He eyed Clear Sky uncertainly. “You’re not thinking about causing any trouble with the rogues, are you?”
A loud squeal sounded from the shadows, and Clear Sky glanced toward his den. “Why poke a hornets’ nest? Slash deserves to suffer for what he’s done. But I’m not risking the safety of Star
Flower and my kits. They are more important now.”
“You’re right.” Thunder understood. After all, he’d refused to help Clear Sky at first, to keep his own group safe. “Protecting the cats we care about is more important than starting battles.”
Another squeal sounded from the den.
“I’d better go back to them.” Clear Sky’s gaze shifted, and he began to back away. “Star Flower’s still very tired. I don’t like to leave her alone too long.”
“I’ll come back and see the kits when they’re bigger,” Thunder called.
But his father was already disappearing into the den. “You do that.” Clear Sky’s mew sounded distant.
Thunder turned away, relieved when, this time, no grief jabbed his belly. Clear Sky seemed truly content for the first time in his life. His father had found happiness, and Thunder was happy for him, and for the kits who would know nothing but love.
Purring softly to himself, he leaped down the bank and crossed the clearing.
“Did he let you see them?” Acorn Fur called to him as he headed for the entrance.
“Not this time,” he answered, ducking out of camp. “But I’ll be back.”
Birch and Blossom were sniffing through a patch of frost-scorched nettles as he headed along the trail toward the rise.
“See you soon!” he called to them.
Birch looked up, clearly distracted. “Yeah, sure.”
As he headed for the ravine, Thunder tasted the air. Clear Sky might be sure he could guard his camp, but Blossom and Birch had seemed edgy. Perhaps they were right to be wary. Slash didn’t seem the sort of cat to give up easily.
Unease wormed beneath Thunder’s pelt. Slash would stir up more trouble, he was sure of that. He just wondered when it would begin.
Warmed by his run through the forest, Thunder paused at the top of the ravine. A cold wind ruffled his fur as he peered over the edge. Familiar scents rose from the sheltered hollow, and he leaped down onto the first ledge, glad to be home.
Hopping lightly from one jutting rock to the next, he heard angry mews from beyond the gorse barrier. He tensed as he pricked his ears. His campmates rarely argued. Had an unwelcome visitor barged into camp? He smelled no strange scents as he reached the bottom of the cliff and hurried for the gorse tunnel.
“How could we fight them off?” Cloud Spots sounded indignant. “We were outnumbered!”
“It would have been better than creeping away like mice!” Leaf snapped back.
“They caught us unprepared, that’s all,” Lightning Tail reasoned.
Alarm fizzed through Thunder’s pelt. He ducked through the tunnel and hurried into camp.
“What’s happened?”
Leaf, Cloud Spots, and Lightning Tail turned to face him. Their fur was fluffed out, clumps sticking out here and there as though they’d been fighting.
Clover dashed across the camp to meet Thunder. “They were robbed!”
Thistle scampered between Lightning Tail and Cloud Spots. “The rogues attacked them while they were hunting,” he told Thunder.
Lightning Tail shooed the kit away with his tail. “Five rogues jumped us beside the big sycamore tree,” he told Thunder. “We were gathering up our catch, ready to come home. We’d caught three mice and a thrush. We fought the best we could, but we were outnumbered. It seemed best to back off and let them take the prey. No one’s really hurt—only our pride is wounded.”
Leaf snorted. “Our pride would be fine if we’d fought them properly!”
Thunder’s ears twitched uneasily. “Pride heals faster than scratches.”
Milkweed paced beside the tree stump. “Does this mean the woods aren’t safe anymore?” She glanced at Thistle and Clover.
Pink Eyes sat at the edge of the clearing, his tail flicking. “There have always been rogues, and there always will be.”
“Not like these rogues,” Cloud Spots muttered darkly. “They came looking for us, and they took our catch just to prove they could.”
Leaf nodded. “They didn’t want it because they needed it; they just wanted us to go hungry.”
Owl Eyes pawed at the earth beside Pink Eyes. “I wish I’d been there. I’d have clawed their ears off.”
Thunder padded to the middle of the clearing and gazed around at his campmates. “You were right to let them take the prey,” he told them. “Never fight a battle when your enemy is the only one prepared.” Were these definitely Slash’s rogues? “Did they say anything, Lighting Tail?”
Lighting Tail met his gaze gravely. “One of them told us that if we wouldn’t give them our prey, they’d have to take it.”
“And next time they’d take our pelts as well,” Leaf growled.
Milkweed’s fur rippled along her spine.
Owl Eyes hurried to her side. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on Thistle and Clover.”
“I can look after Clover!” Thistle puffed out his chest.
Clover flicked her fluffy tail indignantly. “I don’t need any cat looking after me!”
Thunder hardly heard them. His thoughts were whirling. He shifted his paws. “This is only the beginning,” he warned his campmates. “Slash said he would take our prey, and he clearly means to.”
Lightning Tail frowned. “Perhaps we can outwit them, as we did with Star Flower.”
“We can’t just let them rob us,” Cloud Spots growled in agreement.
Leaf flexed his claws. “We need to do something about it.”
Thunder saw expectation in his campmates’ eyes. What could he say? He didn’t know how many rogues Slash had, or where their camp was. He had no idea how to outwit the rogues.
Lightning Tail blinked at him suddenly. “I’ve got an idea.”
Thunder lifted his tail. “Share it with us.”
Lighting Tail padded to the tree stump and leaped on top. “We need to train,” he announced.
“Those cats wouldn’t have stolen our prey so easily if we’d known what to do. We must practice fighting moves. We must learn new skills so that we’re always prepared. We’re strong and we’re smart. If we practice, we can win even when we’re outnumbered. Slash’s rogues are just kittypets nobody wants. If we train hard and grow strong and learn fighting moves they’ve never seen, we will always be ready to defend what is ours.”
Leaf lifted his chin, his eyes shining. “That’s a great idea.”
“We can start training at once!” Owl Eyes put in.
“I already know a few moves I can share,” Cloud Spots offered.
“Can we train?” Thistle gazed eagerly at Lightning Tail.
“We must all train,” Lightning Tail told the kit.
Thunder gazed at his friend, his chest swelling with pride. It seemed that with the passing moons, his friend had become wise. I’ve been worrying about what will happen to the group when I’m not around anymore, and the answer has been with me all along! Lightning Tail should be the next leader. Thunder’s shoulders loosened as relief washed his pelt. Suddenly the weight of leadership seemed to ease. The group would be safe even after he was gone.
But Thunder intended to live a good while yet! Shaking out his fur, he padded toward the tree stump. “Thanks, Lightning Tail.” He looked up at his friend. “I’m putting you in charge of training.”
He glanced around at the others. Their eyes were shining with excitement. Milkweed lifted her chin defiantly.