The sound of birdsong filled his ears and the prodding of a paw in his shoulder woke Firepaw from his sleep. "Wha-" His question was cut off as he lifted his head and opened his eyes. Dewpaw stood in front of him a paw held in mid-air, ready to poke him again.
"Its sunhigh already, you gotta get up." He meowed, setting his snowy-paw down and then turning and padding out of the den. Yawning, Firepaw stretched luxuriously and then sat up, giving himself a quick grooming before heading outside, emerging into the strong sunlight.
Most of the Clan were out on patrol, including the apprentices. Snowpaw and Firepaw were the only ones in camp other than a few warriors and Purdy. As Dewpaw had mentioned, the sun was at its highest point in the sky and most of the day was gone. Firepaw had overslept by a long shot. He wondered what he could do today since he had taken care of the elders two days ago and Jayfeather's herbs were re-stocked.
Padding over towards the nursery, Firepaw poked his head in. "Any cats in here need anything? I have nothing to do today." He explained. Both Goldenkit's and Smokekit's head poke up from their nest and the little golden she-cat clambered over the side and bounced over to him her tail waving eagerly. Smokekit stayed where he was, though the happy expression on his face that old Firepaw he was pleased to see him.
Cinderheart's head rose tiredly and she blinked her eyes open. Daisy was already up but both shook her head. "No, nothing here for us, everything here's okay." Cinderheart meowed tiredly. She plopped back down onto the nest and Daisy did the same. Looking towards Goldenkit, Firepaw bent down and touched her nose affectionately before she scampered back towards the nest.
Huffing, Firepaw wondered what he could do as he sat in the middle of camp, beside the fresh-kill pile, the pile of dead bodies tempting him to take a piece. Finally, his hunger got the best of him and he hooked a shrew from the top of the pile.
Taking it over to the apprentice's area, Firepaw gingerly took a bite of the furry body. The taste of the vole was delicious and he gobbled the food down. Just as he was finishing his last few bites, a shadow fell over him and made his fur rise.
"Ah, Firepaw, just the cat I was looking for." It was Bramblestar. Swallowing the prey, Firepaw sat up, not bothering to give his face a wash.
"I've been thinking about your punishment and decided that since you're such a good worker and you're only a new apprentice, to let you off by the full moon, a few days before the gathering. But make sure to control your temper next time, alright? I don't want any more fights going on." Bramblestar's tone was warning him and Firepaw's jaw opened in shock. His Clan leader was letting him off early! He didn't have to wait a moon to finish his punishment!
"Oh thank you Bramblestar! I promise I'll be good." Firepaw jumped to his paws excitedly. He was going to work his hardest during his remaining time and prove that he had good control over himself. "I promise!" He meowed enthusiastically.
"Good, I'll let Graystripe know. But remember, the next time this happens you won't be let off so easily." Bramblestar's voice was stern and Firepaw nodded. He couldn't believe that his leader had let him go.
"I have to tell Daisy!" Firepaw instantly rushed off towards the nursery, adrenaline fueling his legs making the distance shorter.
Firepaw stuck to his promise and by the full moon, Firepaw was ready to go to his first gathering. It was an exciting time for him, as he had only known cats from his own Clan his entire life. Now he would have the chance to meet other cats from RiverClan, ShadowClan and WindClan.
As the Clan stood quietly, bunched up by the thorn entrance, Firepaw kneaded the ground in anticipation. "Graystripe, I'm worried…I won't know what to do when I meet the other Clan's apprentices." Firepaw fretted, looking up at his mentor with a worried, amber gaze.
"Don't give away too much information, which could aid them in a future attack." Graystripe meowed in response. It wasn't' much longer before Bramblestar gave the signal to follow him. The rest of the cats fell in behind him, bounding along with such ease and grace that it seemed almost impossible to believe they were real live cats.
They skirted the edge of their territory when they spotted the WindClan cats bounding across the moorlands with speed unmatched. The skinny rabbit-fed cats joined them in their journey to the island. The bodies of the newcomers were all, thin, wiry and built for speed.
"Hi," A voice piped up from beside Firepaw and he turned his head to see an apprentice aged pale gray she-cat padding next to him, a bright look on her face. "My name is Mistpaw, what's yours?"
"Firepaw, it's nice to meet you Mistpaw." He replied kindly, dipping his head in respect. She was probably around his age, maybe older. "Is this your first gathering?" She asked. Remembering what Graystripe had said about sharing information, Firepaw nodded.
