AN: Here's chapter twelve. Hard to believe it, but this chapter is three K. Longest chapter I've ever written, aside from Darkened Spirits. Anyways, thanks WildCroconaw for reviewing, you've earned a Poppyfrost plushie :) By the way, I figured I'd post this chapter before I leave for a weekend trip. We're going on a train ride from Jim Thorpe to some other place in PA I'm too lazy to name. Should be fun and interesting, especially since my dad is like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to trains.

Chapter 12

A sense of excitement stirred within Sunpaw as she followed Poppyfrost through the undergrowth. Her mentor had seen how much stronger she'd become over the past couple of days. Because of the progress she was making, Poppyfrost had told Bramblestar that she was ready to come to her first Gathering. Emberpaw had been asked to go as well as his brother, Dewpaw. By now the two of them had begun to get along with Sunpaw and her constant change in attitude. She was thankful that they didn't question her struggles during the night when she would receive the visions that were plaguing her mind. Emberpaw had once asked why she was always twitching in her sleep, waking the siblings up. When she didn't reply, he just looked down at his paws.

Now she was hunting with Poppyfrost, aware of the sounds that stirred within the forest. Hollyleaf had been asked to stay in the abandoned Twoleg den, where warriors were sent to keep an eye on her. The black warrior had kept her distance for the past couple of days. She knew better than to anger Bramblestar, who was already feeling tension rising between WindClan and ShadowClan. No cat was sure where the tension had started. There were rumors that Russetstar was trying to move her borders further into ThunderClan territory. Other rumors insisted that the new WindClan leader was ambitious and had started to claim the other side of the clearing as WindClan territory. Either bit of information was unnerving, and made Sunpaw's fur bristle as she caught the scent of WindClan in the wind.

"We're close to the border," Poppyfrost murmured as she caught Sunpaw's reaction. "I'm sure they're just scent-marking now." Her voice sounded strained. Sunpaw looked up to see that she'd risen from her crouch. She was glaring at the clearing that Bramblestar had tried to claim moon after moon. Sunpaw's ears skipped a beat when she recognized a familiar looking pelt slinking between the ferns that grew in the clearing. She would have known the cat anywhere if it weren't for Poppyfrost standing there.

"I think there are ThunderClan cats lurking around here," the black and white tom growled as he approached the bracken that Poppyfrost hid herself in.

"Well caught, Cedarclaw," came a feminine voice.

"Should we report to Whitestar?" Another cat had spoken up, this one was younger and sounded like it belonged to a smaller she-cat.

"How many times must we tell you to wait for us, Applepaw?" The she-cat had turned around to face the apprentice.

The younger apprentice sounded disappointed as she was herded away from the border. Sunpaw could tell from the way her muscles flexed that Poppyfrost was waiting for the right moment to ambush the three cats. She glanced through the patch of bracken to see that Cedarclaw was watching the plant through narrowed eyes. The black and white tom never left his post, and Poppyfrost refused to leave hers.

With a roll of her eyes Sunpaw turned around and headed back towards the hollow. She wanted to see how Brownwhisker was doing. Three days had passed since his arrival and Brooksong's death. He seemed to know that she was avoiding him for his own safety. If the Clan started to think that they were...Sunpaw shuddered at the idea of considering herself as a couple with the dark tabby. He wasn't her type. Her ears flattened at the idea of finding a tom that was suitable for her. She was just an apprentice, and she didn't want to think about it. Yet it had intrigued her when she watched the way queens spoke to their mates in the nursery. Mousewhisker and Rosepetal rarely left each others side except to join the patrols.

Once her paws reached the hollow, she realized too late that the kits were outside waiting for someone to come back. Her breath was taken away as three bundles of fur landed on her shoulders. Fogkit was smart enough to rush into her chest, sending her flying into the thorn tunnel entrance.

"Teach us to be warriors!" Fogkit crowed once she recovered from their ambush.

"Yeah, we wanna be tough like Bumblestripe!" Stonekit added as he pummeled his tiny paws into her stomach.

Sunpaw fought back a purr of amusement as Icecloud emerged from the nursery. Her white fur was standing on end when she realized what was happening. "I'm sorry!" she meowed as she bounded over to punish her sons. "I can't keep an eye on these three and Rosepetal's kits at the same time." She sounded more angry than desperate. Sunpaw tilted her head to one side when she saw that Rosepetal wasn't in the nursery. She couldn't find Mousewhisker anywhere either.

