"Time for the Gathering! Wake up, idiots! WAKE UP!"
Graystripe jumped, heart pounding. He looked to see Swiftclaw, the idiot! standing outside the apprentice's den, peeking inside. He'd only been resting after being on patrols before the Gathering.
There was a gap in the warriors den where he, Dustpelt, Darkstripe and Runningwind slept, so they had taken to sleeping in the apprentice's den to avoid the cold even if it was very hot during the daytime.
Fernpaw and Ashpaw, newly apprenticed, were across from the warriors, looking spooked too. Cricketpaw just barrelled past into the clearing excitedly.
Runningwind continued to sleep.
Graystripe rolled his eyes as he followed his brother and friend out of the den with Fernpaw and Ashpaw on their tails while Swiftclaw continued yowling at Runningwind to get up.
He spotted his mother outside of the nursery. She was due any day now. He purred as she waved her tail at him and he waved back. Darkstripe ignored them both.
Spottedleaf, Swiftclaw and Runningwind were the last to join the patrol and Thistlestar gave Swiftclaw a look before he led them out into the forest.
"The hell was going on in there?" Mousefur asked, dropping back to walk beside Graystripe. "I heard Swiftclaw screaming from across the camp."
"He was just waking your brother up." Graystripe rolled his eyes in an amused manner and Mousefur snickered as well. It was good to joke again after so long of feeling bad.
Runningwind had been quiet after the battle because he had accidently killed Jackdaw's Cry. The tom had been weak from starving and Runningwind had been too rough. I didn't want to hurt them… he looked at Thistlestar. He was scared of his calmness for the past moons. He hadn't mentioned SkyClan once and Graystripe wondered if he was starting to feel bad.
As if…
Mossflower was walking a little in front of them, but Graystripe noticed her looking back at Mousefur from time-to-time. Graystripe wanted to point it out, but he knew Mousefur wasn't interested in any kind of relationship so he kept quiet.
Graystripe looked around to see who else was with them. It seemed everyone but Bluefur, Stonefur, Mistyfoot, Whitestorm, Longtail and Brackenfur were there from the warriors. The elders, Poppydawn and Dappletail were with them as well.
The old red she-cat was staring at Thistlestar with a glazed expression and he wondered if she was sad at what her son had become, but when he looked closer he realized her eyes weren't focused. He felt worried for her. She never seemed to be in the real world nowadays and she was only getting worse.
The three apprentices scrambled after Swiftclaw and Brightpelt, who had finally earned her full name a few moons after the battle.
Graystripe watched Swiftclaw tell Brightpelt some overexaggerated story about catching a squirrel, puffing up his chest, showing off to the she-cat.
Graystripe and Mousefur exchanged a look and the dusky brown she-cat gagged. They both snickered again. Dustpelt in front of them just shook his head, smiling.
For the rest of the trek, Graystripe felt light-hearted. For once it was like he was part of the real ThunderClan again when he'd been an apprentice and Thistlestar had been less…antagonistic.
I just hope it stays this way…
Dappled Pelt looked around the clearing as she waited for the Gathering to start. She sat by the other medicine cats. Runningnose was sniffling more than usual.
She couldn't see Shattered Ice anywhere so she padded over to the deputies. Tigerclaw wasn't with them yet. She noticed WindClan having arrived and were sitting around her clanmates. She frowned.
Does WindClan think we can't take care of ourselves?
They had witnessed the horrors of the battle when Thunder had brought them back, but they were acting like they needed a guard.
Lightning Tail and Cloud Tail waltzed over to Pebble Heart, who sat by her. Cloud Spots had stayed behind.
"Hey." Lightning Tail nodded at them. Gray Wing smiled at the young tom.
"Look at them!" Cloud Tail suddenly growled. "How dare they act happy?" Dappled Pelt followed his gaze to the ThunderClan cats, who were talking and laughing with some RiverClan and ShadowClan cats.
The deputies and medicine cats, minus Deadfoot and Barkface, eyed the apprentice curiously.
"I hope they all get struck by lightning!" Lightning Tail growled.
Spottedleaf gasped and Dappled Pelt meowed loudly, "sorry about them! They're just not themselves!" She caught Yellowfang's gaze from where she was conversing with Sorrelshine and Pigeonflight.
The she-cat stormed over and dragged her apprentice away. They all watched in silence before Dappled Pelt glanced at Cloud Tail, who had gone quiet, blue eyes sad.
She sighed before looking at Leopardfur. "How's Shattered Ice?"
