The Blazing Star (33 page)

Choosing new boundaries?
Thunder wondered, feeling his belly
tense at the thought of more confrontation with his father.
I hope not. I've had enough of boundaries to last me a lifetime.

The other four leaders jumped up to join Thunder on top of the rock, and after a pause, much to Thunder's relief, Clear Sky followed them.

By now the morning sun was rising high in the sky, casting its slanting rays between the branches of the oaks and burning off the last of the dawn mist. The creak and rustle of the trees was all around them. Thunder felt peace like dew soaking through his pelt, and as the others relaxed he realized that they felt it too.

Clear Sky's gaze was fixed on the horizon. “We need to work together,” he murmured. “We can do that, even if we don't live as one group.”

Even greater relief flooded through Thunder, and he drew closer to his father. “Of course we can,” he responded.

“I'm not sure that I can take direction from other cats on my own territory,” Wind Runner mewed stiffly. “But I'll think about it.”

Gray Wing and Tall Shadow exchanged a glance. “I'll do whatever the rest of you ask of me,” Gray Wing stated firmly.

“So will I,” Tall Shadow added.

River Ripple was the only cat who hadn't spoken. As Thunder turned to the loner who had already helped them so much, the silver-furred tom dipped his head in answer to the unspoken question. “I'll unite with you,” he meowed. “Haven't you noticed? I've been doing that ever since the day you first arrived here from the mountains.”

“The only difference,” Thunder told him, “is that now our survival depends on your help.”

Every cat fell silent, as if they were thinking of the enormous commitment they had just made to one another. But Thunder couldn't feel satisfied.

“But what about when they said we had to grow and spread like the Blazing Star?” Thunder asked. “What does that mean?”

For a moment the six cats exchanged baffled glances. Then Gray Wing mewed, “I think I understand.”

B
ONUS
S
CENE

C
HAPTER
O
NE

Sun Shadow slipped out from beneath
a scrubby bush rooted in the shallow soil between two boulders. As he halted to sniff the cold mountain air he saw that the sun was already going down, flooding the gray rock walls with scarlet light.

Maybe I should head home,
he thought. The rest of the Tribe would already be gathering to share the day's prey in the cave behind the waterfall.
Sharp Hail will claw my fur off if I'm late!

Curiosity had led Sun Shadow's paws farther down the mountain than he had ever ventured before. But he knew that his mother's new mate, Sharp Hail, would never understand his urge to explore.

My real father wouldn't be so strict,
he told himself sadly as he hurried along a winding path between sharp, jutting stones.
I wish I could have known him.

The path curved around a massive outcrop; following it, Sun Shadow found himself facing an almost sheer cliff. Squinting through the fading light of sunset, he spotted a narrow crevasse gaping open in the rock face ahead.

Instantly Sun Shadow forgot the need for haste. His ears twitched curiously and his pads itched with the compulsion to
find out what lay beyond the dark gap. It felt like the crevasse was tugging at him.

It might lead into a cave, like the one where we live. And it won't take long to check it out. . . .

Sun Shadow's pelt prickled with excitement as he padded cautiously forward. Ever since he was a kit, he had loved to explore. He'd always yearned to know what lay beyond the mountain peaks that surrounded his home.

Not that I get much chance to find out, with Sharp Hail always looking over my shoulder.
Sun Shadow's mother's new mate was always finding chores to keep Sun Shadow close to the cave.
But all I want to do is get out and see the world,
he thought resentfully.

Envy bit into him like thorns when he thought of how his real father, Moon Shadow, had left before Sun Shadow was even born to follow the Sun Trail and find a new home. Several cats had left with him, and without so many mouths to feed, the Tribe was doing better—or so Sun Shadow's mother, Dewy Leaf, said. Hunting had improved, and no cat was in danger of starving anymore.

So why is Sharp Hail so obsessed with keeping every cat safe?
Sun Shadow asked himself.
If I'd been born when my father left, I'd have gone with him.

Reaching the rock face, Sun Shadow stretched one paw out into the cleft and tentatively patted the ground. It felt solid, though when he tried to peer down the narrow passage he could see nothing beyond the first tail-length. When he tasted the air he picked up a strange scent, musty like earth, but it seemed a long way away.

Sun Shadow stepped into the opening, feeling his pelt brush against the walls on either side, and glanced over his shoulder at the dimming sunlight.

Just a quick look . . . It won't hurt any cat.

As he slowly padded forward, Sun Shadow's own body blocked out the last of the light, leaving him with only his whiskers and his sense of smell to guide him. He sensed that he was heading along a tall, narrow tunnel that sloped gently downward. From somewhere farther ahead he could hear the sound of dripping water, each drop waking a flurry of sharp echoes.

Maybe the tunnel opens into a larger cave,
Sun Shadow thought. His heart thudded with excitement; he couldn't wait to find out what lay ahead of him.

