Phew, this one's a long one, I hope it makes up for not updating in a few days. I was just really busy and didn't have much time. Hope you enjoy and please drop a review to tell me what you think.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high rocks." Yowled Mallowstar. When all the cats had gathered beneath the high rocks, she began. "Today Blazekit has reached the age of 6 moons and is ready to receive his apprentice name. From this moment until he gets his warrior name he will be known as Blazepaw and his mentor will Ravenclaw who was mentored by Emberspark I hope Ravenclaw will teach Blazepaw all he knows. Today Tawnykit has also reached the age of 6 moons and is ready to receive her apprentice name. From this moment on she will be known as Tawnypaw her mentor will be Swanfeather who was mentored by Windspirit. I hope Swanfeather will teach Tawnypaw all she knows "Mewed Mallowstar as Blazepaw and Tawnypaw walked towards their mentors
"Can I learn how to hunt first? Tawnypaw told me you're the clans best hunter." Blazepaw mewed happily when the clan meeting was over.
"I'll teach you that later. For now you can go and groom the elders." Ravenclaw mewed.
"Pebblepaw you can join him." Eldertwig mewed.
"But." Protested Pebblepaw mewed.
"Get on with it or you can do it every day for a moon." Eldertwig snapped.
"Fine." Growled Pebblepaw. He followed Blazepaw up to the elders' den.
"Pebblepaw sounds a bit of a paw full." Ravenclaw mewed.
"Tell me about it. He can be so stupid." Eldertwig mewed.
"How?" Ravenclaw mewed.
"He has no common sense." Eldertwig. "Anyway I should probably go hunting for a bit now."
"Bye." Ravenclaw mewed. He padded to the nursery to see Mintleaf.
"Hi Ravenclaw. Congratulations, you got your first apprentice." Mintleaf mewed.
"Thanks." Ravenclaw mewed. "I think he was a bit disappointed by his first task though."
"Grooming the elders?" Mintleaf mewed.
"Got it in one." Ravenclaw mewed.
"That was your first task wasn't it?" Mintleaf mewed.
"And you laughed so you had to do it with me." Ravenclaw mewed.
"Well it was funny. You just wanted to learn warrior moves or hunt then you had to groom the elders." Mintleaf replied.
"Hi Ravenclaw, hi Mintleaf." Mewed Swanfeather.
"Hi." They replied.
"Ravenclaw, I was just about to take Tawnypaw out to show her our territory do you want to come too and bring Blazepaw?" Swanfeather mewed.
"No thanks. I just set Blazepaw the task of grooming the elders." Ravenclaw answered.
"Ok. See you later then." Swanfeather mewed.
"Bye." Mintleaf mewed. Swanfeather padded out the nursery and Ravenclaw got up to go.
"I should probably go hunting. Bye." Ravenclaw mewed.
"Bye." Mintleaf mewed.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high rocks." Yowled Mallowstar. When all the cats had gathered beneath the high rocks, she began. ""I have decided who is coming to the gathering tonight – Blazepaw, Tawnypaw, Pebblepaw, Windspirit, Icewhisper, Ravenclaw, Maplesong, Palepelt, Shadowrunner, Fireblaze and Birchheart."
"What are gatherings like?" Blazepaw asked Ravenclaw after the clan meeting.
"You'll see tonight. Just remember there's a truce on so don't start a fight whatever you do." Ravenclaw mewed.
"I know that I'm not stupid." Blazepaw mewed indignantly.
"Do you want me to show you round our territory now?" Ravenclaw mewed.
"Yes please." Blazepaw replied. They padded out of camp and towards the Eclipseclan border.
"Is this the border of another clan?" Blazepaw mewed when they got to the border.
"Yes. Well done. That's Eclipseclan." Ravenclaw mewed. They walked along the border for a while in silence.
"Ok we're coming close to a thunderpath soon so you might scent a nasty smell. We aren't actually going to cross it though." Ravenclaw warned.
"Ugh. That smells disgusting." Spluttered Blazepaw as a thunder went past.
"I did warn you." Ravenclaw mewed. "Now can scent anything else?"
"I think I can is there a vole nearby?" Blazepaw asked.
"Yes. Do you want to try and catch it?" Ravenclaw replied.
"Yeah." Blazepaw mewed excitedly. He crouched down and positioned himself so the wind would blow his scent away from the vole. He slowly crept up then pounced.
"That was a great catch. Well done!" Ravenclaw praised.
"Thanks." Blazepaw replied.
"It was good that you positioned yourself correctly as well." Ravenclaw mewed. "Let's get back to camp. I'll take via the Meadowclan border so you learn more of the territory." As they padded near the Meadowclan border they saw Swanfeather, Tawnypaw, Eldertwig and Pebblepaw.
