Эрин Хантер: Dark River

Jaypaw flicked his tail. “Yeah, right.”

Lionpaw flexed his claws. Why did Jaypaw have to be grumpy all the time? This would be his first Gathering ever.

He must be looking forward to it. He had missed the last two, once as a punishment and once because his medicine duties had kept him in camp. Lionpaw knew his littermate well enough to know how important it was to be able to do what the other cats did, despite his blindness—and that included going to Gatherings.

“Hurry up! Out of here, before Firestar notices!” Squirrelflight ordered, herding her kits toward the gap in the wall.

“Go and find something on the fresh-kill pile. You’ve a long night ahead.”

Lionpaw’s tail pricked with excitement at the thought of the Gathering. He could almost smell the pine scents of the island.

But Hollypaw’s eyes glittered with worry. “I hope the other Clans don’t pick on us again. Do you know if Millie’s coming? Perhaps she should stay behind this time.”

When Graystripe had returned to the Clan two moons ago, he had brought with him his new mate, Millie, a kittypet whom he had met while the Twolegs held him captive. He had trained her as a warrior and in return she had helped him make the long, perilous journey to the lake in search of his lost Clan. Her kittypet roots made her an easy target for the other Clan’s jibes, and she wasn’t the only ThunderClan cat who was taunted for not being Clanborn.

“Millie can take care of herself,” Squirrelflight pointed out.

“Besides, the contest seemed to have smoothed things over a bit,” Brambleclaw added.

“But for how long?” Hollypaw mewed. Lionpaw knew his sister had never been entirely convinced that the daylight Gathering would heal the rifts between the Clans. The four Clans had competed in friendly contests to test their skills, pitting their apprentices against one another in an effort to put aside growing distrust and border tensions. Lionpaw remembered the day for a different reason, though: He and the WindClan apprentice Breezepaw had fallen into an old badger set and nearly suffocated in choking sand before Jaypaw had found them.

“You’re always fretting about something,” Jaypaw snorted at Hollypaw. “It’s like living with an anxious owl.”

“Newleaf is here now,” Squirrelflight pointed out. “There’s more prey running around, so the Clans should be less prickly.”

Hollypaw glanced at Jaypaw. “Some cats are still prickly even with a full belly!”

“Hush.” Squirrelflight nudged her with her nose. “Go and eat.”

“I was only telling the truth!” Hollypaw started forward, but Jaypaw barged past her. She let out a yelp, glaring after Jaypaw, who was already halfway to the medicine den. “He nipped me!”

Lionpaw’s whiskers twitched. “You can fight off three ShadowClan warriors single-pawed,” he teased. “But one nip from your brother and you squeal like a kit.”

Her soft tail flicked his nose. “You’d have squealed, too!”

“I haven’t squealed since I left the nursery!”

Hollypaw narrowed her eyes mischievously. “How about I nip you and see how brave you really are?”

“You’ll have to catch me first!”

Lionpaw darted away, Hollypaw pounding after him.

“Here!” He skidded to a halt beside the fresh-kill pile and tossed a mouse at Hollypaw as she caught up. “Nip this instead.”

The full moon floated in a clear blue-black sky. Ahead, the island rose from the lake, its trees lifting brittle branches to the stars.

Lionpaw walked beside Hollypaw, following his Clanmates along the pebbly shore. He glanced at Jaypaw again. His brother was padding beside Leafpool, nose twitching as he scented the unfamiliar ground. Occasionally, Leafpool’s flank would graze Jaypaw’s, steering him around sharp stones or protruding roots.

Should he warn Jaypaw about the tree-bridge? It was surprisingly slippery; Lionpaw had almost fallen off on his first crossing.

Hollypaw mewed beside him. “It’ll be good to see Willowpaw.”

“Willowpaw?” he echoed distractedly. There was only one apprentice Lionpaw was hoping to see at the Gathering: Heatherpaw, the pretty WindClan apprentice with smoky blue eyes. He let out a small sigh.

“What are you thinking about?” Hollypaw nudged him.

“You’re moons away.”

“Er, Jaypaw,” he mewed quickly. “I was wondering if he could make it over the tree-bridge.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Hollypaw warned.

Lionpaw suddenly felt cold water seep over his claws.

Firestar had led them onto the marshy shore at the edge of RiverClan’s territory. Sandstorm picked her way after him.

Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight padded beside Millie and Graystripe while Birchfall and Dustpelt followed, talking quietly. Hazelpaw was listening to her mentor while Berrypaw dodged from side to side, sniffing among the clumps of grass as though any moment he might flush out prey.

“This is RiverClan territory,” Hollypaw hissed, reminding him that hunting on another Clan’s territory was forbidden.

“I know,” Berrypaw retorted. “But there’s no harm in looking.”

“So long as you just look .”

Graystripe let out a loud purr. “Firestar?” he called. “It sounds like Hollypaw’s preparing to challenge you for leader-ship.”

Lionpaw glanced at his sister. Was this the gray warrior’s gentle way of telling her not to be so bossy?

“She can challenge all she wants,” Firestar purred back. “I don’t think I have to worry until she gets a bit bigger.”

“Hey!” Hollypaw fluffed out her fur indignantly. “I was just telling him!”

Firestar halted among the snaking roots of the fallen tree that crossed the water between the shore and the island. The scents of WindClan and ShadowClan were fresh on the bark; they must be here already. Lionpaw pricked his ears. Faint mews drifted from the island. Sandstorm jumped up nimbly and wove her way between the stumps and knots until she reached the other side. One by one, the others followed.

Lionpaw stood back as Hollypaw leaped after Hazelpaw.

“Aren’t you coming, Lionpaw?” she mewed, steadying herself.

“Of course,” Lionpaw hissed back at her.

“He’s waiting to make sure I don’t fall in,” Jaypaw mewed from behind him.

“Only because I nearly fell in the first time,” Lionpaw explained quickly. “It’s tricky if you don’t know where to put your paws.”

Jaypaw reached up into the tangle of roots, feeling his way with his forepaws.

“Here,” Leafpool meowed, jumping up past him onto the trunk. “It’s not too high.”

Jaypaw lifted his nose and sniffed, judging how far away his mentor was. Then he pushed up with his hind legs and clawed his way onto the trunk beside her. Instantly, his forepaws slid from under him.

Lionpaw’s heart lurched as Jaypaw shot sideways. Leafpool darted toward him but Jaypaw had already dug his claws into the rotting bark and steadied himself, his tail lashing as he fought to regain his balance. Beneath him the dark water lapped at the shore. Lionpaw fought the urge to jump up and help as Jaypaw began to pad past his mentor and along the trunk. Leafpool crouched, tense and silent, ready to spring if Jaypaw slipped again. One slow paw step at a time, the blind apprentice felt his way along the bridge.

“Jump this way, Jaypaw!” Hollypaw called from the shore on the far side. “The sand’s a bit soft, but it’s clear.”

Jaypaw leaped down, landing a little clumsily, but straightened up at once.

Lionpaw felt a wave of relief.

“Hurry up, Lionpaw!”

Berrypaw was trying to push past him. Lionpaw leaped onto the trunk to block his way, but the tree trembled as Berrypaw leaped straight up after him.