The Last Hope/Chapter 13

==Chapter description==
:Dovewing sits at the entrance of the warrior's den as she acknowledges to Ivypool that it has stopped raining. Ivypool agrees, adding that it should be clear once they reach the Gathering. Dovewing twitches as she realizes there will be a Gathering and silently prays to StarClan for Tigerheart to attend.
:Bumblestripe walks up to Dovewing from the fresh-kill pile and offers her a mouse. Dovewing refuses and Bumblestripe insists, saying it's a long walk to the Gathering island, to which Dovewing continues to deny. Dovewing notices the leader, Firestar, stand on Highledge and announce the patrol for the Gathering will be leaving shortly. Dovewing glances at the silver-and-white tabby and mentions how she looks more rested than her previous sleepless nights and how Brambleclaw might consider bringing her to the Gathering.
:Brambleclaw does not choose Ivypool to attend the Gathering. Brambleclaw mentions she doesn't look like she has been sleeping well and should probably look for Jayfeather to help her. Dovewing tries to deny her deputy's claims, but Ivypool agrees to Brambleclaw's comments and proceeds to lay down in her nest. Dovewing walks out of the den and into the clearing where she joins her Clanmates, gathered by the thorn tunnel to leave for the Gathering. Rosepetal calls after her and tells her Bumblestripe was trying to eat extra prey before the patrol leaves. Dovewing rolls her eyes and says he'll be as fat as Graystripe soon enough. The two she-cats watch Bumblestripe pull out a plump shrew from the bottom of the pile and Graystripe tells him to offer it to Mousefur. When Mousefur declines, saying her appetite is less of a warrior's, Ferncloud snatches the shrew from Bumblestripe's claws and adds that Brightheart will probably enjoy the prey more. Dovewing and Rosepetal laugh together as they comment that Bumblestripe is the first to get the prey but the last to eat.
:Firestar announces that the patrol is leaving as the calm weather might not last. Cinderheart walks out of the warrior's den with Squirrelflight following close behind her. The ginger tabby asks Cinderheart if she is attending the Gathering, to which Cinderheart denies. Lionblaze looks to Firestar and asks if his brother is coming along too. Firestar shakes his head and Lionblaze speaks out that Clans never go to a Gathering without their medicine cat. Brambleclaw tries to calm the golden warrior, saying Jayfeather isn't ThunderClan's medicine cat in the eyes of the other Clans. Lionblaze and Firestar recollect on the idea of other Clans telling them what to do. Rosepetal speaks up from a group of cats, asking if Cinderheart can temporarily take the place of Jayfeather at the Gathering. Firestar, respectfully, denies this saying Cinderheart should have the right to choose when she is ready to reveal her history to the other Clans. As a gust of rain pushes through the trees, the patrol leaves for the Gathering.
:Dovewing walks on the wet leaves with the rest of the patrol and notices a gray pelt flash beside her every once and a while. She tries pulling ahead and veering away from Bumblestripe so he can leave her alone. Bumblestripe runs up to the gray she-cat and tells her he almost ran her into a tree to which she insults him and calls him mouse-brained. Rosepetal glares at Dovewing as Bumblestripe walks away and asks why she has to be so mean to her friend. Dovewing doesn't understand what she was talking about. Rosepetal elaborates that Bumblestripe likes her and being mean to him isn't appropriate. Dovewing feels offended and a bit guilty asking Rosepetal why she has to adjust her actions to the feelings of another cat. The cream-colored she-cat tells her she should apologize to Bumblestripe. Dovewing comes to terms with Rosepetal's reasonings and tries to find the tom to apologize.
