Thunder Rising by Erin Hunter
His words jolted Gray Wing. Clear Sky was still in the forest! Turning back to the stream, Gray Wing began yowling his brother’s name, as loudly as he could from his damaged throat.
River Ripple came to sit beside him and joined in his calls, but the only response was the growing roar of the fire, the crackle of sparks and soft thumps as branches fell to the ground.
“Clear Sky! Clear Sky!” Gray Wing went on crying out his brother’s name. Clear Sky might be dead—most likely was dead. I can’t have lost him!
Thunder joined him too, his frantic look increasing Gray Wing’s desperation.
“Clear Sky!” Thunder wailed. “Clear Sky, where are you?”
A sudden gust of wind made the crackle of the flames subside. Gray Wing’s ears pricked and relief flooded over him as he heard an answering yowl.
“That’s him!” he exclaimed. “He’s alive!”
Clear Sky was close by, but he was still on the wrong side of the water, close to the devouring flames. He needs my help. Gray Wing wished he had never allowed River Ripple to persuade him to cross the stream.
Gray Wing hobbled back to the water’s edge and peered across. Though he was safe from the flames, smoke and sparks still billowed over him, catching in his throat and making his eyes sting. He gazed through the fire and the trees, catching blurred glimpses of gray that he knew must be his brother’s fur.
The fire was starting to die back, moving farther into the forest, but a barrier of burning undergrowth separated Clear Sky from the stones where Gray Wing and his denmates had crossed the stream. A rocky outcrop was holding back the flames from where Clear Sky stood.
“Clear Sky, can you hear me?” Gray Wing called out. “You’ll have to swim! It’s safe if you keep to the far side of that rock.”
Clear Sky emerged into the open followed by a bedraggled line of forest cats. Relief surged through Gray Wing again as he recognized his old denmates Quick Water and Falling Feather. All the cats were on the verge of panic, glancing around fearfully as they headed for the stream, their fur bristling and their ears flattened.
“Watch out for that bush!” Gray Wing yowled, seeing a line of fire creeping through the grass.
Clear Sky veered away sharply as the bush burst into flames. He raced for the stream and plunged in, struggling desperately across. His cats launched themselves into the water behind him; Gray Wing raced along the bank to the point they were heading for, ready to haul them out. Thunder and River Ripple came to help, until Clear Sky and the rest were all safely on firm ground again.
“Thanks,” Clear Sky gasped, glancing around to reassure himself that all his denmates had made it across.
Clear Sky’s pelt was clinging to his ribs and his chest heaved with deep panting breaths. But gazing at his brother, Gray Wing felt a flicker of hope. We’re working with each other again. . . .
Clear Sky and his denmates huddled close together. Water was streaming from their fur and they all looked exhausted.
Gray Wing stepped forward and dipped his head to his brother. “You’re welcome to share the hollow with us,” he mewed. “It’ll be crowded, but you’ll be safe there.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he darted a glance at Tall Shadow. The offer should have come from their leader; he’d been too quick to speak. But what could he do—these cats needed a secure place to sleep.
Thankfully, Tall Shadow nodded. “You’re all welcome,” she told Clear Sky.
As his fear ebbed, Gray Wing felt glad to see his brother alive, even though he looked ready to collapse, with his fur sodden and plastered to his sides. He and Clear Sky stood looking into each other’s eyes for a long time. Then Clear Sky dipped his head. “We owe you our lives,” he murmured.
Gray Wing was about to respond, when he heard the sound of another cat approaching. Glancing around, he saw Thunder gazing up at his father with wide eyes. This was the first time Thunder had seen his father since Clear Sky rejected him as a tiny kit.
“Come closer,” Gray Wing invited gently, angling his ears toward Clear Sky.
Thunder padded forward nervously. He still looked bedraggled from his dip in the river.
“This cat saved my life,” Gray Wing told Clear Sky, pride in his eyes as he looked at Thunder. “If it wasn’t for your son, neither of us would be alive now. Would you like to thank him?”
Gray Wing could see Thunder’s chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to contain his emotions.
