Arrogant! Hollypaw felt stung. She hadn’t meant to be like that.
“Firestar told you ThunderClan wasn’t going to interfere.
He’s older and wiser than you are. You should have obeyed him. You broke the warrior code in disobeying him. You put your Clan at risk.”
Hollypaw searched for words to defend herself, but suddenly she couldn’t. There was no way she could make her Clanmates understand that she’d only wanted to stop a battle.
“We had to drive a WindClan patrol off our territory while you were gone,” Squirrelflight added.
Hollypaw blinked. “Did they try and invade?”
“Not yet.” Squirrelflight glanced up at the moor. “But they chased a squirrel onto our land and claimed it as their prey.”
“On our side of the border?” Hollypaw could hardly believe her ears.
“Your brother helped fight them off.”
Hollypaw’s pelt bristled with alarm. “Is he okay?”
“Just a scratch on his ear.” Squirrelflight’s whiskers twitched. “I think he’s proud of it.”
“I wish I’d been there.”
“You should have been there,” Squirrelflight meowed. “Your Clan needs you more than ever.”
Hollypaw remembered how close she’d come to fighting WindClan with the RiverClan patrol. Guilt gnawed at her belly. She should have been facing them with her own Clanmates.
“There’s the smell of battle in the air,” Squirrelflight went on.
“But RiverClan isn’t planning to invade WindClan territory!” She couldn’t explain about the trouble in their camp because she had promised Willowpaw and Leopardstar, but she had to try to keep the Clans from fighting.
“What RiverClan decide to do or not to do is none of our business,” Squirrelflight meowed. “Our concern is defending our own borders.”
How can you be so nearsighted? Hollypaw bit back the words.
Squirrelflight paused and gazed at her. “I know you think you were doing the right thing, but you are only an apprentice. How can you possibly understand? Your duty is to listen and learn and leave the decision-making to the warriors.”
Hollypaw’s paws itched with resentment. Why did being an apprentice mean that her opinion didn’t count? She lowered her eyes to hide her anger.
Squirrelflight clearly took this as a sign of obedience.
“Good.” She began to hurry along the shore. The border was in sight and Hollypaw felt relieved to see it.
A thought suddenly flashed in her mind. She was surprised she hadn’t thought of it before. “How did you know I was with RiverClan?”
“Jaypaw had a dream,” Squirrelflight replied flatly. She didn’t seem surprised by her son’s uncanny abilities; Jaypaw was a medicine cat apprentice, after all. Hollypaw felt proud of her brother, but unease still pricked her paws. What must it feel like to have that sort of power? If he knew where she had been, did that mean he knew about the RiverClan camp?
She wouldn’t breathe a word about it to Firestar, but would Jaypaw do the same?
The camp fell silent as Hollypaw followed Squirrelflight into the clearing.
Hollypaw heard Brightheart whispering to Sorreltail.
“She’s back!”
Brook stopped washing and looked up. “Glad to see you’re safe.”
Stormfur nodded at her but said nothing. Dustpelt and Thornclaw only glanced at her before returning to their hushed conversation. Hollypaw knew she was in big trouble.
“Hollypaw!” Lionpaw raced from the apprentice den. He looked bright-eyed, as though he’d been asleep for ages. He weaved around her, purring. “You smell like fish!”
Jaypaw padded out of the medicine den and blinked, his blue eyes staring directly at her. Yet again Hollypaw had the unnerving sense that he could see her, even though she knew he couldn’t.
“You need to see Firestar,” Squirrelflight informed her.
Hollypaw’s fur tingled as her mother watched her climb the tumble of rocks to Highledge. Heart pounding, she stepped into Firestar’s cave. Brackenfur was waiting beside the ThunderClan leader. “Welcome back.” His mew was grim.
Firestar narrowed his eyes. “You’ve caused a lot of worry and effort at a time when the Clan can least afford it,” he meowed.
“I was only trying to—”
Firestar cut her off. “We don’t want to hear excuses. You broke the warrior code. I told you plainly that we were not going to interfere with RiverClan but you went there anyway.
You abandoned your Clan when it needs its warriors and apprentices more than ever.”
“But I’ve found something out. You mustn’t fight WindClan!”
“Why not?”
Hollypaw scraped her claws over the rocky floor. “I can’t tell you.”
“Can’t?”
“I’ve made a promise.” Hollypaw’s tail twitched unhappily.
“You have to trust me. There’s no need to fight.”
Firestar whisked his tail over the ground. “Do you really expect me to make decisions for the Clan based on that?”
Hollypaw opened her mouth, but what could she say?
“You will be confined to camp for a day,” Firestar went on.
“It should be longer, but we can’t spare you right now. Patrols have been stepped up since the incident with WindClan, and you are expected to play your part in them. But you will be responsible for looking after the elders for the next moon.
It’ll be up to you to make sure they are fed and their bedding is kept clean, and don’t think about asking your denmates for help. This will be your responsibility alone.”
Hollypaw dipped her head. The promise she’d made to Leopardstar stuck in her throat, but she was determined to honor it. She wasn’t going to have every cat who knew her accuse her of being disloyal. At least RiverClan didn’t treat her like a stupid kit—they even thought she might have been a spy. “Is that it?” she muttered.
Firestar flicked his tail. “You may as well start now.
Mousefur and Longtail will be grateful for fresh bedding.”
“Okay.” Hollypaw turned and padded out of the den. Why couldn’t Firestar have more faith in her? Had he been to RiverClan? The Clan leaders only looked as far as the end of their whiskers. Well, let them! She’d just get on with her duties and keep her mouth shut. Angrily, she skidded down the rocky slope and stomped to Leafpool’s den.
She poked her head through the brambles. “Can I have some fresh bedding for the elders’ den?”
Leafpool was unwrapping the cobwebs from Cinderpaw’s leg.
“Hollypaw!” Cinderpaw mewed. “Jaypaw’s dream was right!”
“Of course it was right!” Jaypaw was sorting herbs at the back of the den. He turned to face Hollypaw. “I suppose Firestar’s put you on nettles and water for a moon?”
“Not quite.” Hollypaw’s whiskers twitched. It was good to hear Jaypaw’s grouchy mew again. “Thanks for sending Squirrelflight to find me.”
“No problem.” Jaypaw shrugged and then went back to his sorting.
Leafpool was staring at her with troubled eyes. “I’m glad you’re safe,” she meowed.
“I’m sorry I worried everyone,” Hollypaw replied.
“Don’t do it again.” Leafpool’s mew was suddenly fierce.
Hollypaw bristled. You sound like my mother! She’d had enough of being told off. “Moss?” she asked again.
Leafpool flicked her tail to the pile at the side of the cave.
“Help yourself.”
Hollypaw took the biggest clump she could carry and padded to the elders’ den. There were worse punishments, she supposed.
“Is it true?” Mousefur shifted out of the way as Hollypaw began sifting through the old bedding. “Were you with RiverClan?”