The Blazing Star

Chapter 24

Sunhigh had almost come. In the cold, clear light of approaching leaf-bare, Thunder peered out at the expanse of the moor from behind an outcrop of rock. Lightning Tail crouched beside him on one side, but the space on the other side felt terribly empty.

Where is Star Flower? he wondered.

The golden tabby had promised to help him in the battle, but Thunder hadn’t seen her since she left the hollow, telling him she was going to find some rogue recruits. Thunder shifted uneasily, hoping she hadn’t run into trouble.

“Missing your precious Star Flower?” Lightning Tail asked, an edge to his voice.

“Don’t start.” Thunder let out a sigh. “Today is too important.”

Lightning Tail was silent, a look of shame creeping over his face. “You’re right. It’s just… I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Thunder turned to him, thankful that his best friend’s hostility was fading. “Star Flower would never do anything to hurt me,” he assured Lightning Tail, briefly resting his tail-tip on the younger cat’s shoulder. “We understand each other!”

The twitch of Lightning Tail’s whiskers told Thunder that his friend wasn’t convinced, but to Thunder’s relief he said nothing.

A soft paw step behind Thunder announced the arrival of Gray Wing. “Tall Shadow, Cloud Spots, and Shattered Ice are hiding in the hollow over there,” he muttered, angling his ears toward a dip in the moor partly screened by gorse bushes. “Mud Paws and Mouse Ear are with them. And see that thorn tree over there?” he added with a purr. “Owl Eyes and Sparrow Fur are hiding in the branches—”

“What?” Thunder protested, stiffening. “They’re only kits! They shouldn’t be part of this!”

Gray Wing gave him a long look. “Have you tried controlling kits who are just about to be grown cats? I remember another kit with big paws who was keen to get involved in everything.”

Thunder nodded, admitting that Gray Wing was right. If I were their age, I’d want to help, too. At least Pebble Heart has stayed behind to care for Holly.

“Jagged Peak and Dappled Pelt took the messages to River Ripple and Wind Runner,” Gray Wing went on. “River Ripple said he’d keep watch on the riverbank, and Wind Runner… well, she didn’t say no this time. We can only hope that she and Gorse Fur will come and do what they can to help.”

Thunder glanced across the moor in the direction of the sandy dip and the rocks where Wind Runner lived, but he couldn’t see any sign at all of approaching cats.

A gasp from Lightning Tail drew Thunder’s attention and he squinted into the bright sunlight.

Clear Sky was padding into the center of the moor.

He’s clever! Thunder thought admiringly as he watched his father’s stride, self-assured yet wary.

No cat would ever know that he feels his friends all around him.

Clear Sky reached the top of a small hillock, turned to face the forest, and sat down. Motionless, he waited.

Thunder realized that he was holding his breath as he gazed into the distance for the approach of One Eye. The sun beat down on his pelt. Beside him, Lightning Tail flicked his tail impatiently.

“Where is he?” he muttered.

Movement flashed in the corner of Thunder’s eye. Whirling around, he spotted One Eye. But the rogue hadn’t come from the forest. Instead he exploded out of a nearby rabbit hole.

“The tunnels!” Gray Wing hissed in frustration. “Why didn’t we think of those?”

“We should have known One Eye would do something sneaky,” Thunder responded, all the hair on his pelt beginning to bristle.

Clear Sky spun around, but a heartbeat too late. One Eye’s paw was already raking through the air, his claws tearing at Clear Sky’s ear. Blood poured down Clear Sky’s face, and he let out a screech of mingled pain and anger. Thunder saw him shake his head, trying to clear the blood from his eyes.

This is the worst possible start! Thunder thought.

He flexed his claws, digging them into the ground. All his instincts were shrieking at him to spring out from hiding and help his father, but Clear Sky had insisted that he wanted to fight One Eye alone for a few moments. “I want him to feel overconfident,” he had explained.

Clear Sky lashed out at One Eye, striking a hard blow to the rogue’s shoulder. One Eye countered by aiming for Clear Sky’s throat, but Clear Sky leaped backward in time to avoid his slashing claws.

Then to Thunder’s amazement One Eye drew back, padding around Clear Sky about a tail-length away from him. His words reached Thunder on the still air.

“You said you’d fight me, Clear Sky. Are you ready to die?”

Clear Sky’s answer rang out. “There’s only one cat who’ll die today, and that’s you.”

One Eye let out a furious snarl and launched himself again at Clear Sky. For a few moments they tussled together on the grass. At first it was hard for Thunder to see which cat was winning, until a heartbeat later Clear Sky was lying on his back with his belly exposed. One Eye raised his paw to slice down through the soft flesh.

Now!

Thunder leaped out of his hiding place, raising his voice in a great yowl of defiance. That was the signal for the other cats to launch themselves at One Eye.

As he bounded over the springy moorland grass, Thunder saw Clear Sky scramble back onto his paws. He faced One Eye, hissing to distract him, but One Eye had heard Thunder’s cry and spun around, gazing at the cats who were converging on him.

Yes, One Eye, we’re coming! Thunder’s paws skimmed the ground and he could sense Lightning Tail racing along at his shoulder and Gray Wing close behind. Cloud Spots was leading the other cats who had hidden behind the gorse bushes.

Beyond One Eye, Thunder spotted River Ripple, Dew, and Night charging across the moor from the river, and… Yes, there’s Wind Runner! Gorse Fur was by her side, and as they closed in on One

Eye, Clear Sky leaped aside to join them.

They must have left their kits with Slate. The thought flashed through Thunder’s mind as he remembered what Gray Wing had told him about his nighttime encounter. She sounds like a cat worth knowing.

That fleeting thought distracted Thunder, and he caught his paw in a rabbit hole, hitting the ground hard and rolling over in a tangle of paws and tail.

Lightning Tail’s voice rang out. “Thunder, look!”

Struggling to his paws, Thunder saw a line of cats rushing across the moor from the direction of the forest. He half expected to see some of Clear Sky’s cats among them, but all of them were strangers to him. One Eye’s rogues! There are so many!

The group of rogues divided as they drew closer. One section barreled between One Eye and River Ripple, while another darted into Wind Runner’s path. Three cats raced toward Thunder and Lightning Tail, who were leading the moorland cats, and snarled at them with claws extended.

Thunder had to veer to one side, confusing the cats who were pelting up behind him. They all stumbled to a halt, panting, as the rogue cats hissed in their faces.

“Get out of here!” Thunder responded to the hissing with a hostile growl. “This isn’t your fight!”

The rogues didn’t move. Thunder’s glance darted over to One Eye, who had leaped up onto a rock and was watching with sardonic satisfaction in his single eye. Thunder and his cats were being held back by the rogues. Thunder couldn’t imagine how their plan had gone so wrong.

Did One Eye know that we would be in hiding to help Clear Sky?

One Eye let out a mrrow of harsh laughter. “Did you really think you could get the better of me?” he asked, his voice filled with mockery. “Oh, daughter dear, won’t you show yourself?”

A golden tabby cat broke away from the back of the crowd of rogues. No… it can’t be! Star Flower… Thunder stared in horror as the beautiful rogue leaped up beside her father.

Her father? I don’t believe it! Thunder felt his mouth go dry and his heart begin to beat faster with shock. He couldn’t even look at Lightning Tail. Guilt crashed over him; his head spun, and for a heartbeat the sky darkened.

“Thunder.” Gray Wing’s voice spoke from somewhere by his side, heavy with sorrow. “You’ve been betrayed.”