Thunder Аnd Shadow

Chapter 13

Violetpaw glanced over her shoulder, trying to catch a final glim pse of Twigpaw through the bracken. But the young stem s blocked her view. Doubt tugged in her belly. Should I have gone with her? She is my littermate, after all.

“Hurry up!” Needletail flicked her tail as they broke from the bracken and reached the sm ooth stretch of grass that led toward camp. “The hunting patrols will be back soon, and I’m hungry.”

Patrols! Violetpaw huffed quietly to herself. The rogues’ idea of a patrol was nothing like ShadowClan’s. Darktail would suddenly decide prey was needed and send cats to hunt, rem inding them as they left to m ark the group’s ever-changing borders. There was no sense of the organization and routine she’d been used to in ShadowClan.

Perhaps they’ll learn eventually. Violetpaw quickened her step. She had hardly recognized her sister. Twigpaw looked so different. And she seem ed so ThunderClan. Violetpaw suddenly understood what Needletail, Beenose, and the other form er ShadowClan cats meant when they j oked about ThunderClan acting as though they were better than every other Clan. Had Twigpaw really expected Violetpaw to abandon her campmates to go on som e m ouse-brained mission to find their dead mother? Violetpaw’s pelt pricked irritably. Twigpaw only comes to see me when she wants something. She hasn’t tried to find me in the four moons since I left. Hasn’t she been worried about me? She huffed to herself. She thinks her needs are more important than anyone else’s.

Besides, what m ade her think their mother was alive? Of course she’s dead. Why else would she have left them? Twigpaw thinks she’s so smart. Typical ThunderClan, Violetpaw huffed to herself crossly.

Needletail glanced at her. “What are you growling about?”

Violetpaw shook out her pelt. “Nothing.” She didn’t want to complain about Twigpaw to Needletail. Twigpaw was annoy ing, but she was kin. Although Needletail felt more like her kin now. But what about the others? Violetpaw wondered if she would ever feel as close to her other campmates as she did to Needletail. Raven wasn’t as kind as she had been before Violetpaw had j oined the group. None of the rogues were. And the ShadowClan cats who had j oined them had as little patience for her now as they’d had when she’d lived with them in ShadowClan.

But I have Needletail, Violetpaw com forted herself. She’s all I need.

Paw steps thrum m ed the ground. Violetpaw followed Needletail’s gaze as her m entor looked toward the camp. Rain and Sleekwhisker bounded toward them, each carry ing a m ouse. They skidded to a halt beside Needletail and Violetpaw.

“You’re running!” Needletail blinked at them in surprise. “Is a fox chasing y ou?”

Sleekwhisker dropped her m ouse. “Why shouldn’t we run? We were worried our campmates might be hungry.” She flashed Rain an am used look. “Weren’t we?”

Rain purred. “Sure.”

Needletail scowled j ealously at Sleekwhisker and pushed between the two cats.

Violetpaw didn’t believe either of them. She could see flattened fur on Sleekwhisker’s flank where she had been ly ing down. More than once, Violetpaw and Needletail had caught

Sleekwhisker dozing in the newleaf sunshine. Rain too. Neither of them seem ed to think hunting was very im portant these day s.

Needletail glanced at the m ice, clearly unim pressed. “That’s not going to feed us all. Let’s hope Cloverfoot and Roach got a better catch. I’m starving.”

Sleekwhisker whisked her tail crossly. “What did you catch?”

“We weren’t supposed to be hunting.” Needletail lifted her chin. “I was teaching Violetpaw som e new fighting m oves.”

Sleekwhisker stared witheringly at Violetpaw. “I don’t know why you bother training her. We don’t live in a Clan any more. Let her learn to fight and hunt the way rogues learn—by experience. Or isn’t she sm art enough?”

Needletail showed her teeth. “Violetpaw is going to be a warrior, not a rogue.”

Rain stiffened. “Are you thinking of going back to ShadowClan?”

“Of course not!” Needletail snorted. “But warriors fight better than rogues.”

Rain’s whiskers twitched. “Tell that to Onestar.”

Needletail tipped her head. “But he wasn’t fighting just any rogue.” Her mew softened flirtatiously. “He was fighting you.”

