Path Of Stars

Chapter 10

Thunder gazed across the four trees hollow. The cats from the other groups milled around him, waiting for the meeting to start. The sun glittered through the bare branches of the oaks, bathing the hollow in cold, bright light.

Lightning Tail’s breath brushed his ear fur. “This place looks bigger in the daylight.”

Thunder purred softly. “Are you missing the dark?” He knew that Lightning Tail enjoyed melting into the shadows and watching the other cats. His friend often teased him about his white paws and orange pelt. Too white to hide in shadow and too orange to hide in snow.

Lightning Tail leaned closer. “I don’t know why Clear Sky called a meeting so soon after the last one.”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Thunder answered.

His father was pacing one edge of the clearing. Star Flower watched him, a few tail-lengths away, through green eyes. Thunder’s pelt pricked with curiosity. How had he persuaded the queen to leave her kits?

Wind Runner and Gorse Fur were shifting impatiently from paw to paw. Wind Runner had explained that Gray Wing had wanted to come, but his breathing was bad today. Thunder pictured the gray tom in his nest; he must be very ill to miss a meeting. Why? Had he worn himself out hunting? Or was his breathing growing steadily worse? Whatever sickness ailed him, Gray Wing seemed unable to escape its slowly tightening grip. Thunder pushed the thought away, his gaze flicking to Tall Shadow. The forest cat sat as still as stone beside Jagged Peak, while River Ripple and Shattered Ice gazed calmly at Clear Sky.

Wind Runner whisked her tail. “So?” She stared questioningly at Clear Sky. “Why did you ask us to come?”

Thunder pricked his ears as Clear Sky stopped pacing and faced the moor cat.

“My cats are growing hungry.” His gaze flicked around the others. “We’ve tried defending our prey, but the rogues fight like foxes.”

Tall Shadow curled her lip. “They fight like cowards!”

“But they win,” Wind Runner growled. “We’ve lost half our catches to them in the past few days.”

Thunder narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Then we must learn how to fight like foxes too.”

“No.” River Ripple’s tail swept the ground. “Foxes have cruel hearts. If we fight like foxes, we will become like foxes.”

Jagged Peak snorted. “Then how do we beat the rogues?”

River Ripple’s eyes gleamed. “We must learn to fight better than foxes.”

“How?” Thunder blinked at him. Lightning Tail had been training his campmates how to rear higher and swipe harder. What else could they do?

Lightning Tail blinked excitedly at Thunder. “Do you remember the trick we use when we run into a Twoleg dog in the forest?”

Thunder paused. “The thunder-and-lightning move?”

Lightning Tail nodded eagerly. “We could use it to fight the rogues.”

Thunder frowned, confused. “How? We only use it to escape.”

“But if we changed it a little—”

Thunder interrupted, his heart lifting as he understood. “Of course! A bunch of rogues is no worse than a dog. I pull them one way,” he began.

“And I attack from behind!” Lightning Tail finished.

Wind Runner leaned forward. “Show us.”

Thunder nodded toward Gorse Fur, River Ripple, and Shattered Ice. “You pretend to be the rogues. Imagine I’ve just caught a juicy pigeon.” Thunder’s belly growled as he imagined the plump bird at his paws.

River Ripple, Shattered Ice, and Gorse Fur padded toward him, ears flattened menacingly.

Thunder blinked at them, snatched up the imaginary bird, and turned. Running across the clearing, he heard paws pattering after him. He ran long enough for Lightning Tail to get in position; then he spun, his paws skidding, and reared.

Shattered Ice, River Ripple, and Gorse Fur scrambled to a surprised halt in front of him.

Snarling, Thunder backed away. He could see Lightning Tail racing up behind the three cats. With a yowl, the black tom flew past Shattered Ice, sliding his paws over the river cat’s gray-and-white flank.

Shattered Ice turned in surprise, but Lightning Tail was already circling away toward Gorse Fur.

He leaped the moor cat, kicking his spine with his hind paws as he sailed over him. Thunder dived on River Ripple as the river cat blinked in confusion. It was even easier than Thunder had expected to unbalance the stocky tom and tackle him to the ground.

