Bluepaw later that night followed the rest of WaveClan patrol into the gathering place, known by the Clans as Tree Hollow. Bluepaw looked around at the hollow that sat at the end of each Clan's territory. She watched as Silverstar padded ahead of the rest of the patrol and jumped on the tree nearest WaveClan territory. She sat on the highest fork while Fernheart, Blacktail and Shadowleaf sat on the lower division. Bluepaw glanced around. She stayed rather close to Leafwing. There were so many cats! It was as if her senses had gone into overdrive; there was lots of chatter from the gathering cats in the hollow and five distinct scents, each belonging to a different Clan. There were the individual scents. The majority were similar to the other cats of the same Clan and tended to have that. Her gaze drifted rapidly around the clearing many times as if worried she would miss some important details about the clearing.
In one of her many glances around the clearing, she noticed the majority of the apprentices were clustered in the middle of the hollow. That was probably where the best view was.
"Why don't you go join them?" asked Leafwing, her gaze casting down to her apprentice.
Bluepaw glanced at her mentor before nodding "okay." she meowed before she trotted down the hollow and towards the center of the hollow. She was quick to pick out which of the apprentices were from Clan. There were three from EarthClan, two from MarshClan, one from TimberClan and four from WolfClan. That wasn't unusual WolfClan tended to bring a larger patrol than necessary to the gatherings. Supposedly it was to show off, or that's what Stormpaw had said. Speaking of Stormpaw, he was sitting just off to the side of the little group of apprentices. His gaze landed on her, and when their eyes met, Bluepaw was quick to narrow her eyes and look away. She wanted to make it clear that she was still angry with him.
"Hello," one of the apprentice toms from WolfClan meowed to her.
"Hi," Bluepaw greeted.
He was a brown spotted tom. He was a little taller than she made her believe that he was also a moon or two older.
"I'm Patchpaw," he introduced, "of WolfClan, and that is my brother Eaglepaw."
Bluepaw's gaze travelled over to the toms brother. This tom was a lot bigger than her. He was also solid black. She remembered this tom as the one that got the better of her in the battle against Big Pointed Stones. Apparently, he recognized her too, for his gaze was rather unpleasant and unwelcoming.
Bluepaw smiled a polite, formal greeting to the tom. "I'm Bluepaw." she was distracted as one of the EarthClan apprentices began to speak to the single TimberClan and the MarshClan ones loudly.
"I caught the fattest, juiciest rabbit yesterday," the boastful apprentice meowed. His chest puffed out proudly "it fed three of our queens."
"Sure it did," said the EarthClan she-apprentice that accompanied him.
"Okay, well, it fed two and three kits," the tom apprentice meowed, "so it counts as three."
The she-apprentice glanced towards Bluepaw "geeze, you stink. You must be from WaveClan. I can recognize your stench from the far side of the clearing."
Bluepaw twitched her ear at the somewhat offensive comment.
"Don't mind Fogpaw," the tom apprentice meowed. "WaveClan, right?"
Bluepaw nodded.
"Can't you tell, Nightpaw?" Fogpaw asked, "her fur is almost as greasy as a fish."
"And yours is as dusty as moles," Bluepaw retorted in a good-natured tease.
The other apprentices laughed.
Bluepaw smiled at the other apprentices. "EarthClan, right?"
"Yep," Nightpaw meowed with a heavy proud sigh, "the best Clan in the forest."
"I will have to kindly disagree," said one of the she-apprentices from MarshClan "all you have is rabbits to eat. I'm surprised you're not wasting away in the moonlight. I could never imagine living underground."
"Because eating frogs and lizards is much better," Eaglepaw meowed to the other apprentice.
"Much," the MarshClan she-apprentice meowed.
"I thought we were teasing the fishbrain," the TimberClan apprentice meowed.
Fogpaw nodded "fishbreath is more accurate. It's causing my head to throb."
Bluepaw sat down, twitching her tail; Fogpaw and Bluepaw's gazes collided.
"So, are you guys littermates?" asked Bluepaw, looking at the nicer Nightpaw.
Nightpaw nodded "unfortunately."
