“This place is yucky!” Owl Eyes announced. “I don’t like it here.”
Jackdaw’s Cry gave him a gentle cuff over one ear. “It’s your own fault for running away from Jagged Peak,” he meowed. “What were you told about not leaving camp? You can’t ignore Gray Wing’s orders like that, especially when he is our leader, and the most respected cat in camp.”
Even though Gray Wing knew that Jackdaw’s Cry was trying to make him feel better, guilt gnawed at him even more deeply. Respect? I don’t deserve that! But he had the sense to stay silent and not reveal to Owl Eyes how bad he was feeling.
“It was just a bit of fun!” Owl Eyes protested. “And I did catch a vole.”
“Fun!” Jackdaw’s Cry exclaimed. “You bee-brained kit, you—”
“That’s enough, both of you,” Gray Wing interrupted. “We need to decide which of these tunnels is best,” he went on, gesturing with his tail toward the exits from the cave. I can’t wait to get out. This damp air is making my chest hurt even more.
But as he led the way across the cave to the nearest tunnel, there was movement inside it. Gray Wing stared as an animal paused in the entrance. It had black fur with a white stripe down the middle of its narrow head, a wet nose, bright beady eyes and small ears. Its short legs ended in powerful, blunt claws.
Gray Wing froze with a mixture of fear and curiosity. “What’s that?” he whispered.
“It’s called a badger,” Tall Shadow replied in a no-nonsense tone. “I remember Shaded Moss telling me about them. He said they live in groups like us, and they’re really fierce.”
And we just walked into its den, Gray Wing realized. Struggling to think clearly, he could see that they only had one advantage: speed. This great hulking creature couldn’t possibly move as fast as a cat. We’re trapped down here—but we have to try to get away.
The badger heaved itself out of the tunnel and reared up in front of the cats, opening its jaws to show huge yellow teeth.
“Run!” Gray Wing screeched.
Making sure that Owl Eyes was following, he raced for the next exit tunnel and plunged into it. Almost at once he realized that he had made a mistake. They could only go as fast as his breathing would allow, and that wasn’t as fast as he would like.
I should have let the others go first. I could have faced the badger while they escaped.
But it was too late now. The tunnel was so narrow that the other cats couldn’t get past him.
Thankfully he realized that after the first few tail-lengths the tunnel opened up into a network with connecting tunnels on either side. Gray Wing twisted and turned, hoping to lose the pursuing badger. More chinks in the roof let in enough light for him to see his way.
Gray Wing hesitated at a screech of pain behind him, followed by the sound of a scuffle. Some cat is injured! But there was no way he could get back to help; he had to go on.
At last Gray Wing spotted an irregular patch of light ahead of him and realized that they had found the way out. He forced a last burst of speed from his paws and tumbled into the open.
The heavy rain had turned into a thin drizzle. Through it Gray Wing saw that they were close to the edge of the forest. One of the outlying trees was a few tail-lengths away. Checking with a swift glance to make sure all his cats were following, he hurled himself at the tree and clawed his way up the trunk until he could crouch trembling on a branch, his breath coming in great gasps. His denmates joined him and shrank back into the cover of the leaves.
Gray Wing gazed down and saw the badger thrust its striped snout out of the tunnel mouth. It raked the surroundings with a glance from its small, malignant eyes, then let out a grunt and withdrew underground.
Tall Shadow let out a gasp of relief. “It’s gone!”
“Owl Eyes, are you okay?” Gray Wing asked.
The kit was pressing close to him, shaking with fear. Gray Wing spotted a scratch down one of his back legs; it was slowly oozing blood. “You’re hurt!” he exclaimed. “It was you I heard back there.”
“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” Owl Eyes mewed bravely, though his teeth were chattering.
Jackdaw’s Cry flexed his claws. “I gave the badger something to think about.”
Gray Wing could hardly believe that the kit had been injured while he was still so young. It’s my fault, he thought despairingly. What sort of leader am I, when I can’t even protect my own kit?
The last of the rain stopped and the clouds began to clear. Gray Wing could see the sun dipping toward the horizon.
“I don’t think the badger’s coming back,” he meowed. “We’d better get back to camp. If we’re out here after dark, we’ll be in more trouble.”
Tall Shadow was first to jump out of the tree; she took the lead as the cats headed back across the moor. Gray Wing and Owl Eyes brought up the rear, Gray Wing still struggling for breath and Owl Eyes limping from his scratch.
“I’m sorry,” Owl Eyes murmured, blinking apologetically at Gray Wing. “I shouldn’t have left the camp on my own like that.”
Gray Wing twitched his ears to acknowledge the kit’s words, but he didn’t have any energy left to speak.
He looked up and saw the shape of Highstones outlined against the setting sun. It reminded him of his own more distant mountains. If only I had Stoneteller here to guide me, he thought. But she’s so far away. She can’t help me now.
As Gray Wing reached the top of the hollow, he saw his denmates huddled together in the middle of the camp, exchanging anxious meows. Then Rainswept Flower looked up and spotted them.
“They’re back!” she yowled.
Instantly Turtle Tail raced up the slope, flinging herself at Owl Eyes and covering him with licks. “I’m so angry with you!” she mewed. “What were you thinking, going off on your own like that? And you’re hurt!”
“I caught a vole,” Owl Eyes announced proudly.
“I don’t want to hear about it!”
Turtle Tail nosed her son down into the hollow, and the other cats followed, while their denmates crowded around, questioning them about what had happened. Gray Wing was still having trouble breathing, so he sat down and let Tall Shadow tell the story.
He noticed Jagged Peak wincing at the mention of their frantic scramble up the tree, and knew that the young cat must be remembering his own injury.
Pebble Heart and Sparrow Fur rushed up to their brother, burying their noses in his fur. Spotting the wound the badger had given Owl Eyes, Pebble Heart began licking it vigorously.
“This will help stop an infection,” he declared confidently between licks. “You have to keep wounds clean.”
“How do you know that?” Owl Eyes asked.
“Cloud Spots told me,” the little tom replied. “He’s teaching me all about herbs, too. He says when I’m bigger he’ll take me to gather herbs with him and Dappled Pelt.”
Meanwhile Gray Wing realized that Turtle Tail was giving him a long, hard glance. “How could you have allowed this to happen?” she asked. “That badger could have killed our son.”
“Me?” Gray Wing found himself forgetting his vow never to quarrel with Turtle Tail. “How is it my fault? I went to rescue him! If Owl Eyes hadn’t been so disobedient…” His voice trailed off. His chest felt tighter than ever and he found it hard to breathe. He felt himself swaying; the air sparkled in front of his eyes.
“That’s it!” Turtle Tail snapped. Through the glitter Gray Wing saw her turn to the rest of the cats, and her voice rose above their anxious murmurings. “Look at Gray Wing! Can you see how he can barely sit upright? Can you all hear the breath rattling in his chest? He’s ill—seriously ill. Am I the only cat with eyes in my head?” Her tail lashed furiously as she glared at the rest of the group. “If Gray Wing won’t face up to the truth, I will,” she went on. “He needs time to recover. He can’t lead this group of cats anymore. He can’t…”