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Thank-you guys so much for reading, and (as usual) I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 15

The days following Crag's initiation as the new Stoneteller in the Cave of Pointed Stones were chaotic. Warriors went out with every hunting patrol, trying to gauge where the most raids were happening. Hollystep longed to go out with the patrols, but Brambleclaw had given her the "extremely important" duty of trying to teach the prey-hunters how to fight. She was with them when the most recent patrol returned covered in fresh wounds.

Her narrowed amber gaze followed Tawnypelt, Crowfeather, and Talon as they went to report to Stoneteller. "That doesn't look good," she muttered under her breath.

"It doesn't?" The distressed mew came from Mist, who had just tried a more advanced maneuver on Gray.

Hollystep shook her head. "No, I was talking about the patrol." As much as she wanted to go find out what had happened, she needed they prey-hunters to remain focused. "Try it again." She paced around them in a wide circle as they carried out the drill, her sharp amber gaze missing nothing. "Stop!" The dark tabby padded over to them. "That's looking a lot better, but after you roll you have to jump up fast or your enemy is going to get a shot at your upturned belly. Gray, you try it this time. Mist, when he rolls, try to swipe at his belly. If she hits you, you know you're too slow."

Gray nodded, his eyes narrowed with focus. Hollystep stepped back to watch. She was surprised when a mouse was dropped at her paws. She shot a hostile glance at Smokefoot as he sat beside her.

"Tawnypelt told me to come help," he meowed nonchalantly and shrugged away her glare. "Looks like you've pretty much got things covered though."

"I do," she scraped her unsheathed claws against the hard stone floor of the cave.

"Look," Smokefoot sounded exasperated. "I'm sorry, okay? You could have easily taken that cat, but while we're here in the mountains, we're on the same side—you could at least act like it."

What kind of an apology is that? "Fine," she sniffed haughtily. "But if you try to save me again I'll shred you for kit bedding." She stood and lashed her tail pointedly as she went to give Mist and Gray more instructions.

"The mouse is for you," the ShadowClan warrior called lightly, his voice layered with its usual amusement. "Thistelpaw caught it." Hollystep only flicked her ears dismissively, relief flashing through her as the black-pelted warrior retreated. Good riddance.

Brambleclaw joined her soon after, urging her to eat while he assessed the prey-hunters' progress. He paired Brook with Gray and Mist with Wing, watching with barely-veiled surprised as they executed the fighting moves.

"Well done!" He blinked curiously at Hollystep. "Some of those moves are pretty advanced, even the cave-guards are struggling with them. How did you break it down for them?"

Hollystep lifted her chin, her paws warming at the pride in her deputy's eyes. "I think it was easier for them because they've never used fighting moves before," she admitted. "I asked them to show me some of their hunting techniques and used those as the base of the training. Instead of relearning moves they'd already been taught, they were adding to what they already knew."

"That's brilliant, Hollystep. You'll make a great mentor one day." He turned back to the Tribe cats. "And well done, all of you. Next time you meet those rogues they won't even recognize you." Their tail-tips flicked excitedly and their eyes glowed. "Go eat and rest."

As they bounded away, Brambleclaw beckoned Hollystep with a twitch of his ears and led the way to where the other Clan cats were gathered at the edge of the cave.

"Finally," Crowfeather grumbled. "Can we have the meeting now?"

"Yes," Brambleclaw acted as if Crowfeather's words hadn't been full of thorns. "We need to decide what to do about these outsiders. Today when we met them on patrol we tried to establish a system of borders, but they attacked us without even considering it. The Tribe will never be able to reach an agreement with them."

Tawnypelt looked uncertain. "I don't think borders would have worked, anyway," she meowed hesitantly. "As soon as we returned to the lake they would go back to doing whatever they wanted."

"So what can we do?" Thistlepaw's pale blue eyes were wide with dismay. "If that happens the Tribe will have to leave and this will all be for nothing."

Smokefoot's eyes flashed suddenly. "Not if the intruders are forced to leave first. We could drive them out."

