The Last Hope

Chapter 9

“No, not like that!” Bumblestripe yowled.

Dovewing spun around to face him, gripping hard on the branch to stop herself from falling out of the tree. “You told me to climb, I’m climbing!” she snapped. Can’t I do anything right?

“Not the trunk.” Bumblestripe padded along the thick oak branch toward her. “In a battle, if every cat climbed the trunk, it’d be chaos.” He tipped his nose up and focused on the branch two tail-lengths above his head. Crouching, he sprang and gripped it with his forepaws, then hauled himself up. “Your turn.” He peered at her through the browning leaves.

Dovewing scowled. Hunkering down, she bunched her muscles, then leaped and dug her claws into the branch above. Flicking her tail, she landed nimbly beside Bumblestripe. “Is that better?” she sniffed.

Bumblestripe glanced at the leaves she’d sent fluttering to the ground. “You really need to aim for a bare bit of branch,” he suggested. “The enemy’s going to know you’re here if you shower him with leaves every time you move.”

Dovewing clamped her jaws together to stop herself from snarling at the arrogant furball. I can’t believe I ever thought we might be more than just friends! Seeing Tigerheart again made her realize what a dumb choice that would have been. I only ever liked you because you’re a ThunderClan cat. Tigerheart wouldn’t bother about whether she climbed the trunk or rustled too many leaves. He was a warrior, not a worrier!

They’d been practicing tree-battle all morning and Dovewing was hot and tired. “Why are we doing this?” she grumbled at Brambleclaw. “What cat is going to climb a tree to fight? There is no SquirrelClan!”

Bumblestripe flashed her a warning look. “Shut up!” he hissed.

But Brambleclaw was already bounding along the narrow rowan branch. It bounced under his weight, making Toadstep cling on with his fur spiked up. Brambleclaw jumped and cleared the space between the trees easily. The sturdy oak hardly trembled as he landed. “I know some cats don’t like tree training,” he meowed as he padded along the branch toward them. “But it gives us a strong advantage over the other Clans. If we can move through our territory and attack from above them, it’s a great surprise.”

Dovewing rolled her eyes. “I know. But Bumblestripe’s acting like I’ve never been up a tree before. Every time I do something wrong he points it out like I hadn’t already noticed.”

Bumblestripe stared at his paws. “I was just trying to help.”

Brambleclaw flicked his tail. “It’s good of Bumblestripe to be so patient with you, Dovewing.”

“Patient?” Dovewing retorted. He’d criticized every move. “Can’t we just move on to drop attacks and go hunting?”

“Is she ready for drop attacks?” Brambleclaw asked Bumblestripe.

“I guess.” Bumblestripe’s ear twitched. “Having seen her tree skills, I think she’d better practice falling out of them.”

Dovewing glared at him. “Okay!” she snapped. “I’ll practice climbing some more!” Bristling, she bounded onto a higher branch and kept jumping till Brambleclaw and Bumblestripe were nothing more than patches of fur far away through the leaves. Relieved to be away from Bumblestripe’s fussing, she stared out across the forest. She hadn’t been this high since her night with Tigerheart. She could see the wooded hillside they’d chased along. It looked a long way off. She could hardly believe they’d traveled so far in a single night.

Her ears pricked up. ShadowClan voices sounded at the border. Dovewing stiffened, listening harder.

“What’s the point of visiting the ThunderClan camp?” She recognized Ratscar’s growl. “Firestar will just make lame excuses.”

Blackstar answered him. “He can make as many as he likes, as long as he gets the message.”

“He should be grateful we didn’t turn Lionblaze into crow-food,” Ratscar muttered.

“ShadowClan!” Dovewing hissed down to her Clanmates.

Brambleclaw’s gaze flashed up through the leaves. “Where?”

“Heading for our camp!” She scrambled down, slithering from branch to branch until she landed beside Brambleclaw and Bumblestripe.

Bumblestripe swiveled his ears. “I can’t hear them.”

“Too many leaves,” Dovewing mewed quickly. “It sounds clearer up there.”

Brambleclaw lashed his tail. “It must be an invasion!”

“No!” Dovewing thought fast. How could she explain that they were planning to talk to Firestar, not attack the camp, without giving away her secret power? “It’s a small patrol by the sound of it, and they’re not even trying to keep quiet.”

Dovewing could hear the ShadowClan patrol heading past the Ancient Oak. “If we hurry, we’ll get to camp before them.”

“We should find them first,” Toadstep growled. “And offer them an escort the rest of the way.”

Dovewing flicked her tail toward camp. “Shouldn’t we warn Firestar?”

Brambleclaw flexed his claws. “You’re right.” He glanced back into the forest. “Let them find their own way to the hollow.” He bounded away, taking a trail that cut through a clearing and skirted the training hollow.

