A/N: YOU GUYS
Thank you so much for all of the reviews with kits suggestions ;-; You all are really the best. I want to answer you all individually, but for the sake of not repeating myself over and over I'm just going to make a sweeping statement:
I have decided to go with the popular opinion and give Hollystep an average/large litter of three: two she-kits and one tom. I have decided on names and appearances by taking suggestions (especially those that appeared more than once) and piecing them together. Please don't be offended if the name you suggested doesn't get the exact appearance you suggested; I'm trying my hardest to include everyone. And do keep in mind that there are many more kits to be borne into ThunderClan...
Speaking of! I want to send Sunpetal to the nursery soon. She is a pale golden she-cat with dark tabby stripes and blue eyes. Her parents are Brackenfur and Sorreltail. I am looking for a mate AND kits suggestions, so if you'd like to send those to me, I would be very very very very very grateful. (very).
Really, any pairings you'd like to see happen feel free to send my way-I'm always looking to make matches and fill the world with love and kits~! (It counteracts all of the death and despair I like to put in my warriors fics :D)
ANYWAYS I'm done rambling, I love you all, this isn't an eventful chapter but fillers have to exist. Enjoy!
Chapter 24
Hollystep could hardly sit still as she answered Firestar's summons, sitting next to Snowpaw with her chin and tail high. For his part, Snowpaw was trembling with anticipation.
"As you may have heard, today our territory was rid of the bear that's been threatening us since the drought started." Firestar blinked warmly down at Hollystep and Snowpaw. "Snowpaw was the one to think of the plan, and I agree whole-heartedly with Hollystep and Cloudtail. Snowpaw showed all of the qualities of a warrior today, and as such it's time he took his warrior name."
The flame-pelted tom leapt down from the high-ledge. Snowpaw padded forward to meet him. "I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." He met Snowpaw's pale amber gaze. "Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do." The conviction in his tone sent a fresh flood of pride through Hollystep's body.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment, you will be known as Snowheart. StarClan honors your forethought and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
"Snowheart! Snowheart!" Hollystep was the first to call his new name, springing to her paws and nearly tackling her former apprentice to the ground. Whitewing was right behind her, love for her adopted kit shining in her green eyes.
"I'm so proud of you," Hollystep purred thickly. Snowheart bent to touch his nose to hers.
"Thank you, Hollystep," he rumbled.
"You've got to sit vigil tonight," Fenneltail snickered. The two had grown to be close friends. "It's going to be a wet one."
"Don't worry about it too much," Hollystep cuffed Fenneltail around the ears. She found herself quoting Mousefur as she looked to the cloudy sky. "The rain will stop soon."
As the rain subsided over the next moon, ThunderClan's camp grew busy. Prey was running as if the drought and storms had never happened. Hollystep's news spread like a wildfire as her flanks began to round out, but the obstinate warrior refused to move to the nursery.
She watched Squirrelflight's kits playing with obvious exasperation as she ate in a warm patch of sunlight. Dusk-kit was already much bigger than his siblings, his dark tabby fur made him look like a small Brambleclaw. He squirmed on his back as Redkit and Speckledkit pummeled him playfully. Littlekit watched from the shelter of Squirrelflight's forepaws.
"I'm sure Squirrelflight wouldn't mind if you offered to watch them every now and again." Birchfall's dry meow set Hollystep's fur bristling.
"I've already told you," she sniffed haughtily. "I'm not moving into the nursery until I don't have a choice."
Her brother rolled his eyes as he sat beside her. "Please," he snickered. "You can hardly keep up with border patrols any more, and the kits certainly aren't helping your hunting crouch."
"I can keep up just fine!" Hollystep flattened her ears and swatted half-heartedly at the lighter tabby. Deep down, she knew he was making good points. Just that morning she'd had to stop to rest half way through the dawn patrol. Brambleclaw hadn't complained, he'd only watched with twitching whiskers while Hazelfang and Whitewing enjoyed a quick hunt. Still, Hollystep wouldn't let herself admit defeat so easily. She sat up as she finished her squirrel, licking her paw and rubbing her whiskers clean.
"Anyway," she mewed casually. "I'm going to go out hunting. Want to come?"
Birchfall gulped down the last few bites of his own meal. "Sure." He jumped to his paws. "Want to leave now?"
"You bet." Hollystep stretched her paws out in front of her. With a flick of her tail, she took the lead. Birchfall followed with twitching whiskers, but didn't dare comment on how carefully she was moving.
The sunlight was bright and warm. Hollystep hadn't felt so at peace since green-leaf had first started. "There's a Gathering soon, isn't there?"
