Squirrelflight's Hope

CHAPTER 20

“You go ahead.” Tree swished his tail as they headed out of Clan territory onto the Sisters’ land. It was the morning after the Gathering, and the sun was glittering through the trees. “I want to practice my speech.” He hung back and let Squirrelflight and Leafstar take the lead.

“He has a speech?” Squirrelflight was surprised that any cat would have to practice to speak with his mother. She understood that the relationship between Tree and Moonlight was strained, but it surprised her that it was this strained. She blinked at Leafstar as they followed the steep path out of the forest. She glanced over her shoulder. Tree was murmuring softly to himself.

“He and Hawkwing went over what he was going to say to Moonlight before we left.” Leafstar slid under a drooping willow branch.

Squirrelflight ducked under another branch. “I don’t know why Tree needed to come, if he doesn’t want to see his mother again. We could have passed on the Clans’ message without him.”

“He does have a talent for slicing open a problem so it can be looked at easily. It’s why I made him our mediator. Besides, I don’t think the Clans would let us come without him.” Leafstar gazed ahead. “Tigerstar’s already frustrated that we’ve stopped him from taking this land before now. He wouldn’t want me and you in charge of the negotiation.”

“But it’s not a negotiation, is it?” Frustration clawed at Squirrelflight’s belly. “It’s a threat. If the Sisters don’t leave, the Clans will drive them away by force.”

“I know.” Leafstar flicked her tail as the land flattened beneath her paws. She headed between the thinning trees. “But we might be able to give the Sisters enough time to prepare for the journey and to leave with a little dignity. And besides, Tree is Moonlight’s son.”

Squirrelflight nodded. “If she won’t listen to us, she might listen to him.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” Leafstar stopped as they broke from the forest and mountain territory opened ahead of them.

Paw steps brushed the ground behind them as Tree caught up.

“I think I’ve got it,” he meowed. “I know exactly what I’m going to say.”

“Do you think she’ll agree?” Squirrelflight glanced at him anxiously.

“If she were reasonable, she’d agree.” Tree gazed over the rolling landscape. “But we’re talking about my mother.”

Unease wormed beneath Squirrelflight’s pelt. Moonlight had seemed reasonable to her. She could be peaceful and kind. But there was also a stubborn streak running through her fur. Persuading her to leave the mountain territory might be like asking a badger to leave its set.

They reached the camp at sunhigh. Sunshine bathed the valley. The bushes crowding the Sisters’ camp looked blowsy and tattered. As Squirrelflight led Tree and Leafstar down the winding path to the entrance, guilt pricked at her belly. How could she stand by as a queen and her tiny kits were forced from their home? She pushed the thought away. Perhaps the kits were strong and healthy, and the Sisters were already preparing to leave.

“Squirrelflight?” Snow’s mew took her by surprise. As the white she-cat slid from the ferns at the camp entrance, suspicion glittered in her gaze. “What are you doing here?”

“Has Moonlight had her kits?” Squirrelflight asked eagerly.

Snow narrowed her eyes. “No.”

Disappointment dropped like a stone in Squirrelflight’s belly. It should be past time. “We have to speak with her.”

Stiffening, Snow looked past them to Tree. “Why?”

Leafstar padded closer. “It’s important.”

“Moonlight’s close to kitting,” Snow told them, her gaze still on Tree. “She’s moved to the birthing den.”

“But we can still see her, right?” Leafstar shifted her paws impatiently.

Snow bristled. “Do you expect me to let a grown tom into our camp?” She glared at Tree.

Squirrelflight blinked at her. “But Tree is your kin, isn’t he?”

“The Sisters don’t believe in kin,” Tree snapped. “Not male kin, anyway.”

“Hold your tongue,” Leafstar snapped. “You’re meant to be our negotiator.”

“Sorry.” Tree met Snow’s gaze stiffly. “I’ve come from the Clans. I must speak with Moonlight. She will want to hear my message.”

Snow hesitated, her ears twitching. Then she headed through the ferns. “Follow me.”

Squirrelflight pushed her way through, blinking as she saw the grassy clearing; Sparrow, Sunrise, and Hawk were sharing a thrush. Tempest and Furze lay in a patch of sunshine.

Creek, resting beside Flurry, bristled in surprise as he saw Tree and scrambled to his paws. “Why is a tom here?”

“You’re a tom, aren’t you?” Tree stared back at him.

“But you’re too old to be here.” Creek shifted nervously.

“You’ll be old one day,” Tree grunted.

As Snow slid into the birthing den, Squirrelflight glanced apologetically at the Sisters. “I’m sorry to disturb you again, but we have to talk to Moonlight.”

Sunrise blinked at her, chewing, no sign of her injury.

Tempest lifted her head. “Do you want some prey?” She flicked her tail toward a pile of fresh-kill at the edge of the clearing. “We caught plenty.”

“No thanks.” Guilt prickled through Squirrelflight’s fur. The Sisters were so kind. Couldn’t they guess why she was here? “We just want to speak to Moonlight.”

Hawk blinked at Leafstar. “How’s your injured leg?” she asked.

“Healed.” As Leafstar turned to show her where the fur had grown back, Snow ducked out of the birthing den.

“She’ll see you,” she told them. Her gaze glittered sharply as it flitted over Tree. “Even you.” Her nose wrinkled.

“Thank you.” Squirrelflight’s heart quickened as she ducked into the den. Leafstar and Tree padded after her.

