Thunder And Shadow

A pelt m oved ahead, and she stopped, her heart lurching. A tom was carry ing prey upslope.

Twigpaw froze and watched as he padded between two rows of ferns and disappeared from view.

“Spy ing?”

A mew behind her m ade her spin. Her heart in her throat, she blinked at the young she-cat who was staring at her accusingly. She sniffed and sm elled the unfam iliar scent of rogue.

“What are you doing here?” the she-cat dem anded. The black splotches on her white pelt rippled as her hackles lifted.

“Violetkit?” Relief surged through Twigpaw. Violetkit looked well. The rogues clearly hadn’t harm ed her. Twigpaw stared, hardly able to believe that this sleek young cat was her sister.

Muscle showed beneath her pelt. Her paws had grown wide, sharp claw-tips showing beneath the fur. Twigpaw hesitated as Violetkit stared back. Was that suspicion in her gaze? “It’s m e, Twigpaw.”

Violetkit narrowed her eyes. “I’m Violet paw now.”

Twigkit blinked at her. Isn’t she pleased to see me? “I cam e to find y ou.”

“Why now?” Violetpaw’s gaze didn’t betray any thing.

“I found som ething out. All the other cats in ThunderClan were told that they sent out a patrol to look for our mother, but they didn’t. It was a lie. They never checked to see if she cam e back for us.” The words tum bled from Twigpaw, leaving her breathless.

Violetpaw shrugged. “Are you really surprised?”

“But they should have!” Shock pulsed through Twigpaw. What had happened to her littermate?

Had her time with the rogues m ade her cruel? “Alderpaw lied to m e. I thought he was m y friend.

Every one believed that Bramblestar sent a search party to look for our mother. But he didn’t.

Alderpaw said the patrol was looking for som ething else.” Twigpaw guessed she wasn’t m aking sense, but she needed her sister to understand how she felt. No one in the Clan did. Violetpaw was the only one who might.

Violetpaw blinked at her, still showing no sign of em otion.

Twigkit’s eyes widened. “Don’t you care either?”

“I always thought our mother was dead.” Violetpaw frowned. Twigpaw could see that she was thinking. “Why else would she leave us?”

“What if she cam e back after Alderpaw took us?”

Violetpaw tipped her head. “She’d have found we were gone.”

“But she might be looking for us!” Twigpaw willed her sister to feel what she was feeling.

“After all this tim e?” Violetpaw looked unconvinced.

“Don’t you want to find her?” Frustration welled in Twigpaw’s throat.

The bracken behind Violetpaw swished. “Find who?” Needlepaw padded out.

Violetpaw j erked her m uzzle round, her pelt pricking guiltily. “Hi, Needletail.”

Needletail. The ShadowClan apprentice must have given herself a warrior name after leaving her Clan.

She stopped beside Violetpaw. “Find who?” she repeated, her ears flattening.

Twigpaw lifted her chin. “Our mother,” she mewed, ignoring the fear rippling through her pelt. Needletail had grown. Her body was long and sleek, her tail thick and glossy. And there was threat in her gaze. “I think she might be alive and searching for us. I want Violetpaw to help m e look for her.”

“Why?” Needletail leaned close, her eyes narrowing. “She has a fam ily here with the rogues.” Her gaze flicked to Violetpaw. “Don’t y ou?”

“Yes,” Violetpaw answered quickly. “The rogues are m y kin now. They’re way nicer to m e than ShadowClan used to be. And Needletail is like a sister.”

Hurt j abbed Twigpaw’s belly. But I’m your sister! I’ve been worrying about you for moons.

Had Violetkit forgotten they were littermates? “So you won’t help m e find her?” She felt suddenly weary. Her anger at Alderpaw seem ed to drain into the ground.

Violetpaw stared at Twigpaw, her gaze softening a little. “I can’t just leave my campmates.

They’ve fed m e and protected m e. It would be wrong to leave with y ou.”

Needletail’s tail twitched. “Darktail takes loy alty very seriously.” Her mew was a growl.

Instinctively, Twigpaw backed away.

Violetpaw blinked at her sister. “I’m sorry, Twigpaw. I can’t help y ou. You should go home.”

“Yeah, Clan cat,” Needletail sneered. “Go home where it’s safe.” She glanced upslope, as though watching for rogues.

Twigpaw’s belly tightened. What if the rogues found her here? Needletail clearly wasn’t going to defend her.

“Come on, Violetpaw.” Needletail headed into the bracken. “Our campmates will be expecting us”

“I’m sorry.” Violetpaw blinked at Twigpaw, then held her gaze for a m om ent before turning away.

Twigpaw watched the bracken swallow her sister. She stood, frozen, her heart em pty.

Alderpaw thought her mother was dead. Violetpaw didn’t seem to care if she was alive. She suddenly felt foolish. She’d created such a scene. And no cat was interested.

She glanced toward the forest. It looked green under the pale blue sky. The sun shone, and she knew that bey ond the trees the lake would be glittering.