Run Away Bravely (Stormwind)

Most of the clearing pinned their ears back in response before accusatory glances turned to Leafpool and Squirrelflight. Most of those who looked towards Leafpool were left even more shocked, however, as the tom had padded up next to Leafpool and wrapped his tail tightly around hers.

Hollyleaf smiled slowly but there was no amusement in the expression. It was sharp and cold. “Except there is no such thing now. There is only one Clan now so how can someone be half-Clan? And it’s a pity that you seem to think half-Clan cats were so rare. I can name several other cats straight off the top of my head that were also half-Clan. I left not because I was half-Clan, but because I couldn’t deal with being lied to on top of knowing I wasn’t supposed to exist.”

Crowfeather left his post, padding up behind Leafpool, hoping nobody would notice just yet in all the commotion.

Ashfur growled.  “That’s easy.  You’re trying to steal attention from the fact that you’re half-clan and a Medicine cat’s daughter!”

Leafpool lifted her chin defiantly when the stares landed on her, feeling her kits stir inside her belly as if sensing the unrest. Even just a few moons ago, she might have flinched back and been terribly apologetic about it all, but she ran out of fucks to give after StarClan admitted to their cowardice and she got back with Crowfeather.

Jayfeather bristled slightly at the stares he could feel burning into his pelt.

Hollyleaf narrowed her green eyes. “And how could you prove it’s not true, anyway? What reason would I have to lie about one of my former Clanmates trying to kill me and my brothers?” I still have nightmares about it, she didn’t say.

The gazes of the clan split between Ashfur, Hollyleaf, and all of the cats Ashfur had named in the conspiracy around the parentage of Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and the black she-cat. Could they trust someone who had faked their death? At the same time, Ashfur was quite defensive about Hollyleaf’s accusation.

Hollyleaf arched a kittybrow. “You’re acting awfully defensive about a supposed lie,” she pointed out mildly. She didn’t deny the claim of trying to deflect the Clan’s attention, though, mostly because that was partly true.

Ashfur hissed quietly. “You have no way to prove that,” growled the tom quietly as he glared daggers over at Hollyleaf. “Quit trying to deflect the clan’s attention.”

Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Leafpool all looked pained listening to Ashfur spill the secret to the entire Clan. Heathertail was unbothered, having already known this, but moved to press against her mate’s side in silent support.

As stunned silence descended once Ashfur was finished speaking, Hollyleaf broke it only a few moments later. “And I suppose you’re just going to leave out the part where you tried to kill us,” she hissed. She wasn’t going to take this lying down. “Trapped is in the burning ThunderClan camp and tried to make Squirrelflight watch us burn, all because she rejected you. The only reason you didn’t succeed is because she shocked you with the truth, that she did not give birth to us.”

(Gtg bye. Be back in an hour or so)

Ashfur shrugged, shooting Hollyleaf a glance that said suit yourself, and then told the gathered Darkclan cats everything- Crowfeather and Leafpool were the real parents of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw’s kits. He’d heard an argument between the latter couple that gave him all the information he needed to corroborate his story. He left out the part about trapping the trio and their adoptive mother in the burning Thunderclan Camp, because the story was already juicy enough to have the whole of the clan that was present in the Camp hooked.

Crowfeather and Lionblaze both listened on in horror, as did Squirrelflight. Brambleclaw was much more stoic, Ashfur’s words only reopening wounds that were already carved into his heart.

Hollyleaf clenched her jaw, stubbornly remaining silent under the scrutiny of at least half the Clan.

Ashfur glanced over to Hollyleaf knowingly. It was only a matter of time before someone spilled the secret, Be it him, her, or someone else.

Hollyleaf shied away from her brother, stiffening both at his touch and the increase of the stares. She hadn't been among this many cats since she ran away four and a half moons ago and it was highly uncomfortable. It didn't help that she was on the edge of a panic attack because several cats that likely wouldn't keep quiet knew her secret.

“Lionblaze,” Mewed Berrynose, nudging the Golden-brown tom out of his trance. The de facto leader of Darkclan blinked once at his clanmate sleepily.

“Your sister’s back.” Berrynose’s simple mewl drew a shocked expression from the tom, who quickly left his post, bounding over to Hollyleaf and letting out a relieved mew as he touched her shoulder with his nose. The tom didn’t question where she’d been.

Crowfeather’s guard post had a view of the clearing, so he was able to watch from afar, not wanting to get too involved.

The cats in the clearing all stared at Hollyleaf questioningly, expecting some sort of explanation from the she-cat. One didn’t run away from the clans and fake their own death for no reason, after all.

Rowan claw finally released Hollyleaf once they were far enough into the island that she wouldn’t be able to flee across the log bridge.

The young black she-cat found her footing with a disgruntled look, casting a dark glare at all five cats in the patrol that that had brought her to the island before stalking forward, muscles tense with nerves even as she held her head high and glared around at all the staring, whispering cats.

Leafpool hurried out of the medicine cat den, eyes wide as she stopped beside a pair of random gossiping cats. “Hollyleaf..,” she breathed, unable to hold back her relief at the sight of her daughter being alive.

Finally, Jayfeather managed to make himself move, slinking through the gathering crowd until he was standing next to Leafpool. He could not see Hollyleaf but he could feel her and so focused in that direction.

