Ivykit sat with her sister Mosskit staring in amazement at the warriors that had just come back from the battle. Some of the cats carried two limp bodies back. The leader, Foxstar, announced that they were dead. I think he said their names were Toadleap and Birdwind. Our mother, Silverpool, is the deputy. We would be apprenticed soon, any day now! I can't wait to become an apprentice. Mosskit's black and white tail flicked back and forth. We had about the same color pattern except Mosskit was more black than white and I was more white than black. Tree older warriors were seated at the medicine den waiting to be treated on; all of them had horrible scratches on them, one of them named Rabbitfoot at a sore under his eye that was puffed up. The two others were called Yellowstripe and Duskleaf. Rabbitfoot met my eyes and I shivered at all of the scars that he would have for the rest of his life. He turned his head away quickly when he saw how my face looked. The two elders came out of their den Mousepelt and Deepwave, and sat down with the three cats waiting to be healed by the medicine cat. Her name was Brackensnow; she was the prettiest she-cat in the whole clan.
"Ivykit, Mosskit," I jumped when I heard my mother call us. "Those cats over at the medicine den," she pointed to the five cats clustered together. "Yellowstripe, Duskleaf, and Rabbitfoot have decided that they are moving into the elder's den with Mousepelt and Deepwave."
"Oh, no; I'm sorry to hear that they're retiring," Mosskit meowed with respect. "I'll go give my gratitude to them "
"Wait just a second young lady," my mother mowed with a twinkle in her eye. Come on! What did we do this time! I thought sternly. "Since we have lost five of our warriors, we will need more to train." My heart skipped a beat and Mosskit beamed at me. That means that we'll be apprentices now!
I looked over at the five cats. They were looking at us, but not with envy. "Mom, can we go talk to the elders?" I asked her.
"Yes, but let me groom you while you talk to them. Mosskit, you look okay to me, did you groom this morning?" now she was the one asking the questions.
"Yes, I did." She looked at me with a playful smirk. "Ivykit was too busy bugging the warriors before they went to go battle." My pelt burned as Silverpool looked at me.
"Sorry, mom" I mewed quickly and tilted my head. She softened her gaze as she heard the urge in my voice.
"Don't worry; you'll still be apprenticed today." She shared a glance with Foxstar who wasn't much older than she was which was fairly young. "Let's go talk to the elders now."
"Okay." Mosskit walked beside me. I wasn't looking at the ground and my feet dipped into cold water. I let out a little shriek and Mosskit laughed at me, her feet only got a little wet.
"You've got quite a handful, Silverpool." A white she-cat with a silky tail walked by with a light brown tom with claw marks on his back, I knew him, his name was easy to remember, and he was Clawpelt.
"It's worth it," she replied. "Don't you agree, Milkytail?" she looked at her with admiring eyes. "You're my best friend, you know. I don't know what I would have done without your advice."
"Oh, Silverpool I'm just joking you, silly." She nudged her. "My kit has the best father possible." She looked at Clawpelt.
Silverpool flinched at her friends words and her eyes widened. Milkytail and Clawpelt saw their friend's shock and turned to us.
"You two are absolutely beautiful," Clawpelt changed the subject. "Just as beautiful as you mother." Silverpool shook her head and smiled at him for his kind words. Foxstar who was passing took a step back and turned around. What had disturbed them?
"I am so happy for you," Soulfire, Milkytail's brother padded up with the new elders. "Foxstar isn't going to announce the elder ceremony, everyone knows anyway.
"My sister and I give our thanks for your service to the clan." Rabbitfoot purred with amusement and nudged Duskleaf who was looking at his paws. Yellowstripe whispered something in his ear that made his ears perk up.
"I suggested that you two take our place in training," Rabbitfoot explained. "You seem eager enough." Mosskit, she was always the one to react first, and the most positive and friendly. I wish I could be as cheerful as my sister; she was always the one who stole everyone's heart while I just sat down and watched. One day I told Silverpool how I felt she said that I'm more of an observer. I do agree with her, I seem to see what's going on with the clan more than Mosskit.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Snowrock for a clan meeting." Foxstar had jumped up on the large white rock that loomed over all of our heads and glistened in the dying sunlight.
