Chapter 27 - Lost Hope

The last golden rays of the dying sun illuminated the sky, turning the fluffy white clouds a stunning pink as the sun slipped below the horizon. In the opposite direction, a few glimmering stars in the Silverpelt were just visible in the dark blue sky. An evening breeze rustled the tips of the dark, towering trees, making them bend and wave in tune to the high-pitched chirps of crickets in the grass around them.

The sky had fully darkened by the time the troop of cats reached the edge of Clan territory. The leaders signaled for the large group to halt in a small glade near the ThunderClan border, just beyond the scent markers. Specklestar, Snowstar, Reedstar, and Ashstar, joined by their deputies, took a seat in a circle as they had earlier to talk about what had just come to pass.

"We are doomed," Reedstar muttered darkly once they had all sat down. "Our attack failed, and now they are holding our apprentices hostage. We have a quarter moon to decide whether to disband and leave the territory that has been our home for generations or fight against the entire Dark Fangs. All hope is lost."

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I am not leaving. WindClan will fight to the for our home." Ashstar meowed, her blue eyes flashing determinedly in a beam of moonlight that streamed down from the waning moon and landed on the wiry gray leader, turning her dark gray fur to silver.

"MountainClan may not live here, but my warriors and I will do our best to fight hard to keep your homes," Snowstar added reassuringly. "When your warriors traveled to find us, we came because we promised we would help fight the Dark Fangs. We will follow through."

"Yes, we will." Maplebreeze meowed, her claws unsheathed and sunk into the soft earth of the clearing. "We'd better fight hard to rescue our apprentices. That's my daughter they're holding hostage."

Ashstar nodded in agreement, her tail lashing, but the leaders of ThunderClan and RiverClan didn't look like they were. Specklestar sat awkwardly on the ground to the left of the WindClan leader, favoring her injured front leg that has stopped bleeding, but several scratched laced the silver dappled fur. Next, to his deputy on the opposite side of the circle, Reedstar flattened his ears.

"I don't know about this." Reedstar sighed. "My Clan has suffered many losses. We have queens, elders, and kits - including my sons - to think of. Maybe it would be better to follow Oakstar and ShadowClan's lead and leave while we still can."

"I agree, Reedstar," Shimmerstorm, the elderly RiverClan deputy meowed. The longhaired black and white she-cat had sustained several wounds along her back and was missing a clump of fur on her chest. "We have already lost so much. It would be safer to leave."

"You want to leave?" Ashstar gasped. The dark gray leader rose abruptly to her paws and stalked over to where the RiverClan cats were seated, glaring in a fury at the sleek black leader. "Oakstar was a coward who took his Clan away and left the rest of us here vulnerable. I expected more from you, Reedstar. What about the remainder of the Clans? What about your young apprentice?"

"I'm not saying that we're leaving, Ashstar!" Reedstar snarled, jumping defensively to his paws. "I'm saying that we have to think of the safety of our cats, first and foremost. We cannot run blindly into battle without regard for the lives of our clanmates. We have to face the facts. We lost the battle that was supposed to be the turning point of the war, at the expense of many injured cats! And now they are holding our apprentices hostage, and we have a quarter moon to decide to leave and disband or be killed!"

"It sure sounded like you are planning on moving," Ashstar growled, spinning around to stride slowly back to her place in the circle. "I know we lost the battle, but we have to hope that we have the strength to fight back. We can't just surrender and leave the territory that has been our ancestors' home for generations!"

"And what you seem to fail to grasp through your thick head is that it is safer to leave; to protect the lives of our clanmates. Is this all really worth the lives of our innocent cats?" Reedstar asked exasperatedly.

"Yes," Ashstar said assuredly, turning back to stare sternly at the RiverClan tom. "It is. If we surrender and leave, the rogues will win. What are the lives of a few cats in the greater scheme of things? If we don't fight, the Dark Fangs will win. We will be allowing those cruel cats to continue on their vicious rampage. We will have let dark triumph over light. If we back down and let them win, we will no longer be worthy of calling ourselves Clans. We will have broken the first rule of the warrior code; defend your Clan even with your life."

A heavy silence filled the clearing after the WindClan leader's powerful speech. It seemed as if the birds in the trees and the rodents in the undergrowth had heard as well as every other cat in the clearing, as a stillness had fallen over the woods.

"Yes, but there may be no more Clans if we stay and fight! We were a barely a match for them even with ShadowClan. We don't stand a chance now!" Shimmerstorm protested, breaking the silence.

"And are you willing to sacrifice the innocent lives of the apprentices they're holding hostage?" Maplebreeze shot back, her anxiousness fueling her rage as she sprang to her paws.

