Thank you, FreeEcho, for your review! I like the ship of Onestar and Whitetail, so I'm very visibly shoving it in.


Crowpaw shuffled his paws, glaring at the black pelt, which was slowly rising and falling. "Aha!" he yowled landing on the black she-cat's flank.

"Ow!" the cat snapped, rising to her paws and easily shoving Crowpaw away. "Get away."

Gorsepaw yawned. "Has he been pouncing on you again?"

"Yeah." Nightpaw muttered.

"I got you this time," Crowpaw meowed triumphantly.

But the two apprentices just looked haughtily at him. "You didn't," Gorsepaw sneered. "Nightpaw managed you shove you away. You should grab hold of her pelt with your claws."

"But Mudclaw said-"

"Who cares what he said?" Nightpaw interrupted rudely. "That's how you hunt. That's how you ambush."

She stalked out of the den, ruffling her pelt, and murmuring with her denmate.

Crowpaw blinked. He choked sadness down, and got to his paws. He would not be intimidated by the two bigger apprentices. One day, he would be leader, leading them, making them do all the nasty work!

The thought sparked energy back into Crowpaw.

He dashed out, and yowled, "MUDCLAW!"

A flustered Whitetail rushed out of the den. "Crowpaw!" she hissed. "Mudclaw and the others – they'll go to the Gathering tonight. That's why they're trying to get a good night's sleep before that."

"Will I be going?"

"You were supposed to," groaned Whitetail, "but you might not now. You probably woke everyone in camp. You might be introduced a moon late!" Her eyes sparkled, as if she were joking.

"Are you joking?"

"Half. Maybe Mudclaw will make you stay in camp!" purred Tornear.

"Wait. Then I'm not training today? This is early morning. Why-"

"It's just how they like it. I don't understand why Mudclaw and the others prefer to sleep all day and wake in the evening, but they just like it!" Whitetail hissed. "Now keep you voice down if you want to go to the Gathering before you're shut down the chance by Mudclaw or Tallstar!" Whitetail replied.

But Crowpaw wasn't done asking. "Are you going, Whitetail?"

Whitetail nodded. "Yes. Nightpaw and Gorsepaw were originally going to stay behind and guard camp, but maybe they would go and you'll guard it."

"Is waking cats up that big a trouble?" Crowpaw whined.

Whitetail sighed. "Well, I agree with you on that one, Crowpaw. That's strange, but it... well, it just is, I suppose."

"Crowpaw!" Tornear exclaimed.

Behind him, Webfoot emerged, yawning.

Onewhisker stumbled towards the two cats.

Whitetail held herself stiffly. "Were you waken?" she asked.

"Yes," Webfoot grumbled, "by a big yowling."

"Surprisingly, Mudclaw didn't wake up, though he was the one who was being called, not us," Onewhisker supplied. His eyes were twinkling with amusement, and Whitetail purred.

Tornear nodded. "That's nice, because Mudclaw would've banned you from going."

"Who says we won't?" Webfoot demanded.

"Me." Tornear replied. "He's not usually this cranky."

"Hey!" Webfoot protested. "That's not-"

"You're always cranky, we get it," Onewhisker replied.

Whitetail rolled her eyes. "Remind me who's going?" she asked.

"You, Onewhisker, Tornear, Mudclaw, Thrushwing, and Crowpaw," Webfoot replied. "The other two apprentices will stay behind. Are you getting on well with them?"

Crowpaw went stiff, but he went as casually as he could. "Oh, yes, finely."

Whitetail was eyeing him doubtfully, but she turned away and mewed, "Do you think anything's going to happen this Gathering?"

"No. Nothing happened. It was just a waste of time," Tornear replied. "Ended in a blink of an eye."

Onewhisker nodded. "That's true."

"So, Crowpaw," Whitetail concluded warmly, "you can make friends. Although, don't try to be too friendly. Your friendship can't block your battles. I once made friends with this warrior of RiverClan called Mosspelt. When we were about the battle, I spotted her among the RiverClan warriors! Her and my eyes locked, and I realized having close friends in other Clans wasn't helpful. Not at all. So, Crowpaw, be careful. The truce only lasts one night. You can be friendly, but don't make friends like you would inside your Clan."

"That's usually the advice a mentor would tell." Onewhisker remarked.

Whitetail flushed. "Well, Mudclaw's sleeping, and it's not wise to wake him. He'll wake up right before the Gathering, probably, and he won't have time to instruct Crowpaw properly!" She excused herself rapidly.

"It's fine, Whitetail."

Tornear was gazing at Crowpaw. "Wait. Didn't you pounce on Gorsepaw yesterday?"

"Yes."

"And Nightpaw the day before the day before?" Webfoot added, twitching his whiskers.

"Yes. Nightpaw today again."

Onewhisker cocked his head. "And why did you do that?"

Crowpaw hesitated. He didn't want to tell the warriors about his quarrel with the apprentices. He wanted to solve this problem himself. So he replied, "Hunting practice."

"But don't do it on your denmates," Whitetail mewed anxiously. "Your friendship might not last if you keep on doing that. And..." Her eyes flickered.

And they might bully you. Got it, Whitetail. But I don't need that piece of advice. It's useless now, Crowpaw thought grimly.

Webfoot yawned again, this time louder than before. "Now I really want sleep. I couldn't sleep a wink yesterday, thanks to Tornear."

"But then again, now you won't be disturbed by my snoring," Tornear replied, twitching his whiskers with amusement.

"Good point." Webfoot replied, and shuffled off.

"He's already half-dozing," Whitetail mewed.

"Yup. Are you going to sleep, Whitetail?"

"No, I think I'll go hunting. Crowpaw, will you join me? You must be bored."

Onewhisker nodded. "Would you like me to go with you?"

"Sure!"

Crowpaw rolled his eyes. Whitetail was certainly lovesick, and Onewhisker was slowly, he supposed, getting lovesick as well.

If they're together, not me.

"No thanks." Crowpaw mumbled.

"Oh, okay," Whitetail meowed, but the excitement in her gaze didn't disguise itself well.

After Onewhisker and Whitetail had headed off, Tornear mewed, "Then what about you come with me, instead of those two?"

"Sure!"

"I tried hunting with them yesterday, and well, let's just say that they left me behind."

"Whoa. So you got lost?"

"Well... they got lost in the woods... which was called LOVE."

"Gee."

"Come on." Tornear ushered, and Crowpaw followed the warrior out of the camp, hoping he'd get to go to the Gathering tonight.

I'll boast! he thought.

"Remember, don't tell everyone our tactics! They need to remain secret." Tornear suddenly meowed.

Crowpaw winced. "Sure." he lied. "I wasn't even thinking of opening my jaws!"