Chapter 17

Buzzardpaw walked behind Goldenstar, his eyes furrowed. He had been trying to get his attention the entire day, but the ThunderClan leader was too busy to notice him. Before Buzzardpaw went out for training that day, Goldenstar was asleep and wouldn't budge. When Buzzardpaw returned, Goldenstar was out of camp for a long time. Now it was night time, the large, full moon rising above the camp. Darkendstreak's words from last night echoed in Buzzardpaw's head. Is Eaglepaw really my kin?

"Goldenstar, may I speak with you?" Buzzardpaw mewed, tapping his father's shoulder once he had stood still. The big tabby tom was still distracted, but finally turned his attention to his son.

"Yes, what is it Buzzardpaw?"

Buzzardpaw blinked a few times, not knowing how to ask. "Um… Is it true that Eag-"

"Goldenstar!" Palecloud's voice called, interrupting the apprentice. Buzzardpaw's ears flattened in irritation as the tom bounded over to the two. "The moon is rising! You should announce the cats that are going to the Gathering soon."

Goldenstar nodded. "Oh yes! I completely forgot. Thank you for reminding me, Palecloud." Buzzardpaw tilted his head in confusion. Normally Goldenstar is always on top of things… How could he forget? Goldenstar looked down at Buzzardpaw, blinking apologetically. "Sorry son. Can your question wait until later?"

Buzzardpaw frowned, forcing himself to nod. "Yeah… I guess."

"Good." The ThunderClan leader leapt onto the High Ledge, not needing to call the meeting as most of the cats were already waiting in the clearing. Buzzardpaw sat down, his tail twitching irritably. "I will be announcing the cats attending the meeting. Chipmunkzip, Fawnleap, Russetprowl, Buzzardpaw, Dragonflywing, Voletail, Thistlepounce, Jackdawtalon and Aloefang, you all will be attending. Mottleddusk and Elkpool have also requested to attend, so I would like the warriors to make sure they're supported."

"I don't need any support!" Mottleddusk shouted, his crooked whiskers twitching.

Goldenstar's eyes flashed in amusement at the old tom as he leapt from the rock. He padded towards the thorn barrier, beckoning with his tail. "Cats attending the Gathering, let's leave now. We wouldn't want to be late." Buzzardpaw stood, following behind the others. The group started slow, then transitioned to a brisk trot, the forest scenery whizzing past them. Buzzardpaw raced past the cats, falling in step with his father. Goldenstar was in deep conversation with Fawnleap, barely paying attention.

"Goldenstar!" Buzzardpaw mewed, louder than he intended. The two cats turned their attention to him, their eyes warm. Before he could speak, they interjected.

"Look at him." Fawnleap purred. "Our handsome boy."

"Of course he's handsome." Goldenstar meowed, puffing out his chest, "He looks exactly like me."

Fawnleap rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."

Buzzardpaw's eyes narrowed in irritation. Why can't they take anything serious? "I have an important question to ask."

Fawnleap's head tilted, noticing the seriousness in his tone. "Important? What is it honey?"

Buzzardpaw looked at his paws as he trotted alongside them. He was at a loss for words again. Argh, this is so important, but I don't know how to word it correctly! He finally spoke, his voice low. "Would… Would you ever lie to me, dad?"

Goldenstar's eyes furrowed. "Oh, StarClan no! Why would I ever do that?"

Buzzardpaw ignored the question, lifting his head to stare into his father's eyes. "Would you ever hide anything from me?"

Goldenstar returned his intense gaze, shaking his head. Buzzardpaw blinked, swearing he saw his father's eyes darken for a second. "I would never hide anything from you, Buzzardpaw, unless it is for your safety."

Buzzardpaw stood still, blinking a few times. For my safety? Hiding my kin was for my safety? His mouth finally moved, allowing him to ask the important question. "So hiding Eag-"

"Look! We've reached the tree bridge!" A voice called, interrupting him once more. Buzzardpaw bristled, frustrated. This is pointless! Goldenstar's attention was now focused ahead, a few cats from WindClan crossing the bridge. The ThunderClan cats followed, stepping onto the grassy island. Goldenstar started to walk towards the big tree where the other leaders sat, but doubled back to speak with his son.

"What was it you wanted to ask me?" He mewed, his voice quiet.

