Squirrelflight's Hope

by Erin Hunter

  Leafstar dipped her head. “I’d better go too.” Anxiety glittered in her gaze as she turned away and leaped up beside Bramblestar.

  Tigerstar, Harestar, and Mistystar followed, eyeing one another accusingly as they took their places in the oak.

  Squirrelflight hesitated as the Clans streamed around her. Crowfeather, Reedwhisker, and Cloverfoot jostled for position as they climbed onto the roots of the oak and sat, stiffly ignoring one another as Squirrelflight finally joined them. Only Hawkwing acknowledged her with a polite nod.

  As the crowd settled in front of her, pelts shifting in the moonlight, Tigerstar stepped forward. “ThunderClan has given WindClan its land back. RiverClan wants to move our border, and ShadowClan cannot accept that. The only way to avoid war now is to drive the Sisters from their camp.”

  Scorchfur whisked his tail eagerly. “That’s right. Why fight one another when they’ve got our land?”

  Dread wormed beneath Squirrelflight’s pelt as yowls of agreement rose among the Clans.

  “We must wait!” Bramblestar’s growl silenced them. He eyed Tigerstar sharply. “Has StarClan sent word yet? Did any medicine cat get an answer from them at their half-moon meeting?”

  “Not yet,” Tigerstar snorted. “But silence could mean anything. You’re just playing for time. Why are you so loyal to these rogues?”

  Bramblestar bristled. “I’m not loyal to them.”

  “Then why are you determined to defend them?”

  Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think we should take the Sisters’ land until SkyClan has agreed to move there.”

  “SkyClan would be mouse-brained to turn down that land.” Tigerstar lashed his tail. “It’s good land, and we won’t let them stay on our territory forever.”

  “You gave them that territory!” Bramblestar glared at the ShadowClan leader.

  Tigerstar curled his lip. “And we can take it back, just like WindClan took its territory back.”

  “I gave it to them,” Bramblestar retorted. “I was trying to keep the peace,”

  Tigerstar rounded his eyes innocently. “That’s all I want,” he meowed. “To keep the peace.”

  “By starting a war against the Sisters?” Bramblestar stared at him indignantly.

  Squirrelflight realized she was holding her breath. Bramblestar was defending the Sisters. Hope flashed beneath her pelt.

  Tigerstar’s tail flicked ominously. “I will fight the Sisters if it means peace among the Clans. Isn’t that what StarClan wants?”

  Bramblestar held his ground. “You’re trying to force SkyClan to move again! Look what happened last time you drove them out. A storm nearly killed us all.”

  “This time SkyClan wants to move!” The ShadowClan leader swung his muzzle toward Leafstar. “You want SkyClan to have the new territory, right?”

  Leafstar hesitated.

  “Right?” Tigerstar glared at her.

  “I don’t want the land if it means hurting the Sisters,” Leafstar told him, her gaze clouding with uncertainty.

  A snarl rang from the back of the clearing as Emberfoot jeered at the SkyClan leader. “You’d rather see war in the Clans than chase a few rogues from land they don’t even want?”

  Yowls of agreement exploded around him and rippled through the crowd.

  Squirrelflight froze. She pictured the Sisters going about their duties, unaware of the storm building here, ready to sweep them away. Her paws pricked with fear.

  Leafstar stared desperately at Tigerstar. “Why can’t we wait until the Sisters leave?”

  Harestar flattened his ears. “Why should we?”

  “The Sisters don’t need that land!” Mistystar snapped.

  Tigerstar held Leafstar’s gaze. “Is SkyClan willing to move?”

  “Not yet,” Leafstar answered shakily.

  “But would you move once the Sisters are gone?” Tigerstar pressed.

  Leafstar stared at him, then nodded. “Yes.”

  Tigerstar rounded on Bramblestar. “SkyClan has made its decision. They want to move. Now ThunderClan must support us. The Sisters have to leave.”

