I'm sure you guys know about the over-population of ThunderClan, with all the kittypets and such. I plan to alleviate this issue. -insert maniacal laugh- This chapter's for you, Fwirl!


"Good," Hollyleaf mewed. "But you need to be a little closer to the ground, like this." Hollyleaf fell into a hunting crouch position, then turned to her apprentice to make sure he was watching.

Toadpaw said excitedly, "How about this?" He dropped so far that the white fur of his belly brushed the soft moss of the training hollow. He looked up at Hollyleaf with wide amber eyes.

Stifling an amused purr, she replied, "That's alright, if you don't mind getting a pelt full of dirt." Using her tail, she gently guided him upwards until he was in the correct position. "There. That's it." He was doing fairly well so far, she mused. His eagerness made him a quick learner, always wanting to please. "I think it's time to try it out on some real prey."

Toadpaw's eyes lit up, and he gave a little bounce. "Yes!" he yowled, his gray paws lifting clouds of dust from the dry ground.

"Do you want to scare off all the prey from here to WindClan?" Hollyleaf hissed teasingly, trying to scare her apprentice.

Toadpaw quickly stopped himself, and lowered his head somberly. "No, Hollyleaf. Let us hunt for our Clan."

Purring at the little apprentice's suddenly serious demeanor, she tuned tail and ran out of the clearing at full speed, tossing, "Come on, then!" over her shoulder. She raced ahead, loving the feeling of the wind in her fur and the exhilaration of sheer speed.

"Wait, Hollyleaf! Wait for me!" she heard Toadpaw yell after her. Turning around, exhilarated, she stared in shock at the distance between her and the black-and-white tom. Was I really going that fast?she wondered. She waiting, barely even panting, as Toadpaw puffed into view.

"You left me behind!" he accused grumpily, echoing his father, Spiderleg's normal attitude.

"You shouldn't be so slow," she teased. "If I had to wait any longer, I would have turned to crow-food!"

Toadpaw's eyes blazed, not recognizing his mentor's joke. "I'm not slow! I'm the fastest apprentice there is!" He shook his pelt free of dust, and attempted to catch his breath.

"Don't let Icepaw hear you say that; she thinks she's the fastest." Hollyleaf sat down and began to wash her pelt with rhythmic strokes of her rough tongue.

"She thinks," he grumbled, then brightened and asked, "Are we going to hunt now? I can't wait to tell Rosepaw when I catch something." He flicked his tail from side-to-side happily.

Hollyleaf stopped in mid-lick, and straightened up. "Okay. Let's try by the Sky Oak. There's always plenty of prey around there." Her apprentice's enthusiasm was contagious; she felt her heart begin to race at the thought of hunting and providing for her Clan. The warrior code accounts for everything, she thought while she ran. From the smallest kit in the nursery to the elders in their den. The code is what makes us a Clan. The thought filled her with satisfaction at her own contribution to the Clan.

As the Sky Oak came into view, Hollyleaf slowed her pace to a trot. The scent of mouse wreathed around her, making her belly growl with anticipation. A flicker of movement in the tall grass caught her eye, and she quickly motioned with her tail to Toadpaw, informing him to keep quiet. "What can you smell," she quizzed him, her voice barely above a whisper.

He parted his jaws as he took in the air. Licking his lips, he responded, "Mouse!" Toadpaw's haunches wriggled as he prepared to spring.

"Wait," Hollyleaf ordered. The black-and-white tom ceased his movement immediately. Good listener, Hollyleaf thought appreciatively. "What's the rule with mice?"

"They'll feel you before they see you." Toadpaw's answer was swift.

Hollyleaf let out a purr. "Perfect. Now, let's see you in action." She nudged him in the direction of the scent.

Toadpaw began to slowly stalk forward, his amber gaze intense with the force of his concentration. Setting each gray paw down gently, he made his way towards the twitching grass. Waggling his haunches, he paused in his stalking and prepared to spring. Hollyleaf held her breath as he leapt forward and into the undergrowth. With a swift blow to the neck, Toadpaw quickly dispatched the mouse, and turned to Hollyleaf and lifted his catch proudly.

"Great catch, Toadpaw!" Hollyleaf cheered. "That was excellent!"

Toadpaw's eyes shone with pride as he trotted back towards the black she-cat. Depositing the limp gray body at her paws, he stepped back and said, "My first kill!"

"With many more to come," Hollyleaf purred. "Let's get back to camp so you can tell Rosepaw."

With a happy little spin, Toadpaw picked up his prey and, tail in the air, lead the way to the hollow, leaving Hollyleaf to follow.


When they reached the hollow, Toadpaw glanced around for his sister. The dark cream she-cat was washing herself by the half-rock, bringing her delicate paws over her ears. Hollyleaf watched with amusement as the young tom bounded up to Rosepaw and showed off his kill. The she-cat's amber eyes glowed with pride for her brother. Hollyleaf was just close enough to hear her soft mew.

