Warriors: Omen of the Stars #6: The Last Hope (35 page)

“Nothing scares me.” With a hiss, Shredtail leaped at him.

Lionblaze felt the thud of muscle against his chest, surprised for a moment by Shredtail’s strength. He dug his hind claws hard into the needle-strewn earth and reared up, ready to swipe Shredtail’s muzzle. But Shredtail backed away and crouched down, his eyes gleaming as if he knew every move that Lionblaze would make.

Lionblaze paused.
Shredtail thinks he can win.
Doubt pricked his belly. He batted it away and attacked. Hurling himself at Shredtail, he twisted and hooked a paw around Shredtail’s forelegs.

Shredtail hopped backward. “You won’t beat me fighting like a kit.” He lunged for Lionblaze’s throat. Lionblaze dodged just in time, flinching at the snap of empty jaws beside his ear. He stood up on his back legs, ready to slam Shredtail with his forepaws, but Shredtail spun away too quickly and thrust his hind paws into Lionblaze’s belly so hard it sent him stumbling backward.

Shredtail lashed his tail. “When are you going to start fighting like a real warrior?”

“Now!” As Lionblaze leaped forward, claws grabbed him from behind, fastening around his throat. He tried to struggle free, body thrashing, fighting for breath, scrabbling to find a grip on the slippery needles.

“Shall I let my Clanmates finish you off?” Shredtail gloated. Then he glanced past Lionblaze’s shoulder and his gaze suddenly glittered with fear.

The paws gripping Lionblaze’s throat dropped away. He smelled the scent of badger’s breath as Midnight moved behind him. “Destiny is the choice of every cat,” she rasped in his ear. “But some cats have destiny chosen for them.” She turned and lumbered away.

I am going to kill this cat.
Lionblaze saw what would happen next as clear as a star-specked sky.
I may not be able to match your fox-hearted tactics, Shredtail, but I can fight like the best warrior that ever lived.

Shredtail lifted a paw and flexed his claws. “It’s a shame your badger friend won’t fight for you.” He drew back his lips to reveal teeth already stained with blood.

Energy surged beneath Lionblaze’s pelt. Exploding from the ground, he sunk his teeth deep into Shredtail’s throat while pine needles showered around them. The softness of flesh in his mouth and the taste of blood made him gag, but he held on, tearing deeper and deeper until, gurgling and thrashing, Shredtail collapsed. Lionblaze clamped his jaws harder and the Dark Warrior fell limp.

Letting go, Lionblaze staggered back and watched Shredtail’s body fade. Growing paler against the forest floor, it disappeared. He looked up, suddenly aware of the other cats watching, feeling his face wet with Shredtail’s blood. The Dark Forest warriors began to back away, then turned and pelted back toward the camp.

“Lionblaze?” Blackstar stepped forward. “I’m proud to fight beside you.” He nodded toward the battle. “Now shall we get rid of these other fox-hearts?”

“Lionblaze?”

Graystripe’s mew took him by surprise. He turned and saw the gray warrior pushing through the bracken with the dark brown ancient on his tail.

“Half Moon says we should go home.” Graystripe glanced over his shoulder toward the ShadowClan camp. “They don’t need our help anymore.”

Blackstar nodded. “Thanks to you. Go on, fight with your Clanmates now.”

Lionblaze dipped his head to the ShadowClan leader. “Okay.” He flicked his tail. “Let’s go.”

Ivypool crouched inside the dirtplace tunnel.
She could hear Firestar in the clearing, ordering patrols. Yowls echoed above the hollow. The Dark Forest had reached the woods.

Ivypool bristled with frustration. Dovepaw had prodded her awake too soon.
I was trying to reach Blossomfall and Birchfall before the battle started!
Now it was too late.
I’ve got to find them.
She pricked her ears.

“Stay with Brambleclaw and guard the camp.” Firestar gave a final order, then thundered out of camp.

Ivypool waited.
Where would Brokenstar send ThunderClan recruits?
Not to their own Clan, surely? They’d be more eager to fight other Clans. Ivypool crept deeper into the brambles and skirted the dirtplace, pushing through ferns until she was clear of the camp. The forest smelled dank as darkness swallowed it. Wind roared in the treetops.

“Ivypool?” Brambleclaw’s mew took her by surprise. “Shouldn’t you be on Firestar’s patrol?”

She whipped around to see the ThunderClan deputy standing underneath a rowan tree. Brambleclaw knew she’d trained in the Dark Forest. What if he thought she was betraying her Clan? “I—I have to find Blossomfall and Birchfall and Mousewhisker.”

He padded closer. “Do you know where they are?”

“No! I wish I did. I want to stop them before…”

“Before they betray their Clan?” Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes.

“They wouldn’t!” she gasped. “I
know
they wouldn’t! But they’ll be scared. Brokenstar has threatened to kill them if they don’t fight alongside him.”

Brambleclaw touched his muzzle to her head. “Go find them, Ivypool.”

“Really?” She blinked. “It’s okay?”

“I’m depending on you.”

“Thank you!” Bursting with relief, Ivypool spun around and pounded toward WindClan territory. Screeches rang from the moorland and echoed across the water, but there was no sign of pelts. She pushed harder, paws skidding on the slippery grass as she neared the stream that marked the border.

“Ivypool.” A growl took her by surprise. Amber eyes flashed in the darkness beyond the ditch.

Ivypool halted, unsheathing her claws. “Who is it?”

Tigerheart slid out of the bracken.

Ivypool narrowed her eyes. “Where are you heading?” She leaped the stream, keeping her distance from the dark warrior. “You know the battle’s begun, don’t you?”

