by Erin Hunter
“Thanks!” Jagged Peak gasped as he straightened up. “Hey,” he added, “that was a good leap, wasn’t it?”
“It was fantastic,” Gray Wing assured him.
A little farther on, the ground began to rise steeply. Eventually they came to a halt in front of a sheer wall of rock that stretched as far as they could see in both directions.
Jagged Peak gazed upward in dismay. “Now what do we do?”
Gray Wing studied the rock face carefully, realizing that it wasn’t as sheer as he had first thought. There were ledges, even if they were only as wide as a claw-scratch, and crevices where clumps of grass had rooted themselves.
“I think we can climb it,” he mewed.
Jagged Peak’s eyes widened. “Are you fuzz-brained? I’m not climbing that!”
Gray Wing shrugged. “Okay, we go home.”
Jagged Peak hesitated for a moment; then, without another word, leaped onto the rock face, and started clawing his way upward. Gray Wing watched, ready to break his fall. Grit and scraps of grass showered down on Gray Wing’s head, but at last Jagged Peak reached the top.
Gray Wing began to climb, digging his claws into the cracks and scrabbling strongly with his hind paws. He winced as sharp pain stabbed up his leg from his injured paw. There was one heart-stopping moment when he slipped, but he forced himself upward with all the strength in his legs until he stood beside Jagged Peak on the slope above the cliff.
From here, Gray Wing could see a clear track zigzagging in the direction of the ledge they were making for. “Come on,” he meowed as he headed off, setting a brisk pace.
He assumed that Jagged Peak was following him until he heard a plaintive, “Hey, Gray Wing!” from some way behind. He looked back to see his brother plodding to catch up.
“We haven’t got all day for you to dawdle,” he commented.
“I’m not dawdling!” Jagged Peak protested indignantly. “My legs are shorter than yours.”
Gray Wing realized that his brother was right: Not only did Jagged Peak have shorter legs, but his muscles were soft from living in the cave all his life. “Okay, I’ll slow down,” he sighed, picturing the other cats drawing farther and farther ahead.
Trying to match his brother’s pace, Gray Wing felt impatience rising inside him. When they reached a large rock blocking the track, he grabbed Jagged Peak unceremoniously by the scruff and hauled him over the obstacle.
Jagged Peak twitched his whiskers as Gray Wing set him down. “I could have gotten over that by myself!”
We wouldn’t have to do this at all if it wasn’t for you! Gray Wing bit back the words he wanted to say.
Jagged Peak stalked up the track, his tail high in the air. As he followed, Gray Wing noticed that the first flakes of snow were beginning to fall. He quickened his pace until he was padding beside Jagged Peak again.
“We must find shelter,” he meowed. “Let’s try that boulder up there.”
The place he pointed out was only a few tail-lengths away, but by the time he and Jagged Peak reached it the snow was already falling heavily, and the wind was blustering around the rocks, making Gray Wing afraid that his lighter brother would be blown off his paws.
He shoved Jagged Peak into the narrow gap between the boulder and the mountainside, and scrambled in after him tail-first. Gazing out of the cleft, he saw that everything had been blotted out by a screen of driving snow.
“We’re never going to find the others,” Jagged Peak muttered fearfully, peering out over his brother’s shoulder. “We might even freeze to death!”
“We won’t,” Gray Wing assured him, his irritation vanishing. “And the others won’t get too far ahead in this weather.”
He hoped he was right.
Jagged Peak curled up and closed his eyes; shortly afterward, his light snores told Gray Wing that he was asleep. Gray Wing finally dozed off, dreaming he was pursuing the other cats over endless mountain peaks, sometimes picking up a scent-trace but never managing to catch them. He jerked awake when Jagged Peak prodded him in the side.
“Look!” his brother exclaimed. “The snow has stopped!”
Gray Wing blinked in the dazzling light. The sky had cleared and the sun shone down on the fresh, untouched expanse of white. His eyes widened in dismay as he realized that the blizzard had completely transformed the landscape. The track they had been following was covered, and so was the ledge they had been headed for.
