Эрин Хантер - A Forest Divided

Clear Sky heard Thunder’s mew beyond the camp wall. Pride swelled in his chest. His son had grown into a fine tom.

“What if it lasts for days?” Gray Wing’s mew answered Thunder.

“Let’s worry about that when it happens.”

Clear Sky nosed through the gap in the gorse.

Gray Wing turned to meet him, eyes round with surprise. “Clear Sky? What are you doing here?”

Clear Sky dropped his catch. “I came to visit Jagged Peak’s kits.” He glanced around the camp, a purr rumbling in his throat as he spied three kits tumbling across the grass at the far end of the hollow.

Thunder didn’t follow his gaze. He was staring at the rabbit on the ground in front of Clear Sky.

“Did you catch that on our land?” His amber eyes narrowed.

Clear Sky blinked at him. Only a few moons ago, they’d begun to grow close. Now he felt further from his son than ever before. “I—I brought it for Jagged Peak and Holly.”

One of the kits squeaked excitedly. “I’m the fastest!”

Clear Sky saw a brown tom-kit struggle from his littermate’s grip and race toward Jagged Peak, who was watching from the long grass at the edge of the hollow.

“No, you’re not!” A tabby she-kit raced after him. The splotches on her pelt were like Holly’s.

White tips on her nose and her tail made her look as though she’d been dipped in snow.

“Wait for me!” A third kit trailed behind. His thick gray pelt and lithe frame reminded Clear Sky of Jagged Peak before the accident that had crippled his hind leg.

“Eagle Feather!” Holly stepped from the shelter of the long grass, and the brown tom-kit bundled into her. She scooped him up by his scruff and dropped him into the grass behind her. “Storm Pelt!

Dew Nose! Back into your nest, all of you! It’s too cold to be out.”

Jagged Peak swished his tail. “They’ll be warm enough so long as they keep moving.”

“Let them play!” Shattered Ice called across the clearing. “It’ll make them strong.” The gray-and-white tom looked thin.

Mud Paws and Lightning Tail sat a tail-length away, sharing an emaciated mouse. Clear Sky could see their bones jutting beneath their fur.

Mud Paws looked up, chewing. “Check their tail-tips,” he advised. “If they’re frozen, it’s time to stop.”

“Let them have fun!” Sparrow Fur padded out from beneath the arching broom at the end of the camp. The she-kit had grown, but she was skinny, and her pelt dull. “If there is a snowstorm on the way, it might be the last fun they have for days.”

Gray Wing kneaded the ground with his paws. “We really should send out a hunting party now.”

“They might get caught in the storm,” Thunder argued. “And Clear Sky has brought this rabbit.”

He nudged it with his wide paw. “The kits won’t go hungry.”

Clear Sky blinked. “Are they eating prey already?”

“They were born the new moon before last,” Gray Wing reminded him.

That long ago? Clear Sky’s thoughts flitted back to the dream. We grow tired of waiting. They had promised to spread and grow like the Blazing Star. He caught Gray Wing’s eye. “We have to talk about what we saw.” He scanned the clearing. “Is Tall Shadow here?”

“Pebble Heart’s treating a scratch on her paw.” Thunder nodded toward a jutting stretch of gorse.

“In Cloud Spots’s den.”

“I can get her if you like.” A mew sounded behind Clear Sky.

He jerked around. It was Owl Eyes. The young tom had broadened across the shoulders. His forehead was nearly as wide as Gray Wing’s. “You’ve grown!” Clear Sky exclaimed.

“So has Pebble Heart.” Owl Eyes stalked away and called into the gorse. “Tall Shadow, Clear Sky is here.”

“I know.” The black she-cat’s familiar mew sounded from the shadows. “I can smell his scent.”

The bush quivered as Tall Shadow slid out.

Pebble Heart followed. “I’ll put fresh ointment on it tomorrow,” he mewed.

“Thanks.” Tall Shadow stopped beside Clear Sky. “What do you want?”

Clear Sky hardly heard her. He was gazing across the snowy clearing. Jagged Peak nuzzled Eagle

Feather near the edge. Pebble Heart followed Owl Eyes across the grass.

Sparrow Fur called to them from the broom. “Shelter under here!”

Gray Wing’s gaze shone proudly as he watched. “She’s so like her mother,” he purred. “And

Jagged Peak is turning out to be a great father.”

Clear Sky glanced guiltily at Thunder. Would his son ever truly forgive him for driving him away? He looked back toward Jagged Peak, who’d crouched low to let Eagle Feather scramble onto his back. Jagged Peak is a far better father than I was. He shifted his paws, feeling the cold pierce his fur. And Gray Wing raised another tom’s kits while I wouldn’t even raise my own.

“Well?” Tall Shadow’s sharp mew jerked him back to the present. “Why did you come?”

He met her eye. “I saw you in my dream last night.”

“And we saw you.” Tall Shadow tipped her head.

Clear Sky leaned forward, his heart quickening. “What did the spirit cats tell you?”

“To stop thinking and act,” Tall Shadow told him. “That we’ve delayed too long.”

“That’s what they told me too!” Clear Sky trembled with excitement. “They want us to join together.”

“Join together ?” Tall Shadow stared at him, eyes wide.

“Are you sure you heard them right?” Thunder tipped his head, curious.

“They told us to spread ,” Gray Wing snapped.

Clear Sky’s belly twisted with frustration. They’ve misunderstood the spirit cats’ message.

“We’ll be stronger together, especially with prey so scarce and bad weather coming.” He lifted his face to the thickening snow. “We’re more likely to spread and grow if we join forces.”

Gray Wing narrowed his eyes. “But don’t you remember what I said after the last dream? The Blazing Star has five petals, so I think we should split into five groups.”

“We didn’t agree on that,” Clear Sky reminded him. “That’s only what you think. I think the spirit cats want us to join together!”

Tall Shadow’s ear twitched. “Lovely, it’s another battle between the two of you,” she growled.

“When the time comes, I won’t be joining your group. I want to make my own camp in the pine forest.”

Clear Sky stared at her. “You can’t!” His mind raced. What were they talking about? This was the opposite of what Fluttering Bird wanted!

“Tall Shadow’s not the only cat who wants to move on,” Gray Wing murmured.

Clear Sky jerked around to stare at his brother. “What do you mean?”

Gray Wing dropped his gaze. “There’s been talk in the camp ever since the last dream. Not everyone wants to live on the moor.”

“Come to my forest, then.” Clear Sky pressed. Why were they making this so complicated? “It’s sheltered there. With more cats, we can find more prey.”

Thunder frowned. “I don’t understand. You used to try to keep us out of the forest.”

Clear Sky met his gaze. “I used to defend my borders,” he admitted. “But I’ve changed. Now that I’ve spoken with Fluttering Bird, I know what—”

Gray Wing pricked his ears. “You saw Fluttering Bird?” His eyes lit up. “How is she?”

“She’s well.” Warmth flooded Clear Sky as he remembered his sister’s sleek fur. “Better than she ever was in life.”

“What did she say?” Tall Shadow asked slowly.

“She said we must each follow our hearts,” Clear Sky told her.

“She meant we must find our own homes,” Tall Shadow concluded.

“No!” Clear Sky flexed his claws in frustration. “Why would the spirit cats ask us to split up now? We’d be making ourselves vulnerable—especially after the sickness killed off so much prey.