Tigerheart glanced over his shoulder. “Hawkfrost told me to meet him here.”

Ivypool shifted her paws. “Are you in his patrol?”

“Are you?” His gaze sparked with suspicion.

“I—I don’t know yet. I haven’t gotten my orders.” Her mind whirled. Which side was Tigerheart on?

“Hawkfrost will tell you what to do when he gets here.”

But I have to find my Clanmates!
Ivypool began to push through the bracken.

“Where are you going?” Tigerheart challenged.

“I don’t have time to wait!” Ivypool kept going. “The battle’s begun!”

“But you don’t know who to fight!”

Frustration raged through her. “Of course I know who to fight!” She turned on Tigerheart. “I’ll fight any Dark Forest warrior I meet.” She glared at him. “And any Clan cat who fights with them!”

“But I thought the Dark Forest warriors were your Clanmates now.” Tigerheart took a step closer. There was menace in his mew. “Isn’t this what you’ve been training for?”

Ivypool shook her head. “I know which cats deserve my loyalty. I’ll die before I fight beside Brokenstar and Hawkfrost.”

Tigerheart showed his teeth. “You may have to,” he growled. “You heard what Brokenstar said he’d do if we betrayed him.”

Ivypool met his gaze, anger surging beneath her pelt. “I don’t care.”

“You sound like your sister,” Tigerheart spat back.

Ivypool frowned. “What’s Dovewing got to do with this?”

“She put her Clan ahead of me.”

“So?” Tigerheart’s gaze darkened as Ivypool went on. “You should put your Clan first, too! Have all these moons in the Dark Forest made you forget the warrior code?”

Tigerheart bared his teeth. “I haven’t forgotten
anything.”

The bracken beside them rustled. Ivypool whipped around, her heart lurching. Hawkfrost emerged. “Ivypool.” His eyes flashed. “Where have you been?”

“Looking for Blossomfall and Birchfall,” Ivypool stammered.

Hawkfrost stretched his muzzle close. “Find them,” he hissed. “Now. Then go straight to the WindClan camp. I want you with me in the second attack.”

Ivypool nodded and raced away. She glanced back once to see Tigerheart leaning toward Hawkfrost’s ear. Terror scoured her belly.
If he tells Hawkfrost I’m a traitor, I’m dead!
Her heart pounding, she ducked into the heather and fled. “Birchfall!” she yowled. “Blossomfall!”

“Ivypool!”

She skidded to a halt as she heard Birchfall’s mew. Her Clanmate was crouching beneath a clump of wind-blown gorse. His pale tabby pelt glowed in the darkness. Blossomfall and Mousewhisker huddled at his side, their eyes glittering with fear. Suddenly there was an explosion of shrieks close by and two WindClan warriors streaked past, Dark Forest warriors on their tail. Farther up the slope, more warriors clashed, their yowls splitting the roar of the wind.

“What should we do?” Blossomfall whispered. “We can’t attack Clan cats!”

Ivypool lifted her muzzle. “Of course we can’t! We have to defend the Clans against the Dark Forest.”

Birchfall stared at her. “Did you know all along this is what they were planning?”

“Yes,” Ivypool confessed.

Mousewhisker blinked at her. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I was spying.” She straightened up. “I didn’t know who I could trust. I had to let you work it out for yourselves.”

“She’s right.” Birchfall stepped forward. “We should have guessed earlier what was going on.”

Mousewhisker glanced over his shoulder. “So what do we do?”

“We join the battle, just as Brokenstar ordered, but we fight for the Clans,” Ivypool told him. “We’ve been trained by the Dark Forest, so we can use their own tricks against them.” A familiar scent touched her nose. “Applefur?” she called warily as she smelled the ShadowClan she-cat. Would she have the courage to oppose the Dark Forest warriors?

As Applefur slid out from the heather, Breezepelt barged past her. Ivypool’s fur lifted when she saw Thistleclaw and Snowtuft at his tail.

“There you are!” Breezepelt’s eyes shone. “We’re going to launch an attack on the camp.”

“But Hawkfrost told us to meet him,” Ivypool argued.

“You will,” Thistleclaw growled. “He’ll be attacking from the far side.”

Ivypool blinked at the dark tabby. “Okay. Let’s go.” Her gaze flitted desperately to her Clanmates.
We have to play along for now!
She charged after Breezepelt’s patrol as it sped toward the WindClan camp. “We don’t have to attack WindClan cats once we’re there,” she hissed to Birchfall as he fell in beside her.

Heather brushed her pelt, its flowery scent smothered by the stench of decay. The peaty earth felt slimy beneath her paws.
The moor’s turning into the Dark Forest!
Ivypool pushed the thought away.
It can’t! I won’t let it!

“Hurry!” Mousewhisker dashed past her. “We can’t let them get there first.”

Scrabbling up between the bushes, her lungs aching, Ivypool followed Birchfall and Blossomfall. From the top she could see into the WindClan camp. The clearing teemed with shrieking cats. Emberfoot reared over a Dark Forest warrior who lunged, screeching, at the WindClan warrior’s hind legs. Another Dark Forest tom slapped Crowfeather to the ground and began thrashing him with claw-spiked paws. Ivypool recognized Whitewing, Berrynose, and Hazeltail, broad-shouldered and sturdy among the lithe WindClan cats. Mallownose of RiverClan and Shrewfoot of ShadowClan fought beside them. A Dark Forest warrior batted Mallownose away with a vicious swipe. A tom clawed at Hazeltail’s belly while another tore lumps from Whitewing’s flank. The Clan warriors were outnumbered and fighting for their lives.