Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Above, leaves fluttered in the chilly breeze, and branches creaked as they sway ed.

Twigkit lifted her chin. I’m special, she rem inded herself, feeling a little less special than she had in camp. I have to prove it, or they’ll make me leave. Her belly tightened. I have to find the lake. Ignoring the fear fluttering in her chest, she padded down the slope and hopped over the dry stream bed. She felt sure she’d be able to see if she was going the right way if she could make it past the brambles. She clim bed the rise and squeezed through a gap in the prickly branches. As she em erged on the other side, the scent of water stream ed over her m uzzle. The breeze carried lake scent. It must be lake scent. She could sm ell wet stone and earth and im agined a large pool, water lapping at its edges. In front of her, the forest sloped downward. Were those ripples sparkling in the distance? She broke into a run, zigzagging between trees and scram bling over roots. Her paws slipped on the fallen leaves, and she tum bled clum sily into a patch of nettles.

Stings sparked through her nose and she leaped backward, blinking away the pain. Running again, she raced toward the sunshine, which glinted between the tree trunks.

Suddenly she burst from the forest. Wind tugged at her fur, and a wide grassy slope plunged away from her. She gasped. The lake! It stretched out as big as the sky in front of her. Glittering like Silverpelt, it rippled in the breeze. She strained to see the far shore, am azed at how tiny the trees looked from here. Farther along, the land rose to heather-pelted hilltops, and bey ond that an island rose from the water.

There must be watermint here! The shore stretched so far, Twigkit felt sure she’d find the pale green leaves som ewhere at the water’s edge. She hurried down the slope, her paws slithering on the dewy grass. As she reached the pebbly shore, she slowed, picking her way over the stones and wincing where they j abbed into her soft pads.

She scanned the shore. Tiny waves lapped the pebbles, but there was no sign of plants. She followed the waterline, keeping her paws clear of the rippling water. Straining to see ahead, she spotted greenery sprouting around a m ass of boulders j utting out into the lake. Her heart leaped.

Watermint? She glanced at the sky, between the white puffy clouds. Oh, StarClan. Let it be watermint!

Excitem ent surged in her belly as she neared and recognized the wide, pale leaves she’d seen in the medicine den. They weren’t dusty or dry, but she could already detect the sam e sharp scent she’d sm elled on the leaves Jayfeather had given to Whitewing. StarClan answered my prayer! Joy surged through Twigkit. I must be special.

She clim bed onto the first boulder, unsheathing her claws to grip the sm ooth stone. The waterm int was growing in clum ps between the rocks that j utted into deeper water. She scram bled toward them, clambering over boulder after boulder until she was right at the edge where thick leaves sprouted.

I’ll take back the biggest bundle ever! Twigkit im agined the surprised look on her Clanmates’ faces as she walked into camp, a great wad of waterm int in her jaws. Larkkit, Leafkit, and Honey kit would be am azed. They might even let her j oin in their frog hunts. Every one would congratulate her. Jayfeather would come out of his den to see what the fuss was about. Then he’d sm ell the m int and have to thank her.

Happily, Twigkit hooked her claws into the biggest leaf and tugged. To her surprise, it didn’t tear free of the clum p. The force of her tug unbalanced her, and she j erked clum sily. Her paws slid from beneath her. Her heart lurched as her rum p hit the rock. She let go of the leaves, scrabbling to find her paws, but they slithered on the sm ooth stone. Help! She felt herself falling.

With a y elp of horror, she plunged into the lake.

The chill of the water stole her breath. Terror scorched through her as she sank. She flailed desperately, opening her m outh to mew, choking on the water that rushed in. Bubbles stream ed around her as the water washed through her fur. It stung her eyes and filled her ears. She struggled, tum bling as currents caught her and dragged her deeper. StarClan, help me! She struck out, try ing to pull herself to the surface, but light seem ed to glim m er on every side. Which way is up? Her panic spiraled. I can’t find my way out! Her lungs ached for air. I’m dying! How could this happen? I’m a special kit!

Suddenly a voice sounded through the roaring of blood in her ears. Twigkit. She stopped struggling, letting the water swirl her like a leaf. Twigkit! The voice sounded again, and she recognized it with a flicker of hope.

Is that my mother? She had forgotten that gentle, fam iliar purr. She’d only been with her mother for a few day s, and since Alderpaw had carried her back to ThunderClan, she’d been unable to remember even the touch of her fur. Now her mother’s scent surrounded her.

Swim, my special kit, swim!

At her mother’s command, Twigkit flailed once more, try ing to fight her way to the surface.

Her lungs bursting, she fought the water as it dragged her down. I’m not strong enough! Help me!

Teeth sank into her scruff, biting into her fur and j erking her upward. Mother? Lim p with shock, she felt herself being pulled. The water around her grew lighter and lighter until, like prey escaping the jaws of a fox, she burst into fresh air.

She gulped it down, struggling to fill her lungs and coughing helplessly. The teeth held onto her scruff, dragging her until she felt pebbles brush her paws. She let herself be hauled, helpless, onto the shore. “You saved m e,” she mewed weakly. Her mother had come back! She rescued me!

Dazed, Twigkit coughed up water from her lungs and belched it from her belly.

“Twigkit?” A ginger she-cat was leaning over her, eyes flashing with fear. “Are you okay?”

Twigkit blinked in surprise. “Sparkpaw?” Disappointm ent j abbed her chest. It wasn’t my mother.

Fighting grief, she let her thoughts clear. Of course it wasn’t her mother. I’m a mouse-brain! What would her mother be doing here, beside the lake? She struggled to her paws, forcing a purr. “You saved m e, Sparkpaw! Thank y ou!” Coughing, she collapsed.

Sparkpaw sat down, her wet pelt stream ing. “What in StarClan are you doing here? Did y ou want to see what it’s like being a RiverClan cat?”

Twigkit blinked at her, sham e sweeping over her so hotly it drove the chill of the water from her pelt. “I cam e to fetch waterm int,” she mewed weakly.

Sparkpaw’s eyes widened. “Did Alderpaw send y ou?”

Twigkit shook her head. “It was m y idea. I wanted to help the Clan.”

“I’m not sure drowning y ourself is very helpful.” Sparkpaw shook out her pelt, spraying Twigkit with water.

Paws thrum m ed toward them and pebbles cracked as another cat leaped onto the shore.

Twigkit looked up and saw Cherry fall.

The warrior stared at Twigkit. “You were right, Sparkpaw,” she meowed in surprise. “It was a kit on the shore. I was sure it was an otter.”

“ Otters can swim.” Sparkpaw butted Twigkit play fully with her m uzzle.

Twigkit blinked at her helplessly. She was cold, em barrassed, and exhausted.

Cherry fall slid past her apprentice. “I won’t ask what you were doing by the lake, Twigkit. We need to get you home and warm as soon as possible.” She crouched. “Clim b onto m y back. I’ll carry you back to camp.”

Twigkit reached up and tried to haul herself onto the warrior’s shoulders, but her paws weren’t strong enough. She felt Sparkpaw’s m uzzle beneath her haunches as, with a grunt, the apprentice boosted her up.