The Last Hope

Ivypool stared at the black she-cat. “You saved my life!”

Hollyleaf staggered and fell to the ground.

“Hollyleaf!” Ivypool darted to her side and saw blood pulsing from a wound in her neck. Panic formed a hard lump in Ivypool’s belly.

Grasping Hollyleaf’s scruff in her teeth, she began to half drag, half carry her Clanmate toward the ThunderClan border. Jayfeather would know what to do.

“I’ll get you home,” Ivypool growled through gritted teeth. “I promise I’ll get you home.”

A tabby pelt crashed through the gorse toward them. Ivypool braced herself, ready to fight again.

“Let me help!” Tigerheart stopped beside her and shoved his nose beneath Hollyleaf’s shoulder. Taking half the weight, he pressed his flank against Ivypool. “We can do this together.”

The screeches of the battle for WindClan faded behind them as they began to haul the injured warrior away.

Chapter 26

Dovewing caught her breath. The Dark Forest warriors had gone but she could hear the paw steps of a second patrol pounding toward the camp. They’d break out of the Dark Forest soon, into the heart of ThunderClan. She blocked out the noise and tried to focus on the camp.

“They went straight for the kits.” Leafpool stopped beside her and dropped a bundle of herbs. Her mew was shaky.

Shredded brambles hung from the nursery. Ferncloud paced outside, her claws unsheathed, her pelt streaked with blood.

Poppyfrost looked up from licking the scratches on her flank. “We saw them off, though.”

“We did.” Mousefur stood beside Purdy outside the elders’ den. She lifted a paw, her stiffness apparently gone, and rubbed at a scratch on her nose.

I just hope we can do it again, Dovewing thought grimly.

She could see Brightheart through the torn nursery walls, clutching her kits to her belly and calming their frightened mewling with gentle strokes of her tongue. Her tail was wrapped tight around Lilykit and Seedkit, who peered from the nest beside her.

“We’d better fix what we can.” Brackenfur was already hauling brambles from beside the medicine den. “Mintfur, Troutstream!” He called to the RiverClan warriors. “Can you help?”

They hurried to join Brackenfur in dragging brambles to patch the nursery. Dovewing wrinkled her nose at the scent of Leafpool’s herbs, wondering what it felt like to be a warrior one moment, and a medicine cat the next. ThunderClan was lucky to have her. If they survived the next onslaught, they would need medicine cats more than anything. “How’s Daisy?”

“She’s got a nasty scratch on her muzzle, but she’ll be fine.” Leafpool picked up her leaf bundle and headed toward Mousefur. “Jayfeather’s seeing to it now.”

Dovewing licked her nose, washing away the herb smell. Fresh blood! She stiffened as the scent wafted from outside the hollow. Paws were staggering toward the camp, fur dragging behind. “Someone’s coming! They’re injured!” She raced across the clearing and barged out through a hole in the barrier.

Ivypool was lurching down the slope, Tigerheart at her side. Hollyleaf dangled limply between them.

“Jayfeather! Leafpool!” Dovewing yowled over her shoulder before racing to meet them. “Ivypool, are you hurt?” She circled the trio, looking for wounds. So much blood! She sniffed at Tigerheart. He smelled of Dark Forest cats. Had he done this? Was he fighting for Brokenstar? He can’t be!

Dovewing hopped out of the way as Firestar raced from the camp, Jayfeather at his tail.

“Let me take her.” The ThunderClan leader lifted the weight from Ivypool’s shoulders, sharing the burden with Tigerheart. “Can you make it into camp?” he asked the ShadowClan tom.

“Yes,” Tigerheart grunted.

Dovewing watched the ShadowClan warrior duck through the barrier. “What happened?” she asked her sister.

Ivypool gazed past her, eyes round with shock. “Hollyleaf saved my life.”

You nearly died? Fighting to steady her breathing, Dovewing pressed against Ivypool and led her into the hollow.

Tigerheart and Firestar were gently rolling Hollyleaf onto the ground. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight stared, frozen, at the edge of the clearing. Watery light shone on the she-cat’s black pelt, glittering where blood welled through the fur.

Poppyfrost crept around the edge of the clearing and stopped beside Ivypool. “Have you seen Cherrypaw? Or Molepaw?”

Ivypool shrugged. “No. They could be anywhere,” she murmured bleakly.

Leafpool crouched beside her daughter. “Hollyleaf?”

Hollyleaf half opened her eyes and moaned.

“It’s okay.” Leafpool lapped at her cheek as Jayfeather unrolled a leaf bundle beside her. He sniffed her pelt and began to press cobweb where there was blood.

“She’s bleeding here!” Leafpool gasped in panic. Blood was pooling around her paws. She grabbed a pawful of cobweb and stuffed it underneath Hollyleaf’s neck.