The Last Hope

Spinning around, she crashed through the ferns and raced across the clearing. She heard Tigerheart call after her, but she didn’t look back.

Her mind whirled. Tigerheart was training in the Dark Forest and he knew the Clans’ battle plans. And now she had rejected him. What if the ShadowClan warrior decided to make her suffer in return?

Chapter 20

Lionblaze followed Firestar into camp, breathless after the race from the island. A cold wind had whipped them all the way home. He ducked through the thorn tunnel, Dovewing and Jayfeather on his tail.

“There’s a battle coming,” the ThunderClan leader growled.

Brambleclaw jerked around. Daisy thrust her head out of the nursery. “Battle?”

Outside the elders’ den, Purdy wrapped his tail around Mousefur as Firestar crossed the clearing.

The ThunderClan leader leaped onto Highledge. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather to hear my words.”

The Clan was already flooding the clearing, pelts pricking. Molepaw and Cherrypaw pressed together, their eyes round as they stared up at Firestar. Poppyfrost shuffled closer to Berrynose.

Cloudtail hurried to the nursery to find Brightheart. “Stay inside,” he ordered his kits as they peered out like tiny owlets.

Lilykit popped her head out beside them. “I’ll make sure they stay in their nests,” she promised earnestly.

“Me too,” Seedkit squeaked from behind.

The brambles at the entrance to the medicine den rustled as Briarlight thrust out her muzzle. Jayfeather hurried toward her, Millie on his tail, while Blossomfall and Birchfall lingered at the edge of the crowd, glancing nervously at Mousewhisker as he settled beside them.

“Clanmates, we face an enemy stronger than we have ever known!” Firestar yowled. “The danger comes from dead cats as well as living. The Dark Forest has sworn to destroy the Clans.”

“How can dead cats harm us?” Mousefur croaked.

Firestar looked steadily at the elder. “The warriors in the Place of No Stars have found a way to cross into Clan territory.”

Ferncloud gasped.

“That’s impossible!” Cloudtail growled.

“Oh, StarClan,” Blossomfall whimpered to Birchfall.

He met her gaze, frozen until Mousewhisker murmured in his ear. Birchfall shook the young warrior away, eyes narrowing in disgust as though Mousewhisker had asked him to eat crow-food. Lionblaze watched Mousewhisker shrink away. What could the young warrior have said?

Firestar leaned over the lip of Highledge. “You’ve all smelled the scents and seen the paw prints in the forest.”

“They’re just rogues!” Dustpelt snarled.

Firestar returned the tabby tom’s gaze. “Have you forgotten the scent of Tigerstar?”

Dustpelt stared at him. “I… I thought I imagined it.”

Firestar went on. “A battle is coming that we have to win, for the sake of every warrior that ever lived. We must fight alongside the other Clans, because this enemy threatens us all. ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan will each send three warriors here at dusk to join our patrols. We will send three warriors to their camps.” He glanced down at his deputy. “Brambleclaw, you choose who will go.”

Thornclaw’s tail brushed the earth. “Won’t ShadowClan just take advantage of this to steal our territory?”

“If they do, all will be lost,” Firestar muttered darkly.

“How will I protect my kits?” Brightheart wailed.

Cloudtail pressed against her. “I won’t let anything harm them!”

Ferncloud lashed her tail. “Nor will I!”

Sorreltail lifted her chin. “No one will hurt ThunderClan kits.”

Ivypool walked to the front and turned to face her Clan. Lionblaze saw her take a breath and steady her trembling paws. “I know how they fight. I can teach their moves to the Clan.”

Blossomfall huddled closer to Birchfall.

“How do you know?” Dustpelt hissed.

“I sent her to spy.” Firestar leaped down the rock tumble and stood beside Ivypool. “She knows more about our enemy than any cat. Learn from her.”

Mousewhisker gaped at her. “You were spying in the Dark Forest?”

Cherrypaw’s eyes grew as round as moons. “You’re so brave!”

Lionblaze narrowed his eyes. Had Firestar asked Ivypool who else had been training in the Dark Forest? He glanced around his Clanmates, searching faces for a glimmer of guilt. Some of them must have visited the Place of No Stars with Ivypool, trapped by Tigerstar’s lies and Brokenstar’s false promises. His claws sank into the wet ground and he felt the fur rise along his spine.

Firestar lashed his tail. “We will win this battle because we are fighting for our lives and the lives of our Clanmates. Our enemies are already dead. They fight only out of hate and that will be their weakness.”

“We’ll beat them!” Cloudtail yowled.

Molepaw reared up and raked the air with unsheathed claws. “I’ll shred any Dark Forest warrior I lay my paws on!”

Firestar nodded. “Then let’s start training. For victory!”