Announcement Announcement Announcement: Hi! I was given permission by *Icy Heart. Beautiful Soul* to continue writing the sequel to The Traveler. She hardly ever updated it and it was such a nice story... I really wanted to see more if it.

Enjoy! Please look at IcyHeart's profile for the first story of The Traveler!

Three moons.

Three moons... That's how long I've been a part of ThunderClan. That's it. Firestar never made me an apprentice because I already possessed all the skills necessary to support the Clan. Instead, he assighed Squirrelflight and Leafpool to teach me about the Clans themselves. Their history. Their beliefs. Their code.

Briarlight and Cherrypaw were a bit help, too. It was nice to get to know my sisters, but whenever Leafpool and Squirrelflight were busy, Briarlight would tell me about everything and anything. Sometimes Jayfeather would join in the conversation like he used to when I was stuck in the medicine cat's den. More often than not, though, he complained about being too busy. Cherrypaw would always tell her excited stories as we ate by the fresh kill pile. My other friends, like Ivypool and Cinderheart, would answer any of my questions while we were on border patrol. There was so much to learn about the Clan I had missed so much of. And I wanted to know it all.

That's why Firestar felt confident enough to let me come to this gathering. My first gathering. He said that if I wanted to know more about the Clans I need to experience them all myself.

The story of Mudclaw's rebellion ran through my head as I stepped onto the slick bark of the tree bridge. A shiver ran down my spine. To think that he was still under there. Dead. I hurried on and over after Hollyleaf, not wanting to think bout the poor dead tomcat.

The cold Leaf-Fall breeze cut through my fur and left me schivering. The moon was already out with a hint of wispy cloud here and there. A sea of bright eyes flashed before me, where countless cats milled about.

"Wow.." I breath as I step off the tree and onto the Island. There were so many cats! Memories of BloodClan flooded through my mind. A twince of my old distrust returned. I barely notice my claws unsheathing themselves.

"Watch it, Iceshadow." Jayfeather snaps as he bumps into me. "Other cats need to get on the Island besides you."

I felt my ears all back against my head. I scramble off the bridge. "Sorry."

"Ouch!" A low mew rang out. In my haste to get out of the way, I had run into another cat. The strong stench of ShadowClan flowed over me.

"Sorry." I say again, looking up at the cat. It waas a tom. He was slightly taller than me with mottled dark gray fur and sky blue eyes. Something about his shape reminded me of Brambleclaw.

"It's alright." He purrs, taking a step back. "Gatherings can be pretty hectic."

I shiver again. "Is it always like this?" I ask. It was strange talking to another Clan cat. Besides ThunderClan, the only Clan cats I had met were WindClan cats, and that didn't go so well.

He looks around. "Usually. It can take some getting used to. " He looks back down at me, his blue eyes locked on my green. "I'm not sure I recognize you. What is your name?"

His friendliness calms my nerves. I sit down and give a sigh of relief. "Ice.. I mean, my name's Iceshadow. What's yours?"

"My name is-" He gets cut off as Ivypool bounds up and prods me in the shoulder.

"Come on, Iceshadow. RiverClan's finally here. The meeting is about to start."

"Alright. I'm coming." I stand up and start to follow her, leaving the strange ShadowClan cat watching after us.

I follow Ivypool's tail, twisting and turning through clumps of ferns until we came to the clearing. The four leaders were already jumping up onto the tree's lower limbs. My eyes rake over the sea of strange cats. "Do we sit with the other ThunderClan cats?"

Ivypool laughs. "Oh yeah. I forgot this was your first gathering." She shrugs and starts moving further into the crowd. "You can if you want, but you could also sit with the other Clan cats. It's a gathering, and no boundaries exist here."

A shiver runs through my body. I didn't know any of these cats. How could I trust them? Ivypool must have seen my unease. She touches my shoulder with her tail tip, and says. "You can sit with me. I'll introduce you to some cats."

She pulls me along and sits me down next to a group of cats from all different Clans. She points to each of them in turn with a paw. "This is Hollowflight, Minnowtail, and you already know Blossomfall, Breezepelt, and Redwillow."

For barely a second, a few of the cat's faces fell. It was instantaneous, and they immediately had calm faces right after. But they had been there. I know it. Ther didn't want me here. I look over at Ivypool, but she was smiling, and had started to introduce me. "Everyone, this is Iceshadow."

I fought to keep my fur from rising. My pelt iched at the thought of sitting next to cats that already didn't want me around, but another glance at Ivypool made me swallow my unease. I would sit here for her.

"I've never seen you before." Hollowflight smiles. "Why? Are you afraid of gatherings or something?"

"No. "I shoot back at him. "I-"

"She was that rogue that ThunderClan imprisoned." Breezpelt snaps. He gives me alook of unmasked distaste.

Hollowflight's eyes widen. "I don't remember that!"

Breezepelt rolls his eyes." That's because you weren't at the gathering, mousebrain."

"I would remember something like that." Hollowflight argues.

Minnowtail looks at me with curiosity. "Firestar said that you were a prisoner, though... What happened?"

"It doesn't matter." Breezepelt growls. "Onestar was right about you ThunderClan cats."

Ivypool narrows her eyes. She turns and sits down, but manages to smack Breezepelt in the face with her tail. "I already told you, Breezepelt. What happens in ThunderClan is ThunderClan's business alone."

While all of this was going on, I couldn't help but feel amused at the scene playing out before me. They all acted like Clanmates. The picking and joking and casual conversation reminded me of the senior Warriors around the fresh-kill pile. I settle down next to Ivypool and Hollowflight, careful to stay far away from Breezepelt, and let their conversation ring in my ears.

If cats of different Clans were this close at gatherings, then maybe I was just being childish...