“But there isn’t room for three cats in there,” Brightheart pointed out, joining the discussion. “You’d all be really squashed.”
“And what if you need space for sick cats?” Leafpool added.
Ivypool felt her head start to spin as more cats joined in to add their opinions, and she couldn’t follow the argument anymore. A flash of flame caught her eye and she spotted Firestar bounding down from the Highledge.
“Brackenfur, Dustpelt,” the Clan leader meowed as he approached the fresh-kill pile, flicking his tail to summon the two toms. “Do you think that we could make more space in the medicine cat’s den, along with the warriors’ den?”
Dustpelt and Brackenfur turned to eye the fallen tree.
“It might work,” Dustpelt murmured, tilting his head to one side. “What do you think, Brackenfur? If we could move that branch there, and pack the space with brambles…”
Ivypool was distracted from the warriors’ plans when Hollyleaf padded across to her and Dovewing. “Are you still okay with me sharing your den?” she meowed.
“Of course,” Ivypool replied at once. Now that she was over the shock of Hollyleaf’s reappearance, she thought that the black warrior was one of the most intriguing cats she had ever met. She wanted to know her better. “You can stay as long as you want.”
“What was it like, living in the tunnels for such a long time?” Dovewing asked curiously; Ivypool thought that she looked more confident around Hollyleaf since their training session underground.
Hollyleaf shrugged. “Dark. Cold.”
“Did you really not see any other cats?” Dovewing persisted.
“And what did you do all day?” Bumblestripe added; he was still sitting close beside Dovewing and the remains of the squirrel.
“No, I didn’t see any others,” Hollyleaf meowed. “As for what I did… stalked prey, explored the woods just outside the territory…”
Ivypool could tell that she really didn’t want to talk about her exile from the Clan. She must have been so lonely… and felt so guilty about Ashfur, without any other cat to talk to…
Suddenly Hollyleaf let out a small mrrow of amusement. “Did Lionblaze ever tell you about the time he and I went hunting mice on the way to the mountains? We were only apprentices.”
“No—tell us!” Ivypool urged her.
“We were passing a farm,” Hollyleaf went on, tucking her paws under her chest. “The scent of mouse was so strong, and we were so hungry! So we sneaked away while the others were having a rest. Breezepelt was with us, too.”
“Breezepelt!” Ivypool exclaimed, feeling her neck fur begin to fluff up.
“Yes, he was there on the journey,” Hollyleaf told her. “Even though he is a pain in the tail, we had to let him come.”
“What happened?” Dovewing prompted.
“We got trapped in a barn by some dogs. I was scared out of my fur! Breezepelt nearly lost his tail, they got so close.”
Ivypool leaned in. “How did you escape?”
“Purdy rescued us,” Hollyleaf meowed.
“Purdy!” Dovewing’s eyes stretched wide. “Purdy was there?”
“Yes, we met him on the way.”
“ThunderClan has good reason to be grateful to Purdy,” Squirrelflight purred, padding over to listen. “That wasn’t the first time he helped us. And it was more than you mouse-brains deserved.”
“True,” Hollyleaf agreed. “We would have been crow-food without him.”
“You almost were crow-food, once we found out what you’d done,” Squirrelflight added. “Walking straight into danger like that!”
“And we never even got a taste of mouse!” Hollyleaf finished.
“Maybe you should tell them about some of the mischief you got into when you were kits,” Sandstorm put in; she had been grooming herself on the edge of the group while Hollyleaf told her story. “I never thought the three of you would survive to be apprentices!”
Hollyleaf glanced at the orange she-cat, then gave her chest fur a couple of licks. “That was a long time ago,” she murmured. Memories flickered in Hollyleaf’s eyes like minnows in a stream, but she said nothing more, to Ivypool’s disappointment.
The discussion about Cinderheart was still going on around the fresh-kill pile. Ivypool glanced across as Firestar rose to his paws.
“That’s settled then,” the Clan leader meowed. “Cinderheart will sleep in the warriors’ den for now, but she will be relieved of all warrior duties. That is what you want, Cinderheart?”
The gray she-cat nodded. “Yes, that’s what I want, Firestar.”
Ivypool thought that Firestar looked surprised and disappointed to hear the certainty in Cinderheart’s voice, but he didn’t argue with her.
The Clan is losing a valuable warrior, Ivypool thought sadly. I know it’s useful to have another medicine cat, but… She shook her head. This is too weird.
Murmurs of agreement had greeted Firestar’s announcement, although Ivypool noticed that Lionblaze was gazing forlornly at Cinderheart.
Why would he be upset that she’s not a warrior anymore? Ivypool wondered. Oh… maybe he wanted to be her mate. Wow, that’s really bad luck. Cinderheart’s decision was causing ripples right across the Clan, like a stone thrown into the lake. Did StarClan realize what would happen when they decided to give her a second life?
Ivypool slid softly through the undergrowth on the way to the ShadowClan border. The sky was clear and sunlight slanted down through the branches, but a brisk wind was fluttering the leaves and rustling the cats’ fur.
Ivypool was pleased to have been chosen for Hollyleaf’s patrol, padding close behind her with Brackenfur and Berrynose bringing up the rear. As sunrise followed sunrise since Hollyleaf’s return, she had gained more and more respect for the black she-cat’s courage and her occasional sharp tongue. She knows how tough life can be, and she still keeps going.
“Hollyleaf is doing everything she can to fit into the Clan again.” Ivypool’s ears swiveled back to pick up Brackenfur’s low-voiced remark.
“Yeah, she even takes on the worst chores to help the apprentices,” Berrynose murmured.
Ivypool thought how unusual it was to hear Berrynose praising another cat, then remembered that it was Hollyleaf who had saved his kits from the fox.
Brackenfur let out a faint mrrow of amusement. “Yes, to go on this patrol Brambleclaw had to drag her away from searching for the elders’ ticks!”
Hollyleaf glanced back. “Less noise,” she ordered. “We’re getting close to the border.”
Tasting the air, Ivypool picked up the reek of the ShadowClan scent markers, mingled with the scent of Twolegs. Emerging from the trees at the edge of the clearing, she saw that it was full of Twoleg pelt-dens, with Twolegs sitting or lying on the grass, or jumping up and down tossing brightly colored objects at one another.
“What in StarClan’s name are they doing?” she muttered.
Hollyleaf shrugged. “Maybe it’s a training exercise.”
From farther downstream, Ivypool could hear the happy yowling of Twoleg kits as they splashed around at the edge of the lake. I wonder if they’re fishing, or just cooling their paws. They’ll scare all the fish away with that racket!
Silently, swiftly, the four cats slipped across the clearing, avoiding the Twolegs. Ivypool wondered if Hollyleaf was tempted to set the markers at the ThunderClan side of the clearing, and leave the open grass to ShadowClan.
“I can’t believe ShadowClan fought so hard to keep this useless bit of territory,” Brackenfur muttered.
I can’t believe we fought so hard to win it, Ivypool thought. A sharp pang of guilt pierced her as she remembered how it had been her fault that ThunderClan had gone into battle. But now that it’s ours, we’re stuck with it. We have to set these wretched markers every day.