Chapter 10

A pale half moon cast a beam of light into the nursery. Birdflight opened her mouth to let out a thin wail. Cloudstar crouched over her.

“You’re doing really well,” he urged. “Just one more push, and our first kit will be here!”

Birdflight’s eyes rolled around to fix him with a furious glare. “Don’t make it sound so easy!” she hissed between clenched teeth. “You have no idea what this is like!”

“Ah, but it’s the same for all toms,” Fawnstep mewed. “Cloudstar’s doing the best he can. Focus on your breathing, Birdflight.”

Cloudstar grimaced as Birdflight sank her claws into his front leg. He reminded himself that it was nothing compared to the pain his mate was in. A spasm rippled along Birdflight’s belly and a tiny shape slithered onto the moss. Fawnstep leaned over and nipped the birth sac with her teeth. The little shape started wriggling, and Birdflight twisted around to lick its wet fur.

“A tom!” Fawnstep announced, nudging the kit closer to Birdflight’s belly. Cloudstar gazed down at his son in delight. His dark fur was spiked all over from Birdflight’s tongue, and his eyes were tightly shut, yet he still found his way to the source of the milk scent.

Birdflight stiffened. “There’s another one coming,” she gasped.

“Good!” Cloudstar meowed. “We want four, remember?”

Birdflight just glared at him. One more heave, and a second shape appeared, even smaller than the first. Fawnstep freed the kit’s muzzle from the birth sac and pushed it toward Birdflight’s head. The kit was much less wriggly than the first one.

“Is it all right?” Cloudstar asked.

Birdflight started licking the kit with vigorous strokes of her tongue. The kit lifted its head and let out a tiny wail.

“She’s fine,” Fawnstep purred. “A lovely little she-cat to join her brother.” The medicine cat ran her paw along Birdflight’s belly. “That’s all, I think. I’ll bring you some soaked moss, Birdflight. Try to get some sleep while they suckle.” Fawnstep slipped out of the nursery, and Cloudstar heard Hazelwing, who was waiting just outside, ask about the kits.

He bent down and rubbed his muzzle gently over Birdflight’s ears. “I’m so proud of you,” he murmured. “A son and a daughter!”

Birdflight looked up at him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you two more.”

“Don’t be mouse-brained. These two are perfect. They’ll keep us busy enough for the moons to come!” Cloudstar studied the tiny, squirming shapes beside Birdflight’s belly. “What should we call them?”

Birdflight raised her head to look at them. “The spiky-furred tom looks like a tuft of gorse! How about Gorsekit?”

“Perfect,” Cloudstar mewed. He ran his paw softly over the she-kit. “Look, her fur is turning dappled as it dries, like the sun shining through leaves. Spottedkit for this one?”

“Spottedkit and Gorsekit,” Birdflight murmured, settling back in her nest. “Our precious kits…” Her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes.

Cloudstar padded out of the den and took a deep breath. This should have been the most joyful night of his life, but nothing could shift the heavy stone of sorrow that was lodged in his belly. He raised his head and looked at the silhouettes that loomed around the Clan. Where once they had been circled by trees, now yellow monsters surrounded them on all sides. The rest of the forest had gone, cut down and hauled away to make room for more rows of gray and blood-red stones. Only the densest part of the woods remained—the part where SkyClan had made their home.

Cloudstar pushed through the brambles and walked into the empty, churned-up space where the glade of birch trees had once stood. He stared up at the claw-pricks of silver light glimmering in the purple sky. Warriors of StarClan, do you see that I have new kits? Are you going to watch over them, or abandon them like you have abandoned the rest of us?

Suddenly a wave of tiredness swept over Cloudstar. He had spent all day hunting in the reeds by the river, the only place left where there was any hope of finding prey. Some of the warriors had even tried to hook fish out of the water like RiverClan cats, but had received only scraped claws and wet fur for their efforts. Every cat had started to loathe the taste of water vole, even Hazelwing’s kits, who complained loudest of being hungry.

