Moonrise

Chapter 22

Stormfur froze. It was too soon!

The outlaws dived for the cave walls, and the Tribe cats who had not already taken up their positions pelted down the tunnel to the Cave of Pointed Stones. Stormfur and his friends were left in the center of the caver, staring around in panic. Quiet Night had stayed with them, her black fur fluffed out to twice her size and her lips drawn back as she waited for the beast to emerge.

Their moment's hesitation was a moment too long. A ferocious snarling sliced through the noise of the waterfall. A shadow fell across the entrance, etched in moonlight. Then Sharptooth burst upon them.

Just like the Tribe had said, he looked like a lion from the elders' takes, but without the fiery mane around his head. Lean muscles rippled beneath his short-haired pelt, and his massive gold head was lowered, following the trail of Swooping Talon's blood. When he entered the cave he looked up. He saw the hare, and swiped it aside with one vast paw.

"No!" Squirrelpaw yowled.

Her screech brought the huge head swinging around, the round, thick-furred ears twitching with interest.

"Get back!" snarled Brambletuft. "All of you, hide!"

He leaped toward the lion-cat, lashing out with both front paws and rolling aside before Sharptooth could turn on him. Stormfur saw Squirrelpaw dash in from the other side and spring onto Sharptooth's back, sinking her claws into the base of his tail.

"Squirrelpaw!" Brambletuft yowled. "What in StarClan's name are you doing?"

As the lion-cat twisted, trying to dislodge her, two large bodies leaped down from the boulders lining the cave wall and joined her on his back.

"This is for Owl's Ear!" one of them screeched as their claws tore into him.

Stormfur fled to the opposite cave wall, following Feathertail, Swiftpaw, and Quiet Night up a series of cracks in the rock until they reached a tiny ledge tucked under the roof. Crouching in the narrow space beside his sister, he looked down at the cave floor.

In that time, Brambletuft had fled for safety, on a different ledge further away, hissing curses at Squirrelpaw. For a moment Stormfur could not see Tawnypelt; then he spotted her head poking out of a cleft halfway up the cave wall near the entrance. That just left Crowpaw and Squirrelpaw with the other to-bes. Then Stormfur felt Feathertail tense against her and heard her murmur, "Oh, no!"

Sharptooth had shaken the young cats off, sending them scattering across the cave floor. Stormfur caught a terrifying glimpse of his eyes, glaring black in the moonlight, as he followed Stone Tooth with gnashing fangs. Squirrelpaw and the others had grouped up with Crowpaw in a crevice at floor level, too shallow to offer any shelter. Squirrelpaw's green eyes were light with terror but she still struck out, clawing at Sharptooth whenever she could. Stone Tooth, Rising Sun, and Tumbling Breeze aided her, striking out with their own massive paws. This was the first time Stormfur had ever seen Crowpaw terrified.

Stormfur felt his belly flip over. Everything was going wrong. Sharptooth had ignored the baited hare and pursued the cats instead. Within heartbeats he would have the apprentices, and StarClan's mission would be ruined. How could four Clans become one when the ThunderClan and WindClan chosen cats were killed? Stormfur cursed himself under his breath; there was nothing that he could do, because he was not the cat the Tribe's ancestors had promised. His stupid, thoughtless pride had gotten it wrong.

Beside him, he felt Swiftpaw shuffle. "I can't let this happen." He turned to Stormfur, his eyes filled with love and sorrow, his blue eyes glittering in the moonlight. "They will not die today."