I, KatieK101, do not own Warriors. If I did, then the Erins would stop writing super editions about cats like Crowfeather, Squirrelflight, etc, and focus more on characters who need some good ol' development!
Part One
"I think the universe is on my side
Heaven and earth have finally aligned
Days are good and that's the way it should be
You sprinkle stardust on my pillow case
It's like a moon beam brushed across my face
Nights are good and that's the way it should be."
- Bright, Echosmith
Hailstep really couldn't be blamed for what he did in the heat of an ambush.
They were in the process of remarking Sunningrocks when ThunderClan lept out, yowling about how the rocks were theirs and RiverClan had no claim to them. Honestly, Hailstep found the notion to be downright ridiculous. Perhaps Sunningrocks had belonged to them in the past, but when StarClan altered the course of the river it was a clear gift to RiverClan.
When the tides were high, ThunderClan couldn't reach the rocks anyway. Unless they wanted to swim, that is.
Anyway, those fish-brained warriors had launched an attack on their measly border patrol, determined extract their revenge. Hailstep had actually be faring rather well - he always was a talented fighter - until Echopaw stumbled into him.
What happened next was a bit of a blur. Hailstep remembered reeling on her, snapping at her ("Watch where you're going, fish-brain!"), and maybe shoving her off of him… with his claws?
Oh well. It was her fault anyways; maybe this would inspire Echopaw to brush up on her skills. In that way, one could argue that Hailstep had actually helped her!
Now that the thought had occurred to him, Hailstep resisted the urge to find her and say, "You're welcome".
Of Falling Stars and Forever
Hailstep liked to believe that being the kit of such important figures made him just a little bit more important than the average warrior.
Volestar and Nightpetal, the leader of SkyClan and his loyal companion. Hailstep always felt a burst of pride when he gazed upon his parents. They were obviously very respected within the Clan, and the other Clans had to respect them as well. They had the utmost power in RiverClan, and Volestar occupied the most important position one could desire.
So, yeah. He thought his parentage made him special.
His parents disagreed with him.
Hailstep had been minding his own business, lazily eating a trout and replaying yesterday's ambush in his mind. He'd wondered what he could have done to improve, but really, you couldn't improve on perfection. The only thing that could have possibly gone better was if Echopaw hadn't of gotten in his way, but again, that wasn't his fault.
Then Volestar and Nightpetal had approached him. They informed him that he'd grown arrogant, ungrateful, and disrespectful. Hailstep had tried to protest but they barely gave him enough time to open his jaws before launching into another lecture.
Apparently, when he'd shoved Echopaw away during the ambush, he'd wounded her. He clawed her down her side, and that wound was worse than anything the ThunderClan warriors had given her. Hailstep tried to convince them that it wasn't his fault Echomist stumbled into him, and he even tried the whole, "maybe this will inspire her to brush up on her fighting skills! I'm helping her!" excuse, but that hadn't gone over well at all.
Volestar told him that this was exactly the kind of arrogant, disrespectful behavior they'd been speaking of.
Nightpetal nearly clawed his ears off.
Then his parents decided that he needed to be punished. In order to remind him of what really mattered (Clanmates over victories), Hailstep was going to be responsible for Echopaw until she was able to return to her warrior duties. That included bringing her fresh-kill, water, grooming her pelt and checking on her wounds, the list went on. To ensure that Hailstep didn't neglect his duties (as if!) he was banned from patrolling, hunting, or partaking in battles. He would be allowed to leave camp and stretch his legs, but that was it.
Hailstep thought that his parents were overreacting. It was just a couple scratches, they would heal! And, once again, it was Echopaw's fault that she'd stumbled into him! Why was he being punished for the she-cat's clumsiness?
Hailstep, in a fit of indigence, had asked his parents exactly that.
This time they both nearly clawed his ears off.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
"It's not my fault she got hurt so badly! She got in my way! Maybe if she actually knew how to fight she would be okay!"
"She's just an apprentice, Hailstep!"
"I don't care how much you protest, you need to resolve this and learn some humility. You could be a fine cat, I've seen you at your best, but you need to just grow up."
"But I don't-"
"Enough! This is happening, whether you like it or not. I've talked it through with Milkfur already."
Hailstep groaned, loud and dramatic. But his parents were two of the most determined cats he knew, so he knew that this arrangement was final. There would be no changing their minds.
So the dark gray tom finally surrendered and shuffled into the Medicine Cat's den. Tanglewhisker laid in the corner of the den, recovering from a nasty cough, but Hailstep paid him no attention. He wasn't there to visit Tanglewhisker; he was there for Echopaw.
The fluffy, pale gray she-cat was curled up in a ball. Hailstep hoped that she was asleep and he could procrastinate his visit, but as soon as she scented him, Echopaw raised her head. An emotion kin to respect shone brightly in her blue eyes.
Well, isn't that cute? Hailstep wanted to sneer. But he figured his parents would call that kind of remark "disrespectful" so he kept it to himself, and instead meowed bluntly, "I have to take care of you until you're better."
Echopaw was clearly at a loss for words. She stared at him, then peered past him as if someone else stood behind him, just waiting to jump out and prank her. When she realized that he was completely serious, she asked, "why can't Milkfur take care of me? Or Bramblepaw?" she sounded nervous.
"Because my parents are forcing me to. For, you know, that," he explained dryly, and gestured to the wound on her shoulder. From where he was standing it looked… well, maybe he'd clawed her a bit harder than necessary, but he still didn't understand what all the fuss was about.
