Chapter Seven
A few days later, Hollypaw woke up to find that Ferncloud was gone. She had been sleeping next to her every night so far, but what had happened to her today? Sure, Ferncloud had gotten a little better, but she couldn't have healed this fast! Frantic, Hollypaw got to her feet and rushed out into the main clearing.
Relief flooded through her when she saw Leafpool standing by her side as she walked slowly around the clearing.
"'Morning," she called, and she bounded over to them.
"Hello," Leafpool meowed.
"Good morning, Hollypaw," Ferncloud said. Her voice was still slightly scratchy, but her throat was beginning to get better, too. Ferncloud coughed, but didn't wheeze.
Firestar could be seen jumping down from the Highrock, and he padded over to see how Ferncloud was.
"Ferncloud!" he purred. "I can see you must be feeling better?"
"Not entirely," Leafpool corrected him. Hollypaw thought Firestar must feel weird being corrected by his daughter, but he didn't seem to mind.
"We're just letting her get some exercise," Leafpool continued. "Jaypaw and Hollypaw have been helping out a lot lately, and Ferncloud is almost completely healed now." Hollypaw purred at her name, but then realized that Jaypaw hadn't been in the medicine cat den. Or had he?
Cinderpaw came out of the apprentice's den and walked right past Hollypaw to the medicine cat den. Hollypaw's fur bristled, and she chased after her. When she got there, she saw Jaypaw organizing some herbs, and Cinderpaw was sitting next to him.
"So, that's dock, right?" Cinderpaw asked.
"Yea," Jaypaw replied. "Very good." She purred and curled her tail.
"Ahem?" Hollypaw stepped into the den, and Cinderpaw spun around to face her.
"Oh, hi, Hollypaw," Cinderpaw mewed. "I didn't know you were awake!"
"You walked right past me!" Hollypaw exclaimed. Cinderpaw looked at the ground.
"Oh…"
"Maybe she just didn't see you there?" Jaypaw meowed, not turning around.
"Of course," Hollypaw hissed, "you'll defend her instead of your own sister!" She ran out of the den and almost knocked into Lionpaw as she did so.
"What's going on?" he asked. "Are we being attacked or something?" Hollypaw's fur was standing on end, and she noticed that she did look stressed.
"Nothing," Hollypaw meowed. "Nothing at all." She padded over to the fresh kill pile with her tail high and picked out a bird for herself. Lionpaw followed after her and sat down when she did.
"C'mon," he said. "I know something is wrong. We're kin—you can tell me."
"Well, Cinderpaw and Jaypaw have been getting even closer now," Hollypaw admitted. "And… I feel like Cinderpaw's ignoring me and choosing him over me."
"You're jealous," Lionpaw mewed.
"No I'm n—"
"But," he continued, to make Hollypaw shut up, "I have noticed it." The fur on Hollypaw's shoulders flattened out and she took a bite of her prey.
"I think you're getting too caught up," Lionpaw meowed.
"What do you mean by that?" Hollypaw hissed.
"Well, what if they're just friends?" he told her. "Then you're making a big fuss over nothing!" Hollypaw thought for a moment. That could be true. Jaypaw may want to be independent, but he wouldn't break the warrior code by falling in love.
"I guess you could be right…," Hollypaw mewed quietly. Hollypaw ate in silence, and a light drizzle began to fall on the camp. Hollypaw could hear Ferncloud sneeze as she was brought back into the medicine cat den to rest. All senses alert, Hollypaw rushed inside, leaving Lionpaw to look after her.
"Are you okay?" she meowed to Ferncloud the second she stepped in the den.
"Thank you for your concern," Ferncloud rasped. "And yes, I should be okay." She coughed heavily when she said that, making Hollypaw wince.
"Can I do anything for her?" she asked Leafpool, who was standing by Ferncloud's side.
"I don't think so…," she meowed. "She just needs her medicine and then some rest."
"Hey, Leafpool?" Jaypaw called form the back of the medicine cat den. "We're all out of catmint!" catmintis Ferncloud's medicine, Hollypaw thought, starting to panic.
"Can I get it?" Hollypaw meowed quickly, glancing at Cinderpaw who was just about to say something.
"Sure," Leafpool mewed. "Just take someone with you."
"I'll g—" Hollypaw cut of Cinderpaw's meow by calling:
"Lionpaw!" The golden cat walked in and sat down.
"Who called?" he meowed.
"Me," Hollypaw said. "Now, come help me find some catmint. Thank you!" She smiled and ran out of the den, making Lionpaw chase after her.
"Don't run so fast!" he called out, as Hollypaw burst through the bramble entrance of the camp. Determined to find the herb as fast as she could, she accelerated. Sniffing around, she tried to catch its scent. Soon, she noticed that the leafy trees she was used to began to thin out into open land. Then, she felt no land under her paws and plummeted into water. Trying to cry out for help, water filled her mouth. He rain began to downpour, and didn't help the situation at all.
"Hollypaw!" Lionpaw cried. He ran to the river bank.
"H-help!" Hollypaw choked, floundering around in the water. She didn't feel any and beneath her paws, and she began to go under. Lionpaw pounced in and grabbed his sister by the scruff. Paddling his legs as hard as he could, he made it to the other side of the bank. Hollypaw scrambled up onto dry land and gasped for air. She coughed up a mouthful of water and let herself lay limp. Lionpaw sat by her side, breathing heavily.
"Hollypaw," he whispered. Hollypaw didn't feel like answering. "Hollypaw!" She finally looked up at her brother, but then something else caught her eyes.
Coming towards them were four cats: a ginger tom with white paws, a gray she-cat, a dark gray tom, and a pale tabby she-cat.
"You're on WindClan territory," the dark gray tom snarled, as a crack of thunder boomed in the distance.