"Oriolepaw, are you paying attention?" Fawntail mewed to her apprentice, voice laced with annoyance.
Oriolepaw jerked out of her daze, chastised. Her ears flushed hot. "Sorry," she muttered. She shook her head to rid herself of the cobwebs that clouded her thoughts, but only marginally succeeded. "What was that, Fawntail?"
Fawntail sighed. "You've been so scattered lately. Honestly, you've made hardly any progress at all, so I don't think you deserve it, but.." She paused, flicking her tail thoughtfully. "You're going to the Gathering tomorrow night."
"I am?" Oriolepaw mewed, surprised. "Really?"
"I wouldn't lie," Fawntail mewed. "So yes. Darkgaze and Astertail asked me to get you permission to go. I'm sure you know why."
Oriolepaw' heart thumped in her chest. "I do," she agreed eagerly. She had kin in Brushclan and Shaleclan. Acornfoot, Darkgaze's mother, a brown tabby molly who always seemed to be pleased about something; Hawkstripe, Darkgaze's brother, who looked just like their mother and seemed exceptionally friendly; and, from Shaleclan there was-
"Oriolepaw! Get your head out of the clouds!" Fawntail scolded. Oriolepaw jumped, her thought process interrupted.
"Sorry," she muttered again.
"I don't know what's gotten into you," Fawntail mewed. "You were never like that in the nursery."
"Sorry," Oriolepaw felt compelled to say again. "I was just thinking about my kin."
"Have your parents told you much about them?" Fawntail asked.
"No. They want it to be a surprise," Oriolepaw mewed slowly, uncomfortable concern churning in her stomach at the realization that she knew their names anyway.
Fawntail must have seen something in her face, because she mewed, "Are you alright? Is there something bothering you?"
"I don't know," Oriolepaw said, mostly honestly. "I, um.. I don't know."
"You can talk to me," Fawntail mewed gently. "I'm your mentor, after all."
I think I'm losing my mind, Oriolepaw thought. I know things I shouldn't. How can you help with that? But in the end she said nothing, just shook her head and kept her eyes down.
"Okay, Oriolepaw," Fawntail mewed a little sadly. "Just.. keep that in mind, okay?"
"Alright." Oriolepaw wrestled with the guilt of making Fawntail feel bad. She was a wonderful mentor, really. It wasn't her fault Oriolepaw was terrible at learning. She didn't know why it happened, but sometimes she just kind of tuned out. She needed to get a hold of it. The spacing out was becoming a real problem, and she didn't want Fawntail taking the fall for her own failings.
"Oriolepaw," Fawntail mewed, bringing her back to her senses.
Oriolepaw shook her head in agitation. "Sorry," she mewed for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
/
Darkgaze fretted, checking Oriolepaw over to make sure she looked okay. "I'm so excited," she mewed, and rasped her tongue over Oriolepaw's ear. Oriolepaw wished she would hurry; Batstar would call for the all-ready at any moment, and she didn't want them to miss it.
"You seem more nervous to me," Oriolepaw muttered at her paws, long-suffering.
"It's a mix," Darkgaze mewed. She seemed troubled. "I hope they like you." She'd already explained about Hawkstripe and Acornfoot, her brother and mother.
"Me too," Astertail mewed. "I haven't spoken to my father since I left Shaleclan.."
"I know your sister will love her, anyway," Darkgaze put in, nuzzling Astertail.
"Silverfur couldn't hate a coyote. But you're right." Astertail sighed. "I'm going to introduce you to him anyway, but don't be surprised if Rabbitstep doesn't take to you."
"I won't be," Oriolepaw promised. She hesitated, then closed her eyes. A still pond surface appeared in her mind's eye. The depths swirled, darkened, and then the face of a cat she'd never seen before appeared. He was dark brown, a nick in his ear, and his expression was angry. The image changed, blurring and then solidifying into-
"Oriolepaw? Are you alright?" Darkgaze mewed. The image of the water shattered and Oriolepaw blinked open her eyes, feeling fuzzy and almost dizzy.
"Oh, yes," she said quickly, chasing away the dizziness by giving her coat a quick shake. "Just fine."
"It's time to go. You missed Batstar's call," Astertail mewed. "Come on, we don't want to lag behind." She nudged Oriolepaw to her feet and they set off, following the cats accompanying them to the gathering out of the cave system.
The group headed west towards the Palegrounds, fording a very low spot in the White River, into the sandy hollow that served as the meeting place of the Clans. And it was very aptly named, as Oriolepaw found. It was much paler in color compared to much of the badlands, at least as far as she had seen. Two of the other three Clans were already there, more cats than Oriolepaw had ever seen.
