~Chapter I~ ~Blazepaw's POV~

(I)

SpringClan was in trouble. As usual during Leaf-fall, there wouldn't be an unlimited amount of prey that we could gather. Most animals, be it deer, mice, squirrels, turtles, or others, would be hiding or hibernating to get away from the cold winds and snowdrifts. This year, however, it looked like most of the prey had died off. I was out hunting on my own, in an effort to catch something to bring back to the nursery for Skyflame.

Skyflame was my mother. At the moment, she was pregnant with her second litter of kits. They were going to be my half-siblings, and for that reason I felt especially responsible for Skyflame's health and safety, even more than I usually would be.

I paused suddenly, crouching amongst the thickets and dense trees of SpringClan's woodlands. The sweet, pungent scent of squirrel wafted towards me. From what I could tell, the squirrel was a few fox-lengths off to my side. Probably foraging for food… I guess we're not so different after all, little guy? I thought to myself, amused. I dropped into a stalking position, and then I slowly crept towards the source of the scent. At the same time, I became increasingly aware of the fact that I was near the AutumnClan border. I prayed to StarClan that I caught my prey before it could escape across, and even then I hoped even more that AutumnClan cats wouldn't spot me.

"You're putting too much weight on your paws, Leopardpaw! One would swear you eat more fresh-kill than allowed!"

I let out a low hiss as the sudden jeering voice scared my prey away. I heard the squirrel as it scurried up a nearby cedar tree. I unsheathed my claws, feeling the sudden urge to attack whoever had prevented me from getting my Clan it's much needed prey. Judging by their scent, they were AutumnClan cats. My attention was now diverted from hunting. What are they doing so close to the border?

"Sorry, Brittlesun... I didn't get any sleep last night." Another cat replied. I assumed that this was Leopardpaw, whoever he was. I didn't remember anything about a cat with such a name from the Gathering last moon. Maybe he was just made an Apprentice?

I heard the sound of scuffling paws as I crept towards the border. "You're lucky that Owlstar is your father. Otherwise I would have declined training a brat like you."

That was when I spotted them- two AutumnClan cats- patrolling their side of the border. I recognized Leopardpaw immediately, due to his unusual golden-ginger pelt with black spots dotting it at random. He looked very much like a leopard, at least at a distance. Brittlesun was different- from what I heard from my Clanmate's endless gossip, the tall brown and red tabby molly had a reputation for being prideful and having a fierce temper. The feelings radiating from her made me feel disturbed. Was Brittlesun Leopardpaw's mentor? I couldn't help but feel pity for him. I definitely didn't want a cat like that ordering me around.

"I'm going back to camp. Why don't you use that noisemaker talent of yours and see how much prey you can bring back? That would really impress me." Brittlesun joked halfheartedly.

Leopardpaw did not respond. Instead, he flicked his tail angrily as he watched his mentor dash off into the undergrowth full of pines and brambles. He paced for a while and then sat down, looking downtrodden and sad. I felt a prick in my heart as I watched him. He seemed older than me, but why hadn't I seen him before? Was he not allowed to go to Gatherings? I eventually found myself pushing through my hidden position. I stood in an open space about two fox lengths away from the AutumnClan Apprentice. He seemed to catch my sweet and alluring SpringClan scent, and he looked at me, his hackles beginning to bristle.

"Who are you? Were you watching me?!" He hissed, getting back to his feet and sounding defensive.

I gave him an innocent look, and my light green eyes were glowing like green stars. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I'm sorry… Your mentor scared away the squirrel that I was about to catch."

"Why are you SpringClan cats so apologetic all the time?" Leopardpaw snorted. But then his gaze softened the more he looked at me. "Better than goosebrained Brittlesun, I guess…"

"She did look scatterbrained, talking like that." I purred, trying to lighten the mood. I sat on my side of the clearing, curling my tail around my paws. "I'm Blazepaw, by the way."

"I'm...Leopardpaw. You probably heard it already…" The spotted tomcat murmured. He looked away and seemingly talked to himself. "I don't even know how to hunt properly."

Suddenly a knowing feeling came over me. I felt that little heart prick from earlier return. I felt lighthearted, and I began to unconsciously step towards the mesmerizing tomcat before me. Then I realized what I had done.

Leopardpaw was glaring at me now. "Go, before my Clanmates see you."

"I'll see you at the next Gathering, then?" I meowed, a hopeful expression appearing on my face. He simply blinked, emotionless. Why is he so hard to read? I frowned and backed away, vanishing from his sight. Then I crept deeper into my own territory, spending what was left of the day with the strange cat in my mind.

I want to see him again. But is that a good thing?

