Jagged Peak struggled to his paws and gave his pelt a shake. “I guess so,” he muttered, as if he was reluctant, though Gray Wing could see his eyes brighten and his tail begin to rise with pride.
“Thanks, Rainswept Flower,” Gray Wing murmured into her ear.
“It’s the least I can do,” she responded.
Jagged Peak began tottering toward the camp, with Rainswept Flower and Shattered Ice springing to support him on either side. As the other mountain cats followed, Gray Wing flicked his ears at Wind and Gorse, beckoning them over to him.
“I thought when the dogs arrived you went to hide in the undergrowth,” he began. “How did you end up coming with the others to help save Jagged Peak?”
Wind and Gorse exchanged a glance.
“We decided we couldn’t just abandon you,” Gorse explained. “After all, we’re good friends now.”
Wind nodded. “So we went to the hollow to see how you were, and got there just as Shattered Ice turned up, out of breath and yowling about Jagged Peak stuck on the moor.”
“Thank you,” Gray Wing meowed from the bottom of his heart. His paws itched to invite the two rogues to join their group, but he knew that he would have to discuss it with Tall Shadow first. “Is there anything we can do to show you how grateful we are?”
“If it’s possible, we’d like to join you,” Wind responded, as if she had followed Gray Wing’s thought. “We’d do all we can to hunt well and help out.”
“That’s right,” Gorse assured Gray Wing. “Life has gotten much harder since the new cats came to live here, and we need allies.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Gray Wing promised.
Racing past the other cats, he headed for the camp, where he found Tall Shadow standing at the edge of the hollow. Her ears were pricked alertly and her gaze swept across the moor, constantly watchful.
When Tall Shadow spotted Gray Wing she took a few paces forward to meet him. “Are all the cats okay?” she asked, desperate anxiety in her voice. “Thunder and Jagged Peak—are they safe?”
“Yes.” Gray Wing rested his tail on her shoulder. “They’re both fine. And the dogs have gone.”
Tall Shadow let out a long sigh of relief. For the first time Gray Wing could remember, she sank to the ground as if her legs weren’t strong enough to hold her up any longer. “Thank goodness!” she breathed out. “I could never have forgiven myself if…” She couldn’t go on.
“They’re still alive,” Gray Wing reassured her. “Thanks to Wind and Gorse.”
He explained how Thunder and Jagged Peak had hidden in the burrow, and how the roof had caved in before Jagged Peak could get out.
“We were panicking, getting in each other’s way,” he meowed. “When we’ve all recovered, we might discuss making plans in case anything like that happens again.”
Tall Shadow nodded. “Good idea. Especially now that we’re living in these tunnel dens. But go on,” she added. “How did you get Jagged Peak out?”
“We didn’t,” Gray Wing replied. “We owe that to Wind and Gorse.”
He described to Tall Shadow how Wind had cleared the earth from Jagged Peak’s mouth and nose after she and Gorse dug him out. “And remember that they came to the hollow to help. They could have just looked after their own pelts. We owe these cats,” he finished quietly. “They want to come and live with us.”
Tall Shadow looked up at him, her eyes thoughtful. “They can stay and share the evening with us,” she mewed at last. “But then they must go. I need time to think,” she added, as Gray Wing opened his jaws to protest.
Gray Wing realized that there was no point in arguing. He knew how cautious Tall Shadow was, and letting the rogues stay for just the evening was a huge concession for her.
But is she too cautious? he asked himself.
For the first time Gray Wing noticed that Turtle Tail had come up to him and was hovering nearby, waiting for him to finish his conversation.
“That sounds so frightening!” she exclaimed as he turned to her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Every cat is fine,” Gray Wing assured her. “Look, they’re coming back now.”
The sun was going down, casting red light across the camp. Jackdaw’s Cry was outlined against it as he appeared at the top of the hollow. He raced across to Hawk Swoop and their kits. As he began to tell his story, Acorn Fur and Lightning Tail listened with their jaws gaping in shock.
A moment later Jagged Peak padded into camp, helped by Dappled Pelt and Rainswept Flower. Shattered Ice followed, escorting Gorse and Wind, and led them down to the bottom of the hollow. Gray Wing padded up to Jagged Peak, with Turtle Tail close behind. “Come over here,” he meowed. “You must be tired now. There’s a soft patch of moss where you can rest.”
Jagged Peak pulled away from him. “You don’t have to look after me all the time,” he muttered. “I can take care of myself.”
Gray Wing twitched his whiskers. “Really? Did today prove that?”
Jagged Peak flinched. Without a word he staggered off and sat by himself on the moss, his back turned to Gray Wing, rejecting help even though his whole body was swaying with exhaustion. Gray Wing’s heart twisted to see him so proud and so full of hurt. Stupid! he scolded himself. Rainswept Flower made him feel better, and now you have to go and put your clumsy great paw in it.
To his relief, Rainswept Flower followed Jagged Peak and sat down beside him. Gray Wing saw them talking quietly, their heads close together.
Gray Wing felt a comforting paw on his back. “He’ll be all right,” Turtle Tail said gently.
The rest of the cats had made their way to the bottom of the hollow.
Thunder excitedly told the story of how the dogs had chased Jagged Peak. “You should have seen Gray Wing!” he meowed. “He dashed right up to that big brute and clawed its nose! The dog looked so surprised. But Gray Wing only did it so the dogs would chase him and Jagged Peak could escape. He was really brave!”
Gray Wing wanted to hide behind a rock as he felt the gazes of all the other cats turned to him. Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur looked especially impressed, their eyes wide and shining.
“That was well done,” Tall Shadow pronounced. “But don’t forget what might have happened. We could have been grieving for dead denmates tonight.”
Thunder’s head drooped. “I know,” he muttered, looking chastened.
Gray Wing knew that Tall Shadow was right, but he felt sorry for his young kin. “Why don’t you tell them how brave you were?” he asked Thunder. “How you stayed with Jagged Peak and hid in the tunnel with him?”
“That was pretty scary,” Thunder admitted, beginning to sound cheerful again. “Especially when the tunnel collapsed. But Wind was brilliant, knowing how to get Jagged Peak out like she did.”
Dappled Pelt rose to her paws. “I’d better check on Jagged Peak,” she mewed. “The last thing he needs is to get sick, on top of everything else.” Weaving around her denmates, she approached Jagged Peak, who was crouched on the moss with his nose on his paws. “Come on, Jagged Peak,” she ordered. “You have to let me clean up your scratches and scrapes before it gets too dark to see them.”
For a heartbeat Gray Wing thought Jagged Peak would protest. Then he let out a long sigh. “Okay, do what you want,” he muttered.
Gray Wing watched for a moment as Dappled Pelt deftly parted Jagged Peak’s fur to examine his injuries. “I don’t think there’s anything serious,” she mewed at last, settling down beside him and beginning to lick his scratches. “But you’ll need to let me check again in the morning.”