A Dangerous Path

Chapter 17

The RiverClan warriors froze, their blue eyes wide with shock.

"What do you mean?" Stonefur rasped. "Graypool was our mother."

"No, listen. . ." Skyfall bundled Bluestar against the rock face and stood in front of her. She could still hear the yowls and spitting of the battle on the other side of the rock, but suddenly it seemed to have nothing to do with the confrontation in this gully.

"Bluestar gave birth to you in ThunderClan," she meowed desperately. "But she couldn't keep you. Your father, Oakheart, brought you to RiverClan."

"How do you know?" Stonefur demanded, his lips drawn back in a snarl.

Skyfall turned to Mistyfoot. "Graypool told me the day I spoke with her in that hollow—when she asked you, Silverstream, and Graystripe to leave. She forced me into secrecy but I can't stand back and watch you attack your real birth mother."

"You don't lie, Skyfall," Mistyfoot meowed quietly, "but this is not a conversation for a battle."

Stonefur still had a snarl on his face and advanced toward Skyfall, looking nothing like the calm deputy she'd spoken to so many times before. Skyfall braced herself but before either of them could move, Bluestar slipped out from behind her and faced the two RiverClan cats.

"My kits, oh, my kits. . ." Bluestar's voice was warm, and when she turned her head Skyfall saw that her eyes were blazing with admiration. "You're such fine warriors now. I'm so proud of you."

Stonefur glanced at Mistyfoot, uncertainty showing in his twitching ears.

"Leave Bluestar alone," Skyfall urged quietly.

A sudden yowling interrupted her. "Skyfall! Watch out!" The voice was Graystripe's.

Skyfall looked up just in time to see Leopardstar plunging down the rock toward her. Graystripe's warning gave her enough time to scramble backward, so that her outstretched claws only raked her shoulder. Spitting, she flung herself at her, driving the breath out of her body as she hurled her to the ground.

Skyfall gripped the RiverClan leader's neck with her front paws and felt her powerful paws rake her belly. Pain stabbed through her, and she slashed out blindly, feeling her claws rip through flesh. For a few heartbeats all she could see was Leopardstar's spotted pelt; her face pressed into it, half smothering her, and she struggled to breathe.

Suddenly Leopardstar jerked her head back, and Skyfall lost her hold on her neck. Her stifling weight was lifted off her. Scrambling to her paws, she backed against the rock, ready for her to spring again. Her head whirled with exhaustion, and she could feel blood pulsing out of a wound on her leg. Suddenly she wasn't sure that this was a battle she could win.

She looked around for Bluestar, but she had disappeared, and so had Mistyfoot and Stonefur. The RiverClan leader crouched on the ground in front of her, breathing hard, bleeding from her neck and side. To Skyfall's astonishment, Graystripe stood over her, pinning her down with his front paws.

"I had her," Leopardstar panted, almost incoherent with fury. "I heard you just now. You warned her."

Graystripe released his leader so that she could stagger to her paws again. "I'm sorry, Leopardstar, but Skyfall's my sister and I won't let you kill her."

Leopardstar shook drops of blood from her golden tabby fur and glared at the gray warrior. "I was right about you all along," she hissed. "You were never loyal to RiverClan. All right, you've got a choice. Attack your sister for me now, or leave my Clan for good."

Graystripe looked dismayed. Skyfall felt a rush of anger flow through her at Leopardstar's demand. There are other ways for him to prove his loyalty but all she cared about is looking for any excuse to kick him out of the Clan.