Tallstar's Revenge (41 page)

“Fourtrees!” His heart soared. “Come on!” Talltail streaked down the slope. “This territory belongs to all the Clans!” He suddenly felt more at ease than he had for moons, the ground familiar beneath his paws as he raced into the clearing between the oaks. He circled it, staring in delight at the towering trees. The claws in his belly seemed to uncurl and release him. His paws felt light.

“Those trees are gigantic!” Jake stood in the center of the hollow, staring wide-eyed into the branches. Then he looked around. “Which way is WindClan's territory?” Talltail nodded at the far slope. Jake bounded toward it. “Come on.”

Talltail raced after him, leaping up past shriveled clumps of fern.

Jake stopped at the top and gazed across the moor. “Why did you ever want to leave?” he whispered. The heather rocked in the blustery wind, the wide swathes of grass streaming around it.

Talltail couldn't reply. The border was only tail-lengths away. The scent of it seemed to reach deep into his chest.
I left because I don't belong here.
But the words rang hollow in his ears. As the scents of wind and heather filled his nose, he felt a sense of belonging stronger than he'd ever felt. Cloudrunner had passed this way recently. And Dawnstripe. He could smell their trail. Larksplash, too. Talltail's heart began to race. “I can't go home!” He stared in panic at Jake. “They won't want me! I broke the warrior code when I left my Clan. They'll drive me away again!”

“Are you sure?” Jake padded around him, pelt ruffled by the wind. “You won't know unless you go back.”

Talltail closed his eyes. Was the wind tugging him onto the moor, or was it the pull of home? His heart ached to see the camp again. And Palebird. Had the kits grown? They must have. They'd be eating fresh-kill by now. Perhaps he wouldn't be too late to give them their first taste of lapwing.

“This is your home, Talltail.” Jake's breath touched his ear fur. His green eyes glistened. “This is where you belong. Listen to your heart.”

WindClan.
Longing seared through his chest. “I know,” Talltail whispered.

Jake touched Talltail's cheek with his muzzle. “I'll miss you.”

Talltail gasped. “Don't go! Come with me! Come and meet my Clan!”

Jake stepped back. “This is where
you
belong, not me.” His mew was hardly more than a whisper. “My home is with my housefolk. He'll be wondering where I am.”

Talltail's throat tightened. “Will I ever see you again?”

Jake glanced over his shoulder toward the far horizon. “Who knows? Maybe.”

Hope flared in Talltail's chest. “Become a warrior!” he blurted. “You'd be great! You learned how to hunt so quickly. And you can fight foxes!”

Jake dropped his gaze. “No, Talltail. I wouldn't be happy.”

“You wouldn't be happy with me?” Pain stabbed Talltail's heart.

Jake lifted his eyes. “I can't live as a warrior.” He looked away, his mew cracking. “But I'll always remember you. You've shown me a life that I've always dreamed about. But now I know where I truly belong.”

“Then I'll come with you and live in Twolegplace!” Talltail wanted to do anything to stop the pain in his heart.

“Don't be rabbit-brained!” Jake's eyes flashed. “You hate it there! You'd be so unhappy.” He paused, his tone softening. “I'd hate for you to be unhappy.”

“Then why are you leaving?” Talltail pleaded. “You're the best friend I ever had.”

“I'll always be your friend, Talltail,” Jake meowed. “But I'm a kittypet, and you're a warrior.” He stepped forward and rested his muzzle on Talltail's head. “You'll always be a warrior.”

C
HAPTER
40

You'll always be a warrior. Jake's
words echoed in Talltail's mind as he headed up the hill toward the WindClan camp. The kittypet had assured him he'd be okay going back through the woods.

“I'll follow our trail through the brambles,” Jake had promised. “I'll be fine.”

Talltail trusted him. Jake wasn't a rabbit-brain. He'd learned enough to travel silently and keep his ears and nose open for signs of warrior patrols.
Will I be fine, too?
The idea of walking into his old home suddenly seemed far scarier than retracing his steps through enemy territory.
Will they take me back?

Talltail forced his fur to smooth along his spine. He could smell his Clanmates all around him. Every tuft of heather carried familiar scents. Redclaw, Aspenfall, Mistmouse, and Appledawn had passed along this grassy track not long ago. Talltail imagined their paw prints still warm on the grass. He gazed across the swathe of dusky heather. Darker clumps of gorse grew up ahead, marking one end of the WindClan camp.

His heart pounded like rabbit paws on hollow ground. He pricked his ears. The wind blustered over the moor-top; far away a buzzard's wings beat the air, and closer, the tiny, excited squeal of a kit shrilled through the air.
Wrenkit!

Happiness flashed through Talltail's paws. The brown she-kit had been less than a moon when he'd left. She must be over two moons old by now. He could hear her calling to her littermate.

“Flykit! Come and look!”