He leaped off and blinked at the three ruffled toms as River Ripple scrambled to his paws.

Lightning Tail raced to his side. “They looked as confused as any Twoleg dog,” he purred.

Gorse Fur shook out his pelt.

Shattered Ice shifted his paws, his pelt pricking. “Nice move!”

Thunder flicked his tail happily. “Surprise is the sharpest claw.”

River Ripple nodded approvingly. “And it works even when we’re outnumbered.”

“Exactly.” Lightning Tail lifted his chin.

Gorse Fur’s eyes lit up. “It’s a bit like the move we use on rabbits.” He was staring excitedly at Wind Runner.

She hurried toward him. “Of course!”

Clear Sky pricked his ears. “Show us.”

“It’s easier to catch a rabbit if we can separate it from its group and tire it out,” Wind Runner explained. She marched around Thunder, Lightning Tail, Shattered Ice, and River Ripple, nudging them closer together. “You can be the rabbits—” She paused. “I mean the rogues.”

She backed away as Thunder flattened his ears, pretending to be Slash. Shattered Ice hissed beside him, while River Ripple and Lightning Tail lifted their hackles menacingly.

Wind Runner nodded toward Gorse Fur. He seemed to read her thoughts and broke into a run.

Thunder twisted his head as the tom circled them, moving fast. Frowning, he wondered what in the stars Gorse Fur was doing. Dirt sprayed beneath Gorse Fur’s paws as he hared around the bunched toms; then suddenly he veered and barged between Thunder and Lightning Tail. Thunder blinked as he found himself separated from the others. A paw batted his cheek. He spun in surprise and saw Wind Runner dash past him.

He froze. What do I do now? Gorse Fur was still circling Lightning Tail, Shattered Ice, and River Ripple, dodging as they aimed clumsy blows at him. What would a rogue do? Wind Runner raced past him again, grazing his cheek with a second swipe. Chase her!

Thunder hared after the wiry brown she-cat as she plunged into the bracken. Diving after her, he pounded up the slope. Suddenly he heard paws behind him. He glanced backward and saw Gorse Fur on his tail. Am I chasing or being chased? Confused, he kept running, tracking Wind Runner up the slope and then down until he was breathless. She burst into the clearing. He followed, Gorse Fur at his heels. Thunder ran harder, chasing Wind Runner toward the oaks. As he neared, she spun and faced him. He skidded to a halt and she started to pummel his muzzle. He reared to fight her off, realizing suddenly how breathless he was. Paws thumped him from behind. Thunder gasped as Gorse

Fur leaped onto his back and tussled him to the ground.

Panting, Thunder thrashed his tail. “I give up!”

He struggled to his paws as Wind Runner and Gorse Fur backed away and fought to catch his breath. “You two are fast!” he puffed.

“We spend our days running the moors,” Wind Runner reminded him.

Gorse Fur nodded, raising his voice so the others could hear. “You must all practice running. The rogues are lazy. I bet we are fitter than them already. With some training, we can be even stronger.”

“That’s not enough.” Star Flower’s mew took Thunder by surprise.

She padded past Jagged Peak and Tall Shadow and faced the group. “You have to learn how rogues fight.”

Thunder frowned. “But I thought we weren’t going to fight like foxes.”

Star Flower met his gaze. “If you fight a fox, you must know how it thinks.”

“How?” Jagged Peak tipped his head. “We can’t see their thoughts.”

Star Flower flicked her gaze toward him. “I am One Eye’s daughter, remember? I know how they fight—using trickery and deceit. I can show you the kind of moves they use. I can teach you what to expect.”

Clear Sky hurried to her side. “You’re in no condition to teach battle moves.”

Star Flower halted him with an emerald stare. “I’m as fit as the rest of you. If I can give birth to three kits, I can certainly teach battle moves.” She nodded at Thunder. “Attack me.”

Thunder blinked at her, his gaze flicking uncertainly to Clear Sky.

Clear Sky’s tail twitched nervously. “Be careful,” he warned.

