Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

“Besides,” Rippletail added, “the rogues are no threat.”

Alderpaw stared at the young warrior. “They killed Furzepelt.”

Rippletail huffed. “WindClan started that fight.”

Alderpaw stared at the ShadowClan tom, surprise showing in his face.

Twigkit edged forward. “You’ll protect her, though, won’t y ou?” Didn’t ShadowClan realize how dangerous the rogues were?

“Of course we will,” Tigerheart growled. “It would be easier if she didn’t keep sneaking out of camp with Needlepaw.”

Alderpaw blinked. “She’s been sneaking out of camp?”

Twigkit frowned, confused. She hadn’t seen her sister for over half a moon. Where had

Violetkit been going?

“Tawny pelt caught them the other night,” Tigerheart told Alderpaw. “Rowanstar’s put Needlepaw on elder duty and told Pinenose not to take her eyes off Violetkit for a m om ent.”

Twigkit felt a flicker of relief. At least she knew why her sister hadn’t come to the m eeting. But then her heart sank. That meant that she wouldn’t see her littermate tonight after all! She realized with a j olt that Tigerheart was staring at her.

“Why can’t you and Violetkit stay in camp like norm al kits?” he asked bluntly. “Clan kits are asleep in their nests by moonhigh.”

Twigkit whipped her tail indignantly. “ We’re special,” she told him.

Tigerheart snorted. “Let’s wait and see about that.” He turned, nodding to his patrol. Then he leaned toward to Alderpaw. “I hope you find the herbs y ou’re looking for. But I think you should get Twigkit home. It’s going to be a cold night, and her pelt is still only kit fluff.”

Alderpaw dipped his head. “I will,” he prom ised. “She’ll sleep well now that she knows her sister is safe.” He glanced at Twigkit as Tigerheart led his Clanmates back onto ShadowClan territory and disappeared into the darkness.

“That was close,” Alderpaw whispered. “It’s probably a good thing Needlepaw and Violetkit couldn’t come. We’d have been in trouble if the patrol had found us together.”

Twigkit gazed at him sadly. “I guess.” How long would it be before she got another chance to see Violetkit?

Alderpaw must have seen the sadness in her gaze. He touched his m uzzle to her head. “Let’s go home. I’ll speak to Needlepaw as soon as I can and arrange another m eeting.”

“What if Violetkit can never get away?” Twigkit followed Alderpaw as he headed back along the trail.

“I’m sure she will,” Alderpaw prom ised.

“Perhaps it would be better if no one thought we were special.” Twigkit sighed. “Then we could have stay ed together.” She stopped, a sudden thought piercing her like a thorn. “What if we’re not special? Rowanstar will have taken her away for nothing!”

Alderpaw turned, his eyes round with sy m pathy. “Of course y ou’re special,” he reassured her.

Twigkit lashed her tail determ inedly. “I’m going to be. Otherwise there’s no point. I’m going to grow up big and strong and be im portant just like y ou.”

Alderpaw’s whiskers twitched. “I’m not very im portant.”

“But you will be,” Twigkit insisted. “Once y ou’re a medicine cat like Jayfeather.” She puffed out her chest. “I’m going to be a medicine cat too. I know about herbs already, and I know I’ll be good at it. And I won’t be a grum py medicine cat like Jayfeather. I’ll be a nice one like you and Leafpool.”

Alderpaw’s gaze glistened fondly. “I’m touched that you want to be like m e. But y ou’re young.

Don’t decide on your future yet. Your paws will walk wherever they must go. And you m ay change your mind about becoming a medicine cat.”

“But I want to be im portant,” Twigkit insisted.

“You will be,” Alderpaw draped his tail over her spine and guided her forward. “But there are other way s to be im portant in a Clan. Look at Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. Or Graystripe and Millie. All cats find their own places in the Clan. And one day y ou’ll find y ours.”

Twigkit padded closer, her pelt brushing his. “Do you really think so?”

Alderpaw wrapped his tail tighter around her. “I’m certain.”

Crouching miserably beside the nursery, Violetkit stared across the camp. Clouds covered the sun, and a dam p wind rattled the brambles. She shivered. Beside her, Pinenose swallowed the last m orsel of m ouse and sat up. “I’m going inside. Bad weather’s coming.” She glanced at Violetkit.

“You’d better come with m e.”

Violetkit’s heart sank. “Can I just finish this?” She pawed her half-eaten shrew closer. She wasn’t hungry, but she wanted to stay outside a while longer. Being stuck in camp was boring, but being inside the nursery was worse. Especially when Grassheart’s kits were asleep and she wasn’t allowed to make a sound.

“Okay,” Pinenose agreed. “But don’t be long.”

As the queen disappeared into the bramble den, Violetkit pretended to take another m outhful of shrew. Since the rogues had brought her back, Pinenose had watched her like a hawk. Violetkit felt a prickle of resentm ent toward Darktail. Why had he m arched right into the camp? She knew the Clan blam ed her for leading enem ies into their home. The older warriors ey ed her as if she were a traitor. But weirdly, the younger warriors and apprentices had begun to greet her as they passed, interest glittering in their gaze as though they had just noticed she existed. Yarrowpaw had even stopped and asked what the rogues were like, but Pinenose had shooed the apprentice away. “How would Violetkit know?” the queen had snapped. “They just found her in the woods. They didn’t make friends with her.”

As her thoughts wandered, Violetkit gazed across the clearing. Leafpool and Puddlepaw were rolling herbs into bundles outside the medicine den. Crowfrost was sharing a thrush with Dawnpelt. Berry heart and Rippletail lounged outside the warriors’ den, half-asleep as the wind rippled their fur. Tawny pelt, Tigerheart, and Spikefur sheltered from the wind beside the great stone, while Rowanstar sat outside his den, watching the camp through half-closed eyes.

Violetkit looked toward the elders’ den. Was Needlepaw there? She hadn’t seen her friend all m orning. Perhaps Kinkfur had sent her to fetch fresh bracken for her bedding again.

Loneliness gnawed at Violetkit’s belly. She looked hopefully toward Yarrowpaw and Beepaw.

They were practicing battle m oves at the edge of the clearing while Sleekpaw lay in the long grass and watched. Perhaps they would teach her how to fight. That had to be more interesting than sitting in the nursery with Pinenose. She tried to catch their ey e, but they didn’t notice her.

She blinked at Juniperpaw. The black tom was trotting toward the entrance after his m entor, Stonewing. He didn’t look her way. Perhaps Strikepaw would speak to her. But the tabby tom was nodding unenthusiastically as Wasptail dem onstrated a hunting stance in the clearing. He y awned wearily as Wasptail crouched close to the ground.

Suddenly a hiss sounded beside the entrance. Violetkit j erked her gaze toward the bramble tunnel. Stonewing stood, back arched, his pelt spiked. Strikepaw crouched beside him, growling.

Their gaze was fixed on a tom padding into camp.

Rain.

Violetkit recognized the gray tom at once. She got to her paws, her pelt rippling nervously along her spine. What was he doing here?

A plum p pigeon hung from his jaws. Behind him, Raven and Flam e squeezed through the tunnel. They each carried prey. Violetkit sm elled the warm fragrance of blood.