"Congratulations, Toadpaw! That's the biggest mouse I've ever seen!"

Her brother puffed out his chest with pride. "I caught it all by myself; first time and everything!" he announced.

Letting out a sigh at her apprentice's boastful nature, Hollyleaf padded towards the fresh-kill pile to get herself a piece. Plucking a vole from the pile, she looked around for her littermates and spotted Lionblaze absent-mindedly pulling feathers off a sparrow.

"Hey," she said dropping to the ground beside him.

He glanced up as if he had just noticed her. "Hey," he replied sounding distant.

She peered closer at her, noticing that his eyes were bloodshot and his fur was lank. "Are… are you okay?" she questioned worriedly.

His eyes lacked their normal gleam as he said, "Yeah, yeah… I'm alright. Just a little tired. I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Oh." She got the feeling that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but let it drop for now. Changing the subject, she meowed, "Toadpaw's doing excellent. He's a quick learner, for sure."

"That's great." Lionblaze's jaws parted in a huge yawn; Hollyleaf half-expected his bones to crack from the strain. "He seems keen enough to learn. He did alright when I helped him with battle moves."

"Yes," she agreed, thinking all the while what had kept Lionblaze awake all night. "Hey, you want to go back out hunting with me and Toadpaw? He could use a little more practice; today was only his first hunting day. All I've had him doing is battle training; I'm scared that there's going to be another attack."

"Sure." With another bone-breaking yawn, Lionblaze heaved himself to his paws and gave his golden pelt a brisk shake. "Though I doubt WindClan will give us any trouble." His eyes gleamed with his normal humor. "At least, not with me on patrol."

Hollyleaf gave her brother a shove. "Stupid furball," she mewed affectionately. She glanced around the clearing; Cloudtail and Brightheart were sharing a rabbit, while Dustpelt ate a shrew nearby. Honeyfern and Berrynose had just padded back into the clearing with more prey, with Mousewhisker trailing behind with three mice hanging from his jaws. Even Longtail stuck his head out of the elder's den to sniff at the breeze whistling through the stone hollow.

"Toadpaw! Let's go hunt some more," she called across the clearing. The apprentice looked up at the sound of his mentor's voice, told his sister good-bye, and charged across the clearing.

The three cats padded towards the entrance just as Brackenfur and Sorreltail were coming in.

The golden-brown tom nodded to his former apprentice. "Hollyleaf, Lionblaze," he greeted. "Are you going out to hunt?" he asked. "Mind if I come with you? This day's too good to waste hanging around the camp."

Hollyleaf dipped her head. "Of course, Brackenfur."

The warrior glanced towards his mate. "Are you coming, too?" he asked.

Sorreltail gave her mate an amused glance. "If I hunt anymore," she meowed, "my paws are going to drop off. I'm exhausted." The tortoiseshell queen gave Brackenfur an affectionate lick between the ears. "Bring me back something!" she called over her shoulder as she padded further into the clearing.

Brackenfur watched her for a moment, then turned to Hollyleaf and asked, "Why don't we bring Thornclaw along?" He looked down at Toadpaw, and added, "I'm sure your apprentice wouldn't mind hunting with his sister."

Toadpaw gave a happy mew. "Rosepaw!" he called. "Come on!" The little tom then turned and lead the way out into the forest.

Brackenfur waited until Toadpaw was out of earshot, then mewed, "You were just like him when you were his age." He purred with laughter.

Hollyleaf's pelt went hot with embarrassment. "Was not!" she argued. She flicked her former mentor over the ears with her tail.

"Come on!" Lionblaze was already pelting into the forest, heading deeper into the heart of ThunderClan territory. Hollyleaf charged after him, feeling Thornclaw and Brackenfur on her paws.

"Why don't we go near the WindClan border? There's always some prey there," she called over her shoulder.

Brackenfur looked uneasily at his brother and mewed, "I don't think that's a good idea, Hollyleaf. They're still hostile to us after the battle. I think we should go towards the lake."

Hollyleaf spun to face the golden warrior and narrowed her eyes. "WindClan's not stupid enough to pick a fight with ThunderClan. They know it's against the warrior code to start a war over nothing. They have no basis for a fight."

Brackenfur sighed. "Sometimes I think you believe the code is the solution to everything, Hollyleaf."

She felt astonished. "Of course it's the solution to everything! That's why it's been around for so long." She lifted her head stubbornly. "We should go hunt near WindClan."

Brackenfur lowered his head submissively. "I don't think it's a good idea," he repeated. "But if you want to…" He trailed off his sentence, leaving Hollyleaf suspicious that he had given in so easily.

Thornclaw seemed to share her thoughts. "B-but you just said it was dangerous!" The tabby warrior twitched his tail confusedly.

"It's Hollyleaf's patrol, Thornclaw," he explained. "We must do what she says." Thornclaw looked doubtful, but said nothing. Rosepaw watched the exchange with wide eyes.

