Uhh, this chapter's glitching pretty bad as I'm trying to load it, so I'm sorry in advance! Updated allegiances and a Hollystar chapter! Point out the mistakes, guys!
Allegiances
Leader:
Hollystar - black she-cat with green eyes
Deputy:
Graystripe - long-haired gray tom
Medicine Cat:
Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice, Jayfeather
Warriors:
Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom
Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat
Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom
Apprentice, Rosepaw
Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger splashes
Apprentice, Bumblepaw
Ferncloud - pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes
Cloudtail - long-haired white tom
Sorreltail - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes
Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes
Spiderleg - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes
Birchfall - light brown tabby tom
Apprentice, Briarpaw
Berrynose - cream-colored tom
Hazeltail - small gray-and-white she-cat
Mousewhisker - gray-and-white tom
Cinderheart - gray tabby she-cat
Honeyfern - light brown tabby she-cat
Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat
Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Blossompaw
Foxclaw - reddish tabby tom
Icepelt - white she-cat
Millie - striped gray tabby she-cat
Apprentices:
Jayfeather - gray tabby tom
Rosepaw - dark cream she-cat
Briarpaw - dark brown she-cat
Bumblepaw - very pale gray tom with black stripes
Blossompaw - white she-cat with tortoiseshell patches
Queens:
Daisy - cream long-furred she-cat from the horseplace
Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Birchfall's kits: Oakkit (ginger dappled tabby she-cat with white paws), and Rainkit (long-haired gray tom with darker flecks)
Elders:
Mousefur - small dusky brown she-cat, oldest cat in ThunderClan
Longtail - pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight
Brambleclaw - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes, severely broken foreleg
Hollystar stood bristling in the middle of the Gathering as the other Clans filed out of the clearing and over the fallen log. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Where is Onestar? she wanted to screech. Something's wrong--fsomething's very, very wrong.
Graystripe padded up to her from the deputies' positions. "We're going to have some trouble with ShadowClan," he murmured to her. "Blackstar made some pointed hints to Leopardstar as well. She's not looking so well, is she?"
Hollystar barely heard her deputy's words. Her mind was fixed on the knowledge that both WindClan's leader and the medicine cat weren't in the clearing. "Yes," she agreed vaguely, then she blinked and focused on him. "What?"
Graystripe's tail twitched but he didn't say anything about his leader's lapse in attention. "Blackstar threatened us about Flamepaw," he reminded her. "He said we need to release him or face ShadowClan's claws, remember?" His yellow eyes searched her face.
Hollystar shook her head to clear it. "Of course, of course. I had nearly forgotten that we still had him as a prisoner. Firestar's the one that ordered it." Her mind clouded with sorrow, and she shook her head angrily again to shake the thoughts away. Be strong, she chastised herself.
"As soon as we get back, I think we should send him with a patrol to the border." Graystripe seemed very careful with his words--as if he was concentrating on not taking charge.
"That's a good idea," Hollystar agreed. "See to it, will you?"
Graystripe dipped his head, then turned and padded over to speak with Rosepaw. The broad-shouldered dark cream she-cat's amber eyes were still glowing with excitement from the Gathering.
She's so happy to be here, Hollystar thought. So would Toadspring. A sharp pang of despair clawed its way through her, leaving her gasping with the strength of it. My fault, my fault. She could feel herself spiraling but couldn't seem to stop. Her chest heaved with her infection and her shoulder felt like it was on fire.
"Hollystar!" Leafpool raced over to her. The medicine cat sniffed along her shoulder. "Oh, I wish Jayfeather was here," she whispered so softly that Hollystar didn't think she was supposed to hear it.
"I'm fine," she gasped. "I think it's just…it's just…" Her mind filled with the images of the lost ones--Brackenfur, Firestar, Toadspring. All my fault! she cried.
"StarClan help me," Leafpool murmured. She leaned down to Hollystar's ear and mewed softly, "Hollystar, all the other Clans are gone. I'm going to have Mothwing in RiverClan come here. She will bring you some herbs." She lifted her head away from Hollystar and called, "Sandstorm!"
