Cinder and Holly Book #1: The Wrong Path

Chapter 10

A squirrel darted down a dirt-filled path, holding a chestnut by its mouth, it'd stop its tracks, glancing behind, making sure nothing was there, it'd then glance back forward, and it would nibble on its food, Hollypaw flexed her claws, she was inside of a bush, and her stomach was growling, she crawled closer to the squirrel, licking her lips, and she leaped up into the air, and sprang down to the squirrel, the squirrel gazed up, staring at Hollypaw, and with a moment, Hollypaw pounced on it, pinning it down, she sunk her claws into the flesh of the squirrel, making it squeal with pain, she'd then slide her claws through its torso to its tail, and it fell limp, it'd lay motionless, Hollypaw grabbed the dead squirrel, and she puffed her chest out, feeling pride inside.

"Good job Hollypaw!" Cinderpaw mewed, rustling out of a bush, Hollypaw grinned with enjoyment, she padded to her, and sat down in front of Cinderpaw, "Did you hunt anything?" She muffled, Cinderpaw shook her head, and frowned, "I am still terrible," She meowed, pinning her ears down, Hollypaw frowned, opening her mouth to say something, but then closed it, not knowing what to say, "That doesn't matter though, you and Birdpaw have to hunt, and I'll try to find some herbs."

Hollypaw watched as Cinderpaw padded back into the bush, Hollypaw glanced at the ground, flexing her claws, she'd shovel a hole out of the grassy ground, she dropped the squirrel in, she spun to the dirt she dug out, and pulled it all back in with her tail.

Hollypaw glanced at the sky, sniffing the air, trying to search for some birds, she wanted to hunt a crow, like Birdpaw, or a magpie, like Milkstem, she couldn't smell any birds, but, the smell of... Blood? Hollypaw raised an eyebrow, padding over to the smell, it was near her, so it wasn't a long walk, she crouched, sniffing the ground, and she raised her head with her ears pricked up, she heard murmuring, and she didn't know what it was, but she needed to know, she stood erect, and padded behind a tree, peeking her head out. But then, her eyes widened with fright.

A cream tabby she-cat was snarling at a limp body of a black tom, a dark ginger she was sitting next to the cream tabby, fear in their eyes.

The dark ginger spun to the cream tabby, "Why did you do that?!" She whispered in a panicked voice, the cream tabby calmly gazed at her, "He was going to reveal our plans," She mewed, "I had to end him."

"Eddie is going to get angry—" The dark ginger protested, but the tabby shushed her, "Do you smell that?" She mewed, Hollypaw exhaled out a gasp, standing erect, and darted away back to the direction where the temporary den was, the dark ginger narrowed her eyes at the cream tabby, "Great, now a clan cat knows." She hissed, "Let's hope they didn't hear too much." The cream tabby mewed, the two she-cats spun to the direction Hollypaw was in, and they darted away.

Cinderpaw padded alongside with Birdpaw, she was holding burdock root with a leaf wrap, while Birdpaw was holding a few pieces of yarrow.

"Thanks for helping me, Birdpaw," Cinderpaw purred, "I really appreciate it—"

Hollypaw darted out of a bush, panting heavily, Cinderpaw gazed at her with a concerned expression, while Birdpaw narrowed his eyes at her, Hollypaw narrowed her eyes at him, they were both still angry at each other.

Go jump in a ditch. She thought, though, she didn't want to say it out loud, or Cinderpaw would get angry, she gazed back at Cinderpaw, "There are rogues following us," She told her, "We have to do something!"

Cinderpaw nodded, "I'll go get herbs!" She mewed, padding away into the depths of the forest, Hollypaw glared at Birdpaw, and Birdpaw narrowed his eyes back, "Whatever," Hollypaw hissed, "We have to go fight them."

"Fine," Birdpaw mewed, flicking his tail sharply, "But I'm not helping you."

Hollypaw glared at Birdpaw, "Y'know, I'd help you." She'd growl, and she padded back into the bush, Birdpaw pinned his ears, and he followed Hollypaw.

