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

progress with Dappled Pelt.
    We’re chickfeed, for sure!
    As Dappled Pelt kept on struggling, Moon Shadow came bounding down the slope just ahead of them. “Come on . . . this way,” he meowed to Dappled Pelt, bracing his shoulder against her.
    Dappled Pelt stumbled forward, heading paw step by paw step toward the end of the scree, with Moon Shadow taking part of her weight. Gray Wing followed, scrabbling to keep his paw hold.
    When they reached solid ground, Moon Shadow boosted Dappled Pelt ahead of him, then clambered up beside her. Gray Wing raced after them as they dived underneath an overhanging rock where the rest of the cats were hiding. Rainswept Flower and Hawk Swoop joined them a heartbeat later, just managing to dodge an eagle’s outstretched claws.
    “Is every cat okay?” Shaded Moss asked, gazing around at the group as they cowered under the rock.
    “We’re fine,” Clear Sky replied.
    “Just scared out of our fur,” Turtle Tail added.
    Dappled Pelt was crouching with her head down and fur still fluffed out. She was shaking. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I panicked back there, and I could have got you both killed.”
    “Don’t worry about it.” Moon Shadow puffed out his chest. “You’ll know better next time.”
    Turtle Tail leaned over to whisper into Gray Wing’s ear. “I’m quite impressed by how Moon Shadow saved Dappled Pelt. But I’d never tell him so!”
    Gray Wing nodded, grateful for her humor. “He’s brave, but he’s still an annoying furball,” he whispered back.
    Quick Water, who had been keeping watch at the edge of the overhang, glanced over her shoulder. “Those eagles are out there,” she reported. “They know we’re here, and they seem prepared to wait all day.”
    Gray Wing remembered how helpless he had felt when the eagle was trying to lift him off his paws. “If it’s the only way to stay safe, we’ll have to put up with staying under this rock,” he pointed out.
    “For how long?” Hawk Swoop demanded. “I don’t know about any other cat, but I need some prey!”
    Indignant murmurs showed that some of the others agreed with her.
    “We have to protect ourselves,” Shaded Moss decided, with a nod to Gray Wing. “It’s just a matter of waiting.”
    With a few more grumbles the cats settled down, licking pads sore from crossing the scree, or curling up to sleep. At first they seemed glad to rest, but as the day dragged on their anxiety began rising again.
    Cloud Spots stuck his head out into the open, then jerked back into cover. “There are two more eagles out there,” he reported, his eyes wide with dismay. “They’re sitting on the top of this rock.”
    More screeches split the air and Gray Wing shivered. It was as if the eagles were challenging the hidden cats. They know exactly where we are.
    As daylight faded, the eagles showed no signs of leaving. Even worse, one of them hopped down and stretched its neck under the rocky overhang. His heart pounding with fear, Gray Wing shoved Turtle Tail behind him to keep her away from the snapping yellow beak. All the cats shrank back, pressing themselves against the rock wall in a shuddering heap of fur. The eagle watched them for a few heartbeats with malignant yellow eyes, then flapped out of sight, but every cat knew that all four eagles were still there.
    “We’re not mice!” Clear Sky announced when the eagle had withdrawn. “We will not be treated like prey! We need to show these eagles that cats are the hunters around here.”
    “And how are we going to do that?” Rainswept Flower demanded.
    Clear Sky’s glance raked the cowering group. “By catching one of the eagles ourselves,” he meowed.
    Gray Wing couldn’t stifle a gasp of shock. Looking around, he saw the others exchanging scared glances.
    “That’s impossible,” Shaded Moss stated, in a tone that didn’t invite contradiction. “There are four eagles out there!”
    Clear Sky was undaunted. “And there are more of us in