"Oh, goodness," Silverpool exclaimed. "Can't he wait until I've at least cleaned Ivykit once?"
"Come on, Silverpool let them be." Clawpelt chuckled. "You remember how it was to get washed all the time. You hated it. I haven't lost my memory yet, I'm so old "
"You are not old." Milkytail snapped at him. "You're as young as the blossoms budding on the trees, and you'll always seem young to me, dear." I can't believe I forgot that they were mates!
Brakensnow came out of the medicine den with Featherpaw the only apprentice in the clan. Well, she won't be for long. The medicine cat looked very irritated for some reason. She was flicking her tail impatiently, but she said nothing. Then I realized that Featherpaw looked just as irritated as Brackensnow.
Nettlewhisker, who was lying next to his dead sister, Birdwind, lifted his head to see what Foxstar wanted. Toadleap was Birdwind's mate; of course Nettlewhisker was grieving for him, too.
"I think we have two kits that are overdue for their apprenticeship." He looked down on, us his red and black coat that looked just like the animal he was named after was shining like fire. "Mosskit and Ivykit, your new names until you earn your warrior names will be Mosspaw and Ivypaw. StarClan bless you," now he looked at Brackensnow. "Will we be going to the Gathering after what they have done to us?"
Brackensnow looked at her paws in anger. "I don't like the idea of it, but we must believe in our warrior ancestors to protect us, there is still the truce no matter how bad things get. I think we should take the whole clan, it will make us look larger."
He looked at the nursery in stress. "Should we take Sweetbreeze and her kit?" Of course Foxstar would be worried about his mate and son, Darkkit.
"Yes," Brackensnow looked up at him. "She will be safe with all of us around her, and I think if anything were to happen that LockClan would surely help us, after all we were the ones that helped them when they got in trouble with DreadClan."
Foxstar made his way down the Snowrock and everyone gathered around him. Featherpaw ran off to the nursery and got Sweetbreeze who had a small black kit following her. He nodded his head to Silverpool and Brackensnow and they took their place beside of him and we set off for the Gathering. Mosspaw walked on my left side all the way there. I didn't look at the forest around me for once, but she seemed keen to get a much as the scenery as she could. The five elders stood behind the leader, deputy, and medicine cat. The four warriors walked in front of us. I assume that Sweetbreeze is in between the elders and warriors with her kit and Featherpaw. Nettlewhisker had his head down the whole time you could hear him crying. Soulfire stood close to his grieving friend.
Suddenly, the dark forest thinned out into a clearing with a massive white rock that was four times as big as the one at home in camp. I gasped in amazement at the beauty of it.
"Don't you think it's pretty?" I asked Mosspaw. "I've never seen anything like it, the elders described it perfectly." She just stopped and looked at the clearing that was filled with all of the clans.
"I want to make a friend in another clan." She announced. "Don't you think that would be neat? We are probably the youngest apprentices to come to one of the Gatherings!"
Nettlewhisker turned his head around to stare at her. "It won't be as cool as you think it'll be." Milkytail shoved him lightly.
"Don't ruin their spirits, Nettlewhisker."
He glared at her and walked on ahead of the warriors. Mosspaw raced up and took place where he was in the line and started jabbering her head off to Soulfire and Milkytail leaving me alone.
There was a shallow stream circling the clearing where the clans waited. The rocks that were smoothed down felt wonderful along with the stream that only touched the very bottoms of your paws. When we got out of the stream, the cats on one side of the clearing were hissing and spitting with fury. The other clans next to us were calm. A light ginger she-cat that stood under the rock with two other cats raced up and whispered something into Foxstar's ear. He dipped his head to her and the clan that was calm made a path for us to go through and they took the place where we were supposed to sit. Silverpool sat beside the she-cat and waited for Foxstar to get up the rock.
