I can't decide if I like this chapter or not... hm... Well, anyways, I apologize for the lack of action. The set up is important though, so unfortunately chapters like these have to happen.
Pandean: Thanks for continuing to review! I really appreciate it. And I am sorry about Hollyfoot. Since I didn't get any more input I just flipped a coin xD Since Nettlekit was your suggestion, feel free to let me know if you want to see her mentored by any particular warrior :D thanks again for reviewing, I gope you continue to enjoy! (Also, I'm glad you think Smokefoot is creepy, I'm thinking about using him as a minor antagonist but I haven't decided yet :P)
ANYWAYS! Here's chapter 11!
Chapter 11
Hollystep shivered as she slipped out of the warriors' den. Frost glittered in the weak pre-dawn light. The young warrior padded slowly towards the fresh-kill pile, which still held a couple of chilled mice and a chaffinch. That won't do at all. The tabby arched her back and flexed her claws in a large stretch. She wasn't due for patrol, and the Clan needed to be fed something that hadn't been freezing all night. Tail high, she padded to the thorn tunnel, still feeling a slight thrill that she didn't need to ask Cloudtail's permission to leave.
"Early morning hunt?" Sandstorm greeted her at her spot guarding the tunnel.
"Mhm," Hollystep yawned. "Those mice over there are practically frozen."
Sandstorm's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Well, if you see Firestar while you're out tell him that I've arranged the patrols for this morning."
Hollystep flicked her tail to let the older she-cat know she had heard as she vanished into the icy undergrowth. I guess even Firestar likes getting out for the first prey of the day! Soon enough she spotted a mouse. As quickly and quietly as she could, the dark tabby pounced and dispatched it. The fresh-kill was warm in her jaws, and her mouth watered at the tantalizing smell. She buried it quickly beneath a holly bush—her favorite holly bush to stash prey under. She enjoyed the silly irony of the habit she had started when she had been apprenticed. I've only been a warrior for three days and I'm already thinking like it's been moons. Hollypaw scoffed inwardly. With a shake of her head, she cleared her thoughts and focused on finding breakfast for Whitewing.
She was beginning to think her early morning luck had run out when Hollystep caught the scent of a sparrow. She was more careful than she had been with the mouse, even once she caught sight of her prey. The chilly air made it easier to separate smells; there were definitely two nearby. Hollystep leapt and killed the sparrow she could see with a blow to the head. Another erupted from the bushes and, as quick as lighting, the young warrior sprang into the air and snagged it between her outstretched claws. I knew it. She gathered the sparrows and started heading towards her holly bush, wanting to get her catch back before it lost its warmth. As she was digging up her mouse, she heard a faint meowing. The scent of ThunderClan was drawing close. Alarmed, Hollystep ducked into the shelter of the prickly holly leaves.
Why am I hiding? She flicked her ears crossly. She was about to stand and greet her Clanmate when she realized that it was Firestar speaking in a defeated tone.
"It seems like every cat wants me to believe Graystripe is dead," he was meowing quietly.
Hollystep recognized Leafpool's scent just before the medicine cat spoke. "Firestar, if he were alive, he would have found a way back." Though her tone was gentle, it was the firm voice of a medicine cat, not the concerned voice of his kit. She sounds like Cinderpelt. Hollystep thought with a pang of sorrow.
"Do you think we're weaker because I haven't appointed a new deputy?"
Now the two cats came into view. Firestar looked old beyond his seasons, and Leafpool's amber eyes were solemn. "I think it's hard for the senior warriors to continue splitting the duties when we've so much to do," the tabby medicine cat murmured. "With ShadowClan pushing at our border, we need to be organized now more than ever." She rested her tail on his shoulder. "No matter what, you and Graystripe shared the same love for ThunderClan. I think that even if it meant letting him go, Graystripe would want to see his Clan strong."
"He gave up so much for ThunderClan…" Firestar's eyes clouded with grief. He bowed his head for a moment before shaking himself as if he had just gone swimming. "But you're right, Leafpool. ThunderClan must be strong. It's what he would want. I'll make an announcement at sunhigh."
Hollystep could hardly believe what she was hearing. Firestar is going to appoint a new deputy? She gathered her prey quickly, then made a point to rattle the dry leaves as she emerged from the holly, trying to make it seem as if she'd just arrived.
"Ah, Hollystep," Firestar greeted her with a curious gaze. "I thought I'd caught your scent."
The tabby warrior put her fresh-kill down. "Sandstorm told me to tell you she'd set the patrols for this morning if I saw you," she explained.
The ThunderClan leader nodded. "Good. Thank-you, Hollystep. Go ahead and get those back to camp before they get cold."
"Yes, Firestar." Hollystep dipped her head respectfully to Leafpool before scooping up her catch again and bounding away through the trees.
