GUYS! Long story short, my boyfriend had to move, right? But he couldn't find another place to stay that would allow his dog. So now I have a 6 month old, 50 pound puppy living with me.

Did I mention that I have three cats?

Yeah. Things are CRAZY right now. But I promise I'll keep updating as frequently as I can. This story as well as the others. Which reminds me, the third installment of "The Brightest Fire" and "Light in the Darkness" is up if any of you are interested in that continuation :D

To my reviewers: I seriously love you. All of you. Especially those that review as I update and help me keep moving forward! Individual answers will start up again next chapter, promise!

That should wrap up my babbling. Thanks again for reading and supporting! Here's chapter 18!

Chapter 18

Hollystep narrowed her eyes as she watched Leafpool rush across the clearing to Firestar's den, a bundle of herbs clamped in her jaws. Snow hadn't fallen for nearly half a moon, and Cloudtail and Sandstorm had both been allowed to return to the warriors den two sunrises ago. As far as the tabby warrior knew, the only reason Whitewing and Spottedkit hadn't returned to the nursery yet was just to be certain Squirrelflight stayed as healthy as possible.

Has Firestar caught whitecough? The thought sent a ripple of anxiety through Hollystep. She forced the last few bites of her mouse down, finding it hard to swallow around the lump of apprehension growing in her throat.

"Hollystep," Dustpelt's gruff mew sounded from beside her as he exited the warriors' den. "Was that catmint Leafpool had?"

Hollystep shook her head helplessly. "I couldn't tell," she admitted. The dark tabby suddenly wished she'd paid closer attention. "You don't think Firestar's sick, do you?"

Her father fixed her with a comforting amber gaze. "Even if he is, he'll shake it soon enough. Leafpool's a brilliant medicine cat, and Firestar's still strong."

"I hope you're right," she murmured. Snowpaw emerged from the elders' den just as the sun reached its peak, bits of moss still clinging to his fur. "Snowpaw," she called him over as Dustpelt stalked across the clearing to the Highledge to speak with Brambleclaw.

"Yes, Hollystep?" The white apprentice looked as energetic as ever.

"Do the elders need anything else?"

Snowpaw shook his head. "Just fresh-kill," he amended after a thoughtful pause. "Will we be hunting today?"

Hollystep shook herself vigorously, trying to push aside her concern for Firestar. "Yes. Let's hurry, before the sun starts to set and it gets too cold out." She led the way out into the forest. New-leaf wasn't far away, she could almost taste it. But she knew that leaf-bare wasn't quite ready to release the forest yet.

"Alright," she beckoned Snowpaw forward. "Where should we hunt?"

Snowpaw frowned thoughtfully. "It's around sunhigh," the white apprentice murmured, "So prey will be coming out in the warmest part of the day. Maybe by a stream?"

"I'm the mentor here," Hollystep snorted. "I ask questions, you answer them."

Snowpaw ducked his head, looking sheepish. "Sorry, Hollystep. We would probably have luck by a stream."

"Better," the young warrior sighed. "It's good to be thoughtful, but you've got to trust your instincts." She led the way slowly towards the WindClan border, her ears pricked and jaws parted. As they neared the WindClan border she raised her tail for her apprentice to stop. The dark tabby crouched low to the ground, tasting vole on the air and trying to pinpoint the prey's location.

"There," Snowpaw hissed softly, flicking his ears towards a clump of dead ferns.

Hollystep nodded minutely and crept forward. When she was just close enough, she sprang, catching the vole between her paws and finishing it off with a bite to the neck. She turned back in time to see Snowpaw giving chase to a squirrel. She buried her vole to retrieve on their way back and followed him more slowly. She caught up just in time to see her apprentice take down the squirrel a couple of tail-lengths away from the stream.

"Well done!" Hollystep called. She was surprised when her praise was echoed. She jerked her muzzle up, blinking incredulously across the border. A purr erupted from her chest as she recognized Thistlepaw racing towards the stream. Crowfeather followed more slowly, his tail-tip twitching irritably.