"Hi what are you lot doing?" Ravenclaw asked.
"We're out hunting. I managed to catch a rabbit and a squirrel." Boasted Tawnypaw.
"Ravenclaw's showing me the territory and I caught a vole." Blazepaw mewed trying to outdo his sister.
"You've both done well." Eldertwig mewed.
"I might teach you some warrior moves tomorrow." Ravenclaw mewed.
"Yay! Thanks Ravenclaw." Blazepaw mewed happily.
"Why don't all of you train together tomorrow? That way you can all learn together." Swanfeather suggested.
"But I'll be better than them. They don't know anything." Moaned Pebblepaw.
"Would you rather groom the elders?" Eldertwig mewed.
"Ok." Pebblepaw mewed. They all padded back to camp together.
"Ravenclaw! Blazepaw! I thought you went out separately. I didn't expect you to all come back together." Mallowstar mewed.
"We met up with them while we were out." Ravenclaw mewed.
"Well can you take some fresh kill to Creekpelt, Snowystorm and the queens please?" Mallowstar mewed. "Then get something for yourselves. We're going to the gathering soon." Pebblepaw and Tawnypaw disappeared into the nursery with some fresh kill while Blazepaw padded into the medicine cat den. The apprentices soon returned and ate quickly. Mallowstar called all the cats going to the gathering and they were soon running over Driftclan territory towards fourtrees. They soon got there and found Meadowclan waiting all ready.
"Woah. I didn't realize so many cats would be here." Blazepaw mewed in awe.
"They haven't all arrived yet." Ravenclaw reminded him.
"Where should we go?" Tawnypaw mewed.
"Go and talk to the Meadowclan apprentices like Pebblepaw is." Swanfeather mewed. Tawnypaw and Blazepaw darted off to join Pebblepaw. Ravenclaw could hear their conversation from where he stood talking to some other cats.
"Have you ever been to a gathering before?" Blazepaw mewed.
"Yeah this is our second time." A Meadowclan apprentice mewed.
"Ravenclaw." Someone mewed. He turned round and saw Pinkpaw standing there.
"Hi Pinkpaw." He mewed.
"Actually it's Pinkpelt now. She mewed.
"Congratulations." He mewed. "Look here are Eclipseclan."
"Hi Ravenpaw, Pinkpaw. Shouldn't you two be with the apprentices?" The two cats turned and saw Sleekpaw.
"I've got my warrior name now it's Ravenclaw." Ravenclaw mewed.
"And I'm Pinkpelt." Pinkpelt mewed.
"I got my warrior name too." Sleekpelt mewed.
"What is it?" Pinkpelt mewed.
"Sleekpelt." He mewed before looking up to the rocks where the leaders where standing.
"This past moon has bought our clan many deaths. All three of kits died of Greencough. Thunderflash has died also. He fell in the river and was knocked unconscious and he drowned." Lakestar mewed. "But we still stand strong and are expecting kit soon. We also bring with us a new warrior – Pinkpelt."
"I am sorry for your losses. We have also bought with us a new warrior – Sleekpelt." Mewed Swiftstar. "We have lots of prey on our territory and we have had no illnesses."
"It seems all of us have bought a new warrior with us because I also have bought a new warrior with me – Ravenclaw. We also bring with us a second medicine cat. Creekpelt felt Snowypaw had learned the medicine cat code and Snowypaw is now Snowystorm. Our elders and kits are healthy – no thanks to Meadowclan." Hissed Mallowstar.
"It was a misunderstanding." Lakestar mewed.
"It wasn't. You tried to steal our kits. There's no questioning that." Mallowstar retaliated.
"It was a misunderstanding." Hissed Lakestar.
"Oh because coming knowingly onto enemy territory came into camp and tried to take our kits." Mallowstar mewed loudly unsheathing her claws.
"Don't attack her Mallowstar." Swiftstar mewed. "Don't forget the truce."
"She tried to steal our kits." Hissed Mallowstar mewed.
"Mallowstar can I discuss it with you after the gathering? I want you to know why it happened." Lakestar mewed calmly.
"Fine, but not here I don't trust you." Mallowstar mewed. "My clan and I will accompany you back to our camp and you will talk to you there alone."
"How do I know that your cats won't attack me." Lakestar mewed.
"You can have a cat from your clan with you waiting outside my den when you speak to me." Mallowstar mewed.
"Thank you, and sorry – for the kits." Lakestar mewed. "Pinkpelt you will come with me."
"Driftclan you are not to attack them, unless they attack you." Mallowstar mewed.
"Are both of you finished?" Swiftstar asked. The two other clan leaders nodded. "Then I declare this gathering over." He jumped off the rock and ran off into Eclipseclan territory, the rest of the Eclipseclan cats followed.