"And are you willing to sacrifice much more lives of cats that will die fighting back against the rogues?" Reedstar replied evenly.

"You're a coward, Reedstar, just like Oakstar." Ashstar snarled. "If you leave, you are sacrificing the life of your young apprentice and the rest of ours'. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to let them hurt Thornpaw. He is a member of my Clan and deserves to be rescued. I'm shocked that you don't feel the same about Mintpaw."

"Her life isn't worth the lives of the rest of my clanmates." Reedstar snapped.

The dark gray WindClan leader gaped at the sleek RiverClan leader across the circle from her. "How could you say that? She is a RiverClan apprentice with her whole life in front of her. You cowardly fish-brained hair-"

"Enough!" Every cat in the clearing froze, and Maplebreeze whipped around to see Snowstar standing at the edge of the circle, her gray and white patched fur bristling and her tail raised straight in the air. "That's enough! You all are arguing like kits about what to do. The Dark Fangs have our apprentices, and we have a quarter moon to decide whether to leave or stay. We must stand together, not fall apart because of petty quarrels!"

The clearing fell into silence again as every cat turned their attention to the MountainClan leader. The only sounds were the soft murmuring from the mass of Clan cats that were waiting in the shadowy outskirts of the glade. The warriors and apprentices of the four remaining Clans were seated in little groups at a respectful distance from the circle of leaders and deputies, watching them intently as many of them tended to their wounds, both physical and emotional.

"I agree, Snowstar," Specklestar rose to her paws and padded over to stand near the MountainClan leader. "Like Reedstar, I am questioning if staying and fighting is the right thing to do. My Clan has suffered just as many losses as the rest of you, and I am tired of watching my clanmates struggle injured back to camp battle after battle. After this fight, I, too feel like all hope is lost. However, we must not fall apart because of little squabbles. Now is the time to stand together. To stand firm."

"I agree. We must refrain from fighting amongst ourselves." Reedstar meowed, shooting a stern glance at Ashstar who scowled.

"But what can we do?" Shimmerstorm asked, her tail flicking back and forth as she looked searchingly across the circle of Clan cats.

The other cats avoided her gaze, no one knowing quite what to say. The question seemed to hang in the warm night air.

"Whatever we do, we have to find some way to rescue the apprentices. Sorrelpaw, my daughter, is among them. I will not allow anything to happen to her." Maplebreeze reiterated. "We have to save them."

"Agreed," Ashstar said in a grave voice.

"I know we should try to rescue them, but either way we will be without with a home. At least of we decide to leave, our clanmates won't be killed. And maybe our apprentices will be returned." Reedstar meowed.

"You trust that mange-pelt leader Strike? There is no way he will return our apprentices! We have to stay and fight!" Ashstar retorted.

Maplebreeze felt torn as she watched the two leaders quarrel once again. On one paw, they could leave and spare the lives of the Clan cats, but they would lose their home, and they would have followed out Strike's total demand; to disband as well, if they wanted the apprentices back. Also, she didn't trust that prey-stealing rogue as far as she could throw him. There was no way he would keep his word.

On the other paw, they could stay and fight, but the loss of lives was inevitable. Also, there was no way to know if they would even win. They could lose their homes. But there was also a possibility of rescuing Sorrelpaw and the other apprentices themselves.

"Stop!" Maplebreeze cried suddenly, the frustration inside of her finally boiling over. Ashstar and Reedstar stopped and turned their confused gazes on her. "Stop with this petty arguing! We can't just sit here and fight amongst ourselves. We have to do something! That's my kit they are holding hostage! My daughter…" Maplebreeze trailed off. The statement had finally released all of her frustration and rages, leaving only raw grief and desperation left. The golden brown tabby she-cat sunk wearily to the ground, succumbing to her fierce emotions.

A soft tongue on her cheek roused Maplebreeze. The golden brown tabby she-cat looked up to see Brackenstep crouching next to her, comfortingly stroking her with his rough tongue. Snowstar stood over her, a concerned expression mixed with seriousness on her white face.

Embarrassment flooded through Maplebreeze as she got to her paws and found the complete clearing staring at her.

"Maplebreeze, it's okay," Snowstar murmured, moving to block the bewildered leaders and deputies from Maplebreeze's view. "I understand what you must be going through. But I need you to be strong. We need every cat thinking clearly. Do you understand me?"

The golden brown tabby she-cat nodded, feeling very much like a kit again, being admonished by her mother, Palewhisker. "Yes, I understand." She murmured, her amber eyes downcast. Brackenstep pressed against her as Snowstar turned back to the Clan cats who were staring at them quizzically.

