There was a negligent silence that persisted between Ferretpaw and Hollybristle for most of their journey. The apprentice still had cobweb dressed wounds, having to adjust and check on them constantly whilst they traveled. Her eyes were trapped to the earth, avoidant of Hollybristle and the scenes around them. The tom wanted to ask if she were okay or even point out the meadows and how beautiful they were to the molly, but he knew all too well that she wanted to be left alone.

They slipped out of the meadows and into the dense woods. The salty scent of home no longer surrounded them, with waves crashing and howling towards the shore and sea brushing their cheeks in the wind. The change of scenery was a little more relaxing to Hollybristle - calmer. Home always felt tense at every turn through the clamor outside the cavern and even those inside, from arguments to spitting about war. All they could hear as they paced through the undergrowth was birds chirping melodiously and a breeze tugging at the branches, earning a light creak from the trees. The grass crunching under their paws made it feel easier to walk as sand wasn't nibbling at his paw pads and sticking irritably in between his toes. He could tell from a few side glances that Ferretpaw was enjoying the change as well, her head now turning to and fro to examine her surroundings.

Hollybristle suddenly paused, squinting as he noticed shrubbery obviously tussled through ahead, a string of cream fur hanging off on of the little leaves. The Prince stretched forward to sniff the hair, his nose scrunching up and eyes narrowing. "It's Kali's."

"We should be right behind them, shouldn't we?" Ferretpaw questioned, Hollybristle relieved the she-cat had a voice after all.

"Precisely," Hollybristle answered with a triumphant grin, but there was a nervousness gnawing at his paws that made them knead at the grass beneath him for a moment. This was a hunt he didn't want to partake in.

Hollybristle's coat was snagged a few times as well from the thick growths of the woods as they continued forward. Ferretpaw's small form found it easy to traverse, meanwhile Hollybristle grumbled from time to time at a thorn in his pelt or a branch prodding at his side. His vexation earned a giggle from Ferretpaw though, and that was enough to keep Hollybristle's complaints to herself.

His head snapped back over his shoulder though when Ferretpaw yelped behind him. One of the she-cat's shoulder wounds had been snagged by a bush, rearranging her dressage and making the wound ache and bleed again in response. Ferretpaw winced in discomfort at the little pain, Hollybristle quick to her side to assist the molly. He carefully nuzzled and moved the cobwebs back onto her shoulder, using a paw to press them against the wound in order to aid stopping the bleeding quickly.

"Thank you... I'm sorry," Ferretpaw mumbled.

Hollybristle's ears twitched and he shook his head as he stepped back to give the molly her space. "You have nothing to apologize for. Maybe once our mission is over, we can find some moss to lay over your wounds instead. It may hold better and feel a little more comfortable for our travels back-"

"But I do have something to apologize for!" The sudden stammer from Ferretpaw shocked Hollybristle, but the raw emotion on her face was enough to tell him to listen. "We are on this mission because of me. I knew myself I wasn't ready for my assessment, but my brother being rewarded like that really made me upset. If I were on that patrol instead... I could've been the one made into a warrior."

Hollybristle sighed. "Do you really want killing an innocent healer to be the reason you were made into a warrior?" His question made the apprentice's gaze drop quickly, and he beckoned to her to continue forth on their travels at his side. "Weaselclaw was made into a warrior solely because Thicketcrown rewards murder. Do you want to be rewarded for murder?"

"I..." Ferretpaw's paws shuffled. AsterClanners were taught to murder guardians in cold-blood, but there was doubt laced into the apprentice's face. "No... I don't. I just wanted to be rewarded for being strong."

"Then you have nothing left to prove. You're the strongest apprentice I know," Hollybristle grimaced at her, earning a proud smile back. "Just because you have to fight me for your assessment doesn't mean you have to get anywhere close to winning. Your diligence and determination makes you stronger than many in itself... And I'm sorry for hurting you."

