The second half is now up. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors series. I have used bits of the text from The Darkest Hour, which I don't own.

Part 2

We reach the den's entrance. Jaggedtooth relieves the guard standing watch and signals for us to go back into the darkness.

Suddenly, I remember Mistyfoot. What am I going to tell her? How can I tell her? How could I possibly describe the monstrosity I had just witnessed? Even if I could tell her, she'll be so sad and miserable. Her whole clan has turned their backs on her and now her brother is dead. At least her heart will be a little lighter when she learns that her brother kept to the warrior code and refused Tigerstar's demands, even though it means a one-sided battle for him. I'll make sure she knows that.

"Stonefur? I can't smell you. Are you here?" Mistyfoot meows. I can tell by the darker spot her body makes in the shadows that she hasn't moved since we left.

"He's not here," Featherpaw murmurs.

"Where is he, then? What happened to all of you?"

"Stonefur is dead." I can sense her shock and sadness as I say this.

"What?" It is the only word she manages to get out.

I recall the events that happened only minutes ago, though it seems to be longer than that. I focus less on the terrible blows and injuries Stonefur was dealt and more on his courage and defiance. Featherpaw interjects a few times, but is mostly quiet. When I finish, there is silence. Mistyfoot is soaking it all in. I know of no comforting words that would help her grief.

This is the end. I'm not sure what Tigerstar meant when he said Featherpaw and me might be useful to him, but it cannot be anything good, so I don't think too hard about it. If it is anything like what he wanted Stonefur to do, then I know Featherpaw and I will refuse. We'll go down fighting like Stonefur. The same goes for Mistyfoot. All three of us will die fighting an unfair battle. There is no hope.

My earlier fantasies of my father coming to our rescue seem stupid now. If he knew anything about what was happening, he would be here in an instant and fight with the power of LionClan to protect us. But he is in ThunderClan. How would he know what is happening in RiverClan?

I can smell him now. I know it's not real and it's only because I am thinking about him, but it is still comforting.

I hear someone enter the den. I try to smell him, but I can only smell my father's scent. I can't get it out of my head. I know who it is without scenting him, anyway. It's one of Tigerstar's followers, coming to take us to our doom.

"Stormpaw? Featherpaw?" The cat says.

His voice is familiar. "Father? Is it really you?" I ask, hardly daring to believe it.

"Of course it's me! Who else would take the time to come rescue you?" My father meows. He comes forward and rubs his pelt against mine and Featherpaw's. He asks if we are okay, barely managing to get his words heard over his loud purring.

I let Featherpaw answer. I'm too speechless. I really was smelling my father. He has come to rescue us just like I'd dreamed! I can't remember ever feeling happier in my life.

I notice that Firestar is here, too. He is talking with Mistyfoot. I cannot hear what they are saying over my own purring. Father does, though, and he nods in agreement with whatever the flame-colored cat just said.

"Let's go," Firestar meowed, turning to face the mouth of the den. "Mistyfoot, we're going to take you all back to ThunderClan with us. Can you make it that far?"

"Once I'm out of this hole I can make it anywhere," Mistyfoot mews determinedly.

She speaks for all of us. Now that we have hope and a purpose again, we find new strength.

"So can we," adds Featherpaw.

"That's great. Mistyfoot, I'm so sorry, but we couldn't rescue Stonefur…" Firestar says.

"I already know," meows Mistyfoot, her voice ragged with grief. "The apprentices told me. They say he died bravely."

"Very bravely. All StarClan will honor him. Come on. We'll make sure he didn't die for nothing. Tigerstar will not hurt you as well."

I don't stop to question how Firestar knows all of this. I silently follow my father out of the den. At the entrance sits a black tom I have never seen before. Father sees my questioning look and mutters in my ear that the cat's name is Ravenpaw. I remember the former ThunderClan apprentice from Father's stories.

We follow the path through the reeds until we come to the clearing. It is empty, the bone hill casting an ominous shadow as far as the body of Stonefur lying still in the moonlight.

Mistyfoot goes over to her brother and bends her head to nose his fur. "Stonefur, Stonefur," she murmurs. "What will I do without you?"

Seeing my mentor's broken body again somehow makes his death even more real than before, if that is possible. Anger flares as I see that the savages didn't even bother to bury him, but instead left him here to rot. It fades, though, as the grief becomes stronger. I approach Stonefur's body and touch my nose to his head, saying goodbye. I go stand beside my father to give Mistyfoot some time alone with her brother.

"Firestar, we have to go," hisses Father.

His words arouse Mistyfoot. She raises her head, gives Stonefur one last look, and joins us as we follow Firestar.

Saying goodbye to Stonefur has sapped some of my strength. I no longer feel that I can go anywhere, as long as it's far away from the den and TigerClan. I feel tired and would gladly drop where I am and sleep without fearing the consequences. Father nudges me and encourages me to go on, so I do.

We reach the river and I realize how thirsty I am. Not caring about the other cats' sense of urgency, I stop to drink. Featherpaw and Mistyfoot follow suit. The others let us have a short drink, then nudge us onward. Though none of us got our fill of water, we obey and walk with a bit more strength in our legs.

We are nearing the stepping-stones when we freeze in our tracks as we hear a call. "The prisoners have escaped!"

"Quick- the stepping-stones!" Firestar hisses.

Father leaves his position between Featherpaw and me to drop back and join Ravenpaw. Firestar quickens his pace and urges us on. Even though he is only slowly sprinting, Firestar quickly outpaces us. After being stuck in the den for so long with no exercise, food, or water, there is no way we can match his pace.

"You'll have to leave us!" Mistyfoot gasps. "There's no sense in all of us being captured."

"Never!" Snarls Father. "We're all in this together."

