I slowly blinked my eyes as I rose from a soft nest. I glanced around and by my surroundings; I could tell I was in the medicine cat's den. I realized my fur felt sticky. So I turned my head to see what it was; it was herb paste. I heard pawsteps and tilted my head upward to see a smiling black and ginger face staring back at me. "Heya there sleepy-head, how are ya feeling?"

I smiled and pawed playfully back at Heatherpaw, Yarrowheart's apprentice. I groaned as I felt a sharp pain shooting through me. Just that moment, Yarrowheart padded in. She sat beside me and chewed up a few herbs. "Comfrey and Daisy leaves. They'll help with your cuts and bruises." She rubbed the mixture onto my fur, I had to fight the urge to lick it off. I smiled at her, "Thanks,"

She nodded and Heatherpaw waved her tail as I exceeded out of the den. I smiled as I heard Heatherpaw and Yarrowheart going over herbs and their uses. 'She's going to be a great medicine cat, she's kind, caring and-'I stopped my thinking as I bumped into a soft pelt. I glanced up to see a gray she-cat with blue eyes, one was blind.

"S-sorry Gentlebreeze..." I mewed, feeling embarrassed for not paying attention and bumping into a warrior. The delicate gray she cat looked at me with her eye and smiled. "Oh, no need to be sorry, dearie." I smiled back at her and padded away to the center of the clearing. My tail dragged out behind me, seeing as the end of it was lying crookedly. I trotted over to a gathering mass of cats under Highrock.

I looked up to see Falconstar emerge with her deputy, Robinheart. Falconstar waved her tail, politely asking for silence. The group quieted down, a blanket of silence covered the camp, or at least until Falconstar spoke. "Attention cats of SummerClan. As you may know, the gathering is to be held at the Gathering cave tonight. There is no signs of bad weather, so we will be departing shortly," She paused and looked at her cats before continuing on, "The cats who are going are, Silversky, Rosepaw, Longpaw, Clawpaw, Deepscar, Ravencry, Clawpaw, Mottledpelt and…. Smallpaw. Feel free to eat and wash before we depart."

I felt so excited! I was going to my first gathering, my mother would be so proud! I trotted over to the nursery and padded in to see my mother's smiling face. "I-I can't believe I'm going to a gathering!" I mewed excitedly as she licked me on the head. "I'm so proud of my kit, already going to her first gathering.." I pawed at her playfully as I took in the sweet smell of her yellow fur.

She pawed at me back and at that moment, I remembered that I should eat. "Sorry mom, but I've gotta go and eat." I gave her a lick on her ear and rushed outside to the fresh kill pile. I picked out a tasty looking vole and sat to eat. I felt a soft pelt next to mine. I glanced over as I recognized a reddish tabby pelt.

"Hey there Smallpaw. So this is your first gathering, huh?" Longpaw asked as he picked a magpie from the pile and tucked into it. "Yes it is, and I must admit I'm pretty excited!" Longpaw smiled, "Yeah, my first gathering got me pretty excited too."

After I finished my vole I washed up and padded to the fern tunnel entrance. I was crammed into the mass of cats as we padded to the Gathering Cave. I couldn't wait for the gathering to begin! I was being lulled by the rhythmic sound of pawsteps onto the springy forest grass. I felt safe and secure in the mass of cats. Suddenly we halted at a dip in the ground before proceeding.

Up ahead, outlined by the moonlight and silhouetted by shadows, was a large cave gouged into the side of a cliff. A gnarly tree was right near the entrance to the cave. The smell of the other clans wafted into my face as a breeze blew into me. I felt giddy at the thought of meeting other apprentices, but also nervous to see if I would be picked on. But deep down, I knew Longpaw would protect me, he made me feel almost as safe as my mother would.

I realized the group was moving again so I trotted alongside Longpaw. When we were at the entrance the cave I looked up at the yawning stone mouth, waiting to swallow us whole. I gulped as we moved into the cave. I was left awestruck by the surroundings; it was a large stone gouge in the earth, there was a tiny waterfall that poured out a gentle stream of clear water, a few mossy and dirt patches here and there. There were also three stone perches jutting from the cave's walls. Shafts of moonlight shone down from a gaping hole in the roof.

"It's beautiful…" I murmured to Longpaw as we sat in front of the stone perches. "I know right?" He whispered back as Falconstar leaped onto her perch along with the other Clan leaders; Coldstar and Swiftstar. They nodded to each other as Falconstar yowled,

"Let the Gathering commence!"