Warriors: Hollyleaf's kits

Chapter 6

●sorry for not updating in a while●

Molepaw's corpse had been buried by the river, and a large rock was placed on top to mark his grave. Cherrypaw had been silent since, but she refused to leave the cave. Two days had passed, and she was still dull, hardly even eating.

Fallen Leaves paced around the cave, his tail sweeping the ground. Last night he was trapped in the flooding caves again, the water rising up and up. But he made it out and met small kits that he thought he'd never see again.

The two kits were his siblings, one was Leaping Mist. She was a sleek-furred gray tabby she-kit with bright green eyes. The other was Broken Stone, who was a rough gray tabby tom with a white underbelly and river-blue eyes. 

Fallen Leaves couldn't stop thinking about his younger siblings, but what pierced his thoughts the most was Hollyleaf's power. He wondered what it was, or if he should tell her. I know Rock told me that I shouldn't, but I can't just keep this from her. 

Fallen Leaves scraped at some of the dirt under his paws, his fur feeling heavy. Maybe she can figure it out on her own. He pulled a tiny root from the dirt, trying to focus on something else. It gets so lonely here, but with Hollyleaf and that apprentice, it's not so bad.

"Hollyleaf!" A squeaky voice meowed, echoing around.

Hollyleaf glanced up from where she was fishing. She took her gaze away from Fallen Leaves and looked at Cherrypaw. "What?"

"I... I know what I have to do to keep ThunderClan away from here," Cherrypaw sighed.

"And what is that?" Hollyleaf asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I... I will tell them that I'm becoming a kittypet. Then they'll think I'm not even on Clan territory, when I'll actually be in these tunnels," Cherrypaw sighed. "I hate to.. betray ThunderClan, but..."

"It's okay, Cherrypaw," Hollyleaf soothed. She leaped over the river, landing on the other side with Cherrypaw. She curled her tail around the apprentice, acting like a mother. "You won't be betraying ThunderClan. You're still a ThunderClan apprentice on the inside. That's what matters."

"And you're a ThunderClan cat too!" Cherrypaw reminded.

Hollyleaf turned away, her green eyes dull. "No. I betrayed ThunderClan, and nothing I do will get me back. I cannot call myself a ThunderClan warrior."

"But-"

"Cherrypaw," Fallen Leaves spoke. "Hurry quickly with the news. We don't want ThunderClan finding Hollyleaf down here." If she's found, she'll be exiled... away from me.

Eventually after a few more words, Cherrypaw left, her pawsteps echoing in the tunnel until they couldn't be heard. The only sound was the gentle flowing of the river. 

Fallen Leaves turned to Hollyleaf. "Hollyleaf.. I had a dream where I was in the tunnels again," he spoke softly.

Hollyleaf shifted. "I'm sorry. Did you make it out?" She questioned.

"Yes. And at the exit, I saw two kits. They were my siblings," Fallen Leaves explained. "Why... why am I seeing my family at the exit? Are they trying to tell me something? Warn me of something?"

"I'm not sure. I'm no medicine cat, so I can't really explain dreams," Hollyleaf joked. "But that sure is weird. And I feel weird asking this question, but did they die as kits?" She asked.

"I don't know. I hardly even knew them when I died," Fallen Leaves sighed. Now is the time I should tell her. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but he froze suddenly. It felt as though thousands of chills crawled through his fur. He could sense Rock's cold ghostly presence right beside him. 

Hollyleaf shifted closer, her eyes narrowing. "It looks like you have something to say. You're not hiding something from me, are you?" She asked.

"No, I'm not!" Fallen Leaves defended. "I uh.. got scared to ask you a certain question. I don't want to upset you, Hollyleaf," he lied. I need to think of a random question! Oh StarClan, what did I get in to?

"I won't get upset. Go on," Hollyleaf prompted.

Fallen Leaves avoided the black she-cat's green gaze. "Do you... love your mother?" He asked slowly. Oh mouse-dung, she's going to hate me!

Hollyleaf sat still for a moment. "I'm not even sure, Fallen Leaves. I love my brothers though, and that is the most I will say." She began to turn away.

Oh no, I made her sad! Fallen Leaves rushed forward. "But... she's your mother."

"A mother who lied to her own kits is no mother of mine," Hollyleaf hissed. "I don't hate Leafpool or Squirrelflight, but I don't view either of them as my mother. I may forgive them one day, eventually when I am ready."

"Wait... Hollyleaf," Fallen Leaves sighed. "What ever happened to Ashfur? Did you.. really kill him?" He asked.

"I killed that stupid tom, so what?" Hollyleaf sighed, lashing her tail. She turned around, staring at Molepaw's grave. "If Leafpool just stayed truthful from the beginning, then I wouldn't have killed Ashfur and ended up here."

Fallen Leaves leaned closer, his whiskers twitching. "But.. you wouldn't have met me, right?" He prompted.

Hollyleaf's gaze softened. "Yeah," she mumbled. She pressed her muzzle to Fallen Leaves' cheek. "I'm glad I met you."