Prologue-Hollyleaf POV
The black she-cat groaned as the final kit fell into her makeshift nest. She turned, expecting it to be dead, and gasped when she saw movement. The little tom was healthy and, much to her surprise, his eyes were wide open. He gazed at her emotionlessly with his bright yellow eyes for a moment, then turned and began making his way towards her soft belly to suckle.
Hollyleaf sighed and watched her kit as he kneaded her with strong, fuzzy paws. She gave him a lick then turned to the two dead kits lying motionless by their brother. The two she-kits, one a pale gray and the other a black-and-white, had strange scratches on their necks. Hollyleaf frowned, and was about to study her dead daughters more closely, when the little black tom by her stomach made a small squeak. She turned immediately to him and gave him a lick. He purred softly and snuggled closer to his mother. Hollyleaf wrapped her tail around him protectively and breathed in his sweet scent. She began thinking of Thunderclan and Fallen Leaves. She should be returning to check on her former clanmates soon...the black tom squeaked again and Hollyleaf stared at him. He gazed back with his round, bright eyes. She nuzzled him and laid her head down by his side. He placed his tiny nose on her muzzle and Hollyleaf felt sleep taking over. She curled into a ball, her kit in the middle, and succumbed to the darkness. The two dead she-kits lay on the ground, unshielded from the wind, all but forgotten along with Thunderclan and Fallen Leaves.
The tom grew quickly and Hollyleaf found herself growing more and more anxious about him. Her son, whom she named Nightwatcher, a name fit for her little warrior, was immensely demanding yet she couldn't help but comply to his every whim…it was as if…no…she didn't dare think of her own kit as anything but her innocent, precious son. Now and again, when she'd watch him play, she would try to remember her other kits but found that she couldn't…it was as if they'd slipped her mind. In fact, the idea that she'd planned to visit Thunderclan had completely slipped her mind until recently when she'd ran into a Windclan patrol. Composed mainly of younger cats, the Windclan patrol didn't recognize her, to Hollyleaf's relief, but thoroughly reminded her of her roots.
"Mother," Hollyleaf turned to lock eyes with Nightwatcher.
"Yes dear?" The young tom, now nearly six moons old, already knew how to hunt and defend himself fairly well…he was her little prodigy indeed. Hollyleaf frowned a little…if he'd been raised in Thunderclan, he would've been praised as the best of them all…
"Are you leaving me?" This question took Hollyleaf by surprise. She just stood there staring down at her son with a dropped jaw. She didn't know how to reply…she'd never sincerely thought about taking him…perhaps because she'd forgotten the reason why she'd left the tunnels in the first place… "Mother?"
Hollyleaf shook her head and prepared herself to reply. "Only for a little while, I'll be back…I promise." She decided, in that split second, that she wouldn't take Nightwatcher…she didn't know how her clanmates would react not only to herself but her son as well…perhaps the other cats would treat him badly because of her past…
"That's alright mother," Nightwatcher smiled, "but don't promise me you'll be back."
Hollyleaf took a small step back, intimidated by the strange look in his eyes. "What do you mean?" Hollyleaf asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly. Nightwatcher shrugged and his yellow eyes stopped glowing with such intensity. He laughed a little then turned to frolic around in the surrounding meadow, leaving Hollyleaf staring, horrified, at his lithe body.
That following night, Hollyleaf made the decision to leave for Thunderclan without Nightwatcher. She'd be back in a few days and the tom knew how to hunt for himself and where the boundaries were. She stared at him now, just a ball of fur next to her stomach, almost invisible as his black pelt blended in with the night's darkness. She sighed and rested her head next to her son's face. "Good night mother." Nightwatcher's comment nearly made Hollyleaf jump; she'd thought that he'd fallen asleep…he'd been so silent for the past few hours…She stared at his flank. It was moving quite slowly and steadily…he was definitely asleep.
"Nightwatcher?" Hollyleaf murmured, shaking her kit ever so slightly; he didn't budge. Hollyleaf lifted her head and looked around in the darkness…there was nobody here. She pulled Nightwatcher in closer with a sweep of her fluffy tail and gave him a fierce lick. I will be here for you…always…
"Are you sure?"
Hollyleaf did jump this time. She peered closely at her kit, silently begging him to have talked. It was his voice that had spoken just now and the time before, she was sure of it. Hollyleaf nosed him again. "Mother?" Nightwatcher lifted his head and looked up at her with round, innocent eyes.
"Did you just speak now?" Hollyleaf asked. Nightwatcher shook his head, his eyes gazing intently into Hollyleaf's. "Alright then, go to sleep my dear, I'm sorry to have woken you."
"That's okay," Nightwatcher said. Then he smiled, "Good night mother." Hollyleaf shook her head in surprise; it was just as she'd heard it a few moments ago. Before Hollyleaf could say anything, Nightwatcher yawned and dropped his head, snuggling in closer to a frightened Hollyleaf. Speechless, Hollyleaf put her head down and willed herself to sleep. She would most definitely be traveling to Thunderclan tomorrow, and she'd most definitely be back for her son.
