A full moon hung in the sky, turning the landscape to milky silver.

Mosspaw took a deep breath, trying to keep calm despite the excitement churning inside her. This would be her first Gathering. She was surprised that she and her littermates were chosen over the older apprentices to go when they had only been training for only a quarter-moon, but that didn't matter anymore, because she had more important things on her mind.

I have to find Bluefur. I have to find out why she gave us up, even if it kills me. I'm sure Mistypaw and Stonepaw would want to know too, if Mapleshade hadn't corrupted that dove.

"Hey, Mosspaw!" Mistypaw's voice broke into her thoughts, "Hurry up! Or the Gathering will be over before we get there!"

"Coming!" Mosspaw called back.

I'm coming, Bluefur.

xxxXXXXXxxx

Mosspaw's paws tingled with excitement. She was standing at the entrance to the hollow of Fourtrees. A breeze stirred her fur, and she thought she could hear the whispering voices of her warrior ancestors.

This is a place of peace. No blood shall be shed here.

"Let's go!" Mistypaw yowled excitedly.

The blue-furred apprentice charged down the hollow, Stonepaw at her heels.
"No, wait!" Leopardfur hissed before the two young cats disappeared into the bushes, "Grr, apprentices!" she muttered.

Mosspaw shot a glance at Crookedstar. The RiverClan leader's eyes flickered with embarrassment, probably from the fact that one of those hasty apprentices was his.

"Well, the rest of us might as well go down," he meowed.

At Crookedstar's call, the RiverClan cats charged down into the hollow.

Many unique scents hit Mosspaw. Sharp forests scents, the familiar watery scents of RiverClan, and light, breezy scents. She skidded to a halt at the bottom.

She was surrounded by cats of every color, every pattern, every size, every age. The huge blend of scents and coats made she body tremble.

She felt a pelt brush hers. "A little overwhelming, isn't it?" Willowbreeze asked.

"Th-There are so many cats," Mosspaw stuttered, sounding like an awestruck kit.

"Yes, yes, I know," Willowbreeze replied, amusement ringing in her tone, "But that doesn't mean you can't be friendly. Feel free to start conversations with other cats, but don't forget that you might meet them in battle one day."

"Of course," Mosspaw nodded, calmed.

"Hey, Willowbreeze!" a voice called to the silver-gray tabby.

A light-ginger tabby padded up to Willowbreeze. Her blue eyes shone in the moonlight. Her tail was long and bushy and pinkish-orange.

"Oh, hi, Rosetail," Willowbreeze greeted the she-cat with a purr, "How are things in ThunderClan?"

ThunderClan!

This she-cat used to be Mosspaw's Clanmate!

"Oh, you know, the usual," Rosetail replied, "Tigerclaw fought of a fox the other day."

"Did he?" Willowbreeze's ears pricked with interest.

Mosspaw couldn't believe her ears. Her mentor and this ThunderClan cat were talking to each other like they were old friends!

"Of course he did. He was trained by the best, after all." A voice broke into Willowbreeze and Rosetail's conversation.

A gray-and-white tom with spiky fur and glinting, amber eyes stepped forward.

"Oh, Willowbreeze, have met my brother Thistleclaw?" Rosetail asked as the tom padded up to them.

"Ah, yes, Thistleclaw," Willowbreeze narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, "I hear you're quite a fierce warrior in battle."

"You bet every last fish in that precious river of yours, I am," Thistleclaw replied coolly, "If it wasn't for me, Tigerclaw would be as weak and cowardly as WindClan cats."

"Uh, Thistleclaw," Rosetail murmured, "You do realize that our father is half-WindClan?"

Thistleclaw didn't reply to his sister. He just kept staring coldly at Willowbreeze.

"Since you know of my strength and fierceness," he meowed, a growl edging his voice, "You better not try anything funny."

"I was never planning to," Willowbreeze replied calmly.

"Humph, ThunderClan is lucky to have me," Thistleclaw continued, his chest puffed out proudly, "In fact, I'd be perfect for the job as deputy, wouldn't I, Rosetail?" he shot a glance at his sister.

Rosetail's blue eyes flashed with awkwardness, and she said nothing.

"But, of course, Sunstar chose Bluefur as deputy instead of me," he spat Bluefur's name with hatred, "He's always had a soft spot for her. Probably because he was her mentor after Stonepelt injured his shoulder."

