Chapter 1
Sootpaw's tail dragged as he trailed after Squirrelflight and Hollystep. His gray fur was matted with dust, his bright amber eyes dull with exhaustion. They'd spent from dawn until sunhigh sparring, and not a single time had Sootpaw managed to demonstrate what he'd learned properly. His paws prickled with shame. Squirrelflight must think I've forgotten everything she's shown me…
His mentor stopped him just outside the thorn tunnel, letting Hollystep go on without them. Dread seeped into Sootpaw's dusty pelt.
"Sootpaw," to his surprise, there was amusement in Squirrelflight's green eyes. "You've got to have more confidence in your paws. I could see the thoughts in your eyes. You almost did the move perfectly every time, but then you started second-guessing yourself, and the hesitation froze you up."
The gray and black apprentice shuffled his paws. "…I know…"
"If you know, then fix it." She made it sound as simple as soaking a tick in mouse-bile. "You've got the potential to be every bit of the fighter that Hollystep is. You've just got to lift your chin and go for it." She flicked her tail-tip against his shoulder. "Get something to eat and then we'll go hunting."
"Yes, Squirrelflight," Sootpaw followed his mentor into the camp and to the fresh-kill pile. He sniffed out a starling and took it back to the boulder outside the apprentices' den. Sweetpaw lounged atop the sunny rock, the flecks of white in her dark gray fur were like little flashes of sunlight in the late.
"You look like you've had an eventful morning." She rolled onto her stomach and rested her chin on the edge of the rock. Her whiskers twitched as she snagged some moss out of Sootpaw's fur.
"You could say that…"
"Say what?" Sootpaw jumped as Nettlepaw emerged from the apprentices' den. She snorted at his reaction and sat down to wash. "I can't wait for the day you sit vigil, Sootpaw. You're going to think every falling leaf is an ambush and wake us all up a hundred times."
Sootpaw flattened his ears but didn't say anything. He knew Nettlepaw's tongue was as sharp as their grandfather's, and it didn't mean she liked him any less—or more, for that matter. Instead of taking it to heart, the younger apprentice offered, "You slept in. Evening patrol?"
"Yes," the note of smug pride that would have normally accompanied that answer was absent. "Have you seen Spottedpaw?"
Sweetpaw slithered off the rock. "I heard you were being assessed today," her eyes glittered with mischief. "It would be a shame if Hollystep had already gone to the training hollow to meet with you and Spottedpaw and you showed up late…"
Without another word, Nettlepaw launched herself at Sweetpaw. The younger apprentice darted under her outstretched paws with a squeal of laughter and careened into Sootpaw. The gray and black apprentice choked on the bite of starling he'd just taken. Bristling, he lashed his tail. "No cat's left yet," he coughed. "Hollystep's gone to talk to Firestar and Spottedpaw's still out fetching moss."
Nettlepaw visibly relaxed. "Good." She continued washing with her back turned pointedly.
"No fun, Sootpaw," Sweetpaw sighed. "Fawnpaw would have played along."
Sootpaw finally managed to swallow the stubborn bite. He flicked his ear apologetically. "Sorry… But I wouldn't want someone to joke around like that if it were me getting assessed."
Sweetpaw sighed again, this time longingly. "When do you think it'll be our turn?"
Deliberately taking another bite, Sootpaw could only shrug. I don't want to become a warrior yet, he thought, studying his muddy black paws as he swallowed, if it means every cat expecting us to follow in Hollystep's paw prints.
Hollystep felt a thrill of pride as Nettlepaw silenced the alarm cry of a blackbird. Sandstorm had done brilliantly with Nettlepaw's natural hunting talent—and Sottedpaw certainly wasn't falling behind. They're beyond ready. Hollystep trotted back to the mossy hollow to wait. Before long, Sandstorm and Ashfur joined her.
"Well?" Ashfur's eyes were bright with pride.
"I'm going to speak with Firestar," Hollystep purred. "They'll be made warriors tonight."
Sandstorm nodded, satisfied. "Good. There's not much else I can teach Nettlepaw."
Hollystep dipped her head to the two warriors before carrying on back to camp. She passed Hazelfang and Fawnpaw along the way, flicking her ears in greeting as Hazelfang corrected her daughter's rabbit-stalking crouch. The two made a better mentor-apprentice pair than Hollystep imagined. Hazelfang was never affected by Fawnpaw's fiery temper, and his own forward attitude commanded her respect.
A lot like me and Cloudtail, she thought, not for the first time. She pushed her way through the thorn tunnel and padded straight to the high-ledge. "Firestar," she called warmly. "Good news."
Firestar pricked his ears as she approached. "Back from the assessment already?"
"Yes," Hollystep nodded. "They hardly needed to be assessed, Firestar. They're both ready to take their warrior names."
"Good." Firestar's voice was a warm purr. "We'll hold the ceremony at moonrise, after every cat has eaten." Hollystep dipped her head respectfully as she backed away. A glance at the sky told her she didn't have much time to hunt before the ceremony.
"Raiwhisker!" She called to her mate, who was sharing tongues with Sorreltail outside the warriors' den. "Fancy a hunt?"
Sorreltail's ears pricked. "I don't know about Rainwhisker, but I wouldn't mind taking Littlepaw out one more time."
