Squirrelflight's Hope

CHAPTER 30

Squirrelflight gazed at the moon through the fluttering leaves of the Great Oak. In front of her, the Clans murmured softly to one another as their leaders took their places on the lowest branch. She remembered the last Gathering, where tempers had flared and the Clans had bayed like foxes for war against the Sisters. Now Moonlight was dead, and so was Leafpool; SkyClan had new territory, and the borders had been redrawn once again. Had those borders been worth two deaths? Of course not. She shook out her pelt.

“How are Moonlight’s kits getting on?” she whispered to Hawkwing, who sat beside her with the other Clan deputies at the foot of the oak.

“They’re thriving.” Hawkwing’s eyes sparkled fondly. “They’ll be ready to travel in a half-moon.”

“I expect Violetshine will miss them.”

“She will.” Hawkwing shifted his paws. “But she’ll be glad to lose the Sisters. A new mother gets enough advice from her Clanmates. She doesn’t need extra help from outsiders.”

Squirrelflight pressed back a purr. She could imagine that the Sisters had strong opinions about raising kits, and they wouldn’t be shy about offering them. “Have they helped you settle into their old territory?”

“They showed us where we can find the best hunting and the freshest streams,” Hawkwing told her.

“That was kind of them after what happened.”

“SkyClan didn’t attack their camp.” Hawkwing’s gaze flashed reproachfully toward the ShadowClan and WindClan warriors moving in the moonlight in front of him. “I think the Sisters respect us for it.”

Squirrelflight followed his gaze, searching for a glimmer of shame in the eyes of the warriors. They had killed a queen who’d been protecting the kits she’d just given birth to. Her pelt prickled with fresh anger. They’d behaved more like rogues than warriors. “Do you think the Clans will ever admit they were wrong to do what they did?”

“I think it’s best forgotten.” Hawkwing swished his tail. “It can’t be undone.”

Dust showered from the branch above as Leafstar stepped forward and addressed the Clans. “SkyClan has moved to our new territory. We’ve almost finished building our camp. There is plenty of prey. We haven’t seen any foxes or snakes inside the borders, but the Clan is on high alert while we adapt to the new landscape.”

“What about the Sisters?” Scorchfur called from among the ShadowClan cats. “Have they left yet?”

Leafstar glared at the ShadowClan warrior. “How can they leave when you killed the mother of their newborn kits? Some cat must nurse them! We owe them that much after murdering their mother.”

“It wasn’t murder!” Strikestone bristled. “It was a battle.”

“A battle for land we could have had in a moon if we’d simply waited.” Leafstar’s hackles lifted.

Tigerstar’s ears twitched. “The Sisters may stay on Clan territory until the kits are weaned,” he meowed, his gaze unreadable. “They no longer pose a threat to the Clans.”

Squirrelflight flexed her claws. “They never did!”

Tigerstar’s gaze flashed toward her. “They managed to turn you against your Clan.”

“That’s not true!” Shock sparked beneath her pelt.

“Then why did you warn them about our patrol?” he snapped. “We found you in their camp!”

“I was worried about Moonlight’s kits,” Squirrelflight shot back. “And with good reason!”

“Squirrelflight would never betray her Clan!” Bramblestar’s yowl took Squirrelflight by surprise. The ThunderClan leader stared at the gathered cats, his eyes glittering with indignation. Then he dipped his head. “But let’s not argue. Each Clan has enough territory to see them through leaf-bare. We’ve done what we set out to do. We may never agree on how we did it, but it’s in the past now. We can’t change what happened.”

The Clans shifted uneasily as a soft murmur rippled through the crowd. Bramblestar went on, his fur smoothing. “Moonlight’s death was regrettable, but SkyClan has done what it can, offering shelter to her kits until they are strong enough to travel. One of our Clanmates died saving them, too. We should honor her. She died trying to save others, which is how she lived.”

Squirrelflight’s throat tightened as the Clans fell silent. Puddleshine’s eyes glistened with grief. Among the WindClan cats, she saw warriors dip their heads.

