The Last Hope

“Thank you!” Bursting with relief, Ivypool spun around and pounded toward WindClan territory. Screeches rang from the moorland and echoed across the water, but there was no sign of pelts. She pushed harder, paws skidding on the slippery grass as she neared the stream that marked the border.

“Ivypool.” A growl took her by surprise. Amber eyes flashed in the darkness beyond the ditch.

Ivypool halted, unsheathing her claws. “Who is it?”

Tigerheart slid out of the bracken.

Ivypool narrowed her eyes. “Where are you heading?” She leaped the stream, keeping her distance from the dark warrior. “You know the battle’s begun, don’t you?”

Tigerheart glanced over his shoulder. “Hawkfrost told me to meet him here.”

Ivypool shifted her paws. “Are you in his patrol?”

“Are you?” His gaze sparked with suspicion.

“I—I don’t know yet. I haven’t gotten my orders.” Her mind whirled. Which side was Tigerheart on?

“Hawkfrost will tell you what to do when he gets here.”

But I have to find my Clanmates! Ivypool began to push through the bracken.

“Where are you going?” Tigerheart challenged.

“I don’t have time to wait!” Ivypool kept going. “The battle’s begun!”

“But you don’t know who to fight!”

Frustration raged through her. “Of course I know who to fight!” She turned on Tigerheart. “I’ll fight any Dark Forest warrior I meet.” She glared at him. “And any Clan cat who fights with them!”

“But I thought the Dark Forest warriors were your Clanmates now.” Tigerheart took a step closer. There was menace in his mew. “Isn’t this what you’ve been training for?”

Ivypool shook her head. “I know which cats deserve my loyalty. I’ll die before I fight beside Brokenstar and Hawkfrost.”

Tigerheart showed his teeth. “You may have to,” he growled. “You heard what Brokenstar said he’d do if we betrayed him.”

Ivypool met his gaze, anger surging beneath her pelt. “I don’t care.”

“You sound like your sister,” Tigerheart spat back.

Ivypool frowned. “What’s Dovewing got to do with this?”

“She put her Clan ahead of me.”

“So?” Tigerheart’s gaze darkened as Ivypool went on. “You should put your Clan first, too! Have all these moons in the Dark Forest made you forget the warrior code?”

Tigerheart bared his teeth. “I haven’t forgotten anything.”

The bracken beside them rustled. Ivypool whipped around, her heart lurching. Hawkfrost emerged. “Ivypool.” His eyes flashed. “Where have you been?”

“Looking for Blossomfall and Birchfall,” Ivypool stammered.

Hawkfrost stretched his muzzle close. “Find them,” he hissed. “Now. Then go straight to the WindClan camp. I want you with me in the second attack.”

Ivypool nodded and raced away. She glanced back once to see Tigerheart leaning toward Hawkfrost’s ear. Terror scoured her belly. If he tells Hawkfrost I’m a traitor, I’m dead! Her heart pounding, she ducked into the heather and fled. “Birchfall!” she yowled. “Blossomfall!”

“Ivypool!”

She skidded to a halt as she heard Birchfall’s mew. Her Clanmate was crouching beneath a clump of wind-blown gorse. His pale tabby pelt glowed in the darkness. Blossomfall and Mousewhisker huddled at his side, their eyes glittering with fear. Suddenly there was an explosion of shrieks close by and two WindClan warriors streaked past, Dark Forest warriors on their tail. Farther up the slope, more warriors clashed, their yowls splitting the roar of the wind.

“What should we do?” Blossomfall whispered. “We can’t attack Clan cats!”

Ivypool lifted her muzzle. “Of course we can’t! We have to defend the Clans against the Dark Forest.”

Birchfall stared at her. “Did you know all along this is what they were planning?”

“Yes,” Ivypool confessed.

Mousewhisker blinked at her. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I was spying.” She straightened up. “I didn’t know who I could trust. I had to let you work it out for yourselves.”

“She’s right.” Birchfall stepped forward. “We should have guessed earlier what was going on.”

Mousewhisker glanced over his shoulder. “So what do we do?”

“We join the battle, just as Brokenstar ordered, but we fight for the Clans,” Ivypool told him. “We’ve been trained by the Dark Forest, so we can use their own tricks against them.” A familiar scent touched her nose. “Applefur?” she called warily as she smelled the ShadowClan she-cat. Would she have the courage to oppose the Dark Forest warriors?

As Applefur slid out from the heather, Breezepelt barged past her. Ivypool’s fur lifted when she saw Thistleclaw and Snowtuft at his tail.

“There you are!” Breezepelt’s eyes shone. “We’re going to launch an attack on the camp.”

“But Hawkfrost told us to meet him,” Ivypool argued.

“You will,” Thistleclaw growled. “He’ll be attacking from the far side.”