The Mountain
Hollypaw only remembers the important bits.
The well in her mind pulses, more like blood than water. Thick and sinking and just waiting to break free. It centers her, herself, in the middle of it all. Hollypaw has to hold it back, a trapped river that wants to break free inside her mind, but it's a comfortable, familiar weight. A terrible power that's best responsibility used in her paws
It scares Hollypaw to think about how far she could go. "Never far enough to make a difference," Mapleshade whispers.
"We need to talk," Hollypaw meows. "We need to talk about our gifts from Starclan."
The giant oak behind them shelters them out on the territory. Lionpaw takes up her left, shielding them from the outside sun. Jaypaw sits on her right, a frown on his face. They have a rare moon to just talk.
Jaypaw is never happy. All your fault. He doesn't care about helping cats, he doesn't care about his duties, he doesn't care about how he'll have Firestar's ear one sunrise, and he isn't suited for being a Medicine Cat. He gave up his warrior's apprenticeship. She'll never get over that and never understand why. Because you didn't make Brightheart care enough.
"What is there to talk about?" Jaypaw meows. "Please tell me you're not wasting my time."
"What exactly are you capable of?" Hollypaw hisses back. "I already have suspicions of what Lionpaw's gift from Starclan is, but getting anything from you is like trying to groom a fox."
"Huh?" Lionpaw meows, confusion in his tone. "You think I have a power from Starclan."
"Of course, you do, fuzz-brain," Jaypaw meows at the orange tabby. "It's clearly the gift of being a mouse-brain."
Lionpaw opens his mouth to retort—
"It's the gift of battle," Hollypaw interrupts. "I work every sunrise on my battle skills, yet Lionpaw utterly eclipses my skills. He's beaten Brackenfur and Ashfur, two senior warriors, multiple times. He never tires, never rests, and never loses. In fact, I've never even seen him bleed."
Silence spreads throughout the hollow. "Is that a thing?" Lionpaw mews, blinking his eyes in thought.
"Hollypaw can mind-control cats, and I can—" Jaypaw meows before pausing. "The point is that anything is possible. How have you not considered this, knowing about Hollypaw and the prophecy?"
"I don't know. I guess I never thought of it," Lionpaw meows like an idiot, and Jaypaw rightfully smacks him on the back, air escaping from his nostrils.
"Why love a fool?"
"Jaypaw?" Hollypaw asks, intercutting to break them up from their argument. Jaypaw turns back to face her and taps Lionpaw on the shoulder with his tail to pause their fight. For a moment, she thinks he won't tell them anything.
"I've already mentioned I can walk in other cat's dreams. I sometimes see things as well. Cat's thoughts and emotions. Leafpool just thinks that I have a deep spiritual connection with Starclan. Whether my visions are due to Starclan or due to my own powers, I don't know. No, I won't explain more," he meows. Jaypaw speaks as if the conversation is over, but it's not.
You can read minds!" Lionpaw meows in shock. "What am I thinking of now?" he excitedly mews, his head bunching up.
"Bee-brain! It doesn't work like that," Jaypaw retorts, again agitated.
"I think our powers are growing," Hollypaw meows, grabbing the attention of her brothers. "It's easier now to use my power than when I was a kit. Yours will probably grow as well. Lionpaw, pay attention to see if you have a well of energy inside of you. I know I do."
Lionpaw closes his eyes to focus. If he has a pool, he should be able to sense it by now. He scrunches up his whiskers, making him look like a furbrain, but it gives Hollypaw time to think. Lionpaw's power might work fundamentally differently from hers.
"You shouldn't use your power on our clanmates," Jaypaw interrupts, glaring at her and picking up that she is thinking about her power. "It's not right."
"You can't trust a mind-reader."
Hollypaw lightly hisses. "I don't even have any active strands," she meows. "It's not like my power from Starclan has been useful anyhow. It takes too long to build up. Even if I wanted to, it's not like I could enforce the Warrior Code."
Jaypaw just snorts back at her answer.
Hollypaw continues, undeterred and eager to switch the topic, "I think the prophecy has to deal with the Place of No Stars. They're doing something, building an army."
Jaypaw hisses under his breath, and Lionpaw blurts, "You've been to the Dark Forest! How?" He asks if the answer isn't apparent. Tigerstar obviously favors his warrior grandkits.
"You both have bees for brains," Jaypaw meows. "Working with the Dark Forest is suicidal. Their bad news. Tigerstar, our grandfather, was one of the most reviled warriors ever. He's down there."
"We've all been down there at least once then," Hollypaw mews. "Jaypaw?"
"Back when I was a Warrior's apprentice. Starclan pulled me out. Haven't seen them since."
"Right," she mews, glad to have confirmation that Tigerstar hates medicine cats. What a dungface."They're doing something. Building an army. We need to stop them."
Silence overtakes the hollow with her declaration.
"Mapleshade's helping build the army. Probably working with Tigerstar," Lionpaw chimes. "I've seen it. She's had me fight some of the shades."
"You're closer than I ever got," Hollypaw meows. "We need to make a plan. My power doesn't work on spirits, so—"
"You'll do nothing like a reasonable cat," Jaypaw hisses finally, discontent to sit silent and brood within the oak. "You two cannot die on me trying to infiltrate a group of murderers and clan traitors."
That choice has already been taken out of my paws, brother.
"Regardless," Hollypaw meows, straightening her hunched back and sitting up to gain height. "We need a plan. We need to train."
"They're going to launch an invasion at some point, well, I mean… obviously," Lionpaw speaks. "Mapleshade says they're close. Someone needs to keep an eye on them. And… Well, it's not like Hollypaw, and I can just stop going to the Dark Forest when we sleep."
Jaypaw bites his lip as if wanting to say something but stops, saying, "If you two get killed trying to be heroes, I'll never forgive you. If you leave me alone with Leafpool, I'll shred you into mouse-dust when I join you in Starclan."
That's probably fair.
"Stop it!" Hollypaw meows, and then a second time louder. "Stop!"
Ashfur goes for a crippling blow, claws unsheathed, but it never lands. Lionpaw is like water, clipping Ashfur in the side of the head. Blood explodes from the right side of Ashfur's ear, and the tom screeches as he attempts to retaliate. First blood goes to the orange tabby. Your brother will kill you one sunrise.
The gray tom spins and tries to bite down on Lionpaw's chest, but he only eats fur. Lionpaw's descending blow strikes like the wrath of Starclan. Ashfur hits the ground hard, and Hollypaw can hear her brother snarl angrily, red haze clouding his vision.
Ashfur screams. Lionpaw does not let up.
Thunk.
Thunk.
Thunk.
The gray tom spits and screams from his beating, his paws lancing out in a desperate bid for freedom, and for the first time in her life, Hollypaw sees her brother bleed. The thin scratch across his foreleg spits red hot, but it only seems to make her brother madder with his next blow, staggering Ashfur so hard that his back legs collapse.
Strings of energy lance out from Hollypaw. The thick strands latch onto Ashfur hungrily but bounce off her brother again with a flash.
Calm down!
"Everyone, stop fighting!" Hollypaw screams. "Take control," Mapleshade meows.
The gray tom's struggles cease, and at that moment, Brackenfur tackles Lionpaw, shoving him off Ashfur. Her brother begins to bat at Brackenfur, but then Hollypaw is there brushing Lionpaw's fur with her tongue, whispering to him to calm down.
Lionpaw's breathing evens out and he blinks.
"I… sorry," Lionpaw mews weakly.
"Ashfur should not have attacked you due to his own wounded ego, but that does not justify you beating him near death," Brackenfur meows with one paw still on Lionpaw's head.
"A warrior does not need to kill to win their battles." Hollypaw recites. When the thought seems to pass through her brother's head, she gently pulls Brackenfur from Lionpaw.
"Thank you, Hollypaw," Brackenfur mumbles. "Lionpaw, do you understand?"
"Yeah," Lionpaw meows, standing up on his paws. He seems distracted but says, "It won't happen again."
