Эрин Хантер - Darkest Night

The moon, huge and yellow, hung in the crow-black sky. A crisp wind gusted from the lake, lifting Alderheart’s fur. The Gathering would start soon. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight led the way to the island. Leafpool followed with Ivypool, while Cherryfall and Molewhisker trailed behind. Thornclaw and Birchfall padded farther up the shore, shadowing the party beside Lilyheart, Honeyfur, and Twigpaw. SkyClan trailed behind, no more than shadows on the shore.

Alderheart wanted to ask Sparkpelt what she thought about SkyClan. Jayfeather had kept him busy gathering herbs all afternoon. This was the first chance he’d had to talk to her alone. Now he was struggling to find the words. Would he offend her by asking if she thought SkyClan didn’t belong here? And what if she said it was true?

“What do you think the Clans will decide?” Pebbles crunched beneath his paws.

“About what?” Sparkpelt glanced at him.

“About SkyClan.”

Sparkpelt turned her gaze back to Bramblestar. “Let’s hope they decide to do the right thing.”

“What is the right thing?” Alderheart tried to sound casual.

“The right thing is for the real Clans to carry on living the way they’ve always lived.”

“The real Clans?”

“You know. Us and ShadowClan and RiverClan and WindClan. The Clans that have always lived beside the lake.”

“Not SkyClan?” Alderheart fur prickled with alarm.

“This isn’t their home. It never has been.” Sparkpelt sounded matter-of-fact.

Alderheart swallowed. “Then what do you think should happen to them?” He was scared of her answer.

She glanced at him, her eyes sharp. “They should go back where they came from.”

Alderheart could hardly believe his ears.

“Darktail has left the gorge now,” she went on. “They can go back to their proper home.”

“But what about StarClan?” Alderheart spluttered. “My visions? Don’t they mean anything to you?”

“StarClan wanted us to find SkyClan and we did.” The trees on the island were looming larger, casting moon shadows on the shore ahead. “Did they say anything about SkyClan moving onto our territory?”

Alderheart remembered the messages from StarClan, wishing again that his ancestors weren’t so vague. They had urged him to find SkyClan, but Sparkpelt was right; they’d never clearly said what they must do once they had. “Not exactly. But I’m sure StarClan wants us to keep SkyClan close.”

Sparkpelt glanced at him doubtfully. “And how will that help? You’ve seen what happens when strange cats move into our territory.”

“SkyClan isn’t strange cats !” Was she really comparing SkyClan to Darktail’s rogues? “They’re warriors. Just like us. They follow the same code. They share dreams with their ancestors.”

“So which Clan is going to give up territory for them?” Sparkpelt challenged. “Do you really want more borders around the lake? Are you sure that will bring peace?”

She didn’t give him a chance to answer, but quickened her pace and caught up with Cherryfall and Molewhisker. Alderheart stared after her, his mouth dry. Had everything he’d worked for meant nothing? Were the Clans going to force SkyClan to leave?

Tiny waves slapped the shore. He could hear the wind in the trees on the island. Please, StarClan. Don’t let the others feel the same way as Sparkpelt.

At the tree-bridge, which spanned the water between the shore and the island, he waited for his Clanmates to cross. Only Leafpool paused beside him. “Are you okay?”

He blinked at her despondently. “You were right. Sparkpelt wants SkyClan to leave.”

Leafpool touched her nose to his ear. Her warm breath bathed him as she spoke. “Sparkpelt doesn’t speak for every cat,” she murmured. “But if the Clans do decide that SkyClan can’t stay, you must accept it.”

Alderheart bristled. “I could never do that!”

“We have no choice.” Leafpool leaped onto the fallen tree and crossed the water. “Whatever happens, we must trust StarClan to guide the leaders’ paws.”

SkyClan was nearing the bridge. Alderheart jumped onto the fallen tree before they reached him, unable to face their hopeful gazes. He followed his own Clanmates through the long grass on the other side and emerged into the clearing beyond. WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan had arrived, but only a soft murmur filled the clearing. The cats spoke to one another in muted mews, exchanging wary glances, each Clan keeping to themselves.

Alderheart’s pelt prickled with worry. He’d expected to find them more jubilant. After all, they’d killed Darktail and chased the rogues from their land. And SkyClan had been found. The skies have been cleared, Alderheart thought, remembering StarClan’s prophecy. Am I the only one who’s happy about it?

Leafpool beckoned him with a flick of her tail. She was already sitting beneath the Great Oak beside Willowshine, Mothwing, Puddleshine, and Kestrelflight, who sat, hunched and stiff, gazing uneasily at the Clans.

Alderheart hurried through the wide gap between RiverClan and ShadowClan. He was surprised to see how few ShadowClan cats had come. WindClan sat apart on the far side of the clearing. His own Clanmates had gathered near the medicine cats. He remembered, with a pang, his first Gathering, when apprentices from all the Clans had swapped stories and showned off the new hunting moves they had learned.

Now the apprentices sat in silence. Whorlpaw and Snakepaw sat like stones beside their ShadowClan mentors. Brindlepaw, Fernpaw and Smokepaw, the young WindClan cats, blinked at them, as though puzzled by their aloofness. Nightpaw, the dark gray RiverClan apprentice, glanced nervously at Breezepaw. But her denmate looked away, the wind ruffling her brown-and-white fur.

Alderheart’s paws pricked. What was wrong with them? His gaze flitted farther around the clearing. Where were all the elders? They loved to come to Gatherings to share gossip and stories with one another. Tonight, Millie and Graystripe were the only elders here.

As he reached Leafpool’s side, the SkyClan cats began to emerge from the long grass. A hush fell over the clearing. Plumwillow and Blossomheart followed Leafstar and Hawkwing, their Clanmates on their heels. All of SkyClan had come, except Tinycloud, who’d stayed in camp, too close to kitting to make the journey.

Leafstar paused and lifted her chin, letting her Clanmates file past. Hawkwing scanned the gathered cats through narrowed eyes, then padded toward an empty space beside ThunderClan and with a flick of his tail beckoned Plumwillow to follow.

Blossomheart strolled after her. Dewpaw, Reedpaw, and Finpaw stayed close to their mentors’ sides. The young cats stared at the other Clans, their eyes wide. Had they ever seen so many cats in one place? Violetpaw looked nervous as she slid from the long grass. She paused beside Hawkwing, her gaze flitting from her father to her ShadowClan Clanmates. Alderheart guessed she was wondering where to sit: with ShadowClan or SkyClan? Perhaps she’d choose ShadowClan. There were so few of them here.

She whispered something in her father’s ear and he murmured back. Quickly, Violetpaw dropped her gaze and hurried to where Twigpaw was sitting beside Lionblaze. Alderheart felt a pang of sympathy for the young cat as SkyClan took their places beside Hawkwing. Rowanstar had given her permission to remain with ThunderClan for a while. But had she ever really known where she belonged?

Bramblestar padded forward and dipped his head to Harestar, Rowanstar, and Mistystar. One at a time, the Clan leaders leaped onto the long, low branch of the Great Oak.

Alderheart looked expectantly at Leafstar. Was she going to join them? He felt a twinge of disappointment when she padded beneath the tree and sat neatly among her Clanmates, curling her long brown tail over her paws.