Rising Storm

“And probably where the Twoleg saw you,” muttered Sandstorm. Fireheart could smell her fear-scent, and knew her irritation was due as much to barely suppressed tension as to old rivalries.

A light glared from the window above their heads, and Sandstorm dropped into a crouch. Fireheart could hear the clatter of Twoleg feet inside. He craned his neck to look up the wall of the Twoleg nest. The window was too high to reach in one leap. He crept to the patch of earth directly below it, where a gnarled and twisted tree climbed the side of the nest. Fireheart studied the curving branches. He considered clambering up it, but he could still hear the Twoleg crashing around inside.

“Cloudpaw must be half-deaf, living with that racket!” hissed Sandstorm, her ears flat against her head.

Curiosity gnawed at Fireheart like a hungry rat until he couldn’t bear it any longer. “I’m going to have a look,” he meowed, and began to claw his way up the winding stem, ignoring Sandstorm’s warning to be careful.

With his heart pounding, Fireheart reached the window and cautiously pulled himself up onto the ledge.

Inside, a Twoleg was standing over something that spat out clouds of steam. Fireheart winced at the harsh unnatural light, but he felt old memories of his kithood stirring inside him, and he knew he was looking into a kitchen, where Twolegs prepared food. His mind flooded with long-buried memories of eating dry, tasteless food and drinking water with a sharp, metallic taste. Blinking the images away, he began to look for any sign of Cloudpaw.

In the corner of the Twoleg den, he spotted a nest of what looked like dried branches woven tightly together. His paws began to tremble with excitement. A small white shape was curled inside. Fireheart held his breath as the shape stretched and leaped from its box. It ran to the Twoleg’s feet and began yapping noisily. It was a dog! Fireheart shrank back, disappointment making his head spin and almost causing him to lose his grip on the window ledge. Where was Cloudpaw?

The Twoleg reached down and patted the noisy creature. Fireheart hissed under his breath, then sat up in surprise as Cloudpaw strolled through a doorway into the room. To Fireheart’s alarm the dog rushed toward Cloudpaw, still yapping. He waited for Cloudpaw to arch his back and spit, but instead the white cat coolly ignored it.

Fireheart ducked as Cloudpaw suddenly jumped onto the ledge at the far end of the window. The dog carried on yapping from the floor, out of sight. “He’s here,” Fireheart hissed down to Ravenpaw and Sandstorm.

“Has he seen you?” called back Sandstorm.

Fireheart cautiously raised his eyes, but kept his body flattened against the hard stone. Cloudpaw was gazing blindly out over Fireheart’s head. His eyes were shadowed with unhappiness, and he looked thinner. With a prickle of guilt, Fireheart couldn’t help feeling relieved. This was proof enough for him that Cloudpaw wasn’t suited to kittypet life.

He sat up and pressed his forepaws against the window that separated them. With a quiver of frustration he scrabbled at the glass, keeping his claws sheathed so that his soft pads made no sound that might alert the Twoleg or the dog. He held his breath as Cloudpaw’s ears twitched. Then the white apprentice turned and spotted him, and his mouth opened wide in a delighted yowl that Fireheart couldn’t hear.

Inside, the noise made the Twoleg swing around in surprise. Fireheart leaped down from the ledge, landing beside his friends.

“What’s the matter?” asked Sandstorm.

“Cloudpaw saw me, but I think the Twoleg did too!”

“We should go,” Ravenpaw meowed urgently.

“No,” hissed Fireheart. “You two can go. I’m staying here till Cloudpaw gets out.”

Sandstorm glared at him. “What are you going to do? What if they let that dog loose?”

“I can’t leave now that Cloudpaw’s seen me,” Fireheart insisted. “I’m staying here.”

As he spoke, a creaking noise sounded behind them. Fireheart snapped his head around. Light flooded from a door in the wall and spilled out into the garden, illuminating the grass all the way to the hedge. The bright pool darkened suddenly as the shadow of a Twoleg fell across it.

Fireheart froze. There was no time to hide. He knew they had been spotted. The Twoleg called, its cries hard and questioning, and then it stepped out and began to walk slowly toward them. The three cats huddled together as the Twoleg came nearer and nearer. Fireheart heard Sandstorm draw in a trembling breath. He looked up and his belly tightened with terror. The Twoleg was looming over them. They were trapped.

Chapter 21

“Quick! This way!”