A Forest Divided (3 page)

“We should wait for the snow to pass before we send out a hunting patrol.”

Clear Sky heard Thunder's mew beyond the camp wall. Pride swelled in his chest. His son had grown into a fine tom.

“What if it lasts for days?” Gray Wing's mew answered Thunder.

“Let's worry about that when it happens.”

Clear Sky nosed through the gap in the gorse.

Gray Wing turned to meet him, eyes round with surprise. “Clear Sky? What are you doing here?”

Clear Sky dropped his catch. “I came to visit Jagged Peak's kits.” He glanced around the camp, a purr rumbling in his throat as he spied three kits tumbling across the grass at the far end of the hollow.

Thunder didn't follow his gaze. He was staring at the rabbit on the ground in front of Clear Sky. “Did you catch that on our land?” His amber eyes narrowed.

Clear Sky blinked at him. Only a few moons ago, they'd begun to grow close. Now he felt further from his son than ever before. “I—I brought it for Jagged Peak and Holly.”

One of the kits squeaked excitedly. “I'm the fastest!”

Clear Sky saw a brown tom-kit struggle from his littermate's
grip and race toward Jagged Peak, who was watching from the long grass at the edge of the hollow.

“No, you're not!” A tabby she-kit raced after him. The splotches on her pelt were like Holly's. White tips on her nose and her tail made her look as though she'd been dipped in snow.

“Wait for me!” A third kit trailed behind. His thick gray pelt and lithe frame reminded Clear Sky of Jagged Peak before the accident that had crippled his hind leg.

“Eagle Feather!” Holly stepped from the shelter of the long grass, and the brown tom-kit bundled into her. She scooped him up by his scruff and dropped him into the grass behind her. “Storm Pelt! Dew Nose! Back into your nest, all of you! It's too cold to be out.”

Jagged Peak swished his tail. “They'll be warm enough so long as they keep moving.”

“Let them play!” Shattered Ice called across the clearing. “It'll make them strong.” The gray-and-white tom looked thin.

Mud Paws and Lightning Tail sat a tail-length away, sharing an emaciated mouse. Clear Sky could see their bones jutting beneath their fur.

Mud Paws looked up, chewing. “Check their tail-tips,” he advised. “If they're frozen, it's time to stop.”

“Let them have fun!” Sparrow Fur padded out from beneath the arching broom at the end of the camp. The she-kit had grown, but she was skinny, and her pelt dull. “If there
is
a snowstorm on the way, it might be the last fun they have for days.”

Gray Wing kneaded the ground with his paws. “We really should send out a hunting party now.”

“They might get caught in the storm,” Thunder argued. “And Clear Sky has brought this rabbit.” He nudged it with his wide paw. “The kits won't go hungry.”

Clear Sky blinked. “Are they eating prey already?”

“They were born the new moon before last,” Gray Wing reminded him.

That long ago?
Clear Sky's thoughts flitted back to the dream.
We grow tired of waiting.
They had promised to spread and grow like the Blazing Star. He caught Gray Wing's eye. “We have to talk about what we saw.” He scanned the clearing. “Is Tall Shadow here?”

“Pebble Heart's treating a scratch on her paw.” Thunder nodded toward a jutting stretch of gorse. “In Cloud Spots's den.”

“I can get her if you like.” A mew sounded behind Clear Sky.

He jerked around. It was Owl Eyes. The young tom had broadened across the shoulders. His forehead was nearly as wide as Gray Wing's. “You've grown!” Clear Sky exclaimed.

“So has Pebble Heart.” Owl Eyes stalked away and called into the gorse. “Tall Shadow, Clear Sky is here.”

“I know.” The black she-cat's familiar mew sounded from the shadows. “I can smell his scent.” The bush quivered as Tall Shadow slid out.

Pebble Heart followed. “I'll put fresh ointment on it tomorrow,” he mewed.

“Thanks.” Tall Shadow stopped beside Clear Sky. “What do you want?”

Clear Sky hardly heard her. He was gazing across the snowy clearing. Jagged Peak nuzzled Eagle Feather near the edge. Pebble Heart followed Owl Eyes across the grass.