Echopaw blinked, looked down at the wound, and then seemed to shrink into herself. "It wasn't your fault," she muttered.
Hailstep snorted. "Tell me about it. But apparently I'm arrogant and disrespectful, and this is supposed to make me a better cat, or something like that. Anyway, the point is that I'm going to spend as much time outside of camp as possible, and if anyone asks you, I'm doing a brilliant job of caring for you. Got it?"
Echopaw swallowed and nodded.
"Good," Hailstep meowed briskly, and flicked his tail dismissively. "I'm glad we reached an understanding."
And with those sweet parting words, the gray tabby tom spun around and marched smartly out of the den. When his parents stopped him and asked how his apology went, he flashed them a charming smile and said "perfect".
Of Falling Stars and Forever
Hailstep spent the next few days outside of camp, alone with just the fish he wasn't allowed to hunt, the rivers he wasn't allowed to swim in, and his thoughts.
Being on parole was incredibly boring. He missed being able to patrol borders and fish, or talk to his friends without feeling like his parents were constantly watching him. Once or twice Hailstep grew so bored that he actually attended to Echopaw, although that wasn't exactly thrilling. The quiet she-cat had taken their conversation to heart and never asked for a single thing. She would have rather starved than ask Hailstep to bring her a sparrow. She would have rather let her wound grow infected than ask him to clean it.
But if Echopaw starved to death or let her wound became infected, it would be obvious that Hailstep wasn't doing his job. So he would drop a fresh fish at her paws and demand she eat it, and once he insisted on cleaning her wound.
He should have cleaned it more often, but upon closer inspection Hailstep realized just how severe the wound truly was, and he didn't like the uncomfortable pebble that settled into the pit of his stomach.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
He really should have cleaned her wound more often, because a few days into his punishment, Milkfur searched him out.
Apparently the dumb wound was infected. Apparently that was his fault.
Apparently Echopaw was incapable of cleaning her own wounds.
And yet, even as he thought these bitter thoughts, that pebble seemed to grow into a rock.
"Take better care of her," Milkfur commanded. "I won't tell Volestar or Nightpetal this time, but the next time you start neglecting her, I won't be so kind."
Of Falling Stars and Forever
The next day Hailstep tended to Echopaw in silence. Occasionally he would ask her if she needed anything, and she would respond with a simple, "no, but thank you".
"Are you hungry?"
"No, but thank you."
"Are you thirsty?"
"No, but thank you."
"Do you want your pelt groomed?"
"No, but thank you."
"Would you like me to throw myself off this ledge for your entertainment?"
"No… but… thank you?"
"Are you positive?"
"... yes?"
"Alright, just checking."
Of Falling Stars and Forever
"What about a fat, juicy trout?" Hailstep practically begged her a few days later. "Doesn't that sound delicious?"
"Yes,-" Hailstep was about to leap to his paws and yowl with joy, "-but no, thank you. I'm not hungry right now."
He released a loud, dramatic groan. "Echopaw you're never hungry!"
The pale gray warrior looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," she started, but Hailstep interrupted her.
"No, don't be sorry!" he exclaimed. "I'm so, so sick of you apologizing for everything! That's all you ever do, you apologize for everything!"
"I'm sorry-"
"Echopaw!"
"Right, sorry!"
"Echopaw!"
"I'm sor-" she clamped her jaws shut.
Hailstep groaned and slammed his head on his paws. "You're killing me, Echopaw," he moaned.
"... I'm sorry."
Of Falling Stars and Forever
Finally Hailstep reached his breaking point and snapped.
"That's it," he announced one day. "If you don't get interesting real soon, I'm going to die of boredom." Echopaw opened her jaws to say something, but Hailstep was quick to threaten, "If you apologize for being boring, I'm going to toss you off of this ledge."
She quickly shut her jaws.
The dark gray tom sighed. "Look, just order me around or something, okay? Tell me to fetch you some wet moss, or to catch you a cob. Please, just give me something to do! Anything!"
Echopaw's blue eyes brightened, and he didn't know whether to be shocked or thrilled. "Anything?" she echoed, hesitantly.
The warrior nodded.
A few moments of tense silence ensured, and then Echopaw asked tentatively, "could we just… talk?"
Hailstep blinked, taken back. "Talk?" he echoed. "Like… you just want to have a conversation?"
The she-cat seemed to perk up a bit and nodded. Hailstep wasn't entirely sure where this was heading, but he was so desperate for something to do that he agreed. He laid down in front of his charge and asked, "So… what do you want to talk about?"
He expected Echopaw to meow, "Whatever you want to talk about is fine with me", but she surprised him yet again.
"What's your favorite season?"
"Uh," Hailstep answered intelligently. "Green-leaf, I guess. What about you?"
The pale gray she-cat didn't even hesitate. "New-leaf."
Awkward silence ensured.
"Well… what's your favorite kind of prey?" He asked, in an attempt to keep the conversation rolling.
"Carp," Echopaw answered. A wistful smile spread across her lips. "I can't wait until Milkfur tells me that I can fish again."
Hailstep cracked a grin. "Carp is good, but trout is the best. There's no better feeling than snagging one out of the river."
Slowly, the conversation became less tense and more comfortable. Soon Hailstep was able to forget that this was Echopaw he was talking to, and instead pretend it was Timberfur, Shellheart or Rainflower.
