Эрин Хантер - The Ultimate Guide

Brambleclaw was plunged back into the nursery, his nose filled with the scent of milk and warm fur, soft moss enclosing him while his mother licked his ears. The small, shadowed space seemed full of more cats than he could recognize, all bending over him, watching him with warmth in their eyes and purrs rumbling from their bellies. Brambleclaw’s chest swelled with gratitude for everything these she-cats had done for his Clan, bringing new lives into the world and nurturing them until they were strong enough to hunt and fight alone. “Thank you, all of you,” he murmured, and the cats around him nodded and carried on soothing him until he felt an urge to drift off to sleep.

“Wake up, Brambleclaw!” said an amused voice.

Brambleclaw blinked open his eyes and saw a dark gray she-cat standing in front of him. Her blue eyes reflected the stars as she watched him. “Cinderpelt!” Brambleclaw exclaimed.

The she-cat dipped her head. “It took me a while to reach StarClan, but I am here now,” she meowed. Brambleclaw wanted to ask her what she meant, but she went on before he could speak. “I give you a life for offering second chances,” she announced, pressing her muzzle to his. “If a plan fails, if a Clanmate disappoints you, if destiny seems the wrong way around, never despair. Have the faith to try again, learn from what happened before, and success may come. The best things come to those who wait, Brambleclaw. Trust me.” Again amusement bubbled up in her voice, and Brambleclaw relaxed into the flood of energy that raced through him. Suddenly he felt strong enough to fight every battle twice, double the size of the fresh-kill pile, and train apprentices for twice as long as usual, until they had every skill, every battle tactic perfected.

Cinderpelt brushed her tail lightly along his flank, glanced at Firestar, then padded back to the ranks. Another gray she-cat walked forward, paler than Cinderpelt, with eyes the color of a dawn sky in newleaf. Brambleclaw’s breath caught in his throat. This was not a cat he had expected to see.

The she-cat nodded as if she knew what he was thinking. “I walk with the Tribe of Endless

Hunting now,” she meowed, her voice echoing as if she was still among the vast mountains and tumbling waterfalls where the Tribe cats lived. “But tonight I have come here with my StarClan friends to give you one of your lives.”

Brambleclaw bowed his head. “Oh, Feathertail, not a day goes by that I don’t think of you. I am so sorry we left you behind.”

Feathertail flicked her ears. “But I was part of the Tribe’s prophecy, remember? The silver cat who would destroy Sharptooth? The mountains are where I belong, but I have never forgotten the Clans. I watch over you still, and I am so, so proud of you, Brambleclaw.” She reached up and pressed her soft, stone-scented cheek against his. “I give you a life for exploring beyond the borders of your Clan, for seeing the possibilities that lie in unexpected places, and the untrodden paths that wait to be discovered. You are not trapped by your invisible boundaries. If you cannot find the answers within them, then look farther off. There is always hope somewhere.”

The sharp, slicing wind that Brambleclaw remembered from his stay in the mountains whipped around him, buffeting his fur and rocking him on his paws. He heard the keening cry of an eagle far above him, and his pelt felt damp from the mist thrown up by the waterfall. A pang of longing shot through him, for all the cats he had known and lost, for the long path he had followed in search of a new home for the Clans, for the sights he had seen far beyond the lake and the hills.

“I will be with you, always,” Feathertail whispered to him as she faded away to sparkling, empty air.

Brambleclaw looked around. There was just one more life left to receive. Who would give it to him? What more did his leadership need? The starlit cats lined around the hollow were still and watchful. Even the ripples on the surface of the Moonpool had stilled. Everything seemed to be waiting.

Paw steps sounded behind Brambleclaw. He spun around and saw a small, black figure descending the spiral path that led down to the edge of the pool. Brambleclaw tipped his head on one side. Could it be…? Surely not! “Ravenpaw?” he croaked. “Is that you?”

The tom stepped into the light cast by the StarClan cats on the other side of the hollow. The tip of his tail twitched nervously, and his blue eyes blinked several times before he answered. “Yes, it is I,” he meowed. He took a deep breath. “Wow. I never expected to see those faces again.” He stared at the starry cats, mouth open.

“It’s pretty extraordinary, isn’t it?” Brambleclaw agreed. He shifted his paws. “So, are you here because… well, because you’re in your own StarClan now?”

There was a flicker of amusement in Ravenpaw’s eyes. “You mean, am I a living cat, or like them?” He nodded at the StarClan ranks. “Oh, I’m one of them,” he mewed. “But also not, because my life in the Clans was so long ago. I was so happy with Barley, and I miss him so much.” His gaze clouded. “But I see him still, in our home of hay, and I know it won’t be long before he is with me once more.”

“I remember Barley,” meowed Brambleclaw, picturing the sturdy, welcoming black-and-white cat who had given him and his Clanmates shelter at the start of the Great Journey. “He must miss you too.”

Ravenpaw blinked. “I should hope so! Now, Brambleclaw, it is a long time since I set eyes on you, but I see why Firestar chose you to be his deputy. I am honored to give you your ninth life, and I am humbled to be part of the new leadership of ThunderClan.” He looked at Firestar. “Your Clan will grieve the loss of my dear friend for countless moons,” he murmured. “But I know his spirit will be with them all forever.”

Lifting his head, he stepped forward and rested his muzzle against Brambleclaw. His voice rang out clear around the rocks of the hollow. “I give you a life for speaking out against injustice, for pursuing the truth above all else. Lies bring shadows in which darker things can hide. Never fear the truth, Brambleclaw, however blinding it may be.”

A jolt of light shot through Brambleclaw, shaking him on his paws. His mind cleared as if all his thoughts had been sucked out by the wind, then filled with sunshine so bright he thought his head might blow apart. There was a sharp, dazzling pain before a sense of peace descended on him, all the way down to the end of his tail. Brambleclaw took a deep, shuddering breath.

“It is over,” Firestar whispered in his ear. “You have done well.” He raised his voice.

“Welcome, Bramblestar!”

His new name echoed around the hollow, picked up and cast aloft by every cat that watched him.

“Bramblestar! Bramblestar!”

Bramblestar drew himself up and dipped his head to them. “Thank you all,” he meowed. “I will do my best to live each of these lives according to the gifts you have made. Firestar, your Clan will never forget you.” He held the gaze of his green-eyed mentor. “And if I can be half the leader you were, I will be proud.”

Firestar nodded in return. “Go well, Bramblestar,” he ordered. “I will be with you always.”

WHEN WE LIVED IN the forest, the other Clans used to say that the hearts of ShadowClan cats had been chilled by the cold winds from the mountains, turning us cruel and cunning. But now that we live around the lake and share the breezes with all the other Clans, what excuse do they make for our skill in battle, our dedication to training as hard as we can, and our absolute loyalty to our Clanmates?