As much as she hated to agree with the smug ShadowClan warrior, that was the best idea Hollystep had heard yet. "We could track them," she added with a grudging nod towards Smokefoot. "They've got to have a camp somewhere."

"I hate to say it, but you may be right," Brambleclaw growled regretfully. "We know firstpaw what it's like to lose our homes, but if they can't be reasoned with, we don't have much choice. I'll take a patrol at dawn to locate their camp—Hollystep, you'll join that patrol. You're one of the best trackers in ThunderClan. At sundown the same day, we'll attack."

Hollystep could barely contain her excitement as she waited by the waterfall for Brambleclaw to choose the rest of the patrol. Stormfur, Night, and another cave-guard called Sheer joined them.

"Can we go now?" The young warrior sprang to her paws as they approached.

"Yes," Brambleclaw looked amused. "Stormfur will lead until we pick up their trail, then it's all you."

Hollystep nodded and fell in step behind Stormfur as they gray tom led the way out of the cave. The thin mountain air was as cold as ever, and a shiver coursed down Hollystep's spine. She could taste the coming battle in the bitter wind. They won't stand a chance tonight. It didn't take long at all for Hollystep to catch their abrasive scent—they weren't trying to hide it, after all. Stormfur waved his tail, inviting her to take the lead. Parting her jaws to inhale the scent more deeply, Hollystep padded past him and led the patrol down the winding scent trail. She nearly lost it once or twice, but her desire to impress the cats following her far outweighed her irritation, and each time the trail broke she circled calmly until she picked it up again.

"Wait," hissed Stormfur softly, padding to her shoulder. "Look there."

The dark tabby followed his angled ears to a split in the side of a mountain. "Do you think that's their camp?" She kept her voice a low growl.

"It must be," Night cut in. "Look at how the grass is flattened. That must be the entrance."

"We should report back," Sheer rumbled. Hollystep could tell by the way his fur bristled that the big cave-guard wanted nothing more than to rush in that very moment and give those rogues a taste of his new battle skills.

Stormfur led them back the way they came, and Brambleclaw fell back to walk beside Hollystep. "That was well-scented," he praised her warmly. "It's easy to see what Rainwhisker sees in you."

Hollystep bristled, her pelt growing hot. "What's that supposed to mean?" She didn't give him a chance to answer, bounding ahead to join Night. She could feel the laughter in his eyes scorching her fur. Why does every cat think Rainwhisker and I are anything more than friends? The thought pricked at her mind relentlessly, making her even more eager to rake her claws over something. She had never been more glad to see a cat than when Tawnypelt came to fetch her for the battle patrol.

"You'll be in the head patrol," the ShadowClan warrior explained as they trotted to the waterfall. "Come with me." Brambleclaw and Talon were also in the first patrol. Stormfur led the second. Crowfeather stood close to his apprentice, murmuring in her ear while she nodded firmly. Probably reminding her of her training. Smokefoot sat a tail-length away from the WindClan cats, looking frustrated that he was in the back up patrol instead of the lead patrol.

"Good luck," Stoneteller touched his nose to Talon's, then Stormfur's. "The Tribe of Endless Hunting watches over all of you."

"Let's get going," Crowfeather muttered impatiently.

"Yes," Talon's eyes burned with determination. "Let's."

They raced from the cave with their fur fluffed out in anticipation. Hollystep ran herself through her training as she pelted alongside Tawnypelt. Everything Cloudtail had ever taught her flashed through her mind. I'm ready.

"Alright," Brambleclaw stopped with a faint hiss and raised his tail. "Search for a back entrance—quietly."

The lead patrol split up to skirt around the sides of the camp. "Here!" Night's hiss drew them to a narrow split in the stone. In the last of the sunlight Hollystep could see that it opened into a drop about as tall as a fox. The strong scent of many cats told her it would take them into their camp.

