Эрин Хантер - The Sun Trail

He watched anxiously as Jackdaw’s Cry plunged into the darkness, then reappeared backward, his paws scuffling the earth excitedly.

“It could be done,” the black tom meowed. “We’ll need to dig air holes that will let light in too. And we could bring moss down for nests. Hawk Swoop and our kits would be safe and warm here.”

As he was speaking the light suddenly faded. Gray Wing turned and managed to make out Tall Shadow’s head blocking the hole. A moment later she jumped down to join them.

“This is great!” she exclaimed. “It’s just what we need. Have you scented any dogs or foxes down here?”

Shattered Ice shook his head. “Only stale rabbit scent. I think the rabbits must have left when the tunnels started falling in.”

“Hmm… we’ll have to be careful that they don’t fall in on us,” Tall Shadow mused. “All the same, I think we should move our whole camp down here. In the cold season we can make dens underground, and when the weather’s warm we can sleep under the gorse bushes.”

Jackdaw’s Cry gave a little bounce of enthusiasm. “Great!”

Over the next few days the cats moved across the moor to the new camp, digging out spaces for dens and transporting the bedding for new nests. Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt carefully carried their store of herbs and found a safe place to keep them in one of the tunnels.

Jackdaw’s Cry was the most skillful at exploring the burrows, finding several that stretched for long distances beneath the moor, and others with exits nearby among the gorse bushes and rocks on the slope of the hollow.

Gray Wing still had mixed feelings about living underground, even for part of the time. He had to force himself into the enclosed, stifling spaces, but he could see the opportunities that the tunnels offered.

The hollow was too exposed. Down here, we have shelter and we’ll be safe from foxes . A heartbeat later he added reluctantly to himself, And… just maybe, from other cats .

Gray Wing was returning to the new camp, a rabbit dangling from his jaws, when he spotted two cats approaching from the forest. Dropping his prey, he waited for them.

As the cats drew closer, he recognized Jagged Peak and Frost, the big white tom who had joined Clear Sky. Jagged Peak was leaning heavily against Frost for support, and Gray Wing could see that he was hardly putting his injured leg to the ground.

It’s been more than a moon since Jagged Peak fell from the tree , Gray Wing thought worriedly. I’d have expected him to be able to walk properly by now .

“Greetings,” Gray Wing meowed, dipping his head as Jagged Peak and Frost came up to him. “Have you come to visit?”

Jagged Peak gave him a miserable look, while Frost didn’t acknowledge his presence at all. Helping Jagged Peak to lie on the ground, the white tom turned away without speaking and bounded back across the moor.

Rude furball! Gray Wing thought. “What’s happening?” he asked Jagged Peak.

At first Jagged Peak didn’t reply, glaring at Frost as he vanished into the distance. Then he glanced back at Gray Wing, giving his chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks.

“Come on,” Gray Wing encouraged him gently. “You can tell me.”

The young cat hesitated a moment longer. “It’s my leg,” he confessed eventually. “It isn’t healing well enough, and it looks like I’ll probably always limp.”

He paused again; Gray Wing gave his ear a sympathetic lick.

“Clear Sky says…” The words seemed to struggle out of Jagged Peak, “…that… because I can’t hunt anymore, I’m not contributing to the group. He says I have to leave his territory. I… I don’t think I can survive on my own, especially with the cold season coming. Gray Wing, can I come back to live with you?”

“Of course you can!” Slow anger was beginning to burn in Gray Wing’s belly, but he hid it from Jagged Peak. “You’re welcome… and we’ve got a new camp now. Come and see.”

Picking up his rabbit again, Gray Wing let Jagged Peak lean on his shoulder until they reached the hollow.

Tall Shadow was there, investigating one of the burrow entrances with Jackdaw’s Cry. She turned and bounded up to Gray Wing as he and Jagged Peak staggered down the slope. “What’s all this?” she asked.

Gray Wing explained, while Jagged Peak hung his head, looking desperately unsure of himself.

“That’s terrible!” Tall Shadow let out a snort. “His own brother! Jagged Peak, of course you’re welcome here. And I’m sure we can do something to help that leg. Dappled Pelt and Cloud Spots are out right now hunting for herbs, but they’ll take a look at you as soon as they get back.”

“Thanks, Tall Shadow,” Jagged Peak mewed, blinking gratefully.

“Come sit under this gorse bush.” Gray Wing helped his brother to a sheltered spot and dropped the rabbit in front of him. “Help yourself, while I see about a nest for you.”

There was a good pile of moss and bracken just inside the main tunnel entrance; Gray Wing dragged some of it into an unused side burrow, digging out some of the soil to make the space wider. Then he went outside again to get Jagged Peak.

The young cat had finished eating, and looked up drowsily at Gray Wing. “It’s good of you to let me stay,” he murmured.

Once Gray Wing had settled him into his new nest, Jagged Peak drifted off to sleep; the struggle across the moor had clearly exhausted him.

Gray Wing waited until he was sure his brother was okay, then climbed out of the burrow again. “I’m going to talk to Clear Sky,” he told Tall Shadow, before leaving the hollow and bounding off across the moor.

The path that led to Clear Sky’s camp was guarded by Fox, who drew back as Gray Wing appeared. Gray Wing was slightly disappointed; for once he was itching to sink his claws into some cat’s fur.

When he reached the clearing, he found Clear Sky lapping from the pool at the center of the hollow.

“I’ve just been talking to Jagged Peak,” he announced as he stalked up to his brother.

Clear Sky raised his head and shook water droplets from his whiskers. “I thought you might want to talk about that,” he admitted.

“Have you completely lost your mind?” Gray Wing asked. “Jagged Peak is your brother, and he’s always been loyal to you!”

Clear Sky nodded, but he didn’t look guilty at all. “I’m sorry Jagged Peak is hurt,” he began, “but the good of the group is what’s important. Every cat has to contribute, or none of us will survive. I gave Jagged Peak time to recover, but it doesn’t look like he’ll ever be able to hunt again.”

“But he’s family!” Gray Wing protested, hardly able to believe he was hearing these words from his own brother.

“That’s exactly why I had to be tough with him,” Clear Sky meowed. “The other cats won’t trust me if they think I’ll make exceptions to the rules for my own kin.”

Horror and disgust overwhelmed Gray Wing. This isn’t Clear Sky! Not the brother I love so much !

Hardly knowing what he was doing, Gray Wing leaped on top of Clear Sky, lashing out with his claws. Clear Sky bared his teeth in a snarl and clamped his forepaws around Gray Wing’s neck, lunging for his throat. Gray Wing fought him off with thrashing hind paws, but Clear Sky was too strong for him. Within a few heartbeats he lay on the ground, Clear Sky pinning him with one paw on his neck and another on his belly.

Clear Sky gazed down at him, hostility flaring in his blue eyes, his chest heaving. “Get out of here,” he growled, stepping away from Gray Wing. “And don’t come back.”