Thunder Rising

Chapter 7

The moon, almost full, was riding high, casting a silver light over the hollow. Gray Wing looked down affectionately at Thunder, who had settled at his side; the young cat’s head was drooping drowsily, but he was struggling against sleep. Hawk Swoop had bundled Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur off to bed; Gray Wing guessed that Thunder didn’t want to go with them, preferring to listen to the older cats talking instead.

Jagged Peak had crept closer, too, and lay stretched out, his eyes closed. Gray Wing was glad to see that his expression had cleared; he looked almost happy as he sank into sleep. Cloud Spots was giving himself a long stretch, while Dappled Pelt had curled up and was drowsing with her tail over her nose.

“I want to tell you more about the tunnels,” Wind began. “They’re full of rabbits, if you know where to look. There was one time, I followed a rabbit almost as far as the Twolegplace—”

“That’s enough.” Tall Shadow rose to her paws, cutting off the brown she-cat. Gray Wing guessed that she didn’t want Wind to encourage any of her cats to go near the Twolegplace, or to risk themselves down unfamiliar tunnels. “Wind, Gorse,” she began, “we thank you for your help today. But now we must say good-bye. It’s time for you to leave the hollow.”

Shattered Ice and Jackdaw’s Cry, who had been listening with intense interest, looked up indignantly.

“Surely Wind and Gorse aren’t leaving?” Shattered Ice asked. “Everyone wants them to stay. Why don’t they just spend the night here?”

The rogue cats’ eyes widened hopefully, but Tall Shadow shook her head.

“No, they have to leave,” she insisted politely. “This hollow is just for the cats from the mountains. We found it and we dug out the dens.”

Wind and Gorse seemed disappointed, but they merely dipped their heads to Tall Shadow and glanced around at the others.

“Good-bye,” Wind meowed. “Thanks for letting us stay, and for sharing your rabbit.”

“Yeah, it was great,” Gorse agreed. “We’ll see you around.”

Side by side, the two rogue cats bounded up the slope. The mountain cats watched in silence as they melted fluidly into the dark moorland. In a heartbeat they were gone.

“I don’t see why they had to leave,” Jackdaw’s Cry grumbled after a while.

“Yes, they saved Jagged Peak,” Hawk Swoop added as the cats returned to their nests. “They’d be really great cats to have with us.”

Shattered Ice sprang to his paws and confronted Tall Shadow. “I think you should explain to us why they have to leave,” he demanded, flicking his tail in the direction of the departed cats, “but Turtle Tail—who was a kittypet—gets to stay.”

Turtle Tail let out a shocked gasp. Her neck fur fluffed out indignantly. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded.

“Loyalty is important,” Shattered Ice replied coldly. “You shouldn’t get to leave and then stroll back in again as if nothing happened.”

“Fine!” Turtle Tail glared at the gray-and-white tom. “I’m not going to stay where I’m not welcome!” she hissed.

Appalled, Gray Wing rose to her side and curled his tail around her shoulders. “You can’t go back to the Twolegplace now, not when that would mean losing your kits!” he protested. “And you can’t survive on your own, not when they’ll be born any day now.”

He could tell from the look on Turtle Tail’s face that she didn’t really want to leave the hollow. “I don’t care,” she muttered. “I don’t have to take that from any cat.”

“Of course you care,” Gray Wing told her, realizing how deeply upset she was by Shattered Ice’s words. “You must stay,” he went on gently. “Think of your kits.”

Turtle Tail hesitated, then nodded, leaning in for a moment toward Gray Wing.

“Good,” Tall Shadow meowed. “No cat here would turn you out at a time like this. Shattered Ice, apologize.”

Shattered Ice glared at Tall Shadow, then turned to Turtle Tail. “Okay—sorry,” he muttered grumpily.

Gray Wing drew a breath of relief, hoping that the near quarrel was over, but Shattered Ice spun around again to face his leader.