Cloudstar closed his eyes and tucked his nose under his tail. He slipped into sleep, and found himself walking in StarClan, through the lofty, whispering trees where he had met his ancestors before. He looked around, sniffing the air, searching for those cats who had told him how strong and safe SkyClan was, how it would survive in the forest forever. But the forest was empty, with only the scent of leaves and tree bark on his tongue.

“Cowards!” Cloudstar yowled. “Where are you? Come and face me, and tell me now that SkyClan is safe!” He began to run through the trees, ferns whipping at his ears and snagging his tail. Had the whole of StarClan vanished into the night? Or were his ancestors watching him in secret, avoiding him because they had realized they were powerless to help?

Cloudstar halted in a clearing, his sides heaving. “Give me a sign that there is still some hope,” he begged. “Show me that you haven’t given up on us! You are all we have left!”

But there was nothing except the rustling of the leaves, which grew louder and louder until Cloudstar’s ear fur quivered. He put his paws over his ears, trying to block out the terrible noise, but it drew steadily nearer. With a gasp, he lifted his head and saw a yellow monster bearing down on him, huge and menacing against the milky dawn sky. With a shriek, Cloudstar raced back to the edge of the empty ground and watched as the monster rumbled past, growling.

“I doubt our ancestors even recognize their old home,” rasped a voice beside him.

Cloudstar turned, startled, to see Starlingfeather crouched in the dirt, his pelt ruffled and his eyes cloudy from age. “I have come here every day to watch the Twolegs destroy our territory,” the old cat went on. “Tail-length by tail-length, they have taken our trees, our prey, and our shelter. And worst of all, they have taken our hope.”

Cloudstar lashed his tail. “Don’t say that! We will fight on! We have to!”

Starlingfeather fixed his rheumy gaze on him. “Cloudstar, look at what lies around you. There can be nobility in admitting defeat and seeking another path. You have always led this Clan well, and that will not change, even though everything else might.”

“Our only hope lies in finding more territory,” Cloudstar meowed. He looked down at his paws, smeared with mud. “At the next Gathering, I shall ask the other Clans to help by giving us some of theirs, just as Duskstar did once.”

“And if they refuse?” Starlingfeather prompted.

Cloudstar stared bleakly at the old cat. “Then I don’t know what else I can do,” he confessed.

The full moon hung heavily in the cloudless sky, turning the forest to silver and the pelt of every cat to a pale, washed-out gray. Cloudstar slipped through the bushes at the top of the hollow and led his Clanmates down over the edge. The scents on the warm air told him that the other Clans had already arrived. Cats circled beneath the four great oak trees, and the leaders waited on the Great Rock. They were staring in astonishment at the SkyClan cats stumbling down the side of the hollow.

“Cloudstar!” Swiftstar called. “What kept you?”

Cloudstar didn’t answer at once. Instead, he pushed his way through the cats below the rock and scrambled up to join the other leaders. He looked down at the rest of his Clanmates emerging from the bushes that grew on the slopes of the hollow. The apprentices were bunched together, wide-eyed and nervous beneath the stares of the other cats. Next came Starlingfeather and Hawksnow, looking far too frail to be at a Gathering. Cloudstar heard hisses of disapproval from elders belonging to the other Clans; they all expected to be left in peace once they reached such a great age.

There was a short gap, then Hazelwing and Birdflight appeared. Hazelwing carried Gorsekit, whose mouth gaped wide as he protested about being dragged through the thorns. Birdflight held Spottedkit, looking even tinier as she dangled from her mother’s jaws. Webkit, Hatchkit, Emberkit, and Mistlekit stumbled behind the queens, too tired from the trek along the river to be excited anymore about attending a Gathering. The warriors circled the queens and elders protectively, bushing up their tails and pressing close as if they wanted to save their Clanmates from the gasps of alarm around them.

“Great StarClan!” Swiftstar exclaimed. “Cloudstar, any cat would think you’d brought your whole Clan to the Gathering.”

Cloudstar forced himself to meet the WindClan leader’s gaze. “Yes,” he mewed, “that’s exactly what I’ve done.”

