Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Violetpaw felt an icy chill settle in her belly. Needletail didn’t look pleased to see her. “I’m sorry I left like I did,” she mewed hurriedly. “I just didn’t know what else to do.”

Needletail narrowed her eyes. “So you ran away in the night.”

“I wasn’t running away.” Violetpaw pushed back guilt. “I just didn’t feel like I belonged there any more.”

Was that hurt sharpening Needletail’s gaze? Violetpaw leaned closer. “I’m really sorry. I should have talked to y ou. But…” Her mew trailed away as she glanced at Rain. Were Needletail and Rain mates now? Perhaps she’d chosen the right time to leave. May be Needletail didn’t have room for friends in her life any more.

She realized that Needletail was staring at her, m alice shim m ering in her green gaze. There was no hurt there now, only threat. Violetpaw backed away. “H-how are the others?” she asked nervously.

“What do you care?” Needletail hissed. “You’re a ShadowClan cat now. That is where y ou went, isn’t it?” She sniffed Violetpaw’s pelt. “You smell like a Clan cat.”

Violetpaw suddenly felt very sm all.

“Why did you go back?” Needletail’s question sounded more like an accusation.

Violetpaw glanced at Rain again, staring at his lost ey e.

Rain’s whiskers twitched with am usem ent. “I think she was scared som eone would spoil her pretty face.”

“Coward, eh?” Needletail stepped closer.

Violetpaw flinched. “I belong in a Clan,” she mewed quietly.

“Traitor!” Needletail’s ears flattened.

You betrayed y our Clan ! Violetpaw wished she had the courage to say it. Needletail had been born in ShadowClan. They were her kin. They only took me in because of the prophecy. But Rain and Needletail were staring at her m alevolently. “Every cat has to find their own path.”

Needletail snorted. “You even sound like a Clan cat!”

“It’s where I belong.” Violetpaw was determ ined to appear brave, even though her heart was pounding.

Needletail backed away, her eyes glittering. “So you let m e wake up alone, wondering where y ou’d gone!”

Violetpaw hesitated. That is sadness! Was the sleek silver she-cat truly hurt that Violetpaw had left her? “I couldn’t stay,” she mewed helplessly.

Needletail showed her teeth. “We could take you back with us now. I’m sure Darktail would be delighted to have his special Clan cat back.”

“I don’t want to go back to the rogues!” Violetpaw tried to stop her paws from trem bling.

“Who say s you get a choice?” Needletail hissed.

Violetpaw stared at her pleadingly. “I’m sorry, Needletail. I just want to go home.”

Needletail glanced at Rain. “What do you think?” she asked. “Should we take her back to camp with us?”

Rain stared at Violetpaw, his gaze betray ing nothing.

Violetpaw’s breath stopped in her throat. She glanced around the forest, looking for som e escape. Perhaps if she bolted for the brambles bey ond the ditch, she’d be able to lose them in the tangled branches. Or she could just head back the way she’d come. She was light on her paws.

She might be able to outrun them.

“Well?” Needletail pressed. “Should we take her?”

“No.”

Rain’s mew washed Violetpaw like a cool breeze. She let out a breath as he went on.

“We don’t want cats who don’t want us. Besides, she’s too soft.” He sniffed. “There’s still kit fluff behind her ears.”

As her shoulders loosened, he glared at her. “But I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again.”

Fear j abbed her belly. As he stalked away with Needletail, Violetpaw realized she was shaking. She backed away, then turned and raced for camp.

Dam p air settled over the clearing as the sun sank behind the trees. Violetpaw crouched at the edge of camp, a half-eaten m ouse beside her. Her Clanmates m oved quietly around the body ly ing in the m iddle. Kinkfur had been carried from the den and placed there, her paws tucked neatly beneath her. Tawny pelt and Dawnpelt had sm oothed her fur. Mistcloud, Sparrowtail, and Ratscar had gathered pinecones and early prim rose and laid them around her body. Now they sat in the twilight, ready to begin the vigil.

Violetpaw watched them, her thoughts j um bled. Twigpaw had left; Kinkfur had died; Needletail was no longer her friend. Did I think she would be, after I left her like that? She couldn’t forget the flash of pain in Needletail’s gaze as she’d spoken about waking up and finding Violetpaw gone.

Crowfrost padded from his den. He m oved stiffly, like an elder. His fur was unkem pt.

Violetpaw sat up, unease tugging in her belly. Was he just grieving? Or was som ething else wrong?

He stopped beside Kinkfur’s body and beckoned his Clanmates closer with a flick of his tail.

Violetpaw crossed the clearing and stopped beside Lionpaw and Birchpaw. Puddleshine blinked at her from the other side of Kinkfur’s body. Scorchfur and Spikefur sat together, their gazes dark.

“Kinkfur was a loy al ShadowClan cat for many moons before I was born.” Crowfrost’s mew was hoarse. “And she rem ained loy al and kind to the end. She fought beside us against the Dark

Forest cats. She was at the front of every battle. She defended her Clanmates as though she were defending her own kits.”

As the ShadowClan deputy went on, Spikefur narrowed his eyes, watching him as though watching prey.

“StarClan will welcome her. She has many friends there, and a kit, Dewkit, and long day s of endless hunting lie ahead of her.” He dipped his head. “She will be remembered.”

Ratscar leaned down to grasp a prim rose between his teeth. He lifted it and laid it on Kinkfur’s body. Kinkfur’s surviving kits, Mistcloud and Sparrowtail, leaned close, touching their noses to her pelt one last tim e. As Ratscar settled down beside his old friend, Crowfrost began coughing.

His Clanmates turned to watch as Crowfrost crouched, his body j erking. His rasping coughs echoed in the evening air. Violetpaw stiffened. For the first time she saw that his gaze was glassy with fever. Fear spiked through her chest as Puddleshine hurried to the deputy’s side.

“Fetch tansy!” Puddleshine called.

No cat m oved.

The ShadowClan deputy was ill. No one was left to lead.

Violetpaw felt weak with dread. Was sickness going to destroy the Clan?

Catching his breath, Alderpaw paused on the last rocky slope that led to the Moonpool. His pads burned from the clim b. Leafpool leaped ahead of him. Jayfeather stopped at his tail.

“Hurry up,” the blind medicine cat grunted. “The moon won’t stay up all night.”

Still Alderpaw hesitated. A warrior was standing on the rim of the hollow, looking down at them. Alderpaw couldn’t make out who it was, but he caught the scent of WindClan. “It looks like Kestrelflight brought an escort again,” he told Jayfeather.

“It’s Harespring.” Jayfeather pushed past Alderpaw.

“How do you know?” Alderpaw clambered after him.

“I’ve sm elled his scent all the way along the trail,” Jayfeather puffed. “I wonder why

Kestrelflight only cam e with one warrior this tim e.”

“Perhaps Onestar thinks that his deputy is as good as two ordinary warriors,” Alderpaw guessed.

“Perhaps.” Jayfeather sounded unconvinced. He nodded to Harespring as he reached the top, and padded past him.

Alderpaw followed, glancing nervously at the WindClan deputy, who watched them, betray ing no expression. After his trip to the WindClan camp with Leafpool, he didn’t trust any of WindClan. Perhaps they all shared Onestar’s rage and paranoia.