Featherstar's yellow eyes blinked in surprise at the tortoiseshell queen's request. "What!" she mewed in shock as she quickly rose to her paws. Her silver-grey tail lashed nervously from side to side as she waited for Turtlepelt's reply.

Avoiding the older she-cat's eyes, Turtlepelt shuffled her white paws nervously. "I want to go to the Gathering." The queen repeated, lifting her green eyes, alight with a fierce flame of hatred, with Featherstar's, "And it is important that I do go."

The older she-cat was about to reply when she noticed the fiery blaze alight in the queen's eyes. Softly, Featherstar padded towards Turtlepelt and touched the white muzzle with her name. "This is about Tigereye, isn't it?"

"Yes, this is about that accursed tom…" Turtlepelt mewed softly.

"Alright, you may go to the Gathering, but Foxfur and two others will be there to make sure that you are safe."

Nodding in understanding, the queen rose to her paws and left with Featherstar's gaze lingering upon her.

Turtlepelt entered the Nursery and cast a wary look about her before settling into her nest. The queen decided that it would be best for her to rest before making the long trek to the Gathering. A feeling of dread gripped at Turtlepelt's heart as she lay within her nest of moss and feathers. Oh StarClan! Please don't let my kits come tonight!

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The group of ThunderClan cats chosen to go to the Gathering made their way silently through the foliage; as they reached the slope leading down to FourTrees, Featherstar motioned for her cats to wait. Her fierce yellow eyes scanned the circle of trees to see which of the four Clans had already arrived; not close enough to tell, the leader opened her mouth to taste the wind for scents and scented the cats of RiverClan and WindClan, yet not a trace of ShadowClan. A flick of her tail told her cats to follow her into the Gathering, and followed they did.

As ThunderClan dispersed into the forming crowd, Featherstar leaped gracefully onto Highrock. The she-cat let her gaze flicker to a muscular brown tom, Treestar, Leader of WindClan, then to a small, blue-grey she-cat, Skystar, Leader of RiverClan; a small nod was given before the ThunderClan leader turned her gaze upon Turtlepelt. Foxfur sat close to Turtlepelt while Greyfang and Jetstream, her other chosen guards, sat a little ways off.

"Where is ShadowClan?" asked Featherstar coolly, her tail flicking nervously from side to side.

"I'm not sure. They should be here though." Answered Skystar; the words had no sooner left her mouth when a haunting yowl sounded. As the yowl died, the cats of ShadowClan poured into the Gathering with Tigereye as the last one to arrive. Turtlepelt quivered and pressed herself against Foxfur; the red tom entwined his tail with hers and motioned for the burly black and silver tom, Jetstream.

Jetstream seated himself behind Turtlepelt and brought his head towards Foxfur. Their mouths moved, yet no sound came out. Amid the chatter of the other cats, no one was able to tell that they weren't talking. Treestar padded to the edge of Highrock and yowled for silence. The cats below stopped talking and peered up at the three leaders and one deputy.

Remaining at the edge, Treestar spoke of how WindClan was fairing. "Today, our queen, Autumntail, gave birth to three healthy kits, yet sadly, our elder, Limpfoot, went to hunt with StarClan." Mews of congratulations and apologies rose from the crowd, who fell silent as Skystar padded forward.

"Earlier this evening, three of our apprentices, Stormpaw, Applepaw, and Flamepaw, were made into warriors. They are now Stormfrost, Appleheart, and Flamepelt." The RiverClan leader spoke of a few more things before allowing Featherstar to approach the edge.

Casting Tigereye a frosty glare, Featherstar began speaking. "Our queen, Turtlepelt, is expecting kits very soon. The apprentices are training hard and two will be ready to become warriors within a few days. Also, patrols have found scents of ShadowClan near Sunningrocks today. Do you know anything about this, Tigereye? And where is Adderstar?"

At the question, a smirk played across Tigereye's lips. "I'm sorry Featherstar, but I know nothing of ShadowClan trespassing upon your territory." The massive tom replied, watching as Greyfang seated himself beside Turtlepelt, "But, I do know here Adderstar is."

"Then where is he?" mewed Skystar curiously.

"Adderstar is dead!"