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CHAPTER SEVEN

"Wake up, Dovewing!"

"Wha..." Dovewing raised her head and looked at the den entrance. It was dawn, and Bumblestripe stood there, his fur rippling. "Squirrelflight's organizing the dawn patrol." Bumblestripe gave his chest fur a quick lick. "You, me, Cloudtail, and Dustpelt."

Dovewing stood up and shook her fur out. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she meowed. Carefully, as not to disturb Lilypaw, who lay in front of the den entrance, she crept out and followed Bumblestripe to the camp entrance where Cloudtail sat, grooming his fur, and Dustpelt paced in front of the entrance.

Bumblestripe glanced at the fresh-kill pile, where a few leftover pieces of prey lay from last night's meal. "Do I have time to eat?" he asked the older warriors.

Cloudtail nodded while Dustpelt shook his head. "We need to get going!" Dustpelt snapped at the white warrior.

Cloudtail licked a paw and ran it over his ear. "I need to finish grooming."

Dustpelt snorted. "We aren't going to a Gathering. That's tonight."

"Still." Cloudtail twisted around and lapped at his back. "I always like to look my best."

Dustpelt sniffed. "Fine." he turned to Bumblestripe. "But be quick."

Bumblestripe darted over to the fresh-kill pile and began wolfing down a shrew. "I'm ready!" he announced a few minutes later, licking his lips.

"And so am I." Cloudtail stood up.

"Finally." Dustpelt led the patrol out of camp.

Dovewing let her senses roam free as the patrol reached the shore. At RiverClan, Mintfur was instructing an apprentice on a hunting crouch. Graymist, Pebblefoot, and an apprentice were on dawn patrol. In the camp, Mistystar was sharing tongues with her deputy, Reedwhisker, while warriors Hollowflight and Grasspelt practiced battle moves. In WindClan, Whitetail, Gorsetail, Crouchpaw, and Leaftail left on dawn patrol. In camp, Onestar lapped at his pelt and Harespring and Weaselfur were sorting through the rabbits on the fresh-kill pile. In ShadowClan, Tawnypelt was leading the dawn patrol with Starlingwing and Ferretclaw. Blackstar was hunting with his deputy, Rowanclaw. In camp, Shrewfoot and Owlclaw shared a piece of prey.

It was sunhigh when they returned from patrolling. And they were just in time to hear Squirrelflight arrange hunting patrols. "...Rosepetal, take Molepaw and Graystripe hunting. Sandstorm and Lionblaze, take Lilypaw and Seedpaw and teach them how to hunt. The sooner your apprentices can hunt, the better. I'll take another patrol, with Poppyfrost, Foxleap, and Cherrypaw. And lastly, Berrynose, take Hazeltail and Spiderleg hunting." As the patrols left, Squirrelflight bounded over to Dovewing. "Oh, good, you're back. Bramblestar wants you to go to the Gathering. So eat and rest." she hurried off. Dovewing padded over to the apprentices den and lay half in, half out, waiting for the hunting patrols to return. She was getting hungry, and now there was no more prey. She watched the cats not on patrol do whatever they wanted or needed to do. She watched Brightheart share tongues with Cloudtail as their kits tumble all over them. Purdy was basking in the sun outside the elders den. Dovewing's heart dropped when she noticed a space next to him. That's where Mousefur would've been if she hadn't died. Lionblaze and Cinderheart padded out of the warriors den, their tails twined. Dovewing couldn't help noticing how big the gray warrior was getting. It would only be a matter of time before she moved into the nursery.

"ThunderClan! It's time to go!" Bramblestar yowled. The warriors and apprentices going to the Gathering grouped around the entrance. Molepaw, Lilypaw, and Seedpaw bounced around the clearing. Cloudtail, Graystripe, Dustpelt, and Sandstorm were talking quietly beside the entrance. Hazeltail and Millie were meowing to each other. Bumblestripe, Blossomfall, Ivypool, and Foxleap paced in front of the entrance. Lionblaze and Cinderheart were whispering to each other. Bramblestar sat with Squirrelflight and Jayfeather flanking him. Briarlight lay next to Jayfeather, her eyes glittering with excitement and worry. This would be her first Gathering since she had been crippled, and Firestar had never announced what had happened to her. Bramblestar had discussed her situation with Jayfeather, and they decided she deserved to go to the Gathering and she was strong enough to.

They moved slower than the pace they usually used to get to a Gathering, because Briarlight, who couldn't use her hind legs, would never be able to keep up with them.

When they reached the tree-bridge, Bramblestar tasted the air and then meowed to his Clan, "The other Clans are already here. When we get off the tree-bridge, I want a warrior circle around Briarlight. We need to hide her until the time comes that I will announce what happened to her, or else she will be treated to more stares than she needs. Blossomfall, Bumblestripe, Millie, Graystripe, Sandstorm, and Cloudtail, see to that."

