Эрин Хантер: Dark River

Hollypaw narrowed her eyes. “Leopardstar doesn’t look very happy.”

The golden tabby she-cat was touching muzzles with Firestar, but her tail flicked impatiently, her gaze flitting around the clearing.

“Hollypaw!” Willowpaw broke away from her Clanmates and hurried to greet Hollypaw. “I can’t stay.” The RiverClan medicine cat apprentice was out of breath. “I have to join Mothwing. But I just wanted to say hello.”

“Is everything okay?” Hollypaw asked. “With your Clan, I mean. It’s just that you all seem a bit—”

At that moment, Crowfeather padded over to join them.

Lionpaw’s whiskers twitched with frustration. Would he never get a moment alone with Heatherpaw?

“Heatherpaw,” the WindClan warrior greeted his apprentice briskly. “Why don’t you go and talk to some of the apprentices from the other Clans? This is a good chance to get to know different cats.” His gaze flickered over Lionpaw and Hollypaw.

“Come on,” Breezepaw urged. “Let’s see if Ivypaw out-jumped Berrypaw.”

Heatherpaw glanced at Lionpaw, then shrugged. “Okay, then.”

Lionpaw’s tail stirred the needle-strewn earth behind him as he watched Crowfeather and Breezepaw guide her away.

“Let all the Clans gather beneath StarClan!”

Blackstar’s loud meow sounded from the Great Oak. The four leaders were lined along the lowest branch, silhouettes in the moonlight, their eyes shining in the dark. Lionpaw hurried after Hollypaw as she pushed her way in among her Clanmates and sat down beside Brackenfur. Lionpaw squeezed in front of her and sat beside Ashfur.

“Hey!” Hollypaw hissed. “Keep your head down. I want to see.”

Lionpaw ducked, suddenly realizing that he was larger than his sister now, outpacing her in size if nothing else as they grew with the passing moons.

“ShadowClan brings happy news,” Blackstar announced.

“We have three new kits born to Tawnypelt.”

Meows of congratulations rose from the crowd, the loudest from Squirrelflight. “Well done, Tawnypelt!”

Blackstar went on. “They are named Flamekit, Dawnkit, and Tigerkit!”

The meows died in the throats of the older warriors at the name Tigerkit. Lionpaw blinked. How could Tigerstar still frighten them when he was nothing but a memory from long ago and far away? They were as superstitious as owls!

“If they’re Tawnypelt’s kits,” he whispered over his shoulder to Hollypaw, “they’ll be our kin!” It felt odd to have kin in another Clan. For the first time he tried to imagine how his father must feel about Tawnypelt. She was Brambleclaw’s sister, yet she had found her destiny with another Clan. Had he ever had to face her in a fight?

“Anything else to report?” Firestar’s voice jolted Lionpaw from his daydreaming.

“Did I miss anything?” Lionpaw glanced back at his sister.

She shook her head, but her eyes were shaded with worry.

Blackstar had tucked his tail over his paws and was looking satisfied. Onestar turned his head from the ThunderClan leader, signaling he had nothing to say.

Firestar nodded. “All has been well with ThunderClan, too.” He turned to the RiverClan leader. “Leopardstar? You’ve shared no news.”

“There’s no news to share,” she meowed curtly. “The fish are returning to the edge of the lake. Hunting is good. My Clan is well.”

“I’m pleased to hear it,” Firestar replied.

“Then the Gathering is over,” Leopardstar declared.

The Clans began to pad away from the Great Oak as their leaders bounded down from the low branch. Lionpaw stretched, feeling cold from sitting still.

Hazelpaw nudged him with her muzzle. “Three new ShadowClan cats!” she mewed. “We’re going to have to train harder than ever!” She began to follow her Clanmates across the clearing.

Lionpaw hurried after her. “But they’re only kits.”

“Kits become warriors!” Hazelpaw reminded him.

