Thunder Rising

Chapter 12

Gray Wing watched through a haze of pain as Thunder and River Ripple talked together. His hind paws hurt more than any injury he had ever felt, and it took all his courage not to let the other cats see his pain or the trouble he had breathing.

What hurt even more was that Thunder—barely more than a kit—had taken the lead to save his denmates. These cats wanted me to be their leader—and I couldn’t get them out of the fire. Instead I was the cat who led them into danger! He knew too that if Thunder hadn’t spurred him on, he would never have found the courage to jump. Thunder saved my life.

Gray Wing remembered how Thunder had rebelled and said that he didn’t need Gray Wing to watch over him. He’s certainly getting his wish now…

At last Gray Wing could manage to breathe, though he still felt as if he had swallowed fire. He couldn’t understand how he could be in so much pain on the inside, where the flames had never touched him. Struggling to his paws, he opened his jaws to speak to the other cats, when River Ripple forestalled him.

“Not every cat would find it in him to jump over fire,” the silver-furred tom meowed. “Most of them would panic until it was too late.”

Gray Wing winced at River Ripple’s words: they came a bit too close to home for his liking.

“It’s good to see you again, Gray Wing,” River Ripple continued, as calm as he had been the day they had met by the river.

“My name is Tall Shadow.” The black she-cat shouldered her way to the front. “I’m the leader of these cats. Thank you for your help.”

She was trying to sound in control, but her voice was shaking and Gray Wing could tell that she was almost overcome by emotion.

“Can you really get us out of here?” she asked River Ripple.

“Certainly,” the silver tom assured her. “I can show you the way out of the fire and back to your hollow, but you have to trust me.”

He turned away and padded to the bank of the stream.

Tall Shadow stared after him. “Are you birdbrained?” she asked. “We’re not all going to be able to swim the stream. Cats don’t like water. Jackdaw’s Cry and Thunder only went in because they had no choice.”

Gray Wing winced at her sharp tone, when River Ripple was only trying to help. But he recognized how stressed she was, and besides, he had to admit she was right. Just here the stream was wide, swirling into pools; he couldn’t see how deep it was. He didn’t feel like plunging into it, injured as he was, and Moon Shadow was certainly too weak to manage it.

River Ripple didn’t respond to Tall Shadow. Instead he padded down the bank and out into the stream. The ripples swirled around him, barely covering his paws.

Gray Wing let out a gasp, and Thunder exclaimed, “You’re walking on the water!”

River Ripple turned back; in the light of the flames Gray Wing could see a gleam of amusement in his eyes. “No, I’m not,” he replied. “I’m walking on rocks and stones just below the surface. They’ll hold any cat’s weight.”

Gray Wing tried to clear his throat. “I’m sorry,” he croaked, “but I can’t go yet. I’m sorry I led the rest of you into danger, but the whole reason I came here was to look for Clear Sky—he’s my brother,” he added to River Ripple.

The silver tom gave him a long, hard stare. “You think that Clear Sky can’t look after himself and his cats?”

Gray Wing hesitated. “Well… he can,” he admitted. “Clear Sky’s excellent at surviving.”

River Ripple’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, yes, he’s very good at that.”

Suddenly the air was full of tension that had nothing to do with the encroaching fire. Have I been really stupid? Gray Wing asked himself. Have I been utterly reckless, leading my denmates toward the fire in the first place? Have we risked our lives for nothing?

River Ripple returned to the bank and padded up to Gray Wing. “Your leader is struggling,” he murmured. “Your spirit is strong, and now you need to be strong for every cat.” Glancing around, he added in a louder voice, “First we need to get you all to safety. Then we can think about helping Clear Sky and his group—if they need helping.”

“Right,” Gray Wing agreed. Relief and gratitude surged through him that River Ripple had presented him with a clear plan. “Let’s do that.”