"Everyone shush," Patchpaw meowed suddenly "the gathering is starting."
Jaystar of TimberClan yowled for the gathered group's attention. Bluepaw's gaze drifted upwards towards the gray she-cat.
"TimberClan has had a peaceful moon," the leader began "we had a new litter of kits early in the moon, and they are healthy and strong. We did not have any new apprentices this moon, but we do have two new warriors, Hazelwing and Maplefrost. The birds and forest prey are still running plentiful in our territory."
Bluepaw was distracted by Nightpaw telling the gathered apprentices a story of how he had been taken around to all the tunnels in the territory and shown each one. He then boasted about how he had the entire network of tunnels memorized.
"Aren't you scared one of them will collapse?" the TimberClan apprentice asked, "that would be a terrible way to go."
"They have collapsed before," Nightpaw meowed "in fact, the one nearest here did just before the half-moon. Part of our job is to know when a tunnel is getting too weak to use. There are always a few tunnels off-limits to ensure no one gets stuck in a cave."
"Still," Bluepaw meowed. She felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought of being in one of EarthClan's tunnels during a cave-in.
"It's the same as WaveClan; if they had a rockslide, their entire Clan would be stuck in the mountains," Patchpaw meowed.
Bluepaw glanced at Patchpaw with a shrug. "I have never heard of that happening. I think Wavestar picked a good spot all those years ago. I'm sure StarClan advised him where would be the best spot."
Patchpaw shrugged.
By the time Bluepaw looked up, she had missed both WaveClan's and EarthClan's report, and Turtlestar was just finishing his report. This included thanks to WaveClan for allowing them to use their supply of juniper until they could find a new patch; apparently, the marshes had flooded, which killed theirs.
Bluepaw turned to look up at Froststar. She was not happy. It probably had lots to do with WaveClan's recent victory over the rocks.
"WolfClan is thriving," Froststar meowed "we have three new warriors. Ravenstorm, Sandbreeze and Flamepelt." she meowed.
Bluepaw recognized two of the warriors, the black and ginger toms. Both had been in the battle patrol. The three warriors were beaming. The she-cat had her head raised high as her leader shared the news of their warriorship.
"With the gaining of more warriors and apprentices," Froststar meowed, "and the prospect of more, as our nursery is full with healthy kits. WolfClan is ready for any and all attacks. Which means we are ready to go on the offensive."
Bluepaw couldn't help but think that this message was meant for one Clan, her own.
"What good is an increase in warriors going to do?" Snaketooth from her own Clan meowed.
Snaketooth had always been a bit harsh, but Bluepaw never thought he would speak out on the matter at a gathering.
"When they are just as soft and cowardly as the rest of you," Snaketooth meowed.
The newly made WolfClan warrior, Sandbreeze, whipped around to face the rival cat's sharp comments.
"We are far from soft," Sandbreeze hissed. "WolfClan warriors will bravely fight any and all WaveClan warriors that try to steal any more of our territory. If you are so brave and we are so cowardly, I challenge you to try."
Many of the WolfClan cats snarled in agreement. Many seemed glad that their newest warrior was so willing to snap back at the WaveClan warrior.
The two toms, Ravenstorm and Flamepelt, stood watching the two arguing cats. Bluepaw wasn't sure if they were making sure neither broke out in a skirmish right at this moment, or if they were waiting to attack Snaketooth for themselves. It seemed to be, from Bluepaw's perspective, one of each.
"I don't understand why your Clans fight over those rocks. It's like your warriors are nothing but overgrown kits," Nightpaw meowed.
"We need those rocks," Bluepaw meowed "they are plentiful with prey, especially the river beside it."
"We do too," meowed Eaglepaw with a harsher tone "didn't you hear Froststar? We have a nursery filled with growing kits. We need somewhere to catch prey."
"And the rest of the forest isn't good enough?" Bluepaw meowed, her gaze holding Eaglepaw's.
Eaglepaw narrowed his eyes. "WaveClan is nothing but a bunch of fish breaths. WolfClan has owned those rocks since the rule of Wolfstar."
"Our ancestors fought for those rocks. We will not stop anytime soon," Bluepaw meowed, her tone growing harsher.
