Yellowfang’s Secret полностью

Eventually Stonetooth nodded. “Very well.” As Wolfpaw and Foxpaw began to bristle with excitement, he fixed them with a stern gaze. “But do exactly as Yellowfang and the senior warriors tell you,” he continued. “Stay well back until they work out how to proceed.”

The two apprentices nodded impatiently; Yellowfang suspected the deputy’s words had gone right over their heads. Waving her tail to gather her patrol, she led the way through the brambles and into the forest. As soon as they were heading through the trees, Scorchwind put on a burst of speed to walk alongside her.

“I’ll flay that badger,” he snarled. “I’ll spread her guts from here to the Twolegplace. No creature hurts my brother and gets away with it.”

Yellowfang pictured the two tiny badger cubs who had peeped out from the brambles while their mother was attacking the Clan cats. Is it fair to drive the badger and her babies out of their home? Couldn’t we just stay away from that part of the forest until she has raised her cubs?

Yellowfang knew she wasn’t thinking like a warrior, but she was also certain that if it had been the other way around, she would do anything to protect her kits, including attacking any animals who strayed too close to her den.

Maybe I could say that I don’t remember the way back.

Before she could decide, she heard a triumphant yowl from Mousewing, who was sniffing among the undergrowth on one side of the path. “Over here! Raggedpelt’s scent, and blood on the bracken!”

Now Yellowfang had no choice but to lead the patrol straight to the clearing. She couldn’t work out whether she felt relieved or disappointed. When the thorns that circled the clearing came into sight, Yellowfang raised her tail to signal her patrol to halt. “It’s through there,” she meowed. “Wolfpaw, Foxpaw, don’t you dare move a paw until I tell you.”

Remembering how Deerleap had taught her to look, listen, and scent, she tried to detect what the badger might be doing, and what they could expect to find when they entered the clearing. But although there was a strong stink of the creature, there was nothing to be seen, and no sound came from behind the brambles.

“Yellowfang,” Archeye murmured, “we ought to have a plan before we go in there.”

Yellowfang nodded. “What do you suggest?”

Beckoning the patrol closer, Archeye went on in a low voice. “When we go through the gap, we should split up. Newtspeck, Scorchwind, and Foxpaw that way”—he drew scratches on the ground with his claws—“Mousewing, you, me, and Wolfpaw this way. We’ll try to surround her.”

“Good,” Yellowfang agreed. “I’ll follow you in and help where I’m needed. Scorchwind—” She fixed the ginger tabby with a stern gaze. “You will not take unnecessary risks. Got that?”

Scorchwind paused, then nodded reluctantly. “Got it.”

“Okay,” Archeye went on. “Then, when we’ve pulled down the badger, we’ll move on to her cubs. They shouldn’t give us much trouble.”

Yellowfang found herself wincing at the thought of sinking her claws into the tiny, helpless cubs. I’m a warrior! she told herself. I have to do this! “Right,” she mewed. “Let’s go.”

Mousewing was the first of the cats to burst into the clearing. But instead of veering to the side as Archeye had planned, he halted, letting out a yowl of surprise. “The badger is gone!”

Yellowfang ran in behind him and gazed around the clearing. The thorns were trampled and the bramble tendrils torn and scattered. Fresh earth showed where the badger had frantically dragged her cubs out of the den.

Thank StarClan, thought Yellowfang. I don’t have to kill them after all!

But then Wolfpaw called out. “Here’s their trail! We can still catch them.” Without waiting for any cat to respond he charged away along the badger’s trail.

“Wait!” Yellowfang yowled. “You can’t attack a badger by yourself!” And I’m leading this patrol! she added silently.

Wolfpaw slackened his pace enough for the rest of the cats to catch up. Yellowfang took the lead as they followed the badgers’ path through trampled undergrowth that seemed soaked through with the reek of the creatures. At first the trail led toward the Twolegplace, then veered away toward the border with the unknown woods where no cat went. Soon Yellowfang began to pick up the scent of ShadowClan markers, and halted as they reached the edge of their territory.

“We should keep going until we find them and kill them,” Scorchwind urged. “They might come back.”

“That’s mouse-brained,” Yellowfang retorted. “We should be thankful that they’ve left without more cats getting hurt.”

“You’re right, Yellowfang,” Archeye meowed. “And it’s thanks to you that the badger took her cubs away. You showed her how fierce ShadowClan warriors can be.”