Longtail spotted Greykit rolling a ball of moss back and forth to Rosekit who was talking very animatedly to her.

Longtail's eyes softened at the tender sight. She was happy that Greykit had found someone she could talk to and play with- Even though it was one of Silentshadow's kits, Longtail was glad Greykit wouldn't feel so alone.

Greykit laughed as Rosekit reached for the ball of moss she'd sent her way while the small green ball bounced straight through Rosekit's paws.

"You missed again," Greykit chided.

"Whatever." Rosekit ran to retrieve the moss ball as it rolled to a stop a tail length or so away from them. The wind blew through her long, white fur and she stopped to shake her coat. Rosekit picked the ball of moss up with her teeth and carried it back to their spot.

Greykit listened as Rosekit sat back down and got ready to pass the ball back to her.

"I think Sunstar might make me an apprentice," she meowed casually.

Rosekit quickly smacked the ball with her paw and sent it careening towards Greykit.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Greykit stopped the ball with one paw.

Greykit had told Rosekit about her dream of becoming a warrior, and the spunky young she-cat had supported her, saying that she just had to show the warriors she could do it.

"We were out in the woods today and I found a vole, they seemed really impressed." She held the ball of moss between her two paws, feeling the fuzzy texture surrounding the dirt.

"I mean, they didn't say anything about it, but I can't help hoping that he might." Greykit frowned and knocked the ball to Rosekit.

Rosekit caught it this time, between her paws.

"Well, maybe he will."

Greykit sighed. "I don't think my Mom would let me."

Rosekit thought back to all the times Longtail had snapped at her in the past and she blinked her large blue eyes sympathetically. "Well, you never know..."

"Yeah, I guess." Greykit answered.

Rosekit pushed the ball aside, their game suddenly forgotten.

Greykit didn't want to bring Rosekit down, so she changed the subject.

"What about you? Do you think you'll take Mosspelt up on her offer?"

Rosekit considered the question for a moment.

"Yeah, I think I will."

"Really?" said Greykit.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested, plus I think it's a good way for me to give something back to the clan. I don't really know if I'm cut out for fighting," she said.

"You never know," Greykit echoed.

Rosekit smiled. "Yeah, you really don't." She paused. "Your mom is coming over here, I should probably go."

"Okay."

Greykit listened as her friend scampered off and Longtail took her spot, briefly watching the young one run away.

"Greykit, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Greykit felt like something was coming.

"Sure, Mom."

Longtail sat down beside her. "Before I say anything, you have to let me finish, alright?"

Greykit swallowed nervously and nodded.

"Good. Greykit, I know that you've always wanted to become a warrior,"

Greykit tensed at her mother's words.

"-But it's impossible for a blind cat."

Greykit's heart sank; she turned her head away from the sound of her mother's voice. She could feel her legs weaken.

'No...'

"However..."

Greykit froze.

"Sunstar has decided, in light of your abilities, to give you a chance. When the apprentice ceremonies are held, you will become an apprentice with the others."

Greykit couldn't tell if she'd stopped breathing.

Longtail watched as her daughter went rigid.

"Greykit are you o-"

Greykit turned her face and smiled brilliantly at her mother.

"I promise I won't let you down, Mom!"

Longtail watched her run off at light-speed, presumably to tell her friend, and she smiled lightly.

'You could never let me down.'

The sun was just beginning to set as the cats of DarkClan gathered in the center of camp, the eerie orange glow of sundown cast upon their pelts. Tonight was a full moon, a night for the Gathering.

Every full moon DarkClan, OceanClan, TreeClan, and LightClan met at the four trees that lay in-between all four territories in a truce.

Sunstar was preparing to choose the cats he would allow to attend.

After everyone was seated and had given him their attention, Sunstar spoke up.

"The cats I will take to the Gathering this moon are Ivyfoot, Cherrynose, Brownpaw, Blizzardpelt, and Longtail. Fernstep, you and Darkpaw will guard the camp in our absence."

Fernstep nodded and Sunstar leaped down from the top of his den.

"Let's go."

The cats whose names had been called followed Sunstar out of camp, while the remaining cats set off to fulfill their duties.

Fernstep and Darkpaw positioned themselves by the camp entrance to await the group's eventual return.

"Hey, Greykit!"