“Leafpool will be remembered for as long as there are warriors to remember her.” Willowshine’s mew rang in the chilly night air. Murmurs of agreement rippled through the Clans.

Kestrelflight lifted his muzzle. “She will find peace in StarClan.”

“Leafpool.” Jayfeather called her name to the stars.

“Leafpool.” Kestrelflight echoed his mew.

“Leafpool! Leafpool!” Her name spread through the Clans as others began to chant, their voices lifting like a breeze into the night sky.

Squirrelflight shivered. She’d never realized how respected Leafpool was among the other Clans. Beside her, Crowfeather was staring ahead, grimly silent, as though fighting back emotion. She saw his pelt ripple and felt a twinge of pity. Had he loved Leafpool all this time?

What did it matter if he had? She’d lived and died without him. As she pushed the thought away, Bramblestar shifted on the branch above. He nodded toward Squirrelflight. “My deputy has news to share from StarClan.”

“Your deputy?” Tigerstar pricked his ears. “What news can she possibly have from StarClan? She’s not a medicine cat. The medicine cats say StarClan is still silent.”

“If you listen,” Bramblestar grunted, “she’ll tell you.”

Squirrelflight got to her paws and gazed around the gathered cats. “When I was wounded after the landslide, I spent time in StarClan.” Ears pricked and pelts prickled among the watching cats. She went on, trying to explain. “I was close to death. Close enough for StarClan to allow me into their hunting grounds.” She tried not to think about how she’d had to argue for her place there after death. “I was reunited with kin and Clanmates, and I spoke with Leafpool. She is happy there, and though she will miss her life in the forest, she was ready to move on.” Surprised murmuring sprung up among the older warriors, who exchanged glances. Squirrelflight went on. “Firestar gave me a message for the Clans. He said we must turn toward StarClan, not away.”

“But they don’t always answer when we turn to them,” Emberfoot complained. Around him the other WindClan warriors nodded.

“That’s true,” Mallownose added.

Bramblestar flicked his tail. “StarClan knows what they’re doing,” he meowed solemnly. “If they want us to turn toward them, then we will.”

“And what if they don’t answer?” Shimmerpelt fluffed out her glossy pelt.

Squirrelflight gazed around the Clans. “Perhaps we haven’t been hearing their answers.” She remembered how hard it had been trying to share with the living when she’d only been close to death. “We should try harder to listen.”

Puddleshine nodded. “We will listen harder,” he promised.

“StarClan will guide us,” Willowshine added.

As the Gathering broke up and the Clans swished away through the long grass, Squirrelflight hung back, not wanting to leave yet. This was the first Gathering she’d been to without her sister. Bramblestar had stopped at the edge of the deserted clearing as Jayfeather, Thornclaw, and Lionblaze followed their Clanmates to the tree-bridge. “Are you coming?” he called to her.

“I need a moment to remember Leafpool,” she told him.

Bramblestar padded to join her. His pelt brushed hers as he stood beside her. The wind was chilly, and she leaned against him, relishing his warmth.

“I’m glad we’re not arguing anymore,” she breathed.

“So am I.” He touched his muzzle to her ear. “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d died. I don’t think I could’ve gone on without you.”

“Of course you could.” She nuzzled his cheek. “Your Clan needs you. I know you would never let them down.”

“I’m only strong because of you.” A purr throbbed in his throat. “Promise me we’ll never argue like that again. That we’ll always talk things out before they get too bad.”

She looked into his eyes. “You have to trust me,” she murmured. “You must always know that you and ThunderClan are the most important things to me. I would never let you down.”

“I know,” he breathed. “And I’m sorry I ever doubted you. Ever since you were an apprentice, you’ve challenged me. And it’s always made me stronger. You’ve helped me see things in a different way.” His gaze shone and she shivered, sensing his love like a breeze enfolding her.

“Look.” He looked up. “Is that a new star?”

She followed his gaze into the star-specked sky. A bright star glinted among the others. Her heart quickened. “Do you think it’s her?”

“Leafpool?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know, but I know she’s watching over you.” Bramblestar pressed closer.

“She’s watching over the whole Clan.” A lump pressed in Squirrelflight’s throat. “She always will.”