Dovewing listened harder. The ShadowClan patrol had stopped speaking but she could hear their paws scuffing the earth as they headed toward camp. She quickened her pace, following Brambleclaw’s tail as it whipped between bushes ahead of her. Toadstep ran behind, his paws thrumming on the leaves.

Just as they made it into the hollow, Dovewing heard ferns swish behind them. She turned to see Ratscar and Tigerheart appear at the top of the slope. Stoatpaw stood at their side, his eyes glittering.

Blackstar padded from the rear and stared down at the ThunderClan warriors. “I’m here to speak with Firestar.”

Brambleclaw dipped his head and signaled with his tail.

Firestar was waiting beneath Highledge, his head high and his pelt smooth. Dovewing scurried around the edge of the clearing to join her Clan leader. “They’re coming to talk about the fight with Lionblaze,” she whispered.

“Thanks, Dovewing.” Firestar shifted his paws and lifted his chin higher as Blackstar halted in the center of the clearing. “Lionblaze!”

Lionblaze padded from the warriors’ den, eyes narrowed. The wounds from his fight were still visible through his pelt. His muzzle was striped with dried blood. His gaze swept past Blackstar and met Firestar’s. “What do they want?”

Blackstar growled. “You know what it’s about!”

Firestar stepped forward. “Lionblaze crossed your border and provoked a fight.”

Ratscar drew back his lip. “At least they admit it.”

“ThunderClan warriors don’t lie,” Firestar told him evenly. “Nor do they make excuses for their mistakes.” His green gaze flicked to Lionblaze.

Dovewing felt tension thicken the air. She fixed her gaze on Blackstar, trying not to look at Tigerheart, even though his dark, sleek pelt flashed temptingly at the edge of her vision.

Firestar’s tail twitched as he frowned at Lionblaze. “Well?”

Lionblaze flexed his claws, then sheathed them again. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.

Blackstar tipped his head to one side. “By the look of you, I’m not surprised you’re sorry.” He turned back to Firestar. “Ratscar is a fine warrior, but he expected Lionblaze to be harder to beat.”

“It was like fighting an apprentice,” Ratscar scorned.

Lionblaze flattened his ears. Dovewing could hear a soft growl rumbling in the golden warrior’s throat.

Blackstar circled his Clanmates. “Now is not a good time to be losing your edge,” he snarled menacingly to Firestar.

Firestar stepped forward, fur spiking. “And it’s not a good time to be making threats you can’t back up.” He met the ShadowClan leader’s stare without flinching. “I think you should leave.”

“Only when you’ve given your word that your warriors will stay off our land,” Blackstar countered.

“I crossed the border once,” Lionblaze hissed.

“There was another scent,” Stoatpaw blurted out.

Dovewing gulped. I must be more careful! She sneaked a sly look at Tigerheart. He was staring at his paws.

Firestar’s ear twitched. “Are you sure your Clanmates aren’t mistaking rabbits for warriors?”

Blackstar’s gaze flitted toward Lionblaze. “If we are, it’s an easy mistake to make.”

“Are you calling me a rabbit—”

Firestar cut Lionblaze off. “It’s time you left,” he ordered Blackstar. “Do you need an escort?”

“What about the trespassing?” Blackstar held his ground.

“No ThunderClan warrior will cross your border,” Firestar told him.

Blackstar flicked his tail. “Good.” He turned and headed for the barrier. “And don’t bother with the escort. We can find our own way home.”

Dovewing watched Tigerheart fall in behind the ShadowClan leader. As he passed her, his gaze caught hers. She looked away quickly, feeling hot.

Bumblestripe crossed the clearing as the ShadowClan patrol disappeared. “Do you still want to go hunting?”

Dovewing blinked at him. “What?”

“You said you wanted to go hunting after tree training.”

“Did I?” Dovewing stared at the entrance. The thorns still trembling where Tigerheart had slid through.

Bumblestripe’s pelt lifted along his spine. “And while we’re out, we can make sure those ShadowClan cats have left our territory.”

Dovewing dragged her gaze from the brambles. “Let’s take Foxleap.” She didn’t want to hunt alone with Bumblestripe. He’d only fuss over her stalking technique. “Hey, Foxleap!”

The russet warrior was pacing by the entrance to the hollow, his tail twitching. “What?”

“We’re going hunting,” Dovewing called. “Do you want to come?”

Foxleap narrowed his eyes. “I want to make sure Blackstar’s crossed the border.”

Bumblestripe stretched his claws. “We can do that as well.”

Blossomfall crossed the clearing. “I’m coming too,” she growled. “While I still have the taste of ShadowClan on my tongue.”

As Bumblestripe headed for the entrance, Blossomfall raced past him and slipped out of the camp first. Foxleap chased after them. Dovewing paused. The clearing still smelled of Tigerheart.

“Come on!” Foxleap beckoned her with his tail.

She hurried to catch up. By the time she ducked out of the thorns, Bumblestripe, Foxleap, and Blossomfall were racing up the slope.

