This is going to be a bit of a shorter chapter.
Why?
Because Silent Calling is almost to an end! ;)
Eelstar stared out the camp entrance, shivering in the chilly air.
Leaf-bare was arriving, and this was the first full moon since the expedition team had returned, and Eelstar had lost a warrior in Oddbird.
His gaze darkened, his ears low against his head.
"Eelstar," Hollypetal's mew made him sit up, turning to glance at her. "Everyone is here. We're ready." She nodded to Pearlight, Sweethawk, Cindercall, Vinedust, and their apprentices. Nettlepelt stood beside Cindercall, Honeyacorn and Owlpelt beside them as well.
Mumblebee stepped forward, his tail fluffed up despite it's small stubby nature. He watched Eelstar with gentle eyes, and the small black tom rose to his paws.
"Alright," he mewed. "Let's go."
Kestrelpaw watched Cindercall as the Clan cats began to move towards Four Stones.
She should be excited for a Gathering, but she wasn't...
"What's wrong, Kestrelpaw?" Jaypaw's voice made the she-cat turn, and she looked at him with soft eyes.
She dropped her gaze.
"It's nothing..." She mewed softly.
She had still struggled with trying to tell her brother the truth about their mother. How she didn't hate them like they had thought.
But each time when she thought she could bring it up, fear tugged at her heart.
What if he didn't believe her?
What if he thought she was crazy?
She had already lost one brother, she didn't want to lose another to a fight...
She felt a pelt brush against her, and she blinked in surprise to see Weedpaw watching her with a warm gaze.
"Are you excited for the Gathering?" He asked excitedly, his pelt fluffing up. "This is my first one; will you introduce me to the other apprentices?"
Kestrelpaw paused, blinking.
"Uh... sure... Why didn't you go last time?"
"I got in trouble," Weedpaw laughed. "Fleetpaw teased me about it, remember? I crossed the MountainClan border?"
"Oh!" Kestrelpaw blinked. She had completely forgotten about it.
"Yeah, but now I can go!" Weedpaw beamed. "So, will you? Introduce me to the other apprentices?"
Kestrelpaw sighed, offering him a warm look.
She could worry about Cindercall later. Right now, she was an apprentice on the way to a Gathering. She couldn't wait to see Shinepaw, Webpaw, and Quailpaw again from SunClan. She wondered how Finchpaw was doing with Oatfire as her mentor now.
And then there was Archpaw, Antpaw, Ashpaw, and Longpaw.
She wondered if they were okay, too. She wondered if they knew what Shadowcry had done...
She shook the thought away, before beaming to Weedpaw.
"Sure! I'll introduce you! Me, Fleetpaw, and Jaypaw will!" She glanced at her brother, nudging him. He gave her a side glance, before nodding, snickering softly.
"Yeah, but be careful; we've totally teased you while you were gone," he teases.
"Aw! You're so mean, Jaypaw!" Weedpaw wailed, his ears low. Kestrelpaw bumped Jaypaw, snorting.
"Don't be so dramatic," she teased. "We just said you were a little small!"
"Yeah, and I told them how you totally were a scaredy-cat in the nursery!" Fleetpaw jumped in, teasing Weedpaw playfully.
"You guys are so mean!" Weedpaw huffed. "I'm not a scaredy-cat!"
"You so are!" Fleetpaw laughed, Jaypaw following suit in laughing.
Kestrelpaw couldn't help but giggle alongside them, before gently nudging Weedpaw, her gaze warm.
"Don't worry," she says softly. "We didn't tell them too much bad stuff. They'll like you; don't worry."
Weedpaw nudged her back, snorting.
"Thanks, Kestrelpaw," he purred.
The apprentices fell silent as they entered Four Stones, Weedpaw gasping out loud when he saw the beautiful Gathering place. Kestrelpaw remembered her awe as well, when she had first seen this place.
"Oh!" Jaypaw mewed, excitedly. "It looks like RainClan and SunClan are already here! I'll go grab Shinepaw, Webpaw, and Quailpaw!"
"I've got Finchpaw!" Fleetpaw called. "She usually likes to chat before the Gathering begins!"
Both Jaypaw and Fleetpaw disappeared into the crowd of cats, and Kestrelpaw glanced around.
"Huh, weird," she mewed. "MountainClan isn't here yet..."
Weedpaw's ears twitched, and he sighed.
"I'm kinda glad they aren't yet," he mewed. "I'm worried... What's Eelstar gonna do about Shadowcry killing Oddbird? I doubt MountainClan would let him accuse them like that..."
"Don't worry," Kestrelpaw purred. "I'm sure Shadowcry got the right punishment. Maybe she got banished... She broke the warrior code, after all..."
