The full moon seemed to glow a placid blue against the milky black sky, the stars twinkling in a random pattern. The leaves on the trees all along the path, and the bushes on the ground, seemed to be illuminated with a white glow. It was beautiful.
Ashpaw ran beside Sunpaw, who was still half-asleep.
"Why can't Gatherings be in around sunhigh?" he complained.
"StarClan like the night better," Pebblefur, his mentor, replied for Ashpaw. "They are StarClan, and you don't see the stars at sunhigh." Sunpaw shrugged as best he could while running. They weren't much farther, in fact, the clearing was starting to come into view. Ashpaw's heart leapt at the thought of seeing Palepaw again. To her dismay, CaveClan wasn't there yet. She sat down patiently next to Raintail and Firestorm's kit, Hazelpaw, her best friend.
"Why are you so jumpy?" Hazelpaw asked, noting Ashpaw's eagerness.
"Eh? Oh, no reason. Just excited. First Gathering," Ashpaw stammered.
"It's mine first one too, but I'm not as hyper as you." Hazelpaw gave her friend a last, confused look, then turned her attention back to Crossing Rock. Cragstar and Blazonwing were seated on it, with Treestar and Ebonycloud.
"Hey, here comes CaveClan," Hazelpaw whispered in Ashpaw's ear, startling her. Ashpaw looked eagerly over in their direction, but no cats were coming. "Gotcha!" Hazelpaw laughed. Ashpaw's face flushed and she batted Hazelpaw on the ear. "Why are so anxious to see them, mouse-brain?" she asked in a slightly suspicious tone.
"I'm-" Luckily for Ashpaw, Treestar yowled to start the Gathering. CaveClan had just come over the horizon, Dreamstar leading them. Ashpaw knew the intimidating she-cat was Dreamstar; she looked just as her mother had described her, but no words could do justice to her intense, sage-colored eyes. Ashpaw felt herself looking away from her gaze and down quickly at her paws. She waited for the tortoise-shell leader to seat herself on Crossing Rock with her new deputy, Cloudfoot. The burly long-haired warrior had piercing, almost red eyes. He sat tall with an important air.
Ashpaw looked warily around for Palepaw, and, to her extreme disappointment, couldn't find him.
"Hey," came a familiar mew. Ashpaw turned around hastily to see the pallid-yellow apprentice padding up to her and Hazelpaw. Before Ashpaw could greet him, he continued, "My name's Palepaw. What's yours?"
"Ah… ," she replied, confused , then realized she wasn't supposed to meet him the first time. "I'm Ashpaw and this is Hazelpaw," Ashpaw said shyly, flicking her tail in Hazelpaw's direction.
"Wanna sit with us?" Hazelpaw purred flirtatiously, causing Ashpaw's fur to bristle slightly. Palepaw shrugged and seated himself to Ashpaw's left.
"Hazelpaw!" Raintail called to her daughter. "Come here."
"Coming, mother," Hazelpaw replied, shooting a rueful look at Ashpaw and padding over to her mother.
"Wonder what that was about?" Palepaw laughed. Ashpaw realized with a shock that it was just her and Palepaw.
"Her mother's really clingy," Ashpaw explained. "Her other kit died when he was born."
"That's really bad," Palepaw murmured, looking over at Hazelpaw. Raintail had her tail wrapped around the small black apprentice, who was fidgeting and trying to scoot away. Palepaw's sandy muzzle was no more than a mouse-length away from hers, and Ashpaw felt dizzy and leaned back slowly.
"Where's your mom?" Ashpaw asked. Palepaw scanned the crowd and found his raven-pelted mother.
"Ah, there she is, next to my dad, Sunbeam, and Stonetalon."
"Stonetalon?" Ashpaw asked. The old warrior, who was Copperstreak's father, had joined ForestClan to be with his son after his mate died.
"Yah," he sighed. "Stonetalon's mate, Goldenfoot, was my dad's mother." Ashpaw froze and turned her head towards him, accidentally hitting her muzzle against his.
"Ow! I'm so, so sorry!" Ashpaw sputtered, falling backwards in embarrassment.
"It's fine," he replied softly, rubbing his muzzle with his paw. "Wh- what was that about, anyway? Why's it so surprising?"
"My great-uncle is Copperstreak," Ashpaw said, and though it was true that wasn't the reason. He was blood-related to her uncle, while she wasn't.
"Wait, so we're related?" Palepaw asked, shock apparent in his golden eyes.
"No," she hastily mewed, "he's not my blood-kin." Palepaw seemed to relax a bit.
Cragstar had just finished telling the other leaders about some kits being born, and then they left Crossing Rock. The clearing immediately erupted into mews while the Clans talked amongst each other. Featherflight was introducing her kit, Fogpaw, to a sandy-colored tabby CaveClan elder, most likely her mother. Palepaw turned back to her.
"Well," he started shakily, "I was wondering if, like, I dunno…"
"Hm?" Ashpaw asked anxiously when he stopped abruptly. He shot a look at Sealilly, who was starting towards them.
"Will you sit with me during the next Gathering?" he asked hastily.
"Huh?" Ashpaw felt her face grow hot. "Um, sure, no problem!"
