CHAPTER 11

Tigerheart pressed himself against the earth, trying not to tremble as the Thundersnake’s long tail slowed a short distance in front of him. Finally its flanks drew level with the stone ledge, and the creature rumbled to a halt. The waiting Twolegs didn’t flinch as it growled to itself beside the ledge. How could they be so calm? Twolegs were even stranger than he thought. When gaps opened in the side, the Twolegs on the ledge shifted away as other Twolegs streamed out, then began to push past them and climb into the belly of the snake. Tigerheart’s pelt bristled with fear. Why were they so trusting? Did they really believe the Thundersnake would let them out of its belly when they reached the Twolegplace? What if it was hungry?

“Quick!” Ajax hissed in Tigerheart’s ear. “If you run, you can get inside.”

Tigerheart stared at him in horror.

“Go on!” Ajax nudged him toward the ledge. “You have to get in before it closes back up. Then the Thundersnake will take you to the Twolegplace.”

“I’m not getting into the belly of a Thundersnake!” Tigerheart blinked at him.

“Twolegs do it all the time,” Ajax argued.

“But Twolegs are crazy,” Tigerheart pointed out.

“He’s right,” Fuzzball agreed.

“I’ve been inside a Thundersnake,” Ajax reminded them.

“And it let you out?”

“Of course.”

“What was it like inside?” Tigerheart couldn’t imagine it had been safe.

Ajax looked thoughtful for a moment. “It was loud and smelly and full of Twolegs. And my Twoleg carried me in a cage.” He shifted his paws. “Okay. It wasn’t the best day of my life, but I survived, and how else are you going to get to the Twolegplace?”

“I’ll walk.”

“It’ll take forever.” Ajax stared at him. The Thundersnake suddenly hooted and began to shudder. “Hurry!” He flicked his tail. “It’s about to leave.”

“Good.” Tigerheart glanced toward the Thundersnake, relieved as the gaps closed. He let his fur smooth as the great creature began to pull away from the ledge.

“You can’t walk all the way to where you’re going,” Ajax argued. “It’s too far.”

“I can walk anywhere,” he told Ajax. “My Clan once walked over a mountain range to find a new home.”

Ajax shrugged. “I don’t know who your Clan is, but they sound as crazy as Twolegs.”

“They sound awesome.” Fuzzball was staring at him, wide-eyed. “Are they your family?”

“Some of them.” A pang of loss jabbed Tigerheart’s belly as he thought of Rowanstar and Tawnypelt. He might never see them again. He changed the subject. “I’ll follow the Silverpath. It will take longer, but I trust my own paws more than I trust a Thundersnake.”

Ajax shrugged. “If that’s what you want.” The black-and-white tom looked at the sky. The sun was sliding toward the hilltop behind them. “When will you leave?”

“You can stay with my Twolegs tonight,” Fuzzball offered. “They feed strays.” His tail twitched. “I’m always having to share my food.”

“Warriors can feed themselves.” Tigerheart meowed pointedly. He scanned the scrubland. The low-growing shrubs were bathed in golden light. Prey would be moving between them. He blinked at the two kittypets. He was grateful for their help, even if they did keep calling him a stray. “Thanks for the offer, Fuzzball, but I want to leave soon. I’ll eat here first, though.”

“How?” Fuzzball blinked at him. “There aren’t any food dishes here.”

“Who needs food dishes?” Tigerheart whisked his tail. “Let’s hunt.”

“Catch our own food?” Ajax looked unconvinced.

Fuzzball paced excitedly. “Hunt? I’d love to. I’ve chased the birds in my garden and tracked a mouse once, but I’ve never caught anything.”

“You will today.” Tigerheart dipped his head to the young tom.

“I guess it sounds interesting.” Ajax wandered over the Silverpath, his fur gleaming in the afternoon sun, and headed onto the scrub. “I’d like to stretch my legs before I go home.”

Tigerheart leaped over the Silverpath, careful not to touch it. It gleamed suspiciously, and stank of Thundersnake scent. Fuzzball followed him. On the other side, Tigerheart tasted the air. As the Thundersnake stench settled, he smelled the aroma of leaves and, breathing deeper, could just taste the musky scent of prey. He licked his lips. “Let’s go this way.” Keeping low, he pushed between two spiky bushes and followed a scuffed trail through the scrub. His nose twitched excitedly as the scent of prey grew stronger. He saw peck marks around the stems of the bushes and could smell that they were fresh. It must be a bird, a large one by the look of it.

Fuzzball and Ajax set the bushes rustling behind him as they followed.

“Are we tracking something?” Fuzzball asked loudly.

“Hush!” Tigerheart glared at the kittypet over his shoulder. If he carried on yowling like that, he’d scare their prey away.

Fuzzball looked apologetic and followed quietly for a few moments before yowling again. “I can smell something nice. Is that what we’re hunting?”

Ahead, a fat grouse fluttered noisily into the air, its beating wings sending dust swirling over the scrub.

