A/N: Yay for long chappy! This was one of my favorites to write, partly because I was able to address a plot hole that pissed me off when I reread The Darkest Hour: why wasn't Mistyfoot part of the half-clan cats' show trial? That never made sense to me. Also, it's fun to write about Firestar from Nettlethorn's POV, because they have the connection of not being clanborn/caring about blood purity but come from very different backgrounds. I think of it as Firestar being from the suburbs, while Nettlethorn grew up on the mean streets, LOL.

Chapter 26. Escape

Mistyfoot stares after her clanmates, jaws opening in a soundless wail. Then she turns to me, eyes rollin' with panic. "What will Tigerstar do to them? Tell me, Nettlethorn, you know him better than me. You lived in his clan."

I wish I had a better answer for my friend than, "It ain't gonna be nothin' good." "Mistyfoot, I don't think any cat in the forest knows what's goin' on in Tigerstar's head, except maybe Darkstripe. That cat's crazier than a chained-up twoleg dog, and if I wasn't dumber than a dead flea, I'd have seen it way before things got this bad."

Mistyfoot's paws be shakin' too much for her to stand, so she sinks onto her haunches. I ain't too steady myself, to tell the truth. I'd ask StarClan to protect Stonefur and the apprentices, but down in this hole, they seem like a bad joke. I try to lick Mistyfoot's shoulder, but she turns away.

"So you really think he'll kill them?" she whispers.

"Maybe he wants to use you four as leverage against ThunderClan. In which case, he wouldn't kill you, right? Firestar might make concessions to get you back, especially on account of Stormpaw and Featherpaw being his best friend's kits."

"Yeah," Mistyfoot says, though she's obviously strugglin' to believe it.

A hundred moons seem to pass. Mistyfoot and I are both tense, ears pricked for the slightest sound. My blood goes icy when I hear cats fightin'. My mind fills with possibilities: a ThunderClan raid? RiverClan versus ShadowClan? Stonefur and the apprentices being murdered?

Mistyfoot's fur bristles as a faint scream of what sounds like triumph rings out through the forest. "Great StarClan! I'd give all my paws to be up there."

Is any cat guardin' us? I wonder. Should we try to get away? My heart races. This will probably be our only chance. What if we can help the other prisoners? But what if we try to run and they catch us? We ain't in fit shape for any kind of fight. Tigerstar's retribution don't bear thinkin' about.

Before I can even suggest the idea to Mistyfoot, we hear pawsteps. Definitely more than one cat be comin' our way.

"Back in your hole, half-clan filth," Jaggedtooth commands.

The smells of blood and absolute terror hit my nose as Stormpaw and Featherpaw tumble into the fox den. Their fur stands on end, their eyes bulge with shock.

"What happened?" Mistyfoot demands, crouchin' over 'em and coverin' 'em with licks. "Where's Stonefur?"

Stormpaw lets out the most pitiful whimper I ever heard from a cat, and my mind makes an insane connection: the way Jaggedtooth sounded when we found Jerry lying dead in the road.

"He's d-d-dead," Featherpaw stammers.

"No!" Mistyfoot screams, her voice raw with anguish.

"I'm so, so sorry. But one of y'all gotta tell us what happened," I say calmly, nuzzling the apprentices.

"Blackfoot and Darkstripe killed Stonefur because he wouldn't kill us," Featherpaw finally manages.

"What?" Mistyfoot gasps.

"Tigerstar told Stonefur to prove his loyalty by killing us. But he didn't even when Leopardstar told him to, so..." Stormpaw trails off, unable to go on.

A wave of grief for the brave warrior who was startin' to become my friend floods over me. I remember his clever ideas for survivin' and keepin' ourselves sane, his protectiveness of his sister and the apprentices, the vulnerability he let me see last night. Stonefur deserved to live for many more seasons.

"Don't worry, Nettlethorn, Mistyfoot!" Jaggedtooth calls down mockingly. "Your trial is tomorrow. One of you may rejoin TigerClan."

