Erin Hunter - The Last Hope

The ferns rustled beside them and Sandstorm slid out. She crouched beside Firestar and nodded Dovewing away. Dovewing turned and headed for camp. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Sandstorm press closer to Firestar.

She skidded into the clearing. Half the Dark Forest cats had gone, pursued by StarClan and Ancients and Midnight the badger, but the remains of Thistleclaw’s patrol fought on, pelts bristling with rage. Sorreltail’s patrol was back from ShadowClan’s camp. Spiderleg grappled with Thistleclaw himself. Sorreltail pinned Darkstripe to the ground. Thornclaw launched himself, hissing, from the beech and landed on a muscled tabby while Midnight drove a gang of Dark Forest warriors shrieking into the brambles beside the medicine den.

A screech sounded from the nursery. Dovewing’s pelt spiked as she saw Daisy slam a Dark Forest warrior onto the ground. Brightheart lunged for his throat, sinking her teeth in with a growl. Who is guarding the kits? Dovewing scanned the shattered den. Ferncloud straddled Brightheart’s nest, slashing at a massive black tom. Spitting in fury, she darted for his throat. The warrior dodged and caught her scruff between his jaws. Snapping back his head, he dragged her from the den.

Ferncloud stared up at him in terror as he sank his teeth deep into her neck. With a grunt, she fell still.

“Ferncloud!” Firestar raced into the camp as the Dark Forest warrior crouched over the dead queen.

The warrior turned. “Too late, Firestar.”

“Brokenstar!” Firestar showed his teeth.

Brokenstar glared at him, eyes bright with hatred. Firestar sprang forward but when he crashed into the huge tom, he lost his footing and thumped to the ground.

“Firestar!” Sandstorm’s terrified screech rang across the hollow as she followed him in. “You can’t fight anymore. You only have one life left!”

“Every warrior here has only one life!” Firestar scrambled to his paws and faced Brokenstar again.

Brokenstar eyed him gleefully. “I’m going to shred you till there’s nothing left to join StarClan,” he growled.

A burst of starlight shone beside Firestar, and Dovewing recognized Yellowfang again. “Enough!” yowled the old she-cat. She dived at Brokenstar and grasped his throat in her jaws. Dovewing heard the crack of bone as she killed him. Yellowfang dropped her son’s body, then watched it fade in the moonlight till no trace remained.

“Brokenstar’s dead!” Thistleclaw stepped back from Spiderleg and stood stiff-legged with dismay.

“Brokenstar?” Darkstripe spun away from Sorreltail, ears flat.

“Retreat!” Thistleclaw stumbled for the entrance. Fear edged his cry. Pelts swooped past him like bats as the Dark Forest patrol fled.

Dovewing sank her claws into the earth, her pelt stinging, her paws as heavy as stone. All around her, shafts of moonlight streamed through the clouds. Was this really the end?

Lilykit and Seedkit peered up from their nest.

“Come here, my dears. It’s safe now.” Sorreltail beckoned them with a flick of her tail, and they slid from the nursery and hurried toward her, pressing hard against her blood-soaked fur.

Troutstream and Pebblefoot limped across the clearing. Whitestorm and Longtail stood panting with exhaustion, their tails drooping. And the brightest beam of moonlight landed on Ferncloud’s body, lying motionless beside the nursery.

“Why is Ferncloud asleep?” Amberkit asked, popping her head up.

“She’s tired after all the fighting, silly,” mewed Dewkit beside her. He pricked his ears as Dustpelt pounded into camp. “Dustpelt will wake her up.”

“Is it over?” The tabby warrior stumbled to a halt, following the gaze of his Clanmates toward his mate’s body. “Ferncloud?” He stiffened. “Ferncloud!” He raced to her and tugged at her pelt with a frantic paw.

Birchfall and Icecloud joined him. Their eyes glistened as they gazed at their mother’s body.

Dustpelt jerked around. “Don’t just stare! Get Jayfeather.”

Firestar dipped his head. “It’s too late, Dustpelt.”

Eyes bright with anger, Dustpelt curled his lip. “Why didn’t you protect her?” His gaze flitted to Icecloud. “Where were you when she needed you?”

Firestar approached the tabby warrior. “No one could have saved her,” he murmured. “Not even you.”

Dustpelt looked up at the ThunderClan leader. “I could have,” he insisted. “I would have. If I’d been here.”

Firestar touched his muzzle to Dustpelt’s shoulder. “She saved the kits from Brokenstar.”

The thorns at the entrance quivered again as a battered warrior staggered, bleeding, into camp. Hawkfrost.

“The battle’s over,” Firestar growled.

“Not for him.” Brambleclaw followed Hawkfrost in. “I found him in the forest trying to run back to his Clanmates.”

Hawkfrost glared at the ThunderClan deputy. “Let me return to my Clan.”

Yellowfang stirred and lifted her head to watch the two warriors.

Ivypool darted forward, her eyes dark. “You killed Hollyleaf!” She sprang toward the gray tom. He slammed her away but she landed nimbly and turned on him again.

“No!” Dovewing raced to help but Firestar blocked her way.

“Let Ivypool settle this,” the ThunderClan leader ordered.

“But he might kill her!” Dovewing’s breath caught in her throat as she watched Ivypool fly at Hawkfrost, claws flashing.

“You murderer! Liar! Betrayer!” She gouged at his eyes and raked his belly with her hind claws. With a howl, Hawkfrost flung her off. Ivypool grunted as his powerful paws crushed her spine.

“You’re the traitor.” He pushed her muzzle into the earth. “And this time I’ll kill you.”

“No, you won’t!” Brambleclaw flung himself at Hawkfrost and peeled him away. Before the Dark Forest warrior could twist free, Brambleclaw sunk his teeth into his neck. The snap of bone echoed through the hollow and Hawkfrost fell dead.

As Ivypool staggered to her feet, a deep growl sounded from beside the medicine den. Tigerstar stepped into the moonlight. “Well done, Brambleclaw.”

Brambleclaw stared at his father in horror.

Tigerstar turned his amber gaze on Firestar as the ThunderClan leader unsheathed his claws. “Not yet,” the Dark Forest cat snarled. “We will meet in battle. But not until you’ve watched every one of your Clan die.”

Firestar lashed his tail. “The battle’s over!”

“The Dark Forest is endless,” Tigerstar hissed. “It has more warriors than you could ever imagine. The battle is just beginning.”

Dovewing darted forward. “But Brokenstar and Hawkfrost are dead! Why would they fight now? They have no leader.”

Tigerstar flexed his claws, holding them so they caught the moonlight. “They have me.”

“You’re no leader, Tigerstar.” Firestar padded closer. “You never were.”

Tigerstar snarled, “I’m a better leader than you could ever be.”

“A leader puts his Clan first.” Firestar lashed his tail. “Instead, your Clanmates are made to fight your battles, not theirs.”

“Real warriors love battle,” Tigerstar sneered. “I give them a chance to die for a cause.”

Dovewing searched Tigerstar’s gaze. Was he mad? Countless cats had died in his battles. Did he really believe he’d done them a favor?

Firestar’s pelt rippled, his muscles twitching. “And what have all your battles been for, Tigerstar? What cause is worth the lives of so many warriors?”

Tigerstar’s eyes burned. “Defeating you, of course.”