Gray fur crossed Thunder’s path. Slash was blocking his way.
“What are you doing?” Thunder stared at him. “She needs help!” He glanced at Lightning Tail.
Splinter and Beetle were holding him back, pinning him to the ground with their paws.
Slash snarled at Thunder. “Don’t move, or I’ll kill you.”
Thunder’s thoughts whirled. “Why?”
Slash stared at Beech, curling his lip. “It’s time she proved she’s not a burden.”
“You can’t!” Thunder tried to push past Slash, but the rogue reared and hooked his claws deep into his shoulder fur. Half blind with fury, Thunder scrabbled against the earth, but Slash held him back.
Beech stumbled, her gaze on Slash. Disbelief shone in her eyes as the black dog took her ribs in its huge jaws. She shrieked as it lifted her and shook her like prey. Screeching in terror, she flailed desperately, her eyes flashing with agony. Thunder heard a terrified yowl, and then Fern raced over.
Spitting like a snake, she leaped onto the dog’s shoulders and clawed at its eyes.
It yelped and dropped Beech, shaking Fern from its back.
Thunder ripped free of Slash’s grip and flung himself toward the dog. But it was already fleeing, blood welling around its eyes. Howling, it ran from the camp and followed its pack mates to the pines.
“Beech?” Fern leaned over the she-cat as she lay, limp, on the ground.
Frog dragged himself toward her, his hind legs trailing along the ground behind him. “Is she breathing?” he whispered, staring at Beech.
Thunder hurried closer and sniffed her muzzle. No breath touched his nose. Her flanks were still.
“She’s gone,” he murmured.
A low moan sounded in Fern’s throat.
Lightning Tail hauled himself to his paws, glaring angrily at Splinter and Beetle. “We could have saved her!”
“What for?” Slash snarled from the middle of the clearing.
His campmates stared at him, shock sharpening their gaze.
Beetle shook out his pelt. “She couldn’t fight or hunt.”
Splinter padded to Slash’s side. “She was a waste of prey.”
Fern glared at Slash, her pelt pricking along her spine. Hatred filled her gaze. “You let her die.”
Slash snorted. “Don’t blame me,” he huffed. “I didn’t lead the dogs here.”
Fern stiffened. “Red!” She jerked her muzzle around, scanning the clearing. “Where is he?”
“He ran away.” Splinter’s mew was thick with derision.
“Mouse-heart,” Beetle snarled.
“Mouse-brain,” Slash corrected. “Who would lead dogs back to his own camp?”
Splinter narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps he did it on purpose.”
Beetle’s eyes flashed with interest. “He has been complaining a lot. Perhaps he was hoping the dogs would kill you.” He blinked at Slash. “It might have been a plot to destroy the group.”
“No!” Fern stepped forward. “Red wouldn’t hurt anyone!”
Willow narrowed her eyes. “Then why did he lead the dogs right into the camp?”
Splinter’s ears twitched. “If I was being chased by dogs, I’d lead them away.”
Thunder glanced around the camp. Blood spattered the ground and specked the grass wall. Cats stared, round-eyed with shock. Frog had collapsed, his eyes dull with pain. Blood welled above Moss’s eye. Bloody gouges showed on Fern’s flank. Clumps stuck out from Willow’s pelt. These cats were in no state to look after themselves or each other.
An orange she-cat sniffed at the burly brown tom. “Stone’s dead.” She stared bleakly at his matted pelt.
Slash’s eyes gleamed. “And it’s all Red’s fault.”
Thunder growled. “Stop worrying about who to blame. You’ve got injured cats here. Two of your campmates are dead. It doesn’t matter why it happened. You need to take care of your group.” He glared at Slash.
Slash’s hackles lifted. “How dare you tell me how to lead? What are you doing here anyway?”
He bared his teeth.
Thunder shifted his paws uneasily as Splinter padded closer. “I think he’s a spy.”
Chapter 13
Beetle flexed his claws. “He’s trying to stir up trouble.”
Slash flattened his ears. “I should claw your ears off for trespassing on my land.”
Thunder faced the rogue leader, anger hardening his belly. Overhead, clouds darkened the sky.
“Your campmates need help, not another fight.”
“They brought the danger here themselves.” Slash didn’t even glance at the injured cats littering the clearing. “Anyway, they don’t need help from a couple of cowardly group cats.”
Thunder stared at him in disbelief. “We helped you fight the dogs off!”
Lightning Tail padded to Thunder’s side. “Your cats are so starved, they couldn’t defend themselves properly.” He jerked his muzzle toward Beech. “And you clearly don’t care whether they live or die.”
“Why should I?” Slash’s pelt rippled along his spine. “They’re cowards. They fight like kits.”
Thunder’s paws trembled with fury. “They fight like foxes!” How could Slash despise the cats he was supposed to protect? Didn’t he feel any responsibility for them at all?
Fern padded into the clearing, her eyes wide. She glared at Slash, her eyes blazing with anger.
“You don’t care about us at all. You never have!”
Dawn was lifting Pine and Drizzle from their hiding place among the reeds. She glanced at Fern, her expression somber.
Moss bristled beside her, his gaze on Slash. “Fern’s right. You ordered us to steal, then kept the prey for yourself and your friends.” His glanced at Splinter and Beetle. The vicious toms glared back at him and moved closer to Slash. “You’ve been treating us terribly for a long time! We practically starve, while you let food rot.”
Dawn took a step toward Fern. “They’re right,” she said, looking nervously from the black she-cat to Slash. “You say you want to train us to fight, but you abuse your own cats.”
Fern nodded at Dawn, then turned back to Slash, eyes narrowed. “We’ve put up with you for too long,” she hissed. “You call the group cats weak, but look who fought alongside us. Maybe we’d be better off in a group! We’d definitely be better off without you.”
Better off in a group? Thunder’s pelt prickled with concern. Could the groups accommodate all these cats? Would they?
A tabby tom crossed the clearing and fell in beside Slash. “Why don’t we just leave?” he hissed to Slash. “These mouse-hearts don’t appreciate you, Slash. Let them try to make it on their own!”
Slash narrowed his eyes. “That’s a good suggestion, Snake. I’m wasting my time here.” He flicked his tail toward Splinter and Beetle. “Are you coming with me?”
“Why would we stay here?” Splinter lifted his chin.
Beetle shook out his pelt. “Let these vermin die alone.”
Thunder stared at Slash. I’d never let my group down like this! “They’re your campmates!
They’re injured—and they’re right, you’ve let them down! How can you be so heartless?”
Slash shrugged. “If you’re so worried about them, why don’t you look after them?”
Thunder stiffened. Slash’s words echoed the question he’d been turning over in his mind—a question he couldn’t quite answer. Can I care for these cats? There was barely enough prey in his forest to feed his own group. But he couldn’t just leave these battered cats here. They clearly needed help.
Moss’s eyes lit with outrage. “No one needs to look after us!” he snarled.