Erin Hunter - The Last Hope

Why can’t they see the menace in his eyes? As Ivypool glanced nervously at the Dark Forest warrior, claws pierced her shoulder.

“Don’t ever challenge me like that again.” Tigerstar thrust her to the ground, eyes blazing.

Buckling under the pain, Ivypool glared up at him. “I was only trying to protect the patrol!”

Birchfall’s eyes widened with alarm. Be careful ! Ivypool stiffened as Birchfall padded toward Tigerstar. Don’t defend me! You’ll make it worse for both of us.

Birchfall faced Tigerstar. “What exactly was the point of visiting the lake?”

He’s trying to distract him. Ivypool felt a flood of relief and gratitude. She winced as Tigerstar’s claws sunk deeper into her shoulder. “Why don’t you explain it to your Clanmate, Ivypool?” the old warrior snarled.

Ivypool swallowed. “The more we know, the better warriors we can be,” she gasped.

Tigerstar loosened his grip.

“We all follow the warrior code,” Ivypool continued. She wriggled away from Tigerstar and stood beside her father. “Knowing all the territories like they are our own will help us to help one another.” She hated lying to defend Tigerstar but there was no other way to hide her treachery against the Dark Forest.

A growl sounded behind Tigerstar. “How did it go?” Brokenstar padded into the clearing. Behind him, Dark Forest warriors swarmed like rats, their eyes bright with curiosity.

“What was it like?” Shredtail growled.

“Did you see the stars?” Darkstripe snarled mockingly.

Ivypool gazed around the ranks of scarred, scowling faces and thought of her Clanmates sleeping peacefully back in the hollow. They have no idea of the danger they’re in. Her heart ached with pity. But I promise I’ll protect you, right to my very last breath.

The sun slid behind the trees, washing the hollow with shadow. Sitting outside the medicine den, Jayfeather felt the light disappear and shivered as his Clanmates shared tongues around him.

“They must have been rogues.” Brambleclaw’s tail flicked against the ground beneath Highledge.

“But Spiderleg said there were Clan scents among them,” Firestar pointed out.

Sandstorm shifted beside her mate. “Have the other Clans formed an alliance against us?”

“Why would they?” Jayfeather heard tension in the ThunderClan leader’s growl.

Graystripe must have heard it too. “It’s something we should be prepared for,” he cautioned gently.

Despair pressed at the edges of Firestar’s thoughts. Jayfeather felt him push it away. “Then we will be prepared.” Firestar shifted his paws. “Brambleclaw, organize more patrols in the daytime. And make sure the borders are checked at moonhigh.”

Surprise sparked from Brambleclaw’s pelt. “You want the whole Clan to get involved in night patrols? Won’t that alarm them?”

“If the Clan faces danger, it should know.” Firestar’s tone was grim.

Jayfeather let his attention drift away and sweep the rest of the Clan. He felt a stab of pain prick from his brother’s pelt. Lionblaze was eating a mouse, flinching with every mouthful as the wounds on his cheek stung. You chose to get hurt! But Jayfeather’s irritation with Lionblaze’s decision faded in a flash. He understood why his brother had tried to veer from the path he’d been given.

Claws scraped the ground. Briarlight was hauling herself toward him, her powerful forepaws digging hard into the earth. “I’m going to my nest,” she told Jayfeather as she passed.

She’s very tired. With a prickle of concern, he sensed weariness in her broken body. “I’ll come, too.”

Irritation flashed from her pelt. “I can manage!”

“I know,” Jayfeather replied. “But I’m sleepy.”

He nosed into the medicine den after her. “Why are you so tired?” He tried to hide concern from his mew.

“Millie thought of a new exercise for me.” Briarlight yawned. “She and Whitewing hoisted me up to a low branch sticking out of the beech and I hung on with my forepaws for as long as I could.”

“That sounds tough.” Jayfeather was impressed.

“It was good to feel the breeze on my belly,” Briarlight mewed.

“If you keep trying, you may be able to haul yourself right up onto the branch.”

“I’m going to practice until I can.” Briarlight tipped herself over the edge of her nest and slithered inside.

Jayfeather crossed the den, stopping when he felt the twigs of her nest poke his forelegs. “Comfortable?” He leaned down and tugged moss up around her, secretly feeling for any fever with his muzzle. She felt cool, her muscles limp with fatigue. Satisfied, he leaned back. “Sleep well, Briarlight.”

“Are you okay?” Briarlight’s question surprised him. “It seems like there’s something on your mind.”

“It’s nothing,” he lied. “I’m just tired.” He turned away and padded to his nest. He felt Briarlight watching him for a moment, then heard her rustle deeper into her bed. Climbing into his own pile of soft moss, Jayfeather circled down and tucked his tail over his nose.

The Dark Forest flashed in his mind. Eyes blinked from the shadows. He imagined the army massing beyond his vision.

Borage leaves cure fever. Catmint cures greencough. He began listing remedies in his head to block out the nightmarish thoughts. Dock soothes scratches. Feverfew cools fever.

“Can’t StarClan guide you?”

Mapleshade’s sneer flooded his thoughts. Comfrey mends broken bones.

“We shall taste victory soon!”

He could still feel where Hawkfrost had shoved him into the mud. Mouse bile treats ticks.

“All the power of the stars in your paws?”

Jayfeather flattened his ears as though he could block out the memory of Tigerstar’s jibe.

Marigold stops infection. Coltsfoot eases breathing. Poppy seed soothes pain and shock and brings sleep. Jayfeather fixed his thoughts on the neatly stacked herbs lining the wall of his store, repeating their names over and over until the words grew hazy and jumbled and he slipped into sleep.

When he blinked open his eyes, he could see dense green forest crowded around him, thick with familiar scents. I’m dreaming. Birchfall and Spiderleg’s musky odor still clung to the bushes they must have passed on patrol. This was ThunderClan territory. Jayfeather looked up and saw stars twinkling beyond the canopy of leaves. An owl screeched nearby and branches shivered as it swooped through the forest.

The ferns behind Jayfeather rustled. He turned, tasting the air. “Dovewing? Is that you?”

The young gray she-cat slid out from between the fronds.

“Dovewing?” A second mew echoed Jayfeather’s. Lionblaze was padding along the trail toward him.

The three cats stared at one another uncertainly.

“How did I get here?” Dovewing glanced at the trees. “I was in my nest.”

“Me too.” Lionblaze halted beside Jayfeather.

“We’re dreaming,” Jayfeather explained.

Lionblaze frowned. “So you’re in my dream?”

“We’re sharing one.”

“Why?” Dovewing peered through the shadows.

Jayfeather nodded toward the short steep slope beside them. A hole yawned in the earth, and the scent of stone and water, of endless dark tunnels, drifted out. “I think we’re supposed to go down there.”

“Are you sure?” Lionblaze sounded doubtful.