Chapter Three

Excitement pricked at me, as the leaders hopped onto the branch. The leaders sat there, imposingly, letting everyone come in and chat.

Freezepaw wandered around, wondering who to talk to. Then she heard a voice.

"Hey." She turned around to see a gray cat with green eyes.

"Hi," Freezepaw mewed.

"You're worried about your first gathering, right?" Without waiting for an answer, the cat continued. "You don't have to worry. Everyone is kind of chill at gatherings. But they also stick to the rules, which is boring. I'm Thornpaw, by the way."

"I'm Freezepaw."

"Everyone's chill except Starry Night of the Sky and Squirrelheart," Thornpaw continued, "they argue all the time."

"Wait, who?" Freezepaw asked, confused.

"Starry Night? She was a, a, what does she call herself? An Ex-Tribe Cat?"

"Huh."

She looked at who Thornpaw was pointing at. They did seem like they were arguing about something. Starry looked more angry, Squirrelheart just looked miserable.

Then she heard a loud, clear, meow.

"Let the Gathering begin!"

"I will go first." Swiftstar announced. He must be the leader of WindClan, since he was very thin and small. "Windclan has three new litters of kits, this leaf-bare. And we have one new apprentice, Flowerpaw." The clans chanted her name. "Our Clan is doing perfectly fine, and the prey is running well."

Thornpaw raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She whispered.

"We would like to thank Meadowpaw and Heatherlight for helping us rid ourselves of greencough." Marshstar meowed.

Thornpaw rolled her eyes. "That makes us sound weak, like we were on the brink of death with greencough. I mean, seriously? Why don't you mention that our warriors chased a fox onto ThunderClan territory?"

A horrible thought struck Freezepaw. Was that fox...the one Firesong died fighting?

"I have news." Foxstar announced. "One of our warriors, Firesong died while fighting a fox. Firesong was a noble warrior, and will forever be remembered in our hearts. Firesong's apprentice will be mentored by Fallowjay. We also have a new warrior, Falconblaze." Instead of chanting, every cat murmured 'Firesong'. Freezepaw looked at Falconblaze. He looked betrayed. He wasn't expecting a quiet welcome, Freezepaw thought.

"Oh pllllease," Thornpaw murmured. "Firesong wasn't that noble. The leaders always try to sugarcoat things." Freezepaw was shocked. Thornpaw was implying that the leaders made bad decisions.

"She...she was my mentor." Freezepaw murmured.

"Good for you," Thornpaw mewed sarcastically. Freezepaw felt offended.

"Well, RiverClan doesn't have anything to say. So the gathering is over." Meowed Ripplestar. Everyone dispersed.

"Hi Falconblaze." Thornpaw meowed coolly as Falconblaze padded over to Freezepaw.

"You've met Freezepaw? She's my mate." He meowed. I never agreed to this. Freezepaw said, shock running through her. She saw Finchpaw staring jealousy at her.

"I'm not!" Freezepaw exclaimed. Thornpaw looked at her, amused.

"Falconpa-blaze, what have you done this time?" Thornpaw asked, amused.

Falconblaze gave a glance at Freezepaw. "Again? Next time?" He asked mysteriously.

Thornpaw looked confused for a moment. "Oh, I haven't heard you say that in a long time. Yes."

"Wha-what? Do you two know each other?" Freezepaw asked, finally speaking.

Falconblaze nodded. "We're Gathering-friends, but that doesn't make me weak against her. We ever get into a fight, I will wrestle her to the ground. You can count on it." Falconblaze and Thornpaw walked away, chatting.

The other she-cat apprentices padded up to Freezepaw, glaring at her.

"You stole him!" Flypaw wailed.

"Falconblaze was supposed to be my mate!" Ferretpaw whined.

"No, he was supposed to fall for me! Finchpaw complained.

The three apprentices glared at Freezepaw.

Fennelpaw glanced at us. "She-cats." He muttered. Featherpaw stood next to him and rolled her eyes. "You stole my only friend." He muttered.

"My brother is lovesick over you." Featherpaw added. Freezepaw's thoughts whirled in her brain like a tornado. Who she used to call friends as a kit, were now just denmates. Enemies. The next morning Falconblaze padded up to her.

"It's not my fault!" Freezepaw wailed. "Falconblaze is a smug, self-centered cat and I hate him! I never wanted to be his mate." Though she did want him to be her mate.

"Yeeeah, right." Ferretpaw rolled her eyes.

"Falconblaze is not smug or self-centered!" Flypaw protested.

Finchpaw just kept glaring at Freezepaw quietly. Freezepaw groaned.

"Congrats! Your first training with Fallowjay." Falconblaze meowed. Fallowjay had been patient with me, but she wasn't Firesong. Fallowjay had said I need to tuck my tail in. I had almost caught a bird on the way back to camp. "You miss Firesong."

"Yeah. I do." Freezepaw meowed huskily. Freezepaw and Falconblaze set out to hunt. Freezepaw tasted the air.

"Mouse." Falconblaze meowed, while pointing his nose in the direction of the scent. Freezepaw saw a tiny nose sticking out of a bush, quivering. Freezepaw dropped into the hunter's crouch and advanced slowly. Falconblaze watched me intently. Freezepaw pounced, taking her first killing blite.

"Three mice and a rabbit?!" Fallowjay gaped. "That's good hunting."

"Thanks," Freezepaw mewed. She sat there with pride. Featherpaw padded over.

"Looks like you had good hunting." She commented. Falconblaze glanced at Featherpaw. He twined his tail around mine.

"Freezepaw is an excellent hunter." Falconblaze chimed. Freezepaw flushed in embarrassment. Finchpaw bounded up to us.

"I'm going to have my warrior assessment!" She squealed to Falconblaze. Finchpaw glanced smugly at me. "Foxstar even said that I'm one of the best apprentices she's ever had." Falconblaze glances at Finchpaw.

"Congrats." He meows. Finchpaw blushes. Freezepaw couldn't help but glare. Ferretpaw and Flypaw were also glaring at Finchpaw. She was standing next to Falconblaze, gazing into his amber eyes." Ever since Fuzzyivy, Finchpaw's ex-mentor, had died, Foxstar had taken care of Finchpaw's apprenticeship.

"Even better than me?" Falconblaze teased.

Ever since the gathering, Falconblaze had become much more chill and laid-back. Freezepaw actually liked Falconblaze now, but she wasn't ready to have him as her mate. They were friends now, but Freezepaw didn't exactly see him as a lover. She recalled the time she Falconblaze had talked to her a moon ago.

"Want to go hunting?" Falconblaze asked. Freezepaw could see this wasn't what he wanted to do, but she didn't protest.

"Sure." Freezepaw replied. After walking for a while, Falconblaze spoke.

"Do you want to be mates?" He asked.

"Aren't we mates already?" Freezepaw mewed, voice dripping with anger.

Falconblaze shifted unhappily. "It's your choice." He said unhappily.

"Falconblaze, I don't want to be your mate." Freezepaw mewed. "We're barely even friends!"

"Sorry…" Falconblaze trailed off.

"We might be mates someday, but not now! I don't even see that in the future! I'm not even a warrior yet!" Freezepaw meowed.

"Alright, fine." Falconblaze said reluctantly.

Freezepaw had convinced Falconblaze not to rush things, but every time she looked at him, she could see him wanting to be mates with her. Freezepaw, lost in thought, didn't notice a WindClan patrol rushing at them.

"FREEZEPAW!"