Sign Of The Moon

Sorreltail raised her tail. “Brackenfur, we don’t want to get into serious fights, do we? If one of us jumps on your patrol, then we’ve won, right?”

“In your dreams!” Brackenfur blinked at his mate with warm amber eyes. “But yes, good point. If you’re jumped on, you surrender. This is an exercise in night tracking, not fighting.”

When there were no more questions, Brackenfur waved his tail as a signal to his own patrol to move off. Sorreltail watched them go, her eyes narrowed; Lionblaze guessed she was trying to work out which route they would take. Then she summoned her own patrol with a flick of her ears and led the way into the trees.

The undergrowth was thicker here; it was hard to move quietly and harder still to see the other cats. The thin claw-scratch of moon and the weak starlight were hardly any use at all. Trying to creep down a slope covered with bracken, Lionblaze crashed into Sorreltail’s rump and realized that she had halted.

“Sorry!”

Sorreltail gave him a brief nod, then twitched her tail to summon the others. “Any suggestions?” she whispered. “Ivypool?”

Ivypool’s eyes were shining in the dim light. “We need to stick to the shadows,” she meowed, “and try not to brush against the undergrowth. We should think how we find prey while we’re hunting.”

Sorreltail gave an approving nod. “Very good.”

Lionblaze had felt a chill of unease as Ivypool spoke. Training in the Dark Forest had given her an edge on stalking by night.

“Why are we sitting here?” Berrynose demanded. “The others could be at the Twoleg nest by now.”

“I don’t think so,” Sorreltail murmured. “I know how Brackenfur thinks. They’ll make a wide circle and try to come at the nest from the other side, so that we can’t track them down.” Her eyes gleamed. “At least, that’s what he hopes will happen. Let’s go!”

The patrol headed down the slope and through a hazel thicket. Lionblaze watched how sure-footed Ivypool was, winding her way through the undergrowth like a passing shadow, seeming to know instinctively when to duck low beneath overhanging branches and when to slip almost unseen from one patch of darkness to the next. Admiration battled inside him with apprehension. Were the tactics of the Dark Forest becoming part of ThunderClan’s skills? Was that what Tigerstar thought would happen?

Or will Ivypool be in trouble on her next visit to the Dark Forest, for giving away their secrets? Lionblaze sighed. At least she’s here now, and not training with our enemies in her dreams.

“Hey! Mouse-brain! Are you asleep?”

Lionblaze jumped at Berrynose’s irritated hiss, and spotted the cream-colored tom a few paces ahead, glaring back over his shoulder.

“Okay, I’m coming,” he whispered back, hurrying to catch up.

Sorreltail halted again on the edge of the old Thunderpath; the Twoleg nest was on the other side, several fox-lengths farther down but still out of sight. “We’re going to win this, no question.” Her voice was a soft murmur, barely audible. “Berrynose, you’ll come with me, and we’ll take the nest.” The young tom puffed his chest out. “Lionblaze, you and Ivypool are going to capture one of Brackenfur’s patrol. If I’m right, they’ll be somewhere over there.” Sorreltail pointed across the Thunderpath with her tail.

Lionblaze nodded to show that he understood; Ivypool was quivering with impatience to be off. Sorreltail flicked her ears to send them on their way, then jerked her head for Berrynose to follow her. They headed down the Thunderpath, keeping close to the edge where they were hidden by overhanging ferns; after a few moments Lionblaze couldn’t see them anymore. He tasted the air, but he couldn’t pick up any trace of the other patrol. Good. That means they can’t scent us, either. Signaling with his ears to Ivypool, he slunk across the exposed stone of the Thunderpath, crouching low with his belly fur brushing the ground.

He crawled into the dense undergrowth on the other side, heading toward the back of the old Twoleg den. Pushing his way through thick stems, he became conscious of his own bulk, and once more admired Ivypool’s slinky, deft movements, confident and swift in spite of the darkness.

Lionblaze tasted the air again, and this time picked up a definite trace of cat. Sorreltail was right about where Brackenfur would approach the nest! Angling his ears toward Ivypool, he veered in a slightly different direction to home in on the scent. Moving faster than he could manage in the shadows, Ivypool drew ahead, then raised her tail, warning him to stop. The cat scent was stronger now. Lionblaze strained his ears for signs of movement. At first there was nothing. Then he heard a faint crunching, as if some cat had stepped on a dry leaf.