Squirrelflight's Hope

CHAPTER 21

Around the island, the lake had turned to flame, lit by the setting sun. Squirrelflight and Bramblestar had come as soon as Squirrelflight had returned from the Sisters, sending Berrynose to fetch Harestar, while Leafstar had sent word to Tigerstar and Mistystar. Now the leaders from every Clan moved restlessly on the shore of the island, anger sparking between them as Leafstar and Squirrelflight reported Moonlight’s reply.

“They won’t move?” Outrage sparked in Tigerstar’s eyes.

Mistystar’s pelt prickled indignantly. “This is an insult. Don’t they know who they’re dealing with?”

“We could destroy them in a single battle!” Harestar flexed his claws.

Squirrelflight swallowed back desperation. She could still save the Sisters. She didn’t care whether Bramblestar wanted her to keep quiet. The Clans mustn’t attack them. “But why should they move? Moonlight is expecting kits!”

“Why should they move?” Tigerstar repeated Squirrelflight’s question as though he couldn’t believe his ears.

Squirrelflight stared at him. “If we just leave them alone, they’ll be gone in a moon.”

Harestar flicked his tail. “I don’t think they’ll ever move,” he snarled. “They know we want that land, and they’re determined to keep it for themselves.”

Mistystar nodded. “This is a matter of honor. How dare these rogues defy us!”

Bramblestar shifted his paws. “I’m not sure honor has much to do with it,” he meowed evenly. “But it does seem that we are going to have to chase these cats away sooner or later.”

“And it might as well be sooner,” Harestar snapped.

“We should have done it already,” Tigerstar grunted.

“They’re clearly determined to hang on to this land for as long as they can.” Bramblestar glanced at Squirrelflight.

She blinked at him. “Moonlight only wants to wait until she’s had her kits. Is that so unreasonable?”

“It is when the peace of the Clans is at stake,” Bramblestar answered.

Anger burned beneath Squirrelflight’s pelt. “There’s no need for the Clans to fight one another!”

Tigerstar growled. “Not every Clan is willing to give their land away as easily as ThunderClan.” His gaze moved pointedly from Bramblestar to Harestar. “We want to keep our borders until SkyClan has moved.”

“We want our marshland back!” Mistystar snapped.

Bramblestar met Squirrelflight’s gaze. “Do you see? There can be no peace until the border disputes are settled once and for all. We have to make the Sisters leave.”

“And they’re clearly not going to leave until we drive them away,” Harestar growled.

“Even if it harms unborn kits?” Squirrelflight dug her claws into the earth. How could she be the only cat here who didn’t see how unfair the Clans were being?

“A cat can have kits anywhere,” Mistystar pointed out. “Especially a rogue.”

“The Sisters aren’t rogues!” Squirrelflight looked helplessly at Leafstar. Why hadn’t she spoken up?

Leafstar eyes glittered in the dying sunlight. Was that an apology in her gaze? “I think Moonlight is being unreasonable. She could move if she wanted to. She must know that she’s putting her kits in danger, and yet she insists on staying.”

Squirrelflight stared at her. Leafstar had been her only ally, and now she was siding with the others. Her heart lurched. “Do you think we should drive them out too?”

“Not drive them out, exactly,” Leafstar murmured. “But if the Clans sent a patrol big enough to show Moonlight what the Sisters are up against, she might change her mind.”

“That’s right!” Tigerstar’s eyes lit up. “If we show up in force, Moonlight will see that it’s pointless trying to stand against us.”

“We wouldn’t have to unsheathe a claw,” Harestar agreed.

Bramblestar looked at Squirrelflight. “You must agree that’s reasonable,” he meowed. “No one would be harmed, and SkyClan would get their land now.”

Squirrelflight’s paws pricked with anger. “You don’t know Moonlight,” she shot back. “If you show up in her camp, she won’t just back down. She’s more likely to fight.”

“Even if she’s outnumbered?” Mistystar blinked at her.

“Especially if she’s outnumbered,” Squirrelflight insisted.

Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. “If she wants to fight, then we’d fight. But it would be Moonlight’s choice.”

Squirrelflight looked helplessly at Bramblestar. “You can’t let this happen,” she breathed. “Sending a patrol to scare the Sisters away is the same thing as attacking them.”

Bramblestar stared back at her, his gaze determined. “Trying to guess how Moonlight will react is not my problem. I have to do what’s best for the Clans.”

“Then it’s settled?” Harestar looked at him hopefully.

“I’ll bring a patrol,” Bramblestar told him.

“We should leave at dawn,” Tigerstar meowed. “Each Clan should bring its strongest warriors.”

“Where do we meet?” Mistystar asked.

“You can meet on our territory,” Leafstar offered. “Where our border meets ThunderClan’s. You can cross into the mountain territory easily there.” She glanced nervously at Tigerstar. “But SkyClan won’t be sending a patrol.”

“It was your suggestion!” Harestar blinked at the SkyClan leader.

