Warriors: Omen of the Stars #6: The Last Hope (40 page)

“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.

W
hatever the previous adventure you played, consider that enough moons have passed that the cats have gone through all of leaf-bare and it is now nearly newleaf. If the time of year hasn’t been important in your other games, simply say that six moons have passed. Determine what age that makes all of the cat characters (including the one belonging to the person who will take the first turn as Narrator) and use the information found in the “Improving Your Cat” section in Chapter Four of the game rules to make the necessary improvements.

“Looking for Newleaf” is a very challenging adventure. If your group hasn’t played this game before, you should probably try a more typical adventure (such as “Saving the Kits,” which is available as a free download on www.warriorcats.com) first.

Unless you are the first person who will act as Narrator in this adventure, you should stop reading here. The information beginning in the next paragraph is for the Narrator only.

Hello, Narrator! It’s time to begin playing “Looking for Newleaf.” Make sure all the players have their character sheets, the correct number of chips, a piece of paper, and a pencil. Remember that the point of the game is to have fun, so don’t be afraid to go slow, keep the players involved, and refer to the rules if you aren’t sure exactly what should happen next.

When you’re ready, begin with 1 below.

Special Note:
This adventure takes place at a very specific time of year—late in the season of leaf-bare. Snow has covered the Clan territories for many moons, and the Clan cats are anxiously awaiting the coming of newleaf. Help set the proper atmosphere before you begin playing by getting the players to think about how tough things are for the cats. The days are short and cold; the nights are long and even colder. If there is a bad time to be a Clan cat, this is it.

The players can role-play their cats however they see fit, but as Narrator you should make it clear that most of the cats are hungry, a little short-tempered, and very anxious for warmer weather to arrive.

Read Aloud:
“No one can remember a leaf-bare that has lasted so long. It seems like snow has covered the Clan territories forever. Fresh-kill is scarce, the medicine cats are running low on herbs, and the elders are beginning to wonder if they’ll ever see greenleaf again.”

Narrator Tips:
The situation for all the Clans is pretty desperate at the beginning of this adventure. After making do with dangerously little for more than a moon, the Clan leaders have gotten together and decided to send hunting parties beyond the Clan lands in search of food and any sign they can find that newleaf is coming.

The players’ cats make up one of those hunting parties. They are being sent to the woods beyond the Moonpool. Have one of the Clan leaders speak to the players’ cats to express how important this mission is. The cats aren’t starving yet, but the kits and the elders have grown thin and dangerously weak. It won’t be long before some of them join StarClan.

The plan is for the players’ cats to catch as much fresh-kill as they can, eating enough to keep themselves going, but storing most of it under the snow as they continue to hunt. (Burying the fresh-kill will help it stay fresh for a longer period of time.) When they’ve gathered all they can carry—or all there is to find—the players’ cats are to bring the rest of it back as quickly as possible.

As a secondary assignment, the Clan leader asks the players’ cats to keep an eye out for signs that newleaf is coming. If they can bring back proof that things will change soon, it will improve everyone’s spirit.

Let the players ask any questions they like, and answer from the Clan leader’s perspective. No cat knows much—sometimes leaf-bare lasts longer than usual, and StarClan has not sent dreams to any of the medicine cats to explain the situation or offer a solution.

When that’s done, briefly describe the first two days of the trip as the cats go through familiar territory that is almost unrecognizable because of all the snow. The scenes are beautiful, but desolate—there are no birds or squirrels or rabbits—and no tracks in the snow, other than those belonging to the players’ cats.

On the morning of the third day, the players’ cats must choose whether they are going to follow a path up to the highlands or one down to the valley. Both seem equally covered in snow and equally lacking in potential prey. If the players are having a difficult time making up their minds, ask them whether they think that it’s more likely that prey animals (squirrels, rabbits, voles, etc.) would live in the valley or on the hillside. (There isn’t a right answer, but that opinion is probably the best way for them to choose a course.)

What Happens Next:
If the players’ cats want to begin by looking for prey in the valley, continue with
4.

If the players’ cats want to begin by looking for prey in the highlands, continue with
7.

Read Aloud:
“The wind suddenly rises, sounding like a howling dog. The air around you is thick with snow. Before long, it’s impossible to see anything but a solid wall of white blowing snow.”