As River Ripple led the way down the bank of the stream, Gray Wing tried to control a fresh bout of coughing that threatened to explode out of him. We’re still in danger. I don’t have time to be ill. Suddenly a terrible thought came over him: What if the fire spreads to the moor? His heart pounded at the thought of flames encroaching on their camp, the others yowling in fright… He struggled to take a breath and calm himself. Right now, we need to get out of danger. Then I’ll have time to worry about what the fire might do next.

Cautiously the cats formed a line, with River Ripple in the lead to show them where to put their paws. One by one they stepped onto the rocks in the river, picking their way along.

“Go on, Thunder,” Gray Wing meowed when only they remained on the bank. “I’ll bring up the rear.”

“I should do that,” Thunder protested. “Just in case there’s trouble.”

Gray Wing shook his head. I don’t want any cat to see that I’m limping. “Just go,” he ordered. And when did Thunder start protecting me? When did he grow up?

Thunder blinked at him, looking slightly disconcerted at Gray Wing’s tone, then turned to follow the other cats. Gray Wing paused at the edge of the stream, bending his head to lap at the cool water—but not even that could douse the burning in his belly. He was in far more pain than he would ever admit, and the knowledge sent a dark pulse of fear racing through him.

As he hobbled from rock to rock, Gray Wing spotted plump and delicious-looking fish swimming in the stream. He couldn’t stop his forepaw from lifting, but he resisted the urge to swipe at the prey. I’d never keep my balance, not with these sore paws. The last thing he wanted was to be rescued from water right after being rescued from fire. He let the enticing fish swim by and concentrated on keeping his balance as he walked from rock to rock.

Thanks to River Ripple, all the cats eventually reached the safety of the opposite bank, well away from the fire. Gray Wing realized that they had emerged from the forest not too far from the hollow, near the place where he had first met the silver tom.

Every cat crowded around River Ripple, gazing at him with awe.

“Thank you for saving our lives,” Tall Shadow meowed, dipping her head with deep respect.

“Yes,” Cloud Spots added. “Who knows how many of us the fire would have eaten before it was full?”

His words jolted Gray Wing. Clear Sky was still in the forest! Turning back to the stream, Gray Wing began yowling his brother’s name, as loudly as he could from his damaged throat.

River Ripple came to sit beside him and joined in his calls, but the only response was the growing roar of the fire, the crackle of sparks and soft thumps as branches fell to the ground.

“Clear Sky! Clear Sky!” Gray Wing went on crying out his brother’s name. Clear Sky might be dead—most likely was dead. I can’t have lost him!

Thunder joined him too, his frantic look increasing Gray Wing’s desperation.

“Clear Sky!” Thunder wailed. “Clear Sky, where are you?”

A sudden gust of wind made the crackle of the flames subside. Gray Wing’s ears pricked and relief flooded over him as he heard an answering yowl.

“That’s him!” he exclaimed. “He’s alive!”

Clear Sky was close by, but he was still on the wrong side of the water, close to the devouring flames. He needs my help. Gray Wing wished he had never allowed River Ripple to persuade him to cross the stream.

Gray Wing hobbled back to the water’s edge and peered across. Though he was safe from the flames, smoke and sparks still billowed over him, catching in his throat and making his eyes sting. He gazed through the fire and the trees, catching blurred glimpses of gray that he knew must be his brother’s fur.

The fire was starting to die back, moving farther into the forest, but a barrier of burning undergrowth separated Clear Sky from the stones where Gray Wing and his denmates had crossed the stream. A rocky outcrop was holding back the flames from where Clear Sky stood.

“Clear Sky, can you hear me?” Gray Wing called out. “You’ll have to swim! It’s safe if you keep to the far side of that rock.”

Clear Sky emerged into the open followed by a bedraggled line of forest cats. Relief surged through Gray Wing again as he recognized his old denmates Quick Water and Falling Feather. All the cats were on the verge of panic, glancing around fearfully as they headed for the stream, their fur bristling and their ears flattened.

“Watch out for that bush!” Gray Wing yowled, seeing a line of fire creeping through the grass.

