Erin Hunter - The Last Hope

“I can’t stay long.” Tigerheart glanced over the top of her head. “I told them I was just checking scents to see if I can match any to the one we found over the border.”

Dovewing dropped her gaze. “We can’t make that mistake again. It’d be even harder to see each other if the Clans were at war.”

“Next time we’ll meet outside the Clan borders.”

“The Twoleg nest?”

Tigerheart nodded. “Can you come tonight?”

Dovewing rubbed her muzzle along his jaw, excitement fizzing in her paws. “I’ll try to get there just before moonhigh.”

“Great.” Tigerheart peeled away from her and began to head into the trees. “I can’t wait.” He looked back over his shoulder. His dark amber gaze made her heart swell.

Dovewing shivered with excitement as he bounded away between the trees.

“Can you smell ShadowClan?” The ferns beside her quivered and Bumblestripe padded out.

Dovewing tried not to look too startled. “Er, yes, I can.” She shifted her paws. “They must have come this way.”

Bumblestripe frowned. “I thought I’d tracked them to the border.”

“Maybe they made a detour on the way and you didn’t notice.” Dovewing twitched her ears, trying to sound unconcerned. “They’re gone now.” She tasted the air, relishing the fading scent of Tigerheart. “The scent’s stale already.”

Bumblestripe wrinkled his nose. “Typical ShadowClan,” he growled. “They never do anything straight. They only came to the camp to gloat about beating Lionblaze.”

“ShadowClan cats have always been fox-hearted.” Dovewing stared at her paws. And handsome. She looked up, surprised to see Bumblestripe’s eyes dark with worry.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out. His tail brushed the ground.

“What for?”

“About being so fussy about the tree training.”

Dovewing had forgotten all about it. “Oh.” She flicked his shoulder with her tail-tip. “That’s okay. I was being a pain.”

Bumblestripe brightened. “That’s true.”

“Hey!” Dovewing swiped him playfully with a paw.

Bumblestripe ducked, purring. “Should we get on with that hunt?”

“Okay.” Tigerheart must have made it to the border by now. But just to be sure, Dovewing led Bumblestripe deeper into the forest, in the opposite direction. “Let’s see what we can find near the beech copse.”

“Come on!” Dovewing jumped down from the star-dappled ribs of the Twoleg nest. “Let’s follow the beaver trail.”

Tigerheart landed beside her. “Beaver trail?”

“The one we followed to the dam.”

Tigerheart blinked. “That feels like a lifetime ago! I had only just been made a warrior. Now I feel like a different cat, but the same, if you know what I mean.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Dovewing understood exactly how he felt. Back then, she’d just learned she was one of the Three. She didn’t realize then how much it was going to shape her life. Now the whole Clan’s depending on me. Her belly tightened. She pushed away the thought of the Dark Forest and the battle to come. She only wanted to be here, now, with Tigerheart. “Next leaf-fall you might be living in ThunderClan,” she whispered. The idea made her warm. “We might have kits.”

Cold air hit her pelt as Tigerheart drew away. “Whoa!” He glanced sideways at her, not breaking his pace. “That’s not important right now, is it?” His mew was light, but his words felt like a claw-scratch on Dovewing’s heart.

“O-of course not!” Why had she blurted out such nonsense? If Tigerheart wasn’t ready, that was okay. Just being a warrior is great!

Her ears twitched. Voices? She listened harder. There were paw steps moving through ThunderClan territory, far away below them. Perhaps Firestar has ordered a night patrol. She tried to make out the voices, but they sounded unfamiliar. And they were edged with anger.

“Come on!” Tigerheart flicked her flank with his tail and shot off into the darkness. “Let’s race!”

“You’ll lose!” She bounded after him, her paws scattering leaves. The forest blurred around her as she ran, the earth thrumming beneath her paws. Tigerstar’s pelt flashed between the trees a few tail-lengths ahead. “I’ll catch you!” she yowled. Blood pounded in her ears, drowning out the murmuring from ThunderClan territory. It was probably nothing. Surely her Clanmates could cope without her for one night?

Ivypool shuddered. Mist swirled around her paws. The Dark Forest seemed colder than ever. Was it leaf-bare here, too? She glanced up at the trees, searching for browning leaves, but darkness swallowed their branches.

“Tonight will change everything.”

Tigerstar’s growl yanked her back to the present. The dark warrior stood on a fallen tree, his claws curling into the slimy moss. Shredtail, Hawkfrost, and Darkstripe stared up at him while Mapleshade hung back in the shadows with Sparrowfeather. Thistleclaw and Brokenstar watched through slitted eyes. Applefur, Hollowflight, and Redwillow clustered together, their fur spiked with excitement. Birchfall and Beetlewhisker were there too, as well as Tigerheart and Furzepelt. How could so many cats have fallen for Tigerstar’s lies?

Tigerstar’s eyes gleamed. “This mission will be the first of many.”

Ivypool leaned closer to Blossomfall. “The first of many whats?” She hadn’t been listening.

Blossomfall stuck her muzzle in Ivypool’s ear. “Special patrols. Tigerstar’s going to start taking us into Clan territories.”

Ivypool felt sick. She stared at the dark warrior, his shoulders rippling in the eerie light.

“Knowledge is power.” Tigerstar’s amber gaze swung around and fixed on her.

Ivypool met his eyes, chin high, and held it as he went on.

“Knowledge of your battle territory will give you the greatest advantage imaginable because it will be the last thing your enemies expect. Most of you are unfamiliar with the territories beside the lake, so I will be taking you to visit each Clan—without them realizing, of course—and you can learn the best places to fight.”

Redwillow stepped forward. “Where to lie in wait!”

Hollowflight clawed the earth. “Where to corner your enemy.”

Thistleclaw swung his long, gray tail. “And where to chase your prey. ”

Prey? Ivypool dug her claws into the ground to stop her paws from shaking. He means warriors.

Blossomfall’s breath stirred her ear. “Four Clans will unite as one when it matters most.” She was quoting Tigerstar! “We’ll be able to fight for whichever Clan needs our help.”

Ivypool jerked her head around and stared at her Clanmate. How can you be so dumb? She turned back to Tigerstar. “Which territory will we start with?” she called.

Tigerstar’s whiskers twitched. “ThunderClan.”

“ I’d like to see that.” Mapleshade shambled forward.

“Me too!” Sparrowfeather bounded to the fading warrior’s side.

Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. “Any other volunteers?”

Tigerheart and Furzepelt shouldered their way to the front.

Tigerstar nodded. “And from RiverClan?” His gaze stopped at Beetlewhisker. “You’ll do. And Hollowflight.”

Ivypool stared straight at Tigerstar. Was he only going to show ThunderClan’s territory to the other Clans? She stepped forward. “What about my apprentices?” she challenged. “Birchfall and Redwillow deserve to go.” Ivypool tipped her head toward Blossomfall. “And her.” Go on! Refuse! If Tigerstar only showed ThunderClan territory to their enemies, someone must work out that he wasn’t doing it for the good of the Clans but for his own twisted reasons. She willed Tigerstar to give himself away.