Chapter 1
Squirrelflight woke up to hear her father's voice calling for a Clan meeting. She got up and dragged her lethargic paws to stand beside her mother, Sandstorm and her father's best friend, Graystripe. She glanced around and was met by clear, amber eyes. Brambleclaw!
She felt a growl rise in her throat. She wanted nothing more than to rip him apart and walk away. But she couldn't do that. For one, She loved him with all her heart. For two, he was the deputy. For three, they were in the middle of a gathering. And four, it was all Leafpool's fault.
She looked away and focused her attention on Firestar. She felt Brambleclaw's gaze burn into her pelt and it took all her strength and willpower to not snap at him while her father was talking. She knew subconsciously that this meeting was about her "kits"; really Leafpool's kits and Crowfeather's.
Squirrelflight heard her name and focused back on Firestar.
"…Squirrelflight and Leafpool's actions will be punished. Their losses will be punishment enough, as they have lost everything they cared for." And with that, Firestar leaped down from the Highledge.
Squirrelflight sensed her sister wanted to talk to her, but she whipped around and stalked of toward the lake. She really regretted agreeing to Leafpool, saying she'd take care of her kits. What she should have said was this: "Why, no, Leafpool, I will not take care of them. What do you think I am? Mouse-brained? You take care of you forbidden-kits!" But she had said that, in a way, just in different wording. But Leafpool wouldn't listen to her, as always.
But she couldn't do anything. What's done was done. She hated her sister (which was odd; she and Leafpool were closer than any sisters, not they weren't) and would never speak to her again. If Leafpool loved her, then she wouldn't have put Squirrelflight in that position.
She arrived at the lake and looked at her reflection as the sun came out, touching her pelt and turning it to flames. She never really realized how much she looked like Firestar until then. Sure everyone told her, but she took no notice of it.
Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes and hissed. She didn't like that the other cats looked at her like she was a female version of Firestar (which she was, she couldn't deny that), but the way they looked at her! Like they expected her to be as great as her father! She wasn't her father and she wished her Clan would accept that. She looked like him, yeah, but, that didn't mean she had to be him. She growled. Maybe I'll hunt to keep my nerves straight and to have an excuse when I get back. I can't just say "Oh, I went for a walk to clear my head" , thought Squirrelflight.
She turned around and immediately saw a squirrel. She leaped at it and killed it with a swift bite to the throat.
Soon, she caught a mouse, two squirrels and a rabbit. She headed back to camp and placed her catch in the fresh-kill pile. She looked around and saw Leafpool looking like she wanted to talk to her. She growled and Leafpool backed off.
"You know you can't stay mad at her forever," a voice came from behind her.