A/N: Abracadabra! I have pulled another update from my... er... hat. YEs. That's where this came from. A hat.
Just kidding guys, I actually kind of like this chapter. Again, I'm sorry. It went something like this:
Me: "Wow, ThunderClan sure is getting big."
Me to me: "Kill someone."
Me: "That doesn't really fit the plot right now... Besides, who would I even kill?
Me to me: "You like Dustpelt right?"
Me: "I love Dustpelt!"
Me to me: "...kill him."
But I couldn't so here we are. Sorry for my babbling. My reviewers:
Pandean: I do feel bad... I really do. But something had to happen. Besides, I think Sandstorm will still suit Nettlepaw nicely (:
Sierra: Thank you for the name suggestions! Snowpaw's warrior ceremony is verrrrry soon. As for your other question... patience is a virtuous noun, my dear. All will be made clear soon ^-^
ApoIIo: I'm glad you're enjoying it! I look forward to hearing from you as it progresses :D Also, I can't either ;-;
Kai Lover911: WELCOME BACK! I'm glad to hear from you again! Thanks for sticking with me, I hope to keep hearing from you!
Chapter 22
Hollystep hardly slept for half a moon. She was restless and irritated. Dustpelt still lay in Leafpool's den, feverish but pulling through, while Sandstorm had taken over Nettlepaw's training. The Gathering had been hostile even when no cat was speaking, and warriors of every Clan were thin and underfed. All Hollystep could think about was the trap Dustpelt had been caught in. It was bigger than any she'd seen or sprung herself using a stick—much bigger. She had told Firestar and Brambleclaw that what felt like a thousand times but still they didn't seem to get it. There was something else the two-legs were trying to catch. Hollystep just couldn't figure out what.
The tabby warrior growled under breath as she tore into a scrawny sparrow. It was more bone than anything, and left Hollystep feeling empty and even more frustrated. With a lash of her tail, she stood and kicked dirt over the bones.
"Hollystep," Whitewing purred a friendly greeting as she approached her friend. "Care to go hunting?"
"Sure," muttered Hollystep. She forced her ill temper down when the pretty white queen flinched. "Let me get Snowpaw and we can go." She flicked her tail across Whitewing's shoulder, hoping she would understand her silent apology. She called to her apprentice and the three cats set out into the bitterly dry forest.
"The forest needs rain," Snowpaw sighed as they emerged from the thorn tunnel.
Whitewing nodded. "We're all worried for Squirrelflight's kits… If we could just get some fresh water I'm sure they'd be fine…"
She was right, Hollystep admitted to herself. Squirrelflight's kits should have been out exploring the camp by now, but they hardly had the strength in them to cry any more. Every border patrol brought water-soaked moss her and the elders, but the water was stale and hot.
If something isn't done soon, we're all going to starve. The patrol split up quietly, each cat lost in their own thoughts. Hollystep pricked her ears when the faint scent of squirrel came to her. She froze, her amber eyes scanning the burnt undergrowth. When she caught sight of the creature she nearly left without it. It was leaf-bare thin, digging fruitlessly for nuts at the base of a tree. It's better than nothing. She dropped into a crouch and sprung, killing her prey with a solid blow. She buried it to collect on her way back and moved on. As she slunk through the forest, a new scent started tickling her nose. Bewildered, she parted her jaws and inhaled deeply. It wasn't anything she'd ever smelt before. Its scent was sharp and earthy, and sent a chill of foreboding down her spine.
What in StarClan's name… She dropped into a lower crouch. Her breath seemed to rattle in her own ears as she drug herself as quietly as possible towards the scent. Her paw slipped. The tabby warrior muttered a curse and looked down.
Her heart dropped into her stomach. Her paw had slipped into another print—a massive one, marked at the top by four deep claw marks. Dustpelt, she realized as she stood frozen. He said he'd found a strange track. He was following it when… Swallowing her fear, Hollystep forced herself to continue forward. When she thought the musky scent would overwhelm her, she glimpsed it.
It was a massive creature with matted brown fur and the biggest teeth she'd ever seen. Bear. The word flashed in her mind alongside the old tale Goldenflower had once told her about the leader of LeopardClan fighting one off of her Clan's territory. Dustpelt was caught in a bear trap! Everything came together, the force of her realization nearly taking Hollystep's breath away. She staggered backwards, then spun and ran. Her squirrel was forgotten as she pelted towards the camp. Whitewing and Snowpaw went the other way, she told herself over and over in her head. They'll be okay, but I've got to tell Firestar!
She exploded through the thorn tunnel. "Firestar!" He was sitting in the shade beneath the high-ledge, Brambleclaw at his side. She didn't let herself think about how thin they were both becoming.
"Hollystep, what is it?" Firestar's eyes flashed with alarm as she careened to a halt in front of them. Brambleclaw stood and touched his nose to her shoulder.
"Easy," the deputy rumbled. "Take a few breaths."
"No," Hollystep rasped. "I know what happened to Dustpelt—and why there are so many two-legs in our territory!"
Firestar stood as well. His tail lashed as he prompted her, "Go on."