“Why in the name of StarClan have you done that?” Birchstar demanded.

Cloudstar took a deep breath. This is the moment I have to beg the other Clans for help. Oh StarClan, is this really what you wanted? “Because we can no longer live in our territory,” he announced. “Twolegs have destroyed it.”

“What?” Redstar stepped forward. “My patrols have reported more Twolegs in your territory, and noise from monsters, but they can’t possibly have destroyed it all.”

“They have.” Cloudstar stared through the dark trees, as if he might be able to see all the way to SkyClan’s ravaged home. “They came with huge monsters that pushed over our trees and churned up the earth. All our prey is dead or frightened off. The monsters are crouched around our camp now, waiting to pounce. SkyClan’s home has gone.” He turned back to the other leaders. “I have brought my Clan here to ask your help. You must give us some of your territories.”

Yowls of protest rose from the cats below the rock. Cloudstar’s heart ached as he saw his Clanmates stiffen, as if they were bracing themselves for an attack. We are only asking for help!

Swiftstar was the first to reply. “You can’t just walk in here and demand part of our territory. We can barely feed our own Clans as it is.”

Redstar scraped one forepaw over the hard gray stone. “The prey is running well now in greenleaf, but what’s going to happen when leaf-fall comes? ThunderClan won’t be able to spare any then.”

“Nor will ShadowClan,” Dawnstar meowed, standing up and meeting Cloudstar’s gaze. “My Clan is bigger than any other. We need every paw step of ground to feed our own cats.”

Cloudstar looked at the fourth leader. “Birchstar? What do you think?”

“I’d like to help,” she mewed. “I really would. But the river is very low and it’s harder than ever to catch enough fish. Besides, SkyClan cats don’t know how to fish.”

“Exactly,” Swiftstar added. “And only WindClan cats are fast enough to catch rabbits and birds on the moors. There’s certainly nowhere in our territory where you could make a camp. You’d soon get tired of sleeping under gorse bushes.”

Cloudstar looked at them for a long moment. “Then what is my Clan supposed to do?”

Every cat in the hollow was silent. Cloudstar felt his heart pounding beneath his fur. Please help us! Without StarClan, you are our only help!

Redstar spoke first. “Leave.”

Cloudstar blinked. What?

“That’s right.” There was a hint of a snarl in Swiftstar’s meow. “Leave the forest and find yourselves another place, far enough away that you can’t steal our prey.”

At the foot of the rock, Larkwing, the WindClan medicine cat, stood up. “Swiftstar,” she called, “as your medicine cat, I can tell you that StarClan won’t be pleased if the rest of us drive out SkyClan. There have always been five Clans in the forest.”

Swiftstar looked down at her with a hint of impatience in his eyes. “Larkwing, you say you know the will of StarClan, but can you tell me why the moon is still shining? If StarClan didn’t agree that SkyClan should leave the forest, they would send clouds to cover the sky.”

Larkwing shook her head and sat down again, looking troubled.

Cloudstar felt a wave of panic rising in his chest. “Five Clans have lived in this forest for longer than any cat can remember,” he reminded the other leaders. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Things change,” Redstar replied. “Is it possible that the will of StarClan has changed also? StarClan gave each Clan the skills they need to survive in their own territory. RiverClan cats swim well. ThunderClan cats are good at stalking prey in the undergrowth. SkyClan cats can leap into trees because there’s not much cover in their territory. Doesn’t this mean that each Clan couldn’t live in another Clan’s territory?”

Molepelt, ShadowClan’s scrawny and rumpled medicine cat, tipped his head back to look directly at Cloudstar. “You keep saying that StarClan wants five Clans in the forest, but are you sure that’s true? There are four oaks here at Fourtrees. That could be a sign that there should be only four Clans.”

“SkyClan doesn’t belong here,” hissed a WindClan silver tabby in the middle of the hollow. “Let’s drive them out now.”

