(A/N: If you haven't noticed, I changed the name of the first story to 'Safe Haven 1: Nightcloud's Refuge'. This is it's sequel 'Safe Haven 2: The Heart Wants what it Wants'. It is in the POV of Nightcloud's daughters and the POV will alternate between them. If you haven't read the first story, please do so before reading this to avoid confusion!)

ThunderClan

Leader: Bramblestar- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Ivypool- silver-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather- gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Medicine Cat Apprentice: Streampaw

Warriors:

Squirrelflight- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice: Bluepaw

Nightcloud- black she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose- cream-colored tom

Mousewhisker- gray-and-white tom

Poppyfrost- tortoiseshell she-cat

Cinderheart- gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice: Rowanpaw

Lionblaze- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Bumblestripe- very pale gray tom with black stripes

Dovewing- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice: Hazelpaw

Molewhisker- brown-and-cream tom

Cherryfall- pale ginger she-cat

Apprentice: Swallowpaw

Snowtail- white, fluffy tom

Apprentice: Smokepaw

Sorrelcloud- golden tabby she-cat

Hollyfrost- gray tabby she-cat

Tawnyheart- dark brown tabby-she-cat

Sunblaze- dark ginger tom

Queens:

Rosepetal- dark cream she-cat (mother of Bumblestripe's kits: Dustkit (tom), Stormkit (tom); 4 moons old)

Blossomfall- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat (mother of Molewhisker's kits: Brindlekit (she-cat), Maplekit (she-cat); 3 moons old)

Lilyheart- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat (mother of Snowtail's kits: Brackenkit (tom), Ravenkit (tom), Applekit (she-cat); half moon old)

Apprentices:

Bluepaw- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with remarkable blue eyes

Rowanpaw- cream-colored tom

Hazelpaw- pale ginger she-cat

Smokepaw- gray-and-white tom

Swallowpaw- black she-cat with green eyes

Streampaw- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Elders:

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches

Thornclaw- golden-brown tabby tom

Leafpool- tabby-and-white she-cat (retired after bad case of greencough)

Birchfall- light brown tabby tom (retired after bad case of greencough)

Chapter 1

A steady rain fell onto the forest floor, soaking the green grass and softening the hard earth. Dark gray clouds blanketed the sky, casting shadows over the land beneath. The air was cool and a harsh wind buffeted the dark green leaves of tall, sturdy oak and maple trees. On one end of the dense forest, the ground gave way to a cliff etched out in smooth gray stone, creating a pit beneath. Inside the stone walls a group of cats were hiding in shallow dens, waiting for the pouring rain to cease.

Down tucked beneath a thick bush, sheltered by woven sticks and leaves, were several young cats. The group lay in mossy nests, warm and comfortable in their shelter. Lying closest to the den's entrance were the two youngest cats, who watched the rain in quiet fascination.

"What on earth are you two doing?" a tortoiseshell cat asked, shifting in her nest to stare at the two.

The brown tabby sitting by the entrance glanced back at the tortoiseshell. "We like watching the rain," she meowed. "It's very soothing watching it glide down from the sky."

"That's weird, Streampaw," a gray-and-white tom mewed. "The rain is annoying. I wanted to go out hunting today but Snowtail told me to stay dry. This is no fun!"

Streampaw shrugged, turning away from the tom. "If you're so bored I'm sure the elders would love for you to take them some prey, Smokepaw."

The black she-cat sitting next to the tabby nodded. "Yes, I'm sure they're very hungry. Go take them prey."

Smokepaw shook his head. "You aren't my mentors! You can't tell me what to do!"

"If only we could," Streampaw sighed. She glanced at the black she-cat. "Swallowpaw, do you want to take prey to the elders with me? They still need to eat, even if the prey will be a bit soggy."

"Sandstorm will be mad if we take her anything soggy," Swallowpaw replied. "We'll have to burrow through the fresh-kill pile to find something that's still at least partly dry."

The tortoiseshell she-cat snorted. "Best of luck to you, then. If you two want to get your fur soaked and get a scolding from Sandstorm, don't come crying to me!"

Streampaw glared at the older cat. "When did you get so bossy, Bluepaw? Just because you're one of the oldest apprentices doesn't mean you can tell us what to do!"

"Well!" Bluepaw gasped, giving Streampaw a stern glare. "When Rowanpaw and I are made warriors soon, then you'll have to give me some respect!"

"Rowanpaw will be a much better warrior than you!" the tabby apprentice hissed. "At least he went out with his mentor today instead of whining about getting his fur wet like you did! If I were Squirrelflight, I'd have clawed your fur off!"

