Thunder Rising

Chapter 16

The sun had gone down and stars began to appear in the night sky. A breeze blew across the moor, carrying the smell of smoke and ash from the burnt forest.

Weariness had overwhelmed Gray Wing again as the daylight faded, but he tried to keep his head and tail high as he headed up the slope to the top of the hollow.

“Where are you off to?” Rainswept Flower asked as she passed him with a mouse dangling from her jaws.

“I feel like sleeping in the open tonight,” Gray Wing replied.

Rainswept Flower gave a cheerful nod and padded on.

Gray Wing continued out onto the moor. He hadn’t lied to Rainswept Flower, but he hadn’t told her the whole truth. His instincts told him that the fresh moorland air might help to clear the taste of smoke from his mouth, and he might breathe more easily. But in addition to that, he didn’t want the other cats to see him quivering with pain, or licking his injured hind paws.

Now that Tall Shadow has given me the leadership, I can’t afford to seem weak.

Once Gray Wing had left the hollow safely behind, he found a comfortable spot to sleep, in a mossy dip sheltered by a boulder. After giving himself a soothing lick he curled up, but for a long time sleep wouldn’t come. His body was tired, but his head was full of racing thoughts.

Will Thunder be okay? He’s still so young! And what about Clear Sky? There was something in his eyes—and his tone was so cold when he insulted Jagged Peak, and told Thunder why he should come along with him.

A storm of regret and worry churned through Gray Wing and fought off any tiredness that tried to creep up on him.

Then Gray Wing froze. Tiny sounds warned him that something else was creeping up on him. He opened his jaws to taste the air. It smells like another cat.…

“Surprise!” Turtle Tail purred, leaping down into the dip to join him.

Gray Wing gazed at her with delight, though he could see the concern in her eyes as she settled beside him.

“Tell me more about what happened in the forest,” she meowed.

As briefly as he could, Gray Wing described their struggles during the fire. The pain in his paws, and his anxiety over Thunder’s leaving made it hard for him to talk.

“You’re scorched and aching, aren’t you?” she murmured. “Let me help you lick your pads.”

Gray Wing relaxed as he felt Turtle Tail’s tongue rasping gently over his burnt paws. That feels so good…

“Where are the kits?” he asked after a few moments. Turtle Tail would never leave them alone.

“Don’t worry; they’re fine.” Turtle Tail paused in her licking. “They’re asleep in my den, and Rainswept Flower and Jagged Peak are keeping an eye on them.”

“Are you okay with that?” Gray Wing asked. “I mean, that Jagged Peak is showing so much interest in your kits?” He’d noticed that his younger brother spent a lot of time involved in the kits’ care. Was Jagged Peak in danger of treading on Turtle Tail’s claws? He knew it was important for Jagged Peak to find a role, but not if it meant unsettling other cats.

“Yes, it’s fine,” Turtle Tail replied, looking faintly surprised. “I’m glad of any help. Being a mother is hard work. Besides, I… I wanted some time alone with you.” She sat up, her green eyes soft and warm as she met Gray Wing’s gaze. “I’m so grateful to you, for everything.”

Now that Thunder had left, Gray Wing felt even closer to Turtle Tail and her kits. “I’m glad to help you,” he told her, touching her shoulder with his tail.

Turtle Tail let out a contented sigh. Curling up against Gray Wing, she closed her eyes and soon drifted into sleep.

The she-cat’s drowsy purring was soothing and comforting to Gray Wing. I don’t want to be on my own anymore, he realized as he listened to her. He tried to tell himself that it was because he was missing Thunder, but this was something different. Being with another cat like this felt right. And Turtle Tail is so kind and good-hearted, so smart and resourceful…

Gradually the night air grew colder. Gray Wing still couldn’t sleep, but he felt relaxed. His weariness had melted away like frost in sunlight. He couldn’t stop looking at Turtle Tail.

At last she stirred and opened her eyes. “You’re thinking about Thunder, aren’t you?” she murmured. “Go to sleep. It’s not your fault, you know: You couldn’t stand in the way of Thunder wanting to be with his father.”

Sorrow and relief surged through Gray Wing all at once. He still felt sad that Thunder wasn’t with him anymore, but hearing Turtle Tail tell him it wasn’t his fault lifted an enormous burden from his back. She’s right. There wasn’t anything I could have done.

A pleasant tiredness crept over him. As his eyes closed and he sank into sleep, he could still hear Turtle Tail’s purring.

Low, murmuring voices roused Gray Wing from a dream of brushing through long grass under a bright sun. Struggling awake, he realized that the voices were familiar, not threatening. He opened his eyes, blinking, to see Rainswept Flower with Owl Eyes, Sparrow Fur, and Pebble Heart standing around the edge of the dip in a half circle, gazing down at him, their fur buffeted by a brisk wind.

Rainswept Flower’s eyes were alight with mischief. “So there you are!” she exclaimed. “I’m glad you’ve finally figured out what was obvious to the rest of us.”

Gray Wing’s gaze slid to one side and he saw Turtle Tail, remembering instantly how they had bedded down together the night before. Embarrassed, he dipped his head.

“You look so cozy, all curled up there,” Rainswept Flower mewed teasingly.

“Are you coming to live in our den now?” Sparrow Fur asked.

Turtle Tail was awake, gazing at Gray Wing, happiness sparkling in her green eyes. The three kits let out excited squeaks and launched themselves into the dip, scrambling over Gray Wing and Turtle Tail and burrowing into their fur.

“You’ve got your paws full there,” Rainswept Flower commented, padding off with a whisk of her tail.

A sudden, unexpected warmth flooded over Gray Wing. Maybe Turtle Tail and I do belong together, he thought.