In front of her, Fallen Leaves stopped. The conversation traveled clearly along the tunnel.
“This is your chance for true glory!” Sol was saying. “Onestar may want peace, but that is a sign of weakness! Attack ThunderClan through the tunnels, and victory will be easy over those mouse-munching idiots!”
“Sol’s right!” called another cat; Hollyleaf was sure it was Owlwhisker. “We’ve listened to Onestar for too long. He should let us fight now, do what we’ve trained for, and teach those ThunderClan cats that we’re stronger than they think!”
There was a chorus of yowls in agreement. Hollyleaf’s fur stood on end. Her Clanmates were going to be attacked! She couldn’t let this happen! Beside her, Fallen Leaves stiffened. “There are other cats down here,” he breathed into Hollyleaf’s ear.
Very carefully, she turned and sniffed the air. Two ThunderClan cats were standing in a side tunnel, just around the corner. Hollyleaf inhaled again until she could identify the scents: Ivypool and her sister, Dovewing. She started to pad toward them, then stopped as there was a hiss from the WindClan cats.
“Did anyone hear a noise?” growled a warrior.
Fallen Leaves put his mouth close to Hollyleaf’s ear. “You have to get them out of here. Your whole Clan needs you now. If WindClan is going to attack through the tunnels, you are the only one who can help them.”
Hollyleaf looked at her friend. “It’s time, isn’t it?” she meowed softly.
Fallen Leaves nodded. “Go well,” he murmured. “I will never forget you, Hollyleaf.”
At that moment, there was a cracking noise from the side tunnel, nothing more than a pebble slipping underneath a paw, but echoed and magnified by the stone walls until it sounded as loud as thunder.
“What was that?” Owlwhisker growled. “Is some cat eavesdropping on us?”
Hollyleaf began to creep toward the thicker shadows where her Clanmates were hiding.
“Get us out of here!” she heard Ivypool whisper.
“I followed the voices to get here,” Dovewing replied. “I’m not sure of the way out.”
Behind her, Hollyleaf heard the WindClan cats stirring. It sounded as if more than one was coming to investigate.
Ivypool had heard them too. “They’re coming to look for us! We have to go.”
There wasn’t time to lead these cats out from the safety of the shadows. Hollyleaf would have to show herself to them, let them know that she was a cat who could be trusted. She took a deep breath. All the moons of hiding, trying to forget she had ever belonged to a Clan, seemed to vanish in a single heartbeat. The blood of a warrior flowed through her veins. Nothing was more important than loyalty to her Clan.
She walked into the side tunnel and felt the air tingle as Dovewing and Ivypool tensed, ready to defend themselves.
“Come with me,” she ordered into the darkness. “Quick!”
“No way!” Ivypool hissed. “You could be with them.”
“I’m not,” Hollyleaf mewed, trying to keep her voice calm.
“Prove it,” Dovewing challenged.
“I shouldn’t have to,” Hollyleaf snapped. Didn’t these cats recognize ThunderClan scent when it was in front of them? “For StarClan’s sake, let’s go.”
In the faintest gleam of starlight filtering from the river-cave, Hollyleaf saw Ivypool’s eyes widen as she exchanged a glance with her sister. “StarClan?” Ivypool echoed. “Then you—”
“Do you want to get out of here or not?” Hollyleaf interrupted.
“Yes, we do,” Ivypool snapped back. “But how do we know you won’t lead us farther in?”
Hollyleaf let out a hiss of frustration. Couldn’t these questions have waited? And yet perhaps it wasn’t surprising that these young cats had no idea who she was. She was going to be a stranger to many of her Clanmates after being away for so long.
“Because I’m a ThunderClan cat like you,” she meowed, raising her voice over the pounding of her heart. “My name is Hollyleaf.”