"Forget it."

Goldenstar stared at him for a second, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. "We can talk later, when we get back to camp." Buzzardpaw gave him a small nod, allowing him to join the other leaders. Pikestar and Furzestar greeted him with small nods, and Buzzardpaw sat down alone. ShadowClan wasn't there yet, but Buzzardpaw didn't want to speak with anyone.

Suddenly, Buzzardpaw felt like he was being stared at. Sure enough, Dragonflywing was behind him, glaring holes into his head. Realizing that he was discovered, the black and white warrior padded forward to sit next to him, his discolored eyes flashing.

Buzzardpaw looked at his paws, paying him no mind. This seemed to irritate Dragonflywing, who opened his mouth to speak. "Funny how a cat can have two personalities."

"What?"

Dragonflywing scoffed. "Oh, don't play coy with me, Buzzardpaw. I know what you did."

Buzzardpaw's tail lashed in irritation. Can he go bother someone else? "Leave me alone Dragonflywing. I'm not in a good mood today, and you're being really annoying."

The black and white tom's eyes flashed. "Oh, what happens if I don't? You'll kill me, like you did Spottedpaw?" Buzzardpaw froze, his eyes widening. He knows! Dragonflywing noticed his shocked expression, his lips pulling into a smirk. "Yes, I was there. But I guess you and your brother won't have to worry about any cat interfering with the prophecy now."

Buzzardpaw felt a chill go down his spine, making his pelt prickle. His breath caught in his throat, barely being able to whisper, "Please dont tell any cat, Dragonflywing."

Dragonflywing's smirk turned into a sneer. "Oh, don't worry, Buzzardpaw. I won't tell a single cat, I promise." Before Buzzardpaw could say anything else, the warrior stood and dashed into the throng of cats, his pelt mixing with theirs. Buzzardpaw started after him, his heart feeling like it was about to leap out of his chest. He jumped and yowled as a paw touched his shoulder.

"StarClan, Buzzardpaw! What's got you on edge?" The voice mewed. Buzzardpaw whipped his head around, coming face to face with Eaglepaw. The ShadowClan apprentice's eyes were wide with concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Buzzardpaw forced his pelt to lie flat, sitting back down. "Yeah, uh… sorry."

"Are you okay?" Eaglepaw mewed, sitting down as well. "You can tell me anything. We're brothers." He whispered the last word, sending another chill down Buzzardpaw's spine.

Buzzardpaw felt a lump in his throat. He looked at Eaglepaw, who was staring back at him kindly. Buzzardpaw realized how similar they looked, with both of them having the same muscular stature, the same tabby stripes, and most of all, the same piercing golden eyes. Oh, how could I have not noticed before? The only difference between the two was the splash of white on Eaglepaw's chest, which still did not detract from their resemblance. Buzzardpaw forced his lips to move. "Did... Did you already know?"

Eaglepaw was silent, then nodded slowly. "I learned about half a moon ago. I met Goldenstar one night with my mother and…" He paused. "I haven't been able to look at them the same since."

Buzzardpaw blinked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Eaglepaw shook his head. "He told me not to, he said you would learn eventually." Buzzardpaw's eyes narrowed, and Eaglepaw placed his tail over his brother's flank. "But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that we're kin, and we have a prophecy." Eaglepaw paused, looking down at his paws. "Well, the prophecy is important of course, but our blood is more important. Promise me Buzzardpaw, promise me that our kinship will always come first."

Buzzardpaw nodded absentmindedly, his attention focused on Fawnleap, who was gazing at Goldenstar atop the massive tree. Buzzardpaw felt his heart wrench. Poor Fawnleap… She doesn't know what kind of cat he is. He knew that news of his father's infidelity would break the kind she-cat, and promised to himself that he would keep her safe. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Pikestar's yowl.

"The Gathering will begin!" Buzzardpaw turned his attention to the leaders, closing his mouth.

Furzestar stood on her branch, getting confirmation that she could speak first. The other leaders nodded at her, and she began her announcement. "Prey has been running well in WindClan, thanks to the New Leaf weather." Her face darkened. "I wish the news would stop there, but unfortunately, it doesn't. There has been an increased amount of rogue activity in the barns near our territory, and we have had to increase our patrols to chase them out of our land." Buzzardpaw rolled his eyes. Silly Orion! He needs to stop wandering through the clans' territory. He then paused, his eyes narrowing. Unless it's those hostile cats. I hope they don't cause any trouble!

