Tigerheart shifted on his side. He felt the familiar crunch of pine needles beneath his flank. The scent of sap filled his nose, and he was suddenly aware that he felt no pain. Relief flooded him. He opened his eyes. Pines stretched around him. Fresh brambles sprawled around their trunks. Ferns, green and bright, sprouted where the sun reached through the dark branches. I’m home.
And yet the forest was warm. The biting chill of leaf-bare had lifted. Prey-scent hung in the warm air. Confused, Tigerheart clambered to his paws. He’d closed his eyes in cold and pain.
His heart lurched as he understood. This is StarClan. He was dead. Before had been a dream, but this was real. He spun, scanning the trees. Dovewing! Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit! Grief hollowed his heart. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d promised to take them home.
He ran, skimming the forest floor, racing for sunlight filtering in at the edge of the forest. He reached it, blinking against the brightness as he broke from the trees. In meadows stretching ahead, he saw cats moving over the grass. Panic spiraled in his thoughts. Take me back!
He forced his breathing to slow. Drawing in deep breaths, he stopped himself trembling. This was the will of StarClan. He must accept it. He remembered the agony of his final moments. Did he really want to go back to that?
“Tigerheart?” A surprised mew sounded behind him.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw, with a rush of delight, Spiresight padding from the ferns. “You made it to StarClan!” He hurried to greet the black tom, touching his nose to his cheek. “The warrior ceremony worked.”
“Yes.” Spiresight stopped in front of him. “Thank you.”
“Where are the others?” Tigerheart peered past the healer, scanning the forest behind him for more Clanmates. Euphoria suddenly welled in his chest. Why had he been so scared? He would be among old friends here. Dovewing would join him one day, and there would be no pain to endure, no cold to shiver through, no hunger, no responsibility. Here there was no need for leaders or warriors or medicine cats. There would be peace. “Where’s Rowanstar—I mean Rowanclaw—and Flametail? They’re here, right?”
Spiresight’s gaze was troubled. “You mustn’t meet them.”
Tigerheart blinked at him. “Why?”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“But I died.”
“Look.” Spiresight brushed his paw through the pine needles coating the forest floor. As they stirred, Tigerheart saw an image shimmering below him.
He could see WindClan’s moor, crouched like a black cat against the stone cold of leaf-bare. And beyond it, the lake sparked beneath a chilly sun. This must be how birds see the land. “Why are you showing me this?”
“Look closely.” Spiresight gazed at the image.
Tigerheart peered harder and glimpsed pelts moving across the moor, trailing like ants through the faded heather. As he focused, the image grew and sharpened, closer now. He recognized the pelts. Dovewing! She staggered beside Ant while Rippletail and Sparrowtail flanked them. A shape was draped across their backs. With a jolt, Tigerheart recognized his own pelt. “They’re carrying my body!”
Behind the patrol, Berryheart carried her kits on her back, huddled deep into her fur. Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit trailed behind, hollow-eyed, while Cinnamon and Cloverfoot shielded them against the biting wind.
Pouncekit stared after Dovewing, her gaze fixed on the body across her mother’s back. Tigerheart’s chest tightened as he saw pain in the kit’s gaze. She’d never looked sad before. Shadowkit stared at his paws. Lightkit’s eyes were misted with grief. No cat spoke as they trudged slowly toward the lake.
Tigerheart blinked at Spiresight. “Why are they carrying me home?” It made no sense to make their journey harder. “They should have buried me where I died.”
Spiresight gazed back unwavering. “They are not as willing to let go of you as you are to let go of them.”
“That’s not true!” Tigerheart bridled. “I had no choice.”
Spiresight blinked at him. “You have a choice now. It’s not your time yet, Tigerheart.”
“But my body is broken. I can’t go back. It hurt so much. Don’t make me go back.” Fear sparked beneath his pelt. He couldn’t face more pain.
“What about your kits?”
Tigerheart looked down at Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit once more. Their shoulders sagged with sorrow only a grown cat should know. Grief crushed his heart. “Dovewing is strong,” he told Spiresight. “She’s a great mother. She can raise them in ThunderClan, and they will never feel the pull between Clans that we did.”
Spiresight stared back bleakly. “Without ShadowClan, there can be no ThunderClan, no WindClan, no RiverClan, no SkyClan. Five Clans or none. ShadowClan needs you, Tigerheart. It’s not your time to die. You have to go back.”
Tigerheart stared at the healer, his thoughts whirling. Below there was pain and struggle and responsibility. Everything that had weighed his paws while he was alive still waited for him. But so did Dovewing and their kits. Was a life with them worth the hardship of living? Tigerheart pushed away the beguiling murmur that whispered of the prey-rich forest behind him and the sun-drenched meadows ahead. Comfort was for kits. Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit deserved to be safe, warm, and well fed. I am a warrior. It is my duty to suffer for them. He dipped his head. “You’re right,” he breathed. “It is not my time. I want to go back.”
