“This is about life or death,” Stripes interrupted. His claws slid out. “If necessary, our life and your death.”
Chapter 27
Horror slashed through Hollypaw like the claws of fighting cats. “They haven’t any code at all!” she gasped, turning to her brother. “Even the Tribe understands about duty and being fair. These cats just don’t care!”
Her muscles tensed, ready to leap into battle. The patrol had come in peace, wanting only to talk, but now it looked as if the truce would be shattered. StarClan, help us, she prayed, not even knowing if StarClan could hear her under these strange skies. Show us what to do.
Beckoning with her tail, she gathered the Tribe to-bes close to her. Lionpaw and Breezepaw flanked them on either side.
“Do we fight now?” Splash asked nervously.
“Let’s hope not,” Lionpaw replied. Hollypaw was grateful for the reassurance in his voice. “But Hollypaw will give you a signal if we have to.”
She didn’t have much hope that they could avoid a battle now. Stripes had made it clear that the trespassers had no intention of respecting the borders the Tribe had worked so hard to set in place. The Tribe were no better off than when they started.
At Stripes’s challenge, Crag had stepped forward until the two cats stood nose to nose. His neck fur bristled and his eyes were narrowed menacingly. “If you’re looking for a fight—”
Brambleclaw stopped him with a touch of his tail on his shoulder and motioned him back. “This isn’t the right time,” he murmured. “They outnumber us, for one thing. Best go back to the cave and see what happens.”
“I know what’s going to happen,” Crag snarled.
For a couple of heartbeats Hollypaw thought that he would defy Brambleclaw and leap into battle. Then the rest of them would have to fight to back him up.
At last Crag let out a long sigh, bowing his head. “Have it your way,” he mewed to Brambleclaw.
Brambleclaw touched his tail to the cave-guard’s shoulder once again, a silent gesture of gratitude. Facing Stripes, he meowed, “We will defend our borders. It’s your choice if you cross them.”
“Fine.” Stripes flicked his tail. “We’ll bear that in mind.
Not forgetting that some of you don’t belong here.”
“He means us,” Lionpaw whispered. “He knows we’ll go home sooner or later. Then the Tribe will be weaker…”
He didn’t need to go on. It was obvious to Hollypaw that Stripes meant to attack the Tribe as soon as the Clan cats left them defenseless. But we can’t stay here forever, she thought, struggling against a pang of homesickness for the forest and the camp in the stone hollow.
Brambleclaw turned and led his cats away. Mocking caterwauls followed them. “Don’t bother coming back!” Flick yowled.
The sun was well above the mountains as the patrol made its way back to the cave. Golden rays warmed the rocks, but Hollypaw felt as cold as if she were padding through a bitter leaf-bare.
“Do you think that was okay?” Splash fretted. “They know about our borders now, so they should leave us alone.”
“I hope I’ll be on the first patrol!” Pebble added.
“Let’s wait and see,” Hollypaw mewed. She wasn’t sure if the Tribe to-bes really hadn’t understood what had just happened, or whether they were forcing themselves to be optimistic. She couldn’t bring herself to tell them that borders didn’t exist unless they were seen from both sides. The trespassers had shown that they had no honor, not a scrap of respect for their rivals, so it was only a matter of time before they crossed the boundaries and stole more prey from the Tribe.
The warrior code has failed, she thought. She had built her life on it, and now she felt as though she had stepped off a precipice and was plummeting down into darkness. Even the Tribe doesn’t really understand it.
She gave herself a shake. The Tribe might not have the warrior code, but they had traditions just as ancient and important. Perhaps the Tribe of Endless Hunting would come to their aid at last.
The patrol had reached the boulder-covered slope that led down to the stream when Brambleclaw paused suddenly, raising his tail to bring the other cats to a halt behind him.
“Intruder scent!” he hissed.
Hollypaw felt the fur on her shoulders begin to bristle.
Tasting the air, she picked up a strong, fresh scent, carried on the breeze that swept across the bare rock. She couldn’t see the intruders, but she realized that they must be very close.
“I don’t believe this,” Lionpaw muttered into her ear. His fur was fluffed up with anger and his tail tip twitched back and forth. “We only just told them about the borders, and they’re already trespassing.”
“Look—down there!” Pebble angled her ears toward the stream.
Down below, the skinny brown intruder, Flick, emerged from behind a spur of rock, following the course of the stream. Four more of the intruders followed him; one of them, the black tom they had encountered before, had the body of a mouse hanging from his jaws. They padded along confidently, as if they had every right to be there.
I knew it, Hollypaw thought. Everything we’ve done has been for nothing.
“They’re useless hunters,” she commented, trying to push down the cold sense of failure that sat in her belly like a stone.
“They can’t even scent us. They have no idea that we’re here.”
“Or they don’t care,” Lionpaw added.
Brambleclaw, Crag, and Stormfur exchanged a few quick words, speaking too low for Hollypaw to catch what they said. Then Brambleclaw leaped up onto the nearest boulder so that his figure was outlined against the sky. “Trespassers!” he yowled.
The invaders halted. In the same heartbeat, Brambleclaw let out a fearsome screech and launched himself down from the boulder. The rest of the patrol poured down the slope after him; Hollypaw felt as if a rushing torrent were sweeping her on.
After one terrified glance, Flick’s patrol spun around and fled downstream. Flick clawed his way up a steep rockslide until he reached a ledge. He glared down at the Clan and Tribe cats, his ears flattened and his lips drawn back in a snarl.
Brambleclaw bounded up to the foot of the rockslide.
“You have crossed the Tribe’s border,” he meowed. Hollypaw could tell that he was trying to remain calm, though his voice vibrated with fury. “You are trespassing and stealing prey.”
“Why shouldn’t we?” Flick spat. “There’s nothing to stop us.”
“We explained the scent marks,” Crag began, pacing forward to stand at Brambleclaw’s shoulder.
“Oh, the scent marks!” Flick sneered. “I’m frightened out of my fur. So what are you going to do now, set stronger marks?
We’ll hunt where we please, and you can’t stop us.” Before any cat could reply he leaped upward and vanished over the top of the rock.
“We should follow him,” Talon growled. “Maybe he’ll listen if we rip his fur off.”
“No point.” Brambleclaw sounded despondent. “It’s obvious that explaining the boundaries hasn’t worked. The intruders crossed the border as soon as our backs were turned. No, we have to teach them a lesson, once and for all.”
When Hollypaw entered the cave she was aware of a buzz of excitement. The Tribe cats who had stayed behind were clamoring to hear what had happened when the patrol met the intruders.
“So they know about the borders?” Bird asked, her eyes gleaming hopefully. “Does that mean they’ll leave us alone?”