“Hey! You know better than that!” Thunder called sharply as they tumbled into the group.
Sparrow Fur had barreled straight against Mouse Ear, who stared down at her in shock and snarled, “Get off my paws, midget!”
The young she-cat’s eyes sparkled and she gave Mouse Ear a teasing nip on the back of the leg before she jumped back. Mouse Ear let out a growl and batted at her, but his paw barely skimmed her fur, and his claws were sheathed.
“Annoying furball!” he muttered.
Thunder rolled his eyes. “This is a training session, not a wrestling match,” he meowed, giving Sparrow Fur a hard stare. “Now concentrate! Let’s see your pouncing again. See that stone over there? Pretend it’s a mouse!” He watched approvingly as all the cats crouched and then leaped for the imaginary prey.
“Oh, stop whining and just do it! You’d think you didn’t have paws at all!”
Gray Wing jumped with shock as the mocking voice interrupted the training session. It was coming from just outside the hollow, and for a moment he couldn’t identify the cat who had spoken.
Slightly disturbed, he climbed the slope again.
Beyond the camp Gray Wing spotted Jagged Peak, halfway up one of the twisted thorn trees that grew nearby. He was clinging to a branch, his claws sunk deeply into the bark, his eyes wide with apprehension.
Holly stood at the other side of a narrow gully that became a stream after heavy rain. She was looking up at Jagged Peak with a smirk on her face.
“Come on!” she repeated. “Just jump! I’m not standing here all morning listening to you complain.”
Gray Wing felt his heart begin to beat faster and his shoulder fur bristle as he started toward them.
What is Holly doing? Jagged Peak can’t make that jump!
“You should talk!” Jagged Peak retorted to the she-cat. “After the way you’ve been whining about having to share prey!”
Gray Wing halted as his younger brother hurled himself out of the tree, easily clearing the gully and landing beside Holly with a thump.
“See, I did it,” he meowed, giving her a smug look. “Happy now?”
A half-stifled mrrow of laughter sounded behind Gray Wing, who turned to see Cloud Spots padding up to him.
“It’s not funny!” Gray Wing snapped. “That new rogue is picking on Jagged Peak. Someone needs to teach her…” His voice trailed off as he noticed the amusement glimmering in Cloud Spots’s eyes.
“Stay out of it,” Cloud Spots advised him. “I don’t believe it’s what you think it is. Besides, Jagged Peak can take care of himself.”
Can he? Gray Wing asked himself. Ever since his younger brother was injured falling out of a tree he had always assumed that Jagged Peak couldn’t take care of himself. Have I been unfair to him?
Leaving Holly and Jagged Peak to their own peculiar kind of training, Gray Wing headed back into the hollow, to where Thunder and his cats were still practicing their pounces. Before he reached them, Pebble Heart appeared out of their den, and padded up to walk alongside him.
Since he was a young kit, the tabby tom had shown healing skills, sometimes mysteriously knowing how to treat illnesses without being told. He had strange dreams, too: Gray Wing’s pelt prickled as he remembered Pebble Heart telling him about a dream of cats screeching and clawing at one another—a vision of the battle before it took place.
Since Turtle Tail’s death, Gray Wing sensed that something had changed deep inside Pebble Heart. He seemed more thoughtful and focused. After the battle he had helped to take care of the wounded, showing infinite patience and the authority of a much older cat. Gray Wing had the feeling that the little tom’s paws might be small now, but the steps he was destined to take would be big.
A surge of warmth swelled up inside Gray Wing’s chest and, for once, it was nothing to do with his breathing problems. I promise I’ll be a good father to all three of these kits. I’ll do my very best for them.
“Have you had any more dreams?” he asked Pebble Heart.
“No…” Pebble Heart replied hesitantly.
But Gray Wing felt certain that his adopted son wasn’t telling him everything. Sadness and anger mingled in his heart. Surely if there’s any cat he can trust, it’s me? But then he reminded himself that Pebble Heart would share his secrets when the time was right. Nothing would be gained by nagging him.
Gray Wing comforted himself with the thought that he had allowed Thunder to find his own path.
And look at him now— teaching the younger cats and the rogues. He’s every bit a leader!
“Okay, keep practicing,” Thunder told the other cats, before breaking away and padding up to Gray Wing. “Did you see Clear Sky or any of the others while you were out?” he asked.
“Only River Ripple,” Gray Wing replied.
Since the battle, the moorland cats had seen Clear Sky and his followers from time to time. They had shared a few polite words, and even prey, then gone their separate ways. It was a relief that the territory borders weren’t being jealously guarded, but Gray Wing couldn’t help feeling that things could be better. Stiff politeness was all very well, but it was a far cry from the close friendship they had felt for one another on their journey out of the mountains.
“It’s not long before the next meeting at the four trees,” Thunder went on. “Do you think the spirit-cats will appear again?”
“I’m not sure.” Gray Wing thought for a moment, then added, “But we all agreed to meet there at the next full moon, to see how we’re getting on, so we need to do that, spirit-cats or no spirit-cats.
Unite or die: That’s what we said we’d do.”
Chapter 4
The icy glow of the full moon poured down upon the four oak trees. The leaves rustled in a gentle breeze, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the great rock.
Beneath the trees, the clearing was alive with cats. Gray Wing spotted Acorn Fur bounding eagerly forward to nuzzle Lightning Tail, who covered her ears with affectionate licks. Nearby
Dappled Pelt and Quick Water touched noses, then settled down for a long chat. Gray Wing caught a snatch of conversation between Shattered Ice and Petal.
“…you and the other rabbit-chasers,” the yellow tabby she-cat meowed good-humoredly. “Why don’t you learn to stalk?”
“Why don’t you learn to run?” Shattered Ice retorted, giving her a friendly nudge.
Gray Wing watched with hope in his heart. “Most of these cats haven’t seen one another since last full moon, when we were fighting,” he murmured to Thunder and Tall Shadow, who were standing on either side of him. “And now look at them! Maybe the peace really will last.”
Tall Shadow blinked, looking on with mild surprise as Cloud Spots and Leaf touched noses and settled down side by side, their pelts brushing. “Perhaps the worst is behind us,” she agreed.
“And we can start making plans for the future,” Thunder put in.
Clear Sky padded over to join them. Relief flooded over Gray Wing to see his brother looking relaxed and friendly. For so long, all he cared about was protecting his territory. A few moons ago, he wouldn’t even share prey with me. But we all learned lessons when our friends died.
“It’s good to see you,” Clear Sky mewed, dipping his head to the moorland cats. His gaze traveled across the mingling groups, and he added, “Do you think the spirit-cats will be pleased with us?”
“I hope so,” Gray Wing replied. “We’ve done nothing wrong. And yet… somehow, things don’t seem quite complete.” He couldn’t explain the emptiness he felt any more clearly. Surely there’s more to uniting than just not battling one another?