"Where are they?" she asked as Icecloud herded the kits back into the nursery.

"Mousewhisker said there were good hunting opportunities today, and Rosepetal insisted on going with him," Icecloud replied in a low sigh. "She asked if I could keep an eye on her kits, but she left before I could answer." Sunpaw knew from that moment Rosepetal had taken advantage of Icecloud. She thought of how the days when Ferncloud had been in the nursery passed. The pale gray queen had been treated like the mother of all kits in the nursery until Dewpaw and Emberpaw were apprenticed. Now she was treated like a proper warrior, and probably didn't regret not having kits again.

I hope Icecloud isn't like that, Sunpaw thought as the white-furred queen padded away. Icecloud was a nice cat, but the last thing she wanted was to get on her bad side. When it came to bad tempers, Icecloud was the one who would win every match. Sunpaw shook her head at the thought as she grabbed a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. Emberpaw and Dewpaw had been asked to clean out the elders' den. It was a nice change for Sunpaw, considering she'd spent nearly two moons cleaning the den out and putting up with Dustpelt's sharp tongue. She chewed on the mouse slowly, unsure of how to tell Poppyfrost why she'd left her mentor to stare at Cedarclaw all day.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Jayfeather emerge from his den. Brownwhisker quickly followed, his green eyes flashing warily as cats looked at him in concern. He didn't look as thin as the first time he'd arrived. For the first time she could actually see the powerful back legs that made him a SkyClan warrior. He had longer limbs than Spiderleg, and made the large warrior look small. She fought back a grin as she thought of the images that filled her mind.

A shadow suddenly fell upon the hollow. Sunpaw looked up to see that Bramblestar was emerging from his den. His amber eyes were dark as he searched the clearing for signs of intruders. When he saw that it was all safe, he padded down the slope that led to the clearing. Sunpaw watched for a few heartbeats, wondering if he was preparing for the Gathering that was tonight. Instead he turned towards Jayfeather, who stood beside a trembling Brownwhisker. "How is he doing?" Bramblestar asked once he was within reach of Jayfeather. The gray tabby looked tiny compared to the ThunderClan leader.

"His recovery is slow, but his body is built for survival," Jayfeather replied. Sunpaw was surprised that they spoke so openly around Brownwhisker. The dark tabby didn't seem to hear them as he watched the clearing through widened eyes. "He's still in a state of shock though over his friend's death," Jayfeather added in a low whisper. Brownwhisker's eyes flashed when Jayfeather mentioned Brooksong's death. Sunpaw wondered if he was still grieving over her death. The two had been close.

"Will he be alright with you gone?" Bramblestar didn't sound annoyed like Sunpaw had expected. She knew that he was cautious about letting strangers wander around the hollow, especially with Hollyleaf living so close. He didn't forget what Hollyleaf had done.

"He will be fine with the warriors that were left behind," Jayfeather muttered. "Besides, he is in no condition to leave. He would die if he left now."

Bramblestar dipped his head thankfully as Jayfeather turned to face his latest patient. Sunpaw finished chewing on her meal and swallowed the last bit of meat before joining Emberpaw by the apprentice's den. The light brown tabby had been watching from a safe distance. She was about to ask him what he thought of the situation when the thorn tunnel entrance began to rustle. Her heart sank as Poppyfrost emerged with Cinderheart, Mousewhisker and Rosepetal behind her. Her mentor didn't look nearly as annoyed as she had thought. Instead Poppyfrost looked happy as she followed Cinderheart towards the apprentice's den.

"The hunting really is good out there," Poppyfrost meowed as she dropped a vole on the fresh-kill pile.

"Hollyleaf shared some of her fresh-kill with us," Cinderheart added when she sat down beside Poppyfrost.

Sunpaw tilted her head to one side as she listened to them. She wondered if Cinderheart would remember that she'd been friends with Hollyleaf at one point.

The day seemed to drag on until anything exciting happened. By the time Sunpaw was finished grooming herself Bramblestar had padded towards the entrance with the cats that were going. She noticed that most of the senior warriors had been left behind to guard the camp. For a moment she wondered why so many were left behind until she remembered Brownwhisker. She glanced at the medicine cat's den for one last moment before making a rush towards the group that was leaving.