"Perfect," Brambleclaw's eyes flashed. "My shoulders are too wide to fit through there, I'll go back and tell the second patrol to be ready. All of you that can fit slip down into that hole and yowl like a whole Clan of cats. With any luck, that will drive them out to us. If it doesn't, we'll rush in to help you."

"Right," Tawnypelt touched her nose to her brother's shoulder before he padded quickly away. "We'll wait until we see him talking with Stormfur," she decided. "Talon, you probably won't fit either. Go ahead and go back."

That left them with only four cats—Hollystep, Tawnypelt, Night, and Gray. The prey-hunter she'd taught was quivering. She was about to ask if he'd be okay; then she caught the gleam of excitement in his eyes. He'd make a good warrior, she acknowledged inwardly.

"Alright, he's given me a signal. Let's go." Tawnypelt slipped into the hole, dropping lightly to the floor. Night followed her, and Hollystep let Gray go next. When she landed silently by the rest of her patrol, Tawnypelt angled her ears down the tunnel. The slunk forward until the ShadowClan warrior raised her tail. The cat exploded from the shadowy tunnel caterwauling furiously. The rogues panicked instantly, wailing and scrambling to the entrance. Hollystep felt a rush of satisfaction as Brambleclaw's battle cry rang out across the mountainside.

The dark tabby rushed out of the entrance and threw herself into the fray. She landed on the white warrior that had attacked her before, and a triumphant yowl escaped her throat as she seized her opportunity to have a fair battle with the cat. He spun to face her as she clawed his haunches, his fur bristling in anger and fear.

"You've attacked our home!" He yowled, lashing out blindly at her.

"You attacked ours first!" Hollystep felt no pity as she bowled the white rogue over bit down on his foreleg. She raked her hind claws across his flanks as he tried to struggle free, but it wasn't until he wailed aloud that she let him go. He fled into the mountains—the opposite direction of the Tribe's waterfall. That's one handled. She spun in a quick circle, surveying the battle. Night had a thin tortoiseshell pinned, battering its belly with hind legs made powerful from leaping up to fight eagles. She doesn't need my help. Brambleclaw was in the thick of the fighting, battling side-by-side with Stormfur. Brook was struggling against a cat twice her size, and Hollystep rushed to help her. Though their stay had been brief, Hollystep had fostered a bond with the soft-spoken prey-hunter.

She jumped on the big tabby's back, clinging to his shoulders with thorn-sharp claws. She sank her teeth into the back of his neck as he tried to shake her off. Put off balance, Brook easily thrust him aside with her hind legs. Together, the she-cats darted in and out, pushing him back steadily until he finally let out a desperate cry and fled.

"Thanks," Brook gasped.

"Don't mention it," Hollystep rested her tail briefly on Brook's shoulder before springing back into the thick of the fighting. There were more rogues than Hollystep thought, but she wouldn't let doubt creep into her mind. This wasn't a fight they could afford to lose. She was taken by surprise when a big silver tabby barreled into her. She spat a curse at him as she tried to twist free, but his claws dug into her shoulders. She swiped blindly as him, and he released her with one paw to rake his claws across her face. She barely shut her eyes in time, but as she focused on protecting her eyes, the rogue lunged for her throat. No! She thought desperately, thrashing wildly beneath her opponent. Not like this!

Suddenly, the weight was lifted. She staggered to her paws and shook her head, sending blood splattering from the wounds on her face and muzzle. Smokefoot was sending the tabby off with a ferocious barrage of quick slashes and bites, and as soon as the rogue fled he pelted to her side.

"Are you okay?"

Hollystep could hardly bear to look at the concern in his eyes. "Mouse-brain!" She spat vehemently, flicking out her paw and raking it over his ear. He didn't try to dodge it.

"I know you can take care of yourself," the ShadowClan warrior growled. "But no cat could have gotten out of that—did you expect me to sit back and watch you die?"

"Yes!"

"I can't!" Smokefoot lashed his tail. His claws scraped at the ground in obvious frustration, and his eyes burned like the setting sun. "Can't you see, Hollystep? I'm in love with you!"