Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Behind her, Beepaw, Juniperpaw, and Sleekpaw y owled in agreem ent.

Dawnpelt and Crowfrost stared at them in horror, as though they couldn’t believe that their own kits would turn on their Clan.

Rowanstar m et Needlepaw’s gaze coolly. “You can live according to our rules.”

“Never.” Needlepaw lashed her tail. “I’m sick of living in a Clan that only cares about peace.

The rogues would have m ade us strong. But, if you don’t want them to j oin us, I’m going to join them !”

Violetkit flinched. What?

Around her, pelts spiked.

“Traitor!” Crowfrost glared at Needlepaw.

Tawny pelt seem ed frozen with shock. “Have you gone crazy?” Her mew faltered as she spoke.

Stonewing and Ratscar flattened their ears. Snowbird and Dawnpelt exchanged looks, their eyes wide.

Violetkit swallowed back alarm. Surely Needlepaw didn’t mean it? She watched in disbelief as Needlepaw m arched toward the entrance.

“I’m going with her,” Juniperpaw growled. “Nobody’s going to tell m e what prey I can eat ever again.”

“I’m going too!” Sleekpaw turned and padded after Needlepaw.

As m urm urs of disbelief rippled around the Clan, Rowanstar stared after the apprentices, astonishm ent flashing in his wide amber gaze. “If you leave the Clan, you become our enemy!” he yowled.

Violetkit stared as Needlepaw padded past her. “Don’t go!” Her heart twisted with grief.

Needlepaw was her only friend in the Clan. And y et she’d said that Violetkit was just another m outh to feed. Was I wrong to trust her?

Needlepaw paused and m et Violetkit’s gaze. “You’re coming with m e.”

“I am?” Shock flashed through Violetkit. She felt lim p with relief. She is my friend!

“You’re not stay ing here with these kitty pets.” Needlepaw whisked Violetkit forward with her tail. She glanced back at Rowanstar. “I’m taking the kit because I found her.”

“You can’t!” Leafpool hurried forward. “She belongs to the Clans. StarClan needs her to be here.”

“ I found her,” Needlepaw repeated. “If she’s special, she can be special any where.”

Rowanstar flicked his tail angrily. “Take her!” he called to Needlepaw. “You did ShadowClan no favors by finding her. There’s been nothing but trouble since she arrived. We’re better off without her. And without y ou!”

Violetkit felt num b. She stum bled after Needlepaw, Sleekpaw and Juniperpaw flanking her. Her thoughts whirled. Was it true? Had she brought only trouble to ShadowClan? Overwhelm ed, she followed Needlepaw through the entrance tunnel. As it closed around her, she glanced back and saw the fam iliar dens. She was leaving another home. Was she m aking the right choice?

Her eye caught Rowanstar’s. His gaze was as hard as ice.

It’s not a choice. Despair washed through her pelt. I’m not wanted here. I never truly was.

Overhead, the full moon lit a crow-black sky. In the chilly island clearing, Alderpaw fidgeted beside Jayfeather.

“Can’t you sit still?” Jayfeather grunted.

It was the Gathering. Cats m illed in the clearing in front of them, their pelts shining in the moonlight. Bramblestar padded between them, greeting old allies. Onestar was already sitting in the great oak, staring at the Clan cats through narrowed eyes.

Misty star chatted with the deputies lined up at the foot of the tree. She purred as Squirrelflight nodded toward a group of apprentices, happily showing off battle m oves to one another at the edge of the clearing. Alderpaw wished he were with them, sharing Clan gossip. Did he have to sit here, being solem n and serious with Kestrelflight, Mothwing, and Willowshine, just because he was a medicine-cat apprentice? If he was going to be an apprentice longer than any other cat, couldn’t he at least have fun?

He glanced at Sparkpelt. It was her first Gathering as a warrior, and she sat beside Cherry fall, her chest puffed out proudly. Her green eyes sparkled as she gazed at the other cats. Bramblestar padded to her side and touched his m uzzle fondly to her head. Alderpaw ignored the prickle of envy in his pelt. He was proud of Sparkpelt too.

He glanced at the long grass at the edge of the clearing, tasting the air for ShadowClan scent.

They were late. He leaned forward eagerly. Would Needlepaw come? If she was still being punished for letting Violetkit leave the camp, she might not be allowed to attend the Gathering this tim e. His tail flicked anxiously. He’d prom ised to take news home to Twigkit about Violetkit. If he couldn’t ask Needlepaw, perhaps Sleekpaw would tell him.

Alderpaw stiffened as Mintfur j erked his gaze toward the edge of the clearing. Alderpaw pricked his ears as the RiverClan tom’s nose twitched. Paws scrabbled over the tree-bridge, bey ond the stretch of grass. Pebbles cracked. The ShadowClan cats were coming.

The cats in the clearing turned their heads one by one as the grass rustled and ShadowClan padded out.

Alderpaw frowned. They looked battle-worn. Rowanstar had a cut above his ey e. Crowfrost’s pelt showed signs of scratches. Wasptail was lim ping. Who had they been fighting? He looked for Needlepaw, his heart sinking when he saw she wasn’t with them. Sleekpaw wasn’t there either.

Perhaps Yarrowpaw or Strikepaw would be able to tell him about Violetkit.

Leafpool!

The medicine cat slid from the long grass.

Of course ! He could ask her! Alderpaw hurried to m eet her as she headed for the group of medicine cats. As he neared, he saw that her eyes were dark with worry. Puddlepaw padded behind her, tail down. “Has som ething happened?” he asked as he reached them.

Leafpool lowered her gaze and padded past him. “Rowanstar will share the news.”

“Is Violetkit okay?” Anxiety flashed through Alderpaw’s fur.

“She was well the last time I saw her.” Leafpool sat beside Mothwing. She glanced at Alderpaw, then looked away.

The last time she saw her? Alderpaw stared at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

Jayfeather shooed him back to his place with a flick of his tail. “Sit down and be quiet,” he ordered. “It’s not Leafpool’s duty to share ShadowClan’s news.” His blind gaze flashed toward the gathered cats.

As the ShadowClan warriors and apprentices slid am ong them, Rowanstar strode to the great oak and clim bed onto the branch beside Onestar. Onestar shot him a hostile glance and shifted away.

Bramblestar left Sparkpelt and hurried to the oak as Misty star heaved herself stiffly up the trunk and took her place beside Rowanstar. The m urm uring of the cats quieted as Bramblestar sat down and gazed toward them.

“We have good weather,” he observed, his gaze flicking toward the wide starry sky. “StarClan has blessed us.”

Rowanstar grunted dismissively. “ThunderClan cats always think they are blessed, even when they’re half-starved in leaf-bare.”

“It is not leaf-bare y et,” Misty star rem inded them. “We must be glad that prey is still running and the snows are not y et here.”

“Prey is always running in RiverClan,” Onestar sneered. “Or should I say swimming .”

“Not if the river freezes,” Misty star corrected him.

Alderpaw whisked his tail over the ground. Why were the leaders so prickly tonight?

Rowanstar stood and raised his tail. “ShadowClan has two new warriors,” he announced.

“Strikestone and Yarrowleaf.”