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Chapter 16

"What?" Hollystep stiffened. Smokefoot's amber gaze—dark with pain and swimming with emotions Hollystep refused to acknowledge—didn't waver.

"Enough!" A call from one the rogues interrupted them. "You've made your point, we'll leave. Just don't harm our queens and kits."

Talon stepped forward. "We have no quarrel with kits," he rumbled. "Sheer, Mist, you can escort them to the edge of the mountains."

"Hollystep," Smokefoot took a step towards her, but the dark tabby stalked past him without a glance. Fury dulled her pain. In love with me?

Stormfur took the lead as they travelled back towards the cave, and Thistlepaw fell in step beside Hollystep. "Are you okay?" The pale gray apprentice blinked warmly at her, and Hollystep felt the tide of her anger ebbing.

"Yeah," she muttered. "I'll be fine." She glanced sharply at the WindClan apprentice as Thistlepaw pressed against her side, but she didn't deny her friend's support. Hollystep let herself lean on the younger she-cat as fatigue crashed over her. By the time they made it back to cave, the dark tabby could hardly put one paw in front of the other. She could feel the blood drying around her eyes as the wounds stopped bleeding, but she could still feel a steady drip of blood coming from the deep wound in her throat.

"How did it go?" Stoneteller rushed to greet them, and while Stormfur and Talon gave their report, Wing flitted from cat to cat, checking their wounds and giving them herbs.

"Wing," Thistlepaw beckoned the prey-hunter with her tail. "Hollystep was in the thick of the fighting the entire time, she's badly wounded."

"I'm fine," Hollystep mumbled, sinking to the ground. "I'm just tired." She could feel Smokefoot's gaze burning into her flank, but she ignored the ShadowClan warrior. Thinking about him only made her angry, and she didn't have the strength to confront him just yet.

"Help clean the wounds," murmured Wing as she approached. "We especially don't want the ones near her eyes to get infected."

Thistlepaw ducked and started rasping her tongue gently across Hollystep's face. Hollystep exhaled through her teeth, frustrated but too dizzy to insist she could take care of herself. Once the blood was cleared away, Wing started rubbing the poultices in with her soft pads.

"You'd make a good medicine cat," the ThunderClan warrior muttered quietly. "You're almost gentler than Leafpool."

Thistlepaw wrinkled her nose. "Barkface isn't very gentle—especially not if the wound is your own fault."

Hollystep snorted. "I'm not surprised. I met him at a Gathering once, he doesn't seem the type to suffer fools gladly."

"He's not," purred Thistlepaw. "But he's actually very compassionate."

A soft hiss of pain escaped through Hollystep's clenched teeth as Wing started applying the poultice to the wound on her neck. It was the deepest wound she had, and the sharp, throbbing pain was nearly enough to make her forget about the various scratches that Thistlepaw was licking clean.

As Wing and Thistlepaw were finishing up, Brambleclaw limped over to them. Cobwebs swathed his ears and stretched down one flank. "You fought brilliantly," the deputy fixed Hollystep with an approving gaze. "Firestar will definitely hear about it."

Hollystep struggled into a sitting position. "When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow." Brambleclaw bent and sniffed at her freshly dressed wounds. "Unless you need some time to recover?"

"I'm fine," a touch of her usual fierceness broke through her weary mew. "Just say the word and I'll run the entire way."

Brambleclaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Be careful what you wish for," he taunted her lightly.

Hollystep hissed mockingly at her deputy as he retreated. "Thank you," she blinked gratefully at Wing and Thistlepaw. "I think I'll rest now." She made her way unsteadily to the nest she'd been sleeping in and slumped gracelessly into the moss and feathers. She slept fitfully, and woke early the next morning. It was notably colder, and she shivered as she forced herself to her paws. Every muscle screeched in protest. She stretched each leg, hoping to ease the soreness. Curious about the decided chill, Hollystep slipped from her nest and padded to the entrance of the cave. She peered out, only to gasp in wonder.

"It snowed most of the night."

The dark tabby started and whirled around, her fur bristling as she saw Smokefoot padding silently towards her. "Why are you awake?" She challenged him coldly. He only blinked back at her.

"Why are you?" He sat next to her, staring at the waterfall. "Hollystep," he began quietly. "You've thought about what I've said, haven't you?"

Hollystep felt a growl bubbling in her chest. "Thought about it? Of course not! Why would I?"

"Because I'm serious." His amber gaze met hers, filled with longing and agony. "I can't stop thinking about you, Hollystep! Please," his voice was a low, urgent whisper. "Just give me chance."

"Give you a chance?" Hollystep hissed. "In case you hadn't noticed, you're a ShadowClan cat!"

Smokefoot flinched as if her words had been an enemy's claws. "So what? It hasn't stopped others, I don't see why it should stop us."

Ice shot through Hollystep's veins. She narrowed her eyes into a frosty glare, colder than the ice that lined the Path of Rushing Water. "Us?" She spat the word as if it were a curse. "There is no 'us,' Smokefoot. And there never will be."

The pain in his eyes didn't touch her resolve. He blinked slowly, then bowed his head. "I see. I'm sorry, Hollystep, but I can't change the way I feel."

"Well you'd better figure it out." Without another word, Hollystep stalked away. She snatched a rabbit off of the Tribe's fresh-kill pile and went back to her nest to eat it.

While she was tearing into her meal, Thistlepaw woke up. "Burr!" The pale tabby shivered and pressed more closely against Hollystep's thicker pelt. "It must have snowed."