"Alright," Snowstar meowed loudly. "We need to stop quarreling and to start seriously discussing what to do about the Dark Fangs' demand. We have to do something. I agree with Ashstar. The warrior code states that we must defend our clans even with our lives. This land has been your Clan's home for generations. We can't just surrender and let the rogues win. We have to stand our ground and fight."

"I know you all feel strongly about this," Reedstar said carefully. "But I believe that it is best for my Clan to leave. I don't want to lose any more cats in a fruitless war."

"Well, maybe it won't be fruitless if we actually come up with a smart plan to strike back," Ashstar muttered. Reedstar shot her a quick glare but didn't respond.

"What if we found another way? One where we didn't have to confront the rogues in open battle?" Graystorm, the WindClan deputy, who had been sitting quietly in the back of the crowd suggested thoughtfully.

"What are you getting at, Graystorm?" Ashstar asked, glancing at her longhaired gray deputy.

"I think it would be a good idea to try another way," Graystorm said again. "If we could rescue the apprentices, the Dark Fangs wouldn't have them to hold as leverage over us anymore. We could stay in our territory and avoid a bloody battle with many casualties. We would just have to come up with an incredibly smart plan, one that the Dark Fangs wouldn't expect."

"Good idea, Graystorm!" Specklestar exclaimed.

"Yes, but you seem to have forgotten that the rogues have numbers much greater than ours. We were barely a match for them when ShadowClan was here. Now, we stand no chance." Reedstar meowed dubiously.

"True." Specklestar flicked an ear thoughtfully.

"The rogues didn't drive us out after we chose to stay when they gave us their first demand. Why would they follow through on this one?" Snowstar wondered aloud.

"What you seemed to have forgotten, Snowstar is that last time after we refused to leave, the Dark Fangs cats attacked our hunting patrols and stole our prey so much that we were weakened from starvation!" Shimmerstorm argued.

"Yeah, but the rogues are spineless, devious fox-hearts. If we rescue the apprentices, they could lose their nerve because they no longer have them to hold as leverage over us." Graystorm pointed out.

"Or they won't, and we will all be killed," Reedstar muttered, shaking his sleek black head.

"We have to try at least!" Maplebreeze begged, her distressed amber eyes flitting from one cat to the next.

"Yes, we have to try." Snowstar meowed. "MountainClan will fight to save the apprentices and then if the rogues attack, we will fight to keep your homes. Who will fight alongside us?"

"WindClan shall," Ashstar replied immediately, not a glimmer of doubt in her clear blue eyes. Graystorm nodded his consent as well.

The was a short pause as the leaders and deputies of MountainClan and WindClan turned their questioning gazes on the heads of the other Clans. Specklestar looked thoughtfully off into the distance, and Reedstar avoided their piercing gazes.

Specklestar flicked her tail and twitched her whiskers prudently. "I have decided ThunderClan will as well." She said finally.

"Good," Snowstar meowed happily.

The leaders and deputies of MountainClan, WindClan, and ThunderClan now turned their attention on Reedstar and Shimmerstorm, gazing at the intentionally. Reedstar was still avoiding their gazes; his eyes fixed on the soft grass at his paws. Shimmerstorm glanced swiftly at them and then turned and whispered something into Reedstar's ear.

Slowly, Reedstar raised his amber eyes to return his counterparts' searching gazes. "Fine. RiverClan will participate in the rescue mission."

"Oh, thank you, Reedstar," Maplebreeze replied immediately and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Good. It's late, and we all have wounds to tend to, so I think we should all head back to our camps." Specklestar decided. "Why don't we meet in two days time at sunhigh on the Island to discuss the rescue plan? We all need time to heal, but we still need time to save our apprentices before the rogues' deadline."

"Sounds good," Ashstar said gruffly, getting to her paws and turning to head toward her impatiently waiting clanmates. Reedstar followed, hurriedly gathering his cats with a sweep of his tail and hurried away into the pitch-black forest.

The MountainClan and ThunderClan cats remained in the clearing for a moment, listening to the chirping of the crickets and the low hoots of an owl that rang eerily through the dark woods. The stars in the Silverpelt glimmered frostily down at them from the dark blue heavens.

Specklestar sighed and got slowly to her paws. "Let's head back to camp. It's been a long day. We had such high hopes for this battle, and they are all lost. Our only hope now is that we can bring our apprentices home safe."

"Agreed." Snowstar meowed. The pair padded side by side to the edge of the clearing and led their clanmates into the dark forest, heading for the ThunderClan camp at last.

I can't believe this story is almost done! I have been working on it for almost a year! There will be a few more chapter (two or three) that should be coming soon! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Disclaimer: I, Maplebreeze of MountainClan do not own Warriors (though I wish I did because it's so AWESOME), but they belong to Erin Hunter.

- Maplebreeze of MountainClan