“And you.”
As Hollyleaf nuzzled her mother, Cinderpelt blinked at Squirrelflight. “We didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
Sorreltail’s eyes rounded with worry. “Firestar said you may not be with us for long.”
“Of course not.” Cinderpelt nudged her Clanmate sharply. “She needs to get back to ThunderClan. Bramblestar will be lost without her.”
Ferncloud wove between them. “While she’s here, I know two kits who’d love to see her.” She pushed her Clanmates aside, and Squirrelflight’s breath caught in her throat. Dandelionkit and Juniperkit were staring shyly at her, their small paws buried in the thick grass. Squirrelflight’s heart seemed to crack as she saw them. These were Alderheart and Sparkpelt’s littermates—the kits who’d died before she’d had the chance to raise them. She hurried to greet them, nuzzling them and running her tail along their spines.
“Are you coming to live with us?” Dandelionkit blinked at her eagerly.
“I don’t know.” Her eyes clouded. Why did she want to go back and help Sparkpelt’s kits when she had kits of her own here in StarClan?
“We can show you all the best places to hunt,” Juniperkit told her. “Longtail and Mousefur have been training us.”
Mousefur? Longtail? Squirrelflight’s heart skipped a beat. Longtail and Mousefur had been elders in ThunderClan for a very long time when Squirrelflight was younger. Her pelt prickled with happiness as she saw them padding toward her. She stared at them as Dandelionkit and Juniperkit, purring, wove around her legs. How many times had she cleaned out their bedding and helped pick fleas from their pelts? They looked like young warriors now, muscles rippling beneath their glossy fur. A tom-kit was hurrying after them. Squirrelflight froze as she recognized his orange-and-black pelt. It was Sparkpelt’s dead kit. As she stared at the tiny tom, Larksong bounded up the slope. He scooped the kit up and dropped him onto his own back, where the kit hung on, his eyes shining with excitement.
“I’ve named him Flickerkit,” Larksong meowed proudly.
Squirrelflight’s heart soared. “I can’t wait to tell Sparkpelt!” This might be just what Sparkpelt needed to lift her from her grief. She stiffened as gray fur moved at the edge of her vision. She recognized it at once. Ashfur. The gray tom had caused so much trouble for her and for Leafpool’s kits. And yet he was here. He dipped his head as she saw him, then glanced at Hollyleaf. Was Leafpool’s daughter okay with Ashfur being here? Hollyleaf blinked calmly at the gray tom. There was no sign of anger in her gaze. Had the two cats learned to live in peace here in StarClan?
Squirrelflight nodded curtly to Ashfur. She wasn’t sure she could be as forgiving as Hollyleaf. After all, Ashfur had threatened to destroy the happiness she’d found with Bramblestar, and almost succeeded. She lifted Dandelionkit and Juniperkit onto her back and padded past him to greet Longtail and Mousefur. “You look so well,” she told the elders.
“We are.” Mousefur looked far happier here than she had in her last moons in ThunderClan. “We were in the elders’ den far too long. It’s good to be able to hunt and explore again.”
“Mousefur is the best hunter in StarClan,” Dandelionkit squeaked.
“No she’s not.” Juniperkit plucked the fur between Squirrelflight’s shoulders with thorn-sharp claws. “Longtail’s the best!”
Squirrelflight could still see Ashfur out of the corner of her eye. She leaned closer to Hollyleaf. “It seems strange that he didn’t end up in the Dark Forest,” she whispered.
Hollyleaf shrugged. “I guess, but he’s apologized. I think he’s changed.”
Longtail narrowed his eyes. “I wouldn’t wish the Dark Forest on any cat.”
“What’s left of it,” Mousefur grunted.
Squirrelflight looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Since the Great Battle, the Dark Forest has been nearly empty,” Mousefur told her. “Most of the cats who lived there were defeated and passed on. I think the forest is overgrown now and the trees are crumbling.”
Squirrelflight’s eyes widened. “Then what happens to bad cats when they die?” She thought of Darktail—surely he belonged in the Dark Forest, if any cat did.
Longtail shrugged. “Who knows? They don’t show up here.”
Dandelionkit scrambled down from her back. “What’s the Dark Forest?”
“That’s where the scary cats go.” Juniperkit leaped down after her.
“Let’s be scary cats!” Dandelionkit darted between Mousefur’s legs. Growling excitedly, Juniperkit chased after her. Flickerkit leaped down from Larksong’s back and joined in.
Leafpool tore her gaze from Hollyleaf and blinked at the kits happily. “I feel so at home here,” she purred.
Squirrelflight shivered. It was good to see so many old friends, but she wasn’t ready to stay. ThunderClan’s forest was home, not here. Her gaze flitted around her old Clanmates. They were glancing anxiously at Leafpool. Had her sister said something wrong?
Firestar’s tail twitched. “I’m glad you’re happy here,” he meowed. “But I’m not sure you can stay.”
Squirrelflight pricked her ears. “Does that mean we’re not going to die yet?” She looked at him eagerly.
Firestar’s gaze darkened. “We don’t know,” he mewed. “But even if you do, you may not be allowed to stay in StarClan.” His gaze flitted from Squirrelflight to Leafpool. “Either of you.”
Shock sparked in Squirrelflight’s belly. “What do you mean?”
Leafpool’s eyes widened. “Does StarClan think we’re bad?”
Squirrelflight stiffened. Had Bramblestar been right? Had she betrayed her Clan by supporting the Sisters? She was Clan deputy after all. Had StarClan seen her hesitate before defending Bramblestar against Flurry’s attack? I was about to save him.
Leafpool shifted beside her. “It’s because I lied about my kits, isn’t it?” She moved closer to Hollyleaf. “I had to. I had no choice. Giving up my medicine-cat duties would have been as much of a betrayal.”
“It’s not me but the whole of StarClan you have to convince.” Firestar stared at her gravely. “They believe that you broke the warrior code.” His gaze moved to Squirrelflight. “You both did. You lied to your Clan.”
Squirrelflight stared at him. “Every cat makes mistakes,” she blurted.
“Yes.” He shifted his paws uneasily. “But you must be held to account for yours before you’re allowed into StarClan.”
“How?” Leafpool’s question was barely more than a whisper.
“StarClan must review your lives.” He turned to Mousefur. “Take the kits away. They don’t need to watch this.”
“But we want to stay with Squirrelflight!” Dandelionkit’s eyes rounded with alarm.
Juniperkit stuck his fluffy tail in the air indignantly. “Please let us stay.”
“You’ll see them afterward,” Mousefur told him. She caught Firestar’s eye. “I hope.” Ignoring their complaints, the dusky brown she-cat nosed them away and swept Flickerkit after them with her tail.
Squirrelflight’s paws pricked with alarm. Where were they going?
“Follow me.” Firestar led her across the hillside while their Clanmates trailed behind and Leafpool padded at her side.
“What’s going to happen?” Squirrelflight whispered.
Leafpool glanced at her nervously. “I don’t know.”
Firestar followed the meadow to a forest that reached down into a valley. He led them between trees and brambles to a wide, grassy clearing. As he stopped in the middle, Squirrelflight glanced around. “Where are we?” The place reminded her of Fourtrees, where the Clans had gathered every moon before the Great Journey to the lake.
“This is where StarClan meets to decide the fate of every cat,” Firestar told her. As he spoke, starlight glittered between the trees. On every side, StarClan warriors padded from between the trees. Their pelts, sparkling with countless stars, lit the shadows as they gathered at the edge of the clearing.