Thunder Rising

Chapter 8

The sun was going down, casting long shadows across the moor. Gray Wing and Thunder were on their way back to the hollow after a session of hunting practice; Gray Wing was carrying a rabbit. He felt tired but satisfied, enjoying the last of the sunlight and the cool breeze ruffling his fur.

To his relief, when the cats woke after the dispute on the previous night, they had all settled into their usual routines without mentioning a change of leader again. Tall Shadow had reappeared and was organizing the camp with her trademark efficiency. Gray Wing hoped that they had heard the last of the argument. It was all so stupid. I don’t even know why we were talking like that.

He had intercepted Shattered Ice when the white tom was heading for the tunnel he was digging out with Jackdaw’s Cry. “I… uh… I’m sorry about last night,” Gray Wing meowed. “I didn’t mean to call you stupid.”

Shattered Ice had hesitated for a heartbeat, then dipped his head. “It’s okay. Maybe we all said things we didn’t mean.”

“I tried really hard, and I didn’t catch anything,” Thunder mewed despondently, breaking into Gray Wing’s thoughts. He had to admit that Thunder was still having problems. All his instincts were to hide and stalk; he didn’t seem to appreciate that out on the moor there was nowhere he could hide. Not unless he can make himself invisible, Gray Wing thought wryly.

Before they reached the camp, Gray Wing spotted a young bird hopping awkwardly across the grass, one wing trailing. He halted, dropped his prey, and touched Thunder on the shoulder with his tail-tip. “Look,” he murmured. “It must have fallen out of its nest.”

Thunder let out a sigh. “That’s not really hunting, is it? A young, injured bird?”

Gray Wing suppressed a hiss of exasperation. “Prey is prey, and you need all the practice you can get.”

Still looking reluctant, Thunder crouched down and began to creep up on the bird as it hopped toward a gorse thicket.

Just run after it! Gray Wing wanted to yowl the words aloud, but he knew that he had to let Thunder work it out for himself.

As he watched, Thunder set his paw down on a twig; it cracked under his weight with a sharp sound. The bird’s head swiveled toward him and it let out a squawk of alarm as it dived into the center of the thicket. Thunder dashed after it, only to be brought up short by the barrier of thorns.

“Oh, Thunder, come on!” Gray Wing bounded over to his young kin, his tail lashing. “How many more times do I have to tell you? Out here, you don’t stalk, you run.”

Thunder swung around on him. “Stop criticizing me!” he spat.

Gray Wing couldn’t believe he had heard that, or how hurt he felt at the young cat’s words. “What have I done wrong? I’m trying to teach you what you need to learn.”

Thunder shook his head in frustration. “Can’t you see, Gray Wing? I’m tired. It’s the end of the day, and I’ve had enough. You don’t have to keep pushing me all the time.”

“Pushing you?” Gray Wing echoed.

“Yes, pushing me! And watching over me all the time as if I was a kit. I’m not a kit anymore!”

Pain clawed at Gray Wing’s heart as he saw the rebellious look in the young cat’s eyes. “I only want what’s best for you,” he meowed.

Thunder muttered something under his breath.

“What was that?” Gray Wing snapped, anger rising inside him, blotting out the pain. “Speak up!”

Thunder stared at him, his eyes blazing with fury. “You don’t always know what’s best for me!”

Silence stretched out between them. Gray Wing had to clamp his jaws shut to stop more hurtful words from pouring out of him. Finally he swung around, collected his rabbit, and began to stride back toward the hollow.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” Thunder called after him.

Gray Wing didn’t respond.

Thunder caught up to him at the edge of the hollow. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

Gray Wing set his prey down and nuzzled the young cat affectionately to show him that their quarrel was over. “It takes time to master your own techniques,” he reassured Thunder. “I know that. I should give you more room to grow. You’ll get there, I’m sure of it.”

Thunder lashed his tail in frustration. “I caught a shrew when I went into the forest with Shattered Ice,” he complained. “I felt as if I knew what to do when I had all the cover in the undergrowth. But out here, I keep messing up. I feel like I’m letting you and all the other cats down. I want to be a cat you can depend on. Especially after everything that happened yesterday.”

