Dark River/Chapter 12

Chapter Summary
Hollypaw's PoV


 * Graystripe yowls at Hollypaw to watch out as he and Millie carry brambles across the camp. Hollypaw asks what the brambles were for, noting the already finished extension of the warriors' den, but Hazelpaw explains that they were reinforcing the nursery, not working on the warriors' den. Disappointed at this explanation, Hollypaw wonders why everyone was so convinced that there was going to be a battle.


 * As Hollypaw looks around the camp, she sees other signs of the cats preparing for battle. Brightheart runs through a drill for what would happen in an attack on the camp with Mousefur and Longtail, irritating the elders, who claim they already know what to do. Meanwhile, the warriors discuss the predicted battle. Stormfur wonders why WindClan would attack them, Brook adding that it was RiverClan that was in trouble. However, Whitewing and Thornclaw point out that the trouble with RiverClan affected all the Clans, especially if RiverClan was displaced from their home. Stormfur agrees, saying that none of the borders were safe if that happened.


 * Hollypaw's mentor Brackenfur calls to her that there had been a change of plans with her training session. He explains that, in order to prepare for the supposed upcoming battle, they were going to have battle training along with her denmates, Hazelpaw and Mousepaw. Dismayed, with Stormfur's ominous words ringing in her ears, she realizes she has to do something to prevent the battle. She races off, nearly crashing into Hazelpaw and Mousepaw. Excitedly, they ask if she'd heard that they were battle training, but Hollypaw simply tells them to go to the training without her. They ask her what she's doing, but she doesn't tell them, instead racing off to hide behind the elders' den, where she waits for Brackenfur to leave the camp for training without her.


 * When he finally does, she races up the Highledge to Firestar's den, where he and Sandstorm. Hollypaw calls to them, bursting out that they had to stop the battle. Calmly, Firestar points out that the battle might not happen, and that there was nothing wrong with being prepared. Hollypaw protests that they should be helping RiverClan instead of preparing to battle WindClan. Firestar argues that RiverClan might try to take some of WindClan's territory which could lead to WindClan invading their territory in turn. Hollypaw retorts that they could stop the problem before it turned into violence, but Firestar tells her that RiverClan had to be allowed to solve their own problems.


 * Leafpool enters the den, questioning them about what going on. Firestar explains that Hollypaw was nervous about the battle, to which a frustrated Hollypaw cries that there didn't have to be a battle. Leafpool reassures her that there didn't have to be. She says that they had trust them to solve their own problems, but be prepared if they were not able. Firestar and Sandstorm point out that helping RiverClan might even further aggravate the situation, as they would have to cross over WindClan or ShadowClan's territory to get to them. They tell her to go find Brackenfur so that she doesn't get behind on her training. Furious that she wasn't listened to, Hollypaw storms down from the Highledge.