Tallstar’s Revenge полностью

“Pigeon!” Bess’s delighted mew interrupted his plans. She hopped out of her nest and sniffed the fresh-kill. Still warm, it was melting the thin snow beneath it. Reena hurried to join her, licking her lips while Mole stretched in his nest. Jake was still sleeping, a light coat of snowflakes dappling his fur.

“Will you take me there?” Talltail called to Sparrow.

“Where?” Sparrow glanced around.

“Where the pigeons come.” Talltail pressed back excitement.

Sparrow shrugged. “Okay.”

Talltail felt the need to explain. “I want to hunt for you. To thank you for letting us stay.”

Jake stirred in his nest, lifting his head. “Who’s letting us stay?”

Sparrow gazed impassively at Jake. “No one’s letting anyone stay.” He licked water from his lips. “You’re just sharing the camp for now.”

Talltail dipped his head. “Of course.”

Reena rolled the pigeon over. “They can stay, though, can’t they?”

Bess’s gaze darkened. “Warriors and kittypets don’t belong with rogues,” she murmured.

“I’m not a warrior. I’m a—” Talltail hesitated. The words had come before he’d had chance to think.

Jake hopped out of his nest. “You’ll always be a warrior, Talltail.” He shook the snow from his fur. “Just like I’ll always be a kittypet.”

Algernon padded from his nest. “And we’ll always be rogues.” He stretched, nose twitching. “Who caught the pigeon?”

“Sparrow.” Bess looked fondly at the brown tom.

Talltail’s pelt pricked. “Come on, Jake.” He padded toward the bracken. “Let’s practice your stalking.”

“Stalking?” Jake blinked at him. “Aren’t we eating first?” He glanced at the pigeon.

“Later.” Talltail stared at Jake. I want to talk to you. In private! He willed Jake to understand, relieved when Jake padded toward him. “We might catch something while we’re practicing,” Talltail went on. He led the way into the woods, nosing through the bracken. Snow fluttered onto his spine as he pushed between the stems.

“What should we stalk?” Jake asked when they emerged into a narrow clearing.

Talltail paced the leaf-strewn forest floor. “Did you hear?” he demanded.

“Hear what?” Jake was looking distractedly around the woodland.

“Sparrow!” Had Jake forgotten why they’d come here?

“What?”

“He’s taking me hunting beside the cliff.”

Jake stiffened. “You’re not thinking of—”

“Of course!” Talltail cut in. “That’s why we’re here. It’s the perfect place. No fighting. No explanations. I just need to time it right and I can give him a push.”

“Onto the Thunderpath?” Jake’s eyes widened in horror.

“It’s perfect!” Talltail insisted. “He’ll pay for my father’s death beneath the paws of a monster.”

“Don’t do it, Talltail.”

Talltail narrowed his eyes. “You said you would help me.”

“Do you really want to kill a cat?”

“If I’d stayed in WindClan, I’d have probably killed a cat in battle by now!”

“In battle,” Jake pointed out. “That’s different. Killing in the heat of battle, to defend your Clanmates—that makes sense. But to kill a cat moons later—”

“He never understood the damage he did.” Talltail curled his lip. “That’s why he must be punished. To make him sorry.”

“Just tell him!” Jake’s fur rose along his spine. “Make him understand. How Sandgorse’s death hurt you, and how you feel he’s responsible.”

Talltail glared at Jake. “Don’t you think I tried that when Sandgorse died? He wouldn’t admit it. Even when I told him to his whiskers that he killed Sandgorse, he just shrugged it off, like he shrugs everything off. He doesn’t care about anything. So I’m going to make him care about this.”

“By killing him?” Jake shook his head. “I know you, Talltail. You’re not a killer. You’d die to defend those you love. But kill a cat you hardly know?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“He has to pay!” Talltail hissed. Why was Jake arguing? Was that why he’d come? To stop Talltail from doing the one thing he’d sworn he would do—the one thing that would make sense of his life? “If no one pays for Sandgorse’s death, then it’s not fair!”

“Life isn’t fair!”

“It’s not fair to me!” Talltail realized that he was shaking with fury.

Jake gazed at him. “Don’t do this, Talltail,” he begged softly. “Please.”

“I have to!” Talltail snarled. “If you don’t agree, then go home. You’re no use to me.” Raging, he stamped away, pushing through brambles and barging past hawthorns, too angry to feel their thorns scrape his muzzle. Even Jake had betrayed him! Why had Talltail trusted him? Why had he trusted anyone? Hadn’t he learned that he could only rely on himself? I came here for revenge and I’m going to get it!

Snow flurries came and went. The wind grew colder. Shivering and hungry, Talltail headed back to camp. “Can we hunt now?” he asked Sparrow as he padded into the clearing.

Sparrow looked up from his nest. “There’s fresh-kill under the holly bush.”

“What about the pigeons?” Talltail pressed.

“They’ll be wary after this morning,” Sparrow warned. “Let’s wait until tomorrow. We don’t want to scare them off for good.”

Frustrated, Talltail paced the camp.