Hollyleaf

Hollyleaf is a fluffy black she-cat with green eyes and a bushy tail.

The Sight

 * Hollykit is born to Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, along with her brothers Jaykit and Lionkit. She is playing with a mouse with her siblings at the beginning of the book, and tries to get it from Lionkit, succeeding with Jaykit's help.


 * One day, they decide to hunt down the cubs of a dead fox that has been found on the territory. However, the kits' interference causes Jaykit to be injured after falling over the edge of the camp (having been chased by one of the cubs). While watching Leafpool treat Jaykit's injuries, Hollykit decides that she wants to become a medicine cat. She wants to be important to her Clan, and care for them.


 * Hollykit takes on the name of Hollypaw after Leafpool agrees to be her mentor. Hollypaw has a hard time remembering the names of herbs and their healing properties, and she cringes back from her duties because she can't stand to see cats in pain. She is at the Gathering where Graystripe and Millie return, and goes to fetch herbs the next morning for them.
 * She quickly heads out, as Leafpool said she would wake Graystripe and Millie if she wasn't back as sunhigh with the borage. Hollypaw brings back the herbs only to find out that they were yarrow, and not borage. When Leafpool offers Hollypaw to pull out a thorn in Millie's pad, she backs down and chews the marigold into a poultice. She is hesitant to apply the treatmant to Millie's wound and is squeamish around the herbs.


 * Because she is so squeamish, she begins to doubt herself, but shoves all doubts away. Soon she goes to the training clearing with Leafpool to learn her first battle moves. She excels at this skill, until Cloudtail finally offers to help her and lets her train with Cinderpaw for the day, where Hollypaw alters the move he teaches her, causing the move to progress much smoother. Hollypaw also dwells on the warrior code, worrying constantly about the concepts of right and wrong. When Brambleclaw is chosen to remain deputy, Hollypaw seems to believe that Graystripe should have been restored to his former position in the Clan. She tags along with a hunting patrol to collect tansy for the coughs that will come. They pass it but Hollypaw says they can get it on the way back. The patrol is interrupted by Birchfall when he bursts into the clearing telling everyone that ShadowClan moved the border. When they get there it turns out to be an amush. Hollypaw fights with her brothers when ShadowClan moves the border, and catches on to Graystripe's orders quicker than the warriors do. She is shown fighting Smokefoot with Graystripe. When the battle ends, Hollypaw crawls from the brambles with thorns covering her bushy tail. In all the excitement, she forgets to check the cats for wounds. Birchfall notes that Hollypaw fought like a warrior.


 * After the battle, Hollypaw expresses concern during the Clan meeting, pointing out that the warrior code stated the Clans must drive out any strangers from their territories. she seems faintly embarrassed when Firestar retorts that the warrior code did not condemn them for showing mercy. She decides to become a normal apprentice, training to become a warrior, and tells Firestar and Leafpool after Brook talk to her about how different cats have different strengths. Brackenfur becomes her new mentor. She is kept inside camp to rest, and she complains that she wants to hunt. Later, she goes to the Gathering, and wants to know if Firestar will announce that she's a warrior apprentice now. She is excited about the Daylight Gathering, but is uneasy as well, because she doesn't think that rivalries can be so easily set aside.


 * During the Daylight Gathering, which was suggested by Squirrelflight during the previous Gathering, she wins the fighting competition against Heatherpaw, a WindClan apprentice, who had been in training for several moons more than Hollypaw. When Ivypaw of ShadowClan challenges her to fight, claiming that Hollypaw couldn't beat her, Brackenfur cuffs her ear and says proudly that one win was enough.


 * After she beats Heatherpaw, however, she is confused when she sees Jaypaw running past her not even stopping to congratulate her win. She later finds out he was running to save Breezepaw and Lionpaw from a collapsing badger den. Firestar rewards her by allowing her to have first prey from the fresh-kill pile for winning the fighting contest.
 * She and Squirrelflight both congradulate Jaypaw when the clan leaders announce that he saved Breezepaw and Lionpaw and is a true hero.

Dark River

 * Hollypaw is worried about her friend in RiverClan, Willowpaw, a medicine cat apprentice. She knows that RiverClan moved their camp to the island where the Gatherings were held, and she also knows RiverClan is having problems. She asks Jaypaw to find out what is happening in RiverClan through asking Willowpaw, because she isn't a medicine cat apprentice anymore, and won't see her at the half-moon medicine cat meeting.


 * One night, she has a dream about Willowpaw. In the dream, it is raining. Willowpaw is running ahead of her, and Hollypaw cannot catch up. She tries to call to her, to ask her what is going on in RiverClan. But Willowpaw cannot hear her, and she wakes up disturbed.


