Squirrelflight's Hope

CHAPTER 11

Squirrelflight leaped down from the tree-bridge and headed along the shore. She could see the shapes of ShadowClan and WindClan, moving like shadows over the stony beach as they trekked back to their territories. RiverClan had already crossed the shore and disappeared into the marshes. Her paws pricked. How was she going to break the news to the Sisters that they had to leave now, in the middle of the night?

Pebbles crunched behind her as Alderheart hurried at her heels.

She glanced at him as he fell in beside her. “Do you think Sunrise is well enough to travel?” she asked.

“She’ll be okay if her campmates help her.” Alderheart gazed across the lake as though his thoughts were elsewhere. “And she can rest once she’s home.”

“Do you think it’s fair?” Squirrelflight’s tail twitched.

“Do I think what’s fair?” Alderheart looked at her.

“To make them leave. Now. Before they’re ready?”

Alderheart returned her gaze steadily. “I think it’s for the best.”

“For whose best?” Squirrelflight asked crossly.

“Every cat’s.” Alderheart’s hopped over a rotting branch that had washed onto the shore. “The Sisters will be safer on their own territory. And our Clanmates will be happier knowing they’re gone. If Tigerstar wants war, it’s dangerous having them in camp.”

Squirrelflight looked away. She knew Alderheart was right, but she wished the Sisters could have seen ThunderClan at its best. Her Clanmates hadn’t always been so unwelcoming and defensive. The Sisters had come at a bad time.

The patrol trailed behind them, murmuring to one another. Bumblestripe and Honeyfur walked side by side. Hollytuft shadowed Jayfeather while Bristlepaw and Thriftpaw padded behind. Bramblestar hung back with Thornclaw. As they neared camp, Squirrelflight’s heart quickened. She wanted to break the news to the Sisters before Bramblestar ordered them out of camp. She turned and called to Bramblestar. “I’m going ahead to tell Leafpool that Sunrise has to leave.”

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “Okay.” He nodded to Bumblestripe. “Go with her.”

Squirrelflight stiffened. Was he sending Bumblestripe to keep her safe, or because he didn’t trust her? What did he think she would do? Hole up in the medicine den and fight for the Sisters to stay?

She nodded politely and pulled away from the patrol, breaking into a run. Bumblestripe fell in beside her and matched her, paw step for paw step, as she zigzagged between ferns and veered onto the rabbit trail that would bring her out close to the camp entrance. It was too narrow to run side by side here, and she slipped into the lead, speeding up as she neared home. She ducked first through the thorn tunnel and hurried into camp.

The clearing was hidden in shadow. The Clan must be asleep. Only Whitewing’s pelt showed on the far side of the clearing, bright in the moonlight. She hurried forward as she saw Squirrelflight. “Did ShadowClan know the Sisters are here?” she whispered anxiously.

“No.” Squirrelflight flicked her tail as Bumblestripe followed her into camp. “Bumblestripe will tell you what happened.” As Whitewing turned away Squirrelflight padded quickly to the elders’ den. She stuck her head through the entrance. The scent of the Sisters bathed her muzzle and she blinked, adjusting to the darkness. “Snow? Are you awake?”

The white she-cat lifted her head and blinked sleepily in the shadows. “What’s happened?”

“You have to leave tonight,” Squirrelflight told her.

Tempest jerked her head up. “Right now?” Alarm glittered in the tabby’s bright gaze.

“As soon as Bramblestar gets back,” Squirrelflight told her. “He wants you to leave tonight. He’s following with the rest of the patrol. They’ll be here soon.”

Hawk scrambled to her paws. “Is Sunrise well enough to travel?”

“I hope so. I’m going to see Leafpool now,” Squirrelflight blinked at her. “She’ll know what to do.” She ducked out of the elders’ den, sensing Bumblestripe’s gaze as she crossed the clearing. She ignored it and nosed her way through the brambles that draped the entrance to the medicine den.

Leafpool was sitting beside Sunrise’s nest, her face hidden in shadow. She pricked her ears as Squirrelflight slid inside. “Was the Gathering okay?”

Sunrise shifted in her nest. “Did ShadowClan make trouble?” Anxiety glittered in her gaze.

Squirrelflight crossed the den. “ShadowClan wants to declare war against the Sisters. Leafstar and Bramblestar convinced them to hold off until we hear from StarClan.” She gazed evenly at Sunrise. “But Bramblestar says you have to leave here tonight.”

