"This is so exciting!" Roarpaw whispered as he crossed the ThunderClan border for the first time, stepping onto WindClan's land. The lake was still in sight, the clan sticking to the three foxlengths rule as they crossed the moor, but that didn't change the fact that this was a new experience for the young apprentice.

ThunderClan's warriors and apprentices were passing through the moor in the dead of night, their path only illuminated by the full moon above. Roarpaw couldn't keep himself from bumbling around, looking at every new thing. He'd never been out of camp this late at night and the darkness that washed over the landscape made everything unrecognizable. He felt like he stepped into a whole new world. The shadows seemed darker, the green of WindClan's grasses became a different shade, the horizon gained an ominous glow… It was all new and exciting. He couldn't wait until he was old enough to explore the territory during the night on his own.

"What if we run into an owl?" Roarpaw asked Wolfpaw who was padding beside him. He reared up on his hind paws a bit, slashing the air with his forepaws before dropping down and resuming his steady trot. "We could take an owl, don't you think? That would be an amazing story, wouldn't it?"

Wolfpaw purred and nodded, making Roarpaw's tail curl happily. His brother didn't quite share his love for traditional stories and the prospect of adventure but his eyes glowed with interest. "Imagine hunting an owl. They fly so quietly, you wouldn't be able to hear them. We'd have to look for pellets or the signs of its nest or if it was out hunting, maybe it's kill. It would just come out of nowhere."

Roarpaw wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste. He didn't understand why Wolfpaw always focused on things like that but he'd hooked him into conversation and he wasn't about to pass up the chance to draw out a nighttime fantasy with his brother. It had been a long time since they'd told a story like this. Of course, now the tales they came up with could be more than tales. Now they could actually leave camp and live out one of their fantasies. Roarpaw felt giddiness bubble up in his chest at the thought.

"What a great battle it would be!" Roarpaw said dramatically, bouncing on his paws. "Imagine an owl swooping down from the branches, hidden by the shadows and the night sky, with two warrior brothers in its sight, claws outstretched, only to find-"

"Stop," Vigilpaw grumbled from where he was walking on Wolfpaw's other side. "You don't want to fight an owl. Have you ever seen an owl? They're terrifying! And you wouldn't want to mess with one at night. They've got sharp eyes, they'd see you long before you saw them. And they're strong. One beat of a wing and they could break a cat's spine and their claws can tear clean through your flank. Trying to fight one would be a death wish."

"It's just a story," Roarpaw grumbled, annoyed that Vigilpaw had killed his fun. "Imaginary, not real. Though it would be fun to go on some kind of adventure."

"No owls though," Wolfpaw added. "Maybe just escorting Echopelt or Frostbark to bring a message to another clan? That's far more realistic than fighting an owl. I mean, it could happen but that's not really the kind of thing I want to do late at night."

"It's just a story," Roarpaw repeated. Now his brother was teaming up with Vigilpaw? He really did not like the older tom. Too realistic, not imaginative enough. Too negative, not nearly as hopeful as he should be. Too quick to run, never standing his ground. What kind of cat was he anyway? Cats were meant to live. Vigilpaw really didn't seem to enjoy any of the things Roarpaw felt made a cat truly alive.

"You listen to the elders and Echopelt too much," Vigilpaw sighed. He flicked an ear, glancing off into the forest, before looking back to the two apprentices. "I don't really know where those two heard so many stories. You'd make a good elder, Roarpaw. You've got the imagination to keep a kit happy for moons."

"I'm not going to the elder's den anytime soon!" Roarpaw declared, putting a bit more energy into his step. "I'm going to be a great warrior and the elders are going to tell kits stories about me. Stories of Roarpaw are going to be even greater than stories of LionClan!"

"Why Roarpaw? Don't you want to be remembered by your warrior name?" Wolfpaw asked, tipping his head to one side.

"Well, yeah," Roarpaw said, time dimming a bit. He cleared his throat before correcting himself. "Stories of Roar… cat? Stories of Roarcat are going to be even better than stories of LionClan!"

"Roarcat. How creative," Vigilpaw responded sarcastically. He shook his head and muttered, "LionClan stories aren't even that good."

"What? How can you say that! LionClan stories are the best stories," Roarpaw argued, staring at Vigilpaw in shock. Did this cat have no kithood? The stories that Thymestalk told defined his youngest moons! Of course, when he found out the clan's mediator, Echopelt, also loved those old stories, that changed everything, but every cat's kithood was filled with visiting the elders and hearing old stories. When Roarpaw was a kit, there was only Thymestalk in the elder's den but Roarpaw was almost positive there even more retired warriors when Vigilpaw was a kit. Surely he and his littermates visited them. How could he not love the legends of the Great Clans?

"I'm more partial to TigerClan," Vigilpaw admitted and Roarpaw's disbelief vanished. His lip curled back and he broke into a purr. Vigilpaw blinked at him for a couple heartbeats before looking away and licking his shoulder fur in embarrassment.

"Me too," Wolfpaw agreed. He paused and tipped his head in thought. "Actually, I don't know if I like LeopardClan or TigerClan more. I think I'm leaning towards LeopardClan a bit more but I really like hearing about the tiger warriors too."

Roarpaw gasped in mock offense. "Traitor! LionClan is the greatest of the Great Clans! They were strong and courageous! They had the manes to prove it!"

