Squirrelflight's Hope/Chapter 28

==Chapter description==
:Alderheart whispers in Squirrelflight's ear if she can hear him. Squirrelflight's head throbs in pain as she opens her eyes. Alderheart is staring at her, so she croaks hi. The medicine cat calls for Jayfeather, exclaiming that she was awake. Jayfeather says that he'll fetch Bramblestar, and Alderheart gently asks Squirrelflight how she was feeling. She responds that she feels like she'd just fallen off a cliff, and Sandstorm's words echo in her ears. She asks how badly she was injured in the rockslide.
:Alderheart runs his paws down each of her hind legs, asking if she feels it. Squirrelflight grunts yes, and he asks if she feels any pain. She responds only in her hind leg and her head.
:The medicine cat asks Squirrelflight if she knows where she is and if she remembers who he is, and she answers yes to both. Alderheart is relieved and concludes that she'll be fine, and her only injuries were from her hind leg and her head where the rocks had hit. When Squirrelflight asks about Leafpool, he stutters, but is cut off when she says she already knows. The tom asks how, and she replies that she saw Leafpool when she previously woke up. Bramblestar crashes through the entrance, demanding to know if Squirrelflight was okay. Alderheart says she will be, and her mate rushes over and starts to lap her head affectionately. Squirrelflight purrs that she's sorry she scared him, but he softly replies that she shouldn't be sorry about this and promises to not let things get so bad between them ever again.
:Squirrelflight tries to haul herself up into an awkward sitting position when she sees Lionblaze and Jayfeather at the entrance to the medicine den. She greets Lionblaze, who shifts his paws and says that he's glad that she's okay. His gaze flits to Leafpool's empty nest, his eyes darkening. Squirrelflight pushes herself higher and notes that she'll miss her sister. Lionblaze meets her gaze, growling that it was a dumb accident, saying that they should've let the Sisters move out in their own time. Bramblestar's tail twitches, and he murmurs that what's done is done.
:Gazing past Lionblaze, Squirrelflight asks where Sparkpelt is. Jayfeather crosses the den briskly, answering that she's feeding her kits. Worried, Squirrelflight asks if she's okay. He responds that Sparkpelt is healthy, leaning in to her nest and sniffing her injured leg, and says that he'll make her a splint. Squirrelflight doesn't care about splints, and asks if the kits are well. Bramblestar purrs that the kits were already willing to explore outside the nursery, adding that Daisy was exhausted. She asks if Sparkpelt was playing with them yet, but her mate mews that she's had a difficult moon.
:Squirrelflight meows that she'll be better in no time and tries to sit up straight, but pain shoots through her hind leg. Alderheart quickly fetches poppy seeds from the herb stores, and she thanks him. Jayfeather follows him to the store, telling him to also fetch comfrey to wrap her leg in before they put in a splint. Squirrelflight purrs, thinking that it's good to be back.
:Bramblestar helps Squirrelflight from the medicine den, saying he was glad that she woke up before Leafpool's vigil, and that they couldn't have buried Leafpool without her. She leans on him, trying not to betray the pain in her jarred leg, the smell of comfrey leaves making her gag. As they pad to the center of camp, Squirrelflight sees her sister's body lying in the middle of the clearing. Millie looks up as Squirrelflight joins them, telling her softly that Leafpool will be missed.
:Squirrelflight dips her head and thanks Millie, noting that she looks so peaceful. Waving Bramblestar back with her tail, she limps toward her sister's stiff body, knowing that in StarClan, Leafpool would be racing across a meadow. Feeling her Clanmates' gazes fix on her like moths, Squirrelflight wonders if they had forgiven her for helping the Sisters. She gazes at her mate warily, seeking reassurance, and he gazes lovingly back. Graystripe catches her eye and nods to her from across the clearing, and Thornclaw blinks at her fondly. Realizing that they had forgiven her, Squirrelflight sits down, easing her leg to one side.
:The moon shines in the soft blue sky as Bramblestar pads forward. He solemnly begins that Leafpool was a loyal and dedicated medicine cat and that she helped her Clanmates when they were ill. Looking around the Clan, Squirrelflight sees many of her Clanmates dipping their heads. Bramblestar continues that Leafpool was always there for her Clan, and fought for what she believed and protected the weak, concluding that ThunderClan will miss her.
:Millie is the first to pad forward and touch her nose to Leafpool's pelt. She begins to say that the medicine cat had cared for Briarlight better than anyone, teaching her exercises and keeping her entertained, adding that she hoped they would hunt together in StarClan. Alderheart is next, saying that he was lucky to have Leafpool as a mentor, and that she taught him so much, and that he'll miss her wisdom. He glances expectantly at Jayfeather, asking if he wants to speak.
:Jayfeather huffs and bitterly insinuates that she wasn't a great mother, and his words claw at Squirrelflight's heart.
:He flicks his tail, beginning that Leafpool trained him well and he thanks her for it, but adds that when he and his littermates discovered that she was their mother, that Hollyleaf had died defending Leafpool's lie, even though she had abandoned them. At this Lionblaze bristles and glares at Jayfeather, demanding what else Leafpool could've done. His eyes flash and his ears flatten as Jayfeather doesn't answer. The medicine cat eyes him angrily, snapping that Lionblaze didn't let him finish. He continues that he forgave Leafpool eventually, and although he could never love her as a mother, he respected her as a medicine cat. Jayfeather narrows his eyes, telling Lionblaze not to pretend he loved her more.
:Lionblaze's eyes glitter with grief as he mews that he wishes that he'd loved her more. Squirrelflight's eyes prick and she says Leafpool was loved, and that she helped save Moonlight's kits, and opposed the warrior code to do it. Glancing at Jayfeather and Lionblaze, she tells them that Leafpool told her to tell both of them that she loved them as their mother, and that she always will, adding that she only lied to protect them.
:Lionblaze looks at his paws while Jayfeather stares into the darkness. Squirrelflight goes on to say that Leafpool will never forgive herself for the trouble she caused them, but continues to say that she hopes that Leafpool finds peace in StarClan. The darkness hides her Clanmates in shadow. Squirrelflight adds that she was the best littermate she could have had, and that she will miss her so much in StarClan.
:When she finishes, leaves shower down in the moonlight like Leafpool's amber eyes. Squirrelflight wonders if her sister is sending her a message, knowing that she wasn't far away.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
*Leafpool's vigil takes place.
==Notes and references==
Category:Super Edition arc
Category:Squirrelflight's Hope
Category:Chapter subpages