He paused at the entrance to Shanty’s home. He could hear her housefolk talking outside their den, their voices rumbling softly. Was it his imagination, or did they sound sadder than before? They must miss Shanty even more than I do, he thought. He took a deep breath. This was it. This was why he had made his choice to leave the Clan. I can help you. I can never replace Shanty, but I might fill part of the gap she has left. I know you feel it, because I feel it too.
He walked past the glossy green hedge and into Shanty’s territory. The Twolegs stopped talking and stared at him, their brown eyes wide. The male gestured at Pinestar and yowled. He clearly wanted Pinestar to go away.
“It’s me!” Pinestar mewed. “Shanty’s friend!”
The Twoleg took a step toward him, suddenly looming as tall as a tree and rumbling ominously. Pinestar shrank back in alarm. What do I do now, Shanty? This wasn’t an enemy he could fight. There was no rule about this in the warrior code. He was nothing more than an intruder here!
But the female Twoleg moved forward and put out her light brown paw on the male’s foreleg. Her voice was softer, as if she was asking him something. She pointed at Pinestar and bared her teeth. Pinestar held his breath and waited. After a few moments, the female crouched down and held out her paw toward him. She was making the same noise she had made to Shanty, gentle and encouraging, like an invitation to come closer.
Pinestar took one step forward. He knew Shanty’s Twoleg wasn’t going to hurt him. The first time she had tried to touch him, he had been nervous. But now he didn’t feel brave so much as trusting, relieved, and full of memories of his beloved kittypet friend. It was almost as if Shanty was beside him, wreathing around him in delight. I knew you two would be friends, she purred in his ear.
He kept very still as Shanty’s Twoleg stroked his ears. Her paw was softer than Jake’s Twoleg’s, and it tickled. She made another sound that seemed even more welcoming to Pinestar. Fascinated, he moved nearer to her. This time she ran her whole paw along his back, smoothing his fur and dislodging the leaf scraps he had collected on his run through the forest.
The male Twoleg joined her. Even when he was crouched down, he was still huge. Pinestar forced himself to stay still as the male reached out with his huge dark brown paw. But he was as gentle as the female, though his paw felt heavier and rougher. Pinestar rubbed his head against the hairless underside, letting his scent mingle with the strong, musky scent of the Twoleg.
The female Twoleg straightened up and looked at Pinestar. She beckoned to him with her paw, a gesture that Pinestar had seen from many, many tails. She wanted him to follow her. Pinestar told himself there was nothing to be afraid of; he had seen how Shanty trusted these Twolegs, loved them as much as he loved his Clanmates. But Shanty was not here now, and Pinestar missed her so much he could hardly breathe.
The female stepped inside the den and beckoned to him again. Pinestar paused in the entrance, trembling. This felt more dangerous than any battle with a rival Clan, any confrontation with a snarling badger or snapping fox. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he made out a sharp-edged, white-walled space, much smaller than the outside walls suggested. The floor was hard and shiny, like ice. Pinestar placed one paw cautiously on it. Not as slippery as it looks, good. He walked in and looked around. The female Twoleg had crouched down in the corner and seemed to be pointing to something.
But Pinestar couldn’t concentrate. Shanty was everywhere. Her scent, the things she had played with, the food bowl he had seen her eating from once outside. Most of all, the feeling that she was there with him, only just out of sight, encouraging him on. Even if she was not in StarClan, Pinestar felt her presence as strongly as he had ever felt a StarClan cat alongside him. He was not alone here. I will never be alone.
He padded carefully across the gleaming floor and sniffed at the soft, lumpy pelt that the female had pointed to. This was Shanty’s nest, judging by the smell and the shape left behind by her body. Pinestar felt a pang in his belly. My nest, now. If he wanted it. And he did, very much. He climbed into the middle of the nest and curled up. The Twoleg made a happy purring noise and bared her teeth at him again. The male Twoleg appeared and rumbled in a pleased way. He bent down and patted Pinestar’s head, almost making his teeth rattle. Twolegs are strong!
The female Twoleg stood up and put something into the feed bowl. Pinestar peered at it. This wasn’t pellets, like Jake’s food, but chunks of some kind of meat. His belly rumbled, and he reminded himself that as an elder, he wouldn’t be catching his own prey anyway. Did it matter who caught it for him? He reached out and took a mouthful. It wasn’t bad—in fact, it was juicier and tastier than anything he’d eaten in leaf-bare. Better than Jake’s dry pellets, too. Pinestar cleaned out the bowl and the Twolegs purred at him.
Feeling restless now his belly was full, Pinestar stepped out of the nest and headed outside. He looked back to see the Twolegs watching him anxiously.
“I’ll come back,” he promised. He felt a warm glow spread through him at the thought that they might be waiting for him. Is this what it was like to be a kittypet? To know that Twolegs would keep you safe and warm and fed? Why do warriors despise this way of life so much? It is all we ever want for our kits and elders!
He trotted across the grass and hopped over a low wall. Jake was sunning himself on a flat expanse of gray stone next to the empty Thunderpath. He blinked in surprise when he saw Pinestar.
“Hey! I didn’t think you’d come back,” he meowed. “You know, after Shanty…” He trailed off.