The Clan rearranged themselves so that the cats Bramblestar called were closest to Briarlight. Millie and Blossomfall took the lead, while Graystripe and Bumblestripe helped Briarlight onto the tree-bridge. They got off the tree-bridge, and they instantly circled Briarlight.

The other Clans eyed them suspiciously when the cats who were surrounding Briarlight did not disband to share tongues, but returned to what they were doing. Bramblestar leaped up onto the tree as though he had done it many times before. He sat on the tree and dipped his head in a greeting to the cat who was next to him, Blackstar. Blackstar narrowed his eyes when he noticed the group around Briarlight. Graystripe stood up on his hind legs so the ShadowClan leader didn't notice his crippled daughter.

"Bramblestar, is your Clan feeling a bit personal tonight?" Blackstar asked the new leader. "Or do you have a secret you brought that you don't want to reveal?"

Bramblestar purred. "Start the Gathering and you'll find out."

"Fine." Blackstar yowled, "Let the Gathering begin!" Onestar, who had been speaking to Jayfeather, leaped up on the tree. Mistystar, who had been murmuring to her deputy, Reedwhisker, followed.

Blackstar looked at Bramblestar triumphantly. "Bramblestar, shall you begin?"

Murmurs swept through the crowd. Dovewing realized that not all of them knew about Firestar's death. "Of course. But first of all, I'd like to request that we share the deaths of the battle, if there were any."

"Who made you leader of all Clans?" challenged Blackstar. Bramblestar snorted. "We all know that each Clan lost someone or more than one. It won't weaken you to let the other Clans know who died. And who knows, there may be cats out there who were friendly with the cats who died."

Blackstar sniffed. "Very well." Onestar and Mistystar, who sat on the opposite branch, nodded in agreement.

Bramblestar dipped his head. "My Clan is recovering well from the battle. I'd like to thank Dovewing for giving us an advance warning that they were coming." Dovewing dipped her head as the Clans cheered, "Dovewing! Dovewing!" she felt honored that Bramblestar had given her recognition.

Blackstar silenced them with a wave of his tail. "I have a cat I must thank from ThunderClan." the ShadowClan leader looked rather embarrassed as he announced, "Without Lionblaze, my Clan would've been destroyed. Thank you, Lionblaze!" he yowled. "Lionblaze! Lionblaze!" all the Clans cheered, ShadowClan the loudest. Bramblestar continued as the noise died down. "Jayfeather too. Dovewing and Lionblaze, as you know, are part of a prophecy, and they are the ones we have to thank for saving us!"

"Jayfeather! Dovewing! Lionblaze!" yowled the Clans. "And now, like I said, ThunderClan is recovering well. We have three new kits, born to Brightheart, and two new apprentices. Lilypaw and Seedpaw!"

"Lilypaw! Seedpaw!" cheered the cats. The two young apprentices raised their heads proudly.

"And as you can see, Firestar is dead."

Wails came from the crowd.

"He was a good leader," meowed Onestar.

"An honorable warrior." Mistystar commented.

"We also lost Hollyleaf, Ferncloud, and Mousefur." Murmurs of grief came from the crowd.

Blackstar looked at Bramblestar. "And? You have something else to reveal."

"Yes." Bramblestar dipped his head. "Many of you have wondered what happened to our warrior, Briarlight, for she has not been at a Gathering for many moons."

Ears pricked and lit up with interest.

"A tree fell on the hollow about ten moons ago. Longtail died in that accident. And Briarlight was left crippled. She lost the use of her hind legs."

Murmurs and yowls of shock came from the cats below.

"But she is here today, because she has been strengthening herself, and she is as strong as any warrior here, despite she the fact she can't use her back legs. It is with pleasure that I announce that she was strong enough to come here tonight!"

"Briarlight! Briarlight!" cheered the Clans. The cats circling Briarlight moved away. After several gasps of shock, the Clans yowled her name even louder than at first.

"Thank you, Bramblestar, for the detailed report," meowed Onestar.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. "Make sure you tell everything, Onestar."

"I will." Onestar dipped his head. "We, too, are recovering well. We have a new litter of kits. I have to say we were luckier than ThunderClan, because only one cat died. Leaftail. But I have to report that two of my warriors..." he glanced nervously at Bramblestar. He nodded. "Have gone missing. Nightcloud and Breezepelt."

Murmurs of shock rippled through the Clan. Dovewing pricked her ears. Why had they run away?

"Crowfeather and Jayfeather have more information."

Jayfeather stood up from where he sat with the other medicine cats. "There was a confrontation at the ThunderClan camp between Crowfeather and Breezepelt. Breezepelt was saying that Crowfeather didn't love him."

"But he was wrong." Crowfeather's voice rang out. "I did love him. But his mother, Nightcloud, encouraged this thought. They ran away from shame."

