Goosefeather's Curse by Erin Hunter

Author:Erin Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

“I’d say you’ve been very lucky,” purred a soft voice.

Goosefeather jumped. He hadn’t noticed the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat standing beside him. “You think?” he retorted. “I nearly get my fur clawed off by a badger, and even my sister thinks I’m a freak.” He paused and studied the cat. “I’ve seen you before, haven’t I? You were watching the attack by the kittypets. Who are you?”

The she-cat twitched one ear. “I’d be insulted that you don’t know, except that I can hardly blame ThunderClan for wanting to forget about me. But I know all about you, Goosefeather, and what you can see. I can help you, if you like.”

“Really? Are you going to show me another vision?” Goosefeather felt his energy returning.

The she-cat snorted. “Why are you so concerned about the future? You have to live in the real world too. You need to learn a few fighting moves, or any cat will be able to flay your pelt if they want to.” She padded around him, and Goosefeather was aware of powerful muscles sliding beneath her thick fur. “In fact, there is no better warrior to teach you how to fight.”

Goosefeather turned around to keep her in sight. “I could ask any of my Clanmates to teach me,” he mewed. “I don’t need your help.”

The she-cat stopped and looked at him. “Oh, I think you do, Goosefeather,” she mewed softly. “After all, not even your sister offered to help, even when she had just seen you being half eaten by a badger.”

Goosefeather felt the hair rise along his spine. He didn’t need a stranger to taunt him. “Leave me alone,” he snarled, but without another word the she-cat sprang at him, claws unsheathed.

Goosefeather stumbled backward, tripping over his own tail, and landed in the leaf mulch. The tortoiseshell cat stood looking down at him, her lip curled in amusement. “Get up. When I do that again, duck sideways so you take my weight on one shoulder. If you keep your hind legs under you, you should be able to flick me off.” She stepped back, letting Goosefeather scramble to his paws. “Ready?”

He nodded. She leaped forward, and this time Goosefeather lurched to the side. A frond of bracken jabbed him in the eye and he almost lost his footing, but he felt the she-cat strike him nothing more than a glancing blow as she crashed to her paws.

“Better!” she cried. “Now you try!”

Goosefeather shook his head. “I only want to defend myself. I won’t be attacking anyone.”

The she-cat hissed. “You’ll be useless if you can’t take the fight to your enemy. Attack is by far the best form of defense! Now come to me, and watch what I do.”

Reluctantly Goosefeather sprang at her, halfheartedly baring his teeth. The she-cat stepped to the side and wrapped one paw around his front leg, sending him sprawling to the ground. “You’re making it too easy,” she hissed. “Try again, and this time act like you mean it. Pretend I’ve just clawed out your mother’s eyes.

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