Thunder Аnd Shadow

Chapter 5

Violetkit gazed across the den. Moonlight showed through the gaps in the brambles and dappled the fluffy pelts of Grassheart’s kits. Snakekit, Flowerkit, and Whorlkit—still too tiny to play with—were snuggled together, a tangle of paws and tails, beside Grassheart’s belly. Violetkit sighed, her heart aching. She and Twigkit used to sleep like that. Now she was alone beside Pinenose, who was snoring. Am I the only one awake? She’d heard the night patrol come in not long ago and whisper a report to Crowfrost before retiring to their dens.

She wondered if they’d found any sign of the rogues. In the day s since Bramblestar’s visit, rum ors had spread through the Clan. Dawnpelt had declared that they were just a pack of kitty pets looking for trouble. “They’ll get bored and go back to their cozy Twoleg dens before long,” she’d predicted. Violetkit hoped she was right. The thought of strange cats roam ing the forest m ade her nervous.

No cat had stirred since the patrol had gone to bed. A fox had screeched in the distance and Whorlkit had lifted his head sleepily, but he’d only y awned and tucked him self deeper am ong his littermates before falling asleep again.

Violetkit longed to cross the den and curl up beside them, but she didn’t want to upset Pinenose.

She knew that the queen did her best and was as patient and caring as she could be. But she suspected that Pinenose’s paws itched to be out in the forest again, hunting with the other warriors, now that her own kits had m oved to the apprentices’ den.

Why can’t I move to the apprentices’ den? She guessed the other cats wouldn’t approve. She was barely three moons old. But Needlepaw, her only real friend, was in the apprentices’ den. She im agined with a purr how much fun it would be to curl up in the nest beside Needlepaw. They could talk all night if they wanted or play m oss-ball or share a m ouse while every one else slept. It would be great.

A pair of eyes shone through the nursery entrance. Violetkit lifted her head sharply, her hackles lifting. Then she sm elled the fam iliar scent of Needlepaw. Had her friend been thinking about her too? Excitem ent tingled in her paws, and she wriggled forward and slithered, quiet as a snake, out of the nest.

“Needlepaw?” she hissed.

“Quick! Come outside,” Needlepaw whispered back.

Violetkit pricked her ears happily. Were they going to go on another nighttim e adventure? Her breath caught in her throat. Were they going to m eet Twigkit?

She nosed her way through the entrance, the well-trodden brambles sm ooth beneath her paws, and dropped onto the ground outside. Stars sparkled in the wide black sky like dew on a soft pelt. The moon shone, blanching the clearing with crisp light. A chill cut through Violetkit’s fur, but she hardly felt it.

“Are we going out of the camp?” she whispered to Needlepaw.

Needlepaw swished her tail along Violetkit’s spine. “Yes.”

Violetkit watched Needlepaw’s green gaze flick past her. She followed it, stiffening as she saw another she-cat standing in the shadows. Her y ellow fur shim m ered, ghostlike, in the gloom.

“I still don’t see why we have to take her.”

Sleekpaw! Violetkit shivered as she recognized the apprentice’s mew. There was scorn in it.

Sleekpaw had never even looked at Violetkit before, stalking past her as though walking past stale fresh-kill when she passed her in camp. She stared at her now, and Violetkit fought the urge to back away. Spite glittered in the older cat’s gaze. Confused, Violetkit looked back at Needlepaw. “I don’t understand. Is Sleekpaw coming to m eet Twigkit too?”

Sleekpaw tipped her head sideway s. “Is that what you usually do?” She stared questioningly at Needlepaw.

Needlepaw flicked her tail. “May be.”

“Really?”

Violetkit felt a shiver of unease as Sleekpaw spoke. The y ellow apprentice m ade the word sound like a threat.

Needlepaw lashed her tail. “Don’t be such a fox-heart, Sleekpaw. I asked you to come with me tonight because I trusted y ou.”

Sleekpaw’s expression changed, like dawn breaking through darkness. “Of course you can trust m e. I love sharing secrets.” She glanced at Violetkit. “But can you trust her?”

Violetkit lifted her tail indignantly. “Of course she can! I’m her friend.”

Sleekpaw’s whiskers twitched with am usem ent. She thrust her m uzzle close to Violetkit’s. “Then y ou’d better keep your mew quiet. Unless y ou’re trying to wake the whole camp.”

“Come on!” Needlepaw padded toward the narrow tunnel that led to the dirtplace.

Violetkit scampered after her. She wanted to ask again why Sleekpaw was coming with them, but Sleekpaw was close behind her. Needlepaw knows best, she reasoned. Perhaps it’s in case we run into the rogues. Suddenly she felt reassured. Of course! Sleekpaw was coming to protect them.

