Squirrelflight's Hope полностью

Harestar reared out of the swarm. Sunrise rose with him, slashing viciously at the WindClan leader’s muzzle. Trading blows, they sank beneath the sea of pelts like cats drowning. Creek rolled out from the pack, turning as soon as he was clear and hurling himself at Cloverfoot. He hooked his claws into the ShadowClan deputy’s shoulders and dragged her onto her back. Leaping on top of her, he struggled to pin her to the ground and aimed a swipe at her cheek. Cloverfoot tried to twist free, but, straining with every hair on his pelt, the young tom held her fast. As his paw swung toward her, Crowfeather leaped from beside his Clanmates and slammed into Creek’s side. He sent Creek crashing into a bramble and leaped after him, paws flailing. Breezepelt, Scorchfur, and Gorsetail raced to help him.

You’ll kill him! Squirrelflight stared in horror as Creek disappeared beneath a swarm of warriors. Please stop!

Twigbranch’s pelt flashed past her. “Wait!” Squirrelflight hooked her claws into her Clanmate’s pelt and dragged her away from the fighting.

Paws churning, Twigbranch wrestled free from her grip. She turned on Squirrelflight. “What in StarClan—” Her mew trailed away as she saw Squirrelflight.

“We can’t let this happen.” Squirrelflight stared pleadingly at the young warrior. “Moonlight has just kitted. She’s very weak, and the kits have hardly taken their first breath. Their first memory can’t be a battle! Help me stop them!”

Twigbranch glanced around the camp. “Where are the kits?”

“Leafpool and the others have taken them somewhere safe. Flurry, Furze, Sunrise, and Creek are on their own.”

Twigbranch nodded. “I’ll tell Blossomfall and Mousewhisker,” she promised. “I’ll make them stop.” She turned and pushed her way between Emberfoot and Yarrowleaf, who were scrabbling to get deeper into the fray. Squirrelflight began to nose her way between Oatclaw and Duskfur. She had to find Bramblestar and explain about the kits. He’d see why the Sisters had to fight. They were defending their young. As she ducked past Oatclaw, Sunrise flashed past her. Squirrelflight spun as the she-cat broke free of the patrol and fled across the clearing.

“Retreat!” Sunrise called to her campmates. “We can’t win here!”

Furze ripped herself free from Shimmerpelt and Petalfur and raced after her, yowling over her shoulder. “Creek! Flurry! This way!”

The battle seemed to stumble to a halt as the Clan patrol realized that their enemies were on the run. Creek leaped to his paws and hared after his campmates, speeding over the grass like a bird. Together, they crashed through a bramble and disappeared.

Tigerstar watched them go, his eyes narrowing with determination. “Let’s make sure they’re gone!” Like a pack of wolves, the warrior patrol gave chase.

As the clearing emptied, Squirrelflight stared shakily at the bloodstained grass. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Flurry, lying on the ground. Her ginger-and-white pelt was matted. Scratches crisscrossed her muzzle. Squirrelflight hurried toward her, heart pounding. She crouched beside the wounded cat. Was she dead?

“You care more about the Sisters than your Clanmates.”

Bramblestar’s mew took her by surprise. Squirrelflight turned. He was staring at her.

She met his gaze. “I care about any injured cat,” she mewed.

“Even an enemy?”

“A life is a life.” She got to her paws and faced him.

“Why are you here?” Confusion clouded his gaze.

“Last night I dreamed a kit was in trouble,” she told him. “Leafpool dreamed it too. We had to come.” She padded closer. “Moonlight needed help. She was having trouble kitting and she needed a medicine cat. Leafpool saved her and her kits. She finished kitting just before the patrol arrived.”

Bramblestar blinked at her. “Where is she?”

“Leafpool and the others have taken her and the kits somewhere safe.”

Bramblestar stiffened as yowls echoed from the head of the valley. “Where?”

Squirrelflight shrugged. “A cave. I’ve never seen it before, but it can’t be far.”

Bramblestar blinked at her. “Do you think that’s where the others have fled?”

Alarm pricked in Squirrelflight’s paws. Get Moonlight somewhere safe; then think about fighting! “They might think they can defend it from the Clans.”

Just then, a breathless Crowfeather appeared at her side. “Did you say Leafpool is in a cave?” His blue eyes were wide with alarm, and concern. Of course he was concerned, Squirrelflight realized—they had once been forbidden mates. And while both cats had moved on with their lives, Squirrelflight knew that those feelings never completely went away.

“They’ll be trapped,” Bramblestar growled, digging his claws into the earth. “Tigerstar and the others will have them cornered.”