Path of Stars (22 page)

“Nice weather,” he meowed awkwardly.

She glanced at him and didn't reply.

He tried again, wishing he could think of something to say that wasn't mouse-brained. “Are you enjoying life in the forest?”

“I guess trees are okay.” Violet wove between patches of frost-wilted nettles.

“Yeah, I guess.” Thunder felt a prickle of irritation. It was Violet who'd suggested they go alone. Couldn't she help make conversation? He tried again. “Have you been to the river before?”

“Yes.” She jumped down a steep bank and crunched through the leaves beyond.

Thunder could see water glittering between the trees. He quickened his pace. The sooner they reached the river camp, the better.

“You're in a hurry,” Violet commented as he passed her.

“I want to get there before sundown.”
I want to stop feeling as awkward as a rabbit up a tree.

Violet halted.

Thunder turned and stared at her. “What are you waiting for?”

Violet's eyes shone playfully. “For you to finish what you started to say while we were weaving bracken into the den walls.” She padded closer until her sweet breath touched his nose. “You said, ‘Do you think we could . . .' I was wondering what you thought we could do.”

Thunder's pelt burned. “I just wanted us to be friends.”

Violet looked hurt. “I thought we were already friends.”

Thunder stared at his paws. “We are.”
This is harder than facing a camp full of rogues and dogs.
“But I think you're special. I thought it the first time I saw you.” He lifted his head and forced himself to go on. “I love you, and when we know each other a little better, I hope that you'll be my mate.”

Violet gazed at him for a moment.

Thunder thought his chest would burst. “Well?”

Violet purred. “I would love that more than anything.” She reached out and touched her muzzle to his. Its softness made him shiver with happiness.

“It's just that I thought—”

She cut him off. “Let's visit River Ripple. Then we can talk about our future.” Padding away, she headed for the river.

Thunder hurried after her, his heart pounding. His paws felt as light as feathers as they skimmed over the forest floor. He reached her as she padded onto the shore and
headed for the stepping-stones.

Violet brushed against him as he fell in beside her. “I was beginning to think that Lightning Tail would have to ask
for
you.”

Thunder purred, and they walked for a while in silence. This time it felt comfortable, and Thunder's thoughts strayed to Lightning Tail.
I was beginning to think that Lightning Tail would have to ask
for
you.
Lightning Tail probably would have. He was a good, kind friend, and Thunder hoped Violet would come to value his friendship as much as he did.

“Do you like Lightning Tail?” he asked tentatively.

“Of course,” she answered. “He's so loyal to you. And he's turned Clover into a great hunter and fighter.”

“He'll be a leader one day,” Thunder murmured.

Violet halted. “Is he going to start his own group?” Alarm glittered in her gaze.

“No.” Thunder reassured her. “But if something happens to me, he'll be the next leader. He's the only one who would be able keep the group together. He always knows what to do in a crisis, and he puts his campmates before himself.”

Violet stared at him. “Why should something happen to you?” Fear edged her mew.

“It won't,” Thunder promised quickly. “But just in case—”

“I won't let
anything
happen to you!” Violet snapped. “You're going to be father to my kits one day. I need you.” She held his gaze.

Thunder saw love in her eyes. His heart seemed to flutter like a bird in his chest. “I need you, too,” he whispered.

As he leaned forward to touch her cheek with his nose,
water splashed beside them. He jerked his head around as River Ripple waded from the river, holding a gleaming fish between his jaws.

“Hungry?” The river cat dropped the fish at their paws.

Thunder wrinkled his nose. “I prefer mouse, thanks.”

River Ripple shrugged. “Is the prey running better in the forest?”

Thunder nodded. “And Clover and Thistle are growing into fine hunters. They help fill the prey pile.”

“Milkweed must be proud,” River Ripple purred.

“We all are.” Thunder's gaze drifted across the water, toward the river camp. “How are the rogues settling in?”

River Ripple followed his gaze. “Dawn and Moss are enjoying it here,” he meowed warmly. “Come. I'll show you.”

He picked up the fish between his jaws and hurried to the stepping-stones. Hopping over them, he crossed the river easily.

Thunder followed, Violet at his heels. He shivered as icy water splashed his paws. How did River Ripple
swim
in there? He followed the river cat along the winding trail that led through the reed beds until the rushes opened onto the camp.

Pine and Drizzle were wading in the shallows where the clearing dipped into the river. Shattered Ice stood beside them, watching them pick their way between the tufts of grass sticking out of the water.

As River Ripple crossed the clearing toward them, Drizzle blinked at him happily. “Look!” She flicked her tail toward the water. Three heads bobbed above the surface. “Moss and Dawn are swimming!”