 * She starts to realize that Lionpaw is very tired and grumpy during they day, and attempts to question him about it. However, he is touchy, and sharply tells her that nothing is wrong. She feels very sad about this, remembering when she and her littermates shared everything with each other. She asks Jaypaw if he knows what's going on with Lionpaw, but Jaypaw tells her he doesn't. While on patrol with Brackenfur, Cloudtail, and Cinderpaw the next morning, they scent fox in their territory. Cinderpaw is first to announce it is female, but the scent is stale. Hollypaw is puzzled by this, knowing that Cinderpaw had never come across a fox before.


 * That night, she notices that once again, Lionpaw is missing from the den. Hollypaw starts to go and find him, and Cinderpaw decides to come along. They both leave the camp, and go out into the forest, trying to pick up his scent trail. His scent leads to the WindClan border, which worries Hollypaw. She and Cinderpaw then see Lionpaw near the border, playing with a WindClan she-cat named Heatherpaw. Hollypaw grows angry, and interrupts them. Lionpaw becomes defiant and angry, and the two start to argue. She threatens to tell Brambleclaw if Lionpaw continues to see Heatherpaw. He becomes furious, and storms off back to camp. Hollypaw is still worried however, wondering if Lionpaw will ever forgive her.


 * When Millie interrupts her own warrior ceremony to tell Firestar she wants to keep her name, Hollypaw grows uneasy. When Daisy, Brook stick up for her, some of the Clan start to agree. Hollypaw is against this, arguing that they must live by the warrior code.


 * She is later given her assessment, along with Cinderpaw and Mousepaw. Mousepaw becomes determined to catch a squirrel in the Sky Oak, so Hollypaw and Cinderpaw watch anxiously as he climbs it. Their mentors, Brackenfur, Cloudtail, and Spiderleg all come running, and watch Mousepaw climb the tree. When Mousepaw gets stuck, Cinderpaw climbs up to get him, despite her father's protests. Hollypaw is horrified when Cinderpaw slips and falls out of the tree. Spiderleg orders her to go and fetch Leafpool. Hollypaw bursts into camp, and leads Leafpool and Jaypaw to where Cinderpaw is. When they realize that Cinderpaw has broken a hind leg, Leafpool becomes very upset, reminded of her old mentor, Cinderpelt. Hollypaw tells Jaypaw that she has never seen Leafpool so upset before.


 * During the next gathering, she tries to talk to Willowpaw, but Willowpaw tells her that she cannot talk, and leaves.


 * After deciding to try to find out about RiverClan's problem on her own, Hollypaw travels to RiverClan's territory. However, she is held captive in the RiverClan temporary camp. While there, she finds out that twoleg kits are invading RiverClan's camp. The next day, Squirrelflight comes to fetch her.


 * Near the end of the book, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw search for the missing kits from WindClan. Heatherpaw and Breezepaw search with them too, and they rescue the kits from drowning in the tunnels where her brother and Heatherpaw used to meet. Hollypaw then decides that she can no longer be friends with Willowpaw anymore, as she was training to be a warrior now, not a medicine cat.

Outcast

 * Hollypaw continues her training to become a warrior. After bringing prey to the queens, Hollypaw speaks to her mother Squirrelflight about being a warrior and having kits. Squirrelflight tries to reassure her, but Hollypaw is frustrated. Hollypaw is present and Foxkit and Icekit's apprentice ceremony. Later, she goes on a patrol with Firestar and Brackenfur to find Berrynose and Birchfall trespassing and hunting on ShadowClan territory. Hollypaw finds Jaypaw sheltering from the rain, but he admits that he was looking for another way into the tunnels after Hollypaw voiced her suspicions. When Jaypaw tells his sister about the ancient cats, Hollypaw is fascinated yet hesitant about keeping the stories a secret. In the end, however, she agrees. During a hunting patrol Brook talks about the Tribe and comments that Hollypaw is a good hunter because of her strong back legs. Like her siblings Jaypaw and Lionpaw, Hollypaw longs to go to the mountains. Later Hollypaw tells Cinderpaw that she would focus on becoming a better hunter before training to become a better fighter. Hollypaw watches an advanced training session for the older apprentices Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, and Mousepaw, and is disturbed when Ashfur and Lionpaw start to fight savagely. She participates in the training session, but is distracted with memories of the fight. Her father Brambleclaw reassures her and tells her that she is his little thinker. Hollypaw is part of the patrol that scents intruders from the Tribe of Rushing Water. After she and her siblings are given permission to join Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight on the journey to help the Tribe, she goes with Squirrelflight to WindClan and bring Crowfeather and Breezepaw to ThunderClan. Hollypaw also thinks about how she can become the leader of ThunderClan throughout the book and is worried that she is acting sort of ambitious but later convinced herself that she isn't.


