“We’d need to find out how many foxes live there before we make a move.” Fierce paced the shiny floor of the gathering-place den.
“Of course,” Tigerheart agreed. “But if we can get Fog and her gang to join us in the fight, I think we can drive them away.”
He’d called a meeting the next morning, as soon as the guardian cats began to stir. Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit watched from their nest. They stared with round, dark eyes, their ears pricked. Dovewing had given them strict instructions to keep quiet while the older cats talked. She stood beside Cobweb now, her gaze fixed on Fierce. Tigerheart had told her about his plan. He could sense Dovewing silently urging him on, but the guardian cats weren’t enthusiastic. Although Blaze watched curiously, Peanut and Bracken listened anxiously, their pelts prickling. Ant frowned, shifting his paws uneasily. Dotty, Pipsqueak, and Boots glanced at one another as he went on. “Fog is only going to make our life difficult if she stays,” he told them. “Last night, I saw her looking into our den.” He nodded toward the clear stretch of wall. “Her cats are not going to sleep outside in this weather if they think they can sleep in here.”
Dotty looked puzzled. “Why don’t we invite them to join our group?”
Tigerheart’s hackles lifted as he remembered Darktail. “Fog believes in every cat looking after himself. Her denmates probably feel the same. Do you want cats here who are only interested in filling their own bellies?” He flicked his muzzle toward the nests where Feather and Scowl, their newest patients, lay. Spire was stripping herbs from their stems beside them. “I’ve met cats like Fog before. In the forest, we call them rogues. They have no pity for sick cats. They see them as burdens. Inviting Fog to join this group would destroy everything you’ve built here!”
Fierce listened thoughtfully. “But you think, if we can drive the foxes away, Fog and her friends would go home?”
“Yes.” Tigerheart ignored the doubt pricking in his belly. “They liked their old home. I think they’d choose it over this place if they could.”
Pipsqueak’s tail twitched. “Just because we chased a pair of foxes from the herb patch doesn’t mean that we can fight a whole clan of them.”
“We don’t know that it is a whole clan,” Tigerheart argued.
“It was enough to drive away Fog and her cats,” Rascal commented darkly.
“But if we fought together . . .” He looked pleadingly around the guardian cats. “With Fog fighting with us instead of against us, we could do it. I could offer to show them the battle moves I taught you.”
Fierce blinked at him. “First you tell us Fog’s cats are a threat; then you offer to teach them how to fight?”
Dovewing padded forward and stood beside Tigerheart. “Tigerheart’s only trying to help. He speaks from experience. Rogues drove his Clan from their home. He had to fight to get it back. His Clan still hasn’t really recovered.”
“Why is he here, then?” Dotty looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Doesn’t his Clan need him?”
Guilt sparked in Tigerheart’s chest. “I’m here because I think my Clan is better off without me for a while.”
Dovewing shifted beside him. “And because he wants to be with me and our kits.”
Dotty tipped her head toward Dovewing. “Why did you come?” she asked. “You talk about the Clans like they’re better than strays. Why did you leave them?”
Tigerheart felt Dovewing’s fur bristle self-consciously. He met Dotty’s inquisitive stare. “She dreamed that her kits would be safer here.”
Dotty rolled her eyes. “She sounds like Spire.”
Spire lifted his head. Herb specks were caught in his whiskers. “Dreams sometimes reveal the truth.” He nodded distractedly at Dovewing and Tigerheart. “I dreamed they would come, didn’t I?”
“Dreams are nonsense,” Dotty huffed. “What does it matter if Spire dreamed you were coming? It doesn’t change anything.”
As she spoke, Rascal and Mittens squeezed through the entrance and jumped to the floor. Mittens’s eyes glittered with alarm. Rascal’s pelt was ruffled.
“There are cat scents around the slabs,” Mittens mewed breathlessly.
Fierce stiffened. “Fog’s cats?”
Mittens nodded. “They’ve clearly been snooping around in the night.”
“And there are Twoleg scents too,” Rascal added. “Fresh ones. They must have come before dawn.”
Tigerheart lifted his muzzle. “Fog’s group is clearly attracting the attention of the Twolegs, just like they did at the outdoor gathering. We need to get rid of her before the Twolegs discover our den.”
Fierce gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. “Let’s practice those battle moves you taught us,” she meowed decisively.
Pipsqueak’s pelt bristled nervously. “Are we going to fight the foxes?”
“Not until we know how many there are and if Fog will help us,” Fierce told him. “But it sounds as though we are going to have to defend our home one way or another, so we might as well be ready.”
The guardian cats looked at one another. Tigerheart’s paws pricked nervously as they leaned close and murmured. One by one, they met Fierce’s gaze and nodded.
Hope swelled in Tigerheart’s belly. He was doing what was best for the group. He couldn’t let Fog drive them away. “We should train outside,” he suggested. “We need to get used to fighting on uneven ground.” He swept his tail over the shiny floor. “And I hope the battle never reaches this den.”