"I think so," Birchfall mused. "I wonder if Firestar will let you go."
Hollystep snorted. "I'd like to see him try to stop me." She stopped abruptly and dropped into an off-balance hunting crouch. She crept forward, her jaws parted as she took in the scent of mouse. There! She wiggled her haunches before launching herself at the small creature. It slipped just between her claws. With a frustrated hiss, Hollystep lunged after it, catching it between both paws and ending its life quickly.
"Good catch," Birchfall's tail curled. "I thought it was going to get away."
"Go drown." Hollystep hissed at her brother as she stalked past him. Noticing how close to WindClan's border they'd come, the tabby queen pushed her way through the undergrowth to the stream. She bent a lapped gratefully at the cool water. She heard Birchfall set off after something, but didn't bother to turn her head. She didn't however, lift her head when she heard a familiar meow from across the stream.
"Hollystep!"
She shook glittering drops from her muzzle as she straightened, pleased to see Thistlewing hurrying towards the border. Her joy was tempered quickly by concern. "Thistlewing," she meowed. "Are you alright?"
The pale gray tabby twitched her ear awkwardly. "Oh, yes, quite fine." Cobwebs stretched along her skinny flank. She was thin, even for a WindClan cat. "What about you? It looks like the prey's running well in ThunderClan!"
Hollystep ducked her head and licked her chest fur self-consciously. "I'm expecting kits," she muttered.
"That's great news!" Thistlewing's eyes lit up. "Who's the father?"
"Rainwhisker," Hollystep admitted.
Mischief danced in Thistlewing's green eyes. "What a handsome tom," she purred appreciatively. "I'm happy for you."
Eager to change the subject, Hollystep scanned the moorland behind her friend. "And where's Crowfeather?"
Thistlewing purred warmly. "He set off after rabbit before I saw you." As she answered, the gray-black warrior came over the rise with a plump hare hanging from his jaws. He sported more cobwebs that Thistlewing, and freshly healing scratches decorated his ears and muzzle.
"Hello, Crowfeather," Hollystep called. "Nice catch."
The smoky warrior dipped his head. He put the rabbit down to murmur something in Thistlewing's ear before lifting it again and heading back the way he'd come. "I see he's as friendly as ever."
Thistlewing sighed. "We've got a lot to do," she mumbled. "Since RiverClan pushed their border we've been struggling…" She cut off with a sudden squeak. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that!"
Hollystep shook her head. "Don't worry," she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Birchfall hadn't come to find her. "I won't share WindClan's news with my Clan-mates. But Thistlewing, what's going on?"
Flashing a guilty glance over her shoulder, Thistlewing crept closer to the stream and meowed in a hushed voice, "Leopardstar refuses to listen to reason! No WindClan cat killed Mistyfoot, but she's determined to take revenge. Hawkfrost leads raids on our territory almost every day. We can hardly feed ourselves and defend our borders, but Onestar is too proud to ask for help. Crowfeather has told him time and time again to ask Firestar for help, but he just won't listen!"
Seeing the distress in her friend's eyes, Hollystep stretched her paw out. "That's enough, Thistlewing. I'm sorry." She flexed her claws. I knew Hawkfrost was going to cause trouble as soon as I heard he was deputy. "I wish there was something we could do…"
The pale tabby shook her head. "We just have to hope StarClan shows Leopardstar sense." She sighed and straightened. "I've got to go, Hollystep. I'll see you at the Gathering?"
"Count on it." Hollystep watched with mixed emotions as the WindClan warrior hared away. She was frustrated above all else—even if Onestar did send for help, Leafpool was certain to forbid her from fighting. Wishing she hadn't promised to keep quiet, the dark tabby turned and stalked back into the shelter of the trees. She couldn't shake the feeling that sooner or later this problem wouldn't be exclusive to WindClan. When the time comes, will I be able to defend my Clan?
The full moon set the forest aglow as Firestar led his Clan to the Gathering. Scraping her claws furiously across the well-worn clearing, Hollystep watched them leave without her. Snowheart was going so Firestar could announce that he had been made a warrior, but Hollystep had been forbidden from attending.
"You have to choose," Leafpool had told her in a brusque tone. "You can continue hunting and patrolling or you can go to Gatherings, but you cannot do both." The tabby queen had seen it in her eyes—Leafpool wanted her to choose Gatherings. But deciding between freedom to leave camp and freedom to leave camp one night wasn't hard for Hollystep.
"Then I'll stay."
Leafpool had sighed, given her decision to Firestar, and left without another word. So Hollystep sat next to the fresh-kill pile, waiting for their return.