She ducked through the tunnel after Needlepaw, her nose wrinkling as she sm elled the dirtplace. Outside, they veered away from it, following the track they’d used last tim e.

Excitem ent twitched through Violetkit’s pelt. She was going to m eet Twigkit again. They could play cat and m ouse. And she could show Twigkit how much she’d grown. Perhaps she’s grown too.

Needlepaw padded past a bramble and kept going straight.

Violetkit frowned. They’d traced the curve of the brambles last time and crossed the ditches.

“Are we going the right way?” she ventured uneasily.

“‘Are we going the right way?’” Sleekpaw m im icked her, squeaking like a kit.

Embarrassment flashed hot through Violetkit’s fur.

Needlepaw glanced over her shoulder, exchanging a look with Sleekpaw.

Worry twisted in Violetkit’s belly. Was this a safer route to the ThunderClan border? She didn’t dare ask in case Sleekpaw m ade fun of her again.

They trekked on, Violetkit’s paws growing tired. She half hoped that Needlepaw would offer her another lift on her shoulders, but pushed the hope away. Sleekpaw would m ock her if she let

Needlepaw carry her like a weak kit.

Before long the needles began to grow squishy beneath her paws, turning to m ud as they headed farther from the camp. Bram bles turned to bracken beside the trail. The trees crowded closer, blocking out the moonlight so that Violetkit had to open her eyes wide to see where she was going. Had Alderpaw had suggested a new m eeting place?

Tiny paws skittered over the path ahead. Needlepaw pricked her ears, her tail twitching. She bounded forward, and the bracken swished as she dived through it.

Violetkit halted, her nose twitching as she sm elled m ouse.

Sleekpaw stopped beside her and licked her lips as she stared at the bracken.

Needlepaw nosed her way out, a dead m ouse dangling from her jaws.

“Nice catch.” Sleekpaw padded toward her. She sniffed the m ouse.

Needlepaw dropped it. “Do you want first bite?” she asked the y ellow apprentice.

Violetkit blinked at them in surprise. “I thought apprentices were only meant to hunt for the Clan.”

Sleekpaw snorted. “Don’t be such a cleanpaw.”

“The rest of the Clan is asleep,” Needlepaw pointed out. “I don’t think they’d want us to wake them up for a m orsel of fresh-kill.”

Sleekpaw batted the m ouse toward Violetkit. “Let’s pretend Needlepaw caught it for y ou.

You’re Clan, aren’t y ou?” Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, no. I forgot. You weren’t even born here.”

She hooked the m ouse back with a claw and took a bite. “I guess I should eat it.”

Needlepaw bristled. “Don’t be mean.” She tugged the m ouse from Sleekpaw. “Are y ou hungry?” she asked Violetkit, dangling the m ouse from her claw.

“No, thanks.” Violetkit shook her head. Her throat was too tight to swallow. She just wanted to get to Twigkit and Alderpaw. Sleekpaw was m aking her nervous. “Are we nearly there?”

Needlepaw glanced around. “Nearly.”

Violetkit opened her m outh to taste the air. “I can’t sm ell Alderpaw or Twigkit.”

Sleekpaw padded across a stretch of m uddy earth and peered between the shadowy trees.

The fur rippled along her spine. “I sm ell them.”

Needlepaw pricked her ears. As she turned her head to follow Sleekpaw’s gaze, the bracken rustled and a long-furred gray tom leaped out.

Fear shrilled through Violetkit. Rogue! She backed away, her heart pounding in her ears. Paw steps sounded behind her. She j erked her head around and saw a she-cat slide from the bracken, her dirty white pelt glowing in the dim moonlight. Beside her walked a long-furred black she-cat.

They were under attack!

A silver tom em erged and stopped beside the gray tom. “I thought she wouldn’t come.” He ey ed Needlepaw distrustfully.

“Of course she did.” The gray tom brushed past the silver one and stopped in front of Needlepaw. “She’s brave, for a Clan cat.”

Violetkit froze. Panic gripped her chest. She glanced at Sleekpaw. Was there going to be a fight? But Sleekpaw watched the rogue calm ly, her pelt sm ooth.

“Needlepaw.” The gray tom’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

How does he know her name?

Needlepaw dropped her gaze. “Hi, Rain.”

She’s acting shy! As shock washed over Violetkit like cold water, needles showered from the pine above. She looked up. A shape m oved along a branch, then slithered down the trunk and landed on the ground.

It was a white tom.

“Hi, Darktail.” Needlepaw nodded to him.

Violetkit saw the m uscles rippling beneath his pelt. She began to trem ble. Why have Needlepaw and Sleekpaw come here? How does Needlepaw know these cats? “Are these the rogues who attacked WindClan?” The words tum bled out before she could stop them.