Leafstar ignored him and pressed on. “We won’t risk a war on unborn kits. But if you want to chase the Sisters out, we won’t stand in your way.”

Squirrelflight’s heart felt as heavy as stone. Tomorrow, the Clans would force the Sisters from their home. It didn’t matter whether the Clans planned to attack first or not. The Sisters might not mean any harm, but she knew how stubborn Moonlight could be. This confrontation would escalate into violence, and she was powerless to stop it.

Bramblestar dipped his head to the other leaders. “I’ll see you all at dawn.” He turned and padded away without looking at Squirrelflight. She stared after him. Was he ashamed? Or was he angry with her? Surprise jabbed at her belly. Does he even still care what I think of him?

“You’d better hurry.” Mistystar eyed her pointedly. “It looks like he’s not going to wait for you.

Heat burned beneath Squirrelflight’s pelt. “I can find my own way home,” she snapped. As she turned away, Harestar sniffed.

“It’s good to see Bramblestar taking charge of his Clan at last,” the WindClan leader murmured.

Squirrelflight jerked her muzzle toward him. “In ThunderClan, we’re allowed to have our own opinions,” she snarled, lashing her tail as she walked away.

She didn’t try to catch up with Bramblestar, but crossed the tree-bridge and trailed him along the shore. He didn’t wait for her, and she could see by the set of his shoulders, his head hanging low, that he wanted to be left alone. In ThunderClan, we’re allowed to have our own opinions. Was that true anymore? He’d been angry ever since she’d suggested SkyClan move to new territory at the leaders’ meeting. Why? ThunderClan used to be a Clan where everyone’s ideas were given a hearing. Had her longing for more kits put him on edge? Clearly she’d been pressuring him, without knowing it, into doing something he didn’t want to do. Her heart ached. They used to want the same things. Now they seemed to think and feel differently about everything.

When she padded into camp, Bramblestar was already organizing the patrol that would go with him in the morning to the Sisters’ camp. In moonlight pooling at the center of the clearing, he looked around at the warriors crowding excitedly in front of him.

“Thornclaw, you’ll come with me,” Bramblestar told the dark warrior.

“Can I come?” Blossomfall pushed her way to the front.

“Me too.” Mousewhisker whisked his tail.

Twigbranch hung back with Finleap and glanced hopefully at Squirrelflight as she passed, as if hoping she would keep the other cats from forcing the Sisters out.

Squirrelflight looked away. There was nothing she could do to stop this. She slunk into the shadow of the Highledge, huddling away from the rest of her Clan. She didn’t want to hear their eager voices. How could so many of her Clanmates approve of this plan? Would they be acting like this if she were leader? She hunched tighter, crouching against the earth. What was the point in wondering? She’d never be leader, just like she’d never go along with this fox-hearted plan.

The shadows deepened as evening gave way to night. Squirrelflight fluffed her fur against the chill.

“What about you?”

Bramblestar’s question took her by surprise.

She looked up. He stood over her, his gaze dark. Behind him the clearing was empty. “What do you mean?” She sat up.

“Can I count on your support tomorrow?” There was hostility in his mew. “You are my deputy, after all.”

“And your mate.” Her pelt pricked uneasily. What did he expect her to say? “But that doesn’t mean I have to support you in everything. I can’t support you when I don’t agree with you.”

“You’re my deputy. I expect you to support me no matter what,” he snapped. “How can the Clan trust my decisions when you constantly challenge me?”

“You’re their leader. They’ll support you,” she mewed. “No matter how wrong you are.”

Bramblestar bristled. “So you doubt your Clan too?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“It’s what you meant.”

“You haven’t understood what I’ve meant for a moon!” Squirrelflight flattened her ears. “If you did, we wouldn’t be arguing now, and you wouldn’t be leading a battle patrol against an expectant queen!”

“Is that all that matters to you?” Bramblestar’s eyes blazed with frustration. “Some rogue and her kits? There’s more to life than kits!”

“And there’s more to life than fighting!”

“Of course there is!” Bramblestar held her gaze. “Do you think I don’t know that?”

“You’re acting as if borders and battles are the only thing you care about,” Squirrelflight spat.

“And you’re acting like the Sisters are the only cats you care about!” Hurt edged his mew.

“You think I don’t care about ThunderClan?” Thorns seemed to pierce Squirrelflight’s heart. “Of course I care! I care about them, and I care about you! More than anything! But you don’t seem to respect me anymore—not as your mate, not as your deputy—and I don’t know why.”

“Of course I respect you.” Bramblestar’s mew softened. “But you don’t seem to agree with anything I say or do. I have a Clan to lead. How can I lead them when the cat I care most about thinks I’m doing everything wrong?”

Squirrelflight gazed at him through the darkness. “Do you really believe you’re doing the right thing by attacking the Sisters?”

“I’m not attacking them! I’m just making sure they leave.”

“But you must know there’ll be a battle if you show up.”

