Long Shadows/Chapter 26

Chapter Summary

 * It's the afternoon of the Gathering, and Hollyleaf feels as though her world is crumbling. She once believed once Sol was driven off, everything in the Clan would become normal again. But now the looming threat of Ashfur hangs overhead like a tree going to collapse. Her black paws itch with restlessness, and she slips from the camp and into the forest. The ThunderClan warrior feels powerless, especially now since she isn't like her brothers: one of the Three. Her belief in the prophecy made her feel strong, but Ashfur ripped that from her. A cat with the power of the stars could've been able to stop it, but now, plain Hollyleaf, no longer related to Firestar, cannot do much.


 * Fury floods through her, and the black she-cat pauses, her rage hot. Her claws dig into the soil; more than anything else, Hollyleaf wants to become one of the Three, and be special, with a destiny. The slender warrior believes that she deserves such, and the neer tears her stomach like hunger pains. She knows she'll work hard as a leader, and leave her marks on each Clan, and can't let Ashfur take that away. Forcing down the rage, Hollyleaf pads on. Since the storm, more rain had fallen, leaving the ground boggy and sodden, causing her to leap and jump over debris.