Эрин Хантер - The Silent Thaw

Shadowsight stopped. Tree spun around, scanning the forest, while Rootpaw tasted the air.

“Do you smell anything?” Tree blinked at his son.

Rootpaw frowned. “I can only smell mint.”

Puddleshine looked puzzled. “Mint doesn’t grow in this part of the forest.”

Shadowsight was straining to see through the darkness. “Some cat’s in trouble,” he mewed.

“It sounded like the yowl came from over there.” Tree began to head along a rise.

The screech sounded again. Shadowsight’s pelt bushed. “We have to help them!”

“This way!” Tree broke into a run.

Puddleshine hurried after him. “I can smell blood.” Alarm sharpened the medicine cat’s mew.

Shadowsight paused as the others charged away. How could they help an injured cat? They had no herbs with them. He glanced around. Cobwebs! If the cat was bleeding, cobwebs would staunch the flow until they could get them to safety.

“Shadowsight!” Puddleshine called from the darkness. “Are you coming?”

“I’m looking for cobwebs!” He hurried toward a gnarled oak. There would be cobwebs in the knotted bark. He ran his paw along a crevice, relieved as thick spider’s web clung to his paw. He hauled it out. “Have you found him?” His mew rang through the trees. No cat answered. He hurried between the trees, limping on three legs as he tried to keep the cobwebs off the ground. Peering through the shadows, he strained to see the others. “I’m coming!” he called. The forest answered with silence.

He frowned. Was he heading the right way? As he opened his mouth to taste for scents, something hard slammed into his flank. It knocked him over, and as he rolled onto his side, the stench of mint hit the back of his throat. A shadow reared beside him, and his heart seemed to burst as the silhouette of a tom rose against the starlit sky. It fell on him like a hawk. Claws raked his cheek. A paw lashed at his muzzle.

Struggling to escape, Shadowsight rolled onto his belly. Blood roared in his ears, as he felt the sharp sting of strong claws hooking into his pelt. They hauled him backward as he scrabbled against the earth. Desperately, he tried to remember a battle move. Pouncestep had taught him some. He bunched the muscles in his hind legs and tried to push up and unbalance his attacker, but a leg swept beneath his belly, knocking his paws from under him.

He rolled onto his back and tried to kick out with his hind legs, but his attacker crushed him against the earth with large, heavy paws. Eyes flashed in front of Shadowsight’s muzzle, glittering with hate. Shadowsight froze, helpless as he felt claws at his throat. He shrieked as he felt them dig into his flesh. His thoughts spun until he was dizzy with terror. The claws dug harder. His mind reeled as he fought for breath, pleading with StarClan for help.

But there was no answer, and darkness closed around him.

About the Author

ERIN HUNTERis inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is also the author of the Seekers, Survivors, and Bravelands series.

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Books by Erin Hunter

THE BROKEN CODE

Book One: Lost Stars

Book Two: The Silent Thaw

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Copyright

WARRIORS: THE BROKEN CODE #2: THE SILENT THAW. Copyright © 2019 by Working Partners Limited. Series created by Working Partners Limited. Map art © 2019 by Dave Stevenson. Interior art © 2019 by Owen Richardson. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

www.harpercollinschildrens.com

Cover art © 2019 by Owen Richardson

Series cover design by Ellice M. Lee

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hunter, Erin., author

Title: The silent thaw / Erin Hunter.

Description: New York, NY : HarperCollins, 2019. | Series: Warriors: the broken code ; [2] |

Summary: “ThunderClan’s leader, Bramblestar, has been behaving erratically after losing one of his nine lives, and suspicion is quickly spreading across Clan borders. And when a strange apparition sparks unrest in SkyClan and ShadowClan, each warrior must decide where their allegiances lie—with their Clan, or the warrior code itself”—Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019021110| ISBN 978-0-06-282355-7 (hardback) | ISBN 978-0-06-282357-1 (library)

Subjects: | CYAC: Cats—Fiction. | Fantasy. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Cats. | JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General. | JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic.

Classification: LCC PZ7.H916625 Sjm 2019 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019021110

19 20 21 22 23 PC/LSCH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Digital Edition OCTOBER 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-282359-5

Print ISBN: 978-0-06-282355-7

FIRST EDITION

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