Soulfire leaned back and whispered something to me. "Ivypaw, don't sit alone, you can never tell what will happen at a Gathering nowadays. We don't want you to get lost like Rowanpaw did."
I walked up and sat beside Soulfire reluctantly. "What happened to this cat you call Rowanpaw." I asked quietly. "I don't remember him."
"Well," he sighed. "I suppose that you wouldn't know, he was Featherpaw's brother," he looked at the dark gray she cat who sat next to Sweetbreeze. "He was at the Gathering, only a little older than you. And DreadClan took him when he strayed from us. Featherpaw never likes to talk about it, that's why we never told you. I have a friend in DreadClan, though, and she says that Rowanpaw is trying to find the right chance to get away." Then he let out another long sigh. "She hates being in DreadClan, her name is Rainfrost."
"Can we go see her?" I asked. "That's what Gatherings are for, right?" he looked at me awkwardly as if it were a tough decision.
"We can try," he paused "but if I cause trouble with DreadClan we'll both be in the elders den killing their ticks for a moon!" He was half joking half warning me.
A yowl sounded from on top of the giant white rock and a smoky black tom sat up. "What is the name of the rock they are sitting on? And who are the cats on top of it?" I asked him quietly.
"The rock is called TheCrystalSone, and the smoky black tom you see up there standing is Fallenstar of DreadClan, the white she-cat on his left is Silkstar of MarshClan, the bright ginger she-cat on Fallenstar's right is Settingstar of LockClan, they live near the lake in their territory, and you know Foxstar and you know that we live in ValleyClan, too." He pointed out to me every cat. "Now the Gathering has begun, we must be quiet now "
"Yes, I wish you would be quiet!" A senior warrior from SettingClan snapped at him. "I would think better of you, Soulfire." He scolded the young warrior. "Is that your apprentice?" he asked sternly.
"Well," Soulfire began. "They aren't anyone's apprentices really. Foxstar didn't have time to make the decision. We had a battle with DreadClan. Two of our cats died and three decided to move into the elders den, they couldn't take any more of the cruelty that the wretched clan can put on you."
"Oh, I understand." He nodded his head. "Please excuse my rudeness; you must have had a rough day."
"I accept your apology, Hollowfeather, and yes; it was a pretty rough day for us all." Soulfire addressed Hollowfeather. I hope my mentor will be Soulfire; he's really cool and knows a bunch! I bet he likes me, too. Ivypaw thought happily.
"Are you eager to learn?" Hollowfeather asked me. "You seem like one that likes to observe," he looked up at Silverpool up under the Crystal Stone with the other deputies. "Just like your mother. Foxstar made a wise decision in choosing her to be his deputy, she is very reliable, and a good friend."
"We have a problem!" Fallenstar was shouting on the rock at the other clans. "You know how much of a pest that ValleyClan is! They make me sick how weak they are "
"Have you ever thought of what we think about you, Fallenstar, or are you too stupid to even see that straight?" Foxstar got up in his stuck up face. "No one thinks you are so great and brave anymore. Why did you attack us? We didn't do a single thing to make you think we wanted a fight. Don't you think that StarClan might not approve of your treachery?"
Hollowfeather looked at Soulfire questioningly. "What?" he whispered barely.
Soulfire leaned over my back to reply into Hollowfeather's ear. "We think that he is doing this all because of what we said about Rowanpaw last Gathering. Poor Featherpaw was so heartbroken we had to mention something. We thought that maybe not everyone in DreadClan was brainwashed by Fallenstar's words, but we were wrong. I'm sure that there are a few that aren't brainwashed, they were just scared to do anything, and I can't blame them."
"Why have you brought Sweetbreeze and her kit? What is the kit's name ?" Hollowfeather was cut off by a yowl from Settingstar.
"Enough of this, I will each of your stories when the Gathering is over! Don't you agree this argument needs to be settled quietly, Silkstar?" She turned to her best friend for her support.
