SKYCLAN
LEADER LEAFSTAR—brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes
DEPUTY WASPWHISKER—gray-and-white tom
MEDICINE CATS
ECHOSONG—silver-gray tabby she-cat with green eyes
APPRENTICE, FIDGETPAW (black-and-white tom)
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
SPARROWPELT—dark brown tabby tom
HAWKWING—dark gray tom
APPRENTICE, CURLYPAW (long-haired gray she-cat)
MACGYVER—black-and-white tom
BLOSSOMHEART—ginger-and-white she-cat
BIRDWING—black she-cat
TINYCLOUD—small white she-cat
BELLALEAF—pale orange she-cat with green eyes
SAGENOSE—pale gray tom
RILEYPOOL—pale gray tabby tom with dark gray stripes and blue eyes
RABBITLEAP—brown tom
PARSLEYSEED—dark brown tabby tom
FIREFERN—ginger she-cat
HARRYBROOK—gray tom
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
PEBBLESHINE—brown-speckled white she-cat
PLUMWILLOW—dark gray she-cat
ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)
CLOVERTAIL—light brown she-cat with white belly and legs
Chapter 1
Thorns raked Pebbleshine's back as she pushed through the line of bushes, but the ache of hunger in her belly drove her forward until she emerged on the other side. It had been nearly two moons since SkyClan had left their home at the gorge, and all the warriors were hungry and tired. Pebbleshine felt even more so than the others, since she was heavy with kits. She knew that her Clanmates on the other side of the bushes were nearly ready to give up the hunt. Gazing downward, she froze in shock, digging her claws into the earth. In front of her lay a wide stretch of ground, covered with the same hard, black stuff as a Thunderpath. Several Twoleg monsters were crouched there, and beyond them rose the gray walls of a Twoleg den. Through a gap in the wall, a narrow Thunderpath led away into the distance. Pebbleshine began easing herself back into the shelter of the bushes. All her instincts were warning her to get out of sight before the monsters noticed her. But before she had moved more than a couple of paw steps, she became aware of a delicious scent drifting between her jaws. She halted, tasting the air to pinpoint where the smell was coming from. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized it was rising from one of the Twoleg monsters. It's prey! There's prey trapped on the back of that monster. Imagine what we could bring back to our Clanmates! Pebbleshine could see that none of the huge creatures was moving. Maybe they were all asleep. Her heart began beating faster at the thought of the risk she and her Clanmates would have to take, to steal prey out of the very jaws of a monster. Then her belly growled, reminding her of how hungry she was. How long had it been since she and the other cats of SkyClan had been full-fed? "Let's take our chance!" she muttered to herself. Pebbleshine let the Clan deputy, Waspwhisker, take the lead as they ventured into the open to investigate the prey-smelling monster. Her mate, Hawkwing, padded along at her side, while Curlypaw and Blossomheart, the remaining members of the patrol, brought up the rear. As she and her Clanmates drew closer, Pebbleshine began to hear clucking noises coming from the back of the monster, from inside shiny boxes that looked like weird nests. "There are birds in there!" Hawkwing exclaimed. "And they're trapped," Pebbleshine added. "They must be some kind of Twoleg prey." Waspwhisker nodded. "That's exactly what they are. They're called chickens. Some Twolegs near the gorge used to keep them." Pebbleshine stared up at the shiny nests, close enough now to see the mass of feathers pressed against the sides, and a few heads poking out with sharp beaks and beady eyes. The tempting smell was even stronger here, and hunger sliced through her belly like a badger's claws. Pebbleshine twitched her ears impatiently as Hawkwing and Waspwhisker started to debate whether the risk was worth taking. "You know," Pebbleshine meowed, glancing warily around, "the monster is asleep, and there aren't any Twolegs around. Why don't we . . ." She turned her gaze back to the deputy, silently pleading for him to see it her way. We can do this. I know we can! Finally, Waspwhisker nodded. "Let's go for it. Hawkwing, you and Curlypaw keep watch. The rest of you, follow me." "I can climb up, too," Hawkwing meowed. "No, I can tell your leg is hurting," Waspwhisker responded. "You're more use here on the ground." Pebbleshine glanced back at her mate with sympathy. She knew he was frustrated by the lingering effects of the leg injury he'd suffered a moon before, falling out of a tree while hunting a squirrel. Hawkwing looked pointedly at her expanding belly. "Then Pebbleshine should stay here, too," Hawkwing put in. "Yes, Pebbleshine, you have to be careful," Blossomheart agreed. Waspwhisker nodded.Pebbleshine glared at her Clanmates with rising exasperation. She knew they were concerned for her because she was carrying Hawkwing's kits, but they didn't have to treat her as though she were ill. "I'm not big enough yet for it to make any difference," she protested, twitching the tip of her tail. "I can still run just as fast as the rest of you. And it was my idea." Waspwhisker narrowed his eyes