Squirrelflight's Hope

by Erin Hunter

  Heart lurching, Squirrelflight twisted toward her. “Sparkpelt? What’s wrong?”

  “Cramp.” Sparkpelt’s eyes were glittering with pain. “My belly! The kits.” Fear edged her mew.

  Squirrelflight forced her fur to smooth. “Take a breath,” she mewed. She lapped at Sparkpelt’s shoulder, trying to calm her as she’d done when Sparkpelt was a kit. Her thoughts whirled. Were the kits coming? It was too early. She caught Bramblestar’s eye.

  He was leaning toward Sparkpelt, anxiety sparking in his gaze. “Fetch Leafpool.”

  “Wait.” Sparkpelt blinked at her father. “It will pass. It’s happened before. When I get upset.”

  Guilt seared Squirrelflight’s pelt. Had she and Bramblestar caused this? “It’s okay, Sparkpelt.” She pressed closer. “We won’t argue anymore. The kits will be fine.”

  “Will they?” Sparkpelt looked at her with round, anxious eyes.

  “Of course.” She remembered her own pregnancy. “I used to get cramps too. Usually when I’d eaten too much fresh-kill. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong.”

  Bramblestar was staring at her. “Should I fetch Leafpool?”

  “Is the cramp easing?” Squirrelflight blinked at Sparkpelt.

  “Yes.” Pain still showed in her daughter’s gaze, but her body was relaxing.

  “Leave Leafpool with Sunrise for now,” Squirrelflight mewed softly. She touched her nose to Sparkpelt’s ear. “Cramps are normal. You just need to make sure you rest and don’t get upset. In the days before Alderheart and you were born, I used to run to Jayfeather every night, certain the kits were coming too soon. He’d check me over, tell me there was nothing wrong, and send me back to the nursery. When the kits finally came, Daisy had to drag him out of his nest. He kept waving her away, telling her that I was just imagining the pain.” She purred, the memory washing away her fear. “Can you imagine his surprise when he arrived to find you already born and Alderheart on the way? He stomped around the camp for a quarter moon, grumbling about queens who couldn’t tell the difference between birth pains and indigestion.”

  A pang of longing tugged at her belly. If only she could have kits again. As the memory of her first litter filled her heart, she glanced at Bramblestar. He was listening, his gaze soft for the first time in days. He caught her eye and she saw love there. For a moment, it was as if they’d never quarreled. They’d been so happy together for so long that it seemed dumb to be arguing.

  She blinked at him hopefully. If he was softening, was he ready to change his mind about the Sisters? “Please will you let Leafpool treat Sunrise?”

  His gaze hardened in an instant. “Why don’t you understand?” he snapped. “I can’t help an enemy of the Clans without StarClan’s blessing.”

  As he looked away, pain tightened its grip on Squirrelflight’s heart once more. He wasn’t ready to see sense.

  He nodded curtly. “I’d better check to see that the Clan’s okay.” Stalking past them, he padded from the den.

  “Don’t worry.” Squirrelflight brushed her cheek against Sparkpelt’s. “It’s all going to be fine.” She wondered who she was reassuring, herself or Sparkpelt. “Stay here and rest. I’ll go and see if he’s all right. And I’ll send Leafpool to check on you when she can.”

  Sparkpelt blinked at her gratefully and touched her nose to her mother’s. “Be kind to him.”

  Squirrelflight flinched. I wish he’d be kind to me.

  Bramblestar was talking with Thornclaw, their heads bent, as Squirrelflight scrambled down the rock tumble. She hesitated beside them, but they turned away and carried on talking. Disappointed, she walked on and stopped beside Leafpool. Thriftpaw and Twigbranch were gently tucking fern leaves around Sunrise. The wounded Sister hardly moved as they tried to make her comfortable. Pain glazed her eyes. “She needs poppy seeds,” Squirrelflight whispered to Leafpool.

  “And marigold.” Leafpool touched a paw to Sunrise’s flank. “I don’t like how hot she’s getting. It might be the beginning of infection.”

  Snow, who was watching from the edge of the clearing, leaned forward. “Why don’t you do something?”

  Leafpool glanced at Bramblestar. “I have to obey him,” she whispered to the white she-cat.

  Snow stared at her. “Can’t you think and act for yourselves?” Frustration edged her mew. “First you have to consult with dead cats to see if you can treat her, and now you don’t dare help a suffering cat because a tom tells you not to.”