Thunder felt Violet's fur prickle against his as he followed River Ripple to the water's edge.

Shattered Ice nodded toward the swimming cats.

Dappled Pelt darted between Dawn and Moss. “Keep your paws churning!” she called.

Moss was moving frantically through the water, panic shining in his eyes.

Dawn glided more easily among the ripples. Water dripped from her ears, and her back showed above the surface, as slick as an otter's.

River Ripple purred. “They'll be diving for fish soon.”

Violet stopped beside Thunder. “Won't they freeze in there?” she asked, wonder in her mew.

“Not if they keep moving,” River Ripple told her.

“But how do they dry off?” Thunder asked, shivering at the thought of being so wet.

“A quick shake and a run through the reed beds,” River Ripple told him. He poked the fish he had dropped. “
And
a good meal.”

Dappled Pelt began to head for the shore.

Dawn followed, Moss trailing after. Relief showed in the rogue tom's gaze as he padded from the water, his pelt dripping.

Pine raced to meet him. “You did really well!” he mewed excitedly. “You didn't sink like last time.”

Drizzle splashed around her mother. “Shake out your pelt!” she pleaded, eyes shining with excitement.

Dawn shook out her fur, spraying the kit with drops of water. Drizzle squealed with delight.

River Ripple purred. “They're natural river cats.”

Drizzle blinked at Thunder. “
I'm
going to learn to swim next.”

Shattered Ice frowned. “Not until you're bigger. The currents are strong.”

Moss shook himself, his pelt dripping.

Pine lifted his tail. “I'll race you through the reeds!” Before Moss could answer, the black tom-kit hared away. Drizzle chased after him, Moss at her heels.

“Wait for me!” Dawn followed, her wet paws pattering the ground. Dappled Pelt raced after them.

As they disappeared into the reeds, Thunder blinked at River Ripple. “They seem happy here.”

River Ripple shrugged. “Why wouldn't they be? They have the river and fish and warm, dry nests at night.”

Thunder gazed across the water.
If only Ember felt the same way about living in the forest.

River Ripple flicked his tail. “You look worried,” he mewed.

“I suppose you've heard Gorse Fur's news.” Shattered Ice twitched his ears. “Is that why you came? To see if we were having trouble with our rogues?”

“Yes,” Thunder confessed.

River Ripple glanced at Violet. “You look happy to be a forest cat.”

Violet moved closer to Thunder. “I've never been happier,” she purred.

“What about Ember?” Shattered Ice's gaze stayed on Thunder. “Has he settled in?”

Thunder's pelt pricked uneasily. “He still hunts alone.”

He felt Violet stiffen beside him. “He'll be okay,” she mewed quickly. But even she didn't sound convinced.

Shattered Ice snorted. “I wouldn't trust any cat who wouldn't hunt with me.”

River Ripple met Thunder's gaze solemnly. “If Ember can't hunt beside his campmates, perhaps he shouldn't be part of a group.”

“Don't say that!” Violet sounded startled.

Thunder swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He didn't want to upset Violet, but he saw sense in River Ripple's words.
If I ask him to leave, where will he go? Would I be giving Slash another ally?

Thunder fluffed out his pelt against
the cold. Snow drifted at the edges of the camp. It sparkled in the moonlight, crusted by a thick frost.

Thistle and Clover bounded across the clearing, their pelts bristling with excitement.

Thistle slid to a halt in front of Thunder and stared at him eagerly. “Are
all
the cats going to be there?”

“From
every
group?” Clover thumped into her brother's side, her paws slithering on the snowy ground.

“Most of them.” Thunder purred. The young cats' training had made them great hunters, always eager to share the duties of their campmates. That morning they had gathered fresh bracken for Pink Eyes's nest and returned to the clearing, their pelts dusted with snow and a bundle of stems between their jaws. But tonight they were as excited as kits on their first time out of their den.

Milkweed hopped over the snow that drifted beside the bramble, and hurried across the clearing. She began lapping Thistle's tufted fur.

He ducked away, scowling.

“You must look neat,” she scolded.

Thistle glared at her indignantly. “We've already washed.”

“Twice,”
Clover added pointedly.

Violet shifted closer to Thunder, and his heart quickened as it always did when he felt the warmth of her pelt against his. “They'll be the handsomest kits there,” she assured Milkweed.

As Milkweed puffed out her chest, Clover's eyes widened excitedly. “Will Tiny Branch, Dew Petal, and Flower Foot be there?”

Thunder shook his head. “They're too young,” he told them. “They'll be staying in their nest with Star Flower. It's too cold for very young kits to be out.”

Clover looked crestfallen. “Does that mean we won't get to meet Silver Stripe, Black Ear, and White Tail?”

