Star Flower had been missing since moonhigh. It felt like a lifetime.
He lifted his muzzle warily and tasted the air. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder. Was some cat watching him? His fur pricked along his spine as he remembered Slash’s warning. There are more of us than you can imagine. Beyond his borders, rogues lurked in the shadows like foxes, preying on the weak.
Clear Sky growled. I’m not weak! But how could he fight Slash’s gang? They’d taken Star
Flower. He could do nothing but agree to Slash’s demands. The mangy tom’s threatening stare flashed in his thoughts. Fury rose in his chest. “Coward!” he hissed under his breath as he remembered how he’d woken to find Slash standing beside Star Flower. Two vicious toms had flanked them, snarling.
The tang of blood had soured the air. A wound had glistened on Star Flower’s cheek where Slash had raked his claws.
She’d looked so scared. Clear Sky shuddered, his heart twisting. And Quick Water had just watched without offering to help! She’d been his Tribemate and was his campmate now. And yet she’d hidden in the bracken and watched. If she’d joined him, they could have fought off the rogues.
Star Flower would be with him now instead of a hostage.
He’d challenged Quick Water after Slash and his rogues had dragged Star Flower away. The mountain cat had accused Star Flower of being one of them—of wanting to go with Slash. Clear Sky had scratched her muzzle angrily. Dumb old fool!
He turned now toward camp, energy fizzing suddenly beneath his pelt. He was wasting time. He needed to act. Slash had demanded that the leaders of every group meet him at the four trees hollow at the half-moon. It had been hard to get him to give Clear Sky even those few extra days to talk to the other leaders, but there was no way Clear Sky could have convinced them in the one day Slash had originally allowed him. Slash would release Star Flower if they agreed to give the rogues a share of their prey—not just once, but always. Clear Sky fluffed out his fur against the early morning chill.
Leaf-bare had only just begun to grip the forest, and prey was already scarce. Persuading Thunder, Tall Shadow, River Ripple, and Wind Runner to promise a part of their catch would be hard. Would they even agree to meet Slash?
Surely they would feel some sympathy for Star Flower. Tall Shadow and Thunder had seen how loyal and supportive she’d been when Clear Sky’s mother had died. So what if she was the daughter of a cruel and bloodthirsty cat? Star Flower was nothing like One Eye. She had made poor decisions in the past, but she was different now. And she’s carrying my kits.
Clear Sky broke into a run, his paws pattering over the wet earth. He would form a patrol to visit each group in turn and persuade Thunder, River Ripple, Tall Shadow, and Wind Runner to meet with Slash. They only had to agree to the rogue’s terms long enough to get Star Flower back. That isn’t so much to ask, surely? Bursting through the bramble barrier, he skidded into camp.
Thorn and Alder spun around as he scrambled in. Nettle and Sparrow Fur circled the edge of the leaf-strewn clearing, their eyes narrowing as he stopped in the middle. Blossom hung back behind
Acorn Fur and Birch, watching uneasily.
Quick Water paced beside the yew, her tail flicking.
Clear Sky heard paws shift on earth. Breath billowed around him. Ears and whiskers twitched.
But no cat spoke.
She’s told them. His gaze flicked toward Quick Water. “What have you said?” he demanded.
She faced him, her eyes glittering with rage. Blood had dried on her nose where Clear Sky had scratched her. “I told them the truth.”
Clear Sky curled his lip. “The truth is that you were too cowardly to fight for your campmate!”
“Star Flower’s not my campmate!” she snapped. “She’s gone back to her true friends.”
“They kidnapped her!” Clear Sky dug his claws into the ground, swallowing back fury. He scanned the other cats, trying to read their expressions. Alder was watching through slitted eyes.
Birch had tipped his head to one side, his gaze thoughtful. Nettle blinked, giving nothing away, while
Thorn fidgeted beside him, shifting his weight from one paw to another.
Only Acorn Fur and Blossom met his gaze.
Sparrow Fur sat between them, her tail twitching. “Quick Water said one of the rogues used to be
Star Flower’s mate.”
“That’s not true.” Clear Sky’s tail bristled. “Slash was a friend of One Eye’s. Star Flower knew him, that’s all.”
Quick Water padded forward. “The other two knew him as well! They’re all from the same group of rogues. I bet Star Flower knows them all.”
Alder blinked at Clear Sky. “How big is this group?”
“I don’t know.” Panic sparked in Clear Sky’s chest. He pictured the rogues’ camp: Star Flower alone, surrounded by mangy cats. “We have to get Star Flower away from them.”
Nettle frowned. “But Quick Water says she went with them freely.”
“She had no choice!” Clear Sky snapped. “Slash ripped open her cheek. She was terrified!”
“Then why didn’t she fight?” Quick Water demanded.
“You saw why!” Clear Sky turned on her. “She was outnumbered. And she’s carrying kits. How could she risk their safety?”
Acorn Fur widened her eyes. “So these three rogues took her against her will.”
“Yes!” Clear Sky felt a flash of hope. Did someone believe him at last?
“Couldn’t you stop them?” Sparrow Fur asked.
“Not on my own!” Clear Sky felt shaken by the barrage of questions.
“Why did they take her?” Birch blinked at him.
Clear Sky steadied his breath. “Slash wants to speak with the leaders of all the groups. They’re going to keep Star Flower until I persuade Tall Shadow, Wind Runner, Thunder, and River Ripple to meet with him.”
“What does Slash want with the other leaders?” Thorn asked.
Clear Sky hesitated. “He wants a share of our prey.”
Thorn’s ears twitched. “Just like the old days.” He swapped looks with Nettle. “When we were loners, we left offerings at the edge of the woods. It kept the rogues happy. They’d stay away from our land.”
Nettle nodded. “We traded prey for peace.”
Clear Sky met his gaze hopefully. “We can do it again! We need peace.”
Quick Water’s eyes flashed. “Do you really think we’ll make it through leaf-bare if we have to give away half our prey?”
Nettle flicked his tail. “It doesn’t have to be half,” he reasoned. “Just enough to keep them happy.”
Thorn snorted. “Cats like Slash and One Eye aren’t happy until they have everything!”
Despair weighed like a stone in Clear Sky’s belly. “You’re right,” he muttered. “But we only have to give Slash what he wants until Star Flower comes home. After that, the rogues can hunt for their own prey.”
“And where do you think they’ll hunt?” Birch demanded.
“On our land,” Blossom muttered darkly.
“That’s why we have to get the other groups to help,” Clear Sky urged. “We have to get Star
Flower back first, and then decide what to do.”
Blossom glanced away, staring anxiously between the trees. “What if they refuse to help?”
“They can’t!” Clear Sky’s pelt pulsed with fear. He’d fought the other groups in the past. He’d even turned against his own kin. Had Thunder, Gray Wing, and Jagged Peak forgiven him? “You have to help me persuade them!” He blinked hopefully at his campmates.