Pinestar nodded. “For a while, I wasn’t sure I would,” he admitted. “But I think I can do some good here… for Shanty’s housefolk. More than I can do for my Clan.” Except it’s not my Clan any longer. It belongs to Sunfall now.
Jake flicked the tip of his tail. “What do you mean? Have you left ThunderClan?”
“Yes, I have.” Wow. That makes it feel very real.
The ginger tom looked impressed. “You’d really give all that up to be a kittypet for Shanty’s housefolk?”
“I really would,” Pinestar murmured.
Jake’s eyes softened. “Shanty would like that, Pinestar.” He stood up. “Do you want to go meet some of your new neighbors? You haven’t seen Quince yet, have you? She’s a sweetheart.”
“I should go home,” Pinestar meowed. “My… my housefolk are expecting me. Oh, and my name isn’t Pinestar anymore. It’s Pine. Just Pine.”
Jake twitched his ears. “It suits you.” He turned away, then paused and glanced back. “Welcome home, Pine.”
Thunderstar’s Echo
DEDICATION
Special thanks to Clarissa Hutton
Allegiances
THUNDERCLAN LEADER THUNDERSTAR—orange tom with big white paws DEPUTY LIGHTNING TAIL—black tom MEDICINE CAT CLOUD SPOTS—long-furred black tom with white ears, white chest, and two white paws HUNTERS VIOLET DAWN—sleek dark gray she-cat with bits of black around her ears and paws OWL EYES—gray tom with amber eyes PINK EYES—white tom with pink eyes LEAF—black-and-white tom with amber eyes MILKWEED—splotchy ginger-and-black she-cat with scar on muzzle CLOVER—ginger-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes THISTLE—ginger tom with green eyes GOOSEBERRY—pale yellow tabby she-cat YEW TAIL—cream-and-brown tom APPLE BLOSSOM—orange-and-white she-cat SNAIL SHELL—dappled gray tom BLUE WHISKER—white she-cat with yellow splotches APPRENTICES HAZEL BURROW—black-and-white tom MORNING FIRE—dark brown she-cat with amber eyes SHIVERING ROSE—black she-cat with white splotch on one ear and amber eyes KITS PATCH PELT—ginger-and-black tom kit BEECH TAIL—pale ginger she-kit WINDCLAN LEADER WINDSTAR—wiry brown she-cat with yellow eyes DEPUTY GORSE FUR—thin gray tabby tom MEDICINE CAT MOTH FLIGHT—white she-cat with green eyes HUNTERS DUST MUZZLE—gray tabby tom with amber eyes SLATE—thick-furred gray she-cat with one ear tip missing WHITE TAIL—dark gray tom-kit with white patches and amber eyes SILVER STRIPE—pale gray tabby she-kit with blue eyes BLACK EAR—black-and-white patched tom-kit with amber eyes SPOTTED FUR—golden-brown tom with amber eyes and a dappled coat ROCKY—plump orange-and-white tom with green eyes SWIFT MINNOW—gray-and-white she-cat REED TAIL—silver tabby tom with a knowledge of herbs JAGGED PEAK—a small gray tabby tom with blue eyes HOLLY—she-cat with prickly, bushy fur STORM PELT—mottled gray tom with blue eyes and thick bushy tail DEW NOSE—brown splotchy tabby she-cat with white tips on nose and tail, yellow eyes EAGLE FEATHER—brown tom with yellow eyes, broad shoulders, and striped tail WILLOW TAIL—pale tabby she-cat with blue eyes SKYCLAN LEADER SKYSTAR—light gray tom with blue eyes DEPUTY SPARROW FUR—tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes MEDICINE CAT ACORN FUR—chestnut-brown she-cat HUNTERS STAR FLOWER—she-cat with thick, golden tabby fur DEW PETAL—silver-and-white she-cat FLOWER FOOT—she-cat with tan stripes THORN—splotchy brown tom with bright blue eyes QUICK WATER—gray-and-white she-cat NETTLE—gray tom BIRCH—ginger tom with white circles of fur around his eyes ALDER—gray, brown, and white she-cat BLOSSOM—tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes RED CLAW—a reddish-brown tom HONEY PELT—striped yellow tom RIVERCLAN LEADER RIVERSTAR—silver long-furred tom with amber eyes DEPUTY NIGHT—black she-cat MEDICINE CAT DAPPLED PELT—delicate tortoiseshell she-cat with golden eyes HUNTERS SHATTERED ICE—gray-and-white tom with green eyes DEW—gray she-cat DAWN MIST—orange-and-white she-cat with green eyes MOSS TAIL—dark brown tom with golden eyes DRIZZLE—gray-and-white she-kit with pale blue eyes PINE NEEDLE—black tom-kit with yellow eyes SPIDER PAW—white tom SHADOWCLAN LEADER SHADOWSTAR—black, thick-furred she-cat with green eyes DEPUTY SUN SHADOW—black tom with amber eyes MEDICINE CAT PEBBLE HEART—gray tabby tom with white mark on his chest and amber eyes HUNTERS JUNIPER BRANCH—long-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes RAVEN PELT—black tom with yellow eyes MOUSE EARS—big tabby tom with unusually small ears MUD PAWS—pale brown tom with four black paws BUBBLING STREAM—white she-cat with yellow splotches