Her brother doesn't look very sorry.
Ashfur just hisses. The gray tom almost skulks, nursing his bloody wounds. He glares at Lionpaw and Hollypaw with venom, and visibility grits his teeth. Brackenfur takes notice.
"Ashfur, we need to get you to Leafpool," Brackenfur meows.
"I'm fine! I don't need Leafpool fretting over me. My apprentice's self-control issues show themselves," Ashfur taunts back; the effect is reduced by his chipped ears.
Hollypaw politely coughs as blood drips into Ashfur's eyes. Ashfur's whole head looks like carrion. She can already see it swelling. Brackenfur grabs Ashfur lightly on the scruff as if to drag him."You're visiting Leafpool." His tone is final.
"Badger—" Ashfur doesn't finish the rest of his insult, deciding instead to follow Brackenfur's command. Kill him. "I expect you to be up at dawn tomorrow for remedial training," he hisses back at Lionpaw before ungraciously leaving the clearing.
There's a moment of silence.
"Are you okay?" Hollypaw meows to Lionpaw, fretting over her brother by grooming his fur.
"Yes, I'm fine!" Lionpaw hisses back suddenly, hackles bristling. Hollypaw jerks back and then goes back in to flatten his hackles.
"I was just asking," Hollypaw gently mews. She makes eye contact with Lionpaw, ensuring he's okay - waiting for him to respond with a blink. Lionpaw's ears flick toward Brackenfur, who's listening in on their conversation.
"Yes, I'm fine. Let's head back to camp."
What Hollypaw needs is privacy and a moment alone with Lionpaw. Her brother is hurting, and Brackenfur hovers over them like a hawk. Hollypaw—
"Intruders on the border!" the distant yowl of Honeypaw rings. Distant shrubbery and undergrowth are pushed aside. It sounds like she's running back to camp.
"Let's return to camp now," Brackenfur meows. "We need to see what's going on."
Right. Intruder's now. Lionpaw later.
The rest kind of moves along quickly.
"You should have stayed back at Thunderclan," Squirrelflight meows.
"Why? Weren't you an apprentice when you made the Journey," Hollypaw meows back. She doesn't trust you.
The Tribe needs their help. Intruders are taking over their territory, and the Tribe needs Brook and Stormfur to help them with the battle. All the Clans pitch in, some more reluctant than others; Hollypaw's choice is obvious.
The distant mountains gleam like white-tipped moonstones, and Hollypaw's paws tingle at the thought. She's living the stories from the nursery - her mother's stories. Hollypaw has always wondered about her Mom's old friends from The Journey. Now she has the chance to meet them.
"Yeah, but I was a mouse-brain as an apprentice," Squirrelfight purrs from beside her. "I wasn't a good example of a proper apprentice. Nothing like you." Her mother is beautiful like always - her sharp, red, fluffy coat is unblemished from the journey, her giant tail giving her namesake.
"I think you turned out all right," Hollypaw mews, smiling at her.
Squirrelflight gives back a strained smile. "She's lying to you-me."
"Regardless, when we return, I'll take you and your brothers on a trip through the Thunderclan territory. Spend a sunrise hunting together," Squirrelflight meows.
"That'd be nice," Hollypaw meows. Could she bring back some mountain prey for the elders?
The group crests the hill. Thunderclan is far behind them now, and Hollypaw sees plantlife she's never seen before, the shrubbery becoming thinner and more sparse as they ascend. The air becomes thin, and Hollypaw can now almost touch the clouds.
"Hey," Squirrelflight whispers while leaning into Hollypaw's ear. "Look back!"
"What?" Hollypaw mutters before turning, her breath caught in her throat from the view. "Wow," she mews, and the rest of her breath is stolen away. The whole lake territory is laid out before her. Beyond it, the world stretches out farther than she imagined, and she can see glittering lights in the distance from massive twolegplaces. Behold your insignificance.
Is this what birds see every sunrise in the sky?
"Cool, isn't it?" Squirrelflight meows. "I remember the first time I saw the territories. On the initial trip here." She pauses. "Different times, I guess."
"Yeah," Hollypaw mews, breath light. "It is pretty cool."
Their trip is going to be so worth it. They'll be heroes and explorers.
Hollypaw turns, pelt bristling with energy now. "What's the Tribe like?"
"Well…" Squirrelflight meows teasingly.
"Come on! Tell me!" Hollypaw mews while ignoring her Mom's laughter. "Don't be a tease!"
"Well, they live in this giant cave up on the mountain; everything is covered in snow. Since you're above the clouds, you can't see the rest of the world when you look down," Squirrelflight meows.
"It must be close to Starclan, then!"
"They don't believe in Starclan," Squirrelflight meows, taking a moment to shush Hollypaw's shocked gasp. "They believe in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. It's different from our beliefs in some ways. For example, their medicine cat is the leader: The Teller of the Pointed Stones."
"Jaypaw will probably like the place then," Hollypaw meows. "I think he still wants to be a warrior sometimes."
"Your brother is blind, unfortunately. Longtail retired when he lost his sight," Squirrelflight mews. "I wish that things could've been different."
He could've done it. If he'd just tried harder under Brightheart. If you and Dad had just believed in him more.
Hollypaw keeps her thoughts to herself this time.
"Is it okay to interfere with the Tribe of Rushing Water?" Hollypaw meows instead, watching Squirrelflight tilt her head in confusion. "I mean," Hollypaw continues, "we're kinda interfering, aren't we with their way of life? Don't they need to… I don't know; figure things out the hard way or something. We're so different from them apparently…"
"It'll be fine, Hollypaw," Squirrelflight answers. "It's been a while, but they loved us the last time we were up here. Sometimes, you just need to give a cat a good kick in the shins."
"Yeah."
"Not literally," Squirrelflight corrects herself. "Please don't kick one of their prey-hunters."
"Definitely have to bully an apprentice now," Hollypaw purrs cheekily. Squirrelflight shoulder checks her, and the two almost tumble over while laughing.
Your mother will betray you.
Hollypaw shakes her head and breathes, barely feeling the air return to her.
"You okay?" Squirrelight asks, looking down at her. "You've looked off for a while now. Not as bouncy as usual."
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Hollypaw meows. The Dark Forest is just messing with her. It's nothing.
"You sure?" Squirrelflight meows, going down to lick her kit on the ear, and the giggles return.
Hollypaw pulls away, giggling. "Yes," she laughs. Squirrelflight continues to lick her ears right where it feels ticklish. "I'm fine! Mom! Stop it! Stooppp!"
Mom doesn't like her trying to escape the licks and tugs on her ear in retaliation. "Just making sure," she whispers.
"I need every cat to form a line!" yowls Brambleclaw in the front. Breezepaw audibly groans, but then Brambleclaw stares the Windclan apprentice down. "That includes you, Breezepaw. We'll be taking this next stretch in single file—"
Squirrelflight interrupts, still whispering, "Let me tell you how they name their kits. It's kinda weird." Her mother's cheeky smile matches Hollypaw's own.
Hollypaw ignores the rest of her father's speech.
At the top of the world, the eagle is still a mere speck in the sky. She is closer to Starclan than ever, yet the bird still beats her. It doesn't even know what Starclan is.
Hollypaw wonders what it would be like to fly. To just be able to go anywhere at will. But she'll never get out of—
The eagle disappears as the group is sucked into the mouth of the Tribe of Rushing Water's cave. Immediately, strange cats around them begin murmuring in unfriendly tones. There's a hiss from a light brown she-cat in the corner, and another cat slinks deeper into the cave in response. Brook and Stormfur pull their ears back, and it's obvious why: the murmuring is directed at them. Hollypaw bristles her fur to protect her clanmates.
Take control.
"We wish for an audience with the Stoneteller!" The Tribe ignores Brambleclaw's announcement, and Hollypaw's power, more powerful than the sunrise before, releases across the cavernous space. It happens instinctually, as if she can't contain it, but she pumps calmness and acceptness down the strands. You-she can't trust cats to make their own decisions.
