Squirrelflight's Hope

by Erin Hunter

  “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.

  CHAPTER 12

  “Stay with me.” Squirrelflight nudged Ivypool with her nose, waiting while Twigbranch and Finleap checked the clearing. She wanted to give the two young warriors a chance to guide the hunt.

  In the days since the Sisters had left the camp, she’d volunteered for every patrol. She wanted to keep busy. She was leading a hunting patrol now. They hadn’t had much luck so far, finding prey scarce around the beech grove, but as they headed closer to the edge of the forest, prey-scents were becoming thicker. Ivypool paused beside her and watched Twigbranch and Finleap sniff their way through the ferns that pooled in a patch of sunlight.

  Twigbranch lifted her head and called over the browning fronds. “There are squirrel scents here, but they’re stale.” She looked into the canopy. “Prey must be busy today building nests for leaf-bare.”

  Ivypool padded forward, pushing between the ferns. “They have to come out to find fresh bedding, just like we do.”

  Twigbranch shrugged. “If they do, they’re not looking for it here.”

  Squirrelflight nodded toward the edge of the forest, where bright sunshine lit the trunks. “We could check the land beyond the stream.”

  “The moorland?” Ivypool looked unconvinced.

  Finleap pricked his ears hopefully. “Moorland prey might be less shy.” As he swished through the ferns, heading for the light, Twigbranch hurried after him.

  “I don’t see the point of hunting on the moorland.” Ivypool fell in beside Squirrelflight as they followed the younger cats. “We’ll be giving it back soon.”

  “Only if SkyClan agrees to move,” Squirrelflight told her. “And even then, we have to wait for the Sisters to leave their camp.”

  “Not if Tigerstar goes ahead with his plan to chase them off,” Ivypool reminded her.

  Squirrelflight’s belly tightened. “He promised to wait for word from StarClan.” Bramblestar hadn’t sent Jayfeather and Alderheart to consult with StarClan yet, and she guessed he was delaying on purpose. He didn’t want any news that would encourage Tigerstar to start a war with the Sisters. Besides, Bramblestar already knew what StarClan thought. 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. She wasn’t surprised he hadn’t shared the message with the other Clans. It could too easily be interpreted as an order to move against the Sisters.

  Had the other Clans sent medicine cats to the Moonpool? Would StarClan give them the same message? Squirrelflight couldn’t help but consider what that might mean: What if StarClan does want us to attack the Sisters? But how could that be? Squirrelflight knew many of the cats in StarClan; they were her own kin and Clanmates, good cats at heart. Why would they want the Clans to attack these harmless cats? For now, she decided, she was choosing to believe that wasn’t what StarClan meant.

  Judging from the silence from beyond ThunderClan’s borders, Squirrelflight guessed that no message had been shared. But waiting was making her nervous. How long would Bramblestar resist the call to war against the Sisters if StarClan sent word to the other Clans?

  She was heartened that he hadn’t done more than send the Sisters back to their camp. He clearly wasn’t prepared to push them farther away. Not yet, at least. Squirrelflight fluffed out her fur. He’d behaved
with similar restraint in their relationship. Bramblestar kept his distance, eating and hunting with others, only speaking to her about Clan business, but he hadn’t asked her to leave his den. They both slept there each night, in separate nests, sharing the silence.

  Watching Sparkpelt’s belly swell and her pelt grow glossier had sharpened Squirrelflight’s grief at not having her own kits. The hope that she might have another litter with Bramblestar seemed to grow more remote with each passing day.

  Sunlight bathed her face, jerking her from her gloomy thoughts. She and Ivypool had reached the edge of the forest. Twigbranch and Finleap were already crossing the stream.

  Ivypool opened her mouth to let air bathe her tongue. The silver tabby’s eyes brightened. “I smell rabbit.” She hurried after Twigbranch and Finleap.

  Squirrelflight followed, jumping from stone to stone across the stream and landing lightly on the far bank. WindClan scents rolled from the high moor as a warm wind ruffled her pelt. Ahead, Finleap dropped into a hunting crouch. Twigbranch and Ivypool froze. Heart quickening, Squirrelflight followed her Clanmates’ gaze. Brown fur flashed between the heather bushes. The rabbit!

  She held her breath as Finleap’s stumpy tail swished eagerly over the earth. The heather quivered. Finleap shot forward. As he plunged through the bushes, Twigbranch and Ivypool dived after him. Squirrelflight darted through a gap in the heather. Branches scraped her pelt. Bushes crowded on either side, blocking her view, but she could hear paws thrumming and smell the rabbit’s acrid fear-scent. Zigzagging between the stems, she tracked the patrol, breathing fast as she glimpsed Ivypool’s silver tail-tip flashing. She chased after it, excitement sparking through her pelt.

  A moment later, she slammed into Ivypool’s hindquarters. The silver tabby had stopped without warning. Surprised, Squirrelflight fought to keep her balance as she stumbled to a halt. “What’s wrong?”

  Ivypool was staring through the heather, her pelt bristling. “Look.”

  Twigbranch and Finleap were backing toward her. Her pelt bristled with alarm as she smelled WindClan scent. Breezepelt. The black warrior was advancing on the ThunderClan patrol. His eyes were narrowed to hostile slits as he pushed through the heather.