The first faint streaks of dawn are showing as Graystar approaches Fourtrees. Pausing on the bank of the stream, he glances back at the warriors who followed him. His heart swells with pride as his gaze traveled over each one. Sandstorm, his beloved; Owlfur, the sister to his best friend Fireheart; Brackenfur, sensible and loyal; Longtail, his wise deputy who has found his place in the clan; Thornbranch, the young warrior of Thunderclan, looking tense and eager at the prospect of his first battle; Frostfur and Mousefur, a formidable pair of she-cats; Dustpelt, reserved but true-hearted, and his apprentice, Ashpaw; Graystar's own apprentice, Tawnypaw, a glow in her green eyes and her fur bristling, along with her brother Bramblepaw; Featherpaw, and her brother Stormpaw, his kits; and Cloudtail, committed to his clan, with Brightspirit, the cat he has brought back from the brink of death, and Snowpaw their apprentice, deaf but a still capable cat.
Pain like claws tear at Graystar's heart as he realizes how much they mean to him, and what fearful danger they are facing now. He raises his voice so that they can all hear him.
"You know what lies ahead of us," he meows. "I only want to say one thing. Ever since Starclan placed the four Clans in the forest, no leader ever had a band of warriors like you. Whatever happens, I want you to remember that."
"There was never a leader like you, Graystar," meows Cloudtail.
Graystar shakes his head, his throat too choked for words. It is just like Cloudtail to compare him to the truly great leaders like Bluestar, but he knows how far short of that he fell.
He can only resolve to do his best to live up to his friends' and the clans trust in him.
Crossing the stream, he hears a whisper of movement from the direction of the river and glances down the slope to see the cats of Riverclan slipping quietly toward the meeting place.
Graystar signals a greeting with his tail as the warriors throng around him, swelling the ranks of his own forces. Leopardstar seems to have also brought her whole clan, with Stonefur beside her, and Mistyfoot as well. He also notices a few cats, from Thunderclan's time in Riverclan territory, such as: Mosspelt, Shadepelt, Loudbelly, and Heavystep who all seem to be determined, despite the daunting task ahead of them. He also recognizes Mudfur, who also carries a bundle of herbs with Riverclan's apprentices helping him. Him and Cinderpelt join together.
The two united clans go on to Fourtrees together, with Graystar and Leopardstar in the lead.
When they come to the top of the hollow, everything is silent. The breeze is blowing away from them, toward Shadowclan territory, and Graystar feels his pelt prickle with dread. Their scent will be carried to the waiting Bloodclan, while they themselves had no idea where their enemies might be.
"Brackenfur, Mousefur," he whispers. "Scout around the hollow. Don't show yourselves. If you see any cats, come back and tell me."
The two cats slide off in opposite directions, barely visible shadows in the gray light.
Graystar waits, trying to appear calm and confident, thankful for the presence of Longtail and Sandstorm close beside him. He has barely time to think about what might happen next when Brackenfur returns with two cats close behind him.
It is Tallstar and the newly named Blackstar he assumes.
"Greetings, Graystar," he murmurs. "Windclan and Shadowclan are here. All our warriors—and your friends, Barley and Ravenpaw."
The loners come up as the Windclan leader speaks their names.
"We came to help as we promised," Ravenpaw meows, twining his tail with Graystar's in greeting. "We'll fight alongside you, if you'll have us."
"If we'll have you?" Graystar echoes, a purr of gratitude swelling up inside him. "You're welcome; you know that."
"We're proud to fight with you," Barley mews. Sandstorm comes up to greet her former clanmate, and the two loners take positions beside her.
"Do you know where Bloodclan is?" Graystar asks Tallstar.
Tallstar's eyes are bleak as he gazes across the hollow to the Shadowclan territory.
"Somewhere out there, watching us, I'd guess." His voice is steady, and Graystar begins to envy his calm, unshaking courage, until he catches the Windclan leader's fear-scent and hears him mutter under his breath, "StarClan help us! Show us an enemy we can fight!"
