Outcast/Chapter 7

"Hollypaw joined in, but she found it hard to concentrate. She could still see in her mind the blaze of rage in Ashfur's eyes, as if he’d forgotten he was fighting his own apprentice."

— Hollypaw thinking about Lionpaw and Ashfur's fight in Outcast, page 82

Outcast
Chapter number:	7 (of 29)
Page numbers:	75-88
Point of View:	Hollypaw
Chronology

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

Chapter Number: 6 (of 29)

Page Numbers: 75-88

Chapter Summary

Hollypaw's PoV

Hollypaw and Cinderpaw had cleared out the old bedding in the elders’ den and are now getting fresh moss for the new bedding from the roots of an oak tree. Hollypaw announces that she has a plan about becoming a warrior, and she leaves the ball of moss she was gathering to sit next to her fellow apprentice. She begins how learning to fight, to hunt, and the rules of the warrior code are so confusing that she will concentrate on one thing at a time. Cinderpaw is confused, and Hollypaw explains that she will start with hunting, practicing until she is very good at it, then she will go on to something else. Her friend starts clawing up moss again and mews that it sounds mouse-brained, and the tabby asks if she will have to finish bedding while Hollypaw catches prey. The black she-cat swipes a paw at Cinderpaw’s ear and replies that she will do her duties and training sessions, but concentrate on hunting. The former snorts that she wonders what Brackenfur would say if he thinks Hollypaw isn’t concentrating on fighting. Hollypaw is exasperated and tosses a bit of moss at her friend, but Cinderpaw looks up at her and tells the other she-cat that it doesn’t sound like a good idea, as being a warrior means doing everything in order. Hollypaw disagrees that she thinks it will work for her, but tells her friend that she doesn’t have to join in. Cinderpaw reaches up to touch Hollypaw’s nose with her ear and reassures that she will help if she can.

By the time the two apprentices are done, Thornclaw and Brackenfur are gathering the apprentices together in the middle of the clearing. Thornclaw explains that he and Cloudtail will take their apprentices to the mossy clearing for advanced battle training, and Brackenfur adds that she and Lionpaw can join in if they want to. Cinderpaw is eager to go but her mentor, Cloudtail, warns her to be careful of her leg. Cinderpaw’s excitement fades and worries if it will hold her back from being a warrior. Cloudtail discouragingly answers that they will have to see, so Hollypaw presses her muzzle against Cinderpaw’s and comforts her friend that she will be a warrior. Ashfur and Lionpaw join the group and the cats leave.

As they travel through the forest, Hollypaw notices the scents and sounds of the forest, and she wishes she could practice hunting instead of watching a training session. The clearing is crowded with eight cats, and Hollypaw, Brackenfur, Lionpaw, and Ashfur sit in a sunny spot. The black she-cat finds it boring to watch Cloudtail and Thornclaw demonstrate a move; the former leaps into the air with a twist so that he comes down on Thornclaw’s shoulders. The white warrior invites Cinderpaw to try, and the apprentice launches herself in the air correctly, but didn’t leap high enough and blunders clumsily into her mentor’s side instead of landing on his shoulders. The warriors give Cinderpaw suggestion, and the training session continues.

As the session goes on, Hollypaw notices that Lionpaw is fidgeting. The golden tom tells Ashfur that he can do it and asks to try, but Ashfur responds that it is advanced. Lionpaw insists that he is ready, so Ashfur reluctantly agrees. The two toms move out into the clearing, well away from the other practicing cats, and Ashfur tells his apprentice to go ahead. Lionpaw leaps into the air and lands perfectly on his mentor’s shoulders, and Hollypaw is astonished that Lionpaw learned the move so perfectly. Lionpaw asks if his mentor will be tougher on him now, but Ashfur hostilely warns if he actually wants tough. The golden apprentice insists that he can cope with anything, so Ashfur leaps on Lionpaw, landing a hard blow on his ear. The young tom rolls to one side, raking his hind paws down Ashfur’s flank, then getting up and landing on his mentor’s shoulders in the move Cloudtail had demonstrated. Ashfur shakes off Lionpaw and the latter hits the ground hard, yet his mentor instantly jumps on him. The two cats wrestle in a screeching tangle of fur and roll closer to the other apprentices; Poppypaw, Thornclaw, Cloudtail, and Cinderpaw have to go to the side of the clearing to avoid them.

Hollypaw is surprised to see the Lionpaw is fighting like a warrior and doing advanced moves, but she notices flecks of blood on both cats’ fur. Ashfur’s eyes are blazing with fury, as if he forgot it wasn’t a real battle, and the black she-cat tells Brackenfur to make them stop. Before the brown tabby can do anything, Ashfur launches himself on top of Lionpaw and holds him down with both forepaws on his chest. The warrior asks if that was tough enough, but Lionpaw continues to batter the gray tom’s belly with hind paws. Ashfur aims a blow at his apprentice’s ear, but Brackenfur interrupts, his voice sharp with shock. He tells Ashfur to let Lionpaw up, and the apprentice to sheathe his claws, as the bout is over.

