I CAN LOG IN AGAIN. WOOT! Okay, I have like three chappies done, so I'll probably post again today. This one is Squirrelflight's POV. Enjoy!
Half a moon later, Squirrelflight stood on the log that formed the path from the Clans' territory to the island. She watched Leafpool ahead of her. As usual lately, her sister seemed a little downtrodden. Her tail was curling around her legs and there was a nervous light flickering in her eyes. She didn't seem at all keen to get to the Gathering.
Brambleclaw, too, seemed distracted. His long claws sunk into the bark of the fallen tree and then retracted again as he walked beside Squirrelflight. She wondered if he was anticipating seeing Hawkfrost again, and told herself not to bother with it. She was too fond of being on speaking terms with him to bring up the issue once more.
Firestar led the ThunderClan cats onto the island, and they fanned out to find their friends among the other Clans, all of which were already here. Squirrelflight scanned the group for her friends and then turned, startled, as a furry form cannoned into her side. "Hey, Squirrelflight!"
It was Smokepaw, a ShadowClan apprentice she had made friends with on their journey to the new place. His gold eyes gleamed at her in a friendly way, and she was faintly surprised that he so easily dismissed the hostility between their Clans. "Hi, Smokepaw," she meowed.
"It's Smokepelt now," he corrected, his chest puffing out with pride. "I'm a warrior! Can you believe it?"
"That's great!" she purred, giving him a lick of congratulations just as a RiverClan she-cat bounded over. "Hi, Smokepaw, Squirrelflight," she meowed, nodding.
Squirrelflight flicked her tail in return as Smokepelt excitedly told her his new name. Splashpaw congratulated him as Squirrelflight had, though the ginger she-cat noticed that her white fur, splotched with gray, prickled with jealousy. "You'll be made a warrior too, soon," she told her supportingly.
"I hope so!" Splashpaw replied, pricking up her ears.
Smokepelt turned his eyes on Squirrelflight. "I heard about the border fight," he meowed in an undertone. "Cedarheart said that Graystripe showed up for the battle!"
Splashpaw's light blue eyes widened, and Squirrelflight's whiskers twitched. "He did," she meowed. "He's back!"
"Wow!" mewed the RiverClan she-cat. "He escaped from Twolegs?"
"Yeah," Squirrelflight mewed, and the two others shook their heads in awe. The ThunderClan she-cat looked away for a moment and spotted Graystripe herself. A large group of cats from all the Clans were gathered around him as he told his tale, his eyes shining. Firestar was nearby, his tail twitching in amusement, and she saw Mistyfoot, Russetfur, and all the elders present at the Gathering among those around him.
"Hey, Squirrelflight." The voice behind her made her turn away. Crowfeather was behind her. His tail twitched like a trapped adder, and his ears flicked nervously as if he was ridding them of falling rain.
"Hi, Crowfeather," she returned, dipping her head. "How's life in Wind-"
"Have you seen your sister anywhere?" He interrupted her, and she fancied she saw his eyes widen even further.
"Leafpool?" Squirrelflight was surprised. As far as she knew, Crowfeather didn't even know Leafpool. She'd only seen him snap at her once, on one of the first nights after they'd arrived at the lake. Then she remembered that Crowfeather had been the one fighting the rouges with Leafpool about a half-moon ago. She shrugged. "She's probably with the other medicine cats. I haven't seen her since we arrived."
Crowfeather nodded and set off. Squirrelflight watched him as he threaded his way through the cats, towards the knot of medicine cats near the Great Oak. But as soon as he neared, Leafpool broke away from them and set off for Sorreltail and Brackenfur, who were talking to Swallowtail of RiverClan.
Just a coincidence? Squirrelflight couldn't help wondering. Or is she avoiding him?
She was too far away to see either Crowfeather or Leafpool's expression, and at that moment the leaders made their way towards the tree. Leopardstar gave the summoning yowl, though it was Firestar that spoke first. He relayed the news of Graystripe's turn, which was met by celebration, if not surprise. The gossip of the ThunderClan deputy's return had spread through the Gathering faster than a wildfire.