Actually, it was almost even more comfortable than that. Hailstep couldn't remember a time that conversing had been so enjoyable, where he simply relished in the presence of another, and responses flowed like a lazy creek.
"What's something you've always wanted to see?" he asked, unaware of the grin upon his lips.
Echopaw didn't hesitate. "A falling star. Duskwater told me about them; it's when a StarClan warrior trips and falls from the Silverpelt, and they have to find their way back. If you're lucky enough to see one, then StarClan will bless you!"
They laid around the den and chattered like squirrels for the rest of the evening, each question easier than the last.
It was kinda nice.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
As days passed Hailstep continued to grow more and more comfortable around Echopaw. At one time he considered her clumsy and boring, but as he got to know her, he found that he was wrong. Sure, she was quiet at first, but as she warmed up to him she continued to display shards of personality.
She was insanely sweet and thoughtful. She liked to help out as much as she could, and hated being a "waste of space". She didn't enjoy giving orders, but she would compromise and make the occasional "suggestion". Although Hailstep never really considered her funny, she actually did have a sense of humor. She often made deadpan remarks that he found hilarious, because he would never expect Echopaw of all cats to say such things.
And although she didn't initially condone gossip, Hailstep soon convinced her that there wasn't any harm in it, and whatever was said would stay between the two of them. After that, the RiverClan warrior discovered that while Echopaw was tended to fade into the background, she knew everything about everyone.
"You're joking," Hailstep gasped. "Timberfur and Ottersplash?! But… but they argue all the time!"
The she-cat nodded. "I think they only argue so much because they don't want to admit their feelings for each other."
Hailstep shook his head. "Timberfur and Ottersplash… wow! I mean, Timberfur is my brother, he should have told me he liked her! Besides, Ottersplash is so demanding and rude!"
Echopaw was silent for a few heartbeats, and Hailstep feared that his slandering had caused her to withdraw from him. Then, suddenly, she wrinkled her nose and meowed, "One time she snapped at me for bumping into her, so I put a dead frog in her nest. She blamed Pikepaw for it and then shouted at him in front of the entire Clan."
The dark gray tom blinked, startled. "I… I remember that day! She told him that he was a pain in the tail, and he was lucky she didn't tell his mentor about it… that was you?!"
Echopaw's features had morphed into a solemn expression. "She snapped at me," came her defense.
Hailstep couldn't help it. He burst into a fit of laughter that only ended once he started to cough. When he finally looked up again his shoulders still shook, and Echopaw was staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"You know what, Echopaw," Hailstep started, once he regained his breath. "You're not so bad."
Echopaw's entire face lit up, and that special shine entered her gaze once again.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
It was one quarter-moon since Hailstep's punishment began, although it didn't feel like such a punishment anymore. As a matter of fact, he rather enjoyed spending time with Echopaw. He wondered why it took so long for him to realize what fun she was.
They weren't terribly far apart in age. When he was first apprenticed she was only a few moons old. When he became a warrior, she was roughly seven moons old. They shared a den for a short amount of time, although Hailstep had always thought she was… strange.
It was just because she was so quiet. She had her own friends now, like Bramblepaw and Brightpaw, but when they shared a den she didn't seem to have anyone. Her only littermate, Stonekit, had died after he contracted white-cough. Actually, now that he thought about it, it was around that point when Echopaw (then Echokit) really seemed to quit interacting with others…
Hailstep, who'd been grooming his pelt, stilled.
Was that the reason Echopaw had become so shy? Because she'd lost her brother at such a young age? Hailstep racked his memories and tried to remember how close they'd been, but he couldn't recall. He never paid her much attention.
It didn't really matter how close they'd been, though. Hailstep had a littermate of his own, and if Timberfur died suddenly, he knew that his death would be a mess. His littermate - the cat he was born beside - would be gone forever. It was a hard realization to swallow right then, so he couldn't imagine what kind of pain a kit must have felt…
She must've been so confused… so scared… so hurt…
That stone of guilt Hailstep had been carrying around in his chest hardened. I should have been there for her. I-I should have comforted her, somehow…
But what could he have done? He was an apprentice when Stonekit died, only a few moons into his apprenticeship. Echopaw had been a kit! A cat he'd only interacted with whenever he changed her bedding, or cleaned out the nursery.
Still, he thought, I could have done something.
Later on, as he settled down for the night, he would wonder why it bothered him so much.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
Hailstep had officially been caring for Echopaw for one moon.
One whole moon… it didn't feel like such a long time, looking back. The ambush with ThunderClan felt like it happened only a few days ago, and it seemed like just yesterday that he was so bored he wanted to drown himself. But he supposed he was right, because the friendship that blossomed between he and Echopaw couldn't have been created in only a few days.
Somehow, over the course of the last moon, they became best friends. Now, even though his parents didn't keep such a strict watch over him, he still brushed off his friends when they invited him to go fishing, or swimming.
Timberfur always watched him walk away with confusion in his amber eyes, and Shellheart and Rainflower always exchanged puzzled glances, but Hailstep couldn't be bothered with their questions and their stares. He simply had more important things to do than swim around all day.
That was exactly what he told Shellheart earlier that day, when his friend invited him to go fishing. "I'm busy," he called over his shoulder, without so much of a backwards glance.
To be fair, he did value his friendships and he didn't mean to come off as aloof; but they could go fishing together whenever they wanted! Tonight was special!
Tonight, it would be one whole moon since Hailstep began caring for Echopaw. And that called for a celebration.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
"Echopaw. Echopaw, wake up!" He gently prodded the pale gray she-cat with one of his paws. "Come on, Echopaw!"
