Hi! This will probably be the last chapter for the story. I hope you've enjoyed it. Keep your eyes peeled for the next one: Book 8: Origins!!! Anyway, read on….

Chapter 25

Firestar woke up with a start. He suddenly remembered that he had to head over to Shadowclan. He wondered how they were doing. Anyway, those mangy lumps of furballs weren't probably worth saving – they would snap back at Thunderclan once they were well again. Firestar padded out of his den, shaking his head to rid himself of the disturbing thoughts. It was still quite early, and the freshkill pile looked pitifully small, seeing as it was leafbare. This wasn't good. He wanted all warriors to feed well before going off. It would be a long and hard battle to rid Shadowclan of the sickness.

He went out to hunt. Snow covered the ground, and it was very cold. He stopped to listen, and his ears pricked up when he heard a mouse scrabbling around in the tree roots. He peered inside the darkness and once he had pinpointed the mouse's location, he pounced on it. His lip curled in disgust. It was scrawny, with little flesh on it. But it would do. He buried it carefully before going off to hunt again.

When he finally returned to camp, he was pleased to see warriors up and about. He carried his catch over to the freshkill pile – a mouse and two chaffinches. After picking out a thrush for himself, he settled down near his den to observe the coming and goings of his Clan. He made sure that all his warriors ate a little before the huge task that lay before them. Once everyone was ready, he plunged into the forest, Thunderclan hot on his heels. Luckily, there was still quite a bit of the root left over. There would be enough for Shadowclan.

"Do you remember what you have to do?" He called back over his shoulder, and was satisfied when they a murmur of agreement reached him. He scanned the surroundings. They were getting closer to Shadowclan territory. The stink of exhaust made him wrinkle his nose. They would have to cross the Thunderpath to get there. It would be very dangerous. When they reached the edge of the Thunderpath, he stopped.

Turning around to face the Clan, he meowed, "We will cross in pairs. Brackenfur and Graystripe, you'll go first." He nodded towards the two closest cats. "The rest of you, wait for your turn."

Once he had ensured that everyone had reached the other side safely, he bounded across the hard surface of the Thunderpath. He led them through a tunnel he and Graystripe had discovered many moons before. The Thunderclan cats pressed close together. For some, it was their fist time setting foot onto Shadowclan territory. Firestar ran quickly over the marshy ground, all the while trying to keep his pawsteps silent. He didn't feel very comfortable in the dark and marshy Shadowclan camp. The sooner they got out here, the better. All seemed quiet. Firestar groaned inwardly. The pressure of not knowing when he would be attacked was taking a toll on him. He signaled for warriors to move off in pairs.

He paired up with Sandstorm and together, they circled the camp, peering warily into thick bushes, to check if there were any cats hiding there. Their careful searching finally paid off. They found a sleeping warrior in a gorse bush. Firestar was a little confused. All the sick cats they had encountered so far were all awake. He flicked his tail at sandstorm, warning her to stay behind him. She backed off and looked on anxiously. He steadied himself and pounced onto the sleeping cat, trying to shake him awake. His plan worked. The warrior awoke with a ferocious yowl and turned on him, eyes blazing furiously. Firestar grappled with him, and finally managed to pin him down. Once he had swallowed some of the root, the warrior blacked out. Firestar and Sandstrom managed to drag him out into the middle of the camp. It seemed that their job was done.

After a thorough search of camp's surrounding area turned up nothing, Firestar heaved a huge sigh of relief. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted off from his chest. Miraculously, all four clans had survived the sickness. All around him, Thunderclan warriors were rejoicing. Some of the Shadowclan cats were also starting to wake up. Firestar took one last look at them before he headed back home.

Well, I guess that's it then! I thought it was best to end with a happy ending. See you next time!!!