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It had been annoying, really- not only being kept in the enemy's camp (at least some company with Lilyfrost and Waspstripe), but finding it difficult to deal with the ways of these cats. TreeClan's camp roused when he normally slept, keeping him awake with their noise, and then, when they settled to sleep just as he started to feel the restless urge to get up and do things.

Too long had he been kept, but when he was told that they were being returned to NightClan, he'd still grumped and growled and hissed at the patrol the whole way back. His demeanor flipped in a heartbeat, however, as he looked ahead and spotted Darkstar and Rainfur on the border, and he charged forward, darting past the black-and-white tom leading the TreeClan patrol and skidding to a halt once he was back on the right side of the border. He sucked in a huge breath- wishing it weren't still tainted with the scent of TreeClan- and then turned to stare up at his leader and deputy as the two NightClan warriors joined them.

He wilted just a bit, tail slowly dropping earthward, as he caught sight of the expression on Darkstar's face, and he knew that he was going to hear all about how stupid and foolish he'd been from the NightClan leader. He might deserve it- he couldn't lie about that even to himself- but he couldn't hold back the sigh that rushed out of him. He really didn't want to hear it.

I'm a soldier till its over I will never fall
fearless hearts holding on through the night

Hollowpaw

NightClan

@zen

[Deleted]

Darkstar

I don't got time to look over my shoulder

Finding out that several of the cats the Clan had thought lost in the TreeClan camp assault were still alive had given TreeClan leverage that Darkstar’s hackles rising, but had certainly made her more interested in the negotiations Rainfur had gotten her to agree to partake in. If Hollowpaw was still alive, getting him back to the Clan, back to Thornscar, was without a doubt a top priority, along with the two other warriors TreeClan had trapped in their camp. It left a bad taste in the tortoiseshell leader’s mouth to have agreed to let TreeClan have anything in this, or for TreeClan to agree to let them have anything, as if NightClan needed their neighbor’s permission.

But that was all over with and she and Rainfur were on their way back home with their returned warriors, and errant apprentice. Rainfur was doing her best not to fuss too much over her daughter while Lilyfrost trudged along behind the two, and Darkstar took up the rear with her nephew. Now that he was back home safe a fury simmered in her belly that he had snuck along after the battle patrols when she had explicitly ordered no apprentices along. Her tail lashed behind her as they walked and she finally turned a burning gaze to the young tom, her ears flicking back.

“You disobeyed a direct order, Hollowpaw,” she hissed, “No apprentices were to take part in that battle. And now you know why. You’re lucky you’re still alive. Your sisters, your mother, thought were dead. You have no idea how much pain you caused them with this stupidity.” She paused, pinning him with that fiery stare for a long moment, “Your time will come, Hollowpaw. You will be a warrior one day, one I know I will be proud to fight beside, but that day will be a long time coming if you can’t obey your leader’s orders. I did not order apprentices to stay behind for no good reason. You were not ready for this fight and in disobeying my order you question my judgment. Do you think you know battle better than I do, apprentice?” Her tail lashed again and she returned her sights ahead of them, “When we get back to camp, after your mother and sisters see that you are safe, I’ll be speaking with Frostjaw about your punishment.” If he thought being held captive for several days was punishment enough, he was dead wrong, “You clearly need lessons in how to follow orders.”

Leave 'em all behind I'm about to take over

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