Squirrelflight's Hope полностью

Tigerstar cut her off. “How dare you?” he hissed. “You tell me that SkyClan must make their own decision, then tell me I should give RiverClan our land!”

“I’m just trying to help.” Heat burned Squirrelflight’s pelt. She could understand Tigerstar’s frustration. But for the sake of the Sisters, he had to wait.

Jayfeather flicked his tail impatiently. “The last argument didn’t solve this, and neither will this one.” He turned his blind blue gaze on Squirrelflight. “We should get back to camp. Leafpool might need our help.”

A growl rumbled in Tigerstar’s throat. “Your medicine cat is right. Leave.” He nodded to Dovewing and Scorchfur. “Escort them to the border.”

“We know the way,” Squirrelflight told him, bristling.

“I want to make sure you go.” Tigerstar eyed her darkly.

As Squirrelflight stalked past him, he called after her. “Tell Bramblestar that if our border dispute goes on much longer, we won’t wait for StarClan to decide whether we can take the Sisters’ land, or for Leafstar to make her decision. We’ll take the land ourselves. RiverClan might even help us, for the sake of peace.”

She ignored him, but her belly churned with fear. The Sisters were impressive and powerful cats, but could they defend themselves against the aggression of two Clans?

Alderheart fell in beside her, his gaze flitting anxiously around the camp. From all sides, ShadowClan cats were glowering at them menacingly.

Jayfeather padded behind, his tail twitching as Dovewing and Scorchfur followed. “Warriors,” he grumbled. “All they think about is borders.”

As they ducked out of the camp, Dovewing and Scorchfur fanned out. Scorchfur stared ahead, his pelt bristling along his spine.

Dovewing glanced nervously at Squirrelflight. “Tigerstar has a point,” she murmured.

Squirrelflight looked at her, surprised. Dovewing had been raised in ThunderClan. She had kin there and had been a loyal ThunderClan warrior until she’d joined ShadowClan to be with Tigerstar so they could raise their kits together.

Dovewing dropped her gaze. “I just mean I can see ShadowClan’s point of view now.”

“I know they’ve lost territory,” Squirrelflight conceded. “But if they just wait a moon—”

“It’s not that.” Dovewing moved closer, lowering her voice. “It’s the way ThunderClan does things,” she murmured. “I can see why the other Clans get irritated. ThunderClan cats only seem to be able to see their point of view. It’s like they think they’re better than everyone else. And Bramblestar always acts like he knows best, when he doesn’t know any more than any other leader.”

“But he’s smart,” Squirrelflight argued.

“So is Tigerstar,” Dovewing shot back. “And Mistystar and the others. They can see that moving SkyClan to new land would solve everyone’s problems, but Bramblestar is hung up on making sure SkyClan’s feelings don’t get hurt. Tigerstar is right—the mountain territory would be great for SkyClan. It would be great for any Clan.”

Alarm sparked in Squirrelflight’s pelt. “But what about the Sisters?”

“Who cares about the Sisters?” Dovewing blinked at her. “They’re just a bunch of rogues who don’t even want the land. They were planning to move on anyway; we just want them to do it a little sooner. It’s not like chasing a Clan from their home.”

Jayfeather sniffed beside them. “She has a point.”

“No, she doesn’t.” Squirrelflight swished her tail crossly. “Being a warrior is more than being practical. It’s about doing what’s right. Bramblestar is only trying to make sure that SkyClan doesn’t feel they’re being pressured. It’s important that they feel like the other Clans respect them. And the Sisters aren’t rogues. They’re more like a Clan than you think. And their leader is expecting kits. What kind of fox-heart would chase an expectant mother from her den?”

Dovewing shrugged. “I guess ThunderClan will never see that protecting your own Clan is sometimes more important than being right.” She moved away, shadowing the patrol but keeping distance between herself and her old Clanmates.

Squirrelflight glanced at Jayfeather. “Does ThunderClan really think it’s better than everyone else?”

Jayfeather grunted. “Every Clan thinks it’s better than everyone else.” He quickened his pace, his empty gaze on the forest ahead. “Isn’t that part of the warrior code?”

Squirrelflight stared at him. Didn’t cats believe in honor anymore? Couldn’t they see that she and Bramblestar wanted the best for everyone? She shook out her fur. At least and she and Bramblestar agreed on something at last. The borders must stay the same until SkyClan and the Sisters were ready to move. A chill wormed beneath her pelt. But what if protecting the borders led the Clans into battle? War was the one thing StarClan had warned them against. She shivered. By protecting the Sisters, would she anger her ancestors?

CHAPTER 16