“That doesn’t mean there aren’t any beyond it.” Leafstar narrowed her eyes against the rain.
Squirrelflight tried to gauge Leafstar’s mood. Was the SkyClan leader keeping an open mind about the land? Or would she find any excuse to object to it? “You’ll be closer to the mountains,” she encouraged. “There’ll be plenty of prey.”
“And more hawks to compete with.” Leafstar ducked under a trailing branch. “I hope it’s not too exposed.”
Squirrelflight hopped over the branch. “It might be good to be away from the dampness of the lake.”
The stone walls of the crumbling Twolegplace showed among the trees. She veered along a trail that would take them around it, instinctively wary of anything that had once attracted Twolegs. As she leaped across an old streambed, she heard voices. Stiffening, she tasted the air. Through the rain she smelled ThunderClan. A patrol? Her paws tingling guiltily, she looked at Leafstar. “Someone’s coming,” she hissed. “Hide!”
Leafstar’s eyes rounded. She ducked quickly behind an oak, snatching her wet tail from view as Squirrelflight turned to meet her Clanmates. Her heart quickened as she smelled Sparkpelt’s scent.
Orange fur flashed through the undergrowth, and Sparkpelt slid from between the dripping ferns, Larksong at her heels. The young warrior clearly hadn’t smelled her mother’s scent. “Lionblaze said that Harestar is causing trouble.” Sparkpelt’s voice echoed between the trees.
“That’s a refreshing change,” Larksong answered. “It’s usually Tigerstar who starts arguments among the Clans. Did he say what it was about?”
“He said it was best not to start rumors,” Sparkpelt told him. “In which case, why say anything at all?”
Squirrelflight wondered whether to hide beside Leafstar. It would be easier if they weren’t seen. But what if Sparkpelt or Larksong spotted them? What if they picked up their scent? It would be uncomfortable to be caught hiding, especially from her own daughter. Best to face them head on. “Hi!” She lifted her tail and hurried through the rain to meet Sparkpelt, whose ears pricked with surprise.
“Squirrelflight! What are you doing here?”
Squirrelflight wondered what to tell them. “I’m checking on something.” Larksong scanned the forest warily. Squirrelflight could see him tasting the air. “Why are you two this far from camp?”
“We’re hunting,” Larksong told her. “It’s been a while since anyone hunted this part of the forest. We thought we might find some juicy prey.”
Sparkpelt was eyeing her mother curiously. “What are you checking on?”
Squirrelflight shifted her paws, hoping that the rain had slicked down her ruffled fur. “I came to look at the border.”
“Which border?” Sparkpelt glanced around. They were deep in ThunderClan territory.
“The far edge of our land,” Squirrelflight explained.
“Why?” Sparkpelt frowned.
Squirrelflight hesitated. It felt wrong to go behind Bramblestar’s back, and worse to lie to her own daughter. Her tail drooped. She couldn’t do it. “I want Leafstar to see the land outside,” she confessed. She jerked her nose toward the tree where Leafstar was hiding. “She’s here with me.”
Leafstar padded out, her gaze wary.
“I knew I smelled SkyClan!” Larksong’s hackles lifted.
Sparkpelt looked puzzled. “What’s going on? Why does Leafstar need to see the land beyond our border?”
Squirrelflight lifted her chin. “I had an idea at the leaders’ meeting. I wanted to stop the Clans from fighting over land again, so I suggested SkyClan move to new territory.” She looked toward the border. “The land there is unclaimed. It might make a good home for SkyClan, but we’re going to check it out first. We need to make sure it’s not overrun with rogues or Twolegs.”
Larksong frowned. “Wouldn’t it be safer to send a patrol?”
Squirrelflight hesitated. “Bramblestar isn’t sure about the plan,” she explained at last, deciding to stretch the truth a bit, “so I brought Leafstar to see it. If she likes it, she can confirm to Bramblestar that she wants to move SkyClan there.”
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” Leafstar grunted.
“No,” Squirrelflight mewed quickly. “Which is why I don’t want any cat to know about this.”
“Not even Bramblestar?” Sparkpelt asked.
“Not even him,” Squirrelflight answered, glancing awkwardly at Leafstar to gauge her reaction. The SkyClan leader was just watching her, clear-eyed. “If the Clans find out what we’re doing, it could create expectations that might never be met. I don’t want Leafstar to feel forced into anything.”
“But what if something happens to you?” Sparkpelt’s eyes glittered with worry.
“We’ll be careful,” Squirrelflight promised, leaning forward to rub her cheek against Sparkpelt’s. “Don’t worry. I’ll be home soon.”
“When, exactly?” Larksong gazed doubtfully toward the border.
Squirrelflight shifted her paws. It seemed unlikely that they’d be able to explore the new territory before dark, and the thought of spending the night in a strange forest, far from her Clan, made her nervous. But she had to see this through. “Tomorrow,” she mewed decisively.
“Tomorrow?” Sparkpelt looked alarmed. “But Bramblestar will be worried if you don’t come home tonight. I can’t act like I don’t know anything.”
“You have to.” Squirrelflight looked at her urgently. “One night of worry to keep peace among the Clans. Surely you see that it’s worth it?”
Sparkpelt’s ears twitched nervously. “I guess.”
“I’ll be home as soon as possible,” Squirrelflight told her. “But we have to do this properly. We need to cover as much of the land as we can.”
Leafstar was watching, her eyes dark. “I won’t ask SkyClan to move unless I’m sure about where we’re going.”
Sparkpelt looked at them both, then nodded. “Okay,” she meowed. “We’ll keep your secret … for now.”
Relief washed over Squirrelflight’s pelt. “Thank you.” She nuzzled Sparkpelt’s ear gratefully. “I promise I’ll be careful.” She fluffed her fur against the rain and turned toward the border. Glancing at Leafstar, she lifted her tail. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Leafstar looked determined, her pelt spiked with raindrops.
“See you soon.” With a quick nod to Sparkpelt and Larksong, Squirrelflight struck out past the Twoleg nest.
The forest grew thicker as they crossed the border, the slope beyond steepening sharply until they found themselves scrambling between rocks. The earth had turned to mud here and was slippery underpaw, but the rain was easing. Squirrelflight sniffed the air. The musky odor of Clan markers faded and disappeared behind them. Fresh prey-scents mingled with the smell of bark and earth. Pines clustered around them, blocking out the sun. Out of breath, Squirrelflight paused and looked up the slope, disappointed when she saw that trees hid the top.
Leafstar pushed past her, her ears flat with determination. Squirrelflight hurried at her heels as the SkyClan leader zigzagged between the rocks. At last, the slope began to flatten once more. The trees thinned, and they broke from the forest and found themselves on an open hilltop. As they paused at the peak, sunshine beamed through the clouds and lit the landscape ahead.
Squirrelflight caught her breath. Mounds rose before them, giving way to rocky mountain slopes in the distance. Forest sprouted here and there, opening into swaths of land where grass covered the rolling hills like a pelt. Squirrelflight could see streams cutting through the valleys like claw marks. Cascades of boulders clustered in ravines. “That looks like a good hunting ground.” Squirrelflight nodded toward a sunny hillside. “I think I can see rabbit holes.”
Leafstar didn’t comment. She was staring at the view, her nose twitching. Fresh mountain scent mingled with forest and water, and the smell of prey hung heavy in the air. Squirrelflight scanned the hillsides for signs of Twolegs, but there were no stone nests here. A Thunderpath cut its way along one edge, heading for the mountain, but no monsters patrolled it.