Her ineffective power stops the hissing but nothing else. Jaypaw slaps her in the flank with his tail, and Hollypaw returns the gesture. Jaypaw hits her again, and Hollypaw glares at him while he blinks at her. Hollypaw scoffs and returns to looking about the cavern.
The waterfall entrance rumbles loud enough behind them to make her think it's some twoleg monster lurking behind her - but it's ahead of her that the cavern of the Tribe of Rushing Water spreads out into a hundred branching paths. She spots resting spots and dens with an upper extension of the cave that juts like a cliff face. It's a high vantage point in comparison to everything else. The Stoneteller's Den? An ugly home for ugly cats.
"I informed both of you that you are dead to the Tribe," the Stoneteller meows, slinking out from the cave attached to the high ledge, flanked by what Hollypaw now knows are two cave-guards. The surrounding cats meow in agreement, none happy to see their former tribemates.
"We have come at your request to help with the invaders," Brook murmurs. Stormfur and Brook stand tall in front of their group beside Brambleclaw while Hollypaw watches anxiously from behind.
"Neither of us is dead, and we are still loyal," Stormfur adds, this time stronger and louder.
Brambleclaw taps Stormfur on the back with this tail, signaling that he'll take of it, speaking, "We'll leave as soon as we sort out these intruders. We encountered them on our way up here, and they don't seem pleasant."
"The Tribe of Rushing Water does not need—" Stoneteller begins to meow.
Hollypaw doesn't have time for this. Half of her strands stretch out and lash out towards Stoneteller. Hollypaw drains the remaining well in her mind, flooding even more of her power into the Tribe leader. The whole Tribe jerks, Hollypaw's heart stops, and for a moment, there's a pause as the Tribe cats feel the shift. Stoneteller's eyes rotate down to her - connected to her with her largest strand.
"On second thought, we could use some help," Stoneteller mutters distantly. "Very well, the Clan cats may stay for the moonrise and assist us next sunrise. I'm sure these warriors have more thoughts and suggestions on how we can deal with these intruders."
The only voice that matters is yours.
Hollypaw flinches.
"Are you okay?" Lionpaw whispers from her left side.
Never show weakness.
"Yes, I'm fine," Hollypaw hisses. "Focus on what Brambleclaw is saying!"
Lionpaw doesn't look convinced.
Neither is Hollypaw.
Hollypaw screams and kicks. The roaring water pounds in her ears, and she feels claws raking down her back. Air sputters through her lips. She can't breathe. Why can't she breathe? She needs to breathe. She needs to breathe. She needs— Jaypaw kicks her in the side, waking her up with crusty eyes.
"You woke me up, bird-brain with your racket. Stop kicking!" Jaypaw meows.
Hollypaw sucks precious air into her lungs, alien scents of the cave around her, and silences herself. Jaypaw is beside her, using a bit of moss for his head. Hollypaw pushes a piece of moss towards him, watching him add it to his nest and leaving her with the lesser half.
"Sorry," she meows. "Bad dream."
"I know," Jaypaw meows. "You woke me up with your fits."
"Is everyone—"
"Yes, everyone else is still asleep," Jaypaw meows. "No, I haven't been spying on other cat's dreams."
Hollypaw closes her mouth, muttering, "Okay." He's lying.
"Roll back over. You turned over during your nightmare," Jaypaw meows. "You kept kicking me."
Hollypaw rolls in her uncomfortable nest, her aching joints creaking in protest. "Wasn't a nightmare," she protests, "just… lots of fighting." Jaypaw needs the moss more than she does.
"Sure, I believe you," Jaypaw meows sarcastically. "Go back to sleep. The sooner we're out of here, the better. This place gives me the creeps."
Hollypaw will not go back to sleep. She mews, "We need a plan. We're just… flailing blindly like kits. The power of the stars and we're directionless." Hollypaw hopes that Jaypaw feels the change in conversation and hopes he'll pity her enough to take the bait.
Jaypaw takes a couple heartbeats to respond before she gets an "Ugh" of agreement.
"We need to figure out what the intruders want, what code they follow, how they operate. We can reach an agreement. Brambleclaw's borderline idea should work. We can teach the To-be's tomorrow how to mark borders and teach them to fight. Most of all, we must teach them not to kill," Hollypaw meows. She adds, this time with a bit more excitement, "This is exciting. We can teach them how the Clans operate and—"
"You're talking about supplanting the Tribe's culture with our own," Jaypaw hisses. "We don't have that right."
"Huh?" Hollypaw meows confusingly, remembering their previous sunrise. "What are you talking about? These cats don't even know how to fight properly. Most feel hopeless about these intruders, and there hasn't even been a fight yet. They have a healer as their leader for great Starclan!"
Jaypaw hisses again, and Hollypaw flinches when she realizes she's insulted him. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Hollypaw apologizes. "I just… want to help them out the best way I know how."
"By controlling them—" Hollypaw feels her fur bristle on Jaypaw's reply, "—I noticed how you mind-controlled Stoneteller earlier. Hollypaw, sticking her nose where it doesn't belong - and fishes continue to swim!"
Hollypaw hisses back, "He wouldn't have let us stay, and you know it! Our trip would have been pointless." She feels a headache starting - she gave him some of her moss, and this is how he treats her - but Jaypaw doesn't back down.
"It's not right."
"My 'not right' has gotten this far! I don't see you taking initiative to fix things!" Hollypaw's returning reply is a screech in the silence. They pull their ears back and muffle themselves, but it's too late as the den becomes unnaturally silent. Did they just wake everyone up? They'd be in major trouble. You'd deserve it.
…
After a heartbeat, the snores resume.
"Cynical," Jaypaw whispers while laying back down in his moss nest to go back to sleep.
"Yeah," Hollypaw whispers back. She has been cynical, hasn't she? "Can't let you be the only cynical one." She tries to lie down with him but then winces when she remembers giving Jaypaw all her good moss.
Jaypaw snorts at her, whiskers curling sadistically. "I'm going back to sleep," he whispers. "Deal with your nightmares yourself."
"Thanks, brother," Hollypaw murmurs, injecting as much sarcasm into her voice. "You're welcome for the moss," she adds because she knows he isn't thankful.
"I was busy when you woke me up," Jaypaw murmurs, his eyes closed.
"Busy sleeping?"
Her brother doesn't answer, pretending to be asleep.
Crowfood.
Hollypaw also tries to return to sleep, but the taste of murky water still prevails on her lips. Mapleshade's claws still burn down her back, and Tigerstar's whispers make her feel terrible. Sleep is the last thing she wants. She'll never escape.
Time passes.
She fights and fights the oncoming drowsiness. Sleep is bad. She can't sleep.
Darkness takes her.
"They're down this way," Pepple That Rolls Down Mountain murmurs. The gray she-cat flicks her ears to indicate that Hollypaw should take a look, and tiredly, Hollypaw moves forward, barely managing to keep her eyes open to take a look.
The steep, snowy incline cuts into the intruder's cave. From their vantage point, the cave looks unbearably. The back entrance is for quick escapes, except this time, it's gonna be used to trap them. Hollypaw can't imagine that the hole the Intruders have decided to call their home is anywhere comparable to the Tribe's grand cave. Even from where Hollypaw is looking, the Intruder's cave must be barely big enough to support them.
They won't last long even if we don't drive them out. This is what the Tribe was confounded by?
"I want to look too," Lionpaw whines. He pushes his way up beside her, ignoring Breezepaw's hiss when he pushes the Windclan aside. She shifts to the side, and then her brother meows, "Woah, you think they have enough room down there to make dirt?" He notices the same things. Maybe the cave is more impressive than the escape route suggests, but she doubts it.
"Rabbit-brain! Focus on the task," hisses Breezepaw. "We need to go now."
Hollypaw sighs, internally rolling her eyes, and then commands, "Pebble, take the front. Lionpaw second, Breezepaw third. I'll go last."