"I agree." Silkstar meowed curtly, her silver white pelt gleaming in the full moon light. "May I tell the news of my clan?" Settingstar dipped her head and Foxstar sat back down where he was supposed to sit. Then Silkstar began with her news. "MarshClan has three new apprentices: Jadepaw, Redpaw, and Weaselpaw. I would like for you to give thanks to their mentors Thrushflight, Brablewing, and Mudfoot who has taken Weaselpaw as her medicine-cat apprentice." Cheers bursted out from all of the clans. I'll have to remember that most everyone favors LockClan and the leader.
When the cheers died down Settingstar stood to give news about her clan. "We also have a new apprentice in LockClan: Owlpaw and we have two new warriors: Poolfur and Frostpelt." The rest of the clans cheered for LockClan's newest name ceremonies, but not as enthusiastically as they did with MarshClan. I wonder if Hollowfeaher is in LockClan. I think he is. I'm not sure about it though. I'll ask him.
"Hollowfeather," I looked up at the big gray warrior. "Are you in LockClan?" I asked curiously.
He looked down at me softly. "Yes, I am. I was right; you do catch on to stuff easily. The deputy is Brightwind; she is the one who whispered into Foxstar's ear when you first came into the Gathering. She is also Settingstar's sister."
"It's nice to know someone in the other clans that you can trust." I gleamed at him with big, blue eyes. "I like you."
"Well, I like you, too." He chuckled softly and flicked his tail over my ear. "I think that Foxstar is going to announce that you and your sister Oh, how did I forget her name already? Is it Mosspaw?"
"Yup, that's her name all right." Soulfire butted in. "Now I think we should leave Hollowfeather alone." He meowed to me. "Let's see what Foxstar says about you and Mosspaw."
Foxstar stood up. He gave a brief glaze at Fallenstar and then he began. "Our deputy, Silverpool's daughters are now apprentices their names are Mosspaw and Ivypaw. Please excuse me for doing a ceremony here, but we had no time for one before we left our camp thanks to Fallenstar over here. Mosspaw and Ivypaw did not get to know who their mentors will be." He took a pause before speaking again as he scanned his clan. "I think that the wise choice for Mosspaw's mentor would be Nettlewhisker!" the dark brown tabby head of Nettlewhisker lifted when he heard his voice being called by all of the clans. "And I think the cat most capable of training Ivypaw is " Oh please be Soulfire, pleae let it be Soulfire! I was screaming in my head. "Soulfire, you are to mentor Ivypaw." I let out a sigh of relief and Soulfire bent down and licked my head gently as they called out our names. He wasn't as rough as Silverpool was when she licked my head. I pressed my body close up against his warm fur against the cool night air.
"Congratulations, Soulfire." Hollowfeather meowed to us. "Your dream to become a mentor has finally come true; you are brave and loyal even though you may not be very much older than an apprentice yourself. And what was Foxstar's kit called? I was asking you that before we got cut off."
"Oh," Soulfire realized that he had forgotten to tell Hollowfeather about the kit. "Um, yeah, hum " Soulfire scratched his ear nervously. "Well," he looked down at me and whispered. "Don't mention this to anyone! Do you understand me? If you do we'll be in a lot of trouble, and I mean a lot of trouble." I nodded my head yes and he continued on to tell Hollowfeather. "Now don't get me wrong when you hear this, I love Foxstar and Sweetbreeze, but there is something about his son that worries me, you remember his name used to be Littlekit but for some reason they renamed him Darkkit just out of the blue! He is a nice little kit and all, but you just have to wonder why they did that " his voice trailed off as he looked forward at where Sweetbreeze and the leader's son were to find Darkkit turning his head to look back at us. I waved my tail and smiled but Darkkit looked back with a sad expression on his little black face.
Around us all of the cats were breaking up into conversation. A dark ginger tom that was standing under the CrystalRock was trotting up to greet us. He smiled at Hollowfeather and turned to Soulfire. "I hear that you've finally accomplished the dream of becoming a mentor. I am very sorry to hear about the warriors that died and the ones that retired, I know that Silkstar admired them all greatly, Silverpool told me." Then he looked down at me. "And you must be Ivypaw! It' nice to meet you! My name is Amberclaw."