  “He’s our leader,” Leafpool told her.

  As she spoke, Thornclaw lifted his gaze and glared at Snow. “Stop talking,” he hissed.

  Squirrelflight’s pelt prickled with anger. Had Thornclaw forgotten what it was like to need help? She shifted as Twigbranch nosed her softly aside and pressed a fern beneath Sunrise’s shoulder. “Thank you.” She blinked gratefully at the young warrior, relieved that not all her Clanmates were acting like fox-hearts, and leaned closer to Leafpool. “Can you check on Sparkpelt? She’s in Bramblestar’s den. She had some cramps. They’ve passed now, but I think she needs reassuring.”

  Leafpool nodded toward Sunrise. “Can you keep an eye on her?”

  “Of course.” Squirrelflight settled beside Sunrise, pressing her flank along the wounded cat’s spine. Her heart ached as she watched her sister pad wordlessly past Bramblestar and climb the rock tumble. When had Bramblestar become so heartless? Did he really believe that Clan unity was worth paying for in another cat’s blood?

  Squirrelflight could see stars twinkling through the leafy canopy. The moon was high, and her Clanmates sat stiffly around the clearing, murmuring softly to one another, their gazes never straying for long from Hawk, Tempest, and Snow. She pressed closer to Leafpool. Beside them, Sunrise’s breath had quickened and grown shallow.

  Surely Jayfeather and Alderheart must return soon. Had StarClan given an answer? Squirrelflight sent another desperate prayer toward the glittering sky. Please let us treat her. Sunrise had slipped into unconsciousness as the sun had slipped below the trees. At least it won’t hurt now, Squirrelflight had thought.

  Leafpool had settled Sparkpelt into the nursery, where Daisy could keep an eye on her and reassure her if necessary. Larksong was there too. He’d hurried to check on Sparkpelt as soon as he’d returned with the hunting patrol.

  Squirrelflight fluffed her pelt against the evening chill. “Shouldn’t Jayfeather and Alderheart be back by now?” she whispered to Leafpool.

  “They’ll be here soon,” Leafpool murmured.

  As Bramblestar paced beneath the Highledge, Thornclaw sat motionless, eyes glinting like quartz in the moonlight. Birchfall, Blossomfall, Hollytuft, and Flippaw had gathered around the old warrior, and they sat close, staring with undisguised hostility at the Sisters.

  Bramblestar had kept his word and shared the patrol’s catch with their visitors, but the Sisters had eaten little. They had edged nearer to Sunrise, close enough now to breathe in her scent, which had grown hotter and sourer as the evening had drawn in.

  “I pray StarClan will let us treat her,” Leafpool murmured. “The wound is festering already. She needs those herbs.”

  Squirrelflight’s heart quickened. Even she could see the swelling around the gash on Sunrise’s flank. The cobweb was soggy now and couldn’t hide the fiery red flesh beneath.

  She pricked her ears as paw steps sounded outside the stone hollow. Bramblestar halted as the Clan shifted nervously around the edge of the clearing. Thornclaw got to his paws as Jayfeather led Alderheart into camp. Squirrelflight jumped up, straining to read Alderheart’s expression. His round amber eyes gave nothing away.

  “Well?” Bramblestar crossed the clearing to meet the two medicine cats. “What did StarClan say?”

  Alderheart frowned. “We’re not quite sure.”

  Bramblestar’s pelt rippled along his spine. “But you’re medicine cats! You must know. Did they say anything?”

  “I had a vision,” Jayfeather told him. “I spoke to Hol
lyleaf.”

  Squirrelflight held her breath. Surely StarClan must have told him they could treat Sunrise! Perhaps Jayfeather hadn’t understood their message. “What did she say?”

  The medicine cat turned his blind blue gaze on her. “She said that clouds from the mountains will make it difficult to tell friend from enemy. But if the Clans stay united, the way forward will be clear.”

  Thornclaw grunted. “‘Clouds from the mountains . . .’” He stared at the Sisters. “I think the message is clear. These cats bring trouble. We must send them away.”

  “No!” Squirrelflight hurried forward. “The message doesn’t say they are the enemy, only that clouds will make it hard to tell who the enemy is.”

  Bramblestar frowned. “But they say the Clans must stay united. If we treat this cat, Tigerstar will see it as betrayal.”