"Thistlepaw," Hollystep padded to the edge of the stream, wishing she could greet her friend more affectionately. The pale tabby's eyes glowed.

"Not anymore," she purred warmly. "It's Thistlewing now."

"You've been given your warrior name? That's great, Thistlewing, congratulations!" She watched as Crowfeather came to stand beside his former apprentice. Hollystep felt her whiskers twitching as their pelts brushed ever-so-slightly. "So that's how the prey's running, is it?"

Crowfeather flattened his ears, but the warmth in Thistlewing's eyes gave everything away. "Who's this?" Crowfeather ground out, obviously trying to change the subject.

Hollystep felt a flash of pride. "My apprentice, Snowpaw." The young white tom dipped his head respectfully to the WindClan warriors. "These are the WindClan cats that journeyed to the mountains with me and Brambleclaw: Crowfeather and Thistlewing."

"It's nice to meet you," Snowpaw meowed, his tone betraying nothing. Hollystep felt fresh pride swelling in chest at the approving look Crowfeather was giving her apprentice. It wasn't easy to gain even that much from the ill-tempered warrior.

"Anyway," Hollystep continued. "It was good to see you both, but we've got elders to feed. See you at the Gathering?"

"Of course," Thistlewing agreed energetically. "See you, Hollystep!"

Snowpaw murmured a quick farewell and followed Hollystep back into the shelter of the trees. "Was that okay?" He sounded concerned.

"Of course it was," snorted Hollystep with a roll of her eyes. "Did you cross the border? Did they?"

"Well, no…" The worry in his eyes lingered.

"As long as they're not trying to take our territory, there's nothing wrong with greeting patrols from other Clans. Mind you, ShadowClan would sooner steal the pelt off your back than exchange news." She padded briskly away from the border. "Now, unless you think Longtail will be satisfied with just one squirrel, we should probably get back to hunting."

Snowpaw managed to add a sparrow to their catch, but it seemed after that their luck was out. As the soft light of dusk started to envelop the snowy forest, Hollystep called their hunt to a close. They retrieved their fresh-kill and plodded wearily back to the camp.

"Been hunting?"

Hollystep turned to see Rainwhisker hurrying towards them, Fennelpaw hard on his tail. The dark tortoiseshell apprentice carried two mice. "We have. Snowpaw's shaping into a fine hunter."

Rainwhisker's eyes glowed as he pressed his muzzle against hers in an affectionate greeting. "So I see," he purred. "You've had better luck than us, that's for sure. We were about to come back to camp empty-pawed when Fennelpaw caught these mice."

Hollystep grunted a small agreement as she led way back into camp. Fennelpaw and Snowpaw broke away to bring the elders their evening meal, and Hollystep walked more slowly to the fresh-kill pile. Something's not right. All around them, their Clan-mates were huddled in groups, murmuring to each other and flicking anxious glances towards the Highledge.

"Want to share?" Hollystep hardly heard Rainwhisker's voice as she saw Leafpool slip quickly out of Firestar's den and to the medicine den.

She flicked her ears in an absent-minded agreement before stalking across to the warriors' den, where Birchfall and Ashfur were talking with their heads bent close together. "What's going on?" The demand left her throat as a hoarse growl.

Birchfall turned a darkened amber gaze to his sister. "Nothing good," muttered the lighter tabby. "Firestar's caught greencough. Leafpool started treating him for whitecough this morning when he became fevered, but Whitewing said it's come on so suddenly there's hardly anything to be done but pray."

Flattening her ears in frustration, Hollystep did just that. StarClan, don't you try to take Firestar away from us yet! I'm not nearly done showing him what a great leader I can become. Silent prayers aside, the dark tabby sat down beside her brother with a huff. Rainwhisker joined them shortly, a vole in his jaws.