Star Flower glared at her mate. “I’m not made out of cherry blossom,” she snapped. She turned to Thunder, holding his gaze as she backed away from the group. She came to a stop in the middle of the clearing. “Attack me!”

Thunder shifted his paws uneasily. He would go easy on Star Flower. She must still be weary after her ordeal, and she wasn’t used to fighting. He approached her slowly.

Her gaze flashed with impatience, but she said nothing.

Nearing her, Thunder lifted a forepaw, preparing to swipe lightly at her muzzle.

She lunged at him. A forepaw struck him hard on the top of his shoulder. Another slammed the same shoulder from the side. Thunder stumbled, shocked as his leg buckled beneath him. He thumped onto his chest, his shoulder numb where Star Flower had hit him. His leg was as limp as fresh-kill.

He could hardly feel his paw.

He stared up at Star Flower as she backed away, lifting her gaze to the others. “Rogues like to lame their enemies first, then attack. It’s a sneaky trick, but it’s effective. If I attacked Thunder now, he’d only be able to defend himself with three paws. And he’d be pretty confused about what had happened. It gives a rogue all the time they need to deliver a far more damaging blow.” She glanced down at Thunder. “Are you okay?”

Sensation was flooding back into his leg. He pushed himself to his paws, staggering slightly. His shoulder felt weak. He blinked at Star Flower, impressed. Even play fighting with Lightning Tail he had never been overpowered so quickly.

“Don’t worry,” Star Flower reassured him. “It’ll be fine in a moment.”

He shook out his paw, relieved to feel strength flooding back into it. Dipping his head respectfully, he backed away.

A loud purr rumbled in Clear Sky’s throat. “I’m sorry, Star Flower. I underestimated you.”

Wind Runner padded closer to the golden she-cat, her eyes sparking with interest. “Can you show me exactly where you hit Thunder?” she asked. “That is a great move.”

Jagged Peak, Lightning Tail, and River Ripple moved closer as Star Flower laid one paw on top of Wind Runner’s shoulder and another on the side.

“Hit the top first,” Star Flower instructed. “A short, sharp blow. Then follow it up with a hefty swipe to the side. You need to hit the right spot. It numbs the leg instantly.”

Thunder padded toward Lightning Tail. “Can I try it on you?”

Lightning Tail nodded, bracing as Thunder lifted a paw. Focusing hard, Thunder slapped one forepaw down on Lightning Tail’s shoulder and swung his other into his side.

Lightning Tail buckled, and Thunder felt satisfaction flood through his pelt, swiftly followed by guilt. “Did I hurt you?”

“You crippled me.” Lightning Tail glanced up at him reproachfully. Then his eyes flashed with amusement. “But it is a good move.”

Star Flower blinked at him. “You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to, but you’ll know what to look out for.” She circled Thunder. “Try it on me,” she ordered.

Thunder stared at her. “I can’t.”

Star Flower rolled her eyes. “Just try it!”

Thunder lifted a forepaw. I guess it won’t really injure her. As he aimed a blow at her shoulder, she spun and butted him away with her flank. Thunder wobbled. With one forepaw raised and the other preparing a second blow, he was unbalanced. As he struggled to stay on his paws, Star Flower grazed his muzzle with a swipe.

He steadied himself, blinking. “That’s smart.”

Star Flower whisked her tail. “If a rogue tries to start an attack by aiming for your shoulder, that’s how you counter it.”

River Ripple padded forward. “I know a fishing move that might work too.”

Tall Shadow pricked her ears. “Try it on me.”

River Ripple faced the black she-cat. “Use Star Flower’s move,” he told her.

Tall Shadow lifted a forepaw. Before she could touch the river cat, he’d dived beneath her belly.

Arching his back, he thumped his spine against her chest. She reeled away, her eyes widening with surprise.

“You moved so fast!” she puffed. “You winded me!”

“It’s a good way to stun a fish. It makes them easier to grab,” River Ripple explained.

Jagged Peak’s eyes shone with excitement. “I have an idea.” He padded between the others, limping on his weak hind leg.