They're gonna make us fight to the death for the clan's amusement? Every time I think I've seen the depths of Tigerstar's twisted mind, he goes and proves me wrong. Does Nightwhisper know about this? Do Boulder and my other friends in ShadowClan? Do I even have friends in ShadowClan anymore? And that's a real terrifyin' thought, 'cause without them, I ain't got one cat in the world. At least Mistyfoot and the apprentices still have each other and their ThunderClan connections.

The other warrior touches her pelt to mine. Her skeletal body is trembling, but her meow is steady when she whispers, "Nettlethorn, you have to promise to do something for me."

"No," I snap. "I ain't gonna kill you. I know life don't feel worth livin' now, but-"

"It's not that," Mistyfoot hisses. "But if killing me will save the apprentices-"

"Fox dung!" I swear. "I'd no more do that than Stonefur would've killed those two."

"Featherpaw and Stormpaw have to live!" Mistyfoot insists desperately. "You've done bad things to survive, Nettlethorn. Just protect them if you get out of this, please."

"What if we make a break for it?" I ask. "There are four of us. I reckon we can-"

I stop as more voices drift into the hole. One of them be Jaggedtooth, but I can't make out what they sayin'.

"I thought we were supposed to all be one clan now. But suit yourself. I'll tell Tigerstar you wouldn't come," meows a cat I don't know. I shoot Mistyfoot a questioning glance, but she shakes her head.

"Wait, no. I'm goin'. But you stay out here till I get back. If I smell your stink down that hole, I'll rip your fur off!" Jaggedtooth snarls. Then he pads away.

"This is our chance," I hiss, hurryin' up the tunnel, ready to confront this new threat.

When an unfamiliar black tom with a white tail-tip enters, I smash into him with unsheathed claws. I rake them across his shoulder, but he knocks me aside. I try and spring up again, but before I can, something heavy lands on my back, slamming me to the sandy soil. I crane my neck and see a broad-shouldered tom with long gray fur and furious yellow eyes. Who in the Dark Forest are these cats? The stench of crowfood is so strong on 'em that I can't pick up any other scent.

"No, Graystripe, don't hurt her!" Mistyfoot cries.

"But she's ShadowClan," Graystripe growls. Glarin' at me, he adds, "What are you doing down here, you piece of fox dung?" Graystripe is the ThunderClan warrior who fathered Stormpaw and Featherpaw. He must be here to rescue his kits! I realize, not sure if I oughtta be scared or relieved.

"What does it look like I'm doin', enjoyin' the fresh air? Tigerstar's had me down here for days, on account of I brought prey and herbs to this lot after he imprisoned 'em." I don't say they plan to make Mistyfoot and me kill each other tomorrow. I reckon maybe the apprentices haven't figured that out yet, and I ain't blurtin' it out for 'em to hear after what they been through.

"Is that true, Mistyfoot?" Firestar asks, jumping down beside the other two cats. Even in the gloom, I recognize his bright ginger pelt. Instinctively, the fur along my spine pricks up. All the stories Tigerstar told us about this cat race through my mind.

The RiverClan warrior nods in answer to his question. Featherpaw peers over her mentor's shoulder and cries, "Dad, I knew you'd come for us!"

But Firestar's gaze is fixed on me. "Where do I know you from? I swear to StarClan, I've seen you before, and not just at a Gathering."

"I saved Tigerstar's kit from the fire," I meow.

Firestar's eyes widen with surprised recognition as Stormpaw says, "Nettlethorn's really cool for a ShadowClan warrior. She grew up in twolegplace, and Tigerstar tricked her into coming to the forest to follow him."

When he hears my name, the ThunderClan leader's expression gets real weird. His eyes widen, and his fur ruffles with—is that excitement or fear? "Help from my enemy's camp indeed," he mutters.

"Say what?" I ask.

Firestar visibly shakes himself. "You should come with us, Nettlethorn," he says decisively. "You'll be safe in ThunderClan."

"Are you sure, Firestar?" Graystripe asks warily. "I think I remember her attacking our camp with Tigerstar's rogues." Firestar's green eyes narrow.

"Didn't know how crazy and evil he was then, did I? He's good at hidin' it. Found us in twolegplace, said we could have real prey all the time instead of trash, promised us we'd be part of a clan. We got to be friends with Blackfoot's lot, and they told us y'all were imprisoning ShadowClan's leader unjustly. But Tigerstar didn't like it when I wouldn't go along with his blood purity nonsense."

