A Forest Divided

Chapter 9

Clear Sky hung his chin over the edge of the branch and gazed at the camp below. Satisfaction washed beneath his pelt as he watched his cats. Acorn Fur lay in the weak leaf-bare sunshine that filtered through the branches, while Birch and Alder batted the tip of her tail between them. Every now and then she whisked it up into the air, and one of the young cats jumped for it, purring loudly.

Nettle and Thorn shared tongues among the roots of the beech, while Owl Eyes and Sparrow Fur picked through the prey pile.

Sparrow Fur pawed a mouse from the top and lifted her tail proudly as a small shrew showed beneath. She stepped away and eyed her campmates hopefully.

Cloud Spots crossed the clearing toward her. “What’s fresh?”

“This shrew.” Sparrow Fur nodded toward it.

“Did you catch it?” Cloud Spots’s eyes twinkled.

Owl Eyes snorted. “You know she did! She’s been boasting about it since we got back from hunting.”

Cloud Spots licked his lips. “I love shrew.”

Owl Eyes hooked out a mangy starling. “What about something with feathers?”

Sparrow Fur glared at him. “He wants my prey, not yours.” She nudged her shrew toward Cloud

Spots, who took it and carried it to the beech, where he settled beside Nettle and Thorn.

“I’d like the starling,” Pink Eyes called from the holly bush where he was sunning himself beside

Quick Water.

Quick Water raised her head. “Can I share it with you?”

Pink Eyes sat up. “Of course.”

Owl Eyes picked up the starling in his jaws and bounded across the clearing. He dropped it at Pink Eyes’s paws. “Sorry it’s a bit scrawny.”

“It’s leaf-bare.” Pink Eyes shrugged. “I’m happy we have any prey.”

Owl Eyes glanced toward the bramble wall. “Blossom’s patrol will be back soon. They’ll have more.”

Quick Water sniffed the starling. “This will be enough for us.”

Clear Sky could see beyond the brambles from his perch in the oak tree. There was no sign of Blossom’s patrol. He’d sent her out with Lightning Tail just after dawn. He’d sent Leaf out with Sparrow Fur and Owl Eyes a little later, and Leaf had already gone back out again to gather moss.

Two hunting patrols should bring back enough prey to feed all the hungry bellies in camp.

He peered beneath the yew. Where were Milkweed and her kits? They’d seemed so frail when they’d arrived that he’d given them Birch and Alder’s cozy nest, tucked deep under the dark, green branches. Birch and Alder had happily made new nests in a gap in the brambles.

As he searched the shadows, two pairs of eyes flashed beneath the bush. Milkweed’s ginger-and-black pelt moved behind them. Clear Sky had found them on his border. His heart had ached to see them. The kits looked as scrawny as Fluttering Bird had been, while Milkweed had the same haunted look that used to darken Quiet Rain’s eyes. He’d invited them to join his group even before Milkweed asked. But when she had given him Gray Wing’s message, he’d felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps his brother was seeing sense in bringing all cats together after all.

A twinge of regret tugged at Clear Sky’s belly. If only the other cats understood. They could be here now. More hunters would mean more food. Everyone would be safe, just as Fluttering Bird wanted.

Leaf-bare will be here for moons. It had brought him Milkweed, Thistle, and Clover. More hard frosts and snowfalls might help the moor cats and river cats realize they could not survive alone. And the pine forest might not turn out to be the prey-rich home Tall Shadow had dreamed of. They’ll see sense eventually.

Star Flower’s golden pelt caught his eye. She slid out from behind the oak and skirted the edge of the clearing. Stopping beside the yew, she stooped to look under the branches. “Hi, you two.” There was a teasing purr in her mew as she called to Thistle and Clover. “Who wants to race me to the prey pile?”

Thistle and Clover scrambled eagerly into the light.

“There’s prey?” Clover blinked.

“I told you I smelled mouse,” Thistle told his sister.

“Milkweed said we shouldn’t take prey unless it’s offered.” Clover’s eyes were wide with worry.

Star Flower lifted her tail. “I’m offering.”

Clear Sky snorted. Star Flower was acting as though it was her prey to give away! She’d hardly been here longer than the kits. She hadn’t even been on the hunting patrol that had brought it back. She had lost none of her arrogance.