Bramblestar’s eyes flashed. “I don’t know anything of the kind, and I’m not responsible for how Moonlight might react. I know that you’re worried, but I’m not going there to fight. I don’t want the Sisters to be hurt. I will do everything in my power to make sure we move her without bloodshed.” He looked suddenly helpless. “I promise I’m only trying to do what’s best, Squirrelflight. I can’t let the Clans fight among themselves. StarClan has told us there must be peace. This is the only way we can ensure that peace.”

Pity swelled in Squirrelflight’s chest. She suddenly saw how torn he must feel. SkyClan’s arrival beside the lake had sent shock waves through the Clans that they were still struggling to cope with. She understood why Bramblestar wanted to protect the Clans’ fragile harmony. But if everyone could just take a breath and wait, she felt sure that a battle with Moonlight and the Sisters could be avoided. “Don’t you see that I can’t agree with you?” she murmured. “The Clans are threatening unborn kits because they can’t wait one moon for extra land. It’s greedy and heartless.”

“But more land for each Clan will mean a lasting peace.” Bramblestar stared at her desperately. “Don’t you see that?”

“Is peace in the Clans so important?” There hadn’t been peace among the Clans while she was growing up, and the sky hadn’t fallen in.

“I have to obey the wishes of StarClan.” His eyes glimmered with doubt. “I’m a Clan leader. StarClan trusted me enough to give me nine lives. I can’t betray them.”

Squirrelflight’s heart ached. Bramblestar sounded wretched. He needed her. She lowered her mew to a whisper. “Even if I don’t agree with what you’re doing, I love you.”

“You do?” Hope glimmered in his eyes.

“Of course I do.”

Pelt smoothing, Bramblestar leaned forward and pressed his muzzle to her cheek. “I love you too.”

Peace washed Squirrelflight’s pelt for the first time in a moon. She felt the warmth of Bramblestar’s check and breathed in his scent. He smelled of the forest and the night, dew catching in his fur. “I wish you weren’t taking a patrol to the Sisters’ camp. I wish this could be settled another way. But if this is what you feel you must do, my loyalty will lie with you and with ThunderClan.”

He leaned against her, a soft purr trembling in his throat. “Thank you.”

“Come on.” She began to lead him toward the rock tumble. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a long journey to make in the morning.”

That night, Squirrelflight dreamed a terrible dream. Battle raged around her. Cats shrieked on every side, writhing as they fought. As she strained to see through blinding sunshine, paws slammed into her shoulder. She hit the ground with a thump and glanced desperately around, scanning the confusion for a face she recognized. Fear-scents bathed her muzzle. Who were these cats? Her paws felt as heavy as stone, the earth dragging at her pelt like water.

As she tried to struggle to her paws, a shadow fell over her. Claws glinted in the sunlight as a tom slashed at her muzzle. Terror shrilling through her pelt, she rolled out of the way and hauled herself up, lashing out as she leaped to her paws. Her claws met something soft and ripped through. It crumpled under her blow. She squinted against the light, trying to see what she’d hit. On the ground in front of her, she saw a small body. Its orange-and-black pelt was matted with blood. Sparkpelt’s lost kit. Horror seared her belly. She felt the blood on her claws seep into her fur, warm and wet, filling the air with a terrible sweetness. I killed him!

She woke with a jolt, her pelt clammy. Blinking into the darkness of the den, she struggled to catch her breath. It was just a dream. But the horror lingered in her belly. She slid away from Bramblestar and climbed out of their nest. It was more than a dream. She was sure. It was a warning. Heart lurching, she darted out of the den. She had to check on Sparkpelt. She had to see that the kits were safe.

She slithered as quietly as she could down the rock tumble and hurried through the moonlight to the nursery. Nosing her way in, she blinked, adjusting her eyes to the darkness.

Sparkpelt was asleep in her nest, Flamekit and Finchkit pressed against her belly. Daisy snored softly in the nest beside them. Relief washed Squirrelflight’s pelt. They were safe. It had been just a dream.

As she crept from the nursery, movement caught her eye. A shadow shifted outside the medicine den. She glimpsed white paws in the darkness and recognized Leafpool. What was she doing up? It wasn’t even close to dawn. She padded toward her. “Leafpool?” she whispered. “Are you okay?”

Leafpool’s eyes glinted in the shadows. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Why not?” Squirrelflight’s belly tightened.

Leafpool frowned. “I’m not sure, but I have a terrible feeling that something is wrong.” She shuddered. “Why are you awake?”

“I had a nightmare,” Squirrelflight told her. “About a kit.” She glanced toward the nursery. “I thought Sparkpelt’s kits might be in trouble.”

Leafpool’s gaze shimmered with alarm. “Are you sure the dream was about Sparkpelt’s kits?”

Squirrelflight stiffened. “Who else could they be?”

“Moonlight’s.” Her mew was barely more than a whisper.

Alarm sparked through Squirrelflight’s fur. Was the dream a warning? Were Moonlight’s kits in danger? “We have to go.” She raced for the camp entrance. “If her kits are in danger, we have to save them.”