Warriors: Omen of the Stars #6: The Last Hope (38 page)

Breezepelt ripped his claws along Lionblaze’s cheek. “You’re not as strong as I expected,” he gloated.

“Breezepelt, no!” Ivypool snaked through the throng. “Don’t do it! Please! Do you really want to destroy the Clans for Brokenstar’s sake?”

Breezepelt pulled back Lionblaze’s head and smacked it hard against the ground. Growling, Lionblaze tried to shake him off, but Breezepelt held on tighter.

“This has nothing to do with Brokenstar.” His gaze flashed at Ivypool. “Lionblaze should never have been born. None of them should.” He flicked his tail triumphantly toward Hollyleaf’s body. “She’s dead; now it’s your turn, Lionblaze.” He bit into Lionblaze’s neck.

“We’re kin!” Lionblaze gasped.

“Never!” Fury blazed in Breezepelt’s eyes.

A black pelt barged past Dovewing.
Crowfeather!
The WindClan warrior sank his claws deep into Breezepelt’s shoulders and hauled him back. Lionblaze scrambled to his paws.

“This has to stop!” Crowfeather pinned Breezepelt to the ground. “I will not watch you harm a whisker on that cat!”

Breezepelt writhed, snarling. “I always knew you hated me!”

“I never hated you!” Crowfeather growled. “That’s just what you were determined to believe. And Nightcloud encouraged you.”

“It’s not her fault!” Breezepelt spat.

“No,” Crowfeather hissed. “I should have done something much earlier. But now it’s too late. You chose the Dark Forest.” He hauled Breezepelt to his paws and flung him away. “Get out of here!”

Breezepelt stared at his father, eyes wide, then turned and raced from the camp.

“I’m so sorry!” Leafpool burst from the battle, her eyes clouded with grief. “I never meant for this to happen!”

“He’s a warrior,” Crowfeather hissed. “He’s been making his own choices for a long time now.”

Leafpool looked down at his paws. “Perhaps if we’d stayed together, things would be different.”

Crowfeather’s gaze sparked for a moment, then he sighed. “It was never meant to be.” Leafpool flinched, but Crowfeather touched his tail to her flank. “I don’t regret anything,” he murmured. His gaze flicked toward Lionblaze. “Nothing at all.” Ears twitching, he shouldered his way through the battle to the brambles sheltering Hollyleaf’s body. He slid beneath them and touched his muzzle to her lifeless pelt.

A rough pelt jostled Dovewing and she stumbled into Ivypool. “What’s happening?” Had more Dark Forest warriors arrived? She turned, blinking, as a massive white tom appeared at her side.

“Whitestorm!” Graystripe’s yowl rang through the air and he came plunging toward them. “You’re here!” Graystripe nudged the white warrior’s shoulder warmly.

Whitestorm shouldered him away. “Move over, youngster,” he growled. “This is a battle, not a reunion.” He reared up and sent a Dark Forest warrior staggering back with a powerful front-paw swipe.

“Where’s Mousefur?” A familiar voice sounded in Dovewing’s ear.

“Longtail!” she gasped as her dead Clanmate squeezed past.

“Where is she?” Longtail demanded.

“Defending her den.” Dovewing nodded toward the honeysuckle bush where Mousefur fought beside Purdy.

“Come on!” Longtail leaped away, knocking a Dark Forest warrior from his path.

Mousefur was hissing, a ragged tabby in her grip as she churned at his spine with vicious hind claws.

Longtail plucked the tabby away. “Let me help!” He sliced a gash in the tabby’s flank, then flung him back toward his Clanmates.

“You took your time,” Mousefur muttered. “Always late, that’s your trouble.”

“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.

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.