The apprentice slowly blinked the sleep from her eyes and raised her head. "Hailstep?" she asked softly, sleepily. For a moment Hailstep regretted disturbing her, but he pushed his guilt to the side; it would be worth it. "What are you doing here? It must be moon-high right now!"
"Shhh," he whispered. "I need you to follow me. I have something to show you."
He expected to have to coax her a little more to leave her warm nest and follow him into the darkness, but Echopaw was surprisingly willing. She seemed to think his words over for just a heartbeat, and then she was climbing out of her nest. "Be careful not to step on any tails," he warned her, as he carefully stepped over Brightpaw's tail. "I nearly tripped over Owlpaw's tail sneaking in here."
Echopaw purred quietly as she followed his lead. "It wouldn't have mattered. Owlpaw sleeps like a rotted log!"
The pair tiptoed out of the den and into the camp. Silvery moonlight bathed the clearing, and the once bustling camp was now silent, save for his Clanmates' soft snores and the bubbling streams. Hailstep paused to admire it; RiverClan was truly breathtaking.
Echopaw halted beside him, and nudged his shoulder with her head. "So? What's so important that you had to wake me up at moon-high?" She didn't sound bitter at all; playful, if anything. "In case you've forgotten, this isn't ShadowClan."
Hailstep chuckled. "I don't think anyone could ever mistake RiverClan for ShadowClan. Come on, it's outside of the camp."
The dark gray warrior led the way, with Echopaw loyal at his shoulder. Occasionally their pelts would brush, but if either cat minded, they masked it well. "How does it feel to be back in the Apprentice Den?" he asked. Milkfur had given Echopaw the approval to return to her usual nest, now that her wounds were healed.
"Odd," she replied. "I missed sharing a den with everyone, of course. But I've spent so much time in the Medicine Cat Den that being back in my own nest is strange. And I miss Bramblepaw, too," she added, referencing her closest friend.
"At least you have Brightpaw, Pikepaw and Owlpaw again," Hailstep reminded her.
Echopaw shrugged agreeably, and the conversation lulled after that. Hailstep didn't mind the companionable silence; besides, they were almost to "the spot", anyway.
"Alright," he finally meowed, stopping. "Close your eyes."
"Oohh, a surprise," Echopaw purred, teasing. Hailstep smirked at her and flicked her impatiently with his tail. She rolled her blue eyes good-naturedly, and then squeezed them shut.
The warrior brushed his tail along her spine, leading her forward. She willingly obeyed him, eyes still shut, until he finally parted a reedbed and said, "okay… open!"
Echopaw opened her eyes, and then they widened. "I… don't understand." She looked to him, confused. "What is it?"
Hailstep expected her confusion, so when she seemed disappointed, he didn't fret. "Look, I carved out two places for us to lay on our backs and stargaze!"
His explanation didn't appear to solve all of her questions, but a soft smile played across her lips as she caught on. "We're stargazing?" she inquired, as she pressed past him and settled onto her back. He joined her in the second spot. "It's a sweet gesture, but why?"
Sweet? Hailstep echoed. She thinks I'm being sweet? Well that wasn't his intentional goal, but oh well; she-cats ate up all that sweet, sappy behavior. Besides, they were best friends now! Friends were sweet to each other all the time. Why, just the other day he watched Shellheart pull a thorn out of Rainflower's paw, and they were just friends.
Echopaw cleared her throat; a reminder that he still needed to answer her question.
"Right," Hailstep meowed. "Sorry. Do you remember when we first started talking, and we asked each other a bunch of random questions?" She nodded. "I asked you what was something you've always wanted to see, and you said-"
"A falling star," Echopaw finished. Her soft smile stretched into something more enthusiastic. "You brought me out here to find a falling star?"
"Mhmm," Hailstep hummed, obviously smug with himself. "I can't promise we'll see one - I talked to Milkfur about it and she said they're very rare - but I thought it was worth a shot."
Echopaw turned to smile at him, and suddenly Hailstep began to notice little details about her; she had a cute nose and dainty paws; her smiles always seemed to sparkle and her laughs were infectious; and the moonlight captured her slender figure, teased those curves, and cast a soft glow upon her, turning her pale gray fur to glittering silver.
"You look like a StarClan warrior," he breathed, without thinking, without warning.
Echopaw rolled a little closer to him; just so that their pelts touched. Hailstep found himself wishing that she would roll even closer, and lay her head on his chest. "Thank you for tonight," she whispered. "This is wonderful, Hailstep."
He thought he should respond, but when Echopaw leaned forward and licked his cheek, the words seemed to melt on his tongue.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
The rest of the night was spent in silence, only broken when one of them thought they saw a falling star. Hailstep swore he had lots of topics to talk about heading into the night, but as the night wore on, he couldn't recall a single one.
That is, until they were walking back to camp. "I hope you're not disappointed you didn't see a falling star," the dark gray tom meowed.
Echopaw shook her head. "Of course I'm not! Falling stars are a rare sight, anyway. I had fun just searching for them with you. Although," she added, as she fixed him with a sidelong glance, "you never told me why you brought me out. I don't suppose you had something important to tell me?" She sounded hopeful.
"Oh!" Hailstep exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you! It's officially been one whole moon since I started caring for you, and today Milkfur told me that you're in the clear!"
Echopaw's expression seemed to freeze on her face. "Meaning…" she drawled out.
