Chapter 6
The next three days passed surprisingly fast for Icepaw. Tinypaw had offered to assist Icepaw with the scourging of the elder's den, which Icepaw had accepted readily and happily. After Icepaw's three days of punishment were up, she continued to return to the nursery to visit Seakit. The apprentice and the kit had clicked immediately. Seakit felt nothing but love and awe for Icepaw and Icepaw adored the little black kit. Icepaw had taken to teaching Seakit how to fight in between her own training. Icepaw knew that Seakit couldn't and wasn't allowed to fully practice and complete any training but she didn't see the harm in teaching Seakit a few offensive maneuvers.
It was at the nursery where Coldsnow found his apprentice scuffling around with Seakit. Icepaw glanced up from her mock battle with the black kit to see her mentor's stern face. Icepaw leapt to her feet and nudged Seakit with her tail. The kit meowed plaintively at Coldsnow and then sprang into action. Seakit grandly bowed her head down until it touched the earth and from her low position said, "Oh proud Coldsnow, please forgive me for taking away your apprentice from her duties."
Coldsnow couldn't help smiling at the kit's earnest and obviously rehearsed speech.
"That's quite alright, Seakit. But I must take my apprentice back now," Coldsnow said. Seakit bobbed her head and tumbled off to the hollow tree to play with the other kits.
"I see you two are getting along," Coldsnow said tenderly.
Icepaw smiled and rubbed her nose up against her mentor's head.
"So what are we doing now? Fishing?" Icepaw asked.
Coldsnow looked warmly at his apprentice.
"Better. Silverstar has decided that you may come to the Gathering tonight," he announced. Icepaw gasped with pleasure. She had been waiting for almost two moons now to be allowed to come to a Gathering with the rest of Riverclan. Finally she was given the chance!
"Oh this is great, Coldsnow!" she mewed, "when do we leave?"
"At sundown."
Icepaw felt her heart begin to race in excitement. She had heard what the Gatherings were like from Rainpaw but to actually attend one would be amazing. Coldsnow was watching Icepaw with a patient amusement.
"You may tell Tinypaw that she is also coming," he said. Icepaw bared her teeth in a grin at her mentor.
"May I go tell her now?" she asked excitedly. Coldsnow gave a little laugh.
"Well we're obviously not going to get any training done, so yes, you may go tell her," he said. Icepaw quivered in happiness and twitched her whiskers in thanks to Coldsnow as she bounded off towards the apprentice's den. Icepaw skidded down the badger set and tumbled into the warm den. Tinypaw was dozing in the corner when Icepaw pounced on her friend.
"Ah, get off Icepaw," the other cat said, batting Icepaw with her paws.
"No listen Tinypaw: we're going to the Gathering tonight!"
The grey and white cat scrambled to her feet.
"Really?" she asked.
Icepaw nodded and beamed at her friend. Icepaw didn't think she could wait until sundown for the Gathering. Not even her tail would stay still.
The group of cats rushed through the trees, weaving in and out of bushes and leaping over rocks. Icepaw ran next to Coldsnow and Tinypaw. She could just see Miststorm and Birdsong darting through the trees ahead of her. Icepaw knew that Silverstar and Pinetail would be leading the way to the Gathering. Icepaw glanced over at her mentor who was panting heavily.
"Where is it?" Icepaw asked.
"Not too far from here," Coldsnow replied, gasping for air.
Suddenly the cats came around a bend in the path they were following. Icepaw couldn't help but let out a gasp as she saw the fallen tree over the dark water. She stared at the small island and felt breathless. Icepaw squinted and could just make out Silverstar and Pinetail leading the way across the fallen tree. When it came time for Icepaw's turn to clamber up the dead tree, she hesitated apprehensively. She might be a good fighter and fisher but climbing trees was not her specialty.
"It's alright Icepaw, it's hard the first time, but it gets easier," Coldsnow said from behind her. Icepaw nodded and gulped as she heaved herself up on to the tree. Digging her claws into the bark, she slowed inched across the makeshift bridge. When she got to the other side, Icepaw flung herself on to the comforting forest floor and shook off her coat as if she could get the feeling of being suspended in the air out of her head. Icepaw soon forgot the tree bridge though as she walked into a huge clearing. She gaped at the enormous tree that stood proudly in the center of the clearing. Tinypaw was suddenly at her side, her mouth wide open in awe and surprise.
"It's amazing," Icepaw said. Tinypaw didn't speak, she just inclined her head. Icepaw followed her clan as they settled on the far side of the clearing. She watched as Silverstar jumped on to the huge roots of the tree and settled down. Pinetail took his place at the bottom of the roots, looking around the clearing carefully. Icepaw suddenly realized they weren't the only cats in the clearing. A scent that was unmistakably Shadowclan came from a group of cats who were lounging around near the trees. Their clan leader, who Icepaw remembered as Tearstar was already perched on a root vertical to Silverstar's. Tinypaw prodded Icepaw's side with her paw and nodded her head towards a group of straggly-looking cats. Icepaw lifted her nose and inhaled the stormy scent of Windclan.
