Warriors: Dawn of the Clans #2: Thunder Rising by Erin Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

ordered. “I’ll never turn my back on a cat who once saved my life. Still,” she added, turning to Shattered Ice, “you have to understand that things have changed now. It’s best that you don’t come here to hunt. Clear Sky wouldn’t be happy.”
    A pang struck Thunder like claws around his heart at the mention of his father. “Would Clear Sky really be so angry?” he asked. “He wouldn’t deny his own son, would he?”
    The other cats all looked at one another uneasily, and a nasty silence dragged out until Thunder wanted to yowl to break it. His heart sank as low as his paws.
    At last Falling Feather turned to him. “Clear Sky is only concerned about helping every cat survive,” she explained gently. “He can’t have favorites. And so that all cats know where they can hunt, he’s making sure that the boundaries are respected. That’s all we’re asking for—a little respect.”
    Thunder’s pelt felt hot with shame as he listened to Falling Feather. Shattered Ice and I shouldn’t have entered the forest, but they didn’t need to be so hostile. We haven’t done anything wrong ! He exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Shattered Ice. “What should we do?” he asked.
    Before Shattered Ice could reply, a loud barking split the quiet air, coming from the direction of their camp. Thunder’s heart began to pound. “Dogs!” he exclaimed.
    “We have to go to the others!” Shattered Ice meowed.
    Without another word he and Shattered Ice broke away from the forest cats, who were already disappearing farther into the forest. They pelted through the trees, heading for the moor. Thunder could only hope they wouldn’t be too late.

C HAPTER 5

    Thunder exploded from the trees, hard on Shattered Ice’s paws, and raced up the slope, his paws pounding over the wiry moorland grass. He could still hear the dogs barking, but he couldn’t see anything until he reached the ridge.
    Pausing to catch his breath, Thunder looked down the hill. Now he could see the dogs in the distance, and hear their yelping and growling more clearly. Beyond them he spotted the small figure of a cat, hobbling and totally exposed as he tried to reach the camp. He kept glancing back over his shoulder as the dogs’ powerful legs ate up the distance between them.
    “That’s Jagged Peak!” Thunder exclaimed, pointing with his tail. “What’s he doing out here?”
    “Never mind that. Come on!” Shattered Ice mewed. “We have to head off the dogs before they catch him.”
    Together the two cats rushed into the valley. But before they reached the dogs another cat appeared from the direction of the hollow. He was much closer to Jagged Peak, racing toward him with his belly fur brushing the grass and his tail streaming out behind him.
    “Gray Wing!” Thunder gasped. “Oh, no! What’s he doing?”
    Gray Wing dashed straight past Jagged Peak, who halted to stare at him. Gray Wing yowled something at him and hurled himself at the nearest dog, a leggy brindled animal with a lolling tongue. Reaching out a paw, Gray Wing swiped his claws across the dog’s nose, then instantly doubled back and darted away. Faintly Thunder heard him snarl, “Take that, flea-pelt!”
    The brindled dog let out a howl of pain and fury and began to chase Gray Wing; the second dog—a small white creature—gave chase too, leaving Jagged Peak free to struggle on unharmed.
    Shattered Ice reached the valley bottom and veered to one side to come up beside Gray Wing, but Gray Wing waved him off with a lash of his tail. “Help Jagged Peak!” he yowled, and pelted on with the dogs panting close behind him.
    The air reeked of dog-scent. Thunder was close enough to see their gleaming eyes and the spittle flying from their open jaws. He shuddered at the thought of those murderous fangs sinking into Gray Wing.
    Hurtling along behind Shattered Ice, Thunder saw Gray Wing heading for a copse of windblown trees on the ridge. The dogs were snapping at his paws as he