Ferretpaw stepped a little closer to his side as they walked. "It's okay... really. I understand that we have to fight with tooth and claw for the assessment. I've never felt pain like that before, but I don't blame you. I guess I'm more ashamed of myself for not at all being up to par in battle."

"Hm, I think your sense in battle is amazing, I am unfortunately just a boulder compared to you," Hollybristle pointed out with a snicker.

"Are you calling me small or calling yourself fat?" Ferretpaw scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Both."

The two shared a chortle before the scent of half-eaten prey alerted them both. Hollybristle took the initiative and stalked forward, revealing through the shrubbery a gnawed at carcass of a hare. His muzzle twitched as he recognized the scent of the two guardians, but now it mixed with a tangier scent that made his pelt bush at recognition.

"Well, we're on their trail but we're not the only ones," Hollybristle examined in a low growl. He glanced upwards towards the guardians' escape route with tackled shrubbery and shredded grass in leaves in the wake of a larger set of paws. "Wolves. Very fresh scents and they left in a hurry. We're right behind them."

"Let me take the lead!" Ferretpaw piped up, stepping in front of the Prince.

Hollybristle dipped his head. "Okay but be cautious. The wolves may be in pursuit of them but we are still approaching from downwind."

Ferretpaw nodded and whipped through the woods on their trial. Hollybristle followed as closely behind as he could, though the tom was slower than the little, agile apprentice. Her wounds didn't seem to stagger her anymore as she pelted on, clearing bushes as if they were twigs and slipping underneath obstacles with ease. Hollybristle was able to eventually catch up as the woods spaced out and light from the approaching sunset beamed through the more dispersed branches overhead.

She suddenly slid to a halt into a patch of tall grass and growth, her tail directing for the Prince to settle beside him. Hollybristle crouched low next to Ferretpaw, the two of them peering through to the panicked scene ahead. A black and white she-cat was scaling a tree, her movement sporadic but sturdy. Beneath her, a cream colored tom had just spun around, braced with the devastating sight of the wolves now right before him. His chest was heaving with every breath as if they had been running for moons and his eyes were wide, but the tom was quick to take an offensive stance, a hiss barely rattling the hungry predators that snarled back at him.

"That's Kali!" Ferretpaw whispered, her tail lashing. "If we wait long enough, we won't even have to lay a claw on him ourselves. No cat can fight off two wolves and survive."

Hollybristle felt a knot form in his chest at the sight of Kali. One of the wolves had stepped close enough to where the heir was able to graze their muzzle, earning a shake of the creatures head and a roar from the other. Kali dodged the other wolves snapping jaws, the tom now pressed so tightly against the base of the tree that he had cornered himself. The she-cat climbing above him had reached a limb, now taking notice of Kali's distress and crying out to him, knowing she was vulnerable as a rescue.

Everything about it felt wrong and Hollybristle could feel his adrenaline beginning to pump and burn through his veins. There was nothing rewarding about murder even if that were their mission, and he couldn't watch Kali die in such cold blood.

Without a word to Ferretpaw, the tom yowled and barreled out of their cover. His voice was enough to tear the wolves attention away from Kali and towards Hollybristle, but not with enough time to react to the tom latching himself onto one of the creature's shoulders. The wolf howled out in a pained reaction, throwing its body around till it managed to throw the Prince off of it. Hollybristle caught himself and whirled back around to face his new attackers, now enraged by their hunt not delivered to them so easily.

"Climb!" Hollybristle shouted at Kali, who had still been frozen in position behind the wolves.

The guardian heir was quick to turn and begin to grapple himself up the tree though, Hollybristle now facing the wolves in the clearing beneath them. The tom weaved under a pounce from one of them, the wolves paw landing on his tail though and earning a cry from the Prince. He nearly fell flat on his stomach but managed to tear himself away with enough time to rear up and claw the other approaching wolf across its face. As he injured the other though, the one he had dodged spun around and snapped at Hollybristle, its teeth managing to catch the fur and some skin of his shoulder.

