Chapter 6: The Gathering, The Dream Pt.2

"Shadowpaw! We're going to be late for training!" Leopardpaw prodded the other she-wolf in the side, trying to wake her. She was not having any luck. "Go away…" Shadowpaw mumbled. Spottedpaw ran and jumped on her, causing the apprentice's eyes to snap open.

"All right! I'm getting up!" Shadowpaw growled, jumping to her paws. She yawned, shook herself, and followed the other two out of the den. "Shadowpaw," called Mooncoat. He was back from WindClan, and had Rogueear at his side.

"Mooncoat! How did the WindClan patrol go?" She asked while trotting over to greet them. Mooncoat nuzzled her and she returned it. He seemed happier now, his tail swishing and his ears pricked forward, alert to anything.

"Good. We did see a few Twolegs near there, but they weren't close enough," he said proudly. She smiled at him, and looked at Rogueear. He seemed so sad. Then she heard him say that Suntail wanted her to go hunt from there to ShadowClan.

"Why does she want me to go there?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "I do not know, Shadowpaw," he growled. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut short when Suntail called her name. "Come on, Shadowpaw!"

"Coming!" Shadowpaw barked, turning away from the warriors. She raced over to her, told Suntail she was going to hunt where she had said, and leapt away.

The apprentice caught seven mice, and a young baby deer. She buried them by the large oak that other wolves from her Clan had marked, making small claw marks to show it was hers. She wandered into ShadowClan territory, never once looking at her surroundings.

"Shadowpaw?" A soft, growling voice asked from a bush. "Rainpaw!" She answered. Instead of Rainpaw jumping out into the small clearing, it was Bramblespot. "What are you doing here?" He demanded. The apprentice panicked. "I-I was h-hunting for m-m-my Clan," she stuttered.

"Right," Bramblespot growled, raising one massive paw above her head. The next thing she saw was black.

THE NEXT SEGMENT IS BASED ON THE SONG "ONE OF US" FROM LION KING 2.

The apprentice woke to wolves staring down at her. "Why are you back here?" Tornstar shouted from High Rock. Shadowpaw gasped. "Father, I was hunting for my Clan. We need food!" She lied. They had enough food to last for moons.

"No! Your so-called loyal Clan is helping WindClan! You're just getting extra food for them!" Bramblespot shouted. "You caused deception in the Clan, Shadowpaw!" Shocktail growled. "Yeah!" Sneered Wildpaw from his side. "You are a disgrace!" Ice-eyes howled.

"No! I did not mean to cause deception. I'm not a disgrace," Shadowpaw began.

"Liar!"

"I didn't ask for trouble. There is no evil on my face."

"An outrage!"

"I didn't notice I was in ShadowClan!"

"Traitor! Go back where you came from!"

They attacked her, clawing and scratching at her. But there was no Rainpaw. Her ears flat on her head, she fought back.

SONG TIME!

Deception

Disgrace

Evil as plain as the scar on her face

Deception (An outrage!)

Disgrace (For shame!)

She asked for trouble the moment she came.

Deception (An outrage!)

Disgrace (She can't change her stripes.)

(For shame!)

(Traitor, go back with your own!)

She asked for trouble the moment she came.

(See you later, agitator!)

Born in grief

Raised in hate

Helpless to defy her fate

Let her run

Let her live

But do not forget what we cannot forgive

And she is not one of us

She has never been one of us

She is not part of us

Not our kind

Someone once lied to us

Now we're not so blind

For we knew she would do what she's done

And we know that she'll never be one of us

She is not one of us

Deception

Disgrace

Deception

Disgrace

Deception

END OF SONG

She ran with scratches on her body, blood spattering the trees and rocks around her. She did not bother getting the prey she caught. She burst into the camp, blood pouring from her neck and legs, a V-shaped wound on her ear.

"Shadowpaw!" "What happened?" "Who did this to you?" There were howls of surprise as other wolves came out of their dens at the sound of yelling. Lightningstar pushed past the gasping wolves. "Shadowpaw, what happened?" She whined.

"Hunting…Bramblespot saw me…brought to their camp…attacked…ran…" She fell down, a pool of blood had already formed, and when she fell, she was covered with it. Lightningstar took a deep breath. "Dewleaf!" She called. The medicine wolf rushed into the clearing. When she saw Shadowpaw's limp body, she grabbed her scruff and dragged her to her den.

Lightningstar raced after her, but was stopped by Dewleaf when she tried to get into the den. "No. She will be all right, Lightningstar. I will not allow her to die," she promised. The leader nodded, fear showing brightly in her eyes.

"Okay," she murmured. "Okay." She walked very slowly to her den, pausing to look at the wolves cleaning Shadowpaw's blood. She heard their worried voices as they soaked it up with moss. "I hope she is okay," Mooncoat said. "Yeah," Suntail agreed. Rogueear was silent as she entered her den.

The soft rustling of leaves woke her. She sniffed the air, ears swiveling. "Shadowpaw. Shadowpaw," whispered a ghostly voice. She looked around, pausing again to sniff the air. "Where are you?" She whispered back.

"To the North, Shadowpaw." She looked up. Suddenly, she was showered with pain. She howled for help, but no one came. She saw Smallpaw standing a few feet away from her, at least, she thought it was him. "Smallpaw, help," she whimpered. He shook his head. "My name is Dustpelt. I have come with a warning."

She gasped in pain and fright. It was a cat! "Just help me!" She wailed. "No." The tom shook his head again. "You and your Clan are in danger. Someone will join you very soon. But his friend will betray all. Save them." He faded away.

The apprentice yelped and howled in her sleep, making Dewleaf shake her awake. "Shadowpaw, wake up!" She commanded. She gasped in pain. "It hurts!" She wailed. "Bluestar! Dustpelt! Smallpaw! Someone!" Dewleaf gasped also.