Thunder narrowed his eyes. Jagged Peak was a good fighter considering his lameness. But what could he teach cats with four good paws?

Jagged Peak caught his eye. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Thunder shifted self-consciously. “I was only—”

Jagged Peak cut him off. “What you don’t realize is that I can use my lameness to my advantage.

When a cat faces me in battle, the first thing they see is my limp. I can see their expression change as they realize I am fighting with three paws, not four. They suddenly look as though they’ve already won the fight. They don’t realize that I’ve been fighting on three paws for as long as I can remember, and I’m good at it.”

Clear Sky frowned. “How does that help us?” he asked. “We’re not lame.”

“No,” Jagged Peak agreed. “Not now. But what if you’re injured in battle?”

Shattered Ice chipped in. “Never let another cat see you’re injured. They’ll know you’re vulnerable.”

Jagged Peak shook his head. “Make sure they see you’re injured. They’ll underestimate you.” His gaze flashed to Star Flower. “We’ve already seen how easy it is to beat a cat when they underestimate you.”

Thunder felt his pelt grow hot. Was Jagged Peak referring to how easily Star Flower had unbalanced him?

Jagged Peak went on. “You must all practice fighting on three paws so that you are as strong on three as you are on four. If you’re wounded in battle, your enemy won’t expect strength. You can take them by surprise.”

Thunder lifted a hind paw, trying to imagine what it was like fighting without the steadiness of all four legs. He was looking forward to practicing. Jagged Peak was right. It would be a useful skill.

Clear Sky stepped into the middle. “We’ve taught one another a lot today.” His thick pelt was smooth. He looked less worried than he had at the beginning of the meeting. “Let’s go home and share what we’ve learned with our campmates. Trainers should share all these moves with the younger cats. The rogues may think they’re winning, but they haven’t seen us fight yet.” He lifted his chin.

“When they do, they will realize that we’re not the easy prey they think we are.”

“Come on!” Thunder veered onto the track that headed for Clear Sky’s forest.

“Where are we going?” Lightning Tail raced behind him.

“To find the rogue camp.”

“Why?” Lightning Tail sounded surprised. “I thought we were heading home to teach the others our new moves.”

“We can do that later.” Thunder leaped a fallen branch, his paws skimming the mossy bark. “I want to see this rogue camp for myself. I have to know what we’re up against.”

“But we don’t know where the camp is,” Lightning Tail cleared the branch and thumped onto the track behind him.

“Gray Wing said it was in the marshland beyond Tall Shadow’s pines,” Thunder told him. “Near some willows. It can’t be hard to find.”

“What if we run into the rogues?”

Thunder slowed and stopped. His friend had a point. The marsh might be swarming with rogues.

His ears twitched self-consciously. He should have thought of it first. “Let’s find prey and take it with us,” he suggested hastily. “If we’re caught, we can say we came to give it to Slash.”

Lightning Tail frowned. “What if they don’t believe us? We’ve never offered them prey before.

They’ve always had to steal it from us.”

“We’ll make them believe us,” Thunder insisted. He was determined for this plan to work. “If we grovel to Slash, he’ll enjoy our humiliation so much he won’t bother wondering whether we’re telling the truth.”

Lightning Tail grunted. “You must really want to see the rogue camp if you’re willing to grovel to Slash.”

Thunder lifted his muzzle, sniffing for prey. “With any luck, we won’t be seen, and we won’t have to grovel to any cat.” He stiffened as he smelled mouse. Perhaps the stars were on their side after all.

In this long, hungry quarter moon, he had almost begun to think their ancestors had stopped watching over them. He pricked his ears as Lightning Tail followed his gaze. “It smells like there’s a mouse nest under that bramble.”

Lightning Tail dropped into a crouch and stalked toward the tangled bush.

Thunder dropped low and, belly brushing the leafy forest floor, began to make a wide circle around the bush. “You flush them out, and I’ll catch what you miss.” He stopped behind the bush and waited for Lightning Tail to make his move.

