"Good morning!"
"Good morning!"
"Good morning, Stripefoot!"
Stripefoot growled at his Clanmates. Frost nipped at his nose and snowflakes spun past his eyes as he pushed his way through the ThunderClan warriors to the fresh-kill pile.
"Hey Stripefoot!" A ginger she-cat mewed happily by the prey. Snowflakes flecked her fur. She plucked out a quilled and pushed it forward. "Want to share?"
Stripefoor growled again. "No!" He pulled the squirrel under a bush and tore into it. His eyes narrowed as he met the she-cat's hurt gaze. She turned away and ate a mouse by herself.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!"
Stripefoot looked up to see Blazestar standing on the Highledge. He grumpily pulled himself to his feet and shuffled over to where the rest of ThunderClan was gathering. He found a seat in the back and plopped down in the snow.
"Tonight is the Gathering!" The orange leader boomed. "I will be choosing who will attend. Of course, me, Berrywish, and Feathernose will be there." He nodded to the medicine cat and deputy. "As for warriors, I will be talking Snowpaw, Kestrelfur, Amberheart, Flywing, Bluepaw, Leafwhisker, and..."
Stripefoot stood up, ready to look for a patrol to join.
"Stripefoot."
Stripefoot stopped wit a jolt. "WHAT?" he yowled. All of the cats turned to look at him with fear in their eyes.
Blazestar jumped off of the Highledge and walked over to Stripefoot. "You have to get over this eventually. Mouse tail would want you to move on."
"You have no idea what Mousetail would have wanted!" Stripefoot growled in Blazestar's face.
"Enough!" Blazestar shouted. "You are going and that is that! Everyone who will be attending, go rest up! We leave at sundown!" At that, the orange leader stalked into his den.
"Bah humbug!" Stripefoot snapped. "I hate Gatherings! They are nothing but pointless!"
"Go to sleep!" Blazestar's meow screamed from the leader's den.
Grumbling, Stripefoot stumbled into the warrior den and curled up in his nest. He heard the other warriors attending the Gathering settle down around him, but he blocked them out. His eyes squeezed shut, and he shivered as he drifted off into an angry sleep.