"Hello," I greeted him. "It's nice to meet you too. I am glad to be an apprentice at last; I can't wait to serve me clan."
Amberclaw looked at Hollowfeather and then looked at Soulfire. "Oh, about the clan; I would like to talk to you alone, Soulfire. LockClan has been having worries that we would like to share."
Soulfire looked down at me and scanned the clearing. "Why don't you go meet some apprentices, Ivypaw? They are over there talking with your sister under the apple tree." I looked over my shoulder and saw my sister's black and white pelt clustered around with other apprentices.
"Okay, Soulfire." I shighed to him and walked off to meet them. Most of them were larger than me, but there were three other cats our size. They must be the new apprentices that Silkstar announced. I thought encouraged by the sight of cats of my own age group. Mosspaw was chatting with a ginger tom our age, he must be Reddpaw. I guessed.
"Oh, hey Ivypaw I was beginning think you didn't want to talk to your sister!" Mosspaw exclaimed when she saw me trotting up with my head hung. "You don't look to happy?"
"What's there to be happy about?" I shot at her. I don't like to talk in front of cats I don't know like this! And Mosspaw knows it, too! "I don't know anyone!"
"Sorry, Redpaw." She apologized to the ginger tom. "Ivypaw isn't in a very good mood at the time, she usually isn't like this, the grumpy old badger." She teased me, but I didn't appreciate it.
A bark brown she-cat turned her head around to see me. He face looked quite friendly when she noticed my nervousness. Then she turned her whole body towards us. "Hi, I'm Jadepaw."
"Uh, yeah, I'm, uh, Ivypaw." My voice quivered when I spoke. "I'm not as happy as Mosspaw, so don't expect me to be nice." I looked at the brother and sister threateningly.
Mosspaw shoved me hard. "That wasn't nice at all!"
"Well, not everyone can be as loveable and adorable as you, so get over it!" I shouted at her meanly.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's the fuss?" my mother shot at us as she walked past the apple tree with the deputy from MarshClan and DreadClan.
Mosspaw stood up straight and tall, but I was furious with her, so I slumped even more in defiance. Then Mosspaw looked up at Silverpool and addressed her respectfully. "Ivypaw is being very rude to Jadepaw and Redpaw. She is also trying to insult me just because she can't be nice." My claws were itching to rake her ear with rage, but I deiced that I couldn't ever win against Mosspaw, everyone loved her, why would they think that she ever did anything wrong, they always accused me before they even thought it was her that did anything, and why would they ever trust me? I hardly speak to anyone. I'm just the bad apple that no one likes, not even mother can see that Mosspaw isn't really as good as she appears to be. The only ones who didn't spoil her were Foxstar and Soulfire. I can't say that I do want to be spoiled anyway.
"Oh, really, was she?" She looked at Redpaw and Jadepaw. Why do I have to be born so stupid? I must look like an idiot; I must make a bad impression on my clan, and my mom. My shoulders hung even lower to where it hurt, but I didn't care.
Jadepaw shuffled her paws and looked up at Silverpool with pale green eyes. On the other hand her brother looked like he wasn't afraid to hesitated, that he was only doing this because his sister was doing it. "Well," Jadepaw began. "It made me feel bad."
"Ivypaw," my mother looked down on me harshly. "What did you say to them both?"
I didn't look at her face, I didn't want to. It wouldn't help my situation any to see how angry my mother was. "Well, I basically told them that I'm not a nice person and don't want to be their friend. There isn't anything wrong with stating what I think my opinion is. They need to get over it. I did nothing wrong. Mosspaw just wants to get me in trouble again."
Mosspaw snapped her head around to glare at me. "I'm doing this for your own good "
"Oh, don't start that load of fox-dung on me! You know I don't care about what you say or Silverpool!" I got up in her face. I knew that what I did would make my mother only hate me more, but I don't love her or Mosspaw I haven't lost a single thing in them.
Silverpool broke me from Mosspaw's face. Anger was burning in her eyes. "Go home!" she ordered me harshly. "And don't even think that you won't get any punishment for this!"