"Yeah but LeopardClan had spots! They didn't need manes to draw attention to themselves. Their spots were a symbol of their hunting skills and their speed. They didn't need flashy manes to show how great they were," Wolfpaw argued. His eyes were alight with a spirit that Roarpaw rarely saw in his littermate and Roarpaw couldn't help but pour a bit more of himself into the argument. He loved getting his brother riled up about something he loved. "They were great but not in an obvious way. We don't remember them for the traditional things about them. LionClan's battles and their manes are so boring. LeopardClan is unique."

Roarpaw scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That's ridiculous! You just admitted that LionClan is the best but you still like LeopardClan anyway?"

"I've got to admit that LionClan's great but there's nothing exciting about them. It's cats who are different that are the most interesting," Vigilpaw jumped in.

"Oh really? So what's so great about TigerClan, Vigilpaw?"

"They've got stripes," Vigilpaw said. "You remember the story of how they got them?"

"Yeah," Roarpaw grunted. "They were jealous of LionClan and LeopardClan. They wanted to be special but they took the coward's path."

"They wanted to be different and they made a mistake but they came out better because of it," Vigilpaw corrected, flicking an ear. "TigerClan was banished to the night and they became masters of it. The night marked them, made them one of its own, and they became some of the strongest great cats."

"That is a good story," Roarpaw admitted, "but that story only happened because of the lions. If it wasn't for LionClan-"

"As interesting as it is to hear you three bicker about kit stories," Snaketail interrupted in his usual dry tone, "we've almost reached RiverClan territory. The tree bridge is coming up. Pay attention to your clanmates and you'll know what to do, new 'paws."

Roarpaw quieted, suddenly remembering what he'd been so excited about in the first place. He and Wolfpaw were about to go to their first Gathering.

The past half moon had been exciting, far more than Roarpaw could have imagined. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Roarpaw's imagination had proved itself to be rather extensive but it tended to drift toward the more unrealistic side of the spectrum, filled with fantasies, dreams, adventures, and stories. Wolfpaw, on the other paw, always leaned towards the brutally realistic side of it all. Roarpaw knew he had a strong imagination as well but he really had no idea what was going on in his brother's head at any given time. His late night dreams of kithood were probably closer to the training the brothers did each day than Roarpaw's wild fantasies but neither brother could have perfectly pictured what their apprenticeships would be like.

Both Snaketail and Patternheart were still hesitant to teach them battlemoves. As much as Roarpaw complained, he understood that. They weren't ready yet. Start at the bottom and work up and all that. Still, learning how to hunt and patrol was fun. Until today, Roarpaw had only seen ThunderClan territory and it was massive. Each time he patrolled, his head was filled with endless possibilities for what lay ahead. He knew it was unlikely for a clan cat to leave clan territory but it wasn't impossible and Roarpaw couldn't wait for what sorts of escapades laid in his future.

His days mostly consisted of morning patrols, sunhigh training sessions, and apprentice duties in the evenings with a hunting outing lying somewhere in the midst of that. Late at night when he had nothing better to do, Roarpaw would whine about how busy he was and how he never had time to do anything fun anymore but when he was out roaming the forest, Roarpaw never could find anything to complain about. He didn't miss his days in the nursery in the slightest. Being an apprentice gave him the freedom the never realized he craved and he loved every moment of it.

Wolfpaw and Roarpaw let Vigilpaw lead the way. They were surrounded by their clanmates so it was impossible to get lost but Roarpaw appreciated that he had a cat to look to for guidance tonight. He wasn't scared, that just wasn't the way he was, but Roarpaw had to admit he was a bit nervous and keeping his brother and friend close gave him that little bit of strength he needed to keep the swagger in his paws and his head held high.

Roarpaw wasn't totally sure where his mentor had disappeared off to. Patternheart was a likeable cat and Roarpaw didn't doubt that he had friends in other clans that he was eager to talk to. He didn't know where Snaketail had gone either. He wasn't exactly as warm as Patternheart but- okay, he was far from friendly but he had a charismatic, alluring quality to him. Roarpaw looked up to and respected him as a warrior. He was his superior at the moment so Roarpaw had never considered what he would be like to have as a friend but Roarpaw thought it wouldn't be so bad. Snaketail was casual and smart and he was just the kind of cat that was fun to be around. There were probably some cats in other clans who would enjoy talking to him.

Which meant the three apprentices were mentorless for the moment. Vigilpaw's mentor Frostbark would probably go off with the other medicine cats once the Gathering started… Now that he thought about it, Roarpaw was sure Vigilpaw would probably too. The thought made his belly prickle with worry. He and Wolfpaw had the other ThunderClan apprentices of course but Roarpaw honestly preferred the grumpy tom to his denmates. The two bickered but Vigilpaw was growing on him. Roarpaw didn't want him to leave quite yet.

Vigilpaw seemed to read his mind. His violet eyes glowed with amusement for a heartbeat before shouldering Roarpaw softly in a friendly manner. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Come on, it's our turn to cross the tree bridge. I'll introduce you to some other apprentices."

