“Leafpool!” She strained to see through the deluge. “Where are you?”
A hard blow slammed against the back of her head and flung her into blackness.
CHAPTER 24
Squirrelflight felt soft grass beneath her. She half opened her eyes, remembering the landslide and expecting to feel pain. Hadn’t something hit her head? Sunlight dazzled her. Was she still in the Sisters’ valley? She lifted her head, surprised that she felt so well. She scrambled to her paws and blinked at the flower-dappled meadow rolling away into soft green hills. In the dip below her, a shining pond glittered in sunshine. Around it, willows draped branches toward the water. She shook out her pelt. Her head felt clear, her body strong. She glanced around. Where was everyone? Was the battle over?
Leafpool lay a tail-length away, curled into a small dip in the grass.
Squirrelflight’s chest tightened. Was she hurt? Her sister had been at the back of the cave when it had collapsed. She nudged Leafpool with her muzzle. “Are you okay?”
Leafpool lifted her head blearily and blinked open her eyes. “I think so?” She glanced around, surprise flashing in her eyes. “What are we doing here?”
“Do you know where this is?” Squirrelflight looked at her.
Leafpool looked away without answering.
She must still be groggy. Squirrelflight scanned the landscape. “The others must have carried us here,” she guessed. “It’s probably near the Sisters’ camp. It doesn’t look like Clan territory.”
Leafpool got to her paws. “It’s not,” she mewed softly.
Squirrelflight glanced at her sister. There was a faraway look in her eyes. Unease fluttered in her belly. How could Leafpool know this place?
Leafpool’s pelt rippled along her spine. “Squirrelflight. We’re in StarCl—”
“No!” Squirrelflight froze. “We can’t be dead. There’s too much left to do. We must be near the Sisters’ camp.” She looked around frantically. “We need to find some cat. Bramblestar will be nearby. He wouldn’t leave me alone.”
Leafpool’s gaze flitted past her. Squirrelflight followed it, dreading what she would see. Larksong! The black tom was padding across the grass toward them. Starlight rippled in his fur.
Squirrelflight backed away. The ground seemed to shift beneath her paws. “Did the landslide kill us?”
“You’re not dead yet.” Larksong dipped his head as he reached them.
Relief washed Squirrelflight’s pelt. She glanced down at her own pelt and realized that she and Leafpool didn’t sparkle as Larksong did. We aren’t StarClan—yet.
Leafpool frowned, puzzled. “Is this a vision?”
“No.” He met her gaze somberly. “You were both hurt in the landslide,” Larksong told them. “Your bodies are in the ThunderClan camp. Alderheart and Jayfeather are trying to save you. While they try, you have paws in each world: two in the forest and two in StarClan.”
Squirrelflight stared at him. “Trying to save us?”
Larksong met her gaze. “We don’t know if you’ll live. But you’ll stay here until we find out.”
“I can’t die!” Squirrelflight’s pelt bushed. “Bramblestar thinks I betrayed him! Sparkpelt needs me.” She stared urgently at Larksong, wondering why he was sent to guide them. Because he died so recently? Surely he’ll understand… . “You must send me back.”
“It’s not in my paws,” he told her.
Leafpool tipped her head. “Can I see my body?”
“You can, if you wish.” Larksong glanced toward the shining pond. “You can watch from there.”
Squirrelflight pricked her ears. “Do you mean we can see ourselves in ThunderClan?”
“Yes.” Larksong headed downslope toward the pond.
Squirrelflight hurried after him. “Will I be able to see Bramblestar?” She needed to know if he still believed she’d been willing to let Flurry kill him.
“You might,” Larksong told her. “It depends.”
“On what?” Leafpool followed, pricking her ears.
“I’m not sure. Sometimes the view is clouded.”
As they neared the pool, Larksong crouched at the edge and dipped a paw in.
Squirrelflight gazed down. As he swirled the water, she saw, beyond the dazzling surface, a shadowy forest. She began to make out a hollow among the trees. ThunderClan’s camp.She leaned closer. The scene seemed to open, cats and dens coming into focus, and she could see her Clanmates moving around the clearing. Bramblestar was pacing outside the medicine den, his pelt matted and unkempt, still stained with the blood of battle. She tried to see his face. Was he angry? Betrayed? But a moment later, the vision darkened and suddenly moved inside the medicine den. “Is that me?” Her paws pricked as she recognized flame-colored fur in a nest at the edge of the den.
“Yes.” Larksong nodded.
Her body lay limply on the bracken while Alderheart leaned over her, his forehead furrowed with worry. Leafpool lay in the next nest, unmoving, while Jayfeather sat beside her. Squirrelflight backed away from the water. Numbness seeped beneath her pelt. Was this real? She glanced at Leafpool.
Her sister was staring curiously into the pond. She lifted her face to Larksong. “Do you watch us from here?”
His eyes darkened. “I’ve been coming here to watch Sparkpelt and the kits.” He looked at Squirrelflight. “I miss her so much. If you go back, please tell her that I’ll never truly leave her.”
If. The word filled Squirrelflight with fresh dread. She pushed it away. “Of course I’ll go back. Alderheart won’t let me die.”
Larksong held her gaze. “Alderheart might not be able to keep you alive.”
“But Sparkpelt needs me!”
Larksong didn’t move. “She needed me too,” he growled.
Despite the sunshine, a chill ran through Squirrelflight’s fur.
Leafpool reached a paw toward the water. “Can I see anything I want to?” She touched the surface and the water shivered. The vision shattered and the pool once more reflected sunlight. Disappointment clouded Leafpool’s gaze.
“You still have paws in the waking world,” Larksong told her. “The view will be better when you are truly in StarClan.”
Leafpool gazed toward the rolling hills. “Where is everyone?”
Squirrelflight suddenly realized that the meadows and hills were deserted. “Do we have to wait until we’re dead to see the rest of our Clanmates?”
“No.” Larksong’s eyes brightened. “I came to welcome you. We didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
As he spoke, Squirrelflight saw figures on the crest of the hill, silhouetted against the sky. She narrowed her eyes, trying to make them out. Familiar scents touched her nose. Cinderpelt. Sorreltail. Ferncloud. Her heart leaped. Then her father’s warm scent touched her nose. It smelled just as it had when she’d been young. “Firestar!” She saw his flame-colored pelt, sparkling now with stars, and raced up the slope to meet him.
Firestar wove around her when she reached him, purring loudly. “I’ve missed you,” he meowed.
She blinked at him proudly. “Bramblestar made me deputy! Did you see?”
“Of course I saw.” His eyes sparkled. “And you’re a great deputy.”
As he spoke, Cinderpelt, Sorreltail, and Ferncloud paced eagerly around them. Squirrelflight turned to greet them, overwhelmed as she glimpsed Hollyleaf. Joy flooded her pelt. “Hollyleaf!”
The black she-cat slid between her Clanmates and touched her nose to Squirrelflight’s cheek. “Hey, Squirrelflight!” Hollyleaf’s fur sparkled in the sunlight.
“You look great.” Squirrelflight flicked her tail. For a moment, she hardly remembered the landslide and the battle.
“Hollyleaf!” Leafpool reached them, purring. Eyes bright, she pressed her muzzle deep into Hollyleaf’s neck fur. “It’s so good to see you.”