Эрин Хантер - Path Of A Warrior

She had known Skystar since they were kits together, back in the mountains so long ago. He’d made trouble for the other Clans when he’d felt threatened, but he had grown out of those ways. After the Clans had been formed, he—as much as any leader—had been devoted to the code they’d agreed to follow, in order to avoid any more terrible battles, like the one that had claimed the lives of so many cats of all five Clans. Shadowstar was sure she knew him well enough to trust he was not planning to murder other cats… .

I’ve known Quick Water for a long time, too.

Shadowstar pushed the thought away. “We’ll talk to Skystar,” she said firmly. “He deserves a chance to make this right.”

The moist soil of ShadowClan’s territory felt comfortingly soft under her tired paws, but it became firmer and grassier as they approached the Thunderpath dividing their territory from ThunderClan’s.

Standing at the edge of the Thunderpath, they watched as one Twoleg monster, then another, sped by. The sound of their round black paws made the fur on Shadowstar’s back prickle. For a moment she remembered her belly pressed to that other Thunderpath, the monster rushing toward her, and her mouth went dry. If she had stumbled a few tail-lengths farther, she would have been crushed beneath those round paws.

No. That’s not how I’m going to die. Suddenly she was sure of it. The way that StarClan had saved her when she was pushed in front of that monster convinced her: There was too much happening between the Clans right now. She would not die, not before ShadowClan was safe.

Recklessly, she charged onto the Thunderpath. Her heart was thudding, but she kept running, even as a small, two-footed monster with a Twoleg on its back swerved around her, screeching.

It took the others a few heartbeats to catch up with her. “Are you mouse-brained?” Mud Paws gasped, too frightened to show his leader the usual respect.

Shadowstar brushed her tail over his back in a silent apology but said nothing. How could she explain?

On this side of the Thunderpath—ThunderClan territory—the trees were mostly oaks and birches, their branches spreading wider and letting through more sunlight than the pines and occasional oaks of ShadowClan’s territory. Shadowstar felt exposed, and she could tell that her Clanmates felt the same. They walked closer together, their pelts brushing.

Shadowstar was glad they didn’t run into a ThunderClan patrol. She didn’t want to drag any other Clan into this until she had spoken to Skystar. At the edge of SkyClan territory, she hesitated. “Let’s wait for a patrol,” she said. “If we’re going to accuse one of Skystar’s warriors of trying to kill me, let’s at least go in with his permission.”

Mud Paws and Raven Pelt glanced at each other and nodded. Pebble Heart sat down to wait patiently, his gray tabby tail curled around his paws.

It wasn’t long before Blossom and Red Claw appeared, Red Claw with a mouse dangling from his mouth.

“Hello,” Blossom mewed, looking startled. She dipped her head respectfully to Shadowstar. “Are you—”

“We’d like to see Skystar, please,” Shadowstar told her. “Would you escort us to your camp?”

“Have you had any luck finding us another territory?” Blossom asked. Her tortoiseshell tail curved excitedly over her back.

“We want to see Skystar,” Shadowstar repeated. She made sure to sound polite, but there must have been a coldness in her tone, because Blossom’s eyes went wide.

“Of course,” she meowed. “Follow us.” Beside her, Red Claw nodded and gestured with his tail to Shadowstar’s Clanmates.

When they reached SkyClan’s camp, it seemed both busy and peaceful. Skystar and his mate, Star Flower, were sharing tongues near the entrance to their den. Shadowstar noticed that Star Flower’s sides were slightly rounded with a new litter of kits. No wonder he’s so anxious to make sure their home is safe, she thought. She saw Pebble Heart nod to his sister, SkyClan’s deputy, Sparrow Fur, who was sharpening her claws on a birch, and to Acorn Fur, the Clan’s medicine cat. Dew Petal and Flower Foot, two of Skystar’s grown kits, were changing the bedding in the warriors’ den. And Quick Water, looking as calm and relaxed as if she’d spent all day lazing in the sunshine, was sharing a vole with Honey Pelt, another of SkyClan’s warriors. She raised her head and gave Shadowstar a long, cool glance. Shadowstar glared back, rage rising in her chest.

“Do you have any news?” Skystar demanded, getting to his paws. “What did you think of the territory near Highstones?”

Shadowstar pulled her attention away from Quick Water with difficulty. “It might work,” she mewed, but she knew she sounded doubtful. “We didn’t get much of a chance to look properly.”

Skystar’s blue eyes widened in outrage. “You didn’t look ?” he yowled. “If you didn’t bother, then why are you here?”

The fur rose on Shadowstar’s shoulders. “I’m here because one of your warriors tried to kill me,” she spat. “I’m more worried about that then whether you might need new territory.”

Around the clearing, every cat’s head shot up. Flower Foot dropped the moss she was carrying.

“Are you a mouse-brain?” Skystar asked. “What are you saying?”

“Something true,” Shadowstar told him dryly.

“None of my warriors would do anything like that,” Skystar protested, his tail slashing back and forth angrily. “Who are you accusing?”

Shadowstar’s eyes locked with Quick Water’s amber ones. “Her.”

Every SkyClan cat—except Quick Water herself—leaped to their paws, hissing angrily.

“Liar!” Sparrow Fur yowled.

“ShadowClan is just trying to make trouble for us,” Star Flower growled, showing her teeth. “We should chase them off our territory.”

Shadowstar purposefully kept herself from flinching as she wondered if her final death would be at the paws of an angry SkyClan.She continued staring at Quick Water until the gray-and-white cat dropped her gaze.

“Quiet!” Skystar mewed. He stalked closer to Shadowstar, his fur bristling. “If you’re coming onto my territory and accusing one of my Clanmates this way, you’d better have some proof.”

“I have the proof of my own eyes,” Shadowstar told him. “While we were scouting for new territory for your Clan, Quick Water pushed me into the path of a Twoleg monster. After I managed to escape, she attacked me by the side of the Thunderpath. When my Clanmates caught up to us, she ran away.”

Raven Pelt stepped up, shoulder to shoulder with her. “I saw Quick Water fighting with Shadowstar and then running away. I chased her. I’m sure it was her.”

“I only saw from a distance,” Pebble Heart added. “But it looked like Quick Water to me.” Beside him, Mud Paws nodded.

The SkyClan cats exchanged uncertain glances. Slowly, they turned to look at Quick Water, who was gazing down at her paws.

“And I don’t think this was the first time,” Shadowstar went on, her heart feeling heavy in her chest. “The dogs that killed Sun Shadow … I think maybe Quick Water led them there. I saw eyes like hers watching from the woods.” Quick Water raised her head to aim a blazing, amber glare at Shadowstar.

“Nonsense,” Star Flower snapped. She was standing beside Skystar, her tail high with indignation. “‘Eyes watching from the woods,’” she hissed scathingly, “and you’re accusing Quick Water of murder.”

“Why would she do something like that?” Skystar asked, sounding bewildered. “I don’t believe it. She’s been a Clan cat as long as there have been Clans. We all came down from the mountains together. She wouldn’t attack you.” He looked suddenly older, and tired.