“Line up next to me,” she told the kits as she crouched. “When I twitch my ear, run. The first cat to the prey pile gets first pick of the prey.”

Thistle and Clover huddled beside her, their short tails flicking with excitement.

Milkweed squeezed out behind them. “Don’t pick the best prey,” she warned. “The hunters should get it.”

Star Flower flashed her a look. “Don’t teach them to take less than they deserve. They need to grow strong—one day, they’ll be hunters.”

Milkweed glanced around the camp, her gaze flicking nervously over the other cats. “I guess.”

She clearly did not feel comfortable depending on others for her food.

Star Flower twitched her ear, and Thistle and Clover sped away, their small paws pattering over the cold earth. Star Flower trotted after them, arriving a few paces behind as they skidded to a halt beside the prey pile.

“I got here first!” Thistle mewed.

“But I’m closest.” Clover had stopped a whisker away from the mouse that Sparrow Fur had knocked from the pile. She snatched it in her jaws and began to drag it back toward Milkweed.

Thistle growled. “That’s not fair.”

“Don’t you like mouse?” Star Flower asked, her eyes shining.

“Yes, but I want—”

Star Flower didn’t let him finish. “Then go and help your sister carry it back to Milkweed.”

The mouse had snagged on a jutting root at the edge of the clearing. Clover was tugging at it, her face crumpled with effort.

Thistle hurried toward her and, grabbing the mouse’s tail in his teeth, unhooked it from the root.

Clover blinked at him gratefully and they headed back to Milkweed, carrying the mouse between them.

As Star Flower sat back on her haunches and watched them go, Clear Sky narrowed his eyes.

Thunder was watching the golden she-cat from beneath the oak. There was a glow in the young tom’s gaze. Was I wrong to let him bring her back to camp? Clear Sky shifted his paws uneasily. The other cats had accepted her, but they still eyed her with mistrust.

On the night of her arrival, Leaf and Lightning Tail had followed Clear Sky out of camp and questioned his judgment.

“She’s a traitor,” Leaf had growled.

Lightning Tail had paced, frowning. “She lied to Thunder last time. She’ll do it again.”

Clear Sky had met their gazes steadily. “Thunder’s no fool,” he told them. “And what would she lie about? There’s no cat left for her to betray us to. One Eye is dead. She has no one else. Would you have left her to fend for herself all leaf-bare?”

“Yes.” Lightning Tail had kicked at the fallen leaves with a forepaw.

“Don’t you think I have a reason for taking her in?” Clear Sky had argued. “Having her close means we can keep an eye on her. That way, if she is our enemy, we’ll know it before she can harm us.”

Leaf had tipped his head thoughtfully. “I guess.”

Lightning Tail had curled his lip. “I’m watching her every move. Especially around Thunder.”

Clear Sky’s thoughts flicked back to the present. Do they trust her yet? Star Flower had shown nothing but loyalty so far. She’d hunted well, and had taken a damp nest among the beech roots without complaint. Lightning Tail had kept his word, watching her like a hawk and barging into any conversation she had with Thunder. But now Lightning Tail was out hunting, and Thunder was gazing wistfully at the golden she-cat. He still cares for her. Clear Sky moved on his branch as Star Flower stretched out her forepaws languorously, arching her back until her hind legs trembled. She knows Thunder’s watching her. Clear Sky saw her gaze flick over her shoulder for a heartbeat before she picked a mouse from the prey pile and padded toward the yew.

Thunder turned hurriedly and began washing his tail as she passed.

I should have a talk with him, Clear Sky thought. He’s young. Feelings may cloud his judgment.

He got to his paws. I’ll do it later. He knew that he’d need to pick the right moment if he wanted Thunder to listen to his warning.

Right now, he planned to patrol the borders of the forest. He wanted to find out whether any of the cats from the moor, pine forest, or river were hunting close to his scent lines. Hunger will drive them to my prey-rich woods eventually, and we’ll be together, just like Fluttering Bird wants.

The bright skies had brought a fresh chill to the forest. He stepped toward the trunk and, scrabbling down from branch to branch, leaped down into the clearing. He tasted the air, wondering whether the fine weather would be warmed by rain or hardened by snow. The wind, tainted by the must of decaying leaf litter, gave no clue.