"He's doing okay," Leopardfur murmured. "He's quieter than usual and some of our clanmates are…worried. He wouldn't say what happened."
The spotted deputy looked at the tortoiseshell medicine cat as if hoping she'd spill, but Dappled Pelt just nodded quickly and backed away only to bump into Runningnose, who stared at Pebble Heart.
The apprentice stared back with just as much interest and calmness. What the…?
"You…you were in my dream…" the gray-and-white medicine cat rasped.
"So you saw me."
Dappled Pelt exchanged a blank look with Mudfur, who was the nearest and they both shrugged.
"Hey Gray–" Cinderfur began, padding over from his clanmates to greet the SkyClan deputy. He broke off and let out a very loud sneeze that had half the crowd jumping.
The ShadowClan deputy stumbled away.
"Is he okay?" Gray Wing asked.
"Does he look okay?" Leopardfur scoffed. "Idiot. Why are ShadowClan at the Gathering? They all look sick."
"Yes, please scooch away from us, Runningnose," Tigerclaw growled, finally appearing. "We don't want your sickness!"
The ShadowClan medicine cat looked at the powerful deputy and scurried after Cinderfur, who had left back to the ShadowClan crowd.
When the Gathering started Dappled Pelt looked up at the leaders. All the other leaders were separated from Nightstar and she frowned when he started hacking. Thistlestar sneered at Nightstar in disgust.
After the uneventful Gathering ended the cats mingled to talk. Except ShadowClan.
To be honest, Thunder had hardly paid the Gathering any attention, which must mean peace for once.
He eyed Lightning Tail, who stuck by Yellowfang's side, glaring harshly at two speckled ThunderClan apprentices, who seemed bewildered.
Probably new apprentices. Thunder sighed. He would need to knock some sense into Lightning Tail. The only cat that deserved the glaring was Thistlestar.
Cloud Tail to his surprise was talking with a ginger-and-white she-cat he recognized as Brightpaw. She must have her warrior name by now.
Swiftclaw stood by the two, staring the fluffy apprentice down, who ignored him.
Fire Heart and Jagged Peak suddenly padded up to him along with Holly, who looked around in awe. This was her first Gathering.
"C'mon, we're getting ready to leave," the ginger tom meowed.
Thunder followed at the rear of the patrol with Acorn Fur beside him. He didn't notice Lightning Tail wasn't with them.
Graystripe watched the SkyClan cats leaving earlier than usual and WindClan were glaring…at them?
What's that about? He froze. Do they know about the unjust battle? But no one knew what happened at Four Trees. Especially since it was a truce place.
Graystripe blinked when he saw a flash if black and for a moment he thought of Jackdaw's Cry.
What's Lightning Tail still doing here? His Clan already left!
The black apprentice was exchanging some last words with Gorsepaw of WindClan.
When the young black tom turned away he bumped into Darkstripe. Graystripe tensed as his brother glared down at the SkyClan tom. "Watch it, freak!" He snapped.
Graystripe was about to step forward, but Lightning Tail just shrugged and turned away. Gorsepaw was backing away, wide-eyed.
"What? Gonna go crying home to mommy and daddy?"
Lightning Tail froze and Graystripe gasped. He hadn't seen who had killed Hawk Swoop. Had it been Darkstripe? Was that what he was implying or was he simply bullying the apprentice?
Ryestalk moved forward and glared at Darkstripe. "Leave him alone, murderer!" The gray tabby she-cat spat.
They know!
More WindClan cats edged nearer, growling. Why couldn't his brother have just kept his mouth shut? Everything was going so well!
Suddenly, Lightning Tail whipped around with his namesake speed and shoved Darkstripe with a headbutt. The dark tabby bumped into Dustpelt, who leaped out of the way.
Some of the ShadowClan cats 'oohed' while the RiverClan cats had paused their walking, having been about to leave the hollow.
Lightning Tail glared at Darkstripe with defiance and it reminded Graystripe so much of Hawk Swoop from the times they'd talked.
Darkstripe scrambled to his paws and swung a paw out, claws unsheathed and slashed them across Lightning Tail's muzzle. The young tom twisted over himself and hit the ground. He pawed at the scratch and Graystripe could see blood on his pad.
"Darkstripe, stop it!" He darted forward. The dark tabby shrugged him off and while he had been distracted, Lightning Tail whipped around and tackled him.
Everyone moved away as the two toms rolled around, clawing at each other's pelts. "Beat him up!" Someone yowled and Graystripe turned to see Deerfoot, who had yowled, being cuffed by Rowanberry.
