Book One of the How the Mighty Fall Trilogy
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Stonetail is a headstrong young warrior and the daughter of Greystar, a formidable she-cat known for her strict adherence to the code. All her life, she has practiced honor, valor, and fait...
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There are more sick cats than anticipated, and less safe prey to go around than the medicine cats would like. Space is made in the corner of the camp for the ShadeClan visitors, though it is a small space indeed. WillowClan has already taken up most of the prime nesting spots, and the best BreezeClan can do as hosts is offer sparse moss under a thorny bracken overhang beside the nursery. To fit into the space, they have to curl up tightly as if they were all kits again, comfortable piling onto one another. Of course, none of them are kits, and though Thrushpaw is small and quite at ease in a limited space, the others are less pleased with the arrangement.
Streamheart pushes Clay's tail out of her face again and rolls onto her side to face Stonetail, who is packed close to the nursery wall with her legs tucked beneath her body as tightly as possible. "Kill me," complains the silver tabby. Her back paw is trapped below the rest of Clay, who snores soundly as the moon trundles its way higher into the sky.
Not that Stonetail is in much better of a position. Close to her side is Thrushpaw, fast asleep on her side with her white paws curled close in front of her chest. The guilt that would come with disturbing her prevents the grey warrior from moving in that direction. She cannot go forward, either, as the nursery makes an outward curve, ending just behind Streamheart's back. Backward is not an option whatsoever, because Coal has the end of her tail trapped between his paws. He sleeps restlessly, small chirrups escaping him from time to time as he churns his back paws, but he does not let go of her tail.
"Kill me," Stonetail echoes back to Streamheart, flicking her ears before pinning them back to gesture in the black tom's direction.
Streamheart's whiskers twitch. She whispers, "He's asleep, right?"
"Think so."
"So just take it back."
The advice doesn't seem sound, though. "And have him put his claws through my tail? No thanks. Looks like he's dreaming, anyways," Stonetail mutters. It's true; Coal does look like his dreaming, though perhaps being haunted by a nightmare might be a better way to describe it. She's never heard of a cat having a pleasant dream and kicking in their sleep the way he is. She could wake him, of course, tell him to settle down and grab his brother's ear or something instead, but decides to let the dream run its course. Sooner or later, he'll let go.
Until then, she lies awake, surrounded uncomfortably with only a bracken wall to stare at. And when her tail is finally free, her head sags against her chest, the rising sun beginning to illuminate the BreezeClan camp.
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Coal wakes the whole party before sunhigh, the fur along his spine standing on end. "Clay is gone!"
The tom's theatrics are at once irritating and worrisome. Everything under the sun puts him on edge, but looking around and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Stonetail realizes she too shares Coal's unease.
