Эрин Хантер - Shattered Sky

Bramblestar hesitated before replying, and Alderheart felt his belly tense with worry. I’m sure it’s time for the secret to be told, he thought, but what if Bramblestar refuses? Can I go against the orders of my father, of my Clan leader?

Eventually Bramblestar let out a long sigh. “Perhaps you’re right, Alderheart,” he mewed. “I’ve been so ashamed of the way the Clans treated SkyClan, I never wanted any other cat to know, but maybe—with your vision guiding us—we can put things right.”

Alderheart swelled with pride to see the respect in his father’s eyes as Bramblestar gazed at him. He really listened to me! New confidence and relief surged through him like a stream released from the icy grip of leaf-bare. Now at last we can work toward fulfilling the prophecy!

Sunhigh was approaching as Alderheart waded through the stream that marked the border with WindClan, following Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. Lionblaze and Dovewing brought up the rear.

Facing the swell of moorland that they had to climb, Alderheart felt exhausted, hardly able to put one paw in front of another. He had barely slept the night before. After they’d returned from the Gathering, Bramblestar had told the rest of ThunderClan, and the three ShadowClan cats, all that he and Alderheart knew about SkyClan. They had all stayed up until the moon had almost set, the other cats questioning Bramblestar and Alderheart—along with Cherryfall, Molewhisker, and Sparkpelt, who had been told about SkyClan when they accompanied Alderheart on his quest—about every detail of the story.

“I’d have something to say to Needletail, if she was here,” Rowanstar had meowed with a lash of his tail. “She never said a word about visiting SkyClan territory! I knew I should never have trusted her.”

“She only kept it a secret because I asked her to.” Alderheart had tried to defend the cat who had been his friend, especially as he still hoped that she might abandon the rogues and help the Clan cats drive them out. “I thought it was for the best.”

Rowanstar had been unimpressed. “Her first loyalty should have been to ShadowClan,” he growled.

As soon as the sun was up, Bramblestar had led their patrol over to RiverClan to tell them the truth. Alderheart had been very apprehensive, remembering Mistystar’s justified anger at the Gathering the night before. But to his relief, the meeting had gone better than he had anticipated.

“Just what I’d expect from ThunderClan,” Mintfur had snapped. “Thinking they should keep this secret to themselves—that they’re the only Clan that matters!”

But Mistystar had silenced her warrior with a wave of her tail. “Is it true that you don’t know how to find SkyClan?” she asked Alderheart.

Alderheart nodded. “Not yet.”

“Not ever, I should hope,” the elder Mosspelt muttered. “There are enough cats around the lake already.”

Mistystar looked relieved at Alderheart’s response. “In that case, I don’t see what we can do,” she mewed, then added to Bramblestar, “Just don’t expect RiverClan to solve any more problems for the Clans right now. We need time to lick our wounds.”

Alderheart had felt disappointed that RiverClan hadn’t shown any more enthusiasm for finding the lost Clan, but at least they hadn’t been upset or hostile. And he thought that Bramblestar seemed to be more relaxed, breathing more easily, now that he wasn’t carrying the burden of the secret.

But how is Onestar going to react? Alderheart wondered as he toiled up the moorland slope in the paw steps of his leader. He’s been so unpredictable lately.

A stiff breeze was blowing from the crest of the moor, flattening Alderheart’s whiskers against his face. It carried the scent of many cats, fresh but distant, coming from the direction of the WindClan camp. Then, before the ThunderClan patrol had traveled more than a few fox-lengths from the border stream, a stronger scent wafted over them, and a WindClan patrol appeared from behind an outcrop of rocks.

The dark gray tom Crowfeather was in the lead, followed by Larkwing, Emberfoot, and his apprentice, Smokepaw.

Bramblestar halted and signaled to his patrol to do the same as Crowfeather stalked up to them. The WindClan cat’s eyes were cold and unfriendly.

“What are you doing on WindClan territory?” he demanded. “You’re not welcome here. Onestar does not want to see any cats from other Clans.”

Bramblestar dipped his head politely to Crowfeather, ignoring his hostility. “I believe Onestar will want to know—” he began.

“Then you believe wrong!” Crowfeather retorted. “Onestar is very upset about the accusations that were made at the Gathering.”

“But we’ve come on important Clan business,” Bramblestar argued.

“Yes,” Squirrelflight added, “and it has to do with a medicine-cat vision. Come on, Crowfeather, this is us you’re talking to. Have you forgotten how we all made the journey to the sun-drown-place together? You should know that we wouldn’t lie to you.”

Crowfeather looked briefly uncomfortable, then dug his claws hard into the rough moorland grass. “That was a long time ago,” he snapped, “and I have my orders from Onestar now. Turn back, and get off our territory. Now.”

Bramblestar exchanged a frustrated glance with Squirrelflight. Alderheart was afraid they would have to obey Crowfeather and leave, when he heard a yowl coming from the top of the hill and saw another WindClan patrol racing down toward them.

“What’s going on?” Gorsetail, the cat in the lead, asked Crowfeather as she halted beside him. “What do these cats want?”

Her companions, Oatclaw and Featherpelt, stood a pace behind her, eyeing the ThunderClan cats warily. We’re outnumbered if it comes to a fight, Alderheart thought.

“They say they have to speak to Onestar,” Crowfeather replied. “But Onestar won’t want to speak to them .”

“We have important information for him,” Bramblestar put in swiftly.

Gorsetail gazed at the ThunderClan leader for a heartbeat, drawing a gray-and-white paw over one ear. “Maybe Onestar will want to hear what another Clan leader has to tell him,” she meowed eventually. “We’d better escort them to the camp.”

Crowfeather looked outraged. “Are you mouse-brained?” he demanded. “You were standing right next to me when Onestar told us to keep all other cats out.”

“Mouse-brained yourself, Crowfeather,” Gorsetail responded. “Bramblestar wouldn’t be here if this weren’t something Onestar needed to know. I’ll take responsibility, if it bothers you so much.”

Crowfeather opened his jaws for a stinging retort, then clearly thought better of it. “Suit yourself,” he snarled with an angry shrug. “If Onestar claws your ears off, don’t come crying to me.”

“I’ll take the risk,” Gorsetail mewed dryly.

Without bothering to respond, Crowfeather waved his tail to gather the rest of his patrol, and headed downhill toward the border.

Gorsetail watched them go, then turned to Bramblestar and the others. “Come on, ThunderClan cats,” she ordered. “This had better be good.”

Flanked by Oatclaw and Featherpelt, Bramblestar followed her up the slope, with Alderheart and the rest clustered behind him. As they climbed farther up, Alderheart glanced down in the direction of the horseplace and was surprised to spot a third WindClan patrol heading along the lakeshore.

Why are their borders so heavily guarded? he wondered.

When they drew close to the camp, Gorsetail sent Oatclaw racing ahead to warn Onestar of their arrival. By the time Bramblestar and his patrol crossed the lip of the hollow where WindClan had their camp, Onestar was waiting for them outside his den. As they padded down toward him, more WindClan warriors surrounded them, suspicion and hostility in their eyes and their bristling fur.