The First Battle Read online

  “Prey?” Sparrow Fur was scrambling down the bramble stem. “Is it time to eat?” As she popped her head through the trailing branches, Turtle Tail padded toward her. “Soon, dear. Shattered Ice is going hunting.”

  Gray Wing looked hopefully at the green-eyed tom. “Okay?”

  Shattered Ice nodded.

  “I’ll go with them,” Hawk Swoop announced. Jackdaw’s Cry was already heading for the gap in the heather that led onto the moorside, and she hurried after him. Gorse Fur followed, Shattered Ice falling in behind.

  Wind Runner paced around Gray Wing. “We still haven’t decided what to do about Clear Sky.”

  Gray Wing felt a flash of irritation. Wind Runner had only joined the group recently. Who was she to insist they make decisions about a cat who had come all the way from the mountains with them?

  Turtle Tail shooed Sparrow Fur back beneath the brush and turned toward Gray Wing. “What’s your plan?”

  Tall Shadow padded closer, stopping a muzzle-length from Gray Wing. “You agreed that some cat has to stop Clear Sky, before more damage is done.”

  Gray Wing blinked. After he’d confronted Clear Sky over Bumble’s deadly injuries, he’d asked Tall Shadow for advice.

  He trusted Tall Shadow to know what to do. The strong, black she-cat had led them from the mountains, confident in her ability to guide her tribe mates safely to their new home. Gray Wing had been unnerved when her confidence had ebbed away after their arrival on the moor. He could hardly believe it when she’d asked him to take over as leader. But with the death of her brother, Moon Shadow, her old energy seemed to have returned. Faced with Clear Sky’s hostility, Gray Wing had been so unsure about what to do that he’d offered to pass the leadership back to her, but she had refused. Instead, they’d agreed to work together and, with the help of Wind Runner—a cat more courageous and intelligent than Gray Wing had imagined a rogue could ever be—they’d agreed to face this problem together.

  He stiffened his shoulders. “If Clear Sky’s moving boundaries we need to know where he’ll expand next.”

  Tall Shadow tipped her head. “How?”

  Wind Runner’s ears twitched. “We could send spies.”

  “Too dangerous.” Gray Wing traced an arc in the sandy earth with a claw.

  Wind Runner and Tall Shadow hopped backward to give him room. Turtle Tail paced a wide circle, her gaze curious.

  “This is where the forest ends,” Gray Wing explained. He traced a fresh line with his paw, expanding the arc out in a bulge. “You found Misty here, right?” He pointed to the fresh line, and then traced another bulge. “And Bumble here.”

  Tall Shadow was nodding. The two bulges stuck out like ears on a cat.

  “This space—” Gray Wing scuffed the earth between and drew a fresh arc farther out with a sweep of his paw. “This area will probably be his next target.”

  Wind Runner’s eyes lit. “Until he’s pushed his boundary clear to the edge of the moorslope.”

  Gray Wing nodded. “If he’s determined to take more territory, he might use the same strategy again and again, until”—Gray Wing traced two more bulges from the fresh arc, then scuffed the earth between—“he’s pushed right up—”

  “Thunder!” Rainswept Flower’s mew interrupted him.

  Gray Wing glanced across the clearing. The she-cat’s nose was high. Her whiskers twitched excitedly.

  Cloud Spots padded forward, tasting the air. “She’s right.”

  Gray Wing looked up. The sky was clear, growing purple as the sun set. “Thunder?” He frowned. “Can you smell rain?”

  “Not rain! Thunder!” Rainswept Flower raced toward the gap in the heather and peered through.

  She hopped backward as Hawk Swoop swept past, her amber eyes glowing with joy.

  Gray Wing frowned as he saw her, confused. “You went hunting.” He stopped as he caught a glimpse of a familiar pelt behind her.

  “Thunder!” Joy surged through his pelt as he recognized the young tom. Thunder’s paws, which had been so huge when he was a kit, didn’t seem big anymore. “You’ve grown!” His shoulders were broader, muscles rippling beneath his sleek orange-and-white pelt. Hawk Swoop had raised him in the moor cats’ camp after his mother and littermates had been killed. When he’d left to be with his father in the forest, Gray Wing had missed him but he’d understood why the young cat had wanted to go. He hurried to greet him, ears twitching with curiosity. “What are you doing back on the moor?”

  Thunder glanced nervously around the camp. “I hope you don’t mind me coming here.”