“I'm coming!”

Talltail paused. It sounded like the kits were out of camp, their mews as clear as birdcalls beyond the heather. He slid between the branches and crept forward, peering through the stems.

Wrenkit was sniffing at the entrance to a rabbit burrow. “Should we go in?”

Flykit blinked, huge-eyed. “It's very dark down there.”

“We can use our noses and whiskers to find our way.”

“What if we meet a rabbit?” Talltail could see Flykit's pelt spiking. He was no bigger than a half-grown rabbit himself. But it wasn't rabbits he should be afraid of. Talltail's fur rippled along his spine. They knew nothing about tunneling. They might get lost. And the tunnels had been neglected for moons. No one had checked their roofs or walls, or shored up the stretches weakened by rain or frost. Talltail began to nose his way out of the heather. He had to stop the kits before they disappeared inside.

A shadow flitted across the grass. Wings beat the air overhead. Talltail looked up. A hawk circled low just above him. He could see by the tilt of its head that it was watching the kits. They'd make a tasty treat for a bird of prey and its young. As Talltail opened his mouth to warn them, the hawk folded its wings and plummeted straight down.

“Wrenkit!” Talltail lunged forward. “Watch out!”

Wrenkit jerked up her head, eyes wide in shock. Flykit jumped back, hissing. The air whistled above as the hawk dived.

Talltail thrust out his forepaws, landing squarely across the two frozen kits. Pulling them to him, he bundled them down the rabbit hole before leaping high into the air. He unsheathed his claws and swiped at the hawk as it flapped at his head. Its broad, brown wings stuttered and stalled, sending feathers spiraling down.

Talltail hooked the bird from the sky and pinned it to the ground. Faster than a snake, he bit down on its thick neck, crunching through muscle and bone. The hawk fell still beneath him.

Wrenkit's tiny face stared out of the hole. “You caught it!” she squeaked.

Flykit crept from the shadows, pelt thick with soil. “Talltail?” He blinked, confusion clouding his gaze. “What are you doing here?”

“He's come home!” Wrenkit's eyes lit up. “I knew he would!” She bounced toward Talltail, clambering onto his shoulders as he crouched over the body of the hawk. “And he saved us!”

“No one's ever caught a hawk before!” Flykit stared at the golden feathers of the dead bird.

“Whiteberry might disagree with you,” Talltail purred. It felt good to feel kit paws on his shoulders again. He glanced at Flykit. “Do you want a badger ride home?”

Flykit looked crestfallen. “We were going to sneak back through the dirtplace tunnel,” he mewed. “We're not supposed to be out of the camp.”

“No! You're not!” Larksplash's stern mew sounded from upslope. She was marching toward them, tail flicking angrily.

Talltail watched, his breath catching in his throat. The she-cat's eyes were fixed on the kits.

“Palebird was worried sick—” Larksplash halted. “Talltail?” She blinked at him in disbelief. “You're back?” Her gaze dropped to the hawk at his paws.

“Yes, I'm back.” Talltail leaned down and nosed the hawk. “I've brought prey.”

Wrenkit clung to his shoulders, her sharp claws digging in. “He
saved
us!” she squealed. “That hawk was diving at us and Talltail jumped up and plucked it out of the air like it was a swallow.”

Larksplash stopped. Uncertainty showed in her eyes.

“It's okay,” Talltail told her. “You don't have to welcome me. I chose to leave the Clan.”

Wrenkit fidgeted on his shoulders. “You went on an adventure!”

Flykit scrambled over the hawk's carcass and tried to jump up beside his sister. Talltail crouched down to let him on.

“You should speak with Heatherstar,” Larksplash murmured.

“I know.” Talltail padded forward, stepping carefully so the kits could keep their balance. He felt the warmth of their bellies as they pressed close against this back. They were heavier than the last time he'd given them a badger ride.

“Do
big
paw steps!” Wrenkit begged.

“We won't fall; we promise!” Flykit mewed.

Talltail lifted his paws high, thumping them down to jolt the kits as they clung on, squealing with delight. When Talltail reached the clearing outside camp, a black-and-white pelt slid through the heather and halted on the grass.

“There you are!” Palebird stared angrily over Talltail's head. “Heatherstar was about to order a search party.”

“Talltail's home!” Wrenkit scrabbled from Talltail's shoulders and hurried to meet her mother.

“He saved us from a hawk!” Flykit jumped down after her and weaved through Palebird's legs.

“Talltail?” Palebird stared at her son.

He stared back. Had she forgotten him already?

Palebird snatched her gaze away. “You know they weren't supposed to be out of camp.” She gave Wrenkit's head a brisk lick. “Why in the name of StarClan were you playing with them, Talltail?” she snapped. “You should have brought them straight home.”

