Dark River/Chapter 12

Below contains in-depth information for chapter twelve of Dark River. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 12 (of 21)

Page Numbers: 175-192

Chapter description

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 are reinforcing the nursery, not working on the warriors' den. Upon hearing this, Hollypaw becomes frustrated, wondering why everyone is 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 affects all the Clans, especially if RiverClan is displaced from their home. Stormfur agrees, saying that none of the borders would be safe if that happened.

Hollypaw's mentor, Brackenfur, calls to her that there has been a change of plans with her training session. He explains that, in order to prepare for the supposed upcoming battle, they are 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 help RiverClan and thus prevent the battle. She races off, ducking behind the elders' den, hiding from Brackenfur and waiting there for him to leave the camp without her.

When he finally does, she races up the Highledge to Firestar's den, where he and Sandstorm are sitting. Hollypaw calls to them, bursting out that they had to stop the battle. Calmly, Firestar points out that the battle might not happen, but that there is nothing wrong with being prepared if it does. 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 have to be allowed to solve their own problems. Leafpool enters the den, questioning them about what going on. Firestar explains that Hollypaw is nervous about the battle, to which a frustrated Hollypaw cries that there doesn't have to be a battle. Leafpool reassures her that there doesn't have to be, but agrees with Firestar about not assisting RiverClan. They tell her to go find Brackenfur so that she doesn't get behind on her training. Furious that she was ignored, Hollypaw storms down from the Highledge.

Leafpool calls after her, and Hollypaw stops, glaring back and demanding why no one would listen. Leafpool reminds her that they are more experienced than Hollypaw, and that she has to trust them to do the right thing. Hollypaw argues that StarClan would want them to help RiverClan. Leafpool points out that she does not know for sure, and that she understood Hollypaw's worry for Willowpaw, but that it isn't good for a warrior apprentice to have such close friends in other Clans, once again telling her to go find her mentor.

Hollypaw rushes away, but instead of going to her training session, she makes up her mind: she will go see Willowpaw anyway, to find out what was going on with RiverClan. She races towards the WindClan border, avoiding Ashfur, Birchfall, and Lionpaw, who are hunting. She reaches the moor and she crosses WindClan's territory, luckily not meeting any patrols. Hollypaw continues along the shoreline of the lake until she reaches the Island where RiverClan's temporary camp is. She crosses the tree bridge, but as she reaches the Island, she realizes that with RiverClan living there, she can't just stroll into the Island like she would during a Gathering. Instead, she creeps along its perimeter, hoping to find Willowpaw. She can hear the voices of RiverClan cats, but strangely there doesn't seem to be any warriors or apprentices around.

Suddenly, Hollypaw hears a kit cry out, and scents marigold, and she realizes someone is treating a kit with herbs. She rushes towards the noise, finding Mothwing and Willowpaw treating a kit who stepped on pine needles in what appears to be their temporary medicine den. When they finish, Mothwing leads the kit and its mother, Icewing, back to the nursery. With Willowpaw alone now, Hollypaw reveals herself, much to the medicine cat apprentice's shock, and to Mothwing's as well when she returns. Hollypaw desperately explains that she had to do something, and that ThunderClan is going to fight WindClan because everyone is scared about what would happen if RiverClan has to leave their home. Mothwing and Willowpaw tell her RiverClan isn't going to leave, but Hollypaw is unconvinced, noting how their cats look half-starved and how they had moved everything from the old camp. Sighing, Mothwing tells Willowpaw to show her, but to stay out of sight.

Willowpaw races away, Hollypaw following curiously. She disguises Hollypaw's ThunderClan scent with otter dung, and leads her into RiverClan territory. Willowpaw points out an island, which she explains is the old RiverClan camp. As Hollypaw looks down the stream, she sees all the RiverClan warriors and apprentices that were absent from the camp. They all stand on one of the sides of the stream, pushing stones into it. Willowpaw explains that they are trying to block the stream in order to make it wider and deeper, but the explanation confuses Hollypaw, who wonders why they are doing so.

Suddenly, Minnowpaw rushes down the stream's side, yowling that they are coming. All the other cats abandon their work immediately and flee towards the lake. A group of Twoleg kits appear. One of the kits crosses the stream to the island of RiverClan's camp, poking the bushes there with a stick as the others yowl approvingly. Willowpaw asks Hollypaw if she now realized why they'd had to leave.

Characters

Major

Minor

Important events

• Hollypaw visits RiverClan, and learns that they left their camp due to Twoleg kits.^[10]

Errors

• Mistyfoot is mistakenly described as stone-colored.^[7]

Notes and references