Skyclan returns

Chapter 12

Hollywing woke up early the next morning, not because she woke up by herself or because someone nudged her on their way out of the warriors' den, but because there was a high pitched wail in camp. Hollywing was instantly alert as she darted out of the warriors' den, looking left and right for signs of intruders, a few others behind her.

Hollywing became confused when she didn't see or scent another Clan, fox, badger, or anything else that might be a danger. She let her fur lay flat, which she hadn't realized until then had started bristling, and looked around camp, trying to find out where the wail had come from and what had caused such a distress. The warriors behind Hollywing had also calmed down, and were looking around like she was.

In the center of the ThunderClan camp, Hazeltail, Mousewhisker, Rosepaw, Toadpaw, Berrynose, and Spiderleg were crouched over a lump of limp cream fur. It was Rosepaw that was wailing, but it looked liked the others wanted to as well. The tortured expression on Mousewhisker's face felt like a stab to the heart for Hollywing, and she ran over to him.

"What's wrong?" Hollywing asked. "Are you alright? Is somebody hurt?" That was when she looked at what everyone was gathered around. She gasped in shock; it was Daisy. Her eyes were closed, her entire body lying limp on the ground, and she smelled of illness which Hollywing hadn't detected before.

"She died from greencough," Mousewhisker replied in a cracking voice. "She was sick for a little while, but she didn't tell anyone until it was too late."

"Apparently there are also a few others who have greencough right now," Spiderleg murmured, slightly more composed than the others. "Dustpelt, Honeyear, Brambleclaw, and Firestar, too, have all come down with it."

"How could they get sick so fast?" Hollywing asked in disbelief.

"Dustpelt and Honeyear said they hadn't been feeling well for awhile now, but they didn't think anything of it until Daisy…" Spiderleg stopped and seemed to be mentally comforting himself before he picked up the story again. "It turned out they had greencough too. Brambleclaw just caught it this morning, probably from being in the medicine den where Daisy had slept for a few nights. Firestar had been spending a lot of time with Dustpelt lately, so it was hardly any surprise when he came down with it too."

"If our leader and deputy are both sick, what are we going to do if there's an attack?" Hollywing fretted.

"Relax, ShadowClan and RiverClan are probably both still licking their wounds," Spiderleg comforted her, and Hollywing immediately felt guilty. Spiderleg's mate had just died, and all she could do was worry about an attack. She should be comforting him, not the other way around.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Hollywing murmured apologetically. "I know it wasn't my fault, but I wish I could've done something to save her."

"Don't we all," Berrynose muttered.

"What about the vigil?" Hazeltail asked. "Firestar's sick, and he can't hold it, so who will?"

Hollywing was lost for words; she hadn't considered that yet. "I'll go ask him for you," she quickly replied, wanting to escape the depressing mood and the form that once was Daisy.

Before anyone could object, Hollywing turned and pelted towards the medicine den, hoping Firestar would be awake. As she nosed her way through the hanging brambles covering the entrance to the medicine den, she smelled the illness again, but much stronger this time.

"Hollywing, are you feeling alright?" Jaysight asked in a clearly distressed tone. He looked exhausted and worried, his fur bristling in alarm at the thought of his sister coming down with greencough. At least he has his mind on his responsibilities today, Hollywing thought, remembering his distracted look from last night.

"I'm fine," Hollywing assured him. "Is Firestar awake?"

"He's sick," Jaysight answered with a small frown. "Even if he is awake, you can't speak to him. First of all, he needs to rest, and second, we can't afford another cat getting sick. Go back outside."

"It's important," Hollywing persisted. "I need to know so I can tell Hazeltail; who's going to hold the vigil tonight?"

"Jaysight, it's okay," a raspy voice murmured from one of the nests in the medicine den. "Let Hollywing speak to me."

"But –"

"Jaysight," Firestar said sternly.

There was a pause. "Yes, Firestar," Jaysight conceded, waving his tail for Hollywing to go forward before going to the back of the medicine den to retrieve something or other.

