Squirrelflight nodded solemnly. “I’ll tell her if I can.” She turned to Sandstorm. “Say good-bye to Firestar for me.” She ignored the grief tugging at her belly. She knew what she had to do. The pond was her link to ThunderClan. It must be the only way to reach them. Taking a gulp of air, she leaped. As she plunged into the water, her breath caught in her throat. Cold pierced her fur. Eyes stinging, she ducked beneath the surface and fought her way down into the shadowy depths.
CHAPTER 26
Hope flashed in her chest as she spotted a light in the distance. She kicked out, pushing herself toward it, and pressed her mouth tighter shut, fighting the urge to breathe.
Slowly, as though she were waking from a nightmare, the chill eased and the water loosened its grip. She felt weightless. Her hunger for breath vanished as the water around her seemed to dissolve into air. She pushed faster toward the light glittering ahead, feeling its warmth as it embraced her. The shadows melted away, and she felt earth grow solid beneath her paws.
She looked around. The ThunderClan camp! She was standing in the clearing. Afternoon sunshine washed her pelt as she watched her Clanmates move around her. Berrynose picked a shrew from the fresh-kill pile. Bristlepaw and Thriftpaw dragged old bedding from the elders’ den, while Leafshade pawed fallen leaves into a pile at the edge of the clearing. They worked quietly, and Squirrelflight could sense sadness like rain in the air, ruffling fur and shadowing gazes.
She stood still, expecting at any moment to be seen, but her Clanmates seemed unaware of her presence.
“Do you want the rest?” Stormcloud pushed a half-eaten mouse toward Hollytuft. “I’m not very hungry.”
“Neither am I.” Hollytuft gazed dully at the mouse.
Squirrelflight felt suddenly far away. Loneliness rang like an echo in her chest. She pushed it away and hurried to the nursery.
Inside, Sparkpelt lay in her nest while Daisy played with the kits. Sorrelstripe and her kits were outside.
“Come on, Flamekit.” Daisy ducked down and encouraged the black tom-kit to climb onto her back, where Finchkit was already sitting.
Finchkit puffed out her chest. “I got here first.”
“Only because you pushed me out of the way!” Flamekit flicked his tail indignantly and scrambled up beside her.
Finchkit tried to bat him away as he barged past her. “Hey! I want to go in front.”
“No fighting!” Daisy scolded. “There’s enough room for both of you.”
Squirrelflight glanced at Sparkpelt. Wasn’t she going to tell her kits to behave? Sparkpelt didn’t move, her gaze blank as though she was hardly aware of Daisy or her kits. Squirrelflight hurried across the den and crouched beside her. “Sparkpelt! Your kits need you!” Flamekit and Finchkit had a Clan to take care of them, but they still needed their mother. Didn’t Sparkpelt realize what she was missing? “Don’t give in to grief.” Squirrelflight remembered the closeness she had felt with her kits—it had always made her heart sing. “Sparkpelt!”
Sparkpelt’s ear twitched, but her gaze didn’t change.
They squealed with delight and scrambled out.
“Do it again!” Finchkit clawed her way back onto Daisy’s shoulders. Flamekit clambered after her.
Sparkpelt didn’t move.