"That I have no trouble believing," Firestar says, his gaze softening just a little. Then he says to Graystripe, "Well, she can't stay here. If we rescue the others and Tigerstar finds out she didn't try to stop us, he'll kill her."

"Ain't that the truth. I've had enough of him for all nine of the lives I don't have."

"Let's go. We're taking you back to camp. Can all of you make it?" Firestar asks briskly.

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

"So can we," Featherpaw agrees.

Can we, though? Even with the three toms, we're badly outnumbered deep in TigerClan territory. What if we're all captured or killed? Will Tigerstar take it out on Nightwhisper if I run?

For a heartbeat, I'm a seven-moon-old kit again, Mama's paw nudgin' us awake in the deepest part of a moonless night as she hisses, "Mowgli, Cici, we have to leave now, while Bone's asleep. We'll disguise our scent, find someplace to hide."

"W-what?" Mowgli stammered, his green eyes wide with terror. "But... But Scourge will kill us if we try to desert."

"We got no choice," Mama almost growled, tail lashing and amber eyes blazing. "One or both of you's like to die if we stay, and I ain't havin' that, not after Coal. This ain't no life for any decent cat. We go now or never."

On that long-ago night, in that filthy alley smellin' of rotten meat and metal, I nudged my littermate to his paws and urged him to follow Mama through the darkness and into a perilous future. cause even as a kit no older than Featherpaw and Stormpaw are now, I knew Mama was right. It was flee or die then, and it's flee or die now. I'll live to fight and save my brother another day.

"Mistyfoot, I'm so sorry, but we couldn't rescue Stonefur," Firestar meows as we begin walkin' up that awful tunnel for what better be the last time.

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

"Very bravely. All StarClan will honor him." Firestar pushes his muzzle into Mistyfoot's matted fur. "Come on. We'll make sure he didn't die for nothing. Tigerstar will not hurt you as well."

I almost laugh at the absurdity of those words. We all been hurt plenty. But at least his intentions are good, even if he is a little naive. I remind myself to resist the sense of safety he offers. Ain't fallin' for no more of these clan leader types and their tricks. I think Firestar's a whole different sort of cat from Tigerstar, but when it comes down to it, I don't know him from a frog in the marsh.

We leave the prison and manage to creep to the clearing unseen. Stonefur's body is lyin' there in the shadow of the Bonehill, lookin' like torn-up prey. Mistyfoot goes over and noses his fur. I'm close enough to hear my friend whisper, "I'm going to miss you every day as long as I live, Stonefur. I always imagined us growing old in RiverClan together, watching our kits become warriors and have kits of their own. But I guess StarClan needed a hero."

When she waves her tail, the rest of us come forward and pay our respects to the former RiverClan deputy. "I'm so sorry my clan did this to you," I whisper to his spirit, whereever it is. "I'll do everything I can to stop Tigerstar." And save my brother before this happens to him, I add silently.

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

No cat be daft enough to argue with him. Firestar leads the way, naturally. Graystripe pads beside his kits, encouraging them along in a way that reminds me painfully of Mama on our worst days. Mistyfoot and I keep up as best we can, and the cat I don't know guards the rear. When we make it to the riverbank, I start thinkin' maybe this won't go to the foxes after all.

So of course, as soon as we turn downstream, a distant yowl batters our ears. "The prisoners have escaped!"

"That's Blackfoot," I hiss.

"Quick—to the Stepping-Stones," Firestar meows urgently.

We start runnin', but in case no cat has mentioned it, it ain't easy goin' all out when you're starving and hurt. Before long, I'm panting, and there's a thorn-sharp pain in my side. The world around me gets blurry as I try to wring every drop of speed from my sore paws.

"You'll have to leave us! There's no sense in all of us getting captured," Mistyfoot meows.

"Never!" Graystripe hisses. "We're all in this together!"

"Quit talkin' like a fool, Mistyfoot," I manage to say between heavy breaths. "We'll run till we can't no more, and then we'll fight. I ain't goin' down like prey."

From the back of the group, I swear I hear the cat I don't know murmur, "I sort of like her." That helps me keep goin'. And the fact that a desire not to get torn apart is awesome motivation.