at her, then relaxed with a sigh. "Okay. Let's just get on with it before we all die of starvation." Before she approached the monster, Pebbleshine paused, seeing Hawkwing's worried look, and brushed her tail along his side. Then, alongside Waspwhisker and Blossomheart, she clambered up onto the back of the monster, startled by the unfamiliar sensation of her claws scraping against its hard pelt. They reached a ledge atop the rear of the monster where they could look down and see the countless tiny dens filled with birds. All three cats leaped down from the monster's back, halted, and stared. There are so many of these weird nests! Pebbleshine thought. And there's a chicken in each of them. She called down excitedly to Hawkwing and Curlypaw, letting them know what she was seeing. As Waspwhisker and Blossomheart advanced, the clucking of the chickens rose to panic-stricken squawks. Her hunting instincts kicking in, Pebbleshine followed her Clanmates, prowling toward their nests. Pebbleshine swiped through one of the holes in the shiny lattice, trying to hook a chicken with her claws, but the bird flapped its wings furiously, and she couldn't get a grip. Waspwhisker and Blossomheart were having trouble, too: Blossomheart snatched her paw back with a hiss of frustration as her chicken stabbed at her with its blunt beak, while Waspwhisker only managed to snatch a pawful of feathers. Water flooded Pebbleshine's mouth as the delicious prey-scent wreathed around her. It was maddening to be so close to the prey they needed so desperately, yet be unable to make a kill. And even if we do manage to catch one of the stupid creatures, there's no way we can drag it out through these tiny holes, Pebbleshine realized. Doubt flickered through her mind as she wondered if she had been wrong to suggest this patrol in the first place. Determinedly, she thrust it away. There must be a way to get the nests open. Drawing back a pace, Pebbleshine studied the interwoven tendrils that made up the nest. She and her Clanmates wove branches and vines together to make dens all the time, but these tendrils were shiny, hard, and evenly spaced, and they didn't bend to her touch. She tried biting them, but that only hurt her teeth. What am I supposed to do here? she wondered. Surely the Twolegs have a way to open these. For a few heartbeats she was completely bewildered. Then she noticed a kind of shiny twig that rested in a curly frond at one corner of the nest. She batted it with her paw and it moved slightly. Pushing it gently from one side, she made it move even more, and suddenly Pebbleshine understood how it was supposed to work. If I can push that end down, she thought, the other end should move up, and the whole side should swing open. She slammed down one paw on the twig, but it was stiff and didn't move. Hissing furiously through her teeth, Pebbleshine pressed down even harder, using all her strength. "Move, for StarClan's sake!" she muttered. She was so focused on her task that she was only vaguely aware of yowling coming from Hawkwing and Curlypaw, who were keeping watch on the ground below. Then she heard Waspwhisker's voice. "Fox dung!" Pebbleshine glanced over her shoulder to see Waspwhisker and Blossomheart with their forepaws resting on the ledge they'd jumped down from. "The Twoleg!" Waspwhisker exclaimed. "Come on!" He and Blossomheart scrabbled up the wall with their hind paws, stood poised for a heartbeat on the top, then disappeared. "Come on, Pebbleshine!" Waspwhisker yowled as he jumped. "I'm coming!" Pebbleshine responded, but instead of following her Clanmates, she turned back to the nest. I've almost got it. . . . Once again she pushed down on the twig, and this time it gave way, flicking up and out of the curly frond that held it. The side of the nest swung out, just as Pebbleshine had imagined it would. "Yes!" she meowed. Then the chicken turned to her, its beady eyes mad with fear, and she realized that opening the nest might have been the easy part. This was unfamiliar prey. She crouched and hissed at the creature before diving inside and grabbing at the chicken with teeth and claws. At the same moment, she heard Hawkwing's voice. "Where's Pebbleshine?" "I'm still here!" she called back, letting go of a mouthful of feathers to make herself heard. "I've managed to open one of the nests. I've got a chicken!" "Then get down here, fast!" Hawkwing yowled. Pebbleshine tried to drag her prey to the side of the platform, but the chicken, squawking frantically, was flailing at her with its wings and swiping at her with taloned feet.It was almost as big as her, and its feathers were so thick and soft they almost choked her. Bits of red flesh sprouted from the top of its head and dangled under its chin; even while she fought with it, Pebbleshine couldn't help thinking how ridiculous it looked. For a few moments she was afraid it was too strong for her. But I'm not about to give up! she told herself, struggling to fasten her teeth in the chicken's neck. Waspwhisker's screech came from below. "Pebbleshine, now!" "I'm coming!" Pebbleshine repeated, letting out all her frustration in her yowl. "But this stupid bird is