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| - Hollypaw ate side by side with Nightfall and Flora. A full moon was floating high in the sky. Hollypaw watched it, surprised that it was glowing just as brightly as ever. Then she glanced around for her sister’s white fur. Her eyes scanned the crowd of ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats again and again but she couldn’t see any white fur. With a jolt Hollypaw realized Snowpaw wasn’t here. “I wonder if any cats will go to the Gathering tonight,” meowed Nightfall, apparently unaware that his second daughter wasn’t here. “I think Lightstar will go,” Flora mewed. “She wouldn’t miss one for all the prey in the world.” Then a sudden idea struck Hollypaw. “Can we go?” she asked. “Just a few of us, I mean.” Nightfall eyed her thoughtfully. “I think that would be a great idea,” he meowed. Raising his voice he yowled, “I think we should go to the Gathering tonight!” Mews of agreement rose from the cats around them. “Rowanberry, Seedwhisker, Nightfall, Foxwhisker, Bolta, Jay and Hollypaw should go,” Robinsong yowled. No cat argued. Hollypaw knew Robinsong had almost made ThunderClan deputy so was considered a very high up warrior. She was proud to be his apprentice. “And if you’re going, you should go now.” Hollypaw leaped to her paws and followed Nightfall to the crowd of chosen cats. They began to move immediately. Hollypaw soon fell into step with Rowanberry. “Snowpaw didn’t come with us,” she whispered. Rowanberry’s eyes widened. “She didn’t?” she demanded. “I thought you and Snowpaw did everything together!” Hollypaw felt her fur grow hot. “Well I had been avoiding her lately,” she confessed. “Because she keeps hanging around Blackpaw.” “That’s no reason to avoid her,” Rowanberry meowed. But she fell silent as they approached the island. As quietly as possible, the Gathering cats slid along the fall log and onto the island. They crept forwards and hid in a tangled mass of bramble bushes, peeking out at the two leaders on the branches of the twisted tree. “DeathClan will rule the lake!” Lionstar was yowling, his fierce eyes glowing. For the first time Hollypaw noticed the colour of his eyes. They were blood red. “But who will be our leader?” demanded a cat. Hollypaw felt her heart skip a beat as she recognized Snowpaw. “I will of course!” Lionstar declared, his claws ripping at the branch he was sitting on. “No,” Lightstar climbed down the tree so that she was on the same branch as Lionstar. Hollypaw saw a flash of claws and Lionstar fell to the ground. Her stomach lurched. Her eyes were fixed to the spot where Lionstar lay. She kept expecting him to stir but she knew he wouldn’t. Lightstar had murdered at a Gathering night. She glanced up at the moon and felt her eyes widen in horror and her fur bristle. The moon had turned scarlet and appeared to be dripping with blood. Hollypaw heard the cats around her give terrified cries. Foxwhisker had begun to back away, her dark golden eyes round and scared. But Hollypaw couldn’t move. Her eyes were now fixed on Lightstar. Her claws glinted red but apart from that there seemed to be not even the tiniest drop of blood on her pale fur. She glared out at her DeathClan warriors. “And that’s what will happen to you if you dare try to run away,” she snarled. “That’s what will happen if you try to take my place as leader.” Then her voice softened slightly as she looked out at her cats. “Silentspirit will be my deputy! And Cinderfur my medicine cat!” Hollypaw stared. Cinderfur! The ancient grey she-cat sat at the back of the gathered cats. Her eyes drooped and she seemed to have no idea what was going on. She didn’t even look up as Lightstar called her name. “What about Darkpool?” asked Blackpaw. “He was a traitor!” Lightstar growled and turned around. “The Gathering is over!” Without waiting for a response, Lightstar leaped off of the branch, bounced off of Lionstar’s body and led her Clan away. Hollypaw stared at the spot where Lightstar had disappeared. Snowpaw is in DeathClan... Sighing tiredly, Hollypaw crawled out from under the bramble thicket. Her Clanmates had fled. Careful not to be seen or heard, Hollypaw slid along the fallen tree and off of the island. Head down and tail drooping she walked through WindClan territory. It was a cold night and the wind ruffled her fur. She didn’t know exactly where she was going or what she was doing. Her paws where leading her. There was a rustle in a heather bush beside her and Hollypaw jumped a tail-length. Two cats stepped out. They weren’t showing any signs of hostility, just curiosity. “I’m Thicket,” meowed a scrawny tom. “And that’s Maia. I didn’t know any other WindClan cats survived.” Hollypaw blinked in surprise. “I’m not... Well my father is...” Hollypaw stammered, looking at the two new cats. Thicket was a brown flecked tom and Maia was a muddy brown colour. They looked very alike; definitely brother and sister. “It’s okay,” mewed Maia. She stepped forwards so that they’re fur brushed lightly. “Well,” Hollypaw meowed. “I have to get back to my Clanmates.” Maia’s eyes widened in surprise. “There are still Clans left?” she asked. “DeathClan and the Clan cats that don’t belong to DeathClan,” Hollypaw meowed. “And I’m not a DeathClan cat.” Maia nodded. “I kind of figured,” she mewed. “You don’t have a name?” Thicket asked. Hollypaw shook her head and turned to leave. “Well, bye,” she meowed. But Maia and Thicket didn’t leave her sides. Together they walked through WindClan territory and back into ThunderClan. Hollypaw was glad of their company as she padded out of the forest and into the reddish gloom. Her Clanmates were hiding either in the hollow trunk of Sky Oak or in the bramble bushes and undergrowth that surrounded the clearing. Hollypaw beckoned with her tail for Thicket and Maia to join her and ducked into a holly bush. She made the leaves into a nest and curled up beside the two WindClan cats. Hollypaw listened as their breathing gradually became slower and peaceful. Her eyelids were beginning to droop but she didn’t want to sleep. Not just yet. StarClan, if you’re watching now, please keep Snowpaw safe. Please don’t let Lightstar do to her as she had done to Lionstar.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)