Somehow the knowledge that Tallstar is as afraid as he is himself only increased Graystar's respect for the older and more experienced leader. Tallstar will never show fear in front of his clan. He will put aside his own feelings to do his duty as leader; Graystar only hopes that he can do the same.
"Starclan will help us." Blackstar mews. "Despite Tigerstar not being their chosen leader of Shadowclan they granted me nine lives. That shows that they still care for us, even during this time of crisis."
Tallstar nods, "Yes. I was surprised to learn Tigerstar wasn't even a real leader in the end. Though given his history of manipulation I shouldn't be surprised."
"Tigerstar didn't receive nine lives?"
"No." Blackstar answers. "I learned this from Runningnose, when he expressed his fear of me being rejected like Nightstar and Tigerstar were by Starclan. But they have granted me with this honor and I will do my best, despite my past mistakes."
"Shadowclan and Starclan can't have chosen better." Graystar mews, sympathizing with the white tom.
He also shares doubts about his leadership position sometimes. But then he remembers Bluestar chose him, and so did Starclan. And if Starclan chose Blackstar, then whatever will come, he knows Blackstar will lead Shadowclan back to its former glory without the shedding of clan blood, like Brokenstar or Tigerstar.
"I was only Tigerstar's deputy, because of what I've done, and my past experience with being Brokenstar's deputy. But thank you Graystar, hearing a Thunderclan cat say that, despite Shadowclan having hurt them the worst these past moons, it means a lot to me."
Graystar nods, not knowing what to say, and peers into the shadows, looking for a sign that Mousefur is on her way back. Almost at once he catches sight of her bounding toward him, and in the same heartbeat there is movement in the clearing below.
Dark shapes appear from the bushes at the foot of the opposite slope as Bloodclan advances in a single menacing line. Graystar's belly clenches in fear when the small figure of Scourge steps out.
"I know you're there!" the Bloodclan leader calls. "Come and give me your answer."
Graystar pauses for a heartbeat, and glances at the cats behind him. Though he knows how terrified they must be, he can see nothing but fierce determination in their faces. Lionclan is ready for battle.
"Go on, Graystar," Leopardstar mews quietly. Her fur is bristling and her ears lay flat against her head in a mixture of fear and defiance.
"Lead us."Graystar looks at Tallstar, who nods.
"You spoke for us before," he meows. "You're the one who should lead us now. We all trust you."
Blackstar nods, signaling his agreement in the decision.
Graystar leads the united clans down into the clearing.
Scourge is waiting for him near the base of the Great Rock. His black pelt is neatly groomed and he sits with his paws tucked under him. His eyes are chips of ice, and the rising sun glints on the teeth that stud his kittypet collar.
"Greetings," he meows.
He swipes his tongue around his jaws as if he is tasting a succulent piece of prey.
"Have you decided to leave? Or do you presume you can fight against Bloodclan?"
"We don't have to fight," Graystar replies steadily.
To his surprise he feels icily calm.
"We will let you go back to Twolegplace in peace."
Scourge lets out a cold mrrow of laughter.
"Go back? Do you really think we're such cowards? No, this is our home now."
Feeling the last spark of hope drain out of his paws, Graystar looks past Scourge at the ranks of his Bloodclan warriors. These are lean, tough cats, most of them wearing collars studded with teeth like Scourge, the trophies of earlier battles. Some are flexing claws strengthened with dogs' teeth, and Graystar remembers the way Scourge's claws had ripped through Tigerstar's belly. Their eyes glitter as they wait for the order to attack.
"The forest is ours," Graystar tells the black cat. "We rule here by the will of Starclan."
"StarClan!" Scourge sneers. "Tales for kits. Forest fool, Starclan won't help you now."
He springs to his paws, his fur suddenly bristling out so that he looks twice his size.
"Attack!" he snarls.
The line of Bloodclan warriors surge forward.