"Uh."
"That was an order, Lionpaw," Hollypaw meows sternly, looking at her mousebrained brother. She glances at Pebble, taking the lead and keeping track of how she navigates the invisible rocks buried beneath the snow. Pebble knows how to climb in this Starclan-forsaken-land. Hollypaw has had enough of slipping and sliding on invisible ice or sinking into snow drifts deep enough to bury a fox and follows Pebble.
She's the last to land on the small landing pad that leads into the Intruder's camp, but the only one other than Pebble to still have a dry pelt, and in the tight space, she's shoved into the behinds of Lionpaw and Breezepaw.
"Ready?" Pebble murmurs, glancing back at the group. She's obviously terribly nervous.
Strings lance out, and Hollypaw dumps as much courage and bravado as she can down the line. Pebble's face visibly lights up, and her whole body language shifts. Lionpaw and Breezepaw give a curt nod, already burnishing their teeth, and Pebble screeches, "Attack! Drive them off!" before rushing into the cave.
Maybe I put too much courage and bravado.
Lionpaw and Breezepaw follow, screeching and yowling at the top of their lungs, and panic immediately breaks out inside the cave with multiple cats wailing or screeching in surprise. Blood covering the dirt. Hollypaw breathes, takes two blinks, and then shakes herself off. Her whole body feels like mud. She follows the charge after drawing on some internal energy.
The tunnel inclines downwards, shrinking fast, and when she bursts out, the internal cave is just as cramped as she imagined. The Tribe of Rushing Water didn't choose this cave as their home for obvious reasons. The tight, suffocating den is a different kind of burden from the Place of No Star's sprawling, isolating forest.
The first rogue she sees barrels into her left side, and strings lance out, attaching themselves to the tomcat. Hollypaw pumps feelings of surrender and fear down the line and then whacks the tomcat in the snout, claws bared, and blood spills onto the chilled snow. Fear hits the tomcat's eyes, enough to create fear scent. He turns to bolt, and that's when Hollypaw snags him in the shoulder; teeth bite down on flesh, and Hollypaw swears she can see bone crack.
Hollypaw's shoulder bone audibly pops and Mapleshade laughs.
Hollypaw tumbles. She catches ice with her face but shrugs the impact off, pulling herself up to protect herself from retaliation.
The tomcat is gone. Left behind is ice and pure white snow. Hollypaw is utterly alone in the corner of the cave while her clanmates are a fox-length ahead of her, fighting off the intruders while pincering them into Brambleclaw's patrol. It's like she was fighting a ghost.
I'm going mad.
She pushes onward, feeling out where cats are with her power as invisible strands poke and prod at intruder's locations. She doesn't have to run far, following the action and blood, and she spots Lionpaw ahead in the fray. Much like in the plan, he yowls and hisses, hackles raised, making himself look like a monster. Compared to the starving intruders, he might as well be one.
A shecat attacks her from the left, and Hollypaw makes her kneel. The tortoiseshell tumbles as her body fights the sudden urge to bow, and before she can realize what's happening, Hollypaw barrels over her, spilling rogue blood. The ragged rogue yowls in pain and then bolts.
No discipline. No code of honor. No finesse.
Hollypaw moves on. Lionpaw comes blurring out from her right, covered in blood, screaming a death cry as he locks teeth with another rogue. Hollypaw follows his example. The strands attached to the retreating tortoiseshell snap back to her, lashing out at another rogue who buckles under Hollypaw's assault. The intruders have no chance.
Lionpaw lands a crushing blow on his opponent, snapping bone. Hollypaw copies her brother's example, using her power to force feelings of submission into her opponents, crippling their fighting ability. Her strands dart between the intruding rogues, and because of it, Hollypaw conserves her energy - using what she has instead of drawing on more.
Lionpaw and her are slickened in blood, none of which is theirs. As it should be.
The intruders are forced straight into Brambleclaw's patrol, where the Clan's superior training and discipline make it a metaphorical massacre. The rogues are pinned down into submission holds, bloody and bleeding.
The last tomcat Hollypaw faces pushes her backward into a corner before Hollypaw's strands lash out, and Hollypaw pumps down feelings of hopelessness and surrender. Again, the tomcat's eyes widen, and Hollypaw slams him into a stone outcropping.
"Mercy!" The tomcat meows, eyes wide. "I surrender! Please—"
Hollypaw bites down on his shoulder, rips upwards, and then lashes out with her right forepaw. Claws meet the tender flesh of an eye. Kill him. The tomcat yowls and hits the ground, curling into a fetal position.
"We surrender! We'll respect the Tribe's borders. Just end this bloodshed," Stripe yowls in surrender. Hollypaw is too busy spiting out blood to hear Brambleclaw's response.
The tomcat below her whimpers, mewing, "Hate you." She grinds a clawed paw into his throat, feeling him choke, before she lets up from the pressure. She lets him go.
"Quiet," Hollypaw commands. The strands listen, and the tomcat just whimpers to himself as he crawls away. The rogues are a menace. It would be best to just force them out permanently. Hollypaw breathes deep, never before needing to use her power to such an extent. Could she do it now? Maybe she could wait until later. Was it even—
"You okay?" Lionpaw meows from beside her.
Hollypaw jumps. The fur on her back raises itself in alarm. "Fox-dung! You scared me," she meows. "I didn't see you walk up."
"You're covered in blood and just took out a cat's eye," Lionpaw meows. "Just hoping you're okay."
"None of the blood is mine. Dark Forest training, right?" Hollypaw meows. She awkwardly takes the moment to shake off some of the blood staining her fur. She adds, "I suspect it's the same for you."
"Uh, yeah. None of it's mine. I don't think any of them actually landed a single hit on me," Lionpaw meows. "Not that Tigerstar or Mapleshade have had much success getting me to participate."
"Sure," Hollypaw snorts.
You're oblivious, Lionpaw. Not a single hit - Starclan gifted the art of war.
"And the eye? You maimed that tomcat. Not like you."
"Weakness doesn't suit you. Out there, it's kill or be killed," Mapleshade meows. "Take what's yours and hold no regrets."
Hollypaw's head digs into the mud. She's bloody and beaten.
"Never hesitate. Enemies don't deserve your sympathy," Mapleshade meows, her weight bearing down on Hollypaw. She can't move. "Let me show you," Mapleshade purrs, her claws crossing Hollypaw's face.
Then she rips out Hollypaw's right eye.
"Sorry," Hollypaw meows. "I guess I've been feeling off recently. I'll be better once we return home and get some rest."
Lionpaw meows, still unconvinced, "Okay. I'll help you when you get back. I'll be your headrest."
"Grandfather," Hollypaw meows. Putrid air, thick enough to sink her lungs, fills her nostrils, and Hollypaw breathes in what feels like the shadows themselves. A familiar and daunting treeline lays out before her.
Tigerstar breathes, his chest expanding and contracting like a giant snake. Hollypaw is fully grown, yet he dwarfs her in size and muscle. Tigerstar in presence is unreal. He nods, amber eyes raking her over hot stones. He meows, "Mapleshade's training has been going well. Have you seen the shades?"
The shades are the only thing that matters. Tigerstar and Mapleshade must have a way to the physical world; they are building an army. Nothing makes sense otherwise.
"No. Mapleshade is cruel. The only thing I've learned from her is to what extent I can bleed without dying," Hollypaw hisses.
"Great warriors require shaping. We learn to push through pain by experiencing it. Brackenfur, The Warrior Code, and your clanmates will not be enough to reach your goals," Tigerstar meows. From in front of her, he lifts his forepaws - littered with scars - and then brandishes his claws, long and carved like hooks.
"The Warriors Code is what makes who we are. Separates us from the savage rogues and loners, which is something Mapleshade has no idea of," Hollypaw spits back. She can't keep her eyes from glancing at her Grandfather's imposing frame.
"Little worth is given to the Warrior Code."