Sparrow Fur called to them from the broom. “Shelter under here!”

Gray Wing's gaze shone proudly as he watched. “She's so like her mother,” he purred. “And Jagged Peak is turning out to be a great father.”

Clear Sky glanced guiltily at Thunder. Would his son ever truly forgive him for driving him away? He looked back toward Jagged Peak, who'd crouched low to let Eagle Feather scramble onto his back.
Jagged Peak is a far better father than I was.
He shifted his paws, feeling the cold pierce his fur.
And Gray Wing raised another tom's kits while I wouldn't even raise my own.

“Well?” Tall Shadow's sharp mew jerked him back to the present. “Why did you come?”

He met her eye. “I saw you in my dream last night.”

“And we saw you.” Tall Shadow tipped her head.

Clear Sky leaned forward, his heart quickening. “What did the spirit cats tell you?”

“To stop thinking and act,” Tall Shadow told him. “That we've delayed too long.”

“That's what they told me too!” Clear Sky trembled with
excitement. “They want us to join together.”

“Join
together
?” Tall Shadow stared at him, eyes wide.

“Are you sure you heard them right?” Thunder tipped his head, curious.

“They told us to
spread
,” Gray Wing snapped.

Clear Sky's belly twisted with frustration.
They've misunderstood the spirit cats' message.
“We'll be stronger together, especially with prey so scarce and bad weather coming.” He lifted his face to the thickening snow. “We're more likely to spread and grow if we join forces.”

Gray Wing narrowed his eyes. “But don't you remember what I said after the last dream? The Blazing Star has five petals, so I think we should split into five groups.”

“We didn't agree on that,” Clear Sky reminded him. “That's only what you think. I think the spirit cats want us to join together!”

Tall Shadow's ear twitched. “Lovely, it's another battle between the two of you,” she growled. “When the time comes, I won't be joining your group. I want to make my own camp in the pine forest.”

Clear Sky stared at her. “You can't!” His mind raced. What were they talking about? This was the opposite of what Fluttering Bird wanted!

“Tall Shadow's not the only cat who wants to move on,” Gray Wing murmured.

Clear Sky jerked around to stare at his brother. “What do you mean?”

Gray Wing dropped his gaze. “There's been talk in the camp ever since the last dream. Not everyone wants to live on the moor.”

“Come to my forest, then.” Clear Sky pressed. Why were they making this so complicated? “It's sheltered there. With more cats, we can find more prey.”

Thunder frowned. “I don't understand. You used to try to keep us out of the forest.”

Clear Sky met his gaze. “I used to defend my borders,” he admitted. “But I've changed. Now that I've spoken with Fluttering Bird, I know what—”

Gray Wing pricked his ears. “You saw Fluttering Bird?” His eyes lit up. “How is she?”

“She's well.” Warmth flooded Clear Sky as he remembered his sister's sleek fur. “Better than she ever was in life.”

“What did she say?” Tall Shadow asked slowly.

“She said we must each follow our hearts,” Clear Sky told her.

“She meant we must find our own homes,” Tall Shadow concluded.

“No!”
Clear Sky flexed his claws in frustration. “Why would the spirit cats ask us to split up now? We'd be making ourselves vulnerable—especially after the sickness killed off so much prey. We must join together! The way we used to be. The way we should have stayed.” His pelt grew hot. Gray Wing and Thunder were staring at him through narrowed eyes. Didn't they trust him? “Please come with me to the forest.” He flicked his tail toward the other cats, half-hidden by
the snow, which swirled across the clearing. “Every cat must come. It's sheltered there.”

“No, Clear Sky.” Thunder's growl cut to Clear Sky's heart. “After everything that's happened, we can't go back to how it was.” His amber gaze sharpened. “Cats have died over the borders you created. Now you want us to pretend they were never there.”

“But what about the spirit cats?” Clear Sky's mew was hoarse.
They're rejecting my plan.

Gray Wing met Clear Sky's gaze. “They told us to spread and grow, and that's what we'll do.”