Talltail blinked at her. Palebird was acting like he'd never left.
But I did leave.
He lifted his chin. “I was bringing them home,” he meowed. “You shouldn't have let them out of the camp. They were nearly taken by a hawk.”

Larksplash stopped beside him. “He's right, Palebird,” she meowed. “If Talltail hadn't come back when he did, you'd have lost them.”

Wrenkit gazed up at her mother with round eyes. “He put us down a rabbit hole and caught the hawk.”

“You caught it?” Palebird mewed in surprise.

Talltail glanced over his shoulder. “You might want to send some warriors to fetch it. It'll provide food for the Clan.” He padded past his mother, dipping his head. “It's good to see you again, Palebird,” he muttered. Ducking through the heather, he headed into camp.

“Talltail?” Barkface was carrying a bundle of dripping moss to the elders' den. He dropped it and bounded over the tussocks. “You came back!” A loud purr rumbled in his throat.

Talltail nosed his old friend's cheek. “Yes.” His gaze flicked around the camp.

In the cold leaf-bare light, the heather looked dull. The grass had wilted in the frost. The bracken patch where the tunnelers made their nests was bent and shriveled. Only Tallrock seemed the same, looming above the Meeting Hollow.

The bracken stirred as Hickorynose got to his paws. “Plumclaw, come see who's here.” He nudged his denmate, keeping his eyes fixed on Talltail.

Whiteberry peered out of the elders' den. “Where's that moss, Bark . . .” His mew trailed away as he spotted Talltail.

Lilywhisker pushed past him. “I smell Talltail's scent!” Her eyes lit up. “You're back!”

“
Who's
back?” Shrewclaw padded sleepily from the long grass.

Ryestalk followed him out. “Is that Talltail?”

“Talltail?” Stagleap scrambled out of the Meeting Hollow and raced past Aspenfall and Cloudrunner as they emerged from the shadows at the edge of the clearing.

“Did you find him?” Barkface's urgent whisper sounded in Talltail's ear. “Did you kill Sparrow?” His eyes were dark with concern.

“I found him,” Talltail told him. “But I let him live.”

Barkface closed his eyes. “Thank StarClan.”

“Sandgorse died saving him when the tunnel collapsed,” Talltail went on. “How could I kill him, knowing that?”

“Talltail!” Stagleap nudged Barkface aside. “You look well!”

Shrewclaw caught up to him. “The wormcat's back?” He looked Talltail up and down. “I thought you'd left for good.” There was a taunt in his mew.

“No, I've come back.” Talltail glanced around the camp. “If Heatherstar will let me.” Where was she? He strained to see into the gloom of her den beyond Tallrock.

“She's leading a hunting patrol,” Stagleap meowed.

Ryestalk stopped beside Shrewclaw. “It's good to see you, Talltail.”

“And you, Ryestalk.” Talltail tipped his head. Ryestalk's pelt was touching Shrewclaw's. Their whiskers brushed casually. Were they mates now? It was strange to think that life had carried on in the Clan while he'd been away.

“Talltail!” Dawnstripe leaped from the Meeting Hollow. “You came back!” Delight lit up her eyes.

Talltail stood still as she raced to meet him. “I couldn't stay away.”

She stopped in front of him and gazed warmly into his eyes. “Then my training wasn't wasted.”

“It was
never
wasted,” he meowed softly. “Not once.”

Behind him, Palebird was shooing Wrenkit and Flykit crossly through the heather. “I can't take my eyes off you for a moment!”

Bristlekit and Rabbitkit came haring from the nursery. “Where did you go?” Rabbitkit demanded, glaring at Wrenkit. “Why didn't you let us come?”

Bristlekit nudged his brother, his gaze fixed on Talltail. “Who cares? He's back!”

Larksplash padded into camp. “You would have lost Wrenkit and Flykit if he weren't.” She flashed another stern look at Palebird.

Ryestalk pricked her ears. “What happened?”

“Talltail saved them from a hawk,” Larksplash explained.

“Impressive!” Stagleap nudged Talltail with his shoulder.

Larksplash nodded toward the entrance. “Why don't you and Cloudrunner go get it? There'll be fresh-kill for everyone tonight.”

“Don't bother.” Heatherstar's mew took Talltail by surprise. He spun around as the WindClan leader padded through the entrance with Reedfeather at her heels. “Redclaw and Hareflight are carrying it back.” She narrowed her eyes. “I thought I smelled your scent on it, Talltail. It seems you've learned new skills while you've been away.”

Reedfeather stopped beside his leader. “Let's hope he's learned more than
skills
,” he muttered.

Talltail kept his gaze on Heatherstar, his heart quickening. Would she let him rejoin the Clan?

Shrewclaw stepped closer. “What are you doing here, Talltail? Was the land beyond the Clans too scary for you?” But there was curiosity and affection in his mew, underneath the teasing.

“My heart wanted to be home.” Talltail dipped his head. “And my paws carried me back.”