The Last Hope

“They came as we saw they would and, when they came, they lit the darkest fires.” Midnight gazed at the Ancient cats, her beady black eyes intent. “So you and all long-dead cats burn like stars once more.”

“But evil is coming,” Rock warned.

Midnight cut in. “Darkness we saw born like littermate alongside the light. Now all must stand and fight.”

As the other cats shivered, Rock moved his blind gaze over them. “Thank you for safeguarding the prophecies for so long, and for passing them down from cats forgotten now and vanished.”

Broken Shadow sighed. “So many lives lost.”

“All lives are brief,” Rock reminded her.

“My son’s was too brief!” Her eyes flashed accusingly. “Why couldn’t you save Fallen Leaves?”

“It was never my duty to save anyone!” Rock flashed back at her. “What is the point of a life held in the paws of another? There must be choice. There must be freedom. I can point the way but every cat walks on its own paws.”

Slant narrowed his eyes. “Do the Clans walk alone into the final battle?”

Half Moon flattened her ears. “Never alone!” She lifted her chin. “I will fight alongside Jayfeather.”

Broken Shadow unsheathed her claws. “And I will fight alongside my son.”

“I will fight beside Jagged Lightning and my kits to defeat this darkness.” Owl Feather’s eyes sparked.

Bluestar thrashed her tail. “And I will die a tenth time to defend ThunderClan!”

“These cats will never stand alone,” Half Moon declared. “We are with them just as we have always been.”

“Light against dark,” Midnight growled. “This is the end of all things—this is the last sunrise.”

Rock touched her flank lightly with the tip of his tail. “It is what we have been waiting for, my friend.”

Chapter 1

Someone’s bleeding!

Ivypool stiffened as the memory of Antpelt’s death flooded her mind, just as it always did when the scent of blood hit her. She could still feel his flesh tearing beneath her claws, still see his final agonized spasm before he stopped moving forever. She’d been forced to kill the WindClan warrior to convince Tigerstar of her loyalty. It had earned her the grim honor of training Dark Forest warriors, but she knew she would never wash the scent of his blood from her paws.

“Stop!” she yowled.

Birchfall froze mid-lunge and stared at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I smell blood,” she snapped. “We’re only training. I don’t want any injuries.”

Birchfall blinked at her, puzzled.

Redwillow scrambled up from underneath Birchfall’s paws. “It’s just a nick,” the ShadowClan warrior meowed. He showed Ivypool his ear. Blood welled from a thin scratch at the tip.

“Just be careful,” Ivypool cautioned.

“Be careful?” Hawkfrost’s snarl made her spin around. “There’s a war coming and it won’t be won with sheathed claws.” Hawkfrost curled his lip and stared at Ivypool. “I thought you were helping to train our recruits to fight like real warriors, not soft Clan cats.”

Birchfall bristled. “Clan cats aren’t soft!”

“Then why do you come here?” Hawkfrost challenged.

Redwillow whisked his tail. “Our Clans need us to be the best warriors we can be. You told us that, remember?”

Hawkfrost nodded slowly. “And you can only learn the skills you need here.” He flicked his nose toward Birchfall. “Attack Redwillow again,” he ordered. “This time don’t stop at the first scent of blood.” He narrowed his eyes at Ivypool.

Ivypool swallowed, terrified she’d given herself away. No Dark Forest cat could ever know that she came here to spy for Dovewing, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze. Growling, she lifted her chin and barged past Birchfall. “Do it like this,” she told him. With a hiss she hurled herself at Redwillow, ducking away from his claws, and grasped his forepaw between her jaws. Using his weight to unbalance him, she snapped her head around and twisted him deftly onto his back. He landed with a thump, which she knew sounded more painful than it felt. She’d hardly pierced his fur with her teeth and her jerk was so well-timed it had knocked him off his feet without wrenching his leg.

She glanced back at Hawkfrost, relieved to see approval glinting in his eyes. He’d only seen the flash of fur and claw and heard the smack of muscle against the slippery earth.

“Hawkfrost!”

Birchfall and Redwillow stared wide-eyed as Applefur appeared from the mist. The ShadowClan she-cat’s eyes were bright, her mottled brown pelt pulsing with heat from training. “Blossomfall and Hollowflight want to fight Dark Forest warriors.”

Applefur’s apprentices padded out of the shadows. “We can fight Clan cats anytime,” Blossomfall complained.

Hollowflight nodded. “We come here to learn skills we can’t learn anywhere else.” The RiverClan tom’s pelt was matted with blood. Clumps of fur stuck out along his spine.

Haven’t you had enough? Ivypool glanced at Hawkfrost. “Are there any Dark Forest warriors close by?” she ventured, praying there weren’t.

“Of course.” Hawkfrost tasted the air.