Hollypaw is about to spit her reply back at him when Mapleshade pulls herself out from the shadows. "Tigerstar, are you done? My apprentice needs to practice her killing blows," Mapleshade meows, interrupting their conversation. The large tortoiseshell stares down the enormous tabby.
"You may take her," Tigerstar meows dismissively. "We will talk later, Hollypaw."
"Hey—" Hollypaw meows. Then Tigerstar is gone. "Hate how he does that."
"If you're with us long enough, you'll also learn how to let the shadows carry you," Mapleshade meows, approaching her. "For now, though, you'll be learning something a bit more basic."
Got to get her to focus on the shades.
"What about the shades? How do you… make them?" Hollypaw prods.
"Later."
"But—"
"I said later, little one," Mapleshade replies, tone final. "Focus on becoming a great warrior first."
"It's—" Hollypaw needs to figure out what they're doing, and to do that, she needs Mapleshade to show her the shades. Hollypaw needs to be clever. She purrs, "You keep telling me to train as a warrior, but you're doing something real here. Real power. Great warriors come and go, but those shades are from nursery tales. If… I'm gonna be down here for a long time, then I want to see what I'm involved with."
Mapleshade pauses a fox-length away from her. Her eyes roll up to the dark trees and then back to her. Claw's unsheath, and Hollypaw braces herself. "Tigerstar isn't as clever as he thinks he is," Mapleshade meows into the sky before turning back down to face Hollypaw. "Do you know what I see?" Mapleshade meows. "A failure."
Mapleshade leaps, tackling Hollypaw down into the ground. Hollypaw rolls with the tackle and, with a push, shoves Mapleshade off of her, barring her claws. She kicks up dirt as she comes to her paws, just in time for Mapleshade to charge at her. Hollypaw's claws come up fast enough to strike Mapleshade in the head, but Mapleshade ignores the pain to bite down on Hollypaw's nose. Bloody whiskers fall onto the dirt.
"You're as subtle as a badger," Mapleshade meows through her fangs, "though smarter than your brothers, at least." Hollypaw screeches, blood pouring down her nose into her teeth, and she's back on the defensive again as Mapleshade bombards her with blows.
"Or perhaps it's just a different kind of stupidity. Got badger-droppings for brains?" Mapleshade taunts. The tortoiseshell bites down into Hollypaw's left foreleg, and Hollypaw responds by taking a chunk out of her ear.
"What—" Hollypaw pants out, the thick air making breathing hard, "are you on about? Why are you attacking?" She must have angered her somehow by asking about the shades.
"You must dream of being a hero. All those stories that Thunderclan has shoved into your head. A big old legacy of heroism from Firestar's side of the family," Mapleshade meows still on the offense. "Of course, you'd try to spy on The Place of No Stars. A different shade of ego from the typical pure-blood supremacy."
They crash into a tree. With Hollypaw's back pressed against the trunk, the thin trunk rattles like a viper, and then Hollypaw smashes Mapleshade's head into the bark. Mapleshade retaliates by grabbing Hollypaw's already bloody muzzle and returning the favor.
Hollypaw's head rings, and she's pushed into the ground.
"But what have you even accomplished in your time here?" meows Mapleshade, unfazed by the blood on her face, pressing her claws into Hollypaw's back. "You don't know what we're doing with the shades. You still can't beat me in a fight. You couldn't help Riverclan. You couldn't stop Jaypaw from becoming a medicine cat. You can't stop Lionpaw from loving a Windclan cat. Despite all this special training, you can't even match your orange sibling in a fight. You are weak."
"Your—" Hollypaw spits up dirt, "crowfood."
"Empty words from someone who can't even control her destiny. I killed all of the cats who wronged me. Your biggest accomplishment is saving a couple Windclan brats," Mapleshade replies, still confident.
"You're wrong. I've saved lives like a true warrior. All you've ever done is take them!" Hollypaw hisses back, trying to push herself off the ground. It's like pushing a boulder off her back. There is a moment where Mapleshade's grip gives, but it's a trap. Mapleshade slams her back into the dirt with another bone-rattling slam.
"You don't even know who I am," Mapleshade meows. "It's time to get that nonsense about heroism out of your head. Time to reconsider who you want to be."
Mapleshade presses. Hollypaw feels the blood in her veins pop.
Then she wakes up. Not a scratch on her.
Hollypaw pulls herself out of the river muck. Greyish goop sticks to her pelt, barely water, and she has to rip into her coat to clean herself. Familiar oppressive air and darkness greet her.
"Tigerstar doesn't like you. A useless granddaughter," Mapleshade meows. She's already sitting beside her even though Hollypaw has just fallen asleep. Hollypaw tenses.
"I don't want his approval," Hollypaw meows.
"Liar," Mapleshade chortles, and Hollypaw ignores her comment.
"You're going to try and kill me, right?" Hollypaw meows back. "You think I'm a spy."
"No, my little spy. You wanted to see the shades, didn't you? Let's take a look," Mapleshade meows.
The trees rattle, bending sideways. Hollypaw feels that familiar lurch of the world shifting and then there somewhere else. The air becomes humid while maintaining its chill, like some sort of mockery, and the trees grow in height, their branches completely disappearing into the infinite tree-covering. Hollypaw hears terrible screeching in the distance - her ears bleed.
"Oh," Hollypaw meows in shock. This is her chance. Mapleshade begins to speak.
"There was a problem. The Clans outnumbered us and there was no way back into the physical world. The latter was solved when the Clans moved into the lake territories. The forest territories were the birthplace of the Clans and, as such, very old, but the Lake Territories? These lands were ancient long before the river mountains had carved the Great Lake - they are old, ancient in a way few places are.
"But the first problem persisted, that any full assault on the Clans would end in failure. Such was the way of things. I was satisfied with slowly whittling down the crowfood in Riverclan and Thunderclan. Well, until Tigerstar figured it out," Mapleshade finishes.
"Figured out how to make—" Hollypaw meows.
Mapleshade releases a shrill cry. Almost hawk-like - bleeding Hollypaw's ears even more. The monstrous cry darkens the forest - a product of her imagination - and shades answer in reply. Monstrous powers are at work; shades, five in number, melt out of the forest's shadows, coagulating around the tortoiseshell.
Like stretched-out muscle, the shades resemble cats in only the vaguest sense. Darker than void, their coats are drawn from the blackest pits of Dark Forest's river - watery, eyeless heads - stilted steps like a newborn kit. The world gets larger with them in it. Hollypaw feels sick.
Mapleshade meows, "Starclan has power over death. The Place of No Stars has power over life."
The shades are an easy target for Hollypaw's power. Strands of light sink into Mapleshade's creations, like digging into mud, and the shades give under her power— if only for a moment. She's not strong enough.
Fox-dung.
"Do you want to be better than Firestar? Better than your ancestors? Better than your idiotic father?" Mapleshade meows. The tortoiseshell moves, stepping forward to meet her creations, and Hollypaw moves with her, taking a few rabbit-lengths to feel the sizzling cold from the shades. From a mouse-length away, the shades are a miniature blizzard.
Maintain your cover.
"Of course," Hollypaw meows. "Why are you asking me this? You know the answer to this already."
Mapleshade shakes her head, purring, "What a liar. Trust me, Hollypaw, you've never truly wanted for something in your life. What a waste of my time." Mapleshade sits between two of the shades, coiling up like a viper. She looks relaxed amidst the situation while Hollypaw feels her heart in her throat.
I still can't do anything. Even when I've gotten this far.
She has to convince Mapleshade to tell her more. "My family are nursery stories. Daughter of three. The middle wants nothing, and the youngest will spend his life healing. It's up to me to carry that legacy. I want to change the forest, but I don't know how," Hollypaw purrs.
Mapleshade grins, making up her mind and speaking: "I'll teach you how. Tigerstar will be disappointed when you betray us."
"You don't know that I—"
"Shades kill her," Mapleshade meows.
Playing defense is familiar to her, and she doesn't have to wait long for the first shade to overextend in its leap. Black ichor, a mockery of blood, fills her mouth, and as the corpse disintegrates within her teeth, she uses it as protection against the mob.
