OK so it turns out that I have a metric ton of this story written. I suppose it won't hurt to update it a little more often until that changes.

Chapter 2

"Where'd you get off to?" Graystripe hissed, just behind Tinyclaw.

Tinyclaw shifted on his paws. ThunderClan were streaming into the hollow, and eventually it left only Graystripe and Tinyclaw at the edge of the clearing. Moonlight shone down on Fourtrees, highlighting the pelts of the gathered cats.

"Doesn't matter," Tinyclaw insisted. He had promised not to get Graystripe involved, and he intended to keep it that way. Tinyclaw's head was troubled, confused in a whirl by Tigerstar. Graystripe didn't press him, thankfully, and the two loped down into the clearing.

Cats crowded around, huddling together to get through the chilly night. Tinyclaw blinked, his blue gaze sweeping across the cats.

"ShadowClan are here," Tinyclaw told Graystripe. He flicked his tail to a group of apprentices. "Look how much better they seem!"

Graystripe purred beside him. "Brokenstar left them half-starved. It's good they're getting up on their paws again."

Tinyclaw nodded in agreement. The ShadowClan warriors looked sleek and better-fed than they had underneath Brokenstar's rule. "Mind you," Tinyclaw chuckled, "we did most of the fighting for them!"

Graystripe purred, amused – but it did not last long. Whitestorm strode forward, the warrior closer to them than Tinyclaw had thought, and meowed, "ShadowClan did as much as we did to drive out Brokenstar. We should be honoring their determination to recover."

Tinyclaw flicked his tail in apology. Graystripe murmured something, and Whitestorm strode off. Guilt prickled at Tinyclaw's pelt.

Graystripe and Tinyclaw kept themselves close to the edge of the clearing, watching the cats mingle. Kit-soft apprentices were sitting in groups, listening raptly to older warriors telling battle stories. A group of senior warriors and elders were gathered together, trading old stories. The medicine cats were sitting in a bunch, and it looked like Yellowfang was receiving a warm welcome from Runningnose and Mudfur.

Grass crackled as a small group of cats approached Tinyclaw and Graystripe. Tinyclaw recognized the ShadowClan warrior, Wetfoot, leading another sleek-furred warrior and what appeared to be an apprentice. Tinyclaw mewed a greeting.

"Hello, Tinyclaw," Wetfoot meowed, settling down before the two new warriors. He flicked his tail to his dark, smoky, sleek-furred companion. "This is Blackclaw, a RiverClan warrior."

Tinyclaw and Graystripe dipped their heads in respect. Blackclaw didn't seem to care one way or another.

"And this," Wetfoot meowed, flicking his tail to the apprentice, "is my apprentice, Oakpaw."

"H-Hi," Oakpaw mumbled, trembling a little. Tinyclaw blinked at the small cat – realizing that he had seen him in the camp as a kit. He must have just turned six moons, like Brightpaw.

"I hear Tigerstar made you both warriors after the battle," Wetfoot went on. "Congratulations!"

Blackclaw chuckled, "Must have been a cold vigil."

Graystripe puffed out his pelt in memory. "It was!" he agreed.

A flash of golden-brown caught his eye, and Tinyclaw blinked. A rippling pelt of dappled gold was weaving through the Clans – a she-cat with her head held high and powerful shoulders pushing aside any who were in her way.

"Who's that?" Tinyclaw asked.

"Leopardfur," Blackclaw meowed, "our new deputy."

Tinyclaw watched Leopardfur weave her way up to the Great Rock, settling herself just in its shadow. She regarded the Gathering with piercing yellow eyes, and Tinyclaw felt a pang of sorrow that he would never meet Swiftclaw, RiverClan's previous deputy.

He was saved from that awkward feeling by Tigerstar leaping onto the Great Rock. Crookedstar followed, along with skinny Nightpelt of ShadowClan. Tinyclaw tipped his head – had ShadowClan appointed Nightpelt to be their leader?

Tigerstar's call was like a roar, silencing the Clans. When all eyes were turned on him, Tigerstar meowed, "ThunderClan has brought with them our new medicine cat, Yellowfang."