Firestar's green eyes narrowed slightly, and Squirrelflight realized what was coming a moment before he spoke. "Rouges have been seen on ThunderClan land," he meowed. "We chased them off once, with the help of the WindClan warrior Crowfeather."
There was a murmur at his words, but Leopardstar and Blackstar didn't seem terribly worried. After all, if the rouges had been sniffing around all the way at the ThunderClan and WindClan border, there was little chance they could have made thier way all the way over to either of the other two territories. Blackstar's ears were flattening as Firestar turned to him, and Squirrelflight felt her claws start to unsheathe as her father meowed, "Blackstar, your warriors have been hunting in our land. We have chased you off once now. Do we need to do so again?"
Squirrelflight could hear Blackstar's growl clearly from where she sat, a good sitance away from the Great Oak. "Leaf-bare is not yet over, Firestar," he meowed, "And ShadowClan has kits to feed."
"Does that mean you have to invade my territory?" Firestar shot back. "After all, Blackstar, it was you that set the scent marks in the first place."
Blackstar's eyes were glittering slits of anger, but he said nothing more, and Firestar lifted his tail in triumph. Squirrelflight's fur flattened as she sensed that the argument was over, and Onestar took a couple of pawsteps forward to speak.
"Firestar speaks truly of the rouges," he meowed. "They are currently living outside of WindClan territory, though not far away from our borders. Our patrols have scented them entering our land, though we haven't caught them yet. There is something else, as well..." He drew the word out and his head swiveled slightly to the side. "My warriors have scented RiverClan inside our land."
Instantly Leopardstar had leaped to Onestar's branch. "My warriors have stayed well within our borders, Onestar," she meowed, a hiss embedded in her voice.
"Scent doesn't lie," Onestar returned, holding his ground.
Their hostility was as sharp as it had been in between Firestar and Blackstar mere moments before, and Squirrelflight's tail lashed nervously as the RiverClan and ShadowClan cats sprang swiftly apart, beginning to meow support of their leaders from below. Leopardstar's golden gaze swept over them as she let out a growl. "I tell you, Onestar, that I have no interest in invading WindClan. I trust my Clan feels the same."
"Do you?" Blackstar's rumbling voice completely drowned out Onestar's reply as he turned on the dappled RiverClan leader. "Clearly, Leopardstar, you had little control over the warriors that attacked WindClan little more than a moon ago."
Hawkfrost again. Squirrelflight looked around and saw that the dark tabby was only about a tail-length behind her. Brambleclaw was beside him, watching as his half-brother got to his paws. "Onestar," he called, his deep mew rattling through the island, "What business does RiverClan have on your land? I was among the cats that saw the clear sign of lightning that showed you were the leader for your Clan. And would any of us dare doubt StarClan?"
He spoke so certainly, so clearly, that Squirrelflight found herself swaying in his favor. Onestar looked down at him, a thoughtful look on his face, and Leopardstar nodded in approval of her warrior. Firestar too let his eyes rest on Tigerstar's son before he jumped to a branch near the two leaders. "Onestar," he meowed, "Is it possible that your warriors were mistaken in what they scented?"
Ashfoot commented from the base of the Great Oak, "The scent was faint, and the winds are strong off the lake. It could have been only carried scent that we caught."
Onestar lifted his tail, acknowledging this. "Very well," he decided, and turned to Leopardstar. "I won't make any further accusations against you unless I have the proof with my own senses."
Leopardstar's chin lifted, and her fur fell flat as she came forward to report her own news. Squirrelflight was no longer paying attention, however. Between rouges, invasion of borders, and confused feelings that billowed inside her about Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw, it seemed unreal to her that it hadn't been that long ago when one of her troubles had been whether or not Crowfeather and Leafpool were friends.
Tehe. Just to show Squirrelflight's obliviousness about what's going on with Leafpool. I know this chappie doesn't make too much sense yet (RiverClan in WindClan territory, WHAT?) but it will soon. Promise!
Reviews are appriciated!