Chapter 10

"RiverClan will announce our news first," a white she-cat with ginger patches on her fur announced, stepping closer towards the end of the branch she was sitting on. The branch shifted under her weight, but the leader kept her balance. Silverstreak remembered her name was Patchstar from the last Gathering.

Silverstreak noted that a majority of the ThunderClan cats sat towards the front of the crowd of cats, and tensed as Thistlefang glanced back. She crouched down to hide her head behind a large brown tabby from ShadowClan, even though he had already spotted her.

Thistlefang narrowed his eyes, and shook his head slightly, but turned back. Silverstreak flattened her ears glanced around nervously, but no one had noticed the quiet exchange. Not even Fallensong, who was always very observant. She was narrowing her amber eyes at the ginger and white leader.

"The rivers have been generous to RiverClan this newleaf," Patchstar purred, her gaze sweeping over the crowd of cats below her. "Our fresh-kill pile is stocked high of prey. The melted snow from leafbare has melted into our rivers, and we are a little concerned about having a flood."

The ginger spotted warrior stepped back, and her eyes seemed to glow brighter as she did.

Jaystar stepped forward. "ThunderClan is doing well, and like RiverClan, our fresh-kill pile is also full of prey." He paused as Patchstar gave him an annoyed glare for no apparent reason. "That is all for ThunderClan."

The remaining leaders, Gorsestar and Shadestar both glanced at each other, silently debating who would go first. Gorsestar appeared to have won since Shadestar gritted her teeth stepped forward with a sigh.

"ShadowClan has lost a well respected warrior, Darkheart, from a fox attack recently," she hissed, her golden orbs glittering maliciously like two twin moons in the darkness. A few ShadowClan warriors hung their heads in sorrow, but Fallensong just snorted.

"Fox-dung!" she growled softly into Silverstreak's ear, "all he did was harass the she-cats and take the best prey!"

Silverstreak had never met this Darkheart before, but from Fallensong's description of him, he didn't seem worth meeting with.

"We successfully killed the fox and are doing well, despite the dreadful news," Shadestar continued, "and it's all because of ThunderClan, since they chased it in ShadowClan's territory." She glared at Jaystar from the corner of her eye. He ignored it casually, staring straight ahead. "That is all ShadowClan has to report."

"I have no idea what to say about this," Fallensong muttered.

Gorsestar stepped forward next, breaking the tension. "WindClan is also doing well, and one of our warriors, Stormwhisker, has moved to the nursery. Rabbits are abundant on the moors, and there is no trouble at all for WindClan."

The light gray leader stood on his branch, waiting for one of the other leaders to declare that the Gathering was over.

No cat spoke, Shadestar glaring at Jaystar while he met her gaze with his own. Patchstar and Gorsestar waited awkwardly on their branches. The moon was still shiny brightly in the sky, though little bits of dark gray clouds were threatening to cover it as Silverstreak glanced up.

"The Gathering is over," Gorsestar meowed lamely after a few moments before leaping off his branch. Shadestar turned her back to the dark gray ThunderClan leader and leaped off of her branch gracefully, her paws barely making a sound as they touched the ground.

Silverstreak noted that Thistlefang was glancing wildly around for her, but she crouched down behind Fallensong to hide her head. This time, it worked, and it looked like he assumed that she had already darted back off to camp.

"Hm, Shadestar has some anger issues," Fallensong mused, glancing at her leader. She turned, her eyes shining regretfully at Silverstreak. "I guess I better go now." ShadowClan cats were starting to follow their leader as she padded towards the direction of the branch that led to the camps. Fallensong turned to go, but Silverstreak stopped her.

"Hold on," Silverstreak mewed. Her friend paused to wait for Silverstreak to scramble to her side. "I just need to ask you something. Won't be long at all."

"Yeah, what?" Fallensong asked. She and Silverstreak were the only cats that were on the island, not counting the ones that were heading ShadowClan cats had already disappeared from the island, and they could only see the tail-tips from the other cats of the clans as they bounded over the branch to their camps.

"What would you do if other cats judged you?" asked Silverstreak, her voice low. Fallensong's curious eyes darkened.

"It depends on how they judge me. A little bit is okay, but when actions speak louder than words," Fallensong took a moment to pause then continued, "when actions speak louder than words, that means trouble. And you've got to do something about it."

Silverstreak nodded, mulling over the words. "I guess that makes sense," Silverstreak sighed, looking up at the stars, wishing they would guide her to the right direction.

Fallensong too, gazed up at the stars. "The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they? I like this island – that's why I sneak to the Gatherings every moon when I'm not picked." Fallensong gave her friend a crooked smile.

"You weren't picked to go to this Gathering?" inquired Silverstreak, not at all surprised. She had only met only her friend twice, but she already knew Fallensong like she was kin. It was just like what the elders' said when she was an apprentice and wanted them to get to the point of their stories. "You can't know the background of the characters in just a few moments" one of the elders had snorted, but it seemed like Fallensong was an exception.

Fallensong glanced back at branch where the other clan cats had disappeared off to their camps.

"I guess I'll be going then," she sighed, glancing ruefully back at Silverstreak. The moon's bright light glinted off her well-groomed silver and black pelt, and her amber eyes shined in the darkness like twin moons.

"I guess," Silverstreak responded, trotting alongside with her friend. The rippling water of the lake was a light gray in the moonlight as they leaped over the branch to land. A chill shot up her spine as a icy wind blew at the side of her face.

"Bye," Fallensong meowed as soon as she stepped into ShadowClan territory that was right next to ThunderClan's. Clouds started to gather around the moon, moments later covering it as the wind grew stronger. The moonlight shrouded the clouds, disappearing slowly.

"Hope to see you on border patrols," Fallensong meowed. Or maybe the next few Gatherings," she added cheekily.

"Yeah, see you! And I wasn't invited to this Gathering either." Silverstreak called back over her shoulder as she flicked a good-bye with her tail. She didn't check to see if her friend had turned around to respond.

It was time for a change. It was time to do something.

It was the perfect time to run away.