Rain’s eyes sparkled. “So you think I fight like a warrior?” He padded around Needletail, brushing against her.

“Better,” Needletail answered, purring.

Sleekwhisker rolled her eyes. “Can you two stop acting like a pair of m ouse-brains? I want to get this prey back to camp before it gets stiff.”

Violetpaw’s ears twitched. You want to get it back before Cloverfoot’s patrol so you can hide it at the bottom of the fresh-kill pile. It was a m eager catch, even for Sleekwhisker and Rain. Darktail had begun to notice and complain. At least Silt and Beenose wouldn’t want to eat. They were sick with som e illness that had stolen their appetite.

She saw Rain catch Needletail’s ey e. “Perhaps we should go hunting tom orrow,” he mewed silkily. “Just the two of us.”

Violetpaw frowned crossly. She wasn’t going to make it easy for Rain to steal her friend.

“Needletail prom ised to show m e how to stalk rabbits tom orrow.”

Needletail dragged her gaze from Rain’s. “She’s right.” Was that regret in her mew?

Sleekwhisker picked up her m ouse and headed for the camp. Rain grabbed his m ouse and followed, glancing over his shoulder at Needletail. Violetpaw hurried ahead of her m entor to block his view.

As they padded into camp, Cloverfoot turned her head. The gray tabby was standing beside a plum p rabbit and a thrush.

“You’re back.” Sleekwhisker sounded surprised as she dropped her m ouse onto the fresh-kill pile.

Cloverfoot sniffed. “Of course. Catching this didn’t take long.”

Juniperclaw was washing leaf litter from his pelt. He looked up. “Prey is running well.”

“We’ve been back for ages.” Roach y awned. The silver tom was lounging nearby.

Rain dropped his m ouse beside Sleekwhisker’s. “How are Silt and Beenose?” He glanced toward the drooping rowan bush where the sick cats were sheltering.

The branches trem bled and Nettle nosed his way out, looking worried. He answered Rain’s question. “They’re worse. Beenose keeps coughing, and Silt’s fever is rising.”

Nettle was the closest the rogues had to a medicine cat. But the brown tabby only knew a few herbs. He’d tried them all on the sick cats, but nothing had m ade them better.

Rain shrugged. “Oh, well.” He sniffed the rabbit hungrily. “More prey for us.”

“Wait!” A sharp growl sounded outside camp.

Violetpaw tensed as she recognized Darktail’s mew.

The rogue leader padded from the long grass edging the camp. His m enacing gaze fixed on Rain. “You’re getting nothing from the fresh-kill pile today.”

Rain’s hackles lifted. “No cat tells m e I can’t eat.”

“You want to eat?” Darktail padded slowly toward him. “Go catch som ething worth eating.”

He stopped beside the fresh-kill pile and hooked up a m ouse with his claw. “This is kit food.”

Violetpaw glanced nervously at Needletail. There was a threat in Darktail’s mew, and Rain was ey eing him challengingly. The gray tom had been standing up to the rogue leader more and more often. Yesterday he’d refused to go on patrol. “Are they going to fight?” she whispered.

“Hush.” Needletail didn’t look at Violetpaw. Her gaze was on Rain. Her eyes sparkled eagerly as the long-furred tom stepped closer to Darktail.

“The prey I catch isn’t good enough for y ou?” Rain growled.

The rogue leader lashed his tail. “You’ve been bringing less and less back to camp.” He dropped the m ouse. “This is the m ost pitiful offering y et.”

Rain’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Have you been counting what I catch?”

“Of course I have,” Darktail hissed. “I’m the leader of this group. I make sure every cat pulls his weight.”

“You sound like a Clan cat,” Rain sneered.

“So?” Darktail lifted his chin. “They live well.”

“If you like rules!” Rain flexed his claws.

“Rules will keep our bellies full.” Darktail spoke slowly, his vicious gaze not m oving from Rain.

“Is that why we cam e here?” Rain hissed. “To hide behind bushes and hunt prey no one else wants?” He flicked his tail toward ShadowClan’s pine forest, stretching far behind them. “We live on a tiny piece of land when there’s a whole territory right there for the taking.”

