Fuzzstar emerged from his den.
"Make sure Roseclaw has her kits stay inside the nursery during the Gathering." Fuzzstar mewed.
"I have already checked with her and she said she would keep them quiet." Snowdaisy meowed.
"Good. Then I think we're all ready." he replied.
He made his way to the Highstumps, where the five leaders sit at the Gathering, and where clan meetings, apprentice, and warrior ceremonies are held. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me beneath the Highstumps for a clan meeting!" Fuzzstar yowled. The cats began to gather, each of their well groomed pelts sparkling in the moonlight. Fuzzstar was thankful to have such a healthy clan.
"As you all know, tonight is the Gathering" he yowled "and I want everyone on their best behavior, especially kits and apprentices. Don't give too much information to the other clans, because our size already leaves us vulnerable as it is. We don't want them to think we are weak. They might try to overpower us and steal prey from our territory, and that is unacceptable. We are still strong. We can get information from them too and find out their weaknesses, so listen close and carefully to what they say. I must end this meeting because they will be here soon."
The crowd began to break apart, some making small groups and sharing tongues. Fuzzstar leapt off the stump. Soon he could hear paw steps coming from the east entrance to the camp.
"Earthclan must be arriving." he mewed.
A few seconds later Foxstar and Vinetail were the first to break through the entrance. The rest of the clan followed behind.
"It's good to see you again Fuzzstar! How is prey running here?" Foxstar meowed happily.
"It's good to see you again Foxstar. And the prey is running fast, but not too fast to catch." Fuzzstar replied humorously.
"We've always been good friends." Foxstar said with a grin.
"That we have." Fuzzstar replied. I wonder if it will always be like this. He thought.
By now Foxstar and Fuzzstar's clans had mingled together and were talking amongst each other.
"I wonder which leader will have to sit on the ground this time." Fuzzstar meowed
"Flamestar will throw a fit if it's his turn." Foxstar glanced at the four stumps as if trying to remember whose turn it was. At last she mewed "I think it's your turn."
Suddenly there was another rumble of paw steps as Waterclan came through the south entrance. Rainstar, Waterclan's leader, skipped merrily over to the other leaders. He may be smelly, Fuzzstar thought, but at least he's friendly. Ever since the dawn of the clans, Waterclan cats have always smelled like the swamp they live in.
"Hello" Rainstar sang "Is all well in your clans?"
"I'm not going to tell you yet, Rainstar." Foxstar laughed "You're going to have to wait for the announcements."
"Fine" he replied "is Flamestar here yet? It seems a little early for the fun to end".
Rainstar's voice is full of humor. Rainstar has been known as the jokester of the leaders. He can make the dullest and saddest of days seem lively.
"Flamestar isn't here yet" Fuzzstar meowed.
"He's probably nagging at warriors, torturing apprentices, and scaring kits" Foxstar joked.
You're probably right. He's always so grouchy that it wouldn't surprise me if he was" Rainstar's mew was cold. The other leaders nodded in agreement.
Flamestar was always the least liked of the leaders. Fuzzstar had once caught an apprentice saying Flamestar was grumpy from the minute he was kitted. They say he was grumpier the oldest and meanest elder and that his first words were "The nursery is too drafty".
Yet another stampede of paw steps came from the west entrance interrupted his thoughts. Airclan was arriving. Blossomstar padded over to them.
"Is everyone here?" she questioned them.
"
No, Flamestar isn't here yet." Rainstar replied.
"I wonder what he's going to complain about this time." She mewed "If we're lucky he won't cause any trouble. But we are rarely lucky."
Fuzzstar looked over all the clans. Apprentices were arguing over who will be a warrior first and gloating about their training. Medicine cats were talking about which herbs were best for curing sickness and injury. Elders were telling stories about the good old days when the she-cats were young and beautiful, the toms strong and handsome, and the kits did what they were told. Warriors were bragging about how much prey they caught in the last moon, how well their apprentices were doing, how greatly they fought foxes and badgers, ect.