 * Hollypaw along with her siblings, Jaypaw and Lionpaw, journey to the Tribe of Rushing Water. Hollypaw and the other apprentices meet a loner named Purdy for the first time and secretly agrees with Breezepaw when he voices his annoyance that Purdy is with them. She sees cows for the first time as well. While traveling there she, Lionpaw and Breezepaw enter a barn to catch some fresh-kill against orders. She does not think it a good idea, but decides to come because she wants to help them. Lionpaw comments that she is one of the best hunters in the Clan. They were attacked by dogs while hunting and saved by Purdy.


 * Afterwards, Hollypaw picks ticks off Purdy to thank him for saving them. She finds out that Purdy's owners had died and that he was living on his own. She commented on how his life was harder than the elders of a Clan. When the cats are close to the Tribe's home, Hollypaw yowls loudly, warning the intruders and almost causing a fight. When the group of cats get to the Tribe of Rushing Water she teaches "to-be's" on fighting techniques with Lionpaw and Breezepaw. While she finds it difficult, she enjoys the experience of being a mentor. However, she and Lionpaw admit to each other that they don't think the Tribe can learn Clan ways. Hollypaw is part of the patrol that brings the message about the boundaries to the intruders, and is horrified when she realizes the intruders have no code of honor to follow. Hollypaw is pleased that the Tribe chose to fight the intruders rather than flee.


 * Before the battle against the rogues begin, Hollypaw, Lionpaw, Breezepaw and Pebble enter through a hole in the ceiling to scare off the nursing she-cats. Hollypaw fought very hard in the battle along with everybody else. When it was over, she became horrified when she saw Lionpaw covered in blood; thinking it was his own. It was, however, the blood of the cats whom he had been fighting, and she helps him wash his pelt. Jaypaw gets them alone after this, and tells them both about the prophecy.

Eclipse

 * Hollypaw stresses highly over the prophecy, and is exasperated when Lionpaw shows little concern. She wants to use her powers to preserve the warrior code. She and her brothers return to the The Lake territory, along with Crowfeather, Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Breezepaw. Stormfur and Brook sadly remain with the Tribe of Rushing Water.


 * Hollypaw, Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, and Brackenfur go to find out why WindClan was stealing food from ThunderClan territory. They meet Harespring, Owlwhisker, and Ashfoot, the WindClan deputy. Harespring attacks Brambleclaw, but Brambleclaw easily pins him down. Ashfoot then begs for him to let her Clanmate go and leave WindClan territory. Brambleclaw does so reluctantly. When she tells Lionpaw, he carelessly rips moss which Hollyleaf observes is too messy for kits.


 * Hollypaw finds another tunnel that leads to WindClan, but she doesn't tell Lionpaw in fear of him using it to meet with Heatherpaw.


 * After Blossomkit, Briarkit, and Bumblekit are born, she congratulates Jaypaw for helping.


 * During the battle with WindClan and RiverClan, Hollypaw helps Mousewhisker into the battle after he pokes his eye with a thorn in the darkness. When she goes to get help from ShadowClan, Ivytail is guarding the camp and tries to stop her. However, Hollypaw successfully convinces Blackstar to help.


 * Hollypaw is the first cat to see Sol on WindClan territory, and she thinks he is a lion. The others think she is just seeing things. She later helps her littermates find Sol, and is strangely mesmerized by his amber eyes.


 * After the battle, Hollypaw is the one who discovers Squirrelflight's wound, when Leafpool tells everyone to leave her, she protests as Sandstorm guides her away. She helps build a soft nest out of ferns for Squirrelflight.


 * She and her brothers head out to find Sol, the cat who claimed to know the sun would disappear. During the travel, she pricks her nose on a thorn in the dark and is tired from the long travel so soon after the battle. When they find Sol, they offer to let him come to ThunderClan. When they start home, they are stopped by a ShadowClan patrol and taken to their camp even though they didn't cross the border. In the camp, Hollypaw sees Tawnypelt's three kits. Once they return, Hollypaw is promptly ordered to go hunting with Lionpaw, and their mentors.


 * She also gets her warrior name, Hollyleaf, along with Lionpaw and Cinderpaw, who are then named Lionblaze and Cinderheart.

