Finally, a chapter that is actually early!
Enjoy :)
Chapter 36:
"Rosepaw, hurry up! We're going to be late for the Gathering!" Owlpaw urged.
Rosepaw nodded, gulping down the last bit of her mouse. "Okay. Let's go!" She bolted after Owlpaw and the rest of the ThunderClan cats who were going to be attending that night's Gathering.
The two apprentices quickly caught up to the rest of the group, and fell into companionable silence.
"Too bad Nightpaw couldn't come." Owlpaw mewed. Nightpaw had forgotten to refresh the elders' bedding the previous day, and Dawnstar had not allowed him to attend the Gathering.
"Yeah." Rosepaw nodded. "He made me promise to tell him everything."
"I wonder if ShadowClan will say anything about Squirrelkit." Owlpaw mewed.
"Probably not. They'll be embarrassed that they couldn't keep track of her. " Rosepaw replied.
"I bet Dawnstar will." Owlpaw said.
"I don't know." Rockfall butted in. "I don't think Dawnstar will bring it up. She wouldn't want it to seem like we can't even protect our own kits."
"True." Rosepaw agreed. "Do you think she'll say anything about Cassie?"
"Why would she?" Owlpaw asked. "She was just a rogue."
"I guess." Rosepaw mewed as they reached the tree-bridge that would lead them to the Gathering island.
"You can go first." Owlpaw stepped back to let her past.
"Thanks." Rosepaw carefully walked along the tree-bridge, finally emerging into the busy island. Wow, a lot of cats are here already. WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan.
"We're the last to arrive." Owlpaw commented, as if reading her thoughts.
"Hey, Owlpaw, Rosepaw!" Waterpaw bounded up. "Where's Nightpaw?"
"Dawnstar didn't let him come." Rosepaw replied. "How's your prey running? Er - swimming?"
"Slower than ever!" Waterpaw laughed. "And yours?"
"Great!" Owlpaw answered.
"Oh, it looks like the Gathering is about to begin. When they finish, I want to teach you two a new fighting move I learned last sunrise." Waterpaw kneaded the ground excitedly.
"We have one to teach you, too!" Owlpaw mewed, settling down to watch the leaders.
"Yeah, we just learned it, too." Rosepaw sat in between the two toms as Rabbitstar began.
"WindClan has thrived this past moon." Rabbitstar began. "First, we made a new warrior. Harepaw is now Harefoot." Rabbitstar paused as cats shouted the new warrior's name, then continued. "WindClan also has a new apprentice, Breezepaw."
"Breezepaw! Breezepaw!" echoed across the island.
"Also, Willowbreeze has given birth to a tom, Wolfkit. But where there is light, there is also darkness. Unfortunately, one of our elders, Stalkwhisker, has joined StarClan." Rabbitstar lowered his head, and after a respectful silence Troutstar began.
"RiverClan also has a new warrior: Toadpaw is now Toadleap. Twolegs have come to the lake as they always do in greenleaf, but they have not threatened our prey, nor our Clan." Troutstar looked to Dawnstar.
"Foxtail has given birth to two kits, Willowkit and Squirrelkit." Dawnstar mewed.
She didn't mention Tawnykit, Rosepaw realized.
"ThunderClan is stronger than ever, and we won't hesitate to protect our borders – or kits – with our teeth and claws." Dawnstar finished with a steely glare directed at Flamestar, who shrugged it off, mewing, "ShadowClan has a new warrior also. Snowpaw is now Snowflurry."
"Snowflurry! Snowflurry!" ShadowClan, WindClan, and some RiverClan cats chanted. Rosepaw noted that all of the ThunderClan cats remained silent, still angry with ShadowClan for stealing Squirrelkit.
"And ShadowClan has continued to strengthen in the past moon." Flamestar finished.
He didn't mention Squirrelkit, just as I thought. Rosepaw mused as the four leaders jumped to the ground, and the island broke out in murmurs that gradually increased in volume.
"Rosepaw!" Redfeather bounded up. "I'm expecting kits."
"Wow!" Rosepaw exclaimed. "That's great! Who's?"
"Duskfall's." Redfeather replied, her eyes glittering with excitement.
"Congratulations." Owlpaw mewed as the ShadowClan she-cat turned away.
"See you next time!" Rosepaw called.
Redfeather flicked her ears in acknowledgment as she went to find more cats to share her news with.
"Pebblepaw!" Waterpaw called. "Let's show Rosepaw and Owlpaw our new fighting techniques!"
Waterpaw's tortoiseshell sister bounded over. "Remember what Wetwhisker said before we left for the Gathering?"
Waterpaw's tail drooped. "Oh. Yeah."
Pebblepaw cuffed him on the head playfully. "Let's have a jumping competition, instead!"
"Yeah!" Owlpaw gave a little hop. "I bet I'll win!"
"No, I will!" Rosepaw kneaded the emerald grass excitedly.
"Let's do it over there." Waterpaw led the way to a group of trees where they wouldn't get in any cat's way.
"Okay." Pebblepaw announced. "We'll all jump as high as we can into..." her ocean blue eyes scanned for the perfect tree. "...That tree over there." she flicked her tail at a tall oak tree with nice, high branches. "Taking turns, of course. Wherever you jump to on the tree, you have to stay there and mark where you land in the bark with your claw. Whoever jumps the highest wins. I'll go first." Pebblepaw trotted over to the tree and crouched down at the base of the trunk, wiggling her haunches before springing halfway up the tree and latching on. She carefully detachtched one paw and scored the bark at the top of her other paw. After descending, she mewed to Owlpaw, "Your turn!"
Owlpaw nodded confidently and repeated the process, landing a whisker-length below Pebblepaw's mark. "Let me try again!"
Pebblepaw shook her head, amusement glittering in her eyes. "It's Rosepaw's turn."
Rosepaw bounded up to the tree. Think light, like you're a bird with the wind catching your wings. She stared at the spot she wanted to land, a fox-length above Pebblepaw's mark. Crouching down and wiggling her haunches like the two apprentices before her, she thrust up with all her power, springing into the air. Before she knew it, she had past Pebblepaw's mark by a tail-length and was clinging to the oak tree. I did it! She thought triumphantly, dragging her claw across the rough bark. Rosepaw carefully made her way down the tree, and when she reached the bottom she challenged Waterpaw, "Beat that!"
"With pleasure!" Waterpaw retorted playfully, and swiftly leaped up in the air, and clung to the tree a mouse-length below Rosepaw's mark.
"I win!" Rosepaw crowed.
"Good job!" Pebblepaw mewed.
"At least I have an excuse." Owlpaw piped up.
"And what's that?" Rosepaw asked.
"I'm too fat to climb a tree!" he joked.
"I'm with you there." Waterpaw came down from the tree. "Congratulations." he said to Rosepaw, as a yowl echoed across the island.
"ThunderClan, time to go!"
"Bye! See you next time!" Rosepaw called, as she and Owlpaw headed for the tree-bridge.
"Bye!" Pebblepaw and Waterpaw chorused.
"That was fun." Owlpaw commented once they had left RiverClan territory.
"It was, I always like seeing Waterpaw and Pebblepaw." Rosepaw agreed.
"Too bad Nightpaw couldn't come. I wonder if he could have beaten you!" Owlpaw laughed. "I doubt it."
"Me too." Rosepaw purred. "I can't wait to tell him all about what happened."
*SilverHeart24 and Flampelt 11, thanks for reviewing the last chapter!*
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My deepest thanks for reading Chapter 36 :)