fighting!" "Then let it go!" Hawkwing's voice was panicked. "But the Clan needs it!" Pebbleshine protested. A deep, throaty growl came from the monster, and beneath Pebbleshine's paws, its back began to vibrate. Fox dung! It's waking up, Pebbleshine thought, furious at the thought that the monster might notice her before she could escape with her prey. With a last desperate effort, she lunged forward and dug her teeth into the chicken's throat. Its squawk was abruptly cut off, and Pebbleshine felt the warm gush of blood over her jaws. The bird's body convulsed once, then lay still. Forgetting the danger for a moment in her surge of triumph, Pebbleshine scrambled to her paws and dragged the chicken toward the side of the platform. But before she reached it, the monster began to move, edging backward with a steady, determined purr. Suddenly afraid, Pebbleshine dropped the chicken and sprang up to rest her paws on the side of the monster's body. "Jump, Pebbleshine! Jump!" Blossomheart shrieked, backing away as the monster bore down on her and their Clanmates. As it moved closer, the patrol scattered to avoid the monster's huge black paws. Only Hawkwing stood his ground, pushing Curlypaw out of the way and then running toward the monster. Hawkwing, no! Pebbleshine opened her jaws to screech a warning, but just then the monster halted, barely a tail-length away from her mate. He dropped into a crouch, gathering himself to leap up beside her. "Don't! I'm coming!" Pebbleshine panted, not sure if he heard her, scrabbling frantically to reach the top of the wall and spring off toward the ground below. But before either cat could leap, the monster lurched into motion again, roaring louder still and belching out a stinking cloud from its hindquarters. It moved forward, heading for the gap in the wall of the monster camp. Beyond the wall, Pebbleshine caught a glimpse of more monsters speeding past along a wider Thunderpath. Her heart pounded. It felt like her whole body was gripped in ice. She tried to jump, but her legs wouldn't move; her mind was filled with a vision of herself flattened under those crushing black paws. "Pebbleshine!" Hawkwing screeched. Pebbleshine saw him push off in a massive leap, stretching out his forelegs to grab the back of the monster. But he was too late, falling short and landing with a thump on the hard surface. Pebbleshine winced, knowing how the fall must have jarred his injured leg. She made one last, despairing effort to clamber over the wall, only to lose her balance as the monster lurched again and picked up speed. By the time she managed to spring back to her paws, it was moving far too fast for her to jump off safely. Pebbleshine watched the trees begin to blur together as the monster picked up speed. She felt sick, and wasn't sure whether it was the movement or the creeping dread that threatened to overtake her. What if I never . . . But I can't think that way, she stopped herself. Whatever happens next, I have to believe I'll find my Clan again. Because I'm a SkyClan warrior . . . and I will! Resting her paws against its side, she stared back at Hawkwing. "I'll find my way back to you!" she yowled. Hawkwing hurled himself forward, racing after the monster, but Pebbleshine could see that his attempt was hopeless. The monster was giving out a full-throated roar, speeding even faster as it joined the wider Thunderpath. Pebbleshine was frozen in disbelief. All she could do was keep her gaze fixed on Hawkwing's sturdy gray figure as it dwindled into a tiny dot and was lost to her sight. When she couldn't see her mate anymore, Pebbleshine dropped down onto the platform. She wanted to wail like an abandoned kit, but she knew that wouldn't do any good. She would have to keep up her strength and stay alert if she was to get back to Hawkwing and the rest of her Clan. What's going to happen to me when the monster stops? she asked herself. Would it try to make her its prey? No! she thought, giving her pelt a determined shake. My kits and I aren't going to end up as monster food. At least she had prey of her own. Crouching beside the chicken she had killed, Pebbleshine tore aside the feathers and began to eat. The flesh was just as delicious as Waspwhisker had promised, but she couldn't enjoy it; she might as well have been eating rotten leaves. To make things even more awkward, the living chickens seemed to watch her from their nests, clucking accusingly. I'm not sure I like chickens, she thought.At the same time, she tried to peer over the wall beside her, watching carefully where the monster was going, searching for landmarks that could help her find her way back. A dead tree there . . . and three Twoleg dens close together . . . and here the Thunderpath crosses a stream . . . But as the monster sped on and on, taking Pebbleshine farther and farther away from her Clan, her brain began to whirl with the effort of observing. Her muscles ached from her struggle with the chicken, and her belly was full of its flesh. For a little while Pebbleshine fought off exhaustion, but at last she had to give in, letting out a long sigh as the chickens' clucking eased her into a cloud of soft darkness.
