Squirrelflight's Hope by Erin Hunter

Author:Erin Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-07-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

“I’m coming with you.” Squirrelflight squared her shoulders as she faced Jayfeather.

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. “This is between medicine cats.”

Alderheart shifted beside the blind tom. “We’re going to talk to Puddleshine, to see if he has seen anything like Larksong’s sickness in ShadowClan.”

“I have to put the Clan’s minds at rest,” Squirrelflight insisted. Through the night, rumors that ShadowClan had been the cause of Larksong’s sickness had spread like fleas through the Clan. By morning, as the rain clouds cleared from above the camp, her Clanmates had barely listened to her orders for the day’s patrols.

Lionblaze had paced the clearing with ruffled fur. “We should send a patrol to ShadowClan.”

“They can’t get away with poisoning a second Clan,” Cinderheart had agreed.

Around them, Poppyfrost, Cherryfall, and Molewhisker had nodded, murmuring their agreement.

Bramblestar had scrambled down from the Highledge and stood beside Squirrelflight. “We don’t have any proof that ShadowClan caused this. And there’s so much tension among the Clans that an accusation like this might lead to war.”

The warriors had backed down and, grumbling, gone on patrol. But Squirrelflight was convinced that the rumors would rumble on unless some cat investigated the claims of poisoning.

Now she blinked hopefully at Alderheart and Jayfeather as they prepared to leave for the ShadowClan camp. “I’ll tell ShadowClan I’m escorting you. I’ll tell them that we’re worried about the threat from the Sisters.” Guilt pricked at her belly. The Sisters weren’t a threat to any cat. But she had to get into the ShadowClan camp and find proof that ShadowClan was innocent.

Jayfeather’s tail twitched impatiently. “You ought to ask Bramblestar’s permission,” he grunted. “We can’t accuse ShadowClan without proof.”

“I’m not going to accuse anyone,” Squirrelflight told him. “I just want to see how ShadowClan acts when I tell them about Larksong. I’ll be able to tell if they’re guilty.”

Jayfeather snorted. “ShadowClan is always guilty of something.”

Squirrelflight held her ground. “I have to come with you.”

Alderheart met her gaze nervously. “ShadowClan might take offense if we bring a warrior to their camp. You should get Bramblestar’s permission.”

Squirrelflight swallowed her frustration. “Bramblestar is out hunting,” she reminded them. “I can’t ask him now.”

“We can’t wait.” Alderheart glanced anxiously toward the medicine den.

“If Puddleshine knows of a way to help Larksong, we need to hear it as soon as possible,” Jayfeather chimed.

Squirrelflight gazed at them desperately. She was Clan deputy. If she wanted to travel with them, she could. And yet she knew they were right. Tensions with ShadowClan were already high. If her visit to their camp made things worse, ThunderClan could find itself facing battle. She needed Bramblestar’s support for her mission. And, she realized, she needed his support as her mate. She was always better with him behind her. She should have realized that from the start. “Let’s find him,” she suggested.

“He could be anywhere,” Jayfeather objected.

“He said he was going to hunt near the beech grove,” she told him. “It’s not far out of the way. We could stop and get Bramblestar’s permission.”

Jayfeather’s ear twitched.

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