The mindless charge of the remaining shades carries them into the hoisted corpse, their momentum suddenly reversed when Hollypaw shoves forward. A shade tips, sloppy movements of a newborn kit, tripping over its own weight. Hollypaw drops the dissipating carcass and rips into its belly before she's forced left from another attack.
The fight carries her across the clearing, flipped sideways as a shade slams into her, and searing pain comes from a shade tearing into her ribcage. Hollypaw tries to attack one of the remaining shades, but it just gives the other two shades a chance to score blows across her coat. It's a brutal grapple, not anything like her warrior training, and unlike any form or technique. A roll becomes a chaotic slide, and she eats dirt on a desperate retreat.
"Fight like your life depends on it, Hollypaw. It does," Mapleshade speaks up from across the clearing.
Hollypaw's returning curse is stopped by the bite to her chest - she retaliates by splitting the shade's head. It wobbles, pulling itself back together from the brutal blow, and Hollypaw feels the fight leaving her. Another shade takes out her left ear, blood blinding her left eye, and a bite on her tail pulls her backward into a slide. Breathing is impossible, but Hollypaw breaths anyway. She presses down on the shade ripping into her chest, not letting go until she feels the soft membrane give. Three down.
The two remaining shades rip into her tail and flank. Hollypaw's left hindleg almost gives out under the pain, and Hollypaw bites down on her screech of pain when her tail is ripped in two. Hollypaw's eyes sting from blood, causing her to gasp, but even that doesn't bring relief with air that sinks like rocks.
"You know what your problem is Hollypaw? You're never willing to sacrifice anything. Always wanting to help your Clanmates without sacrificing useless things like morality, justice, or friendship. Never willing to just tell your brothers what they need to do. You never go all out because you're afraid," Mapleshade meows.
Hollypaw pivots, trying to ignore Mapleshade, limping on her back paws, and tries to score a blow on one of the shades. She misses when the shade pulls back, and Hollypaw has to recorrect her stance as the two shades take the opportunity to score blows on her snout and right flank.
"…You're never willing to sacrifice anything."
Hollypaw pushes forward, intentionally leaving a massive opening on her chest, and trades blows with the shade before her. The shade takes the bait and bites down hard on Hollypaw's chest, exposing its body as Hollypaw, jaws wide, rips its face and neck in the downblow.
The shade collapses and folds in on itself as Hollypaw's momentum carries her into a forward tumble, and through a bloody right eye, she sees the remaining shade attack. Hollypaw tumbles. The last shade piles on top of her, scoring a multitude of light blows on Hollypaw before Hollypaw, angry and red, cleaves upwards, spilling more black guts all over her pelt.
The adrenaline of the fight fades, sticky with the red blood of victory, and Hollypaw, in agony from a hundred wounds, is pretty sure that she's dying.
"This is what I meant to Rushtooth," Mapleshade meows. "Five shades can't even kill one apprentice." With a quick hop and skip, she crosses the clearing to Hollypaw, gently pushing her down into the ground.
"I'm dying," Hollypaw chokes out. Sticky and wet, like she's attacked a bee's nest, she lays down below Mapleshade and feels her eyes swell. In a pool of her own blood, she doesn't have the strength to stand.
Mapleshade glances down, purring, "You'll die when I want you to die, Hollypaw, and not a moment sooner."
Hollypaw spits out blood, feeling her body start to go numb. She'll be seeing Starclan soon. She's… not thinking clearly. Her thoughts and body feel muggy. Mapleshade keeps talking over what is essentially a corpse.
"Maybe I should let these wounds carry over to the real world. How much worth is a traitor?" Mapleshade mews, more to herself than to Hollypaw.
What a waste. Please, Jaypaw and Lionpaw, be okay.
"No," Mapleshade decides, "letting you die would be too much of a hassle from Tigerstar." The tortoiseshell's weight settles on the bloody muck that is Hollypaw. "Tigerstar wants me to teach you how to be a true warrior. So here's your first lesson," Mapleshade purrs, "pain is not a hindrance." Hollypaw can barely hear her now.
Mapleshade puts her forepaws on Hollypaw's head, and then claws squeeze. There's a sharp pinch, and then Hollypaw dies.
Hollypaw blinks her stinging eyes open, and suddenly, she's in the Place of No Stars again. Her back is against a tree, brittle wood that splinters as she gets up. She sucks down miasma and feels dread. She's fallen asleep again.
…
She moves.
Aching, sleep-deprived limbs strain, and she has to remind herself to not burn all her energy within the first couple of heartbeats by sprinting, instead maintaining an urgent jog. The shadowy darkness of the forest swallows her up, but at this point, Hollypaw is long accustomed to the place of her night terrors. Her ears bend backward, searching for pursuit, while her eyes are peeled toward the never-ending treeline. She needs to find the— There's a loud creak behind her as one of the branches above her cracks, and Hollypaw jumps. Hollypaw twists, glancing behind her into the tree line. No one.
I need to get out of here now.
Hollypaw turns back on her path and bolts, abandoning stealth for speed. The forest begins to blur around her - it's a straight and easy run with a distinct lack of undergrowth and spacious trees. She tries to remember how Mapleshade shifted the terrain.
She described it as pulling. Pulling the land or oneself? Could you pull others?
Hollypaw pulls herself across the land, willing herself to move faster. She needs to escape. She needs the river, but it's hard to think. Hollypaw's brain feels like tar. She needs rest, but she can't. She can't ever rest.
The river. Wet. Soggy. Muddy. Ripples far too fast. Water that feels a little too thick. What else? It curls back and forth like a snake. Silmy, cold water that pushes down my throat and nose. Mud that pulls me down and sticks to my coat.
Hollypaw's head drops. She's so tired. Her body collapses on another tree. Like a stone, she sinks into the grass and tries to measure her progress - yet the distance to anything in The Dark Forest is massive. In the infinite treeline, it's like she hasn't even moved. Starclan isn't going to save her.
They… want me to save myself. To prove myself worthy of their gift.
Her power sits in the back of her mind, useless here but a comforting presence nevertheless. Hollypaw breathes deep, drawing on a deeper reserve of strength. She can do this. Starclan favors her.
The warrior rejects the soft life.
Hollypaw pushes herself to her paws, blinking dried mucus from her eyes. The tree supports her weight, but the moment comes when Hollypaw has to take that first step. The exhaustion hits her like a badger, but it's almost like her body moves on her own, and then she's taken a second step, a third step, and then on the fourth, she feels like she can bear the weight again.
The world feels thick and soggy, like muddied water. Water… She needs the river. She needs to get this over with. She needs…. There's a tug and the world shifts. Hollypaw's stomach does a flip. She almost vomits a ball of digested squirrel before losing her balance and falling into the sticky mud instead.
"You're disgusting," Mapleshade meows, a mouse-length away.
No, she can't— How did she?
"Also, not up to standard. I've had better apprentices," Mapleshade meows, stepping over and around Hollypaw's drenched and tired form. "What's wrong?" she meows, a grin on her face. "Low on sleep?"
"Did I?" Hollypaw murmurs, not bothering to escape the mud.
"No, don't give yourself too much credit," Mapleshade meows. "I moved us to the river, not you."
Hollypaw doesn't bother giving a retort. She knows Mapleshade won't rise to the bait and just pushes herself up again, sinking a paw-length into the hungry mud, and charges for the river. She needs to escape. She's spent too many moonrises in this horrible forest.
Mapleshade catches her by the tail, but Hollypaw keeps going, ignoring the blistering pain, and dives into the cold water. The tortoiseshell screeches, following her in, and Hollypaw twists around while diving to face her adversary. Hollypaw's blood fills the river.
Through the ache, adrenaline and spirit prove more powerful - just in time as Mapleshade bears down on her in the water. Hindlegs kick out, claws unsheathed, and she scores two clean hits on Mapleshade's face, satisfying bubbles spewing out of her mouth alongside blood.
