Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Oakfur was so sick. Snakekit too. And the others were fighting hard against the illness. What if one of them died during the night?

At least Puddleshine was rested now. He’d slept the day away while she and Violetpaw had tended to the sick cats. It was Pinenose who had finally roused him. She’d woken, her eyes a little brighter, and broken into a purr when she’d found him still sleeping beside her nest.

A thorn seem ed to j ab Twigpaw’s heart as she remembered the fondness in the she-cat’s gaze.

“Do you think our mother loved us as much as Pinenose loves Puddleshine, Birchpaw, and Lionpaw?”

Violetpaw stopped washing. “I’ve never thought about it.”

Twigpaw frowned. “Why not?” She wondered why Violetpaw seem ed so detached.

Violetpaw lowered the paw she’d been licking. “I suppose I just assum ed that since she was gone, there was no point thinking about her.”

“But didn’t you miss her?”

“I had Pinenose.”

“But Pinenose didn’t ask for you today,” Twigpaw pointed out softly. “She only asked for her own kits.” She searched Violetpaw’s gaze for a reaction, but Violetpaw seem ed unm oved. Pity swam ped her. When had Violetpaw stopped expecting to be loved?

“I guess I decided that Pinenose was better than nothing,” Violetpaw mewed sim ply.

Twigpaw gazed wistfully into space. She’d had Lily heart, at least. The ThunderClan queen had been fond of her, and kind. But Twigpaw had always been aware that they weren’t real kin. “Just im agine if there was a cat who loved us as much as Pinenose loves her kits.”

“Oh, Twigpaw.” Sy m pathy flooded Violetpaw’s gaze. “You always want to be close to som e cat.”

“Don’t y ou?” Twigpaw frowned, puzzled.

“I guess I just didn’t think it was possible.” She touched her m uzzle to Twigpaw’s cheek. “But I’m glad I’ve got a sister.”

Affection swelled Twigpaw’s heart. “So am I.” She m et Violetpaw’s gaze. “I guess being here has given us a chance to get to know each other again.” She searched Violetpaw’s gaze, hoping that her sister felt the sam e way.

Violetpaw’s eyes clouded. She purred and snuggled down beside Twigpaw. “Let’s never forget we have each other. We’re kin, and that’s stronger than being Clanmates or denmates. We’ll always be close. Nothing will ever change that.”

“Do you prom ise?” Anxiety pricked Twigpaw’s belly.

“I prom ise.”

Two sunups later, Violetpaw opened her eyes and blinked through the darkness. Voices in the clearing had woken her. Her breath warm ed her paws as she listened.

A growl m ade her stiffen.

She j erked up her head as a snarl rang through the night air. “Twigpaw! Wake up!” She prodded Twigpaw sharply.

Twigpaw lifted her m uzzle, her eyes hardly opening. “What?” Her mew was slurred with sleep.

“Listen!” Violetpaw strained her ears.

“You can’t come in here!” Scorchfur’s growl sounded bey ond the den walls.

“We have come to take our Clanmate home!” Bramblestar’s mew cut across the growling of ShadowClan warriors.

Twigpaw opened her eyes wide. “Bramblestar!”

Birchpaw and Lionpaw were stirring in their nests.

“What’s all that noise?” Birchpaw sounded half-asleep.

Violetpaw’s heart lurched. “Quick!” She nosed Twigpaw from the nest. “Let’s hide.”

Twigpaw dug her paws deep into the bracken, refusing to be pushed. “Hide? Why? He’s come to rescue m e.”

Violetpaw hardly heard her. “We can tunnel under the brambles at the back of the den and slip out past the dirtplace. If we run fast, we can hide so deep in the forest they’ll never be able to find us!”

Twigpaw stared at her. “But I want to be found.”

Violetpaw froze. “What?” She didn’t understand. Twigpaw had said she wanted to be close to her. They’d talked about being sisters—how that was more im portant than any thing. You made me trust you! “You prom ised we’d always be close.”

Squirrelflight’s growl sounded outside. “We’re stay ing until you give her back.”

“Get out!” Dawnpelt’s hiss was hard with rage.

“Give us Twigpaw!”

Lionblaze! Violetpaw recognized the ThunderClan tom’s mew with a start. ThunderClan had brought its strongest warriors. Panic swirled in her m ind. “Come hide with m e!” she pleaded.

Twigpaw stared at her, her eyes glittering with guilt. “I can’t,” she mewed. “I have to go back to m y Clan.”

Birchpaw j erked his head. He glared at Twigpaw. “You’re not going any where!” With a hiss, he leaped from his nest and slam m ed into her.

“No!” Shock j olted through Violetpaw. “Don’t hurt her!”

The pale brown tom had knocked Twigpaw to the ground and was holding her there.

Violetpaw sank her teeth into his scruff and, with a grunt, dragged him off.

Twigpaw scram bled free and shot from the den.

Birchpaw turned on Violetpaw, snarling.

Lionpaw j um ped from her nest. “What’s happening?”

“ThunderClan has come to take Twigpaw!” Before her denmates could m ove, Violetpaw pushed past them and followed Twigpaw out of the den.

ThunderClan cats bunched near the entrance, pelts bristling. Violetpaw recognized Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, Cloudtail, and Blossom fall am ong them. Their eyes flashed in the moonlight, glancing at her briefly before their gaze flicked toward the other ShadowClan cats. Did they remember her? She’d been part of their Clan once.

“Twigpaw!” Violetpaw’s heart twisted in her chest as she saw her sister race toward them.

Rippletail lunged at her, but Twigpaw escaped his grasp and zigzagged between Sparrowtail and Mistcloud. She ducked past Scorchfur and Spikefur, who were facing the ThunderClan invaders, their backs arched.

Violetpaw stared in dism ay as Twigpaw flung herself against Squirrelflight and nestled beside her. “You can’t leave!” she wailed.

Twigpaw stared at her from am ong her Clanmates. “I can’t stay.”

Why not? Fury surged through Violetpaw. Why had Twigpaw begged to stay close if she was just going to leave? She padded forward, her pelt bristling as Scorchfur lined up beside Mistcloud, Sparrowtail, and Rippletail. Lionpaw and Birchpaw charged to j oin them.

Tigerheart strode from the shadows and faced the ThunderClan cats. “Do you really think we’re going to let you take her without a fight?”

Bramblestar’s eyes flashed with scorn. “The fight wouldn’t last long.”

Violetpaw shuddered. He was right. With so many ShadowClan cats sick, and so many of the Clan’s young cats with the rogues, ShadowClan’s warriors were outnumbered in their own camp.

“Let them go.” Crowfrost’s mew was hoarse as he padded heavily from his den. He pushed between his Clanmates and faced Bramblestar. “You can take her.”

Scorchfur stared at the ShadowClan deputy, his pelt spiking. “What are you doing?”

“We’ve held ThunderClan’s apprentice long enough,” Crowfrost growled. “It seem ed like a good plan at the start, but now it feels wrong. There is sickness here. We should return her before she gets ill, too. Why should Twigpaw suffer for us?”

“She wasn’t suffering!” Violetpaw cried out desperately.

Scorchfur ignored her. He snarled at Crowfrost. “How else are we going to get the lungwort?”

Spikefur stood beside his denmate. “Our Clanmates are dy ing!”

“ThunderClan knows that,” Crowfrost told the dark brown tom. “WindClan knows that too. If they want to let innocent cats die, then it is for StarClan to j udge them, not us. ShadowClan cats are true warriors.” He turned his accusing gaze on Bramblestar.