Leafpool’s pelt prickled. “Tonight?” She glanced anxiously at Sunrise’s wound. Squirrelflight guessed what she was thinking. The gash had closed, but a mistimed jump or a fall could reopen it. And the infection had sapped the she-cat’s strength.

“I’ve warned Snow.” As Squirrelflight spoke, the white she-cat pushed her way into the den, Tempest and Hawk at her heels. They crowded inside, appearing bigger than ever in the tight hollow.

Snow blinked at Leafpool. “Is she well enough to travel?”

Leafpool shifted her paws. “She’ll have to be. If ShadowClan is talking war, it’s too dangerous for you to stay.”

“War?” Hawk asked, her eyes wide. “You didn’t mention that before. Do you really think the other cats would attack because you’ve helped us?”

“You attacked their warriors,” Leafpool replied evenly. “They would see it as defending their own.”

“But we were only defending our own,” Tempest meowed.

Leafpool’s ear twitched irritably. “We could argue about who was in the right all day. What matters is that you must leave if we want to avoid violence.” She caught Squirrelflight’s eye nervously.

Does she think I’m going to argue? Squirrelflight felt uneasy about sending Sunrise home while she was still weak, but she realized Alderheart had been right, and Leafpool clearly felt the same way—if ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan were ready to start a war with the Sisters, they wouldn’t be safe here, and their presence would put ThunderClan in danger.

Leafpool flicked her tail. “I’ll make up a bundle of herbs for you to take.” She padded toward the cleft in the rock at the back of the den where the herbs were stored. “I hope you can find more when you get home.” She crouched and began tugging leaves from the shadowy crack. “Use marigold, and goldenrod if you can find it. That wound will need to be kept clean until it’s fully healed.”

Snow dipped her head. “We are grateful for your care, Leafpool. Sunrise would have died without you.”

“Alderheart and Jayfeather would have taken care of her if I hadn’t,” Leafpool meowed briskly as she pulled out a wad of thyme.

Squirrelflight shifted her paws. Would they have? Jayfeather and Alderheart had helped treat Sunrise’s wound, but she’d felt their unease at having a cat some of the Clan considered an enemy in their medicine den. She suspected they’d be relieved when the Sisters left.

Sunrise shifted in her nest, her face taut with pain.

Hawk stiffened. “Are you sure she can travel?”

Leafpool wrapped the herbs in a leaf and carried them to Sunrise’s nest. She opened the bundle and, with her pad, dabbed at a patch of poppy seeds pooled between the leaves. “Swallow these.” She lifted her paw to Sunrise’s mouth, and the yellow she-cat ducked to lick them off. “They’ll help with the pain. There’s more in the bundle for when you get home, but you’ll have to find your own once they’re gone.”

Tempest was frowning. “Do the Clans always turn a fight into a war?”

Squirrelflight looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“Sunrise was hurt in a border fight,” Tempest meowed. “Is that any reason to start a war?”

“Tensions are running high at the moment,” Squirrelflight explained. “We changed borders recently, and it’s not working out as well as we’d hoped. And the fight permanently damaged Strikestone’s hearing. I didn’t realize when we brought Sunrise back here that a Clan cat had been so badly hurt.”

“Nor did we.” Tempest’s gaze darkened. “We didn’t mean to harm him.”

Snow lifted her muzzle. “We were defending ourselves.”

Leafpool rerolled the bundle. “What’s done is done.” She pushed it toward Hawk.

“They’re back.” Squirrelflight blinked anxiously toward the den entrance as paw steps sounded in the clearing.

The brambles shivered and Bramblestar pushed his way in. “Are they ready?” He gazed darkly at the Sisters.

Snow nodded.

“I’ve given them herbs to take with them,” Leafpool told him.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “Our herbs?”

Leafpool met his gaze. “I’ll pick fresh herbs to replace them.”

Bramblestar flicked his tail toward the entrance. “It’s time they were going.” He nodded toward Snow. “Try not to be seen. And stay away from ShadowClan’s borders. I don’t want them picking up your scent.”

“I’m going to escort them,” Squirrelflight told him. “I can make sure they stay away from Clan borders.”

Bramblestar looked at her suspiciously. “I’m sure they can manage by themselves.”

“They’ll manage better with a guide.” Squirrelflight returned his gaze evenly. She wanted to check on Moonlight. Was the Sisters’ leader close to kitting? “ShadowClan mustn’t know they’ve passed through our territory.”

Bramblestar frowned. “If you must go, I’m sending Bumblestripe with you.”

