Squirrelflight's Hope

“What do I tell them?” Hawkwing mewed, his pelt bristling anxiously.

Leafstar narrowed her eyes, clearly thinking. After a moment she spoke. “Tell them I’m visiting each of the Clan leaders to get to know them better.”

Hawkwing flicked his tail. “I don’t like this. You’re putting yourself in danger. Let me come with you, at least.”

Leafstar shook her head. “I need you here to take care of the Clan.”

“Then let me send Sagenose with you, or Plumwillow.”

“No.” Leafstar was firm. “There’s no point starting rumors in the Clan. And if there are any dangers to be faced, I have more lives to spare than my warriors.”

Respect swelled in Squirrelflight’s chest. Leafstar was ready to sacrifice her own lives to protect her Clan. She dipped her head as the SkyClan leader padded past her and slid out of the den. “I’ll take care of her,” she promised Hawkwing.

Hawkwing’s eyes were dark. “I hope you’ll take care of each other. I don’t like the thought of telling Bramblestar that something bad has happened to you.”

Squirrelflight hesitated. Would Bramblestar forgive her if she never came back? Would he care? She padded from the den. Rain was pounding the camp. The kits were gone, the clearing empty. The SkyClan cats had retreated to their dens. She could see eyes flashing from the shadowy entrances as they watched her. Leafstar was already heading toward the bramble tunnel, and she hurried to catch up.

Outside the camp, the scents of moss and prey pressed around her, sharpened by the rain. The smell would be washed away soon, but for now it hung tantalizingly in the air. For a moment, Squirrelflight was tugged back to the day she was made an apprentice. She remembered standing beside Leafpaw as forest scents spiraled into the camp. Her heart seemed to shiver with excitement. She’d dreamed of being leader as a kit, and now she was thinking like one. She puffed out her chest. Once again, she was heading into unknown territory.

Squirrelflight’s excitement ebbed as she and Leafstar crossed into ThunderClan land and made for the distant border. Rain dripped through the canopy and seeped deeper into her fur. But the rain wasn’t making her shiver. She wanted to see the new territory, but she knew she was being deceitful. She was sneaking out, knowing that Bramblestar would not approve. What if a Clanmate saw her? How would she explain what she was doing leading Leafstar through their territory? Guilt pricked at her belly and quickened her paw steps as she led Leafstar along the rise, which curved toward the abandoned Twoleg nest.

“Mousewhisker says that rogues and foxes rarely cross the border from the new territory,” Squirrelflight told Leafstar.

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t any beyond it.” Leafstar narrowed her eyes against the rain.

Squirrelflight tried to gauge Leafstar’s mood. Was the SkyClan leader keeping an open mind about the land? Or would she find any excuse to object to it? “You’ll be closer to the mountains,” she encouraged. “There’ll be plenty of prey.”

“And more hawks to compete with.” Leafstar ducked under a trailing branch. “I hope it’s not too exposed.”

Squirrelflight hopped over the branch. “It might be good to be away from the dampness of the lake.”

The stone walls of the crumbling Twolegplace showed among the trees. She veered along a trail that would take them around it, instinctively wary of anything that had once attracted Twolegs. As she leaped across an old streambed, she heard voices. Stiffening, she tasted the air. Through the rain she smelled ThunderClan. A patrol? Her paws tingling guiltily, she looked at Leafstar. “Someone’s coming,” she hissed. “Hide!”

Leafstar’s eyes rounded. She ducked quickly behind an oak, snatching her wet tail from view as Squirrelflight turned to meet her Clanmates. Her heart quickened as she smelled Sparkpelt’s scent.

Orange fur flashed through the undergrowth, and Sparkpelt slid from between the dripping ferns, Larksong at her heels. The young warrior clearly hadn’t smelled her mother’s scent. “Lionblaze said that Harestar is causing trouble.” Sparkpelt’s voice echoed between the trees.

“That’s a refreshing change,” Larksong answered. “It’s usually Tigerstar who starts arguments among the Clans. Did he say what it was about?”

“He said it was best not to start rumors,” Sparkpelt told him. “In which case, why say anything at all?”

Squirrelflight wondered whether to hide beside Leafstar. It would be easier if they weren’t seen. But what if Sparkpelt or Larksong spotted them? What if they picked up their scent? It would be uncomfortable to be caught hiding, especially from her own daughter. Best to face them head on. “Hi!” She lifted her tail and hurried through the rain to meet Sparkpelt, whose ears pricked with surprise.

“Squirrelflight! What are you doing here?”

Squirrelflight wondered what to tell them. “I’m checking on something.” Larksong scanned the forest warily. Squirrelflight could see him tasting the air. “Why are you two this far from camp?”