by Erin Hunter
A mew sounded ahead. “My paws are wet!”
Owl Eyes! Quickening his pace, Thunder shouldered on until he glimpsed a short, splotchy tail snaking through the grass ahead. “Sparrow Fur!”
The tail slid from view and her face poked out between the stalks. “Thunder!” She stared at him, eyes sparkling. “Pebble Heart said we’d make it back to camp before you, but I knew you’d catch up.” Her gaze flitted to Lightning Tail. “Did you bring Tom?”
Lightning Tail shook his head. “Tom didn’t want to come,” he mewed softly. “He wanted to stay with his Twolegs.”
“Hurry up!” Pebble Heart’s mew sounded from farther ahead. “I want to see Turtle Tail!”
“There’s the river!” Owl Eyes called out happily, pointing with a forepaw. “We’ll be on the moor soon.” Sparrow Fur turned and disappeared into the grass.
Thunder caught Lightning Tail’s eyes. The black tom’s gaze was dark with grief. Thunder guessed what he was thinking. How will we tell them about their mother?
Heart aching, Thunder pushed after the kits. He stretched his head up and saw River Ripple’s silver tail poking above the stems. Pebbles crunched ahead and a moment later he emerged onto the shore.
The river glimmered beneath the moon, which was rising high above the moor.
The kits raced to the water’s edge and began lapping thirstily.
River Ripple dipped his head to Lightning Tail. “You were brave today,” he murmured.
“So were you.” Lightning Tail glanced past the rogue toward the kits. “Thanks for getting them away. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Thunder nodded. “Yes, thank you, River Ripple. We can take it from here.”
“I’m glad I could help.” River Ripple turned to the kits. “Take care!”
Three pairs of eyes turned and flashed through the moonlight.
“Where are you going?” Owl Eyes asked the silver rogue.
“Back to my nest.” He stretched. “I’m worn out. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, but we’ll be home soon.” Pebble Heart licked droplets from around his mouth.
“I bet Turtle Tail and Gray Wing are already there waiting for us,” Sparrow Fur mewed excitedly. “They’ll be so surprised when they hear where we’ve been.”
Thunder’s breath caught in his throat. How was he going to tell them the truth? Turtle Tail wasn’t waiting for them. They’re never going to see her again.
CHAPTER 16
Gray Wing stared out over the moonlit grass. Wind Runner’s vicious snarl rang in his ears. You think you know what it’s like? He didn’t want to know what it was like to lose a kit. He strained to see through the shadows, hope sparking beneath his pelt every time the wind ruffled the heather.
The other cats were still awake. Tall Shadow paced beside the flat rock while Jagged Peak watched.
Shattered Ice’s nest rustled. The tom was clearly trying to get comfortable. Eventually, he snorted and hopped out, then sat beside Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt. “It started as such a good day,” he muttered.
Cloud Spots’s fur brushed the ground. “Thunder will be back soon with Turtle Tail and the kits.”
Acorn Leaf called across the clearing. “What’s taking them so long?”
“Hush!” Hawk Swoop chided gently. “Let Wind Runner grieve in peace.” Her eyes flashed in the darkness as she looked toward the bramble.
What is taking them so long? Gray Wing began pacing. “Perhaps I should go and look for them.” He looked questioningly at Tall Shadow.
“Save your strength,” Tall Shadow glanced at the round, white moon. “The meeting with Clear Sky is tomorrow night.”
“They must have gone all the way to Twolegplace,” Gray Wing fretted.
“Turtle Tail knows her way around there,” Jagged Peak reminded him. “She’ll bring them back.”
Gray Wing halted beside the gray tom. “What if Tom persuades her to stay? What if he uses the kits to keep her?”
Jagged Peak met his gaze. “Do you really think Turtle Tail would let that happen?”
The heather rustled. Gray Wing pricked his ears. Was that a faint mew in the distance? He jerked his head around.
“Turtle Tail!” Owl Eyes’s mew sounded from the darkness. “We’re coming!”
Gray Wing dashed to the edge of the hollow as shadows emerged onto the moonlit grass. Thunder and Lightning were flanking the three kits. He raced to meet them, joy flooding his pelt. “You’re back!”
“Turtle Tail!” Sparrow Fur raced past him and hurtled into the camp.
Pebble Heart chased after her. “Guess where we’ve been!”
Owl Eyes was on their heels. “We went to Twolegplace. We saw where you lived.” He called toward the tunnel entrance where Turtle Tail’s nest sat in shadow.