"Lionclan, attack!" Graystar yowls.
He springs toward Scourge, but the Bloodclan leader dodges nimbly to one side. A huge tabby tom leaps into his place, hitting Graystar in the flank, knocking him off his paws. The clearing is silent no longer. As Graystar batters with his hind paws at the Bloodclan warrior, he hears cats crashing through the undergrowth all around the hollow.
Leopardstar bounds out of the bushes with Tallstar; Blackstar races forward at the head of a tight knot of Shadowclan warriors; and Longtail runs at the lead of the cats of Thunderclan, as all four forest clans pour into the clearing and fall snarling on their enemies.
Graystar manages to throw off the Bloodclan cat and scrambles to his paws. Scourge has vanished. Graystar is surrounded by a heaving mass of cats; he is amazed at how swiftly chaos has descended.
He spots Brackenfur battling bravely with a huge black tom, and Willowpelt rolling on the ground, her teeth locked in the shoulder of a Bloodclan tortoiseshell. Longtail is nearby, too, squirming helplessly under the weight of two Bloodclan warriors. Graystar hurls himself into combat and drags one of the cats away, feeling the strength of the muscular body as the enemy warrior turns on him. He fee;s claws slash into his shoulder, and rakes his own claws across the warrior's face.
Blood wells out of a gash on its forehead, dripping into its eyes; blinded, the cat loses its grip on Graystar, and he aims a final blow before leaping back and whirling around in search of Longtail. The pale tabby has driven off his other adversary, but he is bleeding deeply from his shoulder and flank.
Graystar sees Cinderpelt limp rapidly out of the bushes; she nudges Longtail to his feet and helps him, staggering away from the thick of the fighting.
He springs back into the battle. Onewhisker flashes past him, pursuing a Bloodclan warrior, and he catches a glimpse of Mistyfoot fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Shadepelt and Heavystep.
Brightspirit is weaving in front of a Bloodclan tabby twice her size, her new fighting techniques already confusing the huge tomcat. Cloudtail fights beside her. Brightspirit dodges beneath her enemy's outstretched paws, raking her claws down his nose. The tabby turns and flees. Cloudtail lets out a yowl of triumph, and the two cats wheel around as one and fling themselves back into the whirling mob of cats.
Not far away, Barley and Ravenpaw are battling side by side against a pair of identical gray tomcats, lean warriors whose collars bristled with teeth.
"I know you!" one of them spits at Barley. "You didn't have the courage to stay with Scourge."
"At least I had the courage to leave," Barley hisses back at him, rearing up to swipe both forepaws at the gray warrior's ears.
"It's your turn to run. You don't belong here."
Ravenpaw presses forward beside him, and the two Bloodclan warriors are gradually forced back into the bushes. A white BloodClan warrior bursts into the open just beside them, with Morningflower slashing fiercely at his haunches as he flees from her.
"Gorsepaw! Gorsepaw!" she yowls, giving voice to all her grief for her dead son. She leaps on the warrior and brings him down, clawing out pawfuls of white fur.
Graystar looks for Scourge. There can be no victory until the Bloodclan leader is dead, and in a moment's breathing space Graystar reflects how strange it is that the final battle for the forest would not be with Tigerstar, but with Tigerstar's murderer.
But the Bloodclan leader is nowhere to be seen.
Fighting his way toward the base of the Great Rock, lashing out with teeth and claws, Graystar comes face-to-face with a skinny gray she-cat. Her green eyes glint with hatred as she launches herself at him, her teeth and claws digging deep into his shoulder. Graystar feels her tooth-studded collar crushing his face as she bites down.
He twists, tearing his neck fur free of the Bloodclan warrior's teeth and launching himself at her unprotected belly, to score his claws down it. The she-cat springs back and flees into the bushes.
Graystar stands panting, blood welling from his shoulder. How long can he keep this up, he wonders, before he grows too weak to carry on?
