Hey guys! I didn't put anything in Chapter 12 because I couldn't think of much to say... anyways! I hope you like this chapter. Things are going to get interesting verrrry soon :3 And to my reviewer!
Russian Pickle: THANK YOU! You're review really means a lot to me. More than anything, it really, really makes me happy to hear that the characters are relatable. I hope I continue to portray their emotions that way, and I hope you continue to read and enjoy my stories!
Chapter 13
Despite how awkward her apology to them was, Hollystep found herself growing fond of Stormfur and Brook. She took every chance she could to patrol with them; something about Brook's soft accent and the tales she told of the mountains where they made their home fascinated her. Birchfall remembered much more of the Great Journey than she did, and hearing about it again made her yearn to go back.
Still, the closer they grew through the last moon of leaf-fall, the more convinced Hollystep became that there was something very wrong going on. More disconcerting than that were the divisions happening around the lake. As the bitter cold of leaf-bare took hold of the forest, ShadowClan surrendered their attempt at moving the border. RiverClan and WindClan, however, were feuding more violently as the cold chased the fish from the rivers. The tension at Gatherings was nearly tangible. There was something dark brewing in the forest—Hollystep could all but taste it.
"All quiet," Brightheart reported, her tail-tip twitching anxiously.
"I haven't scented anything either." Hollystep narrowed her eyes, staring out over the moorland. "Their markers on this border are pitiful," she bent to drink from the stream, trying to wash her misgivings away with the icy water.
"We've finished remarking the border!" Hazelpaw came charging through the trees like a hoard of badgers. Thornclaw followed more slowly, ever exasperated by his loud apprentice.
"We've finished, too." Hollystep straightened and shook herself, sending shimmering drops spinning from her muzzle. "We should get back to camp. I want to report how faint WindClan's markers are."
Thornclaw nodded. "I do, too. It's a stark contrast to their attitude when we first divided our territories."
"RiverClan must be giving them trouble," Brightheart murmured as they trotted quickly towards the camp. "I can't think of any other reason they'd be so careless with our border."
Hollystep flicked her ears but didn't respond. She was surprised to hear furious hisses as they approached the thorn tunnel. She exchanged a startled glance with Thornclaw before breaking into a run, slipping through the thorn tunnel like a fish and bursting into the camp. The young warrior froze in her tracks when she saw Stormfur and Brook at the center of the conflict. They stood near the center of the camp, their fur bristling and their eyes hostile. Near the thorn tunnel, standing next to Squirrelflight and her hunting patrol, were two strange cats that carried the same scent as Brook. They looked thin and subdued, and both bore wounds of enemy claws. Hollystep moved to stand by Birchfall.
"What's going on?" She hissed under her breath.
"Night and Talon—that's those two Tribe cats—came looking for Stormfur and Brook. Apparently they're in some kind of trouble, and want them to come back to the Tribe." Birchfall's ear twisted nervously. "But something happened before they left, Stormfur's been snarling at them since they showed their faces."
With a nod, Hollystep returned her attention to the dispute taking place.
"We're starving!" The black she-cat meowed desperately. "We will all die without help, Stoneteller has given up on us!"
"In the eyes of the Tribe I'm already dead," Stormfur hissed coldly. His claws scraped the well-worn ground.
"I know how you feel," the big brown tabby insisted. "Stormfur, please, we need your strength."
Firestar stepped forward. "Why don't you start from the beginning," he suggested. "Tell us more clearly about what's going on."
With a furious lash of his tail, Stormfur began to tell his and Brook's story, his frosty amber glare never leaving Talon and Night. Hollystep listened in equal parts horror and fury as the former Tribe cat told them about the trespassers in the mountains, and how he realized the only thing to do was show them they were strong enough to defend their territory. His voice grew more bitter as he explained how Stoneteller had banished him and declared him dead. When his story finished, Talon and Night took over, adding that the cats had begun taking prey from right beneath the waterfall just to spite them. When they murmured, so softly that Hollystep almost missed it, "Stoneteller has lost faith in the Tribe of Endless Hunting," Brook let out a dismayed yowl.
"He can't!" She objected.
"He has," Talon growled. "He won't even speak of the problem any more."
Looking as if the ground had fallen out from beneath her feet, Brook shook her head. "I cannot stand by and let the Tribe suffer when I might be able to help." She blinked gently at Stormfur. "You don't have to come with me…"
The gray warrior slapped his tail over her mouth. "Where you go, I go." His eyes showed steely resolve and endless love for the Tribe she-cat. "The mountains are my home as much as they're yours. We'll go back."