While he was still trying to work out their route, Jagged Peak pushed past him and bounded enthusiastically into the snow. The surface gave way beneath him and he was floundering in a drift, letting out squeaks of alarm.
Gray Wing approached him cautiously, managing to find firm ground under the white covering, and stretched out his neck to grab Jagged Peak by the scruff.
“Next time, don’t go dashing off,” he warned, as he set his brother down beside him. The kit shook himself vigorously so that melting snow spattered over Gray Wing, who shivered. “Listen, Jagged Peak, you need to watch where you’re putting your paws. If you look carefully, you can see the shapes of rocks under the snow—that’s how you’ll know it’s safe to walk there. And if you can’t see any rocks, then test the snow as deep as you can with one paw before you put your weight on it.”
“I understand,” Jagged Peak meowed.
The next stage of their climb was slow and exhausting. Gray Wing thought he could remember where the ledge should be, and led the way toward it, testing each paw step and struggling to find a safe route around boulders that lay in their way.
Eventually the boulders thinned out and a flat stretch of snow lay in front of the two cats. He tested the first few paw steps and discovered hard earth a little way down. At last, Gray Wing thought, somewhere easy to run across!
He launched himself onto the white expanse, relishing the chance to stretch his muscles and the feeling of the wind rushing through his pelt. “Come on, keep up!” he called behind to Jagged Peak.
Without warning the snowy surface gave way beneath Gray Wing’s paws. He let out a screech as he plunged into icy water. Paddling furiously, managing to keep his head clear, he tried to climb out, but the snow around him was deep and slushy, and broke away when he tried to put his weight on it.
Gray Wing had fallen into a stream, which was carrying him slowly down the mountainside. Fighting to stay afloat, he looked around for Jagged Peak. The little cat was running along the bank, his eyes wide with panic.
“What can I do?” he wailed.
Gray Wing looked around, trying to stay calm as his legs weakened. Bitter claws of cold gripped him. A little farther down the mountain he spotted a branch sticking out of the snow, and guessed it had been carried there when the stream was in flood.
“See that branch?” he called. “Push one end of it toward me.”
Jagged Peak bounded ahead and began struggling to drag the branch out of the snow. Gray Wing waited as he was carried down toward it. He was so cold now that he couldn’t feel his legs, and his soaked pelt dragged at him.
If this doesn’t work, I’m buzzardfood.
“That’s right,” he meowed as Jagged Peak freed the branch. “Now push it across the stream. Keep it anchored, though.”
Slowly Jagged Peak dragged the branch until it stuck out across the stream. He crouched down on the other end, using all his weight to hold it still, his claws dug firmly into it.
Gray Wing felt a stab of terror as the current surge carried him to the branch, and almost dragged him past it. Forcing his aching limbs to move, he stretched to grab the end with his teeth.
Jagged Peak backed away from the edge of the stream, tugging determinedly at the branch. In the midst of his fear Gray Wing felt a flash of admiration for his brother’s sturdy strength and courage. The little cat went on struggling, pulling Gray Wing out of the slush; Gray Wing paddled desperately with his legs until he felt firm ground underneath him.
Once he was sure he was safe, Gray Wing collapsed, drenched and freezing
. For a moment he couldn’t move. Then through a fog of fatigue he realized that Jagged Peak was licking him with strong tongue-strokes, just as Quiet Rain had done when they were kits. He felt his brother stretching to curl himself around his body. With a long sigh Gray Wing relaxed, feeling Jagged Peak’s rough, comforting tongue until his fur dried and warmth crept through his body.
At last Gray Wing felt revived enough to sit up.
“I thought you were going to die,” Jagged Peak mewed, his eyes wide and scared.
“I’m fine,” Gray Wing responded. “Thanks to you.”
Embarrassment crawled through his pelt at the thought that he had to be rescued. I can’t believe I ran across that open space, after all I said to Jagged Peak!
Not wanting to go near the snowbound stream again, Gray Wing headed directly upward, testing the snow cautiously with every paw step to make sure that they stayed on the bank.
“Look!”