“You should go home.” Thunder jerked his nose toward the camp entrance. “No one's coming to live in the forest with you. If you want more cats to boss around, recruit some new strays.”

Clear Sky swallowed.
What's gotten into Thunder?
Did he really believe Clear Sky just wanted to boss more cats around? Did he think he'd learned nothing?

Tall Shadow gazed anxiously into the wind. Flakes of snow whipped her face. “Perhaps he should wait out the storm. It's almost on us.”

Clear Sky shook his head. He didn't want to stay. “I'll go,” he growled.

Head down, he padded to the entrance. He had come to unite the cats. Now he felt further away from them than ever. How would he explain this to Fluttering Bird? He'd failed her. He pushed through the gorse, his paws heavy as stone. There must be some way to make the moor cats understand.
He flattened his ears as he padded out onto the open grass beyond the gorse. The wind was strong, the snow thick. It buffeted his fur, so cold that it felt like claws slicing through his pelt. Hunching low, Clear Sky hurried toward the heather.

I'll make them understand, Fluttering Bird.
Snow battered his face.
I'll make them follow their hearts, I promise. We'll be together soon.

Thunder watched his father disappear through
the gorse. Guilt stabbed at his chest.
Was I too harsh?
He glanced questioningly at Gray Wing. “Should I make sure he gets back to the forest safely?”

Gray Wing didn't answer. He was gazing into the swirling snow, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

Tall Shadow leaned forward. “Go,” she murmured.

Thunder blinked at her gratefully and headed for the gorse. Pushing out onto the moor, he narrowed his eyes against the blinding snow. He strained to make out his father's pelt, and felt relieved as he spotted a dark shape moving ahead. Ducking low, he raced after it.

“Clear Sky!” The wind whipped his mew away. He pushed harder, digging his claws through the thickening layer of snow. Clear Sky disappeared into a swath of heather.

Thunder headed after him, ducking along a stale rabbit trail. He caught sight of his father's tail ahead. “Clear Sky!” Sheltered now, his call echoed along the heather tunnel.

Clear Sky stopped. “What?” He glanced back warily.

Thunder scrambled to a halt, his lungs burning from the cold. “I wanted to make sure you got home safely,” he puffed.

“Is that all?” Clear Sky kept walking.

Thunder swallowed back guilt. “I know the moor better than you,” he meowed firmly. “You could easily get lost in this storm.”

Clear Sky flicked his tail.

Thunder followed. “I'm sorry about what I said.”

Clear Sky didn't answer.

Thunder's belly tightened.
Why should I feel bad? He's the one who made the boundaries. Now he wants to abolish them.
He followed Clear Sky, flattening his ears.

The trail opened into a small clearing between the bushes, and Clear Sky halted. The wind gusted above the heather. Thunder's pelt pricked as his father turned to face him.

“I
don't
want more cats to boss around.” Clear Sky's blue eyes glittered with hurt.

Thunder glanced at the ground. “Well, there was a time when you did,” he mumbled.

“Not anymore.” Clear Sky's shoulders drooped. “I just want us to be together, like we used to be. Fluttering Bird wants it too.”

Thunder felt a surge of sympathy. Was his father still grieving for the young sister he'd lost? “What if you're wrong?”

“I'm not.” Clear Sky gazed at him for a moment. He nodded toward a rabbit trail opening onto the clearing, then flicked his muzzle toward another. “Which one?”

Thunder brushed past him and ducked into the nearest tunnel. “This way.” He led Clear Sky along the familiar track until it opened onto the hillside. Snow battered his face as he
emerged, and he braced himself against the wind. It was bitter enough to freeze prey.

Clear Sky slid out beside him and stared through narrowed eyes. “Where's the forest?”

Thunder strained to see but the blizzard was thicker than fog. “If we follow the slope, it should lead us down to the forest's edge.”

“I'll go first.” Clear Sky pushed past him. “I know the scents of the forest better than you. I'll know when we're close.”

