Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Sleekpaw tipped her head sideway s. “Is that what you usually do?” She stared questioningly at Needlepaw.

Needlepaw flicked her tail. “May be.”

“Really?”

Violetkit felt a shiver of unease as Sleekpaw spoke. The y ellow apprentice m ade the word sound like a threat.

Needlepaw lashed her tail. “Don’t be such a fox-heart, Sleekpaw. I asked you to come with me tonight because I trusted y ou.”

Sleekpaw’s expression changed, like dawn breaking through darkness. “Of course you can trust m e. I love sharing secrets.” She glanced at Violetkit. “But can you trust her ?”

Violetkit lifted her tail indignantly. “Of course she can! I’m her friend .”

Sleekpaw’s whiskers twitched with am usem ent. She thrust her m uzzle close to Violetkit’s. “Then y ou’d better keep your mew quiet. Unless y ou’re trying to wake the whole camp.”

“Come on!” Needlepaw padded toward the narrow tunnel that led to the dirtplace.

Violetkit scampered after her. She wanted to ask again why Sleekpaw was coming with them, but Sleekpaw was close behind her. Needlepaw knows best, she reasoned. Perhaps it’s in case we run into the rogues. Suddenly she felt reassured. Of course! Sleekpaw was coming to protect them.

She ducked through the tunnel after Needlepaw, her nose wrinkling as she sm elled the dirtplace. Outside, they veered away from it, following the track they’d used last tim e.

Excitem ent twitched through Violetkit’s pelt. She was going to m eet Twigkit again. They could play cat and m ouse. And she could show Twigkit how much she’d grown. Perhaps she’s grown too.

Needlepaw padded past a bramble and kept going straight.

Violetkit frowned. They’d traced the curve of the brambles last time and crossed the ditches.

“Are we going the right way?” she ventured uneasily.

“‘Are we going the right way?’” Sleekpaw m im icked her, squeaking like a kit.

Embarrassment flashed hot through Violetkit’s fur.

Needlepaw glanced over her shoulder, exchanging a look with Sleekpaw.

Worry twisted in Violetkit’s belly. Was this a safer route to the ThunderClan border? She didn’t dare ask in case Sleekpaw m ade fun of her again.

They trekked on, Violetkit’s paws growing tired. She half hoped that Needlepaw would offer her another lift on her shoulders, but pushed the hope away. Sleekpaw would m ock her if she let

Needlepaw carry her like a weak kit.

Before long the needles began to grow squishy beneath her paws, turning to m ud as they headed farther from the camp. Bram bles turned to bracken beside the trail. The trees crowded closer, blocking out the moonlight so that Violetkit had to open her eyes wide to see where she was going. Had Alderpaw had suggested a new m eeting place?

Tiny paws skittered over the path ahead. Needlepaw pricked her ears, her tail twitching. She bounded forward, and the bracken swished as she dived through it.

Violetkit halted, her nose twitching as she sm elled m ouse.

Sleekpaw stopped beside her and licked her lips as she stared at the bracken.

Needlepaw nosed her way out, a dead m ouse dangling from her jaws.

“Nice catch.” Sleekpaw padded toward her. She sniffed the m ouse.

Needlepaw dropped it. “Do you want first bite?” she asked the y ellow apprentice.

Violetkit blinked at them in surprise. “I thought apprentices were only meant to hunt for the Clan.”

Sleekpaw snorted. “Don’t be such a cleanpaw.”

“The rest of the Clan is asleep,” Needlepaw pointed out. “I don’t think they’d want us to wake them up for a m orsel of fresh-kill.”

Sleekpaw batted the m ouse toward Violetkit. “Let’s pretend Needlepaw caught it for y ou.

You’re Clan , aren’t y ou?” Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, no. I forgot. You weren’t even born here.”

She hooked the m ouse back with a claw and took a bite. “I guess I should eat it.”

Needlepaw bristled. “Don’t be mean.” She tugged the m ouse from Sleekpaw. “Are y ou hungry?” she asked Violetkit, dangling the m ouse from her claw.

“No, thanks.” Violetkit shook her head. Her throat was too tight to swallow. She just wanted to get to Twigkit and Alderpaw. Sleekpaw was m aking her nervous. “Are we nearly there?”

Needlepaw glanced around. “Nearly.”

Violetkit opened her m outh to taste the air. “I can’t sm ell Alderpaw or Twigkit.”

Sleekpaw padded across a stretch of m uddy earth and peered between the shadowy trees.

The fur rippled along her spine. “I sm ell them.”

Needlepaw pricked her ears. As she turned her head to follow Sleekpaw’s gaze, the bracken rustled and a long-furred gray tom leaped out.

Fear shrilled through Violetkit. Rogue! She backed away, her heart pounding in her ears. Paw steps sounded behind her. She j erked her head around and saw a she-cat slide from the bracken, her dirty white pelt glowing in the dim moonlight. Beside her walked a long-furred black she-cat.

They were under attack!

A silver tom em erged and stopped beside the gray tom. “I thought she wouldn’t come.” He ey ed Needlepaw distrustfully.

“Of course she did.” The gray tom brushed past the silver one and stopped in front of Needlepaw. “She’s brave, for a Clan cat.”

Violetkit froze. Panic gripped her chest. She glanced at Sleekpaw. Was there going to be a fight? But Sleekpaw watched the rogue calm ly, her pelt sm ooth.

“Needlepaw.” The gray tom’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

How does he know her name?

Needlepaw dropped her gaze. “Hi, Rain.”

She’s acting shy! As shock washed over Violetkit like cold water, needles showered from the pine above. She looked up. A shape m oved along a branch, then slithered down the trunk and landed on the ground.

It was a white tom.

“Hi, Darktail.” Needlepaw nodded to him.

Violetkit saw the m uscles rippling beneath his pelt. She began to trem ble. Why have Needlepaw and Sleekpaw come here? How does Needlepaw know these cats? “Are these the rogues who attacked WindClan?” The words tum bled out before she could stop them.

Behind her the tom purred with am usem ent.

“WindClan attacked us ,” Darktail growled.

Violetkit wanted to race to Needlepaw’s side, but her paws felt rooted to the earth. She gazed at Darktail, fighting back terror.

“Of course they did.” Needlepaw swished her tail. “Clan cats are so defensive.”

Needlepaw was acting like they were friends. Suddenly Violetkit understood, and disappointm ent swam ped her. We didn’t come here to meet Twigkit! We came to meet them!

Sleekpaw hooked up a leaf idly. “Clan cats don’t like to share their land with any one.”

“They want all the prey for them selves,” Rain sneered.

Violetkit realized that all the cats were staring at her. Did they expect her to say som ething bad about the Clans too?

“Is this the kit you told us about?” The silver tom padded toward Violetkit, his eyes flashing with curiosity.

“Yes.” Needlepaw strode past him and stood beside Violetkit, her chin high. “This is Violetkit.”

The silver tom sniffed Violetkit. “She sm ells like a Clan cat. I thought you said she wasn’t one of y ou.”

Violetkit stared at Needlepaw in disbelief. Did she really say that?

“She’s been living with us,” Needlepaw told him. She glanced at Violetkit. “This is Roach,” she said, nodding to the silver tom. “That’s Rain and Darktail.”

Violetkit followed her gaze to the gray tom and the white one.

“And that’s Silt and Raven.” Needlepaw introduced the she-cats.