  Gray Wing slowed. Thunder hadn’t answered his question. Strange forest scents clung to his pelt. Doubt pricked in his paws. Why had Thunder appeared now—so soon after Bumble’s death and Gray Wing’s quarrel with Clear Sky? Had his brother sent the young tom to spy?

  Hawk Swoop puffed out her chest. “He’s come home,” she mewed, her voice cracking.

  Beside the gap in the heather, Rainswept Flower stiffened. “Who’s that?”

  A white tom had limped into camp after Thunder.

  Gray Wing narrowed his eyes.

  “That’s Frost,” Hawk Swoop told them, her words tumbling out. “He’s been banished by Clear Sky. Thunder left with him. We found them trekking from the border.” Her eyes were fixed on Thunder, shining as fondly as if he were her own kit.

  Thunder was staring at Gray Wing, his gaze sharp with worry. “Frost needs help and we had nowhere else to go.”

  That’s why they’ve come! Gray Wing’s pelt smoothed. Thunder was helping a friend.

  Hawk Swoop went on. “Jackdaw’s Cry and the others went on with the hunt, but I wanted to bring Thunder home as soon as possible.” Her tail flicked with anxiety and she lowered her voice. “Banished cats should not be wandering the moors alone. And Frost is injured. Clear Sky wouldn’t tolerate a cat not pulling its weight!”

  Cloud Spots went to circle the white tom, his nose twitching.

  Frost backed away, pelt bristling.

  “It’s okay,” Cloud Spots murmured distractedly, his eyes searching Frost’s pelt. “I’m just checking to see how badly you’re hurt.”

  “It’s a burn on my leg,” Frost mumbled. He held still, watching warily as Cloud Spots padded around him.

  “Thunder!”

  Frost whirled in surprise as excited mewls burst from the bramble and small paws thrummed over the sandy clearing. The kits were racing to greet their old friend.

  Gray Wing swished his tail. “Wait,” he told them. “You can greet him in a moment.”

  “Your wound has gone sour.” Cloud Spots’s nose wrinkled as he sniffed at Frost’s hind leg.

  “Is that why it hurts so much?” Frost’s face twisted with pain.

  “Yes.” Cloud Spots crouched and sniffed the wide, raw wound, which showed near the top of the leg where fur should have been. Yellow pus welled on swollen red flesh.

  “It’s a burn from the fire that won’t heal,” Thunder explained.

  “Come with me.” Cloud Spots beckoned to Frost with a nod and led him toward a gorse bush. Its branches jutted over the clearing and Cloud Spots gently nosed Frost into the space beneath. Gray Wing saw the white tom’s face soften with relief as he sank down into its shade.

  “I’ll fetch some herbs to ease the pain.” Cloud Spots ducked out from beneath the gorse and trotted toward the gap in the heather.

  “What happened, Thunder?” Gray Wing leaned closer to the young tom. “Why did Clear Sky banish you?”

  Thunder shifted his paws uneasily.

  Gray Wing was suddenly aware of Rainswept Flower’s breath at his ear. Hawk Swoop was leaning close to Thunder. Tall Shadow and Wind Runner padded nearer, their ears twitching. Turtle Tail stood a tail-length away while the kits lined up beside her, fidgeting with impatience.

  “Can we greet him yet?” Sparrow Fur begged.

  Gray Wing stared into Thunder’s eyes. He saw grief darkening his amber gaze. What had happened between the young tom
and his father? “Come with me.” Gently, he nudged Thunder through the gap in the heather and crossed the smooth grass, golden in the setting sun. As he sat down, he noticed Thunder glance over his shoulder, swapping looks with Turtle Tail. He was touched by the warmth in their gazes. He loved both cats and he was glad they were fond of each other. “I’m so pleased you’ve come back.” He purred loudly.

  Thunder nosed his shoulder fondly. “It’s good to see you.” He began to pace around Gray Wing.

  Gray Wing’s ear twitched. He had to know why Thunder was so tense. “Hawk Swoop said Clear Sky had banished you.”

  Thunder halted. “He banished Frost, not me,” he muttered. “I chose to leave.”

  “You chose to leave your father?” But you were so eager to join him!

  Thunder growled. “I have no father!”

  Gray Wing gasped. “Has something happened to Clear Sky?” If his brother had been injured, or worse . . .

  “No. He’s fine.” Thunder stared angrily at his paws.

  “Then why—”

  “He wanted me to take Frost somewhere and leave him to die alone!” Thunder jerked up his head and stared straight at Gray Wing. “All the forest cats are scared of him. He hurts anyone who stands up to him. I can’t stay in the forest if I don’t agree with him.”

