Chapter 5, The Gathering
Falconflight followed her clan into the gathering clearing at sat near StormClan warriors. She decided to visit SunClan warriors. She hadn't talked to them since the battle where she had gotten her warrior name. It had been five moons so she decided to let it go. She found Greenpaw talking to Thunderpaw.
"These are my friends, Berrypaw, Brightpaw and Tigerpaw," he meowed. Thunderpaw just stood there.
"These are my littermates," she whispered to him looking stricken.
"Thunderpaw!" her sister Brightpaw and her brother Tigerpaw touched noses with her, but Berrypaw just stood there sneering.
"Finally found a warrior stupid enough to make you their apprentice?" he asked. Thunderpaw bristled.
"My mentor is great!" she boasted.
"And who is this mouse-brain?" asked Berrypaw. Tigerpaw bristled.
"There's a truce Berrypaw, be nice make friends," he hissed.
"Thunderpaw is a traitor!" Berrypaw complained.
"Be nice!" A taller cat came from behind them.
"Riverwhisper!" Thunderpaw meowed happily.
"Who is a mouse-brain?" the tortoiseshell she-cat asked.
"No one," Berrypaw muttered. Riverwhisper walked away and Brightpaw, Tigerpaw and Berrypaw walked away.
"Falconflight!" A LeafClan warrior walked over.
"Wavesong!" Falconflight called. The blue-gray she-cat dipped her head to Falconflight and then started talking.
"We have new kits! Flowerstorm kitted two beautiful kits, a tom and a she-kit!"
"That's wonderful, StormClan has new kits too. What are the names?" Falconflight meowed thinking of how playful and small Thunderpaw had been.
"Birchkit for the tom and Spotkit for the she-cat," Wavesong purred.
"Is Spotkit spotted?" asked Falconflight.
"Yes! She has even more spots than her mother! Birchkit has the exact pelt of his father, but with a long tail like Flowerstorm, they haven't even opened their eyes!"
"Who's their father?" Falconflight asked, Wavesong seemed to love to talk about the kits.
"Brownpelt!" He always brings them honey even though Branchlegs has told him a million times not to raid the store!" She let out a mrrow of amusement, Falconflight didn't, wishing that Tidekit and Nightkit could have such happy birth.
"Our new kits names are Tidekit and Nightkit, Tidekit is black with a gray underbelly and tipped tail and Nightkit is the same but with white not gray, they're my siblings!" she tried to purr but couldn't.
"Aren't you happy?" Wavesong sounded confused.
"My mother died giving birth," she meowed sadly. Wavesong just stroked Falconflight's flank with her tail, the two cats sat in silence until the clan leaders began to talk.
"StormClan is thriving, we have two new kits; Nightkit and Tidekit! However we have lost two cats; a queen Crowsong and an elder, Fishtail." Murmurs of sorrow filled the clearing, as well as confusion, for no one had known Fishtail was elder. More apologies went to Falconflight and she didn't really pay attention.
"SunClan is thriving as well one of our elders, Lightfur has died of greencough and Mousetail has taken her place.
"Mousetail! Mousetail!" The clans cheered.
"We have a new warrior as well, please welcome Briarleaf!''
"Briarleaf! Briarleaf! Briarleaf!" The clans called and Falconflight saw a young she-cat looking around, eyes shining.
"LeafClan is also doing well," meowed Adderstar, "we have two new kits Spotkit and Birchkit, prey is running well and we have been fighting twoleg dogs who keep killing our squirrels! That is all."
"Gathering dimissed!" called Claystar and cats started to leave. It was a fine night to sit vigil, the sky was clear and it wasn't windy. But the air of sadness made it seem stuffy and stormy. When the light of dawn shone in the sky, Falconflight stood up and stretched.
"If you excuse me I'm going to sleep for the next moon," she meowed sleepily once she was sure the vigil was over.
"No actually, I want Blazetail to lead a patrol, you Mudtail, Snowpaw and Hawktalon will go with you," Stonefang meowed. Falconflight groaned softly but nodded. Blazetail nodded as well and signaled the cats to follow him.
"We're going to the LeafClan border," he meowed.
"Have you started preparing for your assessment?" Falconflight asked Snowpaw.
"Yeah, it's in about a moon," she meowed happily.
"So Gingerstripe's kits will be born after you're a warrior," Falconflight observed.