Chapter 2
The monster had stopped. Pebbleshine blinked awake and raised her head to look around. A moment later the vibration beneath her paws and belly stilled and the monster's throaty growl was abruptly cut off. Her muscles tensing, Pebbleshine shook off the last vestiges of sleep and braced herself. She glanced at the chickens, looking for signs of panic. What happens now? she asked them silently. Is this where the Twolegs try to eat us? Or do they feed us to the monster? She flexed her legs, preparing to run. A bang from the front of the monster made Pebbleshine jump. Crouching low again, not daring even to twitch a whisker, she caught a glimpse of the Twoleg's head, then heard the thump of its huge paws dying away into silence. The monster didn't move at all, and gradually Pebbleshine began to relax as she guessed it must have fallen asleep again. Thank StarClan! I'll have another chance to escape. The chickens were clucking quietly in their shiny nests. Pebbleshine tore a few last bites from the one she had killed. Then she got up and rested her paws on the side of the platform while she looked around. The monster had come to a halt on a narrow Thunderpath that cut through wide stretches of tall, rustling grass. Not far away, a big Twoleg den rose up among a cluster of smaller dens. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows; Pebbleshine could see that she must have been traveling on the monster's back for most of the day. With a last cautious glance around, Pebbleshine leaped down from the monster. She almost expected it to rumble to life and pursue her, but it didn't move. She let out a sigh of relief and began to head away from it, stealthily at first but then at a fast lope. The Thunderpath was made of earth, and the monster's huge black paws had churned the surface up into deep tracks. Hope fluttered in Pebbleshine's chest; maybe all she had to do was follow the tracks backward until she found Hawkwing and her Clan again. For a while she padded along beside the monster tracks, trying to spot some of the landmarks she had noticed on her outward journey. Then she realized that for the last part she had been asleep; anything she might recognize would be farther away. She began to grow discouraged when she hadn't seen anything familiar by the time the Thunderpath came to an end, melting into a wider one. Glittering monsters whizzed back and forth along the hard, black surface. Where the earth met the edge of this Thunderpath, the chicken-hunting monster's tracks vanished. Half choking on the acrid stink of the passing monsters, Pebbleshine eased back from the edge of the Thunderpath and sat down to think. There was no hope of following the monster's trail anymore. She could tell the general direction she should travel, from the position of the sun, but she knew that wasn't enough to reunite her with her Clan. The monster had carried her too far away. There weren't even any familiar scents for her to follow. And once it gets dark, I won't even have the sun to help me. When she looked around for some kind of guidance, Pebbleshine spotted a Twoleg den in the distance, surrounded by a straggling copse of trees; it reminded her of Barley's barn, where her Clan had stopped about a moon before to rest and feast on the mice that lived among the straw there. "Maybe there'll be friendly cats in this barn," she murmured hopefully to herself. As she set out toward the distant den, Pebbleshine let herself hope that the cats might be able to point the way to the monster camp where she had lost her Clanmates, or maybe even to the lake where the other Clans lived, the cats SkyClan was looking for. The thought quickened her paw steps. How much fun would that be—I'd be there to greet Hawkwing when he and the others arrived! Then Pebbleshine realized it wouldn't be fun at all. She shook her head as she thought of how worried Hawkwing would be, through every paw step of the long, weary journey. No. I have to find SkyClan first. The sun had disappeared, leaving only a few last streaks of red in the sky, by the time Pebbleshine reached the barn. She hurried through the twilight, her jaws watering as she anticipated sinking her teeth into a juicy mouse, just like the ones in Barley's barn.Pebbleshine was skirting the trees, bounding across the last stretch of open ground, when a sudden spate of barking burst out behind her. Whirling around, she spotted a huge brown dog charging at her, its tongue lolling and its plumy tail waving. For a heartbeat, Pebbleshine froze. The dog was between her and the trees. Should she try to dodge around it and hope to scramble to safety in the branches, or should she head for the barn? In the end she did neither, crouching down instead, her fur bristling as she let out a defiant hiss. "Hey, knock it off, idiot!" A loud meow sounded from the direction of the barn. To Pebbleshine's