"Dapplepaw, Birchpaw, you're coming to the gathering. Bramblethorn, Petalbreeze, and Shrewtail as well. Goldenstar and I are coming, of course, and that should be enough cats." Pigeontail was announcing.

"What about Aspenclaw?" Birchpaw asked hopefully. "He's recovered a lot of his strength."

"He still can't walk across the cave on his own, much less across the forest." Pigeontail grunted. "No, we won't take him. Maybe next moon."

"I would also like Rosetail and Tornclaw to come." Goldenstar added with a glance at her deputy. "Showing the other clans that our elders survived the flooding will make them respect us more."

"What about me?" Adderpaw called. "I want to go tonight! Batpaw promised he'd have some interesting stories to tell."

"Don't worry, Adderpaw, I'll tell you all about it." Dapplepaw purred.

Adderpaw still didn't look happy. "I wanted to tell Frogpaw about how I defeated that warrior in the battle. She looks up to me so much. Besides, seeing Softpaw's face would have been priceless! She probably thought she'd scratched you up pretty good in the fight, so seeing you there would've shocked her."

"The gathering starts soon- we have to leave now!" Pigeontail snapped.

"Calm down, Pigeontail. They're only apprentices- let them have their fun." Goldenstar reasoned. "All work and no play will sap their strength."

But Adderpaw and Dapplepaw sat up straight at the mention of leaving. "It's all right, Goldenstar. I'm ready." Dapplepaw mewed meekly.

Pigeontail let out a loud snort and purposefully turned his back on the apprentice. As she followed him and Goldenstar out of the camp, Dapplepaw saw that his eyes were cold as ice and blazed like fire.

Shivering, the small apprentice remembered her dream. Is Pigeontail being led by the spirits of dead cats? I don't believe it! He'd never betray Goldenstar. But he did kill Starlingflight and leave cats to die in the floods when we tried to go to the gathering before. They were lucky to survive! And he attacked me, too.

With a new certainty that the deputy of her clan was a traitor, Dapplepaw allowed herself to drop into the back of the group. Bramblethorn was trotting along next to Shrewtail, who looked slightly uncomfortable. The pretty she-cat should've already moved to the nursery. It looked like her kits would be due any day.

"I can't believe this is the last gathering I'll come to for six moons." Bramblethorn sighed. "I'll miss talking to Moonstrike."

"You've never had kits before, have you?" Dapplepaw asked curiously.

"No." Bramblethorn mewed, eyes bright. "This is my first litter. Stonepelt finally came to his senses."

"I hope you have a lot of kits. They'll be so much fun!" Dapplepaw purred. Adderpaw was nearly a warrior. That didn't mean her slightly younger friend couldn't hang out with kits!

"So do I. It'll be hard to keep track of them, though." Bramblethorn agreed.

"I'm going to have kits when I'm a warrior, too. They'll all grow up to be clan leaders." Dapplepaw boasted.

"Perhaps." Shrewtail purred, eyes flashing with soft amusement. "I might make one of them my deputy, since I plan to be leader first."

"Shrewstar? That'd be a great name." Dapplepaw purred. "I-"

"Are you three coming?" Pigeontail snarled. "Stop stalling and hurry up, or we'll all be late!"

With a frightened glance at Shrewtail, Dapplepaw began dashing towards the rest of the cats. She didn't want the deputy angry. Especially not at her friends.

"Dapplepaw!" Frogpaw exclaimed as Dapplepaw entered the throng of cats. "Where's Adderpaw?"

"She couldn't come tonight." Dapplepaw explained. "I promised to tell her everything that happened. Where are the others?"

"They're talking to the warriors right now. Batpaw became a warrior! He's called Batnose now." Frogpaw purred. "He caught a crow, and the warriors were so impressed, they made him a warrior half a moon early."

"Really? That's great!" Dapplepaw trilled. As Frogpaw took her to meet her new friends, Dapplepaw couldn't help wondering whether Pigeontail would be less angry once she became a warrior.