“Let him sleep,” Squirrelflight mewed quickly. “It’s late.” She tipped her head to one side. “Or don’t you trust me to do this alone?”

Bramblestar stared back at her, then shook out his pelt. “Go with them if you must,” he growled. He nodded quickly to the Sisters and nosed his way out of the den.

“He doesn’t sound pleased with the idea,” Snow observed.

“These days, he’s not pleased with anything I do.” Squirrelflight watched the brambles swish back into place, her heart heavy.

“There’s no time to worry about that now.” Leafpool helped Sunrise to her paws. As the wounded cat climbed unsteadily out of her nest, Hawk and Tempest hurried to support her. They pressed against her on either side, guiding her to the entrance. Snow picked up the bundle of herbs and followed them out.

Leafpool watched them go. “Don’t travel too fast,” she warned Squirrelflight. “Sunrise is very weak.”

“I’ll make sure she gets home safely,” Squirrelflight promised.

Outside, Bramblestar hung back in the shadow of the Highledge, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. Thornclaw and Hollytuft watched from the fresh-kill pile as the Sisters moved slowly past them.

Larksong padded to the edge of the clearing and dipped his head to Tempest. His black pelt was no more than a shadow in the darkness. “Take care,” he mewed.

“I’ll look after them.” Squirrelflight told him.

Larksong looked surprised. “Are you going with them?”

Squirrelflight lifted her chin. “I brought them here. I’ll see them home.”

Sparkpelt padded to her mate’s side, her gaze shimmering with worry as she blinked at her mother. “Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be among friends,” Squirrelflight reassured her.

A low growl rumbled in Thornclaw’s throat. Squirrelflight ignored it and followed Tempest and Hawk as they steered Sunrise through the thorn tunnel.

In the forest, Snow fell in quietly beside Squirrelflight. She held the bundle of herbs between her jaws, staying close as Squirrelflight led the Sisters toward the abandoned Twolegplace.

The journey was slow, and they stopped from time to time to let Sunrise rest. The wounded cat made no fuss, but Squirrelflight could see from the bright pain in her eyes that she was struggling. An owl hooted in the trees, staying with them as they made their way through the forest, as though curious about their presence. Foxes screeched in the distance, and everywhere Squirrelflight could hear the rustle of prey in the undergrowth.

At the edge of Clan territory, Squirrelflight relaxed a little. From here, she wouldn’t have to keep glancing over her shoulder for prying Clan eyes. She halted as Tempest and Hawk helped Sunrise across the border; then she let Snow take the lead. The white cat knew this territory better than she did. Tiredness was beginning to tug at her bones, and she was relieved when at last she recognized the trail that led into the Sisters’ secluded valley.

She opened her mouth and, through the dank night air, tasted the scent of their camp. Moonlight. She smelled the she-cat’s scent, feeling at home at once. Pricking her ears, she listened for movement. This late into the night, the Sisters must be sleeping.

At the fern entrance, Tempest lifted her muzzle and yowled. Instantly, dens rustled and paw steps pattered over grass.

“Snow? Is that you?” Moonlight’s call sounded from the camp.

Squirrelflight fought the urge to race ahead, letting Tempest and Hawk ease Sunrise through the ferns before she followed them into the camp.

“You’re home.” Moonlight stood outside her den, her eyes shining. “Sparrow brought your message.” Her gaze flitted toward Sunrise. “It looks like Squirrelflight’s medicine cat managed to help.”

Flurry hurried to her mother’s side. “Hawk!” She rubbed her cheek against her mother’s. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Sparrow wove around them, purring. “You were gone for ages. Moonlight was about to send a search party.”

Squirrelflight was relieved that the gray she-cat hadn’t. What would Bramblestar have said if even more Sisters had turned up on their land?

Sunrise sank down into the grass with a weary groan.

“Are you still sick?” Furze darted toward her.

“I’m recovering,” Sunrise told her. “Slowly.”

Snow dropped the herb bundle beside Sunrise. “Squirrelflight’s campmates gave us these herbs to treat her.”

Moonlight hurried across the clearing and stopped beside Snow. Squirrelflight eyed her swollen belly. “I’m glad you’re safe.” Her gaze flashed toward Squirrelflight, surprise lighting her face as though she’d only just realized Squirrelflight was with the returning patrol. “I must thank you for taking care of my campmates.”