Behind her the tom purred with am usem ent.

“WindClan attacked us,” Darktail growled.

Violetkit wanted to race to Needlepaw’s side, but her paws felt rooted to the earth. She gazed at Darktail, fighting back terror.

“Of course they did.” Needlepaw swished her tail. “Clan cats are so defensive.”

Needlepaw was acting like they were friends. Suddenly Violetkit understood, and disappointm ent swam ped her. We didn’t come here to meet Twigkit! We came to meet them!

Sleekpaw hooked up a leaf idly. “Clan cats don’t like to share their land with any one.”

“They want all the prey for them selves,” Rain sneered.

Violetkit realized that all the cats were staring at her. Did they expect her to say som ething bad about the Clans too?

“Is this the kit you told us about?” The silver tom padded toward Violetkit, his eyes flashing with curiosity.

“Yes.” Needlepaw strode past him and stood beside Violetkit, her chin high. “This is Violetkit.”

The silver tom sniffed Violetkit. “She sm ells like a Clan cat. I thought you said she wasn’t one of y ou.”

Violetkit stared at Needlepaw in disbelief. Did she really say that?

“She’s been living with us,” Needlepaw told him. She glanced at Violetkit. “This is Roach,” she said, nodding to the silver tom. “That’s Rain and Darktail.”

Violetkit followed her gaze to the gray tom and the white one.

“And that’s Silt and Raven.” Needlepaw introduced the she-cats.

Violetkit swallowed. “Why are they here?”

Darktail sat down. “We have to live som ewhere.”

“Pinenose say s you don’t belong by the lake,” Violetkit whispered.

Darktail snorted. “Pinenose sounds like a greedy cat who wants all the prey to herself.”

“She’s not!” Violetkit mewed defensively.

Darktail ignored her and looked at Needlepaw. “You were right. There is lots of prey here.

We’re going to grow fat.”

“Are you going to stay here?” Violetkit could hardly believe her ears.

Roach narrowed her eyes. “Is there any reason we shouldn’t?”

Violetkit’s fur prickled with fear. The she-cat was staring at her as though she were prey. “This is Clan territory,” she whispered hoarsely.

Needlepaw flicked her tail irritably. “Why shouldn’t we share it? Why do Clan cats behave like they’re so special? They’re just cats, like these cats.”

Violetkit looked at the dark-ey ed rogues. You’re nothing like Clan cats.

Sleekpaw stepped forward. “No kit can help where she’s born. Why should the Clans deprive other cats of good hunting just because they weren’t born in a Clan?”

Darktail’s gaze flicked over Sleekpaw. “Who’s this?”

Needlepaw dipped her head. “Sleekpaw. I told her about you and she wanted to m eet y ou.”

“Can we trust her?” Rain padded closer, pelt prickling.

Sleekpaw raised her m uzzle. “Of course you can!” she declared. “I think the Clans are wrong too. All their borders and rules just make more battles.” She nudged Violetkit.

Violetkit stared at her, surprised.

“You weren’t born in a Clan,” Sleekpaw told her. “Don’t you think it’s weird having so many rules?”

Before Violetkit could answer, Silt leaned forward. “If you weren’t born in the Clan, why do they let you live with them?”

Violetkit blinked at her. “I don’t know.”

Darktail stared at her. “What’s it like living with Clan cats when you know y ou’re an outsider?”

Unease tugged at Violetkit’s belly. She wanted to be loy al to ShadowClan. She thought of Tawny pelt and Puddlepaw. What would Rowanstar say if he knew she was here? He was stern and distant, but she wanted to earn his respect. “I guess it’s okay.” She tried not to remember how lonely she felt in the Clan. How Pinenose’s kits ignored her. How she wasn’t allowed near

Grassheart’s kits in case she passed on an infection. “They try to make me feel welcome.” Her breath caught in her throat. Don’t they?

Darktail leaned closer. “And y et you don’t.”

Violetkit backed away. How does he know?

Needlepaw padded around Darktail, her chest puffed out. “Rowanstar makes rules about who’s allowed in the Clan and who isn’t. But he’s old and set in his way s. He needs to learn that we’re all just cats. We all want the sam e thing—to hunt and live in peace. But he’s so busy defending his borders, he’s forgotten that.”

Violetkit’s thoughts whirled. Needlepaw sounded so certain. Was she right? They were all just cats. Perhaps the Clans were wrong. They acted like rogues were no better than foxes just because they cam e from outside the Clan.

But she’s not really one of us, is she? As she remembered Ratscar’s words, a thought flashed through her m ind, chilling her to the bone. Is that how they all see me? She stared at the rogues.

Does ShadowClan think I’m like them?