Cold fear ran along Violetpaw’s spine. Did Rain want the rogues to drive ShadowClan from their land? Why? There was enough prey here, and over the past four moons Darktail had seem ed happy to leave ShadowClan in peace. She thought of Pinenose and Rowanstar, Puddlepaw and Grassheart. Grassheart’s kits! Was he threatening them?

“We don’t need the pine forest y et!” Darktail snapped. “For now we’ve got every thing we need and we don’t have to fight for it. We won’t be taking over any one’s territory until I say so.”

Rain flattened his ears. “You’ve grown soft.” A growl sounded in his mew as he crouched threateningly.

Darktail’s eyes flashed. With a y owl, he flung him self at Rain. Rain reared and caught him, staggering back as the full force of the m uscular tom hit him. Digging in his claws, Rain rolled onto his spine and thrashed viciously at Darktail’s belly with his hind paws. Violetpaw leaped back, her heart pounding, as the two cats rolled, screeching, across the clearing. She’d seen the rogues fight each other before, but today there was a viciousness in their y owls that set her fur on end.

Needletail darted around them, her gaze fixed on Rain, her pelt rippling as though thrilled by the fight.

“Watch out!” Violetpaw y elped a warning as Darktail struggled free and swung a paw wildly through the air.

Needletail dodged it as it sliced past her and caught Rain hard on the cheek, drawing blood.

Scrabbling to his paws, Rain ducked a second blow and lunged at Darktail’s forepaws.

Knocking them from under him, he sent the rogue leader crashing onto his belly. Rain reared and slam m ed his paws hard onto Darktail’s spine.

The rogue leader rolled clear with a snarl. He sprang to his paws, his gaze flam ing. Baring his teeth, he leaped at Rain. Violetpaw gasped as she saw the rogue leader sink his teeth into Rain’s neck.

With a grunt, the long-furred tom collapsed. Darktail let out a low y owl as he pressed Rain to the ground, his teeth still in the gray tom’s neck.

Rain j erked beneath him, his breath gurgling in his throat.

“Let him go!” Needletail’s panicked cry split the air. “You’ll kill him.”

Violetpaw’s breath caught in her throat as Rain fell still beneath the rogue leader. Only when Rain slum ped in defeat did Darktail let go. Fear surged beneath Violetpaw’s pelt as Darktail backed away. Was this how it would always be in the rogue camp? Bloody fights over leadership? She glanced warily around at the other rogues. Would any of them challenge Darktail?

Needletail dropped down beside Rain. “Are you okay?” Terror lit her gaze.

Rain grunted. The fur at his neck shone with blood. Rasping, Rain staggered to his paws and faced Darktail.

Darktail scowled. “Who’s the leader?”

Rain glared at him. “You are,” he growled.

Violetpaw was trem bling.

“Don’t challenge m e again,” Darktail hissed softly. The tip of his tail twitched m enacingly behind him.

Rain stared at him, anger showing in his gaze. “I won’t.”

“No, you won’t.” Without warning, Darktail lashed out, as fast as a snake. His claws raked Rain’s eye before the tom could close it.

Violetpaw’s belly heaved as blood welled around the socket. Rain staggered backward, ears flat with shock. He let out an agonized y owl before collapsing to the ground.

Needletail hunched over him. “You’ve blinded him!” she shrieked at Darktail.

Darktail curled his lip. “I only half blinded him,” he growled. “A half-blind cat threatens no one.” He padded to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed the plum p rabbit between his jaws, then carried it to the edge of the clearing and began to eat.

Violetpaw stared at Rain, horror scorching though her as she saw his face. She’d seen fights here before, but none this cruel. His cheek was ripped and his eye was closed and oozing blood.

Nausea swept over her, and she raced from the camp. Skidding to a halt behind an alder, she vom ited, her body convulsing with shock.

Hunched in her nest, Violetpaw stared through the darkness. The camp was quiet except for Rain’s m oans and Needletail’s soothing mews as she nursed him the best she could. Nettle had been racing in and out of camp all evening with herbs. Now he crouched outside the patch of long grass where Rain and Needletail were huddled together.

Violetpaw watched Nettle’s eyes slowly close as sleep overwhelm ed him. Darktail’s snores echoed across the camp. No moon lit the clearing, and clouds covered the sky. The other cats were curled in their nests. There was still prey on the pile. Darktail had been the only cat to eat.