For a cat who doesn't want more cats to boss around, you're awfully good at it.
Thunder bristled but held his tongue and followed Clear Sky, keeping so close that his father's tail-tip brushed his nose. The wind roared in his ears. Cold pierced his pelt, and he fought not to shiver. “Maybe we should find a tunnel and take shelter till it passes.”

“We're nearly there,” Clear Sky called over his shoulder. “I smell fresh earth. The forest must be close.” The gray tom quickened his pace. Thunder hurried after him, alarm pricking in his paws as his father's tail disappeared. “Clear Sky!” They mustn't be separated. Not in this weather. He blinked against the snow, relieved as he made out Clear Sky's pelt once more.

An angry roar exploded ahead.

Fear flashed through Thunder.
What is it?
Pelt bushing, he surged forward. “Clear Sky?”

A large, dark shape lunged toward Clear Sky from the blinding whiteness.

Clear Sky shrieked.

Thunder raced forward, the tang of blood hitting his nose, followed by the fierce stench of badger. His heart seemed to explode in his chest. “Clear Sky!” He heard the thump of hard muscle on the frozen earth, and the vicious snarl of the badger. Black fur showed through the storm; wide hindquarters bucked and trembled. The massive creature was pinning Clear Sky to the ground. Panic scorching through him, Thunder heard jaws snap.

“Let him go!” Thunder hurled himself at the badger's flank, digging his claws in deep. The badger shook him off and snapped again at Clear Sky.

Claws caught Thunder's flank as he fell against Clear Sky's desperately flailing hind legs. He jumped clear, his mind spinning. The badger was huge!

Thunder leaped again. Claws outstretched, he landed on the badger's spine. Biting hard into its pelt, he churned with his hind legs, but the badger only snarled and snapped again at Clear Sky.

He's killing him!
Thunder was blind with terror and snow as his hind paw slid down the badger's leg. He felt his claws graze soft, wet flesh. The badger flinched and yelped.

It's wounded!
Hope flashed through him. He slithered to the ground and sniffed out the badger's blood. Thrusting his muzzle close to its injured back leg, he clawed at the wound; then he clamped his jaws around it.

With a roar of agonized fury, the badger reared.

Run, Clear Sky!
Thunder's gaze flicked toward his father, but Clear Sky was lying motionless on the ground. Thunder
froze as the badger's head swung toward him. Swallowing, he backed away. He could taste the badger's blood in his mouth. He gagged. It was sour with infection.

A menacing growl rumbled in the badger's throat, and it leaped. Thunder dived to one side, rolling as he landed. He looked back to make sure the badger still had its gaze fixed on him, then raced across the slope.

The earth trembled as the badger pounded after him. Triumph thrilled beneath Thunder's pelt. The badger would never catch up to him. Especially with an injured leg.
I just have to lead it far enough away from Clear Sky.
He snatched a glance over his shoulder and glimpsed the badger's hulking shape following him. Bounding across the snow, he led the badger away. The wind whipped his ears as he pushed into the blizzard; then he turned and fled uphill, leaving the badger lumbering far behind.
Thank you, snow!
It would cover his tracks. Paws skidding, he made a wide circle and doubled back toward Clear Sky.

Please be alive!

Panic seized him.
Where is he?

The snow that had hidden Thunder from the badger now hid his father.

Opening his mouth, Thunder tasted for Clear Sky's scent. Snowflakes landed on his tongue. His nose stung with the cold. “Clear Sky?” His call was barely a whisper. He dared not let the badger hear.

A moan sounded ahead.

“Clear Sky!” Heart soaring, Thunder spotted a shape on
the ground. “You're alive!” Reaching him, he dropped into a crouch. Clear Sky lay on his flank, his chest heaving. Thunder sniffed his pelt. He smelled the sour scent of the badger's blood. “Did it hurt you?”

Clear Sky blinked and struggled to his paws.

Thunder smelled a fresh wound. The snow was red beneath him.

“Where did it bite you?” Fear sparked through Thunder as he saw the fur at Clear Sky's neck clumped with blood.

“It's not deep,” Clear Sky croaked.

“A badger's bite carries infection,” Thunder warned him. “Let me get you back to the hollow.”

