Eclipse/Chapter 6

Chapter Summary
 Hollypaw's PoV 

The chapter begins as Hollypaw wakes up, wondering whether she should visit Cinderpaw or not as Leafpool chased her away from the den last night. Her thoughts were interrupted by the dawn patrol returning, bringing bad news, Hollypaw wants to know what, but Graystripe refuses to tell her, disappointed, she turns around to go and visit Cinderpaw instead. Cinderpaw is seen to be miserable, Hollypaw encourages her to stretch her legs, but Cinderpaw refuses. Despite Hollypaw's desperate attempts to cheer Cinderpaw up, she refuses to be enthusiastic about anything that Hollypaw tells her. Giving up, Hollypaw tells Cinderpaw to eat the herbs Leafpool gives her and leaves the den. She bumps into Jaypaw, who was noted to be mad at his mentor, and Hollypaw wonders how he could've fell out with his mentor. Foxpaw runs over, excitedly telling Hollypaw that Honeypaw and Poppypaw are about to become warriors. And as Firestar calls for the cats to assemble, she asks Lionpaw what he thought it would be like to be made warriors, and Lionpaw thought that everyone would take them seriously. Sorreltail sadly states that Molekit should have been made warriors alongside Honeypaw and Poppypaw, Cloudtail briefly reminds Sorreltail that Cinderpaw should've been too, and casts a meaningful glance at the Medicine Cat's den. Leafpool, at that moment comes over and tells them that Cinderpaw was fine, and Sorreltail states that Cinderpaw's accident must've reminded her about Cinderpelt. Firestar then gives Poppypaw and Honeypaw their warrior names: Poppyfrost and Honeyfern. While the clan is cheering, Honeypaw is noted to glance shyly at Berrynose, as if she wanted his approval more than anyone else's. Lionpaw is shown to be scornful, stating that cats shouldn't be mooning over each other as it "distracts them from trying to be great warriors", Hollypaw takes that as a sign of Lionpaw not meeting Heatherpaw anymore, and is seen to be relieved. Soon after Firestar calls Hollypaw, Graystripe, Sandstorm, Brambleclaw and Brackenfur over and tells them the bad news the dawn patrol had brought back: they picked up Windclan scent on their side of the border again. Graystripe informs them that they actually found dead squirrel fur with Windclan scent on it. Sandstorm declares that she wanted to attack them, but Firestar declines this and orders Brambleclaw to go and talk to Onestar about it. Brambleclaw agrees, and, taking the cats with him, they set off at once. On the way out of the camp Hollypaw tells Lionpaw about their departure, Lionpaw looks eager, saying that he wished he was going with them. When they reach Windclan, they see dogs chasing after the sheep and Hollypaw silently hopes that the sheep would keep the dogs occupied long enough to make sure they reach the Windclan camp. Soon, they are stopped by a Windclan patrol led by Ashfoot, the Windclan deputy. Ashfoot orders them to leave, but Brambleclaw refuses. Harespring attacks Brambleclaw, who easily defeats the young warrior. Ashfoot suddenly starts begging Brambleclaw to let Harespring go. Brambleclaw does so, and Ashfoot begs them to leave. After hesitating, Brambleclaw finally leaves. Hollypaw is agitated, and she wonders why the Windclan cats were so thin. As they reach camp, Hollypaw sees Lionpaw dragging moss away from the nursery, Hollypaw offers to help him, and when Lionpaw hears the news about Windclan, he was furious, and hoped that Firestar would send a battle patrol to teach them a lesson. Hollypaw is slightly frightened by his hunger to fight and demands to him, if he actually wanted a fight, Lionpaw is furious, he turns around and storms off. The chapter ends as Hollypaw wonders what Lionpaw's power actually meant to him and wonders if it was the need to fight for the smallest reason.