The Last Hope

Bumblestripe glanced at the leaves she’d sent fluttering to the ground. “You really need to aim for a bare bit of branch,” he suggested. “The enemy’s going to know you’re here if you shower him with leaves every time you move.”

Dovewing clamped her jaws together to stop herself from snarling at the arrogant furball. I can’t believe I ever thought we might be more than just friends! Seeing Tigerheart again made her realize what a dumb choice that would have been. I only ever liked you because you’re a ThunderClan cat. Tigerheart wouldn’t bother about whether she climbed the trunk or rustled too many leaves. He was a warrior, not a worrier!

They’d been practicing tree-battle all morning and Dovewing was hot and tired. “Why are we doing this?” she grumbled at Brambleclaw. “What cat is going to climb a tree to fight? There is no SquirrelClan!”

Bumblestripe flashed her a warning look. “Shut up!” he hissed.

But Brambleclaw was already bounding along the narrow rowan branch. It bounced under his weight, making Toadstep cling on with his fur spiked up. Brambleclaw jumped and cleared the space between the trees easily. The sturdy oak hardly trembled as he landed. “I know some cats don’t like tree training,” he meowed as he padded along the branch toward them. “But it gives us a strong advantage over the other Clans. If we can move through our territory and attack from above them, it’s a great surprise.”

Dovewing rolled her eyes. “I know. But Bumblestripe’s acting like I’ve never been up a tree before. Every time I do something wrong he points it out like I hadn’t already noticed.”

Bumblestripe stared at his paws. “I was just trying to help.”

Brambleclaw flicked his tail. “It’s good of Bumblestripe to be so patient with you, Dovewing.”

“Patient?” Dovewing retorted. He’d criticized every move. “Can’t we just move on to drop attacks and go hunting?”

“Is she ready for drop attacks?” Brambleclaw asked Bumblestripe.

“I guess.” Bumblestripe’s ear twitched. “Having seen her tree skills, I think she’d better practice falling out of them.”

Dovewing glared at him. “Okay!” she snapped. “I’ll practice climbing some more!” Bristling, she bounded onto a higher branch and kept jumping till Brambleclaw and Bumblestripe were nothing more than patches of fur far away through the leaves. Relieved to be away from Bumblestripe’s fussing, she stared out across the forest. She hadn’t been this high since her night with Tigerheart. She could see the wooded hillside they’d chased along. It looked a long way off. She could hardly believe they’d traveled so far in a single night.

Her ears pricked up. ShadowClan voices sounded at the border. Dovewing stiffened, listening harder.

“What’s the point of visiting the ThunderClan camp?” She recognized Ratscar’s growl. “Firestar will just make lame excuses.”

Blackstar answered him. “He can make as many as he likes, as long as he gets the message.”

“He should be grateful we didn’t turn Lionblaze into crow-food,” Ratscar muttered.

“ShadowClan!” Dovewing hissed down to her Clanmates.

Brambleclaw’s gaze flashed up through the leaves. “Where?”

“Heading for our camp!” She scrambled down, slithering from branch to branch until she landed beside Brambleclaw and Bumblestripe.

Bumblestripe swiveled his ears. “I can’t hear them.”

“Too many leaves,” Dovewing mewed quickly. “It sounds clearer up there.”

Brambleclaw lashed his tail. “It must be an invasion!”

“No!” Dovewing thought fast. How could she explain that they were planning to talk to Firestar, not attack the camp, without giving away her secret power? “It’s a small patrol by the sound of it, and they’re not even trying to keep quiet.”

Dovewing could hear the ShadowClan patrol heading past the Ancient Oak. “If we hurry, we’ll get to camp before them.”

“We should find them first,” Toadstep growled. “And offer them an escort the rest of the way.”

Dovewing flicked her tail toward camp. “Shouldn’t we warn Firestar?”

Brambleclaw flexed his claws. “You’re right.” He glanced back into the forest. “Let them find their own way to the hollow.” He bounded away, taking a trail that cut through a clearing and skirted the training hollow.

Dovewing listened harder. The ShadowClan patrol had stopped speaking but she could hear their paws scuffing the earth as they headed toward camp. She quickened her pace, following Brambleclaw’s tail as it whipped between bushes ahead of her. Toadstep ran behind, his paws thrumming on the leaves.

Just as they made it into the hollow, Dovewing heard ferns swish behind them. She turned to see Ratscar and Tigerheart appear at the top of the slope. Stoatpaw stood at their side, his eyes glittering.

Blackstar padded from the rear and stared down at the ThunderClan warriors. “I’m here to speak with Firestar.”

Brambleclaw dipped his head and signaled with his tail.