As he spoke, the forest shifted and blurred. Shadows engulfed him, lifting him up until he was spinning among the stars. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for pain and cold, and drifted down onto chilly stone.
He opened his eyes. The exposed rock beneath his paws stretched toward a night sky on every side. He blinked in surprise as he saw starry cats moving around him. “StarClan?” Their pelts glittered like fire and ice, and they carried the scent of the seasons, stone-cold snow mingled with sweet blossom, leaf musk tinged with sharp sap tang.
“Tigerheart.” Rowanclaw stepped forward.
Countless eyes reflected starlight, watching as Rowanclaw padded toward Tigerheart.
“My son.” He stopped in front of Tigerheart and gazed with eyes brimming with love. “We knew this day would come.”
Tigerheart frowned, puzzled. “You knew I was going to die?”
Rowanclaw tipped his head, blinking gently. “Do you know what happens now?”
Tigerheart shifted his paws, self-conscious under the gaze of so many cats. “I’m . . . I’m being sent back. But how?”
“There is only one way a cat may receive another life.” Rowanclaw paused as Tigerheart struggled to understand.
A leadership ceremony! His pelt prickled with anxiety. “I’m not ready!” he blurted. “I’m not strong enough to lead a Clan.”
“Really?” Rowanclaw gazed deep into Tigerheart’s eyes. Memories shifted as though woken by his father’s gaze. He’d persuaded Scorchfur and Juniperclaw to stay with ShadowClan. He’d journeyed to the city to find Dovewing and his kits. He’d helped the guardian cats learn how to defend what was theirs. And he’d led his family and his friends home. Rowanclaw broke their gaze with a blink. “You will never be more ready than you are now.” He leaned forward and touched his nose to Tigerheart’s head.
Fierce heat seared through Tigerheart’s pelt. Flame seemed to burn away his fur like grass in a prairie fire, but he could not flee. His paws were weighted like stones.
“With this life I give you strength. Don’t let softness sway you from what must be done for your Clan.” Rowanclaw broke away, and the fire subsided, leaving determination burning in Tigerheart’s belly.
He opened his eyes, trembling. StarClan watched in stillness, and Tigerheart began to recognize some of their faces. Pinenose, Kinkfur, Flametail. His brother looked so young and strong, his broad shoulders squared as he gazed proudly at Tigerheart.
As Rowanclaw turned away, Kinkfur padded forward.
The ShadowClan elder looked sleek and young. He hardly recognized her. Only the knowing flash in her eyes betrayed her long life. She pressed her nose to his head. “With this life I give you courage. Fear will always pull at your tail, but the courage I give you now will always draw you on.”
His body was seized by a hard, fierce agony that stiffened his muscles and left him shaking with shock.
Pinenose was beside him now, touching her nose to his head. “With this life I give you compassion. Love your Clan as you love your kits. Forgive them their flaws and love them even when they fail you.”
Warmth flooded his heart and reached deep into his belly. It snatched his breath with its intensity, and as Pinenose pulled away, he met her gaze and saw the deep affection he’d seen in Dovewing’s eyes on the night Pouncekit, Lightkit, and Shadowkit were born. He returned her gaze, hoping she could read the promise in his. I will.
Another cat padded from the ranks of starry cats, a familiar face he hadn’t spotted yet. A familiar face he had hoped to one day see again—just not in StarClan
Dawnpelt! His sister’s eyes shone like stars. Tigerheart wanted to greet her, but he couldn’t move or speak. You really are dead. He’d suspected, but hadn’t been sure until now. Joy and grief seemed to fight within his heart as she touched her nose to his head. “With this life I give you hope. As long as hope burns in your heart, it will burn in the hearts of your Clanmates.”
Energy fired through Tigerheart. In his mind he was running, skimming the earth, pines blurring beside him. His heart beat so fast that the breath caught in his throat. As his body shivered in spasm, Dawnpelt padded away, and a ragged she-cat took her place.
“I am Yellowfang, once of ShadowClan.”
Tigerheart stared at her, breathless. He’d heard nursery tales of this cat. Exiled by her Clan, betrayed by her son, she’d found sanctuary with ThunderClan before she died. What blessing could she give him?
She leaned close, her breath meaty, and touched her nose to his head. “With this life, I give you forgiveness.” Ice seemed to grip Tigerheart’s body, freezing him rigid until he could hardly breathe. Pain streaked through him, like stone cracking. And then suddenly it eased, and warmth bathed him once more as Yellowfang went on. “Forgiveness will give you more power than vengeance will ever bring.”