He padded around the edge of the clearing, nodding to Milkweed as he passed. Star Flower had settled beside the black-and-ginger queen and was sharing her mouse with Thistle, while Clover snatched bites from her mother’s. Milkweed glanced up at Clear Sky, her eyes round with silent thanks. Her kits were sleeker already, though they’d only been here a few days. They would grow into good hunters.

Clear Sky dipped his head. “Would you like to join the next hunting party?” She might feel easier about taking prey if she’d helped hunt it.

Milkweed blinked eagerly. “Yes, please!”

“Can I go too?” Thistle looked up from his mouse.

“Not yet,” Clear Sky told him. “But you can practice some moves in camp.” He glanced at Birch and Alder. Acorn Fur had rolled onto her side and was sleeping. The two young cats were pacing restlessly behind her, clearly looking for something to do. “Would you like to teach Thistle and Clover some hunting moves?” Clear Sky called.

Alder hurried over. “That would be great!”

Thistle sat up excitedly and licked his lips. “Can we start now?”

“Why not?” As Alder led Thistle toward the center of the clearing, Clear Sky headed for the bramble. He paused beside Pink Eyes and Quick Water, who were still chewing on the starling. “I’m going to check the borders,” he meowed. “Keep watch on the camp.”

Pink Eyes sniffed. “You should choose a cat with better eyesight.”

Quick Water nudged the old tom. “No cat hears or smells better than you.”

“I trust you won’t miss anything.” Clear Sky dipped his head.

Quick Water eyed him curiously. “Why are you patrolling the borders?” she asked. “I thought you welcomed strangers now.”

“I still like to know who’s coming and going,” Clear Sky told her. He padded to the bramble wall and ducked through the gap between the branches.

Outside was cold. An icy wind whisked between the trees. No prey stirred, and he guessed that the tiny creatures of the forest were tucked deep in their warm burrows. Perhaps he should send out a hunting patrol at night as well as in the day. Mice and voles ventured out when the moon was high, but so did the owls and foxes that preyed on them. And the air would be too cold to scent anything but ice.

He followed the trail to the gully. One good rainfall and the narrow channel in the forest floor would be brimming with water, but for now it was dry. He hopped into it and headed toward the great sycamore.

He paused suddenly, the fur along his spine pricking as though it felt some creature’s gaze. Was he being followed? He stopped and listened for paw steps. A blackbird shrilled overhead. Far away on the moor, a dog barked. He opened his mouth to taste the air—Lightning Tail and Blossom had passed this way, their stale scent carried away by the breeze rippling over him, heavy with the scent of the pine forest, but nothing else.

Clear Sky shook out his fur and picked his way farther along the gully, telling himself that he was just being jumpy.

As the woods rose to one side, he hopped out of the gully and began to climb the slope toward the sycamore. As he neared the top, a fresh scent touched his nose; not all prey was in its burrow. The thick layer of leaf litter beneath the sycamore, crawling with tasty bugs, must have tempted something from its shelter. He opened his mouth and tasted the musky scent of a vole.

Stiffening, he dropped into a hunting crouch and drew himself forward, one paw step at a time, toward the crest of the slope. As the earth flattened, he scanned the forest floor. The ancient roots of the sycamore snaked into the ground. Movement flickered beside one of the gnarled stems. Clear Sky froze. The vole was snuffling at a seed pod, its tiny ears twitching.

He fixed his gaze on it, forcing his tail to stay still as he crept forward. His heart quickened as he closed in. The vole had picked up the seed pod and was nibbling at one side. Three tail-lengths from it, Clear Sky narrowed his eyes, judging his leap. If he pushed hard enough, he could land square on the vole and pin it against the sycamore root. His fur rippled along his spine. Bunching his legs beneath him, he waggled his hindquarters. Then he leaped.

Dead leaves fluttered out behind him. The vole turned at the sound, its eyes widening in terror.

Fast as lightning, it scuttled out of sight. Clear Sky landed clumsily, thumping against the sycamore root.

“Mouse dung!” he hissed, frustration flashing though him.

Leaves rustled behind and he turned.

Star Flower was standing at the top of the slope. Her lustrous tail was high and her eyes glittered with amusement. “Nice try.”

Heat flooded beneath Clear Sky’s pelt. “You scared it off.” He straightened angrily. “It probably smelled your scent.”

She padded closer, her tail swishing. “At least something did.”

“You were downwind.” Clear Sky grunted. Was she trying to embarrass him?

