Warriors: Omen of the Stars #6: The Last Hope Read Online Free
Author: Erin Hunter
Jayfeather tasted Firestar’s scent. The ThunderClan leader had followed him out of the hollow. “I know it’s frustrating,” Firestar began sympathetically.
Jayfeather turned on him. “Really? Do you think the Clans would believe Dawnpelt if I wasn’t half-Clan?”
Firestar stopped.
“Or if Leafpool hadn’t broken the medicine-cat code in kitting me?” He felt Firestar’s surprise. “Had you forgotten?” Jayfeather demanded.
“I don’t think about it.” There was honesty in Firestar’s mew.
Jayfeather blinked. “You don’t think about it?” he echoed. Every time he saw Leafpool or Squirrelflight or Brambleclaw, Jayfeather felt the prick of betrayal. He’d believed he was pure ThunderClan, that his parents were Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, until Hollyleaf had discovered that Leafpool was their mother and Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior, their father.
Firestar’s tail whisked over the fallen leaves. “You’re one of the Three. Your birth was meant to happen.” He padded closer. “Does it matter how you came to be born?”
“Yes!” Lit by rage, Jayfeather paced around Firestar. “I’m cursed by Leafpool’s mistake! Every cat thinks I’m unnatural because my birth broke two codes—the warrior code and the medicine-cat code! No wonder they’re so eager to think I’m a murderer. They certainly can’t think I’m blessed by StarClan.”
Firestar shifted his paws. “But we both know you are blessed by StarClan. More than any other cat.”
“No thanks to Leafpool!” Jayfeather clawed the ground. “Or Squirrelflight.”
“Leafpool kept your secret,” Firestar reminded him sternly. “She and Squirrelflight did the best they could for you and your littermates. It was Hollyleaf who told the truth. She believed she had to, and now what’s done is done. Squirrelflight and your mother are not responsible for the prejudices of the other Clans. And neither are you.”
“It’s not fair. Why couldn’t Leafpool have just followed the medicine-cat code?” Jayfeather pushed his way deeper into the trees. “It’s not exactly complicated!”
“And if she had?” Firestar called after him. “What then? If she’d never fallen in love with Crowfeather, where would you be? Think of the prophecy!”
Jayfeather raked the leaf mulch with his claws. “Why can’t I think about me for once?” With a growl he stalked away, ducking through ferns and pacing over tree roots until he sensed dusk turn to dark around him. Suddenly he felt a wall of fur blocking his path. He leaped back. “Who is it?”
As he spoke, he recognized the foul stench of Yellowfang’s breath. Her muzzle was less than a mouse-length from his nose. “Why can’t I think about me for once ?” she mimicked.
“Leave me alone!” Jayfeather backed away but her stinking muzzle followed him.
“You’re not important!” the old cat hissed. “Only the survival of the Clan matters! You’re one of the Three and you have to find the fourth to defeat the Dark Forest before it’s too late!”
“What do you mean, I’m not important?” Jayfeather spat back. How dare she ? “How do you know that I’m not the most important one?” His anger was pulsing so hard that the words flooded out of him. “If the Clans stop me from being a medicine cat, the whole prophecy might be wasted.”
Yellowfang wreathed around him, her matted fur brushing roughly against his. “Do you think herbs are going to save the Clans from the Dark Forest?” she snapped.
“There’s more to being a medicine cat than herbs!” Jayfeather tried to push past her but she blocked his way.
“Like what?”
“Like sharing dreams with StarClan!”
Yellowfang’s tail swished the ferns. “What do you think you’re doing now, mouse-brain?”
Jayfeather growled. “Why are you bugging me?”
“You need to find the fourth warrior!”
“We don’t know it’s a warrior!” Jayfeather snapped. “We don’t know which Clan this cat is in. We
Jayfeather turned on him. “Really? Do you think the Clans would believe Dawnpelt if I wasn’t half-Clan?”
Firestar stopped.
“Or if Leafpool hadn’t broken the medicine-cat code in kitting me?” He felt Firestar’s surprise. “Had you forgotten?” Jayfeather demanded.
“I don’t think about it.” There was honesty in Firestar’s mew.
Jayfeather blinked. “You don’t think about it?” he echoed. Every time he saw Leafpool or Squirrelflight or Brambleclaw, Jayfeather felt the prick of betrayal. He’d believed he was pure ThunderClan, that his parents were Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, until Hollyleaf had discovered that Leafpool was their mother and Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior, their father.
Firestar’s tail whisked over the fallen leaves. “You’re one of the Three. Your birth was meant to happen.” He padded closer. “Does it matter how you came to be born?”
“Yes!” Lit by rage, Jayfeather paced around Firestar. “I’m cursed by Leafpool’s mistake! Every cat thinks I’m unnatural because my birth broke two codes—the warrior code and the medicine-cat code! No wonder they’re so eager to think I’m a murderer. They certainly can’t think I’m blessed by StarClan.”
Firestar shifted his paws. “But we both know you are blessed by StarClan. More than any other cat.”
“No thanks to Leafpool!” Jayfeather clawed the ground. “Or Squirrelflight.”
“Leafpool kept your secret,” Firestar reminded him sternly. “She and Squirrelflight did the best they could for you and your littermates. It was Hollyleaf who told the truth. She believed she had to, and now what’s done is done. Squirrelflight and your mother are not responsible for the prejudices of the other Clans. And neither are you.”
“It’s not fair. Why couldn’t Leafpool have just followed the medicine-cat code?” Jayfeather pushed his way deeper into the trees. “It’s not exactly complicated!”
“And if she had?” Firestar called after him. “What then? If she’d never fallen in love with Crowfeather, where would you be? Think of the prophecy!”
Jayfeather raked the leaf mulch with his claws. “Why can’t I think about me for once?” With a growl he stalked away, ducking through ferns and pacing over tree roots until he sensed dusk turn to dark around him. Suddenly he felt a wall of fur blocking his path. He leaped back. “Who is it?”
As he spoke, he recognized the foul stench of Yellowfang’s breath. Her muzzle was less than a mouse-length from his nose. “Why can’t I think about me for once ?” she mimicked.
“Leave me alone!” Jayfeather backed away but her stinking muzzle followed him.
“You’re not important!” the old cat hissed. “Only the survival of the Clan matters! You’re one of the Three and you have to find the fourth to defeat the Dark Forest before it’s too late!”
“What do you mean, I’m not important?” Jayfeather spat back. How dare she ? “How do you know that I’m not the most important one?” His anger was pulsing so hard that the words flooded out of him. “If the Clans stop me from being a medicine cat, the whole prophecy might be wasted.”
Yellowfang wreathed around him, her matted fur brushing roughly against his. “Do you think herbs are going to save the Clans from the Dark Forest?” she snapped.
“There’s more to being a medicine cat than herbs!” Jayfeather tried to push past her but she blocked his way.
“Like what?”
“Like sharing dreams with StarClan!”
Yellowfang’s tail swished the ferns. “What do you think you’re doing now, mouse-brain?”
Jayfeather growled. “Why are you bugging me?”
“You need to find the fourth warrior!”
“We don’t know it’s a warrior!” Jayfeather snapped. “We don’t know which Clan this cat is in. We