“You will be—” Gray Wing began.

He broke off as Thunder suddenly whipped around and raced toward a clump of gorse bushes. Gray Wing stared after him, startled, until he spotted a mouse crouched under one of the outlying branches. Well spotted, Thunder! he thought, feeling his fur prickle with pride in his kin. He could see the young cat’s courage and strong sense of honor. He’ll grow into an outstanding cat…

Before he could see whether Thunder made his catch, a cry came from the hollow. “Come quick! Turtle Tail is having her kits!”

For a heartbeat Gray Wing froze. So soon! She’s lucky she came back to us when she did. He pictured Turtle Tail giving birth alone in some exposed spot on the moor, and then trying to hunt for herself and care for her kits at the same time. He was glad that she was safe in the camp.

Abandoning the rabbit, Gray Wing burst into movement and hurtled down into the camp. Thunder raced along beside him, his hunt forgotten.

Rainswept Flower was standing in the entrance of Turtle Tail’s tunnel with Jagged Peak beside her. “Keep back, all of you,” she ordered.

Gazing past her, Gray Wing could see Turtle Tail lying stretched out on a bed of moss and dried ferns. Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt were with her; Dappled Pelt was stroking her belly, while Cloud Spots bent his head over a tiny mound of wet fur. Gray Wing’s relief intensified. Dappled Pelt and Cloud Spots can help her through this…

He wriggled his way through the crowd until he stood in front of Jagged Peak and Rainswept Flower. “Let me through!” he demanded.

Jagged Peak limped forward to bar his way. “Not yet,” he meowed. “Turtle Tail needs her space.”

Gray Wing gave his brother a surprised glance. “You’d stop me?”

Jagged Peak dipped his head. “I’m only doing what’s necessary.”

“That’s right,” Rainswept Flower agreed. “You can go in and see her when she’s ready.”

I won’t be kept away! Gray Wing barely understood the emotions that made him push past the two cats to enter the tunnel. He stumbled to a halt beside Turtle Tail. She was breathing in shallow rapid pants. The atmosphere was warm and stifled; there was a tang of blood in the air. As Gray Wing approached she raised her head a little and let out a feeble purr.

“I said you couldn’t…” Rainswept Flower had followed Gray Wing, outraged, but Cloud Spots raised a paw to silence her.

“It’s okay now. Say hello to the new kits,” Cloud Spots told Gray Wing, his voice shaky. Gray Wing was surprised. For all his experience with herbs, Cloud Spots looked slightly queasy at the sight of the three damp, blood-streaked bundles.

Gray Wing looked down, and was instantly fascinated by the tiny creatures as they squirmed in the bedding alongside their mother, their eyes still closed. He remembered seeing his brother and sister, Jagged Peak and Fluttering Bird, just after they were born, and he felt the same deep connection with these kits, amazed at how perfect they were.

“They’re wonderful,” he whispered. “Turtle Tail, the little tortoiseshell is just like you.”

“Two toms and a she-cat,” Dappled Pelt meowed. “You’re all done, Turtle Tail. Three strong, healthy kits.”

Two of the kits were already vigorously drinking Turtle Tail’s milk. The third was scrabbling blindly among the moss, letting out pitiful squeaks as he sought his mother. Gray Wing reached out a paw and gently nudged him so that he could find Turtle Tail. The squeaking stopped as the kit began to suck next to his littermates.

“They’re small,” Gray Wing murmured, gazing into Turtle Tail’s eyes, “but they’re fighters. You’ll make the best mother in the world.”

For some reason, his praise made pain flood into Turtle Tail’s face. She glanced down at her kits. “If only they had a father… ,” she whispered.

When she turned to Gray Wing, he could read her questioning expression and the depth of love in her eyes. Love for her kits, surely. She can’t possibly mean… Suddenly unsure of himself, Gray Wing took a hasty step back. “I’ll leave you in peace,” he mewed. “You need to sleep.”