As Yellowfang stepped away, a snowy white she-cat padded from the ranks of star-pelted warriors. She nodded to Yellowfang before looking at Tigerheart. “I am Sagewhisker.” Her blue eyes sparkled as she leaned close and touched her nose to his head. “With this life, I give you persistence.” A bolt of energy, as fierce as lightning, seared through Tigerheart. He stiffened against the pain, but it melted into a soft warmth through which he could feel the strong steady beat of his heart. “Don’t let failure sap your determination or rejection change your mind. A true leader tries as many times as it takes to succeed.”
“Tigerheart.” Littlecloud’s mew took Tigerheart by surprise. His heart swelled with joy at seeing the old medicine cat. The familiarity in his bright eyes warmed him. For a moment he remembered what it was like to live in a Clan that was united and strong. “Fear of failure has kept you too long from leadership. But leadership is your destiny, and one that you must embrace if you are to save your Clan. So with this life I give you acceptance. Accept with all your heart what you cannot change, and fear will vanish.” As he touched his nose to Tigerheart’s head, Tigerheart felt engulfed by peace. The worry that seemed to have pressed on him for moons melted like snow in sunshine. So what if he failed to save his Clan? The only failure was not to try. And all that truly mattered was that, for a while, they had felt cool forest shade on their pelts.
A dark tabby tom stepped into Littlecloud’s place. His pelt was patchy, and there were scars on his nose. “I, Raggedstar, give you this life for loyalty.” As the tom’s nose touched his head, Tigerheart was suddenly aware of the depth of rock beneath his paws. His pads drew in its burning chill until ice seemed to freeze his bones. He twitched as Raggedstar went on. “A leader’s loyalty belongs only to his Clan. Let loyalty be your heartbeat, for when it stops, so will you.”
Loyalty? Tigerheart’s throat tightened. What about Dovewing? She was ThunderClan. What about his kits? Did leadership mean that he would be separated from them? Before he could think any more, Flametail stepped forward.
“I wish I could still walk at your side,” Flametail whispered. “I wish I could help you reunite our Clan.” Tigerheart felt his brother’s breath stir his fur as he touched his head and went on. “With this life I give you love. You have known so much, but still have much to give. Leadership without love will never be enough to draw your Clan from the shadows. Let your heart lead when your head does not know the way.” Tenderness surged in Tigerheart’s chest, strong and yet fragile, and so fierce that he thought his heart would shatter. He closed his eyes and let the sensation overwhelm him. As he did, grief unfurled inside him. To have found so much and lost so much felt more than he could bear.
Nine lives. The thought burned in his mind as Flametail pulled away. Tigerheart staggered, limp from the intensity of his Clanmates’ gifts. He gazed around at the cats he’d known and cats he’d only know once his lives had been used up.
Rowanclaw padded forward once more. He stared gravely at Tigerheart. “This has never been done before. You have already used up one life, but there are eight remaining. Use them as you used the first—with courage and for the good of others.”
Raggedstar whisked his tail. “Reunite ShadowClan.”
“There must always be five Clans,” Dawnpelt meowed. “Where there is sky, thunder, wind, and river, there must also be shadow.”
Flametail fixed him with his starlit gaze. “You are the only one who can bring ShadowClan back.”
Bring it back? Tigerheart stared at him. “Where has ShadowClan gone?”
No cat answered. Instead they lifted their muzzles to the crow-black sky. “Tigerstar! Tigerstar!” The cold night rang with the voices of StarClan as they chanted his new name. The stars in their pelts shimmered and began to shift before his eyes. The cats lost their shape and merged into a great swath of stars. They swirled upward, like leaves caught in a sudden wind and scattered across the wide black sky.
Bring it back? Tigerstar’s legs buckled beneath him. As he collapsed onto the cold stone, he saw what must be the Moonpool shining beside him.
Puddleshine stood next to him, his eyes lighting with joy as Tigerstar looked up at it him. “It worked!”
Tigerstar hesitated, expecting to feel pain. But his body felt stronger than ever. He scrambled to his paws and stared at the medicine cat. “How did I get here?”
Puddleshine nodded toward the lip of the hollow. “Rippletail, Cloverfoot, and the others carried you home. They’re waiting for you now.”
Tigerstar’s belly tightened. “Are Dovewing and the kits with them?” Had she taken them to ThunderClan as he’d told her?
“Every cat is waiting for you.” Puddleshine blinked at him, moonlight shimmering in his eyes.