"There's a bear." Once she said it aloud, Hollystep realized how far-fetched that must sound. No cat for hundreds of moons had so much as scented a bear. "I saw it," she insisted clumsily. "While I was out hunting. It's huge—bigger than anything I've ever seen—with brown fur and jaws that could swallow me in one bite."
Brambleclaw looked skeptical. "I'm not sure," he ventured. "Are you sure it wasn't a really big dog?"
"Yes," Hollystep spat. She turned to Firestar. "You believe me, don't you, Firestar?"
The flame-pelted warrior took a deep breath. "I don't want to, Hollystep, but it does make sense. The trap that broke Dustpelt's leg was much larger than the fox traps we've seen." He flashed a worried glance towards the medicine den. "If it were a fox trap I'm sure he would have been up by now, insisting to lead patrols again." Hollystep knew her father had never been Firestar's biggest fan, but she also knew that the two warriors shared a deep, albeit grudging, respect for each other and all of the hardships they'd faced together. Finally, Firestar brought his gaze down to meet hers again. "Show us where you found it. Brambleclaw, gather a patrol. Whether it's a bear or a dog, we can't be too careful."
Hollystep shuddered at the thought of seeing the creature again, but she padded the thorn tunnel with a grim determination in her eyes. Brambleclw ducked into the warriors' den. Is Rainwhisker there? Hollystep knew there wasn't another cat she'd rather have beside her. Or Birchfall?
But her deputy emerged with Hazelfang and Spiderleg. He called to Ashfur as well, who was supervising Spottedpaw and Nettlepaw while the tended to the elders. Briefly, Firestar explained what was going on. Her Clan-mates were as dubious as Brambleclaw, but Hollystep didn't let it bother her. They'll see soon enough, she reminded herself grimly.
The small tabby led the way warily through the forest. She went first to where she'd caught her squirrel, then circled until she caught the scent again. Her tail bristled. She angled her ears and ducked into a stealth crouch. Following her lead, her patrol did the same.
"I smell something," Hazelfang muttered. He swiped his tongue around his muzzle. "I've never smelled anything like it."
"Neither have I," Ashfur added quietly.
Mixed relief and frustration washed over Hollystep when she stepped into the clearing she'd first seen it in. The bear was gone. "This is where I saw it," she announced, her fur bristling defensively. But no cat seemed ready to object any more.
"Great StarClan," Firestar exhaled. His eyes raked up and down a nearby tree. Turning, Hollystep saw why. The bear had been sharpening its claws. Great chunks of bark had been shredded and littered the ground, and the gouges left behind on the tree sent a tremor of fear through Hollystep. Spiderleg circled a set of paw prints anxiously.
"Should we follow it…?" The black warrior didn't seemed thrilled by the prospect, but Firestar nodded grimly.
"We have to know what we're up against before I make an announcement to the Clan."
He took the lead as they continued. They followed its straightforward path to the edge of the trees, where Firestar hissed for them to stop. Hollystep crept up beside Brambleclaw. His fur bristled, and his claws were sunk deep into the ground. Before them, the bear stood, its head bowed as it lapped great mouthfuls of water from the withering lake. Hollystep couldn't help but to mutter under her breath, "I told you it was a bear."
"Back to camp," Firestar choked out. "Quickly, before it's done drinking." They crept a few fox-lengths into the forest before breaking into a full run. When they burst through the thorn tunnel, Firestar launched immediately to the high-ledge.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high-ledge for a Clan meeting!"
Hollystep was relieved to see Snowpaw and Whitewing among the gathering Clan. She found Rainwhisker's familiar gray pelt and hurried to his side. "You're not going to believe this," she murmured to the gray tom.
"You all burst in like ShadowClan was on your tails," Rainwhisker's eyes were bewildered.
"Just listen." She pressed her dark tabby pelt against his as Firestar began speaking.
"Today, while Hollystep was out hunting, she found something disturbing. Hollystep, would come up here and tell the Clan what you saw?"
Hollystep felt her eyes shoot wide. Rainwhisker gave her nudge. "Go on," he urged her quietly. Birchfall blinked encouragingly at her, and she saw Ferncloud's eyes shine for the first time since Dustpelt had been injured. Taking a deep breath, Hollystep padded forward and leapt onto the high-ledge. She didn't herself think about the fact that she was addressing all of ThunderClan as she had dreamed so many times.
"As I was hunting," she began forcing the tremor from her voice. "I caught a strange scent. I followed it to a set of paw prints; they were unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I followed the tracks to a clearing where I saw what I could only think was a bear."
Gasps and shocked hisses followed her words. "How can you be sure?" Sunpetal's tail-tip flicked nervously.
"She came to me," Firestar supplied calmly. "She led a patrol back to where she'd seen it first. It was gone, but it had sharpened its claws on the trees. We followed fresh tracks to the lake where I saw it with my own eyes."
Hollystep flicked her ears. "I think that may be why the twolegs are here," she continued. "I think the trap Dustpelt was caught in wasn't meant for a fox, but for this bear."
Distressed wails filled the hollow.