The others had slunk to the edges of the camp in silence. Violetpaw wondered if they were as shocked as she was by the brutality of their campmates. She wondered if the ShadowClan cats regretted leaving their Clan now. Perhaps ShadowClan did have too many rules, but the cats looked after one another. They would never blind one another!

Violetpaw knew she had to leave. She could not live like this, in a group ruled by fear and claws. But where could she go? Her heart fluttered anxiously as she im agined life as a loner.

Perhaps she could ask Rowanstar to take her in, or Bramblestar. Perhaps som e of the Clan cats still believed she was part of the prophecy and would welcome her back. She just knew she couldn’t stay here. These cats were too unpredictable. What if she said som ething wrong? Or failed to bring home enough prey? How long would it be before Darktail or one of the other rogues turned on her?

She could hear Needletail m urm uring bey ond the long grass. Needletail had been growing closer and closer to Rain. She won’t leave him. Especially not now. And if they did become mates, would Needletail still have time for Violetpaw? I’d be alone here.

Quietly Violetpaw got to her paws and clim bed from her nest. Heart pounding in her ears, she tiptoed across the clearing. She paused beside Nettle, who was snoring gently now, and strained to see past him through the grass but could make out nothing but shadow. She wanted to tell

Needletail she was leaving, and to thank her. But she didn’t dare risk being caught.

“Don’t worry, Rain. It’ll hurt less soon.”

She listened to the soft m urm ur of her friend. This would be the first time in moons she’d be without her. Good-bye, Needletail. Her heart aching, she turned away and headed out of camp.

The scent of pine and m oss filled her nose as dawn broke and early newleaf sunshine seeped into ShadowClan territory. Violetpaw crouched beneath a bramble a tree-length from the camp wall. A j uicy rabbit lay beside her. Would it be enough?

Rowanstar had turned Darktail away when he had come bringing a gift of prey. And he’d told Needletail to take her. You did ShadowClan no favors by finding her. There’s been nothing but trouble since she arrived. We’re better off without her. His words still rang in her head, as they had in the moons since she’d left. Was she wasting her time even try ing to come back? Perhaps she should head straight for ThunderClan territory and beg Bramblestar to take her in. Twigpaw would support her, wouldn’t she?

Her heart quickened with fear. What if no Clan wanted her? What if they saw her as trouble: just an extra m outh to feed? The rogues would never forgive her for leaving. She’d be a loner.

“Who’s there?”

Tawny pelt’s mew took her by surprise. A tortoiseshell m uzzle pushed through the brambles, and Violetpaw found herself staring into the warrior’s green eyes. “Violetkit?” She blinked.

“I’m Violetpaw now,” Violetpaw mewed uncertainly. She’d had no nam ing cerem ony.

Needletail had decided it was time she began her training. Did that mean she wasn’t a proper

’paw?

Tawny pelt backed out. “Come out here.” She sounded stern.

Nervously Violetpaw grabbed the rabbit between her jaws and crept out.

Spikefur and Tigerheart stared at her from behind Tawny pelt.

“Are you hunting on our land?” Tawny pelt stared at her, shocked.

Violetpaw dropped the rabbit. “I caught it before I crossed the border.” She wasn’t going to make the sam e m istake as Darktail.

“Why did you come here?” Tawny pelt dem anded.

Violetpaw could see confusion and anger in the tortoiseshell’s gaze. “I want to come back to ShadowClan.” She stared at her paws, her mew hardly more than a whisper.

Spikefur growled. “You chose to leave. You no longer have a place here.”

“Rowanstar told Needletail to take m e.” Violetpaw lifted her gaze, forcing herself to be brave.

“I know I was never really wanted here. But I was hoping I could make a place for m y self.”

Spikefur glared at her. “As what? The Clan traitor?”

“Hush!” Tawny pelt turned on her Clanmate. “She wasn’t the only one who left.”

“They’re all traitors!” Spikefur hissed.

Tigerheart pushed in front of the angry tom. “Violetpaw was only a kit when she left. And Rowanstar did tell Needletail to take her. She can’t be held responsible for her decision.”