Then a sound from farther down the tunnel brought Sun Shadow to an abrupt halt.
What is that?
he wondered. He had never heard the high-pitched chittering before, or the oddly loud flapping, like many wings rustling together. It sounded like it was moving. . . .

Panic froze Sun Shadow, fixing his paws to the ground.
It's coming right toward me!
he thought.
Could it be an eagle?

The sounds grew louder. Whatever was making them was just a short distance away now. Sun Shadow crouched low, his shoulder fur bristling in terror, and let out a yowl as a whole flock of hideous creatures swept over his head, screeching and beating their wings. He choked as a musty smell filled the air.

In the darkness Sun Shadow couldn't tell what the creatures were, and he didn't care; he only knew he had to get away
from them. Terrified, he tried to run back the way he'd come, only to crash face-first into a craggy rock wall.

“Ow!” Sun Shadow staggered back, letting out a yowl of pain. The scent and harsh taste of blood flowed over him.

The horrible creatures were still passing above his head. Sun Shadow stumbled forward, desperate to get out of the tunnel. He panted hard with relief as he burst into the open and saw twilight glimmering in the sky.

Sun Shadow's whole face ached, and when he raised a paw, hesitantly touching his nose, it came back covered in blood.
Oh, haredung . . . that hurts!

Looking up, he saw a blur of brown, mouselike creatures disappearing into the sky, darting here and there on tough, featherless wings.
Bats!
Sun Shadow had seen a dead bat before, but never a whole group of them in flight.

And I don't care if I never see them again.

Sun Shadow stood watching the ugly creatures for a few moments more, until his racing heart gradually slowed and his shoulder fur lay flat again.
I'm glad no other cat saw me,
he thought, beginning to feel stupid.
Those things are disgusting, but they couldn't hurt me.

“Sun Shadow! Sun Shadow!”

The young cat's heart lurched again as he recognized the distant voice calling his name. “Sharp Hail!” he muttered. “Now I'll have to put up with one of his lectures.” His head and tail drooped as he set off toward the cave. “But what choice do I have?”

Sun Shadow's paws tingled with apprehension as he followed Sharp Hail back into the cave. By now darkness had fallen and moonlight glimmered on the waterfall, sending silver light dancing around the cavern walls.

Once inside, Sharp Hail swung around and thrust out his muzzle toward Sun Shadow. “Why did I have to go looking for you among the rocks
again
?” he demanded, narrowing his ice-blue eyes. “When will you learn to come back to the cave by sunset? And what in the world has happened to your
face
?”

Sun Shadow extended his tongue and licked toward his nose, tasting blood again. His pelt grew hot with embarrassment at the thought of confessing how he had fled from the bats. “I . . . uh . . . I ran into a hawk,” he mumbled.

Sharp Hail lashed his tail in frustration. “You expect me to believe that?” he snarled. “A scrawny thing like you would never stand a chance against a hawk. Besides, that injury is a bump, not a scratch—like you crashed into something.”

He waited, flexing his claws impatiently, but Sun Shadow had nothing more to say. He blinked miserably as he stared at the cave floor.

“We just want you to be
safe
.” Dewy Leaf spoke gently behind him. “Don't you understand? After all that's happened to us, here in the mountains . . .”

“Nothing has happened to us!” Sun Shadow blurted out, whipping around to face Dewy Leaf. “Not in my lifetime. I wish something
would
happen! Then living here might not be so boring.”

A look of horror flashed into Dewy Leaf's eyes. At the same
moment, Sun Shadow felt a stinging blow across his ears, and turned to see Sharp Hail glaring at him with one paw raised.

“That's enough!” Sharp Hail yowled. “I've had it up to here with you whining about being safe and having enough to eat. You're just like your father! Moon Shadow was always too restless to appreciate what he had.”

Sun Shadow had heard that accusation before, if not exactly in those words, and the truth of it stabbed him like a thorn in his pad.
I
am
restless! And if I were with my father, at least I'd be around someone who understands me!

He had been too young to remember how his sister, Crow Muzzle, had died during her birth, and he had only a vague memory of his brother, Dancing Leaf, falling sick and dying a moon later. He had grown up alone. There had never been any cat who would listen to his dreams of life beyond the mountain.

“You need to be taught a lesson,” Sharp Hail went on, his voice cold. “To make up for worrying your mother tonight, you'll spend the next half moon caring for Stoneteller.”

Sun Shadow nodded, feeling slightly bewildered. He liked Stoneteller, and admired how her wisdom guided the Tribe and how she cared for each of them as if they were her own kits. Ordinarily caring for her would have been an honor, not a punishment. But in the last few days Stoneteller had fallen ill with some kind of vomiting sickness. Sun Shadow had overheard the older cats reassuring one another that she would get better soon. They all believed she had many more seasons in her, and couldn't imagine life without her.