Эрин Хантер - Moth Flight’s Vision

Thunderpath. It stinks.”

“Do you want to get lost among these trees?” Dust Muzzle argued.

“Can’t we just head away from the sun?” Moth Flight reasoned.

“We could if we could see it.” Dust Muzzle veered from the trail as brambles cut across it.

Spotted Fur paused. “Is that a gap in the trees over there?”

He pointed his nose toward a lighter stretch of forest.

Dust Muzzle headed toward it.

Moth Flight padded beside Spotted Fur, her nose twitching as the sour scent of monsters touched it. She could see light spilling between the trunks. They cleared another log, leaped a ditch, and climbed another rise. Ahead, the trees opened onto a wide gap that cut through the forest like a claw mark. Black stone lined the gash, stinking of Twoleg stench and, on the far side, the trees turned from oak to pine.

Moth Flight felt dizzy from the scents washing over her. The sharp tang of pinesap and monsters made her queasy. “Let’s stay in the trees,” she begged.

“It’ll be easier to walk along the verge.” Dust Muzzle headed out onto the grass.

Spotted Fur followed. “It’s sunny here.”

Moth Flight peered at the black stone as a monster howled past. Dust Muzzle hardly flinched. Spotted Fur only narrowed his eyes against the stinking wind that billowed in its wake.

Moth Flight ducked back among the trees. She could still remember Gorse Fur’s close brush with death. “I’m staying here.”

“Walk where I can see you!” Dust Muzzle trekked along the grass verge, keeping pace with her as she pushed through a clump of bracken.

“I’ll keep an eye on her.” Spotted Fur bounded into the forest and fell in beside Moth Flight.

“You can walk with Dust Muzzle,” she told him. “I’m okay by myself.”

“I’d rather walk with you.”

She ignored the meaningful glance he gave her and wondered if Micah was nearby. Had the farm cat explored this part of the forest yet, or had Clear Sky been keeping him busy in camp?

She opened her mouth, tasting the air for a trace of his scent.

But the stench of the Thunderpath drowned out any other smell.

Tail drooping, she padded on, scanning the trees ahead for some sign of Twoleg nests beyond.

The forest grew warm as the sun climbed higher, until Dust

Muzzle called from the verge. “I can see Twolegplace!”

Moth Flight’s heart lifted. “Is it far?”

“No!”

She quickened her pace, Spotted Fur breaking into a trot beside her. Picking her way past a bramble patch, she scanned the trees ahead. Sharp-cornered walls showed behind the trunks.

She broke into a run as she reached the edge of the woods.

Dust Muzzle left the verge and hurried to catch up with her as she zigzagged through the undergrowth until she reached a sheer wooden wall. She stopped at the bottom, judging the height. Taking a breath, she leaped. She hooked her claws into the rough wood and scrambled like a squirrel to the top.

Balancing on the narrow ridge, she gazed across the jumble of Twoleg nests and patches of grass, crisscrossed by a maze of wooden walls. The ridge wobbled as Dust Muzzle and Spotted Fur jumped up beside her.

“We should split up,” Moth Flight told them.

Dust Muzzle narrowed his eyes as he scanned the nests. “We don’t know what we’re looking for.”

“Micah says catmint looks like nettles,” Moth Flight told him. “Its leaves are smaller and don’t sting. He said that it smells so great, you’ll know if you find it.”

Spotted Fur’s pelt ruffled. “Does Micah know every herb?”

There was an edge in his mew.

“Just catmint.” Moth Flight gazed down into the grassy clearing below. Unusual plants crowded the edge. She opened her mouth and let their scent touch her tongue. Nothing smelled great . She nodded toward the wooden walls farther along. “You search there, I’ll head the other way,” she told Dust Muzzle.

“I’m sticking with you,” Spotted Fur told her.

Moth Flight dug her claws into the ridge. “We’ll find it quicker if we split up.” Spotted Fur was nice but she didn’t want him breathing on her tail everywhere she went.

Dust Muzzle whisked his tail, wobbling as he turned on the wall. “Call if you need help,” he told her, picking his way along it. “We won’t be far away.”

Spotted Fur caught Moth Flight’s eye. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” he asked hopefully.

“Dust Muzzle will need help searching for herbs. He’s used to hunting rabbits.” Moth Flight turned her tail on him and headed in the opposite direction.

The wall trembled beneath her and she had to concentrate to keep her balance. In the next clearing between the walls she saw huge white-plumed grasses towering around a patch of grass.

The clearing beyond was covered with stone. She sniffed the air as she reached the next one, relieved to see countless plants crammed between the wooden walls. Excited, she jumped down among them and began snuffling through the leaves.

Like nettles . Micah’s words rang in her mind. If only she’d met him in the woods; he could have helped her find it. She paused. A wonderful scent was filling her nose. She blinked, gazing around.

There ! A leafy plant, just like Micah had described, was crammed between a flowering shrub and a spiky grass. She hurried toward it, her pelt pricking as its scent reached inside her. Excitement flared in her belly. She stopped beside it and plunged her muzzle deep into the plant, dizzy as she breathed in the mouthwatering smell. It was just like Micah had said. You’ll know it when you find it!

She grabbed a clump of stems between her teeth and ripped them away from the plant. Laying them at her paws, she grabbed another mouthful, tearing away as much as she could.

Delighted, she patted the broken stems into a tight bunch and bent to pick them up. Thanks, Micah .

She paused, remembering their journey to Highstones. It was still so vivid in her mind: the sun setting behind the stones; the meal Micah had caught for her before she’d gone into the tunnel. She’d been so nervous, and he’d been so reassuring.

That had been the best night of her life. She suddenly tasted the scent of damp stone and imagined the spirit-cats shimmering into view around her. Joy warmed her belly as she pictured how kindly they’d greeted her. You’re special—

A loud yelp broke into her thoughts. She jerked her muzzle around. A Twoleg burst from its nest and raced toward her. It was barking like an angry dog.

Moth Flight’s heart seemed to burst. Blind with panic, she snatched up the catmint between her jaws and hared for the wooden wall. Twoleg paws grabbed for her, their clammy flesh pulling her fur as she twisted free. A growl rumbling in her throat, she leaped up the wall and clung to the top. The Twoleg was yowling in rage, its red face only a tail-length away.

Fighting terror, Moth Flight leaped along the wooden ridge, her claws stretched as it wobbled beneath her. In a moment, she was beyond the Twoleg’s reach. Another wall blocked its way, and it was clearly too clumsy to climb over. She slowed, finding her balance and made her way shakily back toward Dust

Muzzle.

Her brother was already hurrying toward her, his pelt bushed, his gaze flashing toward the barking Twoleg. “Did it hurt you?”

Moth Flight’s mouth was too full to speak. Instead she jumped down into the forest. She spat out the catmint and sucked in a deep breath.

Dust Muzzle landed beside her, darting around her anxiously. “Are you okay?”

“Just scared!” she panted. “I didn’t see it coming until too late.”

Spotted Fur scrambled down the wall. “What happened?”