Roarpaw realized that the trio had indeed reached the front of the line of cats waiting to leap atop the massive tree that connected the island to the mainland. The sight of it filled Roarpaw with a tingling feeling he couldn't identify. He'd say it was excitement but it very well could have been paralyzing unease or just plain fear. Slipping would mean an unpleasant fall into the lake and he didn't know if he could swim.

"Remember to dig your claws into the bark," Vigilpaw told the pair before leaping onto the tree branch. His nimble paws found a grip quickly and he began crossing with the same dexterity he would if he were walking on solid ground. It was strange seeing such a nervous cat move with such confidence but it made Roarpaw feel a bit better.

Wolfpaw followed Vigilpaw first and Roarpaw kept a careful eye on him, watching for any sign of his littermate losing his footing, but Wolfpaw found his balance quickly. He wasn't as fast as Vigilpaw but it was clear that he wasn't having any problems crossing. And that meant it was Roarpaw's turn.

Roarpaw took a deep breath and put one paw forward, pushing himself onto the tree bridge in a single motion. He expected it to wobble under his weight but it remained in its place. He took a hesitant step forward, testing his footing. His paws merely placed themselves on the bark as if nothing was wrong. The tree didn't rock or sway. It was just like walking on the solid earth of the bank. Roarpaw let relaxation wash over his features. He hadn't realized he was so tense. He flicked his tail and began walking forward, still careful but without nearly as much fear this time.

Roarpaw hopped off the end of the bridge and shook out his pelt before shifting his gaze to stare out at the cats who filled the island's clearing. His eyes went wide at the sight of so many pelts. There were more cats here than he'd ever seen! Well, he expected that but the numbers were still shocking.

Roarpaw exchanged a glance with Wolfpaw and it seemed his brother shared his surprise. Vigilpaw froze for a moment but shook his head to himself and reclaimed his earlier bravado. "Come on, let me introduce you to Rainpaw and Wingpaw. I'm sure you'll like them."

Roarpaw stayed silent as Vigilpaw led them past all the clans' warriors and across the clearing. Roarpaw had no idea how he knew where he was going. If he was alone, Roarpaw was sure he'd stick to the less crowded edges. Sure, he might not have ended up meeting any other cats that way but at least it was safe that way. Besides, he wouldn't know what he was missing out on.

He was suddenly grateful for Vigilpaw's companionship tonight.

Vigilpaw waved his grey tail at a lighter grey she-cat, a white tom, and a brown tom that didn't look much younger than Vigilpaw. Vigilpaw purred at the sight of them. "Rainpaw! Wingpaw! Wetpaw! I want you to meet some new ThunderClan apprentices."

The three cats looked up at the sight of Vigilpaw and waved their tails in greeting. Roarpaw excitedly waved back.

"Guys, this is Roarpaw and this is Wolfpaw," Vigilpaw introduced. "They became apprentices about half a moon ago. Wolfpaw, Roarpaw, this is SkyClan's medicine cat apprentice, Rainpaw. These two are Wingpaw and Wetpaw of RiverClan. They're nice, probably four moons ahead of you."

"It's nice to meet you," Wingpaw said. "How are you liking being out of the nursery?"

"It's great!" Roarpaw exclaimed. "I never realized how boring naps and nursery games are."

"You'll be begging for naps once you get farther along in your training," Wetpaw responded, groaning good-naturedly. "The other day my mentor Ratnose had me dive into the currents to catch this giant fish he spotted. It was so exhausting but we had to keep hunting after that. No rest for a warrior, am I right or am I right?"

Roarpaw didn't find the story particularly interesting but Wolfpaw looked curious. "Did you catch it?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah. The fish was like this big," Wetpaw said, holding his paws out. "It must've fed all the queens and elders!"

Wingpaw snorted. "Right."

"You saw it, Wingpaw," Wetpaw said, nudging him with a playful gleam in his eye. "You've gotta admit that was a good catch."

"It was, it was."

Rainpaw purred. "I'm glad to hear your training's going well. I feel like I've been an apprentice forever and I know I'm not even half done with my training. Do you think Frostbark's going to give you your medicine cat name anytime soon, Vigilpaw?"

"I don't know," Vigilpaw answered with a shrug. He looked down at his paws for a couple heartbeats. "Frostbark's always saying that I'm doing well and I can do pretty much anything without checking with him first but I just don't feel ready yet, you know? My littermates have been warriors for a long time already so I know that progress-wise I'm far enough to get my name but I honestly wouldn't mind waiting a bit longer. Especially since Roarpaw and Wolfpaw have taken over the apprentice duties that I have to do."

"Lucky duck," Wingpaw muttered.

Roarpaw made a face. "And you called me lazy that first time we cleaned nests."

Vigilpaw waved his tail behind him. "It's not lazy if you're tired of doing them after seasons and seasons. Apprentice duties are the worst."

"They're not that bad," Wolfpaw spoke up. "I mean, yeah, I don't like getting dirt or bile on my paws but some cat's got to do it. It's far from glorious but I think cats appreciate it."

"I like glory."

"I know you do, Roarpaw. I do too but sometimes it's the less glorius jobs that mean the most."

Rainpaw tilted her head, peering at Wolfpaw. "You're an odd one, aren't you?"

"They've both got bees in their brain," Vigilpaw muttered. He paused and blinked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, Roarpaw does. I think Wolfpaw's just got moss in his ears half the time."