Squirrelflight’s pelt prickled uneasily. What would Moonlight say when she heard that ThunderClan had considered turning Sunrise away, even if it meant she died? “It was risky,” she mumbled. She needed to explain. “Sunrise was injured in a fight with ShadowClan. Sheltering her was dangerous.”

Moonlight dipped her head. “I’m sorry my campmates put your Clan in such a difficult position. Has it caused you trouble?”

“Not really.” Squirrelflight told her. “ShadowClan doesn’t know we helped her. But they are ready to declare war on you because of the fight with their patrol. One of their warriors lost his ear, and his hearing.”

Moonlight tipped her head to one side. “Do they know we’ll be moving on once my kits have been born?”

“Yes,” Squirrelflight met her gaze apologetically. “But Tigerstar doesn’t want to wait that long, and RiverClan and WindClan are willing to fight with him.”

Moonlight blinked at her. “And your Clan?”

“Bramblestar is stalling them. He says we must have the permission of StarClan.”

“They’re your ancestors, yes?”

Squirrelflight nodded.

“And they live up there?” Moonlight looked into the sky. Pale blue was showing on the horizon, but the stars were still glittering in blackness overhead. “It seems a long way to travel. Perhaps that’s why some choose to stay here.”

Squirrelflight frowned. “What do you mean?”

Snow pricked her ears. “Don’t you see them?”

“See who?” Squirrelflight shifted uneasily. The Sisters were staring at her as though she’d grown rabbit ears.

“The dead,” Moonlight told her.

Cold wormed beneath Squirrelflight’s pelt. “Only medicine cats share with StarClan.”

Moonlight looked puzzled. “Don’t the rest of you see them?”

Squirrelflight hesitated, remembering suddenly the great battle against the Dark Forest. “Once, many moons ago, our ancestors fought beside us.” Her belly tightened. “But those days are over. Since then, the warriors of StarClan only show themselves to our medicine cats.”

Moonlight met her gaze. “Perhaps it is simpler that way. The dead are all around us. They seem younger and sleeker than they did in life, as though death brings them peace.”

“Do you speak to them?” A memory stirred at the edges of Squirrelflight’s thoughts.

“Sometimes,” Moonlight told her.

Tree! Squirrelflight caught hold of the memory. The loner that SkyClan had taken in was able to see the dead. He’d brought dead warriors from the shadows to speak with their living Clanmates. “Of course! Your son Tree sees the dead too!”

“Cats born of the Sisters have this skill.” Moonlight gazed at her. “It keeps us connected to our ancestors.”

“We all see the dead,” Furze told her. “Sometimes they talk to us; sometimes they don’t. Sometimes I’m not sure they even see me.”

“I often see the same cat,” Tempest told her. “If she wants to, she speaks to me; if not, she ignores me.”

Squirrelflight wondered if the Sisters’ dead had the same powers of prophecy as StarClan. “Do they ever tell you what will happen in the future?”

Tempest narrowed her eyes. “How would they know?”

“Our dead move among us,” Moonlight explained. “They have no power to see what we cannot.”

Squirrelflight glanced at the sky, frustration pricking in her paws. What use were the dead if they couldn’t help the living? Dawn was creeping closer. She needed to get home. “Tell your dead friends to watch out for the Clans,” she warned Moonlight. “Bramblestar has stopped ShadowClan for now, but once Tigerstar gets an idea, it’s hard for him to let go.”

Moonlight swished her tail. “We are bigger and stronger than Clan cats.”

Squirrelflight gazed at her solemnly. “Maybe, but you’re heavily outnumbered. Even rats are dangerous when they come in swarms.”

Tempest and Furze exchanged nervous looks. Hawk shifted closer to her kits.

Moonlight held Squirrelflight’s gaze. “You may be right,” she conceded. “But we won’t be here for long. Try to persuade the Clans to wait. We mean no harm to them, but my kits must be born here.”

Squirrelflight dipped her head. “I will do what I can.” Even as she promised, doubt gnawed at her belly. Maybe once, with Bramblestar on her side, she could have persuaded the Clans to keep their claws sheathed, for a while at least. But their experience with Darktail had made the Clans more wary. His Kin had posed as a harmless group of rogues, too—but then they’d infiltrated ShadowClan and eventually taken it over. Before he was done, they’d taken RiverClan’s land as well, and horribly mistreated the cats in their care. Many cats died in the battle to defeat him, and ShadowClan was nearly destroyed. All the Clans had become more hostile to outsiders and less open to reason as a result. She knew the Sisters were no threat, but she wasn’t sure that she could convince the Clans to leave them in peace.