Disclaimer: I do not own the idea of Warriors, that idea belongs to Erin Hunter. I do, however, own the cats that you see in this story, unless by chance, I accidentally use a name someone else created, then it belongs to them.
Author's Note: This story is in the third person point of view. But it switches a lot, I mean... It switches location a lot.
Clans
Chapter Two
The cats of RainClan arrived at Fourtrees, EarthClan and MoonClan were already there, they were waiting on WillowClan. "Of course," Nightwing muttered as Clearstar climbed to her spot with the other two leaders, "WillowClan is late, they're probably stealing our food again." He whispered to Crystalheart, earning him a playful bat.
"Oh stop," She purred.
"It's true!" The tom-cat exclaimed, "Swiftsong, Grayclaw, and Hailfur caught them again when they went hunting."
Crystalheart shook her head, as the two walked over to a couple of MoonClan warriors.
Otterpaw and Gingerpaw stood next to each other as they looked around, "First gathering, right Otterpaw?" Gingerpaw asked her fellow apprentice, and the young tom nodded, "Today's just been a good day for you." She purred, "First patrol, first gathering, and you only became an apprentice a quarter moon ago."
Otterpaw smiled, "I'm just a lucky cat." He purred, silencing himself as he saw a group of cats come forward, "Is that WillowClan?"
The fur on Gingerpaw's neck stood on end, "Yes, that's them."
Rivertail walked over to the two apprentices, sitting behind them, "Be ready for anything." She whispered, "Nightwing is ready to slaughter any cat of WillowClan right about now."
"Really?" Otterpaw asked, his eyes wide, "He wouldn't do that would he?"
"If he gets mad enough."
The four leaders meowed for the other cats to silence, Clearstar then spoke, "Oakstar, one of my dawn patrols, and one of my hunting patrols saw groups of your cats trespassing in our territory, and stealing our prey."
Oakstar, a huge dark brown tom, looked Clearstar in the eye, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You should ask your deputy, for our senior warrior is lying in the medicine cat's den because of them." Clearstar replied, obviously straining to keep her temper.
Mousestar, a small white she-cat and leader of EarthClan, looked at Oakstar, "Our patrols have seen and smelled your cats in our territory as well." She said, "Is there lack of prey in your territory?" She sounded concerned.
"We keep getting new kits," Oakstar meowed, "And more and more of our warriors become handicapped each day, therefore there's more elders, and more kits, and less apprentices and warriors, there's not enough cats to catch enough prey to satisfy our whole clan."
Leafpelt jumped up, "We've also smelled rogue in our territory!"
"There haven't been rogues here since before you were born." Cloudstar, leader of MoonClan and an average-sized white tom, hissed.
Otterpaw looked over and saw Nightwing glaring at the WillowClan cats, "Dad?" He whispered.
Nightwing silenced his kin, "Later." He hissed.
Oakstar glared at Cloudstar, "Next you're going to say my cats have been stealing from you too?" He hissed.
"No," Cloudstar retorted, "But I agree with Clearstar and Mousestar. If they smell your clan on their territory, then your clan's obviously been there."
"How do you know that they weren't dense enough to go past the border, and that's where they smelled our clan?"
Swiftsong glared at Oakstar, "Because we saw Leafpelt, Sandsong, Purefoot, and Blackpaw frollicking across our territory, chasing one of our rabbits."
Oakstar looked at the RainClan deputy, "So that's why they came back limping." He growled, "Everyone knows you are too hot-tempered to be a deputy."
Swiftsong's eyes narrowed into slits, "No one was even hurt from your clan." She hissed, "Grayclaw was hurt the worst."
Clearstar stepped forward, "Alright, Gatherings are supposed to be peaceful." She said, looking at her deputy and the other leader, "We were merely addressing a problem that has occured. There's no need to tear each other up over it."
"It is when my clan is being accused of stealing!" Oakstar snapped.
Nightwing glared up at Oakstar, still saying nothing. Clearstar looked over at Oakstar, "Please calm down Oakstar," She said.
Mousestar looked at Oakstar as well, "Maybe we should end this meeting for now, and we can bring our problems to you at your camp instead." She threatened.
"And break the warrior code?" Oakstar asked, "I wouldn't put it past you."
"Look, Oakstar," Mousestar said, looking at the dark brown tom, "Just because you don't believe us, doesn't mean it's not true."
Angelsong, a small gray she-cat and EarthClan deputy, stepped forward, "You have to believe us Oakstar." She mewed, "For the sake of our clans, and yours. We'll all leave each other alone if we just remain on our own territories."
"I don't see why RainClan needs all those rabbits anyway." Leafpelt hissed, "They have that damn river full of fish."
"So you admit to stealing our prey?" Swiftsong purred, obviously amused.
"No." The other deputy instantly replied.
Oakstar looked at Leafpelt, "You really have been stealing prey?" He hissed.
The brown tabby said nothing, and Oakstar merely turned to Mousestar and Clearstar, "Sorry for overreacting, I thought my own deputy would know better than that."
Clearstar and Mousestar nodded, "It's alright." The two she-cats replied.
"Does anyone else have anything they need to bring up?" Cloudstar asked.
Clearstar looked at the three leaders, "We have three new apprentices in our ranks, Skypaw, Otterpaw, and Ashpaw." She purred, "Just thought I should inform you."
"As you do everytime Clearstar," Oakstar replied, nodding, now much more politer since things had been cleared up.
"We have two new apprentices as well," Mousestar said, "Blizzardpaw and Robinpaw."
Cloudstar nodded, "MoonClan welcomes all five apprentices to the rankings."
"WillowClan does as well."
"It is almost moonhigh." Clearstar said, "We shall see each other again in a moons time."
The other three leaders nodded, and they all hopped down, leading their clans towards their separate camps.
Nightwing looked at Clearstar, "Do we have permission to fight WillowClan if we catch them on our territory again?" He asked.
"Seeing as Oakstar now knows, they shouldn't be there, but if you do happen to find them, then yes, you can."
The nine cats traveled back to RainClan in silence, as they entered the clan, they were stunned by the silence that met them. Gingerpaw and Otterpaw ran to the apprentice's den, only to find Wakepaw in tears. Shadowheart went into the nursery to check on his kits, when he saw Streamfoot looking miserable.
Clearstar walked over to Amberheart's den to check on Grayclaw, "Amberheart? How is he doing?"
The medicine cat looked up. "Clearstar, Grayclaw is dead." She muttered, "The bleeding wouldn't stop, no matter how many cobwebs I gave him, and his leg was so messed up, that even if he lived, he'd be joining Dustyfoot."
Clearstar looked at the gray tom's corpse, licking it quickly, "We'll bury it after a meeting." She said, climbing up Highrock. Hailfur and Thunderstorm followed, carrying Grayclaw's body. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet beneath Highrock." She yowled.
The cats came out one by one, al gathering.
Once everyone was there, Clearstar looked over them, she then turned to Grayclaw, "I ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon this warrior. He has learned the warrior code and has given up his life in the service of his Clan. Let StarClan receive him." Swiftsong was devastated, she had just lost her only kin. Once the cats had a moment to adjust, Clearstar turned to them, "There is now the matter of Wakepaw's mentor." She sighed, "We will figure that out tomorrow." She replied, gesturing to Thunderstorm and Hailfur to come with her to bury the body.
Poor Grayclaw. And who do you think should be Wakepaw's mentor? Rivertail, Silvereyes, Crystalheart, or Clearstar?