Chapter 56

"Firestar!" Squirrelflight yowled, lunging towards her father. Jaysong was tempted to follow, but knew that her Clan as well as WindClan needed her help. Jaysong poised to spring at a dog that had cornered Bumblethroat, Blossomwhisker, and Dovepaw, but Avalanchepaw growled, "Jaysong, go help Firestar. There are barely any dogs left and we should be okay." Jaysong didn't even get to protest because Avalanchepaw was already racing towards the dog. Jaysong noted Avalanchepaw's courage before sprinting towards where Firestar laid, Squirrelflight and Sandstorm crouched over their kin.

"Firestar, don't leave me," Sandstorm wailed, plunging her muzzle into Firestar's neck fur while Squirrelflight gave her mother a comforting lick on her ear. Jaysong had never heard Sandstorm so vulnerable; normally Sandstorm was as fiery as the sun, but standing beside the ginger warrior, Jaysong realized what went on inside ThunderClan's oldest warrior. Jaysong saw Firestar twitch and then gave a breath of relief; Firestar was alive. Sandstorm saw this too because she pulled back and meowed, "Firestar, you're alive. Thank StarClan, you're... Firestar... Firestar, what's wrong?" Firestar's green eyes had closen once more.

"He's losing another life. When he wakes up he will be on his last one and I think he may lose it tonight. StarClan can't heal every wound," Squirrelflight explained and Jaysong saw what she hadn't seen before: there were two bloody holes in Firestar's side where the dog's jaws had pierced. Remembering stories about Tigerstar, Jaysong remembered that the murderous tabby had lost all nine of his lives in one moment. Was that what was happening to Firestar? Had the dog caused wounds so terrible that not even StarClan could heal them? Was Firestar going to meet the same end as Tigerstar? Jaysong didn't want to compare the leader that had guided her through most of her hardships to one of the worst cats in all of the Clans.

Firestar's eyes opened as he came back to earth and they locked with- not Squirrelflight's, not Sandstorm's- but Jaysong's gray gaze. In a voice that was, but a shell of the former leader of ThunderClan, Firestar murmured, "'The strongest of two will save the Clan.' Leafpool heard that prophecy from Jayfeather, the night he died. For seasons we thought it revolved around Stripepool, but we were wrong. You are the strongest of two who will save the Clan. When you return from the Moonpool after I am gone, you will be known as Jaystar, leader of ThunderClan. You will have the power of the prophecy and your own kindness to help you take care of the Clan." Turning back to Squirrelflight and Sandstorm, Firestar whispered, "Goodbye Jaysong, goodbye Squirrelflight, and goodbye Sandstorm. I love you." Firestar's green gaze then focused to a spot a couple pawsteps away. "Spottedleaf, come, I am ready." Then with one last shudder he was still.

Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, one of the greatest cats to ever live in the forest was dead. It was the end of an era.

*

The dogs retreated and the cats chased them as far as the RiverClan border, hissing threats at them that the massive creatures wouldn't understand. After the battle, Ashstar had come up to Jaysong and thanked her for the assistance ThunderClan gave them. It was odd how respectful Ashstar was being to Jaysong as though the golden brown warrior was already leader of ThunderClan. But in truth, she was. Without Firestar to lead them, Jaysong had had to prepare patrols to scout ahead for more dogs as well as two able warriors to carry Firestar's body back to camp. Jaysong barely had to ask that question because Squirrelflight and Sandstorm immediately volunteered.

Jaysong had sent Bumblethroat and Blossomwhisker ahead to make sure everything was okay. Bumblethroat didn't even protest because even the mousebrain tom could tell that Jaysong was his leader now. Jaysong hoped that being leader of ThunderClan made Bumblethroat easier to get along with. Sorreltail and Cinderheart weren't with them because they had returned to camp before the fighting had even been over. According to Lionblaze, Squirrelflight had gotten wounded and Cinderheart had escorted her back to camp. Jaysong led the rest of her cats back ot ThunderClan camp and she was not prepared for what waited inside.

Stripepool, Cinderheart, and Poppyfrost were crouched over a bundle of tortoiseshell fur, all their heads bowed in grief. Spiderleg, Cloudtail, and Thornclaw hovered around the three she-cats, trying their best to comfort their clanmates. Jaysong padded numbly forward until she stood above the dead cat's head and let out a long wail that- even though it sounded like a lost kit- was respected by her clanmates. Jaysong's mother had received a fatal wound in the battle with the dogs and had gone to hunt in StarClan. Sorreltail had left the Earth and Jaysong hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

"How did it happen?" Jaysong growled angry at herself for not being there to see Sorreltail's last moments and Cinderheart padded forward, resting her tail on her sister's shoulder, "A dog grabbed her by her leg and tore a huge hole. I was able to get her into the camp, but by the time Leafpool was able to even look at her, it was to late. She was already on her way to StarClan." Jaysong glanced over to where Leafpool was crouched over Firestar, knowing that the light brown tabby had been good friends with Sorreltail. Leafpool was having a tough night; her father and her best friend had both gone to hunt with StarClan.

"She had a good, long life, Jaysong," To Jaysong's surprise the cat who had spoken was Rosestripe. The dark ginger she-cat was sitting beside Stripepool, brushing her pelt comfortingly against the cat she had once always loathed. Jaysong realized that Rosestripe seemed to have matured lately and- despite the fact that her father had fallen in love with Stripepool- seemed to be trying to help Jaysong get used to her new place in the Clan. Jaysong needed a cat like that for deputy. Could Rosestripe be that cat? "Anyway, Jaysong, you should go to the Moonpool as soon as possible. If the dogs come back, we are going to need a leader."