The brambles rustled. Squinting in the afternoon sunlight, Thunder could see Lightning Tail’s black pelt squirming beneath the branches. The mouse scent was warm and strong. Thunder licked his lips. Leaves swished as Lightning Tail darted deeper into the bush.

Frightened squeaks pierced Thunder’s ear fur. He scanned the ground for movement. Brown fur flashed to one side. Thunder leaped, thorns snagging his pelt, and slammed his paws down onto the soft body of a fleeing mouse. He hooked his claws around it and drew it close for a killing bite.

The musky scent made his mouth water. Should they take their catch home? Thistle and Clover were starting to look thin. No. I have to see the rogues’ camp. We’ll take our catch home when we’ve seen it. Thunder sat up as Lightning Tail padded toward him. A dead mouse dangled from his jaws.

Thunder purred. “Come on. Let’s head for the pines.” He scooped his mouse up and headed away.

Crossing the Thunderpath was easy. There was no sign of monsters. The pine forest beyond felt gloomy after the oaks. The trees here still had their thick needle pelts, and little sunlight filtered through the canopy. How could Tall Shadow and her cats bear to live in such gloom? The smell of pinesap filled his nose, drowning the warm scent of mouse. He was relieved as the trees thinned and he saw marshland ahead. He stopped at the edge of the forest. Behind him, the sun was sinking fast, throwing long shadows across the tussocks of grass.

Lightning Tail stopped behind him and dropped his mouse. He nodded toward a stretch of trees crowding a slope at one edge of the marshland. “Is that the willow copse?”

The bare branches looked like willow, and there were no other trees beyond the pines. It must be the right place. Nodding, he carried his mouse from the cover of the pines. He followed the trail as it grew muddy underpaw. Lightning Tail’s paw steps squelched behind him. Scanning the marshland, Thunder saw a patch of thick grass and reeds.

He dropped his mouse. “That’s it,” he whispered. Gray Wing had described the camp. A ring of grass near willows.

“How are we going to spy on the rogues without being seen?” Lightning Tail stopped beside him and blinked over the tussocks.

Thunder nodded toward the camp. “There are plenty of reeds to hide in.” He grabbed his mouse and slunk forward, ears pricked.

Lightning Tail crept behind him.

Thunder held his breath as they neared. Rogue smells mingled with the damp evening air. Relief prickled through his pelt as the sun dipped behind the pines and shadow swallowed the marsh. He ducked lower, moving like a snake over the earth until he reached a clump of reeds. He slipped past them and slid between two tussocks.

He stiffened as he heard voices from the marsh grass beyond. They were right outside the camp wall!

He laid his mouse on the ground and signaled to Lightning Tail with his muzzle to do the same.

Lightning Tail dropped his mouse on top of Thunder’s and blinked at his friend. “What now?” he whispered.

“We wait.” Thunder pressed his belly to the earth and flattened his ears. Stiff marsh grass surrounded them. Lightning Tail’s flank felt warm against his as the black tom wriggled down beside him.

“Look!” Lightning Tail’s mew was barely more than a whisper. He was staring at the grass wall of the camp. Narrow gaps showed near the roots, and as the sun disappeared and moonlight bathed the marshland, Thunder saw the rogues’ clearing glowing beyond the stems. Heart pounding, he squirmed closer until he could see a wide stretch of earth in the middle of the camp. Cats moved at the edges, murmuring in soft voices. Paw steps scuffed the earth nearby, and sleek, dark gray fur blocked his view. He smelled the fragrant scent of a she-cat and peered closer.

“Here!” A tom’s mew rang across the camp, and something thudded on the earth beside the she-cat. She hopped out of the way. Thunder could see a scrawny starling on the ground. The she-cat sniffed at it, and Thunder saw the delicate outline of her muzzle. Her amber gaze rested, dismayed, on the starling. Then she jerked her head toward a tom at the center of the clearing.

Slash!

Thunder recognized the white slash across the forelegs of the mangy brown rogue.

The she-cat curled her lip. “We’ve got better prey than this,” she hissed.

