Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Darktail glanced at Rain and Roach. “I think we should leave,” he meowed calm ly. “We seem to be causing an argum ent.”

He turned toward the entrance.

“Wait!” Rowanstar lifted his chin. “We’re grateful you returned Violetkit to us. But you don’t belong here.”

Rain and Roach exchanged am used glances.

“A patrol will make sure you leave our land,” Rowanstar went on. “Tawny pelt, Spikefur, and Dawnpelt.” He nodded to his warriors. “Go with them and make sure they cross the border.”

Tawny pelt nodded.

“Can I come with y ou?” Needlepaw hurried toward her m entor hopefully.

Tawny pelt curled her lip. “You’re looking after the elders, remember?”

Violetkit saw anger flash in Needlepaw’s eyes. Then she saw the silver apprentice’s gaze dart toward Rain. Rain blinked at her, then looked away. He turned and followed Darktail and Roach as they headed for the entrance.

Tawny pelt, Dawnpelt, and Spikefur hurried after them.

Belly hollow with dread, Violetkit turned to face Rowanstar. The ShadowClan leader stared at her, exasperation glittering in his gaze. Hanging her head, Violetkit prepared for her punishm ent.

Fluffing her fur out against the cold, Twigkit followed Alderpaw through the moonlit forest. They were going to m eet Violetkit and Needlepaw. It had been over half a moon since they’d m et, and she longed to see her sister. She could tell Violetkit how she’d heard their mother’s voice and sm elled her scent when she’d nearly drowned. Perhaps Violetkit still remembered what their mother had sm elled and sounded like. As Twigkit followed Alderpaw up a leaf-strewn rise, she tried to ignore the sham e worm ing in her belly. “Do you think Bramblestar’s still m ad at m e for falling in the lake?”

Alderpaw stopped beside a clum p of frost-shriveled ferns. “He wasn’t m ad at y ou. He was just worried.”

“The other cats think I’ve got feathers in m y head.” Twigkit remembered the water pressing against her m uzzle. She’d been so afraid. “I wanted to prove to them I was special, but I just proved I’m a m ouse-brain.”

Since she fell into the lake, Leafkit and Honey kit had been teasing her constantly.

Did you want to be a RiverClan cat?

Perhaps she wants to be a fish.

They teased her the sam e way they teased each other—they were not try ing to be cruel at all.

But it had still hurt.

Alderpaw leaped onto a log, which was blocking the path, and waited for Twigkit to scram ble up beside him. “Jayfeather fell in the lake when he was a kit too,” he told her.

She blinked at him, surprised. “Really?”

Alderpaw purred. “He left camp, just like y ou, try ing to prove he was special.”

“But he was special. He was one of the Three.” Hope fluttered in Twigkit’s chest like a moth.

“And you are special too.”

Alderpaw’s words warm ed her. She couldn’t wait to tell Leafkit and Honey kit that she was just like Jayfeather. She knew from nursery tales that Jayfeather had helped save the Clans from the Dark Forest cats. She swallowed. Will I have to do that?

An owl shrieked far away. Twigkit m oved closer to Alderpaw, suddenly aware of how huge the forest seem ed at night and how deep the shadows were. She peered into them. “Do you think the Dark Forest cats will ever come back?” she asked Alderpaw.

His eyes widened in surprise. “What makes you ask that?”

“If I’m special like Jayfeather, m ay be I’m supposed to fight them too.”

Alderpaw whisked his tail. “The Dark Forest cats won’t dare return here.” He leaped from the log and trotted along a trail between brambles.

Twigkit hurried after him. “Did your prophecy say what I’m supposed to do?”

“No.” Alderpaw kept his gaze ahead. “It just said we must find what was in the shadows and it would help clear the sky.”

Twigkit frowned thoughtfully. “Do you think I’m supposed to make the sun shine?”

Alderpaw purred. “Even StarClan can’t do that.”

“But they can make clouds cover the moon if the Clans argue during a Gathering.” Twigkit wondered suddenly how powerful StarClan really was. If they could make clouds cover the moon, why did they need forest cats to help with their prophecies?

“Hurry up.” Alderpaw quickened his pace. He seem ed as excited as Twigkit about the m eeting. “We’re nearly there.”

As they neared the ShadowClan border, he broke into a run. Twigkit hared after him, the cold air burning her lungs. She caught up as he reached the clearing where they’d m et the two

ShadowClan cats last tim e.

Alderpaw was skirting the edge, sniffing the tree roots hopefully.

“Can you sm ell them?” Twigkit scanned the shadows, hoping to see Violetkit’s splotchy white fur glowing in the moonlight. “Are you sure we’re meant to m eet them here ?”

“That’s what Needlepaw said when I saw her at the border the other day.” Alderpaw leaned forward.

Twigkit glanced through the branches. The moon was high. Why weren’t they here? Worry prickled through her pelt. “Perhaps that owl caught them.”

“Needlepaw could chase off an owl.” Alderpaw was still straining to see across the border.

“What about a fox?” Twigkit began to pace. “May be the rogues attacked the ShadowClan camp. What if Violetkit’s been hurt?”

“It’s more likely that they couldn’t sneak out of camp without being noticed.” Alderpaw reasoned. “I’m sure nothing bad has happened.”

“But what if y ou’re wrong?” Twigkit’s heart quickened. Surely her sister would find a way to m eet her. As fear m ade her thoughts spin, paw steps sounded bey ond the border. Her heart leaped. “Violetkit?”

“Who’s that?” A gruff mew sounded bey ond the brambles crowding the scent line.

Alarm ed, Twigkit hurried to Alderpaw’s side and pressed against him.

“It’s just m e,” he called. “Alderpaw.”

Twigkit could feel his fur spiking anxiously.

A ShadowClan warrior padded from behind the brambles. It was a broad-shouldered tabby tom. A gray tabby she-cat and a white tom followed him.

“Hi, Tigerheart.” Alderpaw dipped his head to the tom. “Cloverfoot, Rippletail.”

Twigkit tasted the air. She hadn’t m et these ShadowClan warriors before. Alderpaw must know them from Gatherings.

Tigerheart was scanning the shadows behind them. “Is Dovewing with y ou?”

“No.” Alderpaw sounded surprised at his question.

Tigerheart shrugged. Was that disappointm ent in his gaze? “What are you doing here?”

“Gathering herbs,” Alderpaw answered a little too quickly.

“At night?” Rippletail padded into the clearing, ears twitching.

“Som e herbs are best gathered after dusk,” Alderpaw told him.

Rippletail looked at Twigkit. “Does ThunderClan often send kits out of camp at night to help medicine cats with their duties?”

Cloverfoot padded around them. “Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“She was worried about her littermate,” Alderpaw told the tabby she-cat. “I said she could come in case we bum ped into a ShadowClan patrol.”

Twigkit was im pressed by his story. She alm ost believed it herself.

“We’re lucky we m et y ou,” Alderpaw went on. “Is Violetkit okay?”

“Of course.” Tigerheart pushed between his Clanmates. “Why shouldn’t she be?”

Twigkit lifted her chin. “I was worried the rogues might hurt her.”

Tigerheart flexed his claws. “She has ShadowClan to protect her.”