Sign of the Moon

Dark shapes flitted around Jayfeather, and from far away he could hear the wailing of unseen cats. Who are you? What do you want from me?

But there was no answer, and the mournful sound went on and on. Gradually the roar of the waterfall replaced the distant cries, and Jayfeather became aware of soft whispering, much closer to him. The shadowy shapes faded into blackness as he woke from troubled sleep.

"Don't worry, Singing Lark." Jayfeather recognized the voice of Wandering Creek's son Clinging Pine. "He's blind! He won't know we're creeping up on him."

Oh, won't he?

Jayfeather tensed his muscles as he detected the pad of small paws on the stone floor of the cave, and heard a stifled mrrow of laughter. He waited as their scent grew stronger, and he sensed soft breath riffling the tips of his whiskers.

"Didn't your mother teach you it's rude to sneak up on cats?" As he spoke, Jayfeather sat up.

Two high-pitched squeals bounced around the cave. He listened with satisfaction to the sound of pawsteps skittering away.

"Mother, that weird cat scared us!"

"He's going to eat us!"

Jayfeather's satisfaction faded and his pelt grew hot with embarrassment. They're still so young. They didn't mean any harm.

"Sorry!" he called out. "I wouldn't hurt you, kits!"

He could still sense the young cats' dear, and heard Wandering Creek's gentle voice from the other side of the cave as she soothed them.

"Mouse dung!"

"I wouldn't worry." Another voice spoke close to him, and after a heartbeat's thought Jayfeather recognized the voice of the prey-hunter Screeching Owl. "I saw them stalking you. They could do with a few lessons in respect." Turning away, he added, "It's hard for them. They're strong and active, but they're not allowed outside the cave at all until they become to-bes."

Jayfeather nodded, reminding himself to apologize to Wandering Creek later. He climbed out of the dip in the cave floor where he had slept, and began to groom himself, plucking at the downy feathers that clung to his pelt.

Give me moss any day!

"Hey, Jayfeather!" Toadstep's excited voice broke in on his thoughts. "Running River has invited Foxleap, Ivystorm and me to go out and check the border."

Jayfeather could feel how eager he was to get out of the cave and start exploring. "That's good," he mewed. "But be careful, and don't forget to keep your eyes and ears open."

Toadstep purred. "My ears are ready for anything."

Squirrelflight padded up with Wandering Creek. The two kits were behind them. Jayfeather could picture them peering at him, round-eyed, from the safety of their mother's hindquarters.

"Wandering Creek and I are going hunting," Squirrelflight announced.

"Thundering River is coming, too," Wandering Creek added. "Sheer Path and Leaping Wolf will look after the kits, Whispering Star, so they shouldn't bother you again."

"We don't want to stay in the cave," Singing Lark squeaked.

"Yeah, that blind cat might scare us again," Clinging Pine added.

"Nonsense!" Thundering River meowed as he joined them. "You were asking for it when you decided it was a good idea to try sneaking up on him just because he can't see. You should say sorry."

"Sorry," Clinging Pine muttered.

"We won't do it again," Singing Lark mewed, then added to her brother in a whisper, "It was fun, though!"