Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Violetpaw stared at Rain, horror scorching though her as she saw his face. She’d seen fights here before, but none this cruel. His cheek was ripped and his eye was closed and oozing blood.

Nausea swept over her, and she raced from the camp. Skidding to a halt behind an alder, she vom ited, her body convulsing with shock.

Hunched in her nest, Violetpaw stared through the darkness. The camp was quiet except for Rain’s m oans and Needletail’s soothing mews as she nursed him the best she could. Nettle had been racing in and out of camp all evening with herbs. Now he crouched outside the patch of long grass where Rain and Needletail were huddled together.

Violetpaw watched Nettle’s eyes slowly close as sleep overwhelm ed him. Darktail’s snores echoed across the camp. No moon lit the clearing, and clouds covered the sky. The other cats were curled in their nests. There was still prey on the pile. Darktail had been the only cat to eat.

The others had slunk to the edges of the camp in silence. Violetpaw wondered if they were as shocked as she was by the brutality of their campmates. She wondered if the ShadowClan cats regretted leaving their Clan now. Perhaps ShadowClan did have too many rules, but the cats looked after one another. They would never blind one another!

Violetpaw knew she had to leave. She could not live like this, in a group ruled by fear and claws. But where could she go? Her heart fluttered anxiously as she im agined life as a loner.

Perhaps she could ask Rowanstar to take her in, or Bramblestar. Perhaps som e of the Clan cats still believed she was part of the prophecy and would welcome her back. She just knew she couldn’t stay here. These cats were too unpredictable. What if she said som ething wrong? Or failed to bring home enough prey? How long would it be before Darktail or one of the other rogues turned on her ?

She could hear Needletail m urm uring bey ond the long grass. Needletail had been growing closer and closer to Rain. She won’t leave him. Especially not now. And if they did become mates, would Needletail still have time for Violetpaw? I’d be alone here.

Quietly Violetpaw got to her paws and clim bed from her nest. Heart pounding in her ears, she tiptoed across the clearing. She paused beside Nettle, who was snoring gently now, and strained to see past him through the grass but could make out nothing but shadow. She wanted to tell

Needletail she was leaving, and to thank her. But she didn’t dare risk being caught.

“Don’t worry, Rain. It’ll hurt less soon.”

She listened to the soft m urm ur of her friend. This would be the first time in moons she’d be without her. Good-bye, Needletail. Her heart aching, she turned away and headed out of camp.

The scent of pine and m oss filled her nose as dawn broke and early newleaf sunshine seeped into ShadowClan territory. Violetpaw crouched beneath a bramble a tree-length from the camp wall. A j uicy rabbit lay beside her. Would it be enough?

Rowanstar had turned Darktail away when he had come bringing a gift of prey. And he’d told Needletail to take her. You did ShadowClan no favors by finding her. There’s been nothing but trouble since she arrived. We’re better off without her. His words still rang in her head, as they had in the moons since she’d left. Was she wasting her time even try ing to come back? Perhaps she should head straight for ThunderClan territory and beg Bramblestar to take her in. Twigpaw would support her, wouldn’t she?

Her heart quickened with fear. What if no Clan wanted her? What if they saw her as trouble: just an extra m outh to feed? The rogues would never forgive her for leaving. She’d be a loner.

“Who’s there?”

Tawny pelt’s mew took her by surprise. A tortoiseshell m uzzle pushed through the brambles, and Violetpaw found herself staring into the warrior’s green eyes. “Violetkit?” She blinked.

“I’m Violetpaw now,” Violetpaw mewed uncertainly. She’d had no nam ing cerem ony.

Needletail had decided it was time she began her training. Did that mean she wasn’t a proper

’paw?

Tawny pelt backed out. “Come out here.” She sounded stern.

Nervously Violetpaw grabbed the rabbit between her jaws and crept out.

Spikefur and Tigerheart stared at her from behind Tawny pelt.

“Are you hunting on our land?” Tawny pelt stared at her, shocked.

Violetpaw dropped the rabbit. “I caught it before I crossed the border.” She wasn’t going to make the sam e m istake as Darktail.

“Why did you come here?” Tawny pelt dem anded.

Violetpaw could see confusion and anger in the tortoiseshell’s gaze. “I want to come back to ShadowClan.” She stared at her paws, her mew hardly more than a whisper.

Spikefur growled. “You chose to leave. You no longer have a place here.”

“Rowanstar told Needletail to take m e.” Violetpaw lifted her gaze, forcing herself to be brave.

“I know I was never really wanted here. But I was hoping I could make a place for m y self.”

Spikefur glared at her. “As what? The Clan traitor?”

“Hush!” Tawny pelt turned on her Clanmate. “She wasn’t the only one who left.”

“They’re all traitors!” Spikefur hissed.

Tigerheart pushed in front of the angry tom. “Violetpaw was only a kit when she left. And Rowanstar did tell Needletail to take her. She can’t be held responsible for her decision.”

Tawny pelt was looking at the rabbit. “Did you catch that y ourself?”

“Yes,” Violetpaw told her m eekly.

Spikefur nudged Tigerheart away. “She m ay have brought others with her!”

Violetpaw puffed out her chest. “I cam e here by m y self! The others don’t even know I’m gone.”

Tawny pelt poked the rabbit with a paw. “It’s a good-sized catch. I can see y ou’re not a kit any more.” She nodded toward the camp. “Come on. We’ll let Rowanstar decide what to do with y ou.”

Rowanstar was resting beside the great rock at the edge of the clearing as Tawny pelt, Spikefur, and Tigerheart escorted Violetpaw into camp. Tigerheart carried the rabbit. As they crossed the clearing, Violetpaw ignored the stares of the ShadowClan cats. She heard Kinkfur whispering to Oakfur outside the elders’ den but couldn’t make out her words. Pinenose watched her from the warriors’ den. Violetpaw avoided the she-cat’s gaze, sham e pricking through her fur. She guessed that Pinenose wasn’t thinking any thing good about her. Stonewing and Wasptail looked up from washing as she passed the warriors’ den. Dawnpelt was rum m aging through the fresh-kill pile, picking at last night’s leftovers. Violetpaw glanced toward the nursery, hoping to catch a glim pse of Whorlkit, Snakekit, and Flowerkit. Perhaps they were apprentices by now. But the nursery was silent, lit by the early m orning sunshine.

Rowanstar scram bled to his paws as he saw her. Violetpaw tensed, straining to read his gaze.

Was that relief in his green eyes?

“I knew y ou’d all come back!” His gaze flicked hopefully past her toward the entrance.

“It’s just Violetpaw.” Tawny pelt stopped in front of the ShadowClan leader. “She cam e alone.”

Rowanstar’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is she spy ing?”

Tigerheart dropped the rabbit at his paws. “She wants to rej oin the Clan. She brought this as a gift.”

Rowanstar frowned. “Just like those rogues.”

“I’m not a rogue!” Violetpaw flicked her tail. Why did Clan cats have to call every one names? Anger surged through her. Did no cat want her? She’d spent her life being passed around by other cats. First Alderpaw had taken her from her mother’s nest. Then Rowanstar had snatched her from ThunderClan. Then Needletail had taken her to the rogues. This was the first time she’d had any choice in the m atter, and she was choosing to j oin ShadowClan. They were lucky ! “I know I’m not a Clan cat now, but I want to be. I’ve decided to come here . But I can always go to ThunderClan.”