The pale ginger she-cat came racing over. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, shocked.
"She needs herbs immediately. Go fetch Mothwing in RiverClan, please. Ask her to bring some poppy seeds, marigold, and"--she paused and looked down at Hollystar speculatively--"thyme." She looked at Sandstorm pleadingly. "Hurry!"
Sandstorm took off, calling to Dustpelt, and the two warriors soon disappeared from view. Cloudtail took one look at the situation then turned and gathered the ThunderClan cats around, loudly announcing that it was the perfect time for a story. The cats padded up to him and sat down, looking rather confused.
Hollystar watched all this with a strange detachment. Thyme? Thyme is for shock…I'm not in shock. She pulled herself to her paws shakily.
Leafpool pressed her back down. "Please, Hollystar, lay back down. You're not…you're not well."
Hollystar glared up at her. "I'm fine," she insisted. "Let me up."
Leafpool's amber eyes hardened. "No, Hollystar. You need to listen to others. Being leader doesn't mean that you can't take help from others." Her eyes softened. "You can trust your Clan, Hollystar. We're all trustworthy."
Hollystar looked up at her in disgust. Making sure no other cats were around, she leaned forward and hissed, "Are you trustworthy, Leafpool? After what you did with that WindClan warrior? After lying to the Clan for seasons while Jayfeather and I grew up?" She watched the medicine cat coldly. "You can't possibly think that Jayfeather, Lionblaze, or I could trust you after what you did to us and to everyone else."
Leafpool's gaze was tortured. "Hollystar, please," she begged. "I loved Crowfeather dearly and still do. I'm proud of my kits and my Clan. The Clan doesn't need to know."
"Yes they do!" Hollystar mewed shrilly. "You're the medicine cat! You need to tell the Clan the truth and earn their trust back!"
"What they don't know can't hurt them." Leafpool looked up and let out a sharp sigh of relief. "Mothwing," she greeted to a cat over Hollystar's head. "I'm so glad you have come."
Hollystar twisted around to see the beautiful golden tabby she-cat come padding into the clearing, her mouth full of fragrant herbs. Setting them down, she mewed, "How could I not? You've helped me out in a tight spot more than once." She padded up to Hollystar and dipped her head politely.
Leafpool was already chewing up the marigold into a poultice. "ThunderClan is in your debt, Mothwing." She glanced at the RiverClan medicine cat with affection. "Anytime you need my services or my herbs, just send a cat and I will gladly give you some."
Mothwing shook her head, her amber eyes glinting. "ThunderClan doesn't owe us anything," she said softly. "This doesn't need to be told to Leopardstar." She fixed Hollystar in her gaze. "Okay?"
"Why doesn't Leopardstar need to know?" Hollystar demanded.
Mothwing hesitated, then glanced over to Leafpool. The ThunderClan medicine cat shook her head just slightly. Mothwing turned back and mewed, "Oh, no reason," in a falsely-cheery voice.
Rage flamed up in Hollystar's belly. She opened her mouth to order Leafpool to tell her the truth, but Leafpool shoved a mouthful of thyme into her gaping jaws. Coughing and spluttering, Hollystar choked down the leaves resentfully.
Leafpool laid the marigold on Hollystar's shoulder more gently. "Thank you, Mothwing," she mewed.
Mothwing flicked her golden tail down Leafpool's side. "It was nice to see my kin." She fixed amber eyes on Hollystar.
Hollystar gasped. "How are you my kin?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.
Mothwing purred. "Your father is my half-brother," she told her. "We share the same father."
Fury burned through Hollystar's veins. She longed to tell the medicine cat the truth but Leafpool was looking stricken over Mothwing's shoulder. "How interesting," she mewed stiffly instead. A thought occurred to her, and she narrowed her eyes at Leafpool before locking them with Mothwing. "My brother is also your kin. There he is over there." She raised her voice. "Lionblaze!"
The golden tom lifted his head and padded over. Looking suspiciously at Mothwing, he mewed, "Are we going to leave soon? Brightheart and Cloudtail are telling us stories of the old forest, but I'm getting pretty bored." He let out a soft laugh.
