“Wait here,” he meowed. The WindClan warrior hurried toward a tightly woven den at the end of the clearing. Harestar was already sliding out, his nose twitching as the wind lifted his fur. He saw Bramblestar and Squirrelflight at once.
“Bring them here,” he called.
As Slightfoot hurried to Harestar’s side, Oatclaw nudged Squirrelflight forward.
She shrugged him away. “I can find my own way across a clearing,” she snapped.
Bramblestar gave her a warning look. “This is WindClan’s camp,” he told her. “We follow their orders.”
She shook out her pelt and fell in beside him as he crossed the clearing, ignoring Larkwing and Oatclaw padding on either side.
As they reached the WindClan leader, Crowfeather nosed his way from the leader’s den, his eyes glittering with interest.
Harestar met Bramblestar’s gaze. “You wished to speak with me?”
“Breezepelt brought a patrol onto our territory today,” Bramblestar meowed evenly.
Squirrelflight glared at the WindClan leader. “You sent him, didn’t you?”
Harestar didn’t answer.
Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to reclaim our stretch of moorland?”
“ThunderClan has no use for it,” Harestar answered. “Your scent floods the hillside like dog stench without the forest to disguise it. On open moor, prey can smell you coming. It flees to our side of the border and becomes our prey anyway. Why waste your time? Return our land to us.”
“It’s our land. We all agreed to the new borders.” Bramblestar’s pelt ruffled along his spine. “Don’t forget we gave a lot of our territory to SkyClan.”
“You could have your SkyClan land back if you wanted.” Harestar shifted his paws. “You’re the one who’s delaying their move. You can be the one to suffer the consequences.”
Squirrelflight glanced at Bramblestar. Was this demand for land WindClan’s way of persuading ThunderClan to agree with ShadowClan’s war on the Sisters?
Bramblestar’s tail swished ominously. “While greenleaf lasts, there are no consequences to suffer,” he told Harestar. “There is enough prey in the forest to feed ThunderClan. The Sisters will be gone by the time leaf-bare comes, and we can rethink our borders then.”
“If you have enough prey, why should WindClan wait to reclaim our territory?” Harestar’s gaze didn’t waver. Crowfeather shifted closer to his leader, his hackles rising.
Bramblestar gazed silently at the WindClan leader for a moment. Squirrelflight wondered what he was thinking. It would be hard to argue with Harestar’s logic. Bramblestar dipped his head. “Very well,” he growled. “You may hunt on our stretch of moorland until SkyClan makes a decision. Our border will remain where it is, and we will mark it regularly. But we will share the land for the next couple of moons.”
Crowfeather frowned. “Why should we let ThunderClan mark a border on our land?”
“It won’t be for long.” Harestar’s mew was ominous. He met Crowfeather’s gaze. The two cats seemed to exchange a single thought; then Harestar turned back to Bramblestar. “Very well.”
Oatclaw’s tail quivered. “What will Tigerstar say?”
Squirrelflight looked at the young warrior in surprise. “Who cares? This has nothing to do with Tigerstar.”
Bramblestar’s gaze darkened. “Oatclaw has a point,” he murmured. “When RiverClan hears that we’ve given WindClan hunting rights on their old land, they might insist on the same for the land they gave to ShadowClan.”
Squirrelflight shifted her paws nervously. She nudged Bramblestar aside, lowering her voice. “If RiverClan takes its land back from ShadowClan, it might start a Clan war.”
He frowned. “But Tigerstar knows StarClan wants peace.”
“Then he’ll try to take the Sisters’ land and give it to SkyClan so he can have his old territory back.” Squirrelflight blinked at him. Bramblestar might not be ready to defend the Sisters, but she knew he was ready to defend SkyClan. “I thought you didn’t want Tigerstar telling SkyClan where they should live.”
Bramblestar’s gaze clouded with thought. He turned back to Harestar. “We have to keep this agreement secret from the other Clans.”
“If that’s what you wish.” Harestar dipped his head.
Squirrelflight saw Crowfeather’s eyes narrow. She stiffened. Was the WindClan deputy planning to make trouble by spreading word of this agreement?
Bramblestar must have been wondering the same. “Peace in the Clans depends on this remaining between us.” His gaze burned into Crowfeather. Squirrelflight felt a rush of hope. This agreement with WindClan might give the Sisters the time they needed, as long as Tigerstar didn’t find out.
CHAPTER 13
Squirrelflight shivered as gray drizzle washed the clearing. It had been two days since she had visited the WindClan camp with Bramblestar. The weather had grown chilly, and she could taste leaf-fall in the air. Around her, the Clan had settled down to share a midday meal. Larksong was eating hungrily beside the fresh-kill pile. Bramblestar shared a squirrel with Birchfall and Hollytuft. Bristlepaw dragged a vole into the apprentices’ den, where Thriftpaw and Flippaw were sheltering from the rain.
Squirrelflight pushed the remains of the shrew she’d been sharing with Millie toward the deaf old she-cat. “You finish it,” she mewed loudly.
“Are you sure?” Millie blinked at her.
“Sure.”
Graystripe nosed his way out of the elders’ den and glanced up at the overcast sky. He fluffed out his fur. “I’m hungry.” He looked toward the fresh-kill pile, where a few mice lay in the mud, and wrinkled his muzzle. “I think I’ll wait to see what this afternoon’s patrol brings in.”
Millie hooked the half-eaten shrew toward him. “Do you want this?”
As Graystripe examined it, paw steps thrummed beyond the thorn tunnel. He lifted his muzzle and glanced toward the entrance.
“Bramblestar!” Finleap charged, breathless, into camp.
Squirrelflight’s pelt bristled in alarm. The young tom looked scared. He stood panting in the clearing, rain dripping around his face. She hurried to meet him as Bramblestar scrambled to his paws. “What’s happened?” she asked.
“Tigerstar!” Finleap struggled to catch his breath. “He’s on the border with Scorchfur and Berryheart. Mistystar’s with them—”
Squirrelflight blinked at him. “Tigerstar and Mistystar?” Her belly tightened. Had they found out about the agreement with WindClan?
Finleap went on. “Mistystar brought Owlnose and Havenpelt with her.”
Bramblestar stopped beside her. Anxiety darkened his gaze. “Two warriors each. It must be serious,” he growled.
“Twigbranch and Thornclaw are escorting them here,” Finleap puffed. “I ran ahead to warn you.”
“Thanks, Finleap.” Bramblestar waved him away with a nod of his muzzle and glanced around the camp. Bristlepaw blinked from the apprentices’ den. Larksong left the mouse he’d been eating and padded closer, his hackles lifting. Birchfall and Hollytuft narrowed their eyes as Bramblestar addressed the Clan. “We’re about to have visitors,” he told them. “Be polite, but be on guard.”
As his Clanmates exchanged anxious glances. Bramblestar looked gravely at Squirrelflight. “I hope they haven’t found out about the border.”
Squirrelflight wished she could reassure him, but she felt sure that their short moment of peace was at an end. “Why else would they come?”
“They brought two warriors each,” Bramblestar mused, hardly listening. “Enough for a show of strength.”
“Not enough to start trouble,” Squirrelflight pointed out.