Sunlit Snowdrift

Summary: Dreampaw, the stubborn and vivacious daughter of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, who's just a bit spoiled. Windpaw, the Shadowclan tom who's driven, and, like Dreampaw, has and attitude. What will happen when these two collide?

Disclaimer: Nada, you know the drill... But Dreampaw and Windpaw are based off my kitty, Cleopatra, and my friend's kitty, Snowflake. DreampawCleo. SnowflakeWindpaw.

A/N: Hey. Wanted y'all to know that Applebird is Applekit and Birchpelt is Birchkit...

Chapter Two: Gathering

Windpaw stretched slowly, unsheathing his claws. Though he was only eight moons old, he was muscular for his age, and the largest of the apprentices.

"Um, hi?" A young voice squeaked. Turning, Windpaw found the two newest apprentices, Applebird's kits, Marshpaw and Silkpaw. The two young cats looked a bit afraid of him, and with good reason, he realized. Blackstar didn't have the best past. Marshpaw, the tom, was ginger with white paws, and Silkpaw, the she-cat, was a gray tabby with a white tipped tail.

"Hi," Windpaw answered, "Are you having any trouble with something?"

"Well, sort of," Silkpaw admitted, "We were wondering, what's the Gathering like?"

"Oh, lot's of fun," Windpaw said, enthusiasm in his voice, something that wasn't common with him at all.
"Speaking of the Gathering," Came a smooth voice behind him, "Windpaw, I want you to go with us."

Windpaw dipped his head in thanks. "I'm honored, Blackstar."

Carefully, he watched his father walk away, and felt himself sinking his claws into the ground, practically tearing at it. Something was off with Blackstar. That much was obvious.

000

Dreampaw couldn't help keeping her head up in pride as she padded through the forest. It would be her first Gathering. She was, in fact, a bit young to go to one, because usually, apprentices were seven moons or older when they went to the first one.

"Are you excited?" Leafpool's kind voice came through to her.

"Yes, very," She meowed.

Leafpool studied her niece. Dreampaw looked so much like Sandstorm. The apprentice almost seemed to be dancing around in her excitement. Surely she wasn't Sun...

Dreampaw actually shut up when she saw how many cats were flooding into the clearing. It was amazing! Shadowclan, Windclan, Riverclan... all of them. She was so distracted, in fact, that she ran right into another cat!

"Mousebrain!" A snowy white apprentice hissed at Dreampaw, pale green eyes glaring at her.

"Don't talk to me like that you stupid furball!" She spat, flicking him with her tail. Then again, she wasn't in a position to say that, for this cat was around two moons older than her, anyway.

Not like she cared...

"Oh really?" The tom asked sarcastically, "Then what else am I supposed to say to a cat who lumbers around like a wounded badger!"

She bared her teeth at him. "You want to fight? 'Cause it's fine with me!"

"Dreampaw!"

Brambleclaw got between them, sending an angry glance at his daughter.

"Please," He meowed, "Don't embarrass your clans by breaking the tradition of the Gathering!"

"It doesn't matter with him, anyway!" Dreampaw protested, "He's a Shadowclan cat!"

"So what if I am?" The white cat growled.

"Please, Windpaw," Blackstar suddenly appeared, shouldering his way through the crowd. "Don't start a fight with a little Thunderclan she-cat. Wouldn't want such a pretty little thing getting hurt, would we?"

Just as Brambleclaw himself looked like he was going to lunge at Blackstar, a familar voice jutted in.

"Blackstar, we would prefer that you don't stoop so low as to threaten apprentices."

Firestar stood nearby, glaring at Blackstar, fur bristling on his shoulders. With a huff, Blackstar turned and left, 'Windpaw' trailing after him.

"I do not want you near that leader," Firestar hissed to his granddaughter, "Or that apprentice."

As he walked off, Dreampaw turned to her father. Brambleclaw looked uncomfortable, and was kneading the ground with his paws.

"Why doesn't Firestar want me near them?"

"Follow me," Brambleclaw sighed, leading her to a secluded area. "Blackstar is the leader of Shadowclan. He used to be a follower of Brokenstar and Tigerstar, two of the worst cats in the forest. On the day you were born, there was a battle with Shadowclan, and Graystripe, who was deputy before me, was murdered by Blackstar. To answer the thing about the apprentice, that's Windpaw, Blackstar's son."

Dreampaw was silent, reeling from this information.

"On the... on the day I was born?"

Brambleclaw looked down at his paws. He wished that Squirrelflight had come to this Gathering... then it would be a lot easier... he just wasn't good with she-cats at all.

"I... I guess I need to be alone for a minute," Dreampaw sighed, and her confused father gladly ran off.

000

Leafpool couldn't help noticing that Dreampaw wasn't acting like herself at all as she crouched down, staring up blankly at the leaders. What was wrong?

In the area where the Shadowclan apprentices usually sat, one cat among dark ones stood out like a splah of light. His blinding white pelt almost seemed to blind Leafpool.

A thought suddenly hit her.

Snow.

She shook her head. Not possible. A Shadowclan cat couldn't possibly be a hero, it just wasn't natural. Well, Tawnypelt was pretty well-known, but she honestly, she could have done more-

All right, calm down.

"Leafpool?"
"WHAT?- Oh, sorry Crowfeather."

The dark gray tom looked highly offended. "Starclan, you're touchy today."

"Sorry," She sighed, touching noses with him as they walked off. "Just thinking."

"Great... ow!"

In case you're wondering, she had bitten him on the ear.

"It was about Dreampaw."

"Oh, yeah, Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw's kit."

"M-hmm." Leafpool looked worried. "You know that prophecy I told you about?"

"Yes?"

"I think that Dreampaw might be Sun..."

"Oh. Well... that's wonderful."

000

Well, there's chapter 2! R and R!