Rainswept Flower followed him out of the tunnel and raised her voice above the babble from the cats gathered around the entrance. “Turtle Tail has three healthy kits!” she announced.

Gray Wing heard the yowls of approval as he padded back to his own mossy nest. He tried not to think of the pain and love in Turtle Tail’s eyes, or of what it meant. I need time to think… Not just about Turtle Tail, but about his own behavior. He’d insisted on forcing his way through to see her. Why? He wasn’t the father; he had no right there. And yet, something had made him want to be one of the first cats to meet Turtle Tail’s new kits.

Gray Wing woke to the sound of rushing water in his ears. He sneezed as a feather tickled his nose, and opened his eyes to find himself in the cave behind the waterfall.

What…? How did I get back here?

He sprang to his paws, gazing around him wildly. Moonlight shone from behind the falling water, turning it into a screen of icy starlight.

In the frosty shimmer Gray Wing saw that the cats were all sleeping. He spotted his mother, Quiet Rain, alone in her nest, and Dewy Leaf curled around two healthy-looking kits. He couldn’t see any of the cats who had made the journey with him from the mountains.

They all look well fed, Gray Wing thought as he padded from one sleeping hollow to the next. It’s as if we did the right thing to leave. I must be dreaming… but oh, I wish it were true!

“Gray Wing!”

The clear meow came from the back of the cave. Gray Wing turned toward the sound and saw Stoneteller standing there, her white pelt turned to glowing silver in the light from the cave opening.

“Gray Wing, come with me,” she invited, beckoning him with her tail.

Without waiting to see if he would follow, Stoneteller led the way down one of the tunnels that led out of the far end of the cavern. Apprehension prickled at Gray Wing’s pads. He knew that the tunnel led to Stoneteller’s den, the Cave of Pointed Stones.

He padded into the darkness, aware of damp rock beneath his paws, and Stoneteller’s scent wafted back to him. Soon gray light filtered into the tunnel from somewhere up ahead, and he saw the outline of Stoneteller’s head before she stepped aside and left the end of the tunnel clear.

Gray Wing emerged and halted, staring, awe trickling through him like icy water. The cave was much smaller than the main cavern where the Tribe lived, lit by moonlight that shone through a jagged crack high above his head. Pointed stones rose up from the floor and others hung down from the roof; some had joined together so that Gray Wing felt as if he was standing on the edge of a forest made of stone.

On the floor of the cave, puddles of water gleamed with reflected moonlight. Stoneteller stood beside one of them, still beckoning him closer with her tail.

“Welcome, Gray Wing,” she mewed as he padded up to join her. “This is the Cave of Pointed Stones, where I read the signs our ancestors send us.”

Gray Wing’s mind spun with confusion. “How… how did I get here?” he stammered. “Did you bring me?”

Stoneteller shook her head. “We both walk in dreams, dear friend,” she replied, her voice deep and soft in spite of her age and frailty. “And my heart tells me that I have a message for you.”

Gray Wing’s ears pricked alertly. “What is it?”

“A new life awaits you, Gray Wing,” the white she-cat told him. “You must turn your paws onto a new path.”

“I… I wondered about that, Stoneteller,” Gray Wing meowed eagerly. “Turtle Tail’s kits need a father…”

Stoneteller dipped her head. “That may be so,” she responded. “And yet I think there is another reason that your dream has led you here, into the place set apart for the leaders of our Tribe.”

“But I’m not—” Gray Wing began to protest, then broke off, staring appalled at Stoneteller. “Tall Shadow is our leader,” he went on after a moment’s silence. “She should be here, not me.”

Stoneteller blinked. “Who can tell what lies ahead in the seasons to come?” she asked. “Be ready, Gray Wing. And may you walk your new path with courage…”

As her voice died away the moonlight faded, leaving Gray Wing standing in darkness. Before he had time to feel afraid, he was waking in his own nest, with his denmates sleeping around him.

