“Alderheart and Jayfeather would have taken care of her if I hadn’t,” Leafpool meowed briskly as she pulled out a wad of thyme.
Squirrelflight shifted her paws. Would they have? Jayfeather and Alderheart had helped treat Sunrise’s wound, but she’d felt their unease at having a cat some of the Clan considered an enemy in their medicine den. She suspected they’d be relieved when the Sisters left.
Sunrise shifted in her nest, her face taut with pain.
Hawk stiffened. “Are you sure she can travel?”
Leafpool wrapped the herbs in a leaf and carried them to Sunrise’s nest. She opened the bundle and, with her pad, dabbed at a patch of poppy seeds pooled between the leaves. “Swallow these.” She lifted her paw to Sunrise’s mouth, and the yellow she-cat ducked to lick them off. “They’ll help with the pain. There’s more in the bundle for when you get home, but you’ll have to find your own once they’re gone.”
Tempest was frowning. “Do the Clans always turn a fight into a war?”
Squirrelflight looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Sunrise was hurt in a border fight,” Tempest meowed. “Is that any reason to start a war?”
“Tensions are running high at the moment,” Squirrelflight explained. “We changed borders recently, and it’s not working out as well as we’d hoped. And the fight permanently damaged Strikestone’s hearing. I didn’t realize when we brought Sunrise back here that a Clan cat had been so badly hurt.”
“Nor did we.” Tempest’s gaze darkened. “We didn’t mean to harm him.”
Snow lifted her muzzle. “We were defending ourselves.”
Leafpool rerolled the bundle. “What’s done is done.” She pushed it toward Hawk.
“They’re back.” Squirrelflight blinked anxiously toward the den entrance as paw steps sounded in the clearing.
The brambles shivered and Bramblestar pushed his way in. “Are they ready?” He gazed darkly at the Sisters.
Snow nodded.
“I’ve given them herbs to take with them,” Leafpool told him.
Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “Our herbs?”
Leafpool met his gaze. “I’ll pick fresh herbs to replace them.”
Bramblestar flicked his tail toward the entrance. “It’s time they were going.” He nodded toward Snow. “Try not to be seen. And stay away from ShadowClan’s borders. I don’t want them picking up your scent.”
“I’m going to escort them,” Squirrelflight told him. “I can make sure they stay away from Clan borders.”
Bramblestar looked at her suspiciously. “I’m sure they can manage by themselves.”
“They’ll manage better with a guide.” Squirrelflight returned his gaze evenly. She wanted to check on Moonlight. Was the Sisters’ leader close to kitting? “ShadowClan mustn’t know they’ve passed through our territory.”
Bramblestar frowned. “If you must go, I’m sending Bumblestripe with you.”
“Let him sleep,” Squirrelflight mewed quickly. “It’s late.” She tipped her head to one side. “Or don’t you trust me to do this alone?”
Bramblestar stared back at her, then shook out his pelt. “Go with them if you must,” he growled. He nodded quickly to the Sisters and nosed his way out of the den.
“He doesn’t sound pleased with the idea,” Snow observed.
“These days, he’s not pleased with anything I do.” Squirrelflight watched the brambles swish back into place, her heart heavy.
“There’s no time to worry about that now.” Leafpool helped Sunrise to her paws. As the wounded cat climbed unsteadily out of her nest, Hawk and Tempest hurried to support her. They pressed against her on either side, guiding her to the entrance. Snow picked up the bundle of herbs and followed them out.
Leafpool watched them go. “Don’t travel too fast,” she warned Squirrelflight. “Sunrise is very weak.”
“I’ll make sure she gets home safely,” Squirrelflight promised.
Outside, Bramblestar hung back in the shadow of the Highledge, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. Thornclaw and Hollytuft watched from the fresh-kill pile as the Sisters moved slowly past them.
Larksong padded to the edge of the clearing and dipped his head to Tempest. His black pelt was no more than a shadow in the darkness. “Take care,” he mewed.
“I’ll look after them.” Squirrelflight told him.
Larksong looked surprised. “Are you going with them?”
Squirrelflight lifted her chin. “I brought them here. I’ll see them home.”
Sparkpelt padded to her mate’s side, her gaze shimmering with worry as she blinked at her mother. “Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be among friends,” Squirrelflight reassured her.
A low growl rumbled in Thornclaw’s throat. Squirrelflight ignored it and followed Tempest and Hawk as they steered Sunrise through the thorn tunnel.
In the forest, Snow fell in quietly beside Squirrelflight. She held the bundle of herbs between her jaws, staying close as Squirrelflight led the Sisters toward the abandoned Twolegplace.
The journey was slow, and they stopped from time to time to let Sunrise rest. The wounded cat made no fuss, but Squirrelflight could see from the bright pain in her eyes that she was struggling. An owl hooted in the trees, staying with them as they made their way through the forest, as though curious about their presence. Foxes screeched in the distance, and everywhere Squirrelflight could hear the rustle of prey in the undergrowth.
At the edge of Clan territory, Squirrelflight relaxed a little. From here, she wouldn’t have to keep glancing over her shoulder for prying Clan eyes. She halted as Tempest and Hawk helped Sunrise across the border; then she let Snow take the lead. The white cat knew this territory better than she did. Tiredness was beginning to tug at her bones, and she was relieved when at last she recognized the trail that led into the Sisters’ secluded valley.
She opened her mouth and, through the dank night air, tasted the scent of their camp. Moonlight. She smelled the she-cat’s scent, feeling at home at once. Pricking her ears, she listened for movement. This late into the night, the Sisters must be sleeping.
At the fern entrance, Tempest lifted her muzzle and yowled. Instantly, dens rustled and paw steps pattered over grass.
“Snow? Is that you?” Moonlight’s call sounded from the camp.
Squirrelflight fought the urge to race ahead, letting Tempest and Hawk ease Sunrise through the ferns before she followed them into the camp.
“You’re home.” Moonlight stood outside her den, her eyes shining. “Sparrow brought your message.” Her gaze flitted toward Sunrise. “It looks like Squirrelflight’s medicine cat managed to help.”
Flurry hurried to her mother’s side. “Hawk!” She rubbed her cheek against her mother’s. “I’m glad you’re back.”
Sparrow wove around them, purring. “You were gone for ages. Moonlight was about to send a search party.”
Squirrelflight was relieved that the gray she-cat hadn’t. What would Bramblestar have said if even more Sisters had turned up on their land?
Sunrise sank down into the grass with a weary groan.
“Are you still sick?” Furze darted toward her.
“I’m recovering,” Sunrise told her. “Slowly.”
Snow dropped the herb bundle beside Sunrise. “Squirrelflight’s campmates gave us these herbs to treat her.”
Moonlight hurried across the clearing and stopped beside Snow. Squirrelflight eyed her swollen belly. “I’m glad you’re safe.” Her gaze flashed toward Squirrelflight, surprise lighting her face as though she’d only just realized Squirrelflight was with the returning patrol. “I must thank you for taking care of my campmates.”
Squirrelflight’s pelt prickled uneasily. What would Moonlight say when she heard that ThunderClan had considered turning Sunrise away, even if it meant she died? “It was risky,” she mumbled. She needed to explain. “Sunrise was injured in a fight with ShadowClan. Sheltering her was dangerous.”
Moonlight dipped her head. “I’m sorry my campmates put your Clan in such a difficult position. Has it caused you trouble?”