The Last Hope полностью

Not much time? Jayfeather pushed through the reeds and struggled up the slope. When he reached the top, he saw Spottedleaf and Flametail pelting toward the pines. He raced after them, gathering speed as the shock of his soaking began to fade. What’s the hurry?

Then he remembered. They’ll be dreaming like I am. We must speak to them before they wake up! He pushed harder against the ground, closing the gap on Flametail and Spottedleaf until he caught up with them at the edge of the pines.

Spottedleaf stopped and stared into the trees wild-eyed. “We have to find them!” she panted. “Before the sun rises.”

Flametail’s eyes widened. “Quick!” He hared along a trail that swerved among the pines. “I know where Littlecloud visits!”

Jayfeather pelted after him, Spottedleaf at his heels.

“Littlecloud!” Flametail called his Clanmate’s name as they crested a low rise.

The ShadowClan medicine cat was standing in a hollow. He jerked around, blinking in surprise. “Flametail? Jayfeather?”

Jayfeather bounded down the slope toward him. “I know,” he mewed quickly. “I’m not supposed to be a medicine cat anymore, but Flametail has something to tell you!”

Littlecloud’s gaze flicked to the orange medicine cat. “Where have you been? I’ve been searching for you.”

Flametail dipped his head. “I’ve been staying out of sight since I died,” he meowed apologetically.

“But now I know you’re safe with our ancestors.” Littlecloud touched his Clanmate’s cheek with his muzzle.

Spottedleaf nosed between them. “We can’t stay here. We have to tell all the medicine cats while they’re still sharing dreams with StarClan. Littlecloud, come with us.” She turned to Flametail. “What’s the quickest way to WindClan’s part of the hunting grounds?”

“Out of the pines and head for the gorse.” Spottedleaf nodded and raced away.

Jayfeather paused before following her. He held Flametail’s bright blue gaze for several long heartbeats. There was so much he could say, but he had a feeling Flametail knew what it was already. “Thank you,” he murmured.

Flametail nodded. “For the Clans,” he meowed.

“For the Clans,” Jayfeather echoed. Then he spun around and sent pine needles spraying behind him as he dashed after Spottedleaf. He heard Flametail and Littlecloud racing after him, their paws ringing hollow on the damp earth.

They broke from the pines onto a hillside crowded by heather; it rose toward a glowering, purple-gray sky. Spottedleaf plunged through a gap between the bushes and disappeared. Jayfeather raced after her, Flametail and Littlecloud at his heels. The path wound steeply upward, walled by prickly bushes on either side. Jayfeather sensed they were not alone: Pelts flashed between the stems, eyes shining in the shadows, but no cat stopped them.

As they neared the summit, a thick swath of gorse blocked their path. Zigzagging frantically, Jayfeather spotted an opening and darted through. He exploded out onto a rocky plateau.

Spottedleaf burst out after him. “There he is!” She raced toward a lone figure that sat at the edge of the rock. Kestrelflight turned to face them, his ears flat.

Spottedleaf scrambled to a halt beside him. “We need to talk to you!”

Jayfeather skidded on the smooth stone, gasping as he saw the ground drop away. He dug in his claws and stopped just in time. Kestrelflight’s front paws were curled over the edge of a steep cliff. Far below, a wide valley rolled toward a distant horizon where it was swallowed by billowing cloud.

Kestrelflight frowned. “What’s going on?”

“We need Willowshine!” As Littlecloud and Flametail caught up, Spottedleaf scanned the valley. “Is that RiverClan land down there?”

“There’s no need to go there.”

A voice sounded behind them. Willowshine was stalking across the hilltop toward them. “I saw you and wondered what you were doing.” She stared at Jayfeather. “Are you here because of Mothwing? She said you’d visited RiverClan today.”

“Yes.” Jayfeather could hardly get his breath. “There was a sign for me.”

Willowshine nodded. “That’s why she told me to share dreams with StarClan tonight. I thought it was strange. She doesn’t usually mention StarClan.”

Panic flashed through Jayfeather as he realized that the RiverClan medicine cat was beginning to fade. Willowshine was being pulled away from StarClan. Kestrelflight was growing paler, too. And Littlecloud. Jayfeather looked down at his front paws and saw gray stone where his toes should have been.

“The sun is rising over the lake! The medicine cats are leaving us.” Spottedleaf gazed at Flametail. “Quick, tell them!”

“Jayfeather didn’t kill me!” Flametail blurted out the truth. “I drowned. Jayfeather was trying to save me. But I was too heavy and the current was too strong. My death was not his fault!”

“Thank you, Flametail.” Jayfeather dipped his head as the landscape around began to swirl. “You have fulfilled your destiny.”