“But you still haven’t answered my question. Why did you make Wind and Gorse go?” he asked. “They saved Jagged Peak’s life and probably others! You call yourself our leader, but you don’t care what we think. What makes you so special?”

Tall Shadow stiffened at the white tom’s accusing tone. “I—” she began, but Shattered Ice ignored her attempt to speak.

“All this time, while this was going on,” he continued. “You were guarding the hollow! Some bravery! Some leadership! Gray Wing was out there, saving cats. You should follow his example. In fact, we all should. Gray Wing should be our leader!”

A babble of comment and protest rose up from the other cats at Shattered Ice’s challenging words. The drowsy peace that had fallen over the camp was swept away.

“You can’t change a leader just like that,” Rainswept Flower protested. Tall Shadow looked on, her face blank with shock. Don’t rely on Rainswept Flower to stand up for you, Gray Wing silently willed her. Show your authority!

“Yes!” Hawk Swoop yowled. “Gray Wing!”

“Now just a moment…” Cloud Spots shouldered his way forward, but anything else he might have said was lost in the rising clamor.

Tall Shadow drew herself to her full height. Her shoulder fur was bristling and her tail bushed out to twice its size. Fury snapped in her green eyes, but she still looked too stunned to say anything.

Shock pierced through Gray Wing like a bolt of lightning. The idea of taking over as leader made his fur rankle, particularly when that would mean displacing Tall Shadow. Do they expect her to purr sweetly and start taking orders from me?

Sudden words exploded out of Gray Wing. “Be quiet!” he ordered Shattered Ice. “Is this what we want—arguments among ourselves when there are serious dangers out there?”

“That’s exactly what we want,” Shattered Ice retorted. “Because there are dangers, we need a leader who’s capable of dealing with them. Only today, Thunder and I were stopped by some of Clear Sky’s cats in the forest. We could have ended up fighting if it wasn’t for the dogs.”

Gray Wing cast an angry glance at Thunder, who was struggling back to wakefulness as the argument erupted in the hollow. You never told me about that! But speaking to his young kin would have to wait. “Tall Shadow is the leader we need,” he meowed sharply to Shattered Ice.

Shattered Ice lashed his tail. “I say she is not!”

Several gasps of astonishment followed, and Tall Shadow took a pace forward, a low growl coming from her throat. Gray Wing realized that she was within a heartbeat of attacking Shattered Ice.

Before Gray Wing could move or speak, Cloud Spots pushed his way between the two hostile cats. “Do you really want a leader who led dogs into our camp?” he asked Shattered Ice.

Fury pierced through Gray Wing. “What would you have done, flea-brain?” he demanded.

“Gray Wing was brave!” Thunder’s voice was raised in protest. “He saved Jagged Peak.”

Gray Wing realized that he should have kept his temper. Thunder was fully awake now, on his paws with his shoulder fur fluffed out as he glared at Cloud Spots. Guilt stabbed through Gray Wing and he tried to calm himself. I shouldn’t behave like this in front of younger cats.

“I want a leader who’ll do something,” Shattered Ice retorted to Cloud Spots, ignoring Thunder’s interruption. “Not sit around in the camp all day. And if you think any different, you’re more flea-brained than I thought!”

“Who’re you calling flea-brained?” Cloud Spots growled.

For answer, Shattered Ice leaped at him, his claws out, and caught him a blow over one ear. Cloud Spots reared up on his hind paws and hurled himself on top of Shattered Ice with a snarl.

Gasps of shock and loud protests arose from the other cats. For a heartbeat Gray Wing stood frozen, appalled at the sight of two of his denmates attacking each other.

“Stop!” he yowled.

He sprang forward, grabbed Cloud Spots by the scruff, and hauled him off Shattered Ice. Shoving Shattered Ice away, he stood panting between the two furious cats.

“That’s enough,” he meowed. “How can you raise your claws against each other, after all we’ve been through together? We must be united, or what hope do we have?”