"I thought you said I had my head in the clouds, dark and stormy," Roarpaw spoke, a hint of humor riding his tone.

Vigilpaw matched it. "You can have both. You're not limited to just one."

"Hey, you guys think ShadowClan's showing up anytime soon?" Wingpaw asked suddenly. He glanced around, inspecting the warriors seated around them. "I don't see them anywhere and the leaders are talking to each other. It doesn't look like they're happy."

Roarpaw craned his neck to look at the great oak where the clan leaders stood. As Wingpaw said, there were four cats seated on the branches. Roarpaw only recognized Vinestar but that wasn't the point. There was a distinct lack of ShadowClan in the clearing.

"The clouds haven't covered the moon," Vigilpaw murmured, looking up at the sky. "StarClan isn't angry. Maybe they're just late? Maybe a tree fell on their usual path and they had to find a new one."

"It's greenleaf," Wolfpaw pointed out. "There haven't been any storms or winds strong enough to do something like that."

"Wetpaw and I are going to go find our mentors," Wingpaw declared, rising to his paws abruptly. "Maybe you should go find yours and ask what's going on?"

Roarpaw opened his mouth to say that the action seemed unnecessary but he suddenly noticed that the gathered cats had broken into murmurs and a thin layer of nervousness sat in the air. The clans were uneasy. Roarpaw suddenly craved Patternheart's comforting presence at his side.

"That sounds like a good idea," Rainpaw said. She looked to Wolfpaw and Roarpaw. "Do you two want to stick with me and Vigilpaw and go sit by the medicine cats or do you want to go find your mentors?"

"Snaketail and Patternheart usually sit at the front," Vigilpaw said before either of the brothers could answer. "Not as close as the medicine cats but Snaketail usually sticks close to Longberry. Not enough to intrude on the deputies but close enough. And Patternheart usually ends up near Echopelt. The mediators don't really have a spot but Echopelt usually sits somewhere between the medicine cats and the deputies."

Roarpaw was impressed for a moment. He doubted he would've been able to make those types of observations.

"We should just go find Patternheart and Snaketail," Wolfpaw answered. He waved his tail at Vigilpaw and Rainpaw before beckoning his littermate after him. "Let's go, Roarpaw."

Roarpaw darted after his brother, squeezing through the mass of cats. Normally, he would be a bit more cautious and respectful around the warriors but none of the cats paid him any mind, save a WindClan elder whose tail he accidentally stepped on.

Wolfpaw and Roarpaw managed to free themselves from the mass and emerged at the front of the clearing before long. As Vigilpaw had said, Patternheart was sitting with Echopelt. He saw them almost immediately, blue eyes widening at the sight of them.

"Hey there, 'paws," Patternheart greeted cheerfully. "How are you enjoying your first Gathering?"

"It was great!" Roarpaw exclaimed. If not for Wolfpaw's interruption, he probably would have told Patternheart all about the SkyClan and RiverClan apprentices he'd met but they had more important things to focus on right now.

"Vigilpaw started getting kind of worried so everyone went to go find their mentors," Wolfpaw explained. He sat down, blinking up at Echopelt. "ShadowClan's not here. That's not normal, is it?"

"It's not," Echopelt told him with a shake of his head, "but sometimes clans miss Gatherings. It shouldn't be anything to worry about. Did Vigilpaw say anything about StarClan?"

"He said that the clouds weren't covering the moon so StarClan wasn't angry," Roarpaw piped up.

"A mouse could've told you that," a voice grunted. Roarpaw looked over his shoulder to see Snaketail padding over. He dipped his head to Patternheart and the apprentices before looking to Echopelt. "Longberry told me to come get you. The deputies want to talk to you."

The mediator nodded and murmured a goodbye to his brother before running off to sit at the base of the great oak, leaning in to join the deputies' quieted chatter. Snaketail remained silent but took Echopelt's place. He blinked curiously at Patternheart and tilted his head at the apprentices, silently asking a question that Roarpaw couldn't quite catch.

"The apprentices all went to go sit with their mentors," Patternheart told him.

"Smart," Snaketail commented. He looked to Wolfpaw and Roarpaw. "Did you overhear anything on your way over?"

Roarpaw shook his head. He hadn't really been listening but he'd heard a few snippets of conversation. Nothing that sounded interesting though.

"RiverClan and SkyClan sounded a bit more worried than WindClan cats," Wolfpaw offered.

"Really?" Roarpaw questioned. He hadn't sensed anything wrong. "Wingpaw, Rainpaw, and Wetpaw seemed fine."

"That big tom that smelled like fish was talking to this grey she-cat with big haunches about how ShadowClan's scent markers haven't been refreshed in awhile and she said it was the same on SkyClan's side," Wolfpaw explained. Roarpaw blinked a few times and told himself that he needed to pay more attention to his surroundings. If Wolfpaw noticed and he didn't...

Snaketail frowned. "That can't be good."

"I'm sure everything's fine," Patternheart said but his voice lacked his usual spirit.

"Cats of all clans!" a voice suddenly boomed over the island. "It seems ShadowClan isn't showing up tonight so we will hold the Gathering without them."