"That's Strongstar," Tinypaw said, flicking her tail at a tall black tom cat. A few Riverclan cats made their way over to the Windclan cats. Icepaw guessed they were going to catch up on news and gossip from the other cats. Icepaw watched as Owlear padded over to a brown and white tabby and a black tom. Coldsnow bent down and whispered to Icepaw, "That's Littlewood and Tosstree. They're the medicine cats of Windclan and Shadowclan." Icepaw nodded. Suddenly the trees on the other side of the clearing rustled and a new group of cats burst into the wide space. Icepaw didn't need to smell their scent to know they were Thunderclan cats.
"That red tom Redstar, and the cat at his side is Applefall. Their medicine cat is Foxtail, he's over there," Coldsnow said, pointing out each cat. The Thunderclan cats dispersed into the crowd of nosy cats.
"I'll be back in a second," Coldsnow said, licking Icepaw's head. She watched him tread over to a grey tabby she-cat who greeted him fondly. Icepaw turned her attention to the black tom with piercing blue eyes who had just approached Miststorm.
"Hello Darkears," Miststorm meowed, "How's hunting?"
"Good, good. How is Riverclan fairing this season?" Darkears returned.
"Well. We've had no shortage of food-"
Icepaw abruptly stopped listening to the two warriors chatter because she had seen another cat. One she knew only by description.
"I'll be back later," Icepaw whispered to Tinypaw. She dashed off towards the thin calico tom she saw standing by himself. He was unmistakably Thunderclan. Icepaw tiptoed up to the warrior cat and stood respectfully in front of him.
"Quickstep?" she asked.
The tom sharply glanced down at Icepaw. Then a sudden recognition lit up his eyes.
"Are-are you Icepaw?"
Icepaw smiled nervously. "Yes."
Quickstep let out a mew of pleasure and rubbed his nose against his daughter's flank.
"You look exactly like Rosetail described you," he said, pleased. "How are you?"
"I'm well," Icepaw said humbly.
"Are you training hard?" Quickstep asked.
"Yes. I know how to fish and hunt and fight," Icepaw said proudly.
Quickstep's eyes filled with gratification.
"Good job," he said, "Oh look, the Gathering is about to start. Why don't you head back to your friends. I'll see you afterwards," Quickstep said. Icepaw bowed her head and ran off to where Tinypaw was standing.
"Who was that?" Tinypaw questioned.
"My father," Icepaw answered, smiling at Quickstep. Tinypaw gave a small smile.
"He looks nice," she said. Then she turned to the two cats sitting next to her that Icepaw hadn't noticed. "Icepaw, this is Sootpaw and Badgerpaw from Thunderclan," she said. Icepaw dipped her head in greeting to the other apprentices.
"The Gathering will now begin," a deep voice called from the roots of the giant tree. The clearing immediately quieted down and all the cats looked up expectantly at the leaders. Icepaw realized the speaker was Redstar, the Thunderclan leader.
"Would Riverclan like to start us off this time?" he asked, inclining his great head towards Silverstar.
"Yes indeed," Silverstar said. "Riverclan has been doing well this season. Prey is plentiful and we are strong. We are pleased to announce that this is the first Gathering of two new apprentices of ours: Tinypaw and Icepaw."
Icepaw felt Tinypaw slid forward so she'd be closer to the ground as all the cats' eyes turned to look at them. Icepaw stayed completely still and looked at her leader's face, trying not to be humbled by the stares of the other cats.
"In other good news, Icepaw recently rescued an unknown kit from drowning. We have accepted this kit into our clan and is known as Seakit," Silverstar continued, looking down kindly at Icepaw. Icepaw felt her ears begin to grow hot. A few murmurs of congratulations drifted around the clearing. Silverstar nodded to Redstar, gesturing that she had finished. Each of the clan leaders rose and reported the status of their clan. Nothing seemed particularly worrisome except for a rogue fox in Windclan's land but Tinypaw assured Icepaw that foxes would never travel down towards Riverclan on account of the Twolegs that lived nearby. When all the leaders had finished talking, Icepaw felt her eyes grow heavy; she was extremely tired. She wasn't tired enough, however, to miss out on gloating about the Gathering to Rainpaw when they got home. Icepaw smiled lazily as the moon gleamed above her and Redstar signaled the end of the Gathering. Icepaw felt any fears about the well-being of Riverclan slip away. She felt safe and content at last.
