Эрин Хантер - Shattered Sky

Violetpaw was aware of Zelda’s scared gaze fixed on her, but she dared not speak to, or even look at, her kittypet friend.

A moment later, scuffling sounds came from among the brambles, and Darktail reappeared, thrusting Needletail in front of him. From behind, yowls of dismay came from the other prisoners.

“What are you doing?”

“What’s happening?”

Violetpaw could see every one of Needletail’s ribs as her friend staggered to a halt beside her. Her pelt was matted and her eyes were dull, but she tried to hold herself erect and face Darktail.

“Yes, what is happening?” she challenged him. “What do you want?”

“Violetpaw has betrayed me,” Darktail replied, his voice a soft, menacing purr. “She tried to put me to sleep by slipping poppy seeds into my prey. Needletail, I’m afraid that you are the cat who must pay the price for her treachery, but don’t worry… You’ll be doing the other prisoners a favor. There’ll be more fresh-kill to go around now.”

His words ended with a harsh mrrow of laughter; Violetpaw thought she had never heard a more evil sound. She didn’t know what Darktail meant when he said that Needletail must pay the price, but fear swelled from deep in her belly. It won’t be anything good.

Needletail cast an alarmed glance at Violetpaw just as Darktail and Sleekwhisker seized hold of Needletail and began dragging her across the camp. At first Needletail tried to fight, writhing in their grip and striking out with all four paws. But she was too weak to win a battle against the two fit, muscular rogues, and soon Darktail and Sleekwhisker held her pinned to the ground until her struggles stopped; then they hauled her up and dragged her onward.

Roach and Raven followed with Violetpaw. As they splashed through the stream that formed the camp border, Violetpaw realized that they were heading toward the lake.

Terror welled up inside her like dark floodwater. Why would Darktail take us there? Unbidden, a memory flashed into her mind, of how Dawnpelt had argued with Darktail in the middle of the night. The rogue leader’s words echoed in her mind. If you don’t want to be with us anymore, then you are no longer our Kin.

Icy claws of horror pricked at Violetpaw’s belly. Is he taking us wherever he took Dawnpelt?

On the lakeshore, Darktail halted and turned to face his prisoners. “Why are you looking so scared?” he asked Violetpaw. “You have nothing to worry about. Your good friend Needletail will take your punishment for you.”

Without warning, he leaped forward and sank his claws into Needletail’s shoulders, dragging her backward into the lake until the water reached their belly fur. Needletail let out a screech and began striking out at Darktail in an effort to free herself, but as the water rose around them, it was all she could do to stay on her paws.

Then with a powerful spasm of his forelegs Darktail pushed Needletail’s head under the surface. Her screeches of alarm were cut off with a choking sound as water flowed into her mouth.

Violetpaw stared in utter disbelief as Needletail’s struggles churned up the water. Once, her head broke the surface, and she managed to take a gasping breath. Then Sleekwhisker bounded through the shallows, throwing up splashes that hit Violetpaw in the face. She flung herself on Needletail, pressing her down harder into the lake.

“Stop!” Violetpaw yowled. “Please stop!”

She tried to race down the pebbly shore and into the water, to help her friend, but Roach and Raven held her back while her paws raked helplessly at the ground. Their eyes were mocking as they bared their teeth and dug their claws into her shoulders on either side. With every heartbeat, Violetpaw felt her friend’s life slipping away, while she could do nothing to save her.

“Punish me instead!” she begged Darktail, desperation beginning to overwhelm her. Needletail is the only friend I have left! “I admit it—I was trying to put you to sleep!”

Curiosity flickered in Darktail’s dark-rimmed eyes. He relaxed his grip on Needletail and jerked his head, motioning for Sleekwhisker to step back. Needletail staggered to her paws, water streaming from her pelt, her chest heaving as she fought for breath.

“Why did you do it?” Darktail asked Violetpaw.

“I wanted to sneak out the prisoners,” Violetpaw confessed. She was beyond caring about her own punishment, as hope revived within her. I’ve managed to stop Darktail hurting Needletail, at least for now. “It was all me, though. I put poppy seeds in the prey so you and your Kin would eat them. Needletail had nothing to do with it! She didn’t even know what I was up to!”

Darktail let out a mrrow of mockery. “Is that true?”

Violetpaw nodded vigorously. “It is, I promise!”

Without another word, Darktail signaled to Sleekwhisker, and the two rogue cats seized Needletail and pushed her back under the surface of the lake.

“No!” Violetpaw yowled, seeing how weak her friend’s struggles were becoming. “Don’t—please!”

Darktail turned his malignant gaze on her. “Killing Needletail is a better punishment than if I killed you.” The calm in his voice chilled Violetpaw more than savage anger ever could have. “You’re so attached to this treacherous cat, you’re more afraid of her death than your own. I want you to know what it’s like to live with the pain and grief of losing the one cat who befriended you and took care of you.”

“Oh, please… please, no!” Violetpaw begged again. Every hair on her pelt, every muscle in her body, felt as if it was shrieking in agony.

“I can’t believe I once thought you and Needletail would be my loyal Kin,” Darktail mewed bitterly. “Needletail was the first Clan cat who gave me any notice. I thought she would help me build something here. But then she got involved with that traitor, Rain—and it’s clear to me now that you, Violetpaw, are just as disloyal.”

By now Needletail had stopped struggling; the lake was still around Darktail and Sleekwhisker, who stood holding her down in water up to their bellies. Violetpaw felt something break inside her, like a tree branch giving way under the weight of snow in leaf-bare.

Needletail is the closest thing I have to true kin now, she thought, horror gripping her like a badger’s claws. I don’t even know whether Twigpaw is alive! What will I do without Needletail? Memories of her friend crowded in on her. She sneaked me out of camp to go and visit Twigpaw. She always defended me from Darktail!

Then Darktail’s menacing gaze suddenly softened. “Maybe you’re right, Violetpaw,” he meowed. “Maybe I should give Needletail another chance. What do you think?”

“Oh, yes!” Violetpaw gave a huge gasp of relief. Maybe this has just been another one of Darktail’s cruel tests! “Please give her another chance! I’ll do anything you want!”

Darktail took a pace back, and nodded to Sleekwhisker to do the same. For a moment there was no movement below the surface. Violetpaw stared helplessly at the spot where her friend had disappeared. Oh, StarClan, don’t let it be too late!

Then Needletail’s head broke the surface, her silver-gray fur darkened by the water and plastered to her skull. Her jaws parted and she coughed up a stream of lake water, then took a wheezing breath. Her terrified gaze sought out Violetpaw, but she didn’t speak.

“We’ve been discussing the situation,” Darktail told her, his voice as calm as if they were back in camp, talking over strategy around the fresh-kill pile. “And we have all agreed that we should give you another chance. After all, it’s not really fair to punish you for Violetpaw’s mistake—isn’t that right, Needletail?”