Clear Sky stared at his son for a long time. Then at last he dipped his head in acknowledgement. “You’re a brave young cat,” he meowed. “But try to keep away from fires in future!”
Gray Wing let out a snort of laughter in sheer relief; he could hear several of the others doing the same. Thunder was still gazing at Clear Sky; not a single mew had come out of his mouth.
“Don’t you have anything to say to your father?” Gray Wing asked, giving him a gentle shove.
He sensed tension in the cats around him as they wondered what might come out of Thunder’s mouth.
For a couple of heartbeats Thunder scrabbled at the ground with his forepaws. Then he raised his head and met Clear Sky’s gaze once more. “Did you love my mother the first time you met her?” he asked.
Where did that question come from? At a time like this! Gray Wing felt prickles of apprehension all through his pelt. He knew that his brother didn’t like any cat to mention Storm since she died.
“Of course,” Clear Sky replied, with an uneasy glance at Gray Wing. “It was something neither Storm nor I could resist.” Shaking his pelt, he added, “Come on. Are you going to take us to your hollow?”
“Yes,” Tall Shadow replied, turning to River Ripple. “Would you like to come with us?” she invited.
River Ripple shook his head. “I’m a rogue,” he told her. “I sleep with no other cats. But I wish you all the best.” He turned and bounded off into the darkness.
“Thank you!” Gray Wing called after him. When he looked around, Thunder was still gazing up at his father, and Clear Sky was meeting his stare.
Tall Shadow gathered the cats together and led the way across the moors toward the hollow. Cloud Spots and Dappled Pelt flanked Moon Shadow, supporting him as he stumbled forward. Thunder padded along at Clear Sky’s side.
The first pale streaks of dawn were creeping into the sky. When Gray Wing looked back he could still see a sullen glow over the forest, but out on the moor the cool, misty air was soothing on his burnt pelt and streaming eyes.
The nightmare is over, he thought with a sigh of relief. We’re safe now.
CHAPTER 13
I’ve met my father again! As he padded across the moor, Thunder couldn’t ignore the flutter of excitement in his chest. He said I was brave. Maybe Clear Sky would realize he’d made a mistake when he sent Thunder away. He didn’t know me then. But now he’s seen what I can do. . . .
He stayed close to Clear Sky as they headed toward the camp. His father kept glancing around, checking on his denmates, counting them to make sure no cat had been left behind. He’s such a good leader. I wonder what it’s like to be part of his group. . . .
Before they reached the camp there was a flash of movement in the darkness and a couple of rabbits dashed across their path. Their eyes were rolling in terror; Thunder realized the forest fire must have spooked them so that they hardly knew that they were fleeing through a group of cats.
Clear Sky halted, looking after the rabbits. “They’d fill our bellies, don’t you think?” he mewed to Thunder.
Thunder didn’t need any more encouraging. Forgetting his exhaustion, he took off after the rabbits, and Clear Sky raced along beside him, leaving the other cats behind. They’re safe now . . . and if we can get some prey, it’ll really help them.
“Do you like hunting on the moors?” Clear Sky asked him as they ran.
“Not really,” Thunder admitted. “I get along better in the cover of undergrowth and trees.” His paws tingled at his fa
“As soon as I can, I’ll be back in the cover of the forest,” Clear Sky muttered. “But for now, let’s get these rabbits!”
Thunder put on a sudden burst of speed and pulled ahead. He had lost sight of one rabbit; the second was just dodging around an outcrop of rocks. Thunder ran up to the top of the tallest boulder and saw the rabbit beneath. With a yowl of triumph he hurled himself down onto it.
Thunder and the rabbit rolled over and over on the short moorland grass, the rabbit’s legs kicking out fiercely. He sank his jaws into its throat and felt hot blood stream out over his fur. Giving a final, vicious jerk of his head he heard a bone snap in the rabbit’s spine. When he let go, the rabbit flopped to the ground, its eyes rolling back in its head. Thunder felt his stomach squirm with disgust, but he forced back the feeling, enjoying the success of his kill and the knowledge that his denmates would eat well.