"That's Terrtainstar, SkyClan's leader," Patternheart whispered in Roarpaw's ear. Roarpaw nodded, looking up at the light grey tom. Roarpaw wasn't sure what to think of him but he didn't get the chance to decide as Patternheart began to point out the other leaders to him. "That she-cat right there is Valorstar, RiverClan's leader. And that's Talonstar, WindClan's leader. They're good friends with ShadowClan's leader and deputy, Beanstar and Markbranch, but you know WindClan and ShadowClan are on opposite sides of the lake. They probably don't know any more than ThunderClan."

Roarpaw nodded, grateful to know the names of the cats addressing the clans.

"ThunderClan and WindClan don't share a border with ShadowClan," Vinestar spoke, looking to Valorstar and Terrainstar. "Have there been any signs that something is wrong on your ends?"

"ShadowClan hasn't refreshed their border markers in about half a moon," Valorstar told them, Terrainstar nodding in agreement. Roarpaw tilted his head. It seemed Wolfpaw was right. "ShadowClan is a small clan so we thought that perhaps an illness arrived in their camp and they were too short pawed to patrol their borders."

"It's greenleaf," Terrainstar pointed out. "It's unlikely any sickness would break out during these moons of the season cycle."

"I know," Valorstar sighed, turning her head. "RiverClan considered checking on ShadowClan but you know how ShadowClan is. They'd see any of our cats on their land as an invasion."

Snaketail snorted quietly. "Any cat with half a brain knows RiverClan has no interest in gaining territory."

"SkyClan could send a patrol," Terrainstar offered. "We're on a bit better terms with ShadowClan than RiverClan."

"Not by much," Valorstar answered doubtfully.

"ThunderClan could send some cats as well," Vinestar added. "WindClan and ThunderClan are too far from ShadowClan to have any hostilities and the clans' mediator lives in ThunderClan. Taking some ThunderClan cats along would surely send the message that SkyClan comes in peace."

"That sounds like a good plan," Talonstar said.

Terrainstar nodded. "Thank you, Vinestar. I'll send Redpath to your camp tomorrow to talk about this. In the meantime, we should get this Gathering underway, shall we?"

"Of course," Vinestar said and looked to Valorstar. "Would RiverClan like to share its news first?"

Valorstar responded with a sharp nod. "RiverClan is proud to announce that one of our queens, Freckleshine, has delivered a litter of three healthy kits. RiverClan looks forward to having some new life in the camp in the coming moons. Other than that, greenleaf has been fortunate to us. The river is filled with fish and the clan is eating well."

"Prey runs well in WindClan as well," Talonstar spoke up. "Young rabbits are coming out of the tunnels thanks to the warm weather and our warriors have done an excellent job feeding our clan."

"I'm happy to hear that," Vinestar said. "ThunderClan has two new apprentices this moon. Cats of all clans, I welcome Roarpaw and Wolfpaw!"

"Wolfpaw! Roarpaw! Wolfpaw! Roarpaw!"

Roarpaw hadn't expected the clans to call his name but it was a welcome surprise. He lifted his head proudly, letting any cats who looked his way see that he wasn't afraid. He heard a purr at his side and saw that Wolfpaw was soaking up the attention as much as he was.

"Other than that, prey runs well in ThunderClan," Vinestar continued. "Our senior warrior Poppyclaw has decided it's time to retire and has joined Thymestalk in the elder's den. ThunderClan honors her for her service to the clan. Terrainstar?"

"SkyClan too welcomes a senior warrior to the elder's den. We honor Yarrowpelt and hope she enjoys many seasons of peace off the battlefield," Terrainstar said before continuing. "Some of our warriors found a couple of dogs on our territory but we chased them off. I'd warn ShadowClan that we saw twolegs heading in their direction but…"

Terrainstar trailed off and shrugged, silently finishing his sentence.

Vinestar nodded now that all this moon's news had been shared. "This Gathering has gone longer than expected. ThunderClan! We're leaving."

Roarpaw tried to ignore the disappointment bubbling in his belly. He'd hoped he'd have the chance to talk to a few more cats but it seemed tonight was not the night. Snaketail got to his paws, beckoning Patternheart and the apprentices after him.

"Do you think ShadowClan's alright?" Wolfpaw asked as the clan began climbing onto the tree bridge.

"ShadowClan is strong," Snaketail told him. "I'm sure they're fine."

Roarpaw exchanged a glance with Patternheart and saw worry glittering in his eyes. Roarpaw swallowed and didn't say anything. He had the feeling that this wasn't going to be as simple as he hoped it would.

"Is that really your apprentice?"

Wolfpaw looked up to see Snaketail and Patternheart watching him and Roarpaw with a pair of cats that Wolfpaw didn't recognize. A black tom was staring at him with sharp, judgmental eyes. Wolfpaw peered back for a few heartbeats before glancing at his mentor in question. Snaketail just shook his head. Wolfpaw decided nothing was wrong and resumed grooming. If Snaketail thought nothing was wrong, Wolfpaw trusted that nothing was wrong. Roarpaw wasn't as complacent though.

"Hey! What are these cats doing in our camp?" Roarpaw demanded, rising to his paws. "And what's wrong with Wolfpaw?"

"It looks like some cat dragged him backwards through a bramble bush," the black tom responded, eyeing Wolfpaw's fur. He looked slightly… Wolfpaw couldn't identify what the tom's facial features were trying to convey. Disgust? Distaste? Disapproval? Whatever it was, Wolfpaw didn't like it. It felt condescending. He wasn't sure if a cat had ever looked at him like that before.