There seems to be as many Bloodclan warriors as ever in the hollow, all strong and healthy and skilled in combat. Would the battle never end?
A Bloodclan tortoiseshell looms up in front of him, its face distorted with a screech of hatred. In the same heartbeat a dark shape shoots out of the bushes, barreling into the tortoiseshell's side and shoving her away from Graystar.
Astonished, Graystar recognizes Darkstripe. Had the dark warrior decided at last that his loyalties belonged to Thunderclan? A moment later he realizes how wrong he is.
Darkstripe whirls to face him, hissing, "You're mine, code-breaker. It's time for you to die."
Graytar braces himself for the attack.
"So now you're fighting on the side of Tigerstar's murderer?" He taunts Darkstripe. "Have you no loyalty in you?"
"Not anymore," Darkstripe snarls. "Every cat in the forest can turn to crowfood for all I care. All I want is to see you dead."
Graystar slips to one side as Darkstripe leaps toward him, but one of the dark warrior's paws catches him on the side of the head and he loses his footing. Darkstripe lands on top of him and pins him down. Graystar twists, trying to free his hind paws. He scrabbles furiously at Darkstripe's belly but can not shake him off. The warrior bares his teeth, aiming for Graystar's neck. Graystar braces himself for a last desperate effort.
Suddenly Darkstripe's body rolls off him. Getting to his paws to see Longtail struggling with his old clanmate, and friend, in a screeching knot of fur and claws. Longtail's pelt is torn and his shoulder glistens with blood from an earlier wound, but before Graystar can move to help him he flings Darkstripe to the ground and lands on top of him, panting.
"Traitor!" he hisses.
Darkstripe writhes violently, scoring deep gouges in the earth, but he can't throw off the pale tabby warrior.
"Fox dung!" he spits.
He twists his head, trying to sink his teeth into Longtail's neck. Longtail lashes out with one forepaw. His claws pierce Darkstripe's throat and blood gushes out. The dark tabby gives one convulsive shudder. His jaws part as he fights for breath.
"There's nothing left…" he chokes out. "It's all dark—everything's gone…."
Graystar sees his eyes glazing, a terrible emptiness in them. His struggles fade and his body goes limp. Spitting contemptuously, Longtail scrambles off him.
"One less traitor in the forest," he snarls.
Graystar touches his nose to Longtail's shoulder in gratitude.
Suddenly Longtail goes rigid, staring past his leader.
"Graystar…" he rasped.
Graystar whirls around to see Sandstorm and Dustpelt fighting side by side at the edge of the battle. They don't seem to need his help, and at first he can't understand what has distressed Longtail.
Then the mass of cats parts briefly to reveal Bone, the huge Bloodclan deputy, crouched over another cat who moves feebly beneath him. So much blood clots the victim's fur that Graystar can hardly make out its color, and it takes him a couple of heartbeats to recognize Whitestorm.
"No!" he yowls, and he hurls himself at Bone with Longtail hard on his paws.
Bone springs backward, only to cannon into Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw, who came charging across the clearing at the same moment. Graystar sees his apprentice leap onto the huge deputy's back, while Bramblepaw bites down into his hind leg.
Confident that Bone will be distracted for a while, Graystar crouches beside Whitestorm, almost oblivious to the battle that surges around them. Recognition glimmers in the white warrior's eyes when he sees Graystar, and the tip of his tail twitches.
"Good-bye, Graystar," he rasps.
"Whitestorm, no!"
Graystar feels a wail of agony building up inside him. He should never have brought Whitestorm into this battle, when all along the white warrior had seemed to know that it would be his last.
"Longtail, find Cinderpelt."
"Too late," Whitestorm breathes. "I go to hunt with Starclan."
"You can't—the Clan needs you! I need you!"
"You have others who support you and will look after the clan…."
The white warrior's gaze, growing rapidly dimmer, flickers to Longtail and back again. Letting out a long sigh, he closes his eyes.