He grinned, as he announced, "I don't have to take care of you anymore! Milkfur said you can return to training, now!" When Echopaw simply stared at him with that smile frozen on her lips, Hailstep blinked, caught off guard. Why wasn't she more excited? She could finally have her old life back and start training again! "Uh, Echopaw-?"
"That's great!" she exclaimed with force cheer. "I just- I guess I'm just nervous about returning to training, that's all. I mean, I've been out of practice for a whole moon now!"
"Oh," the dark gray tom meowed, relaxing. "If you're nervous about training, then don't be. When I told Duskwater you were ready to start again, she was sure you would be caught up in no time! Besides, your warrior assessment is only a couple moons away, isn't it?"
Echopaw nodded. "Two moons, I think."
"Then you don't have much to learn, anyway," he meowed briskly. "The mentors are just going to help you perfect everything you already know. But," he added, "if you want some extra training to get caught up, I can help you."
Finally, Echopaw's frozen smile melted into something genuine. "Really? You would do that for me?"
"Of course I would!" Hailstep exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that the rest of RiverClan was sound asleep. He lowered his voice and continued. "If you ever need the help, just let me know."
Echopaw purred. "Okay, I will." She stopped outside the Apprentice Den, and Hailstep realized with a jolt that they were back in camp. When did that happen? Huh, he must not have been paying attention. That's unlike me… I'm always alert. Maybe I'm more tired than I thought.
"Thanks again for tonight," the pale gray she-cat meowed, staring shyly at her paws. "I really did have fun."
"No problem," he replied. "Maybe next time we'll actually see a falling star."
Her head shot up, and Hailstep was caught off guard by the smile that warmed her lips. He didn't know Echopaw could smile like that; so warm and pretty. "Next time?" she echoed softly.
He grinned. "Of course there's going to be a next time. You're my best friend, Echopaw." He nudged her shoulder fondly and added, "fish-brain."
He expected some sort of retort, maybe for her to cuff his ears, but it seemed like exhaustion was settling in for her too. Instead, Echopaw purred and licked his cheek. "Goodnight, Hailstep," she whispered. Then she turned around and disappeared into the shadowy den.
"Goodnight, Echopaw," he whispered after her.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
The next few days skipped by in a blissful blur.
Echopaw returned to her warrior training, and every evening when the rest of the Clan was sharing tongues, they would leave camp by themselves and continue to train. Frankly, Hailstep didn't understand why Echopaw was so nervous; she was a natural! Swimming came to her as easily as breathing, and she was a talented hunter. Her battle moves could use some practice, but then again, that was how they ended up together in the first place. So they spent the evenings focusing on her moves, but she was a rapid learner, and soon enough she could hold her own against him.
Well… sorta against him. Hailstep always held back just a bit; she asked him not to, but whenever he went to let loose, he always caught a glimpse of the scar on her shoulder. So he only ever went hard enough to give her a challenge, but never more than that.
Anyway, they spent their evenings training and their nights stargazing, searching the Silverpelt for the elusive falling star.
"Are you sure falling stars exist?" he would always ask her, when he grew frustrated.
But Echopaw would always nod, determined. "Duskwater said they're a rare sight, but if you see one, then StarClan will bless you."
"Well maybe StarClan hates us, and that's why they won't let us see one."
"Hush."
In the mornings Hailstep would hunt and patrol, and while he relished the return to his warrior duties, his thoughts always drifted towards Echopaw, someway somehow. He wondered what she was doing, how she was faring. He would get so lost in these thoughts that whenever one of his friends asked him a question, he wouldn't even hear it.
"Hailstep," Timberfur meowed one morning, exasperated. "Great StarClan, do you have fluff in your ears?!"
"Or," Rainflower chimed in, "maybe he has love on his mind."
"Love?" Timberfur repeated, doubtful. "Who would he be in love with?"
Rainflower rolled her green eyes and mumbled "toms!" underneath her breath, then she gestured to Hailstep's distracted gaze. Timberfur followed his gaze, surprised when it came to rest on Echopaw. "Echopaw? But they're just friends!"
The gray she-cat scoffed. "Oh, please. They're about as "friendly" as you and Ottersplash!"
A strangled sound escaped Timberfur's throat. "We are just friends!" he hissed.
"Sureee you are. Fine, then they're about as friendly as me and Shellheart."
"But you and Shellheart are just friends!" The dark brown warrior shook his head. "Great StarClan Rainflower, for someone who's such a gossip, you really don't know what's going on in the Clan."
"Huh?" Hailstep muttered, his gaze still focused on Echopaw. "Did you guys say something?"
"Ugh!" Rainflower exclaimed, as she stormed away from her friends. "Toms!"
Hailstep blinked, and exchanged confused glances with his brother. "What's she so fussy about?"
Timberfur shrugged. "No idea."
Of Falling Stars and Forever
Hailstep was young, handsome, skilled, and the son of RiverClan's two most respected warriors. It was only a matter of time until the local she-cats tried to make a move on him.
"Hey Hailstep," Lilystem called across the camp, "do you want to go fishing together?"
"Can't, I already made plans to go fishing with Echopaw."
"Hailstep!" Fallowpaw exclaimed, as she bounced towards him. "Can you help me practice my hunter's crouch?"
"Sorry, I promised I would practice with Echopaw today."
Shimmerpelt was RiverClan's newest warrior, and what with her glossy night-black pelt and her wide green eyes, she already had amassed quite the fanbase. As a matter of fact, before he was forced to look after Echopaw, Hailstep was her number one fan. But he didn't think of the striking she-cat much these days.