Suddenly Fireclan silently came through the North entrance. Surprisingly, only their medicine cat, Pinkfur, joined the other clans. The rest of Fireclan stayed grouped near the North entrance leading to their territory. The Fireclan cats kept shooting Tinyclan cats angry and sinister glances.
"This is odd." Blossomstar whispered.
"I, too, have a bad feeling about this." Foxstar meowed.
"Something definitely isn't right." Rianstar agreed.
Looks like Fireclan's up to their old tricks.
Flamestar flashed Fuzzstar a hostile glare as he padded past and took his place on the fourth stump.
"I wonder what this is about!" Fuzzstar growled.
Slowly the other leaders took their places on the stumps, Fuzzstar sitting on the grass below them. Flamestar stared at him, a look of pure hatred in his eyes. Blossomstar yowled to signal the Gathering had started. She bowed her head at Fuzzstar, letting him go first.
"All is well in Tinyclan." he began "We have three new kits. Mudkit, Rumblekit, and Silverkit." The kits poked their heads out of the nursery, tails swishing with delight. "Shorttail has joined the elders, and we respect her choice of doing so." Everyone, except Fireclan, cheered the old she-cat's name. "Prey has been running well in our territory, and we hope it stays that way once leaf-bare comes.
Fuzzstar turned his head to Rainstar, who was sitting on the first stump.
"Waterclan has not much to report." he meowed "Cherryfur and Beeclaw drove a badger off our territory earlier this moon. It hasn't returned, but we are stepping up patrols just in case it does." A few cheers erupted from the crowd to congratulate the two warriors. Cherryfur licked her shoulder, embarrassed, while Beeclaw sat up tall, his eyes sparkling with pride. "Waterclan has no more news to share." Rainstar nodded to Foxstar. "Earthclan has much wonderful news to share!" she yowled "Foldedears has a new apprentice, Whisperingpaw!" All eyes turned to look at the new apprentice. The young apprentices face was expressionless. Her chilling eyes stared lifelessly ahead. Her mouth was strait, portraying no visible emotion. Her grey-silver fur sparkled and flickered in the moonlight as moonlight danced across it. There's something odd about her. "We also have two new warrior apprentices!" Foxstar continued on, snapping Fuzzstar's attention back to her. "Sleepingpaw and Robinpaw!" once again, all eyes turned to look at the new apprentices. Sleepingpaw had black fur. Her eyes were close and her mouth curved in a grin. Robinpaw had brown fur, but with a red chest and belly like a robin's. His eyes shone and his tail quivered with happiness. Fuzzstar guessed all three new apprentices were kin. " Other than that, all is well in Earthclan." Foxstar glanced at Rainstar, a look of amusement and satisfaction in her eyes. Foxstar new how to make a good joke too. Then she turned her head to Blossomstar.
Blossomstar shook her head. "Airclan has no news to share. Now Flamestar can explain why his clan has been acting so rude." she yowled.
"All right." he grumbled "We want Tinyclan to leave Cross Bridge Island. And if they haven't left by next moon," He turned to Fuzzstar, his eyes glazed with rage and his voice a snarl! "Then the whole of Fireclan will force you out!"
Gasps of horror filled the clearing, and shock gripped every cat. All were too stunned to move. A haze of fear and rage swirled around the clans. Silence filled the air. Then one brave cat spoke.
"How dare you threaten another clan at a Gathering!"
Everyone snapped out of their stunned state and looked around to try and find the brave cat. In the confusion Eagletalon, a Fireclan warrior, had already raced over to the brave cat and had slashed their muzzle. The brave cat fell to the ground with a thump, knocked unconscious by the attacker's blow. "Never speak out against Fireclan's leader!" he mocked. The brave cat's muzzle oozed a river of blood. Then one of the cats from the crowd screamed.
"That's Whisperingpaw!"