"It's alright," Darkgaze mewed, noticing how overwhelmed her daughter had begun to look. "None of them can hurt you. It isn't allowed." That wasn't quite what Oriolepaw was worried about, but she appreciated the reassurance anyway. Darkgaze continued, "Over this way. I see Acornfoot and Hawkstripe." She was shivering a little, and her ears were back.
"It'll be okay," Oriolepaw assured her, and Astertail purred on Darkgaze's other side.
"Oh, I hope so," Darkgaze murmured as they reached the two brown cats. Acornfoot noticed them first, nudging Hawkstripe as she turned fully in their direction. "This is Oriolepaw," Darkgaze blurted immediately, and then twitched in frustration. "I mean, Acornfoot, Hawkstripe, this is Oriolepaw, our daughter."
Acornfoot's face had lit up. She looked completely delighted, exactly how Oriolepaw had expected her to look. "Hello," she mewed. "Oh, look at you." She bent to touch noses with Oriolepaw, and in her eyes Oriolepaw could already see affection. A fuzzy warmness curled in her belly.
"Hello," she mewed back, pleased.
"Hey," Hawkstripe mewed. His face was crinkled into a smile. "It's good to finally see you. Astertail wouldn't stop going on about you at every Gathering."
"And now you can see why," Astertail mewed, faux smugness in her voice. "She's the most perfect kit ever."
Acornfoot purred. "She sure is. Oh, but I'm sure you have others to introduce her to." She looked a bit sad at the thought, but drew back.
"I'll talk to you again before the Gathering is over," Oriolepaw promised. "I've been really wanting to meet you, too," she added. She was sad to part from her Brushclan kin already, but there was Shaleclan kin to meet, too.
"They should be over here," Astertail mewed when they had parted from Acornfoot and Hawkstripe. "Silverfur!" she called suddenly, catching the attention of a pretty silver molly.
"Astertail! Darkgaze!" Silverfur mewed. "And this must be Oriolekit. Oriolepaw now, of course. Hello."
"Hello," Oriolepaw said to her aunt, reaching up to touch noses with her.
Silverfur twitched an ear. She blinked slowly, and then looked up at Astertail. "Why don't I talk to Darkgaze while you go see Rabbitstep? He's over there," she mewed, indicating with her tail. "And Astertail.."
"I won't get my hopes up," Astertail assured her. "Thank you, Silverfur. It's good to see you."
"You, too. Let's talk again soon, Oriolepaw," Silverfur mewed, giving her a friendly flick with her tail.
"This way," Astertail mewed, sounding a little tired. Oriolepaw let herself be led to another place, squeezing between groups of cats. And there, in front of them, was the brown tom Oriolepaw had seen in the water. He turned, flicking the ear with the nick in it, and his face fell into a displeased expression. He didn't say anything, didn't even move, as Astertail mewed, "Rabbitstep.. This is your granddaughter, Oriolepaw."
"Hello," Oriolepaw offered. She flinched back when Rabbitstep's lip curled, face morphing into the one she had seen in her thoughts. His fangs glinted in the light of the full moon.
"I.. I thought you might want to meet her," Astertail said uncertainly, leaning back.
"I don't," Rabbitstep mewed curtly.
Astertail cringed. "Okay." The word was small. She stepped back once, then twice, always hesitantly, like she hoped he would change his mind, and then she turned. "Come on, Oriolepaw," she mewed, moving back towards where Darkgaze and Silverfur were. Oriolepaw saw her face as she walked past, twisted into an expression of grief. She had never seen her mother so upset.
Oriolepaw didn't move. She turned her face back to Rabbitstep and stared, and he stared back, not blinking. She tilted her head, and he didn't react. "You're cruel," she said finally. "She still loves you, but you don't care."
"You don't know anything," he snapped, but she wasn't finished. Water rose behind him, a mirage of shining, glinting light, spreading out and blocking out everything but the silhouette of Rabbitstep and the barest shape of another cat. Words poured out of the water, out of the mouth of the faint cat, and she repeated them, knowing she was repeating herself.
"She did what made her happy and you hate her for it. How can you treat her like that? Don't you love her? Isn't she your daughter?" Oriolepaw's tone didn't rise in volume or anger. She spoke frankly. "My mothers wouldn't ever treat me like that, even if I did break the warrior code."
"You don't know anything," Rabbitstep repeated with a snarl, fur bristling. The light shimmering off the ghostly water shone on his fur, and the other Oriolepaw, the one in the water, continued speaking.
