Warriors || Hopestar's Choice: Book 1 (1 of 3)

Chapter 29

The clan slept soundly, totally unaware of the monster that lurked across the border. Hopeflame laid in her nest beside Stormblaze. At some point through the night, he'd rolled over and now rested a paw over her stomach. He was so close that she could hear his heart beating and feel his soft fur against hers.

As moonhigh neared, Hopeflame squirmed free from Stormblaze's grasp and felt a twinge of anxiety. Her eyes fell across every sleeping warrior. She thought of how she was about to betray them all.

Blackclaw didn't like her at first, but he now treated her like an equal. Loudbelly and Heavystep followed Blackclaw's example, and Loudbelly was a pretty funny tom. Mosspelt was sweet and has always been friendly to her. Stonefur and Mistyfoot were both incredible warriors that she respected immensely. Briarnose was the gentle, care-giving mother of Shimmerpaw and her littermates. Leopardfur never liked her, and soon it would be justified.

And finally her eyes fell on Graystripe. Before coming to RiverClan, Hopeflame always imagined her father died bravely in battle or the worst case scenario that he was a rogue. She never imagined that her father lived just across the river with her two half-siblings who she loved very much. Hopeflame loved Stormblaze and Featherstream as much as Owlgaze and Maplepaw.

Now she would betray them all. She would betray their trust and ruin their lives as they knew it. Nothing would ever be the same. It was time for her hard work and deception to pay off.

Hopeflame nuzzled Graystripe and Featherstream, whispering her love to them. Then she reached Stormblaze. He loved her in a way that she never could. But her deception could save his life as well as Featherstream's. She nosed him gently so he'd wake up.

Stormblaze groaned and opened his amber eyes. "What is it, Hopeflame?"

"Do you trust me, Stormblaze?" She whispered to him.

He stared at her as if she'd asked if he had two tails. "Of course, Hopeflame. I love you."

Hearing him say that made her heart become heavy. The burden she carried would soon be lightened. "I'm going to use the dirtplace, I'll be right back."

Stormblaze nodded and dozed off again. Hopeflame watched his gentle face with a heavy heart. I'm so sorry.

She stood up and left the den for the last time. The moon in the sky was still mostly full as the Gathering was only yesterday. Hopeflame slunk among the shadows towards the entrance. It looked as if Loudbelly was guarding the camp.

Loudbelly jumped in surprise when she appeared. "Can't sleep, Hopeflame?" The brown tabby tom wondered.

Hopeflame shook her head, "No, I'm just going to get some fresh air." She exited through the entrance and disappeared into the forest, the tip of her red tail being the last thing Loudbelly saw.

The forest was silent, hushed. No wind moved through the trees or rustled the canopy. There were no birds or squirrels frolicking in the trees. Everything seemed frozen like before a storm. Despite the quiet, Hopeflame could feel the tension in the air, crackling like invisible lightning. Something big was coming, how could RiverClan not sense it?

She quietly made her way through the RiverClan forest, making not a sound. This forest would soon be filled with the screams of her RiverClan clanmates, dragged from their nests as blood spilled. Hopeflame shook her head. No, she could t think about that now. She had a job to do.

The sound of the river calmed her until she remembered what waited on the other side. TigerClan's warriors, silent and blood-thirsty. Those were her real clanmates. They were the ones she'd be fighting alongside.

Hopeflame appeared from the reeds and stood at the Stepping Stones. She paused, waiting and listening. From the shadows beneath the trees, Hopeflame saw movement on the other side. Chills ran along her spine as she watched Tigerstar emerge with all the TigerClan warriors behind him. At his side was Brambleclaw, the deputy of TigerClan in all his glory. Hopeflame didn't recognize him.

She watched in amazement as Tigerstar and the other warriors waded into the river and swam towards her. They obviously took her advice about learning to swim. Soon they reached the bank and pulled themselves out of the water. They didn't look comfortable, but at least they could swim.

"Hopeflame," Tigerstsr dipped his head to her. "You're going to ambush whoever is guarding the camp. Then you'll accompany me and Brambleclaw to take out Crookedstar."

"Wait, take him out? Why can't he be made a warrior or an advisor like Blackfoot?" Hopeflame gasped.

"Crookedstar would never submit," Tigerstsr growled. "He cannot be allowed to survive this. Lead the way, Hopeflame."

Slowly, Hopeflame nodded. She turned and followed the familiar sandy trail that would take them back to the RiverClan camp. "The camp is surrounded by water, so they might try to take the battle in the water. Did the clan practice those moves?"

Tigerstar nodded, "Don't worry about us, Hopeflame."

The stream surrounding the RiverClan camp came into sight. Hopeflame stopped and turned to Tigerstar. "Wait here, on my signal."

Hopeflame composed herself before racing towards Loudbelly. "I think I saw a TigerClan cat at the river," She lied and tried to sound convincing.

Loudbelly perked his ears. "Maybe we should warn Crookedstar?"

She shook her head, "No, by then they could be gone. The two of us can handle them." Hopeflame started to race away and glanced back at Loudbelly. "Are you coming or not?"

The brown tabby tom hesitated but followed her. As soon as they reached the shadows, Hopeflame turned on him. She pinned him down and knocked him out with minimal injury. Seeing him lying there unconscious, it made her feel sick. But he was only the first of many to fall.

Hopeflame headed to where she left Tigerstar and her clanmates. "Let's move," She whispered.

Tigerstar led the way and she stayed at his flank with Brambleclaw on his other. "Whitestorm, you take Oakfur, Sandstorm, Jaggedtooth, Thornclaw, Swiftwind, Fawnstep, Russetfur, and Longtail to the warriors den. Everyone else go for the apprentices den and the nursery."

"There's no queens or kits in the nursery," Hopeflame told Tigerstar.

"Then fan out and make sure they're contained," Tigerstar growled. "Brambleclaw and Hopeflame are coming with me."

Whitestorm led his group towards the warriors den and Hopeflame stayed beside Tigerstar. They crept towards Crookedstar's den silently. Hopeflame focused on Brambleclaw to keep her mind off of everything.

Tigerstar slipped into Crookedstar's den and Hopeflame followed after Brambleclaw. The tabby clan leader was pinned down beneath Tigerstar's powerful claws. He raised his eyes to Hopeflame and recognition flared in his eyes.

"Hopeflame? Have you something to do with this?" Crookedstar asked, his voice angry and fearful.

She was shaking in her fur but she couldn't let Tigerstar or Brambleclaw see. Hopeflame waltzed up to Crookedstar and lowered her head so that she could meet his eye. "This was the plan all along."