Feeling satisfied, Hollyleaf called Lionblaze and Toadpaw back, and lead the way towards the border. She and Toadpaw started to poke around the bushes, scenting for any trace of prey.

She had her head down in a clump of bushes when she heard the first yowls. Whirling around, she came face-to-face with Harespring. "Get out of our territory!" she hissed, outraged.

The WindClan warrior narrowed his eyes. "This is WindClan territory now, forest rat," he spat out.

Hollyleaf bared her teeth and hissed ferociously; Harespring retaliated likewise. Bunching her haunches beneath her, she leapt for the warrior's throat. Moving with whiplash speed, Harespring ducked his head, sheltering his throat and sending Hollyleaf soaring over his head. Before she could even catch her breath, she felt thorn-sharp claws rake down her spine. Yowling, she whipped around and lashed out a paw, catching him across the ear. Blood sprayed her pelt as the WindClan tom hissed in pain and fled.

Looking around her for the first time, Hollyleaf watched with dread as WindClan cats grappled with her Clanmates. Thornclaw was raking his claws down Ashfoot's flank while Toadpaw was facing down Sunpaw. Her apprentice looked terrified to be facing such a large foe; the ginger tom was easily twice his size. The WindClan apprentice was taunting the smaller cat, poking and lashing at Toadpaw.

Filled with rage, Hollyleaf charged towards the battling apprentices, but was interrupted by a flash of white. Her anger was quickly replaced by hope as Cloudtail pounced on Sunpaw, taking the apprentice by surprise. The white warrior screeched Sunpaw fiercely, sending the smaller cat fleeing across the moor.

Turning to Hollyleaf, he yowled, "Don't just stand there! Go help!" He ran forward to seize a gray apprentice who was slashing at Rosepaw, and drag her away. The dark cream she-cat ran after Cloudtail, yowling at the cat in his jaws.

Turning around, she spotted Lionblaze taking on two warriors by himself. Seizing Emberfoot by the shoulder, he threw the warrior bodily into the undergrowth where he did not get up. The other cat, Tornear, saw the power behind the golden warrior's blow and quickly fled.

Hollyleaf whirled, hissing, as she heard pawsteps behind her. Raising her extended claws for attack, she let loose a fierce yowl and started to bring down her paw. She stopped in midair as she recognized the cat; Breezepelt. Her paw stayed in the air for several heartbeats before she lowered it, saying, "I can't fight you."

Breezepelt's eyes narrowed. "Why not?" he challenged. "Afraid to get beaten?" His black pelt was bristling, but she noticed that he was trembling.

"We're friends. Friends don't fight friends." Hollyleaf sheathed her claws. She saw something pass in his eyes, memories flickering like fish in a shallow pond. He hesitated, his tail flicking, unsure.

Hollyleaf took a step forward, encouraged by his reaction. A weight hit her from the side, knocking the from her lungs. Her eyes whirled as she searched for whoever knocked her down, only to lock on a pair of hazy blue eyes.

"Heatherpaw," she rasped. The tabby looked down on her in disgust.

"It's Heathertail," she said sneeringly. She raised a paw, claws glittering in the pale light filtering through the trees, and brought it down for a ripping blow. Hollyleaf didn't even have time to close her eyes.

Heathertail's claws never made impact. Hollyleaf saw the warrior's heather-colored eyes go wide and Lionblaze slammed into her. He stood over his sister protectively as she gasped for breath, feeling for all the world like a beached fish.

"You again." Heathertail's voice was cold. "You can't seem to stay off my territory. Right, Breezepelt?" The tabby turned to her Clanmate, who was staring at the two ThunderClan warriors with an inscrutable expression in his amber eyes.

"Yes," he agreed. "You should stay under the trees like the mice you are."

"Back off, Heathertail." Lionblaze glared at the she-cat. Hollyleaf was vaguely surprised that he knew the she-cat's warrior name.

A mournful yowl filled the clearing, stopping the battle. With a rush of fear, Hollyleaf recognized Thornclaw's voice raised in horror.

"No! No!" His cry rang out over the clearing, echoing off the trees and stone. Hollyleaf and Lionblaze left the two WindClan cats behind and rushed towards their Clanmate. With trepidation, Hollyleaf padded up to gaze in the same direction as Thornclaw, horror rooting her in place as she recognized the heap of golden-brown tabby fur on the ground, covered in blood and motionless.

It was Brackenfur.


I felt a little bad writing this chapter, but some cats have to die. I'd rather have Brackenfur die heroically in battle than, say, falling off the top of the ThunderClan hollow, which was what I had originally planned. It didn't seem realistic enough; but then again this is a series about talking cats. Be grateful Cloudtail-lovers! It was supposed to be him in Brackenfur's place! Poor Brackenfur will be avenged, though. I got it all planned out. Muahahahaha!!

I mean seriously people, HollyxCode should be a freaking canon shipping by now. I tried to tone it down a little, but I mean come on! Who else would be so faithful to Hollyleaf than her beloved warrior code?

Shadow