hollyleaf's story: part one

Hollyleaf lies in the tunnels under some stones. As she slowly crawls her way out she remembers what happened - Ashfur trying to murder them, Squirrelflight revealing the truth that she wasn't their mother, murdering Ashfur, revealing the truth about everything at the Gathering. Hollyleaf tries to justify her actions while feeling distraught over them. Out from under the rocks, she tries to stand up. Her leg buckles beneath her and she passes out. 

Hollyleaf comes to and finds herself in the care of Fallen Leaves. He recognizes her as Hollypaw, not realizing her name has changed. She tells him she is now Hollyleaf. He tells her once she gets better she can return to her friends, but Hollyleaf rejects that idea, knowing she can never return home. As Hollyleaf heals she tries to question Fallen Leaves, believing him to possibly be a tribe cat, but he is evasive in his answers and insists the caves are his home now. 

Hollyleaf's leg mends, and she starts to build a friendship with Fallen Leaves. She finds it odd that he never seems to eat or sleep and how she cannot track his scent or feel any warmth from his body, but she enjoys his company. He teaches her how to maneuver around the tunnels and find her way in the dark.

Time passes and they settle into their new life, even having mock patrols, though they never go near the tunnels that lead to ThunderClan. Fallen Leaves speaks a bit more about his past and his training to be a sharpclaw. Hollyleaf tries to convince him to return to his kin but Fallen Leaves rejects that idea. He runs from Hollyleaf and she realizes she might not be the only one with a terrible secret. She leaves Fallen Leaves be and walks through the tunnels. She scents fox and finds a fox kit trapped in the tunnel, unable to leave because a dog is at the entrance, blocking it. She becomes trapped by the fox kit until a twoleg comes and takes the dog away.

Hollyleaf tries to sleep but cannot. The fox kit is lost in the tunnels and the noise he makes is keeping her awake. She finds the kit and it takes her a while but she is able to lead him out. she watches him run to his mother, who has been looking for him, and she feels sad, missing her family.

I wonder if Hollyleaf will puzzle together that Fallen Leaves is dead? He never eats, he never sleeps, he has no scent... Then again, why would she think she is living with a ghost cat? Poor Fallen Leaves. He is such a tragic character. Trapped in the tunnels until his kin returns, but they left and went to the mountains to become the Tribe of Rushing Water. Jayfeather knows his secret, but Jayfeather has moved on. He is no longer an adventurous kit or apprentice but a medicine cat now. His focus is on caring for his tribe not chasing ghost cat mysteries.