Reedpaw's blue eyes found a brown squirrel. The tufty squirrel seemed like a good last meal before the great Gathering.

Rosepaw acted like it was no big deal, but in truth, she was bouncing all day for the Gathering. "Oh, the Gathering is amazing," she exclaimed to Reedpaw. "I have a friend, Daisypaw. She's ShadowClan, but she's amazing. She changed my perspective of ShadowClan cats, you know."

"Do you think I'll make any friends?" asked Reedpaw, almost fearfully.

"Of course you will," reassured Rosepaw coolly. Her green eyes were full of confidence as she gazed at her friend. "Take confidence, Reedpaw. That's the only think you lack. Well, you lack bounciness too. Bubbliness and brightness would be an amazing…"

"I get it, Rosepaw," purred Reedpaw, feeling some of his nervousness melt away. He carried the squirrel to his usual spot and began pulling at its fur.

"Oh, no," Rosepaw meowed, clucking her tongue at the way Reedpaw was eating. "Not like that. You shouldn't pull the fur away. Eat the tufts. They're rather enjoyable." Her eyes gleamed with mischievousness.

Reedpaw glanced doubtfully at the messy tufts of fur. "Are you sure? It's not you playing pranks?"

The dark ginger apprentice swished her tail. "Why would you think that?" she exclaimed, in mock-surprise.

"Yeah, my bad, since you're always truthful."

"Ooh, I take back what I said. You are confident! So eat it. Confidently. Are you scared? Is the great Reedstar scared?"

"Don't do that," scolded Reedpaw, and took a big bite, swallowing fur.

Squirrel fur was unlike his fur. Reedpaw's silver fur sometimes caught in his throat while he was grooming, but it wasn't like suffocating. The squirrel's fur tufts choked him.

He spat it out. "You tried to kill me!"

Rosepaw's eyes widened. "You choked?" she choked out. "Oh, StarClan, I didn't mean that. We do eat fur."

"No, we don't," interrupted a golden apprentice. His amber eyes were shining with confidence and smugness.

Rosepaw gawked at Sparrowpaw. "Really?" she asked. Her voice had gotten rather thin.

Sparrowpaw glanced at Rosepaw. Although Rosepaw was older than him, he didn't resist the chance to gloat. "Yes," he meowed. "Normally, you claw out the squirrel's messy tufts." He stole a glance, a distasteful one, at the tufty squirrel. "That would make anyone choke. Even me."

"Oh!" The distress in Rosepaw's voice was so real, Reedpaw couldn't figure out if it were true or not.

"I might show you how to properly eat prey."

Reedpaw fully expected Rosepaw to decline haughtily. But to his surprise, the dark ginger she-cat got to her paws, and exclaimed, "Oh, yes, please!"

Sparrowpaw seemed unsurprised. Almost lazily, he padded to where he was eating a bird. "This, I caught," he meowed. "Birds are rather rare in RiverClan territory, since it's mostly mud and water. Marshes are excellent hunting ground, but we must learn to hunt woodland prey as well, yes?"

Rosepaw nodded eagerly.

"We have faced many troubles because we could not adapt in new territory. Of course, there was the problem in not having any territory at all, but that is another matter. There is always the solution of taking it forcefully."

Reedpaw, who was listening without any prejudice or expectations, could easily fish out the harshness, ambition, and ruthlessness in his brother's speech, but Rosepaw didn't seem to.

Her green eyes were bright, as if she were actually learning something from the supposed fraud.

But, Reedpaw supposed, he had to give credit to Sparrowpaw for awing Rosepaw. He wondered if Sparrowpaw like Rosepaw back.

Sparrowpaw was still deep in his lecture when Tansyflight called all cats who were going to the Gathering.

When Rosepaw looked at him expectantly, and a little hopefully, Sparrowpaw shook his head solemnly. "No. I shall not be going on this moonlight Gathering."

Rosepaw's mouth fell open. "What? No!"

Anyone would think Sparrowpaw was planning on sacrificing himself.

"I'm deeply sorry," meowed Sparrowpaw.

In Reedpaw's eyes, Sparrowpaw was just playing. Acting a show.

But Rosepaw sighed. "Oh, okay. Maybe I should… I could… stay back with you."

"That would," replied Sparrowpaw, "indeed be grateful."

"Come on!" called a white tom.

Rosepaw glanced at him. "Um…"

"Just come on, Rosepaw," snapped Reedpaw. "Aren't you going to see your friend Daisypaw?"

Rosepaw stuttered. "She might've not come…"

"Rosepaw," called a tortoiseshell. "Come on."

Rosepaw sighed. "I'll see you later, then," she mewed to Sparrowpaw, and called, "Coming, Windfeather!"

"Surely," Rosepaw muttered, as they were hopping along the white, wide, steppingstones, "you could've waited?"

"Tell Tansyflight that," interrupted Whitepaw.

Rosepaw sighed. "Yeah, sure." Her ears drooping, she jumped past the remaining steppingstones.

Reedpaw turned his head and saw a great, big, rotting, fallen tree. The elders had said it had begun rotting years ago, and, at the same time, Twolegs came and made stepping-stones. Some Twoleg kits came and played, but it was very rare, and they began using them.

