Dark River полностью

Part of her was relieved by his lack of interest in the WindClan apprentice. He must have put his friendship with her behind him at last. But still, it was strange that he’d rather be stuck in camp than going to a Gathering.

Dustpelt halted in front of them, ears pricked. “WindClan!” he warned.

Hollypaw saw a swarm of dark shapes moving against the heather, heading down to the shore. “Do you think Firestar will mention the squirrel-hunting tonight?”

Lionpaw shrugged. “Who knows?”

The WindClan cats streamed onto the shore a little ahead of ThunderClan, and headed onto the marshy shore of RiverClan territory. Hollypaw wrinkled her nose as muddy water squelched between her claws. Firestar had veered closer to the water, hurrying his Clan forward so that they pulled ahead of WindClan.

“Squirrel thieves!” Dustpelt muttered, glancing sideways at the WindClan cats.

“Squirrel thieves!” Berrypaw echoed more loudly.

The insult rippled through the ThunderClan party until it rang above the blustering wind. Hollypaw tensed. They couldn’t fight tonight! She glanced warily at the WindClan cats. Tornear’s eyes blazed in the moonlight; Breezepaw curled his lip in a menacing scowl. But Onestar padded calmly on, eyes fixed on the fallen tree ahead. He reached it first but signaled with his tail for his Clan to step back. They watched with glittering eyes as Firestar led ThunderClan past and jumped onto the tree-bridge.

Firestar gazed down at the WindClan leader. “Thank you, Onestar.”

Onestar dipped his head.

The ThunderClan cats filed across the tree-bridge. When Hollypaw’s turn came to scramble up through the tangle of roots, she caught the first scent of RiverClan. It was strong, fresh scents mixed with stale. They’re here! Relief washed her pelt. Things couldn’t be too bad if they’d made it to the Gathering. She picked her way along the gnarled trunk and leaped down onto the shore. Kneading the sand beneath the pebbles to keep warm, she waited for Ashfur and Leafpool to follow.

“Is everyone over?” Firestar meowed.

Brambleclaw nodded; Firestar signaled with his tail and plunged into the undergrowth. Hollypaw darted after him into the brambles. I must speak to Willowpaw! A barb stabbed her nose, but she pushed on into the softer ferns and emerged ahead of her Clanmates.

The clearing was packed! Gray pelts glowed in the moonlight like stones among tortoiseshell and brown pelts. Striped fur mingled with mottled. Large toms, slender she-cats, lithe young cats. Some sat in groups exchanging hushed words, some lay at the edges gazing warily around. Small cats wove around larger cats, some so small Hollypaw could hardly believe they were old enough to be apprentices.

She sniffed the air. No sign of ShadowClan.

“How come there are so many RiverClan cats here?” Lionpaw had caught up to her. He sounded out of breath.

Hollypaw shook her head. Her pelt was bristling with unease. Every cat in the clearing was RiverClan.

“Some of them are a bit old to be here.” Lionpaw was staring at a thickset tabby tom, whose muzzle was specked with white whiskers. A dark tabby she-cat sat beside him, her fur matted as though she could no longer wash herself properly.

“Swallowtail!” A very young cat was hurrying toward the elderly she-cat. Its eyes were wide with fear. “I can’t find Graymist or Sneezekit.”

“Don’t worry, Mallowkit.” Swallowtail swept her tail around the little cat. “Your mother will be back in a moment.

Sneezekit’s probably with her.”

“Did she say kit?” Lionpaw asked in surprise.

Hollypaw didn’t reply. She was staring at Willowpaw. The RiverClan apprentice was laying out some herbs in front of a heavily pregnant queen. Alarm flashing in her paws, Hollypaw zigzagged through the busy clearing to Willowpaw’s side. “What’s going on?”

Willowpaw looked up, her eyes filled with panic. “Hollypaw!”

“What in StarClan has happened?”

Before Willowpaw could answer, WindClan burst into the clearing. Mews of surprise rippled from them as they squeezed among the RiverClan cats.

“Graymist? Graymist?” A tiny tortoiseshell kit was wailing in the middle of the chaos.

“Sneezekit! What are you doing away from your mother?”

Swallowtail darted forward and plucked up the tiny kit in her jaws. She winced as though the weight were too heavy for her stiff limbs and padded back to Mallowkit.

“Why are there kits and elders here, Willowpaw?” Hollypaw turned back to her friend.

“We had to—”

Firestar’s mew cut her off. “Leopardstar, what’s going on?”

The ThunderClan leader was padding toward the Great Oak, where Leopardstar sat among the roots.

Onestar was hurrying across the clearing. “It looks like you’ve brought the whole of RiverClan!” he growled.

Leopardstar blinked. “I have.”

“What?” Onestar stumbled to a halt beside her, eyes wide.

Hollypaw leaned forward. What had happened to RiverClan?

Blackstar’s angry mew sounded from the edge of the clearing. “What’s going on here?”

ShadowClan had arrived.