"What are we going to do?" Whitewing demanded. Her green eyes flicked to Nettlepaw, Spottedpaw, and Snowpaw.
"We can let it stay here—especially not if it's bringing more twolegs and traps with it," Cloudtail lashed his tail furiously.
Hazelfang shook his head. "We don't have a choice," he mewed bitterly. "It's huge. There's no way we could chase that off of our territory!"
"Are you a warrior or a mouse?" The challenge came from Fenneltail, who faced his brother with flattened ears.
"Enough!" Firestar's call brought silence. "For now, we will be very careful. All patrols will have at least three warriors, and no apprentice is to travel without their mentor. It's possible that it's come to search for water. StarClan willing it will leave with the first rain and take its twolegs and traps with it."
"What if it doesn't?" Thornclaw's question hung in the air for a long moment.
Finally, Firestar bowed his head. "If it doesn't, we'll have to find a way to make it leave."
The following days were full of tension. Every day Mousefur said a storm was coming, but rain refused to fall. Dustpelt had started trying to walk. His front leg was set nearly straight, but he could no longer control it properly; it was no secret that his days as a warrior were over. Hollystep felt a pang of pain as she watched her father go through his stretches outside of Leafpool's den.
He's too proud to stop trying. The tabby she-cat sighed. She knew she'd be the same if it had been her. Her ambitions burned far too strongly for her to give up everything. I'm more proud of him for the strength he's showing now.
Shaking her thoughts from her fur, Hollystep glanced at the sky. It's about time for the sunhigh patrol. She looked around. "Birchfall!" She padded to her brother's side as he swallowed the last meager scraps of a mouse. "Up for the sunhigh patrol?"
"Sure thing," he scrambled to his paws. Hollystep unsheathed her claws, startled by how thin he'd grown. All of ThunderClan was gaunt and underfed. The bear scared more prey away than the drought. "I think Fenneltail is in the warrior's den, should I fetch him?"
Hollystep nodded. "I'll get Snowpaw." When they'd gathered at the thorn tunnel, Hollystep led them out. She set her paws on the shortest path to ShadowClan's border. "We'll go down ShadowClan's border," she mewed over her shoulder. "Set scent markers and get back to camp." The forest was eerily quiet. No bird sang in the overwhelming heat, no tiny creatures rustled in the crisp undergrowth. They were halfway down the ShadowClan border when Fenneltail's fur suddenly bristled.
"Did you hear that?" He hissed, pressing his ears back against his head.
Birchfall pricked his own, listening carefully. Hollystep mimicked him. Before she could speak, Snowpaw gasped.
"That sounded like a cat!"
Hollystep felt as if ice had filled her veins. Not again. It couldn't have happened again.
"What are you doing?" Fenneltail spat. "We've got to go help them!"
Hollystep shook her head furiously. "You're right—we've got to hurry." She took off, running with her belly fur brushing the ground. Birchfall ran at her side, Fenneltail and Snowpaw hot on their heels. As they drew closer, she heard something she wasn't expecting: the screeching and hissing of fighting cats. A pained bellow echoed through the forest, and Hollystep put on speed.
"Hollystep, wait!" The breath was knocked out of her as she was tackled to the side.
"Don't move!" The hiss came from up in a tree. Sandstorm crouched there, her fur spiked out in fear. Nettlepaw was a branch below her, her eyes narrowed into furious slits.
Hollystep was bundled to her paws and towards a tree. "Get up, quickly." She recognized Rainwhisker's warm voice as he shouldered her upwards. With a hiss of annoyance, she complied. She saw The rest of her patrol clambering into the tree next to hers. Rainwhisker joined her.
"What's going on?" She regretted how sharp her tone was as soon as she felt Rainwhisker trembling against her side.
"We were hunting," he explained in a hushed whisper. "The bear came out of nowhere—Thornclaw shoved Sandstorm out of the way and it swatted him aside like a kit. We tried fighting it like we would a fox or badger, but it's just too big. We called for a retreat, but we haven't seen Thornclaw yet."
Hollystep pressed comfortingly against the gray warrior. She noticed the large slash on his flank and tutted under her breath. Without a word, she started cleaning the wound. "My patrol will wait with yours until its safe," she murmured between licks. "If… if it killed Thornclaw, we need to retrieve his body."
Sandstorm bowed her head. "I should have called for retreat as soon as I saw it."
Birchfall shook his head hopelessly. "No cat would have done differently, Sandstorm." Her respect for the senior warrior had Hollystep echoing his reassurance.
Still, Sandstorm looked shaken. Only when the forest was completely silent again did the ThunderClan cats shimmy down from their hiding places. The padded cautiously forward.
"StarClan why?" Sandstorm staggered forward and pushed her nose into Thornclaw's torn golden pelt. "Why have you let this happen?"
Hollystep stood wordlessly at her side, her head bowed. Rainwhisker and Birchfall exchanged a glance before slowly moving forward to lift their Clan-mate's mangled body between their powerful shoulders. They didn't speak as they trudged back to camp. It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky above Thornclaw's vigil that the wind changed. Mousefur lifted her nose from her former apprentice's cold fur.
"A storm is coming."