"Get off of him!"

Hollybristle watched as Ferretpaw now pounced from the tall grass, the molly planting herself on his attacking wolves shoulder just as she had done to Hollybristle during her assessment. Her claws bore into the wolf, it letting go of Hollybristle as it threw it head back and thrashed to throw the apprentice off of it. Ferretpaw managed to hold on for a moment before the sheer force of the large creature sent her tumbling aside and towards the tree that Kali had now successfully scaled. She was left in a split daze before standing back to her paws, bristling her pelt and pulling back her lips in a snarl as she readied herself for another attack.

"No! Go!" Hollybristle demanded as he jumped back away from the other wolves desperate bites. "I'll be behind you, I promise!"

Ferretpaw seemed hesitant and whether it was her faith in her climbing skills or concern for Hollybristle was unsure to him, but the she-cat then turned and began up the tree after the guardians.

The Prince yowled as a paw smacked into his side, pinning him to the ground with a line of drool dropping onto his cheek. He felt as if his ability to breathe had been taken from him, his chest tight and bones aching underneath the significant weight of the wolf. Its parted jaws drew closer to his neck and Hollybristle's eyes widened, panic searing through him. He thrashed and shook his form till he managed to hook his rear claws across the wolves leg. With a loosened pin in reaction to his scratch, Hollybristle used all his weight to pull the upper half of his body forward and sink his teeth into its leg as well to escape the pin. Blood filled Hollybristle's mouth until he pulled away, barreling out of the other wolf's path and towards the neighboring tree to the one the others had climbed.

Hollybristle started up the tree without a moment to stare whilst his enemies were still staggered behind him. As he scaled, he could hear them start to snap at his tail, jaws clasping with such force he could hear their nagged teeth rattle and feel it in the ache of his traveling paws. The larger tom used his rear claws to pounce up to cover more space swiftly, now successfully distancing himself from the wolves reaches. The predators were left circling and snarling at the bottom as he hastily reached one of the first strong limbs of the tree to be able to perch on.

"You did it! You made it!"

His vision was wobbly as he swiveled his head to glance to the other tree. Ferretpaw had stood on a limb adjacent to Kali and the black she-cat, beaming towards Hollybristle. The tom passed her a quick, painful smile and his claws planted into the limb beneath him, terrified that his exhaustion would be his next enemy and throw him clean off the limb into the jaws of the wolves.

He spotted Kali out of the blurred corner of his vision murmur to the she-cat with him. The heir turned and leaped onto a branch of another tree close to them, glancing back to eye his friend. Kali had been observant enough to realize the outstretched limbs of the trees were close enough for them to traverse towards the chasm of the ruins. Hollybristle inhaled and started to the edge of his branch, beckoning to Ferretpaw to make space before he leaped over to her side.

"What about the wolves?" Ferretpaw asked, the apprentice struggling to not look down.

"They know we aren't an option anymore. With how starved they are, they'll find a new hunt in no time," Hollybristle reassured. "Also, what was that before about no cat can fight off two wolves and survive?"

Ferretpaw snorted at the tom and locked her gaze back onto Kali and the other guardian who were still jumping branch to branch. "We should follow them, shouldn't we?"

Hollybristle looked to them and inhaled with a nod. "Yes, let's go. Stay close and careful."

The Prince knew Kali and his companion weren't oblivious to them following, the heir peering over his shoulder every time he stopped to aid the molly. Hollybristle kept a reasonable distance and whether it was to avoid a fight in that moment or show his ability at peace even he couldn't clarify to himself. Sure it felt unnecessary to fight within moments of them escaping wolves, but all around it felt avoidant to Hollybristle.

