AN: Hey guys. I am SO SORRY for the loooooooooooooong wait. Writing homework and too many people on one computer made me sorta avoid it for a while. But here I am, giving you a spiffy new update! Hope you enjoy!
Whitepaw was looking forward to the gathering. She hadn't ever been to one, other than with the medicine cats, but that was different. At Fiveoaks, where the gathering would take place, she could meet other cats, warriors and apprentices, as well as the deputies and leaders of the other clans. She hoped Brownpaw would be going, too. It would be funner for her if he came.
A yowl sounded outside in the camp. Wolfstar was gathering the cats going to Fiveoaks together. Tidying one last pile of herbs, Whitepaw hurried to join them. She soon located Brownpaw with her eyes, sitting with the other apprentices. She started over to them, but then heard her name called. Finchfang padded up beside her.
"Are you going to the gathering, Whitepaw?" the golden warrior asked.
"Yes," she replied. "Do you know if Brownpaw is coming with us?"
Finchfang flicked his tale casually. "I didn't hear his name called. But, he has been getting into mischief quite a bit this moon." He let out a small purr. "Along with someone else I could mention."
Whitepaw felt her face heat up under her fur and looked away quickly. She didn't want Finchfang to see her embarrassment.
"It looks as though we're leaving now," he meowed. Whitepaw glanced up and she nodded, grateful for the distraction. She followed the stream of cats out of the camp, turning her head this way and that, trying to spot Brownpaw, but he must have gone back to the Apprentice den with Mosspaw and Wasppaw, because he was nowhere in sight.
The walk to Fiveoaks was moonlit and magical. The full moon added a silver sheen to every cats fur, and an air of mystery to the almost-familiar territory. Whitepaw felt like she was in StarClan again, walking beside Finchfang.
Do you see it, Snowpaw? she asked silently. See how beautiful it is? Like StarClan's forest.
When they arrived at Fiveoaks, two other clans were already there. Finchfang leaned down to whisper their names in her ear.
"That's WaterClan over there." He waved his tail toward a group of cats on their left. "And there's SkyClan to the right."
Whitepaw recognized Tawnywhisker and Twiggy sitting near one of the great trees that surrounded them. With a smile, she began padding over to them, but her way was blocked halfway across the clearing. A bright-eyed apprentice stood before her. His fur was blue-gray, and covered lean muscles. He had a strange scent, a bit like the one on Tawnywhisker's fur, though hers was masked by herbs.
"I've never seen you here before," he said tartly. "What's your name?"
"Whitepaw. I'm from StoneClan. Who are you?"
"Waterpaw from WaterClan," the other apprentice relied. "Brackentail's my mentor." He puffed out his chest. "She's our deputy. Who's your mentor? Is he that golden tom you were talking to?"
Whitepaw flicked her tail no. "I'm Firedapple's apprentice. He's our medicine cat."
"Oh." Waterpaw's face turned from smug to disappointed. "You're a medicine cat apprentice. I was hoping we could exchange fighting moves, but if you're only going to talk about herbs…" he turned to go.
"You could show me some of your moves," Whitepaw meowed quickly. "I've never seen much n the way of warrior training."
Waterpaw brightened at the chance to show off. "Alright! First, I'll show you… a front paw strike! All you do is-" he raised his paw above his head, fixing his eyes on a patch of grass. "-Bring your paw down really hard on you opponents head!" He smacked the patch of grass squarely in the middle, his claws sheathed. Then he straightened. "Now you try."
Feeling self-conscious, Whitepaw raised her paw and tried to strike the grass in the same spot as Waterpaw had. Her blow landed quite far off-center. She tried again. This time, she managed to hit the grass in the middle, and succeeded, but Waterpaw shook his head.
"Too much control," he told her, soundly comically like a warrior correcting his apprentice. "Bring it down hard."
Whitepaw struck again, and this time her paw flattened the grass with more force than she had meant to use. Waterpaw looked as surprised as she felt when she turned her eyes up to him. But before they could say anything, a yowl reverberated over the clearing. The Gathering was about to begin.
AN: What do think? Tell me in a review! I hope to have 20 reviews total before I post the next chapter. That means only five of you have to review! :D However, if it takes too long, or if I simply can't wait, I might post it after only two or three. So PLEASE! REVIEW!