"That's neat, me too. You're from ThunderClan right?" Mistpaw seemed a bit too energetic for Firepaw's taste but at least she was nice. The two cats continued to follow their Clan leaders, Onestar and Bramblestar around WindClan territory until they reached the border with RiverClan. It was clearly marked by a flowing river that had stepping stones placed generously for the cats to cross.
One by one, each of the Clans made it across. Firepaw disliked the feeling of damp moss squelching underneath his paws and in between his toes as he padded through the swampy marshland. His paws were soaked by the time he reached the island and his belly fur was just beginning to grow damp.
When they reached the log that allowed cats to cross the river, Firepaw was the last to go. His nerves had gotten to him and he was afraid. Mistpaw and Graystripe stayed behind. "C'mon, it's not that hard. It's kind of scary at first but just grip on with your claws and you'll be fine." Mistpaw's voice wasn't all that reassuring. This was her first time crossing the log bridge as well.
"If you fall, I'll be here to catch you." Graystripe meowed quietly, nudging him onto the log. Firepaw willed the courage to him and he bravely stepped out onto the rough surface. His claws instantly dug into wood and he cowered, the aforementioned courage deserting him instantly. The blackened water shone below, reflecting the moons silver glow. "I'm right behind you Firepaw."
Stop acting like a kit. Firepaw scorned himself as he slowly rose to his paws, steadying himself with his tail. "C'mon Firepaw, you can do it." As Firepaw eased his way along the log, he lost his balance and plunged head first into the water with a shriek.
"Firepaw!" Graystripe yelled in shock before diving in after him.
His head felt like it was under some sort of pressure and he fought the water's grip to try and get to the surface. Paws thrashing wildly, Firepaw squeaked as he finally broke the surface. His sodden fur was dragging him down. Panic rose in his chest as he felt teeth grip his scruff. Finally, Graystripe had a good grip on his neck and dragged him towards shore, where he set the apprentice down on the sand.
Coughing, Firepaw lie sprawled about, ginger fur drenched in water. Mistpaw came beside him and nudged his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Graystripe nosed through his soaked fur. Firepaw was too much in shock to reply to Mistpaw. By now most of the ThunderClan cats had come to see what the commotion was about. Eyes stinging, Firepaw blinked the water out of his eyes as he shakily got to his paws.
Frightened, wet and horribly embarrassed, the ginger tom sat shivering on the bank, the wet fur dripping and plastered to his sides making him look as skinny as a WindClan cat. "Here, let me help you dry off." Graystripe began licking his fur the wrong way to help him warm up and dry faster.
Mistpaw rejoined her Clanmates with persuasion from her mentor. The rest of the Clan returned to the island. "Start the meeting without us, we'll catch up." Graystripe meowed to Bramblestar who came to see what was happening.
"That was horrible…I never want to cross that bridge again." Firepaw wailed. By now, most of his fur had dried off since it was short. "It's alright Firepaw, most cats dislike water. It's a natural thing, but I'm not sure how RiverClan cats can stand it." Graystripe mewed, licking his own long, gray fur that turned dark upon hitting the water.
Finally, feeling a little bit better, the two cats headed towards the main land.
"RiverClan is doing well, we are all fed and enjoying the last of new-leaf. We also welcome two new apprentices, Streampaw and Cloudpaw." The RiverClan cats chanted their Clanmates name the loudest, followed by the rest of the cats gathered by the tree. Both cats looked embarrassed that they were getting attention from all the other cats.
"Does any other cat have anything else to say?" Leopardstar asked, glancing towards her fellow leaders. Bramblestar stood up.
"Yes, ThunderClan is prospering in the new-leaf and we're excited for the coming of green-leaf. We also have a new apprentice in our ranks, young Firepaw." ThunderClan chants were the loudest and many heads turned to look at him. He was sitting beside his mentor at the back of the group, keeping to himself. He lightly acknowledged the voices meant for him.
His mood had been washed away and he only felt cold and miserable. He couldn't bring himself to enjoy his first gathering.
"Is there any other news to report?" Leopardstar asked. Each leader shook their heads and the gathering ended. Graystripe lead Firepaw back to camp, guiding him across the bridge with gentle ease. The whole way home, the two were silent amongst the quiet chattering of their Clanmates.
Entering the thorn tunnel, Firepaw headed straight for the apprentices den, curled up in his nest and fell asleep without a word to any cat.