:Dovewing catches up to Bumblestripe, but Bumblestripe growls when she approaches. As Dovewing tries to apologize, Bumblestripe tells her to find some other cat to use as a scratching post since she obviously doesn't feel the same way about him. Dovewing pulls back to Rosepetal and she asks how it went. As ThunderClan enters the Gathering island, Dovewing tells her that Bumblestripe is angry with her and he isn't the only cat who is angry as she looks over the cats already sitting at the Gathering. She hears cats from ShadowClan murmur if the cat has come. Dovewing walks up to her mother and asks who they're talking about. Whitewing answers saying it is Jayfeather. As Firestar and Brambleclaw make their way to their positions on the Great Oak, Dovewing notices Dawnpelt pacing around as if she wants to start a fight and mentions it to Whitewing. She hears hissing from other ShadowClan warriors that murderers should be punished for their actions. Dovewing bristles and replies that Jayfeather is not a murderer and continues to have a snarky conversation back and forth until Whitewing warns Dovewing to stay close to her Clanmates and that they are just trying to provoke the ThunderClan cats. Dapplenose squeezes past a group of warriors and Dovewing offers her a spot next to her. Dovewing catches the whiff of smelly fish from her pelt and tries to hold her breath.
:Blackstar raises his body and announces the commencement of the Gathering. Blackstar thanks Firestar for agreeing to let Jayfeather stay in camp as the Clan figure out the truth of Flametail's death. Dovewing eyes Dawnpelt as she acts like she has importance over the matter. Spiderleg calls from the group of cats asking how will the truth be known. Littlecloud answers the black warrior, telling him StarClan will let them know in time, but it is a difficult situation for every cat. As Dovewing tries glancing over the bodies of ShadowClan warriors for Tigerheart, her mother hisses in her ear to stop staring unless she really wants to start a fight.
:Onestar rises up and explains WindClan's thriving conditions, with Mistystar agreeing about the state of RiverClan. Mistystar, however, explains that there have been strange scents lingering around her territory with no marks of evidence to be followed. Dovewing stands still, thinking that her scent along with Tigerheart's has made it across to RiverClan's territory. Whitewing mentions to Dovewing about the possibility of the tunnels leading to RiverClan as well. Firestar also mentions that ThunderClan have their fair share of unknown scents, but no cats have been seen. Onestar and Blackstar agree to the claims the two previous leaders have made. Onestar and Blackstar mention that the appearances of these scents and marks have been at the heart of the Clan or at places perfect for ambushing. Heathertail speaks from the group of Clan cats and mentions a tuft of orange fur with a scent she'd never smelled before. Other claims from other cats of every Clan began to speak out of odd experiences with rogue and loner scents. Blossomfall, however, contradicts the claims of the other Clan cats saying the conditions of Greenleaf has brought in more kittypets, rogues, and loners. Clan cats fight against her statement saying they smelled Clan scent among the tracks. All four of the Clans begin accusing each other of trespassing. Firestar speaks up and gazes at every cat in the clearing. He tells the Clans that they haven't been invading each other's territories. Dawnpelt calls out at him asking him to explain the scents. Firestar tells the she-cat that if rogues were indeed moving through the Clans, they could pick up scents and drop them off. Mistystar agrees to Firestar's claims. Firestar claims that every Clan should set up more patrols and to spread collected info to the other Clans to warn them. However, the rest of the Clan leaders disagree with Firestar's final statement. The Gathering breaks up and Whitewing tells her daughter there won't be any sharing tongues tonight.
:Tigerheart calls out for Dovewing as cats hurry to their Clans and leave. They both talk about the next place they can meet each other. Dovewing catches a glimpse of Bumblestripe staring at the two of them and suddenly tries to cover up their conversation by saying they were just talking about patrols. Bumblestripe shrugs and walks away saying she can talk to whoever she wants. Dovewing turns back to the handsome cat and tells him they should leave. As she catches up to Whitewing, her mother asks if she is okay. Dovewing responds positively and they walk back to camp, pelts touching. Whitewing tells Dovewing she is always here if she needs to talk.
==Characters==
===Major===
*Dovewing
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Die letzte Hoffnung/Kapitel 13
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Omen of the Stars arc
Category:The Last Hope