Эрин Хантер - Tigerheart’s Shadow

Making sure these sly-hearted scroungers never want to stop chasing us. Tigerheart threw himself, hissing, at the head of the lead fox. Lashing out with one paw, then another, he felt fur rip under his claws. He smelled the warm scent of blood and heard the fox screech. Jaws snapped beside his cheek. He saw white teeth flash. In an instant, he turned and ran again. Cobweb and Tuna had stopped, their pelts bushed, their backs arched. “Run!” Tigerheart shrieked, nudging them ahead of him.

Hot fox breath blasted his tail. He hared along the alley, picking up speed until he was pelting over the stone so fast, his pads burned.

Tuna signaled the upcoming turn with a flick of his tail so that Tigerheart would remember which way to run. Skidding around a sharp corner, he followed Cobweb and Tuna into a narrow passageway. It curved one way, then another, the dens towering high on each side. Shadow hid the end, but Tuna signaled again before they reached it, and Tigerheart was ready for the next turn. As he skidded around it, the thumping of fox paws receded behind them.

Tigerheart glanced back as the foxes scrambled around the corner in pursuit. They crashed clumsily into one another, bouncing off the wall of the passageway as they fought to keep their footing. Rage glittered in their eyes. The plan was working. With each turn, the patrol pulled farther ahead of the foxes, but each time he glanced back, Tigerheart could see determination in the eyes of their pursuers; the foxes weren’t about to give up.

The stone clearing was near. It would be deserted now and easy to cross. But the foxes would cover the ground faster. Tigerheart’s lungs were burning. He could hear Tuna panting. Cobweb’s breath was fast and rough. Fear flickered through his thoughts. What if Cobweb and Tuna lacked the stamina to keep up this pace as they crossed the wide stretch of open stone?

“Not far now!” Tigerheart yowled. He streaked past them as the passageway opened into the clearing, pushing harder against the ground, hardly seeing where he ran. But he knew where he was heading. The gap between the dens on the far side would lead though another short maze before it opened onto the green stretch of grass around the gathering place. Rascal, Mittens, and Pipsqueak would be waiting to take it from there. They would lead the foxes toward the traps, zigzagging around the slabs until each fox had stumbled into one of the mesh caves.

The clearing echoed with the screech of one of the foxes. Tigerheart glanced over his shoulder. The lead fox was yelping. Its eyes shone with excitement as it spotted the open ground. Cobweb was lagging. The foxes were closing the gap. Hurry up! Tigerheart pushed harder, willing Cobweb on. He felt Tuna’s breath on his tail. “Is Cobweb going to make it?” the stray panted.

Tigerheart saved his breath for the final push. The opening between the dens was close now. The next turn was only a few paces beyond it. They would have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the foxes once more. He dived into the alley and made the turn. A shriek sounded behind him. Had a fox caught Cobweb? He slowed, panic searing beneath his pelt. Turning, he saw Tuna streak past him.

Cobweb swerved around the corner a moment later, surprise lighting his gaze as he saw Tigerheart lagging behind. “Keep running!” Cobweb wailed as he shot past Tigerheart.

Tigerheart smelled the hot stench of fox breath. He turned and ran as paws pounded around the corner. Ahead, Tuna and Cobweb had reached the opening where a passageway cut across the alley. They ducked down the passage out of sight. Tigerheart chased after them. He heard the panting of the foxes behind him and unsheathed his claws. Hooking them against the rough stone, he propelled himself forward, running faster than he had in his whole life. He struggled for breath, his chest screaming for air as he reached the corner and veered along the passageway. Cobweb and Tuna raced ahead of him. Fox paws slithered behind on the wet stone.

He smelled the familiar scents of the gathering place ahead and hared after Cobweb and Tuna. One turn, then another. The final alley. He burst from between the dens and raced across the Thunderpath, onto the grass. Then a paw hooked him from behind a stone slab and he fell sprawling on the ground. He smelled Dovewing’s scent and saw gray fur as strong paws dragged him behind the shelter of the stone. “Hush!” Dovewing whispered in his ear. “Rascal, Mittens, and Pipsqueak will handle this.”

He glimpsed Cobweb and Tuna. They were safe behind the next slab, crouching in the grass as they struggled for breath. As the sound of fox paws rang on the Thunderpath, Mittens, Rascal, and Pipsqueak leaped from behind a slab a few rows away and yowled at the foxes. Red fur streaked past Tigerheart, not even slowing. With a snarl of frustration, the foxes raced toward Mittens. The tabby zigzagged around the stones in one direction, drawing the lead fox away. Mittens doubled back around a slab, raked his claws across the vixen’s snout, and led her another way. Pipsqueak stopped in front of the third fox and, as it stumbled in surprise, veered toward the far side of the gathering place.

As the fox raced after him, Tigerheart saw Fierce and Ant explode from a passageway beyond the gathering place. Two foxes followed them onto the swath of grass as Dotty, Cinnamon, and Peanut ducked out from behind stone slabs. Deftly, they separated the pair. Peanut and Cinnamon led the larger fox one way; Dotty led the smaller fox another.

Tigerheart felt the world blur around him.

“Breathe,” Dovewing murmured into his ear. Like a half-drowned cat coming up for air, Tigerheart drew in a long, shuddering breath. Yowls and screeches filled the air around the gathering place. “Have they reached the traps?” he panted to Dovewing.

Dovewing was straining to see through the drizzle. “I don’t know yet.”

Paw steps sounded on the grass nearby. Fog appeared around the side of the stone slab. “What going on?” She looked from Tigerheart to Cobweb, her eyes widening as she saw Tuna. “Where have you been?”

Tuna sat up. “Catching foxes,” he panted.

As Fog stared at him wordlessly, Fierce crossed the grass to join them. Ant padded at her side, his paws trembling.

“I hope Pipsqueak and the others get them into the traps,” she puffed. “I don’t ever want to do that again.” She flicked her tail around to show Tigerheart. A tuft of fur was missing from the end. “One of the foxes got closer than I’d planned.”

Tigerheart blinked at her proudly. “But you made it.”

As he spoke, Pipsqueak bounded across the grass to meet them. “We got them!” he meowed triumphantly. “Every one of them. Blaze, Boots, Bracken, and Spire were waiting beside the traps. The foxes were so confused to see more cats, they practically fell inside!”

“What about the fifth fox?” Tigerheart asked anxiously.

“Mittens and Rascal rounded it up and chased it into the big trap over there.” He pointed across the grass with his muzzle. Red fur flashed inside the mesh cage. Angry screeches rose around the gathering place as the foxes howled in frustration.

Dovewing purred. “If they keep up that noise, it won’t be long before the Twolegs come to take them away.”

Tigerheart looked at Fog. The stray’s eyes were wide with amazement. “You led the foxes here?” she breathed. “Into the traps?”

Tuna purred breathlessly. “It was Tigerheart’s plan.”

Fog blinked at Tigerheart. “You’re even crazier than I thought.”

Tigerheart’s fur tingled with joy. “Now you have to keep your side of the agreement,” he meowed firmly. “You and your cats have to leave.”

Fog stared at him for a moment, then dipped her head. “Okay.”