"Whitestorm…"
Graystar wants to mewl his grief like a tiny kit. For a heartbeat he pushes his nose into the senior warrior's blood-soaked fur, the only mourning ritual that the battle allows. The two cats lean into each other after he's done, but he cannot grieve for a moment longer the battle rages on.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the BloodClan deputy struggling free from Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw. Before Graystar can spring at him, a screech of defiance sounds above the noise of battle and several more apprentices hurtled across the clearing. Bone is barely visible under the writhing heap of furious young cats.
Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw are there, with Featherpaw and Stormpaw joining them along with Ashpaw and Snowpaw. Within a few heartbeats Bone has stopped trying to defend himself; his body goes into a series of spasms, ending in his twitching tail, and as Graystar watches the twitching stops. Ashpaw lets out a hoarse cry of triumph.
At the same instant Jaggedtooth appears out of nowhere. Graystar feels his fur stand on end. Once a rogue, then a member of Shadowclan, and now part of the insult to the warrior code that is Bloodclan.
The massive warrior flings himself on the apprentices and fastens his teeth in the nearest—Bramblepaw —dragging him off Bone's body. At once Tawnypaw launches herself at the rogue cat.
"Let go of my brother!" she spits.
The rest of the apprentices spring forward with her, and Jaggedtooth abruptly drops Bramblepaw, turning tail and fleeing across the clearing with all the apprentices in pursuit.
Breathing hard, Graystar glances around, and his stomach turns over as he tries to judge how the battle was going. Though Darkstripe and Bone are dead, and Jaggedtooth has been driven off, the clearing still seems full of Bloodclan warriors, and yet more are racing down the slope.
ThunderClan has lost Whitestorm, and between the battling cats Graystar catches a glimpse of Tornear from WindClan lying motionless. Brackenfur and Mousefur fight side by side, but Brackenfur is limping and Mousefur has deep claw marks stretching all along one side. At the edge of the clearing Frostfur is dragging herself into the bushes, with Fernpaw helping her, and not far away Runningnose, the Shadowclan Medicine cat, is pressing cobwebs on a wound in Blackstar's shoulder, until the Shadowclan leader shakes him off and throws himself back into the fray. Leopardstar appears briefly, yowling hoarse encouragement to her warriors, before she vanishes again in a surge of Bloodclan cats.
We're losing, Graystar thinks, fighting panic.
I must find Scourge! With the Bloodclan leader's death, he knows the battle will be over. The cats from Twolegplace have no sense of tradition or loyalty to the warrior code. Scourge holds them together, and without him they will be nothing.
Graystar feels his fur begin to bristle as his gaze finds Scourge at last. The small black cat is crouched at the base of the Great Rock, his claws slicing at a warrior he has trapped there. Graystar's belly lurches as he recognizes Onewhisker.
With a yowl of defiance he leaps across the clearing.
Scourge whips around, leaving Onewhisker to crawl away, bleeding. The Bloodclan leader bares his teeth in a snarl.
"Graystar!"
Without warning, he leaps. Graystar rolls with the impact and lands on top of the smaller cat, planting one paw on his neck. But before he can bite down, Scourge wriggles away with the speed of a snake. The dogs' teeth on his claws flash as he rakes them across Graystar's shoulder.
Excruciating pain lances through Graystar's body. He forces himself not to flinch but leap forward again, sending Scourge flying back against the Great Rock. Briefly the black tom is stunned, and Graystar manages to bite down on his foreleg.
Pain like fire sears through him again with another blow from the Bloodclan leader's claws, and in the shock of it Graystar loses his grip on Scourge. The Bloodclan leader rears back, his paw raised for the death blow. Graystar scrabbles to get away, but he is not fast enough.
Agony explodes in his head as the reinforced claws strike down. Flame washes over his eyes, fading to leave nothing but darkness. A soft, black tide is rising to engulf him; he makes one final effort to get up, but his paws will not support him, and he falls back into nothingness.