The nursery was warm and well padded with bracken and moss. Cocooned from the sunshine, it glowed with a rosy half-light. Moonlight lay on a nest of fresh ferns, her broad head dwarfed by the size of her belly.

Squirrelflight stared at it. “Your kits must be overdue.”

“Perhaps.” Moonlight’s gaze flitted from Squirrelflight to Leafstar. “It’s good to see you again, Leafstar.” She ignored Tree. “Snow says you’ve brought a grown tom into our camp.”

“He’s been sent by the Clans, to speak for them,” Squirrelflight told her.

Moonlight’s gaze rounded. “Don’t they think your voices are enough?”

Leafstar’s tail twitched. “They wanted someone impartial.”

“So they sent my son.” Amusement glinted in her eyes.

Squirrelflight’s chest tightened. Was Moonlight going to take this seriously? “Please listen to Tree. He’s your best chance for peace.”

Moonlight flicked her gaze to Tree for the first time. “It’s good to see you again, Earth.”

“I told you,” he meowed firmly. “I’m not Earth anymore. I’m Tree.”

“Of course.” She dipped her head politely. “And you’ve come with a message from the Clans.”

“Not a message,” he told her. “I’ve come to persuade you to leave this territory.”

She held his gaze coolly. “Really.” She sounded unimpressed.

“You already know that SkyClan wants this land,” he began. “The land around the lake is not big enough to support five Clans. It was decided that SkyClan should move here. But they can’t while you’re here.”

“I’ve told Leafstar already that she can have the land when we move on,” Moonlight told him.

“You need to move on now. The Clans are already fighting over land. Every moment you stay here puts another warrior at risk.” Tree stared at her urgently. “For the sake of the Clans, you have to go.”

Moonlight tipped her head. “I thought the Clans enjoyed fighting. They attacked us for no good reason. They nearly killed Sunrise.”

“You were trespassing,” Tree reminded her. “And you maimed one of their warriors.”

“If they’d simply asked us to leave, no one would have been hurt.”

Tree’s fur ruffled along his spine. “That’s what they’re doing now,” he meowed. “Asking you to leave so that no one gets hurt.”

Moonlight narrowed her eyes. “Is that a threat?”

Squirrelflight’s heart quickened. Moonlight was being difficult. She shot Tree a warning glance.

He dipped his head. “I came here to reason with you, not to threaten.”

“Then reason with me.” Moonlight’s gaze suddenly hardened. “Don’t quote words given to you by someone else. You’re my son. I hope I taught you to have a mind of your own.”

“I was your son,” Tree answered. “I speak for the Clans now.”

“The Clans!” Moonlight snorted. “Do you think like a Clan cat too? Dividing land out like prey to be given to others.” She scowled at him. “Have you forgotten that as a tom, you are protector of the land? You should wander it, not own it!”

“You’ve never believed in borders!” Tree snapped back. “You’ve never believed in home. But some cats want to belong. They want a home that will always be a home.”

Squirrelflight stepped forward. “I realize this is an emotional time,” she meowed evenly. “Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to ask your son to reason with you. But he’s not trying to threaten you. And if his words are someone else’s, it’s because he’s trying so hard not to. But the truth is, if you don’t move, you will face a battle with more cats than you have ever seen, every one of them trained in fighting.”

Leafstar shifted beside her. “You say you want to have your kits here, but they would be in danger here.”

Moonlight glared at her. “Is the land really worth that much to the Clans? Would they harm kits to get their paws on it?”

A chill ran along Squirrelflight’s spine.

Tree lashed his tail. “Why argue?” he growled. “You’re outnumbered. There’s no way you can defend this valley. You certainly couldn’t defend the hunting land around it. Why don’t you just accept that you have to leave?”

Moonlight lifted her chin. “The Sisters will not be bullied. We will not move. If the Clans wish to attack us, we will defend ourselves.”

Squirrelflight could hardly believe her ears. Was Moonlight crazy? ThunderClan would not hurt a queen and her kits, but ShadowClan might, or even WindClan. A battle could easily rage out of control. She stared urgently at Moonlight. “Please leave,” she whispered. “Don’t risk your kits’ lives.” And bring shame on the Clans. If the Sisters didn’t leave, the Clans might prove her worst fear—that they were capable of self-interest so ruthless, it wouldn’t matter which cats stood in their way.

Moonlight returned her gaze unwaveringly. “I’ve told you. We will not move.”

Tree flattened his ears. “You always put your beliefs before the needs of your kits.” Curling his lip, he pushed his way out of the den.

Tail drooping, Leafstar followed. Squirrelflight glanced at them as they left. Perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea to ask Tree to mediate with his mother. She turned her gaze on Moonlight. The queen stared back at her coldly. “Please,” Squirrelflight mewed. They’d shared a camp, if only for a short while. They’d helped build this den together. She’d stood up for Sunrise when her Clanmates had wanted to send her away. They had a connection. Surely there was something she could say now to make Moonlight change her mind?

Moonlight stared at her, unblinking. “Leave.”

Dread settled in Squirrelflight’s belly. Trembling, she nosed her way outside. They’d failed. The Sisters were staying and the Clans would attack. Her thoughts whirled. Preying on the vulnerable was not part of the warrior code. If ThunderClan attacked the Sisters, could she fight alongside her Clanmates? She wanted to prove her loyalty to ThunderClan, but could she risk hurting an expectant queen?