"Brightheart told me at the fresh-kill pile," Rainwhisker nudged the vole towards Hollystep, but her eyes were locked on the entrance of Firestar's den. "Mousefur thinks it will freeze tonight; it'll be hard for even Firestar to shake greencough if he's not kept warm."

"Surely Sandstorm is with him?"

Ashfur shook his head. "Leafpool has sent Sandstorm away, she's in the warriors' den right now. We can't afford for another cat to catch it, we've done far too well this leaf-bare to start losing warriors now."

Frustrated at how helpless she was in this situation, Hollystep started tearing into the vole. Rainwhisker licked her shoulder soothingly. As if that's going to help Firestar! She was torn between the desires to claw his ears or bury her muzzle in his warm gray fur. She settled for grooming his ruffled pelt as he ate his share of the vole more graciously, using quick, rough licks that still betrayed her boiling temper despite the loving intentions behind the gesture. For his part, Rainwhisker didn't seem to mind letting her take out her frustrations on his messy fur; no matter how fierce the tabby warrior could be, he knew that she had inherited Ferncloud's cleanliness. Only once his stormy gray pelt shone in the last lingering sunlight did Hollystep cease her work.

"Let's get some sleep," Ashfur finally sighed, standing and stretching. "We won't do any cat any good if we're too tired to do our duties tomorrow."

"I guess you're right," Hollystep glanced one last, frustrated glance at Firestar's den before standing and giving herself a rough shake.

Rainwhisker stood beside her, letting Ashfur and Birchfall slip into the warriors' den before ducking his head to press his muzzle against hers. "You're taking the dawn patrol tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," Hollystep lashed her tail. "I know that means I need to rest, that doesn't make it any easier!"

With an amused purr, Rainwhisker brushed his tail across her muzzle. "That's not what I was going to say." He rasped his tongue across her ear. "I was going to offer to go with you."

Hollystep shook her head, finding her whiskers twitching despite herself. "Thanks, Rainwhisker." She brushed past the gray warrior affectionately. "Maybe… Maybe we can leave Fennelpaw and Snowpaw here to tend to the elders in the morning." With one last playful flick of her tail across his nose, Hollystep retreated to her nest, aware of Rainwhisker's warm laughter just behind her.

It was just past moonhigh when Hollystep woke again with a sudden jerk of her paws and a soft gasp. A rustle nearby drew her weary attention. Standing stiffly, Hollystep narrowed her eyes at the shadowy shape pushing its way out of the warriors' den. She followed quietly, knowing she'd be unable to go back to sleep.

"Brambleclaw?" The moonlight illuminated the deputy's dark tabby pelt, as she was sure it illuminated her own.

The broad-shouldered warrior started, then turned with a knowing sigh. "Hollystep, I should have known."

"Did something happen?" Her eyes flicked to Firestar's den. She didn't miss the shadows in Brambleclaw's eyes. "It's Firestar, isn't it?"

After the slightest pause, the big tabby shook his head. "Come with me."

Hollystep dipped her head in a small nod and followed him across the clearing. They went directly to Firestar's den, not even bothering to ask for entrance. Leafpool was inside, though it was hard for even Hollystep to distinguish her scent from the heavy scent of greencough in the den.

"Good, you're here." Leafpool hesitated, her eyes betraying her concern with Hollystep's presence.

"Brambleclaw?" Firestar's meow was a hoarse whisper. Hollystep felt a flicker of panic, until Firestar's dull green gaze met her own concerned amber eyes. "And Hollystep. I'm glad you're both here. You can go now, Leafpool. I'm sure the fever will break come dawn." The medicine cat didn't look convinced, but she left nevertheless.

"I want to give you both a dose of catmint in the morning," Leafpool tossed the words over her shoulder. "If I don't see you before the dawn patrol goes out there will be a reckoning."

As she left, Firestar beckoned them both closer with a weak wave of his tail. "It's alright," he rasped. "The sickness will leave me soon. Both of you come closer. It's cold in here, and I wouldn't dare wake Sandstorm just to warm my pelt."