Mousestar had stood, her green eyes flashing warily. "ShadowClan has been experiencing the same problem as well. This information is new to me however, as the patrol that I sent to your clan reported that WindClan hasn't seen any suspicious activity."

Furzestar's eyes narrowed at the she-cat. "While both of our clans are having problems with rogues, I didn't think that the two incidents were connected. You say that a rogue snuck into your camp and stole Silkyspark's body, yes? It would take a sunrise for a cat to walk from ShadowClan to the barn, much longer if that cat was carrying a body. Though it is a bit coincidental, I assumed that the rogue you're dealing with would not be connected with the barn rogues. The chances of the two being connected is not likely."

Mousestar dipped her head, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "I understand, Furzestar." She cleared her throat to continue with her own announcement. "Prey is running well in ShadowClan, and Eaglepaw has received Vulturefeather as his mentor, as Viperhiss has disappeared half a moon ago." Buzzardpaw glanced at Eaglepaw, who looked dejected. Where could Viperhiss be? He hoped that the rogues hadn't gotten to him. "If any of you gain contact with him, please alert us." She sat back down, and Pikestar stood.

"Prey is running well in RiverClan as well, and though we aren't having problems with rogues, we are dealing with another potential issue." The gray tom cleared his throat, his eyes darkening. "We are worried that the Dark Forest might be experiencing another uprising." Gasps and murmurs of shock filled the clearing. "Our apprentice Spottedpaw awoke this morning covered in his own blood, and his neck sliced open." Buzzardpaw felt his heart stop, and his eyes widened in fear. He had tried his hardest to forget what had happened the previous night, trying to deduce it to a bad dream. He began to tremble, and Eaglepaw pressed his flank to his. "Though the wound is gruesome, he survived and is currently resting in Cedarsplash's den." Buzzardpaw let out a sigh of relief, letting his body relax. Thank StarClan! I didn't kill him!

Goldenstar stood, dipping his head to the RiverClan leader. "I hope young Spottedpaw has a speedy recovery. Speckledlight will lend Cedarsplash some of our herbs, if he is ever in need." He then turned his head to the other two leaders, his eyes warm. "As for ShadowClan and WindClan, ThunderClan will always be ready to assist in the case of a battle." The other leaders mewed their thanks to the tom, and Goldenstar turned back to address the crowd. "Prey is running well in ThunderClan, and-"

"Before you continue Goldenstar, may I have a word?" A voice called from the group of cats, making Buzzardpaw's pelt stand on end as he recognized it. Eaglepaw's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the cat thrusted their way to the roots of the massive tree.

Goldenstar blinked a few times in confusion, then dipped his head. "Um… Sure Dragonflywing. Though I wish you would have discussed this with me earlier, I will let you speak."

Buzzardpaw felt his heartbeat quicken as the black and white warrior stood on a crooked root, standing in front of the deputies. The cats around the crowd whispered in hushed mews of confusion. What's he doing?

After waiting for the clearing to quiet down, Dragonflywing began to speak. "Thank you, Goldenstar." He spat out the word 'star', his tail lashing. "It is an honor to speak before the clans like this, an honor that only loyal cats deserve."

Goldenstar narrowed his eyes from atop his branch. "Dragonflywing, what are you talking about?"

The black and white warrior scoffed, pacing on the root he stood on. "What am I talking about? I'm talking about how you dishonor the clans, and how you are a traitor to the warrior code!"

Yowls of outrage came from the ThunderClan cats, and Jackdawtalon stood to her paws, glaring at the warrior. "Stupid bee brain! Goldenstar has been nothing but loyal to ThunderClan, you ungrateful furball!"

Dragonflywing leveled his head with the tom, his eyes flashing. "Oh, gullible warrior, that's what he wants you to think." He lifted his head again. "That's what he wants you all to think!"

Goldenstar dug his claws into the tree branch, wood chips falling from the splinters. "I think we've heard enough, Dragonflywing. You can sit down now."

