Chapter 2 No moon
The sky was turning dark and Blueflower was still up.
She wondered if the kits were ok sleeping with the other apprentices.
"This isn't the time to worry," she muttered to herself.
"Mother?" Blueflower turned her head to the voice.
"Who- Oh it's only you. What's wrong?" she asked.
"Well it doesn't feel right sleeping with the other apprentices." Fernpaw admitted.
"Yeah,' said another voice behind him.
"Can we sleep with you? The other apprentices are nice, but we want to stay with you." Smallpaw said.
"Who's there?" Boulderclaw grunted.
"It's the kits." Blueflower mewed.
Boulderclaw pulled himself up and blinked his eyes.
"Fernpaw, Smallpaw?" he turned his head to each of his kits."Wnat are you doing here?"
"We-" Fernpaw looked down,"Could we sleep with you tonight?"
"Uh- Of course" meowed Boulderclaw. He spread the moss out and Fernpaw and Smallpaw they curled beside their parents.
***
The next day was bright and there were no clouds were in the sky.
Boulderclaw had already gone on dawn patrol.
But her kits were still purring in their sleep snuggled against her belly.
***
"Smallpaw come on. I want to test your humting skills." Meowed Ripplestripe.
"Fernpaw, we're on dawn patrol!" mewed Graystorm.
The four cats padded out into the forest.
"So what can you smell Fernpaw?"
"I can smell a vole and mice. and shadowclan?" Fernpaw didn't know what shadowclan was doing in thunderclan territory.
Smallpaw and Ripplestripe headed into the woods to hunt.
Graystripe and Fernpaw padded along the border, renewing the scent markings along the way.
"Graystripe? What is Shadowclan doing in our territory?" asked Fernpaw.
"I don't know. That is what I want to find out." he meowed.
Graystorm bolted to the place they smelled Shadowclan cats near strongest.
"Graystorm!! Where are we going?!" shrieked Fernpaw as raced to Graystorm's side.
Three Shadowclan cats stood there gazing at the two thunderclan cats.
"What are you doing in our territory?" asked Graystorm calmly, but in a harsh tone.
"We find prey scarce in our terrirory. We would have come to ask Crowstar for our needs but we are not welcome in Thunderclan territory." the brown she-cat admitted.
A silver tom brushed against her side. "We haven't caught anything. We mean no harm."
Graystorm nodded. "But please do not come here again. This is our territory. If your clan is prey scarce, at the next gathering we will talk about expanding your territory. I will speak with Crowstar, and you speak with Featherstar. We will see what happens."
The three shadowclan cats nodded and padded back to their own territory.
***
"Crowstar! We need to talk to you." mewed Fernpaw from across the clearing.
Crowstar appeared out of his den and gestured them to come in to his den.
"Crowstar. We have talked to shadowclan cats who were on our territory. They say that there is not enough prey in their territory." meowed Graystorm.
"Crowstar? They need to expand their territory." croaked Fernpaw. His throught hurt from asking about shadowclan all day.
"They can't. If one clan expands their territory then the other clans will want to expand theirs too." He reasoned.
"I will talk to Featherstar at the next gathering." mewed Crowstar.
***
The moon was full and the cats chosen to go to the gathering were huddled in the center of the camp.
Blueflower and Boulderclaw were standing together waiting for Crowstar to come out of his den.
Crowstar finally padded out of his den and flicked his tail, a signal that they were leaving.
Fernpaw and Smallpaw were practically bristling their fur off in excitement.
It would be their first gathering as apprentices.
"Fernpaw, Smallpaw. Stand by me." whispered their mother.
They raced to her side, as Crowstar ficked his tail and raced through the thickets.
The wind thundered against their ears.
"Mother! It hurts." yowled Smallpaw.
"Yes I know. But try to block out the sound and think of something beautiful." meowed Blueflower.
Fernpaw did the same thing as they arrived the gathering place, Great Mountain.
Boulderclaw caught up with their leader and started mumbling things no cat could hear.
Smowear and her brothers Mudtalon and Meadowclaw padded beside her.
Fernpaw looked up to Mudtalon because he was brave and courageous.
Snowear because of her wisdom, and Meadowclaw because of his strength.
Their mother and elder was Missy, who was once a kittypet.
He dashed off to talk to them. "Umm.." he stumbled over the words,"Uh hi."
Fernpaw didn't know what to say. There was so much to ask them.
"What's it like to be a warrior?" he finally mewed.
"Well its hard. And it requires all of your loyalty and strength." Purred Snowear.
"Also you have to be hardworking and put your clan first." mewed Meadowclaw.
"You look very bold. Are you Fernpaw?" asked Mudtalon.
Fernpaw was surprised that the strong warrior had even knew his name.
