As Splinter dragged a plump pigeon from the pile, Slash nodded toward the second tom. “Hurry up, Beetle. This one’s still warm.” He pawed a heavy rabbit from the pile, and the black-and-brown tom hurried to take it.
Thunder’s gaze flitted around the camp once more. The other cats, hunched over their meager pieces of prey, were watching Slash through slitted eyes. “Why don’t they object?” Thunder breathed to Lightning Tail. “He’s giving all the best prey to his friends.”
Lightning Tail’s ears twitched. “I’m not sure. I’d claw his pelt off.”
“Frog!” Slash called across the clearing.
A mottled gray tom jumped to his paws. “Yes?” Fear and hope flashed in his gaze.
Slash hauled a fat thrush from the prey pile and pushed it toward him.
Frog bounded eagerly across the clearing, slowing as he neared Slash. Thunder could see his pelt clinging to his skinny frame. He suddenly realized that most of the rogues were thin. Only Slash, Beetle, and Splinter looked well fed. But he’s stolen enough prey from us to feed them all! Frog stopped in front of Slash and glanced at the thrush.
Slash’s eyes gleamed. “Are you hungry?”
Frog nodded.
Slash hooked up the thrush with a claw. “Hungry enough to eat this?”
Frog nodded again.
“What a shame.” Slash tossed the thrush back onto the prey pile. “If you’d brought back more prey from the moor today, I’d have let you have it. But I can’t reward laziness.”
“It wasn’t laziness!” Frog bristled.
Slash tipped his head. “What was it then? Stupidity?” His mew turned to a growl. “Because I don’t tolerate stupidity. A kit could have brought back what you found.”
“That’s not true—”
Slash lashed out with his paw, slicing Frog’s nose.
Frog backed away, pelt bristling. Blood welled on his muzzle.
Slash hooked a squashed wren from the bottom of the pile. It was no bigger than a shrew. He flung it at Frog’s paws. “Be glad I’m letting you have that.”
Frog held his gaze for a moment.
Thunder tensed. Was the skinny tom going to fight back? He hoped so. But his heart sank as Frog grabbed the wren between his teeth and padded slowly toward a campmate huddled beneath the arching reeds.
Fern. Thunder recognized the night-black she-cat as Frog settled beside her. Fern shifted closer to the mottled gray tom and licked the blood from his muzzle.
Slash picked a fat grouse from the prey pile and carried it across the clearing.
Thunder pulled his muzzle back sharply. “He’s coming this way!” he warned Lightning Tail as the rogue leader padded closer. Splinter and Beetle followed, carrying their prey, and as Slash crouched to eat, they settled beside him.
Thunder felt his belly growl as the scent of grouse, rabbit, and pigeon wafted through the camp wall. I hope it disguises our scent. His heart pounded.
“Let’s go,” Lightning Tail breathed in his ear.
“Not yet.” Thunder stilled his friend by laying his tail across his spine. “Let’s listen.” He couldn’t leave now. He had to hear what Slash would say.
Slash took a bite from his grouse and gazed around the camp. “Keep them hungry and they do what you say,” he told Splinter, chewing.
Beetle sniffed. “They’re all spineless.”
Splinter ripped a mouthful of flesh from his pigeon. “I don’t know why you bother giving them anything at all.”
“They have their uses,” Slash muttered. “I need to give them enough to make them stay around. We won’t be able to attack the moor cats by ourselves.”
Thunder swallowed a gasp. Slash was planning to attack? He had to warn Gray Wing and Wind Runner. Every muscle twitched as he fought the urge to race for the moor. He might learn more by staying. He exchanged looks with Lightning Tail. Moonlight showed fear in his friend’s gaze. “We’ll leave as soon as they’re asleep,” he breathed.
Lightning Tail nodded.
A damp chill settled around them as they waited. The moon rose higher, turning the marshland silver. Thunder felt dizzy from the scent of Slash’s feast. The mice at his paws were still warm, but he didn’t dare take a bite. Any movement might set the grass rustling. Instead he waited, relieved as he saw Slash’s head begin to droop. Splinter and Beetle were already asleep, their flanks bulging with their meal. As Slash’s nose touched the ground, the rogue gave a satisfied burp and rolled onto his side. A few moments later, he was snoring.
Thunder shuddered, his pelt ruffling in disgust. “Come on,” he hissed. Grabbing the mouse tails in his jaws, he crept slowly forward. His paws ached from crouching so long. Moving softly, he padded along the camp wall. Lightning Tail followed, making the grass swish behind them.
Suddenly a murmur sounded from the shadows ahead. “Why should we put up with it?”
Thunder froze.
Squinting to see through the darkness, he made out the shapes of four cats. They were crouched in the moon shade outside the camp wall.
He strained to hear what they were saying, but their mews softened to whispers. Lightning Tail stopped beside him and flashed him a look.
The huddled cats murmured, their voices quieter than the rustling of the reeds. They clearly didn’t want anyone to hear what they were saying. Had they waited for Slash to fall asleep before they dared to talk? Could they be plotting against their leader?
Thunder jerked his muzzle toward the pines, the mice swaying beneath his chin. Lightning Tail nodded. Together they slipped silently away from the rogue camp.
As they neared the trees, he glanced back and saw a pair of eyes shining in the dark. He recognized the amber gaze of Violet at once. She must be one of the cats whispering outside the camp.
Was she staring at him? He felt frozen by her gaze. His heart quickened. She’s beautiful.
“Come on!” Lightning Tail’s hiss jerked him from his thoughts. Quickly he darted after his friend into the shadows of the pines. Violet’s gaze still burned in his mind. Then he remembered Slash’s words. Why don’t you get smart and let me take his place? A leader’s mate would never go hungry.
Rage surged beneath his pelt. He had to get her away from the vicious rogue. She wasn’t safe here.
He dropped the mice. “We’ll take these back to camp,” he told Lightning Tail. “Then tomorrow we’ll leave at dawn and warn Wind Runner about the attack.” And somehow I’ll find a way to help Violet escape.
Chapter 11
Gray Wing narrowed his eyes against the fine rain as he scanned the moortop.
Slate pressed closer to his flank. “Are you sure you should be out in this weather?”
“Yes.” Three days in his nest, struggling to breathe, had been enough for Gray Wing. When he’d woken this morning and found that the tightness in his chest had eased at last, he’d scrambled from his den and begged Wind Runner to let him join the hunting patrol.
She’d agreed, but not until Gorse Fur had shown him the battle moves they’d learned at the four trees hollow. The whole group had been practicing hard—harder after Thunder had visited to warn them that the rogues were planning to attack. The day before, Reed and Minnow had spent all afternoon drilling Moth Flight and Dust Muzzle on the new fighting techniques, and the kits had taken to the training so eagerly that they were still practicing long after the sun had dipped below the horizon. It had warmed Gray Wing’s heart to see the young cats working so hard. Matching the cats with assigned trainers had brought out the best in all of them. I knew they’d underestimated you, Moth Flight.