Warriors: Dawn of the Clans #1: The Sun Trail by Erin Hunter, Wayne McLoughlin

Sky ate his share.
    “Hmm . . .” Clear Sky looked doubtful, then brushed his mate’s pelt with his tail. “Maybe I’ll have to give in if our kits have a taste for it.” He and Bright Stream exchanged a glowing glance.
    Gray Wing gave his brother a prod. “Is Bright Stream expecting kits?” he whispered.
    Clear Sky nodded, blinking happily. “She thinks so. I know the timing’s not ideal, right at the beginning of our journey, but . . . I can’t wait to be a father.”
    “Bright Stream will be a wonderful mother,” Gray Wing mewed, ignoring the stab of envy he felt.
    When all the cats had eaten their share, they gave in to the temptation to lie on the rocks around the pool, enjoying the warm sunlight.
    “Hey, Turtle Tail!” Quick Water pointed to a turtle basking in a sunbeam at the opposite side of the pool. “You’ve found your natural home here!”
    Good-humoredly Turtle Tail flicked the gray-and-white she-cat with her paw. “So is your home anywhere it’s raining , Quick Water?”
    Meanwhile, Clear Sky was watching the small birds that circled overhead. “Do you want me to see if I can catch any of those?” he asked Shaded Moss.
    Shaded Moss glanced along the trail in the direction they needed to go, then shook his head. “We haven’t traveled far enough yet.”
    “What’s the rush?” Moon Shadow complained. “This new home, wherever it is, won’t disappear, will it?”
    “That’s right,” Jackdaw’s Cry agreed. “We’ve been walking for ages!”
    Other cats murmured in agreement.
    “You lazy bunch!” Turtle Tail exclaimed. “We’ve only been traveling for four sunrises. We haven’t even left the mountains yet.” Her neck fur fluffed up with indignation. “No cat said it would be easy.”
    Before any cat could argue, Tall Shadow rose to her paws and pointed with her tail to a distant clump of pine trees on the side of the mountain. “Let’s aim for those by tonight,” she suggested.
    “Good idea,” Dappled Pelt agreed.
    To Gray Wing’s relief, the threatened discord vanished like frost in sunlight as the cats rose to their paws, ready to set out again. As they moved off, he fell in beside Bright Stream. “Clear Sky tells me you’re having kits,” he mewed. “That’s great!”
    Bright Stream glanced at her paws in embarrassment. “I don’t want any cat to know yet,” she murmured. “I don’t want the others to think I’m going to slow them down.”
    “No cat will think that,” Gray Wing reassured her. “And your kits will be a great start for our new home, wherever we end up.”
    Sunhigh had just passed when Shaded Moss drew to a halt; the other cats bunched up behind him. Gray Wing saw that the ledge they had been following had petered out. A wide slope of slippery scree lay in front of them, leading to a sheer drop into a valley far below.
    “I don’t like the look of that,” Hawk Swoop muttered.
    “Me neither,” Jackdaw’s Cry added. “Do we have to go this way?”
    “Yes, we do,” Shaded Moss stated firmly, before any cat could start arguing. “We’ll take it slowly, in pairs. The younger, less experienced cats can walk on the inside.”
    “Can I go with you, Clear Sky?” Jagged Peak asked, wriggling forward until he stood at the edge of the scree.
    Gray Wing admired his little brother’s courage. Guessing where he could be of most help, he padded over to Jackdaw’s Cry. “You can come with me if you like,” he mewed.
    Jackdaw’s Cry gave him a grateful glance. “Thanks.” His whiskers twitched nervously, but his voice was steady as he added, “I keep worrying about the drop into the valley. It’s a long way down.”
    “Then don’t look down,” Gray Wing advised. “Stay close to me, and make sure there’s something solid under your paws before you put your weight on them.”
    Jackdaw’s Cry listened seriously to what Gray Wing told him. “What about using my tail for balance?” he asked.
    “Good idea. Keep your gaze fixed on