Clear Sky veered away sharply as the bush burst into flames. He raced for the stream and plunged in, struggling desperately across. His cats launched themselves into the water behind him; Gray Wing raced along the bank to the point they were heading for, ready to haul them out. Thunder and River Ripple came to help, until Clear Sky and the rest were all safely on firm ground again.

“Thanks,” Clear Sky gasped, glancing around to reassure himself that all his denmates had made it across.

Clear Sky’s pelt was clinging to his ribs and his chest heaved with deep panting breaths. But gazing at his brother, Gray Wing felt a flicker of hope. We’re working with each other again…

Clear Sky and his denmates huddled close together. Water was streaming from their fur and they all looked exhausted.

Gray Wing stepped forward and dipped his head to his brother. “You’re welcome to share the hollow with us,” he mewed. “It’ll be crowded, but you’ll be safe there.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he darted a glance at Tall Shadow. The offer should have come from their leader; he’d been too quick to speak. But what could he do—these cats needed a secure place to sleep.

Thankfully, Tall Shadow nodded. “You’re all welcome,” she told Clear Sky.

As his fear ebbed, Gray Wing felt glad to see his brother alive, even though he looked ready to collapse, with his fur sodden and plastered to his sides. He and Clear Sky stood looking into each other’s eyes for a long time. Then Clear Sky dipped his head. “We owe you our lives,” he murmured.

Gray Wing was about to respond, when he heard the sound of another cat approaching. Glancing around, he saw Thunder gazing up at his father with wide eyes. This was the first time Thunder had seen his father since Clear Sky rejected him as a tiny kit.

“Come closer,” Gray Wing invited gently, angling his ears toward Clear Sky.

Thunder padded forward nervously. He still looked bedraggled from his dip in the river.

“This cat saved my life,” Gray Wing told Clear Sky, pride in his eyes as he looked at Thunder. “If it wasn’t for your son, neither of us would be alive now. Would you like to thank him?”

Gray Wing could see Thunder’s chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to contain his emotions.

Clear Sky stared at his son for a long time. Then at last he dipped his head in acknowledgement. “You’re a brave young cat,” he meowed. “But try to keep away from fires in future!”

Gray Wing let out a snort of laughter in sheer relief; he could hear several of the others doing the same. Thunder was still gazing at Clear Sky; not a single mew had come out of his mouth.

“Don’t you have anything to say to your father?” Gray Wing asked, giving him a gentle shove.

He sensed tension in the cats around him as they wondered what might come out of Thunder’s mouth.

For a couple of heartbeats Thunder scrabbled at the ground with his forepaws. Then he raised his head and met Clear Sky’s gaze once more. “Did you love my mother the first time you met her?” he asked.

Where did that question come from? At a time like this! Gray Wing felt prickles of apprehension all through his pelt. He knew that his brother didn’t like any cat to mention Storm since she died.

“Of course,” Clear Sky replied, with an uneasy glance at Gray Wing. “It was something neither Storm nor I could resist.” Shaking his pelt, he added, “Come on. Are you going to take us to your hollow?”

“Yes,” Tall Shadow replied, turning to River Ripple. “Would you like to come with us?” she invited.

River Ripple shook his head. “I’m a rogue,” he told her. “I sleep with no other cats. But I wish you all the best.” He turned and bounded off into the darkness.

“Thank you!” Gray Wing called after him. When he looked around, Thunder was still gazing up at his father, and Clear Sky was meeting his stare.

Tall Shadow gathered the cats together and led the way across the moors toward the hollow. Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt flanked Moon Shadow, supporting him as he stumbled forward. Thunder padded along at Clear Sky’s side.

The first pale streaks of dawn were creeping into the sky. When Gray Wing looked back he could still see a sullen glow over the forest, but out on the moor the cool, misty air was soothing on his burnt pelt and streaming eyes.

The nightmare is over, he thought with a sigh of relief. We’re safe now.