Ferretpaw luckily kept right to his side as they traveled limb to limb. The jumps were not challenging but he still worried for the petite, wounded feline. He checked on her with every leap, motioning her forward at the right times and slipping her advice on keeping her balance. She granted him an irritable look over time, huffing in his direction and taking the lead to avoid his concerns. That didn't keep Hollybristle from watching her every movement though, ready to jump in and rescue her when needed. Perhaps it was the guilt from the assessment gnawing at him, or his father's words ringing in his ears over and over again.

"She'll die no matter what, Hollybristle, so why waste the extra claws now?"

"Hurry up!" Ferretpaw called back to him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Kali and the she-cat had reached the old ruins ahead, a little, mountainous like structured that parted its ancient jaws to reveal a deep chasm. The cavern had old, jagged rocks clinging to the edge and tops of, water dripping off of the stones into a small stream that led to the inside of the chasm. Hollybristle had never seen the structure before, leaping off of the last limb to land beside Ferretpaw as they both stared at the new sight. They were used to their own chasm at home of course, but there was something more enchanting about this one, locked away in the woods with a mouth that bore open like those of an ancient predator. It was whimsical to them, and their stunned behavior earned nothing but confused looks and a scoff from their enemies a few tail-lengths away.

"You've had your scenic route and taste of adrenaline for the day, AsterClanners," Kali growled, their clans name spat out his mouth as if he had nearly swallowed poison. "It's time for you two to go home."

Ferretpaw was quick to growl back at the tom, her tail lashing as she faced them. Kali's company seemed resistant to the idea of a fight though, the black and white she-cat stepping back to stand almost behind Kali. Hollybristle turned to the two of them, ears flattening as he addressed their presence again.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening," Hollybristle husked. He couldn't bring himself to growl nor snarl, his fur still plastered down and visage almost stone-like. He couldn't bring himself to want to appear as a threat, his words just delivered low and profound. "Not today."

Kali huffed. "Too cowardly for a real war you AsterClanner's always have to ambush us, huh? It's quite sad really."

Hollybristle blinked. Part of him fought to agree, he knew it would only dumbfound an antagonized Kali in that moment. He did agree though: Thicketcrown's ways of killing the guardians were nothing but cowardly. His mission though was to kill Kali and bring back his body as a trophy. The idea of it sent a shiver down his spine - an immensely unpleasant one.

"Longer muzzle to carry that big mouth of yours, ay?" Ferretpaw insulted, which just earned an annoyed look from the heir.

"Look, how about we all just part ways. This doesn't have to end how it usually does," Kali's accomplice suggested, anxiety threaded through her soft-spoken voice. "After all, you could've watched us die back there. Why kill us now?"

Kali glanced to her, dipping his head. There was a shine in his eyes to acknowledge her last saying, one that was laced with hundreds of his own questions on their rescue. He sighed and grumbled back to the AsterClanner's. "Zahra is right. We don't have to fight. We can all go our separate ways and have no mention of this," Kali proposed, but his claws still remained unsheathed beneath him. The heir was ready for anything.

Hollybristle was grateful with Kali's proposal. It was strange for him, the attacker from the start, to feel relieved with Kali's reluctancy to fight, but his own was weighing him down from the ability to fit perfectly into his father's shadow. Then again, they couldn't go home without Kali's body. If they returned without the heir, Hollybristle would be demoted and Ferretpaw would be slaughtered mercilessly. The Prince felt heavy at the idea of letting Ferretpaw die. He wasn't going to let his father's words decide her demise.

Before Hollybristle could speak, Ferretpaw took initiative and lunged forward. She rocketed towards a bewildered Kali, but Hollybristle was quick to lurch forward as well. He threw himself in front of Ferretpaw, halting the she-cat as he towered in front of Kali like a shield. He could almost feel the heirs hot, rapid breaths on his tail as they stood so close on the same side. An AsterClanner and a guardian stood so close without a wound delivered from one another and both of their muzzles pointed in the direction of the AsterClan shores a days worth of travel away. It shocked not only a scrabbling Ferretpaw but also Kali and Zahra.

