The Last Hope

Chapter 27

“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.”

Firestar met his gaze. “You haven’t defeated me yet.”

Dovewing held her breath. There was a wildness in the dark warrior’s eyes that terrified her.

“That’s why I’m here,” Tigerstar growled.

“The Dark Forest cats won’t follow you,” Firestar told him. “They know now that they can’t beat the Clans. They won’t try again.”

“I don’t need them.” Tigerstar glanced at the cats bristling at the edge of the clearing. “I only have to beat you. Then I can pick off your Clanmates one by one, moon after moon, till there’s no one left.”

Firestar’s gaze flitted from Ferncloud’s body to Hollyleaf’s. “I’m not going to let you harm another of my cats, not ever.” His tail swished low over the ground.

“Then you’re going to have to kill me.”

Firestar narrowed his eyes. “Has it been worth it, Tigerstar? All the hate? All the death?”

Tigerstar flattened his ears. “Every moment.” Eyes slitted, he attacked. Hooking his claws deep into Firestar’s shoulder, he raked his spine with churning paws. “The moment Bluestar found you, I became nothing! I have waited all this time to have my revenge!”

Firestar twisted free and slashed at him. The dark warrior ducked back, head low, and grabbed Firestar’s hind paw in his teeth. Biting hard, he dragged Firestar onto his belly, then reared up and slammed his forepaws onto Firestar’s spine. “When you’re dead, I can rule the Clans or kill them.”

Graystripe darted forward, teeth bared. “Never.”

Whitestorm blocked him. “No, Graystripe. This is Firestar’s battle.”

Firestar heaved himself to his paws and turned to face Tigerstar. “I will not die until the forest is safe from you.” He leaped for the dark warrior. Swerving in midair, he landed a whisker away from Tigerstar’s flank. As Tigerstar spun to defend himself, Firestar smashed his paws into the dark warrior’s side. Unbalanced, Tigerstar staggered and fell. Firestar rained slashing blows onto Tigerstar’s head.

Writhing away, Tigerstar struggled to his paws. He blinked blood from his eyes and lunged at Firestar’s throat. The ThunderClan leader lurched backward. Tigerstar clung on, his claws spiking Firestar’s neck.

Sandstorm leaped forward, hissing with rage, but Sorreltail reached out and heaved her back by her scruff. “You can’t change his destiny, Sandstorm.”

Firestar dug his hind claws into Tigerstar’s belly and thrust him off. Fur ripped at the ThunderClan leader’s throat.

No! Dovewing held her breath, waiting for blood to pulse from the wound. But only pale skin showed through. Tigerstar’s clumsy grip had torn nothing but fur.

Firestar jumped to his paws. “You lived like a rogue. You can die like a rogue.” Flashing like lightning across the clearing, he flew at Tigerstar, aiming for the dark warrior’s throat. With a vicious snarl, he sank his teeth deep into Tigerstar’s neck. He held on while Tigerstar thrashed and staggered and finally collapsed to the ground.

Firestar kept hold of the dark warrior as blood flowed over his paws. When Tigerstar finally stopped twitching, Firestar let go of his throat. He straightened up and watched Tigerstar fade away, his gaze blank.

Dovewing turned to Ivypool, shaking. “Tigerstar has gone!”

As she spoke, thunder cracked the sky. She looked up as a bolt of lightning struck the fallen beech beside Firestar. The tree exploded into flame. Smoke rolled over Firestar. Eyes streaming, chest burning, Dovewing struggled to see her Clan leader. As she peered through the smoke, the clouds opened. Rain pounded the hollow. The burning beech hissed and crackled as the fire faded and died.

Dovewing lifted her tail, relief flooding through her. “It’s really over!” she gasped to Ivypool.

“Firestar!” Sandstorm’s yowl sounded above the thrumming of the rain. She raced toward the place where Tigerstar had fallen. A body was lying on the ground. Dovewing frowned. Tigerstar had disappeared, right? Why was there still a huddled shape on the bloodstained grass?