“We're closer to the forest.” Clear Sky stumbled as he spoke. His flank hit Thunder's.

Thunder dug his claws into the ground, supporting his father's weight. “Pebble Heart can treat your wound. He knows which herbs will stop it from turning sour.” He felt Clear Sky heave a shaky breath. “Let's get out of here before that badger comes back.”

“I don't know why you want to stay on the moor when it's riddled with badgers,” Clear Sky grumbled as Thunder steered him up the slope toward the heather.

“There's a set in the forest too,” Thunder pointed out.

“Far enough from the camp not to have them lumbering around, attacking cats.”

Thunder was relieved to hear Clear Sky arguing. That meant his wound couldn't be too bad, though his father's paw steps were halting. He nudged Clear Sky on, anxious the
badger might have picked up their trail. Snowflakes caught in his throat as he struggled to support his father. They stumbled uphill, the wind pushing them sideways.

Thunder was breathless by the time they reached the heather. Puffing, he guided his father into a rabbit run among the bushes. As the branches enclosed them, he relaxed. The badger couldn't follow them through here.

They reached the far side of the heather and emerged onto open grass. The snow had eased. Thunder could see the gorse wall of the camp and pushed his shoulder harder against Clear Sky's. “We're nearly there.”

“It's my neck that's injured, not my mind,” Clear Sky grunted.

“Or your tongue,” Thunder growled back.

“Thunder?” Cloud Spots's mew sounded from the camp entrance. “Are you okay?” The long-furred black tom hurried across the grass toward them. His white ear tips and paws were invisible against the snowy moor. “I smell blood.”

“Clear Sky was attacked by a badger,” Thunder explained. Cloud Spots had been tending to injured cats since Thunder could remember. And he'd passed on his skills to Pebble Heart.

Cloud Spots fell in beside Clear Sky, pushing against his other shoulder.

“It's just a scratch,” Clear Sky insisted.

“Even a scratch can turn nasty. Especially from a badger,” Cloud Spots fretted. “But I have a good store of herbs.” He lifted his chin and called to the camp. “Pebble Heart!”

The young tom appeared at the camp entrance, his tabby pelt standing out against the snow-blasted gorse. “Cloud Spots?” There was worry in his mew.

“Go and start chewing a poultice of marigold and oak leaf.”

Thunder stiffened at the worry in Cloud Spots's voice. “He'll be okay, won't he?” He glanced at Clear Sky.

“Of course I'll be okay.” Clear Sky straightened sharply, pushing the moor cats away, and marched into the hollow.

Thunder hurried after him into the snow-covered camp.

Tall Shadow darted from the long grass, shaking flakes from her spine. “I said go after him.” Her ear twitched angrily. “I didn't say bring him back.”

“We ran into a badger,” Thunder explained quickly. “Clear Sky was hurt.”

“Badly?” Tall Shadow glanced over her shoulder.

Gray Wing was crossing the clearing toward her, his paws kicking through the snow. “Is he okay?”

Cloud Spots was already guiding Clear Sky into his den. “He'll be fine.”

Gray Wing met Thunder's gaze. “Should you have brought him back?” he asked anxiously. “He's already ruffled enough fur here for one day.”

“He was attacked by a badger!” Thunder turned his tail on Gray Wing and followed Clear Sky into Cloud Spots's den.

Cloud Spots was easing Clear Sky onto his side. “Lie still so Pebble Heart can reach your wound.”

Clear Sky huffed. “What a lot of fuss over a scratch.”

Thunder wrinkled his nose as he padded across the sandy floor of the den. The tang of herbs filled the air. He noticed two nests at the back of the den, woven from heather branches and lined with moss.
How can Pebble Heart and Cloud Spots sleep in here with this smell?
Squinting though the half-light, he could make out wads of leaves stuffed between the gorse stems. “Is that your herb store?” he asked Cloud Spots. He was surprised the tom had collected so many.

“It should last us through leaf-bare.” Cloud Spots's gaze was fixed on Clear Sky's neck as Pebble Heart carefully washed the bloodstained fur clean. “Is it deep?” he asked the young tom.