“Perhaps I could give you some tips.” She stopped a tail-length away. “I’ve been hunting here all my life.”

Clear Sky climbed onto the root and sat down. “I don’t need tips, thanks. I’m a great hunter.” He lifted a paw and began washing it.

“I know that.” Star Flower rounded the end of the root, where it plunged into the earth, stopping on the other side. “But you weren’t born in a forest. You don’t have the same feel for it as me. Leaf and Nettle share an instinct. You’ve seen them hunt. You must have noticed how they can blend into the woods in a way you’ll never be able to.”

Clear Sky stopped washing. “That’s why I took them into my group,” he said, his chest puffing with pride. Any cat could hunt, but few had the sense to recognize and use the skills of other cats. He leaned toward Star Flower. “Perhaps I should give you some tips about leadership.”

Her green eyes glowed with a challenge. “Perhaps you should.”

Clear Sky snorted. Proud young cat! “What are you doing here anyway?”

“You looked lonely, leaving the camp by yourself,” she told him.

“I don’t get lonely,” Clear Sky snapped.

Star Flower eyed him for a moment. “Really?” She padded forward until she was just a whisker away from him.

He hopped down from the tree root and faced her. “Go back to camp and leave me alone.”

“It’s too… cozy in camp. I’m not used to being around so many cats. For most of my life, it was just me and One Eye.”

“Surely you had littermates?” Clear Sky bristled with irritation the moment he spoke. He’d allowed her to draw him into a conversation.

“They died with my mother.” Her green eyes showed no expression.

Clear Sky’s paws pricked uneasily. Did she feel no grief? “How did they die?”

“I don’t know.” Star Flower shrugged. “I was too young to remember, and One Eye refused to ever speak of them.”

Clear Sky strode past her and gazed away between the trees. He wasn’t going to feel sympathy for this cat. This was probably how she had won Thunder’s affection. “That must have been hard for you,” he meowed coldly. “But every cat holds some tragedy in their heart.”

“Like you.” She moved closer until her thick pelt brushed his.

Clear Sky flinched away and glared at her. “Go back to camp.”

“We’re more alike than you think.” Her green gaze seemed to burn into his.

“We’re nothing alike,” he snapped. “I’ve never betrayed any cat.”

“I’m not sure Gray Wing would agree with that,” Star Flower pointed out. “Or Thunder. Or Jagged Peak.” She paused. “Or Rainswept Flower.”

Claw Sky could feel his claws extended, digging into the earth. How dare she remind him that he’d killed a cat he’d grown up with?

He had been trying to make amends for it every day since.

Star Flower lowered her voice. “I understand you, Clear Sky. You’ve had to make hard decisions to protect the cats in your care. And sometimes it’s meant doing things you’ve regretted.”

She held his gaze. “If I could take back some of the things I’ve done, I would.”

He blinked. Was she sorry for her betrayal?

Her eyes glimmered as though lit by starlight. Her dark pupils looked like flowers. To Clear Sky, it was almost like the five petals of the Blazing Star seemed to shine in her eyes.

“I know you don’t trust me,” she murmured. “I don’t deserve your trust. But I will try to show you that you can count on me. Once I choose my allies, I am willing to die for them. For all my mistakes, I never betrayed my father. And, if you trust me, I will never betray you.”

Clear Sky fought to drag his gaze away, but he was caught in the green depths of her eyes. I will never betray you. As her words echoed in his mind, his heart ached with hope. Could it be true? Had he finally found a cat who had complete faith in him? Who would follow him without question through thick and thin?

Wind rattled the branches overhead, breaking the spell. Clear Sky turned away. “Go back to camp, Star Flower,” he meowed firmly. “If you want to earn my trust—and the trust of the other cats—then you’ll have to work for it. Help Milkweed groom the last of the fleas from her pelt. Get fresh moss for Pink Eyes’s nest. His fur is thin, so he feels the cold more than most cats. Make sure Thistle and Clover never go hungry again.” He faced Star Flower, searching her gaze. Would she obey him?

She dipped her head. “Okay.” Then she turned and headed back through the trees. As she disappeared down the slope, sunshine reached through the branches like claws and raked her golden pelt.

Clear Sky stared after her, unable to move—he felt as though his paws had grown roots. His tail twitched.

Perhaps he’d been wrong about her. There was more to Star Flower than met the eye.