Erin Hunter - The Last Hope

StarClan, help me! Snowtuft and Thistleclaw kept forcing Ivypool back with stinging blows. The camp slid from view, swallowed by shadow as they drove her deeper and deeper into the heather. Then they paused. Snowtuft dropped onto all fours and stared at her. Thistleclaw stood panting beside him.

Ivypool whipped around, catching her breath as she looked for an escape route. Gorse, thick with thorns, crowded every side. Snowtuft and Thistleclaw blocked the only way out.

“We’ve trapped her!” Thistleclaw called over his shoulder.

Hawkfrost strode into the tiny clearing. “Did you really think you’d live after betraying me?” His blue eyes shone as he glanced at Thistleclaw and Snowtuft. “Let’s make her death slow,” he growled.

He lunged at Ivypool, throwing her backward with such force that it knocked the wind from her. Gasping for air, she felt claws rake her spine. Thistleclaw’s pelt flashed at the edge of her vision. Snowtuft grabbed her from behind. Teeth and claws ripped her pelt. Pain seared her flesh. I won’t die easily! Terror sent power surging through her. And I’ll take you with me, Hawkfrost! With a roar, Ivypool reared up, strong as a badger, and sent her attackers flying.

Hawkfrost landed neatly on all four paws. “I trained you too well,” he snarled. His gaze fixed on her throat.

Ivypool backed away. She twisted and ducked under him as he leaped, but his claws sank into her tail and pinned her to the ground. Thistleclaw and Snowtuft attacked from opposite sides, snarling, slicing her ears. She struggled away from them, crashing into hard muscle. Hawkfrost was behind her now. He stabbed his claws into her shoulders. With a gasp, Ivypool saw his teeth flashing beside her throat. Then a black pelt flashed over the top of the gorse. Paws landed with a thump beside her.

“Get off her!” Hollyleaf yowled.

Ivypool’s world spun as the black warrior slammed into Hawkfrost and sent him reeling into the gorse. Free from Hawkfrost’s claws, Ivypool turned on Thistleclaw and Snowtuft. She began slashing with her front paws, remembering in a crystalline moment every moon of training. Hollyleaf reared up beside her, matching her blow for blow, as though she instinctively knew where Ivypool would strike next. Blood sprayed the forest floor as Ivypool sliced Snowtuft’s muzzle and tore Thistleclaw’s nose. Turning, she kicked out with hind legs and knocked Thistleclaw backward, then sank her teeth into Snowtuft’s neck.

The white warrior screeched and ripped free from her jaws. Ivypool tasted his blood as he hared away through the bracken. She met Thistleclaw’s gaze. Fear sparked in his eyes as she spat out a bloody clump of Snowtuft’s fur.

“Run,” she hissed. “Because if you stay, I will kill you.”

Mouth open, Thistleclaw fled, disappearing through the gorse. A shriek exploded behind Ivypool. She turned and saw Hollyleaf swipe at Hawkfrost’s muzzle. The force of the blow sent the Dark Forest warrior crashing away. He dropped with a thump and scrabbled to his paws. Blood dripping from his cheek, one eye swollen shut, he glanced at Hollyleaf and tore his way through the gorse.

Ivypool stared at the black she-cat. “You saved my life!”

Hollyleaf staggered and fell to the ground.

“Hollyleaf!” Ivypool darted to her side and saw blood pulsing from a wound in her neck. Panic formed a hard lump in Ivypool’s belly.

Grasping Hollyleaf’s scruff in her teeth, she began to half drag, half carry her Clanmate toward the ThunderClan border. Jayfeather would know what to do.

“I’ll get you home,” Ivypool growled through gritted teeth. “I promise I’ll get you home.”

A tabby pelt crashed through the gorse toward them. Ivypool braced herself, ready to fight again.

“Let me help!” Tigerheart stopped beside her and shoved his nose beneath Hollyleaf’s shoulder. Taking half the weight, he pressed his flank against Ivypool. “We can do this together.”

The screeches of the battle for WindClan faded behind them as they began to haul the injured warrior away.

Dovewing caught her breath. The Dark Forest warriors had gone but she could hear the paw steps of a second patrol pounding toward the camp. They’d break out of the Dark Forest soon, into the heart of ThunderClan. She blocked out the noise and tried to focus on the camp.

“They went straight for the kits.” Leafpool stopped beside her and dropped a bundle of herbs. Her mew was shaky.

Shredded brambles hung from the nursery. Ferncloud paced outside, her claws unsheathed, her pelt streaked with blood.

Poppyfrost looked up from licking the scratches on her flank. “We saw them off, though.”

“We did.” Mousefur stood beside Purdy outside the elders’ den. She lifted a paw, her stiffness apparently gone, and rubbed at a scratch on her nose.

I just hope we can do it again, Dovewing thought grimly.

She could see Brightheart through the torn nursery walls, clutching her kits to her belly and calming their frightened mewling with gentle strokes of her tongue. Her tail was wrapped tight around Lilykit and Seedkit, who peered from the nest beside her.

“We’d better fix what we can.” Brackenfur was already hauling brambles from beside the medicine den. “Mintfur, Troutstream!” He called to the RiverClan warriors. “Can you help?”

They hurried to join Brackenfur in dragging brambles to patch the nursery. Dovewing wrinkled her nose at the scent of Leafpool’s herbs, wondering what it felt like to be a warrior one moment, and a medicine cat the next. ThunderClan was lucky to have her. If they survived the next onslaught, they would need medicine cats more than anything. “How’s Daisy?”

“She’s got a nasty scratch on her muzzle, but she’ll be fine.” Leafpool picked up her leaf bundle and headed toward Mousefur. “Jayfeather’s seeing to it now.”

Dovewing licked her nose, washing away the herb smell. Fresh blood! She stiffened as the scent wafted from outside the hollow. Paws were staggering toward the camp, fur dragging behind. “Someone’s coming! They’re injured!” She raced across the clearing and barged out through a hole in the barrier.

Ivypool was lurching down the slope, Tigerheart at her side. Hollyleaf dangled limply between them.

“Jayfeather! Leafpool!” Dovewing yowled over her shoulder before racing to meet them. “Ivypool, are you hurt?” She circled the trio, looking for wounds. So much blood! She sniffed at Tigerheart. He smelled of Dark Forest cats. Had he done this? Was he fighting for Brokenstar? He can’t be!

Dovewing hopped out of the way as Firestar raced from the camp, Jayfeather at his tail.

“Let me take her.” The ThunderClan leader lifted the weight from Ivypool’s shoulders, sharing the burden with Tigerheart. “Can you make it into camp?” he asked the ShadowClan tom.

“Yes,” Tigerheart grunted.

Dovewing watched the ShadowClan warrior duck through the barrier. “What happened?” she asked her sister.

Ivypool gazed past her, eyes round with shock. “Hollyleaf saved my life.”

You nearly died? Fighting to steady her breathing, Dovewing pressed against Ivypool and led her into the hollow.

Tigerheart and Firestar were gently rolling Hollyleaf onto the ground. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight stared, frozen, at the edge of the clearing. Watery light shone on the she-cat’s black pelt, glittering where blood welled through the fur.

Poppyfrost crept around the edge of the clearing and stopped beside Ivypool. “Have you seen Cherrypaw? Or Molepaw?”