"The river runs behind the rocks," Eaglepaw hissed. "StarClan meant for WolfClan to own them."
"Maybe our borders are meant to be on the far side of the river and the far side of the rocks. What does WolfClan need with a river anyways? You don't care for fish," Bluepaw meowed, her voice hardly more than a snarl.
"We won that battle far and square," Eaglepaw growled, "not that we should have had to fight it."
Bluepaw glared at Eaglepaw.
"Maybe we need a rematch," Eaglepaw growled, "if your friend hadn't come to help you, I would have sent you back to camp with a lot more damage than I had."
Bluepaw growled, her claws sliding out and digging into the grass "sure. I've learnt a couple new moves. I'm sure one or two of them will send you limping back to camp with your tail between your legs."
Eaglepaw growled. Bluepaw hadn't realized that the two had moved closer to each other. But now that they were no more than a few pawsteps apart, Bluepaw felt a little less confident. Eaglepaw was much bigger than she was. Her head barely cleared his shoulder. She would have thought he was a new warrior if he didn't still have 'paw' at the end of his name. His muscles were tight and ready for a fight. He had been an apprentice for more moons than she had. He was starting to get the well-built body of a full-grown warrior. Not to mention his training was further along than hers was.
But Bluepaw didn't want to seem cowardly towards him or the other apprentices. Bluepaw was a second away from slashing her claws down Eaglepaw's chest when a tail slid between them.
"Eaglepaw," it was Stormpaw, "forgetting the truce, are we?"
Eaglepaw's gaze fluttered to Stormpaw.
"Let's all settle down," Stormpaw meowed, his voice laced with a warning growl. "Bluepaw and I are going to go find our mentors. Eaglepaw, I'll see you on border patrol."
Eaglepaw growled, "not so fast." he turned his gaze on Bluepaw. "I would hope for your sake you aren't part of that battle patrol. StarClan, help me. I will send you to the elder's den before you even get your warrior name."
Bluepaw twitched her ears, using her willpower to not let them lay flat from fear.
Stormpaw growled sharply beside her "Eaglepaw if you ever lay a claw on Bluepaw...I will…"
Bluepaw noticed that he had the same menacing look before he clawed up Birchpaw. She figured now would be a good time to go find Leafwing.
"Stormpaw," she meowed, nudging his shoulder, "let's go."
Stormpaw, with a reluctant growl, followed her away from the group of apprentices.
"Don't worry about Eaglepaw," Stormpaw meowed "he is more bark than bite, and besides, most of these apprentices are terrified of me."
Bluepaw noticed that he sounded almost happy about "is that a good thing in your mind?"
"It is," Stormpaw meowed "these will be the cats we fight in battle. If they are a little more scared of me, that can only be a good thing."
Bluepaw looked up at him shaking her head.
"Look, I wanted to say sorry for how I acted towards Birchpaw. I know you like him," Stormpaw meowed.
"You made him…." Bluepaw began, but Stormpaw cut her off.
"I know," Stormpaw meowed. "I know what I did. I just wanted to say sorry."
"It's not me you have to say sorry to," Bluepaw meowed.
Stormpaw scoffed, "sorry, but I am not saying sorry to him."
Bluepaw shook her head slowly. "I don't like you fighting with him. I am friends with both of you, and your guy's grudges against each other makes that a little difficult."
Stormpaw looked down into her eyes and sighed softly. "I'll do my best to stop. But you know that I don't always start it."
"I know," Bluepaw meowed, "and I constantly request the same from Birchpaw. Maybe you will listen better than he does."
Stormpaw smiled softly "will that make you happy?"
"Yes, it will," Bluepaw meowed. "I get that you don't like each other. I will never ask you guys to go hunting with me at the same time."
"That's probably best," meowed Stormpaw.
"Bluepaw, Stormpaw," Coldwing's voice interrupted them, "we are leaving."
"Come on," Stormpaw meowed.
As they walked back through the territory towards camp, Bluepaw's pelt brushed against Stormpaw's. Bluepaw wasn't sure if she heard a soft purr from the tom, but she was almost positive he had given a small warm smile at the touch.
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