Tradition

Danger was on the horizon. Or I guess it always had been. It's funny when you take a real look at the things you unconsciously grew up doing and believing. You never stop to really question any of it until you're suddenly confronted with it in the most uncomfortable way possible. We've all done it. Hey, I'm a victim of it myself. It just felt like I was the only one trying to learn from it.

It was deafening.

Hollypaw paced the mouth of the apprentice den, stomach churning, emotions a frazzled mess of incoherent noise in response to the tense atmosphere clouding the BoulderClan camp. It was infectious, this oppressive nature that permeated throughout the Clan, effecting all the cats that lay present.

All across camp cats wore morose masks, their bodies stock still and ears erect, as they devoted all their attention to the sharp, incensed voices that could be heard reverberating off of the walls from inside Crowstar's den.

They were waiting. It'd been this way since high-noon when Crowstar issued an alert, placing guards at the entrance to camp, and barring travel to everyone, except senior warriors and the medicine cat. BoulderClan was in a state of emergency, and it'd all occurred because of a confrontation between the BoulderClan and CloudClan border patrols.

"They can't be allowed to get away with this!" Brackentail, the BoulderClan deputy's voice could be heard yowling inside Crowstar's den. "CloudClan's overstepped their boundary for the last time! We need to respond immediately or else be seen as weak! BoulderClan can't take blatant acts of aggression like this lying down."

"What do you propose then, Brackentail?" Crowstar's calm voice could be heard responding. "Are we going to war? Is that what you want for BoulderClan?"

The thud of a paw slamming against the floor echoed from the den. "This isn't about war, Crowstar! The pride and strength of our Clan was just challenged. Unprovoked, I might add. They have no respect for us or the code!"

A resounding chorus of shouts and snarls could be heard in response to this from inside, as a few of the cats residing outside the den shared uncertain looks with each other.

"I don't think I've ever heard my dad sound so angry," Sagepaw awed from beside Hollypaw.

He was right. She couldn't remember a time where she recalled the Clan deputy ever raise his voice. The sheer outrage, exuding from the den in waves was a testament to his anger. Not to say it was unwarranted.

He'd been present during the confrontation, leading the border patrol to renew the scent markers, when they chanced an encountered with a rival patrol from CloudClan. What transpired next, Hollypaw had only heard snippets of in passing.

The CloudClan patrol was openly hostile towards Brackentail and the others, sending a constant array of jeers and taunts towards them, egging on for a fight. Brackentail had done his best to keep the patrol under control in the midst of the mocking. They weren't there to fight, but it didn't mean that the CloudClan cats weren't.

Things went south the moment two Cloud cats decided to disregard the border and stretch their lanky legs over BoulderClan territory, which earned them a shove back onto their own side, and was ultimately the trigger that set off the CloudClan attack. The patrol was battered on until Brackentail was able to issue a hasty retreat and get them out of further harms way.

They'd stormed into camp, the lot of them littered in scratches and bites, with their pride being what hurt the most. The smell of blood and raucous attracted a crowd in the middle of camp, and it was after a furious back and forth between Crowstar and Brackentail, that the BoulderClan leader then issued a lockdown on Clan activities until he and the senior warriors had reached a conclusion.

It'd be misleading to say this was the sole cause for Brackentail's wrath, however. It'd only been the tipping point. This had been brewing over the course of a moon. For several days border patrols and various cats would report findings of CloudClan scent on their territory, as well as trails of blood that indicated prey kills on their land.

That had been enough to rile up several of the warriors for retaliation, but Crowstar had placated for their patience, promising to bring up these accusations at the next gathering. It might've even worked, if not for the recent discovery that the scent marker between their two Clans had been moved, increasing CloudClan's claim on their side.

The untimely incident today had only serve to seal the deal, confirming a great fear Hollypaw had held for some time now. Blood, fear, rage, and pain were on the horizon for both sides, not just one.

Agitation snatched at her fur, as she continued to pace while Sagepaw tepidly watched her from the corner of his eye. The two of them were originally one of several cats near the apprentice den when the commotion had started, and by proxy had remained off together while the other apprentices drifted into the middle of camp with the older cats.

As more yowls could be heard, coursing from the den, Hollypaw stopped in her tracks and snapped her attention over to Sagepaw.

"If enough of us could protest the battle, do you think Brackentail might reconsider his stance?"

Sagepaw's eyes widened. "Reconsider? They attacked us, Hollypaw!"

"I know that, I know!" she said through gritted teeth, "but more bloodshed shouldn't have to be the answer. It's only going to make things worse."

Sagepaw shook his head in disbelief. "Hollypaw, this is only happening because they picked a fight with us. They invaded our borders, stole our prey, and moved their scent markers onto our side. There wouldn't be any reason for this if CloudClan knew to keep to themselves. You can't expect our Clan to lie down like cowards when we were the ones wronged first."