With that, Streampaw turned and hurried ran out of the den. She quickly made her way to the fresh-kill pile in the center of camp, lashing her tail furiously as she dug around the prey.

The black she-cat followed her and stood beside the tabby. "You know, you really shouldn't provoke Bluepaw like that. It will only get you into trouble."

Streampaw sighed. "I know, Swallowpaw, but I don't know why she has to be so full of herself. Ever since she was made an apprentice six moons ago she's been so annoying!"

"Well, she did get the former deputy as her mentor," Swallowpaw mused. "Any cat that gets Squirrelflight as a mentor is going to think they're pretty special. Anyway, she'll probably be made a warrior really soon. She and Rowanpaw both talk about having their assessments any time now."

"At least Rowanpaw's nice," the tabby she-cat mewed, finally selecting a robin with mostly dry feathers. "Let's get this to the elder's den quickly before the rain starts coming down any harder!"

"Good idea!" her sister replied, picking up a mouse. "Hopefully they'll tell us a story!"

Streampaw trotted away from the fresh-kill pile toward a hollowed log that lay against the far wall of camp. Ducking beneath the lichen entrance, she padded into the den and dropped her robin. "Anyone ready to eat?" she asked.

A light brown tabby tom lifted his head to see the two apprentices come in. "Oh, good! I'm starving!"

"You're always starving, Birchfall!" a white-and-ginger she-cat laughed.

"I think Sandstorm eats more than he does," a golden-brown tabby tom argued.

Streampaw nudged her robin toward a pale ginger she-cat. "Here, Sandstorm. I tried to find the driest piece of prey for you."

Sandstorm nosed the bird gently. "It feels damp," she growled, "but it'll do."

"We brought a mouse, too," Swallowpaw added. "Do you want us to fetch more? We have a lot of elders right now."

Birchfall shook his head. "That mouse looks good and plump. Leafpool and I can share that. Brightheart and Thornclaw can share Sandstorm's robin."

"Thank you so much for thinking of us in this weather," Brightheart meowed. "I was afraid I'd have to haul my old bones out in the rain to get something to eat."

"You two are turning out to be fine warriors," Leafpool added, tearing a piece of meat from the mouse.

Streampaw shook her head seriously. "I'm not training to be a warrior, Leafpool!" she said. "Jayfeather's my mentor!"

The tabby she-cat nodded. "Oh, how could I forget that? How's your training coming along? Is Jayfeather giving you any trouble?"

"No, he says I'm going to be a great medicine cat," Streampaw announced proudly. "Did he tell you I got a thorn out of Hazelpaw's paw all by myself?"

"Oh, that's great!" Leafpool meowed.

"Really wonderful!" Brightheart echoed.

Sandstorm turned toward the tabby's sister. "And how are you doing, dear? Is Cherryfall a good mentor?"

Streampaw watched in amusement as her sister bounced excitedly toward the elder. "Oh, Sandstorm, it's great!" Swallowpaw mewed. "I can hunt almost anything now! Cherryfall even says my tree climbing has really improved! And guess what? I beat Rowanpaw at a battle move yesterday for the first time, and he's huge!"

"It sounds like you're both doing really well," Thornclaw observed. "ThunderClan is very lucky to have you."

"I'm going to be the very best warrior ThunderClan has ever seen!" Swallowpaw promised. "I'm going to be the best hunter and the best fighter! Those stinky ShadowClan cats won't know what's coming once I'm a warrior!"

Streampaw rested her tail on her sister's shoulders, proud that Swallowpaw was doing so well in her training. "I'm really happy for you, sis," she meowed solemnly. Will I ever be the best at something? There's no way I could be a better medicine cat than Jayfeather!

"How about you, Streampaw?" Brightheart asked. "You look as if you're lost in thought."

"Oh," the tabby mewed nervously, staring down at her paws. "I was just thinking that I might not be as good of a medicine cat as my sister is at being a warrior."

"Nonsense!" Sandstorm snapped. "You have every chance at being a great medicine cat! You are every bit as promising as your sister."

Streampaw met the elderly she-cat's green gaze. "You really think so?"

"Of course!" Sandstorm meowed. "With enough training and experience, you could even be as good of a medicine cat as Yellowfang- and that's saying something!"

A wave of warmth and gratitude washed over the young apprentice as she listened to the ginger she-cat's kind words. "Thank you. I'll try my very best."

"You know what we have here?" Leafpool asked. "Two of ThunderClan's brightest apprentices. Someday Swallowpaw will be the best warrior in the Clan and Streampaw will be the best medicine cat. I know it!"

"All I want is to be the very best at what I do," Streampaw mewed. And someday I'll get there!