A Dark Day // Storm Of Blood #1

Chapter 18

Hollypaw woke up in the hollow tree, looking out at the Shadowclan camp. Two guards sat outside of the door, chattering like starlings. Hollypaw rolled her eyes and rested her head on her paws.

Surely a patrol will come to get me soon, right? She thought.

"Riverclan apprentice!" A gruff and annoyed mew came from the tree's entrance, and she looked up to see Roseleaf looking at her, a scrawny squirrel in her mouth. "After you eat this, come outside. There's a few cats waiting for you."

Hollypaw widened her eyes. Had her clan come to save her?

She quickly ate the squirrel, wincing as she did so. She wasn't used to forest prey. Well, some of it anyways. She sped out, and to her dismay, saw none of her clan. Instead, Dewstar and Skytail were waiting, along with Silverclaw and Roseleaf, the she-cat who had just come to get her.

"You needed me?" Hollypaw asked, dipping her head.

Dewstar nodded, looking at her with a blank expression. "Yes," he mewed. "Sit."

Hollypaw sat down, gazing nervously at the leader. "We've sent a warrior to fetch some cats to bring you home," he mewed. "But, we'll have to speak with them first. And you."

Hollypaw tilted her head, nervousness beginning to worm in her stomach. "About what?"

"You'll know soon enough," Dewstar mewed. "Let's just say, you'll be fighting for us."

Hollypaw widened her eyes. "What do you mean?" As she realized, she gasped. "Do you mean... that whole thing that happened at the last gathering?"

"Yes," Skytail hissed. "Starclan, Riverclan cats are so nosy."

"Not true," Hollypaw huffed. Just then, Redstar walked into camp. He was followed by Foxclaw, Streamclaw, Bluetail, and Pikepaw.

"Redstar," Dewstar mewed. "We'd like to speak to you about---"

"Nothing," Redstar hissed. "You are going to give me the apprentice and leave us alone."

"Skytail, Silverclaw," Dewstar mewed. At his command, Hollypaw felt teeth dig into her shoulders. "Let me go!" she hissed.

Hollypaw looked up to see the two cats, and she watched in horror as she was dragged further away from her clanmates, before she was thrown into the leader's den. Skytail and Silverclaw walked to the entrance and stayed on guard.

Panicking, she tried to listen to the conversation happening in camp.

"Fight with us and Windclan," Dewstar was mewing, "and she'll be free. If you don't," he mewed, sliding out his claws, "she'll be left here and wounded."

Hollypaw gasped, flinching as Silverclaw looked in at her. "Shut it," he hissed, turning back around.

"No," Redstar mewed. "Give her back or I'll have to call in reinforcements."

"Reinforcements?" Dewstar chuckled. "What do you mean---"

"Copperpelt!" Redstar suddenly yowled. "Battle!"

With that, more Riverclan cats, led by Copperpelt, ran into the Shadowclan camp. As Skytail hissed and ran off to fight, Hollypaw saw this as an opportunity. She ran forward and pounced on Silverclaw.

"You'll regret that, apprentice!" he hissed. Suddenly, Stormpaw ran over. "No," he mewed. "You'll regret messing with my sister!" With that, he jumped into Silverclaw, gripping his back. Hollypaw slashed furiously at his sides and muzzle.

She cast a quick glance over her shoulder to see Dockpaw and Streamclaw working together to fend off two younger warriors. Hollypaw growled and jumped onto Silverclaw, and the weight of her and Stormpaw made him fall. "You fools!" he hissed. "Let me up!"

"Stormpaw," Hollypaw mewed, "we've gotta help everyone else! Our clan is losing by just a little, but if we help we might be able to win!"

"Silverclaw will just join back in the fight, though!" Stormpaw mewed. "We can't just leave him here. We--"

"Then let me take care of him," Hollypaw heard her mother mew. Stormpaw and Hollypaw got off, and Willowpool flung herself furiously at the tom.

The two apprentices nodded their thanks and ran off to help. Hollypaw gasped as she heard Redstar's frightened wail.

As the clans stopped fighting and turned to look at what had happened, Hollypaw gasped as she caught sight of Dewstar standing over him, his muzzle soaked in blood. Redstar's neck was bleeding out, and his eyes glazed over.

"He's losing a life," Copperpelt stuttered. Riverclan cats gasped as Dewstar stepped off of Redstar.

Hollypaw noticed a little bit of shock even in Dewstar's eyes. "I--" he stammered. "I didn't mean to kill him I just... I just wanted to..."

"Murderer!" Alderfoot hissed. Yowls of agreement rose from her clanmates, Hollypaw's included. Even a few of his own warriors were looking at Dewstar with disgust.

"I'm so sorry," Dewstar mewed. "I guess I've just been grieving my daughter, Cindertail, so much after Skyclan murdered her. I didn't mean---"

"That's a pathetic excuse!" Foxclaw hissed. As more yowls of agreement rose from Riverclan, Redstar drearily sat up.

Dewstar looked down at him with sympathy. "You-- you can have your apprentice back. I'm sorry."

"Are you okay?" Hollypaw headed Copperpelt mew once again to Redstar.

"Yes," he mewed. "Besides, I still have six lives left."

Hollypaw looked down at her paws in shame. This is my fault, she thought. If only I would have let that apprentice go, and not have injured her so bad! Then Wolfpaw wouldn't have---

"Hollypaw," Streamclaw mewed, looking down at her with sad eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked in a gentle tone.

"I'm fine," Hollypaw mewed. "Just disappointed in myself, that's all."

"In yourself?" Streamclaw mewed, tilting her head. "How so?"

"Well," Hollypaw began. "It's my fault. I seriously injured and insulted a younger apprentice at that border dispute. Her cousin, Wolfpaw, made it look like I was trying to stay, and..."

"It's not your fault," Streamclaw sighed. "If anything it's Shadowclan's, for being mouse-brained enough to try and get us to fight with them."

Hollypaw sighed. "I know, but it cost one of Redstar's lives..."

Streamclaw put her tail gently on Hollypaw's neck. "I know," she mewed. "It's not your fault though. Really. Shadowclan just---well they always want to fight. They always are out looking for trouble."

Hollypaw looked up at her mentor, and managed a slight smile. "Thanks."

As they got back to camp, a few warriors who has stayed behind looked up at them now, their gazes sparkling as they saw Hollypaw.

Suddenly, Copperpelt walked up to the Wetrock, while Redstar slinked away to his den. As the cats whom had stayed behind gathered, confused, the deputy began to speak.

"Redstar has lost a life, he had his throat torn out by Dewstar." Yowls of shock erupted from the warriors who has stayed behind. Also from the elders, Yarrowfeather, and the medicine cats. Toadpaw included.

Hollypaw gazed sadly around, seeing the devistated faces around camp. As they yowled wails of grief, Redstar came out of his den. "Anyone  who needs healing," he mewed, "follow me to the medicine den."

Hollypaw found her brother, Stormpaw, and walked with him to the medicine den. Deerpaw joined them a few moments later. "What did they do to you while you were there?" Deerpaw asked.

"They had me fix the elder's bedding, fetch water soaked moss for sick cats, and help them organize herbs, y'know."

"That sounds boring," Stormpaw huffed. "I'd hate to have been there."

Hollypaw looked out of the medicine den, then back over to Redstar.

She felt so guilty.