24

Tigerpaw awoke when Brightstar yowled from the HighRock. He padded out of his den, blinking up at her.

"Tonight is the Gathering, and time to announce who will be going," she said. "Firestorm, Snowflight, Birchpelt, Patchpelt, and Cinderfur will be coming. Foxpaw, Lionpaw, and Gingerpaw will be coming as well." She sighed quietly. "We will have no medicine cat for the time being. Silvermist knows a thing or two, but she isn't fully trained. We'll need to find another cat for that position, and she has her kits to look after anyway." Her ear flicked slowly. "RiverClan might be hostile, but we will not act in kind. The Clan mourns Petalcloud – as do I, for she was my sister and we were always close – but we will not show hostility during a Gathering. Be wary around WindClan as well; they might have joined RiverClan." The assembled cats nodded slowly, and Brightstar sprang down, holding her tail high. "Let us go." She led the chosen cats out of camp. Tigerpaw let out a quiet growl under his breath, watching Foxpaw and Lionpaw leave him.

I have to be at this Gathering! He thought. I have to see the RiverClan cats, and the WindClan cats, and the ShadowClan cats too! I want to see Blackheart. His resolve deepened. I don't care what Brightstar said. I deserve to go. He glanced around quickly, but no one seemed to notice him. Carefully, he crept out of camp, following ThunderClan's scent.

The forest was very different, drenched in moonlight. It was hard to see, and he stumbled several times over unseen obstacles. Still, he kept going, allowing nothing to stop him or deter him from his mission. He would see the Gathering.

Tigerpaw caught up to them as Brightstar paused on the edge of the slope leading down to Fourtrees. She said something to the Clan that Tigerpaw couldn't hear, before the Clan plunged downward. Tigerpaw followed at a safe distance, and halted at the slope. From here, he could see and hear everything without being scented or seen. He arranged himself comfortably, and settled down to watch.

Nothing happened for a long time. ShadowClan and WindClan were already pleasant. ThunderClan mixed with them, and Tigerpaw saw Foxpaw speaking with ShadowClan's deputy timidly. Lionpaw was speaking with ShadowClan apprentices, probably boasting about the battle. Finally, RiverClan arrived, and the meeting truly began. The four leaders climbed up on the Great Rock. They all glanced at one another, before Darkstar strode forward to speak first.

"All is well in ShadowClan," he announced. "Rosepaw and Thornpaw are here tonight for their first Gathering." Cats turned to blink at the two ShadowClan apprentices Lionpaw had been speaking with; a pale ginger she-cat and a dark tabby tom. "Our Clan grows stronger with the richness of greenleaf," Darkstar continued, "and we are glad to be at peace with the other Clans. Also, our deputy, Blackheart is expecting kits." Blackheart blushed under her dark fur, and Tigerpaw's eyes widened. Who was the lucky father? He saw a proud glow in Darkstar's eyes, and found himself smiling. It made sense; they deserved each other.

"Congratulations," Swiftstar, leader of WindClan, purred. Tigerpaw had forgotten his name was Swiftstar. Did Silvermist name Swiftkit for him? He wondered, and then struggled to hear the soft-spoken tom.

"WindClan wishes ShadowClan the best," Swiftstar continued. "But we don't wish the same for ThunderClan, Brightstar. Two ThunderClan apprentices were found wandering our territory this moon." Blackheart's eyes widened slightly at his words, and Tigerpaw knew that Blackheart knew who Swiftstar was talking about. "We ran them out of the territory after they gave us a feeble excuse about traveling to the Highstones," Swiftstar said. "All four Clans know that ThunderClan never risks their apprentices going anywhere without a warrior." There was a slight sneer in his voice. Brightstar remained calm.

"The apprentices in question did go to Highstones, but it was of their own free will," Brightstar said. "They were trying to prove themselves to ThunderClan."

"You can't even control your apprentices?" Swiftstar demanded. "Just be glad Owlfeather let them go, or you might never have gotten them back."

This time, Brightstar bristled, but said nothing. Swiftstar continued with his news, and then Streamstar stood up. She was a gray she-cat with white paws, and surprisingly gentle looking for her dark motives.

"RiverClan has done well. We have gained a new apprentice, Mistypaw. Sadly, she could not join us; she and Puddlepaw were gravely injured by ThunderClan."

"May I point out that at the time, they were on ThunderClan territory marking Sunningrocks, with Nightpool, no less?" Brightstar asked. Streamstar glanced at her coldly, and continued.

"We have been trying to purge our Clan of those with mixed blood," Streamstar continued, "and encourage others to do the same to keep their Clans strong. If we are to remain four Clans, we cannot have divided loyalties."

"Agreed," Swiftstar meowed. Darkstar looked carefully neutral. Streamstar opened her mouth to continue, but Brightstar took a step forward.

"If I may," she said to Streamstar. Streamstar nodded, but her eyes glittered with controlled anger. "Yesterday, Clan camp was attacked by RiverClan," Brightstar announced. "They had fought with a patrol at Sunningrocks earlier, gravely wounding Badgerstripe. They then tricked me into taking many of my warriors out of the camp, and attacked when there were no warriors to defend camp."

"That is your own fault!" Swiftstar announced loudly. "You shouldn't have been so foolish."

Brightstar turned on him with a hiss. "This is my turn to speak!" she snarled, and the true pain of losing Petalcloud was obvious in her furious gaze. She turned back to the other cats. "My sister, Petalcloud, was also in camp at the time," she continued, her voice becoming choked. "She was killed."

Whispers surged through the cats. It wasn't against the warrior code, but it was taboo to attack medicine cats, the peacemakers of the four Clans. Even Streamstar looked surprised.

"Petalcloud attacked first," Nightpool argued.

"You threatened our Clan, and she responded as any cat would," Brightstar retorted.

"We came for Silvermist's kits," Nightpool said loudly. "Silvermist and Stormheart fled RiverClan this moon, and Stormheart was killed by the river. ThunderClan took in Silvermist, which is fine, but the kits belong to RiverClan."

"They belong with her mother, and she is no longer part of RiverClan," Brightstar hissed.

"Why did she flee?" Darkstar interrupted. "Let us have the full story."

"She has WindClan blood in her," Streamstar growled. "She had to leave. But there is not much of it in the kits, and we want them still."

"It hardly seems fair, if you cast her out," Darkstar said mildly. "The kits belong with their mother, and it appears she is part of ThunderClan now. Isn't it right to leave them with her?"

"RiverClan needs kits!" Streamstar snarled, and then realized how desperate she sounded. She calmed herself. "They are RiverClan kits," she said firmly.

"It is up to the mother," Brightstar said, equally as firmly.

"I agree with Brightstar," Darkstar said. "Let Silvermist decide when her kits are old enough to travel. Don't risk hurting the kits by pushing them too hard too soon."

"RiverClan was only doing what was right, by cleansing their Clan," Swiftstar protested. "We stand by them." The four leaders tensed, and it seemed certain that a fight would break out. Tigerpaw kneaded the ground with his claws. If it came to a battle, he'd fight for ThunderClan.

Then, a cloud covered the moon, blotting out the light for several moments, before passing.

"The Gathering is over!" Swiftstar declared. "StarClan has made it so!" With that, he sprang down and led WindClan away. Tigerpaw got to his paws and raced back to camp, not wanting to be caught. He entered camp panting, but didn't appear to have been missed. He relaxed, thinking he was safe, until he entered the apprentice den.

"I saw you leave," Whitepaw said soflty.