Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Squirrelflight had reported that they had abandoned the gorge. Alderpaw had never im agined they’d show up by the lake. He spat the herbs he’d been chewing onto a waxy leaf and carried it to Jayfeather. “Can Sparkpaw help you for a bit?”

Jayfeather stared at him, eyes narrowed, but said nothing.

Sparkpaw sniffed. “ I’m not a medicine cat.”

“You can chew, can’t y ou?” Jayfeather grunted.

“I guess.” Sparkpaw looked bem used.

“So I can go?” Alderpaw stared at Jayfeather. “It’s im portant. I won’t be long. I need to speak to Bramblestar.”

“What about?” Sparkpaw pricked her ears.

Alderpaw ignored her and kept his gaze fixed on Jayfeather.

Jayfeather nodded. “Don’t be long.”

“But if it’s som ething im portant, I want to know,” Sparkpaw fluffed out her wet fur.

Jayfeather pawed a pile of m arigold leaves toward her. “When y ou’re Clan leader, you can be the first to hear every thing. Until then, you can help by chewing these leaves.”

Muttering crossly, Sparkpaw crouched beside the medicine cat and grabbed a m outhful of herbs. “Ewww!” she gasped. “How do you stand this?”

“You get used to it.” Alderpaw nosed his way through the trailing brambles. Rain battered his face. Outside, his Clanmates were sheltering beneath the ferns edging the camp. Alderpaw could sense tension in the air. Graystripe looked out from the elders’ den. Snowbush and Ambermoon huddled beneath the thorn barrier. Cinderheart sat in the downpour, guarding the entrance to the nursery.

Bramblestar sheltered with Onestar, Lionblaze, and Birchfall beneath a j utting branch of the fallen beech. Alderpaw hurried toward them, slowing as he neared.

“Did you chase them onto ThunderClan territory?” Bramblestar asked Onestar.

“They were already on your territory.” The WindClan leader’s eyes were still dark with fury.

“They were scouting for som ething. I’m not sure what. We crossed the border to warn them off. I was planning to come and tell you once they were gone.”

Lionblaze narrowed his eyes. “But they attacked y ou.”

“Did you provoke them?” Birchfall asked.

Onestar growled. “If you mean did we ask them why they were nosing around Clan territory, then yes.”

Alderpaw caught Bramblestar’s ey e. “Can I speak to you alone?” He was aware that he was interrupting. But this was im portant.

Bramblestar’s ears twitched.

Onestar scowled at him. “What is it?”

“I need to speak with m y father.” Alderpaw m et the WindClan leader’s gaze.

Onestar growled and looked away.

Bramblestar frowned, his fur rippling uneasily. “What is it?” He guided Alderpaw quickly to a clum p of ferns sprouting near the camp entrance. They ducked beneath the browning fronds.

Alderpaw shivered as rain dripped onto his spine. “The rogues who attacked WindClan are the sam e rogues we found in the gorge.”

Bramblestar closed his eyes, sighing. “I feared as much. It was too much of a coincidence for a band of rogues to show up now.”

“Do you think they followed us home?” Guilt worm ed beneath Alderpaw’s pelt.

“Probably.” Bramblestar m et his gaze. “But you can’t blam e y ourself for what other cats choose to do.”

Alderpaw shifted his paws, wishing it were that sim ple. “Why do you think they’ve come here?” The question had been niggling in Alderpaw’s thoughts since he’d recognized Darktail.

“Darktail said he had a reason.”

Bramblestar looked away. “Who can say why rogues act like rogues? All we can do is protect our Clan.” He leaned closer to Alderpaw. “How many of them were there in the gorge?”

“I don’t know.” Alderpaw tried to remember. “But it was definitely a bigger group than the one that attacked the WindClan patrol.”

Bramblestar’s gaze darkened. “So there might be more of them in the forest.”

“Yes. Squirrelflight said that there were none left in the gorge.” Alderpaw shifted uneasily.

Was the forest full of rogues? Why had they come here? “We should warn Leafpool,” he whispered.

“We should warn all the Clans.” Bramblestar padded from the ferns and called to his Clanmates. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey j oin here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting.”

Alderpaw watched as his father leaped onto the Highledge.

Brackenfur, Cloudtail, Brightheart, and Thornclaw padded from the warriors’ den. Whitewing, Berry nose, and Poppy frost slunk out from beneath the j uniper. Squirrelflight slid from Bramblestar’s den on the Highledge and j um ped down to stand with her Clanmates. As Jayfeather and Sparkpaw em erged from the medicine den, Dovewing and Cherry fall padded from the shelter of the fallen beech.

Dovewing glanced around. “Has any one seen Ivy pool?” Her blue eyes brim m ed with worry.

“She’s hunting with Fernsong.” Alderpaw padded to her side.

Dovewing’s pelt spiked anxiously. “I hope they don’t bum p into those rogues.”

Cherry fall pressed closer to her friend. “Ivy pool survived the Dark Forest. She can handle a few rogues.”

“I hope so.” Dovewing huddled against the rain.

Onestar wove through the crowd and stood at the front. Water stream ed down his whiskers as he lifted his face to the Highledge. “I want to take Furzepelt back to our camp so we can sit vigil.”

Jayfeather stepped forward. “Oatclaw and Emberfoot are too wounded to help carry her.

Movem ent will reopen their wounds. They should stay here for a few day s.”

Onestar glared at him. “They are warriors. They are strong. They will travel with m e.”

Unseeing, Jayfeather held the WindClan leader’s gaze. “I have an apprentice; Kestrelflight has none. Let him save his herbs and his energy for his Clanmates on the m oor. We can take care of Oatclaw and Emberfoot until they are fit to travel.”

Onestar glared at Bramblestar, whose m anner turned gentle and coaxing. “I will send a patrol home with y ou, Onestar. They can help carry Furzepelt’s body.”

Onestar’s tail flicked angrily.

Jayfeather held his ground. “You’ve lost one Clanmate today,” he meowed steadily. “Don’t risk another.”

Onestar snorted. “Very well.”

“You decide wisely, Onestar.” Bramblestar’s gaze flicked around the Clan. “Snowbush, Blossom fall, and Berry nose. Escort Onestar home. Carry Furzepelt’s body as though she were your Clanmate.”

The three warriors nodded as Bramblestar went on.

“Dangerous rogues are in the forest. We don’t know how many there are. They have shown that they are willing to fight to the death. Until we know why they are here and what they intend to do next, we must be on our guard. And we must warn ShadowClan and RiverClan of the danger.” Again he scanned the cats gathered below the Highledge. “Lionblaze. Take Cinderheart, Birchfall, Sparkpaw, and Poppy frost. Travel to RiverClan’s camp and warn Misty star about the rogues. I will take Cherry fall, Bum blestripe, Dovewing, and Storm cloud to ShadowClan to warn Rowanstar.”

“I want to come!” A tiny squeak sounded from the nursery.

Alderpaw turned as he recognized Twigkit’s mew. She was struggling out of the nursery entrance.

Cinderheart stared at the kit as she splattered onto the m uddy ground and stared up at Bramblestar.

“Please let m e come with you to ShadowClan. I want to see m y sister!”

“Don’t be m ouse-brained!” Poppy frost stared at her from the clearing.

Thornclaw snorted. “This is a patrol, not a nursery!”

Disapproving m urm urs rippled through the gathered cats.

Alderpaw pushed past his Clanmates and stopped beside Twigkit. “You’re too young to travel to ShadowClan,” he told her gently. “Especially with rogues in the forest.”