“Turtle Tail?” Sparrow Fur stumbled to a halt, blinking through the gloom. “Where are you?” Her head jerked around as she scanned the camp. Owl Eyes and Pebble Heart clustered beside her.
“I can’t smell her.” Pebble Heart’s mew was tinged with worry.
Sparrow Fur lifted her tail. “She must be out looking for us.”
Gray Wing snapped his gaze toward Thunder. Why were his eyes hollow with grief? Had they left her behind? “Where is she?” Perhaps they’d missed each other while they were searching for the kits. She must still be out there in Twolegplace. “I’ll go and find her.” He started toward the gorse, but Thunder blocked his way.
“She’s dead, Gray Wing.”
Gray Wing stared at the young tom. “Don’t be mouse-brained.” How can she be dead? She’d never leave her kits. “She can’t be. I’ll find her.”
Lightning Tail lowered his head. “We saw her body,” he murmured. “She was killed by a monster in Twolegplace. We had to leave her behind.”
“Leave her?” Gray Wing struggled to understand.
“Killed?” Sparrow Fur’s gasp made him turn. The kit was staring from the clearing, her eyes round with horror.
Owl Eyes stared. “Isn’t she coming home?”
Pebble Heart moved closer to his brother. “No.” His mew cracked. “She’ll never come home now.”
Rage flared in Sparrow Fur’s eyes. “Why did you bring us back?” She marched past Gray Wing and glared at Thunder. “You took us away from our father when you knew our mother was dead.”
Thunder froze, pain glazing his eyes.
Lightning Tail leaned toward the kit. “Turtle Tail would have wanted you to grow up here with Gray Wing.”
She backed away. “You brought us home to nothing!”
Gray Wing flinched. “You have me,” he ventured softly. “You are like my own kits. I’m still here.”
Sparrow Fur turned to meet his gaze.
His throat tightened as he saw anguish wash over her and rushed to curl himself around her as she collapsed, her body shuddering with grief. Wrapped tightly around her, he sank into the grass. Tiny paws scrambled over his back as Owl Eyes and Pebble Heart buried themselves deep in his embrace. “I’ll look after you just as Turtle Tail would have,” he murmured thickly. “We will never forget her.” His heart broke, misery pulsing through him. “I’m glad Thunder brought you home.”
“We belong on the moor.” Pebble Heart’s mew was muffled by Gray Wing’s pelt. “This is where we’re supposed to be.” There was certainty in the young kit’s mew that sent shivers along Gray Wing’s spine. Does he know something? He tucked his nose beneath his tail, enfolding the trembling kits like fledglings in a nest.
“I’m so sorry.” Tall Shadow’s gentle mew sounded in his ear. But he didn’t lift his head. He nuzzled the kits, lapping them in turn as they burrowed against his fur. Swamped by grief, he was only vaguely aware of paw steps moving around him, the shapes of the moor cats moving in the moonlight, the brush of their muzzles against his flank.
“I’m sorry.” Hawk Swoop pressed her muzzle to his shoulder.
“She loved you.” Acorn Fur’s breath touched his pelt.
“Turtle Tail was happy that you loved her,” Rainswept Flower whispered.
“I wish I’d loved her sooner,” Gray Wing murmured.
“It’s enough that you loved her at all,” Rainswept Flower returned.
Gray Wing felt the kits grow still against him. Exhausted by their adventure, worn out by grief, they grew limp as they drifted into sleep. He let his own eyes close. His mind whirled with memories of Turtle Tail. She’d tried to cheer him up when dark thoughts had haunted him. Look, Thunder has caught a bird! He’s going to be a great hunter. She’d encouraged her tribe mates when they grew weary on the long journey from the mountains. No cat said it would be easy! Her cheerful mew rang in his mind.
How can she be gone? Emptiness opened inside him, more chilling than death. I have her kits. He pressed closer around them. I will raise them and protect them just as she would have.
“Gray Wing.” Rainswept Flower’s mew roused him. He blinked open his eyes. Pale light seeped over the horizon. Was it dawn already?
Wind Runner padded from the camp, her brown pelt matted, her eyes weary. She stopped beside Gray Wing. “I’m sorry for what I said to you yesterday.” Her mew was hoarse. “I should never have wished grief on you.”
“It’s okay.” Gray Wing met her gaze, understanding the pain shadowing her gaze. The sun showed golden above the horizon, bringing the first color of the day to the moor.
“We should bury Emberkit,” Rainswept Flower murmured.