Cloudstar saw his warriors bristle and unsheathe their claws, ready to fight in spite of their hunger and exhaustion. Oh my brave Clanmates! I am so sorry it has come to this. Abandoned by StarClan, and now by the only cats who could have helped us.

“Stop!” he called. “Warriors of SkyClan, we are not cowards, but this is a battle we cannot win. We have seen tonight what the warrior code is worth. From now on we will be alone, and we will depend on no cat but ourselves.” He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his heart break in two. Without territory, SkyClan had no food and no shelter. Without StarClan, they had no hope. There is nothing left for us here. I am the leader who could not save his Clan.

Cloudstar jumped down from the Great Rock and pushed through the cats until he was standing next to Birdflight. His kits mewled at her paws, staring up at him with huge, frightened eyes. They looked as fragile as hatchlings. Cloudstar met Birdflight’s gaze, and knew at once what she was going to say.

“Cloudstar.” Birdflight’s voice trembled. “Our kits are too small to make a long journey. I’ll stay here with them, if any Clan will have us.”

For a heartbeat Cloudstar cursed the night that StarClan had given him nine lives. If he wasn’t SkyClan’s leader, he could stay here as well, or live with Birdflight as rogues, beyond the wretched warrior code. Now his nine lives stretched ahead of him, cold and lonely and endless. Oh Birdflight. Do I have to lose you, too?

Kestrelwing, the ThunderClan medicine cat, pushed his way between two SkyClan warriors, ignoring their snarls, and bent his head to sniff the kits. “You will all be welcome in ThunderClan.”

Cloudstar spun around to face him. “Are you sure?” he demanded. “After what your leader said to us today?”

Kestrelwing’s eyes darkened. “I believe my leader was wrong,” he meowed. “But he won’t condemn helpless kits to die. They will have a future in ThunderClan, and so will you, Birdflight.”

Birdflight dipped her head. “Thank you.” She turned to Cloudstar, sorrow brimming in her green eyes. “Then this is good-bye.”

“Birdflight, no.” Suddenly, Cloudstar couldn’t be brave any longer. “How can I leave you?”

“You must.” Birdflight’s voice shook. “Our Clan needs you, but our kits need me just now.”

Cloudstar bowed his head. “I’ll wait for you,” he whispered. “I’ll wait for you forever.” He pressed his muzzle against Birdflight’s side. “Stay with Kestrelwing. He’ll find warriors to help carry the kits back to ThunderClan’s camp.” To the ThunderClan medicine cat, he added, “Take care of them.”

Kestrelwing nodded. “Of course.”

Cloudstar nuzzled each of his kits in turn, first Gorsekit, then Spottedkit. He inhaled their sweet milky scent, knowing he would carry it with him until his last breath. He wondered if they would ever remember him. Then he looked at Birdflight, drinking in the sight of her as if it were the only thing he would see for the rest of his life. I’m so sorry.

Birdflight gave a tiny nod, and Cloudstar knew what she was thinking. She was reminding him that he was still the leader of their Clan. Without their home, without food, without StarClan, their Clanmates depended on him alone. Cloudstar lifted his head and signaled with his tail to the rest of his Clan. “Follow me.”

He led the way toward the slope, but before he could plunge into the bushes Redstar called from the top of the Great Rock. “May StarClan go with you!”

Cloudstar turned and fixed a cold gaze on the ThunderClan leader. “StarClan may go where they please,” he hissed. “They have betrayed SkyClan. From this day on, I will have nothing more to do with our warrior ancestors.” He ignored the gasps of shock around him, some from his own Clan. “StarClan allowed the Twolegs to destroy our home. They look down on us now, and let the moon go on shining while you drive us out. They said there would always be five Clans in the forest, but they lied. SkyClan will never look to the stars again.”

With a last flick of his tail he plunged into the bushes. His Clanmates poured in after him, and they were swallowed up in leafy shadows. Cloudstar had no idea where they were going, or where they would end up. At that moment, all that mattered to him had been left behind beneath the four giant oaks.

Farewell, Birdflight, Gorsekit, Spottedkit. I will find you again one day, I promise.

Загрузка...