They were no longer angry or afraid, Thunder mused. They are ready to fight.
Chapter 8
“I hope we’re not the only group the rogues are stealing from.” Wind Runner’s angry mew rang through the cold night air. A full moon bathed the moor with light.
Gorse Fur padded beside her. “Why would they target us?”
“Thunder hinted that was why he called tonight’s meeting,” Gray Wing reminded them as they headed toward the four trees hollow.
Thunder had visited the moor camp the day before, asking Wind Runner to bring a patrol to a meeting at the four trees. The orange tom had looked troubled. And thin. But he had said he didn’t want to discuss what was wrong until all the leaders were present.
Gray Wing followed Wind Runner and Gorse Fur between the wide swaths of heather. Slate was at his side. He relished the warmth of her pelt as it brushed against his.
Minnow padded at their tails. “I should have stayed behind with Spotted Fur and Reed,” she fretted. “Moth Flight and Dust Muzzle are too young to fight if the rogues attack the camp.”
“The rogues won’t attack the camp,” Gorse Fur reassured her. “They’re not that mouse-brained.”
Gray Wing hoped she was right. He’d suggested to Reed that he shelter with Spotted Fur and the kits in Wind Runner’s den for the night. If the rogues did cause any trouble, its narrow entrance and thick walls would make it easy to defend.
Wind Runner glanced over her shoulder, her eyes flashing in the silver moonlight. “Why can’t the rogues leave us alone?”
Gray Wing could understand Wind Runner’s frustration. Twice in the past half-moon, rogues had come onto their land. Once, they’d hunted rabbits on the high moor. The second time, they’d simply swiped prey from Moth Flight and Dust Muzzle, leaving the two young cats shaken.
Slate glanced at him. “Do you think Thunder has a plan?” she whispered.
“I hope so.” Gray Wing swished his tail-tip along her spine. “We can’t keep losing prey like this.” Rabbits had started venturing farther from their burrows in search of grazing, which made them easier to catch. But Gray Wing knew that the more rabbits they killed now, the fewer there’d be when leaf-bare really began to bite. He was thankful that snipe and grouse still roamed the moor. At least they wouldn’t starve. Unless the rogues kept taking their food.
The oaks loomed ahead, their ancient branches reaching above the rim of the hollow. Bare now, they stretched like claws toward the star-speckled sky. Gray Wing tasted the air and smelled pine and river scents. “Tall Shadow and River Ripple are here,” he told Slate softly.
“What about the others?” Her nostrils twitched.
“I’m not sure.” Thunder’s and Clear Sky’s musky scents were masked by the damp forest smell drifting from the trees beyond.
He followed Wind Runner and Gorse Fur over the rim of the hollow and squinted into the shadows below. Shapes moved between the trees. As he threaded his way down the bracken-covered slope, he heard the murmuring of voices. Gradually, more scents touched his nose.
“We’re the last to arrive,” he told Slate.
Minnow growled from the back. “Unless the rogues are planning to join us. We can’t seem to go anywhere these days without tripping over them.”
“Wind Runner!”
Gray Wing heard Thunder greet Wind Runner as she padded into the clearing.
He followed her out of the bracken, blinking as icy air bathed his face.
Thunder was standing between Leaf and Milkweed in the shadow of the great rock, while
Lightning Tail walked the edge of the clearing, sniffing warily at the undergrowth. Clear Sky paced in a pool of moonlight beside Blossom and Nettle. River Ripple was sitting in the middle of the clearing, Shattered Ice beside him. Gray Wing dipped his head in greeting, noticing how calm the river cats seemed, so still beside the restless pacing of the others.
Tall Shadow, Jagged Peak, and Mouse Ear stayed near the edge of the clearing, weaving around one another, their ears pricked, their gazes darting to any small stirring of the bracken on the slopes.
Tall Shadow lifted her tail as Wind Runner approached. Thunder moved from the shadow of the great rock to join them as they stopped beside River Ripple.
Thunder glanced around at the cats. “Our prey is being stolen by rogues.”
“Ours too!” Wind Runner’s eyes shone angrily in the dark.
“They’ve taken half our prey since Star Flower was rescued.” Tall Shadow sounded weary.
Clear Sky blinked at her sympathetically. “In the past few days, they’ve attacked two of our hunting parties. We’re all suffering.”
River Ripple’s tail swished over the ground. “They haven’t stolen our prey yet. Perhaps they don’t like fish.”
“Or getting their paws wet,” Shattered Ice added, a glint in his eyes.
Wind Runner turned on the gray-and-white tom. “This is no joking matter! Cats are going hungry, and leaf-bare is only just beginning!”
Shattered Ice dipped his head respectfully. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
River Ripple met Wind Runner’s angry stare. “There are plenty of fish in the river. We are happy to share what we have.”
“Fish!” Lightning Tail snorted. “Who wants to eat fish?”
“Hungry cats must eat what they can,” River Ripple answered.
Thunder swished his tail. “River Ripple’s offer is kind, but his fish can’t feed us all.”
“And what if the river freezes over?” Wind Runner added. “Then there’ll be no fish at all.”
Thunder stepped forward. “This is everyone’s problem. We need to find a solution.”
Clear Sky’s gaze flicked around the other cats. “This trouble started when the rogues kidnapped Star Flower,” he meowed. “And I’m sorry I got you involved, but I had no choice. You did the right thing in rescuing her. She’s safe, and my kits are growing stronger with each day. You know as well as I do that none of you would have slept soundly in your nests if you’d let them die.”
Gray Wing caught his brother’s eye. For once, Clear Sky had judged them perfectly. Not one of the cats who stood bathed in moonlight could have found peace knowing that Star Flower and her kits had come to harm because of their inaction. Pride surged beneath his pelt, and he padded closer to his brother. “Star Flower was just Slash’s excuse to start stealing from us.” He glanced around the leaders. “He is determined to hate us, and he must find a reason to justify his hate. It is deep in his bones, just as it was with One Eye.”
Thunder growled. “Some cats need an enemy to make them feel strong.”
River Ripple nodded. “Their bellies don’t feel full unless they are eating another cat’s food.”
Wind Runner’s pelt pricked impatiently along her spine. “What are we going to do about it?”
Tall Shadow’s ears twitched. “We’ve been sending out larger hunting patrols, but we’re always outnumbered.”
“How many rogues does Slash have?” Leaf lashed his tail, looking toward Gray Wing. “Has Fern given you any idea?”
“I haven’t seen her since we rescued Star Flower,” Gray Wing told him. “But I’ve seen their camp and smelled the scents. He seems to have a large group, but I’m not sure how big.”
Wind Runner flexed her claws. “You need to find out.”
Fear spiked Gray Wing’s belly as he imagined sneaking back to the marsh. It would be risky. And even if he found Fern again, he’d be putting her in danger just by talking to her.
Thunder blinked at him. “I’ll come with you. We can take a patrol.”
He felt Slate’s pelt pricking against his and scented her fear. “I’m coming too.”