Tigerheart flattened his ears in frustration. He turned on Fuzzball. “We’re not here to talk. We just hunt, okay?” he whispered through gritted teeth. He nodded to a side trail leading away between the bushes to one side. “I need you to go down there until you can’t see me anymore and then sit as quietly as you can and listen for badgers.”

“Badgers?” Fuzzball frowned at him, puzzled. “There aren’t any badgers here.”

“Then listen for foxes, or dogs.” Anything! Just keep out of my way. As he nodded Fuzzball away, he saw that Ajax had disappeared. He rolled his eyes as he thought, This is like leading a patrol of kits. Then he purred, remembering that he should try to get used to this. He would be seeing his own kits very soon, and—one day—he’d be teaching them how to hunt. “Where did Ajax go?”

“I don’t know,” Fuzzball answered cheerfully. “I guess he got distracted. There are lots of good smells here.” He looked along the trail where Tigerheart had nodded. “So I go that way, right?”

As he spoke, Tigerheart heard the thump of a rabbit’s paws. He stiffened, scanning the bushes for movement.

Fuzzball raised his front paws off the ground and peered over the top of the bushes like a squirrel. “I see a rabbit! It’s over there!” With a yowl he plunged into the undergrowth.

Pushing back frustration, Tigerheart strained to hear past Fuzzball as he crashed through bushes like a dog.

Ajax ambled along the trail toward him. “Caught anything yet?”

Tigerheart dug his claws into the earth. Why had he invited these two kittypets along? With all the noise they were making, he’d never catch any prey. He swallowed back irritation. Hunger was making him irritable.

Fuzzball’s yowl split the air. “It’s heading toward you!”

Tigerheart turned in surprise as brown fur flashed past him and disappeared between the bushes. He pelted after it, his fur prickling with excitement. The rabbit was plump but fast. It swerved beneath a sage bush. Tigerheart dived after it, his belly brushing the earth as he skidded under the low branches. The rabbit shot out the other side and veered toward the hillside, which sloped upward beside them. Tigerheart raced after it, fighting to keep his balance as he made a tight turn and cut across the rabbit’s path. It pulled up, its eyes wide with horror as it saw him. He slammed his paws onto its shoulders and made a fast killing bite.

Paws pounded toward him. “You got it!” Fuzzball’s excited face popped out from the bushes. He stared in delight at Tigerheart’s catch. “I flushed it out!” he announced proudly.

Tigerheart looked at him, swiping the blood from his mouth with his tongue. “Yes, you did.” Fuzzball was a mouse-brain. But he was good-hearted. And at least they’d caught prey. He picked up the rabbit and carried it toward an open stretch of earth on the hillside. Laying it down, he settled beside it, relishing the warmth of the evening sun as it began to melt behind the far hill.

As Fuzzball trotted after him and sat down, Ajax nosed his way from the bushes and sniffed the rabbit, his nose wrinkling. “What do we do now?”

“We eat it.” Tigerheart leaned forward and tore a lump of flesh from the rabbit’s flank. It was warm and juicy in his mouth. “Try some.” He pushed it closer to Fuzzball.

Fuzzball sniffed it gingerly, then grabbed a small mouthful. He chewed for a while and then mewed, with his mouth full, “It’s all fur.” He sounded disappointed.

“Here.” Tigerheart grabbed the rabbit in his paws and tore away a hind leg with his teeth. He laid the bloody stump in front of Fuzzball. “There’s plenty of meat there.”

Fuzzball stared at it, swallowed, then leaned close and took a second mouthful. He chewed unenthusiastically. “Is this what you eat all the time?” he asked warily, as though afraid of the answer.

“Sometimes we eat mice or voles or birds,” Tigerheart told him.

“Does it all taste like this?” He licked his lips clean and shuddered.

“Not really.” How could any cat think a rabbit could taste like a mouse or a bird?

Ajax sat down, keeping his distance from the rabbit. “I think I’ll wait till I get home. It doesn’t smell like real food. And it looks a bit bloody.”

“Of course it’s bloody. It’s prey.” Tigerheart blinked at him. Kittypets didn’t seem to enjoy anything about being a cat. He felt sorry for them. But they seemed happy, and he was happy too, here in the sunshine. The rabbit was tasty and it was all his. For once there were no Clanmates to share it with, and these kittypets didn’t seem to want any. If the journey was as long as Ajax had suggested, he’d need all his strength. He began to purr as he chewed. He’d found a trail that would lead him to Dovewing. He felt freer than he had in moons. His paws itched to begin the next part of his journey.

Quickly, he finished his meal, gulping down most of the rabbit. The kittypets had given up eating and watched him in awed silence, as though they were watching a squirrel chew its own leg.

He sat up and licked his lips, his belly full. “Thanks for your help.” He dipped his head to Ajax and Fuzzball.

Ajax looked along the Silverpath, which followed the valley and curved behind a hill. “You’re really going to walk?”