The medicine cat led him along a smooth path that spiraled away from the Moonpool, up to the stone ledge, where the encircling cliffs opened to the glittering night sky. Tigerstar blinked at the stars as he padded over stone dimpled by the paw steps of cats over countless moons. Was StarClan watching his first moments as leader of ShadowClan? Rowanclaw! Spiresight! He paused, gazing at the sky. Are you there?
“Hurry!” Puddleshine was already waiting at the top of the hollow. “They’re anxious to see you.” He looked over the edge as Tigerstar reached him.
Tigerstar followed his gaze. A steep jumble of rocks plunged toward a stream below. At the edge of the starlit water, which wound away between moor and forest like a glittering snail track, cats were crowding, their faces lifted toward the hollow.
Their wide eyes glittered with wonder as they saw him.
Tigerstar spotted Ant and Cinnamon at the front. Blaze, Rippletail, and Cloverfoot clustered beside them with Berryheart, Sparrowtail and their kits, while the rest of ShadowClan gathered behind. His chest seemed to burst with joy at the sight of so many familiar faces. Scrambling past Puddleshine, he half leaped, half slithered down the rocks and landed lightly on the rough grass beside Ant.
He scanned the crowd, his breath catching in his throat. There was one face he wanted to see above all. “Dovewing!”
She pushed between Rippletail and Cloverfoot. “You’re alive!” Her words were little more than a gasp, as though she hardly believed them.
Tigerstar wanted to press his cheek against hers and feel the warmth of her fur, but Cloverfoot wove excitedly between them. “It was Puddleshine’s idea to bring you to the Moonpool and let your nose touch the water so you could share dreams with StarClan.”
“But I was dead.” Tigerstar stared at them, gratitude swelling in his chest. He could feel the eyes of his Clanmates on him. Was he supposed to address them? What should he say? As he blinked at them, overwhelmed, Shadowkit padded from behind Dovewing. Pouncekit and Lightkit followed, their eyes as wide as moons.
Tigerstar rushed to meet them, pressing his nose to each one in turn, purring loudly. As Pouncekit and Lightkit crowded around him, Shadowkit touched his nose. “Spiresight says this is right.”
Tigerstar lapped the tom-kit fiercely between the ears. “I saw him,” he mewed. “He’s with StarClan.”
Shadowkit broke into a purr.
Tigerstar felt fur brush his side. Dovewing’s scent billowed around him. Joy flared in his heart. He pressed his cheek against hers. “You’ve been so brave and strong.”
“No more than you,” she murmured.
A leader’s loyalty belongs only to his Clan. Raggedstar’s words suddenly rang in his mind. I must choose my Clan over Dovewing and the kits. He pulled away and stared at her, grief stabbing his heart. “Will you go to ThunderClan now?”
Dovewing gazed at him wonderingly. “Why?”
“Your head told you to raise our kits among your Clan, remember?”
“But my heart told me to stay with you.” Her gaze clouded with love. “How could I leave, after all we’ve been through?” She glanced at the kits, who were weaving happily around them. “And how could I deprive our kits of such a wonderful father?” Purring, she thrust her muzzle against his.
Tigerstar closed his eyes and relished her warmth. Paws scuffed the grass around him. He pulled away and saw his Clanmates staring. There was uncertainty in their gazes.
Tawnypelt stepped forward. She flicked her tail toward Cinnamon, Ant, and Blaze. “You’ve brought back new warriors as well as old.”
Tigerstar tried to read her gaze. Was she angry with him?
Tawnypelt looked at Dovewing and the kits. “And it seems we’re getting ThunderClan cats too.”
He hesitated, conscious of the unease rippling through the pelts of his Clanmates. Then he remembered his leadership ceremony. Strength, courage, compassion, hope, forgiveness, persistence, acceptance, loyalty, and love. These were gifts he carried with him now. He lifted his chin and swung his gaze around the watching cats. Stonewing, Strikestone, and Juniperclaw eyed him warily. “I left you,” he meowed evenly. “But now I’ve returned. I bring with me cats who will make our Clan strong again. Accept them as I accept you. Give them your loyalty as I give you mine. I am ready to lead you.”
Silence gripped the hollow. Tigerstar held his breath as he watched his Clanmates.
“Tigerstar!” Juniperclaw’s mew was the first to ring through the night air. Snowbird’s rose to join it. Stonewing and Scorchfur blinked at Tigerstar, then lifted their muzzles to chant their new leader’s name. Within moments the hillside echoed to the call of every cat.
Tawnypelt’s muzzle brushed Tigerstar’s ear. “There is so much you have missed.” Her mew was filled with grief. “The days since you left have been dark. And there are darker days ahead.”
Tigerstar’s pelt prickled along his spine as he drew back and met her gaze. “Let them come.” He lifted his tail. “We will be ready to face them.”