Эрин Хантер - Moth Flight’s Vision

Red Claw glanced uneasily at Clear Sky. “She’s hardly more than a kit.”

“There’s no need to hurt her.” Clear Sky lifted his gaze to Micah. “Stop him from getting the bark. She can return to her camp, but she’ll go with empty paws.”

Red Claw nodded and raced for the tree. Leaping, he clung to the bark and pulled himself onto the first branch.

“Watch out, Micah!” Moth Flight wailed. “Red Claw’s coming!”

A growl rumbled ominously in Clear Sky’s throat. “I knew I should never have taken him in.”

Moth Flight blinked at him. “But he cured your kit!”

“Acorn Fur could have cured Tiny Branch.”

“No she couldn’t!” Moth Flight spat back. “She knew nothing about healing until Micah came and taught her.”

Clear Sky’s gaze didn’t move from the tree. He was watching Red Claw scramble through the branches. Micah was still climbing, close to the top now.

Moth Flight’s chest swelled with rage. “You’re lucky to have a cat like Micah in your Clan!” she growled. “He’s the bravest and cleverest cat I’ve ever met.”

“ You’re the clever one,” Clear Sky snarled. “You’re here , with your paws safely on the ground. He thinks he’s got wings.”

Moth Flight lifted her chin. “You’ve never given him a fair chance!” she growled. “He left his friends to help your Clan, and you treat him like a prisoner! You’ve made Acorn Fur spy on him! I wish he’d leave you and join WindClan!”

Clear Sky turned on her. “No one leaves my Clan without permission!”

Brambles trembled at the top of the slope. Willow Tail burst out, her pelt bushed. “What’s going on here?” She bounded down the slope, pushing herself between Moth Flight and Clear Sky.

Clear Sky stared at her. “ Another WindClan cat! Can’t you smell boundaries?”

Willow Tail nudged Moth Flight away and faced the SkyClan leader. “I was worried about Moth Flight when I smelled her trail cross the border. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”

“I’m fine,” Moth Flight told her. “It’s Micah who’s in trouble.” She nodded toward Red Claw, who was only a few tail-lengths behind Micah. “He’s trying to stop Micah from getting the bark we need to cure Rocky!”

Willow Tail’s eyes blazed with anger. “Red Claw! I might have known. He was trouble when we were rogues together and he’s still trouble now.” Pelt bushing, she raced for the tree and scooted up it, as nimble as a squirrel. Leaves showered down as she scrambled up the trunk.

As she disappeared among the leaves, a lower branch trembled and Micah stuck his head out. A long strip of bark hung from his jaws. Scrambling onto the next branch down, he leaped for the trunk and dropped tail-first toward the ground.

Landing lightly, he hurried toward Moth Flight and laid the bark at her paws. It glistened in the sunshine, sap oozing from its flesh. “I got it!”

Delight fizzed beneath her pelt. “Thank you!” She pressed her nose against his cheek.

Clear Sky hissed. “How dare you!” Tail lashing, he kicked the bark away.

“No!” Moth Flight leaped after it, trying to rescue it before leaf litter soiled the precious sap.

Clear Sky faced Micah, ears flat. “I actually believed that you might become one of the Clan,” he spat. “But you can’t be trusted.” His gaze flicked to Moth Flight. “How can you steal for WindClan?”

“It’s not stealing!” Micah faced him. “Herbs belong to all cats.”

A screech sounded above them.

“Murderer!” Willow Tail’s cry rang out across the forest.

“Thief!” Red Claw shrieked back.

High up, the leaves exploded around the fighting cats.

Micah jerked his muzzle up. “They’ll kill each other!”

Spraying earth behind him, he leaped toward the tree and hauled himself into the branches. “Take the bark to Rocky!” he called back to Moth Flight.

Moth Flight froze. I can’t leave! Not until Micah was safe.

“Come back!” she wailed. Let them kill each other if they want!

Guilt flared through her. She was meant to protect cats, not wish them dead! Her paws were rooted to the ground as Micah’s yellow pelt flashed among the leaves. He swarmed upward, toward the trembling branches where Red Claw and Willow Tail fought.

Brown fur crashed through the leaves. Red Claw swung from a branch for a moment before scrambling back on. Willow

Tail balanced farther along, her hind paws trembling as she lashed out, blow after blow, with her forepaws. Red Claw backed away, the end of the branch only a tail-length behind him. It dipped perilously as he retreated from Willow Tail’s punishing swipes.

“Stop!” Micah’s mew rang out behind them.

Moth Flight strained to see him. She could make out his yellow pelt among the green leaves. He was moving slowly along the branch. “Stop!” he ordered again.

Willow Tail glanced at him. “Stay out of this,” she snarled.

“It’s not your battle.”

“It’s not any cat’s battle!” Micah called. “I’ve got the bark.

Moth Flight’s taking it to Rocky. There’s no point in fighting now.”

Red Claw stopped near the end of the branch, his tail thrashing wildly as he fought to keep his balance. “Let’s at least fight like cats, not crows! On the ground where cats are meant to be!”

Willow Tail narrowed her eyes. “You always were a mouse-heart!” She advanced slowly toward the SkyClan tom.

“Stop!” Micah followed her along the branch, lifting a paw to grab for her tail. He wobbled, fear flashing in his eyes.

Moth Flight gasped. “Be careful!”

Micah dug his claws into the branch, clinging like a vine.

The branch creaked beneath him. Dry bark fluttered down like dust.

Fear flared through Moth Flight as she noticed that the leaves around Red Claw were withered and brown. With a jolt, she realized that the branch they were on was dying. “Get back!” she cried. It creaked again. “The branch is rotten!”

Beside her, Clear Sky backed away.

A crack split the air. The world seemed to slow as the branch bent, then snapped, the wood screaming as it tore away from the tree and dropped.

She saw Red Claw fall, flailing. Willow Tail dropped beside him, her legs thrashing the air. Red Claw caught hold of a branch and swung, forepaws clinging hard. Willow Tail hit the bough below, yowling with shock as she scrambled to cling on.

The rotten branch hurtled down and smashed onto the ground, shards of wood strafing Moth Flight’s flank. She screwed up her eyes, scrabbling away as the world seemed to explode around her.

Then silence fell.

A moment later, leaves rustled overhead and Willow Tail huffed high above.

“Micah?” Moth Flight blinked away the splinters and gazed into the branches. Red Claw had hauled himself onto his paws and was trembling. Willow Tail lay frozen, her paws wrapped tightly around the bough that had broken her fall. Moth Flight scanned the leaves around them, trying to glimpse Micah’s pelt.

A low moan sounded from below the tree.

Moth Flight dragged her gaze toward the fallen branch.

Among the shriveled leaves and shattered wood, she saw yellow fur.

Dread hollowed her belly. “Micah?” Her throat tightened.

Trembling, she crept closer. Don’t let it be him. Once more, she looked up, hoping to see Micah gazing down from the tree, his eyes bright with relief.

The moan sounded again.

Moth Flight felt sick. She forced herself closer, until she could make out Micah’s twisted body, his hindquarters crushed beneath the splintered wood.

His head moved.

He’s alive! Hope soared in her chest.

Then his pain-wracked gaze sought hers and held it. She could see his hopeless agony. Grief tore at her heart as she crouched beside him. “What can I do?” she whispered hoarsely.