Warriors #2: Warrior Rising

Chapter 20

Goldenpaw's POV

I couldn't stop myself from shaking as I watched Hollyleaf stare down at the glistening red berries, her green eyes glowing with malice.

What does Hollyleaf want to do with deathberries? I wondered fearfully. Just by knowing the name of the herb, I can predict that it isn't something good.

I quickly took a step away from the medicine den as Hollyleaf began to pace, making sure that she wouldn't turn towards the entrance to see me watching her. Almost at the same moment, another cat appeared into my view as they approached the medicine den.

It was Leafpool. I flicked my ears with curiosity as I watched her pause at the front of the den, hesitating, before finally crawling through the bramble screen and inside. She hadn't noticed me at all, and if she did, she didn't acknowledge it.

Once Leafpool was out of my sight, I returned to my original spot right outside of the medicine den so that I could hear what was being said.

"Hollyleaf," I heard Leafpool meow calmly, as if she wasn't surprised at all that Hollyleaf was in there. "It's all right. I forgive you."

I narrowed my eyes at these words. Forgive her for what?

Hollyleaf sounded as shocked and confused as I was. "What?!" She yowled. "You forgive me? You're the one who needs forgiveness!"

I pressed my ear even closer to the den entrance, becoming more and more captivated by this conversation. What could Leafpool have possibly done?

I then wondered if Snowpaw was able to hear all of this too, so I turned my head around slightly to see her sitting down just a couple of tail-lengths from me. Her gaze gave absolutely nothing away.

Before I could ask my sister any questions, I heard Hollyleaf speak again. "You abandoned your kits!" She hissed. "You let us grow up in a web of lies, and now the warrior code might be broken forever because of your stupid, selfish actions."

My eyes widened like they never had before as I put all of the pieces of Hollyleaf's words together. Is... is Leafpool, Hollyleaf's mother, and she lied to her about it? But I thought that Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw were Jayfeather's, Lionblaze's and Hollyleaf's parents. I'm so confused!

"Do you think you need to tell me that?" Leafpool then asked. "I can only tell you how much I love you. I'm so sorry for what I did."

"And you expect me to forgive you?" Hollyleaf snarled in response. "Well, I don't. I never will."

I then found myself having to jump out of sight again as I heard some shuffling come inside, and I could just barely see Hollyleaf's long, black fur sticking out of the den entrance.

"See those deathberries?" Hollyleaf demanded, her growl ringing in my ear. "You're going to eat them, or I'll make you!"

My mouth felt as if it had dropped to the ground. So that's why Hollyleaf got the deathberries out! I realized, still in complete shock. But... she wants to use them to kill Leafpool? Her own mother?

I then was overwhelmed with a very ominous kind of certainty. That's what Hollyleaf meant when she said to Snowpaw that she would try and kill her "too". It all makes sense now, in the worst kind of way.

It was then that I came to terms with the fact that the ThunderClan medicine cat's life was possibly at stake. I was about to shove past Hollyleaf to protect Leafpool, but I stopped myself as I realized that more words were being exchanged.