I looked around, my pelt prickling. WindClan cats passed me as they headed onto the tree-bridge. Soon, when all of them were gone Beetlestar flicked his tail and everyone took turns crossing the tree-bridge. The wood looked slippery and smooth.

I hesitated to walk onto it. What if I slipped? The water looked cold and icy and I rather not get my fur wet.

My mentor, Antleg, nudged me, "Come on, Goosepaw! You're slowing us down!"

"S-Sorry Antleg." I mewed. I held my breath and scrambled onto the wood. It felt cold and smooth and I could feel the vibrations from the lake slapping the tree-bridge's side with water. I blinked and prayed to StarClan I didn't slip.

Unsheathing my claws I slowly walked across the bridge. I hoped I would get used to this. My parents did, so did my mentor and leader. If they could get used to walking across this tree so could I!

I raised my tail, new confidence filling my chest and walked across. A hard slap of water hit the bridge, making it wobble. I lost my balance and could feel myself teetering. I closed my eyes, preparing myself to be met with icy water. But it never came.

Slowly, I opened one eyes and looked down to see water right below me. I felt myself being pulled backwards and flopped down onto the tree-bridge. I quickly stood up and gripped it with my claws. I looked behind me to see my father's golden tabby pelt.

"Thanks Hawkpelt." I mewed, slightly embarrassed that he saw me trip.

Hawkpelt chuckled, "It's fine Goosepaw. Come on, we're almost there."

I nodded and followed. I saw the tree's end, leaves and all. I wiggled my haunches and jumped down, stumbling as I landed on soft grass. I saw my sister, Foxpaw waiting by some juniper bushes.

"Come on! I wanna see the cats! We're early." she called.

I rushed over, "Sorry. I almost fell in the lake."

Foxpaw smirked, "Clumsypaw." she teased.

I frowned. That was one of her annoying nicknames for me. Clumsypaw. I hated it! It made my blood boil and my pelt grow hot. I took a few breaths to calm myself. Foxpaw was such a nuisance! I pushed past her and went through the bushes.

"Oh, don't be cross over a little nickname!" she mewed, following me.

I snorted, "Then sto-woah." I stopped mid-sentence as I exited the bush and looked out. The whole gathering had so many cats! I could smell my Clan, ShadowClan. I also smelled heather, which I assumed to be WindClan. I also scented SkyClan. All the scents confused me. I shook my head, trying to not let the scents overpower me.

"This. Is. Amazing!" Foxpaw mewed gleefully.

"It's remarkable." I mewed in awe. I saw Antleg look at me and he angled his ear over to the right. I looked over to see a group of apprentices talking. I nudged Foxpaw, "I think we can make some friends!"

Foxpaw rolled her eyes, "I'd rather not. Smokethorn says that the other Clans aren't as honorable as ShadowClan."

"That's because Smokethorn is a fox-heart." I mewed, frowning.

She shrugged, "Do what you like. I'm going to talk to Windpaw and Frogpaw."

I watched my sister walk off in search of the other ShadowClan apprentices. I frowned and turned around. I wasn't a fox-heart! And I would prove it too!

I walked over to the group of apprentices. They looked older than me, but not by much.

A flame-colored she-cat with a white belly spotted me and smiled, "Hi." the pretty she-cat mewed.

"Er, hi." I mewed, waving my tail shyly.

"Oh sweet, fresh meat." a red-brown tom mewed.

"Harepaw! Hush, don't scare him." a white-and-black she-cat hissed, cuffing Harepaw by the ear.

The flame-colored she-cat rolled her eyes, "Ignore those idiots. I'm Flamepaw. That's Harepaw and Heronpaw of WindClan. What's your name?"

"Um, my name is G-Goosepaw. I'm from ShadowClan." I mewed, feeling a bit flustered.

Flamepaw chuckled, "Nice to meet you 'G-Goosepaw'." she mewed, mocking my stutter.

My fur grew hot and I looked at my paws, "Sorry. This is my first gathering."

Heronpaw scratched her ear, "Don't be. We're all scared on our first gathering."

Harepaw huffed, "I wasn't." he mewed, pride in his voice.

"You were jumpier than a hare!" Heronpaw sneered.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

I watched them bicker. I looked at Flamepaw, "They argue alot, huh?"

Flamepaw nodded, "I think it's the only way they can communicate."

I snorted and laughed. Flamepaw was funny. I looked at the ginger-and-white she-cat.

She's also pretty. I thought. I shook the thought out of my head. I couldn't think that! I hardly even knew her! Not to mention she was a SkyClan cat and I was ShadowClan. It would never work.

"So, Goosepaw, right?" Flamepaw asked.

I nodded, "Yep."

She smiled, "I like that name. Bet it'll make a killer warrior name!" she mewed.

"No, Flamepaw is better. You can make much cooler names out of that than mine." Goosepaw mewed, blushing at the compliment.

Flamepaw smiled, "Well, thank you." she mewed.

Goosepaw smiled. I felt someone shove me and I turned around to smell fish. I crinkled my nose, assuming that the cats were RiverClan. I frowned. They seemed rather arrogant and rude. Behind the RiverClan cats I smelled oak. I looked to see more cats enter the gathering, though their pelts weren't glossy and sleek like those of RiverClan. I assumed that they must've been those stuck up Thundercats. Or known much more commonly as ThunderClan.

I watched as the other leaders climbed the Great Oak and looked at the Clans. Beetlestar flicked his tail, "The gathering begins now!"

I smiled shyly and said goodbye to Flamepaw and the WindClan apprentices before walking over to sit besides Foxpaw. I droned out as Beetlestar began to speak. This may have been my first gathering, but I was distracted.

I looked over to where Flamepaw was. She was listening closely to the Clan news.

And you should too, daft furball! A voice in the back on my head yowled. I tried, I really did,but my eyes were glued on the pretty she-cat.

Foxpaw caught my attention and I turned back to the Great Oak. Perhaps next moon i'd get to talk to Flamepaw again. Or on patrols. I felt moony just thinking about it! It felt… good, but also bad? I wrapped my tail around my paws. I needed to clear my head.

Goosepaw: Light golden-brown tom with darker flecks and white back paws.

Beetlestar: Dark grey-and-white tabby tom.

Antleg: Small brown tabby tom.

Hawkpelt: Ginger tom with darker flecks and white paws.

Foxpaw: Ginger tabby she-cat.

Smokethorn: Grey-and-black tom with blue eyes.

Windpaw: Pretty white she-cat with amber eyes.

Frogpaw: Black tom with white dapples.

Flamepaw: Flame-colored-and-white she-cat with pretty blue eyes.

Harepaw: Red-brown-and-white tabby tom.

Heronpaw: White-and-black she-cat with amber eyes.