  “You don’t know that!” Squirrelflight flicked her tail angrily. “Sunrise needs herbs. Her wound is infected. StarClan would not ask us to let her die. And if they did, perhaps we shouldn’t be listening to them.” Silence gripped the Clan, and a chill ran beneath her pelt.

  Bramblestar looked at her in disbelief. “If we turn our tails on StarClan, then we might as well turn our tails on the whole warrior code.” His gaze hardened. “We might as well live like them.” He flicked his muzzle toward Tempest, Hawk, and Snow. “Or would you prefer that?”

  “Of course I wouldn’t prefer that, but I can’t stand by and let you decide to let a cat die. It’s wrong!”

  Thornclaw’s ears twitched. “And what if the future of the Clans depends on it?”

  Mousewhisker padded forward. “No future is decided by a single life!”

  “We can’t ignore StarClan!” Blossomfall called.

  “We can’t sit by while a cat suffers,” Twigbranch countered.

  Murmuring spread among the watching cats, as ears flattened and pelts prickled.

  Squirrelflight looked imploringly at Bramblestar. “You have to decide! You have to save this cat!”

  Bramblestar returned her gaze, his eyes glistening with doubt. “I can only try to do what’s best.”

  Tempest started forward. “We’ll take her home. She can at least die among friends.”

  “You should never have brought her here in the first place!” Thornclaw spat.

  As Hawk and Snow clustered protectively around their campmate, Leafpool got to her paws. “You can argue until dawn for all I care.” She turned toward the medicine den. “All I know is that StarClan hasn’t told us to let this cat die. I’m fetching herbs to treat her. I will not sit vigil for a cat I could have saved.” She began to head across the clearing.

  “No!” Bramblestar leaped in front of her, squaring his shoulders as he stared at her. Leafpool froze, her eyes wide.

  Squirrelflight’s paws seemed rooted to the ground. Was Bramblestar going to fight her sister to stop her treating a wounded cat? As she blinked in disbelief, Sunrise let out a low groan. She was dying! Energy surged beneath Squirrelflight’s pelt. She crossed the clearing and pushed in front of Leafpool, meeting Bramblestar’s fierce gaze with her own. “Let her go,” she growled.

  Bramblestar stared at her miserably. “We can’t keep doing this,” he whispered only loud enough for her to hear. Desperation edged his mew. “If you keep undermining my authority, you could destroy the whole Clan.”

  Squirrelflight held her ground. “I have to do what I think is right.”

  “Even if it costs you your Clan?”

  “ThunderClan is stronger than that,” Squirrelflight spat. “At least I hope it is. If our future depends on letting a cat die, then it’s not the Clan I thought it was.”

  Bramblestar stared at her. Uncertainty glittered in his gaze. “Why are you doing this to me?” His words pierced her heart. “You’re my deputy. You’re my mate. You’re supposed to support me.”

  “Being a good deputy doesn’t mean blindly following orders.” Squirrelflight didn’t move. “It means standing up for what I believe, and this time, I believe I’m right.” The camp seemed to swim around her. She knew she was hurting him. But she had to convince him. As the Clan watched her silently, their eyes round in the moonlight, Bramblestar backed away.

  His gaze flicked to Leafpool. “If you insist on treating Sunrise, go ahead. But take her to the medicine den. If she’s out of sight, perhaps the Clan will feel less angry.” He nodded toward the Sisters. “They can stay in the elders’ den. Berrynose and Bumblestripe will stand guard tonight. Move Millie, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Graystripe to the nursery.” Around him, the Clan got to their paws. Mousewhisker and Twigbranch helped Tempest and Hawk lift Sunrise. Leafpool nosed her way into the medicine den. Bramblestar narrowed his eyes, his face like stone. Squirrelflight tried to drag her gaze from his, her heart cracking as he curled his lip. “StarClan wanted unity among the Clans,” he snarled. “Thanks to you, there’s not even unity in ThunderClan anymore.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Soft waves swished against the pebbles at the edge of the lake. A bright full moon dappled the water. Squirrelflight gazed toward the island as she padded along the shore toward the Gathering. Would Harestar and Tigerstar bring up the question of borders again? She glanced at Bramblestar beside her. “What are you going to tell them?” Would he mention that the Sisters were still in the ThunderClan camp nearly a quarter moon after they’d arrived?

