some down. They live in tunnels, right?”
River Ripple nodded. So hunting them must be much the same as hunting rabbits, Gray Wing decided. Though even Wind Runner couldn’t follow a vole down its hole! “This way,” he meowed, veering back toward the bank, but farther downstream than the steppingstones and River Ripple’s island.
After a few paw steps, he crouched down and pressed his ear to the ground. “What in the world are you doing?” River Ripple asked, sounding astonished.
“Listening for voles,” Gray Wing explained, pleased there was something he knew that the silver tom didn’t. “But I don’t hear anything.”
“Let’s try farther on.” River Ripple seemed more interested now, and angled his ears toward a spot on the bank with a luxuriant growth of plants. “That’s the stuff voles like to eat.” The second time Gray Wing listened he heard faint scratching noises under the ground. “There’s at least one vole under there.” He scouted around, opening his jaws to taste the air, until he picked up the scent of vole and tracked it to a small hole in the ground among the roots of a hawthorn bush. “Stay there,” he instructed River Ripple.
Listening carefully for the scratching sounds, Gray Wing managed to follow the tunnel all the way to the other end, a hole in the side of the bank. He scrambled down carefully until he stood on the strip of mud and pebbles that separated the side of the bank from the water.
“Okay,” he called to River Ripple. “Scratch at that hole and yowl into it, as loud as you can.” From his position, he couldn’t see River Ripple, but he heard a fearsome screeching coming from the other end of the tunnel. That should get them moving, he thought, satisfied. A moment later there was frantic squeaking and scuffling coming from inside the tunnel; first two —then three, then four—voles burst out into the open, their eyes wide with terror. Gray Wing felt a rush of exhilaration as he pounced on two of them, one under each paw.
Expertly he snapped their necks, but as he turned to pursue the other two, a dark shadow flashed over him and a harsh cry sounded from above. He looked up and saw a hawk plummeting out of the sky, its talons extended. Gray Wing barely had time to leap out of the way, rolling over on the pebbles, while the hawk snatched up one of the other voles as it tried to flee. The fourth vole plopped into the river and vanished.
River Ripple bounded up, peering down at Gray Wing from the top of the bank. “Let’s get out of here,” he urged. “We don’t need all this prey. We have more than enough on the island.”
Gray Wing rose to his paws, listening to the faint wheezing of his own breath. Ignoring River Ripple, he padded back to where he had left the two dead voles, and checked them all over for signs of illness, giving them a good sniff and parting their fur with careful claws.
Satisfied that they were healthy, he picked them up by their tails and scrambled up the bank to drop them at River Ripple’s paws. “I just wanted to contribute,” he meowed, his eyes burning with hurt. “To feel useful.”
River Ripple’s shoulders sagged. “You don’t need to prove yourself to me,” he murmured. “I’ve seen everything you’ve done, the way you’ve led your cats. But any cat can see that you have been hurting, and I was happy to give you a place to retreat to.” Gently he pushed the dead voles back toward Gray Wing. “Maybe you know some other cats who could use some food? Some kits, maybe?”
Gray Wing stared at the silver tom. “How did you know?” he gasped, astonished by his friend’s wisdom. “It’s true; I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Pebble Heart and Owl Eyes . . . and poor Sparrow Fur.” I don’t even know if her injuries are better, he thought guiltily. And how is Pebble Heart coping with being a healer? And Owl Eyes . . . I hope he isn’t being overlooked because his brother has grown up so quickly. Does he get the chance to play and enjoy being a kit?
“I think it’s time for me to go home,” he told River Ripple.
The silver-furred tom dipped his head in understanding. “I wondered how long it would take for you to realize that,” he mewed. “But should you ever need refuge, you know where we are.”
Gray Wing felt a pang at the thought of leaving this cat who had become such a good friend. “Would you like to come back to the hollow with me?” he asked. “Maybe you and Night and Dew could—” He broke off as River Ripple shook his head.
“That’s not what we agreed at the four trees, remember? We need to separate and isolate this sickness. Besides, the island is my home. I could not live anywhere else.”