"We have two more new apprentices, Runningpaw and Splashpaw, and a new queen, Heathertail." Onestar dipped his head. "That is all."

Mistystar went next. "We too, are recovering well. We have three new apprentices. Flowerpaw, Tanglepaw, and Archpaw."

"Flowerpaw! Tanglepaw! Archpaw!" cheered the Clans. Mistystar went on. "We only lost one cat in the battle. Dapplenose."

Grieving murmurs came from the crowd.

Blackstar went last. "We recovered from the battle quickly. We have three new apprentices, Sparrowpaw, Mistpaw, and Dewpaw."

The Clans cheered for the new apprentices.

"We only lost two cats in the battle. Cedarheart and Snaketail will be honored to the end of the Clans." "Cedarheart. Snaketail." the Clans murmured.

Blackstar finished up his report yowling, "We will be sharing tongues before we leave."

Dovewing leaped to her paws. Was Tigerheart there? She craned her neck over the numerous cats who were there. She saw Molepaw demonstrating to a young ShadowClan apprentice a forepaw slash. A crowd of cats were asking Briarlight questions. Then she saw Tigerheart's large, muscular body behind where Whitewater and Tornear were sharing tongues "Tigerheart!" she called, weaving past Grasspelt and Sunstrike.

"Oh, hold on!"the leaders were back on the tree branches. Onestar was announcing something. "We have decided that, in honor of our unity in the battle, tomorrow, each Clan will send three warriors to each Clan, like we did during the battle. And then, the next day, there will be a Daylight Gathering. It will be like last time's, but this time, we will meet on this island before and after. The four categories will be hunting, fighting, running, and tree-climbing. Each will be held on a different territory. Hunting to RiverClan, fighting to ShadowClan, running to WindClan, and tree-climbing to ThunderClan. We have also decided a senior warrior from each Clan will judge the event taking place on their territory."

"We have to hunt with them, the cats from the other Clans, if we're the ones going to their camps?" called a RiverClan warrior, Robinwing. "And sleep with them?"

"Whatever the Clan leader orders you to do," Mistystar silenced her warrior. Blackstar waved his tail. "You are dismissed."

Dovewing raced towards Tigerheart. "I must talk to you!" she hissed when she reached him.

Tigerheart ducked away. "There's nothing to say," he snapped, avoiding her eyes.

"But there is!"

"Go away, Dovewing."

"Bramblestar has been getting reports that you've been spoiling for a fight with every ThunderClan patrol you see. Don't take this out on my Clan! Take it out on me!" He already is, she thought to herself.

"I already am, and I know it."

"We can still be friends. Meet me at the abandoned Twoleg nest tomorrow night. You can do whatever you like to me, but nothing to my Clan!"

Tigerheart narrowed his eyes. "No."

They sat there in a tense silence. Dovewing was rather relieved when Bramblestar called the Clan to him to go home.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" he yowled when they arrived at camp. The cats who had not been chosen for the Gathering padded out of their dens, ears pricked. Brightheart's kits, whom Dovewing had suspected were asleep, tried to escape from the nursery. But Brightheart tugged them back, despite squeaks of protest.

Bramblestar told the Clan about the event that would take place tomorrow. Then he decided which warriors would go where. "Cloudtail, Blossomfall, and Berrynose will go to RiverClan," he announced. "Dustpelt, Toadstep, and Whitewing will go to WindClan, and Dovewing, Lionblaze, and Seedpaw will go to ShadowClan."

I can try to talk to Tigerheart! Dovewing's spirits lifted.

She heard Seedpaw boasting to Lilypaw. "I'm going into enemy territory!" she boasted.

Lilypaw looked up at her mentor, Sandstorm, who sat, watching Bramblestar. "Can I go with them?"

"No." Sandstorm flicked her tail to Lilypaw's ear. "You're going to help me show the cats from other Clans around."

"The patrols will leave at dawn. The cats from other Clans will be included in patrols," Bramblestar meowed. "I declare this meeting over."

Dovewing went to sleep feeling quite happy.

Lionblaze got Dovewing and Seedpaw up when the first rays of dawn light were seeping through the den. "Time to go," he meowed.

Seedpaw let out a yawn that Dovewing never imagined possible for such a small cat. "Why do we have to get up so early?"

"Bramblestar wants us inside ShadowClan borders by sunhigh," Lionblaze explained.

"Oh." Seepaw clambered out of her nest and followed Lionblaze out of the den. Dovewing stood up and followed. Each patrol was waiting at the camp entrance,

Bramblestar speaking to them, Squirrelflight at his side. "We expect all of you back by sunhigh tommorow. We will send for you if you don't come back."

The patrols nodded.

"Have fun!" mewed Squirrelflight playfully as the patrols left camp. They had a run through the forest.