Gradually both the toms grew calmer, their bristling fur beginning to lie flat on their shoulders. “Sorry,” Cloud Spots muttered. Shattered Ice just glared, breathing hard.

Before Gray Wing could say any more, Tall Shadow bounded across the hollow and sprang up onto her rock. “Listen!” she yowled. “Shattered Ice,” she continued when every cat was giving her their attention. “You have no right to talk to any cat as rudely as that, much less your leader. And then to attack one of your denmates! You—”

“But he has a point,” Jackdaw’s Cry interrupted. “Things have to change.”

“Have to?” Tall Shadow gave him an icy glare. “We belong to each other and look out for each other, no matter what. That doesn’t change.” Her glance raked across the assembled cats. “I’m sorry if some of you felt offended because I was guarding the hollow. Next time I’ll let the dogs sneak up on us without warning.”

“That’s a good excuse.” Jagged Peak struggled to his paws. “It meant you didn’t have to do anything when Thunder and I were in danger. You just left us to the dogs.”

“Foolish creature!” Tall Shadow hissed at him. “You wouldn’t have been in danger if you hadn’t gone off without telling any cat.”

With a last furious look flung at Shattered Ice, she leaped down from the rock and stalked off into the darkness. Before she disappeared, she glared over her shoulder at Gray Wing, the accusation in her eyes making him feel like a traitor.

But I didn’t ask for this! he protested silently. I didn’t ask for any of it.

The voices of his denmates rose again around Gray Wing, continuing the argument in hushed tones. Gray Wing hesitated, knowing that he had to intervene, but not certain what he should say.

“Jackdaw’s Cry,” he began at last, trying to keep his anger under control, “there was no need for you to take Shattered Ice’s side.”

“There was every need,” Jackdaw’s Cry responded swiftly. “Tall Shadow is making a mistake by forcing us to live like we did in the mountains. She’s set in her ways. Now is the time for change—and that change is you! You should be our leader, Gray Wing. What do you say?”

Hawk Swoop nodded, moving closer to her mate. “Things are changing in spite of Tall Shadow,” she agreed. “For one thing, there weren’t other cats in the mountains! Now, we’re scrambling for space to hunt, and dogs are attacking us.”

“That’s true,” Dappled Pelt put in. “Prey was scarce up there, but at least it was all ours.”

“There’s plenty of prey for every cat here,” Cloud Spots pointed out. “We don’t need to be fighting over it. All these arguments about hunting rights are ridiculous. We should all be able to hunt where we want.”

“Tell that to Clear Sky,” Shattered Ice flashed back at him. “He’s the one setting boundaries. At least he’s making sure that all his cats are well fed.”

“Do we really want a leader like him?” Rainswept Flower countered. “If you ask me, we’re better off as we are.” She flicked a glance at Gray Wing. “I’m sorry. That’s just how I feel.”

Gray Wing felt Turtle Tail press up against him. “How can they talk like this?” she whispered.

“I told you things weren’t perfect here,” Gray Wing responded in a murmur before striding into the center of the circle. “Don’t apologize to me, Rainswept Flower,” he meowed. “I didn’t ask to be leader—that’s the foolish idea of other cats.” He waited for the yowls of protest to die down and didn’t dare make eye contact with Shattered Ice. He knew he would pay later for such a statement, but for now… I need these cats to know that I won’t lead them, and I won’t see Tall Shadow undermined.

He padded around, gazing at the collected cats. “Is this what we all want?” he asked. “Arguing among ourselves over a visit from two rogue cats? We all ought to be glad to be alive tonight—instead we’re turning on each other. I think we should retire to our nests and think hard about what’s gone on this evening. Then, tomorrow morning, we can apologize to whichever cats we offended. But please don’t ask me to lead you again. That’s not the way things are meant to be. Tall Shadow led us here, and she’ll carry on guiding us along the right path. You need to have faith.”

