Warriors: Omen of the Stars #6: The Last Hope (19 page)

“As much as you’d miss talking if your tongue fell out,” Mousefur rasped.

Bumblestripe looked at the shrew, his eyes lighting up. “I guess it’s mine, then.”

Ferncloud marched from the nursery. “Brightheart would probably appreciate it more.” She nipped the shrew from his claw and carried it back to where Brightheart lay resting, her belly round in the moonlight. Bumblestripe’s tail drooped.

Dovewing purred and nudged Rosepetal. “Poor old Bumblestripe. Always first to the pile and last to get fed.”

Firestar jumped down from Highledge and gazed at the rising moon. “We should leave.” He glanced over his shoulder as Sandstorm landed beside him. “The break in the weather might not last long.”

Brambleclaw stretched beside the warriors’ den, then followed Firestar across the clearing. Cinderheart padded out of her den and stared wistfully at the thorn barrier.

Squirrelflight hopped out after her. “Are you going to the Gathering?”

Cinderheart shrugged. “Not tonight.”

“What about Jayfeather?” Lionblaze met Firestar as the ThunderClan leader reached the camp entrance. “Is he coming with us?” Jayfeather stood in the entrance to the medicine den, brambles draping his spine.

Firestar shook his head.

“But no Clan goes to a Gathering without their medicine cat,” Lionblaze objected.

Brambleclaw smoothed Lionblaze’s ruffled fur with a flick of his tail. “He’s not our medicine cat as far as the other Clans are concerned.”

Lionblaze growled. “I don’t like the other Clans telling us what to do.”

“Nor do I.” Firestar flexed his claws. “But this is not a battle worth fighting.”

Rosepetal stepped forward. “Couldn’t Cinderheart take his place? She used to be ThunderClan’s medicine cat.”

Cinderheart, still watching from the warriors’ den, pricked her ears.

“No.” Firestar dipped his head toward Cinderheart. “The Clans don’t need to know Cinderheart’s history until she decides for herself which path she must choose.”

To Dovewing’s surprise, Cinderheart looked relieved. Didn’t she want to return to her old role as medicine cat?

A gust of wind rattled the thornbush. “Let’s go.” Firestar pushed into the brambles. “There’s more rain coming. It may be a short Gathering.”

The patrol pounded up the slope as Firestar followed the trail to the forest’s edge. Pelts flashed between brambles. Dovewing’s paws slithered on wet leaves. As Blossomfall steadied her with a flick of her tail, a gray pelt caught the edge of her vision. Dovewing turned to see Bumblestripe fall in beside her, his feet skimming the ground as he matched her paw step for paw step. She pushed harder to pull ahead. The gray warrior seemed to be there every time she looked over her shoulder. She veered around a bramble, sliding across his path so he had to pull up and let her take the lead.

She reached the top of the slope before him and, breaking from the trees, stared down at the lake.
Please, StarClan, let Tigerheart be there.
The prayer pierced her heart, more an ache than a wish.

“Tired already?” Rosepetal pulled up beside her.

“I’m
not!” Blossomfall mewed as she pelted past them, skidding down the slope after her Clanmates.

Bumblestripe scrambled to a halt beside Dovewing and Rosepetal. “You nearly ran me into a tree!”

“You should watch where you’re going,” Dovewing growled. “I nearly tripped over you.” Muttering under her breath, she ran down the slope. “Clumsy mouse-brain.”

“Why do you have to be so mean to him?” Rosepetal’s whisper took Dovewing by surprise. “It’s not a crime, you know!”

“What isn’t?”

Rosepetal’s gaze darkened meaningfully as Bumblestripe raced past them.

“What?” Dovewing repeated. Why did Rosepetal look so angry?

“It’s obvious he likes you!” Rosepetal snapped. “You don’t have to keep biting his head off. He’s your Clanmate, not prey!”

Dovewing flattened her ears. Why should she feel bad? “Why do I have to tiptoe around him just because he likes me? It’s not my fault.”

Rosepetal looked sideways at her. “Do you enjoy hurting his feelings?”

“Of course not!” Guilt flashed under Dovewing’s pelt.

“Then apologize.”