They reached the border quickly. They passed the ShadowClan patrol that was going to ThunderClan as they padded towards ShadowClan camp. The warrior Ratscar was at the lead, with his apprentice, Stoatpaw, and the warrior Ferretclaw behind him.

It was just about sunhigh when they padded into the ShadowClan camp. Both the patrols from WindClan and RiverClan were there. They sat by the entrance of a den, their tails waving carelessly behind them. From RiverClan, there was Mosspelt, Pebblefoot, and his apprentice, Tanglepaw. From WindClan, there was Owlwhisker, Whiskernose, and Furezetail.

Rowanclaw, the ShadowClan deputy, poked his head out of the den. "Blackstar will be with you all in a moment." he then disappeared back in the den.

Dovewing decided to use this time to see which cats were where. In RiverClan, it was Cloudtail, Blossomfall, and Berrynose from ThunderClan, Oakfur, Dawnpelt, and Dewpaw from ShadowClan, and Furzetail, Sunstrike, and Weaselfur from WindClan. And in WindClan's camp, from ThunderClan, Dustpelt, Whitewing, and Toadstep. From RiverClan, Graymist, Grasspelt, and his apprentice, Archpaw. And from ShadowClan, Snowbird, Shrewfoot, and ThunderClan, there was Duskfur, Rushtail, and his apprentice, Heronpaw from RiverClan. From WindClan, there was Crowfeather, his apprentice, Larkpaw, and Boulderfur. From ShadowClan, there was Snowbird, Olivenose, and her apprentice, Mistpaw.

Rowanclaw poked his head out of the den. "Blackstar will see you now." The patrols padded into the den and sat down, looking at Blackstar expectantly.

"Welcome," the leader meowed. "To ShadowClan. Today you will go on border patrols, hunting patrols, help our medicine cat if he needs assistance, go to training sessions, share tongues with others, eat ShadowClan prey, and sleep here. And you may not do all of those things today, but those are the things you might do. Rowanclaw," he addressed his deputy. "Take a good look at these cats. Make sure you know who is who, because they will be going on patrols. Who here has an apprentice?"

Lionblaze waved his tail. "I have Seedpaw."

Pebblefoot nodded. "Tanglepaw."

"Rowanclaw, are you getting this?" Blackstar asked the tom.

He nodded. "Of course."

"Now go," Blackstar dismissed them. "Organize sunhigh patrols, Rowanclaw."

They left the den. "Patrols!" yowled Rowanclaw. ShadowClan cats stopped what they were doing and looked up at the deputy.

A big ginger kit padded up to Dovewing, two other cats behind him. "Are you ThunderClan?" he meowed.

"Yes," Dovewing nodded.

"Stoatpaw told me that you can fly. Is that true?" the kit asked.

"No. We just climb trees."

"Can you teach me how to fly?"

Dovewing purred. "We only climb trees."

"Yes, I know. But Stoatpaw said that you climbed up trees and you soared down on cats."

"We jump. No flying involved." Dovewing looked down at him. "What's your name?"

"I'm Redkit." the tom blinked up at her. "What's your name?"

"Dovewing. Are those your littermates?" she looked at the two kits behind Redkit. "Yes. My brother is Vinekit and my sister is Tinykit." Dovewing looked at the other kits. Vinekit was a black tom with a long, white-striped tail. Tinykit was smaller than most kits would be at their age (Dovewing guessed by Redkit's and Vinekit's height that they were at least three-and-a-half moons, if not older). She was a light gray kit with white ear tips.

One other kit tumbled from the nursery. This kit was probably about a moon old. "That's Dapplekit." squeaked Redkit. The kit had tortoiseshell fur and white feet. She seemed uncertain as she stared around camp. "Her brother, Fuzzykit, was killed by those rogues that came into camp just a few days ago."

"Oh-" Dovewing was cut off by the sound of pawsteps that stopped just behind her. She whirled around. It was Rowanclaw. "Oh no," she hung her head. "I missed a patrol, didn't I?"

"You did," Rowanclaw sniffed. "You're going to have to go on a patrol when I arrange them next. But no matter. The kits were interested in you." he lowered his voice. "Kits are easily influenced, but you strike me as a good cat, Dovewing."

"Okay. Um, thank you?"

"Say, the queens could use a drink, and they want to go down to the lake, also as a chance to stretch their paws. Would you watch over them? Tawnypelt will help you," he added as the tortoiseshell padded up. She licked Rowanclaw on the cheek and sat down beside him.

"Sure!" Dovewing exclaimed.

"What do you want me to do?" Tawnypelt turned to Rowanclaw.

"Help Dovewing watch over the kits while the queens get a drink," Rowanclaw meowed.

Tawnypelt purred, clearly thinking of the days she was a queen. "I'd love to."

Rowanclaw padded away, and Dovewing turned to Tawnypelt. "Do they know how to play moss-ball?"