Dawnshimmer - Thanks so much! By the way, this story now has 17 favs and 16 alerts!
Grace of Masbolle - Thanks!
Loyalflame - There are still going to be plently chapters in this particular story before it ends.
Tawnyleaf - Thanks!
Snowfur - In the origional version of TAL I did have Squirrelflight find her.
snowybreeze - Thanks!
Troublestripe - I know! -laughs evily- So you think I should make a sequal?
PerlaH. Sweden - I know, Birchfall is a very gentle-tom like cat.
Adi Sagestar - I'm thinking about it...
"Ah, so the great deputy at last has time for his mate," she teased, licking his cheek, her tail twining with his.
"I always have time for you Squirrelflight," he murmured solemnly, pressing his nose to her muzzle. Squirrelflight purred happily, rubbing her head against Brambleclaw's broad tabby shoulder.
"I'll get us something to eat," she purred, trailing her tail along his flank as she padded away. She glanced back over her shoulder as she walked, and saw the large cat still standing there, staring after her.
Letting out a mrrow of amusement, the pretty ginger cat selected two plump mice from the fresh-kill pile, and then padded back to where Brambleclaw waited. The dark tabby stood in a corner of the stone hollow, a small canopy of bracken stretching above him, nearly brushing his ears where it sagged.
"I'll be right back," Squirrelflight's mate purred, giving her forehead a swift lick, "I just need to get Cricketpaw to take something to the elders." Touching his nose to Squirrelflight's briefly, Brambleclaw whirled around and bounded across the clearing in the direction of a pretty silver and black she-cat with amber eyes.
Squirrelflight watched her mate for a moment longer as he rested his tail on his apprentice's shoulder. When she turned to face him, she had been talking to a thick-furred white she-cat; she titled her head to the side – listening intently.
The ginger queen smiled. Brook and Stormfur's kit was a great apprentice, and seemed to have inherited all of her parent's skills as a hunter and as a warrior, as well as their steady tempers and patience.
Squirrelflight lay down in the corner, glancing up at the slender branches and budding green leaves above her head. Smiling contentedly, she rested her head on her paws, waiting for her mate to join her. Lazily, she watched Fieldpaw race into the camp, nearly running over his sister, Eaglepaw. The white she-cat spat good-naturedly at the ginger and white tom, then leapt on him. The two scuffled playfully over the ground, sending plumes of dust spiraling up into the air.
"Sorry I had to leave."
Squirrelflight jumped. She hadn't realized that Brambleclaw had come up behind her. He wrapped his tail around her neck as he lay down next to her, pulling one of the mice towards him with one massive claw.
"No problem," the ginger cat mewed, licking the ruffled fur on her chest, "that's the sacrifice I had to make when I chose the deputy as my mate." She blinked up at him affectionately, taking a bite of the other mouse. "So how is Cricketpaw's training coming?" she asked, leaning her head against Brambleclaw's broad tabby shoulder.
"She's fantastic," Brambleclaw purred, flicking his tail over his mate's flank. He seemed to have read Squirrelflight's mind because he continued, "she had the best warriors as parents, and they passed on everything to her."
"How is she about… them?" Squirrelflight asked quietly, flicking her emerald gaze across to where the silver and black apprentice was sitting, watching Eaglepaw and Fieldpaw scuffle with an amused gleam in her eyes.
"Better," Brambleclaw mewed, following the queen's line of sight, "she's a strong cat."
"Yeah," sorrow seared through Squirrelflight's eyes as she studied the lithe she-cat. The young cat had lost so much. First her two brothers had been killed of green-cough, and then Stormfur and Brook slain in a vicious battle against RiverClan. Still, she had survived and overcome everything – her anger and her grief.
"Squirrelflight! Squirrelflight I need to talk to you!" Birchfall pelted over to stand in front of the ginger queen, his amber eyes glowing and his fur tousled. His breathing was quick and he barely managed to squeak out the words as he panted.
"What is it?" Squirrelflight jumped to her paws, the fur along her spine beginning to bristle, "Did something happen to Foxpaw?"
He was hunting near the ShadowClan border, did he meet a warrior?
"No, no. Your son's fine," Birchfall glanced nervously from side to side, lowering his voice, "Squirrelflight I really need to talk to you. Alone." He looked pointedly at Brambleclaw, who had risin to his paws in concern.
"Alright," Squirrelflight turned to her mate, confusion sparkling in her green eyes, "I'll be right back Brambleclaw." She gave him a swift lick on the cheek, the whirled around and followed Birchfall out of the camp. She slipped through the small hole in the wall of brambles, her slender frame gliding through with the ease of a snake.
"Okay Birchfall, what's the matter?" Squirrelflight hissed, lashing her tail nervously.
"It's Leafpool."
Squirrelflight's back arched and her fur stood on end. Every hair on her pelt tingled with shock, and her green eyes widened to the size of stars. "What about her?"
"She's back. I was by the ShadowClan border and I thought I scented her. It was her, she was in the Owl Tree. Squirrelflight, Leafpool is back!" Birchfall's amber eyes gleamed with disbelief and excitement as he stared at Squirrelflight, as if she were telling him the news, instead of the other way around.
Leafpool's back? Pain tore through Squirrelflight. It had taken her so long to accept her sister was gone, to move past her grief and her loss. And now… with less than one minute of speech from this young warrior, her world was crashing down around her ears again.
I want her back! Oh StarClan knows I do! But, I just got over my broken heart, how can I bear to meet her again? The wounds still seem too fresh…
No, I love Leafpool. I died when she left. And StarClan knows how I prayed every day for this day to come. I want her back, and I want to see her more than anything.
Squirrelflight blinked, and found that tears were hovering on the edges of her lids. She fluttered her eyelids hurriedly, blinking the crystal drops away. No matter how much Leafpool's leaving, or sudden return, hurt her, she had to stay strong. She was the cat who had journeyed to the sundown place as an apprentice, the cat that had seen one of her closest friends die on that journey for StarClan's sake. She could handle this.
"She wants to meet you in one quarter moon on the island," Birchfall whispered, his amber eyes glowing sympathetically at Squirrelflight.
"Thanks for telling me Birchfall," Squirrelflight whispered, her voice faint. Her head was spinning and she felt as though she might throw-up.
"Are you going to go?" Birchfall asked quietly, resting his tail-tip on Squirrelflight's shoulder.
"I don't know," Squirrelflight murmured, turning back towards the camp entrance, "I don't know."
Oooh... next chapter - Squirrelflight makes her decision.