The Last Hope

Jayfeather spun and darted away down the far side of the slope. Skidding to a halt, he closed his eyes. Forcing his thoughts into the minds of his Clanmates, tucked tight in their nests in the hollow, he searched their dreams for the cat who had always been destined to save his Clan.

“Surrender, you fox-hearts!”

“Never!”

Jayfeather crashed into a battle. He felt smooth rock beneath his paws. It stretched, flat and wide, toward a dark wall of pine trees. Jayfeather flinched as cats fought around him, throwing up dust from the sandstone as they reared and slashed at one another. A flame-colored pelt glowed at the heart of the battle.

“Firestar!”

The ThunderClan leader was wrestling with a dark-furred ShadowClan warrior. “Sunningrocks will never be yours!” With a sharp thrust of his hind paws, Firestar heaved the warrior away. His muscles flexed with the strength of a young cat, and his eyes were green and fierce.

“Firestar!” Jayfeather yowled again, dodging between the battling warriors.

Firestar froze, blinking at him.

Jayfeather halted in front of his leader. “Come with me.”

Firestar pricked his ears. “Why?”

“The prophecy needs more than the Three. We need a fourth cat.”

“What do you mean?”

Jayfeather twitched his tail impatiently. “When I went to the mountains, the Tribe of Endless Hunting told me that the prophecy could only be fulfilled if we found another cat. Mothwing showed me an omen, a fire in the reeds by RiverClan. It’s you, Firestar. You are the fourth cat.”

Firestar tipped his head to one side. “Yet again, fire will save the Clan,” he murmured. “Very well. What do you need me to do?”

“Follow me.” Jayfeather turned and dived between the battling cats, racing to the edge of the wide, flat rock.

Firestar quickly caught up. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Jayfeather drew in a breath and flung himself over the cliff, feeling a rush of air before his paws hit grass. Firestar landed beside him, eyes wide. They were on top of the hill beside the medicine cats. Below, StarClan was waiting.

“They needed to see you,” Jayfeather explained.

“Why?”

“Because the prophecy makes you part of this. The life you have left will save the Clans.” Jayfeather turned to face the ranks of StarClan. “You must follow me once more,” he yowled. “You need to see for yourselves.” Beckoning with his tail, he headed down the slope, not to Firestar’s dream battlescape, but into a dingy forest where slimy bushes choked the roots of the trees and the sunshine turned to eerie half-light. Firestar’s pelt brushed his as they crept deeper into the woods. Behind them, StarClan sparkled in the shadows, muttering.

“How can any warrior live in such darkness?”

“It smells foul.”

Jayfeather heard a battle cry echo between the trees. “Look.” He flicked his muzzle toward the shadows ahead. Dark pelts flitted through the slippery undergrowth. Agonized cries rose and fell in the darkness. Then one voice rasped louder than the others.

“Hook your claws into her spine and go for her throat!” Mapleshade loomed suddenly in front of them. Blind to the watching StarClan cats, she aimed a heavy blow at the ear of a scrawny tom and sent him reeling away.

Brokenstar stalked from the trees. “Hasn’t Shredtail mastered the death blow yet?” He scowled at the tabby, who was wiping blood from his nose. Then he yanked the tortoiseshell to her paws, blood welling on her fur where his claws pierced her pelt. “If your opponent wasn’t so useless, you’d be ripped to shreds by now. I want as many Clan cats dead as there are birds in the forest!”

“Where’s the sun?” Mosskit’s frightened whisper echoed in the darkness.

Snowfur wrapped her tail over his back. “Hush, little one!”

Creeping like prey, the StarClan cats headed back along the trail. Firestar walked heavily beside Jayfeather, his head low. “How can we fight such evil?” he murmured.

“The prophecy says we can win.” Jayfeather felt daylight dapple his pelt. The trees had thinned and StarClan were flooding back into their hunting grounds.

“We’re back!” Mosskit scampered onto the grassy slope. He turned, blinking, as StarClan streamed past him and stared at Jayfeather. “Why did you take us to see those horrible cats?”

Bluestar paused beside her kit and touched his head with her muzzle. “We have to know our enemy.”

Firestar lifted his voice to the whole of StarClan. “Now that you have seen them, have heard what they are threatening our Clans with, are you afraid to fight?”

Raggedstar bristled. “Never!”

Jayfeather saw determination hardening the gazes of the StarClan warriors. “But will you fight together?” he questioned.

Bluestar swished her tail. “We can’t fight such cruelty while we’re divided.”

Yellowfang stepped forward. “How will we know who to trust?”

“You can trust me.” Firestar straightened up, his pelt bright. “And one another.”

Raggedstar padded forward. “How could such horror have thrived?” he growled. “We should have been able to crush it before it grew so strong. After all, we have the power of the stars in our paws.”