surprise, the dog skidded to a halt and sat back on its haunches, panting and twitching its ears in what looked like embarrassment. A small black cat strolled out from behind Pebbleshine, glancing from her to the dog and back again with amused green eyes. "Hi. My name's Bug," the newcomer announced. "Don't worry about Bunny. He's harmless." For a moment all Pebbleshine could do was stare in astonishment. Dogs have names? And this one is called Bunny? "I'm Pebbleshine," she choked out at last. "That's a bit of a mouthful," Bug commented. "Don't your housefolk call you anything for short?" It's a warrior name! Pebbleshine thought, her fur beginning to bristle. I'm proud of it! But then she had a horrible realization. Had she traveled so far from Clan territory that these cats hadn't ever heard a Clan name? I'd better not act offended, she thought. Not when I need her help. "I don't have any Twolegs—I mean housefolk," she responded mildly. Bug blinked in surprise but said nothing more. Instead she padded up to Bunny and gave him a friendly shove with one paw. His tail thumped on the ground, but he stayed sitting. It looks like Bug and this dog are friends. I can't imagine any cat wanting that. What's going on here? Pebbleshine still didn't trust him, and she kept her gaze fixed on him. "Do you want to come into the barn?" Bug mewed to Pebbleshine with a welcoming swish of her tail. Pebbleshine looked away from the dog and dipped her head gratefully. "Thanks." "Is it okay if I let Bunny get up?" Bug asked. "I promise he won't hurt you." For a few heartbeats Pebbleshine hesitated. The dog was big enough to swallow her and Bug in one gulp, and she only had the word of a strange cat that he wasn't dangerous. He doesn't look like he's going to attack . . . , she thought warily. She remembered the crazy eyes, drooling jaws, and vicious snarling of dogs she had encountered before. In contrast, Bunny just looked goofy. Even so, all of Pebbleshine's muscles were tense and she was ready to flee at the first sign of a threat. At last she gave a small, reluctant nod. Bug turned and looked up into Bunny's liquid brown eyes. "Okay, you can get up," she meowed. "But stay out of the barn for a while, all right?" Bunny let out a short bark, then heaved himself to his paws and lolloped off toward the trees. Pebbleshine stared after him in amazement. "How does he know what you're saying?" she asked Bug. The small black cat gave a tiny shrug. "Oh, we've both lived on this farm since we were born," she replied. "We just understand each other. Come on." She turned and headed toward the barn. Pebbleshine followed, still bemused. I was right. They are friends. . . . Wait until I tell Hawkwing! Then a hollow place opened up inside her as she remembered that she couldn't tell Hawkwing, maybe not for a long time. Her bewilderment faded as she slipped into the barn through the half-open door and breathed in the succulent scent of mouse that surged out from piles of sweet-smelling grass. Pebbleshine almost leaped forward to hunt before she remembered that she didn't have permission. She halted, giving her chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks. "Help yourself," Bug invited her. "There are plenty of mice here—and they're really fat." There was little light in the barn as darkness fell outside, but Pebbleshine could make out piles of hay just like the ones in Barley's barn. High-pitched squeaking filled the air. Pebbleshine crept forward until she spotted blades of grass twitching at the edge of the pile and heard the scuffle of tiny claws. She launched herself forward and slammed her paw down on a plump mouse. It was the easiest catch she had ever made. Bug settled down to keep Pebbleshine company as she ate. "I haven't seen you around here," she remarked. Pebbleshine shook her head, hastily swallowing a mouthful of prey. "No, I come from a long way away," she told the black she-cat. "I'm looking for my Clan—the cats I live with. I last saw them in a big monster camp in the middle of some Twoleg dens. Do you know anywhere like that?"Bug was looking at Pebbleshine as if she had no idea what she was meowing about. "A monster camp?" she asked. "What's that?" Pebbleshine's heart sank. Not only have you not heard of the Clans . . . you don't even know about monsters? "You know monsters, right?" she asked hopefully. "Big noisy smelly things with round black paws?" "Oh, them!" Bug nodded. "I know what you mean. But a camp . . . ?" "A whole lot of them sleeping together," Pebbleshine explained, trying not to let her tail-tip quiver with impatience. Slowly Bug shook her head. "I've never seen more than one or two monsters together. I don't think this 'camp' of yours can be near here," she added with a doubtful twitch of her whiskers. Cold dread crept through Pebbleshine. How far had she come since she'd lost Hawkwing and the others? I felt like I'd traveled a long way in the monster, but it must be even farther than I thought if this cat has hardly ever seen monsters. "Then do you know of any other Clans—I mean groups of cats?