Ivypaw's pelt prickled with excitement as the ShadowClan cats who were going to the Gathering ran steadily across the RiverClan boreder, two fox-lengths from the lake.
Although this was her fourth Gathering, she couldn't surpress the thrill of happiness that made her tail twitch impatiently.
As they ran, Ivypaw glanced at the lake surface in awe.
The waters were dark blue-black and the stars reflected off of it, a scene Ivypaw never tired of looking at.
Soon, the island loomed up in front of them and Ivypaw barely stopped herself from mewing in excitement.
They arrived at the tree-bridge to see the last of the ThunderClan group crossing.
To Ivypaw's great dismay, she saw a dark gray tomcat jumping onto the bridge and heard Brackenpaw growling behind her.
"Ignore him!"she heard Birchpaw hiss."It's a time of peace. Wait until a battle, then get him. But only then! Don't start anything!"
The growling stopped but Ivypaw could almost feel the cold glare Brackenpaw gave the ThunderClan tom.
"Birchpaw's right, Brackenpaw,"Ivypaw whispered to her friend."Just ignore Rockpelt."
Brackenpaw gave her a tiny nod and gave Birchpaw a rough lick, his gaze softening as he watched her pale green eyes light up with curiosity and impatience.
Finally, Nightstar leaped onto the tree-bridge and she started winding around the branches.
Though Ivypaw knew how capable she her leader was and that she was still the youngest leader of all the Clans, her breathing stopped and she waited, frozen, until Nightstar landed safely across.
Next was Mouseclaw, her paws placing themselves almost unthinkingly in the perfect positions.
After her was Reedfur,the medicine cat, followed by his aprentice, Berrypaw.
Then Lizzardfang, followed by Redpelt, after that was Palespots. Darkfur, Dusktooth, Rowanleaf, Spottedcloud, Bramblefur, and Crowfur.
Then it was the apprentices turn.
Whitepaw crossed, her lithe body easily winding around the branches and twigs.
When Birchpaw stepped onto the fallen tree, Brackenpaw climbed up right behind her. In the middle of the bridge Birchpaw slipped.
Ivypaw caught her breath and Brackenpaw's teeth immediately grabbed her scruff.
She looked down at the water with wide, frightened eyes as Brackenpaw slowly dragged her back up. They quickly crossed, being more careful, then jumped off at the end. Birchpaw pressed against Brackenpaw, shivering and their tails twined as they headed toward where the other Clan cats were meeting.
Then it was Ivypaw's turn.
She leaped onto the tree-bridge and carefully manuevered around the branches, then running the rest of the way when the branches cleared.
She leaped safely off, onto the island and followed Birchpaw and Brackenpaw.
No matter how many cats she'd seen in her lifetime, the amount of cats at the Gathering still left her , all colors and sizes, though from different Clans, mingled with almost all the other warriors. Apprentices chatted with apprenticess and elders shared gossip, for they barely cared of rivalry anymore.
Ivypaw's green-gold eyes were wide, trying to take it all in with one look.
"Hey,Ivypaw! Come here!"
Ivypaw turned to see Whitepaw sitting next to four other apprentices. She didn't recognize them, but she padded over anyway.
"Hey,"Whitepaw repeated."I want you to meet some cats."
She flicked her tail to a black she-cat.
"This is Ravenpaw,of ThunderClan,"Whitepaw meowed, and motioned to a light brown tom."Rabbitpaw, of WindClan."
She flicked her ears to a very pale gray she-cat.
"And this is Willowpaw of RiverClan, and Splashpaw," Whitepaw meowed and a silvery-gray tom gave Ivypaw a friendly nod."He's from RiverClan, , this is Ivypaw. She's my denmate."
"Hi, Ivypaw!"Ravenpaw meowed enthusiastically."How's the prey running?"
"Good,"she replied."And in ThunderClan?"
"Good,"Ravenpaw meowed." Stormface, one of our queens, had her kits yesterday. They're so tiny!"
Ivypaw purred amusedly and Willowpaw bumped the ThunderClan aprentice playfully.
"That's becasue they're kits, mouse-brain,"the RiverClan cat replied.
"Hey, Ravenpaw, Birchpaw was talking to Greenpaw at the last Gathering and she said you were scenting rouges in your territory. How's that going?"Whitepaw asked.
"We haven't scented them for a little more than a quater-moon, so we think they probably ran off,"Ravenpaw answered."It didn't smell like a lot, two or three maybe. But ThunderClan told them who's boss!"
"Who's the boss, the squirrels?" joked Rabbitpaw and Ravenpaw cuffed his ear good-naturedly.
"As long as you didn't chase them into any other territory,"Splashpaw meowed.
"Why, afraid of a few rouges?"Willowpaw teased her Clanmate and Splashpaw shot her a good-hearted glare.
"Shh!"Whitepaw exclaimed suddenly."The Gathering's about to start!"
Ivypaw looked to the tree in the mile of the big clearing. The four leaders were already up in their places.
Nightstar, her black pelt barely visible, but the white dash on her chest clearly seen.