Ferns brushed past her face as she bounded after the Gathering patrol. The full moon that hovered above cast a silver light over the group, turning Cinderheart's pelt silver. Sunpaw's eyes were focused on her mother's pelt for the longest time. She didn't want to lose track of her family...not after what had happened to Flamepaw.

Once they reached the shore, Sunpaw could really get a good view of the lake. Bathed in moonlight, it looked like something that StarClan had created. It didn't take her long to spot the island where the Gatherings were held. She could see pelts shifting through the trees as cats mingled with one another.

I wonder if I will meet anyone interesting, she thought as she followed her Clanmates down the slope.

She didn't have long to wonder when they reached the treebridge that Emberpaw had talked about. Her eyes narrowed when she saw him cross the bridge. His tail was between his legs, and he kept looking at Dustpelt as the elderly cat crossed with ease. She was about to rush forward and help her denmate when he balanced himself. His ears flattened as he managed to cross the bridge without falling. She released a breath of relief that she didn't know was being held. Her heartbeat quickened when it was her turn to cross.

"Just don't look down," Cinderheart called to her from across the island.

Embarrassment flashed through Sunpaw when she realized that cats from the other Clans were watching. Her ears flattened as she crossed the bridge without slipping over the bark. She was met by Cinderheart, who gave her a comforting lick over the cheek. She looked back at the other cats who'd been watching. A pure white she-cat who stank of ShadowClan lingered in the crowd as it dispersed to speak with other cats.

"Snowbird lost one of her kits when they slipped and drowned," Cinderheart explained when Sunpaw looked at her in confusion.

No wonder she was so worried, Sunpaw thought. She must have been remembering that night…poor mother.

She tried not to think about what it was like losing a kit as she followed Cinderheart into the clearing. It was like nothing she'd seen before. Tall trees loomed over the clearing, casting a dark shadow over the cats. Despite the full moon that hovered above, Sunpaw felt strangely touched by the darkness. She spotted a group of apprentices from all Clans sitting together. Emberpaw and Dewpaw were there, talking to a spotted brown she-cat. Her pelt was sleek like and well-groomed, telling Sunpaw that she was from RiverClan.

Her attention shifted towards a pair of young looking warriors sitting side-by-side. She narrowed her eyes when she recognized Cedarclaw. He was staring at her, not directly, but he was trying to get her attention. She looked away before she could let her anger get the better of her. He would need to learn that forbidden love was overrated.

"You must be Lionblaze's kit." Sunpaw whirled around to see a light brown tabby standing behind her. A pair of blue eyes gleamed back at Sunpaw as she tilted her head in greetings. "I was wondering when you would be allowed at the Gatherings," she added in a low purr.

"W-who are you?" Sunpaw asked in a low voice.

"I'm Heathertail, a warrior from WindClan. Lionblaze may have…mentioned me," she explained with a shrug. When Sunpaw shook her head, the tabby's face fell. "Well, it was nice to meet you nonetheless."

Sunpaw stared at her in concern, but she'd disappeared before she could say anything else. She was quickly replaced by Snowstorm, who's paws were dancing with anticipation as she watched the other cats. There was a large amount of ShadowClan cats in the clearing, but that didn't surprise Sunpaw. Lionblaze had once told her that ShadowClan always brought more cats than they should just to make themselves look stronger. In truth bringing more warriors just showed that they were cowards, and had left their camp vulnerable to attack.

"I just don't know who to talk to," Snowstorm murmured after noticing that Sunpaw was watching her. "There are so many…WindClan seem nice enough, but they're really tense. Maybe I'll speak to those RiverClan warriors over there." Her tail pointed towards a group of sleek-pelted cats sitting together. They didn't bother moving from their spot, which confused Sunpaw. She noticed that WindClan refused to leave their spot as well.

"Is something wrong between those two?" she asked cautiously. Asking a question in front of them may have gotten her in trouble.

"I heard the two Clans were fighting over territory for the past couple of days," Snowstorm explained. "Whitestar wants more territory on RiverClan's side because of Twolegs coming into the moor. Apparently something has attracted them there."

She was surprised that Snowstorm knew so much about what was happening between the Clans. For the first time in moons she realized that Snowstorm had actually been paying attention to the news. And here she thought that the white she-cat was just another warrior who didn't care what was happening.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to those RiverClan cats," Snowstorm meowed after an uncomfortable silence fell upon them.

