“We promise,” Rainswept Flower mewed.
“Sure,” Jackdaw’s Cry added, and a murmur of agreement rose from the rest of the cats.
“Okay,” Jagged Peak continued. “Now I want you to think like Clear Sky and his cats. What are your special skills? What do you do best? Hunt or chase? Can you climb trees or burrow through tunnels?”
“You’re best at burrowing,” Shattered Ice observed wryly.
A few snorts of amusement followed his words, though Gray Wing shivered at the memory of his brother buried in the tunnel.
Jagged Peak rolled his eyes. “Suppose we organized ourselves into groups,” he went on. “Rainswept Flower and Jackdaw’s Cry each have a good sense of smell and Turtle Tail has keen eyes. They would be good at patrolling the hollow and the territory around it. Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt are best with healing herbs, so that would be their job. Gray Wing, you’re fast, so you would be a good hunter. This is how Clear Sky organizes things. Each cat has a special role.” His gaze fell to the ground and his voice was quieter as he added, “Even I had a role, until…”
“Thank you, Jagged Peak,” Shattered Ice meowed.
Gray Wing realized that Tall Shadow was still missing. She should have heard what Jagged Peak suggested, he thought. It’s her job to organize us.
A loud voice broke in on his thoughts. “But I don’t want to patrol!” Jackdaw’s Cry insisted. “I’m better at hunting.”
“No, you’re not,” Shattered Ice snapped back. “You missed that rabbit the other day—”
Within a couple of heartbeats it seemed to Gray Wing that every cat was arguing over who should hunt, who should go on patrol, and who should guard the camp.
“That’s enough!” he yowled, raising his voice to make himself heard over the bickering. As the noise died down he shook his head sadly at Jagged Peak. “I’m sorry,” he mewed. “They’re not ready for this yet.”
“It was only a suggestion.” Jagged Peak climbed stiffly down from the boulder and headed into the darkness.
Rainswept Flower began to follow him, but Gray Wing raised his tail to stop her. “I know you want to help, but I think it’s best to let him be for now,” he advised. “He needs some time alone.”
The tabby she-cat looked as if she would have liked to argue, but after a moment she dipped her head politely. “Whatever you say, Gray Wing.”
Somehow, her deference disturbed Gray Wing. He turned away from her, only to realize that the other cats were crowding around him, talking excitedly among themselves.
“Remember how Gray Wing and Jagged Peak were clever enough to make it out of the mountains on their own?” Hawk Swoop meowed.
“That’s right,” Turtle Tail agreed, with an admiring look at Gray Wing. “I’m sure I couldn’t have done it. And he saved Thunder when the Twoleg den collapsed, and Storm and the other kits were all killed. I’ve never been so scared in my life, but Gray Wing was really brave!”
“He helped to save Jagged Peak today,” Rainswept Flower pointed out.
“He’s one of the fastest hunters on the moors,” Dappled Pelt added. “And he can get cats to work together. What more could we possibly want? He should be our new leader.”
Gray Wing had heard enough. “Stop it, all of you,” he protested. “Did you hear anything I said? I’m not a leader, and I don’t want to be. I saw how Clear Sky changed when he started thinking about boundaries and territories instead of individual cats.” He hesitated for a moment, the pain of estrangement from his brother sweeping over him like a cold wind. “Clear Sky is not the cat I used to know,” he finished.
“Oh, you’re just being modest,” Cloud Spots meowed. “We know you wouldn’t end up like Clear Sky.”
A chorus of agreement followed this declaration. Gray Wing raised a paw for silence and waited until the voices died away.
“Okay, I’m brave, or I try to be,” he began. “But I don’t have the skill of planning or the special authority that a leader needs.” He glanced around at the others, encouraged to see that they were at last listening to him. “Surely you remember Stoneteller?” he went on. “She wasn’t just brave; she knew how to take care of each cat like they were her own kit. I don’t have that in me.”
“Yes, you do!” Thunder interrupted, glaring indignantly up at Gray Wing. “I know—because of how you’ve cared for me, and because of what all the other cats say about you.”
“I don’t,” Gray Wing meowed abruptly. “None of us do. And I’d rather have Tall Shadow, who listens to every cat and tries to keep us together fairly, than Clear Sky, who thinks he can control who deserves to be in the forest.”
“But that’s what we’ve been telling you,” Shattered Ice declared. “You don’t have to be like Clear Sky. You would learn from his mistakes. You’d be a great leader.”
“A leader? Me?” Gray Wing felt anger surging inside him again as he thought of the chasms that had opened up since they left the mountains with such high hopes. “I couldn’t even keep my own family together! And look at you—all you’ve done today is bicker among yourselves. Now do as I asked, and go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”
To his relief, no cat seemed inclined to go on arguing. Gradually they began to drift away to the edge of the hollow or the tunnels to sleep. There was still no sign of Tall Shadow. She should have been here, Gray Wing thought. She shouldn’t have abandoned the argument so early. Lots had been said—words Tall Shadow should have heard.
“Things need to change,” Shattered Ice muttered as he headed for his nest, and Gray Wing heard some murmurs of agreement.
Thunder pressed up against Gray Wing, as if he was trying to offer comfort. “How could you have kept your family together?” he asked. “It’s not your fault, the way Clear Sky is behaving.”
Gray Wing sighed. “It feels like it.”
Jagged Peak was watching them both silently, his eyes narrowed and the tip of his tail twitching. Something about the way the young cat was looking at Gray Wing made him uneasy.
“Thank you for trying to talk to the cats,” Gray Wing meowed, padding over to him.
“That’s just it, though,” Jagged Peak responded. “I tried. I didn’t succeed. They didn’t really listen to what I was telling them.”
Gray Wing suppressed a sigh. When will Jagged Peak learn to like himself again?
Chapter 8
The sun was going down, casting long shadows across the moor. Gray Wing and Thunder were on their way back to the hollow after a session of hunting practice; Gray Wing was carrying a rabbit. He felt tired but satisfied, enjoying the last of the sunlight and the cool breeze ruffling his fur.
To his relief, when the cats woke after the dispute on the previous night, they had all settled into their usual routines without mentioning a change of leader again. Tall Shadow had reappeared and was organizing the camp with her trademark efficiency. Gray Wing hoped that they had heard the last of the argument. It was all so stupid. I don’t even know why we were talking like that.
He had intercepted Shattered Ice when the white tom was heading for the tunnel he was digging out with Jackdaw’s Cry. “I… uh… I’m sorry about last night,” Gray Wing meowed. “I didn’t mean to call you stupid.”
Shattered Ice had hesitated for a heartbeat, then dipped his head. “It’s okay. Maybe we all said things we didn’t mean.”
“I tried really hard, and I didn’t catch anything,” Thunder mewed despondently, breaking into Gray Wing’s thoughts. He had to admit that Thunder was still having problems. All his instincts were to hide and stalk; he didn’t seem to appreciate that out on the moor there was nowhere he could hide. Not unless he can make himself invisible, Gray Wing thought wryly.