"They'll be gone a while yet," Ferncloud's amused voice announced the gray queen's approach. Hollystep heaved a sigh.
"I know." She glanced curiously at her mother, who sat quietly next to her. "How's Dustpelt?"
Ferncloud purred quietly. "He's getting better every day. He's accepted his life as a warrior is over, but keeps complaining about pain so that Leafpool doesn't send him to the elders' den."
"I don't blame him," Hollystep snorted. "The sleep and have all of your fresh-kill brought to you life doesn't appeal to me either."
"It will soon," the dappled queen pointed out with twitching whiskers. She swept her feathery tail down Hollystep's flank. "Why don't you come make your nest in the nursery?" Before she could object, Ferncloud continued, "I'm not saying you have to sleep there, but if I know you you're going to be on patrol when you start kitting. You'll appreciate having a nest ready and waiting then."
Reluctantly, Hollystep stood and followed Ferncloud to the nursery. "Go ahead," her mother urged her. "I'll go fetch some moss from Leafpool's den."
Hollystep took a deep breath and forced her paws forward. It was dark and warm in the nursery, and the sweet scent of milk made Hollystep feel safe and drowsy. Squirrelflight's kits slept soundly in their nest. Between the four of them Hollystep found herself wondering how Squirrelflight fit in the nest with them. She sat awkwardly beside them, watching as they slept. She was surprised when a pair of green eyes blinked back at her.
"Hollystep?" Redkit yawned. "Mother said you wouldn't come in until your kits were coming… are they?"
"No," Hollystep stretched forward cautiously and licked the ginger kit's head. "Go back to sleep." His eyes slipped shut immediately, his breath evening out quickly and easily.
"Don't expect it to always be that easy," Ferncloud dropped the moss she was carrying beside Hollystep. "You never wanted to go back to sleep."
They made her nest a comfortable distance from Squirrelflight's, to protect her newborns from the older kits' games, Ferncloud had explained. When they finished, Ferncloud gave Hollystep a nudge. "Go on," she insisted. "Make sure it's comfortable. Want anything from the fresh-kill pile?"
"That finch off the top," Hollystep muttered. She stepped into the nest as if it might be full of thorns, though she knew it wasn't. She circled slowly before sinking down into the nest. Ferncloud returned with the finch and a mouse. She settled beside Hollystep.
"The moon is bright tonight," the older queen observed as she started nibbling on her mouse. "They may stay a while to chat."
"Maybe so," Hollystep carefully set aside feathers to weave into her new nest as they ate. "I still want to know what was announced."
"I do, too," Ferncloud admitted. "WindClan's quiet is… well, disquieting."
They finished their meals in a comfortable silence and started sharing tongues.
"Has Leafpool mentioned when the kits may be due?"
Hollystep shrugged. "Leaf-fall is what she thinks."
Ferncloud nodded, "I was thinking the same thing."
It didn't take long for Hollystep's eyelids to grow heavy. Before she knew it, she was dozing off, lulled into the sleep by the familiar warmth and scent of milk and kits.
When she woke, Hollystep felt more rested than she had in moons. She stretched luxuriously in her nest, purring contently. She sat up as another cat pushed their way through the tight bramble entrance.
"It looks like you slept well," Rainwhisker's eyes danced with mischief. Hollystep was about to tell him about just how wonderfully she'd slept when she remembered—she was in the nursery. She flattened her ears at the gray warrior.
"Laugh it up," she mutter mutinously. "Ferncloud insisted, it's not like I'm going to keep sleeping here."
Rainwhisker nudged the rabbit he'd brought in closer to her. "Whatever you say," he murmured. He bent to lick her ear. "Just remember how good you feel now when you try falling asleep in the warriors' den tonight."
With a hiss, Hollystep cuffed her mate over the ears. "Want to share? Ferncloud and I had a late night snack." Despite that, her belly was rumbling loudly. Rainwhisker shook his head.
"No, I'm about to go back out with Sandstorm and Nettlepaw. Sandstorm's shaping her into a fine hunter; I wouldn't be surprised if every cat got two shares tonight." He touched his nose to hers one last time before making his retreat. Hollystep ate the rabbit grudgingly. Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to really be mad about sleeping in the nursery.
I should have known Ferncloud was up to something… The dark tabby queen sighed. Not like it matters. Sleeping in the nursery doesn't mean giving up patrols—it just means I'm tired of listening to Cloudtail snore. Keeping that thought close to her heart, Hollystep pushed herself to her paws and pushed herself out into the green-leaf sunlight. The sooner leaf-fall gets here the better, she decided. For more reason than one.