The Darkest Hour

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Authors: Erin Hunter

BOOK: The Darkest Hour
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DEDICATION

This book is for Vicky Holmes and Matt Haslum,
who helped find Fireheart's destiny.
Thank you.

Special thanks to Cherith Baldry

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

Rain fell steadily, drumming on the hard black Thunderpath that…

CHAPTER 1

Watery shafts of light sliced through the bare trees as…

CHAPTER 2

As Fireheart bounded across to Bluestar's den, Speckle tail spun…

CHAPTER 3

Something was prodding Fireheart in the side. With a muffled…

CHAPTER 4

All was darkness and cold. Fireheart had never been so…

CHAPTER 5

Firestar jolted awake in terror. He was lying in the…

CHAPTER 6

Twilight was thickening the shadows under the trees by the…

CHAPTER 7

A raw, damp cold pushed its way through Firestar's fur…

CHAPTER 8

The snow had stopped by the time Firestar and Bramblepaw…

CHAPTER 9

Firestar made his way thoughtfully back into the camp. Glancing…

CHAPTER 10

Sorrelkit was curled up in a mossy nest near the…

CHAPTER 11

Firestar emerged from the forest near Sunningrocks and paused to…

CHAPTER 12

Firestar paused at the top of the hollow before leading…

CHAPTER 13

The squall was soon over. Firestar led his cats home…

CHAPTER 14

“Firestar,” meowed Graystripe. “I want to ask you something.”

CHAPTER 15

Graystripe growled deep in his throat and gathered himself to…

CHAPTER 16

“No.” Graystripe's voice rasped in his throat.

CHAPTER 17

“Quick—the stepping-stones!” Firestar hissed.

CHAPTER 18

“Disappeared?” Firestar echoed in alarm. “What happened?”

CHAPTER 19

Firestar leaped up the slope leading into WindClan territory from…

CHAPTER 20

The sun had begun to set over the river, turning…

CHAPTER 21

Firestar woke to see the den floor washed by the…

CHAPTER 22

Dismay kept Firestar's paws rooted to the ground as he…

CHAPTER 23

Firestar stared, speechless with shock, as Scourge turned away and…

CHAPTER 24

When Firestar emerged from his den the following morning, the…

CHAPTER 25

After they said good-bye to Princess, Cloudtail went off to…

CHAPTER 26

Firestar wondered if the rest of his Clan had noticed…

CHAPTER 27

It was the time before dawn when the moon had…

CHAPTER 28

The first faint streaks of dawn were showing as Firestar…

CHAPTER 29

Firestar opened his eyes. He was lying on the grass…

CHAPTER 30

The clearing fell silent. Blood glistened on the grass as…

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

FIRESTAR—
handsome ginger tom
APPRENTICE, BRAMBLEPAW

DEPUTY

WHITESTORM—
big white tom

MEDICINE CAT

CINDERPELT—
dark gray she-cat

WARRIORS

(toms, and she-cats without kits)

 

DARKSTRIPE—
sleek black-and-gray tabby tom
APPRENTICE, FERNPAW

 

LONGTAIL—
pale tabby tom, dark black stripes

 

MOUSEFUR—
small dusky-brown she-cat
APPRENTICE, THORNPAW

 

BRACKENFUR—
golden-brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, TAWNYPAW

 

DUSTPELT—
dark brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, ASHPAW

 

SANDSTORM—
pale ginger she-cat

 

GRAYSTRIPE—
long-haired gray tom

 

FROSTFUR—
beautiful white she-cat, blue eyes

 

GOLDENFLOWER—
pale ginger she-cat

 

CLOUDTAIL—
long-haired white tom

APPRENTICES

(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

 

THORNPAW—
golden-brown tabby tom

 

FERNPAW—
pale gray with darker flecks, she-cat, pale green eyes

 

ASHPAW—
pale gray with darker flecks, tom, dark blue eyes

 

BRAMBLEPAW—
dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes

 

TAWNYPAW—
tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes

 

LOSTFACE—
white she-cat, ginger splotches

QUEENS

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

 

WILLOWPELT—
very pale gray she-cat, unusual blue eyes

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens, now retired)

 

ONE-EYE—
pale gray she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan, virtually blind and deaf

 

SMALLEAR—
gray tom with very small ears, the oldest tom in ThunderClan

 

DAPPLETAIL—
once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, lovely dappled coat

 

SPECKLETAIL—
pale tabby, and the oldest nursery queen

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

TIGERSTAR—
big dark brown tabby tom, unusually long front claws, formerly of ThunderClan

DEPUTY

BLACKFOOT—
large white tom, huge jet-black paws, formerly a rogue cat

MEDICINE CAT

RUNNINGNOSE—
small gray-and-white tom

WARRIORS

OAKFUR—
small brown tom

 

LITTLECLOUD—
very small tabby tom

 

BOULDER—
skinny gray tom, formerly a rogue cat

 

RUSSETFUR—
dark ginger she-cat, formerly a rogue cat
APPRENTICE, CEDARPAW

 

JAGGEDTOOTH—
huge tabby tom, formerly a rogue cat
APPRENTICE, ROWANPAW

QUEENS

TALLPOPPY—
long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

WINDCLAN

LEADER

TALLSTAR—
black-and-white tom, very long tail

DEPUTY

DEADFOOT—
black tom with a twisted paw

MEDICINE CAT

BARKFACE—
short-tailed brown tom

WARRIORS

MUDCLAW—
mottled dark brown tom

 

WEBFOOT—
dark gray tabby tom

 

TORNEAR—
tabby tom

 

ONEWHISKER—
brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, GORSEPAW

 

RUNNINGBROOK—
light gray tabby she-cat

QUEENS

ASHFOOT—
gray she-cat

 

MORNINGFLOWER—
tortoiseshell she-cat

 

WHITETAIL—
small white she-cat

RIVERCLAN

LEADER

LEOPARDSTAR—
unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

DEPUTY

STONEFUR—
gray tom, battle-scarred ears
APPRENTICE, STORMPAW

MEDICINE CAT

MUDFUR—
long-haired light brown tom

WARRIORS

BLACKCLAW—
smoky black tom

 

HEAVYSTEP—
thickset tabby tom

 

APPRENTICE, DAWNPAW

 

SHADEPELT—
very dark gray she-cat

 

MISTYFOOT—
dark gray she-cat, blue eyes
APPRENTICE, FEATHERPAW

 

LOUDBELLY—
dark brown tom

QUEENS

MOSSPELT—
tortoiseshell she-cat

BLOODCLAN

LEADER

SCOURGE—
small black tom with one white paw

DEPUTY

BONE—
massive black-and-white tom

CATS OUTSIDE CLANS

BARLEY—
black-and-white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest

RAVENPAW—
sleek black cat that lives on the farm with Barley

PRINCESS—
light brown tabby, distinctive white chest and paws, a kittypet

SMUDGE—
plump, friendly black-and-white kittypet that lives in a house at the edge of the forest

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