I felt weird as I settled down amongst a clump of soft ferns just beside the Apprentice's den. I found myself gnawing half-heartedly as my squirrel, being way too spaced out in my mind to pay attention to how I was eating. I just...I couldn't get Leopardpaw out of my head. Why did he mean anything to me? I'd seen plenty of other Apprentices before! Hell, I share a den with several! Why was he any different?

Because he's...well… A light blush appeared on my face, and I felt embarrassed. There were plenty of other toms I could fall for in my Clan, so why him? Couples of the same gender was not an unusual thing in SpringClan; it was seen as natural, and normal. One of my friends, Emberpaw, was always droning on to me about how much she liked Fawnpaw, even though Fawnpaw had absolutely no idea.

I gulped down the rest of my squirrel, deciding that I needed to rest and get my mind in order before the Gathering soon. My mentor had told me that he would allow me to go with him if I spent the day catching plenty of prey for the Clan. I'd done so, obviously, and when I'd returned he'd accepted my catch and given me permission. I stood up, stretching my legs and letting out a yawn.

"Hey Blazepaw!" I looked up to see Emberpaw dashing towards me, with energy. "Are you going to the Gathering tonight?"

I nodded, slowly. "Yes. Grayleaf said I'd caught enough fresh-kill, so…"

"Awesome! Fawnpaw's going too, so I'm gonna stick with her. This is my first Gathering, you know! I'm excited!" Emberpaw chirped, fidgeting constantly.

"You're always excited, Emberpaw." I pointed out, my low energy, observant personality sharply contrasting to her vibrant, hyper, and energetic one. "You should eat something before we leave."

"What about you?"

"I just ate, Emberpaw." I replied, feeling annoyed at her pestering. I lightly brushed past her, and made my way into the Apprentices den, all the while ignoring her constant chatter. At least Fawnpaw was quiet enough. I had no idea how the brown molly could put up with Emberpaw's rambling so much. She must have a lot more patience than me. I climbed into my nest, letting out a long, drawn out sigh and curling up into a ball. Before long, Emberpaw left me alone, and I slipped off into dreamland.

Dreamland wasn't peaceful either. I found myself in a dark, moonlit forest, where there wasn't a single sound being made. There were no birds, no winds, no wildlife. I felt an eerie and forboding emotion coming from the very roots of this forest. This wasn't any place I recognized, which became very evident as I traversed through the tall oaks and maples. Then, I stopped. I sensed someone's life force nearby.

"Hello?" I called, narrowing my gaze and taking in the nearby scents. But I couldn't catch any scent on the wind. "Is someone out there? Where am I?"

"Be wary of your emotions, Blazepaw. They will betray you." A voice seemed to resonate around me, in all directions.

I felt a spark of fear, and I crouched low. "Is this StarClan? Or...something?"

"Beware the bite of the silver moonlight. It brings with it a long lasting cold."

Suddenly I burst out of my nest, wide awake and panicked. It took me a few heartbeats to recover myself, and I blinked. Wha...Must've been something in that squirrel… I thought. Fawnpaw and Emberpaw were nowhere to be seen, and I poked my head out of the Apprentice's den, to see that the Gathering patrol was almost ready to depart. It was dark out, and the moon was shining brightly, just like that dream.

(II)

I was tired. My paws ached as I padded alongside my Clanmates, keeping to myself as I followed them to the Gathering Pool. This was my first Gathering, but even so, it did not alleviate the ache in my heart that had tore away at me since… Since I saw him.

The Gathering Pool was a deep but small diameter pool almost directly in the center of the valley, and it was surrounded by thick sand shorelines. It was surrounded on all sides by forest, or, probably by StarClan's doing (or so I and many other cats thought), a massive boulder stood jutting out slightly over the pool. The Leaders gathered there, and addressed their cats as they lined the shoreline, awed and woed by the glimmers of starlight in the clear pool.

"Try to perk up, Blaze! I know you're tired, but maybe you'll see that lovely yellow AutumnClan tom tonight?" One of my Clanmates meowed, looking over her shoulder at me.

"Y-Yeah. Maybe I will." I murmured, curt and quick. My fellow younger Warriors spent the entire trip to the Gathering Pool by pestering and nagging at me, trying to make me laugh, or scare me by breathing in my ear or nipping my tail. That was typical of SpringClan cats...always teasing and always feeling the need to nose into other cat's business.

"Looks like we're the last ones here." Dewpelt, SpringClan's Deputy, murmured near the front of the group, where Rabbitstar was trotting.