Exchanging an amused glance with Brambleclaw, Hollystep obliged, settling as close to Firestar's nest as she thought was respectful. Brambleclaw was close enough to share tongues with their leader.

After a moment of silence, save the steady scrape of Brambleclaw's tongue through Firestar's fur, Hollystep couldn't take it anymore. "This isn't your last life, is it?"

The exclamation even surprised her; she was even more surprised when Firestar let out an uneven purr. "No, it isn't my last life, Hollystep." He let out a heavy sigh. "This will be my fourth."

"The fourth you've lost?" Brambleclaw seemed bewildered. "I thought you'd only lost two…"

Firestar chuckled. "I lost one to Scourge in the old forest."

"When we battled BloodClan," Brambleclaw shuddered. "I remember it well."

"Dustpelt told me stories," Hollystep put in quietly. "Ferncloud always asked him not to, but he said if we wanted to be great warriors we couldn't shy away from tragedy."

"He's not wrong," Firestar coughed. Hollystep felt it may have been another weak attempt at a laugh. "The third was the one I lost just before the Great Journey, when we helped rescue ShadowClan from their camp."

Brambleclaw tilted his head. "So when did you lose the second?"

Their leader's eyes sparked. "Remember that time, not long after you became a warrior? When Sandstorm and I left for a while? I lost the second on that journey."

A thoughtful silence filled the cave. Firestar's breath rattled in the silence like dead tree branches in a fierce wind. Hollystep let herself scoot closer, pressing her dark tabby pelt against Firestar's heaving flank. With Brambleclaw on his other side, there was no way their leader was cold.

"You know, Dustpelt and I never saw eye to eye."

Hollystep snickered. "He's told me. That doesn't mean he doesn't respect you though, he thinks you're a great leader. We all do."

"I'm glad," Firestar croaked. His voice was growing weaker by the moment. "You're so much like him, but you're a lot like Ferncloud, too." He fell into a fit of coughing, and Brambleclaw tried to soothe him with brisk licks across his shoulder. Slowly, he continued, "I'm glad you're both here. Thank you for sitting with me. If you don't mind, would you stay for a while? I'm going to rest, and you've made my nest quite warm."

"Of course," Brambleclaw murmured. Hollystep echoed him softly, making herself comfortable to stay, but not so comfortable that she would doze off. In a number of heartbeats, Firestar's broken breaths had settled into a fitful doze. As the moonlight faded out of the den, a sudden chill filled the air. Hollystep flashed Brambleclaw a panicked glance, but the big tabby was completely calm.

"He's with StarClan," he murmured. "Soon he'll return to us, cured of greencough and ready to lead again."

Hollystep shivered. She could nearly see the starry pelts of their warrior ancestors pressing around them; feel their shimmering pelts brushing her own. Is losing a life always this peaceful? She watched Firestar's still body with mingled awe and distress. "It's nearly dawn," Hollystep exhaled, her breath coming out in clouds.

Firestar started suddenly, sending Hollystep scrambling to her paws. Slowly, he sat up, looking as if he were waking from a deep sleep. "You both stayed." His tone was warm, though his words slurred slightly together. "No leader could ask for more. You can go now," he added, his whiskers twitching as he caught Hollystep glancing at the den entrance. "Don't forget to see Leafpool before you leave for the dawn patrol."

"Yes, Firestar. I wouldn't dare forget." She bowed her head respectfully and backed out of the den. The sun wasn't quite rising, but the sky was graying quickly. Try as she might to focus, Hollystep struggled to even keep a conversation with Rainwhisker as they travelled the length of the ShadowClan border.

Leaf-bare is nearly over, but ThunderClan has been weakened by cold and sickness. I can't help but to feel like there will be trouble… She remembered vividly the chill that filled the air when Firestar's breathing had stopped, and the memory sent a chill through her bones. And whatever the trouble is, it's going to come soon.