“I want a leader who’ll do something,” Shattered Ice retorted to Cloud Spots, ignoring Thunder’s interruption. “Not sit around in the camp all day. And if you think any different, you’re more flea-brained than I thought!”
“Who’re you calling flea-brained?” Cloud Spots growled.
For answer, Shattered Ice leaped at him, his claws out, and caught him a blow over one ear. Cloud Spots reared up on his hind paws and hurled himself on top of Shattered Ice with a snarl.
Gasps of shock and loud protests arose from the other cats. For a heartbeat Gray Wing stood frozen, appalled at the sight of two of his denmates attacking each other.
“Stop!” he yowled.
He sprang forward, grabbed Cloud Spots by the scruff, and hauled him off Shattered Ice. Shoving Shattered Ice away, he stood panting between the two furious cats.
“That’s enough,” he meowed. “How can you raise your claws against each other, after all we’ve been through together? We must be united, or what hope do we have?”
Gradually both the toms grew calmer, their bristling fur beginning to lie flat on their shoulders. “Sorry,” Cloud Spots muttered. Shattered Ice just glared, breathing hard.
Before Gray Wing could say any more, Tall Shadow bounded across the hollow and sprang up onto her rock. “Listen!” she yowled. “Shattered Ice,” she continued when every cat was giving her their attention. “You have no right to talk to any cat as rudely as that, much less your leader. And then to attack one of your denmates! You—”
“But he has a point,” Jackdaw’s Cry interrupted. “Things have to change.”
“Have to?” Tall Shadow gave him an icy glare. “We belong to each other and look out for each other, no matter what. That doesn’t change.” Her glance raked across the assembled cats. “I’m sorry if some of you felt offended because I was guarding the hollow. Next time I’ll let the dogs sneak up on us without warning.”
“That’s a good excuse.” Jagged Peak struggled to his paws. “It meant you didn’t have to do anything when Thunder and I were in danger. You just left us to the dogs.”
“Foolish creature!” Tall Shadow hissed at him. “You wouldn’t have been in danger if you hadn’t gone off without telling any cat.”
With a last furious look flung at Shattered Ice, she leaped down from the rock and stalked off into the darkness. Before she disappeared, she glared over her shoulder at Gray Wing, the accusation in her eyes making him feel like a traitor.
But I didn’t ask for this! he protested silently. I didn’t ask for any of it.
The voices of his denmates rose again around Gray Wing, continuing the argument in hushed tones. Gray Wing hesitated, knowing that he had to intervene, but not certain what he should say.
“Jackdaw’s Cry,” he began at last, trying to keep his anger under control, “there was no need for you to take Shattered Ice’s side.”
“There was every need,” Jackdaw’s Cry responded swiftly. “Tall Shadow is making a mistake by forcing us to live like we did in the mountains. She’s set in her ways. Now is the time for change—and that change is you! You should be our leader, Gray Wing. What do you say?”
Hawk Swoop nodded, moving closer to her mate. “Things are changing in spite of Tall Shadow,” she agreed. “For one thing, there weren’t other cats in the mountains! Now, we’re scrambling for space to hunt, and dogs are attacking us.”
“That’s true,” Dappled Pelt put in. “Prey was scarce up there, but at least it was all ours.”
“There’s plenty of prey for every cat here,” Cloud Spots pointed out. “We don’t need to be fighting over it. All these arguments about hunting rights are ridiculous. We should all be able to hunt where we want.”
“Tell that to Clear Sky,” Shattered Ice flashed back at him. “He’s the one setting boundaries. At least he’s making sure that all his cats are well fed.”
“Do we really want a leader like him?” Rainswept Flower countered. “If you ask me, we’re better off as we are.” She flicked a glance at Gray Wing. “I’m sorry. That’s just how I feel.”
Gray Wing felt Turtle Tail press up against him. “How can they talk like this?” she whispered.
“I told you things weren’t perfect here,” Gray Wing responded in a murmur before striding into the center of the circle. “Don’t apologize to me, Rainswept Flower,” he meowed. “I didn’t ask to be leader—that’s the foolish idea of other cats.” He waited for the yowls of protest to die down and didn’t dare make eye contact with Shattered Ice. He knew he would pay later for such a statement, but for now… I need these cats to know that I won’t lead them, and I won’t see Tall Shadow undermined.
He padded around, gazing at the collected cats. “Is this what we all want?” he asked. “Arguing among ourselves over a visit from two rogue cats? We all ought to be glad to be alive tonight—instead we’re turning on each other. I think we should retire to our nests and think hard about what’s gone on this evening. Then, tomorrow morning, we can apologize to whichever cats we offended. But please don’t ask me to lead you again. That’s not the way things are meant to be. Tall Shadow led us here, and she’ll carry on guiding us along the right path. You need to have faith.”
Some of the cats began to pad away, back to their nests. Jackdaw’s Cry, however, was staring hard at Gray Wing. “That’s a nice suggestion, but I still think we need to do what Clear Sky is doing,” he argued. “Organize our boundaries, defend our territory and our prey, bring cats who agree with us into our group, and keep the others out. It doesn’t matter whether they started out with us in the mountains, or whether they’re rogues.” He lashed his tail. “You’re right, Shattered Ice. We need a new leader. If it’s not Gray Wing…”
Gray Wing couldn’t believe the change that had come over his denmates. He glanced at Jagged Peak; his brother had hardly spoken, but was following the argument carefully, his gaze flicking from one cat to another. Thunder was watching carefully, too. Gray Wing had no idea what either of the young cats was thinking.
One thing was certain in Gray Wing’s mind. I don’t want to be a leader like Clear Sky. As soon as the words had formed themselves he felt full of guilt. Clear Sky is my brother! I know he’s only doing what he thinks is best.
“Jagged Peak, what do you think?” Jackdaw’s Cry asked. “You lived in Clear Sky’s group for a while. What was it like?”
Jagged Peak twitched his whiskers, looking pleased that one of the older cats was asking his opinion. “I wasn’t welcome there once I was injured,” he responded drily. “If we’re planning to organize ourselves like Clear Sky’s group, will we be throwing out injured cats or motherless kits? How about cats who get old or sick?”
Jackdaw’s Cry stared at Jagged Peak, clearly startled. “We’re not planning anything like that,” he replied in a shocked tone. “We just want to get more organized and have more cats join us so we can defend our territory.”
Rainswept Flower nodded eagerly. “Please, Jagged Peak, won’t you show us something that can help? Something you learned from Clear Sky and his cats?”
Jagged Peak hesitated, as if he was about to refuse, then shrugged and dragged himself on top of a boulder. The rest of the cats gathered around him; even the ones who had been heading for their nests returned to listen.
Glancing around the crowd of his denmates, Jagged Peak let out a sigh of resignation. Even so, Gray Wing could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was glad to have a chance to share what he knew.
“First, you’ve got to promise not to tell any cat I told you this,” he began. “I don’t want it getting back to Clear Sky that I gave away his secrets.”