Hollypaw padded down the plains, gazing around the meadow cautiously, Birdpaw flattened his ears in fright, she gazed at the tom, and she chuckled under her breath, "Coward." She muttered, Birdpaw perked his ears up, and narrowed his eyes at Hollypaw, "Hey, I am helping you here." He hissed, his claws unsheathing, but then sheathed, "I thought you said you wouldn't help me?" She growled, "Or do you still care about me."

Birdpaw glanced at her with red hot embarrassment, but then shook his head, "I lied!" He mewed, trying to sound intimidating, Hollypaw mrrowed with laughter, "Oh, you are such a tough cat," She teased, "You sound terrible at it."

Birdpaw hissed, his neck fur bristling, "I swear if we come back, I'll tell Cinderpaw—" Birdpaw asserted, but Hollypaw snickered, gazing at him with her claws flexing, "I about you stop snitching," She hissed, "and start fighting."

Birdpaw glanced at her with a sweat, but narrowed his eyes, crouching in a fighting position, his claws flexed, and his teeth gritting, Hollypaw rolled her eyes, and she leaped up into the air, Birdpaw pinned his ears, he quickly stood erect, and he darted slowly over to the otherside, Hollypaw gazed back at him with a snarl, landing onto the ground, her claws slid through the dirt, carving a long claw mark, Hollypaw crouched, her teeth gritting, Birdpaw pinned his ears, standing erect, "Wait," He told her, Hollypaw pricked her ears up, and she slowly stood erect, "What?" She growled, Birdpaw gazed at her, his tail tip flicking, "Would Cinderpaw want this?" He mewed, Hollypaw snickered, "She won't notice," She scoffed, Birdpaw frowned at her, "She'll notice the scratches." He hissed.

Hollypaw frowned, glancing down at the ground, Cinderpaw wouldn't be my friend anymore, I don't want to lose her. Hollypaw glanced at Birdpaw, with narrowed eyes, "Fine," She hissed, "Let's call it a truce."

Birdpaw nodded, and he spun forward, padding over to the direction they were heading, Hollypaw gazed at him, her teeth gritting, but padded down the meadow to follow him anyway.

Hollypaw gazed down at the ground, small puddles of mud laying in the grassy ground, Hollypaw glanced at the sky, feeling the wind rush through her fur, she sniffed the air, and her eyes widened.

"The rogues are near!" She told Birdpaw, he glanced at Hollypaw, and he spun to her, "What do you mean," He growled, "I don't hear anything—"

A dark ginger she-cat leaped up, heading towards Birdpaw, she sprang down to the tom, with him falling onto the ground by his back, they both rolled down the hill, Hollypaw glanced at Birdpaw with her eyes widened, she glanced back the bushes behind her, her eyes filled with fright.

Hollypaw shook her head, and she crouched in a fighting position, her claws flexed, her neck fur bristled, glancing at the bushes with her pupils fading into slits, she'd watch the bushes, waiting for one to crackle, though, none did.

Her ears were pinned, she'd slowly stand erect, suspiciously gazing around her surroundings, but, suddenly, she felt something pounce her, pinning her down on the ground.

She sweated, her eyes widening with fright, she felt tears weeping through her eyes, she didn't want to die, that is the last thing she'd want, she sealed her eyes shut, and she thought about Cinderpaw, her sister, she'd be devastated if she saw the dead bodies of Birdpaw, and her.

This is it, Hollypaw thought, more tears squirting out from her eyes.

Goodbye, Cinderpaw.

Suddenly, as Hollypaw had her eyes closed, she couldn't feel the claws of the supposed, cream tabby, she only felt the wind rushing through her fur, she raised her head, expecting to see a starry field, with a StarClan cat greeting her, but no, she saw the same meadow she was in, she'd stare down at her paws.

She wasn't dead.

Hollypaw glanced around the clearing, wondering how she survived the attack, suddenly, she heard a yowl, and her ears pricked up, That isn't Birdpaw's...

She stood erect, and she continued to glance around, she spun around the meadow, and suddenly, she spotted Birdpaw, having his paw shoved onto the cream tabbies head, she smiled, her jaw gaping, Birdpaw really did help her, she gazed around, searching for the dark ginger, and she stopped, spotting the dark ginger darting towards her, their claws unsheathed, Hollypaw crouched in a fighting position, she flexed her claws, with a grin on her face.

She was ready to fight.