The justification was there, but a part of Hollypaw still couldn't allow herself to side with Sagepaw's reasoning. Bloodshed was wrong either way. Tearing one Clan down to build yours up was a destructive way of thinking. The four Clans archaic structure and way of life couldn't last forever. Eventually they'd wipe each other out.

Trying to explain this sort of thing to Sagepaw wouldn't work, though. He was built too much in his father's image to get it. There was only one cat that would understand where she was coming from, but she'd have to getaway first to even speak to him.

Mind racing, Hollypaw turned back to Sagepaw. "Could you cover for me? There's somewhere I have to go."

"Are you mousebrained? Camp's under restriction. You heard Crowstar."

The response was expected, but she wouldn't be deterred.

"It's important, Sagepaw! Please, it won't take long. I just need for Roseblossom or one of the other warriors to not wonder where I've gone for a bit."

She held steadfast in her gaze while Sagepaw stared back, unmoved, indifference coloring his irises. What Sagepaw failed to remember, however, was Hollypaw could be just as stubborn as the most unruly kit. The tortoiseshell she-cat pressed on, refusing to budge. After an extended pause, Sagepaw's eyes wavered.

He turned away with a snort. "Fine, I'll do what I can. Don't blame me if you end up getting caught, though."

"Thanks," Hollypaw said, flashing a quick smile. "I guess you can be useful for something, after all."

"I can still change my mind, you know," the russet tom replied with an annoyed huff.

"Yeah, but you won't."

Sagepaw did and said a lot of things, but Hollypaw never knew him to go back on his word. If he said he would help, he would.

There was a groove located near the back of the camp in the Clan's defense that very few cats knew about. Hollypaw had used it several times in the past when she wanted to slip in and out of the Clan unnoticed, usually to avoid Roseblossom. With Sagepaw on watch, she slunk against the outskirts, taking care to miss the glance of any wandering eyes in her direction.

Thankfully for Hollypaw, the entrance to BoulderClan was on the complete opposite side of camp, making this a prime opportunity for her to bypass the guards, and immediately wedge her way in the groove and out into the forest a moment later. Wasting no time, she turned tail and made a beeline for the MeadowClan border.

I remember feeling anxious as I hoped to find him at our usual meeting spot. The sun was trailing off behind me, indicating that dusk was fast approaching. I wasn't sure how much longer he'd keep around, knowing that we agreed to never meet before or after high-noon. I clutched my hope tightly and broke through the cover of trees, feeling the trepidation fade at once upon seeing the familiar black spotted, brown flank of Falconpaw.

Falconpaw looked up from his seated position as she strode forward. "Hollypaw?"

"There's trouble."

Hollypaw quickly recounted the events of the incidents from earlier today. "I'm afraid this might lead to a battle," she was saying. "Brackentail's out for revenge, and I'm not sure Crowstar can persuade him and most of the other warriors out of it."

Adopting a perturbed expression, Falconpaw's ears swiveled inward. "That does sound troubling," he half mumbled half whispered to himself before relocating his attention on Hollypaw. "I know you said your Clan was having issues with CloudClan, but I never would've expected them to descend to such brash tactics like this."

"What do you think, then?" She eagerly pressed the spotted tom, leering forward. "Is there anything I could do to stop this."

Falconpaw's eyes darted around, as though, trying to catch sight of something before shaking his head. "I think it might be far too late for that. Any goodwill your Clanmates had towards Crowstar's word to wait has been tossed to the wind. The desire for vengeance is addicting, and they want a taste of retribution."

Hollypaw released an angry yowl in frustration. She still couldn't wrap her head around it. How can cats be so petty? They think they're being noble, but really, it's just an excuse to beatdown on the other to show who's stronger!

"Don't they realize we're only hurting each other this way?" she vehemently exclaimed, puffing out her fur in the process.

"I've told you before," Falconpaw replied, "it's a cycle they've grown accustomed to."

The BoulderClan she-cat slammed her paw to the floor in a resounding echo, causing Falconpaw to blink rapidly in surprise. "Then that's why we have to break it!" she proclaimed. "Do you remember what I said about bringing others in on this? I've been talking to a few apprentices from the other Clans lately, and I really think some of them would be interested in hearing your ideas for a different way of living."

Falconpaw's golden eyes flashed uncertainly. "Is that a good idea?"

The apprehension was evident upon his, but this was not something Hollypaw believed he should shy away from. What you have to say is important.

"Why not? You helped me understand, and I'm probably the hardest cat in the four Clans to convince anything of. Just ask anyone that knows me."

It'd only been in passing at first. A moon or so ago, the two of them would exchange greetings, and nothing more. At some point the cordial hellos involved into casual conversation, and those conversations would evolve into these long discussions about the history of the Clans and their long legacy. Somewhere in between they veered into current times where they started to talk about the Clans current standings in the world. Using the gathering as an example, the two apprentices delved into debates about the structure of their homes and the possibility of there being an alternative to these halfhearted attempts at peace.