"Yes they'll be so cute," purred Snowpaw.
"Hey tweety birds! Heads up we're at the border!" Hawktalon growled.
"No we're not!" Falconflight meowed looking up.
"You were do believe me," he growled, "you weren't aware of the surroundings." Poor Violetpool, she had him as a mentor Falconflight thought. When they did reach the border no cat was there.
"They at least thought not to get up now," Falconflight muttered.
"Irresponsible fleabags," Hawktalon muttered. Blazetail just shrugged.
"Mudtail, Falconflight mark the border. The rest of us will return to camp." Blazetail meowed. Mudtail and Falconflight marked the border and they followed the rest of the patrol back to camp.
"Gingerstripe's kitting!" Firepaw ran into Snowpaw, eyes wide. By the time they reached the nursery Gingerstripe was crouched over two beautiful kits, two she-cats. One was brown with white paws and a white tipped tail. The other was pure silver.
"Silverkit for the silver one and Eaglekit for the brown and white one," Gingerstripe purred sleepily. Silverkit opened her mouth and yawned. Eaglekit prodded her sister as she moved over slowly. Falconflight purred.
"You have siblings," Falconflight purred to Snowpaw who was still beside her.
"Yeah," she purred.
"They're beautiful!" purred Violetpool who had entered the nursery.
"Does this mean we can play with them?" asked Nightkit who had bravely left where he and Tidekit were positioned.
"Not yet," Stonefang meowed sternly, "once they open their eyes."
"But that could take forever," Tidekit mewled.
"You opened your eyes the sunrise after you were born, so did Nightkit," Falconflight meowed.
"But that's long!" complained Nightkit.
"No it's not," meowed Stonefang sternly. He gave the kits a look that signifies the end of discussion. Tidekit nodded and pushed Nightkit until he nodded.
"I'll hunt," Falconflight volunteered, she loved new kits. As she left the nursery she found Volewhisker giving a mouse to Smallfire. As she walked away he walked over to Falconflight.
"Falconflight wait!" he meowed.
"What?" Falconflight asked.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Hunting for Eaglekit and Silverkit," meowed Falconflight.
"Who are Eaglekit and Silverkit?" asked Volewhisker.
"Gingerstripe's new kits," meowed Falconflight, amusement flashing in her gaze.
"Gingerstripe kitted?" Volewhisker asked.
"Yes, mouse-brain, Gingerstripe kitted," Falconflight meowed.
"Can I hunt with you?" Volewhisker asked after a pause.
"Sure," Falconflight meowed, "do you want to bring Violetpool or Thunderpaw?" she asked.
"No, just us," decided Volewhisker quickly.
"Okay," Falconflight meowed. When they had reached flat land Falconflight scented mouse. She dropped into a stalking position and was just about to pounce when….
"Falconflight!" Volewhisker jumped in front of her.
"What?" she asked bristling, the mouse ran away. "I had that!" she hissed.
"Falconflight I'm sorry-" began Volewhisker.
"It's okay, but I was in a hunting crouch, couldn't you see that? Let me see if I can find something else," she meowed briskly, tasting the air.
"Thrush!" she meowed and walked toward the trees.
"Falconflight, I didn't come here to hunt I wanted to ask you something," Volewhisker meowed.
"I told you I was here to hunt, but what did you want to ask me?" Falconflight ask, she could here the bird chirping now, and she knew Gingerstripe liked thrush she crouched down and prepared to make a successful kill….
"Will you be my mate Falconflight?" Volewhisker asked suddenly. Falconflight had just pounced but now fell after losing concentration, the thrush flew away but she didn't notice.
"What?" she asked, she must not have heard him right.
"Will, will you be my mate, Falconflight?" Volewhisker asked again nervously. Falconflight didn't know what to say. She hadn't thought about having a mate at all. There's no one else I like more, he's always there. But I always thought of him as a friend, but-but I-I like Volewhisker. When Falconflight admitted it she realized how much she meant, ever since he had stopped torturing her.
"Yes," she breathed quietly.
"Really?" Volewhisker asked.
"Yes!" This time she almost yowled it. They walked to camp together happily, the thrush lived to chirp another sunrise.
Okay I'm really sorry about the the problems in this chapter earlier. So what do you think of FalconXVole? I need suggestions for Firepaw and Snowpaw's warrior names, so please review what you think! - Brightstorm