Tallstar’s Revenge

Talltail headed for a clump of ferns farther along. As he marked the icy fronds, he felt the earth tremble. Paw steps were heading this way. Talltail pricked his ears and let the fur lift along his spine. Something was running at full pelt, not even slowing as it approached the scent line. The ferns swished and a rabbit hared out past his nose. A she-cat exploded after it, with a tom at her heels.

RiverClan scent bathed Talltail’s tongue. He recognized the ginger-and-white pelt of Nightsky as she streaked after the rabbit. Piketooth raced after her, ears flat, eyes wide. Talltail watched, rooted to the spot with surprise. The rabbit veered across the slope and Piketooth peeled away, picking up speed as he hit the open grass of WindClan territory. He outflanked the rabbit and drove it back toward Nightsky. Eyes gleaming, she pounced, killing it with a sharp nip to the spine.

“Why are you standing here like a lump?” Appledawn’s hiss sounded in Talltail’s ear. “They’re on our territory!” She darted forward.

Talltail followed and quickly overtook her, slowing as he neared the RiverClan cats. They spun around, bristling. Nightsky stood in front of her catch. Piketooth showed his teeth. Talltail scrambled to a halt, blocking them from Appledawn’s line of sight. The RiverClan cats looked lean and hungry, their pelts dull.

“Quick,” Talltail hissed to Nightsky. “Take the rabbit and get back to your own territory.”

The RiverClan she-cat stared at him.

“Hurry!” Talltail hissed. He could hear Appledawn racing up behind him.

Nightsky grabbed the rabbit and fled back to the border. Piketooth tore after her, flashing a shocked look at Talltail as he passed.

“What in the name of StarClan are you doing?” Appledawn gasped, skidding to a stop beside Talltail.

“I tried to stop them!” Talltail meowed. “But they were too quick for me. They must be starving!”

“We’ll be starving if you give away all our prey!” Appledawn spat.

Fur flashed at the edge of Talltail’s vision. Hareflight and Cloudrunner were running down the slope. On the other side of the border, Talltail was relieved to see Nightsky and Piketooth disappear into the ferns.

Cloudrunner pulled up beside Appledawn. “What happened?”

“Talltail just let a RiverClan hunting patrol steal our prey!” Appledawn snarled.

Talltail bristled. “It was their prey. It came from their territory.”

Appledawn lashed her tail. “Once it crosses the border, it’s our prey.”

Cloudrunner faced Talltail. “Is this true?”

“They took their prey back over the border, yes.” Talltail lifted his chin.

“You let them kill it on our land, though,” Appledawn put in.

“They killed the rabbit before I reached them. And they’re clearly starving.” Talltail couldn’t understand why his Clanmates were so unforgiving. “Are we supposed to want other Clans to starve?” Is that what warriors do?

Hareflight stepped forward. “We take care of our own Clan first.” He glanced up the slope toward camp. “We have hungry cats, too.”

“Then let’s hunt,” Talltail meowed lightly. “We haven’t lost a rabbit; we’ve just seen one cross the border and go back again. Come on, let’s check out that gorse over there.”

“Your Clanmates aren’t happy with you.” Heatherstar sat at the back of her den, half-hidden in shadow.

Talltail stood in front of her, feeling slightly baffled. Why was everyone making such a fuss about the RiverClan rabbit? “It was prey from their territory.” He was tired of explaining.

“So you keep saying.” Heatherstar sighed. “But we have to feed our own Clan first.”

“They flushed it out,” Talltail reasoned. “It never would have run into our territory if RiverClan hadn’t chased it there.”

Heatherstar leaned forward. “What’s wrong, Talltail?” Her eyes were round with curiosity.

Talltail’s fur pricked along his spine. “Why does there have to be anything wrong?”

“I know you’ve had a hard time.” Heatherstar’s mew was sympathetic. “Palebird never got over Finchkit—”

“She got over her enough to start a new family with Woollytail,” Talltail muttered.

Heatherstar blinked. “Losing Sandgorse was a shock for you, I know. And I’m sorry you weren’t able to follow in his paw steps, but I had to think of the whole Clan.” Heatherstar took a breath. “If there’s ever anything you want to talk about, I want you to know you can come and talk to me. Or Dawnstripe.” She frowned. “I worry that you hold back from your Clanmates. You keep too much to yourself. Being part of a Clan means sharing in all things.”

Talltail flicked his tail, feeling more and more uncomfortable. “May I go now, please?”

Heatherstar nodded. “Of course. But remember, you can always talk to me.”

“Thanks.” Talltail turned and headed out of the den.

Barkface, who had been given his medicine cat name just a few days before, was waiting for him in the clearing. “I have to talk to you,” he hissed urgently.

“What about?”