Wolfpaw glanced at his fur. It had a russet coloring like Roarpaw's but he had hints of silver in it rather than his brother's ginger. He didn't understand why this stranger was so disgusted by him. Sure, it was a bit unkempt but not worthy of this type of reaction. "My fur's just like that."

"I can't believe you let your apprentice look so… so…untidy," the tom trailed off and flicked an ear at Snaketail. "You've always seemed like a cat who'd be strict with his apprentice."

"I am but even I can't control another cat's fur," Snaketail responded, annoyed. His yellow eyes narrowed but they weren't hostile. Wolfpaw felt a flash of comfort that his mentor was defending him. He was never really sure if Snaketail liked him or not and it was nice to know he was willing to stand up for him.

"You have kind fur," Patternheart said softly.

"Thank you?" Wolfpaw blinked, not understanding Patternheart's gesture. He wasn't offended by the stranger's words or sensitive about his fur. He knew it was messy. There was nothing he could do about that. So why-

"The kind of fur you find on a dog's butt!" Patternheart cracked loudly, eyes ablaze with mirth.

Wolfpaw broke into laughter. "That's a good one!"

"Well, at least he's aware of it," the black tom muttered. "Where's Vinestar? We're not here to look at apprentices."

The black tom padded away and the other stranger, a red furred cat, blinked apologetically at the pair of apprentices. "Don't mind him. Archpelt's just stressed. I guess he had high expectations for what kind of apprentices warriors like Snaketail and Patternheart would have. He tends to forget cats are just cats sometimes. And his manners."

"Um… Don't worry about it?" Wolfpaw glanced at his mentor again. He didn't know what was happening or why these strange cats were in camp.

"This is Redpath, the SkyClan deputy," Snaketail explained with a loose gesture. "He and Archpelt are here to talk with Vinestar and Longberry about ShadowClan."

Oh. That was right. Wolfpaw mentally scolded himself for not recognizing the visitors' scents. They smelled distinctly of oak and pine and they both had thick, well-muscled hind legs like all SkyClan cats did. It was quite obvious now that he thought about it.

"We should join the others," Redpath said to Snaketail and Patternheart. "We don't have all day."

"Wait, you two are going with them?" Roarpaw asked, blinking at the pair of mentors. "I thought we had training."

"After sunhigh, 'paw," Patternheart told him dismissively as he turned away. "We have more important things to do right now."

"I get that but how come you and Snaketail are going?" Roarpaw asked. Wolfpaw nodded in agreement. It made no sense. Vinestar and Longberry he could understand. Not Snaketail and Patternheart. They didn't have anything to do with clan business.

"Patternheart and Snaketail are well respected ThunderClan cats," Redpath told the two. "Their input is valued and it would be a waste not to include them."

Wolfpaw and Roarpaw exchanged a glance. Wolfpaw had known that the two were well ranked within ThunderClan but he didn't know that they were regarded so highly by the other clans or had the seniority to join these kinds of meetings. Wolfpaw felt his pelt heat up with pride. He was lucky to have such a great mentor.

"What are we supposed to do when you're doing that?" Wolfpaw asked. "Apprentice duties?"

"Ugh," Roarpaw groaned before pausing and brightening. "Hey, can we watch? I promise we'll be really quiet. You won't even know that we're there."

"I don't know…" Patternheart said hesitantly but Redpath didn't seem to share his reluctance.

"Let them, Patternheart. Apprentices should know what's going on in their clan," Redpath said. He shifted his gaze so his eyes were on the two brothers again. They sharpened, suddenly becoming focused and stern. "Just promise me that you two have the sense to know this has nothing to do with you. No chasing after any patrols that go out, no spreading any gossip with your denmates, no interrupting. You got that?"

"You have my word," Roarpaw responded, nodding seriously.

"Of course," Wolfpaw answered. "We know better than to do something so mousebrained."

"Good," Redpath said, brightening. He turned around and began padding across the clearing. "Shall we then?"

Patternheart joined him but Snaketail took a moment to hiss a couple last orders to the younger toms. "You do everything he just said, you got it? Either of you do anything I don't like and you're on tick duty for a moon. Both of you."

Roarpaw and Wolfpaw nodded silently and followed after the warrior trio to the highrock where Vinestar, Longberry, Frostbark, Echopelt, and surprisingly Rushstalk were waiting with Archpelt. Wolfpaw noticed that Terrainstar wasn't there but he decided not to dwell on it. SkyClan's leader didn't need to be there and having two leaders in one camp would be just plain rude, Wolfpaw thought. Vinestar looked up as the cats approached and smiled. "Alright. Everyone's here. Now we can begin."

Roarpaw and Wolfpaw kept their mouths shut as they shuffled off to the side, making sure they were far enough not to intrude but close enough to listen. Wolfpaw could feel Roarpaw shaking beside him with excitement. He flicked him with his tail, silently telling him to contain himself. Roarpaw blinked apologetically and focused on the conversation before them.

"Longberry?" Vinestar looked to his deputy. "What do we know?"