"You go on. Snakenose, you lead them." Lakestar mewed. "Pinkpelt stay though."
"Pinkpelt go next to Ravenclaw and Blazepaw. Lakestar come next to me and Windspirit." Mallowstar mewed. Blazepaw stood on the other side of Pinkpelt. Mallowstar and Lakestar jumped off the rock and Windspirit went on the other side of Mallowstar. They ran to camp quickly.
"Hi Ravenclaw! Whoa! Isn't that Pinkpaw and Lakestar what are they doing here?" Mintleaf mewed.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high rocks." Yowled Mallowstar. When all the cats had gathered beneath the high rocks, she began. "Lakestar and Pinkpelt will be here for a short while, do not attack them. Lakestar wishes to speak to me privately and he wanted a guard with him in case we did attack. They won't be here long but apprentices I want you to guard the elders, kits and the fresh kill pile." Mallowstar mewed. She then padded into her den where Lakestar was waiting for her. Pinkpelt stood outside the den and the apprentices went and guarded the elders, kit and fresh kill.
"What is it you wanted to tell me then?" Mallowstar mewed.
"I- I wanted to apologize. Not in front of Eclipseclan though. Face to face to you. Without any clan watching." Lakestar mewed.
"After trying to steal our kits?" Snorted Mallowstar.
"No. I- it wasn't like that." Lakestar mewed.
"How was it like then?" Mallowstar mewed.
"Let me explain. Don't interrupt though, please." Lakestar mewed.
"Fine." Mallowstar mewed. "But I don't want to be here all night."
"Leaf bare was hard- harder than usual. At gatherings we weren't truthful about how well we were doing. My cats were getting weaker and we needed new warriors – badly. Pinkpaw was ready so I made her one but that wasn't enough. We were relying on the kits to be healthy and become apprentices. The day before I was going to make them apprentices all three of them got whitecough. Berryfire did everything she could to help them but they were weak and hungry. It soon developed into Greencough. Well you can probably guess the rest. They hunt with Starclan now. Snakenose took the deaths badly. Worse than any of us. I mean their mother knew things like that happened because it happened to her sisters. They were Snakenose's first kits. He was so proud of them. He was devastated. Then he remembered about you saying that you had lots of kits and he thought you wouldn't notice if a few went missing. It was stupid of him I know. I told him we weren't going to steal any kits and it was against the warrior code. He went behind my back though and started to plot how to capture them. He told Blackfang that I had told him to take Blackfang and Pinkpaw to capture the kits. You know what happened when he tried though." Lakestar paused.
"So you didn't actually authorise it then?" Mallowstar mewed.
"No, I'm not finished yet though. I was out hunting when they came and I scented them going over the border. I watched the fight from a distance then when they ran off I went back to camp so I could confront them. Berryfire saw me and told me she had important news from Starclan. She told me that cats in the dark forest had tricked Snakenose. That they had told him that he should take your kits. He thought he was in Starclan, when discovered he wasn't in Starclan he tried to ignore the cats in the dark forest but they came to him in his sleep every night. They persuaded him that they were right. Berryfire told me what Starclan wished the punishments would be. Before I announced the punishments Blackfang told me that Pinkpaw hadn't wanted to come but he'd made her. He thought it was time for her to become a warrior. He also said that whatever punishment I was going to give to Pinkpaw he would take on. Starclan had already told me not to punish her though. I told him I wasn't going to punish her. I made Pinkpaw a warrior. I then announced Blackfang and Snakenose's punishments. You may be wondering why I am telling you this?" Lakestar asked.
"Yes. It is none of my business to know how you punish your cats." Mallowstar mewed.
"I want you to know that it wasn't taken lightly. For you to know that you have to know how they were punished. Blackfang had a few apprentice jobs through the past moon. We have one apprentice now. So we gave him a few jobs like grooming the elders and so on. Snakenose's punishment was more serious though as you can imagine. He, for a moon was treated like an apprentice. Pinkpelt was his mentor. I still allowed him to organise patrols and do his deputy duties though because I needed a deputy. His punishment is now over. And I want to apologise once more. I would have stopped them if I could." Lakestar mewed.
"I don't blame you. Lakestar but I won't be so lenient next time." Mallowstar mewed.
"There won't be a next time." Lakestar mewed.
"Good. Now I shall get a cat to escort you back to your territory." Mallowstar mewed. "Come." They padded out of the den and Pinkpelt joined them. Mallowstar spotted Ravenclaw and Mintleaf sharing a rabbit, sitting by the rock they always ate at.
"Ravenclaw, please can you escort Pinkpelt and Lakestar to their territory?" Mallowstar mewed.
"Of course." He mewed. He took another bite of the rabbit then ran out of camp with Lakestar and Pinkpelt.
