More cats took up his words, raising their voices in wails of anguish. “We promise! We promise!”
As the yowling died away, Thunder drew back from the graveside, and found himself beside Tall Shadow. As if something invisible was tugging at their paws, River Ripple and Wind Runner padded up to join them.
A couple of heartbeats later, Clear Sky drew closer with reluctant paw steps. His eyes seemed fixed, as if he was staring at something very far away, looking through the other cats at a vision they could not grasp. He halted a little way from the other four, who stood in a line facing the rest of the survivors.
We look like we’re guarding the grave, Thunder thought.
Gray Wing limped to his littermate and sat beside him, though Clear Sky kept his distance from Thunder and the others.
“Listen to me, all of you!” Tall Shadow yowled, her gaze raking across the huddle of grief-stricken cats. “This must never happen again. We should listen to the cats in the stars, to the warning they gave us. From now on we have to work together peacefully, and at the next full moon we must return to this clearing to hear more messages from the spirit-cats.”
“Yes!” Clear Sky’s voice was a shaken purr. “At last there are cats who will tell us what we have to do.”
Sudden understanding flashed into Thunder’s mind like the dazzle of sunlight on water.
“So that’s why you’ve been so protective and so hostile!” Gray Wing turned to his brother, his gaze full of compassion. “All this time your responsibilities have been too much for you. You tried to do the right thing, but you asked too much of yourself.”
Clear Sky turned his head away in shame. “I’m so sorry. . . .”
For the first time in many days, Thunder felt hope stirring inside him. Clear Sky will get guidance from the spirit-cats now, so maybe . . . Then he shook his head. Nothing will make me believe that these cats needed to die.
Tall Shadow cleared her throat loudly, interrupting his thoughts. “If I can be allowed to finish what I was saying . . .” She paused as the other cats dipped their heads in acknowledgment, then continued, “I want a promise that all cats will respect one another. No more fighting over territory and prey. Too much has happened, and all of us need time to recover. Indeed, I believe that any cat who needs help should receive it: whoever the cat, and wherever they’ve chosen to live. Do you agree?”
As she finished speaking, Tall Shadow looked at Gray Wing, whose gaze immediately flicked to Thunder.
“My young kin proved himself in the battle,” Gray Wing meowed. “Tall Shadow, he is the one you should look to in times like this.”
Tall Shadow looked puzzled. “To Thunder?”
“Yes,” Gray Wing replied, bowing his head. “I need to think about what’s happened, and what the future will hold. Thunder should take his rightful place as leader with you and Clear Sky and River Ripple.”
A storm of anxiety broke inside Thunder. Gray Wing had been like a father to him. Now it sounded as though he was distancing himself. Gray Wing was crouching down as if he was overcome by grief, as well as weakened by his illness.
Knowing that the time for reluctance or modesty was far behind him, Thunder turned to Tall Shadow. These cats need me now.
“Yes, we should help any cat in trouble,” he replied.
A mrrow of agreement came from Wind Runner, while River Ripple dipped his head. “I will help any cat I can,” he responded, surprising Thunder with the depth of feeling in his voice. It was the first time River Ripple had lost his usual calm detachment. And he wasn’t really close to any of the cats who died today, Thunder thought, impressed.
He turned to his father. “Clear Sky, do you agree?”
Clear Sky was once again gazing into the distance at something that only he could see. He started slightly at the sound of Thunder’s voice. “Yes—yes, I agree,” he mewed.
Thunder wished that his father seemed more committed to the decisions that the rest of them were making, but he told himself that Clear Sky was probably shaken up by the terrible events of the night.
Just like the rest of us.
CHAPTER 2
“Now it’s time for all of us to go home,” Tall Shadow announced. “To the forest, or the hollow on the moor. Every cat is free to choose.”
“I don’t live in either camp,” River Ripple put in. “But any cat is welcome to come with me to my island home.”
Thunder watched as the cats padded to and fro, still looking uneasy. Gradually they began to gather into two groups, one around Tall Shadow, Wind Runner, and Thunder, the other around Clear Sky.
Acorn Fur was drifting closer to the cats who surrounded Clear Sky, and Thunder’s pelt prickled apprehensively at the sight. He took a step forward, but before he could do any more Lightning Tail was beside him, his green eyes wide with shock as he gazed at his sister.
“She can’t be thinking of leaving us!” he exclaimed.