Some of the cats began to pad away, back to their nests. Jackdaw’s Cry, however, was staring hard at Gray Wing. “That’s a nice suggestion, but I still think we need to do what Clear Sky is doing,” he argued. “Organize our boundaries, defend our territory and our prey, bring cats who agree with us into our group, and keep the others out. It doesn’t matter whether they started out with us in the mountains, or whether they’re rogues.” He lashed his tail. “You’re right, Shattered Ice. We need a new leader. If it’s not Gray Wing…”

Gray Wing couldn’t believe the change that had come over his denmates. He glanced at Jagged Peak; his brother had hardly spoken, but was following the argument carefully, his gaze flicking from one cat to another. Thunder was watching carefully, too. Gray Wing had no idea what either of the young cats was thinking.

One thing was certain in Gray Wing’s mind. I don’t want to be a leader like Clear Sky. As soon as the words had formed themselves he felt full of guilt. Clear Sky is my brother! I know he’s only doing what he thinks is best.

“Jagged Peak, what do you think?” Jackdaw’s Cry asked. “You lived in Clear Sky’s group for a while. What was it like?”

Jagged Peak twitched his whiskers, looking pleased that one of the older cats was asking his opinion. “I wasn’t welcome there once I was injured,” he responded drily. “If we’re planning to organize ourselves like Clear Sky’s group, will we be throwing out injured cats or motherless kits? How about cats who get old or sick?”

Jackdaw’s Cry stared at Jagged Peak, clearly startled. “We’re not planning anything like that,” he replied in a shocked tone. “We just want to get more organized and have more cats join us so we can defend our territory.”

Rainswept Flower nodded eagerly. “Please, Jagged Peak, won’t you show us something that can help? Something you learned from Clear Sky and his cats?”

Jagged Peak hesitated, as if he was about to refuse, then shrugged and dragged himself on top of a boulder. The rest of the cats gathered around him; even the ones who had been heading for their nests returned to listen.

Glancing around the crowd of his denmates, Jagged Peak let out a sigh of resignation. Even so, Gray Wing could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was glad to have a chance to share what he knew.

“First, you’ve got to promise not to tell any cat I told you this,” he began. “I don’t want it getting back to Clear Sky that I gave away his secrets.”

“We promise,” Rainswept Flower mewed.

“Sure,” Jackdaw’s Cry added, and a murmur of agreement rose from the rest of the cats.

“Okay,” Jagged Peak continued. “Now I want you to think like Clear Sky and his cats. What are your special skills? What do you do best? Hunt or chase? Can you climb trees or burrow through tunnels?”

“You’re best at burrowing,” Shattered Ice observed wryly.

A few snorts of amusement followed his words, though Gray Wing shivered at the memory of his brother buried in the tunnel.

Jagged Peak rolled his eyes. “Suppose we organized ourselves into groups,” he went on. “Rainswept Flower and Jackdaw’s Cry each have a good sense of smell and Turtle Tail has keen eyes. They would be good at patrolling the hollow and the territory around it. Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt are best with healing herbs, so that would be their job. Gray Wing, you’re fast, so you would be a good hunter. This is how Clear Sky organizes things. Each cat has a special role.” His gaze fell to the ground and his voice was quieter as he added, “Even I had a role, until…”

“Thank you, Jagged Peak,” Shattered Ice meowed.

Gray Wing realized that Tall Shadow was still missing. She should have heard what Jagged Peak suggested, he thought. It’s her job to organize us.

A loud voice broke in on his thoughts. “But I don’t want to patrol!” Jackdaw’s Cry insisted. “I’m better at hunting.”

“No, you’re not,” Shattered Ice snapped back. “You missed that rabbit the other day—”

Within a couple of heartbeats it seemed to Gray Wing that every cat was arguing over who should hunt, who should go on patrol, and who should guard the camp.

“That’s enough!” he yowled, raising his voice to make himself heard over the bickering. As the noise died down he shook his head sadly at Jagged Peak. “I’m sorry,” he mewed. “They’re not ready for this yet.”

“It was only a suggestion.” Jagged Peak climbed stiffly down from the boulder and headed into the darkness.