Lionpaw felt Hollypaw pressing beside him. Her pelt was bristling. “Do you think we’ll ever have to fight them?” she whispered anxiously.

“Let’s not talk about fighting now.” Squirrelflight had joined them and overheard. “Three kits are a blessing to any Clan.” She was clearly pleased at Tawnypelt’s news.

Leafpool caught up, Jaypaw at her side. “I noticed Tawnypelt was expecting last time I saw her.”

Squirrelflight looked surprised. “You never mentioned it.”

“It was not for me to say when it still lay in the paws of StarClan,” Leafpool answered.

“Besides, it was none of your business!” A gruff mew startled the cats.

Lionpaw turned to see Rowanclaw, a ginger ShadowClan warrior, staring at them with narrowed eyes. He must be the father.

Squirrelflight returned his gaze. “Congratulations, Rowanclaw. You are blessed to have three healthy kits.”

Rowanclaw curled his lip. “Three healthy Clanborn kits,” he growled.

“That is only a blessing if they remain loyal to the Clan they were born to,” Squirrelflight pointed out sharply, letting her temper flare.

Rowanclaw let out a low growl.

Leafpool stepped between the two warriors. “There’s no need to argue.”

“He was only speaking the truth.”

Who said that? Lionpaw snapped his head around. Breezepaw!

The WindClan apprentice was standing beside his father.

Crowfeather was staring at Leafpool, his eyes glittering.

“Don’t forget, Breezepaw, ThunderClan actually celebrates mixed blood.”

Leafpool jerked her head backward as though Crowfeather had raked his claws across her muzzle. She turned quickly and hurried away.

“He’s acting like there’s something wrong with ThunderClan!” Lionpaw unsheathed his claws, then felt his mother’s tail run along his flank.

“Come along, Lionpaw. Don’t forget the truce.” She pressed against Lionpaw and padded toward the edge of the clearing, steering him away from Crowfeather, Breezepaw, and Rowanclaw.

Lionpaw glared over his shoulder at the three cats, wishing he could ignore the stupid truce and rip a piece of fur from each of them.

“Lionpaw!” Heatherpaw was bounding toward him.

“What?” Lionpaw stopped and faced Heatherpaw.

Squirrelflight paused beside him.

Heatherpaw gazed up at her. “Can I speak to Lionpaw, please?”

Squirrelflight’s ears twitched, but she nodded. “Don’t be long.” She padded into the bracken after Leafpool, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw.

“Please don’t be angry,” Heatherpaw begged. “Crowfeather’s always bad-tempered. It’s just his way. And Breezepaw thinks he’s a warrior already.”

“But you heard what they said about mixed blood in ThunderClan! They just can’t let it go, can they?”

“Maybe they can’t, but can we forget it?” Heatherpaw’s eyes were shining. “I’ve got a plan.”

“To get back at them?”

Heatherpaw’s eyes widened. “Of course not! They’re my Clanmates!” She flicked her tail. “My plan is something else entirely.”

Lionpaw tipped his head to one side. “What, then?”

“Instead of waiting till the next Gathering, why don’t we meet up before?”

“Before?” Lionpaw echoed in surprise. Wasn’t it against the warrior code to meet with cats from another Clan without permission?

“Tomorrow night,” she whispered.

“But how? Where?”

“At the boundary in the woods. Near the yew tree. We can slip away while our Clanmates are sleeping.”

“But—”

Heatherpaw’s whiskers twitched. “Come on! It’ll be exciting. And it’s not like we’d be hurting anyone.”

Lionpaw felt guilt and worry tug at his belly, but Heatherpaw’s blue eyes were sparkling at him hopefully. It did sound like fun. He could always say he’d been practicing his night hunting. And Heatherpaw was right. They wouldn’t be doing any harm, like stealing prey or spying. No cat would even know if they were careful about it. I’ll still be loyal to my Clan and I won’t fall behind in my duties.