Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

She stared up at him, her eyes as wide as an owl’s. “That’s why I have to go. I have to make sure Violetkit is safe.” She was trembling.

Cinderheart m oved closer to the kit and wrapped her tail around her. Rain was soaking Twigkit’s pelt. “Alderpaw is right,” she murmured. “You’re too young to be out in the forest. Especially in weather like this and with rogues around.”

Twigkit pulled away. “But Violetkit’s m y sister! What if they’ve hurt her? She should be with m e, where it’s safe.”

Alderpaw’s heart twisted. How would he feel if Sparkpaw were in danger? He looked up at his father. “Let me come with y ou,” he meowed. “I can check on Violetkit and speak to Leafpool while I’m there.” He glanced at Jayfeather hopefully, relieved when he saw Jayfeather nodding.

“It would be good to know how much longer Leafpool will be away,” Jayfeather agreed.

Bramblestar bowed his head. “Okay, you can come.”

Alderpaw bent down and touched his nose to Twigkit’s wet pelt. “I can’t bring Violetkit back with m e, but I can make sure she will be safe.”

Twigkit looked up at Alderpaw with wide, serious eyes. After a m om ent she leaned up to nuzzle his cheek. “Okay,” she m urm ured. “I trust y ou, Alderpaw.”

Alderpaw closed his eyes, feeling the soft fluff of Twigkit’s cheek against his own. I hope I’m worthy of your trust, Twigkit. He heaved in a breath. I hope I can make sure we will all be safe.

“Come back, Alderpaw!”

Alderpaw halted and turned. He’d gotten too far ahead of the group again, and Bramblestar was calling him back. Frustration rippled through his pelt. You’re all too slow! What if the rogues had hurt Violetkit? He had to find out. “Can’t we m ove any faster?” he y owled to Bramblestar.

“We need to be wary.” Bramblestar caught him up. “The rogues could be any where. And ShadowClan won’t thank us for charging across their border.”

Pacing restlessly, Alderpaw waited with Bramblestar as Cherry fall, Bum blestripe, Dovewing, and Storm cloud scanned the bushes along the trail. He could see the ShadowClan border ahead, where the oaks turned to pines. The scent of their sap tasted sharp on his tongue.

The rain was easing. Bum blestripe shook out his pelt as he stopped beside Alderpaw. His fur stood on end, spiked and wet.

Cherry fall purred with am usem ent and nudged his shoulder with her nose. “You look like a hedgehog.”

“And you look like a RiverClan cat,” Bum blestripe teased, flicking raindrops from her whiskers with his nose.

Bramblestar paced around them, m outh open as he tasted the air. “Concentrate!” he ordered.

“There could be rogues any where.”

“We’ve been checking for their scent all the way and sm elled nothing,” Storm cloud pointed out.

Dovewing pricked her ears. “They’ve probably run away.”

Bramblestar scanned the forest. “I don’t think these rogues scare that easily.” He glanced at Alderpaw, and Alderpaw guessed what he was thinking. They knew that the rogues were not afraid of Clan cats—not after what they’d done to Sky Clan. “We should still check for their scent along the border before we cross it. They m ay have come the long way around.”

“But we need to get to ShadowClan’s camp and warn them.” Alderpaw plucked at the ground impatiently. And check on Violetkit.

“Knowing where the rogues went is more im portant.” Bramblestar padded past, following a trail that shadowed the border.

Storm cloud followed, with Bum blestripe, Dovewing, and Cherry fall at his heels. Impatiently Alderpaw trotted after them.

Bramblestar stopped suddenly and lifted his m uzzle. He didn’t need to speak. The others had sm elled the scent too.

“They’ve passed this way.” Storm cloud sniffed a thornbush, his nose wrinkling.

“Were they the sam e ones you fought earlier?” Dovewing asked.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “It’s the sam e scent.”

Bum blestripe sniffed. “All rogues sm ell the sam e to m e.”

Bramblestar looked at him sharply. “You’d better learn to tell the difference. We might be dealing with more of them than we know.”

Dovewing’s eyes widened. “Is it an invasion?”

Cherry fall was sniffing the thornbush now, her pelt rippling with fear. “It’s them, isn’t it?” she gasped. “The ones who drove—”

Alderpaw’s heart lurched. Cherry fall had been on the quest with him. She’d m et the rogues.

And she knew about Sky Clan. Before she could betray the secret to Storm cloud, Bum blestripe, and Dovewing, he interrupted. “They’re the ones we m et on our quest,” he confirm ed, glaring at her meaningfully.

She shifted her paws self-consciously. “Oh,” she mumbled.

Dovewing was still staring at Bramblestar. “Do you know who they are?”

“Alderpaw and the others encountered the sam e rogues on their quest,” Bramblestar adm itted.

Storm cloud was frowning. “Why have they come here?”

Bramblestar padded to a bramble and sniffed it. “I don’t know. Let’s hope they are just passing through.”

We have a mission here.

Alderpaw felt his pelt twitch. He was uncom fortable keeping secrets from his Clanmates.

Paws thrum m ed over the forest floor nearby.

Alderpaw stiffened, his heart quickening. Hackles lifting, he backed closer to Bum blestripe as the patrol bunched together.

Bum blestripe tasted the air. “Is it the rogues?”

Storm cloud j erked his m uzzle toward the pines. Shapes m oved between the trunks.

“No!” Dovewing suddenly hurried toward the border. She looked back at the patrol. “It’s ShadowClan.” Her eyes were bright.

Alderpaw glim psed fam iliar pelts between the trees. Tigerheart was trotting toward them, Stonewing and Juniperpaw beside him. His heart quickened with hope as he saw Tawny pelt at the rear. She was Needlepaw’s m entor. Was Needlepaw with them?

The ShadowClan patrol spread out as they neared the scent line and glared at the ThunderClan cats. Disappointm ent pricked Alderpaw’s belly as he saw that Needlepaw wasn’t one of them.

“What are you doing here?” Tigerheart dem anded.

Dovewing padded toward him. “Tigerheart!” She sounded pleased to see him. “We have news.”

Tigerheart showed his teeth as she stepped over the border.

She stopped, her ears twitching with surprise.

Tawny pelt padded forward and looked at Bramblestar. “What news?” Her nose was twitching.

Distractedly, she sniffed the brambles that straddled the border. “What’s that scent? We’ve been sm elling it ever since we left camp.”

“Rogues,” Bramblestar told her. “That’s why we’ve come. We need to speak to Rowanstar.”

“Rogues? On our land?” Tawny pelt’s tail twitched.

Alderpaw felt a glim m er of relief. Violetkit must be safe if ShadowClan wasn’t even aware of the rogues’ presence.

“I must speak to Rowanstar,” Bramblestar insisted.

Tawny pelt nodded. “Tigerheart, escort them to the camp. I’ll follow this scent trail with Stonewing and Juniperpaw.”

“Be careful,” Bramblestar warned. “These rogues aren’t stray s or loners. They’re dangerous.

If you find them, send for help.” He looked at Juniperpaw. He was lithe, his black pelt showing m uscles beneath, but he was sm all. “Two warriors and an apprentice won’t be enough to fight them.”

Juniperpaw puffed out his pelt. “I’m strong.”