Thunder turned to his father, expecting to hear his congratulations. But Clear Sky said nothing. He was looking out across Thunder’s head, his gaze fixed on another spot on the moors.
Glancing around, Thunder spotted three rats racing toward him. His heart started to pound as he saw their whiskers quivering and their long, greasy tails whipping through the grass.
They want to steal my prey!
The rats were almost as big as him, and they attacked all together, their teeth bared and their claws swiping at him. Tiny malignant eyes gleamed in their narrow, wedge-shaped faces.
Desperately Thunder tried to remember the fighting techniques Gray Wing had shown him. He leaped on the leading rat before it could reach him, knocking it onto its back and slashing his claws over its belly.
One dealt with! Thunder thought, then let out a screech of pain as he felt teeth sinking into his tail. Whipping around again he shook off the rat and realized that Clear Sky was by his side. The remaining two rats drew back a pace, as if they didn’t want to face two hostile cats.
“We’ll fight as a team,” Clear Sky meowed.
“But I don’t know how!” Thunder protested.
Annoyance flashed through Clear Sky’s eyes. “Attack one rat together,” he explained rapidly. “You take this side, I’ll take the other.”
As soon as he had finished speaking, Clear Sky darted at the nearest rat, slashed his claws down its flank and leaped backward again. Getting the idea, Thunder did the same on the other side, throwing himself clear just in time to avoid the snapping teeth.
Meanwhile Clear Sky had whirled to attack the third rat, jumping onto its back and balancing there while he clawed at its eyes and mouth. The rat squealed with pain; Thunder raced forward and sank his claws into its haunches.
Clear Sky leaped free and crouched for another attack. But the foul creatures backed away from him, terror in their eyes, and fled into the gorse, abandoning the dead rabbit. The rat Thunder had wounded at first was dragging itself away, whimpering and bleeding.
Thunder’s fur was dripping with blood: his own mixed with that of the rabbit and the rats. Clear Sky padded across and looked him up and down.
“Good job, young one,” he meowed. “Did Gray Wing never teach you to fight like that?”
Thunder shook his head, immediately feeling guilty, as if he was betraying Gray Wing. “Not yet . . . ,” he admitted.
Clear Sky’s expression softened. “Then you learned something new today, didn’t you, thanks to your father? But you’ll need another dip in the stream.” He glanced down at the rabbit. “Shall we take this back to the others?” he meowed.
He picked up the front legs while Thunder got a grip on the back legs in his jaws. They set off across the moor and soon settled into a regular pace, moving well together.
As Thunder followed his father in silence, he went over the events of the night in his mind. He had survived the fire, and more than that: He had helped Gray Wing and Moon Shadow. He had met his father, killed prey, and defended himself against the rat attack. And I’ve lived to tell the tale.
For the first time in his life, Thunder experienced the feeling of knowing he had done well. Better than any cat could have asked for. It was a good feeling, warm and exhilarating.
Before they reached the hollow, Clear Sky halted and set down the rabbit. “You’re very quiet,” he meowed to Thunder. “What are you thinking about?”
Thunder dropped his end of the prey. He hesitated for a moment, then decided just to tell the truth. “I’m proud of myself for surviving,” he replied.
Clear Sky’s eyes glowed with approval. “And so you should be. I know that feeling.”
“When you journeyed from the mountains?” Thunder guessed, remembering the stories Gray Wing had told him.
His father nodded. “That was a hard time. I’ll never forget when we were attacked by eagles. One of our cats . . .” His voice trailed off and his eyes clouded. “That was when I decided we couldn’t allow ourselves to be victims.”
“What happened?” Thunder asked. “What do you mean?”
Clear Sky gave his pelt a shake. “It’s all over now, a distant memory.” He looked at Thunder again, and Thunder thought that he could see affection in his eyes. “I made the journey to save my family,” Clear Sky went on. “All of my family.”
When they arrived back at the camp, the sky was pale with dawn and a golden flush on the horizon showed where the sun would rise. Thunder saw Gray Wing standing at the top of the hollow, waiting for them; his anxiety was evident in his working paws and twitching tail. Thunder was faintly surprised. Usually Tall Shadow was the one to watch over the cats, but now it was Gray Wing.