Hollystep could hardly sit still as sunhigh approached. She lay outside the warriors den, sharing a rabbit with Rainwhisker in a warm patch of sunlight.
"Have you got ants in your pelt?" The dark gray warrior teased.
Hollystep shook her head energetically. "I think Firestar's going to make an announcement."
Rainwhisker blinked. "What about?"
"Not sure," she forced a nonchalant shrug. "But look at him." Both warriors looked towards the Highledge, where Firestar had just emerged from his den and was standing in a shaft of sunshine. His fur glowed like fire, and his eyes were turned towards the clouds. Hollystep swiped her tongue around her lips as she finished her share of the rabbit and jumped to her paws. "Hurry up," she urged Rainwhisker. "He's about to call the summons."
As Rainwhisker polished off their meal and wiped his whiskers clean, Firestar called the Clan together with the familiar words. Confused glances were shared with Clanmates as they gathered. It seemed no cat knew what this meeting was for.
I do. Hollystep stared intently up at Firestar, the fur along her spine prickling. It couldn't be easy for him, but there was no uncertainty in his eyes as he looked down at his Clan.
"Cats of ThunderClan," he rasped solemnly. "For moons now, you have been trying to draw to my attention the fact that in Graystripe's absence, ThunderClan has no deputy." The Clan listened in stunned silence as he continued. "While I refuse to believe that he is dead, it has been made clear that wherever he is, he is unable to find his way back to us. As of this moment, Graystripe has retired from his position as ThunderClan's deputy. I will announce the new deputy before moonhigh." With that, the flame-pelted tom turned and padded back into his den. Sandstorm hurried to join him, and the Clan broke into small groups, chatting excitedly amongst themselves.
"That must have been hard for him," Rainwhisker's eyes were dark with sympathy.
"Well," Hollystep tilted her head. "I think he's lessened the blow a bit. He isn't accepting that Graystripe is dead; he's just acknowledged that he can no longer perform the duties of a deputy. Which is true."
Rainwhisker nodded. "Good point." He glanced around. "Who do you think the new deputy will be?"
Hollystep shook her head. "I have no idea. There are plenty of cats that would do the job well." A thoughtful silence fell between them. Rainwhisker touched his nose to her ear to draw her attention again.
"Let's go see Snowkit. Spiderleg told me he's much stronger now."
"Alright," Hollystep led the way to the nursery. A warm purr escaped her throat when she was greeted by a wide pair of shimmering dark amber eyes. "Hi, Snowkit."
"Hi, Hollystep!" The little white tom stretched up, and Hollystep bent to touch noses with him. Now that he was cleaned up and well fed, it was easy to tell that Snowkit was at least a moon old already.
"Hey," Sorreltail meowed.
"Hollystep!" Hazelkit threw himself across the small space, only to stumble and shy away when Whitewing let out an irritable hiss when he got near her nest.
"Outside," Sorreltail's voice turned sharp. "All of you outside!"
"We'll go, too," Rainwhisker offered sheepishly.
Snowkit bounced at Hollystep's paws. "Can I go with you?" She glanced at Whitewing, who nodded, before giving Snowkit her own approval. Sorreltail and her kits left first, leaving Hollystep, Rainwhisker, and Snowkit to follow more slowly.
"Wow…" Snowkit's eyes grew wide with awe.
"We told you it was great," Hazelkit boasted. "Come on, Snowkit, let's play a game!"
Sorreltail cuffed her more rambunctious kit over the ear. "You must be gentle with Snowkit," she meowed sternly. "He's much too young for your rough play."
"Hazelkit doesn't know how to be gentle," Fennelkit snorted. "He'll end up squashing him."
Hollystep watched carefully as Snowkit examined his bigger denmates in the sunlight for the first time. Sunkit approached him gently. "Don't worry," she purred, giving the little kit a lick on the head. "I won't squash you." The pale golden kit disappeared into the nursery and came back with a ball of moss. "Here," she hooked it on her claw. "Try to catch it."
Dustpelt called for Rainwhisker, and the dark gray warrior sighed. "I guess he wants to go ahead and get the sunset patrol out of the way." He licked Hollystep's ear and mewed a quick farewell to the kits before trotting quickly to the thorn tunnel, where Dustpelt, Thornclaw, and Brightheart were waiting. Sorreltail watched them go with longing in her amber eyes.
"I can watch them, if you want to go hunting," Hollystep mewed slyly, her whiskers twitching.
Sorreltail spun to face her. "Really?" She didn't wait for an answer, covering Hollystep's face in licks. "Thank StarClan you're here Hollystep, no other cat in the Clan is willing to watch this ragtag bunch of kits!"