"Alright," he mewed, his eyes shining. He flicked her ear with his tail as he walked over to meet his mother half-way. The rest of CaveClan was grouping together, ready to begin their journey back to the riverbed. CaveClan cats had developed an excellent ability to jump, and they didn't have to walk too far anymore. Instead, they would jump down into the Gorge at a lower point and walk a few dozen fox-lengths to their camp. Ashpaw wondered what heir camp was like, despite the description her mother had given her.
Hazelpaw raced over to her friend. "Hey, Ashpaw, wake up! We're going!" Ashpaw started and stood up, facing her friend.
"Alright," she muttered, her heart beating faster. She looked back at the waiting CaveClan cats gathered together by Crossing Rock and preparing to leave.
"That Palepaw was cool," Hazelpaw commented dreamily. Ashpaw's muscles tensed as the two apprentices walked side-by-side.
"He's from a different Clan," Ashpaw replied flatly.
"Why are there different Clans, anyway?" Hazelpaw didn't seem to understand Clan life too well. "If we were all one Clan, there'd be enough land for us to hunt on, no fighting, and any cat could be with whomever they want, and not worry about their Clan…"
"What are you going at?" Ashpaw said a bit harshly.
Hazelpaw didn't ignore the severity in her friend's tone, but she didn't respond to it. "I don't know," she muttered. "I… I think I like Palepaw."
"He's off limits," Ashpaw hissed, her throat beginning to close. Ashpaw turned around and ran back down the path, despite her friend's calls. She kept going blindly through the bushes until she felt she couldn't run anymore. Hot tears streaked down her face. Why did Hazelpaw like him? The same reason she did; he was cool. But Ashpaw knew there was more to her own feelings for him… what did Hazelpaw think about him? Did she see his face every time she closed her eyes? No, most likely not. Hazelpaw didn't love him, only like.
But Hazelpaw didn't respect the feud between all Clans, even in times of peace. It was forbidden to love a cat from another Clan. But she didn't care; she was braver than Ashpaw. She'd find any way to meet with him, she'd be brave enough to be with him. Ashpaw didn't know if she was strong enough. Palepaw would like Hazelpaw better than her.
Ashpaw looked around and for the first time gathered her surroundings. She was just on the edge of the clearing for Crossing Rock. She saw a group of cats silently making their way down the pathway; CaveClan. Ashpaw wanted to run after them and find Palepaw, to twine her tail with his and have him tell her he didn't love Hazelpaw, that he loved her.
"Palepaw," Ashpaw mewed, her tone sad and her head muddled with confusing thoughts. Suddenly, Ashpaw saw her vision growing darker. Soon she found herself floating in darkness. She felt cool grass touch her paws and she gasped in shock. The ground erupted with fireflies, which flew into the sky. Ashpaw remembered this from her dream. Sure enough, the cats with starry pelts pulled away from the sky and touched down lightly in front of her.
"Welcome back," purred the golden cat.
"You're Amberstorm," Ashpaw said, remembering her dream vaguely. Amberstorm nodded.
"You recall the prophecy, do you not?" Amberstorm asked, her tone gentler than before.
"'When fire burns the forest down, all that remains is ash.' It's about me, isn't it?"
"Yes," Amberstorm replied.
Ashpaw looked up at her and tilted her head. "Does it involve a real fire?"
"In time you will learn what it truly means." Was all Amberstorm said. "I have come now to tell you what I can… be prepared to leave your home soon. You must leave the Clan someday, but I will make sure everything works."
"What? What are you talking about?" Ashpaw's fur bristled. Amberstorm smiled.
"You will know… in time. But right now, you are needed."
"Ashpaw!" Suddenly, StarClan's territory disappeared and was replaced by the clearing around Sparkling Gorge. She rose to her paws. Palepaw stood there, genuine worry shining in his captivating golden eyes. "I came back when I heard you crashing through the bushes, but I don't have long before my mother finds out I'm gone…" he took a breath. "Are… are you okay?" He noticed the tear-stains on her fur.
"Yes, I'm fine." Ashpaw felt her heart fluttering. She looked away from him, unable to keep his gaze.
"Listen, before I have to go… what I really wanted to ask you back there…" Palepaw stopped went he heard his mother's yowls from the distance. "I want to meet you, in four days. Sunhigh… can you come to Crossing Rock again? It's the only time I'll be free."
"Y-Yes, I'll be there," Ashpaw stammered. Palepaw purred and rubbed his muzzle against her neck briefly before turning and running back to his disappearing Clan. Ashpaw caught her breath, her eyes wide and shining.
"Ashpaw!" she heard Hazelpaw's voice calling. Her friend burst through the bushes and raced over to her. "What in StarClan were you doing?"
"I just went for a walk…" Ashpaw began innocently, but Hazelpaw fluffed her fur up and interrupted.
"I meant with HIM!" Her eyes shone with anger. "You were just lecturing me about inter-Clan relationships, and you're meeting with a CaveClan cat? I might've even been fine if it was a MountainClan cat, but really, and of all the cats! No wonder Palepaw came to sit with us… you guys have already met? How often?" She took an enraged breath. "You were only telling me those things to keep me away from him!"
Ashpaw felt like yelling something back at her, but her shame welled up inside of her. "Hazelpaw, what should I do?" she cried, fresh tears breaking out. Hazelpaw backed up, ashamed of yelling at her friend like that. "What should I do?" Ashpaw repeated, her mew choked with sobs. "I… I love him! I want to be with him, but I can't!"
"Well…" Hazelpaw started, unsure. "I think we should talk to Featherflight, then."
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