"Uhh yes. It is." He meowed nervously.
"I've noticed you before. When you went on that rock I knew from the start you would become a great apprentice." Complimented Snowear.
"Thank you."he mewed.
"I talked to Graystorm and he said you were catching on quickly. The clan looks for that in a warrior." added Meadowclaw smiling down at him.
Smallpaw raced up to Fernpaw. "Fernpaw you're not supposed to run off like that. Oh, hi."
Mudclaw dipped her head to Smallpaw. "And you are?...."
"I'm Smallpaw," she mewed anxiously.
"Fernpaw Blueflower want us to walk with her."Smallpaw whispered.
"I'll be right back." said Snowear.
She started walking toward Blueflower, and shared tongues with each other.
Then she raced up to Fernpaw and Smallpaw. "Your mother says you can stay with us during the gathering."
They reached the gathering area, and padded in.
All the leaders stood on high rock, letting all the cats settle in their spots.
"Let the gathering begin!" yowled Foxstar, the windclan leader.
"Windclan is proud to have two new warriors Whirlclaw and Leaftalon. But we are sad to say Runningwind our former deputy was killed by a badger lately and we mourn for her. Our new deputy is Whalesong."
Fowstar backed away to let Crowstar speak.
"Thunderclan has some surprising news. It might concern Shadowclan, but we mean no harm. Shadowclan has been scented by one of our patrols. I will not say any names, but they are needy for more territory. They say that there is not enough prey. I am not sure if I should believe them. But I will say there is some land close to Flower Hills and it will fill your clan from hunger if you are truly prey-poor, and the other clans agree to this." Crowstar backed away and let Featherstar decide on this situation.
Featherstar was quiet for a moment. "It is true that we are prey-poor. We do need more territory to make our clan strong again. But I am still yet to decide what will happen."
Foxstar the Riverclan leader walked up beside Featherstar,"Riverclan has agreed to let Shadowclan have the territory. We have no need for it now that the river is surprisingly full of fish."
Leafstar, the Windclan leader, padded beside Foxstar,"Windclan is willing to give Shadowclan this territory." he nodded approvingly to Featherstar,"May this land make your clan strong again." Leafstar mewed while backing away to let Featherstar decide what she would do.
Cats from the clans mumbled approvingly and congratulated the Shadowclan warriors, wishing they would be powerful and strong again.
"Then it is settled Shadowclan will mark our new borders at sun high tomorrow,"Featherstar finally meowed,"Let us talk of different things."
Crowstar walked up,"A thunderclan patrol has scented fox cubs around Sunning lakes. We earge you to be careful during partols."
Leafstar then walked up next,"Windclan has scented a cat from Riverclan. It seems to one cat only. A tom perhaps?"
Foxstar hissed at Leafstar,"All my warriors are loyal to this clan! You will not tell us what to do!!"
"What gives you the right to command us?" Leafstar hissed back.
They dropped into crouches. Clouds covered the moon.
"Stop!!"yowled Crowstar. All of the confused meows were silenced.
"This night is for peace. Remember the truce."he snarled, angrily and ashamed of these leaders.
"We remember the truce, alright. But no cat blames us for anything." hissed Foxstar.
Featherstar glared at the two leaders,"Is this the way Starclan wanted us to stay loyal to our clan.?"she questioned.
The moon was beginning to disappear, murmurs of confusion turned into gasps of terror.
Featherstar boldly stood in front of the two leaders, as the fur on their necks bagan to lay flat.
"If we do not cooperate then what is the use of this gathering. When we have a gathering peace is to come not anger." she meowed ignoring the two senseless leaders.
"If you were a leader, you would respond to things calmly and in a serious mood. But not so harsh."came Crowstar's deep voice, which suprised a couple of cats,"If you knew not to do those harsh and stupid things that you are doing now you wouldn't have to be told this."
Crystalfur the thunderclan deputy spoke next, out of turn though,"Crowstar is right. No offense to you Riverclan and Windclan, but if we are to be at peace then we would not have to tell any of you these things."
Crowstar blinked thankfully to her. "How about we have a daylight gathering. Like after our ancestors came here on the great journey. They had tournoments and competitions. Calm Wave, a tribe cat was there. She was a great mentor to Pebblewing."
Pebblewing, a Riverclan cat padded over to her former mentor Calm Wave, and touched muzzles with her.
"No not after the stupidity of the blame in Leafstar's voice. We won't forget this."Foxstar leaped off of high rock and flicked his tail towards his clan. they followed angrily hissing at the other clan warriors. Leafstar leaped off too, as his clan spat at the Riverclan warriors.
The clouds in the sky covered the moon again, letting no moonlight show through the clouds.