“Thank you for agreeing to keep my secret a bit longer,” he meowed as he and Turtle Tail padded back to the camp. Turtle Tail drew ahead a couple of paw steps, and glanced back over her shoulder.
“I never agreed to any such thing,” she pointed out. “Come on. Let’s get home.”
Chapter 21
When he arrived back at the camp, Gray Wing left Turtle Tail to check on her kits, while he padded over to the tall rock and leaped up onto it. “Let all cats gather around to listen!” he yowled.
Hawk Swoop emerged from her den with Acorn Fur and Lightning Tail just behind her, tails waving as they scurried up to sit below the rock. Jagged Peak dragged himself over and sat nearby. Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt looked up from where they were sorting herbs. Rainswept Flower went to meet Turtle Tail, and both she-cats gathered the kits together and made them sit down quietly. Jackdaw’s Cry and Shattered Ice appeared at the top of the hollow; Shattered Ice was carrying a mouse. Only Tall Shadow paid no attention to Gray Wing’s summons, remaining crouched over Moon Shadow, who, as always, lay unmoving.
“Turtle Tail and I just met a couple of dogs,” Gray Wing announced when all his denmates had gathered. “Some Twolegs took them away, but we still need to be careful. For the rest of today we should all keep together, and stay close to the hollow until we’re sure that the dogs have gone home with their Twolegs. Understand?”
“Sure, Gray Wing,” Shattered Ice responded, while the rest of the cats murmured agreement.
“I’m a dog and I’m going to get you!” Sparrow Fur squealed, leaping on top of Owl Eyes.
While Turtle Tail separated the scuffling kits, the meeting broke up and Gray Wing jumped down from the rock. He padded over to Tall Shadow and described to her what had happened, but he realized that even now she was only half listening. Her face was taut with worry as she looked down at her brother.
Moon Shadow’s breathing was fast and shallow. His eyes were closed and his fur dull. The wound on his side wasn’t healing, in spite of the herbs spread on it; blood was oozing out, darkening the covering of chewed-up leaves.
“Is there anything I can do?” Gray Wing asked. He could feel the distress coming off Tall Shadow in waves.
She shrugged. “Not unless you suddenly learned the art of healing,” she replied. She looked older than Gray Wing had ever seen her and he touched the tip of his tail to her shoulder.
“He’ll get better,” he mewed.
“Don’t say that,” Tall Shadow hissed. “You don’t know that and neither do I. Just leave us alone, please.”
She lay on the ground beside her brother, and kept her gaze focused on his breathing. Gray Wing might as well have not been there.
As he paced back to his old nest his chest began hurting again. That scramble up the tree hadn’t done him any good, but at least he wasn’t in as bad a state as Moon Shadow. Why did that fire ever have to happen? Cats were ill and injured and he’d lost Thunder to Clear Sky. What are they doing now?
Pebble Heart scampered up to him as he reached his nest. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Gray Wing responded.
“He’s been keeping an eye on you, you know,” Turtle Tail mewed as she came to join them.
“That’s good.” Gray Wing brushed his tail over the tabby kit’s head. “But I’ve had enough talk of sickness for one day!”
He lowered himself into his old sleeping place, burrowing deeply into the dried ferns. The others can share the prey. I just want to sleep.
When Gray Wing woke again, clouds had covered the sun, stretching gray and threatening above his head. The air felt damp, as if rain was on the way.
A small movement in the bedding beside him made Gray Wing turn his head. Pebble Heart was sleeping at his side, his body twitching and his paws working as if he was running in his sleep.
He’s having a vivid dream, Gray Wing thought.
He didn’t want to wake the kit, because he knew it could be dangerous to jerk cats out of their dreams. Besides, if I’m right, and Pebble Heart has special skills, this dream might mean something.
Gray Wing waited patiently for Pebble Heart to wake. Suddenly the kit exploded into movement, leaping to his paws, his eyes wide and staring. He turned on Gray Wing with a hiss, but Gray Wing stretched out a paw to calm him.
“Take it easy,” he murmured. “It’s okay. You were having a dream, that’s all.”
Gradually Pebble Heart returned to the waking world, his gaze focusing on Gray Wing’s face.
Gray Wing could see bleak misery in his eyes. “You’ve had this dream before, haven’t you?” he asked.
For answer, Pebble Heart curled himself into a small ball, pressing himself against Gray Wing’s side. Gray Wing could feel his trembling. Gently he licked the kit’s pelt with strong, soothing strokes of his tongue. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “You can tell me.”
Gradually Pebble Heart’s trembling subsided. “I’ve had dreams for a while now,” he confessed. “Owl Eyes and Sparrow Fur sleep so soundly, I knew it was only me having them. And there’s something about them that makes them feel… well, more than dreams. Am I being mouse-brained?” he asked hesitantly.
Gray Wing shook his head. “Not at all. Tell me more about the dreams,” he mewed.
Pebble Heart’s eyes grew distant with memory. “There’s one particular dream I’ve had a few times,” he began. “I was walking down a long, dark tunnel, and there was a glittering light at the end, as if a star was shining underground.”
“And that scared you?” Gray Wing asked, stroking the kit’s back with his tail.
“Oh, no!” Pebble Heart’s eyes shone. “It was exciting! I really wanted to get to the end of the tunnel and find out what the light was. And it was weird… I couldn’t see any other cats, but I felt like there were cats there, trying to tell me something. Only I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I thought if I could get to the star thing, I would understand, but every time I have the dream, I wake up before I reach the end of the tunnel,” he finished, sounding disappointed.
Gray Wing couldn’t make sense of that at all. “You don’t have to worry,” he reassured Pebble Heart. “You’re not the only cat who has dreams. You remember Turtle Tail and I told you about Stoneteller and the other cats in the mountains, where we came from?” Pebble Heart nodded. “Well, Stoneteller had dreams like yours sometimes. Just the same as you.”
The little kit’s eyes were bright with interest. “Really?”
“Really. And she’s a very wise cat.” More hesitantly, he asked, “What was your dream about this time, Pebble Heart?”
“A fight—a big fight,” Pebble Heart replied, beginning to tremble again. “Cats were screeching and clawing each other. I think I saw Clear Sky there. I’ve dreamed that one before, too.”
Apprehension clawed at Gray Wing, though he took care not to let the kit see that he was worried. Has he had some kind of warning?
“It’s all right,” he soothed Pebble Heart. “You don’t have to talk about it anymore.”
Glancing toward the mouth of the den, Gray Wing noticed that Jagged Peak was crouched nearby, watching them intently. I think he’s too far away to have heard what we said, but even so…
Protectively Gray Wing curled his body around Pebble Heart, bending over so that both their faces were hidden. This was something that he didn’t want Jagged Peak or any other cat to see.
If Pebble Heart is special, then he needs to be kept safe, he thought.