Ignoring his comment, Hollystar mewed rashly, "Look, Lionblaze!" She flicked her tail at Mothwing. "She's our kin. Our father's half-sister." She watched his look of confusion and shock cross his face with a strange sense of satisfaction. She could see him silently mouth the words "Our father?" with a bewildered look on his face.
He dipped his head to Mothwing politely. "Greetings," he mewed awkwardly, shooting furtive glances at Hollystar the whole time. "We must be kin--we look so similar."
Mothwing looked from his golden tabby pelt to her own and mewed friendlily, "Oh, yes! You must have gotten your eyes from Brambleclaw."
"Tigerstar's eyes," Lionblaze pointed out, his pelt bristling.
"I suppose." Mothwing's eyes shifted to Leafpool. "I must return to my Clan," she told her.
Leafpool padded forward to press her nose to the RiverClan cat's. "I will see you at the half moon."
Something flickered in her beautiful amber eyes, but she answered with "Of course." She picked up the herbs scraps and quickly padded over the log and out of view.
Hollystar faced Leafpool with grim triumph.
Leafpool looked back with sad eyes. "That was a low blow, Hollystar," she said, barely audible.
"You deserved it," Hollystar hissed as she stood and stretched her shoulder, wincing when sharp pain lanced through her. "Come on!" she called to the Clan. "We're leaving now!"
The Clan hurried over, still confused, and started over the log. As Cloudtail passed, Hollystar pressed her pelt to his white one and murmured, "Thank you."
Cloudtail dipped his head. "Are you better now?" he whispered.
Hollystar nodded. "My shoulder," she explained, flicking her tail to the wound.
"Ah." Cloudtail nodded to her then picked up speed to walk by his mate.
Hollystar watched him go, her shoulder burning. She turned around and spotted Thornclaw's very familiar golden brown pelt and dashed over to him, pressing her pelt against his.
He flicked his tail down her side. "That was a interesting Gathering, huh?" he mewed, affection in his soft voice.
Hollystar didn't answer, just buried her face in his warm fur and wished for the simpler days before she knew her true parentage.
Ferncloud trotted up to Hollystar as soon as she set paw in the camp. "Jayfeather and Flamepaw are gone," she said bluntly.
Hollystar gasped. "What?" she hissed. "How long have they been gone?"
"A while. I sent Sorreltail and Berrynose with patrols to go find them." Her dark green eyes were serious. "They haven't returned yet."
Hollystar's mind whirled with exhaustion, pain, and worry. What in StarClan's name was Jayfeather thinking? "We need to return Flamepaw to ShadowClan," she sighed. "His Clan gave us a very serious threat."
Ferncloud nodded. "Do you want me to take another patrol out?" she asked.
"Yes. You, Poppyfrost, and Birchfall can go towards the ShadowClan border. Be prepared for a fight." Hollystar turned to face the Gathering patrol. "Dustpelt, you take two more cats and patrol the WindClan border." She narrowed her eyes. "We need to find him."
The patrols took off and Hollystar twisted her head up to look at the glowing stars. StarClan help me!
"Hollystar." It was Berrynose, flicking his stubby tail irritably. "I picked up WindClan scent in our territory." Briarpaw and Hazeltail stood just behind him. Briarpaw's amber eyes were wide and frightened.
"WindClan?" Hollystar echoed. She narrowed her eyes. "What would they be doing in our territory?"
"What if they took Jayfeather and Flamepaw?" Briarpaw wailed. "They must have!"
"We don't need to go making accusations," Hazeltail mewed softly. "We have no evidence that they did anything."
"But aren't they the ones that killed Ashfur?" Just Berrynose's casual mention of the crowfood-eating traitor made Hollystar's claws sink into the ground.
"No," she hissed. "We don't know that." She straightened up. "Take me to the scent," she ordered. "Lionblaze, you come, too."
The golden tom rushed over, his eyes excited at the prospect of battle. "I hope Jayfeather's alright," he mewed worriedly.
"Me, too." Hollystar flicked his ear with her tail. Looking down at Briarpaw, she mewed, "You stay here."