  Gray Wing felt a flash of pride at Thunder’s outrage. But sadness tugged at his belly. Was Clear Sky going to drive away every cat who loved him? He remembered his recent quarrel with his brother over Bumble’s death. He hurts any cat who stands up to him. Perhaps Thunder knew Clear Sky had killed her. It could be another reason he’d left.

  “Did he mention anything about a kittypet who died?” Gray Wing ventured.

  “No.” Thunder’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  “We found a body near Clear Sky’s new border,” Gray Wing explained. “It was Bumble, a friend of Turtle Tail from her time with the Twolegs. Clear Sky said he’d fought with the kittypet, but told me it was a fox who’d killed her.”

  Thunder’s gaze glistened. “Clear Sky did return to camp yesterday smelling of fox,” he admitted. “And I fought a fox earlier today.”

  Hope soared like a bird in Gray Wing’s chest. “So it could have been a fox?”

  Thunder stiffened. “Why? Do you think it could have been Clear Sky?”

  Gray Wing caught his eye. “Do you?”

  They stared at each other for a moment that seemed to last forever. Gray Wing felt his heart beating in his throat. If Clear Sky’s own son thought him capable of murder . . . Gray Wing couldn’t bear to finish the thought.

  “He’s angry.” Thunder avoided the question. “And he’s determined to claim as much territory as he can. He fears the coming cold season as though he was still in the mountains, and fear can bring out the worst in any creature.”

  Gray Wing was impressed by how much Thunder had matured. The young cat seemed to spot danger with the clarity of a hawk’s gaze. He began to pace, nervous energy fizzing in his paws. “I don’t want forest cats fighting moor cats. Not over something as dumb as territory.” He swept his tail toward the rolling moor. “There’s more land here than we could ever need.”

  “So long as old cats die as fast as kits are born.” Thunder’s mew was grim. “But what if our numbers grow? Won’t our borders need to grow too?”

  Gray Wing flattened his ears. “Do you agree with Clear Sky?”

  “No!” Thunder growled. “But we must defend the borders we have now or Clear Sky will take everything.”

  There will be war. Stoneteller’s prophecy rang in Gray Wing’s ears. He mustn’t let it come true. Panic welled in his chest. “If only I could talk to Clear Sky,” he murmured. “We could straighten everything out. We could set borders we both agree on. We could live in peace.”

  “Then talk to him.” Thunder’s clear amber eyes glowed as the sun slid behind the moortop. “You’re the only cat he’d ever listen to.”

  Gray Wing blinked. Thunder knew his father better than any of the moor cats. If he thought that talk might be enough to settle their differences, there was a chance for peace. “You agree?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll do it!”

  Thunder turned and headed for the camp. “Can Frost stay?” he called over his shoulder.

  Gray Wing caught him up. “I wouldn’t turn away an injured cat.”

  “You’re not Clear Sky,” Thunder muttered.

  As they padded into camp, the other cats turned, their gazes curious. The kits, who had been charging up and down the clearing, stopped and turned.

  “Go and make yourself a nest,” Gray Wing told Thunder.

  “Can we say hi to him now?” Owl Eyes called.

  “Yes.” Gray Wing nodded.

  As Thunder padded to the edge of the camp where long grass sprouted beside the heather, the kits tore after him.

  “You’re back!” Sparrow Fur squeaked.

  “Are you staying?” Owl Eyes asked excitedly.

  “For good?” Pebble Eyes added.

  Gray Wing caught Tall Shadow’s eye. “I must speak with you.”

  Turtle Tail was watching, her gaze sharp, as Tall Shadow padded to meet Gray Wing.

  He ignored it, focusing on Tall Shadow. “I want to speak to Clear Sky and see if we can set borders we both agree on with words instead of claws.”

  Tall Shadow’s ear twitched nervously. “Alone? Is that safe?”

  Gray Wing hesitated. Would Clear Sky actually harm him?

  Tall Shadow dipped her head. “Take others with you, just in case.”

  As she spoke, paw steps sounded beyond the heather. Jackdaw’s Cry, Shattered Ice, and Gorse Fur had returned, all three carrying prey. Jackdaw’s Cry dropped a dead rabbit beside the flat rock. Shattered Ice placed the limp body of a lapwing beside it. Gorse Fur carried a shrew to Wind Runner and laid it at her paws. She touched his cheek with her muzzle, then sniffed the prey.