  “Nothing.” He nodded toward the patrol of SkyClan cats in the distance, waiting to cross the tree-bridge. “Let the others do the talking. I have nothing to say.”

  They had hardly spoken in the past few days, not even trying to hide the rift between them from the Clan. Squirrelflight had grown used to keeping her thoughts to herself. From time to time, she missed the closeness she had once shared with Bramblestar, with a pang of grief that startled her. But tonight there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between them that, in front of the other Clans, they would pretend that nothing had changed. The ThunderClan patrol followed quietly, murmuring to one another. In the days since the Sisters had come to the camp, the Clan had been tense. At least Sunrise was healing thanks to Leafpool’s treatment. Leafpool had remained in camp tonight to watch over her. Hawk, Tempest, and Snow were still in the elders’ den.

  “What do we tell the other Clans if they ask about the Sisters?” Thornclaw’s terse mew sounded behind her.

  Bramblestar glanced back at the tabby warrior. “There’s no need for them to ask. As far as we know, the other Clans don’t know that they are staying with us.”

  Hollytuft flicked her tail irritably. “But what if they ask if we’ve seen them? ShadowClan is bound to mention the attack on their patrol.”

  “We tell them we know nothing.” Bramblestar jerked his muzzle forward, the fur prickling uneasily along his spine.

  “You want us to lie?” Thornclaw frowned.

  “Yes.” Bramblestar kept his gaze ahead.

  “We should have sent them home already,” Bristlepaw growled.

  Alderheart glanced at the young she-cat. “Sunrise needs more time to heal properly.”

  “The others aren’t wounded,” Bristlepaw shot back. The she-cat’s gray pelt bristled. “They should have left days ago.”

  Irritation sparked in Squirrelflight’s pelt. “They wanted to stay with their campmate.”

  Thornclaw huffed. “Who cares what they want? Did they care what we wanted when they held you captive? Who knows what they’d have done to you if we hadn’t turned up and threatened to shred them!”

  Alderheart lifted his chin. “Sunrise will be able to travel in a few days. Then they can all leave and things can go back to normal.”

  Squirrelflight’s paws felt heavy. She wasn’t sure things could ever go back to normal—for her and Bramblestar, at least. They’d argued too much over the past moon. So much had been said that couldn’t be taken back. Her heart ached as she wondered if they’d ever be close again. She quickened her pace, eager to reach the island and let the clamor of voices and scents
wash over her and crowd out her sense of loss.

  SkyClan had disappeared into the long grass on the far shore by the time she reached the tree-bridge. She waited for Bramblestar to cross first, then followed, leading her Clanmates onto the island. She nosed her way through the grass and emerged into the clearing. WindClan and ShadowClan moved silently to make room for ThunderClan, their gazes solemn. RiverClan watched stiffly from the edge of the clearing while SkyClan clustered at the base of the Great Oak, their wary gazes flitting around at the other cats.

  Tigerstar’s gaze swung toward the ThunderClan cats and fixed darkly on Bramblestar. Squirrelflight tensed. Did the ShadowClan leader know that they were sheltering the Sisters?

  Bramblestar crossed the clearing and leaped onto the low branch of the Great Oak. He gazed expectantly at the other leaders. There would be no time for gossip tonight.

  Squirrelflight took her place on the arching roots of the oak. Hawkwing settled beside her as Crowfeather, Reedwhisker, and Cloverfoot joined them. Above them, Tigerstar sat beside Bramblestar. Mistystar followed, Harestar and Leafstar at her tail. The Clans drew closer, crowding beneath the oak’s spreading branches, its shadow darkening their pelts.

  Bramblestar lifted his muzzle. “Prey is running well in ThunderClan’s forest—”

  Tigerstar interrupted. “There are more important matters to discuss than prey.” His dark gaze swept over the Clans. “We have a new enemy at our border. We need to react.”

  Murmurs of agreement rippled through the ShadowClan cats. WindClan’s warriors were nodding solemnly. RiverClan cats exchanged knowing glances.

  Squirrelflight’s belly tightened. “What enemy?” she called, though she was afraid she knew exactly who he meant.

  Tigerstar glared back at her. “You of all cats should know. They held you hostage, along with Leafstar. And now they have attacked and permanently wounded one of ShadowClan’s finest warriors.”

  The fur lifted along Squirrelflight’s spine. Permanently wounded?

  Bramblestar blinked innocently at Tigerstar. “What happened?”