The next morning dawned dull and chilly, with a slap of rain in the wind. Gray Wing emerged from his nest, fluffing up his pelt against the damp cold. The camp was quiet; he guessed that most of the cats were still asleep, though Tall Shadow was already perched on her rock, keeping watch in spite of the weather.

Of course she’s our leader, Gray Wing told himself, pushing the disturbing dream to the back of his mind.

As he gave himself a quick grooming, he spotted Thunder emerging from the tunnel he shared with Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur. As soon as he saw Gray Wing, the young cat bounded over to him.

“Can I see Turtle Tail’s kits?” he asked eagerly.

“I’m not sure… ,” Gray Wing began. “She needs peace and quiet, to sleep and get her strength back.”

“Nonsense.” Gray Wing turned to see Cloud Spots appearing from Turtle Tail’s tunnel. “She’d love some visitors. Why don’t you go hunting and bring a mouse for her? She’ll be hungry.”

“Okay, why not?” Gray Wing agreed.

He was afraid that with the sudden change in weather all the prey would be snugly down their holes, but they hadn’t gone far when Thunder spotted a mouse sheltering under a gorse bush.

With a glance at Gray Wing, who nodded encouragingly, he took off after it, leaping on the mouse with a triumphant yowl and padding back to Gray Wing with the limp body dangling from his jaws.

“Great catch,” Gray Wing meowed, relieved that this time Thunder had caught the mouse without any trouble. “See, I said you would get there in the end.”

Thunder’s eyes were shining. “Can we go and see Turtle Tail now?”

“Let’s see if we can find something else first,” Gray Wing replied, wondering if he was deliberately delaying. “Turtle Tail must be starving, and one mouse isn’t all that much.”

Thunder left his mouse in a crack between two rocks, and the two cats headed away from the hollow, stalking quietly around a clump of gorse. This time Gray Wing was the first to spot prey: another mouse that scuttled away from him in a panic, straight into Thunder’s paws. Thunder sank his claws into it and gave it a good shake.

“Two catches!” Gray Wing praised him. “You’re a real hunter now.”

“That one was really yours,” Thunder mewed modestly. “I’d have had to be blind and deaf and clawless to miss it.”

Returning to the rocks, Thunder collected the first mouse and carried both of them swinging from their tails as Gray Wing led the way back to the camp.

Turtle Tail was gazing down at her kits when they entered her den. All three were safe in the curve of her belly, squirming blindly on the moss and letting out tiny mews.

To Gray Wing’s surprise, Jagged Peak was sitting beside Turtle Tail, watching the kits keenly and patting them back toward their mother if they strayed too far away. Rainswept Flower was there, too, tucking fresh bedding around Turtle Tail and her litter.

“What are you doing here?” Gray Wing asked his brother.

“He’s being helpful,” Rainswept Flower replied before Jagged Peak had a chance to speak. There was an edge to her tone. “Aren’t you happy that the kits are being looked after and we’re all pulling together?”

“Uh… sure,” Gray Wing responded. “I didn’t mean to criticize.”

“That’s okay.” Jagged Peak sounded more content than he had since being cast out of Clear Sky’s group.

Rainswept Flower gave a last pat to the fresh moss. “We could do with some more of that,” she mewed, more like her cheerful self again. “Jagged Peak, come and help me collect it. We don’t want to crowd Turtle Tail.”

As she slipped out of the den, Jagged Peak rose to his paws and limped after her, giving Gray Wing and Thunder a nod as he passed.

“See you later, Jagged Peak,” Turtle Tail called after him, and added to Gray Wing, “He seems to be feeling better. I’m so glad!”

“So am I,” Gray Wing meowed. “Look, we brought you some prey. Thunder caught them.”

“Really? Good job, Thunder,” Turtle Tail responded. “And thank you. My belly feels so empty!”

Thunder dropped the mice beside her and scuffled his forepaws in embarrassment. “I couldn’t have done it without Gray Wing.” He gazed down at the kits, his eyes wide with wonder. “They’re so small and helpless,” he murmured. His gaze gradually grew distant; Gray Wing guessed that he was remembering his mother, Storm, and his littermates, now gone forever.

