Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Alderpaw lifted his chin. “When do we leave?”

“The sooner the better,” Bramblestar meowed. “I want Twigpaw home as soon as possible.”

“Can we leave now?” Alderpaw whipped his tail.

“I’m ready if you are,” Leafpool told him.

Nodding good-by e to their Clanmates, they headed out of camp and followed the trail to the WindClan border, as though traveling to the Moonpool. But instead of following the stream uphill, they leaped over it and crossed onto the m oor. Heather crowded around them as they clim bed the slope. Gorse rose ahead, its y ellow buds bright in the afternoon sunshine.

Alderpaw glanced around nervously. “Should we stop and wait for a WindClan patrol to find us?” he asked Leafpool.

“Let’s find them.” She ducked into a swath of heather.

Alderpaw followed. The peaty earth felt soft underpaw, and the prickly fronds scraped his pelt. As they em erged at the far side, Alderpaw glim psed the pale gray-and-white pelt of Gorsetail across a stretch of grass. Emberfoot was with her.

Leafpool halted and lifted her tail. “Hi!” she called across the slope.

The WindClan cats j erked their heads around and stared, anger sparking in their gazes.

Alderpaw m oved closer to Leafpool, his heart pounding.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “We’re medicine cats, remember?”

She held her tail high as the WindClan cats bounded across the hillside to m eet them.

Emberfoot reached them first, his pelt bristling. “What are you doing on our territory?”

Leafpool m et his gaze, unflinching. “We need to speak with Kestrelflight.”

Gorsetail caught up. “What about?”

Leafpool sniffed. “It’s medicine-cat business.”

Alderpaw blinked at her adm iringly. Wasn’t she afraid? Gorsetail’s and Emberfoot’s ears were flat. Mistrust glittered in their eyes.

Leafpool lifted her chin. “Are you going to take us to him or do we have to find our own way?”

Gorsetail’s ears twitched. “We’ll take y ou,” she growled grudgingly.

Leafpool brushed against Alderpaw as the WindClan cats turned and headed up the slope.

“Stick close to m e,” she whispered.

Alderpaw’s heartbeat thundered in his ears as he followed Gorsetail and Emberfoot into the WindClan camp. Although it was tucked into a dip in the hillside, the wide, grassy clearing felt exposed. Wind whipped over the encircling gorse and tugged at Alderpaw’s fur.

WindClan cats stared from the long grass rippling at the edges of the camp, surprise glinting in their eyes. Breezepelt strode toward them, chest puffed out indignantly. “What are they doing here?”

“They want to speak with Kestrelflight,” Emberfoot told him.

Breezepelt narrowed his eyes.

Nearby, Nightcloud’s gaze flicked nervously toward a den entrance at the head of the clearing.

Was that Onestar’s den?

Gorsetail stopped. She nodded toward an opening in the gorse wall of the camp. “He’s in there.”

Leafpool dipped her head and ducked inside.

Alderpaw followed her quickly, relieved to be out of the wind and hidden from the curious gazes of the WindClan cats.

Kestrelflight was tearing borage leaves into strips and rolling them into tight bundles. He looked up as Leafpool and Alderpaw entered. “What are you doing here?” Surprise edged his mew.

Leafpool whisked her tail. “One medicine cat m ay visit another, surely?”

Kestrelflight glanced nervously toward the den entrance. “Does Onestar know y ou’re here?”

“He probably does by now,” Leafpool answered m atter-of-factly.

Alderpaw looked over his shoulder, half expecting the WindClan leader to barge angrily into the den.

“He won’t be pleased,” Kestrelflight warned.

“We’re not ShadowClan cats,” Leafpool pointed out.

“Onestar doesn’t trust any cat these day s,” Kestrelflight lowered his voice. “Not even his own

Clanmates.”

Leafpool’s eyes rounded. “Why not?”

Kestrelflight looked at his paws, not answering.

“Surely losing a life can’t have affected him so badly?” Leafpool’s ears twitched impatiently.

“Have the rogues done som ething else to unsettle him?”

Kestrelflight bristled defensively. “Wasn’t killing Furzepelt and bringing sickness to the lake enough?”

Leafpool stiffened. “Is the sickness here?”

“Not y et.” Kestrelflight’s eye shone with worry. “But what if it comes?”

Leafpool shrugged. “If Puddleshine’s dream is correct, you have the cure growing right here on y our territory.”

Kestrelflight padded past her to the entrance and peered out as though checking to see if any one was listening. “Is that why y ou’re here?” he whispered, turning back to Leafpool.

Alderpaw’s heart quickened. Would the WindClan medicine cat agree to help them?

Leafpool m et his gaze. “ShadowClan is holding Twigpaw hostage. They won’t return her to us until we persuade Onestar to give them lungwort.”

Kestrelflight’s eyes widened. “Did they kidnap her?”

Leafpool sighed. “The silly young cat decided to visit her sister in the m iddle of the night.

They caught her in their camp.”

Alderpaw puffed out his fur. “She was upset about her mother,” he mewed defensively.

Leafpool blinked at him. “Let’s not worry about why she did it. The situation is that she is ShadowClan’s hostage until we give them lungwort.”

Kestrelflight frowned. “I wish I could help.”

“Then help!” Leafpool urged.

“I can’t go against Onestar’s wishes.” Kestrelflight argued.

“Cats are dy ing!” Leafpool thrust her m uzzle closer to his. “You’re a medicine cat. How can y ou sit back and let that happen?”

“Onestar blam es ShadowClan for Furzepelt’s death and for losing a life,” Kestrelflight lowered his gaze.

“You know that’s nonsense!” Leafpool exclaim ed.

Alderpaw could hardly believe his ears. “The rogues killed Furzepelt, not ShadowClan!”

“But ShadowClan hasn’t retaliated,” Kestrelflight argued. “Onestar thinks ShadowClan is defending the rogues.”

“What else can they do?” Leafpool’s tail whisked over the sandy floor of the den. “So many of their apprentices left to live with the rogues. Would Onestar attack his own cats?”

“He would if they betray ed their Clan,” Kestrelflight answered grim ly.

Leafpool flexed her claws. “This isn’t getting us any where. Why should we care who attacks who? We’re medicine cats. Our duty is to heal. We need lungwort, not just to bring Twigpaw home, but because ShadowClan cats will die without it.”

She was staring deep into Kestrelflight’s eyes. Alderpaw willed the WindClan medicine cat to agree.

Kestrelflight’s pelt prickled uneasily. “You will have to ask Onestar.”

Dread dropped like a stone in Alderpaw’s belly. He didn’t want to face the angry WindClan leader. He’d seen him raging at the Gatherings. And if Onestar’s own Clanmates feared him, how would he react to unwelcome visitors?

“Come on.” Kestrelflight slipped past them and nosed his way out of the den.

Alderpaw blinked nervously at Leafpool. “Do you think we’ll be able to persuade him?”

“We have to try.” Leafpool followed Kestrelflight into the clearing.

Belly hollow with fear, Alderpaw hurried after her.

Onestar was pacing the head of the clearing as Alderpaw em erged from the gorse den. The WindClan leader’s furious gaze tracked Leafpool and Kestrelflight as they approached him.

Alderpaw trailed behind, his paws as heavy as stone.

Onestar curled his lip, his gaze flashing toward Alderpaw. “You’ve brought Bramblestar’s kit,” he snarled. “Was Bramblestar too m ouse-hearted to come him self?”