Briarpaw looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I want to make sure that Flamepaw is okay." She blinked, then added hastily, "And Jayfeather, too."
Hollystar narrowed her eyes at her words. They are enemies, she whispered to herself, but something in Briarpaw's eyes told her otherwise. "You will stay here," she repeated, her voice not as gentle this time. "Lionblaze, go fetch your apprentice."
"Okay," he growled, and took off towards the apprentices' den, coming back shortly with a very tired-looking Blossompaw.
She shook out her dappled pelt and mewed, "What's going on?" in a sleepy voice.
"Patrol," Lionblaze told her shortly.
Hollystar nodded then turned to Berrynose. "Lead the way."
The cream tom nodded, his amber eyes serious, and raced out of the camp with Hazeltail hard on his paws. Hollystar followed them out with the rest of the patrol, racing hard through the midnight forest. The Twoleg den came into view, mysteriously silhouetted by the misty fog.
Berrynose stopped suddenly at a clump of brambles. "Here." He flicked his tail at the bush. "WindClan scent, as well as Jayfeather's and Flamepaw's." He stepped back as Hollystar pressed forward and sniffed at the sharp stems. Jayfeather's scent was clear.
"Hollystar, look!" Blossompaw murmured, pointing with her tail to a clump of ginger fur. "That's Flamepaw's!"
Hollystar padded over and tugged the scrap of fur. She spat it out on the cold ground and stepped back. "We should have had Cloudtail come with us," she growled. "He's better at tracking."
"I could try, Hollystar," Hazeltail mewed timidly. "Dustpelt taught me some tracking."
Hollystar quickly agreed and stepped back, allowing the gray-and-white she-cat to sniff delicately at the clump of fur. "Okay," she mewed as she stepped back. She lifted her nose in the air, closing her eyes to concentrate. She turned towards the WindClan border and sniffed along the ground. "I think they went this way," she said.
"Wait! Look!" Lionblaze gripped a bramble stem in his teeth and tugged it loose. "Look at it," he growled through clenched teeth.
Blossompaw peered closely at it. "Blood!" she gasped.
"It's Jayfeather's," Berrynose snarled. "WindClan must have hurt him!"
"Here's WindClan scent!" Hazeltail mewed shrilly. "And some fur here on the side!" She came back with a few hairs and set them on the ground.
"Gray," Hollystar meowed speculatively. "Who's a gray WindClan cat?"
"Emberfoot," Lionblaze answered immediately.
"And Ashfoot," Berrynose pointed out. "She might have come back and captured them."
"But why would they be out here?" Hazeltail pondered.
"They were looking for herbs, they told me." Berrynose poked his muzzle back into the brambles and came out with a small leaf.
Hollystar leaned in and scented it. "Catmint." She lifted her head to gaze into the Twoleg yard. "This is where they collect it."
"WindClan must have caught them here when they were getting herbs," Lionblaze reasoned. "Either Ashfoot or Emberfoot were here and attacked them." He nodded towards the bramble.
"There was only a little blood," Hollystar pointed out. "Jayfeather might have just cut himself on the thorns."
"But he might have gotten it from WindClan claws," Hazeltail countered. "Look at the ground, Hollystar. Cats were running here recently."
Hollystar looked at all the evidence--the fur, the scent, WindClan tracks--fit all pointed directly towards a WindClan attack. She narrowed her eyes. "Then it's obvious what we must do," she hissed softly. "WindClan cannot take our medicine cat without repercussions." She looked each cat in the eye. Berrynose and Lionblaze looked determined, Hazeltail was swishing her tail from side-to-side with a hard look in her blue eyes, and Blossompaw was looking extremely nervous. "We will return to camp now and collect a battle patrol." She turned and faced the cold stars. "We attack at dawn!"
Whew. This chapter surprisingly took me a long time to write. Although, that may be because my brother challenged me to a Pokemon showdown right in the middle of it. ^^ I won. No one can beat me! Muahahahahaha!!
I wonder if you guys read my ANs. I have a lot of fun writing them . XD
R&R!
Shadow