A gray and white she-cat with amber eyes was speaking quietly to her Clanmate. His light brown tabby fur reminded Sunpaw of Emberpaw, only there was one difference. While he was all light brown, Emberpaw had a splash of white near his ear, and a single white paw that made him stand out.

"Hi there Snowpaw, how are you?" The light brown tabby spoke in a friendly manner, but the gray and white she-cat lifted her muzzle and narrowed her eyes.

"Actually it's Snowstorm now," the white-furred she-cat replied in an eager tone. "Looks like you can act normally around me, Petalfur." She looked back at the gray and white she-cat, whose ears flattened in embarrassment.

A purr of amusement rose from all cats.

Sunpaw shifted uncomfortably as she listened to their conversations. It felt like she was back at the hollow with her own Clanmates. This time though she felt smaller. She glanced at her paws and wondered if the Gathering would start anytime soon. Her questions were answered when a yowl from the Great Oak echoed across the clearing. She looked up to see that Bramblestar was sitting between Russetstar, a dark ginger she-cat, a small white she-cat that must have been Whitestar, and Mistystar, a gray she-cat with blue eyes. It didn't take her long to notice that there was tension rising between the four leaders. They exchanged wary looks before Russetstar started speaking.

"All is well in ShadowClan," she announced. "Dawnpelt has given birth to a litter of two kits, and we have three new warriors: Lakestorm, Swiftwater and Blackfur." Yowls followed her words as the three cats mentioned raised their chins. Sunpaw joined in with the cries, but she noticed that a few cats remained silent. Most of them were RiverClan warriors; even Petalfur and Mallownose remained silent as the cries died down. "I am afraid to say that, despite everything he has done for the Clan; Littlecloud has joined the ranks of StarClan. Foxfrost has taken his place as our medicine cat."

Murmurs of sorrow quickly filled the clearing. Sunpaw had heard stories of the elderly medicine cat. Littlecloud had done everything he could to take care of the Clan. But he needed someone who could take his place if it was ever needed. When Cinderheart had told her what Littlecloud was like, it felt as though her mother was speaking out of experience. She could see her mother sitting between Poppyfrost and Whitewing, looking distraught at the news.

"All is well in WindClan," Whitestar meowed as Russetstar stepped back. "We have recovered from an attack that RiverClan established six days ago." Whitestar flashed a glare towards Mistystar, whose lips curled in disgust. A ginger tom with white paws sprang to his paws as Whitestar mentioned the fight. "We also have two new warriors; Cedarclaw and Littlesky." Sunpaw didn't feel at heart to cheer with her Clanmates as the young warriors were congratulated. She could tell that Cedarclaw was still trying to catch her attention, but she didn't try to meet his gaze. She knew that meeting his gaze would only encourage him.

"RiverClan has fared well over the past moon," Mistystar announced after Whitestar was finished speaking. "We lost a warrior during the fight against WindClan. Mintfur has joined the ranks of StarClan. Icewing has given birth to a litter of four healthy kits as well." This time murmurs of congratulations followed Mistystar's words. Sunpaw could tell from the tension rising between the Clans that something terrible had happened between RiverClan and WindClan.

It was Bramblestar's turn after Mistystar finished speaking. "ThunderClan has thrived over the past moon despite the cold frost that has threatened our supply of herbs," he told the Clans. "We have two new warriors, Snowstorm and Mothdapple." He waved his tail for silence before cries of congratulations could follow. Snowstorm and Mothdapple were popular in every Clan. Sunpaw could already tell from the way their heads were raised that they had higher chances of becoming better warriors. "We hope the next few moons bring us times of peace as well." Bramblestar finished the Gathering with a wave of his tail.

Sunpaw was surprised that Bramblestar didn't mention the arrival of Hollyleaf and her companions. She stared around at her Clanmates to see that they were just as surprised as she felt. She shook her head in disappointment. Perhaps it was better not to let the Clans know about a cat that was supposed to be dead. She knew they would want to know why Hollyleaf was originally thought to be dead. Hopefully one day the Clans would accept Hollyleaf and Brownwhisker. If they didn't, than it was likely that a war would start over because of their presence.

AN: So the tension begins to build. And the drama continues between Sunpaw and Cedarclaw...wonder if love will ever find poor Cedarclaw. You'll just have to wait and see what happens next ;)