He waited until the patrol was gone. Then he turned and walked back to his den.
Hawkwing slipped through the undergrowth at the top of the gorge, following Bouncefire, Nettlesplash, Pebblepaw, and Sandynose, who had taken over Pebblepaw’s training after Billystorm’s death. As part of one of the new, larger patrols, Hawkwing kept all his senses alert for any sign that the raccoons were back on SkyClan territory. To his relief, everything seemed peaceful.
The camp had become more peaceful, too, in the few days since the questing patrol had returned. Hawkwing’s Clanmates had stopped interrogating him about what had happened, and why they hadn’t managed to track down Firestar’s kin.
Leafstar, seeming recovered from the loss of her life, had spoken from the Rockpile, proclaiming that SkyClan would wait until Echosong received another vision from StarClan. “M aybe,” she had meowed, “the next prophecy will be clearer.”
Hawkwing wasn’t sure that his leader was right. StarClan’s advice hasn’t exactly been helpful so far, he mused. What if they don’t actually want to help us? He couldn’t imagine why the spirits of their warrior ancestors would turn against them. But our luck could not have been worse, and there has to be a reason for that…
Bouncefire, leading the patrol, brought them out of the undergrowth and across the stretch of grass that separated SkyClan territory from the Twolegplace. As they approached, Hawkwing saw that a new Twoleg rock made from freshly cut flat sticks had replaced the one that was burned. Thicker foliage had covered most of the scorch marks on the tree. Renewed grief swept over Hawkwing.
It’s like my brother was never even here…
He was careful not to look at Pebblepaw as they and their Clanmates padded past the Twoleg greenplace. He didn’t want to be reminded of how he had saved her instead of Duskpaw, and also, he was surprised to realize, he didn’t want Pebblepaw to feel any trace of guilt about that terrible day.
Reaching the farthest stretch of SkyClan territory, the patrol turned back. “Nothing to report, thank StarClan,” Bouncefire commented.
But as they drew nearer to the wooded area above the gorge, Hawkwing spotted Darktail, alone, skirting the edge of the trees as if he was heading for the camp from the direction of the Twolegplace.
He’s not with a patrol, so what is he doing? Hawkwing wondered.
His pelt prickled with anxiety as he saw Darktail crouch down, his head jerking as if he was being sick. But after a moment the rogue tom rose to his paws again and padded calmly away, making for the Twolegplace again.
That’s really weird…
“Hey, Bouncefire, I need to make dirt,” Hawkwing called out.
“I’ll catch up to you.”
Bouncefire waved his tail in acknowledgment as he and Nettlesplash, Sandynose, and Pebblepaw vanished into the undergrowth. Hawkwing bounded over to where Darktail had stopped. On the ground, he saw a few scraps of what looked and smelled like Twoleg food.
Hawkwing stood for several heartbeats, gazing down at the scraps. In one way, he wasn’t surprised, assuming that rogue cats would eat anything, but what was really strange was that the food hadn’t been eaten. Darktail hadn’t been sick. He must have been carrying the food in his mouth, and then dropped it.
Maybe he didn’t like the taste, Hawkwing thought, with a pang of pain as he remembered how much Duskpaw would have loved it. But then, why did he go back toward the Twolegplace?
Darktail was still in sight, a distant figure across the grass.
Hawkwing decided to follow him, keeping his distance, and making sure that the breeze was blowing toward him, and wouldn’t carry his scent to the rogue tom.
Unaware he was being followed, Darktail headed onward, until he slipped down a narrow Thunderpath between the first dens of the Twolegplace. Hawkwing felt his pelt prickle with apprehension. I don’t want to go in there. Then he took a deep breath, bracing himself. If Darktail can do it, so can I!
Hawkwing kept glancing around warily, alert for the appearance of Twolegs or monsters, as he crept along in Darktail’s paw steps. To his relief, not much time had passed before Darktail halted, then wriggled underneath a shiny barrier that blocked a gap between two lines of bushes.
Giving Darktail enough time to get ahead, Hawkwing squeezed through after him, and found himself standing at the edge of a stretch of smooth grass, surrounded by bushes covered with strange, brilliantly colored flowers. At the far side of the grass the walls of a Twoleg den, built of reddish rock, loomed over him. His head spun at the mixture of unfamiliar sights and scents.
There was no sign of Darktail, but Hawkwing could hear odd clanging noises coming from somewhere beyond the den. A
moment later the rogue tom reappeared, whisking around the corner of the rock wall.
Terrified of being spotted, Hawkwing dived under the nearest bush. He crouched there, panting, as Darktail passed within a tail-length of him. I only hope these weird flowers are masking my scent. Then he tensed, digging his claws hard into the ground.
Darktail had another piece of Twoleg food gripped in his jaws.
What does Darktail need Twoleg food for? He wasn’t eating it.
No—he’s taking it somewhere. But what other possible use could he have for the Twoleg scraps?
The white tom was too intent on his peculiar mission to notice
Hawkwing in his hiding place. He wriggled under the shiny barrier again and headed back the way he had come.
Still tracking him, Hawkwing saw Darktail drop this new mouthful about halfway between the Twolegplace and the spot where he had dropped the first scraps of food. Then he bounded off, making for the camp.
Hawkwing followed more slowly, not sure what to make of any of this. He felt like he’d gotten to know Darktail better on their last quest, and he now believed that the rogue cat was good at heart. But what is this about?
I could ask him. But Hawkwing felt a shiver of dread at the thought of admitting to his friend that he’d spied on him. He already thinks the whole Clan doesn’t trust him. I’m the one friend he has.
Glancing back at the Twoleg scraps, Hawkwing felt uneasy. I have to think about how to handle this, he thought. I’m not really sure he’s doing anything wrong.
As Hawkwing slowly made his way back to camp, his heart was heavy. I want to trust Darktail, he thought. I just hope we really can.
Chapter 13
Dew still gleamed on the grass and soaked into Hawkwing’s pelt as he brushed through it, following Waspwhisker on the dawn patrol.
Pale light seeped between the branches, though the forest floor still lay in shadow, with ragged scraps of mist floating among the trees.
Though Leafstar had still not appeared from Echosong’s den, she had given orders to Sharpclaw that the boundaries of SkyClan’s territory should be extended. Hawkwing assumed she thought that a new barrier might deter the raccoons; he wished that he could feel confident that she was right.
Waspwhisker was leading the patrol, with Hawkwing, Darktail, Bellapaw, and Sparrowpelt. They had hardly left the camp when Hawkwing realized that Waspwhisker was in a bad mood, and he seemed to be taking most of it out on Darktail.
“For StarClan’s sake!” the gray-and-white tom hissed. “Can’t you walk a bit more quietly? You sound like you’ve got rocks instead of paws.”