"Firestar, how are you feeling?" Hollywing asked hesitantly, stepping forward.

"Sick," Firestar purred, then broke off, coughing.

"Firestar?" Hollywing asked worriedly, stepping forward again.

"I'll be fine," Firestar reassured her after he was done coughing. "You're right; someone will need to hold the vigil."

"Have you decided on who will do it?" Hollywing asked.

"Yes," Firestar answered simply. "You."

"Me?" Hollywing asked in disbelief. "But –"

"I've already made my decision," Firestar cut her off.

"I don't know the words," Hollywing argued.

"I'll teach them to you," Firestar replied.

"You're sick; you need to rest," Hollywing mewed frantically, trying to think of another excuse, knowing he would shoot that one down too.

"Clearly," Firestar purred, amused. "But someone needs to do it and I'd have to teach the words to anyone I asked to do it. I trust you, Hollywing; I know you can do this."

"Okay," Hollywing agreed slowly. "If you really want me too, then I will."

"Alright, here's what you have to say," Firestar mewed.

---

There was no attack on camp that day, but Mousefur was the next to fall prey to greencough. Leafpool said she didn't think Mousefur would last through the night, but she prayed to StarClan that she would anyways. Giving the vigil tonight wasn't the only responsibility Firestar had given Hollywing; she also had to organize the patrols, usually the deputy's job.

As soon as Hollywing was done speaking with Firestar that morning, she sent out a border patrol along ShadowClan's border to make sure they wouldn't be taken by surprise in case of attack. She put Brackenfur in charge of the patrol, knowing he had a good sense of judgment and wouldn't let anger block his views, and had Sandstorm, Thornclaw, and Molepaw go with him.

Soon after that, Hollywing sent out a hunting patrol consisting of Squirrelflight, Foxpaw, Poppyflower, and Cloudtail She was careful not to send out any of the mourning cats on a patrol, giving them their last day with Daisy.

When Brackenfur returned with the rest of the patrol, Hollywing had already decided the rest of the day's patrols. "How was it?" Hollywing asked.

"Not a sign of ShadowClan cats," Brackenfur reported confidently. Hollywing felt slightly guilty; someone like Brackenfur should be left in charge of camp, not her.

"That's good," Hollywing replied. She sent Birchfall, Whitewing, Icepaw, and Cinderoak on the next patrol, instructing them to check WindClan's border this time, just in case. Once the patrol had left, Hollywing had gone back to the medicine den to give Brackenfur's report to Firestar.

"You're doing well," Firestar praised her with obvious approval. "I have no regret in my choice."

"Anyone could do this," Hollywing muttered with embarrassment, blood pounding through her ears. "All I'm doing is sending out patrols."

"You choose the patrols wisely, letting level-headed cats go on border patrols and the easily angered go on hunting patrols to let them blow off a little steam," Firestar observed.

"Yeah, I guess," Hollywing replied.

The rest of the day had gone smoothly enough, with Hollywing sending out patrols as needed and keeping an eye on camp. She only left camp twice; to go to the training hollow with Harepaw once and go on a hunting patrol the second time. Harepaw had improved since the last time they had been there, and Hollywing wondered if she had been practicing on her own. Then she felt guilty about the thought of her apprentice having to practice on her own instead of with her mentor, so she went on a hunting patrol with Harepaw later.

The time came all too soon when Hollywing found herself over Daisy's body, giving the Clan meeting call. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting," Hollywing called out, loud and clear. The familiar words were a comfort to her, even though she knew it should have been Firestar saying them, and not her.

It was twilight, and there was hardly any light to see from, but Hollywing could hear her Clanmates gather around her and Daisy's still form. The night was chilly, and a cold wind ruffled Hollywing's fur, making her shiver. Once she was sure all of the Clan was gathered around her, she started.

"Daisy was a very caring queen," Hollywing started, her voice calm and comforting. "Her loyalty to ThunderClan could never be doubted. She was always concerned with others, and took care of every kit. She was a great mother, mate, and friend." Hollywing lay down in front of Daisy's body, her paws before her and her nose pressed into Daisy's cold fur.

