Cloudstar's Journey by Erin Hunter

Author:Erin Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-02-03T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

“Weaselwhisker, you take Fernpelt, Stoatfur, and Acornpaw and hunt along the river. You might get lucky and find a vole’s nest, if you don’t mind getting your paws wet. Mousefang, your patrol can hunt—”

“Buzzardtail, wait!” Cloudstar ordered, striding out of his den. He dipped his head to the deputy, apologizing for interrupting him. “No cats will hunt today. I want all of them—warriors as well as apprentices—to do battle training.”

Buzzardtail stared at him in surprise. “But the fresh-kill pile is almost empty! With so little prey in the forest, we have to hunt as much as we can!”

“No,” meowed Cloudstar, his heart as heavy as stone. His eyes burned from his sleepless night, thrashing in his nest as he realized there was only one chance left to find enough food for his Clan. “We have to fight.”

“We can’t take on the Twolegs!” Weaselwhisker protested.

Cloudstar shook his head. “Not the Twolegs. ThunderClan. We need to take back the territory that Duskstar gave to them. Without it, we don’t have enough hunting grounds to support the Clan.”

Buzzardtail gave Cloudstar a long, thoughtful look. “Duskstar would have done the same,” he mewed quietly. “You’re not breaking the warrior code.”

Cloudstar wasn’t even sure that Duskstar—or any StarClan cats—were watching SkyClan anymore. His dreams had been empty since that night the former leaders had reassured him of how strong SkyClan was, how they would live in the forest forever.

Buzzardtail started reorganizing the patrols. The apprentices looked excited about the change in routine. “We’ve been hunting for days!” Acornpaw meowed. “I can’t wait to try the sky-drop again!”

“I want to practice the reverse branch swing,” Mintpaw mewed. “I kept falling off the branch last time, but I’m definitely strong enough to hold on now.”

The warriors were quieter, and Cloudstar wondered if they had realized how desperate he was, that he was prepared to go back on Duskstar’s word. He stood in the center of the clearing and watched the patrols vanish into the bushes. SkyClan warriors fought by leaping out of trees, swinging from branches, using height and weight to overpower their enemies. It had been moons since they had gone into battle against another Clan, beyond a mere border skirmish. Every bone in Cloudstar’s body ached at the thought of leading his Clanmates into a fight when they were weakened by hunger and sleepless from fear of what the Twolegs were doing in their territory. But he could not see any choice. They had to expand their territory somehow.

At sunrise the following day, Cloudstar gathered the Clan beneath the gnarled thorn tree. He balanced on the spindly branches at the top of the gorse bush and gazed down at them in the soft dawn light.

“Clanmates, it is time to take back what is rightfully ours. I will be at the head of the attack, with Buzzardtail behind me. You will all get the chance to fight—except for you, Snailpaw and Mintpaw.” The two apprentices let out wails of disappointment.

“But we want to fight!” Mintpaw protested.

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