The blaze is Ashfur’s eyes have faded, and as Lionpaw gets up, Brackenfur thrusts himself between them. Both cats are bleeding, but after Ashfur catches is breath he praises Lionpaw on fighting like a warrior, then tells the rest of the apprentices to try to be as good as Lionpaw. Cinderpaw and Poppypaw exchange shocked glances, and Hollypaw is too disturbed by how savage the fight was to congradulate her brother. Ashfur tells Lionpaw that he was so good he can go back to camp and have first pick of the fresh-kill pile. The gray warrior adds that he will tell Firestar as well, and Lionpaw proudly pads off with Ashfur.

Once the two cats have disappeared into the undergrowth, Cloudtail asks to see what the rest of them could do, yet Poppypaw is nervous that they will have to fight like Ashfur and Lionpaw did. Brackenfur replies that they will not, and will only practice the techniques with sheathed claws. Hollypaw joins in, but has troubles concentrating, as she still remembers the rage in Ashfur’s eyes.

When the training session is over, Hollypaw rushes back to camp to check on her brother, and she finds him sleeping in their den. The apprentice doesn’t wake up when his sister comes into the den, and Hollypaw notices that the blood on his scratches has dried and his fur is bloodstained; he clearly hadn’t checked it with Leafpool. The black she-cat licks her littermate's wounds clean, then leaves the den and spots Brambleclaw by the fresh-kill pile. The deputy greets her and offers her to join her on a hunting patrol, but Hollypaw explains the story of Lionpaw and Ashfur’s fight, and she states that she doesn’t think Ashfur should have pushes his apprentice so far. Brambleclaw reassures her that she talked with Ashfur, and the gray warrior was very pleased with Lionpaw. Hollypaw protests that the fight was really scary, yet the deputy points out that battles are that way, and in skirmishes with other Clans, claws won’t be sheathed. He says that they have to be ready for a battle, and that he is proud of Lionpaw’s fighting skills and Jaypaw’s knowledge of herbs. Hollypaw asks about herself, and Brambleclaw purrs that he is her little thinker and makes the best decisions. Hollypaw brightens at this, and Brambleclaw reminds her of the hunting patrol.

Sandstorm and Honeypaw are on the hunting patrol as well, but Honeypaw complains about Berrynose not being on the patrol. Sandstorm points out that the warrior was on the dawn patrol, yet Honeypaw fawns over how he is a brilliant hunter and would help the patrol catch more prey. The apprentice continues to babble over the cream warrior, which irritates Hollypaw so much that she runs a little ahead. It is just past sunhigh, the forest thick with birdsong and fresh with green scents, and Hollypaw bounds forward to the top of a rise not far from the WindClan border. Hollypaw is apprehensive and finds herself wanting to find the rest of the patrol. The she-cat decides to catch a piece of prey first, but when she tastes the air she picks up on unfamiliar cat scent, neither ThunderClan nor WindClan. The apprentice fears that rogues have invaded the territory, but just then Brambleclaw brushes the bracken, followed by Sandstorm and Honeypaw. Hollypaw describes the unknown cat scent, and Brambleclaw and Sandstorm taste the air. The latter murmurs something in the deputy’s ear and he nods, looking troubled. The brown tabby tells the apprentices to run back to camp and bring more warriors, just not Stormfur or Brook. Hollypaw and Honeypaw are confused, but Sandstorm and Brambleclaw insists that they must go now, so the apprentices pelt back toward the camp.

As she runs through the thorn tunnel, Hollypaw calls to Firestar, and she skids to a stop beneath the Highledge. Several cats notice the apprentice’s warning and appear alarmed and bristling. Firestar emerges from his den on the Highledge and demands what’s going on. The apprentices stammer how there are strange cats near the WindClan border, but they are interrupted as Graystripe, Birchfall, and Whitewing burst into camp, yowling. Hollypaw arches her back and bristles at the sight of two cats she doesn’t recognize: a dark brown tabby tom and a skinny pure black she-cat. The three warriors don’t let the intruders go any farther into camp, and Hollypaw realizes that the two cats have the scent that she had picked up near the WindClan border.

Characters

Major

• Hollypaw

Minor

• Cinderpaw
• Thornclaw
• Brackenfur
• Cloudtail
• Ashfur
• Lionpaw
• Poppypaw
• Brambleclaw
• Honeypaw
• Sandstorm
• Mousefur
• Brightheart
• Sorreltail
• Daisy
• Toadkit (Unnamed)
• Rosekit (Unnamed)
• Firestar
• Graystripe
• Birchfall
• Whitewing
• Talon (Unnamed)
• Night (Unnamed)

Mentioned

• Berrynose
• Hazeltail (Unnamed)
• Mousewhisker (Unnamed)
• Leafpool
• Jaypaw
• Stormfur
• Brook