One by one, the cats of ThunderClan came to give their last respects to Daisy and grieve. Daisy's family stayed with their noses pressed into Daisy's fur, on vigil for her. Hollywing had already told the cats which patrols they would be on so that she could stay with Daisy on vigil all night without being interrupted.

Hollywing looked up at Silverpelt and wondered if Daisy would be up there tonight. "Daisy, I hope you've gone to StarClan where you can watch over everyone, just like you did when you were alive," Hollywing murmured so softly that no one else heard her.

It was a long night that Hollywing waited with Daisy. She was determined not to fall asleep, but it was so boring just laying there and doing nothing. She didn't know how Mousewhisker or any of the others could stand it, but then she realized that they were probably lost in their memories of times when Daisy was still alive. Which, of course, made her feel guilty for being bored.

Hollywing felt slightly relieved when dawn light started tracing, then gradually filling the sky. She stood up and stretched her stiff limbs before looking around camp. It was little more than deserted, with Daisy and the rest of her mourners being almost the only ones outside, Hollywing excluded.

Hollywing beckoned with her tail to the one other cat that wasn't mourning Daisy; Sandstorm. "Can you find one other warrior to help you bury Daisy?" Hollywing murmured to her, knowing it was the elders' duty to bury the fallen, but Mousefur was sick and Longtail was blind.

"Of course," Sandstorm replied softly. She left Hollywing and went into the warriors' den briefly before coming back out with Sorreltail. The she-cats picked up Daisy's body and left the camp, leaving Spiderleg, Berrynose, Hazeltail, Mousewhisker, Toadpaw, and Rosepaw behind to stare after them.

Hollywing felt a kind of responsibility to get these cats out of their reverie, but she didn't know what to do until the dawn patrol returned. "Nothing unusual near the ShadowClan border," Ferncloud reported before going to the fresh-kill pile.

"Wonderful," Hollywing purred. "Spiderleg, Hazeltail, Graystripe, and Toadpaw, you're on the next border patrol. Berrynose, Mousewhisker, Ashfur, and Rosepaw, you're on a hunting patrol; we need more fresh-kill. First, get some rest, though." Hollywing hoped that by sending out the grieving cats, they would get some fresh air and be a little happier.

They nodded wearily in understanding and headed off to the dens. Hollywing turned and went to the medicine den, determined to give a report before going to sleep. "Firestar, I think the vigil went well," Hollywing called as she entered the medicine den. "I didn't fall asleep, either."

"That's good," Firestar replied, still with a rasp to his mew, but sounding a little bit stronger than yesterday.

"You sound better," Hollywing pointed out cheerfully.

"I feel slightly healthier, too," Firestar replied, his eyes shining happily.

"That's great," Hollywing meowed. "I've already decided on the next hunting and border patrols. I decided it would be a good idea to send out Daisy's family, so I put all of them in the patrols, but I told them to get some rest first, of course."

"You should, too," Firestar told her. "You keep coming near cats that have greencough, and if you aren't careful you'll get it too."

"Alright, Firestar," Hollywing agreed readily; she didn't have to be told twice. She left the medicine den with a sort of happy feeling in her that she couldn't explain, even though Daisy just died and she should be feeling grief. Hollywing settled down into her usual spot in the warriors' den, right next to Mousewhisker, and let sleep consume her exhausted mind and body.

Hollywing looked around her, a confused frown forming on her face. She was in a forest with tall trees, a mist looming low over the undergrowth so that she could hardly see the marshy ground beneath her paws. "Where am I?" she muttered to herself.

"Welcome, Hollywing," a voice purred behind her. Hollywing spun around to see a large tabby tom padding toward her through the gloom, his amber eyes glinting strangely in the odd light.

"Who are you?" Hollywing asked warily, taking a step back.
"My name is Tigerstar," the tom answered, grinning widely.