A Dangerous Path

Chapter 12

Skyfall padded swiftly out of the camp, hoping no other cats would see her and ask her where she was going. The warrior code said that a Clan leader's orders should be obeyed without question. Until now, Skyfall had always accepted that. She had never imagined that she would ever disobey Bluestar, and yet the time had come when she must challenge her orders or watch the destruction of her Clan. The only way she could see of avoiding the battle was for Tallstar and Bluestar to meet together and talk about the evidence of prey-theft in both their territories. Once Bluestar understood that WindClan was suffering in just the same way as ThunderClan, Skyfall was sure that she would call off the attack.

She did not know what Bluestar would do to her afterward, if she realized that Skyfall had gone to see Tallstar without her permission. She just hoped that she would eventually understand that it was for the good of her Clan.

At the entrance to the gorse tunnel Skyfall took a last look around the camp. For a moment she watched Brightpaw, practicing the hunting crouch all by herself outside the apprentices' den. She crept lightly up on a dead leaf and pounced on it, trapping it between outstretched paws.

"Well done!" Skyfall called.

Brightpaw looked up, her eyes glowing. "Thank you, Skyfall!"

Skyfall nodded to her, then turned and headed through the gorse tunnel. The short meeting had strengthened her resolve, for the eager young apprentice represented all that was important within the Clan. Skyfall knew that she could not let that be destroyed.

By sunhigh, Skyfall was approaching the stream that lay on the route to Fourtrees. She stopped for a moment to rest. In her confusion and anxiety she had not taken time to eat before she left the camp, and a rustle in the undergrowth reminded her of how hungry she was. She dropped into the hunter's crouch, only to realize a couple of heartbeats later that the sounds were not made by prey. She caught a glimpse of a familiar dark pelt, and breathed in the scent of ThunderClan cats.

Puzzled, Skyfall pressed herself to the ground behind a clump of fern. She hadn't ordered a patrol in this direction, so why were her Clan cats here now? Then the undergrowth parted and Darkstripe emerged, mewing sharply over his shoulder, "Follow me. Try to keep up, can't you?"

Two small shapes appeared out of the bracken. Skyfall's eyes widened as she recognized Goldenflower's youngest kits. Bramblekit bounced into the open, batting at a fallen leaf, while Tawnykit followed more slowly.

"I'm tired. My paws ache," the little tabby kit complained.

"What, a strong kit like you?" Darkstripe meowed. "Don't be silly. It's not far now."

What isn't far? Skyfall wondered in alarm. What are you doing out here, and where are you taking these kits? She expected to see Goldenflower with them—surely her kits had never been this far from the nursery—but she did not appear.

Bramblekit scampered over to his sister and gave her a nudge. "Come on—it'll be worth it!" he urged.

Both kits hurried after Darkstripe to a shallow place where they crossed the stream, squealing in fear and excitement as the water swirled around their paws. On the far side of the stream, Darkstripe veered away from the path that led to Fourtrees, and headed instead along a much narrower path that twisted away under the trees. A burst of outrage shook Skyfall. She knew exactly where that path led. Darkstripe was taking the kits toward the border with ShadowClan.

Skyfall had to wait for them to climb the slope beyond the stream before she dared to emerge from the ferns and follow. By the time she caught up they were approaching the border. The strong reek of ShadowClan reached Skyfall, and she saw the kits stop and start sniffing the air.