Hollypaw's back hits slick mud, and then she pushes herself along the riverbed, twisting wildly to dig her paws into the riverbed and gain distance on her pursuer.
It turns out that it doesn't matter. Mapleshade doesn't like water in delicious irony as the tortoiseshell surfaces for air and skims the water in pursuit, planning to block Hollypaw's exit.
That's fine. Hollypaw doesn't plan on surfacing anyhow.
Hollypaw lets the river water in.
Her ears pop first, and then the weight of the water sits in her lungs. There's a burning sensation inside of her, and the Hollypaw feels a wave of dizziness pass through her. She sees… What does she see?
She sees Mapleshade dive down towards her, all sparkly and angry looking. Hollypaw's vision dances, but she gives Mapleshade one last insulting tail flick before darkness and death take her.
"Your lungs were filled with water, and you have lacerations on your tail," Jaypaw questions. "I'm currently spinning the story that you went out for a late-night swim and nearly killed yourself, but what did you do in the name of Starclan?"
Hollypaw says nothing from her stone slab. She has nothing to say to him. The herby scent of the medicine den wafts into her nose, repugnant as usual, but the she-cat just silently groans in self-pity. Jaypaw won't help her - he can't.
Jaypaw slams the rock floor next to her in anger with his front left paw. "Maybe I'll tell them you're revisiting a Riverclan cat. I'm sure that will do wonders for reputation," he meows, a sharp ringing bite to it, and Hollypaw can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not. Jaypaw glares down at her, and Hollypaw doesn't dignify him with a response. "I'll help you when you tell me," he meows.
"Do you… do you treat all your patients like this?" Hollypaw groans out. Her voice is reluctant and tired. She's exhausted.
"Great Starclan! You nearly died, Hollypaw! And you won't tell me how," Jaypaw meows, shocked in his tone. He paws the floor, smearing some sort of herb across the stone. He sounds genuinely hurt. Probably.
"My brother is cursing in Starclan's name," Hollypaw finishes. "Thought hedgehogs would fly first."
"I want you out of Leafpool's den by sunhigh."
And so, Hollypaw leaves the medicine den by sunhigh.
That's when the hallucinations start.
Hollypaw slams into the ground with blind panic. She twists on her front paws, momentum in her hindlegs, and lashes out at Mapleshade, who ducks and catches her in the chest. Hollypaw digs her claws into the she-cat, and then they roll across the ground in a bloody fight.
"Your third night of this, Hollypaw? I expected better from you," Mapleshade meows out.
Hollypaw doesn't bother giving a reply, leaping forward to kill her torturer. She's done playing. This ends—
"Minnowpaw?" Hollypaw meows out in horror.
"Hollypaw? Where are we?" mews out the terrified Riverclan apprentice. Minnowpaw is pinned beneath Mapleshade's claws, her limp form sagging beneath the massive tortoiseshell's bulk.
"Welcome back, Hollypaw. You're going to kill Minnowpaw, or I'll kill both of you," Mapleshade meows. Minnowpaw's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets, and the Riverclan apprentice squirms under Mapleshade's weight.
Hawkfrost, her uncle, steps out from the gloom and everything becomes much harder. He's all sharp angles and edges in the darkness, making the fight a two-on-two. Hollypaw doesn't like their odds two-on-one.
Only one way out.
"Okay," Hollypaw meows. "Do I kill her here or?"
"Told you, Mapleshade," Hawkfrost meows. "So little faith in your apprentice."
Mapleshade grins, picking up Hollypaw's question, "We'll let you fight. Consider it a test to earn your Dark Forest name."
"Hollypaw! Please! Let's leave this place. I don't understand how we got here," Minnowpaw mews, still helpless under the massive Mapleshade. She still believes that Hollypaw won't kill her.
Forgive me, Minnowpaw.
"Run. Minnowpaw. Make it a good chase," Hollypaw replies. With her eyes on the Riverclan apprentice, a strand of power latches onto Minnowpaw. Mapleshade lets up on her weight and the dappled she-cat bolts. Hollypaw's erstwhile friend runs, thinking she's going to die.
"I suppose this is the moment you try to escape again," Mapleshade meows. "Run. Hollypaw. Make it a good chase."
Hollypaw runs.
"She's a trait—" Hawkfrost asks, but Hollypaw doesn't bother staying to hear the discussion.
Trees whiz by as Hollypaw kicks dirt up between her legs, temporarily pushing down the exhaustion. Minnowpaw has a good start on her, but Hollypaw's fast for a Thunderclan cat, her long legs capable of striding great distances. Long moonrises running from Mapleshade come to her, sucking down viscous air and empowering her.
The never-ending forest dampens Minnowpaw's scent, but the Riverclan apprentice has a strand of power on her. Hollypaw can always see her strands – more obvious than any scent trail. If Mapleshade expects her to lose Minnowpaw in the forest, then she's solely mistaken. Hollypaw's sprint carries her towards Minnowpaw, the shocked and confused Riverclan apprentice who has also stopped.
"Hollypaw! What is happening? You're not actually killing me, are you? Where are we?" the she-cat meows. She's frazzled, hackles and fur raised, tail twitching violently. Hollypaw thickens the strand, pumping down trust and loyalty. Hollypaw barely stops in her sprint - almost whizzing by Minnowpaw.
"Run! We need to get out of here!" Hollypaw yowls. She doesn't have time to explain. Minnowpaw's eyes widen, her mouth opening to ask another question, to demand answers, but Hollypaw violently tugs on the strand, and Minnowpaw's mouth snaps closed as she's yanked towards Hollypaw. The Riverclan apprentice rushes to follow Hollypaw on unsteady legs.
Hollypaw bolts with Minnowpaw on her tail. She needs…. It feels like momentum alone carries her, her muscles like stone, unresponsive. Exhaustion hits her in the form of a headache. This is where she drowns herself, cracks her skull on a tree, or bleeds herself out to get back to the waking world, but Minnowpaw knows none of that. She needs to save Minnowpaw, but she doesn't know how. Mapleshade can torture her all she wants, but this is where Hollypaw draws the line in the dirt. Hedgehogs will fly before she sees her name tarnished.
She needs—
Mapleshade's coat flickers in the corner of her left eye, and Hollypaw leaps off the ground in an inspired moment, claws lashing out and scoring blood across Mapleshade's coat. Mapleshade screeches, falling sideways in her own sprint, while Hollypaw hits the ground running. There's an unnatural twist in her front left forepaw like a massive splinter being shoved through her heel, but she shrugs off the pain and pushes on, tugging Minnowpaw behind her.
Minnowpaw is panicking. Hollypaw can feel her mind coming undone, and Minnowpaw will try to attack when they need to run. There's no time to make a better plan. She puts more energy into Minnowpaw, telling her to run and follow, and Hollypaw can feel her body obey even while the mind rebels.
Agonizing pain strikes Hollypaw's body, brutal badger-blows to her head and aching lightning down her limbs. The pool in her mind feels dry and parched, sending needles through her brain. She has almost nothing left to give.
Hollypaw is going to want to die tomorrow if she survives this.
Mapleshade has already recovered and then, instantly, is on them. Every step of hers is ten of Hollypaws, the land shifting beneath her, and then the fight is a retreating brawl.
Hollypaw hits the ground and rolls, Mapleshade slashing into her. Hollypaw barely has a moment to breathe when she rolls to her paws before Mapleshade bullrushes her. They go down in a fray, and it's then that Minnowpaw comes to the rescue. The Riverclan apprentice bites down on Mapleshade's spine, and then suddenly, they're the ones who have the tortoiseshell pinned.
Hollypaw drags herself to her paws, decoupling herself from the brawl, making sure to rake claws down through Mapleshade's belly, scoring sticky, bloody blows. They're covered in blood, and she can't tell who's bleeding more.