Oriolepaw followed after her. "You can't treat love like that, as if it's conditional," she mewed. "You can't take it away when someone makes you mad. You're the one who doesn't know anything." And I know too much, Oriolepaw thought with a horrible, sinking feeling. The Oriolepaw in the water turned as if to look at her as the mirage faded. It left her suddenly aware of the throng of cats around them, listening when they shouldn't be.
For a moment Oriolepaw had the fear that Rabbitstep would use his claws on her. He was digging them hard into the pale sand of the hollow. She couldn't see his face, as he had it lowered, but his sides were heaving. Then, suddenly, the tension went out of him. "You're right," he mewed. The sound was hollow. He lifted his head, and the same grief that had been on Astertail's face twisted his now. They looked a lot alike, Oriolepaw realized. "Oriolepaw is your name, isn't it? I'm sorry, Oriolepaw."
"It's not too late to fix it," she mewed at him. He sighed. "She'd forgive you. I know she would," Oriolepaw pressed. He stood up, slowly. "All you have to do is say you're sorry to her. You did it for me." He hesitated a moment more and then he walked away, through the cats that were ringing them.
Her ears flushed hot as she took in their stares, uncomfortable at the attention. There was a murmur around her. She caught "Half-clan," hissed from a derisive voice. Whatever, she thought to herself, furious. She flicked her tail and pushed her way out of the barrier of cats, head down. Discomfort and fear twisted her paws and she didn't notice the pale brown cat in her path until she'd bumped into him.
He shifted irritably, muttering something, and then froze when he saw her. She cowed from the look in his eyes. It was cold, edged with anger, and she realized she had seen him near where she'd met Hawkstripe and Acornfoot.
"Sorry," she whispered. He didn't answer, just swept his tail around his paws and turned back around. She swallowed hard and edged around him, feeling his eyes on her as she moved away. Something told her look behind her, and when she did, she saw the water rushing towards her, swamping her, forcing more words out of her mouth. No, she thought, no, but they came anyway. "Hawkstripe loves you," she mewed, wishing she could choke them back. "He- he does."
The cat- and she knew, very suddenly, that his name was Shrewpelt-dropped the angry look from his face, replacing it with a shocked expression that might have been comical, if the water still glistening behind him didn't spur her to run away.
Darkgaze caught her, just a few steps away. She was looking past Oriolepaw, eyes trained on Shrewpelt. "Did he say anything to you?" she asked. Her tone was odd. Oriolepaw couldn't parse out the meaning.
"No," she mewed. "He just.. kind of glared. Who is he?"
"I'll tell you later," Darkgaze promised. "Come on. The Gathering is starting." And she was right; all four Clan leaders were standing on top of the rock Oriolepaw knew was the Palerock. She and Darkgaze had enough time to take a seat before the leaders were calling for attention.
/
Marigoldpaw didn't want to be here. The crowds felt stifling, and the leaders had taken forever to start the announcements. The only interesting thing so far had been when a small crowd had formed around two cats. Marigoldpaw had only caught the tail end of that, but it was still enough to figure out that the tortoiseshell apprentice was apparently half-clan.
Merlinstar didn't even say anything interesting when the Gathering finally started for real, just reported that everything was fine. Cloudstar announced a new litter of kits.
Batstar revealed a new apprentice, an Oriolepaw, and there was a momentary pause as Caveclan and some cats who were feeling particularly generous shouted her name. Marigoldpaw spotted the tortoiseshell from earlier hunkering down in embarrassment. That was probably Oriolepaw.
Then Brightstar had to ruin what had been a tolerable, if unwanted experience.
"I have sad news," she mewed when it was her turn, projecting her mew clearly. "One of our apprentice was caught in an unfortunate accident and died. He was awarded his warrior name before he passed, and has joined Starclan as Hawthornpelt."
Shut up, Marigoldpaw thought. She wanted to sink down and put her paws over her ears.
But Brightstar wasn't finished. "Life goes on, however." She paused. "I'm pregnant." Marigoldpaw gasped with the rest of the Gathering. This was the first time they were hearing anything about it at all. "I will continue my duties until I no longer can, however," Brightstar finished. "That is all."
The Gathering began to break up. There would be a little while longer for visiting, and then everyone would head home. Marigoldpaw hoped it would happen fast. Through the roiling sea of moving cats, Marigoldpaw caught sight of the tortoiseshell apprentice, Oriolepaw. Their eyes met. Then a black and white cat moved in between them and Marigoldpaw lost sight of her.
Marigoldpaw fought down the prickle that ran down her fur, channeling her odd discomfort into moving out of the Palegrounds as much as she could.
She should have been in her nest already, but there was still plenty of moonlight left.