Tinyclaw glanced at Yellowfang. She was shuffling on her paws, unused to all the attention. He gave her an encouraging smile, but Yellowfang didn't seem to notice – nor did the other Clans seem to wonder what had happened to Spottedleaf.

"We also bring two newly-named warriors – Tinyclaw and Graystripe," Tigerstar went on.

Tinyclaw held his head high, feeling the gazes of the Clans on him. He shivered at a surge of self-consciousness, and he lowered his head, hoping he hadn't looked too arrogant. He flicked his tail.

"We also have one new apprentice," Tigerstar finished. "Brightpaw is being mentored by Longtail."

Nightpelt pushed forward, brushing past Tigerstar and Crookedstar as the smaller tom tried fitting through the bigger, bulkier cats. When he was at the peak of the rock, he announced, "I, Nightpelt, have been appointed to lead ShadowClan. Our former leader, Brokenstar, had broken the warrior code many times over and we were forced to chase him out."

Tinyclaw shifted on his paws. No mention of the fact that we helped you? He wondered. He glanced at Graystripe, and the gray tom seemed just as ruffled. Tinyclaw looked back up at Nightpelt, wondering if he was too proud to admit he needed the help of ThunderClan.

Nightpelt went on, "The spirits of our ancestors have spoken to Runningnose, and I have been chosen to be leader. I have not yet traveled to Mothermouth to receive my nine lives and name, but I will do so tomorrow night while the moon is still full. After my vigil, I shall be known as Nightstar."

"Where is Brokenstar now?" Frostfur, a ThunderClan queen, asked. Her white head poked up from a group of other queens.

"We can assume he left the forest, I think, with our other banished warriors," Nightpelt replied. "I think he knows it is wise not to return."

"I hope so," Frostfur murmured to her neighbor, an elderly RiverClan queen. The golden she-cat was nodding, and Tinyclaw recalled just how terrified poor Frostfur had been, what with Brokenstar having stolen her kits not a whole moon ago.

"Let's hope Brokenstar has left," Crookedstar growled. The light-colored tabby pushed his way forward, glancing at Nightpelt. "His greed for territory threatened us all."

It took a while for the yowls of agreement to die down. Crookedstar was patient. When the last of the Clans were quiet, he went on, turning his heavy head to look directly at Nightpelt. "When Brokenstar was leader, I allowed him to hunt in our territory. Now that ShadowClan has a new leader, this agreement cannot stand."

Tinyclaw's neck fur rose in alarm – Nightpelt was bristling!

Nightpelt raised his voice, eyes narrowed. "ShadowClan has the same needs it did under Brokenstar! We have many mouths to feed, Crookedstar – you made an agreement with the whole of ShadowClan!"

Crookedstar's hanging jaw curled into a snarl, and he turned on the Great Rock towards Nightpelt. Powerful muscles rippled beneath his tabby pelt – but before any move could be made, Tigerstar stepped forward, forcing himself between Nightpelt and Crookedstar.

"Enough!" he growled. "ShadowClan has suffered many losses recently. There are fewer mouths to feed than before, Nightpelt – surely you do not need RiverClan's fish?"

Crookedstar hissed, but Nightpelt was unflinching.

Tigerstar's voice grew more forceful. "You have driven out your leader and several of your strongest warriors," he growled. "Not only that, but Brokenstar went against the warrior code when he demanded RiverClan's territory."

Tinyclaw swallowed uneasily as silence reigned in the clearing. Tigerstar's amber gaze did not leave Nightpelt as he went on, "You do not have your nine lives yet, Nightpelt. Are you so confident that you can make these demands?"

Nightpelt looked away, growling angrily, at that.

Tigerstar had won. His voice softened as he went on, "ShadowClan has suffered much these past moons – ThunderClan has agreed to give you a moon of peace. I'm sure Crookedstar would not mind extending the same offer."

"So long as ShadowClan is not scented in our territory, Nightpelt can have all the peace he wants," Crookedstar growled back, eyes narrowed.

Tinyclaw breathed a sigh of relief. He knew what it was like to fight in a real battle now – with teeth bared and claws bloodied. He was even more in awe of Tigerstar for having the courage to step between Crookedstar and Nightpelt. Mews of relief broke through the tension, and it seemed like the Gathering was getting a cheery air again.

