Path of Stars (2 page)

The long sweep of clouds that
lingered beyond Highstones began to tear apart, and the dying sun cut through and set the peaks ablaze. Far below them, crow-black shadows reached up to swallow the stone. Gray Wing, sitting at the edge of the moor, his pelt ruffled by the evening breeze, lifted his gaze toward the horizon and narrowed his eyes against the sun's fiery glare. Turtle Tail shifted beside him, purring softly.

His heart swelled with love as her fur brushed his. “This moment is perfect. I never want to leave,” he murmured.

She stiffened sharply, and he turned to meet her gaze, puzzled by her reaction. Didn't she want to be here with him?

Her green eyes shone wistfully. “Your life has already changed,” she told him.

“Has it?” Gray Wing struggled to remember. With a jolt, he recalled Slate. His heart quickened.
She
was his mate now, not Turtle Tail. This was a dream.

He blinked, guilt weighing down his belly. How could he forget his beloved Slate?

Turtle Tail pressed her cheek against his as grief surged in his chest. For a moment, the gentle queen's death seemed as
fresh as when Thunder had first told him she'd been killed in Twolegplace by a monster.

“I still miss you,” he mewed hoarsely.

“I miss you too.” Turtle Tail drew away slowly. “But I'm glad you have Slate now. You shouldn't be alone.”

“Are you sure you don't mind?” Was Turtle Tail hurt that he'd fallen in love again?

“It comforts me to see you happy.” Turtle Tail's tortoiseshell pelt rippled in the breeze. “I love you so much. You gave me such happiness when I was alive. And you raised my kits. I will always be grateful that they had you to take care of them.” Sadness flashed in her eyes. “Leaving them was even harder than leaving you.”

Gray Wing sensed her grief. It stabbed through his heart. Though he had never had his own kits, Pebble Heart, Sparrow Fur, and Owl Eyes had
seemed
like his, and he still missed them now that they'd left the moor to live among the pines and the oaks. Yet he was proud that they'd followed their instincts and chosen their own homes.

Turtle Tail went on. “You have been like a father to so many.” Her eyes glowed. “To Thunder, as well as to my kits. To any cat who has needed comfort and guidance. No other cat is as well loved as you, Gray Wing. You will be remembered.” She paused, her eyes suddenly glistening. “Even after you—”

The screech of an owl cut into Gray Wing's dream. Ears twitching, he jerked awake.

Even after what?
Turtle Tail's words lingered in his mind as
he blinked in the darkness of his nest.

Beside him, Slate rolled onto her back, her paws limp with sleep. He nuzzled her cheek softly. Turtle Tail's scent was still in his mouth, and happiness moved like sunshine beneath his pelt. He was lucky to have been loved by two mates.
No cat is as well loved as you.
He snuggled deeper into the nest to escape the leaf-bare wind, which whipped across the camp, making the heather shiver.

“Gray Wing?” Slate's mew was sleepy. Her eyes opened, glinting in the darkness. She was staring at him. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” he promised. “I was dreaming.”

“What about?”

“About how lucky I am.” He nestled closer and purred as her musky scent mingled with his memory of Turtle Tail. “Let's go back to sleep.”

Dawn sunshine filtered through the canopy.
The clouds were clearing at last. Snowmelt dripped from the branches and splashed onto the forest floor. Soggy leaves squelched beneath Clear Sky's paws as he hurried along a trail between the oaks.

Star Flower had been missing since moonhigh. It felt like a lifetime.

He lifted his muzzle warily and tasted the air. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder. Was some cat watching him? His fur pricked along his spine as he remembered Slash's warning.
There are more of us than you can imagine.
Beyond his borders, rogues lurked in the shadows like foxes, preying on the weak.

Clear Sky growled.
I'm not weak!
But how could he fight Slash's gang? They'd taken Star Flower. He could do nothing but agree to Slash's demands. The mangy tom's threatening stare flashed in his thoughts. Fury rose in his chest. “Coward!” he hissed under his breath as he remembered how he'd woken to find Slash standing beside Star Flower. Two vicious toms had flanked them, snarling. The tang of blood had soured the air. A wound had glistened on Star Flower's cheek where Slash had raked his claws.

She'd looked so scared. Clear Sky shuddered, his heart twisting. And Quick Water had just watched without offering to help! She'd been his Tribemate and was his campmate now. And yet she'd hidden in the bracken and watched. If she'd joined him, they could have fought off the rogues. Star Flower would be with him now instead of a hostage.