The sound of pursuing cats gets louder by the heartbeat. When I open my jaws wide, familiar scents bathe my tongue. I can't pick 'em all out, but I know Blackfoot's there, and Jaggedtooth. Can't tell if Nightwhisper's with 'em. Probably Tigerstar sent him to test his loyalty. If it comes to that, will he choose me or TigerClan? It terrifies me that I'm not sure.

"Great StarClan, they're catching up," Firestar meows. He's obviously got a talent for statin' the obvious.

But we make it to the line of rocks that makes a bridge across the river to the ThunderClan side, to freedom and maybe safety, at least for a little while. My heart leaps with the ThunderClan leader as he bounds onto the first stone. New strength surges through me. Could be we're gonna make it!

"Hurry," Firestar urges us.

Ain't like we need tellin' twice. Mistyfoot jumps first, stumblin' as her claws scrabble at the wet rock. But she steadies herself and beckons the apprentices to follow. Stormpaw and Featherpaw don't waste no time, bravely following the older warrior. I wasn't imprisoned quite as long as the RiverClan cats, so I'm a little stronger. I fall back to join Graystripe and the stranger as a rear guard.

"Sorry 'bout attackin' you earlier," I tell him.

The black tom shrugs. "If I'd been kept in that pit for days, I'd be in the mood to rip some fur off too."

"The cat whose fur I'd really like to rip off is Tigerstar's. I'd line my nest with it, bet I'd get the best night of sleep in my life," I say.

The stranger laughs, but he also looks around nervously. "I've never heard anyone talk about Tigerstar like that," he says.

"And probably won't. There's a reason I'm the only ShadowClan warrior he stuck in a hole. Who are you anyway? Feels weird talkin' to a cat whose name I don't know."

"Ravenpaw. I'm a loner who lives in a barn off WindClan territory," he says as we jump onto the first stone.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look too old to be a paw," I say.

"I used to be a ThunderClan apprentice, but Tigerstar..." He trails off, tail-tip twitching.

"Enough said," I meow. I can easily imagine the dark tabby drivin' an apprentice out of his clan.

"ShadowClan's coming!" Featherpaw shrieks in terror.

This causes her brother to mess up his leap and slip into the water. "I can't hold on!" he yowls.

Firestar lunges and grabs the younger tom by the scruff, yanking him onto the rock with Graystripe in the river, pushin' from behind. Blackfoot crouches on the first stone, snarling. Jaggedtooth, Stumpytail, Russetfur, and Flintfang pace along the bank, fury glittering in their eyes. Nightwhisper ain't with 'em, but... My heart twists painfully when I see Boulder at the back of the patrol. He don't look angry like the others, just sad.

"Nettlethorn, you crowfood-eating traitor, I'll flay you and add your bones to the Bonehill!" Blackfoot growls, leaping onto the second stone.

But we both take our attention off each other as more yellin' comes from the ThunderClan side of the river. Three cats burst out of the undergrowth: a pale ginger she-cat in the lead, a fluffy white tom, and the young golden-brown warrior who hurt Nightwhisper so bad in their camp. The white cat rushes Mistyfoot, who's just jumpin' onto the bank.

Firestar ain't havin' none of that and knocks his warrior out the way. "Mouse-brain, the enemy is back there," he snaps, pointing at the TigerClan warriors.

The ThunderClan cats let Stormpaw pass as they race to confront Blackfoot's patrol. But I'm between the two snarling groups. For a heartbeat, my paws are frozen to the rock just as surely as if they were made of ice. But then I think of Stonefur lyin' there among the carrion stink of that pile of bones. And rage gives me the strength to leap for Blackfoot, catterwaulin' like I did when I ambushed BloodClan.

"I'd rather be a kittypet than follow that crazy murderin' hypocrite you call a leader! If he was back-alley trash, not even the sickest, most starving rat in town would touch him. He ain't fit to lead a pack of flea-bitten dogs, let alone warriors!" I screech, diggin' my claws into his broad shoulders and rippin' out chunks of white fur.

"You don't know what being a warrior means," Blackfoot sneers, trying to shake me off. "I'm not surprised you're running away. It's your specialty."

