The juice of the woodpecker made Hollypaw rip more meat off and dig into the dead bird. When she was finished, she licked her paw and ran it down her muzzle. Yawning, the she-cat's white paws carried her to the apprentice den, which had ice sickles stuck to the roof of the cave. As the apprentice went to lie down, a mew sounded in the snow-covered clearing.

"Hollypaw!" the voice roared. "Get out here!"

Groaning softly, the apprentice forced herself up and poked her head out of the cave.

A calico tomcat with orange eyes looked at her for a moment before continuing. "I need you. We're going to attack RiverClan and get back the kits."

Hollypaw scowled back in response. "Why can't you get some cat else to go with you? Like Pebblepaw or Dovewillow?"

The deputy hissed. "Because you are one of our skilled apprentices. And you're going to be a warrior soon, too!"

Rolling her yellow eyes, Hollypaw jumped down from the ledge to stand in front of Ashmoon. "Fine. But I won't like it."

They made their way to the thorn tunnel, their paws sinking into the white snow.

Clawdawn, Twigsnap, Duskpaw, Rainclaw, Barkclaw and Flamestep waited for Ashmoon to come back. Frostbite had claimed Brackendust's life yesterday, and Ashmoon replaced him as deputy.

"Is everyone ready?"

The patrol of cats nodded their heads and Hollypaw felt anticipation tug at her paws. Clawdawn touched her tail-tip to Hollypaw's shoulder, who looked away from her.

"ThunderClan let's head out," the deputy ordered. One by one, they made their way through the tunnel and into the forest. Sinking in the snow, Hollypaw and the others jumped up and down, heading for the frozen lake. The wind blew into their fur, ruffling it.

Twigsnap came up next to the white cat. "Do you think RiverClan hurt the kits?"

Hollypaw's yellow eyes clouded for a moment before she looked back at the warrior.

"Creekstar isn't that low. She would never hurt kits. But RiverClan did take them, so I can't say anything." Making their way across WindClan territory, the cats grew ever closer to the river. A crow cawed twice before launching itself into the sky. Crouching down, the ThunderClan warriors slipped into the snow-covered bushes.

Straightening her ears, Hollypaw tried to make out what the RiverClan cats were saying.

"Make sure the kits are fed, and Silentstalk too," Farleap, the RiverClan deputy, said. A scent filled Hollypaw's nose, traveling down her throat.

"Stay quiet," Ashmoon whispered. A patrol of three cats made their way past them, following the frozen river.

A she-cat stopped and lifted her head and sniffed the air.

Beside Hollypaw, Flamestep stepped back a little, his whiskers twitching. The RiverClan warrior gave a shake of her head, then started to walk away.

Hollypaw let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan."

The ThunderClan deputy gulped. "Okay. Duskpaw, Hollypaw, and Twigsnap, you will be the first line of the attack. Clawdawn, Rainclaw, and Barkclaw will go around the side of the camp and spring into battle when you hear my yowl. Flamestep, you wait here until the fight is over."

As the cats moved to their positions, Hollypaw pushed herself through the snow as quietly as she was able to. A flicker of movement caught her yellow eye and saw a brown vole struggling in the snow.

Trying to ignore the prey, the white she-cat looked toward the camp, waiting for Ashmoon's signal.

'Ready...' the apprentice thought. 'Steady... Leap!'

A mighty wail cut through the cold air and the ThunderClan warriors sprang from their hiding places.

Hollypaw dashed through the camp and tackled a reddish-brown tomcat to the ground. Fierce snarling rang through the sky as the RiverClan warriors flung themselves at the intruders. Bitting down on the cat's neck, Hollypaw heard the apprentice yowl and felt claws shred her underbelly.

Getting off, Hollypaw spat at the tomcat and they circled.

"Hollypaw!" the reddish-brown cat, Hollowpaw growled.

"Return ThunderClan's kits!"

The RiverClan apprentice tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about? RiverClan doesn't have your kits."

All that reply got Hollowpaw was a slash to the face!

"Don't act mouse-brained!" the white she-cat yowled, moving out of the way of a warrior getting flung in their direction.

Hollowpaw grappled her and pinned her. "I'm telling you, it wasn't RiverClan!"

The apprentice pushed him off with her back legs, making him fly into a snow mound.

Huffing, Hollypaw looked over at another cat swatting her claws at Twigsnap and Duskpaw. The ThunderClan she-cat let out a hiss and sliced her claws down the RiverClan cat's hind leg.

"Back off, fish-eater!"

The golden-yellow warrior wailed in agony and bared her teeth. Volecloud flicked her tail and a heartbeat later, a black she-cat barreled into them.

"Blackscar!" Duskpaw spat. The warriors fought with unsheathed claws and teeth while around them Clawdawn and Ashmoon battled their sister, Farleap.

"I don't want to fight you, brother!" the black she-cat claimed. The three littermates growled at each other.

A blur of blue-gray fur raced past them and Hollypaw saw Rainclaw attack a queen and lock his jaws around her neck.

"Rainclaw no!"

The warrior bit down on the she-cat's throat and with a mighty yank, blood stained the snow soon after.

"Silentstalk!" a black tomcat roared.

Hollypaw dashed across the camp to the RiverClan nursery and slinked inside.

The scent of milk got purr out of her and the warmth made the white she-cat want to stay there forever.

Peering inside a nest of moss and grass, Hollypaw saw two kits, one cream and one black, but none of the kits from ThunderClan.

"Hollowpaw was telling the truth..." she now realized with a heavy heart.