Poppypaw and Mousepaw ask Jaypaw of he had seen Hollypaw. Word quickly spreads through the camp that she is missing. Fear and panic spread through the camp as cats start accusing WindClan of kidnapping her. Jaypaw is irritated at how quickly everyone is panicking. Only Brook seems to be staying calm. Firestar arrives and quickly calms everyone down but Jaypaw can feel guilt coming from him. He heads back to the den and senses Leafpool's distress. He asks her what is wrong and she admits that Hollypaw spoke to Firestar then herself. Jaypaw quickly surmises that Hollypaw's fears were dismissed and Leafpool worries that Hollypaw might have tried going to WindClan to speak to Onestar. Leafpool insists Jaypaw dream and find Hollypaw. He becomes angry since normally she tells him not to use his powers. Jaypaw refuses to dream, causing him and Leafpool to argue. He leaves the camp and runs to the stick. He dreams of Fallen Leaves speaking to Rock. He takes Fallen Leaves' journey through the tunnels with him. He experiences the rain coming, the tunnels flooding, and drowning beside Fallen Leaves. When he wakes up he understands the lines on the sticks, and how they represent cats who survived and cats who died.
Lionpaw meets with Heatherpaw. He tells her how Hollypaw is missing but realizes he cannot admit to her that Hollypaw crossed into WindClan land. The fact that he cannot fully confide in her hurts him. He asks Heatherpaw if she has seen Hollypaw and Heatherpaw denies it. He realizes WindClan does not have his sister but he has no way of telling his clan this. The cats play and he shows her the new move Tigerstar taught him. Heatherpaw tells Lionpaw that she could never battle against him and Lionpaw realizes she probably wants him to make the same pledge back - and that he cannot. Dawn approaches, the cats wake up and part ways. As he heads home Hawkfrost comes to Lionpaw and calls him a traitor for showing fighting moves to Heatherpaw. They fight over Heatherpaw and Hawkfrost points out to him that the tunnels can be used to attack WindClan - or worse, WindClan could one day use the tunnels to attack ThunderClan. Hawkfrost leaves him, telling him his clan will either see him as a traitor or banish him for keeping the tunnels a secret. Upset, Lionpaw heads back to camp questioning his friendship with Heatherpaw. As he reaches the camp cats burst through the tunnel. Hazelpaw tells him that WindClan chased a squirrel into their territory and killed it. The two clans are about to fight. Ashfur asks where he has been and Lionpaw lies, saying he was having a hard time sleeping so he went out early. They arrive at the border and fight. During the fight Lionpaw gets distracted when he thinks he sees Heatherpaw. He is relieved to see it was someone else, but his distraction gets him attacked. The ThunderClan warriors quickly chase the WindClan cats off and head back to camp to report and have their wounds tended to. He asks Jaypaw if he has spoken to StarClan about Hollypaw yet, but Jaypaw has not. Ashfur sends Lionpaw off to bed to rest. When he gets up he goes to meet Heatherpaw. He tells her that they cannot meet anymore. Angry and hurt, Heatherpaw leaves.
Hollypaw wishes to go home. Willowpaw assures her that it should only be another quarter moon but Hollypaw knows that she is already in too much trouble. Squirrelflight arrives, asking for Hollypaw back. Leopardstar agrees, but only after she gets a promise of secrecy from Hollypaw. As they head home Squirrelflight tells Hollypaw she understands the want to help friends in other clans, but she cannot do what she did again. She tells Hollypaw that she was arrogant to try and solve the problem on her own, and that she broke the warrior code and caused her clan undue stress. She also tells Hollypaw that there was a battle with WindClan that she should have been present at. Hollypaw is both upset and angry, feeling that just because she is an apprentice she is being dismissed. When they get back to camp Hollypaw is sent to speak to Firestar. She tells him he must not fight WindClan, but unable to break her promise to Leopardstar she cannot say why. Firestar dismisses her words since she cannot offer anything to back them up and gives her her punishment, caring for the elders. As she cleans their den she speaks to Mousefur and Longtail. Her words about an upcoming battle with no proof make Mousefur pause, and Hollypaw hopes that she has gotten through to someone. Leafpool let's Cinderpaw leave the medicine cat den to play carefully for a bit with Hollypaw. Cinderpaw admits that she has been playing with Jaypaw and Hollypaw is surprised, since Jaypaw is usually so serious. Cinderpaw admits that she thinks Jaypaw does not like her but Hollypaw assures her that is not so.
Jaypaw and Leafpool settle down to sleep when Firestar arrives to speak to them. He wants them to go to WindClan the next day and speak to Onestar. Firestar wants to know if RiverClan has actually invaded their land or not. After speaking to Mousefur he wants to avoid an unnecessary battle and he feels that only medicine cats can safely cross the border right now. The next day Brambleclaw and Dustpelt escort the medicine cats to the border and wait for a WindClan patrol. Tornear, Owlwhisker, Nightcloud, and Harepaw see them and come over. Jaypaw feels jealous come from Leafpool when Nightcloud is mentioned. Tornear and Nightcloud agree to escort the medicine cats to their camp, leaving behind Owlwhisker and Harepaw to guard the border, mirroring Brambleclaw and Dustpelt. At the camp they have to wait for Onewhisker to be found. Leafpool tries to talk to Crowfeather. Jaypaw senses jealousy from Nightcloud, a mixture of emotions from Leafpool, but nothing from Crowfeather. Onestar arrives and the cats argue, Leafpool cleverly provoking them with her carefully placed words. Leafpool starts to get through to their leader, and Jaypaw can sense that Onestar is considering her words, when it is discovered that three kits are missing and RiverClan might have just stolen a rabbit. Jaypaw feels Heatherpaw's emotions and knows she is hiding something. He feels a blackness under her emotions that chills him. Onestar sends the ThunderClan cats away, no longer interested in peace since he feels RiverClan has stolen the kits and prey.
I am willing to bet the WindClan kits are in the tunnels - and that Heatherpaw suspects this. But I'm worried about what the darkness Jaypaw senses could be. Hopefully it is just fear of the kits in the secret tunnel - and not something worse since she is still hurting over Lionpaw. I am glad Jaypaw solved the mystery of the stick - and I feel awful for Fallen Leaves - but I imagine there is more to this story or else why even mention it? Of course, if the kits are in the tunnels and it starts to rain... maybe that is why this story was included. Either way, I foresee the tunnels about to be exposed to both clans.
I am glad that Lionpaw has broken things off with Heatherpaw - but I am upset it has taken Hawkfrost to do it. I do agree with Hawkfrost's arguments, but Lionpaw is definitely under their influence now and that is troubling. They have already reached out to Jaypaw - who almost reluctantly rejected them. I imagine Hollypaw is not too far behind. And, as for Hollypaw, she got her wish. Talks did happen - and they almost worked too.
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