Anger started to sear under Mosspaw's pelt. How dare he insult her mother?

"I really don't see what's so great about her, anyway."

Mosspaw couldn't take anymore of Thistleclaw's words. "She's a much better deputy than you'd ever be!" she blurted.

Thistleclaw rounded on her. At once Mosspaw saw the ominous glint in his eyes. He came nose-to-nose with her and spat, "Why do you care so much about Bluefur, kit?"

Mosspaw met his gaze. "First of all, I'm not a kit. Second of all, Bluefur's a great and noble deputy, and an asset to her Clan. As far as I've heard, anyway," she added, gazing strait-on into the accusing glint of the ThunderClan tom's eye.

"Thistleclaw, please," Rosetail whispered, "You're going to create a scene."

The spiky tom let out a grunt before walking away, his tail high.

"Mosspaw, you know better than to insult an experienced warrior like that," Willowbreeze told Mosspaw sternly once Thistleclaw left.

"But who died and gave him the right to insult Bluefur?" Mosspaw protested, "His own deputy, for StarClan's sake!"

"He was being unruly," Willowbreeze agreed, "But still-"

"Don't worry about it, Willowbreeze," Rosetail interrupted, "Mosspaw isn't the only cat who wants to club when he speaks out of order. He's always been hasty and hot-headed." She smiled at Mosspaw. "I must say that was pretty bold of you, standing up to him like that."

"Oh, th-thank you, Rosetail," Mosspaw replied, flattered.

"Mosspaw, why don't you go find your littermates," Willowbreeze suggested.

Mosspaw instantly nodded.

Perfect! Now I'll be able to find Bluefur!

Flicking her tail in farewell, Mosspaw bounded into the crowd, scanning for the familiar blue-gray pelt of her mother.

Finally, she spotted her, quietly exchanging words with a black-and-white tom. From the tom's extremely long tail, Mosspaw guessed that the tom was WindClan's deputy, Talltail.

Maybe I should ask to speak with her alone? But then that might seem disrespectful to Talltail, and I've already spat in a warriors face tonight.

"Oh, Mosspaw, there you are," Mosspaw recognized the voice of Oakheart.

Her father padded up to her. "Mistypaw and Stonepaw were wondering where you were," he flicked his reddish-brown tail to a clump of ferns, "You'll find them talking to some apprentices."

Mosspaw simply nodded, doing her best to hide her disappointment. She didn't want Oakheart to suspect anything.

She started for the fern clump once Oakheart had started to join the two other deputies, but she couldn't help but glance back over her shoulder. She wanted to see how her father would greet his mate from a different Clan.

But the brown tom simply dipped his head and sat down next to Talltail. No hint of affection whatsoever.

Of course. He wouldn't want anyone getting suspicious of him or Bluefur.

With one last glance at Bluefur, Mosspaw padded up to the fern clump.

Her littermates were talking excitedly to two young cats, a slender brown tabby tom and a small dusky-brown she-cat.

Mosspaw saw Mistypaw's ears flick as she padded up. The she-cat turned and purred to her. "Hey, Mosspaw! We were wondering where you were. Come meet Runningpaw and Mousepaw."

"They're from ThunderClan," Stonepaw added.

At that moment, Mosspaw grew excited. The names of the apprentices also sounded familiar.

Suddenly, Mosspaw entered a vision. Two smaller versions of Runningpaw and Mousepaw were curled up next to a very pale she-cat with a cloudy eye.

Beside the she-cat, a big dark tabby tom groomed her ears, his yellow eyes shining as his gaze rested on the kits.

Mosspaw recognized the adult cats as White-eye and her mate Sparrowpelt.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the thick, blue-tinted form of Bluefur. Her distended belly rose and fell as she slept.

Then she had the image of her and her littermates playing in the snow with the two kits.

Once she gray-and-white she-cat returned to the present, she realized that these apprentices were her denmates back when she was in ThunderClan.

"This is our sister, Mosspaw," Stonepaw meowed to the ThunderClan cats as she sat down next to Mistypaw.

"Hello," Mosspaw purred to them.

Mosspaw only half-listen to the conversation that was being exchanged. Runningpaw and Mousepaw didn't ask her many questions, anyway. She couldn't help but have the image of Bluefur in her mind.

As she sat there, she wondered. Would she ever find out the truth? Or would she be lost hopeless curiosity forever?