Wind Runner dipped her head. “Gorse Fur has already dug a grave. Gray Wing, will you carry Emberkit to it? His burial can serve as a farewell to Turtle Tail too.”
Gray Wing blinked at her. “What happened to her body?” Was she still lying alone in Twolegplace?
“Thunder says they laid her beneath a bush outside a Twoleg nest,” Wind Runner told him forlornly. “Her pelt was scattered with petals when they left her.”
Rainswept Flower gazed toward the distant river. “Perhaps someone will find her and give her a proper burial. Twolegs, or kittypets.”
Gray Wing’s throat tightened. I hope so. He uncurled himself from the kits and nudged them gently to their paws. “One of Wind Runner’s kits died yesterday,” he told them softly. “It’s time to bury him.”
“Should we bury Turtle Tail too?” Pebble Heart stared at him blearily.
“Her body is in Twolegplace,” Gray Wing told him. “But we will remember her when we bury Emberkit. We can say good-bye to both of them.” With a pang, he wished he could give Turtle Tail the burial she deserved. Would remembering her spirit be enough?
“Come on, kits.” Rainswept Flower slid past him and began lapping Owl Eyes’s ruffled pelt. “Let’s get you cleaned up for the burial.”
Gray Wing glanced at her thankfully before following Wind Runner into camp.
The wiry she-cat led him to the bramble den, sliding wordlessly through the trailing stems. He ducked in after her, surprised to see the three healthy kits scrambling clumsily over Hawk Swoop as she lay in Wind Runner’s nest. They had not opened their eyes, yet they squirmed and fidgeted energetically. A prick of joy seemed to lift his grief for a moment. Despite everything, there was new life in the camp.
Wind Runner nodded toward a tiny shape lying at the edge of the den.
Emberkit.
He crossed the soft earth and picked up the dead kit’s body. He was shocked by how light it felt—hardly more than a bundle of feathers.
“I’ll watch the others,” Hawk Swoop told Wind Runner as Gray Wing carried Emberkit out into the clearing.
Wind Runner hurried past him and led him out of camp. She crossed the clearing and ducked along a rabbit trail through the heather.
The sprigs brushed Gray Wing’s pelt as he followed. Emberkit swung beneath his chin. How could the grief of this day ever ease? As his thoughts darkened, the heather opened into a clearing, bounded by gorse. He padded out after Wind Runner.
The moor cats were already gathered around the grave Gorse Fur had dug. Shattered Ice stood beside Acorn Fur. Lightning Tail pressed against his sister, his eyes hollow. Thunder stood rigidly beside the earth piled next to the grave, while Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt faced him, Tall Shadow and Jagged Peak at their side.
“He’s too young to be dead,” Sparrow Fur wailed. She huddled with Owl Eyes against Rainswept Flower. Pebble Heart hung back. They watched Gray Wing with glistening eyes as he padded forward and laid Emberkit in the hole. Shadows swallowed the tiny kit as his body dropped stiffly into the earth.
Gorse Fur stood like stone as Gray Wing joined the kits. Pebble Heart backed away. “It’s okay, Pebble Heart.” Gray Wing began to reassure him, but Pebble Heart was reaching for a pile of loose leaves.
The kit grabbed a wad between his jaws and carried them to the graveside. He dropped them into the grave. “They are burnet leaves,” he mewed. “They will give him strength for his journey.”
“Thank you, Pebble Heart.” Gorse Fur nodded solemnly as Pebble Heart took his place beside his littermates. He looked at Wind Runner. “We wish we’d had Emberkit for longer,” he meowed. “We had so much love to share with him. But we will remember him with pride. He would have grown into a fine tom.”
Wind Runner didn’t move or speak, only stared into the grave.
Tall Shadow watched, gaze fixed on the shadows that had swallowed Emberkit. For a moment it seemed as though every cat was frozen in grief. Gray Wing curled his tail till it arched protectively over Sparrow Fur, Owl Eyes, and Pebble Heart.
Then Thunder padded forward and began pawing earth into the grave. It showered silently over Emberkit’s soft pelt, until it landed with muffled thuds.
“No!” Wind Runner’s wail split the air. She lunged forward, eyes wide with panic. “Get him out! You can’t bury him. He’s my kit!”
Gorse Fur hauled her back with his forepaws and held her until she stopped wailing. “Let’s go back to the other kits,” he whispered to her gently. Helping her up, he guided her into the heather.
Gray Wing stared after the grieving pair, then turned back to Emberkit’s grave. He padded to the edge and gazed down at the half-covered body. “Finish it,” he told Thunder, fighting despair.