  No wonder she’s getting plump. Gray Wing leaped onto the flat rock. “I must speak,” he called.

  Turtle Tail turned to her kits as they came hurtling from Thunder’s side. She shooed them back with a flick of her nose.

  “Why can’t we hear?” Owl Eyes complained.

  “A cat who can’t hunt for himself is not old enough to hear everything,” Turtle Tail told him briskly.

  Sparrow Fur lifted her chin. “I caught a butterfly yesterday.”

  Turtle Tail gazed fondly at her daughter. “I know, dear. But, for now, take Owl Eyes and Pebble Heart back under the bramble. Play there, out of the way.”

  Sparrow Fur turned sullenly and began to march away. Pebble Heart and Owl Eyes followed, dragging their paws.

  As Gray Wing waited for them to disappear behind the trailing branches, Gorse Fur moved closer to Wind Runner. Jackdaw’s Cry sat down and swept his long black tail over his paws. Thunder padded from the grassy patch he’d been kneading into a nest. Hawk Swoop settled beside Shattered Ice while Tall Shadow and Rainswept Flower watched from the sandy clearing, Jagged Peak beside them.

  Cloud Spots padded into camp, a bunch of green leaves clamped between his jaws.

  Gray Wing acknowledged him with a nod and waited for him to drop his leaves beside the gorse and take his place among the others. Then he began. “Bumble’s death has unsettled us all, coming so soon after Misty’s.”

  A growl rumbled in Turtle Tail’s throat.

  Gray Wing silenced her with a sharp look. “Clear Sky is moving borders daily so that no cat knows where he may hunt or roam.” He pressed on before anyone could yowl accusations. “I have decided I must talk with him. If I can find out what he’s thinking and what he wants, then we might find a way to live peacefully side by side.” And you might sheathe your claws next time you meet a forest cat. He glanced anxiously around the moor cats. Could he stop their anger from spiraling into revenge?

  Gorse Fur snorted. “We were already living peacefully until Clear Sky started causing trouble.”

  “A
nd we’ll do so again,” Gray Wing promised. “If I can only speak with him.” He paused and looked round. “Will anyone come with me?”

  “I will!” Jackdaw’s Cry stepped forward.

  Gorse Fur lifted his tail. “Me too.”

  Cloud Spots wove between them and looked up at Gray Wing. “We should wait,” he meowed softly.

  “Wait?” Shattered Ice jerked around to look at the black-and-white tom.

  “We accused Clear Sky of murder yesterday,” Cloud Spots reasoned. “He will still be angry. We should let that anger pass before we confront him.”

  “I don’t want to confront him,” Gray Wing argued. “I only want to talk.”

  Thunder shouldered his way between Tall Shadow and Rainswept Flower. “Cloud Spots is right. Clear Sky will see it as a confrontation,” he warned. “My father has a quick temper. I’ve tried to reason with him but he won’t listen. It’s better to wait till he cools down.” His gaze betrayed a flicker of grief.

  Sympathy flooded Gray Wing’s heart. He’s lost his father today. “Okay,” Gray Wing agreed. “Any cat who wishes to come with me to Clear Sky’s camp will meet me here, at the flat rock, in two dawns’ time.”

  Wind Runner puffed out her fur. “I’ll be there.”

  Murmurs rippled around the cats as Gray Wing jumped down beside Turtle Tail.

  “Do you really think talking will help?” Her gaze was disbelieving.

  Gray Wing padded toward the dark opening of the tunnel where he and Turtle Tail made their nest. “I have to try it, Turtle Tail,” he sighed. “He’s my brother.”

  She didn’t say a word in response, which felt like a greater punishment than if she’d protested. “I’ll fetch the kits,” she meowed eventually.

  “Turtle Tail, I . . .” he began.

  “I need to keep them safe!” she snapped, cutting him off.

  He watched her pad away; then he climbed into their nest. Around him, night enfolded the camp. Gorse Fur and Jagged Peak were tearing apart the prey the hunting party had brought back, giving pieces to each of the cats.

  Jagged Peak carried a haunch of rabbit across the clearing. “You must be hungry.” He dropped it beside Gray Wing’s nest.

  Its warm scent filled Gray Wing’s nose. “Not really.” Anxiety was churning in his belly. He stared past Jagged Peak at Thunder, who was nipping sprigs of heather from the camp wall and laying them in his new nest. He was pleased to have him back. The hollow felt like Thunder’s rightful home.