Эрин Хантер - Tigerheart’s Shadow

Dovewing gazed across the camp wall, scanning the woods. “The hunting patrol will be back soon,” she meowed. Cloverfoot and Sparrowtail had gone to find prey with Rippletail and Ant. Tigerheart had told them to catch as much as they could; he wanted the party to start their journey with full bellies.

Blaze had left the camp with Cinnamon to hunt for herbs to give them strength. Berryheart was purring as she played moss-ball with Spirekit. Hollowkit and Sunkit were exploring beyond the camp wall. Dovewing could see them now, sniffing at the roots of a beech while Pouncekit and Lightkit bounced around them, trying to catch the moths flitting around the bracken.

“Why don’t you go and play with the other kits?” Tigerheart glanced at Shadowkit. The young tom was crouching in the shadow of the brambles, his eyes dark with worry.

Shadowkit ignored his question. “We should leave tonight.” His gaze flashed toward the sky. “Tomorrow will be too late.”

Tigerheart’s belly tightened. “Has StarClan shared something with you?”

Shadowkit looked away. “I wish they had,” he murmured. “Then I could explain.”

“Explain what?”

“This feeling.” Shadowkit shifted his paws beneath him. “We shouldn’t be here.”

“We leave in the morning,” Tigerheart soothed. Sharing a dream world with StarClan must be hard for a kit who was too young to understand even the real world. And yet he couldn’t resist probing. “In your vision,” he mewed softly, “have you seen a ginger tom?”

Shadowkit glanced at him sharply. “No? Was I meant to?”

“No.” Tigerheart shook out his pelt. He was putting too much pressure on the young tom. It wasn’t fair to ask him if StarClan had shared any news about Rowanstar. Shadowkit would have told me if he knew anything. Why would there be news of his father? Rowanstar had probably solved ShadowClan’s problems by now.

“Tigerheart!” Dovewing’s mew was taut. He looked at her. She was still watching the kits. Had she spotted the hunting patrol?

“What is it?” He followed her gaze as she raised her eyes to the canopy.

A dark shadow flitted between the branches. Tigerheart’s pelt spiked with alarm.

Owl.

It was gliding silently above the kits. His heart lurched as he saw it swoop. With a gasp, he leaped the camp wall and pelted toward Pouncekit. “Hide!” Lightkit and Pouncekit scattered into the bracken. Sunkit stared at him, her eyes wide. Hollowkit seemed rooted to the spot. Tigerheart looked up as he felt the wind from the owl’s wings. The owl was so huge it blocked out the sky. Pelt bushing, he saw its talons reach for Hollowkit. He lunged forward and pushed the kit clear, then reared to beat away the owl.

Gray fur flashed at the corner of his eye. Dovewing leaped for the owl, her claws outstretched. With a screech, she tore at its wing as it began to lift. Tigerheart glimpsed its beady eye. It flapped its giant wing, knocking Dovewing away. Tigerheart slashed at its chest, blinded by a flurry of feathers. Then pain pierced his flanks. Talons clutched him as hard as stone. Shock pulsed in his chest as he felt himself lifted. The owl had caught him. He thrashed helplessly in its grip as the earth fell away from his paws. Wind rushed around him as the owl rose among the trees and glided between the branches. A moment later the trees were below him. Tigerheart struggled for breath as air rushed around him. Dizzy with terror, he stared as the ground disappeared into shadow.

Dovewing and Berryheart were screeching. Their cries echoed far below. The kits mewled in terror. Panic shrilled beneath his pelt. Numb with fear, Tigerheart twisted between the owl’s talons and swung his paws around. Claws stretched out, he sliced at the owl’s belly. The owl screeched in pain and loosened its grip.

Tigerheart felt himself slipping from its talons. His heart leaped to his throat. Wind battered his pelt as he fell, his thoughts reeling. He flailed, grasping at nothing. Then branches whipped his face and battered his flanks as he dropped through the canopy. He saw tree trunks blur around him, and then he hit the ground.

The thump of earth against his chest knocked the breath from him.

Then everything went dark.

Blazing pain dragged Tigerheart into consciousness. Agony seared in his chest and seemed to reach through his body to the tip of each hair on his pelt. He wanted to hide in sleep, but pain forced him awake. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. He was lying on his side, paws stretched in front of him. Around him, night had swallowed the forest.

“Tigerheart.” Relief throbbed in Dovewing’s mew. He felt her muzzle sink into his neck fur, and he groaned at the weight of it. She jerked away. “Can you move?”

Fighting pain, Tigerheart rolled onto his paws and forced himself up. The world spun as he fought for breath. Stone seemed to grip his chest, while rats gnawed inside his belly. He collapsed.

“Are his legs broken?” Rippletail thrust his muzzle close. He sounded scared.

“Let me see.” Cinnamon ducked closer and began to run her trembling paws over his pelt.

Their voices sounded distant. Through the fog of pain, Tigerheart became aware of cats around him. Cloverfoot, Rippletail, and Sparrowtail clustered beside Ant and Blaze. Hollowkit, Sunkit, and Spirekit hid behind Berryheart. The queen stared at Tigerheart, rigid with shock. Lightkit, Pouncekit, and Shadowkit stood beside Dovewing, fear glittering in their eyes.

Cinnamon sat back on her haunches. “I can’t feel any broken bones.” She lowered her voice so that Tigerheart had to strain to hear. “But there’s swelling in his belly.”

“What does that mean?” Dovewing whispered in panic.

“Something is broken inside.” Cinnamon’s gaze darkened.

“Can you do anything?” Dovewing was trembling.

“I can give him thyme for the shock,” Cinnamon murmured.

Dovewing stared at her. “Didn’t you learn anything else while you were with the guardian cats?”

Cinnamon stared back helplessly. Dovewing’s eyes flashed with frustration. She turned to Blaze. “What about you? You worked with Spiresight. Did he teach you anything?”

Blaze blinked at her nervously. “We never had to treat injuries like this.”

Cloverfoot caught Tigerheart’s eye. “He’s probably just badly shaken. Let him rest.”

He heard the lie in her mew. I’m going to die. He tried to focus on Dovewing, fear flickering beyond the pain. Don’t let the kits see.

Dovewing nudged Shadowkit forward. “Can you treat him?” She stared desperately at the young tom. “You share dreams with StarClan. They can tell you what to do.”

Shadowkit blinked at her, then looked in panic at Tigerheart. “I don’t know,” he whimpered.

Cinnamon eyed Dovewing sternly and wrapped her tail around Shadowkit. “How could a kit so young know how to fix him?”

Dovewing’s eyes misted with grief. “Someone has to help him!” She looked at the stars. “This can’t be happening.”

Tigerheart struggled to speak. So little breath! I’m sorry. For a moment, grief clouded the pain that scorched from his belly to his chest. He was breaking Dovewing’s heart. And the kits’. They watched, their eyes round with fear. He tried to meet their gaze.

“You saved Hollowkit.” Berryheart’s breath bathed his muzzle. She was leaning close. “How can I ever thank you?”

For a moment, the memory flashed in Tigerheart’s mind. Hollowkit had weighed so little when he’d pushed him clear of the owl’s talons. Terror flooded him as he remembered the claws curling around his flanks and the ground falling away. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the thoughts, wishing he could block out the pain, seeking the refuge of sleep.