"I'd like to help as well," Brambleclaw spoke up suddenly. He glanced at Firestar as he continued, "The Tribe has helped us before, and if it's as bad as they say, they'll need strong warriors on their side."
After a thoughtful pause, Firestar nodded. "You're right, Brambleclaw. You may go."
"We should ask Tawnypelt and Crowfeather, too," Squirrelflight bounced forward excitedly, as if she were a young apprentice again. "All the cats that made the first journey will surely want to help!"
"All the cats but you," Leafpool hissed. She shouldered her way through the murmurimg Clan. "Firestar, as a medicine cat I am saying Squirrelflight cannot make this journey."
"Why not?" The ginger she-cat bristled.
Leafpool sighed. "You haven't noticed, have you?" She sighed. "You daft furball. You're expecting kits."
Hollystep thought Brambleclaw was going to fall over dead. His eyes blazed more brightly than the sun. "She is?"
"I am?!" Squirrelflight sounded more shocked than Brambleclaw.
Not Squirrelflight, too! Hollystep groaned inwardly.
"That's great news!" Sorreltail sprang forward and gave Squirrelflight's ear a congratulatory lick.
"Congratulations," Stormfur purred, bending to lick the ginger queen's head. "You, too, Brambleclaw," he head-butted the ThunderClan deputy. "You'll make great parents."
The excited cheers died away as Night stepped forward uncertainly. "Still," she mumbled. "It may take more than three warriors to save us at this point…"
Firestar dipped his head. "I understand. Brambleclaw, go to ShadowClan and ask if Blackstar can spare Tawnypelt and one other warrior. Squirrelflight, you may not travel to the mountains, but you will carry the message to WindClan. Ask for Crowfeather and one other warrior. He scanned his Clan carefully. "Spiderleg, go with her."
"Yes, Firestar." The black warrior padded to Squirrelflight's side.
"Who will be the second warrior for ThunderClan?" Dustpelt growled.
Firestar's bright green gaze swept the Clan again. A thrill swept through Hollystep's body as his eyes met hers. "Hollystep, are you up for the journey?"
"Sure," Hollystep answered evenly, though she could feel her paws trembling with excitement. "I'll do my best."
"Good," Firestar's approving tone filled Hollystep with energy. "It sounds as if your battle skills are exactly what they need just now, and the journey will be a good experience for you." He turned his attention to Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. "Go now. All of the journeying cats will rest here tonight, and leave at dawn tomorrow."
"I'll prepare travelling herbs," Leafpool slipped away to her den as ThunderClan broke into groups, whispering eagerly amongst themselves.
"Lucky furball!" Birchfall head-butted Hollystep's shoulder. "I wish I could have been chosen."
"I have an important job for you, too, Birchfall," Firestar meowed, padding towards the siblings. "I'd like for you to handle Sunpaw's training while Brambleclaw is away."
Birchfall's eyes lit up. "Yes, Firestar! Should I tell her?"
"I already spoke to her," their leader's eyes gleamed. "She's in your paws from today until Brambleclaw gets back."
Hollystep spotted Rainwhisker talking with Sorreltail and Fennelpaw and trotted over to join them. Sorrletail's eyes flashed with friendly envy.
"I bet you're ready to jump out of your fur!" The tortoiseshell queen teased.
"I never expected him to choose me," Hollystep admitted. "I am excited, though."
Rainwhisker bent and rasped his tongue across her ear. "Why wouldn't he choose you?" He scoffed. "You're one of the best fighters in the Clan—if any cat can teach those mangy prey-thieves a lesson it's you."
"I wish you could go, too," the tabby warrior sighed. "We make a great team in battle." Her eyes sparked at the memory as she spoke of it, "You remember when we sent Cedarheart back to the nursery?"
"How could I forget," Rainwhisker's eyes burned as if he were reliving the memory in his mind. "You were still an apprentice then, but you fought like a tiger!"
Hollystep purred in amusement. The awkwardness that had hung between them since Whitewing had mentioned their closeness seemed to finally be gone. There's nothing wrong with our friendship, she told herself stubbornly. We're Clanmates for StarClan's sake, we're supposed to get along well!
Hollystep turned in before Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight returned, though she was eager to know if their trips had been successful. It wasn't until dawn that she learned who her travelling companions would be. The fur along her spine bristled as she caught sight of an inky black warrior stretched out beside the fresh-kill pile. Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Firstar were there, too.