Then I turned on her. "I would be more that overjoyed to be away from you two!" I didn't look back as I charged over the creek and into the woods with tears pouring from my face. Why couldn't I have been blessed with happiness like my sister was! Why? Why? Why? My head was screaming at myself inside my head. I bet Silverpool wishes that she would have only had Mosspaw! I mean nothing to her. I don't blame her though. I am the worst daughter anyone could ever have. Why don't I feel any love towards anyone? Why doesn't anyone love me? Soulfire probably only said those nice things because he wanted to get on Foxstar's good side so that he could be a mentor! I hate myself!
"Hey," I had bumped into someone! "What clan are you from, kit? I'm trying not to be noticed, okay?" I looked up to see a dark brown tabby tom standing with his fur spiked in front of me he looked like he was either a young warrior or an older apprentice.
"First of all I'm not a kit," I growled at him sternly. "And second of all why should I tell you what clan I'm in, and you might as well call me by my name, Ivypaw, and I'm in ValleyClan, my mom is the deputy, and she'll rip you to shreds."
He smiled at me. "Calm down kid, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm from ValleyClan also. My name is Rowanpaw, you, might have heard of me. You know Featherpaw I'm sure. Well, I'm her brother."
"Don't call me kid!" I shouted at him and shouted back over my shoulder as I was about to march back to camp. "And I don't want your help getting back to camp!"
I looked at him one more time before I started to move. When I took the first step he jumped on my back without even touching the ground and I was about ten-tail lengths from him, too! "You might not want my help getting back to the camp, but you need it." He whispered in my ear. "I know because you were going in the direction of DreadClan, and I'm sure you don't want to be found there." He loosened his grip on my back and I shoved him off with effort. My body was tired and aching from running, and my mind was tired from having to deal with all of my stubbornness towards my mother and sister. There was no use in fighting with Rowanpaw, too. He was the one trying to help me get home.
My heart lurched with sorrow of what I had said and done in such as short amount of time. "Why in the name of StarClan did I have to be born without any happiness in my heart?" I mewed to myself under my breath to where Rowanpaw couldn't be able to hear me. We began to walk back through the woods away from the path that I had collided into Rowanpaw on. A while had passed before I began to recognize the area around me. The tall white birch tree that hung over the clearing was coming into view. It was unmistakable because of the branches that stood out like spikes on it that was forged like this from a bolt of lightning that had stuck it, but the tree didn't fall. I remember Mousepelt telling me the story when Mosspaw and I were still new-born kits.
"Everyone is born with some happiness in them," Rowanpaw meowed to me unexpectedly. "Has there being a thought troubling you? Or was it something you said, maybe?"
I bent my head over in shame. "I'm jealous of my sister Mosspaw because all of the cats love her. They just look past me as if I weren't there. My mother dosen't even treat me right anymore. I remember being as flighty and carefree as my sister, but I think something happened that changed me." Then I turned on him "I don't know why I'm telling you this stuff! You'll probably hate me too when we get back!" The grass in from of me began to blur and water droplets came down my cheeks.
"Why would I have a reason to hate you?" Rowanpaw turned his head and his paws stooped abruptly making him trip. He caught himself before his head hit the ground. He shook the leaves off of his white chest and stood straight. "I haven't seen you since you were too young even to open your eyes. Silverpool seemed delighted at the birth of her two daughters." Then his gaze softened as he looked onward. "It's been forever since I've seen home!" he tumbled his way down the slope, more like fell. I padded carefully after him. I liked Rowanpaw, he was one of the sorts of cat that you want to be around.
When he finally got done with tumbling down the clearing he rushed into camp. I followed him in and saw him looking at every den to see if anything had changed since he had been gone. Then I remembered that I hadn't had the chance to make my nest yet, so I left Rowanpaw to wondering and went inside the medicine den to look for moss that Brackensnow always had sitting beside the pool. I picked up some in my jaws and headed out towards the apprentices den.