Slash eyed her coldly. “You’re lucky you’re getting anything, Violet,” he snarled. “You’re the weakest hunter in the group.”

“That’s not true!” Violet snapped back. “And at least I hunt. You steal.”

Slash’s ears twitched. “I’m just taking what’s mine.”

“You wouldn’t be like this if Rain were still alive!”

Thunder heard grief thicken the she-cat’s mew.

Slash snorted. “What difference would Rain have made? He was so dumb he got killed on a

Thunderpath.”

Violet flinched. “He was never dumb!”

“Taking you as a mate was the only smart decision he ever made.” Slash’s mew grew suspiciously soft. Thunder narrowed his eyes. The rogue leader was gazing hungrily at the she-cat.

“Why don’t you get smart, Violet, and let me take his place? You would not go hungry if you were a leader’s mate.”

“Never!” Violet picked up the starling and stalked away.

Thunder’s claws itched. How dare Slash try to bully this beautiful she-cat into becoming his mate? He felt Lightning Tail move beside him. “Why do they stay loyal to such a fox-heart?”

Thunder didn’t answer. He was watching Violet. Her fur had the rich darkness of storm clouds.

Her long tail was thick and sleek. Her ears were wide and soft, framing her pretty face perfectly. The fur prickled along his spine as she padded toward a group of cats who were crouching in the shadows at the far side of the clearing.

Movement caught Thunder’s eye. Slash was heading toward a large prey pile. Thunder’s belly felt hollow with hunger as he saw pigeons stacked on top of rabbits. Mice and shrews were strewn around the edge. Slash plucked a skinny frog from the bottom of the pile and flung it toward one of the cats beside Violet. Then he tossed a dried shrew to another. One piece at a time, he flung the scrawniest prey to his campmates. Then he flicked his tail toward two toms, who had been silently watching the camp from the head of the clearing.

“Splinter! Come and choose your meal.”

A black-and-white tom hurried toward the prey pile, licking his lips. “Go ahead, Splinter.”

Slash’s mew was indulgent. “You’ve done well today. You deserve something good to eat.”

As Splinter dragged a plump pigeon from the pile, Slash nodded toward the second tom. “Hurry up, Beetle. This one’s still warm.” He pawed a heavy rabbit from the pile, and the black-and-brown tom hurried to take it.

Thunder’s gaze flitted around the camp once more. The other cats, hunched over their meager pieces of prey, were watching Slash through slitted eyes. “Why don’t they object?” Thunder breathed to Lightning Tail. “He’s giving all the best prey to his friends.”

Lightning Tail’s ears twitched. “I’m not sure. I’d claw his pelt off.”

“Frog!” Slash called across the clearing.

A mottled gray tom jumped to his paws. “Yes?” Fear and hope flashed in his gaze.

Slash hauled a fat thrush from the prey pile and pushed it toward him.

Frog bounded eagerly across the clearing, slowing as he neared Slash. Thunder could see his pelt clinging to his skinny frame. He suddenly realized that most of the rogues were thin. Only Slash, Beetle, and Splinter looked well fed. But he’s stolen enough prey from us to feed them all! Frog stopped in front of Slash and glanced at the thrush.

Slash’s eyes gleamed. “Are you hungry?”

Frog nodded.

Slash hooked up the thrush with a claw. “Hungry enough to eat this?”

Frog nodded again.

“What a shame.” Slash tossed the thrush back onto the prey pile. “If you’d brought back more prey from the moor today, I’d have let you have it. But I can’t reward laziness.”

“It wasn’t laziness!” Frog bristled.

Slash tipped his head. “What was it then? Stupidity?” His mew turned to a growl. “Because I don’t tolerate stupidity. A kit could have brought back what you found.”

“That’s not true—”

Slash lashed out with his paw, slicing Frog’s nose.

Frog backed away, pelt bristling. Blood welled on his muzzle.

Slash hooked a squashed wren from the bottom of the pile. It was no bigger than a shrew. He flung it at Frog’s paws. “Be glad I’m letting you have that.”

Frog held his gaze for a moment.