He let Fierce lead the way out. Pipsqueak, Dotty, Rascal, and Mittens followed, Ant and Cobweb at their tails. As Bracken, Boots, and Peanut headed after them, Tigerheart called them back.
“You’re healers,” he meowed. “Perhaps you should be gathering herbs for the wounded rather than training how to fight.” He searched their gazes. He didn’t want to frighten them, but if there was a battle, they would need to be prepared.
Peanut nodded. “We’ll go to the herb patch now,” she mewed. “There may be some leaves left untouched by the frost.”
As she led Boots and Bracken out, Dovewing glanced at Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit. They were still watching, leaning forward eagerly. Dovewing purred. “They’re desperate to help.”
Tigerheart blinked fondly at them. “Perhaps they could watch the battle training.” It would be almost like being among real warriors.
Dovewing’s ears twitched anxiously. “You mean, take them outside?”
“Just as far as the stone slabs,” Tigerheart encouraged. “Fresh air will do them good. And there won’t be any Twolegs around. It’s not a yowling day.”
“What about the Twolegs Rascal smelled?”
“They must be gone. He didn’t see them. He only caught their scent.” Tigerheart felt a prick of guilt. Would Dovewing guess that he was eager to get the kits outside because he wanted them to taste the wind and feel soft grass beneath their paws? He wanted to know if the leaf-bare wind would pierce their kit fluff too easily. Would the cold earth freeze their pads? Were they ready to make the journey home?
She looked at him uncertainly, and then at the kits.
Pouncekit was already racing across the shiny floor. “Did Tigerheart say we could go out?”
Lightkit charged after her sister. “I want to go first.”
“Won’t it be cold outside?” Shadowkit trailed them doubtfully.
“That’s what you’ve got fur for, silly!” Pouncekit called over her shoulder.
Dovewing’s tail drooped. “I guess we can take them out,” she conceded. “But only for a while.”
Lightkit tried to haul herself up the leg of the wooden ledge. Dovewing scooped her up and carried her up to the entrance. “Don’t go outside until I’ve got Shadowkit and Pouncekit,” she warned. As she jumped down to fetch them, Tigerheart noticed Spire. The healer had wandered into a pool of sunshine at the far end of the den and was staring at the air, his eyes glazed. Was he having a vision?
“I’ll join you in a moment,” Tigerheart called to Dovewing as she dropped Shadowkit beside his littermates.
“Don’t be long,” Dovewing answered, nosing them through the gap in the wall.
Tigerheart padded toward the skinny black tom. Spire didn’t shift his gaze from the shaft of light that seemed to have hypnotized him. Tigerheart wondered whether to disturb him, but as he neared, Spire spoke, his gaze still distant.
“Take care of Blaze.”
For a moment, Tigerheart wondered who the healer was talking to, but there was no cat left in the den aside from Feather and Scowl, and they were hidden among the furless pelts of their nests. Was he talking to an imaginary cat?
“I will not live beside the widewater. But Blaze will.”
Widewater? Instantly Tigerheart thought of the lake. Was he talking about their journey there? “Are you saying Blaze will travel home with us?”
Spire’s yellow gaze flashed toward him, focusing suddenly. “Of course.”
He’s talking to me. Tigerheart leaned closer. “So widewater means the lake?”
“That’s where the Clans live, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Surprise set Tigerheart’s fur prickling. “How do you know?” Had Dovewing mentioned the lake?
“I told you.” Spire shook out his pelt. “I see things.”
“Do you see our journey? Do we make it home safely?”
Spire looked away. “Go teach battle moves, like you promised.”
Unease wormed in Tigerheart’s belly. The healer was avoiding his question. “Do you know if we get home safely?” he pressed.
Spire padded past him, heading for the sick cats’ nests. “I don’t see everything,” he meowed briskly.
Tigerheart hurried from the den, suddenly anxious to see Dovewing and their kits. Did the black tom know something? Something he didn’t dare tell?
Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit were bouncing over the grass beside a stone slab. Dovewing watched them protectively, her gaze flitting beyond them, as though checking for danger. She caught sight of him and blinked at him, purring. “They like the grass.”
“It’s so soft,” Lightkit squeaked.
“And tickly.” Pouncekit rolled over in it, mewling with delight.
Shadowkit stayed in the shelter of the slab and watched anxiously.
“I want to explore,” Pouncekit mewed.
“I want to play.” Lightkit called to Tigerheart. “Are you going to play with us?”
Tigerheart looked to where the guardian cats were already practicing the battle moves he’d taught them to fight foxes. “I have to go and help Fierce,” he told Lightkit. “We can play another time.”
Lightkit wasn’t listening. She was following Pouncekit as the gray kit sniffed her way to the next stone slab like a fox following scent.
