Fire And Ice

Graystripe stopped and looked around, uncertainty showing in his eyes. But Fireheart could just make out the fear-scent. He crept through the shadows beside the hedge until he reached a place where the hedge was less thick. “They sheltered here,” Fireheart meowed, imagining the terrified WindClan cats staring through the hedge at the Thunderpath.

“This was probably the first time most of them had seen the Thunderpath,” Graystripe remarked as he joined Fireheart by the hedge.

Fireheart looked at his friend in surprise. He had never met a WindClan cat—they had been driven out of their territory almost as soon as he had become an apprentice. “Didn’t they patrol their borders?” he asked, puzzled.

“You’ve seen their territory—it’s pretty wild and barren, and the prey’s not easy to catch. I guess they never thought any of the other Clans would bother hunting there. After all, RiverClan has their river, and, in a good year, our forests are filled with prey, so no cat needs their skinny rabbits.”

A monster roared past on the other side of the hedge, its night eyes glaring. Fireheart and Graystripe flinched as the wind buffeted their fur even through the wall of leaves. When the noise had faded away, they sat up cautiously and sniffed around the roots of the hedge.

“The trail seems to lead under here.” Fireheart squeezed onto the grass verge that lay along the Thunderpath. Graystripe scrabbled through behind him.

But on the other side of the hedge the scent trail stopped abruptly.

“They must have either doubled back or crossed the Thunderpath,” Fireheart meowed. “You look around here, and I’ll check out the other side.” He fought to keep his voice calm, but exhaustion was making him desperate. Surely they couldn’t have lost the trail now, after coming so far?

Chapter 5

Fireheart waited until the only sound he could hear was the pounding of blood in his ears. Then he padded to the edge of the Thunderpath. It stretched ahead of him, wide and foul-smelling, but silent. Fireheart darted out. The ground beneath his paws felt cold and smooth. He didn’t stop until he reached the grass on the other side.

The air here was tainted by the acrid smell of the Thunderpath and its monsters, so Fireheart headed toward the hedge. Still, there was no trace of the WindClan cats. His heart sank.

Suddenly a monster tore past, making Fireheart leap into the air with terror. He scrambled underneath the hedge and crouched, trembling, frantically wondering what to do next.

Then he smelled it: the faintest trace carried on the wind that the monster had stirred up. WindClan had been here!

Fireheart called as loudly as he could to Graystripe. There was a pause, then the sound of paws pounding across the Thunderpath to join him.

“Have you found it?” puffed his friend.

“Not sure. I got a whiff, but I can’t pinpoint it.” Fireheart pushed his way through the hedge, Graystripe right behind him. He lifted his nose toward the open field ahead of them. “Have you any idea what’s over there?”

“No,” replied Graystripe. “I shouldn’t think any Clan cat has ever been this far before.”

“Except WindClan,” muttered Fireheart darkly. Away from the confusing fumes of the Thunderpath, the trail was suddenly clear. WindClan had definitely come this way. The two cats struck out through the long grass, straight across the field.

“Fireheart!” Graystripe sounded alarmed.

“What is it?”

“Look!”

Fireheart stopped and lifted his head. He saw a Thunderpath ahead of them arching high into the air on massive stone legs, illuminated by the eyes of the monsters that moved along it. Another Thunderpath ran below, veering off into the darkness.

Graystripe nodded toward a tall thistle. “And smell this!”

Fireheart inhaled the scent. It was a fresh WindClan marker!

“They must have settled somewhere near here!” Graystripe murmured in disbelief.

A pang of excitement twisted Fireheart’s stomach. Both cats looked silently at each other for a moment. Then, without a word, they moved on toward the stinking Thunderpaths.

Graystripe spoke at last. “Why would WindClan come to a place like this?”

“I guess not even Brokenstar would want to follow them here,” Fireheart answered grimly. He stopped. A thought was nagging at him.

Graystripe paused beside him. “What is it?”

“If WindClan is hiding so near the Thunderpaths,” Fireheart meowed slowly, “they must be fairly desperate not to be found. They’re more likely to trust us if we arrive in daylight than if we creep up on them in darkness.”

“Does that mean we can rest?” asked Graystripe, sitting down heavily.

“Just until it’s light,” meowed Fireheart. “We’ll find somewhere to hide and see if we can get some sleep. Are you hungry?” Graystripe shook his head. “Me neither,” Fireheart agreed. “I don’t know if it’s those herbs or because the stench from the Thunderpath is making me feel sick.”

“Where shall we sleep?” Graystripe looked around.

Fireheart had already noticed a dark shadow in the ground up ahead. “What’s that?”