Wolfpaw had never interacted much with Longberry. He knew his littermate Treeshade was close friends with Wolfpaw and Roarpaw's father, Dapplefoot, and that his other littermate, Rushstalk, had a bit of a reputation in the clan as a flaky scatterbrain. Wolfpaw had spoken with both of them with some point or another but had never seen much of Longberry outside clan meetings. He knew he was a good warrior. How good, he didn't know. He'd once overheard Spiderwatcher and Inktrail complain that he needed to lighten up a bit but that was about it.

"Well, ThunderClan didn't have any suspicions about ShadowClan's wellbeing until last night," Longberry began, "when ShadowClan didn't show up to the moonly Gathering. When we returned, we smelled no scent trails that implied ShadowClan attempted to pass through our territory to get to the island that night and I can assume that the same goes for SkyClan. Both of ShadowClan's neighbor clans reported that none of ShadowClan's borders have been marked in the past half moon but all of our medicine cats claim to have seen ShadowClan's medicine cats Sneezefeather and Sootpaw at the last half-moon meeting at the Moonpool."

Frostbark nodded, confirming Longberry's words. "They both seemed well. Whatever happened to ShadowClan must have been sudden."

"We don't know that anything happened," Longberry pointed out. He wrapped his tail around him and sat up straighter in a serious way that Wolfpaw wasn't sure he liked. "It's greenleaf so we can cross illness or weather-related issues off our list of possible problems plaguing our pine-dwelling peers."

Wolfpaw's mind whirled at Longberry's words. Why did he talk so… so weird? His mind struggled to follow the other cat's train of thought. It was far from impossible but it took far more effort than Wolfpaw would ever admit. He glanced to his brother, expecting him to be as confused as he was, but he was staring at Longberry with curiosity and awe in his gaze.

"Longberry's so smart," Roarpaw whispered.

"He's just using confusing words."

"I know! I have no idea what he's saying but it makes perfect sense at the same time."

Wolfpaw wanted to smack his own face with his tail. Why did he end up with all the brains in the litter? Roarpaw wasn't an idiot but Wolfpaw was almost positive he overestimated his brother's intelligence at times. A lot of the time. All the time. Okay, he'd admit it. His brother wasn't the brightest fox in the den.

"I doubt that ShadowClan has miraculously decided to cut itself off from the other clans and its daily responsibilities," Longberry went on. "I'd say the most likely situation they are facing is that twolegs have decided to build one of those colorful twoleg pelt nests on their territory as they often do in greenleaf."

"We did see some twolegs looking for a place to put their color-pelts," Archpatch spoke up, "but even if they were on ShadowClan territory, I don't see why that would stop them from marking their borders or coming to the Gathering."

"Sometimes twolegs steal clan cats or loners. Maybe ShadowClan lost a few warriors and they're too busy trying to save them to bother with border markers or Gatherings," Patternheart suggested.

Vinestar frowned. "If that were the case, wouldn't they ask for help?"

"You know how stubborn ShadowClan can be," Echopelt pointed out.

"Yeah but Beanstar would put their clanmates before their pride any day," Vinestar argued. "I really think they would ask for help if their warriors were in danger."

Rushstalk cleared his throat, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. Wolfpaw jumped slightly at the sound he made. He'd forgotten he was there.

"I remember some ShadowClan elder telling me this old ShadowClan story. A real one, not those made up stories that Echopelt likes so much. Basically a long time ago, this stranger came to ShadowClan territory and convinced the clan to turn away from StarClan. Apparently SkyClan had pissed him off and he had some vendetta against the clans or something. I don't really remember," Rushstalk said with a casual shrug. He yawned and shook himself for a few heartbeats before continuing. "Now, I'm not saying that's what's going on but that is what I'm saying."

"That's… ridiculous," Snaketail said slowly.

Rushstalk snorted. "Yeah. After I said it, I realized that was kinda dumb. Nevermind. But my point is that the clans have faced some weird stuff before so I really don't think that we'll figure it out by sitting around talking about it. That elder told me that… Wait, hold on. Give me a sec and it'll come to me."

Patternheart shuffled his paws. "I remember that story. Some ThunderClan apprentices went to ShadowClan territory and helped them out."

"Oh that's right! Snaketail, you like history and stuff. You're always telling me history repeats itself and we can learn from it," Rushstalk went on. A few cats leaned forward a bit. Wolfpaw had no idea how the other cats could be so invested in his words. To him, it sounded like the tom was just spouting half-formed, scatterbrained ideas without putting any thought into them first though he had to admit that Rushstalk's words were making sense so far. "I think we should take a lesson from the past and send some cats in to check up on them."

"That's what we were planning on doing in the first place," Longberry stated, irritated.

"Wait! You didn't let me finish! It wasn't just those mousebrained apprentices that saved ShadowClan."

"They had a back up plan," Patternheart said. He tipped his head to one side. "But I don't remember what it was."

"Me neither. It was a long time ago, cats forget stuff sometimes. It's no biggie," Rushstalk said, shrugging. He waved his tail as if he didn't already have the assembled cats' attention. "Anyway, what I was trying to say was that we should have two patrols."

"I do not follow your train of thought, Rushstalk," Longberry told him but it seemed his patience had been restored. "Explain."

"In case nothing's wrong and ShadowClan's just being antisocial, we should send in a non-aggressive patrol," Rushstalk said, abestnly scuffing the ground with his forepaw. "Stick the clan deputies, the medicine cats, and the mediator on it so they don't get mad at us. Then, in case there actually is something wrong, have another patrol or two on standby with warriors to run in if things go poorly."