Gray Wing’s gaze flicked over the prey and rested on Thunder, examining him closely. “What have you been up to?” he demanded. “No rabbit bleeds that much.”
“Wouldn’t you like to congratulate Thunder on hunting down food for us all?” Clear Sky interrupted sharply. “He’s done well—can’t you acknowledge that?”
“Of course Thunder has done well,” Gray Wing responded. “I’m just concerned about him, that’s all. You took off without giving us any warning.”
“Oh, sorry,” Clear Sky meowed. “I didn’t realize a father had to ask permission to hunt with his son. Come on, Thunder. Let’s take the rabbit over to the others.”
Clear Sky strode off with the rabbit, and Thunder followed him, not daring to look at Gray Wing’s face. His buoyant mood had vanished completely.
I’ve done nothing wrong. So why do I feel like I’ve betrayed Gray Wing?
CHAPTER 14
Gray Wing watched Thunder and Clear Sky pad down into the hollow. His relief that they had returned safely was mingled with pain at Clear Sky’s renewed hostility, and even greater uneasiness at the bond that seemed to have sprung up so easily between his brother and Thunder.
Yes, he’s your son. But he meant nothing to you until now!
Another worry was tugging at Gray Wing’s heart, and he guided his paws toward Turtle Tail’s den. He had told her not to follow the other cats into the blazing forest, and he hoped she had been sensible enough to stay in the safety of the camp with her kits.
His anxiety vanished like dew in sunlight as he reached the den and poked his head inside. Turtle Tail was curled up in her nest, her belly curved around her kits, who were asleep in a tangled heap of fur.
Turtle Tail looked up, her eyes glowing in the dawn light, and raised her tail-tip for silence, angling her ears toward the sleeping kits. Gray Wing’s throat was tight with emotion; he would have liked to stay with her, but instead he nodded and turned away.
Glancing around the hollow, Gray Wing saw that Jagged Peak was welcoming the forest cats, pointing out places where they could make nests, and doling out bracken and moss for bedding.
Gray Wing padded over to him. “How was everything, while we were away?”
“Fine,” Jagged Peak replied. He was looking much more like himself, and Gray Wing realized what a good idea it had been to give him some responsibility. “Everything was quiet.??
Gray Wing nodded. “You could say that. But at least no cat died.”
By this time all the cats had settled down and were sharing prey: the rabbit that Thunder had killed, and a hare that Hawk Swoop had caught on the previous day. Gray Wing noticed with a jolt of tension that the two groups of cats were sitting separately; even Falling Feather and Quick Water, who had come from the mountains with the others, had chosen to stay with the forest cats. The only exception was Moon Shadow, who was crouching beside Tall Shadow, twitching with pain and feebly licking at his injuries.
There was a sense of coldness, too, between the two groups; Gray Wing caught a furious glare from Petal, and guessed that she was still angry with him for killing her brother Fox. When Hawk Swoop padded across with a portion of the hare and offered it to Frost, the big white tom nodded stiffly, seeming grateful but unwilling to be friendly.
This is all wrong, Gray Wing thought. The fire should have brought us together, but it seems as if nothing has changed. We risked our lives to help them, and this is how they repay us.
He headed toward Clear Sky, in the faint hope that he might be able to do something to dispel the hostility. But he spotted Tall Shadow signaling to him with her tail.
Gray Wing padded up to his leader, who sat beside her injured brother. Seeing Moon Shadow more closely, he became painfully aware of the black tom’s suffering. His eyes were glazed, and his breath came in shallow pants; Gray Wing wasn’t sure that he realized where he was.
“Sit down, Gray Wing,” Tall Shadow mewed. “There’s something I have to say to you.” Her gaze was fixed on her brother as Gray Wing settled down beside her. “I have to concentrate on Moon Shadow now,” she continued. “He needs me to care for him.” Turning her head, she looked Gray Wing in the eyes, and apprehension tingled in his paws. “Gray Wing,” she asked, “can you take over as leader?”