Slightly dazed, Gray Wing stood up. On the far side of the grass, his companions were watching him, openmouthed. A bleat from one of the sheep startled him, making him realize how close the strange creatures were. Stumbling a little with the rabbit hanging from his jaws, he trotted back to the riverbank.
“That was… fast,” Cloud Spots mewed.
“Amazing!” Jagged Peak added.
Gray Wing wasn’t sure what had taken hold of him. He set the rabbit down and stepped back. “Come on, eat,” he invited with a wave of his tail.
Dappled Pelt shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry,” she murmured.
“Neither am I,” Tall Shadow agreed. “I mean… great catch, Gray Wing, but we all ate well last night.”
“Even so, we should all eat whenever we have the chance.” Shaded Moss crouched down beside the rabbit. “Who knows when we’ll find more prey?”
The rest of the cats watched him dig in, then moved forward to take their share. Gray Wing was the last to eat, and when he was full there was still some of the rabbit left. He took another mouthful, but it was hard to choke it down.
“I can’t manage any more,” he meowed, feeling shocked at the sight of leftover prey. “If no cat wants it, we’ll have to leave it.”
Shattered Ice looked just as shocked. “What kind of place is this,” he asked, “where there is too much food?”
Chapter 9
The sun rose higher as the cats made their way beside the bank of the river. Huge stretches of green grass lay along their route, enclosed by bushes or the weird shiny meshes. Sheep watched them curiously as they passed. Gray Wing was unnerved by their stares, and could see that his companions felt the same.
Shaded Moss took the lead as before, with Clear Sky and Tall Shadow beside him. Soon, he paused under a large tree and gathered the other cats around him.
“Now that we’re not high up,” Shaded Moss began, “it’s impossible to see much of the route ahead. But we’ll head straight for the point where the sun rises.” He gestured with his taiclass="underline" “That will lead us to those pointed stones.”
Gray Wing looked at the place his leader indicated. The ground ahead still led gently downward, and just visible on the horizon were dark peaks outlined against the bright sky. That’s an awfully long way off, he thought, with a prickle of apprehension.
“We’ll never get that far!” Jagged Peak gulped. He glanced up at Gray Wing, his blue eyes full of misgivings. “Our paws will be worn away to nothing!”
“It’s just one step at a time,” Shaded Moss said encouragingly.
As they continued they still clung to the riverbank. Gray Wing wondered if he was the only one comforted by the sound of running water. Though it was much softer than the waterfall, it was almost the only familiar thing in this strange land.
Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt sniffed at the lush clumps of herbs hanging over the water. Dappled Pelt’s whiskers quivered with excitement as she spotted each new patch of growth.
In several places the lines of thick bushes stretched down to the water’s edge, and the cats had to push their way through, their pelts catching on thorns and sharp twigs. Small birds flew up in twittering flocks, startled by the cats’ presence.
The first time they saw the birds, Moon Shadow and Hawk Swoop sprang forward—only to halt, confused, when Shaded Moss called them back.
“We’re not hungry yet,” he told them. “There’s no need to waste prey.”
Moon Shadow and Hawk Swoop exchanged bewildered glances. “It just seems so wrong, letting prey escape,” Moon Shadow mewed.
Gray Wing remembered the rabbit they had been unable to finish. For once, he thought the black tom spoke for all of them.
Jackdaw’s Cry walked beside Gray Wing, staring around, wide-eyed. “The grass is so soft!” he said. “And there are so many creatures… not just the sheep, but the birds too.” The excitement faded from his voice. “Who knows what else might be hiding in the bushes and watching us?” he finished, shivering.
Gray Wing understood what the young tom meant. “Don’t forget we’re faster than most animals,” he murmured. “We can run away for safety.”
But all the cats were walking closer together now, flinching at sudden noises, and Gray Wing wondered how long they could continue under this kind of stress. Being able to run away didn’t seem as reassuring as it should have.
His ears flicked forward when he heard a rumbling sound that grew louder with every paw step. It came from the other side of a dense, bristly line of bushes. Tasting the air, he picked up a strong, acrid scent.
“What’s that yucky smell?” Jagged Peak asked, passing his tongue over his jaws as if he’d tasted buzzardfood.
“I don’t know.” Shaded Moss drew the cats together with a gesture of his tail. “Keep together until we find out what we’re facing.”
The fur on Gray Wing’s shoulders rose. Looking around at his denmates, he saw that they were bristling too, their eyes wide.
“I’ll go through first and see what’s on the other side,” Clear Sky offered.
Gray Wing’s belly lurched with fear. He couldn’t let his brother face this unknown danger alone. “I’ll go with you,” he declared, stepping forward to stand beside his brother.
Clear Sky glanced at him, then looked away. “Come on, then,” he mewed tersely.
Gray Wing’s head drooped sadly. He blames me for Bright Stream’s death… and he’s right.
“Thank you both.” Shaded Moss gave an approving nod. “Come straight back once you’ve assessed any dangers.”
Gray Wing followed his brother as they thrust their way through the dense, prickly branches, hissing in annoyance as sharp twigs scraped his shoulder, snagging a tuft of fur.
“I don’t get this,” Clear Sky muttered as he halted to lift one paw and pull a thorn from his pad. “Why are all these bushes in a straight line? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I guess it’s just how things are here,” Gray Wing responded.
Slimmer than his brother, he found it easier to slip through the bushes, and was the first to emerge on the other side. Terror froze his paws to the ground. Huge, roaring creatures flashed to and fro a tail-length in front of him, dazzling him with their glittering, unnatural colors. A foul stench poured over him and he struggled to breathe.
I’m going to die!
Before he could warn his brother, Clear Sky slipped out of the bushes beside him. “Stupid prickles!” he hissed. “I’ve left half my fur—”
He broke off with a gulp of astonishment.
Gray Wing braced himself against the gusts of wind and raised his voice to a yowl. “This must be the Thunderpath Stoneteller told us about!”
Clear Sky nodded. “It certainly sounds like thunder. And those must be the monsters. She warned us to stay away from them.”
There was a moment’s peace, with no monsters hurtling past them. Gray Wing set his front paws on the path. It was made of black stone, and felt smooth beneath his pads. On the far side, thick undergrowth grew up to the edge of the stone, with bigger trees beyond, which would offer good cover from the monsters if only they could reach it.
“We’ll be able to cross here,” he meowed. “Unless monsters attack.”
Before he had finished speaking, the roaring began again, growing rapidly louder. “Watch out!” Clear Sky screeched.
He fastened his claws in Gray Wing’s shoulder, dragging him back without a heartbeat to spare as another monster growled past.