Lionblaze had yet to notice the commotion, sitting in a tried, half-awake trance with his back to the camp as part of the ring of cats that surrounded the island to keep watch.

Crowfeather glanced to Ashfur, who still wore some sort of cocky look on his face. Why does he look like that? It’s like he’s won something. The tom had no idea how much Ashfur knew about him, his mate, and their kits.

Hollyleaf didn’t notice her father, still sulking unhappily as she was dragged into the island by her scruff, trying to hide her rising panic. She didn’t want to be here, especially not when the patrol would doubtlessly release the fact that Leafpool and Crowfeather were her parents!

As the patrol passed into the clearing, more cats took note and started whispering to each other when they saw Hollyleaf. Everyone thought she had been dead, after all.

Leafpool tilted her head and frowned when she heard the whispering start up outside. What now? She wondered, heading to the entrance of the medicine cat den and poking her head out. The first thing she was was Ashfur’s superior smirk and her frown deepened until a flash of black fur caught her attention. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw her daughter dangling from Rowanclaw’s mouth, looking sullen but alive and well.

Heathertail had been one of the first to notice Hollyleaf, watching over most of the kits play along with Swallowtail and Sedgewhisker. Her kittybrows shot up in surprise at the sight of the black she-cat. Hollyleaf is alive? Does Lionblaze know yet?

Mistystar was out on a patrol and so would not know of Hollyleaf’s survival until she came back. And as for Jayfeather, the tom pricked his ears when he felt the emotions of the cats around him rise, frowning because he couldn’t see (obviously) Hollyleaf. It was the flashes of thoughts that all said Hollyleaf is alive! that caused him to still, the gray tabby looking completely and utterly stunned for once.

Crowfeather was on guard, but turned away from the lake with a sleepy blink when a patrol started to make its way across the bridge. Brambleclaw didn’t mention this patrol this morning. What’s going on? The tom froze, a slight surprised gasp leaving his muzzle when he saw his daughter, alive and well.

Ashfur wore a superior smirk, flashing a grin at the medicine den on his way past, where Leafpool and Squirrelflight both currently resided.

(muahahahaha!

*sheepishly admits that she has been shipping Cinderheart/Breezepelt for this RP* Once I knew we were doing Heathertail/Lionblaze I just couldn’t help myself.

Also, on the subject of the Leafpool/Crowfeather kits, I decided that Leafpool would have figured out she was pregnant the morning of this day but she and Crowfeather are so busy she hasn’t been able to tell him yet :3 Just in case you saw my edit to the Clan list and wondered.)


Once they had left the tunnels, Hollyleaf had went limp in Rowanclaw's grasp, retaining enough common sense to know that struggling out in the open would cause enough noise and movement to draw any nearby infected. She sulked while being carried/dragged back to the DarkClan camp.

Sorreltail paused once they reached the log bridge to send the others on ahead, Rowanclaw with Hollyleaf going in the middle. Once the other four in the patrol had started to cross, she leapt up herself.

(I would say this is the next day. Crowfeather’s gotta be in camp for the juicy drama to come, after all! :3 )

Breezepelt flattened his ears as the Darkclan camp came into sight, the clearing bustling as always. A certain realization had just struck him. If my dad’s going to get in trouble for this, will I be caught in the crossfire, too?

Hollyleaf felt a bit smug when she tripped her half-brother, a viciously vindictive thought of he deserved it going through her head.

(I realized that it would be like midnight now XD Because we left off from Crowfeather and Leafpool at dusk then went to this immediately. Is this the next day, at night, or it started earlier that day and Crowfeather is only just now leaving for patrol?

Also, it's been approximately 8 moons and 10 days since the start of the apocalypse :3)

Breezepelt was the only one even mildly bothered, one of Hollyleaf’s flailing forelegs causing the famously crabby tom to hiss angrily as he tripped over it.

( cool. I’m in Central Time.)

Hollyleaf hissed and spat furiously, struggling helplessly, as she was dragged along. She knew once they left the tunnels she wouldn’t be able to struggle anymore, for fear of bringing infected down upon them.

Unfortunately for Hollyleaf, Rowanclaw was almost entirely unbothered by her struggles.

Ashfur And Breezepelt flanked Rowanclaw And Hollyleaf on either side as the She-cat was dragged out of the tunnel system and back towards Darkclan’s Camp.

(Mountain time.)

Hollyleaf hissed angrily, squirming in Rowanclaw’s grasp, pinned on her belly so she couldn’t even kick at him.

Rowanclaw looked at Sorreltail for orders (because she was patrol leader) and while the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat wasn’t happy with dragging along an obviously unwilling cat, times had changed. No one would be left alone (willingly or not) and they had all had to become just that more ruthless. She gestured and Rowanclaw picked Hollyleaf up by the scruff like she was an unruly kit, which infuriated the black she-cat even more.

(What time zone are you in?)

Ashfur looked, wide-eyed, as Hollyleaf tried to bolt, only to be caught by Rowanclaw.

Breezepelt smirked. “Nice idea, mousebrain.” The tom couldn’t help but to tease Hollyleaf, his blood boiling from the realization that he was kin with a cat from another clan thanks to his stupid father.