Clear Sky turned, hackles up. “Where is it?”
Slash glanced to one side and a black-and-brown rogue padded out. The scrawny rabbit dangled from his jaws. “Beetle found your pitiful catch,” Slash sneered.
Another rogue followed Beetle from behind the tree, his black-and-white pelt rippling.
Slash went on. “Poor Splinter was upset that you’d only caught one.” He glanced at the black-and-white rogue. “Weren’t you, Splinter?”
Splinter flicked his tail. “I thought you were supposed to be great hunters.” He glanced derisively at the scrawny rabbit as a fourth rogue padded out.
Snake. Clear Sky shifted his paws uneasily as he recognized the striped tabby. Snake had belonged to Clear Sky’s group once, but his true loyalties had been with One Eye. He narrowed his eyes. They were outnumbered. Perhaps he should have brought a bigger patrol after all.
Slash’s gaze flashed to the squirrel at Sparrow Fur’s paws. “I guess it’s better than nothing.”
Sparrow Fur hissed. “We didn’t catch it for you. We caught it for our campmates.”
Slash padded forward and circled Clear Sky and Sparrow Fur slowly. “You’re sharing your prey with us, remember?”
“We told you at the meeting that you’d have to catch your own,” Clear Sky snarled.
“Really?” Slash eyes lit up with a malicious glint. “I think I remember you promising that you’d give me all your prey.” The mangy brown tom suddenly dropped into a cowering crouch and mimicked a desperate mew. “Oh, Slash. I’ll hunt for you! You can have all my prey. Just give me Star
Flower!”
Clear Sky felt his pelt burn as he remembered pleading desperately at the meeting. He didn’t dare look at Sparrow Fur. Instead he glared at Slash. “I got her back,” he hissed. “Which means I don’t have to give you anything!”
Slash straightened and stalked back to his campmates. “You got what you want, and so now I get what I want.” He stared at the prey at Sparrow Fur’s paws. “Give it to me.” His gaze burned into
Sparrow Fur’s.
Sparrow Fur lifted her chin. “Never!”
Clear Sky curled his claws into the ground. Blood roared in his ears. Every instinct told him to hurl himself at Slash and rip his fur off. But what about Star Flower? If you’re hurt, who will protect her and your kits? Heart pounding, he forced himself to stay still.
Sparrow Fur looked at him in surprise. “We’re not going to let them take it, are we?”
Slash padded closer. “It belongs to us.”
Sparrow Fur placed her paw on the squirrel protectively. “No, it doesn’t!”
Slash stopped a muzzle-length from Clear Sky and glared at him. “Give us the squirrel and we’ll leave you alone.”
“For now,” Splinter growled softly behind him.
Snake purred with amusement. “Poor Clear Sky. You never were much of a leader.”
Rage boiled in Clear Sky’s belly. Every hair on his pelt itched to fight these rogues. But he couldn’t take risks. He backed away, nodding to Sparrow Fur. “Let them take it.”
Sparrow Fur blinked at him in disbelief. “Really?”
Clear Sky gazed coolly at Slash as he answered her. “We’re outnumbered, Sparrow Fur. Fighting would be a waste of energy. Let these lazy fox-hearts take our prey. We can catch more while they’re growing fat and soft.”
Slash flattened his ears.
Satisfaction washed over Clear Sky’s pelt. He’d angered the rogue. “Here.” He pawed the squirrel toward Slash. “This should fill your bellies until you learn how to catch your own.”
Slash’s eyes blazed. Showing his teeth, he lashed out with a paw. Clear Sky saw the blow coming and began to duck. But Sparrow Fur was faster. Diving like a hawk, she caught Slash’s paw on her shoulder. She heaved it away, unbalancing Slash, then spun and raked her claws across the rogue’s scarred muzzle.
Slash yowled with rage, and Snake darted forward and slashed at Sparrow Fur’s tail. As she twisted to face the yellow-eyed tom, Slash reared and slammed his paws onto her spine. Hooking his claws into her pelt, he dragged her onto her side.
Snake hissed. “Kill her!”
Beetle and Splinter split apart, their eyes widening with excitement as Slash leaped onto Sparrow
Fur and began lashing at her with his forepaws.
“Get off!” Clear Sky tensed, ready to drag the rogue from his campmate, but he hesitated. If he joined in, then the others would too, and he wanted to avoid a fight. He grabbed the squirrel and tossed it at Snake. “Just take this and go!”
Slash paused. Sparrow Fur squirmed beneath him, lashing out clumsily as he leaped clear and landed beside Splinter. The squirrel lay at Beetle’s paws. Slash looked at it, then glanced at Sparrow
Fur.
The she-cat scrambled to her paws, hackles high. She glowered at Slash, a low growl rolling in her throat.
Clear Sky stepped in front of her and guided her away. “It’s not worth the fight,” he murmured.
She frowned, anger clear in her gaze. “But they’ve taken everything we caught,” she whispered.
Clear Sky stared in dismay as Splinter picked up the squirrel between his jaws. Beetle scooped up the scrawny rabbit.
“Thanks, Clear Sky.” Slash curled his lip. “Next time, be a little more polite, or you might get hurt.” He turned and stalked away. Snake followed, Beetle and Splinter falling in behind.
Clear Sky could feel himself shaking with rage as he watched them walk away with his catch.
“You might have won this time!” he spat at Slash. “But one day you will feel my claws in your throat.” He froze as Slash turned and stared at him coldly.
For a moment the sounds of the forest disappeared. He could only hear his own heart pounding, and a voice in the back of his mind: Think of Star Flower and your kits. They need you.
Slash snatched the scrawny rabbit from Beetle and carried it back to Clear Sky. With a snort, he flung it near Clear Sky’s paws. “Give this to Star Flower.” His growl was thick with derision. “Tell her it’s a gift from me.”
Rage throbbed in Clear Sky’s belly. He dug his claws deep into the ground as Slash turned and stalked away. One day, you will pay for this.
As the rogues disappeared between the trees, Sparrow Fur glanced at the pitiful rabbit. “I guess we ought to take it. It won’t feed many mouths, but it’s better than nothing.”
Clear Sky hardly heard her, but he turned as the fresh scent of blood reached his nose. The fur on her cheek was dark and wet. “You’re hurt,” he meowed, shaking himself from his thoughts. “Let’s head back to camp so you can clean your wounds properly.” Gratitude stirred in his chest. “Thanks for defending me,” he added. It wasn’t the first time the feisty young she-cat had leaped to save him.
She’d fought for him when One Eye had tried to drive him from the group, too.
Sparrow Fur shrugged and poked the rabbit with her paw. “It’s not much to show for a morning’s hunting.”
“I’ll send out another patrol this afternoon,” Clear Sky told her.
“And what if Slash steals from them too?” Worry clouded the she-cat’s gaze.
“We’ll deal with that if it happens.” He scooped up the rabbit, swallowing back the resentment that rose in his throat. How dare Slash give him his own catch as though it were a gift? He wanted to toss it away and catch fresh meat. But with so little prey running in the forest, he had no choice. Star
Flower needed every morsel she could get.
Growling softly to himself, he headed toward camp.