He sat in a corner. Rosepaw was nowhere to be seen, and Sunpaw was sitting in the darkest corner. Still, her golden pelt shone in the moonlight.

Mistshade had stayed; Reedpaw assumed it was volunteer.

"Reedpaw. You're alone."

Reedpaw whirled around to see the gray she-cat who seemed ever so interested in him.

"Slatefoot. Why do you keep coming?"

Slatefoot's blue eyes darkened. "Because," she started. There was a sudden yowl from above and, the gray startled warrior, sat back, looking almost relieved she wouldn't have to tell.

Reedpaw soon forgot about Slatefoot as he listened in wonder as the leaders spoke and reported.

"RiverClan has been thriving," announced Silverstar. Her dark eyes gleamed under the moonlight-filled sky. Her voice was stronger than ever; confident and clear. "We have three new apprentices; Creampaw, Honeypaw, and Reedpaw."

As the cats yowled the new apprentices' names, Reedpaw felt pride bubbling from inside him.

Since Creampaw and Honeypaw had not attended the last Gathering, for they were too young, this was the first time they presented themselves to the others. Reedpaw saw the cream apprentice scurry to a black and white she-cat, probably boasting.

Honeypaw was talking with a ginger and white tabby eagerly.

"Shush," warned Cloudstream. Her white fluffy pelt and gray stripes were fluffed out.

"Why…"

"Shush!" Cloudstream replied, flicking her tail. "Listen."

The SkyClan leader, Dapplestar, was facing the crowd of cats, her dark green eyes hard. "We suspect our fellow Clans of stealing prey." Her eyes found Silverstar's. "We found… fishy scents."

Silverstar snarled. "And so you suspect us?" she hissed, her voice low but firm.

"I didn't say that."

"But it's obvious you meant that," snapped Silverstar, her dark eyes blazing with fury.

"It's you who jumped to conclusions," answered Dapplestar, keeping her grace.

Silverstar snorted. "Then," she meowed, her voice calmer, "since you didn't say we were the thieves, I won't take special care to stopping my warriors."

Dapplestar scowled. "Very well," she meowed, displeasure clear in her tone.

"She's a great leader," whispered a voice.

It was Sunpaw, her amber eyes gleaming with admiration and respect. "I really want to be like her."

"Yeah, she's great," mumbled Reedpaw. Privately, he thought Sparrowpaw had the better chance of being deputy or leader.

"I don't want to be deputy or leader," mewed Sunpaw hurriedly. "I just want to be respected."

Reedpaw nodded slowly. "Yeah, you could be that."

Sunpaw gave a little snort, and turned away. Reedpaw was slightly hopeful that Sunpaw might be warming up to him.

"Oh my StarClan," whispered a cat beside him.

A pale gray she-cat with white specks was staring up at Dapplestar.

"Why?" a voice asked from the pale gray she-cat.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Fluffypaw," replied the fluffy white she-cat. "I'll be a warrior a few days later."

"I'm Breezepaw." Breezepaw observed the she-cat. "Well, I just thought it was a pity Graystar backed off."

Fluffypaw snorted. "Yeah."

Hesitating, Breezepaw meowed, "Lilywillow told me this apprentice Cloudpaw almost drowned in the Moonpool."

"That's my brother you're talking about," snapped Fluffypaw.

Breezepaw blinked. "I was going to say it's a relief he didn't die." She rolled her eyes and sat back. "What's your name?" she asked Reedpaw.

Startled by Breezepaw's friendliness towards him, Reedpaw stared at her for seconds. Looking unsettled by Reedpaw's gawking, Breezepaw looked away. "Er, sorry! I mean, I'm Reedpaw from RiverClan."

"Ooh, hi."

"Are you WindClan?"

"Yup. Lovely WindClan."

"Oh. Okay." Reedpaw nodded awkwardly. Breezepaw seemed not to care that their Clan leaders were arguing. "Er… how is it?"

Breezepaw purred. "Lovely," she replied. "Oh, oh, there's Eaglestar!"

The gray ThunderClan leader stood, his eyes gleaming. "We found evidence," he snarled, "that WindClan is stealing our prey."

Graystar stood up, her eyes blazing with fury. "What? Our prey is being stolen, by RiverClan!"

"Nonsense!" hissed Silverstar, standing up as well.

All three leaders' pelts were bristling. Everyone looked dangerous, and it intimidated Reedpaw.

Breezepaw was already fluffing out her pelt, her ears flat, and her fur bristling.

"Stop!" yowled a voice.

It was Dapplestar. The pale brown dappled leader looked up at the sky. "The moon is covered with clouds."

Dark clouds were drifting in front of the moon, drowning out and slurping the bright moonlight.

Hissing, Silverstar sat down, but her tail was slashing the air violently.

"Very well," snapped Eaglestar, "but WindClan should remember crossing borders will not be appreciated. At all."

"Of course," Graystar meowed heavily.

Reedpaw's first Gathering ended like that, with the clouds covering the moon.

"I'm sorry," whispered Rosepaw softly. "I know it wasn't the most pleasant thing."

"It's okay. I knew there weren't only enemies."