Why should the gathering be the only time where they operated on equal terms? Must they always dispute over land and prey? Couldn't there be different avenues where they reach some sort of compromise where everyone's adequately taken care of?

In the beginning, there were some ideas the MeadowClan apprentice had that made Hollypaw question his sanity. But the more time she spent with the slightly awkward tom, the more she discovered what a brilliant mind lay behind that contemplative expression of his.

Falconpaw grew up with an intense interest in the history of the place he called home. As a kit he always begged for more and more stories from the elders, and when they would run dry, he would to the queens and in turn to the warriors next. It was through this he started to accumulate what would eventually lead to a less than idealized view of the four Clans.

There was a lot of bloodshed and death in stories that were otherwise meant to be a heroic tale. The more he learned, the more repetition in patterns he saw by different ages of cats. It was a vicious cycle, much like he'd said.

In some of the tales he recounted to her personally, Hollypaw realized that the behavior of the Clans had not evolved much in the moons since their inception. Nor in the way they behaved towards each other.

During those times, Hollypaw's thoughts drifted to Redpaw and the day of their apprentice ceremony. She still remembered the look of dismissal they'd held towards him and the utter devastation on his face. No one should be treated that way. She didn't care what their reason for it may be. It was time to stop treating each other like enemies. There was a lot about their way of life that needed reevaluating.

A shadow descended upon them, causing Hollypaw to look up to the sky. The sun was even lower than it'd been when she first left. Her time was at an end.

"We'll finish this later," she said to Falconpaw. "I have to hurry back. There's no telling if the restriction is still in place, and if I'm caught missing during it, it'll be big trouble."

He rose to his paws. "I hope everything works out for your Clan."

"So do I," she replied, turning. "See you."

With a quick wave of her tail, Hollypaw dashed back into the forest.

A low murmuring of voices could be heard just as Hollypaw was sliding her way back into camp. It appeared she'd caught the tail end of the meeting within Crowstar's den finally coming to an end. Cats were exiting the den in pairs as slunk her way back over to the apprentice den, as though she'd been there all along.

She caught sight of Sagepaw near the back of a slowly growing crowd of cats, who sent her a slight nod that she returned in gratification.

Thanks, you big fluff ball. I owe you one.

With all the warriors leaving the den that meant Crowstar was soon to make an announcement, right?

Padding forward to join the rest of the crowd, Hollypaw caught of Roseblossom engaged in a conversation with Oakclaw. The brown tabby had been one of the warriors apart of the meeting. Was Roseblossom hoping to glean some information from him before Crowstar's announcement?

From afar, Hollypaw searched his face for answers, but the brown tabby's neutral expression gave nothing away. Venturing a few pawsteps closer,m she angled herself in position close enough where she was able to hear.

"You guys were in there an awfully long time," she heard Roseblossom saying. "What happened?"

Oakclaw angled his ears towards the giant boulder located in the middle of camp. "Wait and see."

Seconds later, a hush befell the crowd as Crowstar ascended the boulder. The proud BoulderClan leader observed the assembled group of cats from his position in silence. Despite Hollypaw's best attempts, she could uncover no information from the expression on his face.

"Well then," Crowstar began, his powerful voice ringing out. "I'm sure you've heard snippets of the deliberation that took place over today about what we should do in response to the acts of defiance by CloudClan. The discussion was tedious, and as I'm sure you know, quite contentious. It was not an easy decision for us to come to terms on, which is why it took better part of the day." He briefly motioned to sky and how an auburn haze had started to take claim of it. "Even now, there some of us who still do not agree with the conclusion reach today. However, a decision was made, and despite some differing opinions, it will be upheld. In sort, BoulderClan will be engaging in battle with CloudClan."

Hollypaw felt her heart plummet. Oh no.

Before a chorus of voices could rise up, Crowstar silenced them with a single of his tail. He was not finished.

"I will be abstaining from this battle. While I don't support the idea of attacking another Clan, I'm also not opposed to defending ourselves from being taken advantage of. Several of your Clanmates see this as them doing just that, and while I won't take that opportunity away, I will also not take part in it. Therefore, I will be passing over full command of this battle to Brackentail. He will lead the charge while I remain here apart of the Clan's defense, in case of a retaliation.

The news nearly floored half the crowd. Really? Brackentail was the one in charge now?

Before the news had even sunk in properly, Crowstar moved to the side to allow Brackentail on top of the boulder. The Clan leaders boulder. This was actually happening, Hollypaw realized while still in shock.

The BoulderClan deputy bowed his head before Crowstar and then turned to face the crowd of stunned cats. "You've heard right," he said to them. "I'm the sole cat in charge of the battle against CloudClan, and with this honor I invoke my first order: We launch our counterattack tonight!"

This wasn't a dream. We were really about to fight CloudClan with Brackentail as our leader in command. This couldn't end well and it wouldn't. What eventually came to pass only served to prove my point further. In a battle of endless violence, no one would win in the end.