Cinder and Holly Book #1: The Wrong Path

Chapter 19

Hollypaw widened her eyes with horror, and then glanced at the two apprentices, "Help them! Now!" Hollypaw hissed, Birdpaw nodded, and he darted down to the gorse tunnel.

Hollypaw gazed at her sister, Cinderpaw, who was staring in horror, she frowned, "Stay here if you can't handle it," She insisted, and she spun to the gorse tunnel, and she dashed into the entrance of the gorse tunnel.

As she entered the gorse tunnel, she glanced up, and spotted a few twisted vines, and some brambles and thickets. Those vines are new. She thought, she kept on darting down the gorse tunnel, and she'd spot the entrance.

She dashed faster, and she entered the other side of the gorse tunnel, she skidded to a halt, and she gazed around, hearing the yowls of cats, she gazed around the camp, unknown where to go.

Fire was everywhere, she couldn't find a way to get through this. She heard crackles of a tree, she pricked her ear up, immediately glancing up, a tree was falling onto Hollypaw, and she was about to die.

She sealed her eyes shut, she froze, she didn't move a muscle, she just let the tree fall on her.

Suddenly, a cat leaped forward, and shoved Hollypaw out of the way of the falling tree, Hollypaw landed on the dirt ground, gazing forward with confusion, she spotted a blurry vision of a brown tabby tom, she glanced down, to notice a limp on one of his forepaws.

Milkstem! She stood erect, glancing at the brown tabby, Hollypaw grinned with amazement, her mentor saved her!

Hollypaw padded up the fiery-camp clearing, gazing at her mentor with a smile. "I thought you died!"

Milkstem purred with amusement, "You thought I was dead?" He mewed, nudging her with his shoulder, "Trust me, I will never die!" He teased.

Hollypaw glanced down the clearing, and then gazed back to Milkstem with narrowed eyes. "We have to help the others!"

Milkstem nodded, he spun to the other side, and he darted down the fiery clearing.

Hollypaw glanced around the camp clearing, she gazed over to the tree that almost hit her, and her eyes widened with surprise. The nursery is on the other side! She realized, Hollypaw flexed her claws, and she leaped toward the fallen tree. She sunk her claws into the bark of the tree, and she climbed up. As she reached the top of the tree, she glanced down, over to the nursery, she sprang down, and suddenly, she let out a small cough.

She glanced over to the medicine den, Leafstripe and Fogpaw were hurrying out of the den, and were heading to the gorse tunnel of the camp. She glanced over to the nursery, Cedarstreak was holding Hawkkit, and she was darting after the entrance of the camp. Suddenly, Hollypaw spotted Quietpath, with a big lump on her belly, and pink noses in her belly. Quietpath was struggling to dash after the camp entrance, the kits in her belly were slowing her down.

Hollypaw pinned her ears, she padded to the skinny, white she-cat, "Are you okay?" She asked, Quietpath simply glanced at her, and she shook her head, Hollypaw frowned, she spun beside her, flicking her tail. "Lay on my shoulder," She ordered, "let me help you get out of here."

Quietpath smiled at her wearily, she laid her head onto Hollypaw's right shoulder, Hollypaw gazed around the camp, she noticed the camp entrance, and she padded over to the gorse tunnel, attempting to get in.

As she reached the tunnel, she flicked the tip of her tail, signalling Quietpath to get in.

Quietpath glanced at Hollypaw with a smile, and she slowly ambled into the gorse tunnel.

Hollypaw glanced around the camp, it seemed as if everyone escaped. Milkstem darted toward Hollypaw, and skidded to a halt as he reached her. "Everyone is safe," He told her, Hollypaw smiled at him, her whiskers twitched with amusement.

Hollypaw padded into the entrance of the camp, it was dark, it made her quiver. She gazed over her shoulder, the fire was rising uncontrollably, it made her quiver in fright. Milkstem paced faster, he flicked his tail, signalling Hollypaw to do the same, Hollypaw paced faster as well, she let out a few coughs, feeling her head ache, but she still followed Milkstem up the gorse tunnel.