Weedpaw's ears lowered.
"It's awful... What she did..."
"Yeah..."
"Hey! We're back!" Jaypaw yowled. Following after him were three apprentices; one was a white tom with a dark gray underbelly and tips, another was a gray tom with a darker gray overcoat, and then a pretty white she-cat with grey marks along her back.
Following after them was Fleetpaw and the curly dark-grey she-cat known as Finchpaw. The medicine cat apprentice, as usual, looked exactly like her mother Tanglestar, her yellow eyes glowing as she looked over the cats.
"Hey Webpaw, Shinepaw, Quailpaw," she greeted the three cats, purring their names.
"Finchpaw!" Shinepaw purred, the pretty she-cat turning to the RainClan apprentice. "You're fur looks as messy as ever! Is Oatfire still a total thorn bush?"
"As prickly as ever," the she-cat purred, before her gaze wandered to Weedpaw and Kestrelpaw. "Oh! You must be Weedpaw! Fleetpaw was bragging about you last Gathering!" She purred. "How you totally caught a rabbit on one of your first hunting trips!"
"I did not!" Fleetpaw gaped, fur fluffed out with embarrassment. "I was just mentioning how small it was!"
"Nuh-uh," the white apprentice with the dark gray underbelly laughed. "You were totally bragging, right Quailpaw?" He nudged the gray tom, who laughed in agreement.
Kestrelpaw nudged Weedpaw forward, laughing as the tom stumbled forward slightly embarrassed.
It wasn't long before he was deep in conversation with Quailpaw and Webpaw, Jaypaw and Fleetpaw listening in.
Finchpaw and Shinepaw looked to Kestrelpaw, who sat watching her brother and her friends chatter, nudging her softly.
"So, have you seen sign of MountainClan on your way here?" Shinepaw asked, cocking her head.
"Nope," Kestrelpaw mewed. "I think they're late."
"It's kinda weird," Finchpaw commented. "MountainClan is hardly ever this late. You think they're okay?"
Kestrelpaw hesitated, before glancing towards the empty area where MountainClan usually mingled.
"I hope so," she lied softly, her fur ruffled with discomfort.
It felt wrong to say that she wanted them to be okay.
Oddbird's death still burned in her mind.
And Cindercall's reaction to it seemed to burn even worse.
Watching Lighteye and Eaglewhisker cope over it...
It had brought back many, many sour memories...
"Attention cats of the Clans!" Whitestar's yowl turned everyone's attention towards her.
Murmurs began to arise as the cats realized that MountainClan had still not yet arrived.
Was the Clan alright?
Were they beginning the Gathering without them?
"It has come to our attention that MountainClan is late," Whitestar mewed. "It is a waste of moonlight, and as much as it pains me, I suggest we begin the Gathering without them."
"No," Eelstar mewed, rising to his paws. "Give them more time. There is much I must speak to Runningstar about."
"Can't it wait?" Whitestar retorted, her gaze hardening. "If you have a quarrel with him, simply take it to his camp."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Eelstar replied. "As this is a dire situation, and stepping onto their territory may cause more trouble. I'd rather do it here, on safe ground..."
His gaze darkened.
"And there is something I must announce to all the Clans."
Kestrelpaw's eyes caught the sight of Cindercall stiffening in the crowd of cats, her grey pelt pushing against Nettlepelt as it began to shake slightly.
"Very well," Whitestar mewed. "If it is that important, we shall wait."
She settled back down on her pillar, as the Clan cats began to murmur among themselves.
Finchpaw and Shinepaw turned to Kestrelpaw.
"What is it that Eelstar has to announce?" They asked simultaneously.
Kestrelpaw's ears twitched nervously.
"Well... I guess you'll find out when MountainClan arrives," she murmured.
"MountainClan incoming!" A cat yowled suddenly from the edge of the clearing.
All cats fell silent as the brush from MountainClan's territory shook.
And then soft gasps fell through when they saw only three cats emerge.
Runningstar, Shelldust, and... Eaglesun...
Where was the rest of MountainClan?
Kestrelpaw's eyes widened in horror when she realized that not only was most of MountainClan absent, but...
The three cats present were bristled and hostile, rage glowing in their gaze.
Runningstar bounded up to his pillar, planting his paws.
Before anyone can speak, he let out a loud caterwaul, every cat in the clearing lowering down in surprise.
"Clans of the mountains!" Runningstar roared, his gaze now fixating on Eelstar. "From this moment on..."
Kestrelpaw's eyes widened as his words echoed in her ears.
"MountainClan is at war with MoonClan!"