The Darkest Hour

“Then Tigerstar conspired with Brokentail, the former leader of ShadowClan, who was ThunderClan’s prisoner,” Firestar told the listening cats. “He brought a pack of rogues into ThunderClan camp, and tried to murder Bluestar with his own claws. I stopped him, and when ThunderClan had b ea t en off the attack we drove him into exile. As a rogue, he slaughtered yet another of our warriors, Runningwind. T h en before we knew what he was up to, he had made himself leader of ShadowClan.”

Firestar paused and looked around him. He was not sure how BloodClan and their leader Scourge were taking all this, but he could see that he had the horrified attention of every other cat in the clearing. He steadied himself, wanting to be sure they heard the last, most dreadful part of his story.

“But Tigerstar still wanted revenge on ThunderClan. Three moons ago, a pack of dogs got loose in the forest. Tigerstar caught prey for them, then laid a trail of dead rabbits between the dogs’ lair and the ThunderClan camp to lead them to us. He murdered one of our queens, Brindleface, and left her near the camp to give the dogs a taste for cat blood. If we hadn’t found out in time to escape, the whole of ThunderClan would have been torn to pieces.”

“Good riddance,” Tigerstar growled.

“As it was,” Firestar forced himself to go on, “our leader, Bluestar, died the bravest death of any cat, saving me and all her Clan from the pack.”

He expected yowls of outrage, but only silence greeted him as his story came to an end. The eyes of every cat were fixed on him, stunned with shock.

Firestar glanced at Leopardstar, still standing with Blackfoot and Darkstripe a little way behind Tigerstar. The River-Clan leader looked horrified. For a few heartbeats Firestar hoped that she might immediately break her agreement with Tigerstar and withdraw her Clan from his leadership, but she remained silent.

“This is Tigerstar’s history,” Firestar meowed urgently, turning back to Scourge. “It all shows one thing—that he’ll do anything for power. If he promised you a share of the forest, don’t believe him. He won’t give up one pawprint, not to you or any cat.”

Scourge’s eyes narrowed; Firestar could see that he was thinking carefully about what he had heard, and hope flared inside him like a tiny flame. “Tigerstar told me what he was planning to do with the dogs when he visited me two moons ago.” The black cat turned his head so that his gaze rested on the leader of ShadowClan. “He did not tell me that his plan failed.”

“None of that matters now,” Tigerstar broke in roughly. “We have an agreement with you, Scourge. Fight beside me now, and you’ll have all I offered you.”

“My Clan and I fight when I choose,” Scourge meowed. To Firestar he added, “I will think about what you have said. There will be no battle today.”

Tigerstar’s fur bristled with rage and his tail lashed from side to side. His muscles bunched as he dropped into a crouch. “Traitor!” he screeched, and leaped at Scourge with claws extended.

Watching with horror, Firestar expected to see the smaller cat torn apart. He knew from bitter experience the strength in Tigerstar’s muscles. But Scourge whipped to one side, avoiding Tigerstar as he landed. When the massive tabby turned to face him, Scourge lashed out with his front paws. The pale leaf-bare sun glinted unnaturally on the tips of each talon. Firestar felt his blood run cold. Scourge’s claws were reinforced with long, sharpened dogs’ teeth.

One blow to his shoulder unbalanced Tigerstar. He fell on his side, exposing his belly, and Scourge’s vicious claws sank into his throat. Blood welled out as the smaller cat ripped him down to the tail with a single slash.

A desperate scream of fury erupted from Tigerstar, then broke off with a ghastly choking sound. His body convulsed, limbs jerking and tail flailing. For a heartbeat a stillness settled over him, and Firestar knew he was falling into the trance of a leader who loses a life, to wake after a little while restored to strength and with the rest of his lives intact.

But not even StarClan could heal this terrible wound. Scourge stood back and watched coldly as Tigerstar’s body convulsed again. The dark red blood kept on flowing, spreading across the ground in a ceaseless tide. Tigerstar let out another shriek; Firestar wanted to cover his ears so he didn’t have to listen anymore, but he was frozen to the spot.

Again the massive tabby’s body grew still for a heartbeat, but again the wound was too terrible to yield to the healing trance. Another spasm seized Tigerstar’s body. His claws tore up clumps of grass in his agony, while his screeches turned from fury to terror.

He’s dying nine times, Firestar realized. Oh, StarClan, no…

It was a death he would not have wished on any cat, not even Tigerstar, and he thought it would never be over.