Turtle Tail began eating one of the mice with rapid, famished bites. As she ate, Gray Wing watched the kittens, fascinated by their tiny, perfect bodies. Their fur was dry and fluffed out now; one of the toms had a dark gray pelt, while the other was a gray tabby with a splotch of white fur on his chest. The little tortoiseshell she-cat kept tumbling over onto her back, waving white paws in the air.

“Do you like them?” Turtle Tail mumbled around a mouthful of mouse.

“Like them?” Gray Wing could hardly find words to express what he was feeling, joy and pain at once. “They’re… they’re so trusting and innocent.”

Turtle Tail let out a mrrow of laughter. “You won’t think like that for much longer. Kits can be naughty, too!”

Gray Wing’s pads prickled with embarrassment. Of course I know that! What’s the matter with me?

“Have you given them names yet?” Thunder asked, stretching out one paw tentatively to stroke the tabby tom on his head.

“Not yet,” Turtle Tail replied. “It’s so difficult to decide. I think I’ll wait at least until their eyes are open.” She met Gray Wing’s gaze, her expression soft, as if she realized she had hurt his feelings by laughing. “Come closer,” she invited. “Maybe you could help the little she-cat—she’s not very coordinated!”

Gray Wing took a step forward and righted the tiny tortoiseshell, who had tipped over again and was flailing her paws frantically as she let out a loud series of squeaks. Once upright, she stumbled forward and flopped down beside Turtle Tail; her wailing stopped abruptly as she started to suckle.

The two toms snuggled in beside her. Gray Wing watched as the three of them nursed, thinking back to how Turtle Tail had said that they needed a father.

After Storm died, I accepted that I’d never have kits of my own. But now… His heart fluttered excitedly at the thought of helping Turtle Tail to bring up her kits.

Turtle Tail’s eyelids were drooping; she still looked exhausted, and she hadn’t managed to finish the second mouse.

“We’ll let you sleep,” Gray Wing murmured, touching Thunder on the shoulder with his tail. As they headed out of the den, he added, “Come on, let’s do some more hunting.”

Excited squealing roused Gray Wing from sleep. Blinking drowsily, he emerged from his nest and arched his back in a good long stretch. The sun shone down on the camp; the sky was a clear blue, dotted with little puffs of white cloud. A warm breeze blew from the moor, bringing the scent of prey and fresh green growth.

Across the camp, Turtle Tail’s kits had tumbled from their sleeping tunnel and were playing with Jagged Peak, who was gently pretending to fight with them and letting them climb on his back. A moon had passed since the kits were born, and all three of them were growing strong and active. Gray Wing felt warmth surge through him to see how close his brother was to the kits.

Turtle Tail sat at the entrance to the den, keeping an eye on them as she groomed her fur. Rainswept Flower and Hawk Swoop were observing them, too, from a little farther away. Hawk Swoop raised her tail to keep Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur back. “You can’t play with them yet,” she meowed. “They’re too little.”

On the other side of the camp Tall Shadow was grooming herself in her den, while Shattered Ice and Jackdaw’s Cry were on the way out to hunt. Cloud Spots was sorting through a pile of herbs, tossing out the ones that were shriveled.

Optimism rose inside Gray Wing at the sight of daily life continuing peacefully in the camp. He bounded over to join Turtle Tail. “Hi,” he meowed. “The kits are lively this morning.”

Turtle Tail nodded, her eyes full of love as she gazed at her litter. “Jagged Peak is being such a help,” she purred. “It’s wonderful to have another cat to keep an eye on them when I’m tired and you’re out hunting.”

“Jagged Peak is happier, too,” Gray Wing mewed.

As he spoke, the three kits came charging back to their mother. Jagged Peak waved his tail in farewell and settled down to give himself a thorough wash.

“I finally named them,” Turtle Tail told Gray Wing as the kits scrambled around her. “The gray tom is called Owl Eyes.”

As she spoke, the kit she named whipped around and stared at Gray Wing with wide, brilliant amber eyes.

