Chapter 1
"Slow down Eaglebreeze!" Goldenpaw called ahead, his mentor was running quickly ahead of him, at his side was Jayleaf, Goldenpaw's best friend Wolfpaw's mentor. Wolfpaw snarled.
"Come on! We're not as fast as you." He yowled ahead. Jayleaf flashed a glare back.
"Shut up. We're almost back to camp." She snapped. Wolfpaw grumbled but kept running. Eaglebreeze would have agreed but he was carrying the two rabbits they'd caught. They slowed as they arrived in camp, Eaglebreeze nodding to the golden tom nearby. Jayleaf smiled.
"Morning Sunstar." She meowed, the leader nodded with a warm smile.
"Morning Jayleaf. How is Wolfpaw's training going?"
"He's learning fast. I have no doubt he's going to be a fine warrior." She turned her icy eyes on the grey apprentice, who beamed proudly at his mentor's approval. Even if his mentor was blind. Goldenpaw nudged him.
"See, you're probably even better than me!" He commented. Eaglebreeze looked back with a brow raised and Goldenpaw smiled shyly.
"N-not that Eaglebreeze isn't an amazing mentor; I'm just a slow learner." He meowed quickly, ears back and a nervous smile on his lips. Eaglebreeze chuckled through the prey in his mouth, which he set on the fresh kill pile.
"I believe you and Wolfpaw are about even in skills. You're both very good hunters and fighters." Eaglebreeze's deep voice commented fondly. He then looked to the sky.
"It's nearly sunhigh. You should rest, we'll be going to the Gathering tonight." He meowed, Jayleaf smiled.
"Wolfpaw, same goes for you." She spoke with authority, Wolfpaw smiled.
"No questions there, huh Goldenpaw?" Goldenpaw smiled as Wolfpaw nudged him. He laughed.
"Same here. I'm going to go get some sleep; I was so excited last night I couldn't sleep." He meowed as they padded off.
"Goldenpaw! Get over here!" Goldenpaw looked over from the rabbit he'd been stalking, a black tom, a light brown tabby tom, and a black and white tom was standing there. What were these cats dong in his dream? He padded over warily.
"Who are you?" He asked. The black and white tom chuckled.
"I'm Tallstar, this is Onestar," He gestured to the tabby. "And Crowfeather." The black tom nodded curtly. Onestar stepped foreword.
"Goldenpaw, Starclan chose you to go on a journey. In two nights, go to the border between here and Thunderclan, you will meet cats from other clans there."
"Why?" Goldenpaw asked. Crowfeather smirked.
"Have you heard of the Great Journey, Goldenpaw?"
"Yeah, it's a great story."
"You've been chosen for a new journey. This one is farther, but it will save your clan and the others from the perils they face here. The same ones your clanmates suffer from now." Goldenpaw thought about the twolegs, their dogs, the sheep, and the two cats killed as they came into Windclan's territory. He looked up.
"I'll go." He meowed determinedly. Crowfeather smiled and nodded.
"Goldenpaw! Get up!" Goldenpaw awoke to see Wolfpaw glaring at him. The small grey tom's amber eyes full of annoyance. Goldenpaw looked outside.
"Wolfpaw, it's the middle of the night, what are you doing awake?"
"Hello! The Gathering?"
"Oh foxdung! I forgot!" He meowed as he shot up, grooming himself quickly before following Wolfpaw outside. Eaglebreeze smiled and beckoned the two over to where he and Jayleaf were sitting, waiting for Featherflight, the medicine cat, to come out. Eaglebreeze chuckled and licked down a fluffy patch on Goldenpaw's head.
"Forget about the Gathering?" Wolfpaw snorted from over by Jayleaf.
"Yeah, he sure did, it took him ages to wake up." Goldenpaw growled playfully and tackled his friend, pinning him down.
"I was having a very pleasant dream for your information. I didn't want to wake up." He meowed, glaring at the grey tom playfully. Eaglebreeze chuckled.
"All right toms, let's get going, Sunstar is waiting for you two to start behaving before we leave." He growled half-heartedly, a fond look in his bright amber eyes. Goldenpaw stepped back with a smile at Wolfpaw, then turned his attention to his mentor as the brown and cream tom started after their leader.
