Warriors: Omen of the Stars #6: The Last Hope (39 page)

Brokenstar eyed him gleefully. “I’m going to shred you till there’s nothing left to join StarClan,” he growled.

A burst of starlight shone beside Firestar, and Dovewing recognized Yellowfang again. “Enough!” yowled the old she-cat. She dived at Brokenstar and grasped his throat in her jaws. Dovewing heard the crack of bone as she killed him. Yellowfang dropped her son’s body, then watched it fade in the moonlight till no trace remained.

“Brokenstar’s dead!” Thistleclaw stepped back from Spiderleg and stood stiff-legged with dismay.

“Brokenstar?” Darkstripe spun away from Sorreltail, ears flat.

“Retreat!” Thistleclaw stumbled for the entrance. Fear edged his cry. Pelts swooped past him like bats as the Dark Forest patrol fled.

Dovewing sank her claws into the earth, her pelt stinging, her paws as heavy as stone. All around her, shafts of moonlight streamed through the clouds. Was this really the end?

Lilykit and Seedkit peered up from their nest.

“Come here, my dears. It’s safe now.” Sorreltail beckoned them with a flick of her tail, and they slid from the nursery and hurried toward her, pressing hard against her blood-soaked fur.

Troutstream and Pebblefoot limped across the clearing. Whitestorm and Longtail stood panting with exhaustion, their tails drooping. And the brightest beam of moonlight landed on Ferncloud’s body, lying motionless beside the nursery.

“Why is Ferncloud asleep?” Amberkit asked, popping her head up.

“She’s tired after all the fighting, silly,” mewed Dewkit beside her. He pricked his ears as Dustpelt pounded into camp. “Dustpelt will wake her up.”

“Is it over?” The tabby warrior stumbled to a halt, following the gaze of his Clanmates toward his mate’s body. “Ferncloud?” He stiffened. “Ferncloud!” He raced to her and tugged at her pelt with a frantic paw.

Birchfall and Icecloud joined him. Their eyes glistened as they gazed at their mother’s body.

Dustpelt jerked around. “Don’t just stare! Get Jayfeather.”

Firestar dipped his head. “It’s too late, Dustpelt.”

Eyes bright with anger, Dustpelt curled his lip. “Why didn’t you protect her?” His gaze flitted to Icecloud. “Where were you when she needed you?”

Firestar approached the tabby warrior. “No one could have saved her,” he murmured. “Not even you.”

Dustpelt looked up at the ThunderClan leader. “I could have,” he insisted. “I
would
have. If I’d been here.”

Firestar touched his muzzle to Dustpelt’s shoulder. “She saved the kits from Brokenstar.”

The thorns at the entrance quivered again as a battered warrior staggered, bleeding, into camp.
Hawkfrost.

“The battle’s over,” Firestar growled.

“Not for him.” Brambleclaw followed Hawkfrost in. “I found him in the forest trying to run back to his Clanmates.”

Hawkfrost glared at the ThunderClan deputy. “Let me return to my Clan.”

Yellowfang stirred and lifted her head to watch the two warriors.

Ivypool darted forward, her eyes dark. “You killed Hollyleaf!” She sprang toward the gray tom. He slammed her away but she landed nimbly and turned on him again.

“No!” Dovewing raced to help but Firestar blocked her way.

“Let Ivypool settle this,” the ThunderClan leader ordered.

“But he might kill her!” Dovewing’s breath caught in her throat as she watched Ivypool fly at Hawkfrost, claws flashing.

“You murderer! Liar! Betrayer!” She gouged at his eyes and raked his belly with her hind claws. With a howl, Hawkfrost flung her off. Ivypool grunted as his powerful paws crushed her spine.

“You’re the traitor.” He pushed her muzzle into the earth. “And this time I’ll kill you.”

“No, you won’t!” Brambleclaw flung himself at Hawkfrost and peeled him away. Before the Dark Forest warrior could twist free, Brambleclaw sunk his teeth into his neck. The snap of bone echoed through the hollow and Hawkfrost fell dead.

As Ivypool staggered to her feet, a deep growl sounded from beside the medicine den. Tigerstar stepped into the moonlight. “Well done, Brambleclaw.”

Brambleclaw stared at his father in horror.

Tigerstar turned his amber gaze on Firestar as the ThunderClan leader unsheathed his claws. “Not yet,” the Dark Forest cat snarled. “We
will
meet in battle. But not until you’ve watched every one of your Clan die.”

Firestar lashed his tail. “The battle’s over!”

“The Dark Forest is endless,” Tigerstar hissed. “It has more warriors than you could ever imagine. The battle is just beginning.”

Dovewing darted forward. “But Brokenstar and Hawkfrost are dead! Why would they fight now? They have no leader.”

Tigerstar flexed his claws, holding them so they caught the moonlight. “They have me.”

“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.