Long Shadows

 * Sol has stopped ShadowClan in believing in the warrior code. Due to this cause, Hollyleaf goes with her brothers to spy on ShadowClan. Later in the book Tawnypelt brings her kits, Tigerpaw, Flamepaw, and Dawnpaw, to ThunderClan as to teach them about StarClan. Hollyleaf is on the patrol that finds them by the border.


 * Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Tigerpaw, Flamepaw, and Dawnpaw create a fake sign from StarClan (which turns into a real sign when Raggedstar and Runningnose appear) to bring ShadowClan back to the warrior code. While Ashfur almost pushed the three cats off into a blazing fire, it was revealed that Squirrelflight was not any of the three's mother and Brambleclaw is not their father even though he thinks he is. Ashfur tells them that he is not going to keep their secret, and leaves, sparing Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather's lives.


 * When he leaves, Hollyleaf immediately demands of Squirrelflight if she had told the truth—and Squirrelflight apologized, admitting she had told the truth, and that she truly wasn't their mother. Hollyleaf quickly comes to resent Squirrelflight for lying about them being her kits.


 * She is horrified when she learns of Ashfur's intention to announce her heritage at the Gathering, because she believes it will make the other Clans hate ThunderClan for their diluted blood even more. However, unlike her siblings, she sees the futility in trying to dissuade Ashfur, telling him to his face that if he wants to destroy his own Clan that it's his business.


 * Later, Ashfur and Squirrelflight are missing when the Clan gets together to attend the Gathering. Hollyleaf thinks to herself that she wouldn't care if Squirrelflight never returned to camp. She shies away from thinking of Ashfur at all. Squirrelflight finally arrives, covered in mud from an apparent fall into a stream. Firestar gets tired of waiting for Ashfur and the patrol leaves without him, only to find his lifeless body in the stream at the WindClan border. At first it is assumed that he has drowned, but Leafpool discovers a laceration on his neck that confirms that he was murdered.

Sunrise

 * In the prologue, Leafpool finds a clump of fur in Ashfur's claws, which is later revealed to be Hollyleaf's, making her Ashfur's murderer.


 * She is later chosen to go on the Sol patrol, on which they go to the sun-drown place to find Sol, as Firestar believes him responsible for Ashfur's death. She is charmed by Sol for a while, but then loses interest. Her tongue gets stuck on the ice, and Brackenfur has to help her get unstuck. She helps to try and get Brambleclaw and Birchfall out of the water by holding the stick when they fall in the sun-drown-place's depths.


 * After Honeyfern's death, saving Briarkit from a snake bite, she goes into Leafpool's den to demand information about her parentage from the medicine cat. Leafpool misinterprets Hollyleaf's question ("Tell me everything you know!") believing that Hollyleaf knows that Leafpool knows that Hollyleaf killed Ashfur. Hollyleaf tries to deny, but is overcome by guilt and self-disgust and confesses. When she explains why she did it, Leafpool reveals that she is Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze's true mother. Hollyleaf is overcome with hate for the cat who broke the warrior code to give birth to her, and becomes obsessed with learning the identity of her father.


 * After finding out her father was Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior, Hollyleaf snaps. Obsessed as she was with the warrior code, she could not stand being both a medicine cat's kit and half-Clan. At the Gathering she revealed the truth about her heritage, screeching her hate for the cats who gave birth to her and Squirrelflight, who lied to her and her littermates. She is shocked by the blatant disapproval the other cats show for her revelation, believing that she had done the right thing. Leafpool, ashamed of what she had done, steps down as the ThunderClan medicine cat. Hollyleaf leaves the Gathering and returns to ThunderClan. Hollyleaf then finds Leafpool's deathberries and prepares to force the medicine cat to eat them when Leafpool says she has already lost everything, and that it would be worse for her if she stayed alive. Hollyleaf hesitates, then lets Leafpool live.


 * Hollyleaf decides to leave the Clans, because she couldn't stand being a half-Clan cat and a medicine cat's kit, and she is spotted running for the tunnels. Lionblaze and Jayfeather follow her to try and stop her, but Hollyleaf does not listen. She then admits that she was the one who killed Ashfur. Jayfeather reaches into her memories, and he realizes exactly how she killed Ashfur. Just as she enters the the tunnels to leave the Clans, the tunnel entrance collapses. It is unknown if she was truly killed in the collapse.


 * Jayfeather and Lionblaze return back to the ThunderClan camp. To let Hollyleaf be remembered like the other passed warriors and to hide the fact that she had gone into the tunnels to get away from her Clanmates, Jayfeather and Lionblaze tell the Clan that Hollyleaf had accidentally ran into the tunnels while chasing a squirrel. They also don't tell them that she killed Ashfur, so she could be remembered as a brave and noble warrior, not a terrible murderer.