Darkstripe grabbed the apprentice and slammed him to the ground, but Lightning Tail used his long legs to kick him off and Darkstripe slammed into some RiverClan cats, who scrambled out of the way.
"C'mon, Lightning Tail!" Gorsepaw yowled. Morningflower glared sternly at her son, who grinned back innocently.
Graystripe tried to get through again, but Blackclaw and Voleclaw were in his way, the former laughing while the latter gaped at the scene.
"This is not good," Brackenfur muttered next to his former mentor's side.
Darkstripe rolled halfway, dislodging Lightning Tail and once again he picked the apprentice up and slammed him against the ground. He gripped his shoulders with thorn-sharp claws and continually slammed his head against the ground until Lightning Tail started looking dazed.
"Stop!" Deadfoot yowled trying to get through, but the ShadowClan and RiverClan cats, who made no move to stop it, were in the way.
Graystripe looked around frantically. Where were the leaders?
Darkstripe was scoring his claws across Lightning Tail's face repeatedly now until the apprentice was choking on blood. While Darkstripe was a horrible fighter and Lightning Tail had done good putting up with him, he was still bigger and had won in the end.
He looked around again nervously and met Tigerclaw's gaze. The deputy stared at him sharply and he quickly looked away.
Finally Tallstar appeared and pushed through the crowd. He grabbed Darkstripe and ripped him off of Lightning Tail.
"What the hell are you doing?" He snarled at the ThunderClan warrior.
"He started it!"
"No he didn't!" Gorsepaw yelled, but was hushed.
"Then what're you doing?" Tallstar snapped.
Darkstripe hesitated before saying slowly, "showing him who's boss?" Some cats snickered, minus WindClan.
"Okay, enough!" Nightstar yowled and broke off to cough. "This is a truce meeting, no fighting!" He led his Clan away.
Tallstar glared at Thistlestar. "You need to teach your warriors not to beat up apprentices!"
Crookedstar frowned, but nodded in agreement.
Thistlestar glared at him but nodded stiffly and Graystripe swore he saw a sliver of fear in his leader's amber eyes.
"He's almost a warrior anyway, he can defend himself!" Swiftclaw scoffed.
Tallstar glared at the younger black-and-white tom. "I wasn't asking you!" He ignored the warrior's offended look and gazed back at Thistlestar.
"I'll…talk to him," Thistlestar hissed through gritted teeth, sending Darkstripe a dirty glare. "He's sorry! Right?"
"Nope." Darkstripe glared back defiantly. When Thistlestar continued to glare at him, the dark tabby gave in and nodded stiffly.
Barkface was helping Lightning Tail and situating the unconscious tom onto Stagleap and Doespring's back.
"ThunderClan!" Graystripe heard his leader hiss and the gray tom scurried after his clanmates.
He looked back to see RiverClan and WindClan staring after them darkly. None of them had ever known they killed some of their own clanmates. Or trained their young brutally. They only believed they were a bit rough and that was that.
But now they'd probably figured it out and it made him sick. He wasn't a murderer! He'd never delivered the killing blow to any cat!
Spottedleaf was walking beside him, eyes still wide with horror and the apprentices were crowded around an equally horrified Frostfur.
"Are…all Gatherings like that?" Fernpaw finally whispered to her aunt.
"No!" She immediately snapped. "We do not fight at Gatherings!"
"And yet we fought at the Gatheringplace!" Graystripe snapped at them. Ignoring their shocked looks he sped ahead until he was in between Mousefur, Runningwind and Dustpelt again.
Oh StarClan! Why did you let it get this bad? Why had they given Thistlestar nine lives? He never understood how they would just do that.
And if we do something bad then we're in the wrong, he thought bitterly.
"Um, where's Lightning Tail?" Acorn Fur asked aloud as the patrol was just about to enter camp.
Skystar whirled around. "How come you haven't said anything until now?" The leader snapped.
Yellowfang was blinking in shock as if she hadn't noticed her apprentice wasn't by her side.
"I-I didn't notice until now…"
"Curse the Stars!" The pale gray tom growled and sped off back to Four Trees.
"He's just worried because of…y'know," Thunder said, brushing his tail against her side.
"I just hope he's okay," Acorn Fur meowed worriedly. "He's been reckless ever since."
Thunder looked up at the stars. They shined coldly down on them as if mocking them. Oh, he got it alright.
He narrowed his eyes and followed his Clan into camp.
StarClan are mocking us!