A Forest Divided Read Online Free

his gaze. “There’s been talk in the camp ever since the last dream. Not everyone wants to live on the moor.”
    â€œCome to my forest, then.” Clear Sky pressed. Why were they making this so complicated? “It’s sheltered there. With more cats, we can find more prey.”
    Thunder frowned. “I don’t understand. You used to try to keep us out of the forest.”
    Clear Sky met his gaze. “I used to defend my borders,” he admitted. “But I’ve changed. Now that I’ve spoken with Fluttering Bird, I know what—”
    Gray Wing pricked his ears. “You saw Fluttering Bird?” His eyes lit up. “How is she?”
    â€œShe’s well.” Warmth flooded Clear Sky as he remembered his sister’s sleek fur. “Better than she ever was in life.”
    â€œWhat did she say?” Tall Shadow asked slowly.
    â€œShe said we must each follow our hearts,” Clear Sky told her.
    â€œShe meant we must find our own homes,” Tall Shadow concluded.
    â€œNo!” Clear Sky flexed his claws in frustration. “Why would the spirit cats ask us to split up now? We’d be making ourselves vulnerable—especially after the sickness killed off so much prey. We must join together! The way we used to be. The way we should have stayed.” His pelt grew hot. Gray Wing and Thunder were staring at him through narrowed eyes. Didn’t they trust him? “Please come with me to the forest.” He flicked his tail toward the other cats, half-hidden bythe snow, which swirled across the clearing. “Every cat must come. It’s sheltered there.”
    â€œNo, Clear Sky.” Thunder’s growl cut to Clear Sky’s heart. “After everything that’s happened, we can’t go back to how it was.” His amber gaze sharpened. “Cats have died over the borders you created. Now you want us to pretend they were never there.”
    â€œBut what about the spirit cats?” Clear Sky’s mew was hoarse. They’re rejecting my plan.
    Gray Wing met Clear Sky’s gaze. “They told us to spread and grow, and that’s what we’ll do.”
    â€œYou should go home.” Thunder jerked his nose toward the camp entrance. “No one’s coming to live in the forest with you. If you want more cats to boss around, recruit some new strays.”
    Clear Sky swallowed. What’s gotten into Thunder? Did he really believe Clear Sky just wanted to boss more cats around? Did he think he’d learned nothing?
    Tall Shadow gazed anxiously into the wind. Flakes of snow whipped her face. “Perhaps he should wait out the storm. It’s almost on us.”
    Clear Sky shook his head. He didn’t want to stay. “I’ll go,” he growled.
    Head down, he padded to the entrance. He had come to unite the cats. Now he felt further away from them than ever. How would he explain this to Fluttering Bird? He’d failed her. He pushed through the gorse, his paws heavy as stone. There must be some way to make the moor cats understand.He flattened his ears as he padded out onto the open grass beyond the gorse. The wind was strong, the snow thick. It buffeted his fur, so cold that it felt like claws slicing through his pelt. Hunching low, Clear Sky hurried toward the heather.
    I’ll make them understand, Fluttering Bird. Snow battered his face. I’ll make them follow their hearts, I promise. We’ll be together soon.

C HAPTER 2

    Thunder watched his father disappear through the gorse. Guilt stabbed at his chest. Was I too harsh? He glanced questioningly at Gray Wing. “Should I make sure he gets back to the forest safely?”
    Gray Wing didn’t answer. He was gazing into the swirling snow, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.
    Tall Shadow leaned forward. “Go,” she murmured.
    Thunder blinked at her gratefully and headed for the gorse. Pushing out onto the moor, he narrowed his eyes