Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Violetkit swallowed. “Why are they here?”

Darktail sat down. “We have to live som ewhere.”

“Pinenose say s you don’t belong by the lake,” Violetkit whispered.

Darktail snorted. “Pinenose sounds like a greedy cat who wants all the prey to herself.”

“She’s not!” Violetkit mewed defensively.

Darktail ignored her and looked at Needlepaw. “You were right. There is lots of prey here.

We’re going to grow fat.”

“Are you going to stay here?” Violetkit could hardly believe her ears.

Roach narrowed her eyes. “Is there any reason we shouldn’t?”

Violetkit’s fur prickled with fear. The she-cat was staring at her as though she were prey. “This is Clan territory,” she whispered hoarsely.

Needlepaw flicked her tail irritably. “Why shouldn’t we share it? Why do Clan cats behave like they’re so special? They’re just cats, like these cats.”

Violetkit looked at the dark-ey ed rogues. You’re nothing like Clan cats.

Sleekpaw stepped forward. “No kit can help where she’s born. Why should the Clans deprive other cats of good hunting just because they weren’t born in a Clan?”

Darktail’s gaze flicked over Sleekpaw. “Who’s this?”

Needlepaw dipped her head. “Sleekpaw. I told her about you and she wanted to m eet y ou.”

“Can we trust her?” Rain padded closer, pelt prickling.

Sleekpaw raised her m uzzle. “Of course you can!” she declared. “I think the Clans are wrong too. All their borders and rules just make more battles.” She nudged Violetkit.

Violetkit stared at her, surprised.

“You weren’t born in a Clan,” Sleekpaw told her. “Don’t you think it’s weird having so many rules?”

Before Violetkit could answer, Silt leaned forward. “If you weren’t born in the Clan, why do they let you live with them?”

Violetkit blinked at her. “I don’t know.”

Darktail stared at her. “What’s it like living with Clan cats when you know y ou’re an outsider?”

Unease tugged at Violetkit’s belly. She wanted to be loy al to ShadowClan. She thought of Tawny pelt and Puddlepaw. What would Rowanstar say if he knew she was here? He was stern and distant, but she wanted to earn his respect. “I guess it’s okay.” She tried not to remember how lonely she felt in the Clan. How Pinenose’s kits ignored her. How she wasn’t allowed near

Grassheart’s kits in case she passed on an infection. “They try to make me feel welcome.” Her breath caught in her throat. Don’t they?

Darktail leaned closer. “And y et you don’t.”

Violetkit backed away. How does he know?

Needlepaw padded around Darktail, her chest puffed out. “Rowanstar makes rules about who’s allowed in the Clan and who isn’t. But he’s old and set in his way s. He needs to learn that we’re all just cats. We all want the sam e thing—to hunt and live in peace. But he’s so busy defending his borders, he’s forgotten that.”

Violetkit’s thoughts whirled. Needlepaw sounded so certain. Was she right? They were all just cats. Perhaps the Clans were wrong. They acted like rogues were no better than foxes just because they cam e from outside the Clan.

But she’s not really one of us, is she? As she remembered Ratscar’s words, a thought flashed through her m ind, chilling her to the bone. Is that how they all see me? She stared at the rogues.

Does ShadowClan think I’m like them ?

Twigkit swallowed the last morsel of vole and licked her lips. She was bored, and even though the sun was high, it was chilly in camp. Did Alderpaw need som e help? She knew Jayfeather would be irritated to see her again, but she’d given up worry ing about his grum bling. She guessed he enj oy ed it. She got to her paws, skirted the clearing, and headed toward the medicine den. As she passed the camp entrance, she could still sm ell the scent of WindClan around the thorn tunnel.

Emberfoot and Oatclaw had left at dawn. In the day s since the fight, Jayfeather and Alderpaw had cared for them as though they were Clanmates. Twigkit had been proud to help, fetching m oss for their nests and bringing fresh-kill from the pile. Alderpaw had even let her m ix herbs once when Jayfeather was out of the den.

As soon as the WindClan warriors’ wounds were healed enough for them to travel, they’d returned to their camp. Twigkit had guessed by the prickling of their fur as they talked of going home that they were worried about their Clanmates. The fight with the rogues had unsettled them.

It had unsettled every one. Bramblestar had been sending out larger patrols to hunt and insisted the borders be checked day and night.

“Twigkit!” Lily heart called from outside the nursery. She had settled in a patch of weak sunlight. “Aren’t you sleepy? You were up before dawn. Come and have a nap.”

Twigkit flicked her tail. “No, thanks,” she mewed back. “I’m fine.” She didn’t feel at all tired.

She’d done nothing all m orning apart from wander around the camp: nosing through ferns in hope of catching a frog, and practicing balancing on the fallen beech.

Larkkit, Leafkit, and Honey kit were outside the nursery too, dozing lazily beside their mother, the cool leaf-fall wind ruffling their fur. Twigkit felt a pang of frustration. She knew from experience that it was pointless asking them to play with her. Even when they agreed, they ran so fast and got bored so quickly that she always felt disappointed. She preferred hanging out with Alderpaw. At least she felt she was useful in the medicine den, despite Jayfeather’s scowling at her like she was an unwanted flea. Briarlight loved play ing m oss-ball with her, and it was good exercise for the crippled she-cat. Perhaps she could play with her now.

She padded past the warriors’ den, scanning the camp for a good-sized scrap of m oss.

“Do you really think she’s the cat that StarClan was try ing to tell us about—the one who will clear the sky?”

Rosepetal’s mew drifted through the prickly wall of the den and m ade Twigkit stop. Who was Rosepetal talking about?

Mousewhisker answered her, a y awn in his mew. “For a special cat, she’s pretty ordinary.”

“I guess she is young,” Rosepetal conceded. “But nothing has changed since she arrived.

Nothing’s gotten better. In fact, things have gotten worse, with the rogues coming.”

“You’re right. Besides, if she was special, wouldn’t StarClan have sent more of a sign?”

Mousewhisker’s nest rustled. “I know they were found ‘in shadow,’ but that doesn’t seem like enough.”

Twigkit leaned closer to the den wall and pricked her ears. They’re talking about me and Violetkit!

“Perhaps the prophecy was about som ething else,” Rosepetal meowed thoughtfully.

“And finding Twigkit and Violetkit was a coincidence,” Mousewhisker concluded.

“Like you say, Twigkit does seem pretty ordinary. And until she learns to hunt, she’s another belly for the Clan to fill.” Rosepetal sighed. “Let’s just hope leaf-bare is m ild. Heavy snows mean scarce prey. There m ay not be enough to get us through to newleaf.”

Another belly to fill? Anxiety pricked through Twigkit’s pelt. And what did they mean by ordinary ? Had the Clan only taken her in because they believed she was part of a prophecy? Her breath caught in her throat. What if she wasn’t special? Would they ask her to leave? If there wasn’t enough prey during leaf-bare, they might! She im agined wandering alone through the forest, thick snows piling between the trees, a cold wind slicing through her fur. She could picture foxes watching from the undergrowth, their hungry gazes sharpening as they saw her. How would I survive alone?