The silence was so loud it made his chest ache and Hollybristle couldn't find his words. He scooped a paw into the depths of his pained chest and let the first words he could grab slip off his tongue.

"Stop, they aren't our enemy!"

And those were the words he had imprisoned for moons.

Ferretpaw was astonished and nearly breathless before him. "B-but... We need to!" She stammered.

There was a desperation in her eyes that Hollybristle read and it felt like claws were shredding at him endlessly. She understood what would happen if they didn't return with Kali's body, and the look he gave Hollybristle in that moment was welded together as if it was her last plea for mercy. Ferretpaw didn't want to die, and her cry silenced him and jabbed at his chest repeatedly until he himself felt like he couldn't breathe anymore.

"Hollybristle, I don't w-"

"You're safe with me, Ferretpaw."

He didn't want to hear her say she didn't want to die and he didn't want her to feel that she was going to. Hollybristle did the first thing he could think of and offered her a sense of safety in his presence. It silenced Ferretpaw and almost made her smile, but it still left an agony with Hollybristle that he couldn't fight off.

The Prince directed his attention back to Kali and Zahra who had backed up but stayed even with the opportunity to run. They both were stunned and Kali still kept his defensive stance, but Hollybristle lifted his ears and kept his paws sheathed as he acknowledged them furthermore.

"Ferretpaw and I are not going to harm you both," he started. "It was our mission to kill Kali, but I refuse to follow through with my father's instructions. You are right, Kali, our ways in this battle are cowardly and cold-hearted, and I refuse to be a part of it."

Kali's ears dropped and he scanned over Hollybristle. "You're... the Prince?" His question was breathed out incredulously. "Son of Thicketcrown?"

"And you're the heir, son of Adonus," Hollybristle added. "Yet here we are, not fighting, and I even rescued you."

"How do I know this isn't a foolish act to manipulate me?" Kali growled, stepping closer to Zahra in a protective manner.

Kali was right and he would be wrong to instantly trust them no matter Hollybristle's rescue and refusal to kill him. The Prince's teeth clenched in a moment of thought and he stepped back, guiding Ferretpaw back as well with a brush of his tail over her chest to clear more space between them and the guardians. This act of pacifism was all foolish, but also enchanting in a way Hollybristle couldn't describe. It was a Prince and a heir face-to-face yet unharmed after all the damage their father's had done to one another for moons, and that made even the winds howl in astonishment.

"Let us accompany you and your apprentice on your trial in the ruins," Hollybristle spoke up, Kali's face still twisting with uncertainty. "I can tell you all I see and hear in AsterClan. Anything you want to know, I will tell you. Though I think it is partially enough for your trust to say that without returning your body to AsterClan tomorrow, Ferretpaw and I will be killed. I am willingly to risk my life to speak with you instead of slaughter you."

"Thanks?" The sarcasm was heavy, the confusion softening it at Kali's delivery of the word. The heir then nodded and sighed out in agreement. "Fine. Zahra is here to become a full Vótano after your clan heartlessly killed Orchid." Hollybristle spotted Ferretpaw wince out of the corner of his gaze before Kali continued. "She will sleep at the pool of the ruins to speak with and confide with our ancestors as they entrust her with the role. If you two even try to lay a paw on her, I'll kill you both."

There was a lapse of judgement in his threat but Kali meant it all the less, his eyes narrowed and tail lashing. Hollybristle only dipped his head to the heir to show his understanding, Ferretpaw following his movement with a little more hesitation.

Kali then pounced ahead to the entrance of the chasm, standing and swiveling his head to look back at the three of them. The shadows of its mouth towered over them, but still amongst them Kali appeared almost constellation-like in the midst of a pure night sky. He granted Ferretpaw and Hollybristle one more threatening look, moons of hatred piecing his expression together.

"I'm not afraid of any of you."