“Yes.” Tigerheart fluffed out his fur. For the first time he wondered if Dovewing had walked. Perhaps she’d found enough courage to climb into the Thundersnake’s belly. She’s braver than me. Would she forgive him for not making the journey with her? What if he found her and she sent him away? She can’t. They’re my kits too. He wanted to help her raise them. “I have to get going.” Standing here worrying wasn’t going to change anything. He headed toward the Silverpath.

“Good-bye!” Fuzzball called after him. “When you come back, will you take me to meet your Clan?”

Tigerheart glanced back at the orange tom, affection swelling in his chest. Dumb kittypet. He imagined the look on the faces of his Clanmates if he walked into camp with Fuzzball at his side. What if he tried to show them his hunting skills? Tigerheart’s whiskers twitched with amusement until a thought struck him like cold water. Would he ever walk into the ShadowClan camp again? Had he seen his Clanmates for the last time?

He quickened his step, forcing his thoughts forward as he reached the Silverpath. He hopped between the tracks and followed them, picking his way over the wooden slats and between the scattered stone chips. Dovewing lay at the other end. He lifted his chin as the sun dipped behind the hill and cold shadow closed over him.

By the time he’d followed the curve of the Silverpath around the foot of the hill, his paws were sore, grazed by the sharp stones. He jumped over a track and padded onto the grass at its edge. The grass was damp with dew and soothed his pads. The evening was deepening quickly into night. Stars specked the sky, and the moon showed, pale and distant. Tigerheart strained to see where the Silverpath led. It seemed to reach toward the hill rising ahead of him, but he couldn’t see its silver glint on the slope beyond it. Was a Thundersnake strong enough to haul itself up such a steep rise?

As he neared, he realized that the path seemed to end as it reached the shadowy base of the hill. Anxiety churned in his belly. Was this a dead end? Had he followed the wrong Silverpath? As he neared, peering into the darkness, he realized with a jolt that the Silverpath disappeared into the hillside. He narrowed his eyes, making out an opening. Was this a Thundersnake den? Had it taken the Twolegs into its underground lair? He stiffened against the fear sparking beneath his pelt and forced himself to keep walking. Don’t be such a kit, he told himself sternly. Why would Twolegs get into its belly? They must know where it was going. Ajax had been inside, and it had carried him from his old Twolegplace to here. It must be a tunnel. Tigerheart relaxed a little. Of course it’s a tunnel. I just have to walk through it.

Heart pounding, he approached the yawning hole. The utter blackness inside alarmed him. Did Dovewing come this way? He stepped into the darkness and shivered as it swallowed him. Pressing against the smooth stone wall of the tunnel, he used it to guide him. His gaze, usually so sharp in darkness, could make out nothing except more darkness. He put one paw gingerly in front of the other, acutely aware of his whisker tips as he felt for obstacles ahead. An icy breeze swept his pelt as wind streamed through the tunnel. He fluffed his fur against the chill, his heart pounding as he strained hopefully to see moonlight.

As he walked, he glanced backward and saw that the opening behind him had disappeared into shadow. He was completely enclosed by darkness. A sound stirred his ear fur. He stiffened as he heard a low rumble. His whiskers quivered as the Silverpath beside him began to tremble. A light showed ahead. The end of the tunnel? Even as hope pricked in his belly, he knew he was wrong. The sour stench of a Thundersnake tainted the breeze. Its roar slowly grew as the light shone brighter. A Thundersnake was heading toward him.

Tigerheart froze in terror. Was there room enough to hide? Jerking into action, he squeezed himself against the side of the tunnel and pressed down onto his belly so that he was flat against the earth. The breeze hardened, battering his face like freezing water. Even when he narrowed his eyes to slits, the glare of the Thundersnake’s single eye stung his gaze. Its roar grew until Tigerheart thought his ears would burst. He flattened them and pressed himself harder against the wall and the earth. Tucking his nose under his paws, he braced himself for the Thundersnake to strike. It tore past like a hurricane. The earth shook. The air screamed. The Thundersnake’s roar seemed to howl into every part of him until he felt that its fury would tear him apart.

Then it was gone. The noise died; the wind dropped. For a moment, Tigerheart wondered if he’d been deafened. Then he heard water drip onto stone nearby. Limp with fear, he lay still until he stopped trembling. His heart slowed, and he steadied his breath. As he pushed himself shakily to his paws, exhilaration swept through him. I survived. He’d never felt so close to death before. Is this what losing a life feels like to a Clan leader?

He lifted his muzzle and padded on through the darkness, quickening his pace a little. He wanted to get to the end of this tunnel fast. Stubbing his claws on a stone in the dark would be far less awful than facing another Thundersnake.

As he hurried on, praying for moonlight, a new scent touched his nose. He stopped, his heart quickening. He leaned down, quickly sniffing the ground. Fluff tickled his nose, its scent so familiar that his heart nearly burst with joy. Dovewing’s fur! No blood, no fear-scent, just a few strands of her pelt, as though she had stopped to scratch an itch and had left a shower of fur behind. She had come this way! Tigerheart’s chest seemed to burst with joy. He was on the right trail. Dovewing had to be waiting for him at the end.