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady. "They live beside a big stretch of water." This time Bug's denial was more certain. "I haven't seen any 'Clans' around here," she asserted. "I don't see many other cats, and the ones I have seen have been other farm cats or housecats. And there aren't any big stretches of water nearby." Pebbleshine dug her claws hard into the earth floor of the barn. "I must find my Clan!" she meowed desperately. Bug brushed her tail-tip down Pebbleshine's side, a comforting gesture. "Finish your prey," she suggested, "and then have a good sleep. You'll feel better in the morning, and you can start fresh." Pebbleshine let out a long sigh. "Thanks. That's kind of you, Bug." When she had eaten and groomed herself, Pebbleshine made a nest in the fragrant hay and curled up in it. Bug settled down at her side. Pebbleshine had believed that her anxieties would keep her awake, but she was so exhausted that her eyes closed at once. I never used to get this tired, before I was expecting kits, she thought muzzily, drifting into a dream where she was searching for Hawkwing in a forest, but finding nothing except a faint trace of his scent, or a glimpse of a whisking tail among the undergrowth. The next thing she knew, light was slanting into the barn from the open door and from gaps set high in the walls. Eager yapping from outside had woken her. Pebbleshine sprang to her paws, shaking clinging hayseeds from her pelt as she looked around. There was no sign of Bug. After padding to the door and poking her head outside, Pebbleshine saw the black she-cat wrestling with Bunny. The huge dog had her pinned down beneath one massive paw, while Bug's legs waved helplessly. Pebbleshine let out a hiss, tensing her muscles to come to her new friend's rescue. I was right not to trust that dog! she told herself. Dogs and cats can't be friends! But before Pebbleshine could move, Bug wriggled out from under Bunny's paw. Bunny bent his head, and the two of them nuzzled each other like kits before Bug hurled herself onto the dog's back. Bunny let himself go limp, rolling over, and Bug sprang away before she was squashed. They're . . . play-fighting? Weird . . . , Pebbleshine thought, shaking her head. Maybe some dogs and cats could be friends, but all the same, she had no intention of getting closer to Bunny. Spotting Pebbleshine, Bug left the dog and raced over to her. "Hi," she mewed. "Are you okay? Do you want to hunt again? We could do it together." "Thanks. That's a great idea." With Bug at her side, Pebbleshine plunged back into the hay. At a signal from the black she-cat, Pebbleshine began circling around, moving gradually toward the edge of the pile. Bug circled in the opposite direction. Working together, they steadily drove their prey out of shelter; it wasn't long before frightened squeaks and scurrying told Pebbleshine that their strategy was working. Finally, almost in the same heartbeat, two mice popped out into the open. Pebbleshine pounced on the nearest one, while Bug dispatched the other with one swipe of her paw. "Great catch!" Bug exclaimed. A pang of loss pierced Pebbleshine as she crouched down to eat beside the black she-cat; for a moment she had almost felt as if she were hunting with her Clan again. "I'm really grateful to you for letting me spend the night here," she sighed when she had gulped down the last mouthful of prey. "But I have to go." "Maybe you should stay," Bug suggested, concern in her green eyes. "You're welcome for as long as you want. I can see you're expecting kits, and it worries me to think of you traveling by yourself." Pebbleshine felt a jolt of surprise that another cat could tell she was carrying kits just by looking at her. When she had insisted on climbing onto the monster with the chickens, she had thought she wasn't far enough along for it to be obvious. A pang of guilt shook her.Maybe I did take a risk that I shouldn't have. For a heartbeat she was tempted to stay here, in shelter, with food and Bug's friendship, a place where her kits could be born safely. But she knew how impossible that was. I can't give birth to our kits without Hawkwing there. Not when I still have enough time and energy to find him, and my Clan! That was more important than anything. "No, I have to go," she repeated. "Thanks, Bug, but my kits are the reason I can't delay any longer. I'm determined that my kits will be Clan cats, and come into the world surrounded by their kin. I have a plan," she added. "I have to find my way back to my mate. I'm sure he'll be looking for me." Bug padded alongside Pebbleshine as they headed back toward the Thunderpath, with Bunny trotting behind them at a distance.