He'd challenged Quick Water after Slash and his rogues had dragged Star Flower away. The mountain cat had accused Star Flower of being one of them—of
wanting
to go with Slash. Clear Sky had scratched her muzzle angrily.
Dumb old fool!

He turned now toward camp, energy fizzing suddenly beneath his pelt. He was wasting time. He needed to act. Slash had demanded that the leaders of every group meet him at the four trees hollow at the half-moon. It had been hard to get him to give Clear Sky even those few extra days to talk to the other leaders, but there was no way Clear Sky could have convinced them in the one day Slash had originally allowed him. Slash would release Star Flower if they agreed to give the rogues a share of their prey—not just once, but always. Clear Sky fluffed out his fur against the early morning chill. Leaf-bare had only just begun to grip the forest, and prey was already scarce. Persuading Thunder, Tall Shadow, River Ripple, and Wind Runner to promise a part of their catch would be hard. Would they even agree to
meet
Slash?

Surely they would feel some sympathy for Star Flower. Tall Shadow and Thunder had seen how loyal and supportive she'd been when Clear Sky's mother had died. So what if she was the daughter of a cruel and bloodthirsty cat? Star Flower
was nothing like One Eye. She had made poor decisions in the past, but she was different now.
And she's carrying my kits.

Clear Sky broke into a run, his paws pattering over the wet earth. He would form a patrol to visit each group in turn and persuade Thunder, River Ripple, Tall Shadow, and Wind Runner to meet with Slash. They only had to agree to the rogue's terms long enough to get Star Flower back.
That isn't so much to ask, surely?
Bursting through the bramble barrier, he skidded into camp.

Thorn and Alder spun around as he scrambled in. Nettle and Sparrow Fur circled the edge of the leaf-strewn clearing, their eyes narrowing as he stopped in the middle. Blossom hung back behind Acorn Fur and Birch, watching uneasily.

Quick Water paced beside the yew, her tail flicking.

Clear Sky heard paws shift on earth. Breath billowed around him. Ears and whiskers twitched. But no cat spoke.

She's told them.
His gaze flicked toward Quick Water. “What have you said?” he demanded.

She faced him, her eyes glittering with rage. Blood had dried on her nose where Clear Sky had scratched her. “I told them the truth.”

Clear Sky curled his lip. “The truth is that you were too cowardly to fight for your campmate!”

“Star Flower's not my campmate!” she snapped. “She's gone back to her true friends.”

“They
kidnapped
her!” Clear Sky dug his claws into the ground, swallowing back fury. He scanned the other cats, trying to read their expressions. Alder was watching through slitted eyes. Birch had tipped his head to one side, his gaze thoughtful. Nettle
blinked, giving nothing away, while Thorn fidgeted beside him, shifting his weight from one paw to another.

Only Acorn Fur and Blossom met his gaze.

Sparrow Fur sat between them, her tail twitching. “Quick Water said one of the rogues used to be Star Flower's mate.”

“That's not true.” Clear Sky's tail bristled. “Slash was a friend of One Eye's. Star Flower knew him, that's all.”

Quick Water padded forward. “The other two knew him as well! They're all from the same group of rogues. I bet Star Flower knows them all.”

Alder blinked at Clear Sky. “How big is this group?”

“I don't know.” Panic sparked in Clear Sky's chest. He pictured the rogues' camp: Star Flower alone, surrounded by mangy cats. “We have to get Star Flower away from them.”

Nettle frowned. “But Quick Water says she went with them freely.”

“She had no choice!” Clear Sky snapped. “Slash ripped open her cheek. She was terrified!”

“Then why didn't she fight?” Quick Water demanded.

“You
saw
why!” Clear Sky turned on her. “She was outnumbered. And she's carrying kits. How could she risk their safety?”

Acorn Fur widened her eyes. “So these three rogues took her against her will.”

“Yes!” Clear Sky felt a flash of hope. Did someone believe him at last?

“Couldn't
you
stop them?” Sparrow Fur asked.

“Not on my own!” Clear Sky felt shaken by the barrage of questions.

“
Why
did they take her?” Birch blinked at him.

Clear Sky steadied his breath. “Slash wants to speak with the leaders of all the groups. They're going to keep Star Flower until I persuade Tall Shadow, Wind Runner, Thunder, and River Ripple to meet with him.”

“What does Slash want with the other leaders?” Thorn asked.

Clear Sky hesitated. “He wants a share of our prey.”

Thorn's ears twitched. “Just like the old days.” He swapped looks with Nettle. “When we were loners, we left offerings at the edge of the woods. It kept the rogues happy. They'd stay away from our land.”