Milkweed whisked a tuft of fur on Clover's back smooth with her tail. “They will be staying with Slate in their den. They're not even a moon old.”

Thistle frowned. “Drizzle and Pine will be coming, won't they?”

“They have to!” Clover lifted her chin. “They're rogues! And the four trees meeting is to welcome all the rogues into our groups.”

“They'll be there,” Thunder promised. “They're old enough to weather the cold. River Ripple says they've been looking forward to it for days.”

River Ripple had suggested the full-moon gathering. Thunder hoped that the river cat's plan would work—a formal
ceremony to welcome the rogues into the groups would help worries over their loyalty be forgotten. He glanced across the clearing to where Ember sat. The tom's eyes were narrowed, and his orange pelt showed starkly against the white snow. Would a ceremony be enough to change him from a rogue to a campmate? Would he stop hunting alone and join patrols from now on? Thunder's ears twitched nervously.
At least he's coming to the gathering. Surely that has to be a good sign?

Cloud Spots slid from the fern tunnel. “Are we ready to leave?” he called across the clearing.

Lightning Tail and Leaf paced beside the entrance. Pink Eyes huddled beside Owl Eyes, his milky gaze bright in the moonlight.

Thunder nodded at Cloud Spots. “Let's go.”

Lightning Tail and Leaf moved to let him pass. Violet stayed close to his side as he padded out of the camp. Thunder unsheathed his claws when he reached the edge of the ravine. The rocky ledges would be icy. He leaped onto the first wide boulder and waited while the others passed. They scrambled ahead of him and he followed, keeping close.

As he looked up to check if any cat had slipped, snow showered his face. Clover and Thistle were pushing past each other, each determined to reach the top first. Thistle lost his grip, slithering from a frosty ledge, and Thunder's heart lurched. He braced himself to catch the falling kit, but Lightning Tail grabbed the young cat's scruff as he tumbled past and hooked him onto a rock, holding on to him until he found his footing.

“It's pointless to rush if you don't get there at all,” Lightning Tail told the young cat sternly.

Thistle dipped his head. “Sorry.” Slowly he clambered onto the next ledge.

Thunder hopped up behind, shaking snow from his whiskers. His claws scraped the icy rock as he fought to keep from sliding. He reached the top with a sigh of relief and hopped onto the snowy rim.

Pink Eyes blinked into the forest as though straining to see through the shadows.

Thunder padded past him and led the way between the trees. “Stay close together.” Snow had drifted around the roots of the trees, but it was easy to find the familiar path that led toward the four trees hollow. Thunder glanced up at the snow-spattered trunks, recognizing each one easily, as though seeing old friends. This wood was his home now, and he knew it as well as he'd ever known the rabbit runs and heather trails of the moor.

Ice crunched beneath his paws as he headed deeper into the woods. As he neared the hollow, he saw fresh tracks churning the snow. Opening his mouth, he tasted the air and smelled River Ripple's scent. The river cats had passed this way. Their scent was still fresh.

He quickened his pace, wondering if he'd catch up to them before they reached the rim of the hollow.

River Ripple was already leading his group down the slope by the time Thunder reached the edge. Thunder could see Night threading between the stems. Shattered Ice and
Dappled Pelt followed her, Moss and Dawn at their heels. The bracken hid Pine and Drizzle, but he could hear their excited mewing.

“Can we stay up till dawn?” Drizzle's question echoed through the stone-cold air.

“Let's not go to sleep at all!” Pine squeaked. “When we get home we can go out on the ice.”

Thunder blinked. Had the river frozen?

River Ripple's mew rumbled from the head of the group. “No kits on the ice. If it cracks, you'll be swept under.”

Milkweed shivered as she stopped beside Thunder. “I'm glad we don't live by the river. I'd never have let Thistle and Clover out of my sight.”

Leaf brushed past her and touched his nose to her cheek. “If they'd been raised beside a river, they'd be swimming like ducks by now. They're fast learners.”

Clover pushed between Leaf and her mother. “Stop talking and hurry up.” She stared into the hollow.

Cats moved at the bottom, throwing moon shadows across the snowy ground.

“Everyone's here!” Thistle hurried to the edge.

Thunder followed the young cats' gazes. Clear Sky was weaving between his cats, his tail fluffed out. Wind Runner sat near the edge, watching the others through slitted eyes while Gorse Fur paced up and down. Thunder was pleased to see Gray Wing beside them, though the gray tom looked thin. Moth Flight padded around Fern, sniffing anxiously at her tattered pelt. Tall Shadow sat between Mouse Ear and
Pebble Heart, while Sun Shadow leaned close to Juniper and Raven. Ears pricked and fur sleek, the mountain cat seemed comfortable beside the rogues. As River Ripple emerged from the bracken, eyes flashed in the moonlight, and heads turned to watch the river cats arrive.