Dovewing winced. Rosepetal was right. If Bumblestripe had feelings for her, it wasn’t fair to punish him for his attention. “Okay!” She pulled ahead, following Bumblestripe’s tracks through the grass. She bounded down the short slope onto the shore, landing on the pebbles a moment after Bumblestripe. He glanced over his shoulder and kept running.

“Wait!” Dovewing panted, pebbles spraying out behind.

Bumblestripe eased his pace enough for her to catch up. “What?” he growled.

“Look.” Dovewing tried to catch her breath but Bumblestripe was still running hard. “I’m sorry I snapped.”

Bumblestripe turned his head to look at her, his gaze hard as ice. “I’m tired of being used as your scratching post,” he hissed. “From now on sharpen your claws on someone else.”

Dovewing’s pelt pricked. “It’s not my fault!”

“I
get
it, okay?” He didn’t even look at her. He just kept running. “You don’t like me the same way I like you. I’ll get over it. I’m just disappointed you’re not the cat I thought you were.”

Dovewing bristled. How dare he say that to her? She gave everything to the Clan, and he wanted more! It wasn’t fair. She slowed, letting Bumblestripe pull ahead.

“So?” Rosepetal caught up to her.

“Thanks a lot,” Dovewing growled. “Next time I’ll let you apologize.”

“Is he angry?”

“Yes.” Dovewing lashed her tail. “And he’s not the only one.”

She raced after the patrol, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground and flattening her ears to the gossip of her Clanmates until they reached the tree-bridge that spanned the water between the shore and the island. Hanging back, she let her Clanmates cross first. As they filed across, she opened her mouth, hoping to catch a taste of Tigerheart. But the air was thick with scents from every Clan.

Dovewing nosed her way out of the grass. The clearing was swarming with pelts. Faces turned as ThunderClan padded out from the grass.

“Did he come?” Dovewing heard a ShadowClan apprentice whispering to his denmate.

Ears twitched as eyes scanned ThunderClan.

“Can you see him?”

“He wouldn’t dare!”

Dovewing stiffened. “Who are they talking about?” she whispered to Whitewing.

Whitewing lifted her chin and wove through a knot of warriors. “Jayfeather,” she meowed.

Dovewing followed her mother past the staring faces and halted beside Blossomfall and Squirrelflight. Firestar shouldered his way through in front of them, heading for the Great Oak. Brambleclaw joined Reedwhisker, Rowanclaw, and Ashfoot at the bottom, while Molepaw and Cherrypaw trotted over to sit with a cluster of apprentices at the edge of the clearing. Dovewing scanned the rows of faces, looking for Tigerheart.

Three medicine cats, Littlecloud, Kestrelflight, and Willowshine, were gathered below the oak. Dawnpelt paced in front of them, lashing her tail.

Dovewing glanced at Whitewing. “She looks like she wants Jayfeather to come so she can start a fight.”

She felt hot breath on her ear and turned to find Redwillow leaning close. “Murderers deserve to be punished!”

Dovewing turned on him, bristling. “Jayfeather is not a murderer!”

Pebblefoot stepped between them. “Why isn’t he here, then?” he challenged Dovewing. “Too guilty to show his whiskers?”

Dovewing glared at him. “You told him not to—”

Whitewing barged Pebblefoot away with her shoulder. “Stay close to your Clanmates, Dovewing,” she warned. “Some cats don’t seem to realize there’s a truce.” She glanced up at the round full moon hanging over the island. A cloud hung across it like a smear of cobweb.

Dovewing turned her back on Redwillow and Pebblefoot. She wasn’t going to be the one to make StarClan angry. “It’s not fair,” she hissed to Whitewing. “They tell Jayfeather not to come and then say it proves that he’s guilty!”

Whitewing smoothed Dovewing’s ruffled pelt with her tail. “They’re just trying to provoke us.”

“But why?” Didn’t they care about the truce? As anger boiled in her belly, Dovewing caught sight of two dark ear tips on the far side of the clearing. Lifting herself onto her haunches, she peered over the other cats.
Tigerheart!

“Can I squeeze past, please?” Dapplenose was nosing her way through a cluster of ShadowClan cats.