"Hello, Hailstep," Shimmerpelt meowed, her voice silky soft as she padded up to the tom. "It's such a beautiful morning, I was wondering if you would like to-"
"Busy," Hailstep interrupted her, already brushing past her on his way towards Echopaw.
"Oh," Shimmerpelt started, bewildered when he didn't give her a second glance. "Um, okay, maybe later-" but Hailstep was already padding out of camp with Echopaw.
Timberfur, who watched the entire exchange with Ottersplash, dropped his jaw. "D-Did you see that?" He demanded.
"Mhm," Ottersplash replied, unconcerned. "What about it?"
"He didn't even glance at Shimmerpelt!" The brown tabby tom exclaimed.
"And… why is that strange?"
"Because she's Shimmerpelt!" he cried.
"So?"
"She's the most gorgeous she-cat in all of RiverClan!"
That caught Ottersplash's attention. "Oh?" she hummed, her head snapping up to glare at the tom. "She is, is she?"
Timberfur didn't realize he made a mistake until it was too late. "U-uh, I mean, that's just what I've heard around camp, y'know? I never really noticed."
Ottersplash narrowed her amber eyes.
Timberfur chuckled nervously, and in a feeble attempt to change the subject, he meowed, "Hey, did you know Rainflower thinks we're more than just friends? Weird, right?"
"Ugh!" Ottersplash growled, as she stood to her paws and stormed away. "Toms!"
Of Falling Stars and Forever
"What exactly does a falling star look like?"
"Oh, you know. It's like a green explosion in the sky and the little specks that fall to the ground grow into reedbeds."
Hailstep cranked his neck to the side, so he could stare at her in disbelief. "What?"
"Kidding," Echopaw grinned and shrugged. "No idea. I've never seen one, obviously."
"Obviously," Hailstep mimicked her. His companion cuffed him over the ear, and he grinned. "So then what if we've already seen a hundred falling stars, and we just didn't know it?"
"No, we would know it when we saw it."
Hailstep stretched out across the soft grass, enjoying the way his muscles tugged and rippled across his pelt, completely oblivious to Echopaw's stare. "So," he started, conversationally. "Apparently Ottersplash is furious with Timberfur. I asked him about it, but he swears he doesn't know why."
The pale gray she-cat raised a brow. "He's your littermate," she pointed out. "Do you really think I know more about it than you do?"
Hailstep rolled his head back to fix her with a knowing stare.
"I mean, you're not wrong," she shrugged, unable to cover-up her grin. "Brightpaw told me that that Rainflower told her that Ottersplash said, Timberfur called Shimmerpelt the most 'gorgeous she-cat in RiverClan', and then said something fish-brained about being 'just friends'."
"Ah," Hailstep nodded. "Timberfur always has been loose-lipped. I wonder if he knows that the entire Clan suspects he and Ottersplash are a thing?"
Echopaw laughed. "Don't pretend like it's so obvious; you didn't even know until I told you!"
Hailstep stuck his tongue out at her, and she copied the action. "So then, my personal private eye, I don't suppose you know why Pikepaw has been glaring at me all day?"
"Oh, that's an easy one. He overheard Shimmerpelt ask to spend time with you, and he has the biggest crush on Shimmerpelt ever."
The dark gray tom wrinkled his nose. "Really?"
Echopaw nodded. "Mhm. He's been padding after her ever since he could walk. Did you not notice when we were all apprentices together?"
The warrior shrugged. "Not really. I was always so busy with Timberfur, Shellheart and Rainflower. We were probably off pranking Tanglewhisker and Sandbird, or something."
She hummed agreeably. "True. You were always such a terror; wherever did your parents go wrong?"
"Hey!"
"I'm just being honest!" Echopaw laughed. "Lightningcloud always complained about how you could be the next Clan leader if only you weren't so fish-brained."
"Lightningcloud is the strictest warrior in RiverClan!" he huffed. "If I so much as breathed weird, he scolded me."
"He was a good mentor though, wasn't he? I mean, I think you turned out okay."
Hailstep nodded. "I guess so. I definitely like him a lot more now that I'm not his apprentice."
Their conversation lulled into silence, as both cats focused on searching the Silverpelt. Hailstep really couldn't believe that they hadn't seen a single falling star; the Silverpelt was full of stars! One of the StarClan warriors had to trip and fall eventually, didn't they?
Eventually, Echopaw broke the silence. "Do you think she's gorgeous?"
Hailstep cranked his neck to look at her. "Who?"
She refused to meet his gaze; instead she was focused intently on the Silverpelt above. "Shimmerpelt."
"Oh." Hailstep thought about it for a few moments. A moon ago he thought she was the most gorgeous she-cat to ever grace RiverClan, but now… he wasn't sure what, when or how, but something had changed. "No. I used to, but not anymore."
"What changed?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess she just looks… plain? Boring, really. Her pelt is black and her eyes are green." He shrugged again. "Pikepaw is more than welcomed to her, though to be honest, I don't think he has much of a chance what with his snaggle tooth and all."
Echopaw cracked a grin. "Be nice. Pikepaw has a lot going for him!"
Hailstep looked at her again, and now she met his gaze. "Do you think he's attractive?"
Echopaw gagged.
They both laughed, and he felt himself relax into the soft grass. "Shimmerpelt is nice enough, but she's nothing special. You're prettier than she is," he meowed casually.
