Chapter 2

"Uh, a clan? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. We may be rogues, but we still have pride." Bluegrass turned to give Hollypaw an amused glance, "We won't have to drop to your standards.."

Hollypaw still couldn't get over the sound of his voice. It was strange. Nothing like Stoneclan's usual tang in there voice. His sounded weirdly like the cats that lived with twolegs.

Bluegrass leaded her further into the wooded side of the mountain. As strange as it was, a whole forest grey on this side, while the other was striped bare.

They seemed to walk forever, the forest never ended. The moon was only rising higher in the sky.

"Are you sure you're not like, trying to kitnap me?"

"No," He turned around just as Hollypaw slipped on a wet leaf, "Maybe you should focus on walking."

Embarrassment flooded over her, "You know what, I don't care!" She turned away, stomping off.

"I was only trying to help you remember her..."

Hollypaw stopped, the cold sliced into her. She froze, not daring to move, as if she would freeze to death if she did. An empty void of darkness had opened around her, like the river.

"Ho-How do you know?" She managed, her voice cracking. She didn't turn around to look at him. Not even glancing.

"I knew her, Hollypaw. She used to be one of us."

Coldness became warm in an instance. Cats crowded around her. Suffocating. Too worried. One of those cats seemed out of place. In more despair than all of them, even Hollykit. She could only glimpse that cat. He stayed away from her, as if he didn't want to see the disgusting little creature.

Hollypaw gulped, brought back to reality. "You knew her? What was she like?"

She knew she sounded pathetic, but it was the only thing she could say. Anything else seemed wrong. Felt wrong.

Bluegrass looked away, "She was a good cat, but always thought the clan was fascinating. Soon she fell in love with a cat there, and had you."

Hollypaw turned finally, staring at him, "What about my brothers?"

"You weren't really their sister. They were stolen and she offered to protect them. She had to save them. When she brought them back to us, she died that night."

"So, she didn't really leave me?"

"No, she didn't"

Hollypaw took his words like a blow, her heart began to race. All this time she had been blaming her mom on leaving her, but she never really did?

Bluegrass sighed, "Come on, were almost there..."

...

A few moments later, they emerged into a clearing. Everything was quite. Hollypaw looked around for any signs of cats living here, but there was none. There was trees all around, and the ground was strangely flat underneath their paws. The moonhigh air was amazing. Fresh and crisp. It cut through Hollypaw like a cold claw. She looked up, amazed that there wasn't a mountain of stone. Instead a great expanse of stars.

"Wow, Its beautiful!" Hollypaw exclaimed, staring up at the stars.

"You're mom thought so too..." Bluegrass came to sit by her. He stared up the stars, glittering, dancing around the moon. His eyes had grown unexpectedly warm and bright as he drifted of into his own world.

He must have liked her. Hollypaw was sure now. Every time he talked about her, he seemed to be happier. It grossed her out, to the point she didn't want to talk about it.

"So, where is your clan, rogue?"

Bluegrass jumped, he'd completely forgotten about Hollypaw. "Oh, yeah..." He stood and walked away from her. Right before he walked into the undergrowth, he stopped. Then let out a long, eerie whistle that made Hollypaw shiver.

Nothing happened for awhile, and Hollypaw was getting bored. Maybe she should just leave.

But the undergrowth started to move. At first it scared Hollypaw, but she realized it was only big enough of one cat. Not a whole clan.

She looked at Bluegrass with a fake shocked expression. He didn't seem annoyed, but still shoved her away with one paw.

A she cat stepped out. She wasn't as big as Bluegrass, but she still held the same immense look. Her amber eyes glittered with wisdom, but her tan and white pelt made it seem like she belonged in a desert than a wooded mountainside. However, Hollypaw could see by the way she walked, she was in charge. Obviously the leader.

"Bluegrass?" Her voice was level and calm, but there was an edge to it.

"Um... Sydney, this is Hollypaw... She is Dakota's daughter..."

Sydney flinched at the mention of Dakota, looking away as if the name had cut into her.

"She is not welcome here."

"Why not Sydney? Why, you think she's gonna take your place like Dakota did? Only to run off after?"

"No! You only want her here so you can fall in love with her again."

Until Next Time