"It did." Thistlepaw flinched, and Hollystep instantly regretted being so curt with the younger she-cat. "Sorry," she mumbled. The ThunderClan warrior pushed the rabbit closer to Thistlepaw. "Want to share?"

Thistlepaw purred. "Thanks!"

As they finished eating, the rest of the Clan cats woke and ate their own meals. It was just past dawn when Brambleclaw announced it was time for them to leave. Hollystep touched noses with Stormfur and Brook in turn.

"We'll miss you," she murmured.

Brook purred warmly. "We'll come visit soon," she promised. "But our home is in the mountains."

"As long as you don't greet us with your claws next time," Stormfur added, giving the young warrior a playful nudge.

Hollystep choked out a quick good-bye and padded away to wait with Thistlepaw by the waterfall while Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw, and Crowfeather said their farewells to one of their closest friends for the second time. It must be even harder for them, she couldn't imagine if Thistlepaw had decided to stay in the mountains. Even this short journey had made a strong friendship between the two cats. At least ThunderClan and WindClan are relatively friendly with each other. She didn't let her mind wander to ShadowClan. They couldn't afford more injuries—and she certainly didn't want to explain to Tawnypelt why she'd want to claw Smokefoot to pieces.

"Let's get moving," Brambleclaw meowed brightly as he approached. "If we hurry, we can cut the trip down by a few days."

Good. Suddenly, Hollystep longed to be home, beneath the shelter of the trees where her dark tabby pelted melded with the crisp colors of leaf-fall. She wanted to tell Snowkit all about their journey, and hunt alongside Rainwhisker and Birchfall. The sooner we get home, the better.

As soon as Hollystep caught sight of the ThunderClan border she pelted ahead of Brambleclaw. They had said their goodbyes to the others already, leaving Crowfeather and Thistlepaw at the edge of the moorland and letting Tawnypelt and Smokefoot go to the edge of the lake to travel through ThunderClan's territory. Hollystep hardly felt the dull ache in her muscles and wounds as she flew through the trees. The ground was cold and hard beneath her pads, and snow fell steadily. Still, it was her home. She exploded through the thorn tunnel, aware that Brambleclaw was just behind her.

"You're back!"

Hollystep let out a thick purr as Snowkit rushed to greet her. Spottedkit and Nettlekit scampered after him. "Hi there," she bent and touched noses with Snowkit and his adopted sisters. "Were you good while I was gone?"

"I was," Nettlekit sniffed, flashing her siblings a glare. "They snuck out and-"

Snowkit spun and pounced on the small black she-kit. "You promised you wouldn't tell!" With a gleeful cry, Spottedkit threw herself into the play-fight.

"Let's go see Firestar, he'll want to hear our report." Brambleclaw's whiskers were twitching as he watched the kits tussle.

Hollystep nodded. "Let's hurry, I want to get something from Leafpool for my aching pads."

"Me too," Brambleclaw agreed as he led the way to the Highledge. Firestar was sitting beneath it in a patch of sunlight, sharing a piece of fresh-kill with Sandstorm.

"Brambleclaw, Hollystep," Firestar rasped. "I'm glad to see your back. ThunderClan needs your strength." He pushed himself into a sitting position. "It looks like the intruders gave you a hard time," the flame-pelted tom looked over their wounds, lingering on Brambleclaw's shoulder and Hollystep's neck.

"They did," Brambleclaw admitted grimly. "But the Tribe won't have any problems with them anymore." The deputy explained quickly what had happened once they reached the mountains—the change of leadership, the training and patrols, and finally the battle to drive the intruders out. "Hollystep fought like an entire Clan of LionClan cats," he finished proudly.

Firestar's eyes glowed as he looked between his deputy and warrior. "StarClan will honor what you've done," he purred hoarsely. "Go rest now, both of you. You can get back to your duties tomorrow."

"Yes, Firestar," Brambleclaw dipped his head gratefully. Hollystep echoed the motion, adding her voice to Brambleclaw's, "Yes, Firestar."

As they approached the fresh-kill pile a patrol padded in. Sandstorm was at the head, a thin rabbit clamped in her jaws. Behind her trailed Birchfall and Sunpaw, each carrying a small piece of prey of their own.

"Birchfall!" Hollystep waved her tail in greeting. Her brother rushed to her side, dropping his vole and touching noses with her.

"It's good to have you back," Birchfall purred. "The Clan needs every hunter."

"No kidding," Hollystep eyed the pitiful fresh-kill pile. "Want to share something before I go rest?"

"Sure," the lighter tabby picked his vole up again and headed towards the warriors' den. Hollystep mewed a quick 'see you later' to the other cats and followed him. Even though it was leaf-bare thin, the vole tasted better than any prey she'd been given in the mountains. Its warm woodland flavors were a stark contrast to the stringy prey of the mountains. Hollystep purred appreciatively as she swallowed down her share.

"You look exhausted," Birchfall licked her shoulder. "Go ahead and rest, I'm sure Firestar will call a meeting tomorrow to announce things properly."

Hollystep yawned openly, trembling with the force of it. "Okay," she muttered. "I'm going to go sleep, then." She flicked her tail across her brother's ear as she slipped into the warriors' den. The dark tabby had never been so glad to see moss before in her life. She sank down into her nest, inhaling the familiar scents of her Clan-mates as she drifted into an uneasy doze. It wasn't until night had fallen over the snow laden forest and Rainwhisker's dark gray pelt was pressed against hers that her breathing evened out and a deep, restful sleep overcame her.