With another raucous screech, the eagle let Jayfeather go; he crashed down onto the rock, half-stunned, and watched as Stone Song and Jagged Lightning slashed at the bird’s shoulders, scoring their claws through its feathers, then leaped aside to safety. The eagle mounted into the sky, shedding feathers as it went, blood dripping from its naked legs. Jayfeather watched, panting, as it dwindled to a speck in the sky and was gone.

“Are you okay?” Half Moon crouched panting on the cliff edge, but her green eyes glowed as she gazed at Jayfeather.

“I’m fine,” Jayfeather gasped, though his shoulders where the eagle had gripped him felt as if they were on fire.

Half Moon rose to her paws and padded over to him, giving his wounds a sniff. “We ought to put moss on those, like you did for Chasing Clouds last night,” she mewed. “I wonder if there’s any dock growing around here. That’s good to stop bleeding.”

The rest of the patrol began to stagger to their paws, checking their own scratches.

“We did it!” Fish Leap croaked.

“Yes, we did.” Stone Song’s gaze rested on Jayfeather. “Jay’s Wing, your plan to protect our hunters just might work. At least to find enough food until we leave.” Waving his tail at the rest of the patrol, he added, “Come on. Let’s go and tell the others.”

He led the way down the rocks beside the waterfall, leaving Jayfeather and Half Moon alone on the cliff top.

“I was so scared for you,” Half Moon murmured, brushing her muzzle along his flank. “And I’m so proud of you! If we had kits, just think how brave they would be!”

Kits! “Half Moon…” he began awkwardly.

Before he could say more, he saw another cat emerge from behind one of the boulders at the water’s edge. Rock! Not now, please!

The sightless cat stood waiting; though she was looking in that direction, Half Moon had no idea that he was there.

“Why don’t you go down with the others?” Jayfeather suggested. “I’ll follow you in a moment.”

“Okay.” There was a trace of disappointment in Half Moon’s green eyes, but she headed down the cliff without protesting.

“What do you want now?” Jayfeather demanded.

Rock did not reply. For a moment they stood side by side at the edge of the cliff. Far away, a red glow on the snow showed where the sun would rise.

“So much is the same….” Rock breathed. Then he turned to Jayfeather. “You can’t stay here. You know that, don’t you?”

“Why not?” Jayfeather demanded, with a sudden tug of anguish.

“You are too powerful to be lost in the past.”

“I can be powerful here!” Jayfeather protested. “I could raise kits, teach them everything I know, and then go back to the Clans.” He stared at Rock. “I…I don’t want to leave.”

CHAPTER 18

“We have to get out of here!” Ivypool whispered, expecting hostile cats to leap out at them at any moment.