I kept my thoughts to myself as I made my way through the crowd of Clan cats as SpringClan began to mingle. I wasn't really sure if Leopardpaw would be here tonight...after all, it appeared that he didn't get out much. My dipstick tail swished behind me, occasionally brushing or trembling against the bodies of other cats. I quickly apologized when I accidentally stepped on a stranger's tail.

"Watch where you're stepping!" The cat snapped, though not in a particularly hostile tone. I took in the cat's scent, and I tensed when I realized that it was a WinterClan cat. I felt a growl rising in my throat, and my fur bristled. It was a rather largely built black molly, with sleek fur and menacing amber eyes.

"Sorry." I dipped my head, nonchalantly. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Right...just be careful, or you'll piss off someone less understanding than I." She meowed, narrowing her gaze at me. Almost as soon as she snapped at me, her demeanor softened, and she had a more friendly body language. "What's your name? I've only been to a couple Gatherings, but I've never seen you before."

I paused, taken aback by the question. Why would a WinterClan cat care about who I was? "I'm uh...Blaze...of SpringClan."

"Ah...I'm Wolfpaw, of WinterClan."

I pricked my ears, a tad confused at the 'paw' at the end of her name. "You're way bigger than me…"

She chuckled, then had an embarrassed blush on her face. "Oh, yes! Staghorn's my dad; he's known for looking like a mountain lion."

"Oh...cool." I murmured, not sure how to feel about that. I felt really uncomfortable being around the WinterClan Apprentice, but I knew that it wouldn't help if I was hissing and clawing at every WinterClan cat I saw at the Gathering.

She stared coolly at me, reading me. "You don't seem very enthusiastic about being at the Gathering."

I shrugged, hiding my emotional crisis from her the best I could. "I've been to quite a few Gatherings, I guess-" I was cut off at the sound of that same Clanmate that had teased me earlier.

"Blazepaw! Daffodil wants to talk to you!"

"Just a moment, Warmbreeze!" I replied, returning the call with an annoyed flick of my ears. What on earth does that yellow molly want with me? I gave Wolfpaw an apologetic look, hoping she would understand.

"Go and humor your friends." She reassured, sitting up and yawning. Then she had a twinkle in her eye, the molly's tail twitching. "And...thank you."

"Thank you for what?" I tipped my head, confused.

"For talking to me. Not many other Clan cats have the courage or will to fraternize with us grumpy WinterClanners."

(III)

My interaction with Daffodil went about as I expected. She was a very smart, outgoing, and beautiful molly. Her fur was unusually glossy, which was probably because of her past kittypet life. Why she chose to wander out here in the mountains and join the Clans, I would never know. This molly was one of the taboo wonders of the Clan cats, as outsiders were very rare to even be seen in Clan territory let alone join a Clan.

Honestly, most Clans would scoff at letting an outsider join...but typical that SpringClan would jump at the chance. Afterall, the SpringClan cats were infamous for being the most outgoing, caring, and empathetic cats in the valley. SpringClan was a group of naturalists, lovers, and were the parental voice of the valley, who cared for the wellbeing of all Clans and their individual cats, rather than just themselves. It was noble, but foolish...they were quite easy to manipulate and take advantage of.

"-Blazepaw?"

"Yes?" I returned my attention to Daffodil, feeling guilty.

"Ah, welcome back from dreamland. But anyways, I've been really enjoying my stay in SpringClan since you let me join a few moons back. You're all so sweet, and so serious about keeping everybody healthy and happy. There is always something to do, and somebody to help...I wish I knew these things before I had my kits…" She rambled slightly.

My whiskers twitched. "Kits? Aren't you a little...young to have already had a litter?"

"Oh, I know! My housefolk were breeders and they were using me and this other tom to produce kits- now that I think about it my housefolk were kind of...controlling...but hey, they were nice-" The bright yellow molly bumbled on, seemingly not caring if I was truly paying attention or not. This was the trait I disliked about her: her bubbly and extrovert personality...I mean, what was I expecting from a kittypet-gone-SpringClan cat?

That was when my mind and attention wandered towards other SpringClan cats around me. They were all mingling energetically, not being afraid to approach any of the SummerClan or AutumnClan cats. The WinterClan cats were a different story though, considering the fact that SpringClan and WinterClan were polar opposites.

My mind began to wander more; my green gaze searching intensely for the one cat that I had wanted to see tonight. Where was he? Did he even get to go to the Gathering tonight? That was when I saw him, and my heart fluttered to life. He sat alone, at the edge of the clearing, eyes wide and clearly overwhelmed by the masses of cats before him.

"Sorry, Daffodil, I gotta go...but I'll talk to you later, okay?" I meowed quickly, not bothering to wait for an answer as I began making my way over to Leopardpaw, paws light.

You won't be alone much longer, Leopardpaw.