“In Twolegplace?” River Ripple glanced across the lush meadow behind them. Huge, dark shapes showed, jagged against the horizon.
Thunder followed his gaze, anxiety pricking in his paws. “Is that it?” He nodded toward the dark shapes.
“Yes.”
Lightning Tail stopped coughing and straightened. “Have you ever been there?”
River Ripple nodded. “There’s a narrow river there, but it’s putrid.” He shivered. “It’s mostly full of Thunderpaths and monsters.”
Thunder flattened his ears. “I’ve never seen a Thunderpath up close.” He’d heard the older cats talk of them and seen the one that ran below the far edge of the moor. The distant monsters that raced along it shone like beetles in the sunlight, their whining roar piercing his ear fur. “We must get there as soon as we can.” Turtle Tail and the kits were in even more danger than he’d thought. He gazed intently at River Ripple. “Will you help us?” If the rogue had been to Twolegplace, he could help them find their way around.
“You say a kittypet’s taken Turtle Tail’s kits?”
Thunder nodded. “We have to get them back.”
“Okay.” River Ripple glanced at Lightning Tail, who was still dripping. “Shake out your pelt and we can leave.”
Thunder backed away quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid another soaking as Lightning Tail obeyed River Ripple. The rogue snorted with amusement as Thunder screwed up his face and shook water from his whiskers, then headed into the grass.
The lush grass of the meadow thinned as the dark shapes of Twolegplace loomed ahead. Thunder’s fur lifted along his spine as he heard the distant drone of monsters and felt a sour tang bathing his tongue. Before long they were crossing a stretch of short grass. Spindly trees lay ahead and Thunder felt relieved to be out of the hot sunshine as they padded beneath the branches.
River Ripple halted. “Are you ready?” He nodded toward a line of bushes ahead. “There are Twoleg nests beyond there.”
Thunder exchanged glances with Lightning Tail. “I promised Gray Wing I’d bring Turtle Tail and the kits back safely.” The muscles along his spine were tight with fear. “You can wait here if you prefer.”
“Never!” Lightning Tail flicked his tail. “We’re sticking together.”
Thunder nodded to River Ripple. “I’ll understand if you want to turn back.”
“I’m coming,” River Ripple told him firmly. “If you’ve never seen a Thunderpath up close before, you’ll need my help.” Thunder and Lightning Tail followed River Ripple through the gap in the hedge, surprised to see a wide stretch of grass on the other side. Flowery bushes edged both sides. Where were the monsters and Thunderpaths? He glanced questioningly at River Ripple.
“Follow me.” The rogue scurried over the grass, keeping close to the bushes. A huge stone shape loomed at the end of the grass. It seemed to be staring at Thunder through four square shiny eyes. “Is it safe here?” He shrank beneath his pelt.
“Don’t worry,” River Ripple called over his shoulder. “It’s just a Twoleg nest. Hurry up!”
Thunder raced after him, surprised by the softness of the grass beneath his paws. It didn’t feel anything like the coarse, spiky grass on the moor.
River Ripple was heading for a narrow gorge that ran between this nest and the next. As shadows swallowed him, Thunder quickened his pace. “Are you okay?” he whispered to Lightning Tail.
“I’m fine,” Lightning Tail answered. “I just hope we find Turtle Tail and the kits quickly.”
Doubt nagged in Thunder’s belly. “Do you really think they came this way?”
“I haven’t caught their scents yet,” Lightning Tail answered as he followed River Ripple into the gorge.
Thunder opened his mouth. Acrid fumes filled it. How could he smell the kits through such a stench?
River Ripple stopped at the end of the gorge and peered out into sunshine.
Thunder stopped beside him. “Where are we going?”
River Ripple shrugged. “This is the easiest way into Twolegplace for a cat. Most kittypets use it. The tom might have come this way.”
“And Turtle Tail has probably followed,” Lightning Tail murmured.
“Let’s hope so,” Thunder muttered darkly. He followed River Ripple’s gaze, screwing his eyes up against the fierce sunshine. His heart lurched as he spotted a huge shiny shape on the flat ground ahead of them. “Is that a monster?” He gulped. Bigger than any stone on the moor, it sat silently on four huge black paws.
“Don’t worry,” River Ripple breathed. “It’s asleep.” He darted forward and crouched beside one of its stinking round paws.
Thunder scurried after him, Lightning Tail at his heels. “Where now?”
River Ripple nodded past the monster. More monsters crouched in front of more Twoleg nests, stretching either side of a Thunderpath. “We need to check around all the nests along this Thunderpath,” he murmured.
Lightning Tail stared. “All of them?”
Thunder blinked. There were too many to count. “What if they’re not here?”
“There are plenty more places like this that we can search,” River Ripple told him.
Thunder’s heart sank. I promised Gray Wing I’d find them! But it looks like we could be searching all night. He straightened, tasting the air.
A loud slam sounded from the monster.
“What’s that?” He stared in terror at River Ripple.
The rogue’s gaze flicked up. Above them, a Twoleg was sitting inside the monster. “Run!” River Ripple hurtled forward. “Get out of here!”
The monster roared into life. It shuddered against Thunder’s flank. Blind with panic, he darted after River Ripple. Lightning Tail’s pelt flashed beside him as the monster leaped forward with a deafening growl. As it turned, squealing, its huge black paw yanked a piece of fur from Thunder’s tail. He swerved sideways, racing over the hard stone ground, then turned, skidding to a halt. “Lightning Tail!”
The young tom slammed into his flank and sent them rolling over the ground.
A few tail-lengths away, the monster leaped onto the Thunderpath and hared away, spouting hot, choking air.
Thunder watched it disappear, his breath coming in gasps. “It nearly killed us!” he panted.
Lightning Tail cowered against him, his body trembling.
River Ripple crept shakily from a bush that sprouted in front of the Twoleg nest. “Perhaps we should stay away from monsters.”
“Do you think so?” Thunder asked sarcastically. He glanced over his shoulder at the monster outside the next nest and the next. A roar sounded from the Thunderpath as another hurtled past. There were more monsters here than Twolegs! “But I don’t think it’s going to be very easy.”
“Thunder.” Lightning Tail’s trembling whisper sounded in his ear.
“What?” Frazzled, Thunder turned to face his friend.
Lightning Tail was staring past him, eyes wide with horror.
Thunder followed his gaze. A white shape, splotched with orange and black, lay like abandoned prey at the side of the Thunderpath. Dread hollowed Thunder’s belly as he recognized the battered tortoiseshell pelt. Horror spiked through his pelt and he froze, not wanting to look closer. But Lightning Tail was already creeping forward.
“Turtle Tail?” The young tom’s mew caught in his throat. “Turtle Tail? Is that you?”
Thunder stiffened as the scent of death touched his nose.
“Turtle Tail!” He hardly heard Lightning Tail’s cry as, numb with grief, he stumbled toward the lifeless body.
Chapter 13
