Brook and her kits wait for Stormfur and his patrol to get back. When they do, they talk about how the intruders are not respecting the borders. Stormfur suggests more patrols but Stoneteller has overheard him. He angrily cuts in, insisting there will be no additional patrols. Stoneteller leaves the cats and goes into the Cave of Pointed Stones. Bird follows him, wishing to speak once again about him choosing a successor. They exchange words and finally Stoneteller says he will look for signs that night. But after she leaves he declares he will never choose an heir, that he hates how the tribe is becoming a clan.
Dovepaw and Ivypaw are doing their assessments. They split up, with Lionblaze and Spiderleg assessing Dovepaw. She is nervous and having a hard time focusing - she also keeps getting distracted by sensing too much and she is also worried about her sister. She misses the squirrel Lionblaze sends her after. Then Icecloud comes along for team hunting. Dovepaw gets her into position but instead of going after the bird they are supposed to be hunting she realizes something is wrong with the sound of Icecloud's paw steps. She races after Icecloud, startling the bird, and the ground gives way under her friend. Dovepaw tries to catch her before she falls into the hole in the ground but Icecloud is too heavy and falls down, leaving a horrified Dovepaw behind.
Lionblaze and Spiderleg race over. Lionblaze sends Spiderleg off for help. Realizing this the tunnels that are connected with Hollyleaf's resting place Lionblaze tells Dovepaw no one else is to enter. He doesn't want anyone thinking about Ashfur and Hollyleaf and potentially connecting the dots. Help arrives and the cats try to figure out how to get an injured Icecloud out of the hole. Eventually the idea is to lower a cat down who can tie a tendril around Icecloud so she can be hauled up, since she is unable to wrap it around herself. Lionblaze wants to go but Dovepaw volunteers figuring this way she can protect whatever Lionblaze's secret is. The warriors don't want to lower her since she is just an apprentice but she points out she is the lightest. They agree and she is sent down enabling them to get Icecloud out. Jayfeather and some cats bring Icecloud back to the camp while everyone else decides what to do. In the end they decide they cannot fill in the hole so they will build a barricade around it. As they head back to camp, Dovepaw admits she is worried about failing her assessment. Ivypaw tells her it is okay, Firestar will judge her differently since she is so important. Dovepaw becomes upset, wishing to be judged as a regular cat for once. Firestar asks how the cats did during their assessments. Cinderheart and Millie pass Ivypaw, but Spiderleg fails Dovepaw for hunting so poorly. However, he tells Firestar that when Icecloud fell Dovepaw acted like a warrior so he passes her. Firestar does the ceremony to make Ivypaw and Dovepaw warriors, naming them Ivypool and Dovewing. Since there are now no apprentices the young warriors are told they have to help out with apprentice duties. As the meeting breaks up Lionblaze tries to talk to Cinderheart but she is distant. As she walks away Lionblaze is upset that Cinderheart thinks she isn't special enough for him since she is all he wants.
After tending to Briarlight and Icecloud, Jayfeather seeks out Lionblaze and asks him to take him to the hole. They get there and Lionblaze finds a branch for them to use to climb down. They go to the cave in, looking for signs that Hollyleaf is buried there. They dig around and find some fur but no body, making Lionblaze hope that Hollyleaf is alive.
At first Jayfeather feels happy at the prospect of his sister still being alive, but then reality sinks in and he points out to Lionblaze that she could have crawled away to die. They leave the tunnels and head back to camp. In his den Briarlight tries to get Jayfeather to tell her where he was but he won't answer. As she cleans the mud off of him he dozes off. When he wakes he wishes he had a real friend who wasn't Lionblaze - like how Lionblaze has Cinderheart - to talk to. Jayfeather goes to his nest to sleep and wakes up in the tunnels. Rock is there and tells Jayfeather he has to go to the tribe. He then leaves and Fallen Leaves arrives and they talk for a bit. When Jayfeather wakes up he finds Lionblaze as he is about to head out on a patrol and tells him they must go to the mountains.
So Hollyleaf might be alive after all. I wonder if it is her leaving the herbs and prey. And Stoneteller is still hating the changes to his tribe and is refusing to name an heir. In the end his stubbornness will hurt his tribe.
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