Cinder and Holly Book #1: The Wrong Path

Chapter 22

Claws gripped into the bark of a tree, Hollypaw climbed up an oak tree. She drew her tongue over her lips. A squirrel, perfect! They are usually on the trees.

Milkstem glanced at her with worriness in his gaze. Hollypaw thought it was annoying. She landed on a thick tree branch, her claws sinking into the bark of the branch. She spun her head to the squirrel, nibbling on a blue-like berry. It doesn't know I'm here. Perfect. She crouched, her tail laid on the thick branch.

Her paws quaked with excitement. Maybe if I tell Eddie about the squirrel I caught, he'll promote my rank into something way better!

She pushed her right paw toward the squirrel, and then her left paw. Hollypaw glanced at Milkstem, who drew his lips to a smile. Her claws flexed. And with a swift pin, she scrambled to her paws and shoved her forepaw onto the Squirrel's back. It squealed in pain as her claws sunk into its flesh. Blood squirted out, and suddenly she swiftly sliced its back. It limped, its eyes still open, yet it was soulless.

She grabbed the squirrel by its scruff, her claws were still unsheathed. She leapt forward to the walls of the tree, and gripped her claws into the bark. She climbed down the tree, and as she reached the bottom, she accidentally sheathed her claws, and suddenly she fell backwards onto the grass-ground.

Milkstem padded over to her with a worried expression. "Are you okay?" He asked. Hollypaw furrowed her brows at the tom, ever since the mission, he has been watching over her all the time.

She scrambled to her paws. "I'm not a kit anymore..." She murmured quietly so he couldn't hear her. The squirrel she caught was laying in between the two, she lowered her head down, and she grabbed the squirrel by the scruff.

"C'mon, let's go!" Milkstem mewed. Hollypaw nodded, and she padded down the forest clearing. As they both bounded down the clearing, Hollypaw suddenly frowned. When will Eddie come here? She wondered. Eddie told her that he'd be on FogClan territory, and Hollypaw even gave him directions on where to go.

Hollypaw and Milkstem headed into the gorse tunnel, and as they padded into the clearing of the camp, Hollypaw stopped her tracks. Milkstem glanced over his shoulder. "Aren't you coming?" He asked. "We have to get this to the pile."

Hollypaw drew her lips to a smile. "I'm coming!" She meowed. Hollypaw paced a bit faster to the fresh-kill pile, and as she halted in front of the pile, she dipped her head and set the squirrel down.

Prey is running well in our territory... And the gathering is tomorrow.

Her expression turned to an excited one. I can make Snowpaw so jealous! He'll regret that time he made fun of me!

Hollypaw spun to Milkstem who was speaking with Goldenflower, Hollypaw then padded over to the two cats, and stopped her tracks as she reached Milkstem. "Can we train now? I think I'm ready!" Hollypaw mewed briskly. Milkstem shook his head. "We can train tomorrow, actually, we're going on border patrol tomorrow!"

Hollypaw suddenly frowned. Border patrol? I don't wanna though! She thought, though she didn't speak out loud.

"Fine," She mewed with disappointment in her voice. She stood erect and she spun away to the fresh-kill pile, padding after it. Whatever, at least border patrol is something to do.

The soft crisp air swept past the pine trees. The cats who were chosen to go to the gathering padded down the forest-clearing. They were headed to the Drizzly Lake, and Hollypaw was one of them.

Hollypaw pushed herself into the clumps of bracken, she glanced forward, and realized; they were here!

Her expression faded into a brisk one, and she darted down the clearing of the Drizzly Lake. The crisp air swept through the crowd of cats, some of them quivered, while the rest didn't mind.

Hollypaw skidded to a halt. She glanced around the clearing, looking for Snowpaw, but she suddenly spotted him, he sat beside Shadepaw.

Hollypaw drew her lips to a grin. She padded down the clearing, heading to Snowpaw, who sat in the far left.

She began to pace faster, she darted down the clearing of the Drizzly Lake. As she paced a bit slower, she felt the stares of the crowd of cats burning through her pelt. And she began to sweat.

She suddenly stopped her tracks, she spun to the large willow tree, and she sat down beside Snowpaw.

Shadepaw laid beside Snowpaw, purring with amusement. "Snowpaw, our little friend is back," She teased. Snowpaw drew his lips to a smirk, and he glanced at Hollypaw with a smug expression. "Welcome back," He purred. "We missed you so much."

Liars. Her back fur bristled, she shot a glare at Snowpaw, and he began to twitch his whiskers with amusement. No! Stop! This is what he wants! She huffed out a sigh, and her fur began to smoothen.

"Thanks," Hollypaw choked out. "I definitely missed you." She then glanced at the top of the willow tree, the branches quivered slightly, making Firestar, the cream tom, jump in fright. "Shall we begin?" Snowstar asked the four leaders, they all murmured with agreement.

"Let the gathering begin!" Mossstar yowled out. Hollypaw began to draw her lips to a smirk as she gazed at Snowpaw. He's gonna be so jealous once he hears about our mission!

"Would you like to start, Firestar?" Mossstar asked. Firestar nodded in agreement.

Hollypaw glanced over to a long rock where all the medicine cats sat. The medicine cat apprentices sat in front of the long rock.

"How are you, Falconheart?" Hollypaw heard a raspy voice mutter. She turned her head to the long rock, and spotted an old-looking cream she-cat speaking with a gray-and-white she. "I'm doing fantastic!" Falconheart meowed. "Otterkit is very interested in herbs, I always see her in the medicine den. I have a feeling she could be my new Medicine Cat apprentice!"

Hollypaw glanced at the branches of the willow tree, staring at the dark cream tom announcing the news in his clan. "SnowClan is doing well," He mewed. "We actually have a new apprentice in our clan, Newtpaw!"

"Newtpaw! Newtpaw!" Everyone in the clearing yowled. Newtpaw shrunk her head into her very fluffy neck fur. Two Newtpaw's! Hah!

Firestar suddenly scowled, and everyone's cheers began to fade away, glancing at the SnowClan leader with worry. "We actually have bad news, too," Firestar meowed with worry in his voice. He glanced around the other three branches, and then stopped once he stared straight at the crowd of cats.

"There is rogue scent in our territory. And we tracked to where it was, but the rogues weren't anywhere."

Murmurs of worry rose from the clearing. Hollypaw began to sweat. Rogue scent? Wait... Could it be...?

"D—did the scent smell strange? Like... Not the usual rogue scent...?" Cinderpaw stammered, and everyone's eyes were on her.

Cinderpaw's eyes widened with worry, and she crouched down on the grass-ground in fright. "Actually... Yes... Wait, why do you ask?" Firestar glanced over at Cinderpaw with narrowed eyes.

Cinderpaw swallowed. "I received a message from StarClan, and we were sent on a mission," She told him. "We then left the territories to find what was in this message. And we stumbled upon a rogue camp. The leader is called...Eddie."