No!

She pelted after Sandstorm. He can’t be dead! She skidded to a halt and stared in horror at Firestar’s body.

Sandstorm buried her nose deep into her mate’s sodden fur. “I told you not to waste your final life,” she whispered.

Brambleclaw crossed the clearing, rain streaming from his whiskers, and stood beside her. “He didn’t waste it.”

“Fire will save the Clan,” Leafpool whispered.

Graystripe pushed past Tigerheart and Whitestorm and crouched beside his old friend. “I would have taken your place, if you had let me.” His voice was hoarse with grief.

“Firestar!” Dustpelt called softly. “When you see her, tell Ferncloud I love her.”

Purdy nosed past him. “Is he dead?”

“Yes.” Bumblestripe wrapped his tail gently over the elder’s back.

Tigerheart’s ear twitched. “It was his last life?”

“Yes.” Dovewing nodded toward Boulderfur and Troutstream, who lingered uncertainly near the entrance with their patrols. “It’s time for you to go home. The battle is won and I need to be with my Clanmates.” And yet it feels as if everything has been lost. She drew in a breath, then slid quietly in beside Bumblestripe. Rain dripped into her eyes and she blinked it away. Bumblestripe shifted so that his pelt rested warmly against her. Dovewing felt his breath against her ear.

“You’re safe now,” he murmured.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I know.” She didn’t look around as she heard Tigerheart pad away.

Brambleclaw lifted his muzzle. “The battle is over. Our victory belongs to Firestar!”

The rain eased as he spoke and a shaft of moonlight sliced through the clouds and lit up the unmoving orange body. There was a faint noise at the camp entrance and Dovewing looked up to see a StarClan warrior glimmering beneath the ragged thorns, her blue eyes glowing like circles of sky.

“Bluestar?” Brambleclaw beckoned to her with his tail. With a nod, Bluestar stepped out from the shadows and walked across the clearing. A russet tom followed, his pelt glittering with stars. A silver she-cat padded after; a mottled gray tabby sparkled at her side. A black-and-white tom padded at the back, with Yellowfang tagging on behind.

As the Clan parted to let the cats pass, Runningwind and Lionheart slipped out to join their starry Clanmates. Dovewing blinked up at the walls of the hollow. They rippled with light from StarClan pelts. The scent of wet stone, sharp and cold, bathed her tongue. Is this what starlight tastes like?

Jayfeather stepped forward as they circled Firestar’s body. “These cats gave Firestar his nine lives,” he explained to the Clan. “Redtail”—he nodded to the russet warrior—“gave a life for courage. Silverstream gave a life for loyalty.”

Graystripe got to his paws and stared at the beautiful she-cat. “Silverstream!”

She gazed back at him, her blue eyes filled with longing. “I’ll be waiting,” she whispered.

“Brindleface.” Jayfeather dipped his head to the mottled gray tabby. “The life you gave was for protection. And Swiftpaw”—his blind blue gaze drifted to the small black-and-white tom—“yours was for mentoring.”

Brambleclaw nodded. “Firestar was the best mentor I could have had.”

“Yellowfang gave compassion, Lionheart gave courage, and Runningwind gave tireless energy, which he used to serve his Clanmates through all his lives.”

As Jayfeather paused, Bluestar stepped forward, her paws touching Firestar’s pelt. “Spottedleaf isn’t with StarClan anymore.” Grief thickened her mew. “But she gave Firestar a life for love.”

A sob shook Sandstorm’s shoulders.

Bluestar went on. “I gave him a life for nobility, though he was born with more nobility than any warrior I ever knew.” Her blue eyes glazed with sorrow. “I knew that Firestar would save the Clan many moons ago. As fire, and then as the fourth cat in the oldest prophecy, he succeeded. He leaves ThunderClan in the paws of a new leader.” She looked at Brambleclaw. “If you have half the courage and loyalty of Firestar, you will be a fine leader for ThunderClan.”