“Come on.” Thunder plunged over the edge and pushed through the bracken. Snow thumped onto his back as he shook the stems. Breaking into a run, he lifted his tail as he heard the others swishing through the undergrowth behind him.

He burst into the clearing and tilted his chin.

Tall Shadow padded to meet him. “Did they come?” Her gaze flitted past him, showing relief as Ember and Violet slid from the bracken.

“
Everyone's
here,” Thunder reassured her.

She glanced toward Juniper and Raven. “They like the plan.”

River Ripple joined them. “Drizzle and Pine are excited.”

Thunder gazed around the gathered cats. His heart lifted as he saw excitement shining in their eyes. A breeze whipped over the snowy clearing, sending flecks swirling in the air. Above, the black sky shimmered with stars. Moonlight sliced between the bare branches of the oak.

“Let's begin.” Tall Shadow padded to the center. She blinked at Wind Runner, who lingered at the edge of the clearing. “Are you ready?”

Wind Runner padded across the snow and stopped beside the black she-cat. “Do you really think a few words will turn
them
into one of us?” She meowed loudly, eyeing Fern and Willow.

They bristled, moving closer together.

Thunder blinked in surprise at Wind Runner. “Don't you trust her, even after what she suffered?” Fern's pelt still showed wounds, the fur clumped along her flanks; her eye was swollen and her nose stained with dried blood.

Moth Flight stared at her mother. “Why are you so stubborn? Bee hurt Fern because Fern refused to go with her.”

Willow lifted her chin. “We will earn your trust.”

Gray Wing padded forward. “Trust takes time, Wind Runner. But you will never feel it unless you open your heart.” His mew was rasping, hardly more than a whisper.

Thunder searched his gaze and saw weariness there. Anxiety pricked through his pelt. Gray Wing was sicker than he'd ever seen him.

Wind Runner flicked her tail. “Let's begin the ceremony,” she mewed briskly.

Thunder saw irritation rippling through Moth Flight's pelt. He understood the young cat's frustration, but Gray Wing was right. Trust came with time. He glanced toward Violet. Even though he'd felt a deep connection with Violet the moment he'd seen her, Star Flower's betrayal had taught him to be wary. As she stepped forward with the other rogues, Violet met his gaze, her amber eyes lighting with affection. Thunder nodded to her, swallowing a purr as he slid between Lightning Tail and Leaf.

Warm breath billowed in the air as the cats formed a circle around the rogues. Wind Runner padded to Gorse Fur's side. Gray Wing nestled between Spotted Fur and Minnow. Clear Sky stood beside Nettle, his gaze fixed on Red.

The russet tom shifted his paws nervously. Thunder noticed Willow glaring at the rogue tom with undisguised contempt.

Juniper and Raven stood, heads high, while Moss and Dawn huddled close to Drizzle and Pine, shielding their kits from the icy wind.

River Ripple stood at the center. He gazed around the rogues as peace fell over the hollow. The breeze dropped, and only the sound of snow crunching beneath paws stirred the chilly air.

“Do you promise loyalty to your new campmates?” River Ripple glanced around the rogues.

“Yes.” Willow was the first to answer. The others murmured their agreement.

Thunder narrowed his eyes, watching Ember. Had the orange tom spoken along with the others? He pricked his ears as River Ripple went on.

“Will you hunt for them and fight for them? Protect them when they are weak and stand by them when they are strong?”

“Yes!” Raven fluffed out his fur, his gaze flashing toward Tall Shadow.

Drizzle's mew piped up. “I'm not allowed to hunt yet.” She sounded worried. “Does that mean I can't be part of the group?”

River Ripple purred, fixing his gaze on the kit. “Will you promise to fight and hunt for us when you're old enough?”

“Yes!” Drizzle nodded her head eagerly.

“Then you are part of our group.” He lifted his gaze to
the stars. “Our ancestors have watched us tonight. They have heard the promise you have made to your new campmates. May you keep it always, for their sake and all of ours.”

Thunder purred loudly. Beside him, Lighting Tail's eyes shone with satisfaction. Murmurs of approval rippled among the watching cats, while the rogues blinked at one another proudly.

Dawn lifted her tail. “I want to change my name so that I sound more like a forest cat.”

River Ripple blinked at her. “What would you like to be called?”

“Dawn Mist.” The orange-and-white queen puffed out her chest.

“I want to be called Willow Tail!” Willow called.

“Fern Leaf!” Fern's mew sounded beside her friend.

Clear Sky padded to River Ripple's side. “Taking a new name is a great idea!” He looked expectantly at Red. “Will you change yours?”