He didn't sense Echopaw stiffen. "You think so?" she whispered.
Hailstep nodded, nonchalant. "Mhm. Whereas Shimmerpelt is just a black she-cat, your gray pelt is tipped with white, like the morning mist is clinging to you. And your fur always looks so healthy and glossy, and your eyes are the color of the sky in green-leaf, and you have dainty paws and a cute nose and-" Huh. He never noticed it before, but now that words were spilling from his mouth, he realized that- "You're kinda breathtaking, really."
Echopaw was silent for a long while after that. Hailstep wondered if he'd offended her somehow, if maybe being called 'misty' was an insult, but eventually she whispered, "thank you."
He grinned, relieved that she wasn't offended. "No problem, Misty!" he chirped.
They didn't talk for the rest of the night, but happiness and warmth seemed to radiate from "Misty" in waves.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
With Echopaw's warrior assessment only a few days away, they spent every waking moment together, training and going over strategies.
"I'll never be able to remember everything!" she would groan.
"You'll do great," he would reassure her, and he truly meant it. "If you don't outshine every other apprentice, I'll be shocked."
"No pressure," she would mutter.
Hailstep would nudge her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'll come see you the morning of your assessment and wish you luck, okay?"
That would always soothe her. "Okay," she would agree softly, with a smile that seemed to warm him from the inside out. Then they would continue to train.
That's where he was heading when Timberfur stopped him on his way out of camp. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, although he didn't seem angry; as a matter of fact, he almost looked excited.
"Uh," Hailstep answered intelligently. "Tell you what?"
"About you and Echopaw!" Timberfur exclaimed, grinning like a fish-brain. "I had no idea until Rainflower told me!"
"Congratulations!" Shellheart chimed in, as he and Rainflower joined them. "At least now we know why we never see you anymore."
Rainflower nodded. "Echopaw is pretty and smart, so I'll give you my approve," she teased him.
Hailstep looked from Timberfur, to Shellheart, to Rainflower, completely and utterly confused. "Is this supposed to be a joke? What are you guys talking about?"
"Obvi-ously," Timberfur drawled, "we're talking about the fact that you're going to ask Echopaw to be your mate once she becomes a warrior!"
Hailstep's amber eyes widened. "Excuse me?" He shook his head. "I never said that! Rainflower- who told you that?!"
The gray tabby she-cat blinked, caught off guard. "Echopaw told me that. Well, sorta." She frowned. "Hold on, so you're not madly in love with Echopaw?"
"Of course I'm not!" he spat.
"Then why do you spend so much time with her?" Shellheart asked, confused.
Hailstep hesitated. "We don't spend that much time together. I just train with her, and-"
"And you took care of her for a moon," Timberfur interrupted him.
"That's because Volestar and Mistypetal forced me-"
"And you go swimming together," Shellheart added.
"You lay on Sunningrocks together," Rainflower pointed out. She narrowed her eyes, like she thought he was lying to them. "Hailstep, are you sure-"
If there was one thing Hailstep couldn't stand it was to be called a liar. He was a lot of things, and maybe he wasn't as perfect as he thought he was, but he wasn't a liar. So when he friends treated him like such, when they all stared at him in disbelief, when they wouldn't just drop the subject, he snapped.
"I don't have feelings for Echopaw!" he snarled, loud and clear.
Everything seemed to slow down after that. Just moments before his outburst, the camp was full of life and chatter. Now everyone had stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at them, eyes wide.
Red hot humiliation burned beneath his pelt. "What?" he growled. "Did everyone think we were in love?" he shook his head. "I don't know what lies Echopaw has been spreading around, but let me make one thing clear: I am not in love with her, and I will never ask her to be my mate. That's it! That's-"
"Hailstep," Timberfur breathed.
The dark gray tom glared at his littermate. "What?" he snapped. Except, Timberfur wasn't staring at him. As a matter of fact, none of his Clanmates were staring at him. They were all staring at something - or someone else.
Hailstep turned around and- Oh, StarClan.
Echopaw was frozen in place, her blue eyes wide and glassy with unspilled tears. She was the only cat staring at him, and her gaze cut through him.
Hailstep swallowed and took a step towards her. "Echopaw-"
She spun around and run out of the camp.
Of Falling Stars and Forever
Hailstep raced after her, pumping his legs as fast as they would go. Echopaw had a head start on him, but he knew a short cut. He weaved between reedbeds and ducked underneath a long branch, and suddenly he was right in front of her.
Echopaw screeched as she slammed her paws into the sand and nearly avoiding crashing into him. When she looked up at him, her eyes were full of hurt. "What?" she spat. "Have you come to hulimiate me some more?"
Hailstep's eyes widened. "Wait a moment, you're angry at me?" He'd followed her out here to apologize for everything she overheard, but the fact that she glared at him with such hurt made his blood start to boil. "You're the one who told everyone that we were in love, and that I was going to ask you to be my mate! Echopaw, I never told you any of that!"
"I didn't tell anyone that, either!" she protested.
"Sureee," Hailstep scoffed. "Then why did my friends corner me and interrogate me about it?"
Anger flared in her eyes, despite the tears that were now streaming down her face. "You think I'm lying?" she demanded.
"Well everyone else thinks that I am!" he retorted.
She shook her head. "I never told anyone that stuff," she said again.
"Then what did you say?"
She refused to meet his gaze. "Don't worry about it," she muttered.
"Echopaw!" he pressed.
