The Forgotten Warrior

Jayfeather heard another rustle from the entrance, followed by a gasp from his Clanmates. He strained to detect a scent. The newcomer was a cat that smelled more of earth and stones and ferns than the other warriors, but underneath there was a faint layer of ThunderClan scent.

Can it be…?

“Hollyleaf!” Cinderheart gasped. There was a patter of paw steps as she rushed past Jayfeather. “You’re alive!”

Jayfeather felt as if the ground were unsteady beneath his paws, and he staggered. She’s come back! Even though he had suspected that his sister hadn’t died in the tunnels ever since he and Lionblaze had found no trace of her body, it was still a shock to have her walk into the camp. He stood back as the other cats crowded around her, the quiet air buzzing with their comments and questions.

“It’s really Hollyleaf!”

“Where have you been all this time?”

“How did you survive?”

It was a few moments before Hollyleaf could get a word in. When she spoke at last, her voice was muted and a little hoarse, as if she weren’t used to speaking.

“I lived underground,” she mewed, “and I hunted in the woods on the other side of the hills, outside the territory.”

“But the tunnel collapsed!” Poppyfrost protested.

“Not on top of me,” Hollyleaf meowed. “I found a way out.”

Jayfeather thought that she sounded tired and troubled, as if the very last thing she wanted to be doing was standing in the center of the hollow answering questions from her old Clanmates.

“Well?” Lionblaze spoke close to Jayfeather’s ear. “It looks like we were right.”

“Was it Hollyleaf who chased off the fox?” Jayfeather asked.

“It seems so,” his brother replied. “And she found Dove-wing and Ivypool in the tunnels tonight, and brought them out.”

So they didn’t just go for a walk, Jayfeather thought. Why am I not surprised?

There would be time later to question the sisters about that. “Hollyleaf could have gone much farther if she didn’t want to stay in the Clan. She must have known that we would find out she was there eventually,” he commented.

Lionblaze let out a sigh. “Perhaps that was what she wanted. Perhaps she was tired of living alone.”

“She took a risk.” Jayfeather twitched his whiskers. “What if the truth had been discovered about Ashfur’s death?”

“It must have been a risk worth taking.” Lionblaze’s voice was full of sympathy.

Jayfeather realized he wasn’t as ready as his brother to welcome Hollyleaf back. The Clan seemed to be treating her as a returning hero, and he couldn’t share that. All along he had suspected—hoped with every hair on his pelt—that his sister was alive. He had wanted her to come back because he missed her so much, but now that Hollyleaf was actually here, all he could think about was how complicated the future was going to be.

“She told all the Clans about Leafpool and Crowfeather,” he reminded Lionblaze. “It’s because of her that every cat knows we are half-Clan, and that Squirrelflight lied about being our mother.”

“That wasn’t Hollyleaf’s fault,” Lionblaze pointed out.

“But she didn’t stay here to deal with it afterward, did she?” Jayfeather hissed. “And how will the other Clans react to her? She caused a lot of trouble, there’s no getting around that. Cats have long memories.” He paused and then added, “What do you think will happen now? Will she stay?”

“I don’t know,” Lionblaze mewed. “I guess we’ll have to let her decide.”

There was a stir among the knot of cats in the center of the clearing as Leafpool pushed her way through to Hollyleaf’s side. “Oh, my precious daughter, you came home!” Her voice was quivering. “I’m so, so sorry for what happened. None of it was your fault, none of it.”

Jayfeather could tell from the tension in the air that Hollyleaf was shrinking away from Leafpool. He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t want the joyous reunion that most of the Clan seemed to be expecting.

He felt another cat brush past him, heading for the warriors’ den. Brambleclaw. No wonder that he wants out of this happy gathering. Squirrelflight had lied to him, too, letting him believe that the three cats were his. Was there any part of Brambleclaw that wanted to welcome Hollyleaf home as a daughter?

Squirrelflight wriggled through the cats until she reached Hollyleaf. “I’m glad that you’re alive,” she mewed, her voice steady. “And that you’re looking so well.”

“Thanks. I…” Hollyleaf didn’t seem to know how to respond.

“That’s enough for now,” Firestar broke in. “It’s time we all went back to our dens. Hollyleaf, Molepaw and Cherrypaw will make a nest for you.”

“Thanks,” Hollyleaf repeated. She sounded confused as she continued, “The hollow… something looks different.”

“A tree fell into it!” Molepaw meowed excitedly. “Come with us, and we’ll tell you all about it…”