Fading Echoes

 * In Fading Echoes, she is only briefly mentioned by Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Cinderheart. She is also mentioned by Squirrelflight as her and Jayfeather travel to the ShadowClan camp. Also, she is mentioned to Dovepaw when Jayfeather talks about why Hollyleaf left the Clan. Jayfeather says that not being one of the Three was the hardest thing to comprehend for her, in addition to finding out who her parents were. He does not mention the part about Leafpool and Crowfeather to Dovepaw, instead saying it wasn't important. Hollyleaf is rarely mentioned ever again.

Cats of the Clans

 * The narrator of this guide, Rock, says that Firestar has waited a long time for the birth of these kits.


 * Rock says that Hollyleaf is a thinker, politician, sensitive, cunning, and aware of all the consequences that might come from a single action. He says for her, the warrior code is the root and reward of every choice a clan cat has to make, and she would tread on the hardest paths to defend it.


 * Rock ends with a final piece of advice for Mosskit, Blossomkit and Adderkit;


 * "Three young cats, with starlight in their eyes and the whisper of an ancient wind in their fur. Just remember this: power is neither good nor bad, but its user makes it so."

Battles of the Clans

 * Hollyleaf does not make an appearance, but she is mentioned by Heathertail to be one of three cats in the Clans that know about the underground tunnels besides WindClan; the other two being Lionblaze and Jayfeather.

Brightspirit's Mercy

 * Hollyleaf appeares alongsde her siblings when Jaypaw is asked by Brightspirit, Shiningheart, and Braveheart to give prey to the other Clans. At first, she is reluctant to help the rival Clans, but she becomes convinced by the StarClan cats and Jaypaw, because giving the others prey could stop a battle, and they would be in debt to ThunderClan. Lionblaze still scoffs at the idea, but eventually helps them catch prey because he wants to stick together with his littermates.

Trivia

 * It was revealed in the 6th Erin Hunter chat that Squirrelflight requested the -leaf suffix for Hollyleaf because she was thinking of Leafpool.
 * In the same chat, it was revealed Hollyleaf has never had powers, and that the third cat in the prophecy is Dovepaw.
 * It is often speculated by fans that Hollyleaf will return in OTS as the long-awaited female villain.

Members
Mother:
 * Leafpool:

Father:
 * Crowfeather:

Brothers:
 * Jayfeather:
 * Lionblaze:

Half-Brother:
 * Breezepelt:

Grandfather:
 * Firestar:

Grandmothers:
 * Sandstorm:
 * Ashfoot:

Great Grandfathers:
 * Redtail: Deceased, Verified StarClan member
 * Jake: Status Unknown

Great Grandmother:
 * Brindleface: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Great-Great Grandmothers:
 * Swiftbreeze: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Robinwing: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Great-Great Grandfather:
 * Adderfang: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Distant Grandmother:
 * Wind: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Distant Grandfather:
 * Gorsestar: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Uncles:
 * Eaglekit: Status Unknown
 * Two Unnamed Kits: Status Unknown

Aunt:
 * Squirrelflight:

Great Aunt:
 * Princess:

Half-Great Aunt:
 * Ferncloud:

Half-Great Uncles:
 * Ashfur: Deceased, Suspected Place of No Stars member
 * Two Unnamed Kits: Deceased, Suspected StarClan members

Great Great Uncles:
 * Patchpelt: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Unidentified Kits: Status Unknown
 * Dustpelt:
 * Ravenpaw: Status Unknown

Great Great Aunts:
 * Willowpelt: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Spottedleaf: Deceased, Verified StarClan member
 * Leopardfoot: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Frostfur: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Cousins:
 * Cloudtail:
 * Nightkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Mistkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Tigerstar: Deceased, Verified Place of No Stars member
 * Brambleclaw:
 * Tawnypelt:
 * Hawkfrost: Deceased, Verfied Place of No Stars member
 * Mothwing:
 * Tadpole: Deceased, Residence Unknown
 * Darkstripe: Deceased, Verified Place of No Stars member
 * Sorreltail:
 * Darkstripe: Deceased, Verified Place of No Stars member
 * Sootfur: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Rainwhisker: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Graystripe:
 * Whitewing:
 * Flametail:
 * Tigerheart:
 * Dawnpelt:
 * Stormfur:
 * Feathertail: Deceased, Verified StarClan and Tribe of Endless Hunting member
 * Briarlight:
 * Blossomfall:
 * Bumblestripe:
 * Dovepaw:
 * Ivypaw:
 * Molekit:
 * Cherrykit: