Hollyleaf's Story/Chapter 9

==Chapter description==
:Hollyleaf is announcing to Fallen Leaves that Cherrykit has stopped coughing and how Poppyfrost looks so happy. The ginger-and-white tom comments the yarrow leaves worked then. Hollyleaf asks him if she should take more yarrow, or marigold, and asks if he knew where catmint was. Fallen Leaves becomes impatient and tells her since he doesn't need any herbs for himself, why should he know where to find them. The black she-cat reminds her companion of how he treated her injuries. The tom mutters it was different and that he couldn't leave her by herself to suffer. Hollyleaf argues that, according to the warrior code, kits from all Clan need to be protected. Fallen Leaves mews it isn't his code and wishes her good luck finding herbs. She watches the loner vanish in the darkness and notes she hasn't seen Fallen Leaves for several days. Hollyleaf wonders if she had done something to upset him. The former ThunderClan warrior pricks with guilt as she thinks it has something to do with visiting her Clanmates. The she-cat thinks about who would become mentors for Molekit and Cherrykit. Hollyleaf would have liked to mentor the ginger she-kit herself. Shaking herself, Hollyleaf leaves the tunnels to find prey and fresh herbs.
:She brings a squirrel to the river-cave and leaves half of it aside for Fallen Leaves. Disappointed in not being able to find any herbs, the black cat heads to her nest. She seems to being sleeping for a few moment before being awaken urgently. Hollyleaf looks up to see her ginger-and-white companion, who tells her two of her Clanmates are in the tunnels. The former warrior snaps to attention and asks who they were. Fallen Leaves snaps he doesn't know and they they can't stay down here. He has told them how to get out, but didn't listen to him and are still lost. The tom walks away and tells his friend to bring them back where they belong. The black loner runs to the river-cave where she can hear sounds better and traces them down one of the passages. She soon recognizes Ivypool and Blossomfall and listens to them. Ivypool wishes she had asked the tom loner his name, then supposes he wouldn't come anyway if they called for him.
:The ThunderClan she-cats start an argument on how they got themselves lost in the tunnels. Hollyleaf struggles with reuniting with them, before reminding herself she chose to leave her Clan. The former warrior calls to Blossomfall and Ivypool to ask them if they want to leave the tunnels. The tortoiseshell begs for the cat to help them and Hollyleaf orders them to follow her. She stays out of their sight and leads them to an old fox hole. Since there is nowhere else for Hollyleaf to hide, she darts into the forest and hides within a clump of ferns. The black loner holds her breath and watches as her Clanmates walk out. Ivy pool turns to her hiding place and thanks her. Hollyleaf inwardly replies she would do anything for her Clanmates.
:She decides to spend her time with Fallen Leaves, knowing she has hurt him for being away. They continue patrolling their home and hunt for fish in the river. They two cats don't speak often about their lives, and Hollyleaf compares themselves to two elderly cats. Whenever she didn't want to eat another fish, Hollyleaf would always go back to the forest for prey. Leaf-bare trickles into greenleaf and she can smell the forest scents. The loner starts to spend most of her time in the sun and longs to cool her paws in the lake. Once, she cools herself down in the breeze and nearly runs into a WindClan patrol. Hollyleaf escapes in time and stays within the shadows on her way back to the woods-tunnel. The she-cat hopes there wouldn't be any trouble between WindClan and ThunderClan and reflects on how they have gotten along in the past. Her thoughts then go to how ThunderClan is managing the heat.
:Hollyleaf reaches the entrance to the woods-tunnel, but decides to check on her Clanmates. She reaches a border-mark and creeps toward the hollow. The feline sees a rabbit chewing something in front of her, before realizing it was marigold. Hollyleaf scares the rabbit away and decides to protect the herbs for her Clan. She looks around for a safe hiding spot for the medicine and spots a cleft between the trunk and a branch in a nearby tree. The loner takes the herbs in mouths, climbs up the tree, and places them in the cleft. Knowing the herbs will need water before they can wilt, Hollyleaf heads for the border with WindClan. The former warrior finds moss, soaks it in the stream border, carries it back to the tree. She lets the moss drip above the marigold, keeping them wet for a while until Jayfeather finds them. She jumps down and heads back to the tunnels.
:Hollyleaf finds she is unable to sleep tonight for she is concerned about her Clanmates. Two days later, she goes back to the marigold place and hears two voices in front of her. She recognizes Cherrypaw and Molepaw, now apprentices, practicing their battle moves. The mention of Brightheart makes Hollyleaf purr, bring her to a memory of the one-eyed cat training her in moves designed for the loss of sight. She notes that Cherrypaw wasn't doing too badly. Suddenly, Hollyleaf smells fox and her fur rises. It emerges from the forest over the apprentices. Foxleap, Rosepetal, and Brightheart charge the fox. It snaps at Foxleap, who dodges and attacks its pelt from behind. Brightheart and Rosepetal attack its face. The creature manages to escape with the warriors in pursuit.
:During the fight, the apprentices retreat into a clump of brambles. Hollyleaf can see them and believes them are safe. She turns to leave before the warriors come back. The fox appears again and sniffs around for the apprentices. It looks over at the brambles and flattens its ears. Molepaw silences his sister as the fox approaches them. Hollyleaf spring out and warns the creature to leave the kits alone or it'll have to deal with her. She claws the muzzle and the fox curls its lip at her. Hollyleaf feels ready to defend the kits and spits at the fox. They can hear the warriors returning, and the fox and Hollyleaf flee. She doesn't hear any sound of pursuit behind her and wonder how much the apprentices know. But what only matters is that she had protected the lives of the Clan's young apprentices.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Trivia==
*This chapter aligns with chapter eighteen of Sign of the Moon, and chapter two and chapter five of The Forgotten Warrior.
==Notes and references==
fr:‎L'Histoire de Feuille de Houx/Chapitre 9
Category:Hollyleaf's Story
Category:Novellas
Category:Chapter subpages