Erin Hunter - The Last Hope

“Not too late, I hope,” Longtail retorted.

As he spoke, a Dark Forest tom lunged from behind. Knocking Longtail out of the way, he grabbed Mousefur in his jaws. Surprise lit Mousefur’s gaze as she stumbled and fell.

“No!” Longtail dived for the tabby and bit down on his spine. The tabby gasped and let go, then fell twitching to the ground.

“Come on! Get up!” Longtail snatched Mousefur’s scruff in his teeth and tried to drag her to her paws, but she slumped onto her side. Dovewing stared in horror. Mousefur’s head was twisted strangely, her eyes dull.

“No!” Rage flared Longtail’s gaze. Snarling, he turned and exploded into the battling cats.

Purdy appeared, his muzzle smeared with blood. He stopped when he saw Mousefur and dropped down beside her. His eyes glittered with grief. “You died a warrior’s death after all.” He sent Dovewing away with a flick of his tail. “Go back to the fight,” he murmured. “I’ll watch over her.” He buried his nose in his denmate’s pelt.

Dovewing reeled away, dizzy.

“Hey!”

She had stumbled into Bumblestripe.

“Are you okay?” The young tom lifted her muzzle with his and stared into her eyes.

“Mousefur’s dead.”

Bumblestripe’s ears twitched, then he straightened up. “Come and fight with me.” He turned her toward the battle. “We’ve trained together enough times.”

Blindly, Dovewing followed him into the tangle of tails and claws.

A Dark Forest tom blocked their way. “I thought we’d picked off the weakest,” he snarled. He darted for Dovewing’s throat, but Bumblestripe caught him by his scruff and dragged him onto his back. Instinctively, Dovewing slashed at the tom’s exposed belly till Bumblestripe let go, then together they drove him backward, matching blows, swipe for swipe.

As Bumblestripe knocked the tom sideways, she scooped the Dark Forest warrior’s paws from under him. The tom crashed onto his side.

“Nice move,” Bumblestripe puffed.

Together, they sprang onto the Dark Forest cat. Screeching with panic, he squirmed from under them and raced for the thorn barrier. He fled past two small figures who were bounding into the camp.

Molepaw! Cherrypaw! Dovewing nudged Bumblestripe. “They’re safe.”

Cherrypaw flicked her tail excitedly. “The other Clans are winning!” she announced.

“RiverClan has driven them right to the border!” Molepaw called breathlessly.

Dovewing scanned the clearing for Poppyfrost. Had she seen her kits arrive? The tortoiseshell was fighting beside a dappled tabby she-cat. Honeyfern! Together, the sisters were driving a Dark Forest tom toward the fallen beech. Taking it in turns, they jabbed and swiped as though they’d been training together for moons.

Poppyfrost paused, her tongue flicking out as she tasted the air. “Molepaw! Cherrypaw!” She turned, thrusting the Dark Forest warrior backward with a powerful hind kick, and raced to greet her kits. Honeyfern batted the tom to the ground with a final swipe and raced after her.

Dovewing jumped as orange fur flashed past her ear.

“Runningwind!” Firestar stopped beside a lithe brown tabby. “Are you still fast on your paws?”

“Of course!”

Firestar flicked his tail toward the entrance. Dark Forest warriors were racing from the hollow. “Then take Dustpelt and make sure those fox-hearts flee all the way back to the Dark Forest!”

“I’ll go with them.” A handsome warrior clashed two Dark Forest heads together and stepped over the falling bodies. “It’s been a long time since I’ve chased this kind of prey.”

Firestar’s eyes glowed. “Thanks, Lionheart!”

“Come on,” Bumblestripe hissed in Dovewing’s ear. “Let’s make sure those Dark Forest cowards never come back.”

Excited, Dovewing ran after Bumblestripe out of camp. She heard paw steps at her heels and turned to see Sandstorm.

“Firestar sent me too,” Sandstorm panted. “In case it’s a trap.”

Bumblestripe pulled ahead, racing to catch up with the StarClan warriors as they pelted away through the trees.

Sandstorm suddenly skidded to a halt. “Look!”

“What?” Dovewing swerved and stopped.

Sandstorm was staring up through the trees. “I saw a clawscratch of moonlight,” she breathed. “That must be a good sign.”

“Not for the Clans.” A snarl sounded from the ferns.

Dovewing froze as she spotted a matted tortoiseshell pelt.

Sandstorm bristled. “Who are you?”

“You should know who I am,” the cat hissed. “ThunderClan destroyed my life!”

Sandstorm frowned. “What’s your name?”

The Dark Forest she-cat stepped out of the shadows. “My name’s Mapleshade!” With a hiss, she sprang. She landed on Sandstorm and pushed her muzzle into the earth.

“I’m going to make you pay for every blessing StarClan gave you!” Mapleshade growled in Sandstorm’s ear. “And every blessing they stole from me!”

Dovewing raced to help but claws pinned her tail. She turned and swiped at the black tom who’d grabbed her. Her paw missed and the tom hit back, slicing Dovewing’s cheek. Through searing pain, she heard Mapleshade’s yowl.

“You have everything I wanted, Sandstorm! A mate that loved me, kits that I could watch grow up and have kits of their own, the respect of my Clanmates! I should have had all that!” Mapleshade’s eyes shone with fury as she grasped Sandstorm’s throat in her jaws.

“Let her go!” A star-flecked tortoiseshell cat darted from the ferns and ripped Mapleshade away from Sandstorm. As Sandstorm crouched, coughing, the tortoiseshell flung Mapleshade to the ground.

Mapleshade scrambled up and turned on the StarClan cat. “Spottedleaf!” she hissed. “Why didn’t you let me kill her? She stole Firestar’s love from you.”

The hair rose on Spottedleaf’s spine. “There was nothing to steal. Sandstorm made him happy!”

Mapleshade lunged at her. Spottedleaf rolled under the warrior’s weight, paws flailing as she fell. With a snarl, Mapleshade sliced open the medicine cat’s throat.

“No!” Firestar’s screech ripped through the air. Exploding from the ferns, he grabbed Mapleshade’s pelt in his claws and threw her backward. Sandstorm scrambled up and hurled herself at the matted she-cat, claws slashing, jaws tearing. Firestar sprang from the side, sending Mapleshade crashing to the ground. Sandstorm jumped on her and raked her belly with thorn-sharp claws. Shrieking with pain, Mapleshade struggled free and pelted up the slope. Sandstorm raced after her. Dovewing watched her orange pelt streak away into the trees.

In the deserted forest, Firestar crouched beside Spottedleaf’s trembling body. Blood welled at her neck, soaking Firestar’s cheek as he pressed against her. “Spottedleaf! Please don’t go.” Dovewing heard a sob in his mew. “You promised you’d be there to welcome me.”

Spottedleaf gave a tiny shake of her head. “That was never going to happen, my love. I cannot journey with you anymore. I’m so sorry.”

Firestar pawed at her. “No! I still need you!”

“Let her go.” A she-cat shimmered into view, her gray fur long and matted.

“Yellowfang?” Firestar looked at her, his green eyes pleading. “Don’t let her disappear. Please.”

“This was her destiny.” Yellowfang touched her muzzle to Firestar’s head. “Let her follow it.”

“But she said she’d wait for me in StarClan!” Firestar’s mew caught in his throat.

Spottedleaf looked up at him and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something. A small gasp escaped her; then she fell limp. Her fur started to blur, leaving a faint outline and then nothing but bloodstained grass. Firestar’s head drooped.