Nettle nodded. “We traded prey for peace.”

Clear Sky met his gaze hopefully. “We can do it again! We need peace.”

Quick Water's eyes flashed. “Do you really think we'll make it through leaf-bare if we have to give away half our prey?”

Nettle flicked his tail. “It doesn't have to be
half
,” he reasoned. “Just enough to keep them happy.”

Thorn snorted. “Cats like Slash and One Eye aren't happy until they have
everything
!”

Despair weighed like a stone in Clear Sky's belly. “You're right,” he muttered. “But we only have to give Slash what he wants until Star Flower comes home. After that, the rogues can hunt for their own prey.”

“And where do you think they'll hunt?” Birch demanded.

“On
our
land,” Blossom muttered darkly.

“That's why we have to get the other groups to help,” Clear
Sky urged. “We have to get Star Flower back first, and then decide what to do.”

Blossom glanced away, staring anxiously between the trees. “What if they refuse to help?”

“They can't!” Clear Sky's pelt pulsed with fear. He'd fought the other groups in the past. He'd even turned against his own kin. Had Thunder, Gray Wing, and Jagged Peak forgiven him? “You have to help me persuade them!” He blinked hopefully at his campmates.

Quick Water huffed. “The other leaders won't risk
their
cats for Star Flower. She betrayed them.”

“That was moons ago!” Clear Sky argued. “And who can blame her for siding with her own father?”

Birch sniffed. “Would you be so forgiving if she wasn't your mate?”

“Or so desperate to get help if the rogues had taken a
different
cat?” Thorn chimed in.

Clear Sky glared at the brown tom. “I'd fight just as hard for any of you! You're my campmates!”

Acorn Fur lifted her tail decisively. “I'll come with you,” she told Clear Sky.

Relief flooded beneath his pelt. “Thank you!”

“But what if Quick Water's right?” Birch argued. “What if Star Flower went with them freely?”

“Even if she did, she's carrying Clear Sky's kits,” Acorn Fur told him firmly. “Her kits are part of our group. We must get them back.”

Alder glanced at Birch, her gray-and-white fur rippling. She blinked at her brother. “Don't you remember how the
group protected us after our mother died?”

Guilt pricked at Clear Sky's belly.
He'd
killed their mother when she'd fought to protect her nest. Petal had brought the kits into the group and raised them as her own.

Birch nodded, his gaze softening. “We've always had a safe nest to sleep in and prey to eat.” His gaze flicked around the gathered cats. “Star Flower's kits deserve the same. They haven't done anything wrong.”

Quick Water narrowed her eyes. “But can we trust their mother?”

Thorn frowned. “She may just be setting another trap.”

“Never!” Clear Sky bristled.

“She's done it before,” Nettle reminded him. “She led us into One Eye's ambush.”

Anxious murmurs rippled around the cats.

“What if she set up her own kidnapping?” Thorn gasped. “To gather the group leaders together.”

Blossom's eyes widened in alarm. “They must be planning an attack!”

“Why would they do that?” Clear Sky snapped. “They only want prey.”

“Are you sure?” Quick Water's tail swept the ground. “If they kill our leaders, we'll all be vulnerable.”

Clear Sky stiffened as he saw fear bristling in the pelts of his campmates. He fluffed out his fur. “You talk as though we're helpless rabbits!” he snapped. “But our claws are as long as any rogue's. No one will get killed!”

Alder nodded. “We can't let them scare us.”

“We have to fight to keep what's ours!” Sparrow Fur agreed.

Clear Sky looked at her hopefully. “Then will you come with me to persuade the other leaders?”

“Yes.” Sparrow Fur padded forward.

Alder followed her. “I'll come too.”

As Clear Sky blinked at them gratefully, Thorn cut in. “Is it wise for so many cats to leave camp? It leaves us prone to attack. What if the rogues come back?”

“They already have Star Flower,” Clear Sky told him. “What else would they want?”

Quick Water growled ominously. “The food from our mouths.”

Clear Sky glanced at her bitterly. “Then you'll have something to fight for, won't you?” He headed for the camp entrance, looking back with relief as he saw Sparrow Fur, Alder, and Acorn Fur at his heels.

He ducked through the bramble barrier and took the trail that led toward Thunder's camp. Would his son be more understanding than his campmates? Worry churned in his belly. Thunder had plenty of reasons not to help him. Clear Sky knew he'd never been a good father. And Thunder had loved Star Flower before she'd chosen Clear Sky as a mate. As the path steepened toward a rise, he steadied his breath. After everything that had happened between them, could he count on Thunder's support?