Dark River

Mousefur padded stiffly past him. “I’ve been in this camp long enough to know the way.” Hollypaw could hear her begin to wheeze as she clambered up the rocks toward the safety of Highledge. Longtail followed closely, nudging her forward whenever her paws slipped. Greencough had left Mousefur weaker than any cat would admit—Mousefur especially. It wasn’t fair to make her drill like this, especially for a battle that might never happen.

Thornclaw and Whitewing padded past Hollypaw.

Thornclaw glanced at her. “Shouldn’t you be helping reinforce the defenses?”

“I’m training with Brackenfur soon,” Hollypaw explained.

“Good.” Thornclaw halted beneath Highledge where Stormfur and Brook were sharing tongues. “We need our apprentices sharp.”

Brook looked up. “Are you so sure the battle will happen?”

There was anxiety in her husky mountain mew.

“We can’t be too careful,” Thornclaw growled.

Stormfur sat up. “It doesn’t make sense,” he meowed.

“Why would WindClan attack us?”

“Yes!” Brook’s eyes brightened. “RiverClan’s the one they’re going to have trouble with.”

“What happens to RiverClan will affect us all,” Whitewing meowed.

Thornclaw flicked his tail. “If RiverClan is driven from their territory, where will they go?”

“They’ll need to settle somewhere,” Whitewing pointed out.

Stormfur sighed. “None of the borders will be safe.”

Hollypaw’s pelt pricked with anxiety. How could the four Clans survive if RiverClan lost their territory?

“Hollypaw?” Brackenfur was heading toward her.

“Are we going hunting?”

“Change of plan.” Brackenfur nodded toward Mousepaw and Hazelpaw. “We’ll be battle training with your denmates instead.”

Battle training!

He started to hurry away. “I’ll meet you at the training hollow.”

Hollypaw padded halfheartedly to the camp entrance. She didn’t want to train for a battle that might lead to the end of four Clans living around the lake. Stormfur’s words rang in her ears: None of the borders will be safe.

She had to stop this!

She turned and almost crashed into Mousepaw. His green eyes were shining. “Did Brackenfur tell you?”

Hazelpaw clawed the ground behind him. “We’re battle training!”

Hollypaw stared at them. “Go ahead without me,” she whispered.

“What are you doing?” Mousepaw asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” she mewed. “I’ll catch up with you when I’ve finished.”

“But what will we tell Brackenfur?”

Hollypaw didn’t answer Hazelpaw’s anxious question. She had already pushed past her denmates and was halfway across the clearing. Brackenfur had stopped to talk with Stormfur.

Hollypaw quickly ducked behind the elders’ den.

“Imagine thinking I couldn’t find my way up to Highledge.” She heard Mousefur’s croaking mew from inside.

“They’ll have us practicing washing next.”

“Well, at least we’re ready now,” Longtail mewed soothingly.

“I was born ready!” Mousefur grumbled.

Hollypaw’s pelt bristled with anticipation as Brackenfur finally nodded to Stormfur. “See you later.” The golden warrior headed away toward the camp entrance.

Hollypaw slipped out from behind the honeysuckle and scurried up the rocks to Highledge. “Firestar!” She rushed into the cave, blinking against the sudden darkness.

Firestar’s eyes flashed in the shadows. Sandstorm was plucking the feathers from a sparrow carcass on the other side of the cave.

“What is it, Hollypaw?” Firestar sat up straight.

“You can’t just let it happen!” Hollypaw mewed.

Sandstorm padded to Firestar’s side. “Let what happen?”

“The battle that everyone’s preparing for!”

“The battle might not happen.” Firestar meowed calmly.

“There’s nothing wrong with being prepared.”

“But why are we getting ready to fight WindClan when we should be helping RiverClan?” Hollypaw stepped forward, her paws trembling. “When I spoke to Willowpaw at the Gathering, she was so upset! All the RiverClan cats were.

They need our help. But all we’re doing is getting ready to attack WindClan!”

Firestar curled his tail over his paws. “I have no intention of attacking WindClan,” he meowed. “But we must be ready if they attack us.”

Hollypaw couldn’t understand how Firestar could be so stupid. “WindClan won’t attack. It’s RiverClan who is in trouble!”

“If RiverClan is forced into WindClan territory, then WindClan may try to take some of ours,” Firestar explained.

“RiverClan would never want to live on the moorland!”

Hollypaw’s whiskers quivered. “They’d want to stay by the lake where they can fish.”

Sandstorm leaned forward. “Clans can adapt to anything if they have to.”

Firestar nodded. “Look how WindClan is getting used to hunting in woodland.”

Hollypaw angrily flicked her tail. “Why don’t we try to solve the problem before it turns into a fight?”

Firestar lifted a paw, warning her to calm down.

“RiverClan must be allowed to solve their own problems.”

“But what if they can’t?”

Paw steps sounded outside. Hollypaw glanced around to see Leafpool padding into the cave.

“I thought I heard you in here.” The medicine cat blinked at Hollypaw.

Firestar dipped his head to Leafpool. “Hollypaw’s worried about the battle.”