Jagged Peak’s scared voice came from just behind. Turning, Gray Wing saw that another eagle was hovering lazily overhead. And there was nowhere to hide. The snow-covered slope was smooth, without even a boulder poking above its surface.
Gray Wing glanced upward again. The eagle didn’t seem to have spotted them yet, but it wouldn’t be long before its piercing gaze picked them out.
“I know!” he gasped, shivering with relief as an idea came to him. “We’ll dig scoops in the snow and bury ourselves.”
The eagle had flown higher up the mountain, skimming the surface as it cast about for prey with its beady gaze. Knowing they only had heartbeats to hide themselves, Gray Wing dug furiously at the snow and shoved Jagged Peak inside.
“I’ll suffocate!” Jagged Peak protested as Gray Wing scooped snow on top of him.
“You won’t. Now shut up and keep still.”
With no time to dig another hole for himself, Gray Wing crouched down and burrowed into the drift until he felt as if he was fully covered. Claws of cold pierced his pelt; he had to clench his teeth to stop them from chattering in case the eagle heard. His ears were muffled with snow, but he could see the shadow of the bird swoop over them.
Nothing for you here, he thought, holding his breath. Just keep going. . . .
The shadow slid away over the white surface until Gray Wing couldn’t see it anymore. He waited for as long as he could bear before bursting out of his hole. His bones felt like sticks of ice as he scanned the sky, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw it was clear.
Still checking for movement above his head, Gray Wing turned to where he had buried his brother and began scraping snow away.
Jagged Peak scrambled out, shaking clots of snow from his pelt. “Is it gone?”
“For now. Come on—we should run to warm ourselves, and find a better place in case the eagle comes back.”
On numb, stumbling legs the two cats staggered up the slope. At first, all Gray Wing could think about was finding somewhere to hide, and when at last he paused to look around, he realized that they had climbed much higher than the ledge they had been headed toward. The jagged rocks of the ridge were only a few tail-lengths away.
“I’m sorry,” he panted to Jagged Peak. “We’ve come too far.”
Jagged Peak looked up at the ridge, his eyes bright with excitement. “We might as well keep going to the top,” he mewed. “I’ve never been so high!”
Gray Wing let out a faint purr, understanding the little cat’s excitement. “Okay, let’s do it,” he agreed.
Wind buffeting their fur, the two cats hauled themselves up sheer rock and onto a tiny pinnacle, with barely enough space for them to stand side by side.
“Wow!” Jagged Peak breathed out. He gazed round-eyed at summit after summit rolling away on all sides. “I never knew there were so many mountains! I didn’t know the world was as big as this!” Stretching up, he added, “Can we see the waterfall from here?”
“No,” Gray Wing replied. “We’ve come too far. I think it must be hidden behind that crag over there.” He pointed with one paw.
Turning in the other direction, toward the sunrise, Gray Wing felt a tingle of excitement in his fur. Somewhere out there is our new home, just like Stoneteller promised. And we’re going to find it!
Jagged Peak let out a sudden squeal, startling Gray Wing so much that he almost lost his balance on the pinnacle. “What?” he demanded. “Another eagle?”
“No! I can see the others!”
Gray Wing squinted at where Jagged Peak was pointing, and made out a line of tiny shapes on the side of the valley, a long way ahead.
“Come on!” Jagged Peak was bouncing up and down precariously. “Let’s go!”
“Calm down, before you fall,” Gray Wing told him. “We have to plan our route carefully. It’s too windy and exposed up here, so we’ll need to head down, but forward as well, so we can catch up to them.”
Side by side the two cats studied the terrain. To Gray Wing’s relief there was more cover in the direction they needed to go.
“Why not head for that fallen tree?” Jagged Peak suggested, pointing with his tail at a tangle of dead branches poking up out of the snow.
“Okay,” Gray Wing agreed, impressed that the young cat had such a good idea of the best route, with cover from dangerous birds. “But let me take the lead.”
“Just as long as you don’t fall in any hidden streams,” Jagged Peak meowed, his eyes sparkling.
