Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. Do you?

This chapter is takes place at the gathering, just as I promised. There's Midnightpaw and Darkbranch and Thinstar and other clan leaders and other peoples. Now...bye.

Chapter 13: The Gathering

Midnightpaw did not want to stick right by Darkbranch's side anymore. But she did not want to do go see the other clan apprentices. There were no other TreeClan apprentices at the Gathering, and she didn't want to go off alone. She didn't particularly like the other apprentices, but she preferred to have them there than not. At least with Yellowpaw or Badgerpaw, one of them would strike up a conversation. Midnightpaw was so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn't realized she just missed what the RockClan leader had just said. The gathering must have already started.

The tom Windstar was about to wrap up what he had to say about RockClan. "Overall, there is nothing new to report. Thinstar? Would you like to go next?"

"Yes," Thinstar said with a very stern look on her face. Midnightpaw could tell by the look on his face that Cricketstar, the FlowerClan leader, knew Thinstar was going to talk about the ambush the TreeClan patrol had gotten from FlowerClan.

Thinstar wasted no time. "We must say immediately that my morning patrol, just this morning, was attacked by FlowerClan cats." She heard the murmurs of disbelief from Windstar and Snowstar, leader of PondClan. "Yes, that's right, just this morning."

Midnightpaw could not place the look on Cricketstar's face. She looked at Darkbranch; she knew he could always read a cat's face. She learned all of her tips on face, body, and tail movement from him. She was surprised to see his hackles up and his mouth curled back in a hiss. "Look at Cricketstar! He's happy! He's proud of what he had his cats do!" Midnightpaw could not see anything identifiable about Cricketstar's face or body, but she knew not to doubt Darkbranch. Thinstar was continuing about the attack on the patrol, but was interrupted by Cricketstar.

"I am not apologizing! No doubt that your clan was on the borders, or in my territory! Probably not far in, but in my territory!"

Thinstar was really getting angry. "We were not in your territory! My patrol was ambushed! Well within our own borders! I demand to know why you ordered your warriors to do so!"

Cricketstar continued to stare down Thinstar. "Maybe if we had a fair amount of territory, as much as you did, we wouldn't feel so caged in, and we wouldn't feel the need to fight for a fair amount of territory! TreeClan cats have both their ground territory and the trees above them at their disposal!"

Before Thinstar could continue the argument, Snowstar stood up. "That's enough out of you, Cricketstar! All the clans have equal amounts of territory! How they use other resources within their own territory is up to them!" Snowstar was a pretty white she-cat with yellow eyes. She was the newest leader, the old PondClan leader Mudstar had lost his ninth life just a moon before. Snowstar was younger than most leaders and could have a bit of a temper, but also had a good head on shoulders.

Thinstar had run out of the energy for more arguing. Cricketstar looked like he was ashamed to have been told to be quiet by a leader younger than him. Snowstar was alert and ready for anything, and Windstar looked like he wished the Gathering would be over already.

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Guess what the next chapter is about? If you guessed ROMANCE (surprise!) you were right! Try to guess who it is in your review before the time is up! (I think it shouldn't be that hard.) Winners get...smiley face laden thoughts for a minute or two.