  Squirrelflight’s heart pressed in her throat as Bramblestar hesitated. Why don’t you object? She lifted her muzzle. “None of us want—”

  “Silence!” Bramblestar cut her off with a look. It glittered with rage. “My deputy does not speak for me.” As he dragged his gaze back to Tigerstar, Squirrelflight felt numb. She stared at him. Was Bramblestar going to declare war on the Sisters? Five Clans against a small band of she-cats, and possibly a squealing litter of newborn kits. Shame washed Squirrelflight’s pelt. Was there no honor left in the Clans?

  Bramblestar squared his shoulders. “ThunderClan won’t join a war,” he growled.

  Tigerstar’s gaze flashed. “But you won’t stop us?”

  Bramblestar looked away. “No.” Squirrelflight stared at him, unable to believe her ears as he went on. “I don’t care what happens to the Sisters. They’ve made it clear that they’re no better than rogues. But Leafstar must be heard. Her opinion must be respected.”

  “She’s been heard.” Harestar flattened his ears. “She wants their land.”

  “Only after they’ve left.” Bramblestar lashed his tail. “And she doesn’t want them hurt.”

  Leafstar stepped to the edge of the branch. “Perhaps the Sisters can be reasoned with,” she mewed hesitatingly.

  “Why?” Mistystar looked unconvinced. “Reason hasn’t worked so far.”

  Leafstar aimed a meaningful glance at Tree. “Perhaps it’s time for them to hear from their own kin.”

  Tree groaned, looking suddenly put on the spot. “I’ve told you, it won’t—”

  “I know you think it won’t help,” Leafstar interrupted. “But if it could prevent a war—if it were the difference between life and death for Moonlight and her kits—surely you would consider it?”

  “I—” Tree began to speak, then stopped himself. He looked around the Gathering, then began again. “I do want peace.”

  “Of course you do, Tree,” Bramblestar said smoothly. “So do what you can. Talk to your mother on our behalf.”

  Tree looked down at his paws. He shuffled them uncomfortably, then closed his eyes. “All right. I still don’t have high hopes, but I’ll try, if you want me to.” Tigerstar shrugged. “I guess it’s worth an attempt.”

  Harestar nodded. “Why fight if we don’t have to?”

  Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd as Tigerstar whisked his tail.

  “It’s decided,” the ShadowClan leader growled. “Tree will talk to the Sisters.”

  Below him, Breezepelt rolled his eyes. “Why send a loner to do a warrior’s job?”

  Hawkwing bristled beside Squirrelflight. “Tree is no loner!” he snarled, eyeing Breezepelt. “He’s a loyal Clan cat now.”

  Across the clearing, Violetshine’s gaze glowed with affection at her father, and her Clanmates shifted around her, scowling at the WindClan tom.

  “Hawkwing’s right.” Leafstar lifted her chin. “Tree is as much a warrior as any SkyClan cat. And if he goes to the Sisters, I’ll go with him.”

  Tigerstar looked at her surprised. “Why?”

  “I know them.” Leafstar glanced at Squirrelflight. “So does Squirrelflight. We can both go with him. We might be able to help.”

  Tigerstar’s ears twitched. “If that’s what you want.” He eyed Tree menacingly. “You’d better find a solution,” he growled. “Or the next patrol we send to the Sisters won’t be so friendly.”

  Squirrelflight caught Bramblestar’s eye. He looked at her, his gaze unreadable. Was she supposed to say she wouldn’t go? He’d silenced her just now. He clearly didn’t want her to be involved. As Tigerstar and the other leaders jumped down from the branch, signaling the end to the meeting, Bramblestar didn’t move.

  “Are you coming?” Hawkwing hopped off the root and looked back at her as the crowd began to disperse.

  “I’ll wait for Brambles
tar.” Squirrelflight watched the Clans head for the long grass. She shifted her paws nervously as the clearing emptied, then looked up at Bramblestar again. He stared past her, then leaped from the tree. Thorns pierced her heart as he shook out his pelt and stalked across the clearing without her. She watched him go, feeling desolate. Had they grown so far apart that they’d never agree on anything again?

  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.

&nbs
p; “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?”