Prologue

Hollyleaf watched the Thunderclan camp below her. She watched as Firestar, her own grandfather, call out to the cats of the clan to gather underneath Highledge and listen to what he had to say. She wanted hear what he said one last time before she left forever.

Not even a moon ago she hadn't had to deal with any of this worry. She had planned to be a Thunderclan warrior forever; come to think of it she had never planned on doing anything else. She was born in a clan and clan cats didn't just leave they stayed in their clan, they protected their way of life like it was sacred, they couldn't leave. They would and she would forever be warrior or if they were lucky, a leader. Sadness stole into her heart making her green eyes dull. She had always believed that one day she would be clan leader. Now she was a loner.

It seemed like so long ago when the fire had blazed through Thunderclan's territory and she and her brothers had been trapped with their only escape route a burning log with Ashfur on the other end making sure they didn't get out, making sure they all died. Just so Squirrelflight would feel the pain he had felt when she had chosen Brambleclaw over him.

Squirrelflight had been forced to give up a secret that should have been kept a secret and Ashfur was going to expose her mother at the next gathering with all the clans there.

She couldn't let him expose her mother so she, Hollyleaf had killed him and dumped his body in the creek by the Windclan border. She had hoped it would haul his body to the lake and sink it but it had caught in the rocks and been found by one of the Thunderclan cats.

Leafpool had discovered the truth about the murder at the same time Hollyleaf had discovered that Leafpool was her real mother.

She had been upset about the whole ordeal and the clan's disrespect for the warrior code Hollyleaf had told everyone at the gathering herself. She regretted it as soon as the words had come out and raced into a cavern outraged at herself for doing such a thing, the entrance had fallen in behind her but she easily found another way out.

She couldn't go back now to her clan now, not now that she had done. Would they even want me back after killing a warrior and exposing my parents? No, of course they wouldn't.

Firestar's voice echoed around the camp and up to her ears. She could hear the sadness in his voice and his tail drooped on the ground as his head bent low. "It is with great sadness that I make this announcement today so much has happened that must be dealt with. Leafpool, as you know you can no longer continue on as the clan's medicine cat."

"I know." She growled, regretfully but harshly. "But my apprentice, my err son, has learned all that is needed and will take my place."

Hollyleaf saw her brother bristle at being said to become the new medicine cat she could feel his worry as though they were her own thoughts and that for once in his life he doubted himself, by being blind. The feeling surprised her Jayfeather had never slacked any because of being blind he was perfectly fine and made sure everyone knew it. He would claw the ears off of anyone who pitied him for being blind now he doubted himself. She wanted to go down in to the camp and tell him that everything would be ok but, she couldn't

"Yes, Jayfeather will be Thunderclan's medicine cat!" Firestar continued. "However both Leafpool and Squirrelflight shall retire their duties."

Her eyes darted through the crowd of cats and rested on Squirrelflight. Hollyleaf watched her mother, it was impossible not to think of Squirrelflight not as her mother even if her sister Leafpool had been their mother. Squirrelflight tensed and scowled outraged at the thought. She could also see her father, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight's mate, fidget in his place watching his mate bristle knowing full well a fight would break out soon. Brambleclaw had been the first to fight with Squirrelflight when the truth came out but it looked like now he had forgiven her, after all he still loved her. He was right Squirrelflight could contain herself no longer from the mention of retiring to an elder. "You can't expect me to retire as an elder!" She snarled. "You are mouse-brained if you think I won't stop sharpening my claws or hunting!"

The clan cats were all looking down at their paws pretending not to be paying attention as the fight between leader and his daughter continued. "I expect you to do just so if you don't want to be banned for what you did!" He calming replied.

"But she was my sister!" She snapped and then calmly replied "Being a loner sounds more intriguing! But you will need me if there is a battle." She ended with a hiss and then went over to sit by her sister who had said nothing.

Firestar continued as though nothing had happened. His gaze drifted from the two she-cats sweeping over the rest of the cats.

As his eyes stopped on her brothers who were sitting next to Highledge they looked so depressed and she wondered why they were so upset. Just as her imagination was beginning to take over Firestar's voice spoke out. "The most upsetting news, however, is this. Jayfeather and Lionblaze have just told me Hollyleaf is dead."

Hollyleaf's ears pricked up and she instantly became more intrigued, if that was possible. She squirmed up towards the edge more so her entire head was over the wall and her eyes pierced the cats below. She wanted hear everything about this and why her mouse-brained brothers thought she was dead.

She could see Leafpool lie down close next to Squirrelflight, and both of the cats put their heads down even from her vantage point she could see the pain in their dull eyes. Did they really think I would come back after that? Her father, or whatever he was, closed his eyes as though he could make it all go away. Sorrow filled her with guilt. Perhaps I should tell them I'm not dead. How can I do that? They'd attack me! She shook her head as if that could clear the thought out of her mind. She sighed and thought about leaving now before she couldn't handle herself anymore and went down to her clanmates.

"Jayfeather and Lionblaze said she was chasing a squirrel when rocks collapsed on her." Firestar meowed.

Collapsed on me! Hunting a squirrel! They didn't even tell the truth. It disgusted the need to go see her clan again. Why didn't they say the truth, that I killed Ashfur that, I was upset that I ran into the rocks and I wasn't hunting! She wanted to yell down into the cats the truth. They lied! Now she was sure she couldn't, she wouldn't go back to her lying brothers. She felt bad for her mothers though, she hadn't meant to get them retired which was probably the worst punishment Firestar could put on them, Squirrelflight especially. She didn't want to be the apprentices right now.

"Let us remember her as a brave hunter who was trying to feed her clan." Firestar boomed but he too was upset.

Hollyleaf had just enough of her, former clan. She was disgusted beyond having any feelings for her brothers who she had been able to feel their thoughts since she was a kit.

As she backed up on her stomach to leave to never return her front paw pushed too hard and un-lodged a rock sending it dropping into the camp with the cats below. There were no cats underneath but it startled the whole clan. "Sandstorm, Brambleclaw, Graystripe go see what's up there." Firestar called out "This meeting is over."

Hollyleaf slid away from the edge and out of the bracken that covered its edges. With one final look back she hesitantly darted away from the only place she ever knew.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather were among the ones who went up to the edge to investigate who was up there, though they hadn't been ordered to do so. "There's nothing but Thunderclan scent, not even prey!" Hisssed Sandstorm grumpily.

Jayfeather slithered up to the edge, they were right nothing but Thunderclan smell was there. But he recognized the particular smell of a Thunderclan cat. Hollyleaf.