Tawny pelt was looking at the rabbit. “Did you catch that y ourself?”

“Yes,” Violetpaw told her m eekly.

Spikefur nudged Tigerheart away. “She m ay have brought others with her!”

Violetpaw puffed out her chest. “I cam e here by m y self! The others don’t even know I’m gone.”

Tawny pelt poked the rabbit with a paw. “It’s a good-sized catch. I can see y ou’re not a kit any more.” She nodded toward the camp. “Come on. We’ll let Rowanstar decide what to do with y ou.”

Rowanstar was resting beside the great rock at the edge of the clearing as Tawny pelt, Spikefur, and Tigerheart escorted Violetpaw into camp. Tigerheart carried the rabbit. As they crossed the clearing, Violetpaw ignored the stares of the ShadowClan cats. She heard Kinkfur whispering to Oakfur outside the elders’ den but couldn’t make out her words. Pinenose watched her from the warriors’ den. Violetpaw avoided the she-cat’s gaze, sham e pricking through her fur. She guessed that Pinenose wasn’t thinking any thing good about her. Stonewing and Wasptail looked up from washing as she passed the warriors’ den. Dawnpelt was rum m aging through the fresh-kill pile, picking at last night’s leftovers. Violetpaw glanced toward the nursery, hoping to catch a glim pse of Whorlkit, Snakekit, and Flowerkit. Perhaps they were apprentices by now. But the nursery was silent, lit by the early m orning sunshine.

Rowanstar scram bled to his paws as he saw her. Violetpaw tensed, straining to read his gaze.

Was that relief in his green eyes?

“I knew y ou’d all come back!” His gaze flicked hopefully past her toward the entrance.

“It’s just Violetpaw.” Tawny pelt stopped in front of the ShadowClan leader. “She cam e alone.”

Rowanstar’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is she spy ing?”

Tigerheart dropped the rabbit at his paws. “She wants to rej oin the Clan. She brought this as a gift.”

Rowanstar frowned. “Just like those rogues.”

“I’m not a rogue!” Violetpaw flicked her tail. Why did Clan cats have to call every one names? Anger surged through her. Did no cat want her? She’d spent her life being passed around by other cats. First Alderpaw had taken her from her mother’s nest. Then Rowanstar had snatched her from ThunderClan. Then Needletail had taken her to the rogues. This was the first time she’d had any choice in the m atter, and she was choosing to j oin ShadowClan. They were lucky! “I know I’m not a Clan cat now, but I want to be. I’ve decided to come here. But I can always go to ThunderClan.”

Worry flashed in Rowanstar’s gaze. “No.”

“Why?” She m et his gaze, surprised at her own boldness.

“We need you here.” The ShadowClan leader looked suddenly weary. “Perhaps if you come back, the others will too.”

“That’s their decision.” Violetpaw was unconvinced. “Don’t take m e as bait to catch the others.

Take m e because you want a Clanmate.”

Spikefur growled under his breath. “Don’t believe her, Rowanstar. The rogues m ay have sent her. It could be a plot.”

Violetpaw scowled at the tom. “Do you really think they’d send me if they wanted to infiltrate the Clan? I’m the last cat ShadowClan wants. I’m not even Clanborn.”

Tawny pelt’s flank brushed hers. “Rowanstar, I think we should take her back. It was brave of her to leave the rogues and risk coming here.”

Tigerheart nodded. “She m ay not be Clanborn, but she has the courage of a Clan cat.” He blinked at her warm ly.

Surprise pricked through Violetpaw’s pelt. Was it really going to be this easy? She stared at Rowanstar, her heart beating fast.

Rowanstar hesitated, glancing around the camp. Then he dipped his head. “Very well. We need all the warriors we can get right now. I welcome you back to ShadowClan as a Clanmate.”

He looked toward the fresh-kill pile. “Dawnpelt! You will be Violetpaw’s m entor.”

Dawnpelt padded toward Violetpaw, her nose wrinkling as she approached. “Okay,” she agreed. “But I’m not training her until she’s washed off that filthy rogue stench.”

Violetpaw hardly heard her. She didn’t care what she sm elled like. Joy flooded her belly. She was going to be a Clan cat again. A real apprentice!