“We’re heading for the ShadowClan border,” Bumblestripe called over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”

“I’ll check the beeches, in case they’ve strayed deeper into the forest.” Dovewing was glad of the chance to be alone.

“Pssst!” A hiss from an elderflower bush made her jump.

Dovewing tasted the air. “Tigerheart!” Heart lurching, she jerked around, scanning the forest for her Clanmates.

“It’s okay.” Tigerheart slid out from beneath the bush. “They’re busy tracking Blackstar. I doubled back to find you.”

“How did you know I’d be out of the hollow?”

His whiskers twitched. “Just a hunch.”

She flattened her ears. “And you assumed I’d follow you?” she mewed indignantly.

“It’s not every day I get an excuse to be in ThunderClan territory.” Tigerheart shrugged. “We might as well make the most of it.” His bright gaze softened. “I’ve missed you.”

Dovewing nudged her head against his shoulder. “Me too.”

“I can’t stay long.” Tigerheart glanced over the top of her head. “I told them I was just checking scents to see if I can match any to the one we found over the border.”

Dovewing dropped her gaze. “We can’t make that mistake again. It’d be even harder to see each other if the Clans were at war.”

“Next time we’ll meet outside the Clan borders.”

“The Twoleg nest?”

Tigerheart nodded. “Can you come tonight?”

Dovewing rubbed her muzzle along his jaw, excitement fizzing in her paws. “I’ll try to get there just before moonhigh.”

“Great.” Tigerheart peeled away from her and began to head into the trees. “I can’t wait.” He looked back over his shoulder. His dark amber gaze made her heart swell.

Dovewing shivered with excitement as he bounded away between the trees.

“Can you smell ShadowClan?” The ferns beside her quivered and Bumblestripe padded out.

Dovewing tried not to look too startled. “Er, yes, I can.” She shifted her paws. “They must have come this way.”

Bumblestripe frowned. “I thought I’d tracked them to the border.”

“Maybe they made a detour on the way and you didn’t notice.” Dovewing twitched her ears, trying to sound unconcerned. “They’re gone now.” She tasted the air, relishing the fading scent of Tigerheart. “The scent’s stale already.”

Bumblestripe wrinkled his nose. “Typical ShadowClan,” he growled. “They never do anything straight. They only came to the camp to gloat about beating Lionblaze.”

“ShadowClan cats have always been fox-hearted.” Dovewing stared at her paws. And handsome. She looked up, surprised to see Bumblestripe’s eyes dark with worry.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out. His tail brushed the ground.

“What for?”

“About being so fussy about the tree training.”

Dovewing had forgotten all about it. “Oh.” She flicked his shoulder with her tail-tip. “That’s okay. I was being a pain.”

Bumblestripe brightened. “That’s true.”

“Hey!” Dovewing swiped him playfully with a paw.

Bumblestripe ducked, purring. “Should we get on with that hunt?”

“Okay.” Tigerheart must have made it to the border by now. But just to be sure, Dovewing led Bumblestripe deeper into the forest, in the opposite direction. “Let’s see what we can find near the beech copse.”

“Come on!” Dovewing jumped down from the star-dappled ribs of the Twoleg nest. “Let’s follow the beaver trail.”

Tigerheart landed beside her. “Beaver trail?”

“The one we followed to the dam.”

Tigerheart blinked. “That feels like a lifetime ago! I had only just been made a warrior. Now I feel like a different cat, but the same, if you know what I mean.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Dovewing understood exactly how he felt. Back then, she’d just learned she was one of the Three. She didn’t realize then how much it was going to shape her life. Now the whole Clan’s depending on me. Her belly tightened. She pushed away the thought of the Dark Forest and the battle to come. She only wanted to be here, now, with Tigerheart. “Next leaf-fall you might be living in ThunderClan,” she whispered. The idea made her warm. “We might have kits.”

Cold air hit her pelt as Tigerheart drew away. “Whoa!” He glanced sideways at her, not breaking his pace. “That’s not important right now, is it?” His mew was light, but his words felt like a claw-scratch on Dovewing’s heart.

“O-of course not!” Why had she blurted out such nonsense? If Tigerheart wasn’t ready, that was okay. Just being a warrior is great!

Her ears twitched. Voices? She listened harder. There were paw steps moving through ThunderClan territory, far away below them. Perhaps Firestar has ordered a night patrol. She tried to make out the voices, but they sounded unfamiliar. And they were edged with anger.

“Come on!” Tigerheart flicked her flank with his tail and shot off into the darkness. “Let’s race!”

“You’ll lose!” She bounded after him, her paws scattering leaves. The forest blurred around her as she ran, the earth thrumming beneath her paws. Tigerstar’s pelt flashed between the trees a few tail-lengths ahead. “I’ll catch you!” she yowled. Blood pounded in her ears, drowning out the murmuring from ThunderClan territory. It was probably nothing. Surely her Clanmates could cope without her for one night?