Turbo update! Thanks to KajkaElina for the favourite.

DarkClan were gathered around the Blackrock.

"Stormfang, Duskclaw, Gorsetuft, Shellstripe, Shadefoot, Blizzardpaw, Blackfire, Loudpaw, Archsnow, Coppertooth and Echopaw shall attend tonight's gathering. All these cats may rest this afternoon. Maplestrike will be in charge of camp tonight. Meeting dismissed." Echopaw padded towards the apprentice's den. She was going to the gathering! Not that she was exactly sure what happened at one. She had heard stories about four clans gathering every full moon under a truce, but there was only one clan in the forest, and it seemed exceedingly unlikely that DarkClan would ever submit to a truce. As Echopaw settled herself into her nest, she wondered what it would be like to find more clans somewhere else. Would they have a warrior code? Did they hold trials and executions? It seemed like a good idea, a clan who didn't kill in cold blood. She could almost see it. Four clans pouring into a clearing from all corners of a territory, greeting and exchanging news. She imagined herself into the vision, seeing herself chatting with apprentices from other clans, comparing their training programmes. Purring softly to herself, Echopaw drifted off to sleep.

…

"It's time to go," said Loudpaw's voice. Echopaw blinked open her eyes. Loudpaw had left the den. Shaking away sleep, she gave herself a quick grooming, then followed her brother out of the apprentice's den to where the assembled cats were waiting. She bounced her way over to Scorchstar, who stood at the head of the patrol.

"Stop jumping around like a squirrel," he growled. Echopaw came to a halt, lowering her gaze respectfully.
"Sorry, Scorchstar." Her paws itched to be out in the forest, leaping over fallen trees and running along the well-worn forest paths until her legs fell off. Her tail trembled slightly in the cold evening air. Finally Scorchstar gave the signal for the patrol to set off. Supressing her excitement, she padded through the tunnel and into the dusky forest, keeping close beside her mentor. Scorchstar sped up to a trot, which meant Echopaw had to hurry until she was almost running, taking two steps for every step the leader took. She was bursting with questions, but was too out of breath to ask any of them. Emerging from the shade of a clump of trees, the patrol reached the clearing by the bank of the Dark River. The cats behind slipped silently around Echopaw, streaming from the trees and swarming around the river. The warriors assembled themselves along the riverbank by strength, with Scorchstar on the far left. Echopaw and the other apprentices hastily made their way to the other end of the line beside Coppertooth. Looking up, Echopaw saw the moon shining before her. The eerie light seemed to illuminate the black water from within, enlightening the murky darkness. Seeing that the other warriors had raised their eyes to the star-lit sky, the apprentices followed suit.

"DarkClan has three new apprentices this moon, born to Wildflower and Stormfang on the night of the new moon. Blizzardpaw, Loudpaw and Echopaw." The warriors murmured their names almost respectfully. Scorchstar continued.
"Under the light of the full moon we observe the tradition set down by Coldstar at the dawn of our clan." The leader flicked his tail. All of the assembled cats slipped into the water. Exchanging looks of shock, Echopaw and her littermates plunged into the water. At first, the cold hit Echopaw like a shock, knocking the air out of her lungs. Shu surfaced, spluttering, only to see that her clanmates were swimming downstream. Echopaw struck out her paws, feeling for the bottom of the riverbed. To her relief, she found she could stand quite easily with the water flowing over her back. Remembering what her mother had told her, she lifted her tail out of the water and began to paddle, moving her legs as though she were running. Slowly but surely she began to move through the water, which had lost its previous frigidity and was now pleasantly cool. Looking back, she saw Loudpaw's ginger pelt nearby, and a little further behind, Blizzardpaw's white one. Back downstream, her clanmates were rapidly moving further away. Echopaw swam hurriedly after them.

After a short while swimming downstream, the gathering patrol began to climb out of the river. Echopaw followed them, eager to get rid of the water that was weighting her pelt down. Unsheathing her claws, she dug them into the silt on the riverbank and hauled herself out of the river. Looking around, she saw that the patrol was out of clan territory. They had swum past the thunderpath border and were now stood by an ancient, creaking hawthorn tree. The cold moonlight filtered through the broad leaves, leaving strips of light on the ground below. Scorchstar stalked past the other cats, coming to a halt at the foot of the trunk.

"This hawthorn tree was the first found by DarkClan when they moved to the forest," he said. He seemed to be speaking to the apprentices. "Every moon, true warriors of DarkClan sharpens their claws on the tree, as a reminder of all those who have lived and died in our clan." Extending one paw, Scorchstar scraped his claws down the tree's trunk, where deep scratch marks were already engraved. Leaping smoothly into the tree, he landed on a low, overhanging branch. Scorchstar's fur shone starkly, illuminated by the moonlight. He watched as the warriors, one by one, left their claw marks on the ancient tree trunk. When Echopaw reached the front of the line, she unsheathed her claws. She knew what would happen if she dug her claws into the rotting wood. Shaking aside the thought, she flashed out a paw and sank her claws slowly into the rotting wood. Ignoring the protest from her heart, she dragged her claws laboriously down the length of the tree trunk.

Now I am a true member of DarkClan. This is my kin. I should be happy. Why am I so afraid?

Now what is Echopaw going to do? She has sworn herself to be a true member of DarkClan, but her heart is telling her she is wrong. Why not follow Dead of the Night to find out Echopaw's fate?

Don't expect too many updates next week, I have speaking exams coming up.

Keep cool and keep reading everyone,

Maplestrike :)