"Shadowpaw, calm down. Everything is fine," she soothed. Shadowpaw sighed deeply, her paws stopped twitching. The wound on her ear had turned red since Dewleaf had put red-powder (a mixture of lily-of the-valley pollen and nightshade) on it.

She walked off and settled in her mossy bed. "StarClan, help her," she sighed. "Help her."

Dewleaf saw warriors past standing at Fourtrees. She entered the Gathering, looking around cautiously. Smallpaw was sitting alone, on a rock. She smiled. "Smallpaw!" She called. He looked up, eyes cloudy with sadness.

"Dewleaf?" He asked softly. Dewleaf nodded. He ran toward her, his paws never making a sound. "What are you doing here? Are you dead?" He whispered. "No, Smallpaw. I came for answers." Just then, they heard a cat and wolf howl from Great Rock.

"We have gathered to talk about Shadowpaw. Her Clan must be decided," Brokenstar, one of the most traitorous leaders, boomed. "She is divided between two Clans, ShadowClan and ThunderClan. But after today's events, her Clan will have to be decided quickly before a war between the Clans breaks out again," Bluestar, a ThunderClan leader, meowed.

"Bluestar!" Dewleaf barked. "Shadowpaw is being cared for by me. Her father is angry with her and will not let her return to the Clan. She will now be staying with ThunderClan and will fight for them. She will follow the warrior code and in the next Gathering," she paused, "she will present her statement."

The warriors gasped. Presenting a statement was for half-Clan wolves or cats only. No one knew that she was half-Clan. They thought that ShadowClan and ThunderClan just wanted her to be their warrior. "She spoke of warriors past when I last put medicine on her, also," Dewleaf continued.

"That means she is the chosen one." The warriors nodded. "She has been warned about events to come by my word," Aniyou, the greatest wolf Clan leader (also known as the wolf god in our world), said. "I chose her out of many wolves. I chose her because she is going to be a hero for every Clan."

Firestar spoke up, "I was a hero to every Clan once. After that I became a leader. I will be her guide from now on." The other warriors agreed. "Then it is settled," Bluestar yowled. "She will be a ThunderClan wolf and will present her statement at the next Gathering."

Shadowpaw woke to the sound of rustling leaves. "Dewleaf?" She groaned. "Is that you?" Dewleaf turned to her, her own ears drooping from tiredness. "Yes, it's me," she mumbled through the leaves in her mouth. "Are you all right?"

"I think so. I woke up last night and you were gone." Dewleaf shuffled her paws uncomfortably. "I went to see someone, Shadowpaw," she said, raising her eyes. "Actually, a lot of them." Shadowpaw tilted her head. "Who?" She asked. Dewleaf shook her head.

"You don't know them. You probably never will until…" her voice trailed away. Shadowpaw staggered to her feet. "Until what?" Her voice was perky again, and it got to Dewleaf. "You're a full Clan member now. I spoke with warriors past about it. Your are to present your statement at the next Gathering."

"What? I'm a full member now?" She said excitedly. She gasped and coughed. Dewleaf sighed. "Do you know what presenting a statement means?" She asked. Shadowpaw shook her head. "What?" Dewleaf sighed again. "It means you have to state everything that I tell you. Can you do that?" Shadowpaw nodded.

"Good. Come with me."

They practiced for what seemed like forever to Shadowpaw. They practiced what she would say at the Gathering since it was that night. "Dewleaf, I'm tired," Shadowpaw moaned, pretending to faint. "The Gathering is tonight, Shadowpaw. You need to know everything," Dewleaf sighed.

They heard Lightningstar call from High Rock. "The wolves who will accompany me to the Gathering are Dewleaf, Suntail, Snowstorm, Mooncoat, Rogueear, Silverrock, Leopardpaw, and Shadowpaw." With that said, she jumped down and led the wolves out of the camp.

Lightningstar fell back beside Shadowpaw and Dewleaf, letting Snowstorm lead them to Fourtrees. "Dewleaf, Shadowpaw, did you prepare for this?" She asked. Shadowpaw nodded slowly, eyes wide. She was scared.

"It's all right. Everything will be fine. You can do it," Dewleaf encouraged. "I'll be by your side." She smiled at the apprentice. Before they knew it, they were there. Lightningstar headed for Great Rock, Dewleaf and Shadowpaw stood behind the other wolves until Dewleaf had to leave her.

"Dewleaf please stay," Shadowpaw whimpered. "I'm scared." Dewleaf shook her head. "You'll do fine. I promise." Lightningstar howled for the wolves. "Tonight, a young apprentice will present her statement," she said. "Shadowpaw, go ahead."

Shadowpaw walked forward. She felt cold stares and burning eyes on her and only her. She stopped below Great Rock. She looked up.

"I, Shadowpaw, choose ThunderClan as my full Clan. I will obey the warrior code and fight for them, even if fate tempts me. My roots do not matter to them, nor to me. No matter what I go through, they will always be with me and I will always be with them. After yesterday's events, I know never to go into other Clan territory without a patrol with me. My guide has chosen me, and he is Firestar. I will follow everything he or my Clan tells me, even if they tell me to leave."

The warriors and apprentices around her snorted and agreed. She heard Tornstar say something, but Swiftstar silenced him just as fast. "Very good, Shadowpaw," Dewleaf murmured. "Come over here." Shadowpaw walked toward her, her paws shaking.

"This Gathering is over. You may return to your Clans." Shadowpaw walked with Dewleaf, matching her step-for-step. "You did well, apprentice," she said. "Thank you, Dewleaf. You helped me," Shadowpaw replied. "In many ways."