Thunder caught his eye. “I wish we could bury Turtle Tail too.” He looked exhausted by grief.
“It’s too late,” Gray Wing told him hoarsely. Who knew what they’d find? He knew foxes roamed Twolegplace at night. “It’s better we remember her covered in petals.”
“I guess.” Thunder’s ear twitched.
As he began to push more earth into the grave, Shattered Ice and Lightning Tail hurried forward to help. Working together, they covered Emberkit, filling the hole until it was a mound rising from the grass.
Gray Wing lifted his gaze. Clouds scudded across the pale blue sky, like cats chasing each other. “Turtle Tail, I know you’ll always be with me,” he called. “You waited a long time for our love to grow and it won’t die now. I’ll fight for you, Turtle Tail, and I’ll make sure that your kits have a future on the moor, safe among friends.” The clouds touched, becoming one. “I will not fail you.” Calm enfolded him. As birds began to sing in the new day, Gray Wing felt strength seep back into his limbs. He glanced around, suddenly aware he’d spoken aloud.
Lightning Tail dipped his head. Tall Shadow and Thunder did the same. Soft murmurs of approval rippled around the moor cats. Cloud Spots met his gaze, his eyes glistening.
Gray Wing nodded and, wordlessly, led the others back to camp.
Thunder caught up with him as he reached the clearing outside the hollow. Gray Wing halted and watched Rainswept Flower nudge the kits toward their nest. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”
Thunder touched his muzzle to Gray Wing’s shoulder. “My mother died,” he murmured. “I’m sad she’s not he
re, but I don’t have to face the world alone.” He glanced toward Acorn Fur and Lightning Tail as they sifted through what was left of yesterday’s prey pile. “Nor will Turtle Tail’s kits.”
“You must rest today.” Tall Shadow meowed as she approached. “Both of you. The meeting with Clear Sky is tonight.”
Gray Wing’s pelt felt suddenly as heavy as mud. How could he face a dumb argument over territory after this? His weary eyes glazed. What would Turtle Tail tell him?
You must do this, Gray Wing. His ear fur rippled as he imagined her words. Only you can stop Clear Sky from dragging us into war.
CHAPTER 17
Thunder glanced over his shoulder. Gray Wing was in the clearing, pacing back and forth. His shadow slid over the worn grass, sharp under the bright full moon. Thunder tried to catch his eye, but the sleek gray tom was absorbed in his own thoughts. Is he thinking about Turtle Tail? Or Clear Sky? Thunder hoped he was focusing on the meeting ahead rather than his grief but, with each turn, Gray Wing’s gaze flicked toward the nest in the tunnel where Rainswept Flower was nestling Turtle Tail’s kits.
Owl Eyes stared blankly into the distance, while Sparrow Fur washed his ear distractedly. Pebble Heart watched Gray Wing, his amber gaze steady.
There was a solemnity in the kit’s gaze that sent shivers rippling along Thunder’s spine. He looks like he’s lived longer than Tall Shadow. “Are you ready?” Though he had just been thinking of her, Tall Shadow’s mew surprised him.
“Yes.” Thunder faced her.
Gray Wing will do the talking,” Tall Shadow reminded him.
“I know.” Thunder curled his claws into the dewy grass. It was obvious that Gray Wing had far more sympathy for Clear Sky than any other moor cat. Guilt jabbed Thunder’s belly. Should I feel sympathy for him? He is my father, after all. He pushed the thought away with a growl. Then he should have acted like one. Thunder lashed his tail. “When do we leave?”
Tall Shadow lifted her muzzle and gazed around the clearing. Shattered Ice sat beside Hawk Swoop, a thrush lying half eaten between them. Cloud Spots was showing Frost the prey heap. It was the white tom’s first trip out of the gorse den and Thunder was pleased to see he was hardly limping. Wind Runner lay in the long grass, cozy in the nest Gorse Fur had built her. She’d refused to stay in the gloomy bramble den, even though he’d tried hard to persuade her they’d been more sheltered there. “Kits need to feel sunshine, and wind in their fur,” she had told him. Now, the kits clambered blindly over her, their fur fluffier than owlet feathers. One of them mewled hungrily. Thunder felt a twinge of sadness as he noticed that Sparrow Fur didn’t even lift her head at the sound. She’d been so excited about helping Wind Runner with her kits. But, since Turtle Tail’s death, she hadn’t even crossed the clearing to sniff them.