Nightpelt's ears pricked suddenly. "Of course you won't scent us, Crookedstar – ShadowClan does not need RiverClan fish… not when we all have the uplands to hunt in!"

Crookedstar's eyes brightened. "Of course!" he agreed. "With WindClan having abandoned it, it's free for all the Clans to hunt in! That means extra prey for all of us!"

Tigerstar's eyes flashed, and he drew up between them again. He growled, "No! WindClan must return!"

Crookedstar looked at Tigerstar as if the darker tabby had blackbirds crawling out of his ears. "Why?" he wondered.

"With WindClan gone, it means more food for all our kits," Nightpelt agreed.

"The forest need four Clans," Tigerstar growled. "We have Fourtrees. Four seasons. There must always be four Clans in the forest. We must find WindClan and bring them home!"

ThunderClan yowled in agreement, backing up their leader – but Crookedstar shook his head and growled impatiently, "Your argument is weak, Tigerstar! Do we really need four seasons? Wouldn't you rather do without leaf-bare, and the cold and hunger it brings?"

Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. "StarClan gave us leaf-bare so that the world could rest and recover," he growled back. "So it could begin anew again, with more prey and lush trees! This forest, and the uplands, have supported four Clans for generations – it is not up to us to challenge StarClan."

Leopardfur spoke up, growling, "Why should we go hungry for the sake of a Clan that couldn't even defend themselves?"

"Tigerstar is right!" Bluefur snapped back, drawing herself up. Even heavy with kits, she was intimidating. "WindClan must return!"

Tigerstar turned to Crookedstar. "Crookedstar," he said, "RiverClan's hunting grounds are known for their richness – even in leaf-bare, fish flow in the rivers. Why do you need the extra prey?"

Crookedstar looked away, neck fur ruffled. Tinyclaw's ears pricked – why had Tigerstar's question ruffled the RiverClan cat's fur?

"Nightpelt," Tigerstar went on, his head turning to Nightpelt, "it was Brokenstar who drove WindClan from their home. This is why ThunderClan helped you chase him out."

Tinyclaw blinked at that – a gentle reminder of the debt Nightpelt owed ThunderClan.

The ShadowClan leader narrowed his eyes, sitting on the Great Rock in silence. Finally, tail-tip twitching, he growled, "Very well, Tigerstar. We will allow WindClan to return." Crookedstar swung his head away, his eyes nothing but slits.

"Two of us have agreed, Crookedstar," Tigerstar growled gently. "WindClan must be found and brought home. No Clan ought to hunt in their territory until then."

As if his words were a finality, the Gathering began to break up. Tigerstar leaped down from the Great Rock, pausing beside Bluefur to share a few words. Tinyclaw's claws worked the ground as Wetfoot, Oakpaw, and Blackclaw padded off to join their respective Clans.

"Well, that was tense," Tinyclaw sighed.

Graystripe said nothing.

Tinyclaw glanced at Graystripe, following his friend's eyes. They were planted on a silver tabby she-cat, and Tinyclaw rolled his eyes. He nudged Graystripe out of his trance.

"Huh? Wha?" Graystripe mumbled.

"Were you paying attention to any of that?" Tinyclaw asked.

"Yes - of course!" Graystripe insisted, clearly flustered. Tinyclaw's whiskers twitched. Graystripe stood up and meowed, "Come on; Tigerstar's waiting."

Tinyclaw nodded, grateful that his friend had his attention in the right place. He followed after Graystripe, pausing only to glanced back. RiverClan – and the silver tabby – were all gathered in a group in the clearing… and so was ShadowClan. Their leaders had not yet left the Great Rock.

Looking up, Tinyclaw felt a shiver run down his spine. Crookedstar and Nightpelt were atop the Great Rock, grumbling to one another – words Tinyclaw could not hear, but he could tell by the way that they glared at Tigerstar and ThunderClan that it wasn't good.

You were just enemies! Tinyclaw thought despairingly. After all we've done for you… how can you suddenly turn into their allies?