Эрин Хантер: Squirrelflight's Hope

“Of course.” He didn’t look at her.

Anxiety prickled beneath her pelt. She’d wanted him to sound more enthusiastic about kits. “Let’s pretend we’re young again now. It’s almost like we’re sneaking out of camp.” Squirrelflight kept her mew light. “Half the Clan are already in their nests, and the rest will be asleep by the time we get home.”

“I wish we could.” Was that a sigh in Bramblestar’s mew? “But we can’t be late for the meeting. And we have to go straight back to camp afterward; Birchfall and Lionblaze will be waiting to find out what happened.”

He was worrying about the Clan again. He was a good leader; he always put his Clan before his own needs. But she couldn’t help wishing he could put her first this time. Disappointment jabbed at her heart as their moment of closeness passed, but she ignored it and focused on the meeting. “Surely Harestar can’t have anything serious to talk about. It’s been peaceful since the storm. It finally feels normal to have SkyClan with us beside the lake, and the other Clans seem happy with the new borders.”

“Then why call a meeting?” Bramblestar meowed.

“There could be sickness, or Twoleg trouble.”

“It’s pointless to guess. Let’s go find out.” Bramblestar quickened his pace. When the island was near, he broke into a run. Squirrelflight hurried after him, and as she followed him across the tree-bridge, she glanced down at the moon-dappled water. Pebbles crunched on the shore behind her. She looked back and saw Mistystar and Reedwhisker. She nodded a greeting, but the two cats had already plunged into the water and were swimming the short stretch of lake to the island.

On the far shore, Bramblestar pushed his way into the long grass. Fresh scents lingered here. SkyClan’s, WindClan’s, and ShadowClan’s leaders had already arrived. Squirrelflight pushed her way among the stems, following the passage Bramblestar had opened to the clearing.

As she emerged on the other side, she saw Tigerstar, Harestar, and Leafstar in a pool of moonlight at the center. Cloverfoot, Crowfeather, and Hawkwing hung back, exchanging watchful glances. Bramblestar was already hurrying to join them. As Squirrelflight caught up to him, branches swished overhead. The breeze tumbled fallen leaves across the ground. Squirrelflight shivered. She was used to the clearing teeming with warriors and apprentices, their scents and voices crowding the air.

Harestar nodded a greeting as they reached him. “Thank you for coming.”

Squirrelflight searched the WindClan leader’s eyes, but his gaze was unreadable. She could see stiffness and tension in the others that made her wary. Were she and Bramblestar the only ones who didn’t know what this meeting was about? She glanced over her shoulder as the long grass swished and Mistystar and Reedwhisker padded, dripping, into the clearing.

“Harestar.” Mistystar bowed her head respectfully as she reached them.

Harestar acknowledged her with a blink, then swept his gaze around the gathered cats. “I called you here because there’s a problem with SkyClan’s territory.”

Surprise lit Leafstar’s gaze. “A problem?”

Mistystar, Harestar, and Tigerstar were staring coolly at the SkyClan leader. Alarm pricked through Squirrelflight’s pelt. Had Harestar already discussed this with the other leaders?

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “If there’s a problem with SkyClan’s territory,” he meowed stiffly, “why isn’t Leafstar bringing it to us?”

“She clearly hasn’t noticed it,” Mistystar meowed pointedly.

“Have your Clans been talking behind SkyClan’s back again?” Leafstar’s fur ruffled.

Hawkwing moved closer to his leader. “We hoped those days were over.”

“It’s not a question of talking behind your back.” Crowfeather whisked his tail. The WindClan deputy seemed impatient. “If you’d lived here longer, you’d have seen the problem already.”

Squirrelflight stared at him. Was he trying to insult SkyClan?

“We settled the issue of SkyClan’s territory three moons ago,” Bramblestar growled. “We all agreed.”

“It was the best plan we could think of at the time.” Tigerstar shifted his paws. The division of land had been the ShadowClan leader’s idea. Was he regretting it now?

Harestar was still staring at Leafstar. “Three moons has given us time to see the flaws in that plan.”

“What flaws?” Leafstar demanded.

“We shifted our borders to make room for SkyClan.” Harestar glanced around at the other leaders. “We were happy to do it. We know SkyClan belongs beside the lake. StarClan has made that clear. But moving borders means that now some of us have land we can’t use.”

“The water channels on the land RiverClan gave us make it hard for us to patrol,” Tigerstar agreed.

Mistystar fluffed out her fur. “Yet they’re full of fish that only RiverClan can catch and eat,” she meowed.

“And you were given moorland.” Harestar nodded at Bramblestar.

Bramblestar’s pelt ruffled along his spine. “We use the land beyond the stream.”

“Really?” Harestar looked unconvinced.

“Larksong caught a rabbit there yesterday,” Bramblestar told him.

“Only one?” Harestar narrowed his eyes.

“One was all we needed.”

Harestar pressed on. “Today your patrol barely crossed the stream.”

Squirrelflight felt heat beneath her pelt. Had the WindClan leader been spying on them? “It was a border patrol, not a hunting patrol,” she pointed out.

“And yet you hunted.” Harestar stared at her. “But in the forest, not on the moorland.”

Bramblestar shifted his paws. “We hunt wherever the prey runs.”

“And catch one rabbit where we would have caught three,” Harestar meowed.

“Are you insulting my warriors?” Bramblestar’s hackles lifted.

“Of course not.” Harestar swished his tail. “We’re more experienced at hunting on moorland, that’s all.”

“ We’ll be experienced at hunting there eventually,” Squirrelflight put in. “We all just need time to adjust to our new territories.”

Leafstar turned to Harestar and puffed out her chest. “What are you trying to say?” she asked. “Do you want SkyClan to leave again? If you—”

“No cat thinks you should leave,” Harestar said quickly.

Leafstar went on. “If you want us gone, you’ll have to take it up with our ancestors!”

Squirrelflight felt a rush of sympathy for the SkyClan leader. “Haven’t they moved enough?”

Harestar met her gaze. “All I’m saying is that territory is being wasted. WindClan is growing—Featherpelt is expecting kits—and we need every bit of land we can get.”

“You act like you need land more than we do. But SkyClan is growing too!” Leafstar blinked at him. “Violetshine has kits.”

“All the Clans are growing,” Harestar meowed evenly. Squirrelflight shifted her paws self-consciously. It seemed everyone was having kits except her. The WindClan leader went on. “Which is why no Clan should hold on to land it can’t use.” He looked pointedly at Bramblestar.

Bramblestar met his gaze. “ThunderClan uses all its land.”

Squirrelflight stared at the ground. Perhaps she’d been wrong to insist that ThunderClan adapt to its new territory. The Clans might work better hunting land that they were used to. “We don’t use the moorland as much as we should,” she admitted. “The border had barely been marked before today.”

Bramblestar swung his gaze toward her. “We’re not giving up territory. It would leave us with less than the other Clans.”

“I’d happily give RiverClan’s marshland back,” Tigerstar meowed. “But SkyClan would have to return our forest.”