Erin Hunter - Twilight

But he’ll be sorry in the end, when he needs ThunderClan’s help again.

A ruffled disc of white light trembled on the surface of the lake, and up above the stars of Silverpelt blazed in the night sky.

StarClan must be pleased with how we’re settling in , Squirrelflight decided as she followed her sister along the lakeshore. Her paws tingled at the thought of taking part in the first Gathering on the island. She couldn’t wait to cross the fallen tree and explore.

Firestar led the way with Dustpelt, Sandstorm, and Cloudtail close to his flanks. Ashfur and Spiderleg padded just behind, ahead of Cinderpelt, Goldenflower, and Brackenfur. Brambleclaw brought up the rear, glancing back now and again as if he expected trouble.

His caution reminded Squirrelflight of the uneasy new relationship with WindClan. To reach the tree bridge and the island, they had to pass through WindClan territory, and as far as Squirrelflight knew they hadn’t formally asked for Onestar’s permission.

“It was a lot easier at Fourtrees,” she meowed to Leafpool, with a sudden pang of homesickness. She would never forget the horror of discovering that Twoleg monsters had destroyed the great oak trees where the Clans met every full moon. “Back there, we didn’t have to cross other Clans’ territories to get to Gatherings.”

“Cats can’t possibly fight on the way to a Gathering,” Leafpool mewed.

“I’m not sure. When does the truce start? When we get to the island, or when we’re on the way?”

Leafpool shook her head, unable to reply.

Squirrelflight stayed alert as she and her Clanmates slipped through the shadows with the glimmering lake on one side and the steeply sloping moorland on the other. As they drew closer to the Twoleg horse place, they began to pick up strong WindClan scent, as if a large patrol had just passed that way.

“Onestar and his Clan must be ahead of us,” Squirrelflight meowed. Pausing to taste the air, she distinguished another scent, and a moment later she spotted two pale shapes flitting across the field beyond the horse place fence. “That must be the kittypets who live in the barn,” she commented. “Do you remember Smoky and Daisy? We met last time we came to a Gathering. I wonder if Daisy has had her kits yet.”

“It’s time the ThunderClan queens started having kits,” Leafpool mewed. “The Clan is really short of young cats.”

Squirrelflight nodded. More kits meant more apprentices, and that meant she wouldn’t have to collect any more moss!

They crossed the marshy ground where they had made their temporary camp when they first reached the lake. Just beyond it, a new set of scent marks warned that they had reached the RiverClan border. On the lakeshore ahead of them, Squirrelflight could see a throng of cats; in the bright moonlight it was easy to recognize Onestar and his WindClan warriors.

She remembered how her patrol had first discovered the island. They had always known it would be a perfect place to gather, but they had assumed it would be impossible to reach, except for the strong swimmers in RiverClan. But StarClan had found a way to help them cross the narrow stretch of water that separated the island from the shore. Squirrelflight felt her fur bristle with anticipation as they approached the tree bridge. It had once been a lofty pine tree, growing close to the edge of the island. Now its roots reared up into the air, while its tip rested on the pebbly lakeshore. As she drew closer Squirrelflight could see its needles were already brown and dry, falling like brittle rain onto the stones.

Cats were bunched together around the topmost branches; their flattened ears and stiffly held tails betrayed their nervousness about trusting the tree to support their weight across the cold black water. Squirrelflight watched Webfoot sniff warily at a twig. Suddenly there was an impatient meow and Crowfeather leapt up onto the trunk, close to where it stretched out over the water. He swayed until he found his balance, then started to walk along the trunk, placing each paw carefully until he was near enough to the opposite shore to jump down safely.

Squirrelflight wanted to push forward and scramble along the trunk so she could explore the island too, but she made herself wait, claws scraping impatiently on the stones. She was conscious of Brambleclaw watching her with amber eyes that gave away nothing of what he felt. Turning her back on him, she padded over to Ashfur.

“This is great!” he meowed, touching his nose to her ear. “I can’t wait to get over there.”

“Me neither,” Squirrelflight agreed.

More WindClan cats began to cross, gripping the trunk with their claws as they advanced pawstep by pawstep toward the far shore. When Firestar waved his tail for the ThunderClan cats to follow, Squirrelflight started forward eagerly, only to bump into Leafpool, who was gazing across the water to the island.

“What’s the matter?” Squirrelflight mewed. “For StarClan’s sake, get a move on!”

Leafpool jumped. “Sorry!”

As Tornear leapt up onto the tree bridge, Onestar padded across and spoke quickly to Firestar before following his warrior. Firestar beckoned his Clan around him.

“RiverClan and ShadowClan have already crossed,” he meowed. “Onestar told me Leopardstar and Blackstar agreed we should all have a chance to explore the island before the Gathering.”

“Where will we meet when it starts?” Cloudtail asked.

Firestar twitched his ears. “Only StarClan knows, until we get over there. But you shouldn’t get lost. The island’s not that big.”

He jumped onto the tree trunk, followed by Sandstorm and Cloudtail. At last it was Squirrelflight’s turn. She crouched and sprang into the air; the trunk bounced under her weight as she landed. Her fur fluffed out in alarm and she sank her claws into the bark to keep her balance. Suddenly she was conscious of how narrow the trunk was, and how close the water was, lapping at the half-submerged branches beneath her.

“Go on,” Ashfur meowed. “You’re keeping every cat waiting.”

Cautiously Squirrelflight edged out along the tree trunk.

The trunk bounced even harder as more cats sprang up behind her, and the branches scraped her pelt as she wove her way between them. But gradually she got used to the motion, and the trunk grew thicker as she crept out across the lake.

Her confidence grew; when the branches came to an end she broke into a run until she hurled herself with a yowl of triumph onto the shore on the other side.

Dustpelt leapt into the air and spun to face her. “Great StarClan, you startled me!” he exclaimed. “Any cat would think you were still a kit, the way you behave.”

“Sorry, Dustpelt.” Seeing his tail curl up with amusement, Squirrelflight guessed the brown tabby warrior was as excited as she was to be in their new Gathering place.

She waited in the shelter of the tree roots while Ashfur, Leafpool, and then Brambleclaw crossed. As soon as the broad-shouldered tabby warrior landed on the pebbles, he veered away to join another muscular warrior, as much like Brambleclaw as his reflection in the lake.

“Hawkfrost!” Squirrelflight hissed. “I might have known.”

“There you are, Brambleclaw,” she heard the RiverClan cat meow. “I was hoping you’d be here tonight. Come on—there’s something I want to show you.”

The two cats padded off side by side.

Squirrelflight turned back to look for Leafpool and saw her racing across the shore to join Hawkfrost’s sister, Mothwing, who was the RiverClan medicine cat. The beautiful golden tabby twined her tail with Leafpool’s, excitedly telling her something that Squirrelflight was too far away to hear.