Acorn Fur must have heard him, or spotted the two toms watching her, because she came padding over to them. “I’m not sure I want to go back to the hollow,” she meowed, blinking apologetically. “Too much has happened. I’d keep expecting to see Hawk Swoop and Jackdaw’s Cry. . . .” Her voice trailed off with a choking sound.
As she spoke, Clear Sky emerged from his group of cats and came to join them. “I’ll happily take Acorn Fur with me into the forest,” he declared. “If that’s what she wants.”
Acorn Fur didn’t respond, just stared mutely at the ground. With an unpleasant jolt, Thunder realized that was exactly what she wanted. And there’s nothing I can do about it. We’ve all agreed to live in peace with one another. Besides, he added to himself, what Tall Shadow said is true: Every cat should be allowed to choose where they want to live.
He drew a long sigh. Once again it was clear that nothing would ever be the same.
But Lightning Tail clearly wasn’t able to accept that. “How can you leave me?” he yowled at his littermate.
“I won’t be far away.” Acorn Fur brushed her brother’s shoulder with her tail. “The forest is very close. Would you like to come with me?” She gazed at him hopefully.
Lightning Tail hesitated for a heartbeat, opened his mouth as if to reply, but then looked away, as if unable to find the words. He gave a sad shake of his head.
A great surge of warmth and affection swept through Thunder for his loyal friend. He stepped up to Lightning Tail and pressed his muzzle gently into the younger cat’s flank. “Acorn Fur is right,” he mewed. “She won’t be far away. And if the battle has proved one thing, it’s this: We shouldn’t think of ourselves as two separate groups, but one big group, split into two.”
Lightning Tail gave a nod of understanding, but he still didn’t look happy.
Of course he isn’t, Thunder thought. I’ll make sure to look after him in the future.
The two groups gradually drew away from each other, one toward the moor, the other up the slope that led farther into the forest. Only River Ripple didn’t move. He gave a twitch of his ears as Thunder faced him with a questioning look.
“I’m happy that you seem to have settled your differences,” the silver-furred tom began.
His words pierced Thunder, as if a different cat was calling to him from among the trees. I’ve always felt more comfortable in the forest, he reflected, remembering how natural it had felt to stalk prey in the undergrowth. He could see that other cats, too, seemed to be pondering River Ripple’s words. But it looks like I belong on the moor, for now. Gray Wing and Lightning Tail both need me to take care of them.
Dipping his head in a polite farewell to River Ripple, Thunder padded over to Tall Shadow and Wind Runner. Clear Sky approached them, embarrassment in his eyes.
“I suppose this is good-bye, for now,” he meowed awkwardly. “But you’re all welcome to visit, anytime you want. No more guards on the borders. I promise.”
Tall Shadow acknowledged his words with a stiff nod. “We’ll meet here again at the next full moon
,” she announced. “Then we’ll see how we’re all getting on.”
Clear Sky murmured agreement and returned to his own cats, leading them up the slope and into the shadow of the trees. Thunder watched them go until the last tail-tip had vanished into the undergrowth.
“Come on,” Tall Shadow mewed, gesturing to her own group with a swish of her tail. “Let’s go home.”
But will it still feel like home, Thunder wondered sadly, with so many of us gone?
He took the lead as the cats headed toward the moor. In spite of all their promises, he still felt uneasy. They might have made peace with Clear Sky’s group, but he couldn’t help wondering how long it would last.
Dawn light slipped through the branches, growing stronger as they neared the edge of the forest. Their progress was slow as they limped painfully through ferns and around bramble thickets, weakened by their wounds and their grief. Gray Wing wheezed with every breath he took.
If anything attacks us now, we’re crow-food, Thunder thought, worrying that the scent of blood might attract predators.
As if his fear had called it up, he heard a rustling in the undergrowth a few paw steps ahead. He froze, raising his tail in a signal for the others to halt. Tasting the air, he wondered what might be lying in wait for them. There was no scent of fox or badger, but whatever was lurking in the bushes was too big to be prey.
“Who’s there?” Thunder called, making his voice sound loud and commanding. “Show yourselves!”
After a moment’s pause three cats emerged from underneath a holly bush. They all looked wiry and half-starved, and a faint, rank smell came from them. They held their tails low, and their pelts bristled with nerves.
Thunder let his gaze travel over the three cats as they stood in front of him, half cowering and half-defiant. Two of them were toms: One had pale brown fur except for four black paws; the other was a big tabby with unusually small ears. The she-cat had bushy fur that stuck up in prickles. Thunder relaxed slightly. Even in their present injured state, he couldn’t see this sorry collection giving them much trouble.
