Squirrelflight's Hope полностью

“Don’t worry.” Squirrelflight brushed her cheek against Sparkpelt’s. “It’s all going to be fine.” She wondered who she was reassuring, herself or Sparkpelt. “Stay here and rest. I’ll go and see if he’s all right. And I’ll send Leafpool to check on you when she can.”

Sparkpelt blinked at her gratefully and touched her nose to her mother’s. “Be kind to him.”

Squirrelflight flinched. I wish he’d be kind to me.

Bramblestar was talking with Thornclaw, their heads bent, as Squirrelflight scrambled down the rock tumble. She hesitated beside them, but they turned away and carried on talking. Disappointed, she walked on and stopped beside Leafpool. Thriftpaw and Twigbranch were gently tucking fern leaves around Sunrise. The wounded Sister hardly moved as they tried to make her comfortable. Pain glazed her eyes. “She needs poppy seeds,” Squirrelflight whispered to Leafpool.

“And marigold.” Leafpool touched a paw to Sunrise’s flank. “I don’t like how hot she’s getting. It might be the beginning of infection.”

Snow, who was watching from the edge of the clearing, leaned forward. “Why don’t you do something?”

Leafpool glanced at Bramblestar. “I have to obey him,” she whispered to the white she-cat.

Snow stared at her. “Can’t you think and act for yourselves?” Frustration edged her mew. “First you have to consult with dead cats to see if you can treat her, and now you don’t dare help a suffering cat because a tom tells you not to.”

“He’s our leader,” Leafpool told her.

As she spoke, Thornclaw lifted his gaze and glared at Snow. “Stop talking,” he hissed.

Squirrelflight’s pelt prickled with anger. Had Thornclaw forgotten what it was like to need help? She shifted as Twigbranch nosed her softly aside and pressed a fern beneath Sunrise’s shoulder. “Thank you.” She blinked gratefully at the young warrior, relieved that not all her Clanmates were acting like fox-hearts, and leaned closer to Leafpool. “Can you check on Sparkpelt? She’s in Bramblestar’s den. She had some cramps. They’ve passed now, but I think she needs reassuring.”

Leafpool nodded toward Sunrise. “Can you keep an eye on her?”

“Of course.” Squirrelflight settled beside Sunrise, pressing her flank along the wounded cat’s spine. Her heart ached as she watched her sister pad wordlessly past Bramblestar and climb the rock tumble. When had Bramblestar become so heartless? Did he really believe that Clan unity was worth paying for in another cat’s blood?

Squirrelflight could see stars twinkling through the leafy canopy. The moon was high, and her Clanmates sat stiffly around the clearing, murmuring softly to one another, their gazes never straying for long from Hawk, Tempest, and Snow. She pressed closer to Leafpool. Beside them, Sunrise’s breath had quickened and grown shallow.

Surely Jayfeather and Alderheart must return soon. Had StarClan given an answer? Squirrelflight sent another desperate prayer toward the glittering sky. Please let us treat her. Sunrise had slipped into unconsciousness as the sun had slipped below the trees. At least it won’t hurt now, Squirrelflight had thought.

Leafpool had settled Sparkpelt into the nursery, where Daisy could keep an eye on her and reassure her if necessary. Larksong was there too. He’d hurried to check on Sparkpelt as soon as he’d returned with the hunting patrol.

Squirrelflight fluffed her pelt against the evening chill. “Shouldn’t Jayfeather and Alderheart be back by now?” she whispered to Leafpool.

“They’ll be here soon,” Leafpool murmured.

As Bramblestar paced beneath the Highledge, Thornclaw sat motionless, eyes glinting like quartz in the moonlight. Birchfall, Blossomfall, Hollytuft, and Flippaw had gathered around the old warrior, and they sat close, staring with undisguised hostility at the Sisters.

Bramblestar had kept his word and shared the patrol’s catch with their visitors, but the Sisters had eaten little. They had edged nearer to Sunrise, close enough now to breathe in her scent, which had grown hotter and sourer as the evening had drawn in.

“I pray StarClan will let us treat her,” Leafpool murmured. “The wound is festering already. She needs those herbs.”

Squirrelflight’s heart quickened. Even she could see the swelling around the gash on Sunrise’s flank. The cobweb was soggy now and couldn’t hide the fiery red flesh beneath.

She pricked her ears as paw steps sounded outside the stone hollow. Bramblestar halted as the Clan shifted nervously around the edge of the clearing. Thornclaw got to his paws as Jayfeather led Alderheart into camp. Squirrelflight jumped up, straining to read Alderheart’s expression. His round amber eyes gave nothing away.

“Well?” Bramblestar crossed the clearing to meet the two medicine cats. “What did StarClan say?”

Alderheart frowned. “We’re not quite sure.”

Bramblestar’s pelt rippled along his spine. “But you’re medicine cats! You must know. Did they say anything?”

“I had a vision,” Jayfeather told him. “I spoke to Hollyleaf.”