of Pointed Stones, where I read the signs our ancestors send us.”
Gray Wing’s mind spun with confusion. “How . . . how did I get here?” he stammered. “Did you bring me?”
Stoneteller shook her head. “We both walk in dreams, dear friend,” she replied, her voice deep and soft in spite of her age and frailty. “And my heart tells me that I have a message for you.”
Gray Wing’s ears pricked alertly. “What is it?”
“A new life awaits you, Gray Wing,” the white she-cat told him. “You must turn your paws onto a new path.”
“I . . . I wondered about that, Stoneteller,” Gray Wing meowed eagerly. “Turtle Tail’s kits need a father. . . .”
Stoneteller dipped her head. “That may be so,” she responded. “And yet I think there is another reason that your dream has led you here, into the place set apart for the leaders of our Tribe.”
“But I’m not—” Gray Wing began to protest, then broke off, staring appalled at Stoneteller. “Tall Shadow is our leader,” he went on after a moment’s silence. “She should be here, not me.”
Stoneteller blinked. “Who can tell what lies ahead in the seasons to come?” she asked. “Be ready, Gray Wing. And may you walk your new path with courage. . . .”
As her voice died away the moonlight faded, leaving Gray Wing standing in darkness. Before he had time to feel afraid, he was waking in his own nest, with his denmates sleeping around him.
The next morning dawned dull and chilly, with a slap of rain in the wind. Gray Wing emerged from his nest, fluffing up his pelt against the damp cold. The camp was quiet; he guessed that most of the cats were still asleep, though Tall Shadow was already perched on her rock, keeping watch in spite of the weather.
Of course she’s our leader , Gray Wing told himself, pushing the disturbing dream to the back of his mind.
As he gave himself a quick grooming, he spotted Thunder emerging from the tunnel he shared with Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur. As soon as he saw Gray Wing, the young cat bounded over to him.
“Can I see Turtle Tail’s kits?” he asked eagerly.
“I’m not sure . . . ,” Gray Wing began. “She needs peace and quiet, to sleep and get her strength back.”
“Nonsense.” Gray Wing turned to see Cloud Spots appearing from Turtle Tail’s tunnel. “She’d love some visitors. Why don’t you go hunting and bring a mouse for her? She’ll be hungry.”
“Okay, why not?” Gray Wing agreed.
He was afraid that with the sudden change in weather all the prey would be snugly down their holes, but they hadn’t gone far when Thunder spotted a mouse sheltering under a gorse bush.
With a glance at Gray Wing, who nodded encouragingly, he took off after it, leaping on the mouse with a triumphant yowl and padding back to Gray Wing with the limp body dangling from his jaws.
“Great catch,” Gray Wing meowed, relieved that this time Thunder had caught the mouse without any trouble. “See, I said you would get there in the end.”
Thunder’s eyes were shining. “Can we go and see Turtle Tail now?”
“Let’s see if we can find something else first,” Gray Wing replied, wondering if he was deliberately delaying. “Turtle Tail must be starving, and one mouse isn’t all that much.”
Thunder left his mouse in a crack between two rocks, and the two cats headed away from the hollow, stalking quietly around a clump of gorse. This time Gray Wing was the first to spot prey: another mouse that scuttled away from him in a panic, straight into Thunder’s paws. Thunder sank his claws into it and gave it a good shake.
“Two catches!” Gray Wing praised him. “You’re a real hunter now.”
“That one was really yours,” Thunder mewed modestly. “I’d have had to be blind and deaf and clawless to miss it.”
Returning to the rocks, Thunder collected the first mouse and carried both of them swinging from their tails as Gray Wing led the way back to the
Gray Wing’s mind spun with confusion. “How . . . how did I get here?” he stammered. “Did you bring me?”
Stoneteller shook her head. “We both walk in dreams, dear friend,” she replied, her voice deep and soft in spite of her age and frailty. “And my heart tells me that I have a message for you.”
Gray Wing’s ears pricked alertly. “What is it?”
“A new life awaits you, Gray Wing,” the white she-cat told him. “You must turn your paws onto a new path.”
“I . . . I wondered about that, Stoneteller,” Gray Wing meowed eagerly. “Turtle Tail’s kits need a father. . . .”
Stoneteller dipped her head. “That may be so,” she responded. “And yet I think there is another reason that your dream has led you here, into the place set apart for the leaders of our Tribe.”
“But I’m not—” Gray Wing began to protest, then broke off, staring appalled at Stoneteller. “Tall Shadow is our leader,” he went on after a moment’s silence. “She should be here, not me.”
Stoneteller blinked. “Who can tell what lies ahead in the seasons to come?” she asked. “Be ready, Gray Wing. And may you walk your new path with courage. . . .”
As her voice died away the moonlight faded, leaving Gray Wing standing in darkness. Before he had time to feel afraid, he was waking in his own nest, with his denmates sleeping around him.
The next morning dawned dull and chilly, with a slap of rain in the wind. Gray Wing emerged from his nest, fluffing up his pelt against the damp cold. The camp was quiet; he guessed that most of the cats were still asleep, though Tall Shadow was already perched on her rock, keeping watch in spite of the weather.
Of course she’s our leader , Gray Wing told himself, pushing the disturbing dream to the back of his mind.
As he gave himself a quick grooming, he spotted Thunder emerging from the tunnel he shared with Lightning Tail and Acorn Fur. As soon as he saw Gray Wing, the young cat bounded over to him.
“Can I see Turtle Tail’s kits?” he asked eagerly.
“I’m not sure . . . ,” Gray Wing began. “She needs peace and quiet, to sleep and get her strength back.”
“Nonsense.” Gray Wing turned to see Cloud Spots appearing from Turtle Tail’s tunnel. “She’d love some visitors. Why don’t you go hunting and bring a mouse for her? She’ll be hungry.”
“Okay, why not?” Gray Wing agreed.
He was afraid that with the sudden change in weather all the prey would be snugly down their holes, but they hadn’t gone far when Thunder spotted a mouse sheltering under a gorse bush.
With a glance at Gray Wing, who nodded encouragingly, he took off after it, leaping on the mouse with a triumphant yowl and padding back to Gray Wing with the limp body dangling from his jaws.
“Great catch,” Gray Wing meowed, relieved that this time Thunder had caught the mouse without any trouble. “See, I said you would get there in the end.”
Thunder’s eyes were shining. “Can we go and see Turtle Tail now?”
“Let’s see if we can find something else first,” Gray Wing replied, wondering if he was deliberately delaying. “Turtle Tail must be starving, and one mouse isn’t all that much.”
Thunder left his mouse in a crack between two rocks, and the two cats headed away from the hollow, stalking quietly around a clump of gorse. This time Gray Wing was the first to spot prey: another mouse that scuttled away from him in a panic, straight into Thunder’s paws. Thunder sank his claws into it and gave it a good shake.
“Two catches!” Gray Wing praised him. “You’re a real hunter now.”
“That one was really yours,” Thunder mewed modestly. “I’d have had to be blind and deaf and clawless to miss it.”
Returning to the rocks, Thunder collected the first mouse and carried both of them swinging from their tails as Gray Wing led the way back to the
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