Tigerheart purred. It was good to see the kits with grass beneath their paws and sky overhead. For the first time, he could imagine them as warriors. He turned toward the guardian cats. Cobweb and Ant were stalking around Rascal. Rascal eyed them sharply. As Cobweb dived for Rascal’s forepaw and Ant lunged for his tail, Rascal ducked and rolled. Cobweb and Ant landed clumsily as Rascal tumbled out of reach.
“Nice move, Rascal!” Tigerheart was pleased the guardian cats had remembered the skills he’d taught them.
Blaze bounded toward him. “I want to learn a new move!” he mewed. “I already know all the old ones.”
“You do, do you?” Tigerheart purred at him proudly. “Show me one.”
Blaze arched his back and flattened his ears. Hissing, he approached Tigerheart side-first, looking as big as he could. Tigerheart shot out a paw to tumble the kit onto his back, but his sheathed claws swiped thin air. Blaze had ducked beneath his chest and was clinging to his hind leg, churning his paws against it energetically.
“Very good!” Tigerheart purred. “You’re a natural fighter.”
“I am?” Blaze leaped to his paws and stared excitedly at Tigerheart.
Tigerheart cuffed his ear playfully. You’ve a long way to go before you’d make a warrior. But the kit definitely had talent. He was quick-thinking as well as fast.
Movement near the trees caught his eye. Fog and Tuna were stalking through the grass there. Streak and Growler were heading the other way. They’re still checking out our territory. Tigerheart’s pelt prickled. He wished the guardian cats would admit this was their land and mark some borders. It would make it easier to challenge Fog and her gang. And yet how could he confront her now? He needed her to help them fight the foxes. As Fog caught his eye, he looked away. Focus on training the guardian cats.
Fierce lifted her muzzle. “What do we do if we’re attacked by two foxes at once?”
Tigerheart flicked his tail approvingly. She was thinking like a warrior. “If we fight the foxes, we’ll stay in pairs. That way we can be more prepared for an attack on two sides.” He beckoned Rascal and Mittens forward. “Stand tail to tail,” he told them. As they shifted into position, he padded around the circle of watching cats and nudged Pipsqueak forward with his nose. “You can be one fox,” he mewed, then moved on to Dotty. “You can be the other.” He guided her past Rascal and Mittens, who were facing outward, their tails touching. “If two foxes attack from two sides, get straight into a tail-to-tail position. Foxes will instinctively go for your legs. Duck down and claw their muzzle as they come in for the attack. Aim for their eyes if you can. Then rear up fast, so your backs are touching, and use each other to push off. Leap clear of the fox’s muzzle, onto its back. The foxes will crash into each other while you’ve got your claws around their spines. Try it.” Tigerheart stepped back to watch. “Remember,” he told Pipsqueak and Dotty, “you’re foxes. Aim for their legs. Everybody, keep your claws sheathed. We don’t want injuries.”
He watched, concentrating, as Dotty and Pipsqueak circled Rascal and Mittens.
“Keep your faces toward the fox at all times,” Tigerheart warned. “When you’re fighting large enemies, your teeth and claws are more important than your strength.”
Rascal and Mittens shifted to keep their muzzles pointed toward Pipsqueak and Dotty as they continued to circle. Then Dotty caught Pipsqueak’s eye and lunged forward. Pipsqueak followed. Rascal and Mittens threw a flurry of blows at their denmates’ muzzles, then reared together and pushed away from each other. They sailed over their attackers, flattening them as they landed squarely on their backs.
Pipsqueak grunted as his paws collapsed beneath him. “Rascal, you’re heavy!” He wriggled indignantly from under the tabby tom.
Dotty scrambled from under Mittens. “It seems like a good strategy.”
“Let’s all practice it.” Fierce waved Ant, Cobweb, Blaze, and Rascal into group with a flick of her tail.
Cobweb hesitated, his gaze flicking toward Blaze. “He’s too young to fight foxes,” he pointed out.
“He won’t be involved in any battles,” Fierce promised. “But he might as well learn the moves. He might need them one day—”
The terrified squeal of a kit cut her off.
Tigerheart froze. Pouncekit! He recognized her cry. Heart bursting with terror, he raced for the patch of grass where he’d left them. The kits were gone. He saw Dovewing’s pelt flash between the stone slabs and chased after her.
He caught up as she reached a shiny mesh cave, which sat in the grass behind a stone. Pouncekit was trapped inside, staring through the silver mesh, her eyes wide with horror.
“What happened?” Dovewing pressed her muzzle against the mesh.
Pouncekit pushed the tip of her nose through a gap and mewled pitifully into her mother’s cheek fur. “I smelled something tasty. And I crept inside to get it. But it banged shut behind me.”
Shadowkit and Lightkit scrabbled at the outside with their paws.
“She’s trapped!” Lightkit squealed.
“It’s eaten her.” Shadowkit looked at Tigerheart, his eyes dark and round. “She’s trapped forever!”