Gray Wing sighed regretfully. “I know. But I’ll miss you, River Ripple. Thank you for all your help. I’ll never forget what you have done for me.” He touched noses with the silver tom, then turned and headed toward the hollow, picking up the pace as he felt the tough moorland grass under his paws once again.
Excitement fluttered in his belly. He would miss River Ripple, but he had missed the kits, too, more than he had realized until now. Will they be glad to see me again? I hope so. . . .
It's kinda funny at how much Gray wants River to come with him, but it's also sweet how much he'll miss him. I think this moment between them was very genuine.
Another thing to note is this moment where Thunder speaks with River Ripple later and River Ripple shows how loyal he is to Gray Wing after he requests for his help in the upcoming battle against One Eye:
Thunder dipped his head respectfully before he settled down and explained to River Ripple about the Blazing Star. Meanwhile, Lightning Tail sat silently and washed his paws. River Ripple nodded understandingly when Thunder had finished.
“And what else?” he asked. How does he know there’s something else? Thunder wondered.
“One Eye has driven Clear Sky out of the forest, and taken over his group,” he meowed. “Gray Wing has a plan to defeat him, but we need help. Will you join us to drive One Eye away?”
River Ripple paused thoughtfully before replying. “I will,” he agreed at last. “But I have to warn you—I’ve had problems with One Eye in the past, and believe me, he won’t back down. It’s not a question of driving him out; you’ll have to kill him.”
“We’re prepared for that,” Thunder told him, doing his best to hide his dismay. “That’s what Gray Wing’s plan will do.”
River Ripple nodded, a grim look in his eyes. “If Gray Wing is behind it, I’ll be a part of it, and I’ll see that my cats help, too.”
“We were thinking of reaching out to some of the cats in the forest,” Thunder went on, pleased to have such a formidable cat as River Ripple on their side. “They can’t all want One Eye to be their leader. But I can’t think of a good way to get to them without running into One Eye and his rogues. Do you have any ideas about that?"
River Ripple shook his head. “Don’t even think about it,” he advised. “If One Eye found out that any of the forest cats spoke to you, he’d make them suffer. And he’d enjoy doing it,” he finished.
Thunder had to accept that the older cat was probably right. He thanked River Ripple, and was saying good-bye when the silver tom’s gaze turned serious.
“Be careful, young one,” River Ripple mewed solemnly.
“What do you mean?” Thunder asked, puzzled.
“I think you know,” River Ripple responded. “I’ve told Gray Wing many times: I know everything.”
Bemused, Thunder thanked him again, then padded away, shaking his head as he crossed the stepping-stones.
I actually enjoy River Ripple's relationship with Thunder too, he treats him with more respect than Clear Sky ever did, and is somewhat fatherly to him, even like a mentor. So I like that by Thunder, and some others even, that people are aware of how close Gray and River have become.
Something to note, River Ripple has helped Gray Wing save his brother about twice now, similarly back to the time with the fire scenes, River Ripple helped lead Gray Wing and the others back to him. In the narrative River Ripple very much doesn't get along with Clear Sky, they're actually not fond of one another, but for Gray Wing, he's willing to help.
Here's a quick moment of Gray Wing chipping in that he wants River Ripple to be included in their plans in Forest Divided:
Tall Shadow nodded curtly. “Thank you, Lightning Tail.”
She addressed the cats once more. “The circle with no heather is Clear Sky’s camp. The circle with one sprig is the pine forest. Two sprigs means the moor.”
Dappled Pelt swished her tail. “What about the river?”
Lightning Tail blinked at her. “That’s River Ripple’s territory.”
Gray Wing turned from the rock, his paws filthy from digging. “River Ripple must be included in our plans. The spirit cats chose to share with him as well as us.”
“Okay.” Tall Shadow drew a fourth circle on the earth.
They have pretty great moments throughout DotC, and me, along with other fans of the ship, like the undertones of their relationship. I like how playful they are with one another, and how they have no problem being physically affectionate either. And honestly, looking back at all the moments River Ripple was there for both Gray Wing and Thunder, kinda gives me the vibe of the gay dads and their funky lil son. Although I am happy that Gray Wing is canonly poly, it makes me think that he happily lives in StarClan with Turtle, Slate and River Ripple.