Эрин Хантер - Path Of A Warrior

Before Thrushpelt could say anything else, Tigerclaw slashed his claws across Ryestalk’s shoulder, making her wail with pain and surprise. “Take your kits and get out of the nursery,” he hissed. “Or it’ll be your fault when they get hurt.”

Eyes wide with fear, Ryestalk hustled her two kits out of the nursery and as far from the invading cats as possible. The kits peered up at the ThunderClan cats, confused.

“Who’s that, Ryestalk?” one of them, a small brown tom, squeaked, his nose wrinkled. “They smell funny.”

“Hush, Mudkit,” she murmured. “Stay behind me.” Crowding the kits into a gorse bush behind her, she lowered her ears, snarling at the ThunderClan cats. Redtail stared guiltily at the blood running down the queen’s shoulder and soaking into her fur. No one was supposed to get hurt!

Thrushpelt had already begun tearing apart the WindClan nursery, and Redtail reluctantly moved forward to help him, yanking out soft nests and tearing at the gorse walls. As he dragged a nest of moss and sheep’s wool out into the clearing, Redtail looked up to see Thistleclaw and Patchpelt doing the same thing in the elders’ den, as Bluefur held off the elders, who were fiercely trying to defend their nest despite seeming frail. Tigerclaw had drawn Doespring and Aspenfall into a fight, distracting them from helping Ryestalk or the elders. As Redtail watched, Tigerclaw crouched and slashed at Doespring’s belly, his claws ripping through her fur, and the she-cat lurched backward with a pained screech. Redtail winced in sympathy.

Barkface, WindClan’s young medicine cat, stood squarely in front of his den, snarling protectively. As Redtail watched, Patchpelt took a hesitant step toward him.

“Not the medicine cat’s den,” Bluefur called sharply, dodging a blow from one of the elders. Relief rushed through Redtail. If they destroyed the medicine cat’s den, WindClan cats might die. This fight wasn’t worth that. We aren’t going to do anything terrible here, he thought. We’re just teaching them a lesson.

No matter how many times he told himself that, it still didn’t feel true.

Tigerclaw hissed in exasperation, pinning Aspenfall to the ground. “You’re too soft, Bluefur,” he taunted the she-cat.

“I’m still ThunderClan’s deputy,” she answered. “And I say leave the medicine cat’s den alone.”

Tigerclaw seemed ready to argue, but a sudden yowl of rage drew all their attention to the camp’s entrance. WindClan warriors were streaming into their camp, Stagleap in the lead.

Perhaps they’d heard the shrieks and hisses of fighting cats. Redtail didn’t know. Stagleap cast him one disappointed look, and Redtail looked away, suddenly conscious of the shredded debris of the nursery all around his paws. It’s not my fault, he wanted to yowl, but was that true? He knew what had really happened. He could have talked to Sunstar. He could have tried harder to talk Tigerclaw out of this. Guilt blocked his throat: There was nothing he could say now.

Stagleap threw himself at Tigerclaw, and, in a heartbeat they became a furiously fighting mass of fur, their dark brown pelts difficult to tell apart as they tussled. The other WindClan cats were attacking: Talltail, WindClan’s deputy, leaped for Bluefur’s throat.

A cat barreled into Redtail’s side while he was distracted, knocking him to the ground. Sharp pain spread through his shoulder. Plumclaw was holding him down, her claws ripping at his pelt.

Redtail struggled beneath the small gray she-cat, panting. He couldn’t get to his feet. He had to protect his underbelly.

Then he remembered a move Sparrowpelt had taught him. He stopped struggling for a moment, rolling fully onto his back. As Plumclaw shifted her weight to keep from falling, he kicked up with his hind legs, knocking her away so that he could scramble back onto his paws.

Thrushpelt was swiping fiercely at Hickorynose, who howled in pain, and Plumclaw turned to slash at Thrushpelt with her claws. Redtail looked up at the mass of fighting cats all around him just as Talltail slashed Bluefur across the throat.

Bluefur stumbled. Blood was running down her chest and dripping onto the ground.

“Bluefur!” Redtail yowled and sprang toward her, shouldering Plumclaw out of his way. Talltail was bracing himself for another attack.

“No!” Redtail hissed fiercely. “We’re going.” Talltail hesitated, and Redtail braced himself against Bluefur’s side. “Bluefur, you have to call a retreat,” he added urgently.

Bluefur was leaning heavily against Redtail’s side. “Bluefur?” he asked. The deputy seemed dazed, her eyes fluttering shut, and Redtail could barely support her weight.

She can’t do it, Redtail realized. Bluefur was barely conscious. He looked around at the clawing, struggling cats. There were too many WindClan cats now. ThunderClan was outnumbered. As he watched, Patchpelt fell beneath two WindClan warriors.

Bluefur moaned.

If we stay here, she’ll die, Redtail realized. And we’ve already lost this battle. Other ThunderClan cats might die, too.

“ThunderClan, retreat!” he yowled, as loudly as he could.

Tigerclaw knocked Stagleap away from him. There was a long scratch across the ThunderClan warrior’s face, but his amber eyes were alight with a fierce joy. “What do you mean, retreat ?” he snarled.

But the other ThunderClan warriors had, like Redtail, clearly realized the battle had been lost. Thrushpelt came up to Bluefur’s other side, and between them, he and Redtail supported Bluefur toward the tunnel through the gorse. The other ThunderClan warriors raced after them.

“Run away, ThunderClan!” Mocking yowls and threats rose behind them.

The race back toward Fourtrees was like a nightmare, Redtail gasping for breath as he struggled beneath Bluefur’s half-conscious weight.

As their paws hit the grass of Fourtrees, Redtail and Thrushpelt paused for a moment to catch their breath.

“Cowards!” Tigerclaw hissed. Redtail turned to face him. The big brown tabby’s face was contorted with rage.

“We had to retreat,” Redtail panted. His shoulder ached and his paw pads were burning. Every heartbeat they stopped here to argue, Bluefur might be dying. “Look at her.”

Tigerclaw’s gaze slid over Bluefur. “We should have finished the fight for her. No true warrior would run away from a battle. You’ve brought shame on the whole Clan, Redtail.”

Have I? Bluefur’s breath rattled harshly in her chest, and Redtail realized he was quite sure that he hadn’t. “I did the right thing,” he insisted, his eyes steady on Tigerclaw’s. “True warriors protect their Clanmates. This was never a battle worth fighting.”

Tigerclaw hissed again but said nothing. Thistleclaw and Patchpelt took Redtail and Thrushpelt’s places supporting Bluefur, giving the other cats a chance to catch their breath, and they hurried on toward ThunderClan territory.

Redtail was at the back of the group, tired and sore, as they reached the entrance to ThunderClan’s camp. As the others disappeared into the ravine, Bluefur supported between them, Tigerclaw turned to face Redtail.

“Nice move,” he hissed, his amber eyes dark with anger.

“What do you mean?” Redtail asked.

“Trying to make it look like you’re worried about Bluefur,” Tigerclaw scoffed. “You’re just a coward. You always have been—ever since you were a ’paw and I had to save you on that bridge. So much for loyalty. So much for the life you owe me.”

Redtail didn’t drop his head in guilt or gratitude; he glared straight back into Tigerclaw’s eyes. He felt like he was seeing Tigerclaw for the first time. Where was the brave warrior who had saved him from the hawk? This cat had bullied an apprentice, had lied to their leader, had done everything he could to start a battle no cat needed. And Redtail had let him. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.