“No,” Clear Sky meowed with a whisk of his tail. “We’ve made that journey already. I believe this is where we’re supposed to be.”
Thunder stared thoughtfully at the flower, waiting for an explanation to occur to him. Why couldn’t the spirit-cats be a bit clearer?
“What do you think, Thunder?” Clear Sky asked him.
Thunder couldn’t deny a secret spring of satisfaction growing in his chest, like water bubbling up between rocks. My father wants my advice! How far we’ve come!
“I’m not sure,” he replied, unable to stop staring at the flower. The petals spread from the center, each pointing in a different direction…
While he was still pondering, Thunder remembered Pebble Heart’s presence. The kit was so quiet and serious that it was easy to forget he was there. “Do you have any ideas?” he asked, turning to Pebble Heart.
The little tom stared for a heartbeat longer, then backed away. “I—I don’t know,” he stammered.
But he wouldn’t meet Thunder’s gaze and Thunder guessed he wasn’t telling the full story. “I think things are about to change,” Pebble Heart added in a small voice.
Tall Shadow’s whiskers drooped. “It’s time to go,” she meowed. “Sunset is almost here.” She bent her head and bit off a stem with two or three flowers on it. “I’ll take this back and see if it gives any of the others some ideas.”
Clear Sky nodded approvingly. “I’ll take some too.” He bit off one stem, then after a heartbeat’s pause picked another. “And I’ll take this to River Ripple,” he added.
I should have thought of that! Thunder was annoyed with himself. We’re not doing a very good job of being united if we forget to tell Clear Sky or River Ripple about important stuff.
Clear Sky took the lead as the patrol headed back toward the Thunderpath. This time, they all stood back to let Mouse Ear rest his paw on the black surface.
“Better wait,” he warned them. “There’s a monster coming.”
Thunder looked up and down the Thunderpath, but he couldn’t see any trace of a monster. I wonder if this is some crazy rogue superstition?
As he waited, he noticed that Tall Shadow was gazing back toward the marsh, a faraway look in her eyes. “Tall Shadow, are you okay?” he asked.
The black she-cat looked startled, almost as if Thunder had caught her doing something wrong.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
Tall Shadow glanced back at the marsh, and her tail curled up happily. “It’s just so beautiful here,” she purred.
Beautiful? Has she got bees in her brain?
Thunder couldn’t place the uncomfortable feeling that Tall Shadow’s words gave him. He glanced at Pebble Heart to see how he felt about it, but once again the kit wouldn’t meet his gaze.
A distant roar, growing rapidly louder, distracted Thunder. Looking along the Thunderpath he saw a huge monster bearing down on them on massive, black paws. The rattle and rumble of its passing seemed to shake his bones; wind buffeted their fur and almost carried them off their paws.
Thunder glanced at Mouse Ear, impressed. He’s not so crazy after all.
Once the monster had passed, Mouse Ear tested the surface again, then gave a satisfied nod. “We can cross now,” he mewed. “It’s safe.”
All five cats ran quickly across the Thunderpath. Once they reached the opposite side, Clear Sky dipped his head to the moorland cats.
“Good-bye for now,” he murmured politely. “I’ll be sure to let you know if we come up with any ideas about the Blazing Star.”
Thunder called out a farewell as his father disappeared among the trees, then followed Tall Shadow as she headed back to their camp. Pebble Heart, growing tired now, lagged behind.
Mouse Ear’s words repeated themselves in Thunder’s mind as they crossed the moor.
We’re safe. But for how long?
Chapter 10
The sun shone, but wind whistled through the branches of the trees, whirling dead leaves around
Clear Sky. He sat on a hillock in a forest clearing, watching One Eye and Tom. They had gathered some of the other cats to train them in battle techniques.
“Quick Water, have you gone to sleep?” the former rogue snarled. “And you, Leaf? You’re as slow as a dying snail!”
One Eye is harsh, Clear Sky thought, watching him give the unfortunate Leaf a cuff around the ear.
But he certainly can fight!
Clear Sky and One Eye had never spoken again of the argument they had had in front of Thunder and Tall Shadow. Clear Sky didn’t know for sure whether the rogue had followed him across the Thunderpath to find the Blazing Star.
I saw no sign that he did, Clear Sky tried to reassure himself. But I wouldn’t put it past him.
One Eye’s challenge to his authority still rankled, although he kept telling himself what he had told
Mouse Ear: It would take time for a lifelong rogue like One Eye to learn the rules of group living.
Some flare-ups and squabbles were only natural. But if it happens again…
Focusing on the training, Clear Sky knew he couldn’t argue with one fact: One Eye fought very sneakily, with techniques and tricks that Clear Sky himself had never dreamed of. Tom, too, was losing his kittypet softness and learning to use his claws. And kittypet or not, he was full of ideas on how to trick his opponents and defeat them.
“Now watch this,” One Eye meowed, facing Thorn. “Fighting is about winning, right? And to win, you need to distract your enemy. Thorn, I’m coming at you. Fight me off!”
Thorn braced himself, letting out a fierce growl. One Eye crouched low to the ground, then leaped forward as if he was aiming for Thorn’s neck. Thorn instinctively brought up his paws to fend him off. Swift as a striking snake, One Eye ducked underneath his legs and pushed him over, raking his paws across Thorn’s soft belly. Then he stood back, waiting for the disconcerted tom to stand up again.
“If I’d been using my claws,” One Eye rasped, “your belly would have been torn open.”
Thorn clearly didn’t know how to respond to this. One Eye let out an amused snort. “Next time, you will know what to do.”
Thorn nodded, while nervous mrrow s of laughter came from the other cats who had watched the move.
Clear Sky twitched his tail in satisfaction. One Eye and Tom were giving his cats an advantage in battle that no other group would have. That will matter someday, he realized. None of his cats had been able to decide what the Blazing Star meant, and the future was still as dark to them as ever. But whatever the coming seasons held, being a skilled fighter could save a cat’s life. Not in battle, he reminded himself, feeling slightly nauseous at the terrible memory. Not unless we have no other choice.
“What about hidden weapons?” Tom asked, stepping up beside One Eye.
The old rogue turned to him with an enthusiastic swish of his tail. “Yes, good thinking! In a forest like this, no cat needs to rely just on their claws and teeth. There are a lot of things that can inflict pain. Tom, why don’t you go and look for a rock with a sharp edge.”