"Hollystep!" Brambleclaw gestured for her to join them with a sweep of his tail. Forcing her fur flat, Hollystep reluctantly padded to the fresh-kill pile. Amused amber eyes glinted like embers in the weak dawn sunlight.
"Well, well," Smokefoot's whiskers twitched. "If it isn't Hollystep."
Hollystep ignored the ShadowClan warrior and pulled a blackbird from the pile. "Who is making the journey?" She asked Firestar instead.
"The party consists of you and Brambleclaw, Stormfur, Brook, Tawnypelt, Smokefoot, Crowfeather, and his apprentice Thistlepaw."
"Thistlepaw?" Hollystep's tail curled in pleasure. "We've spoken at Gatherings," she explained when Squirrelflight blinked curiously at her. "For a while I hung around her because she was the only apprentice smaller than me," she licked at her chest fur sheepishly. "But she's really nice, despite having that grumpy warrior for a mentor."
"Don't let Crowfeather catch you saying that," Brambleclaw warned, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. "He'll have your tail."
Hollystep snorted. "I'd like to see him try!"
"Speak of the furball," Squirrelflight raised her tail in greeting to the gray-black warrior as he approached. "Help yourself to the fresh-kill, Crowfeather, I'm about to lead another hunting patrol as soon as this bunch of hedgehogs come out of hibernation."
Crowfeather narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn't you be in the nursery?"
"That's right," Hollystep started at Tawnypelt's dry meow. "Brambleclaw told me you were expecting kits. I have to say, Squirrelflight, I never thought you were the type to get stuck in the nursery." Despite her edgy tone, she touched her muzzle briefly to the younger she-cat's. "Congratulations," the ShadowClan warrior purred warmly.
Suddenly, Hollystep felt very out of place. These cats shared a special bond—one forged over a journey that had saved the Clans. I don't have a place among these warriors. She felt as if ice water was seeping through her pelt, making every hair prickle in discomfort.
"Good morning!" Thistlepaw joined them last, taking a mouse from the pile and settling down to eat. Hollystep flicked her ears but pretended to be too busy chewing to respond. A bad mood settled over her like a storm cloud, making her tail-tip twitch irritably as she finished her blackbird.
"Alright," Brambleclaw licked his lips. "It looks like Talon and Stormfur are getting antsy, we should get moving. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can help."
They had nearly reached the thorn tunnel when a soft squeak froze Hollystep in her tracks.
"Hollystep, wait!" Snowkit hurtled out of the nursery, followed more slowly by Rainwhisker. He skidded to a stop at her paws, panting. "You can't leave!" The white kit wailed. "I'm going to become an apprentice soon, and you have to be my mentor!"
"I tried to tell him you'd be back before he turned six moons," Rainwhisker offered apologetically. "Anyway, we wanted to say goodbye."
"No," Snowkit's amber eyes were filled with despair. "I don't want to say goodbye, I want her to stay!"
Hollystep bent and touched her nose to his. "I'll come back as quickly as I can," she promised. "And I'll teach you everything I learn on the journey, okay?"
Snowkit's eyes burned for a moment longer, before he reluctantly rubbed his cheek against hers. "Okay," he sighed. "But if you're not back in time to be my mentor, I'll never forgive you."
"Deal." Hollystep licked the top of his head, then straightened to face Rainwhisker. "Keep an eye on him, okay?" An impatient yowl from Crowfeather sounded from the thorn tunnel.
"Don't worry," Rainwhisker flicked his tail across her ear. "I'll keep him entertained."
"Good," Hollystep paused, suddenly hesitant to leave. Rainwhisker's eyes shimmered like the lake in the sunlight.
"Go on," he gave her a nudge. "And good luck—not that you need it."
The small tabby touched noses with the gray warrior, blinking a silent farewell to him before turned and racing after the other cats. Luck! She scoffed inwardly. Her paws tingled with energy, and the image of Rainwhisker's eyes was glowing in her mind.
"Isn't this exciting?" Thistelpaw dropped back to run alongside Hollystep, her lean muscles rippling as she easily kept pace.
"Just don't get in the way," Smokefoot tossed over his shoulder as he wove through the trees in front of them.
"I hope you trip," Hollystep curled her lip. The dark cloud of her was whipped away by the wind, leaving her confident and eager to complete the mission and return home to her forest, where Snowkit was waiting with Birchfall and Rainwhisker.