Bramblestar gazed back at her coldly. “These cats have threatened you and attacked ShadowClan. They clearly don’t care who they harm or how. If we treat this cat, we show them we can be pushed around. And we might make an enemy of Tigerstar forever. StarClan has already told us that the Clans must stand together. For all we know, helping the Sisters might be no better than helping Darktail. We need StarClan’s guidance. Jayfeather and Alderheart will travel to the Moonpool.”
Hawk blinked at him. “Is the Moonpool far?”
Tempest padded closer. “There’s no time to consult with ancestors.” Panic edged her mew.
“We have no choice.” Bramblestar turned to Jayfeather. “Be as quick as you can.”
Squirrelflight could hardly believe her ears. Was Bramblestar going to risk this cat’s life? He should act, not question. “We have to help,” she breathed.
Bramblestar didn’t look at her. Instead he blinked at Leafpool. “Can you keep Sunrise alive until Alderheart and Jayfeather return?”
Leafpool stared anxiously at the bleeding cat. “I’ll do my best.”
As Jayfeather and Alderheart hurried toward the camp entrance, she ducked into the medicine den and returned with a thick wad of cobweb between her jaws.
Squirrelflight followed her to where Sunrise lay unconscious and hardly breathing. “Don’t let her die,” she whispered.
Leafpool began to draw the edges of the wound together. “If I can stop the bleeding—”
Squirrelflight hardly heard her. “How could Bramblestar let this happen?”
“He has to listen to his warriors.” Leafpool wadded cobweb along the gash.
“Even when they’re wrong?” Squirrelflight remembered how tenderly the Sisters had treated Leafstar’s wound. Her heart seemed to twist inside her chest. Suddenly there seemed more honor among the Sisters than among her Clanmates. If Sunrise died because of ThunderClan’s fox-heartedness, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to forgive them.
CHAPTER 9
Anxiously, Squirrelflight sniffed the cobwebs wadded around the gash on Sunrise’s flank. The blood there was growing stale. But Sunrise was still not moving; her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow. The clearing beneath her was still damp with her blood.
Leafpool went on. “I need to make an ointment to keep infection at bay.” She glanced toward the medicine den and then at Bramblestar.
The ThunderClan leader had padded to the entrance, where Alderheart and Jayfeather had disappeared a few moments earlier. He met Leafpool’s gaze.
“May I fetch herbs?” she asked.
Blossomfall fluffed out her pelt beside him. “We can’t do anything until they tell us it’s okay.”
Squirrelflight stared at them, shocked by their coldness. “But she might die while we’re waiting. What if StarClan says we can treat her then? We won’t be able to treat a corpse.”
Bramblestar crossed the clearing and stopped beside Leafpool. “Just keep her alive until Jayfeather and Alderheart return.”
Leafpool straightened. “The Moonpool is a long way. They won’t be back before moonhigh. The only way I can keep her alive is to stop infection forming in the wound.” As she spoke, Sunrise stirred. She slowly opened her eyes and, with a flick of her tail, tried to lift her head.
Bramblestar whisked his tail. “She looks strong,” he growled. “She’ll be okay.”
“She won’t be unless I put ointment on the wound.” Leafpool’s fur twitched anxiously along her spine.
Snow crept closer to Sunrise. Fear showed in the she-cat’s eyes. “Keep still,” she breathed to her wounded campmate. “You’ll reopen the wound.”
Bramblestar glared at her. “Get back with the others.”
As Snow flattened her ears and backed away, anger flared in Squirrelflight’s belly. Was Bramblestar going to deny Sunrise even the comfort of her campmates? The Sisters had been far kinder to her when she’d been in their camp.
Outside the warriors’ den, Mousewhisker shifted his paws. “Should we move her to the medicine den?”
Larksong lifted his tail hopefully. “We could carry her there.”
“She’ll be more comfortable out of the sun,” Sparkpelt mewed.
Bramblestar glanced at them. “She’ll stay where we can see her until Jayfeather and Alderheart bring word from StarClan.”
Finleap padded forward. “Can we at least make her more comfortable?”
“I can fetch ferns,” Twigbranch offered.
Bramblestar nodded, his gaze hard. “Very well.” He turned away as they hurried out of camp.
Squirrelflight wanted to go with them, to make sure they picked the softest leaves, but she couldn’t leave Sunrise. Someone had to fight for her.
The thorn tunnel shivered, and Hollytuft and Dewnose ducked into camp. Flippaw and Thriftpaw padded at their heels. They stopped as they saw the Sisters.