“That’s a really good name,” Gray Wing commented.

“The tabby tom is Pebble Heart,” Turtle Tail went on, “because of the white mark on his chest, and the tortoiseshell is Sparrow Fur.”

“We like having names,” Pebble Heart informed Gray Wing, giving an excited little bounce.

“And Mother says we can go out on the moor today,” Sparrow Fur added. She butted her head against Turtle Tail’s side. “Come on! You’re groomed enough!”

Gray Wing felt amusement bubbling up inside him. Turtle Tail had her paws full with the kits, even though they were only one moon old.

“Are you sure it’s safe to take them out?” he asked Turtle Tail.

“They have to leave the camp sometime,” Turtle Tail replied. “And we’re not going far: just to the top of the hollow.”

“I’m going to catch a mouse!” Owl Eyes boasted.

“I’ll come with you if you like,” Gray Wing offered. “I think it might take two of us to keep them in order.”

“I think you’re right,” Turtle Tail responded, a gleam of pleasure in her eyes. “All right, kits, let’s go.”

The three kits charged off up the slope; Turtle Tail caught up with them and made them wait until Gray Wing had ventured onto the moor and checked that there was no sign of trouble.

The kits halted in amazement as they scrambled over the edge of the hollow and gazed around.

“It’s huge!” Pebble Heart exclaimed. “I never knew the world was this big.”

“It’s much bigger than this,” Turtle Tail meowed. “Remember the story I told you of how we traveled for days and days to get here from the mountains?”

“Can we go and see the mountains?” Sparrow Fur asked.

“Not today,” Gray Wing replied. “Today we’re just exploring around the camp.”

He and Turtle Tail strolled side by side, always staying within tail-lengths of the hollow, while the kits ran excitedly here and there, chasing butterflies and batting at beetles in the grass. It was nice to see the world through the kits’ eyes.

Owl Eyes leaped onto a caterpillar, squashing it flat. “I killed it!” he announced proudly. “I can hunt!”

“So you can,” Turtle Tail purred, and added softly to Gray Wing, “That poor caterpillar never stood a chance!”

Enjoying the kits’ antics, Gray Wing felt even happier that the recent tensions in the camp seemed to have died down. His denmates hadn’t gone on insisting that he should take over as leader. That was a huge relief, even though Tall Shadow had been cool with him since the night of the argument.

She stalked off and never heard me refuse to be leader, he realized. I hope she doesn’t think I’m trying to undermine her.

Gray Wing might have taken offense that his leader didn’t trust him, but he was enjoying the kits too much to give Tall Shadow more thought. She was still keeping watch over the camp, almost constantly perched on her rock since Turtle Tail’s time was taken up with her kits.

Wind and Gorse had visited the camp several times, and had shown the mountain cats more good places to hunt. Gray Wing hoped that Tall Shadow would soon see the sense in allowing them to stay permanently.

He relaxed, enjoying the unusually warm day as the sun soaked into his fur. He drank in Turtle Tail’s scent, strong beside him in the sun’s heat. Then Gray Wing stiffened. He had picked up the scent of another cat, which at first he couldn’t identify; something about it reminded him of the Twolegplace. Not one of my denmates; not Gorse or Wind…

Then there was a flash of white paws, and a cat leaped clumsily out from a clump of gorse.

“Bumble!” Turtle Tail cried in astonishment.

Gray Wing stared at the plump tortoiseshell. This was the cat Turtle Tail had gone to live with in the Twolegplace. What is she doing here?

Bumble padded forward and dipped her head awkwardly to Turtle Tail, who didn’t respond for a moment. Gray Wing remembered how confident Bumble had been when they first met her at the place with four oaks. She looked strained now, unsure of her welcome.

I remember Turtle Tail told me that Bumble kept the truth from her, that the Twolegs would take her kits away. Is that why she looks so unhappy now?

The kits were tumbling around Bumble’s paws, but for once none of the adult cats were paying them much attention. Gray Wing picked up the smell of dried blood on Bumble’s fur; looking closer, he could spot some scratches on her legs and flanks.