"That does sound like a sound plan," Longberry admitted. "Well done, Rushstalk."

"Aw. Think nothing of it, Lolo," Rushstalk said with a smirk.

"Don't call me that. Just because I appreciate your… unique thought process doesn't mean I enjoy your commentary."

"I know you love me."

"I think that would work well," Vinestar said thoughtfully. "Redpath?"

"I agree. Longberry and I would lead the first patrol. We'd take Echopelt, Frostbark, and our medicine cat Longear but who would lead the second patrol?" Redpath asked. He rose to his paws. "Neither SkyClan or ThunderClan should overstep the others when we are dealing with the affairs of a third clan so I suggest that we have two back up patrols with a mix of SkyClan and ThunderClan cats on each and a cat from each clan leading them."

"Wise," Vinestar commented. "Do you have any preference as to who leads them?"

Redpath flicked an ear in Archpelt's direction. "Archpelt is here for a reason. He has proven himself capable. As for ThunderClan… Rushstalk has proven himself a strong strategist but Snaketail is far better known for his fighting skill while Patternheart has the respect of more of my clan. Any one of them would be an excellent choice."

"Oh, honey, I'm allergic to responsibility. You put me in charge of a patrol and I'm curling up like it's the middle of the night and I've been running around the twolegplace for a moon."

"I think Snaketail's better suited to lead a battle patrol than me," Patternheart said sheepishly. "I can fight but I'm more of a supporter than a leader. He's way better at making the tough calls than me."

Wolfpaw looked to his mentor, keeping his mouth quiet. He had no idea other cats looked up to Snaketail so much. It seemed the dark tom hadn't realized either because Snaketail blinked his yellow eyes in surprise before he reclaimed his composed demeanor and nodded. "Of course. Who should I take?"

"We can decide that the day we head out," Archpelt said. "When should we meet?"

"How about in three sunrises?" Longberry suggested. "Both clans will have more than adequate time to prepare."

"I think that sounds good," Vinestar said. He dipped his head to the SkyClan visitors. "Do either of you have any interest in staying or shall I ask some warriors to escort you off our territory?"

"We don't need an escort," Redpath said but it didn't seem any cat was having that.

"Nonsense," Longberry stated firmly. "Snaketail, Patternheart, you need to take your apprentices out, don't you? Escort these two to their own territory on your way out."

"Of course, Longberry," Snaketail said with a dip of his head.

Patternheart suddenly lost his serious manner and bounced to his paws, lashing his tail excitedly. "Come on, 'paws! We're heading out!"

Wolfpaw and Roarpaw were on their paws in a heartbeat, tired of sitting still. The two bounded to their mentor's sides and quickly left the camp with the SkyClan warriors not far behind.

"This sounds awesome!" Roarpaw declared, circling the group as they padded into the forest. "What do you think you're going to find on ShadowClan territory? Dogs? Badgers? Fo-"

"They don't want trouble, Roarpaw," Wolfpaw interrupted before Roarpaw could go off anymore. For StarClan's sake, why didn't Roarpaw think before he spoke? He knew that Roarpaw's love for fantasizing was just a quirk of his but these warriors didn't know that. They'd just think he was some kind of immature apprentice who still had kit fluff in his ears.

Roarpaw didn't seem to mind though. "I know, I know. But you always say we've gotta think realistically. I'm just thinking of every possible situation!"

Patternheart chuckled. "That sounds more like dreaming than being realistic. I'm sure everything's fine. Without a shadow of a doubt."

"Why'd you say that like it was a joke? It wasn't even funny," Snaketail muttered. He shook out his pelt and glanced back at Redpath and Archpelt. "ThunderClan thanks you for your aid. I'm sorry that you have to deal with these three."

"They're not so bad," Redpath chuckled. "It's nice to see some life in the young cats."

"Hey! I'm not that young," Patternheart responded in mock offense. "I'm old enough to be your father."

Redpath rolled his eyes. "We were apprentices at the same time, Patternheart."

"I know, I know," Patternheart chuckled. "I'm still older than you though."

"By like three moons!"

"I'm still too old for you of all cats to be calling me a kit!"

Wolfpaw purred as he watched the two bicker. It was strange seeing a warrior so friendly with a cat from another clan but that was Patternheart. He would probably invite a fox back to camp and shower it with kindness until it turned into a cat.

"We've reached the border," Snaketail announced unceremoniously. He shot Redpath and Archpelt an expectant glance. "See you in three sunrises."

"In three sunrises," Redpath agreed with a dip of his head before crossing back to his own side of the border. Archpelt waved his tail before following close behind.

Patternheart called the apprentices closer and began leading the group to the training grounds but silence hung thinly between the four cats. Roarpaw was looking between them, clearly trying to figure out what was going on without breaking the silence. Wolfpaw didn't share his confusion. Snaketail's expression was hard and Patternheart was missing the usual pep in his step. It was clear to him that the two were worried about the upcoming patrol.

Wolfpaw felt a twinge of worry in his belly. His mentor and his brother's mentor would go into battle soon and he could tell that the matter was serious. He couldn't help but wonder if they would come back. He hoped so. They had to.