The she-cat was first to step forward. “We saw the battle, and heard what you said afterward,” she began, meeting Thunder’s gaze. “We wondered if your group would have room for three more cats.”
Tall Shadow padded forward to stand beside Thunder. “You were wise not to get involved in the fight. But who are you?” she asked.
“I’m called Holly,” the she-cat replied. “These are Mud Paws and Mouse Ear.”
The tabby tom ducked his head, looking shyly amused. “Can you guess how we got our names?” he asked.
Won over by their friendly tone, Thunder couldn’t resist replying. “Mud Paws is easy,” he meowed. “That cat has black rings of fur around all his paws, as if he’s been padding through a muddy field.”
Lightning Tail was curiously circling around the big tabby.
“You must be Mouse Ear because your ears are the size of a mouse’s,” Lightning Tail announced at last.
“What?” Mouse Ear faced Lightning Tail with his lips drawn back in the beginning of a snarl. Lightning Tail braced himself, as though ready for an attack.
Thunder took a pace forward, but Holly raised her tail to stop him. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “Mouse Ear may look like a big bully, but underneath that tough shell he has a soft heart.”
“Unlike you!” Mouse Ear retorted, backing away from Lightning Tail.
Holly’s spine stiffened and her neck fur began to bristle.
Thunder let out a mrrow of laughter. “I get it. Holly! You’re as prickly as that bush you were hiding under. Am I right?”
Mud Paws and Mouse Ear shared an amused glance as Holly raked the ground with her forepaws in irritation. “Maybe . . .” she admitted, glaring at her two friends.
Rays of sunlight were piercing through the leaves as the sun rose higher, and Thunder felt a wave of exhaustion sweeping over him. He needed to get back to the hollow and sleep. For days and days.
“Why do you want to join us?” Tall Shadow asked the three strangers. “You say you heard the cries and yowls of battle. Can’t you see that we’re injured? It will be no easy life with us. You may end up helping to tend the wounded.”
The three cats exchanged glances. Then Mouse Ear stepped forward. “Yes, we saw the fight last night and we can see now how you’ve suffered. But why should that mean we don’t want to share a home with you? We respect you for your bravery.”
Thunder’s pelt burned with shame to think that there had been witnesses to the horrors of the battle. He didn’t feel brave at all.
“We think you’re all very brave,” Mouse Ear went on. “We like living on the moor, but it’s hard when it’s just the three of us. And we think that you could benefit from having us around. I can fight off just about any cat. I even got the better of a badger once! And Holly is really good at sensing whether cats can be trusted.”
“It’s true,” Holly put in. “When you’re hard to please, like me, you definitely get the sense of which cats deserve the benefit of the doubt. And Mud Paws is an excellent stalker. Those paws will take him anywhere, as silently as a spirit-cat.”
“Spirit-cats?” Tall Shadow asked, pawing the ground. “What do you mean?”
Mouse Ear looked confused. “It’s just an expression we have,” he explained. “There aren’t really spirit-cats living here. That would be too weird,” he finished with a pretend shudder.
Thunder took care not to catch Tall Shadow’s eye. So these cats didn’t witness everything that went on last night. They didn’t see the spirit-cats.
Exhaustion rolled over him again like a dark cloud. All he wanted was to curl up in his nest. He could hear approving murmurs from his denmates, and see some of them nodding. “Come on, then,” he said to the three strangers. “You can accompany us.”
With a sweep of his tail he signaled his cats to get moving again. His limbs aching, every paw step an effort, he led the newcomers across the moor to the hollow.
CHAPTER 3
Gray Wing stood beneath the spreading branches of the four oaks, his gaze fixed on the earth that covered the cats who had fallen in battle. Though almost a moon had passed since then, he could still hear the yowls of defiance and the screeches of pain, as if that terrible struggle would never stop. The taste of blood remained in his throat, as if he had been jerked back into that dreadful time. But already the ground had settled, and grass had even begun to grow again in the bare earth.
In the future, no cat will have any idea that this is a burial place, he thought sorrowfully. But I’ll never forget. And I’ll make sure that the others remember these fallen cats . . . and Turtle Tail, too. She should not have died alone in the Twolegplace.
Slowly Gray Wing began to groom himself, licking one forepaw and drawing it over his ears. His wounds had healed and his breathing was almost back to normal, yet he knew that nothing would ever erase the scars in his heart.
“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. Ra
inswept 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!”