Squirrelflight's Hope

“You’re not too old.” Leafpool pulled away. “Don’t rush so much, Squirrelflight.” She gazed fondly at her sister. “Stop trying to sort out every problem at once. One day you’ll have more kits, and Bramblestar will forget he ever had doubts. And the Clans will sort out their borders. Slow down and let things happen naturally.”

Squirrelflight dipped her head, grateful that Leafpool was her sister. She was gentle and wise, and she always tried to understand. But Squirrelflight knew they were looking at the border dispute from different angles. Leafpool was a medicine cat—of course she thought the new borders should remain. She didn’t understand that warriors valued hunting land too much to let it go to waste without a fight.

And as far as kits went … Leafpool didn’t understand what it felt like not to be needed. Leafpool was needed every day. The Clan depended on her, sometimes for their lives. It was different for Squirrelflight. Even as deputy, she was just one warrior among many.

She got to her paws. “Thanks for listening, Leafpool.” She felt her sister’s gaze follow her as she padded out of the den. Hunger tugged in her belly, not for food but for something she couldn’t quite put her paw on. She needed to do something. She couldn’t just accept the way things were. She headed for the camp entrance. Last night’s meeting still nagged at her. There must be some way to convince Bramblestar that her idea was the perfect solution to this new disagreement among the Clans. She remembered Leafstar’s hesitation; the SkyClan leader had looked thoughtful for a moment before she’d squared her shoulders, as though she was weighing the possibility of moving. Perhaps there was a way to persuade her. If Squirrelflight could approach her quietly, without the eyes of the other Clans, she might be able to make her consider the idea seriously. Mousewhisker had said that there were few signs of danger beyond the border. If she took this information to Leafstar, it might be enough to change the SkyClan leader’s mind.

Lifting her tail, Squirrelflight marched out of the ThunderClan camp and headed toward the SkyClan border. She knew what she must do. She had to speak to Leafstar.

CHAPTER 3

Squirrelflight fluffed out her pelt as she neared the SkyClan border and peered between the trees. She’d wait for an escort. There was no point rubbing Leafstar’s fur the wrong way by crossing SkyClan territory without permission. The heat of the morning had given way to dampness as clouds rolled in from the mountains. Squirrelflight could smell rain, and the first drops began to fall as she waited, straining to glimpse movement beyond the SkyClan border.

She heard ferns rustle and snapped her gaze toward the sound. Black-and-white fur flashed between the fronds, and Palesky, a SkyClan warrior, slid into the open, warily tasting the air. “I smell ThunderClan.”

Tree padded out beside her. “We’re near the border, right?”

Squirrelflight lifted her tail. “Tree!”

Palesky turned first. “Squirrelflight? What are you doing here?” As Tree turned around, she stalked toward Squirrelflight. Around them, raindrops splashed onto the leaves.

Tree hurried after her. “How’s Twigbranch?” he called.

“She’s fine.” Squirrelflight’s mew rang through the trees. She glanced over her shoulder, wondering if ThunderClan warriors were near. She didn’t want to be seen talking to the SkyClan cats. Lowering her voice, she called more softly. “I want to speak with Leafstar.”

Palesky reached her, narrowing her eyes. Squirrelflight could see curiosity in her gaze, but the black-and-white she-cat dipped her head respectfully and didn’t ask any questions. Sometimes it’s useful to be a Clan deputy, Squirrelflight thought. “She’s in the camp. I’ll take you to her.”

Tree looked surprised. “But Squirrelflight knows where the camp is. She can find it herself and we can finish our patrol.”

Palesky flicked her tail impatiently. “We can’t let cats from other Clans wander around our territory unguarded.”

“But she’s alone.” Tree looked unconvinced. “What harm could she do?”

“She might be a spy, or have come to hunt our prey,” Palesky told him. She looked quickly at Squirrelflight. “I know you aren’t,” she added respectfully. “But we must follow the rules.”

“The rules make no sense,” Tree objected. “But fine, we’ll do it your way.”

Squirrelflight glanced at him, amused. Once a loner, always a loner. Would Tree ever understand the warrior code?

Palesky nodded for Squirrelflight to cross the border. Squirrelflight scanned the forest once more for ThunderClan warriors, then padded into SkyClan territory and followed Palesky toward the SkyClan camp.

“How are your kits?” she asked Tree as he fell in beside her.

The yellow tom purred proudly. “They’re growing fast.”