"Minnowpaw, we need to move," Hollypaw yowls, dragging her limping forepaw. "We need to knock ourselves out." Mapleshade chortles beneath Minnowpaw. She seems unfazed despite the copious amount of blood. Mapleshade gives a light kick, testing, and Minnowpaw holds her grip.
"What?" Minnowpaw meows, looking up at Hollypaw. "This is a dream, isn't it? I'm dreaming. None of this is real. Starclan, this is a dream!"
"No, this is real. Just trust—"
Hollypaw doesn't get to finish her sentence. Mapleshade finally kicks Minnowpaw off her back, yowling a war cry. Minnowpaw hits the dirt, rolling in the chaos, and Mapleshade goes for her while the Riverclan apprentice is vulnerable. Hollypaw is about to rejoin the fray when teeth rip into her shoulder, and she sees Hawkfrost slamming into her on the violent turn. With the finality of death, her uncle ends the fight.
Hollypaw hits dirt.
Hawkfrost pins her down on the ground, and when Hollypaw realizes she isn't about to immediately die, she begins to writhe to become as difficult as possible. On the other side of the battle, Minnowpaw screeches as Mapleshade grapples her. The tortoiseshell reverses the pin from earlier, the Riverclan apprentice now casually held down by gleaming claws. Hollypaw takes some satisfaction in Mapleshade's bloodied whiskers.
Then, her satisfaction is knocked out of her when Mapleshade slams Minnowpaw into the ground with a sickening thump.
No, no, no, no.
"What did I say?" Thump. "Kill her—" Thump. "Or I'll kill—" Thump. "Both of you." Thump.
"Hollypaw!" Minnowpaw screeches.
Thump.
There's a crack and Mapleshade roars in triumph.
"She'll be fine, right?" Hollypaw mews. "You've killed me before, and I've woken up."
"She's dead, niece," Hawkfrost meows uncaringly. The tomcat's heart is as cold as his name.
"You're my uncle! How can you let her get away with this?" Hollypaw meows, glaring up at her captor.
Hawkfrost ignores her. "Your methods are crude, Mapleshade. You have no elegance," he meows as if Hollypaw isn't beneath his paws. He pinches the back of her skull, cinching fur, and Hollypaw hisses with the new pain.
"They work, don't they?" the she-cat replies.
"You killed her. Why won't you just kill me then?" Hollypaw meows.
Mapleshade looks down. "Oh, Hollypaw," she meows, almost motherly like Squirrelflight. "You'll die when I want you to die."
Hollypaw renews her struggle. The claws above her give, fur slipping. Hawkfrost growls, grabbing her neck, and she kicks out with her claws. She feels flesh give, and she worms like a snake. Hollypaw grovels like a worm out in the open, and she snarls in indignation. She almost manages to slip out of Hawkfrost's grip.
"Hawkfrost," Mapleshade meows, an unspoken implication in her tone.
No!
Hawkfrost rips Hollypaw's throat out.
Hollypaw awakens with a gasp. She sucks down the cold, moonrise air like fresh water after a drought.
"Hey! It's going to be okay," Lionpaw meows from beside her. His warm pelt pushes into hers. "When I have a bad dream, I remind myself that I have an awesome brother and sister. That makes everything better."
"Lionpaw, that's not how—"
"Shhh! No talking! Just listen," Lionpaw meows.
Hollypaw sniffles, snot on her face. Her whole body feels terrible. She tries to listen to the sound of cats sleeping, the crickets in the distance, and the owls hooting. The real world brings with it tender relief.
"It's gonna be okay. Everything's good," Lionpaw continues, pressing his weight into her. "You're going to be okay. Go back to sleep. Big brother will watch over you."
Hollypaw blinks, desperately trying to keep her eyes open.
There's no escape.
Hollypaw doses off, Lionpaw on her shoulders. She feels like she's falling, the world's weight lifting off her shoulders. She tumbles…
And wakes up in the Place of No Stars.
Hollypaw decides this is the worst moonrise of her life.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mapleshade meows, standing on top of Hollypaw. Mud once again slickens Hollypaw's coat. Mapleshade presses down, pinning Hollypaw into the familiar grime. The churning of the river can be heard not three rabbit lengths away.
Hollypaw pushes, scrambling in the mud. Her hindlegs sink deep into the mud, and raking her forelegs through it feels like trying to swim through dirt. Hollypaw tries anyway. Mapleshade hisses, claws pushing Hollypaw's head deeper, drawing pinpoints of blood. Teeth lance out to grab onto Hollypaw's scruff.
Hollypaw can hear her heartbeat pumping through her ears and head. Adrenaline surges through her system and she struggles. It's the only thing she can do. She pulls so hard that she feels the fur on her neck tear under Mapleshade's grip. There's a desperate push, where Hollypaw's aching limbs feel like they're gonna crack, and then the strength of Starclan leaves her body.
Hollypaw crashes into the mud under Mapleshade's weight, breathless and exhausted. Her strength is spent. Mapleshade laughs. She always laughs or chortles when she finds some sort of sick joke.
A warrior's last thoughts should be of family. Lionpaw… Jaypaw… Squirellfl—Mom. I wish…
"Weakness doesn't suit you. Out there, it's kill or be killed," Mapleshade meows. "Take what's yours and hold no regrets."
Hollypaw's head digs into the mud. She's bloody and beaten.
"Never hesitate. Enemies don't deserve your sympathy," Mapleshade meows, her weight bearing down on Hollypaw. She can't move. "Let me show you," Mapleshade purrs, her claws crossing Hollypaw's face.
Then she rips out Hollypaw's right eye.
Hollypaw feels like the world is ending, as the sudden pain makes her screech. She tastes mud and blood. She's going to die. Her power swells, more powerful than ever, summoned by her panic. The strands launch at Mapleshade, sinking into her fur and then bouncing. The energy dissipates.
"I thought you might have amounted to something," Mapleshade meows, "but you're just like every other Thunderclan brat. Tigerstar will understand if I tell him you were planning on betraying us." Hollypaw's limbs shake, and she can barely see.
Hollypaw starts muttering, "You can't—"
"I indeed can," Mapleshade meows.
"No, there's a prophecy," Hollypaw mews, head full of fog and panic. "You can't kill me. There will be three cats, kin of your kin, with the power of the stars in their paws. I have the power of Starclan!"
There's a pause, and Mapleshade's weight relents for just a moment.
"I'm important!" Hollypaw mews. "My destiny is with Starclan. I can't die! I can't…"
There's silence.
There's a pull within Hollypaw's gut.
She wakes up back in Thunderclan.
At sunup, Hollypaw drags herself out of the apprentices' den. She feels sick, but she still has both eyes and not a scar on her coat. Lionpaw is right behind her.
Mapleshade whispers in her ear, "He doesn't care about you. Only Heatherpaw."
"Hey, are you okay?" he meows. "Did you sleep well? It doesn't look like you did, but you never know with these things. One time, I was dreaming about this squirrel and—"
"Lionpaw," Hollypaw meows out tiredly. "Please just be quiet and follow."
The warm sun on her pelt almost feels strange now, and Hollypaw wants to crawl back into the cold and damp shadows before her fur starts to glow and warmth surges through her body. The sensation is now alien, more at home with terror, fear, and shadow, and she wants both more and less of it. In the short distance it takes to cross the stone hollow, Hollypaw feels more dead and alive than ever.
Hollypaw pushes through the familiar brambles, protecting the medicine cat den. Leafpool is thankfully out. The last thing she needs is her aunt.
"Hollypaw, Lionpaw, what do I owe the pleasure?" Jaypaw meows sarcastically. His nose is once again deep in a bundle of herbs, sorting them, but his ears are perked as if he already knew they were coming.
"We need to talk," Hollypaw meows. Jaypaw's ears flicker in curiosity, prompting her to continue. "About everything," Hollypaw feels raw just saying this, "about the prophecy, our powers, what's been happening. We have a problem."
There is no escape. Especially now.
"Oh," Lionpaw meows.
Hollypaw is climbing a mountain. It feels insurmountable.