Эрин Хантер - A Forest Divided

Raindrops splashed down onto Thunder’s muzzle. He shook them off and followed Clear Sky.

The ground beyond the oak sloped down to a glade. Thunder’s heart sank as he saw brambles crowding the bottom. He could see a clear route skirting them—a trail through wilted fern stumps. But Clear Sky charged down the slope, heading straight for the brambles. Flattening his ears, Thunder followed.

Clear Sky hopped neatly among the damp stems.

Thunder winced as prickles grazed his paws, until at last the brambles thinned. Through the trees he could see the rain-washed red roofs of Twoleg dens glinting in the weak sunshine. He slowed, smelling unfamiliar scents.

Clear Sky kept moving.

“We’re not going near there, are we?” Thunder stopped beside a yew bush.

“We might find some kittypet recruits.” Clear Sky halted and turned. “Fluttering Bird wants us to spread and grow, remember?”

“But kittypets ?” Thunder remembered Tom, the kittypet father of Turtle Tail’s kits. He’d stolen them just to make Turtle Tail suffer, and she’d been killed trying to rescue them.

“Are you scared of them?” Clear Sky challenged.

“Of course not!” Thunder glared at him. “But they can’t hunt or fight. What good are they to us?”

“We can train them.”

Thunder hardly heard Clear Sky’s words. Paws were scrabbling over leaves close by. He pricked his ears. Something was moving beyond the yew.

“Listen, do you hear that?” he hissed at Clear Sky.

Clear Sky whisked his tail. “It’s probably a squirrel. We can hunt it on the way home.” He headed toward the Twolegplace.

“We should catch it now.” They’d already missed one today. Had Clear Sky forgotten it was leaf-bare? They couldn’t afford to ignore prey.

“Then go catch it,” Clear Sky called back.

Thunder ducked under the yew. Its dripping branches scraped his spine. Through its tangy scent he could smell more than squirrel. A second scent touched his nose—a familiar smell. His hackles lifted as he heard the crunch of tooth on bone. Dragging his belly over the cold wet earth, he peered out through the fronds on the far side.

A golden she-cat was bent over a dead squirrel. From its scent it was freshly caught. Thunder unsheathed his claws. This cat’s tabby markings, and her white chest and paws, were so familiar they made his heart ache.

He slid from under the yew and glared at her. “Star Flower.”

Star Flower turned, gazing at him with luminous green eyes. “Hi, Thunder. What are you doing in the forest? I thought you were a moor cat.”

Thunder bristled. “What am I doing?” Didn’t she realize she was hunting on Clear Sky’s territory? “How can you show your face here after—”

She cut him off. “After what?” She tipped her head, her gaze steady. “After you murdered my father?”

She was talking about the rogue cat called One Eye, who had taken over Clear Sky’s territory by force, viciously attacking any cat who disobeyed him. The cats of the forest had to stop him! But Star

Flower had loved her father, despite his obvious faults. Just like I loved her, he thought.

He no longer had feelings for her, though. He was nearly sure of it.

“It wasn’t like that,” Thunder insisted.

“Really?” Star Flower swished her thick tail and turned back to her squirrel.

Thunder stared at her, bristling with indignation. If they hadn’t stopped him, One Eye would have killed every cat on the moor.

Star Flower glanced at him. “Do you want a bite?”

Heat flashed beneath Thunder’s pelt. “A bite? Are we allies now? Don’t you care about anything ?”

Star Flower lifted her head, her green eyes glimmering. “I care enough to forgive you.”

“Forgive me ?” Thunder snorted. “You’re the one who betrayed us!”

“And you’re the one who helped kill my father,” Star Flower replied steadily.

The yew rustled behind Thunder.

“That wasn’t my son’s fault.” Clear Sky pushed his way through the branches. “If you want to blame any cat for One Eye’s death, blame me.”

Star Flower’s gaze flitted thoughtfully over Clear Sky. “You’re the cat who took my father in, aren’t you?”

Thunder threw her a warning look—Clear Sky wouldn’t want to be reminded of his mistake. He blinked with surprise as Clear Sky dipped his head.

“Yes, that was me.”

How can he be so polite?

Star Flower’s hackles softened. “That was kind of you.” She brushed past Thunder and stopped a whisker from Clear Sky’s muzzle. “Would you be kind once more and take me in?”

Thunder stared at her.

“It’s hard for a loner,” she went on, her mew silky. “I know you don’t trust me, but you should. I was loyal to my father to the end.” Her gaze flicked briefly toward Thunder. “Isn’t that true loyalty?”

Thunder swallowed back anger. Is she saying I’m disloyal for leaving Clear Sky all those moons ago? He watched his father nervously. Would Star Flower’s honeyed words work on him?

Relief washed his pelt as Clear Sky shook his head.

“I can’t let you join us,” he told her. “Your father hurt a lot of my cats. They wouldn’t thank me for bringing you back to camp.”

Star Flower blinked slowly at Clear Sky. “And what if your cats told you they didn’t mind?” she asked softly. “Would you take me in then?”

Clear Sky shook his head and turned away. “I can’t,” he growled. “Not after what your father did.”

Thunder saw anger flash in Star Flower’s eyes.

“Thunder, please!” She turned toward him. He tried to avoid her bright green gaze, but it hooked him. “It’s going to be a long leaf-bare.” There was fear in her mew. “I don’t know if I’ll make it through by myself. Now that One Eye is dead, I have no cat to help me hunt.”

Thunder forced himself to look away, feeling Star Flower’s desperate gaze burning through his pelt. Was he wrong to punish her for her father’s sins? She was alone now. Without One Eye to bully her, perhaps she could be trusted. Perhaps she’d simply been one of his victims. Thunder felt his heart twist. “Clear Sky!” He called to his father. “Maybe we should give her a chance.”

Clear Sky glanced over his shoulder. “She’s One Eye’s daughter!”

“That’s not her fault!” Thunder knew better than most that a cat didn’t have to follow in their father’s paw steps. Star Flower’s glossy pelt brushed his flank. Energy sparked through him like lightning. Her scent was so familiar, so warm. His mind whirled. He had to persuade Clear Sky to take her in. He couldn’t leave her to starve. “You wanted to bring all the cats together!” he called.

“Why not Star Flower? She was one of us once.”

Clear Sky’s blue eyes narrowed.

“Fluttering Bird wanted us to unite so we can spread and grow.” Thunder pressed. “The more cats we have, the stronger we’ll be.”

Clear Sky glanced at Star Flower’s squirrel. “I guess she can hunt.”

“I can!” Star Flower snatched up the squirrel.

Clear Sky turned away, his tail twitching. “Bring her along. You can explain it to your campmates.”

Purring, Star Flower followed Clear Sky past the yew.

Thunder walked behind her, his belly tightening. You can explain it. His paws pricked nervously as he pictured Lightning Tail’s expression when he led Star Flower into camp. He’ll think I’ve gone crazy.

Gray Wing dropped into a hunting crouch. High above him, faint sunlight filtered through the canopy and striped the forest floor. His tail twitched with excitement as he saw a lizard dart from beneath the fallen tree. He shifted his weight. Pine needles crunched like snow beneath his paws. As the lizard skittered from its hiding place, Gray Wing leaped.