With the stronger cats pushing us along, we pick up speed a little, stumbling every few paces. The yowling behind us grows louder. We reach the stepping-stones. Firestar goes first, stopping on the second stone to urge Mistyfoot on.

She bends her hind legs and leaps, staggering as her paws hit the slippery surface. Now it's my turn. I'm not sure if I can make it, but I cannot hesitate. I gather my paws beneath me and jump. I land on the first stone. I did it! My triumph is short-lived. I still have many more to go. I leap to the next stone, and the next, and the next. Each jump is difficult and painful.

I must go on. I keep telling myself. Keep jumping. Don't look back. Concentrate.

I come to one of the bigger gaps between the rocks. Firestar, a few stones ahead of me, looks back at me. "Come on," he meows steadily. "You're doing fine."

I gather myself to jump just as Featherpaw yells, "They're coming!"

Distracted, I misjudge the distance to the next rock and fall short. I manage to get my forepaws on the stone, but my hindquarters land in the river. The rock is so slippery and the current is so strong. I try not to panic, but instead of pulling myself up, I feel myself sink lower into the river.

"I'm slipping!" I gasp. "I can't hold on!"

I try not to move. Any movement might dislodge me from the rock. I concentrate only on staying where I am. Firestar jumps onto my rock and fastens his teeth into my scruff. But I lose my grip on the stone and slip into the river. The sudden weight is too much for the ThunderClan leader and I feel him sliding on the slippery stone. My head is only partially above the water and it is hard to breathe. I try to swim, but the water is leaf-bare cold and I can hardly move my paws.

Firestar slips even more on the rock. Thought I cannot see him, I am sure that he is about to fall into the freezing water with me. Suddenly, I feel a force beneath me, pushing me out of the water. Firestar gets a better grip on the stone and pulls me out of the river completely and onto the rock.

I crouch on the stone, catching my breath and shivering. I turn my head to the left and see that is was Father who was underneath me, pushing me out of the river. I give him a grateful smile, unable to speak because of my chattering teeth. He returns the smile, his teeth chattering too. He is still in the icy water.

We both look behind us and see at least half a dozen TigerClan cats reach the stepping-stones.

"Come on!" Firestar yowls. "Hurry! Keep going- follow Mistyfoot."

I stand and shake some of the water from my fur. My whole body is shivering fiercely and my legs barely support me. I honestly do not think I can make it to the next stone like this. I look to Father and see that he is already swimming back to fight the enemy cats. He could easily climb onto one of the stepping-stones and jump back, but he doesn't because he would slow Featherpaw's progress. So he stays in the frigid water so he will not slow Featherpaw down.

If Father can do that, the least I can do is leap to the next rock. Ignoring the screeches and yowls behind me, I gather all of my strength and land on the stone.

"Keep going!" Firestar gasps to Mistyfoot. "Take Stormpaw with you. I'm going back."

Before Firestar can move, a fierce battle yowl goes up from the forest on the ThunderClan side of the river. I look and see three cats streak out of the undergrowth. I do not recognize them, but their scent is ThunderClan. We're saved! These new allies will help us.

Or maybe not. As Mistyfoot jumps from the last stone to the bank, a white tom charges her, claws extended. I feel a rush of air and see Firestar dart across the rest of the stones and barrel into the white warrior, knocking him off his paws.

"Mouse-brain!" He snaps. "The enemy is back there." He jerks his head towards the middle of the river. I look back and see Ravenpaw and Father tussling with Blackfoot on the central stone.

I huddle on the edge of my rock to let the ThunderClan warriors pass. The white tom mutters an apology to Mistyfoot before following. I leap one last time and land on the river bank. Relief sweeps through me. It seems as if I have spent half of my life on the stepping-stones, jumping and landing and trying not to fall.

I look back and see Featherpaw leaping onto the bank. I make sure she is okay before sitting down beside Mistyfoot to catch my breath and watch the battle.

Blackfoot is clumsily swimming back toward the RiverClan side. The three ThunderClan warriors stand crowded together on one stone, growling fiercely at the remaining pursuers.

"You'll come no further if you want to stay alive," snarls a pale ginger she-cat.

The enemy warriors mill about uncertainly on the first few stones. They keep glancing at the river. They can hardly swim and are unwilling to meet the ThunderClan cats in battle.

"Get back!" Blackfoot yowls as he finally clambers onto the bank, his fur streaming. "Let them escape; they're only half-Clan crowfood."

His warriors, more than happy to obey, retreat and are soon disappearing into the reeds.

The ThunderClan cats turn around and leap back to their side of the river. They huddle around Firestar, awaiting orders. Father is one of the last to reach the bank. He gives Featherpaw and me a swift look, making sure we are unharmed, before joining the group.

Mistyfoot, Featherpaw, and I drag ourselves to the river to drink again. After all the excitement, we still have not forgotten our thirst. As I drink, I also listen to what Firestar is saying.

"Well done, all of you," he meows. "I was never so glad to see any cats as when you three came out of the forest. What brought you here?"

"You did," the white warrior pants. "You ordered extra patrols to watch the border. Lucky for you that we came along when we did."

"Okay," says Firestar. "We'd better get back to camp. These three cats need to rest. Ravenpaw, you'd better come too and let Cinderpelt look at that ear."

The ThunderClan cats lead the way through the undergrowth back to their camp. Mistyfoot, Featherpaw, and I follow. Father drops behind to walk with us. He is still soaking wet and shivering from being in the river, but he looks like he has never been happier. We don't talk much on the way to the camp; we are too exhausted. Instead, we take comfort in just being near each other again.

I realize that my fantasies of Father coming to rescue us from the den weren't so stupid after all.

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