Wind Runner whisked her tail. “So?” She stared questioningly at Clear Sky. “Why did you ask us to come?”
Thunder pricked his ears as Clear Sky stopped pacing and faced the moor cat.
“My cats are growing hungry.” His gaze flicked around the others. “We’ve tried defending our prey, but the rogues fight like foxes.”
Tall Shadow curled her lip. “They fight like cowards!”
“But they win,” Wind Runner growled. “We’ve lost half our catches to them in the past few days.”
Thunder narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Then we must learn how to fight like foxes too.”
“No.” River Ripple’s tail swept the ground. “Foxes have cruel hearts. If we fight like foxes, we will become like foxes.”
Jagged Peak snorted. “Then how do we beat the rogues?”
River Ripple’s eyes gleamed. “We must learn to fight better than foxes.”
“How?” Thunder blinked at him. Lightning Tail had been training his campmates how to rear higher and swipe harder. What else could they do?
Lightning Tail blinked excitedly at Thunder. “Do you remember the trick we use when we run into a Twoleg dog in the forest?”
Thunder paused. “The thunder-and-lightning move?”
Lightning Tail nodded eagerly. “We could use it to fight the rogues.”
Thunder frowned, confused. “How? We only use it to escape.”
“But if we changed it a little—”
Thunder interrupted, his heart lifting as he understood. “Of course! A bunch of rogues is no worse than a dog. I pull them one way,” he began.
“And I attack from behind!” Lightning Tail finished.
Wind Runner leaned forward. “Show us.”
Thunder nodded toward Gorse Fur, River Ripple, and Shattered Ice. “You pretend to be the rogues. Imagine I’ve just caught a juicy pigeon.” Thunder’s belly growled as he imagined the plump bird at his paws.
River Ripple, Shattered Ice, and Gorse Fur padded toward him, ears flattened menacingly.
Thunder blinked at them, snatched up the imaginary bird, and turned. Running across the clearing, he heard paws pattering after him. He ran long enough for Lightning Tail to get in position; then he spun, his paws skidding, and reared.
Shattered Ice, River Ripple, and Gorse Fur scrambled to a surprised halt in front of him.
Snarling, Thunder backed away. He could see Lightning Tail racing up behind the three cats. With a yowl, the black tom flew past Shattered Ice, sliding his paws over the river cat’s gray-and-white flank.
Shattered Ice turned in surprise, but Lightning Tail was already circling away toward Gorse Fur.
He leaped the moor cat, kicking his spine with his hind paws as he sailed over him. Thunder dived on River Ripple as the river cat blinked in confusion. It was even easier than Thunder had expected to unbalance the stocky tom and tackle him to the ground.
He leaped off and blinked at the three ruffled toms as River Ripple scrambled to his paws.
Lightning Tail raced to his side. “They looked as confused as any Twoleg dog,” he purred.
Gorse Fur shook out his pelt.
Shattered Ice shifted his paws, his pelt pricking. “Nice move!”
Thunder flicked his tail happily. “Surprise is the sharpest claw.”
River Ripple nodded approvingly. “And it works even when we’re outnumbered.”
“Exactly.” Lightning Tail lifted his chin.
Gorse Fur’s eyes lit up. “It’s a bit like the move we use on rabbits.” He was staring excitedly at Wind Runner.
She hurried toward him. “Of course!”
Clear Sky pricked his ears. “Show us.”
“It’s easier to catch a rabbit if we can separate it from its group and tire it out,” Wind Runner explained. She marched around Thunder, Lightning Tail, Shattered Ice, and River Ripple, nudging them closer together. “You can be the rabbits—” She paused. “I mean the rogues.”
She backed away as Thunder flattened his ears, pretending to be Slash. Shattered Ice hissed beside him, while River Ripple and Lightning Tail lifted their hackles menacingly.
Wind Runner nodded toward Gorse Fur. He seemed to read her thoughts and broke into a run.
Thunder twisted his head as the tom circled them, moving fast. Frowning, he wondered what in the stars Gorse Fur was doing. Dirt sprayed beneath Gorse Fur’s paws as he hared around the bunched toms; then suddenly he veered and barged between Thunder and Lightning Tail. Thunder blinked as he found himself separated from the others. A paw batted his cheek. He spun in surprise and saw Wind Runner dash past him.
He froze. What do I do now? Gorse Fur was still circling Lightning Tail, Shattered Ice, and River Ripple, dodging as they aimed clumsy blows at him. What would a rogue do? Wind Runner raced past him again, grazing his cheek with a second swipe. Chase her!
Thunder hared after the wiry brown she-cat as she plunged into the bracken. Diving after her, he pounded up the slope. Suddenly he heard paws behind him. He glanced backward and saw Gorse Fur on his tail. Am I chasing or being chased? Confused, he kept running, tracking Wind Runner up the slope and then down until he was breathless. She burst into the clearing. He followed, Gorse Fur at his heels. Thunder ran harder, chasing Wind Runner toward the oaks. As he neared, she spun and faced him. He skidded to a halt and she started to pummel his muzzle. He reared to fight her off, realizing suddenly how breathless he was. Paws thumped him from behind. Thunder gasped as Gorse
Fur leaped onto his back and tussled him to the ground.
Panting, Thunder thrashed his tail. “I give up!”
He struggled to his paws as Wind Runner and Gorse Fur backed away and fought to catch his breath. “You two are fast!” he puffed.
“We spend our days running the moors,” Wind Runner reminded him.
Gorse Fur nodded, raising his voice so the others could hear. “You must all practice running. The rogues are lazy. I bet we are fitter than them already. With some training, we can be even stronger.”
“That’s not enough.” Star Flower’s mew took Thunder by surprise.
She padded past Jagged Peak and Tall Shadow and faced the group. “You have to learn how rogues fight.”
Thunder frowned. “But I thought we weren’t going to fight like foxes.”
Star Flower met his gaze. “If you fight a fox, you must know how it thinks.”
“How?” Jagged Peak tipped his head. “We can’t see their thoughts.”
Star Flower flicked her gaze toward him. “I am One Eye’s daughter, remember? I know how they fight—using trickery and deceit. I can show you the kind of moves they use. I can teach you what to expect.”
Clear Sky hurried to her side. “You’re in no condition to teach battle moves.”
Star Flower halted him with an emerald stare. “I’m as fit as the rest of you. If I can give birth to three kits, I can certainly teach battle moves.” She nodded at Thunder. “Attack me.”
Thunder blinked at her, his gaze flicking uncertainly to Clear Sky.
Clear Sky’s tail twitched nervously. “Be careful,” he warned.
Star Flower glared at her mate. “I’m not made out of cherry blossom,” she snapped. She turned to Thunder, holding his gaze as she backed away from the group. She came to a stop in the middle of the clearing. “Attack me!”