As Ravenpaw nips at Blackfoot's hindquarters, I weave away, just barely keepin' my balance on the stone. River water be lappin' at my paws and sprayin' my eyes. Good thing Blackfoot's havin' the same problems. And unlike a certain snarky ex-rogue I can think of, he hasn't spent days in prison with nothin' to do but listen to RiverClan cats talk about swimmin'.

Blackfoot hisses in triumph as he sinks his fangs into the former ThunderClan apprentice's neck. Ravenpaw may have trained as a warrior once, but that was clearly a long time ago. He's got heart for days but is no match for Blackfoot. Before the TigerClan deputy can kill the smaller cat, I sink my teeth into his ear. He screeches in my face, and the scent of blood hits the air as he tumbles into the water.

Unfortunately, my claws lose their grip on the rock, and I fall in after him. Ravenpaw tries to grab me, but the current is too fast and sweeps me away. Rememberin' Stonefur and Mistyfoot's advice, I tilt my head back to keep my muzzle above water and stroke my paws hard. The water is shockingly cold and drags at my fur, but with every heartbeat, the ThunderClan shore gets closer.

I've almost made it when powerful jaws grab hold of my scruff. I lash out, totally sure Blackfoot's gonna drag me back to Tigerstar.

"It's me, mouse-brain!" Graystripe splutters, his head briefly duckin' under before bobbin' to the surface again.

"You'll come no farther if you want to stay alive," the ThunderClan she-cat snarls at the TigerClan warriors. Flintfang and Russetfur are helpin' Blackfoot out of the water, and none of the others look like they wanna mess with Firestar's lot. Graystripe and I haul ourselves onto the bank and collapse, gasping.

Blackfoot's also made it outa the river by this point, his fur streamin' and his eyes blazin'. "Get back," he orders his warriors. "Let them escape. More weak mouths for ThunderClan to feed. They'll all be crowfood soon anyway. Tigerstar will see to it."

The other warriors gather around him and hurry back into the reeds of RiverClan territory. Boulder's the last one to go. Our eyes lock, and I swear the skinny gray tom pauses for a heartbeat. "Come join me!" I want to yowl. But he's got a sister in TigerClan, a whole life. Everything I thought I had until a few days ago. Everything I'm throwin' away. Boulder looks tormented and I think even mouthes my name. But when Russetfur turns and nudges him impatiently, he follows her.

As they disappear, I stagger to my paws and shake the water out of my pelt. "Hey, watch it!" the white ThunderClan warrior growls.

"Sorry," I say sarcastically. "Next time I attack my former deputy and knock him in the river, I'll make sure to shake off somewhere more convenient. Although I don't make a habit of doin' that more than twice a moon." That gets an actual laugh from Ravenpaw, Graystripe, and the RiverClan cats. It's a shaky one, but a laugh all the same. Even Firestar's whiskers twitch in amusement.

"Well done, all of you," he tells his warriors. "What brought you here?"

"You did, Firestar," says the pale ginger she-cat. "You ordered extra patrols to watch the border. Lucky for you we came along when we did."

"Okay, let's get back to camp. These four cats need rest and some attention from Cinderpelt," Firestar meows.

His mention of the ThunderClan medicine cat makes me think of Runningnose and Littlecloud, who will soon be tendin' to the wounds I gave their deputy. What will the two medicine cats think when they hear what I've done? What will Nightwhisper think?

"What happened? Why are these RiverClan cats here? And the cheeky one has ShadowClan scent underneath the river and all the filth," the pale ginger warrior meows quietly to Firestar.

As he starts explainin' the whole mess, I get to thinkin' 'bout my next move. I gotta go back to the ThunderClan camp now. I'm too exhausted and hungry to refuse their offer of sanctuary, and maybe tellin' 'em some of what I know will help 'em bring down Tigerstar, if that's even possible at this point. But ain't no way I'm gonna tell these strangers I still got kin in TigerClan. They'll trust me even less than they do now. Imprisonin' or killin' me ain't outa the question. And as soon as I get my strength back, I'm goin' back onto ShadowClan territory one last time. I'll get Nightwhisper away from Tigerstar whatever it takes. Ain't no cat in the forest, StarClan, or town gonna stop me.