Hollystep laughed with the older she-cat before shooing her with a flick of her tail. "Go on," she urged. "You don't want to miss Firestar's announcement."
Hollystep regretted the offer almost as soon as the tip of Sorreltail's tail had vanished from sight. Hazelkit and Fennelkit bickered like jackdaws, and Sunkit acted as if she couldn't hear her brothers at all. She was content to play moss-ball with Snowkit. Hollystep conceded that if she had to listen to the two of them day in and day out, she'd probably learn to ignore it, too.
Fortunately, she managed to keep the pair of toms out of trouble by helping them work on their hunting crouches—though she nearly had their ears off when Fennelkit sighed muttered pointedly, "Birchfall has a much better hunting crouch."
To think I wanted to mentor him! Hollystep could have yowled her thanks to StarClan when Sorreltail returned at sunset. The queen dropped her catch on the fresh-kill pile and joined Hollystep. Snowkit had retreated to the nursery to sleep, and Whitewing was just slipping outside.
"Well, they're not missing fur so I guess they weren't too terrible," Sorreltail purred as she watched her three kits tussle. Hollystep only snorted in response. ThunderClan better not be expecting kits from me.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"
Hollystep leapt to her paws. "It's time!"
The moon was rising, casting a pale silver glow over ThunderClan as they stared up at Firestar. He waited a moment, as if finalizing his decision, before lifting his eyes to Silverpelt.
"I say these words before StarClan—and Graystripe, wherever he may be—that they may hear and approve my choice. Brambleclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."
Surprised gasps echoed around the clearing, and Brambleclaw's eyes stretched wide. The big tabby warrior jumped to his paws. "But I haven't had an apprentice!"
"That's against the warrior code," Dustpelt pointed out, his ears flat.
Firstar raised his paw to halt to disconcerted objections. "Just as I've heard that it's time to appoint a new deputy, I've heard that it's time for ThunderClan to begin training its three oldest kits as apprentices."
Hollystep saw Brambleclaw's eyes blaze with excitement. I can't blame him, she thought enviously. I can't wait until Snowkit reaches his sixth moon!
"Hazelkit, Sunkit, Fennelkit, come forward you three." Sorreltail was trying desperately to lick their pelts smooth, but her attempts were in vain as the kits hurried forward. Firestar's eyes gleamed with laughter as he looked down at them. "Sunkit, from this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Brambleclaw, you were my own apprentice, and I trust you will pass on everything you have learned—both from me and from your journeys—to this young apprentice."
Brambleclaw stepped forward proudly and touched noses with the pale golden she-cat.
"No fair," Hollystep heard Hazelkit mutter. "I wanted Brambleclaw…"
"Hazelkit, from this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Hazelpaw. Thornclaw, you did an excellent job training Sootfur, and you are beyond ready for your second apprentice." Hazelpaw's jealousy evaporated as the older warrior padded forward and touched noses with him. His tail fluffed out in excitement as he joined the Clan again.
"Fennelkit, from this moment forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Fennelpaw. Rainwhisker," Hollystep glanced at the gray warrior, surprised. "You have grown into an excellent warrior, and I believe you are ready for your first apprentice. Pass on all that you have learned to young Fennelpaw." Rainwhisker's eyes blazed with as much excitement as his new apprentice's as the touched noses.
"Sunpaw! Hazelpaw! Fennelpaw!"
As the cheers for the apprentices died down, Firestar raised his tail. "Are there any more objections to Brambleclaw's deputyship?"
"No," Brackenfur spoke up. "I think Brambleclaw will make a fine deputy."
"We need some young blood taking charge," Longtail agreed.
"Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw!" The cheers started up again, this time for Brambleclaw. ThunderClan pressed close around each other, rubbing cheeks and sharing in the excitement of the ceremonies. Hollystep sought out Rainwhisker in the crowd.
"Congratulations," she mewed breathlessly.
"Thanks," Rainwhisker touched his muzzle to hers. "I was so surprised about the deputy announcement I forgot to tell you that Firestar chose me."
"Stupid fur-ball," Hollystep nudged him playfully. "You'll be a great mentor."
"I hope so," Rainwhisker's tail curled as he watched his apprentice scamper away to make a nest in the apprentices' den. "Fennelpaw's going to be a pawful though."
"You can say that again." A yawn stretched Hollystep's jaws. "Let's get some sleep," she suggested as she saw Birchfall heading for the warriors' den. "You've got a big day tomorrow."
"Sure," Rainwhisker agreed, joining her as she headed for the thorn tree that sheltered their den. She curled up tightly between her brother and Rainwhisker, warmed by their pelts despite the leaf-fall chill. Two new warriors, a new deputy, and three new apprentices. The thought made the tabby warrior purr softly as she drifted into sleep. ThunderClan is going to make quite the showing at the next Gathering.