After a restless sleep, Hollyleaf stretched and yawned, rolling sideways out of her hammock in the Homestead. Beside her, her brothers slept, snoring quietly. Clouds drifted overhead, and a cold breeze ruffled her hair. Dew clung to the thin blades of grass as Hollyleaf made her way to the fields. Everyone else seemed to be asleep, but as she drew closer to the Maze doors, she could see the Runners lining up against the wall, waiting for the doors to slide open. The second-in-command was there as well, standing with them until they could finally begin running.
Finally, the doors opened, and Hollyleaf trotted up to join Newt as he waved the Runners off.
"—great time in the Maze," she caught just the last part of Newt's sarcastic remark to Minho as she approached.
"Is it dangerous out there?" Hollyleaf asked Newt, who turned around quickly, startled by her.
"Just a bit," Newt laughed. "Apart from the Grievers, the moving walls, and the high chance of getting lost. But if you take all that out, then it's totally safe!"
"Grievers?" Hollyleaf frowned, blinking a couple of times.
"Yeah, you know, big, fat, blobby things? Half metal? They look like spiders?" Newt raised an eyebrow at her lack of response. "No? I'm surprised Minho hasn't terrified you with his tales yet."
"Nope! No one told me anything about Grievers!" Hollyleaf smiled at him before continuing, "So, what am I doing today? I'm so excited to see what I can do for you!"
Newt began walking away, and Hollyleaf caught up with him as he spoke. "You're a bit too excited. We're trapped behind these walls, you have to work all day, and you don't know if we're going to get out or even survive. Why exactly are you so ecstatic?"
"Great way to brighten the mood," Hollyleaf glanced up from the ground. Jayfeather leaned against a wooden post, while Lionblaze stood nearby, stuffing his face full of bacon.
"Oh, hey, Jayfeather," Hollyleaf greeted him. "Hey, Lionblaze!"
Newt suddenly laughed to himself. "Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf? Such weird names…"
"Says you," Gally chimed in from behind him. "You're named after a shucking lizard."
"For the last time," Newt snarled in annoyance, "Newts are amphibians! You hear me? AMPHIBIANS!"
"Who cares? I'm named after a leaf," Hollyleaf said, crossing her arms.
Jayfeather snorted. "I'm named after a bird."
"That's not bad! That's kinda cool!" Newt protested.
"Well, at least it beats being named after a lizard," Jayfeather shrugged.
"AMPHIBIAN!"
"What's the difference?!" Jayfeather snapped, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, shuck," Gally groaned. "Of course, you HAD to ask."
Newt shot him a glare before launching into his well-rehearsed explanation of the difference between amphibians and reptiles. "Both amphibians and reptiles belong to the phylum Chordata, having well-defined vertebral columns. But they greatly differ in their living habits, structure, reproductive cycles, and even habitats. The class Amphibia includes animals like toads, frogs, and salamanders. They can thrive in both land and water due to their optional gills and porous skin, which allows for breathing alongside lungs. In contrast, the class Reptilia comprises snakes, lizards, and turtles, which are restricted to land because they only have lungs."
"How do you even know that?" Lionblaze asked, his brow furrowed and jaw dropping slightly.
"Books," Newt replied simply. "Anyway, we need to get going! I'll drop Hollyleaf off at the Bloodhouse. You two wait for me here! Gally, get to work."
Gally laughed and saluted the second-in-command. "Yes, sir!" He then walked away from the group.
"Come on," Newt gestured for Hollyleaf to follow him. "We don't have all day!"