This time they made better progress, hopping over boulders and treading carefully where the snow concealed slopes of loose scree.
Before they had gone very far, Jagged Peak halted. “I smell prey!” he announced.
Gray Wing glanced at him in surprise, sure at first that his brother must be wrong. He couldn’t see anything but, after a moment, he picked up a very faint scent trail. “Wow, you’re good at this,” he told Jagged Peak. “You’d better track it.”
He admired how his brother instinctively dropped into the correct crouch, and his light steps as he followed the scent trail. Gray Wing watched as the younger cat crept closer to a small pile of stones. A small mountain shrew shot out of the heap; Jagged Peak pounced, piercing it with his sharp claws.
“I got it!” he exclaimed in astonishment, as if he couldn’t believe his success. He bent down to take one bite and then pushed the rest of it over to Gray Wing.
“You caught it,” Gray Wing protested. “You should eat it.”
Jagged Peak shook his head firmly. “We share,” he mewed. “That’s the proper way to behave.”
Gray Wing dug in, then swiped his tongue around his jaws to catch the last juices. “Thanks,” he purred. “I feel so much better now.”
The next stretch of their journey meant slithering down a tricky stretch of boulders, where small stones skidded from beneath their paws. Gray Wing was thankful to come to a halt on a narrow ledge that led in the direction they wanted to go.
Then as he drew in a breath he realized that a familiar scent was bathing his muzzle. Jagged Peak picked it up at the same moment. “This is the path the others took!” he exclaimed, sounding as thrilled as if they had caught up with their friends already.
“Don’t get too excited,” Gray Wing warned, though his own paws were tingling. “There’s still a good way to go.”
The sun was behind them, casting long shadows ahead as it sank behind the mountaintops.
“We need to stop and find shelter for the night,” Gray Wing meowed.
“No,” Jagged Peak objected. “I want to keep going. We might not be able to see, but I can follow the scent trail!” He closed his eyes tightly and padded along the ledge with his nose to the surface of the snow. Gray Wing darted to one side, ready to catch him in case he came too close to the edge, but the kit walked confidently, his tail held high.
“See?” Jagged Peak mewed at last, halting and opening his eyes again.
Gray Wing gave in to his desire to find the other cats. “Okay. But we have to stop if it starts feeling too risky.”
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nbsp; Jagged Peak nodded eagerly, then set off in the lead.
The night was cloudy, and although the moon was still close to full it only shone fitfully. There were times when Gray Wing couldn’t see his own whiskers. Jagged Peak headed along the ledge, slowly and carefully, seeming certain of where the scent trail was leading him. Gray Wing followed a paw step behind, until suddenly he bumped into his brother. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Jagged Peak responded.
In the dim light Gray Wing could just make out that Jagged Peak was casting around as if he had lost the scent. At last he straightened up. “The trail veers off here,” he announced.
Gray Wing paused before replying, wondering if this was the point when they should stop and wait for daylight. But he knew Jagged Peak would argue. “Let’s follow it, then,” he mewed at last. “But be very careful.”
Jagged Peak led the way a short distance up the mountain, then began doubling back toward the ledge.
“What’s going on?” Gray Wing asked, with a hiss of annoyance as he set his injured paw down on a sharp stone. “Why not just go straight along the ledge? It would be a lot easier.”
“I don’t know,” said Jagged Peak as the stones gave way beneath his paws. He slid down, ending up on the ledge again. “But this is the way the other cats went.”
Gray Wing could detect the scents too, although not with Jagged Peak’s precision. Reaching his brother’s side, he looked back, puzzled. At that moment a ray of moonlight pierced the cloud cover, revealing a yawning gap behind them where the path had completely slipped away.
“Look at that!” he exclaimed, feeling his legs shake at the thought of what might have happened. “If it wasn’t for your tracking skills, we would have fallen!”
Jagged Peak’s eyes shone with pride, and he headed along the trail even more confidently.
Soon the young cat’s paw steps began to falter. Gray Wing’s own legs ached, and his sore pad was troubling him again. Jagged Peak must have been exhausted.