As she spoke the StarClan cats drew closer around Firestar’s body. Touching pelts, they gazed down. A shadow stirred over the orange shape.

Dovewing gasped. Pale as moonlight, graceful as the wind, Firestar stood up.

“His spirit is leaving,” Jayfeather murmured.

Firestar’s gaze swept slowly over his Clan. Dovewing swallowed as it reached her, then relaxed. It felt warm like sunshine.

“It’s time to go,” Bluestar breathed.

Firestar dipped his head to Brambleclaw, then leaned down and touched his muzzle to Sandstorm’s. She stared up at him, her eyes glistening with grief as he turned and followed the StarClan cats out of the hollow. Dovewing jerked her head around as a black pelt moved at the edge of her vision. Hollyleaf’s spirit was padding after them.

“Look!” Sorreltail gasped.

Mousefur’s spirit leaped up from her body and bounded like a kit across the clearing.

Purdy whisked his tail. “She’ll get all the hunting she wants now.”

“Ferncloud’s awake!” Amberkit squeaked from the nursery.

Ferncloud’s spirit rose and padded after Mousefur. It paused at the thorn barrier and turned, dipping its head to Dustpelt, then disappeared after the others. Dovewing stared at the gap in the brambles, her chest aching.

Sandstorm stood up. “Bramblestar!”

“Bramblestar!” Lionblaze lifted his muzzle to the clearing sky.

The Clan joined in. “Bramblestar! Bramblestar!”

As Bramblestar looked up, Dovewing followed his gaze. A new star was shining among the others. Is Firestar there already?

“I will honor my ancestors in StarClan,” Bramblestar vowed, “but not those who have ever walked in the Dark Forest. Guide my steps wisely, warriors of the past.” He lowered his head. “And warriors of now.”

Jayfeather touched his tail to Bramblestar’s spine. “It’s time to choose a deputy,” he prompted gently.

Dovewing glanced around her Clanmates. Surely, Bramblestar would choose Lionblaze? He was the only warrior who couldn’t be beaten in battle. He’d make a powerful deputy and leader one day.

“Will you be my deputy, Squirrelflight?”

The she-cat stared at him, every hair on her pelt quivering. “Really?”

Bramblestar nodded. “There is no cat I trust more. Everything you do is for the best of reasons. I understand that now.”

Squirrelflight dipped her head. “Then I accept.”

A slender brown cat burst forward. It was Leafpool. “My sister,” she murmured, pressing her head to Squirrelflight’s. “You deserve this honor, and more. Thank you, for everything.”

Squirrelflight licked Leafpool’s ear. “I would do it again in a heartbeat,” she whispered.

Jayfeather padded forward to stand beside Dovewing. “An ending, and a beginning,” he observed briskly.

Dovewing looked at Lionblaze. The golden warrior’s gaze was heavy, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion. For a brief moment, they had held the power of the stars in their paws. And now it was over. Grief welled in Dovewing’s throat. They’d saved the Clans, but Firestar was dead.

Jayfeather’s tail brushed her shoulder. “He gave his life to save the thing that mattered most to him: his Clanmates,” he meowed softly. “He truly has the stars at his paws now. You will see him again, when it is time.”

A breeze stirred Dovewing’s pelt, as if something had walked past. She lifted her head and saw two shapes standing just beyond her Clanmates, watching. One was a badger with a narrow, striped face and wise, kind eyes, and the other was a grotesque hairless cat with bulging eyes that saw nothing and everything. They met her gaze and nodded, just once. Thank you, Dovewing heard, quieter than a sigh.

There will be three cats, kin of your kin, with the power of the stars in their paws. They will find a fourth, and the battle between light and dark will be won. A new leader will rise from the shadows of his death, and the Clans will survive beyond the memories of his memories. This is how it has always been, and how it will always be.