Thunder’s pelt grew hot.
“I don’t mind.” Lightning Tail shrugged and carried on toward the marsh. “Did you think I hadn’t noticed you talking about Violet every chance you get? You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Thunder hurried after him.
Lightning Tail quickened his pace. “Then let’s see how she is.”
Gratefully, Thunder followed the black tom through a narrow gap between the brambles. Light showed between the trunks ahead. They were nearing the marshland.
Lightning Tail lowered his voice. “I just hope we aren’t spotted.”
“Gray Wing said he rolled in rotting mushrooms to disguise his scent.” Thunder scanned the tree roots for old fungi.
Lightning Tail wrinkled his nose. “Let’s just stay downwind.” He slowed as they reached the edge of the pine forest.
Thunder peered out from the trees. “I guess we can always run away if we’re spotted. Most of the rogues are hopeless at running through woods. If we can get as far as the forest, we’ll be safe—”
“Shh!” Lightning Tail cut him off.
Thunder followed his friend’s alarmed gaze. Four rogues were filing between the marshy tussocks, heading for the woods. His heart lurched as he recognized Violet among them. “Hide!”
Diving beneath a yew, he pressed his belly to the ground.
Lightning Tail shot in beside him. “They’re coming this way!”
Thunder wriggled deeper beneath the bush as the rogue patrol headed toward them. As they pattered past, one of them spoke. Through the branches, Thunder could see a black tom. He looked anxious.
“Do you think Slash saw us leave?” the rogue mewed.
“Don’t worry, Raven.” Violet walked beside him. “He was too busy teaching battle moves.”
A young tom followed her, his auburn pelt glossy. “Where are we going to hunt?”
A tortoiseshell she-cat hurried to catch up. “That’s the third time you’ve asked, Red.”
“He’s just asking because he’s nervous, Juniper,” Violet told her. “You know how Slash feels about us hunting for ourselves.”
“I’m not nervous.” Red sounded indignant.
Violet ignored him. “Let’s hunt near Twolegplace.”
“What about the dogs?” Red gasped.
“We can run faster than dogs,” Violet told him.
Juniper grunted. “We shouldn’t have to go hunting when there’s food rotting in camp.”
“Why doesn’t Slash share it?” Raven growled angrily. “He gives the best pieces to Splinter and Beetle and leaves the rest to turn sour while we’re eating scraps.”
Fury surged through Thunder’s pelt. Cats were going hungry because of Slash, and he was letting food rot!
“Slash is just mean.” Violet’s tail flicked against a yew branch. “Since Star Flower escaped, he has been worse than ever.”
“I’m glad she got away,” Juniper commented.
“I wonder how her kits are doing,” Violet murmured. “Fern said she had three.”
The rogues padded deeper into the forest. Thunder pricked his ears as their voices were swallowed by the pines. His heart was pounding. Rage bristled in every hair on his pelt. How dare Slash let food rot? He slid from beneath the yew. “Let’s go and check the camp.”
“Why?” Lightning Tail scrabbled after him. “You’ve seen that Violet’s okay.”
Thunder blinked at him “Didn’t you hear? Slash is training his campmates to fight. We need to learn their new moves.”
Lightning Tail’s pelt rippled. “You’re pushing your luck,” he warned. “We’ve almost been spotted once. What if Violet had seen us?”
Thunder wished Violet had seen him. He couldn’t believe the sleek gray she-cat would betray him, and he longed to meet her.
“Thunder?” Lightning Tail was staring at him.
He jerked his thoughts away from Violet. “If Slash is too busy to notice a hunting patrol leaving camp, he’ll never see us.” He ducked out from under the trees and headed onto the marsh.
Lightning Tail followed.
Keeping low, Thunder made for the patch of grass that walled the rogues’ camp. He slowed as he neared and tasted the air, relieved to feel the wind ruffling his fur. It carried the smell of rogues and whisked his scent into the pines.
Weaving between the tussocks, he led the way to the hiding place they’d used last time. As he crouched low, Lightning Tail squeezed in beside him. He peered through the gaps between the stems.
Slash was pacing the edge of the clearing. Splinter was facing a brown, mottled she-cat in the middle. Fear shone in her eyes, and blood welled on her muzzle.
Slash padded closer. “This time, remember to block his first blow.”
The mottled she-cat nodded stiffly, not taking her eyes from Splinter.
Splinter showed his teeth. “Should I go gentle on her this time, Slash?” he asked sarcastically.
“No!” Slash snapped his gaze toward the tom. He smirked as he saw amusement spark in Splinter’s eye, then purred. “Beech has to learn that if she’s slow, she gets hurt.”
A pale tabby padded closer to the edge of the clearing. “Let me take her place.”
“Go away, Willow.” Slash gave her a warning look. “Your friend needs to learn.”
Pity jabbed at Thunder’s heart as he watched Willow back reluctantly away and Beech brace herself for Splinter’s attack.
The black-and-white tom crouched, his eyes slitted. Beech flattened her ears.
Slash stared at Beech mockingly. “Is that as scary as you can look?”
Beech fluffed out her fur and showed her teeth.
“That’s better.” Slash flicked his tail.
Splinter leaped. Paws flailing, he crashed into Beech. She ducked to one side to escape a swinging blow. Splinter’s claws caught her ear tip, and Thunder saw pain flash in her eyes as she rolled away.
Splinter reared and slammed his paws down, but he was too slow. Beech leaped up and ducked behind him. Thunder’s heart quickened. He found himself willing the brown she-cat to outwit the bullying tom. He held his breath as Splinter turned to face a flurry of blows. He backed away, wincing, but Beech kept lashing his muzzle.
Suddenly she stopped and glanced behind in surprise. Slash had pressed a paw onto her tail, pinning her to the spot. As she blinked at the rogue leader, Splinter leaped at her. Digging his claws into her pelt, he kicked her paws from beneath her and rolled her to the ground.
Willow started forward, her eyes wide with fear, but Slash hissed at her. “Stay back.” The pale tabby looked on, anguish brimming in her gaze as Splinter battered Beech with merciless swipes.
Thunder trembled with rage, longing to barge through the grass and defend the she-cat.
“Enough.” At last Slash signaled with his tail, and Splinter backed away from Beech.
She staggered to her paws. Fur stuck out in clumps around her neck. Blood matted her pelt.
Willow hurried forward and guided her campmate toward the edge of the clearing.
“Is Beech okay?”
Thunder blinked as two kits scampered out from between the reeds and hurried to meet the injured she-cat.
The black tom-kit reached her first. “She looks hurt.”
A gray-and-white she-kit scrambled to a halt beside him. “You fought really well, Beech!”
An orange-and-white she-cat hurried behind them. Her green eyes shone with worry as she saw
Beech. “That’s not training,” she hissed under her breath. “That’s cruelty.”
“Dawn!” Willow gave her a pleading look, as though begging her to be quiet. “Don’t frighten your kits.”
Thunder pricked his ears as the orange-and-white queen replied. “I’m not going to hide the truth from them.” Dawn glared at Slash. “Pine and Drizzle need to know what sort of group they belong to.”