She eventually reached the top of the gorse tunnel, and she padded into the entrance of the camp.

As she padded outside of the camp entrance, she stopped her tracks, seeing Fawn and Storm crouching under Cinderpaw.

"Who are these kits," Mossstar asked, turning his head to Hollypaw. Hollypaw swallowed, "We found these kits alone." She replied, "we had to take them in."

Mossstar smiled, twitching his whiskers with amusement, "What are their names?" Amberbreeze chimed in. Hollypaw let out a sigh of relief, "The black one is Storm, and the cream-colored one is Fawn."

"Whatever, we must go, we have no time." Cedarstreak hissed, her fur bristling. Hollypaw nodded, she padded down the forest clearing, Cinderpaw followed from behind, Birdpaw was beside Thrushthicket. Fuzzypaw darted down the clearing, heading to Birdpaw. "I thought you were dead!" Fuzzypaw cried out, Blackpaw narrowed his eyes at Fuzzypaw with annoyance. Birdpaw mrrowed with laughter. "Well, I'm not dead, as you can see." Birdpaw assured him.

Hollypaw narrowed her eyes at Birdpaw, glaring at him. He's going to pretend none of that happened, is he? She thought, staring down at her paws.

She shook her head. No, he's going to tell them everything, Hollypaw thought. and I mean everything.

Hollypaw felt something hard and wet drop on her back-fur, she glanced up at the sky, her head tipped as wet droplets fell from the sky. Rain pattered on the grass-ground, making her eyes widened. Stupid StarClan, always making good stuff happen late.

Cedarstreak padded down the forest clearing, her fur looking wet, and the underbelly of her fur lying onto the damp ground. Hollypaw paced slower, she then reached Cinderpaw, and her pace was normal.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her head tipping. Cinderpaw shook her head. "I think this was my fault." Cinderpaw admitted, "If only I was faster! Then I could've saved the clan."

Hollypaw narrowed her eyes, "No! It's not your fault! You didn't even know that'd happen!"

"But the message—"

"It's StarClan's fault for making every prophecy a riddle." Hollypaw hissed. "They always make everything hard to understand, and they won't let anyone warn the whole clan."

Cinderpaw mrrowed with laughter, "Tell that to StarClan," She teased.

Hollypaw smiled at her sister. "Nope! I'm giving them a taste of their own medicine."

As Hollypaw and Cinderpaw padded down the forest clearing, Hollypaw suddenly felt gloomy, she stared down at her paws. If only I told Eddie good-bye.

Hollypaw shook her head. No, I'll see him soon. In this territory. Hollypaw thought, raising her head up.

I'll see him soon.

Hollypaw fluttered her eyes open, and she gazed around the clearing of the den.

Hollypaw raised her head, she stood erect, and she gave a wide stretch. She padded into the entrance of the apprentice's den, and as she reached the camp-clearing, she tasted the fresh air. The camp was on fire a few days ago, and they repaired the camp as it finished raining. Quietpath was giving birth in the medicine den, she knew this because she heard wailing from the den all night.

Cinderpaw padded down the clearing, heading to the medicine den entrance. Cinderpaw was holding a stick, Hollypaw thought that it might be for Quietpath.

Hollypaw glanced at the sky, and she thought of Eddie, and the rogues he had with him.

Hollypaw sometimes missed them, even though she wasn't supposed to, since they did attack her back at the rogue camp.

But, for some reason, Hollypaw didn't care. She wanted to train with Eddie and the rogues, but, she had to wait a while for them to get into the territories.

"Hollypaw!" Milkstem called, Hollypaw turned her head to the brown tom. "C'mon, we have to train!"

Hollypaw nodded, she stood erect, and she padded to Milkstem.