She suddenly shoved past him and tried to storm away. "I said, don't worry-"
"Echopaw!" he growled.
She spun around, and the fire that burned in her pretty blue eyes was unlike anything he'd ever seen. "I told them that I loved you, you arrogant fish-brain!" she snarled. "I told them that I loved you, and that I planned on telling you that after my assessment, and that I hoped you would ask me to be your mate!"
Hailstep didn't know how to respond. He wanted to be angry with her still, he wanted to snarl right back at her, but as everything she said sunk in, his anger began to ebb away. "Really?" he challenged, clinging onto what anger he could muster. "If you didn't tell everyone that, then how did they all know?"
Echopaw huffed. "Because I told Bramblepaw and Brightpaw. They're my best friends! We gossip about everything together! They've known about my crush on you ever since I was a new apprentice!" She shook her head. "If anyone else knows, it's because they overheard us talking."
"Wait a moment," Hailstep meowed, dumbfounded. "You've liked me for moons? Like, since before the ThunderClan ambush?"
The pale gray she-cat glared at him. "Of course I have! Why do you think I never talked to you or your friends when you were apprentices? I would try to, but I could never get my words out, or you would just stare at me like I was a fish-brain! And why do you think I asked Volestar and Nightpetal not to punish you when you attacked me?"
He huffed. "Well, thanks for that, but they still punished me anyway." Because it was so much easier to focus on that little statement than address everything else.
Echopaw laughed dryly. "You are so ungrateful, Hailstep! At least they didn't force you to become an apprentice again!"
The dark gray tom frowned. "They would never go that far. That's ridiculous!"
Finally, something other than anger and hurt filled those bright blue eyes; Echopaw stared at him with realization. "They never told you, did they?"
He didn't like the way she stared at him. "They never told me what?" he demanded.
Echopaw shook her head, as if she couldn't believe it. "When I first got hurt, Volestar and Nightpetal came to me and said that they would make sure you paid for your actions. They were disgusted their own son could hurt a Clanmate, and when I asked them what they were going to do, Volestar said that you would be forced to spend the next moon as an apprentice again, because clearly you weren't ready to be a warrior."
No. No, she's lying, my parents would never-
"I begged them not to do that to you, and told them that everything was my fault. I thought I talked them out of punishing you at all, but," she shrugged, refusing to look me in the eye. "I guess not."
Hailstep didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth to call her a liar, but everything she said was genuine. He wanted to tell her that this whole mess was her fault, but that was a lie too. He wanted to say something, anything to justify all of the anger and disbelief and betrayal but-
But Hailstep wasn't a liar, and there was nothing he could say.
Echopaw stared at her paws, as tears continued to roll freely down her face. "I can't believe I was such a fish-brain," she whispered. "I should have believed Owlpaw when he told me that you would never love me. I never should have agreed to let you take care of me, and I never should have listened to my friends when they thought you had feelings for me, and I-" she stumbled over a sob, "I never should have told you about dumb falling stars!"
She spun around abruptly and raced deeper across the territory, kicking up pawfuls of sand in her wake. And this time, Hailstep didn't try to follow her.
So! Explanation time.
For those of you who are wondering "who the heck are these cats?", Hailstar is the leader of RiverClan in Crookedstar's Promise/Bluestar's Prophecy/Yellowfang's Secret. He was an all around cool dude, and if you recall, he was the one who led the ambush on WindClan to steal Willowkit and Graykit (Willowbreze/Graypool) back. Echopaw (Echomist, in the books) was never a huge character, but she was his mate, and when Rainflower disowned Crookedkit, she kinda took him in. All around a very nice kitty.
I've been saying that I want to write a 10K+ one-shot for some time now, and I finally buckled down and did it! However, it's not quite complete yet, but by the time it is, it'll likely reach 15K words. That's why I'm going to post it as two chapters, so that it's not so daunting to read. Pre-AN, Part One is roughly 8.2K words. *sweats*
If you guys want some ages to make the whole 'warrior loves an apprentice' thing less weird, here you go!
Senior warriors: Volestar, Nightpetal, Milkfur, Tanglewhisker, Lightningcloud, Sandbird, Birdsong, Duskwater, Troutclaw
Young warriors (roughly 3-4 moons into their 'warriorship'): Hailstep, Timberfur, Shellheart, Rainflower, Ottersplash, Mudfur
New warriors (roughly a moon into their 'warriorship'): Shimmerpelt, Rippleclaw, Lakeshine, Lilystem, Cederpelt
Eldest apprentices (approaching their warrior assessments): Bramblepaw (med. cat), Echopaw, Brightpaw, Pikepaw
Young apprentices (roughly 4-5 moons away from assessment): Fallowpaw, Owlpaw
^ these ages are definitely not canon, they're just how I kinda perceived everyone. A few cats were created solely for this two-shot and are not canon. Any cats not mentioned above are either unborn (such as Softwing and Whitefang), or... I forgot about them. Sorry, I tired!
If anyone has a question about Lilystem: she was originally supposed to be the mother of Crookedstar and Oakheart, but due to an inconsistency in the books, that was scratched and Rainflower was created. Lilystem still appears in the canon allegiances, but I don't think she's ever mentioned in the books, so I gave her a brief cameo!
The next 'shot' should be up in less than a week (fingers crossed!). If you need some Hailstar/Echomist goodness to hold you over, go and check out my Five Truths! I just recently uploaded a Hailstar-centric one :)
That's about I can think of for now. Comment if you have any questions!
~ Katie