Greykit turned to her bubbly, bouncing friend. "What?"

"Since your mom is going to the Gathering, you should come hang out with me in the medicine cat den. Mosspelt won't mind."

Greykit shrugged. "Sure."

Why not?

Silentshadow went to check on Lostkit in the nursery and Fernstep's kits ran off to play somewhere else.

The camp was quiet with the absence of a majority of the warriors. Because their clan was so small, there were really only a few cats in camp.

Luckily, full moons were a truce, so they didn't have to worry about attacks from other clans during the night.

Warriors were still put on guard though, just in case.

Silentshadow watched as the sun set, and the orange light disappeared beneath the trees.

She took in a breath of the cool night air and let it out, easing any tension she may have felt in her body. Sundown was always a beautiful time of day.

It was getting late, the warriors would return from the Gathering soon.

Silentshadow lay in her nest, calmly licking Lostkit; the young ahe-kit was awake, listening to the sound of the crickets singing.

It was a peaceful and quiet in the den with no one else there. Silentshadow lay her head down over Lostkit and closed her eyes, preparing to drift into sleep.

But her ear twitched at the sound of an unusual noise coming from outside.

She lifted her head and listened closer, then went to lay her head back down after a long moment, thinking it was just one of the other kits or Mosspelt lurking about, but she jumped at the sound of a hearty thump.

Fernstep and Darkpaw remained silent as they sat guarding the camp entrance. The full moon glowed brightly, illuminating Darkpaw's white pelt with an eerie glow.

Fernstep glance around camp for a moment before turning to Darkpaw.

"Darkpaw, could you take up watch on your own for a moment? I need to relieve myself."

Darkpaw blinked once.

"Fine."

Fernstep nodded and smiled her thanks to the young tom before she left her post and walked off in the direction of the clan's dirtplace.

Darkpaw sat in-between their two spots, listening intently to the sound of the crickets. His serious gaze remained fixated on the camp's entrance.

The young apprentice remained alert for any sudden sounds, smells, or movement.

His nose twitched when he caught wind of an odd smell, and he scrunched up his nose in disgust and glanced around the camp, but nothing was out of the ordinary.

No cat had left their den and there was no sign of the returning Gathering group.

He returned to watching the darkness ahead with blatant interest, his tail tip twitching.

His glanced back briefly in the direction Fernstep had walked off to the dirtplace.

She was taking her time.

Mosspelt laughed as she watched the playful banter between Greykit and Rosekit.

Rosekit had tripped and fallen right into the small pool of water that flowed into the medicine cat den.

She shook her pelt off as she stood up, her now wet fur draped over her body like wet, flattened grass.

"Awww, now I'm all wet!" she wailed.

"It's a good look for you," Greykit smirked.

Rosekit splashed some of the water in the pool at Greykit with her paw.

"Like you would know!"

Greykit laughed tauntingly.

"Now, now," meowed Mosspelt, "I don't mind you being in here, but don't splash around like that. I don't want you getting any of these herbs wet."

"Sorry, Mosspelt," Rosekit apologized to the aging she-cat.

She shook her white coat thoroughly, it sprang up in an instant, wet and spiky.

"Ack!"

Rosekit sighed. "Great."

"Now that,"Greykit snorted, "Is attractive."

Rosekit scowled. "You're lucky you don't have to deal with having long fur. You will never understand our pain." Rosekit replied dramatically, looking to Mosspelt.

Mosspelt rolled her eyes and went back to putting away the herbs she had gathered that day, but her ear twitched.

Mosspelt paused and listened for a minute, blocking out the young kits' laughter, thinking that she had heard something.

Or was she imagining things?

AUTHOR'S NOTE

In reply to Justsmile77, yeah, I wouldn't call it a "power" per se, but she can feel things. It's like hypersensitivity, working similarly to echolocation or sonar. I hope I described it so that it made sense in my chapters. As for your question, I haven't forgotten about that ;)

Something I really should've put at the beginning of my story that I will put here now:

#1 This story does have supernatural aspects in it (clearly),so if you don't care for that, well, now you know.

#2 This story does actually tie into the Warriors series in some ways. This isn't a different universe. These clans just live in a different part of the world. The story doesn't have any extreme involvement with the Warriors series, but you may catch some small things included throughout, little tie-ins and such. Not too much in this particular book though.