Dovewing shuffled to make room for the RiverClan elder. “You can sit here, if you want.” She beckoned with a flick of her muzzle.

“Thank you.” Dapplenose sat beside her.

Dovewing closed her mouth to block out the stink of fish rising from the old cat’s pelt. “No problem,” she muttered between clenched teeth.

Silence swept the Clan as Blackstar lifted his muzzle and yowled, “Let the Gathering begin.” He gazed over the Clans from the wide, low branch of the Great Oak. “Thank you, Firestar.” He dipped his head to the ThunderClan leader.

Firestar narrowed his eyes.

Blackstar went on, “You have followed the wishes of the Clans and kept Jayfeather confined to camp until we discover the truth about Flametail’s death.”

Dawnpelt’s eyes flashed from beside Littlecloud, and she nodded importantly to show that she agreed.

Dovewing flexed her claws.
Who made you leader of everyone?

Spiderleg rose on his haunches and called, “How will the truth be known?”

Littlecloud stepped forward. “We are waiting for StarClan to speak.” He glanced at Dawnpelt. “It’s a difficult situation for us all.”

Willowshine stood up. “None of us are comfortable with it.”

Dovewing tried to see Tigerheart. Was he feeling uncomfortable?

“Don’t stare!” Her mother’s hiss made her jump. “We don’t want to challenge ShadowClan!”

Flinching, Dovewing dragged her gaze back toward the leaders. Onestar had stepped forward, his tail curving over his back. “WindClan has had good hunting over the past moon. We are ready for the coming season.”

Mistystar nodded. “We, too. Greenleaf filled the lake with fish and there has been no illness in RiverClan.”

Firestar flicked his tail. “StarClan has blessed all the Clans this greenleaf.”

Dovewing saw unease flicker in his gaze for a moment before he blinked it away. This might be the last greenleaf the Clans would see.

Mistystar interrupted her thoughts. “RiverClan has had only one concern.” She tipped her head, her eyes questioning as she scanned the Clans. “There have been traces of rogues and loners appearing in our territory. No cat has been spotted, but there have been strange scents and paw prints.”

Dovewing froze, remembering all the nights she’d roamed with Tigerheart beyond the bounds of Clan territory. Had their scents drifted into enemy territory?

Mistystar twitched her tail. “And yet we have found no trails across our scent lines. It’s as if the cats simply appeared inside our territories.”

Whitewing leaned closer to Dovewing. “Perhaps the tunnels reach into RiverClan territory, too,” she whispered.

But Dovewing hardly heard her.
Don’t let it be our scent!
She drew her paws tighter under her. Hadn’t Spiderleg reported hearing strange cats on a night vigil? Brambleclaw had ordered moonhigh patrols.
Was that our fault, too?

Firestar put his head on one side, his eyes sharp with interest. “We have also seen signs of rogue intruders.” His tail trembled. “They’ve come at night and we’ve set up extra patrols, but no cat has actually been seen.”

Onestar shifted his paws. “We’ve had strange scents, too,” he admitted.

Blackstar hunched his shoulders. “There have been rogues in ShadowClan’s forests as well.”

Firestar leaned forward. “Have you actually
seen
anything?”

Blackstar shook his head. “Just scents, broken branch tips, tufts of fur.”

Mistystar’s fur lifted along her spine. “Whereabouts?”

“Deep in our territory,” Blackstar replied.

Onestar nodded. “Same here. Nothing at the borders, but traces right at the heart of the moor.”

Blackstar’s claws scraped the bark. “Most scents have been found in areas perfect for ambushes.”

“As though an enemy is scouting for an invasion,” Firestar commented grimly.

Dovewing felt pelts bristling around her. Murmurs rippled through the Clans.

“I found orange fur on a gorse bush!” Heathertail called. “It smelled like no Clan cat I know.”

Smokefoot lifted his muzzle. “There were paw prints near our training ground that had a foul scent.” The ShadowClan warrior wrinkled his nose.

Dapplenose shifted beside Dovewing. “There was a trail of footprints tracking the river around our camp,” she rasped.

Blossomfall raised her head above her Clanmates. “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Greenleaf has been warm and sunny,” she called. “Kittypets, rogues, and loners always stray farther during fine weather.”