"Go get her, then," Hollystep flicked her tail. "Make it quick though, there's going to be a ceremony at moonrise." As Sorreltail hurried to fetch her apprentice, Rainwhisker stood and touched his muzzle to Hollystep's.
"Have you eaten today?"
The deputy shrugged. "This morning, before I went to spar with Squirrelflight and Sootpaw." Dawn suddenly felt like ages ago. Silently cursing him for bringing it up, Hollystep flicked her tail impatiently. When Sorreltail joined them with her apprentice, Hollystep led the small patrol quickly out into the forest. It was quivering with the life of late new-leaf and it didn't take long for Hollystep to take down a magpie and a vole. She headed back to camp with what she had, knowing the rest of the patrol wouldn't be far behind her. She dropped the vole in the pile and kept the magpie for herself, settling down outside the warriors' den and tearing into it ravenously.
"You and your birds," Birchfall stretched out next to her with a fat squirrel. "I'll never understand why you enjoy having a mouthful of feathers."
Hollystep rolled her eyes. "Better a mouthful than a brain full."
Her brother snorted, but didn't try to refute her. "Have you seen Sunpetal lately?" He angled his ears towards the nursery. The pale golden she-cat was sunning herself outside, her flanks well-rounded. "According to Redpaw Leafpool says the kits will come any day."
"According to Redpaw?" Hollystep prompted slyly.
"Well, Speckledpaw," Birchfall's ears twisted uncomfortably. "Redpaw told her what Leafpool said."
"I thought so." Hollystep didn't say anymore, but Birchfall's fur bristled defensively.
"She's my apprentice," he insisted, "Of course we're going to talk."
Hollystep snickered, blatantly amused. "I've had an apprentice myself, and I can guarantee that I never looked at Snowheart the way you look at Speckledpaw."
Unable to deny it, Birchfall only sighed. "Does that make me a bad mentor…?"
"No, stupid furball," Hollystep gave the lighter brown tabby a nudge. "Just don't go easy on her because of it."
"I don't!"
Hollystep slapped her tail across his mouth. "You don't have to yowl, I'm sitting right next to you."
Sorreltail and Littlepaw returned, each carrying two pieces of fresh-kill. The pile was nearly taller than the small ginger apprentice. Rainwhisker wasn't far behind them, a large rabbit bumping against his forelegs.
"Nice catch," Hollystep called, beckoning her mate over with her tail. He deposited his rabbit and took two mice from the pile instead.
"Thanks," he sighed. "I thought I'd never get it back to camp."
A companionable silence fell as the sun set. All the cats of ThunderClan had heard the new by that point—they lay outside their dens sharing tongues, their eyes always trained to the high-ledge. When Firestar finally emerged, Hollystep scrambled to her paws. She saw Nettlepaw and Spottedpaw exchange an excited glance as the Clan began gathering.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the high-ledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar leapt down as soon as he'd finished. "Today, our oldest apprentices were assessed by their mentors and deputy, and it's been brought to my attention that it's time for them to take their warrior names." Hollystep caught sight of her own kits sitting near Duskpaw and Spiderleg. She kept one eye on them, curious about how they'd react to watching their first warrior ceremony.
"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to learn your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Nettlepaw, Spottedpaw." Firestar met each of their gazes in turn. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend you Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Spottedpaw's voice quivered, and after shooting her a sharp glance, Nettlepaw echoed more firmly, "I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Spottedpaw, from this moment, you will be known as Spottedcloud. StarClan honors your forethought and patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." As he rested his muzzle against her head, Hollystep stole a glance at her kits. Fawnpaw watched with a blaze of passion in her blue eyes. Sweetpaw was whispering something to Duskpaw, looking—as she usually did—like she was up to something. Sootpaw seemed to have found a fascinating grain of sand near his paw; he stared at it studiously as Firestar turned to Nettlepaw. "Nettlepaw, from this moment, you will be known as Nettlemask. StarClan honors your spirit and independence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
The cheer swelled from the Clan as soon as Nettlemask drew her tongue across Firestar's shoulder. "Spottedcloud! Nettlemask! Spottedcloud! Nettlemask!"
As the Clan pressed around Nettlemask and Spottedcloud, Sootpaw hesitated. He could only think of the conviction in Spottedcloud's eyes, the confidence in Nettlemask's tone.
When the time comes, will I be able to stand next to Sweetpaw and Fawnpaw and do the same? Apprehension flooded through the gray and black apprentice as he realized he couldn't answer that question.
A/N: Well guys, this is it! Follow Hollystep and her kits through their adventure to rid the forest of evil!
Really though. If you finished "When It Rains" and came to check out the sequel, I love you, and I hope you enjoy this as well.
PS: Don't hate on Sootpaw please. I wanted to fashion him after Ravenpaw, in a sense, but without the freedom to run away. Self-doubt and anxiety are crippling and disheartening and as I grow to accept them myself (with and without extensive medication) I find myself putting more of ME into my stories, in the form of characters with similar problems and outlooks and battles. In short, there's a LOT of character growth in store [not just for Sootpaw-Sweetpaw and Fawnpaw have their own flaws and developements] but I did want you to be disheartened by how timid Sootpaw appears at first. /end rant.
IN OTHER NEWS...
That's actually about it. Lots of love, you guys. Plenty more drama to come :3