Эрин Хантер - Thunder Аnd Shadow

Needletail’s eyes widened. “Twigpaw? What are you doing here?”

“I have to speak with Violetpaw.”

“Violetpaw’s in camp.”

“But I have to know if she’s okay.” Twigpaw ignored the one-ey ed tom, who was staring at her in surprise.

Ivy pool slid from beneath the bramble and stood beside her. “We’re sorry to intrude,” she mewed apologetically. “But Twigpaw has been frantic about her sister. We just need to know she’s okay and then we’ll go.”

“Of course she’s okay!” Needletail bristled. “Do you think I’d let any thing happen to her?”

“I have to talk to her.” Twigpaw dug her paws into the leaf-strewn earth. Now that she’d come this far, she was determ ined to see Violetpaw for herself. What if Needletail was ly ing?

Needletail frowned. “I can’t just go fetch her for y ou!”

Twigpaw stared at her pleadingly. “But you used to, remember? When we were kits. You and Alderpaw used to sneak us out so we could see each other. It’s no different from that.”

An impatient growl rum bled in Needletail’s throat.

Twigpaw leaned closer. “If y ou’re scared of Darktail, I understand. I’m happy to go to the camp m y self.”

Rain’s gaze sharpened. “That would be brave.”

Twigpaw shrugged. “I want to see m y sister, that’s all.” Please StarClan. Don’t let them smell my fear-scent!

Rain glanced at Needletail. “You’d better fetch her,” he grunted. “This is the sort of cat who gets other cats into trouble.” He scowled at Ivy pool. “Are you her m entor?”

Ivy pool lifted her m uzzle. “Yes.”

“You shouldn’t have let her come here.”

“That’s like telling m e I shouldn’t let the wind blow through the forest. Som e things you just can’t argue with.”

Needletail flicked her tail crossly. “Wait here.” She turned and raced away.

Rain stay ed where he was, staring at Twigpaw and Ivy pool. He tipped his head. “How was the Gathering?” Am usem ent edged his mew. “Did the other Clans miss us?”

Ivy pool’s pelt ruffled. “Why would we miss rogues at a Gathering?”

“Didn’t Rowanstar tell y ou?” Rain asked innocently. “We’re ShadowClan now. We’re just like y ou.”

Ivy pool flexed her claws. “No, y ou’re not! You m ay have taken over ShadowClan’s camp, but y ou’re still rogues!”

Rain’s whiskers twitched.

Twigpaw could see that he was enj oy ing irritating Ivy pool. “Ignore him.” She sat down, her gaze fixed on the forest where Needletail had disappeared.

Ivy pool shifted uneasily beside her.

Rain stared at them, his gaze cold.

High above them, clouds stretched long paws over the pale blue sky. A breeze stirred the budding leaves. An age seem ed to pass as they waited, but at last Twigpaw heard paw steps. She pricked her ears.

Fam iliar black-and-white fur flashed between the trunks. Violetpaw was running toward them, Needletail at her tail.

“Violetpaw!” Twigpaw rushed to m eet her, startling Rain as she flashed past him. But she soon slithered to a halt, surprised at the anger in Violetpaw’s eyes.

“Why in StarClan did you come here?” Violetpaw was glaring at her. “You could have gotten

Needletail into trouble. Darktail asked her what she was doing back at camp. She had to lie.”

Twigpaw blinked at her sister. Did Violetpaw care more about Needletail getting into trouble than about seeing her? “I could get into trouble too, you know,” she snapped. “We’re not supposed to be here. But I had to find out if you were safe.”

“Of course I’m safe.” Violetpaw glanced at Needletail. “I have friends here.”

Irritation sparked beneath Twigpaw’s pelt. She nudged her sister aside and lowered her voice.

“Are you really okay?” she hissed in Violetpaw’s ear when they were out of range of Needletail.

Perhaps Violetpaw was putting on a show for the rogues.

“Yes!” Violetpaw drew away.

Twigpaw kept her voice soft. “You can come back with me and Ivy pool. You don’t have to stay with the rogues. You can j oin ThunderClan, with m e.” She stared desperately into

Violetpaw’s amber eyes. This was their chance to be together again.

Violetpaw frowned. “Why should I? You didn’t want to j oin ShadowClan to be with m e.”

“I didn’t want to leave y ou! But I couldn’t turn m y tail on m y Clanmates.”

“Neither can I. Go back to y our Clan and I’ll go back to m ine.”

Twigpaw stared at her. “We’re still sisters, right?”

Violetpaw blinked slowly. “I suppose.” She glanced at Needletail again. “But we’ve each found our own Clan. We’ve each found where we belong.”

Twigpaw stared at her. Was Violetpaw telling her they could never be together again?

A paw knocked Twigpaw aside. “Stop whispering!” Needletail pushed between them and glared at Twigpaw.

“It’s okay,” Violetpaw mewed. “We’re done.”

“Good.” Needletail whisked her tail, still staring at Twigpaw. “Now leave.”

Ivy pool padded forward. “Is every thing okay?”

Twigpaw nodded. “Every thing’s fine—”

Needletail lashed out, slicing Twigpaw’s ear tip with a claw. “I said leave !”

Twigpaw flinched as pain seared through her.

“How dare y ou?” Ivy pool hurled herself at Needletail. Hissing, she dragged Needletail to the ground, pum m eling her belly with her hind paws. Needletail wriggled free, glowering at Ivy pool.

The sm ell of blood tainted the air as fur fluttered around them.

“Stop!” Panic flashed through Twigpaw. Rain was padding closer. “There’s no need to fight.”

Needletail and Rain circled them, eyes slitted and growls rum bling in their throats.

Violetpaw shoved Twigpaw away, her frightened gaze on the one-ey ed tom. “Run! Get away from here before you get hurt!”

Ivy pool nodded to Twigpaw. “Let’s go.”

Twigpaw ran. Her paws sent leaf litter fly ing as she hared around the bramble and crossed the scent line. She felt Ivy pool’s breath at her tail and heard Rain and Needletail chasing them.

Pushing harder, she raced into ThunderClan territory. Ivy pool pounded after her. Behind them, the sound of paw steps faded. She glanced back. Needletail and Rain were standing at the border, backs arched. Violetpaw stood beside them, watching with round, sad eyes.

Good-bye, Violetpaw. Twigpaw slowed, her lungs burning. Was that the last she’d see of her sister? Now that ShadowClan had turned rogue, could they ever m eet again? She stum bled as her paws grew num b beneath her. Grief choked her. She and Violetpaw had chosen different Clans.

May be their bond of kinship wasn’t strong enough to survive their decision.

Alderpaw peered closer at Twigpaw’s ear. The split in the tip had opened again, and he could sm ell fresh blood oozing from it. The sun had set, but the light of the half-moon, seeping through the medicine-den entrance, gave enough light to work by.

He reached for the herbs Jayfeather stored beside the pool for cats who cam e in with fresh cuts and scratches. The m arigold would clear up any infection. “Rem ind m e how you got this wound?” Alderpaw asked casually. He had asked Twigpaw when she’d first come to him, the day after the Gathering, when the nick in her ear was fresh. She’d just shrugged and told him it was a training accident.

She shrugged again now. “I can’t remember. But I caught it again today on a bramble.” Was she protecting her denmates? Had one of them been practicing their battle m oves a little too roughly?