Rainswept Flower began to follow him, but Gray Wing raised his tail to stop her. “I know you want to help, but I think it’s best to let him be for now,” he advised. “He needs some time alone.”

The tabby she-cat looked as if she would have liked to argue, but after a moment she dipped her head politely. “Whatever you say, Gray Wing.”

Somehow, her deference disturbed Gray Wing. He turned away from her, only to realize that the other cats were crowding around him, talking excitedly among themselves.

“Remember how Gray Wing and Jagged Peak were clever enough to make it out of the mountains on their own?” Hawk Swoop meowed.

“That’s right,” Turtle Tail agreed, with an admiring look at Gray Wing. “I’m sure I couldn’t have done it. And he saved Thunder when the Twoleg den collapsed, and Storm and the other kits were all killed. I’ve never been so scared in my life, but Gray Wing was really brave!”

“He helped to save Jagged Peak today,” Rainswept Flower pointed out.

“He’s one of the fastest hunters on the moors,” Dappled Pelt added. “And he can get cats to work together. What more could we possibly want? He should be our new leader.”

Gray Wing had heard enough. “Stop it, all of you,” he protested. “Did you hear anything I said? I’m not a leader, and I don’t want to be. I saw how Clear Sky changed when he started thinking about boundaries and territories instead of individual cats.” He hesitated for a moment, the pain of estrangement from his brother sweeping over him like a cold wind. “Clear Sky is not the cat I used to know,” he finished.

“Oh, you’re just being modest,” Cloud Spots meowed. “We know you wouldn’t end up like Clear Sky.”

A chorus of agreement followed this declaration. Gray Wing raised a paw for silence and waited until the voices died away.

“Okay, I’m brave, or I try to be,” he began. “But I don’t have the skill of planning or the special authority that a leader needs.” He glanced around at the others, encouraged to see that they were at last listening to him. “Surely you remember Stoneteller?” he went on. “She wasn’t just brave; she knew how to take care of each cat like they were her own kit. I don’t have that in me.”

“Yes, you do!” Thunder interrupted, glaring indignantly up at Gray Wing. “I know—because of how you’ve cared for me, and because of what all the other cats say about you.”

“I don’t,” Gray Wing meowed abruptly. “None of us do. And I’d rather have Tall Shadow, who listens to every cat and tries to keep us together fairly, than Clear Sky, who thinks he can control who deserves to be in the forest.”

“But that’s what we’ve been telling you,” Shattered Ice declared. “You don’t have to be like Clear Sky. You would learn from his mistakes. You’d be a great leader.”

“A leader? Me?” Gray Wing felt anger surging inside him again as he thought of the chasms that had opened up since they left the mountains with such high hopes. “I couldn’t even keep my own family together! And look at you—all you’ve done today is bicker among yourselves. Now do as I asked, and go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”

To his relief, no cat seemed inclined to go on arguing. Gradually they began to drift away to the edge of the hollow or the tunnels to sleep. There was still no sign of Tall Shadow. She should have been here, Gray Wing thought. She shouldn’t have abandoned the argument so early. Lots had been said—words Tall Shadow should have heard.

“Things need to change,” Shattered Ice muttered as he headed for his nest, and Gray Wing heard some murmurs of agreement.

Thunder pressed up against Gray Wing, as if he was trying to offer comfort. “How could you have kept your family together?” he asked. “It’s not your fault, the way Clear Sky is behaving.”

Gray Wing sighed. “It feels like it.”

Jagged Peak was watching them both silently, his eyes narrowed and the tip of his tail twitching. Something about the way the young cat was looking at Gray Wing made him uneasy.

“Thank you for trying to talk to the cats,” Gray Wing meowed, padding over to him.

“That’s just it, though,” Jagged Peak responded. “I tried. I didn’t succeed. They didn’t really listen to what I was telling them.”

Gray Wing suppressed a sigh. When will Jagged Peak learn to like himself again?