Turtle Tail had noticed them too. “Who did that to you?” she asked gently, flicking her tail toward the injuries.

The kittypet lowered her head; Gray Wing could sense the pain and misery she was feeling, but she said nothing.

Turtle Tail padded up to her and touched her nose to Bumble’s ear. “Come on,” she coaxed. “You can tell me.”

“Yes,” Gray Wing added. “There’s no reason to be scared of us.”

Bumble still hesitated for a moment, blinking unhappily. “It was Tom,” she admitted at last, her voice shaking. “He turned against me once you left, because he blamed me for telling you the truth. He’s been bullying me; he swipes and scratches at me, but he’s clever enough to do it where the Twolegs won’t notice unless they really look hard.”

“I’m so sorry,” Turtle Tail mewed, giving Bumble’s ear a comforting lick.

Bumble looked up at her with desperate yellow eyes. “I don’t want to live with the Twolegs,” she declared. “Can I come and live with you? I know I treated you badly, but I can’t live with Tom anymore.”

Gray Wing glanced at Turtle Tail and moved instinctively closer to her, seeing his own alarm reflected in her eyes. There’s no way this could work!

The kits, who had been listening to all this with wide eyes, began bouncing up and down with excitement.

“Come and live with us!” Pebble Heart squeaked excitedly.

“Yes, come and live with us!” Sparrow Fur repeated.

“Hush!” Turtle Tail told her kits sternly. “Bumble, I want to help you,” she went on. “You were a good friend to me when I needed one. But you’ve been a kittypet all your life. There’s no way you’d survive in the wild, hunting for your food.”

Gray Wing knew his friend was right. Bumble was plump, with a glossy pelt and soft belly. She had a thin tendril around her neck, with a tiny glittering thing that made a tinkling sound as she moved. That would frighten off all the prey! And she had lost all her former confidence, hardly able to meet their eyes, her voice shaking as she spoke. She’d be useless and terrified, living out here.

“I could—” Bumble began.

“You spend most of your days sleeping!” Turtle Tail interrupted. “You’d be so vulnerable out here.”

Bumble looked crushed by Turtle Tail’s refusal, and for a heartbeat Gray Wing thought she was going to turn back to the Twolegplace. Then the kittypet seemed to brace herself. “Please, take me to see Tall Shadow,” she begged. “Let me ask her. I can be very convincing!”

Yes, you convinced Turtle Tail to go and live with you. Gray Wing would have refused, but Turtle Tail gave a reluctant nod, and the kits were already racing excitedly back to the hollow. Bumble followed them, with Gray Wing and Turtle Tail a pace or two behind.

Gray Wing felt a pang of resentment against Bumble, for interrupting his time with Turtle Tail and the kits. He tried not to let that influence him, but he knew that it would never work for Bumble to join them. “Tall Shadow won’t agree,” he murmured. “You know how cautious she is around other cats. She refused to take in Gorse and Wind, remember.”

“That’s why I want Bumble to ask her,” Turtle Tail responded. “Tall Shadow is bound to refuse, and then maybe Bumble will understand that she can’t live with us, and go back to the Twolegplace.”

Gray Wing nodded in agreement, then put out a paw to halt Turtle Tail before they reached the top of the hollow. “You were so kind to her,” he mewed.

Turtle Tail sighed. “I don’t have it in me to hold a grudge,” she replied. “You above all cats should know that.”

Her answer puzzled Gray Wing. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Turtle Tail looked briefly confused, as if she’d said more than she intended. “Well,” she stammered, “you know, you weren’t exactly pleased with me when I made friends with Bumble.”

Guilt clawed at Gray Wing. I had no right to tell Turtle Tail what to do. “I’m sorry,” he meowed. “I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge. Can I make it up to you now?”

“You already are,” Turtle Tail purred, brushing her muzzle against his. “You make it up to me every day you spend with the kits.”

Sudden happiness flooded through Gray Wing. “That’s easy then,” he responded. “Come on. Race you back to the hollow!”