As my eyes reached the sky I saw that the dark blue was beginning to get lighter and the stars of Silverpelt were beginning to fade. When I passed Rowanpaw he seemed to come out of his trance and went to go get some moss of his own.
Inside the apprentices den it was still dark, but not to were you couldn't see. I put my wad of moss close to the entrance in hopes that Mosspaw would try and search for a warmer spot deeper inside the den. I wouldn't get as cold as her; my pelt is thicker than her silky fur.
Paws thundered outside of the den and I heard a shriek of joy. That must be Featherpaw. I guessed. The other cats by the sound of their paws had gathered around him. I could hear Milkytail and Clawpelt's purrs over all of the other purrs that greeted Rowanpaw.
"Welcome back!" Foxstar's voice praised him. "We are glad to have you with us again, Rowanpaw."
I just kept spreading out the moss for my nest. I would get punished soon. Might as well try to do something useful, Ivypaw, try and get some peace. I told myself bitterly. Siloverpool will be in here before you know it, either her or Mosspaw. I turned my back on the light shafting in from the entrance and waited. Outside I could hear paws padding away from Rowanpaw. Two shadows broke the light that came in. I opened my mouth to see if I could taste who it was: Nettlewhisker and Soulfire. Then the whole light was covered by a shadow.
"Ivypaw," it was Foxstar. "Silverpool told me about what you said tonight at the Gathering. I don't approve of what you did. There was no need to be rude to the other apprentices; they were trying to be friendly. I apologized to Jadepaw and Redpaw; they were very friendly and good mannered." He came in and sat down next to me. His tail lightly touched my back. "What provoked you to say the mean words to them?" he asked calmly. "It's okay, I just want to see why something would make you say those things, and it's not like you at all to be so rude."
"Well," I began nervously. "I really don't know what angered me to say that, but I think it was because I was jealous of Mosspaw for getting all of the attention. I don't know why she gets looked upon so fondly."
"I understand how you must feel," Foxstar sighed. "I don't agree with Silverpool for letting this happen to you, she has no right to snap at you. She brought it on herself to have you get mad at her. It was natural for you to do, Ivypaw. Please don't let yourself get discouraged over things like this." He bent his head down and whispered in my ear. "Soulfire is your mentor because I noticed that he never treated Mosspaw in any special way, he actually to more of a liking towards you."
There was a silence until I took the advantage to ask him the question that had been on my mind. "Foxstar," I began. "What made Mosspaw so special, or was it something that happened to me, and that's why I'm looked over? I don't think I remember anything happening to either one of us?"
Foxstar looked up at the roof of the den and then looked at my face. "Ivypaw," he began. "I know that it isn't fair, so please bear with me while I tell you this. I don't like the thought of it myself. Ivypaw, there was a prophecy that Mosspaw would shine like a star in the darkest part of our hearts and put our faith in her, that she would one day when we needed her most that she would fall and come back again shining with all of the light and warmth every cat that ever lived felt, and she would save us while no hope was near." He lowered his head and let out a sigh.
"I understand know," I told him. "Thank you for telling me, I will hold no grudge against my sister, but I will never love her the way I used to. I'll try to show as much love as I used to though, and maybe others will see light in me too, even if Mosspaw may show hope, I can show equal love."
Foxstar licked my head. "I'm glad that you have a strong heart, Ivypaw. What you told me was the wise words of a warrior, and I am glad to have you as my friend." He slowly got up and shook the dust off of his white belly. "You will not receive a punishment. Now try and get some rest, you have earned it." The fox furred warrior padded softly out of the den. I laid my head down one again and shut my eyes. The scents of Featherpaw, Rowanpaw, and Mosspaw filled my nose as they walked in. I didn't greet them but I could feel Mosspaw's eyes flicker off and on at me.
"Tell us what it was like being in DreadClan, Rowanpaw." Mosspaw was begging him. "Well," he began to tell his adventure, but I never heard it. Sleep was already taking me into dreams of being in the nursery with my sister, and playing outside while Sweetbreeze and Silverpool watched me.
Mosspaw is my sister, and I love her no matter what her destiny is.