Cinderstar, WindClan's leader, lean and dark gray. His amber eyes were watching the cats below.
Pebblestar, ThunderClan's gray mottled leader.
And Thornstar, RiverClan's leader, a dark gray she-cat.
Mouseclaw padded over to meet the other deputies, Silverfoot of ThunderClan, a whte she-cat with silver paws, Duskfur os WindClan, a light brown she-cat and Mossclaw of RiverClan, a dark gray and white tom.
Pebblestar yolwed the call and all the cats settled down and looked up.
"I'll go first, if its alright by you,"Pebblestar meowed politely.
Nightstar and Thornstar nodded and Cinderstar grunted.
"All is well in ThunderClan. One of our queens has a new litter of kits and we have a new apprentice, Shrewpaw,"Pebbelstar announced.
Ivypaw scanned the crowd for an unfamiliar face and found it. A little dark brown tom with sitting with his head held high, but Ivypaw saw his tail twitch and knew he was nervous.
"Prey is running well and we have scented no foxes or badgers in our territory."Pebblestar nodded to Nightstar before sitting down.
Nightstar stood.
"ShadowClan is doing well. We have recovered from the snows of leaf-bare and are sleeping every night with full bellies. We have a new queen as well. Mossfur lies with them in the nursery right now. We have had to chase a fox out of our territory just a half-moon from the last Gathering and have not scented it since. Other than that, ShadowClan is thriving,"Nightstar sat and nodded to Thornstar.
She announced the making of a new apprentice, Daisypaw, a yellow she-cat, and said prey was running well. When she finished, she nodded to Cinderstar.
He stood and surprised all the cats by glaring at the other leaders.
"I would like to make an important announcement,"he meowed."ShadowClan have been stealing prey from WindClan!"
Outraged snarls and yowls came from the ShadowClan cats, and Ivypaw shrieked a yowl at him herself, her eyes smoldering.
"He dares to make an accusation this big?"Whitepaw hissed, the normally easy-going she-cat bristling."What do we want with a couple of windblown rabbits?"
"We have proof!"Cinderstar growled."ShadowClan scent has been found by many rabbit bones in WindClan territory!"
"You fool!"Nightstar hissed."We'd have to get through ThunderClan or RiverClan territory to do so!"
She turned to the other leaders.
"Has either of you scented us in your territory?"she demanded.
Thornstar shook her head and Pebblestar answered,"Not at all."
Nightstar turned back to Cinderstar.
"See? And what we we want with your prey? ShadowClan has its own prey! Why would we need WindClan's rabbits?"she growled.
Ivypaw turned on Rabbitpaw.
"Did you know about this?"she snarled.
But the shocked look in the light brown tom's eyes told Ivypaw before he could answer.
"No! I didn't think he'd do that!"Rabbitpaw meowed."I mean, we have found mostly-eaten prey in our territory and for the moment it seemed kind of like ShadowClan's scent, but now, scenting all of you, it isn't your scent at all."Ivypaw nodded curtly, and turned back to the leaders.
"ShadowClan didn't take your prey, Cinderstar!"Nightstar meowed, her eyes hot with anger at the sudden outburst of the WindClan leader.
Before Cinderstar could open his mouth, Nightstar let out a yowl and clawed her way down the tree.
As she stalked away from the other leaders, she yowled over her shoulder.
"I will not stand to being wrongfully accused!This Gathering is over!" Nightstar padded out of the clearing, her Clan following.
Ivypaw and Whitepaw mewed goodbyes to the other apprentices and hurried to join their Clan.
Ivypaw was still fuming about Cinderstar.
That old hare-brained fool! She wondered if all the wind was too much for the cats and was starting to blow away all their practical thoughts, leaving nothing behind but stupid ideas and ramblings.
She could tell by the way Crowfur's tail twitched and Mouseclaw's claw kept flexing on the ground that they were furious by the WindClan leader's announcement.
"Why don't they just ask those squirrel-loving murderers if they took their stupid rabbits?"Brackenpaw snarled, and Birchpaw pressed against him wordlessly.
As Ivypaw gathered herself to jump onto the tree-bridge, she saw movement in the bushes.
Two cats were hiding there, not noticing Ivypaw as she watched curiously. There was a dark brown tom and a light silver she-cat with black tabby stripes and a white tail-tip. The tom's eyes were amber, the she-cat's eyes were bluish-green. Ivypaw thought a few flecks of gray were there, but she couldn't be certain. But she was certain of one thing. Both sets of eyes were smoldering with an emotion that Ivypaw could only place as evil.
She was about to hiss at them, when Mouseclaw meowed,"Ivypaw! Hurry up or you'll be left behind!"
The cats' heads whipped around at her, then they disappeared in the undergrowth.
She shook her head as she jumped onto the tree-bridge, trying to clear her thoughts of the two mysterious cats. But they wouldn't go away.
Oh well, she thought wryly to herself, probably just some stupid WindClanners.
But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of any Clan cats harboring such hate inside of themselves.