Thunder tensed. Was the skinny tom going to fight back? He hoped so. But his heart sank as Frog grabbed the wren between his teeth and padded slowly toward a campmate huddled beneath the arching reeds.

Fern. Thunder recognized the night-black she-cat as Frog settled beside her. Fern shifted closer to the mottled gray tom and licked the blood from his muzzle.

Slash picked a fat grouse from the prey pile and carried it across the clearing.

Thunder pulled his muzzle back sharply. “He’s coming this way!” he warned Lightning Tail as the rogue leader padded closer. Splinter and Beetle followed, carrying their prey, and as Slash crouched to eat, they settled beside him.

Thunder felt his belly growl as the scent of grouse, rabbit, and pigeon wafted through the camp wall. I hope it disguises our scent. His heart pounded.

“Let’s go,” Lightning Tail breathed in his ear.

“Not yet.” Thunder stilled his friend by laying his tail across his spine. “Let’s listen.” He couldn’t leave now. He had to hear what Slash would say.

Slash took a bite from his grouse and gazed around the camp. “Keep them hungry and they do what you say,” he told Splinter, chewing.

Beetle sniffed. “They’re all spineless.”

Splinter ripped a mouthful of flesh from his pigeon. “I don’t know why you bother giving them anything at all.”

“They have their uses,” Slash muttered. “I need to give them enough to make them stay around. We won’t be able to attack the moor cats by ourselves.”

Thunder swallowed a gasp. Slash was planning to attack? He had to warn Gray Wing and Wind Runner. Every muscle twitched as he fought the urge to race for the moor. He might learn more by staying. He exchanged looks with Lightning Tail. Moonlight showed fear in his friend’s gaze. “We’ll leave as soon as they’re asleep,” he breathed.

Lightning Tail nodded.

A damp chill settled around them as they waited. The moon rose higher, turning the marshland silver. Thunder felt dizzy from the scent of Slash’s feast. The mice at his paws were still warm, but he didn’t dare take a bite. Any movement might set the grass rustling. Instead he waited, relieved as he saw Slash’s head begin to droop. Splinter and Beetle were already asleep, their flanks bulging with their meal. As Slash’s nose touched the ground, the rogue gave a satisfied burp and rolled onto his side. A few moments later, he was snoring.

Thunder shuddered, his pelt ruffling in disgust. “Come on,” he hissed. Grabbing the mouse tails in his jaws, he crept slowly forward. His paws ached from crouching so long. Moving softly, he padded along the camp wall. Lightning Tail followed, making the grass swish behind them.

Suddenly a murmur sounded from the shadows ahead. “Why should we put up with it?”

Thunder froze.

Squinting to see through the darkness, he made out the shapes of four cats. They were crouched in the moon shade outside the camp wall.

He strained to hear what they were saying, but their mews softened to whispers. Lightning Tail stopped beside him and flashed him a look.

The huddled cats murmured, their voices quieter than the rustling of the reeds. They clearly didn’t want anyone to hear what they were saying. Had they waited for Slash to fall asleep before they dared to talk? Could they be plotting against their leader?

Thunder jerked his muzzle toward the pines, the mice swaying beneath his chin. Lightning Tail nodded. Together they slipped silently away from the rogue camp.

As they neared the trees, he glanced back and saw a pair of eyes shining in the dark. He recognized the amber gaze of Violet at once. She must be one of the cats whispering outside the camp.

Was she staring at him? He felt frozen by her gaze. His heart quickened. She’s beautiful.

“Come on!” Lightning Tail’s hiss jerked him from his thoughts. Quickly he darted after his friend into the shadows of the pines. Violet’s gaze still burned in his mind. Then he remembered Slash’s words. Why don’t you get smart and let me take his place? A leader’s mate would never go hungry.

Rage surged beneath his pelt. He had to get her away from the vicious rogue. She wasn’t safe here.

He dropped the mice. “We’ll take these back to camp,” he told Lightning Tail. “Then tomorrow we’ll leave at dawn and warn Wind Runner about the attack.” And somehow I’ll find a way to help Violet escape.