"Heard enough? Ha! I've only just started." The warrior growled, glaring up at the leader. He whipped his head around to address the crowd. "Cats of all clans! That tom you see up there, that disgusting disgrace of a leader, is a phoney." He turned back to the leaders, his gaze falling on Mousestar, who's eyes were wide. "And that pretty little she-cat next to him is just as treacherous."

The cats from ShadowClan began to shout, their pelts bristling as they glared at Dragonflying.

"Idiot!"

"Foxheart!"

"You know nothing about Mousestar!"

Dragonflywing's eyes blazed angrily. "I may not know everything, but I know enough! Every heartbeat that passes with those two criminals up there, they tarnish the very code that holds us together! Open your eyes!"

Goldenstar leapt from the branch, shoving his face into Dragonflywing's. Buzzardpaw's eyes widened and Eaglepaw tensed next to him. "I've had enough of this disrespect, Dragonflywing! If you have something you need to say to me, you can say it in private."

Dragonflywing hissed in his face. "Disrespect? The only disrespectful thing is you and your affair!" Gasps rose from the gathered cats. "That's right! Goldenstar of ThunderClan and Mousestar of ShadowClan have broken the warrior code by becoming mates. And that abomination right there," He turned his glare to Eaglepaw who had his teeth bared, "Is the product of their sins. Eaglepaw is Goldenstar's kit."

Buzzardpaw felt his heart drop to his paws as yowls of outrage and anger rang throughout the clearing. Goldenstar stood still, his head lowered. Mousestar leapt from her branch, her small body trembling as she faced the angry cats. Furzestar and Pikestar watched in stunned silence, their mouths agape. Buzzardpaw glanced at Fawnleap, who was gazing calmly at Goldenstar. He blinked rapidly. Did she know? He was broken from his thoughts by a loud yowl from Eaglepaw, who had dashed across the clearing to fling himself at the warrior. The two wrestled for a second, finally pulled apart by Goldenstar.

"That's right, Goldenstar. Protect your son!" Dragonflywing spat, blood dripping from his torn ear.

Buzzardpaw looked around him, the Gathering a scene of chaos. Cats from all the clans were glaring at each other, their teeth bared and claws and unsheathed. He saw Jackdawtalon and a ShadowClan warrior fighting, a few warriors from the other clans leaping into the fray. Screeching and yowling filled the island, and the smell of blood made Buzzardpaw feel sick. A large shadow covered the clearing, making all activity stop.

"StarClan has sent clouds to cover the moon! This gathering is over." Pikestar yowled, his voice echoing eerily. The RiverClan and WindClan cats quickly hurried out, leaving just ShadoawClan and ThunderClan. The cats stared at each other warily, their pelts standing on end as they looked at their leaders.

"Goldenstar, I-"

"Haven't you done enough?" Fawnleap hissed, thrusting her face in Mousetsar's. "You've ruined everything!"

"That's not fair." A ShadowClan cat mewed, stepping between the two she-cats. "Goldenstar has a part in this as well." Buzzardpaw looked at his father, who looked frail and defeated.

"What do we do now?" A black she-cat mewed.

"We go back to our clans to sort this out." Goldenstar responded, his voice cracking with each word. He was staring at his paws and his tail drooped. "ThunderClan, lets go."

The ThunderClan cats slowly stood, following behind their defeated leader slowly. Dragonflywing remained where he was, his tail lashing behind him. "Are you guys really following him? He's a traitor! He-"

"I done heard enough from you!" Russetprowl snapped in his face, shutting him up. "You done said yer piece, now shut it!"

Dragonflywing's eyes widened, his lip quivering. "Uncle Russet-"

Russetprowl struck his claws down the warriors face, making him hiss in pain. "I hear another word from you, you'll be feelin' a lot worse! Get yer ass in line, right now!"

Without a word, Dragonflywing crossed the tree bridge, catching up with the other cats with Russetprowl in tow, his head shaking. Casting a final glance at Eaglepaw, Buzzardpaw followed behind his clan, his mind racing. He feared what would happen next.

Is dad going to be alright?


Author's note:

The big reveal! If you didnt hate Dragonflywing before, you sure will now. (At least I do, he's my least favorite character) The next two chapters will be posted Wednesday and Friday. Also, I've been trying to get a drawing tablet so I can actually show you guys what these characters look like. (The main ones at least.) Once I get it, I'll let you guys know!

Thanks for reading!

~MeltingPopsicles