CHAPTER 2
The full moon floated in a clear blue-black sky.
Sunpaw followed Featherpaw toward the clearing of the island.
"ShadowClan and WindClan are waiting in the clearing," Featherpaw called over his shoulder, "but RiverClan haven't arrived yet."
The two brothers remained close together as they emerged into the clearing. Like the previous Gathering, cats were not mingling with other Clans. As ThunderClan arrived, the gathered Clans cast suspicious looks at the newcomers. ThunderClan filed in quietly, remaining close to one another. The warriors instinctively formed a ring around the apprentices and queens.
"No one seems very happy tonight," Sunpaw muttered.
"Seems the Daylight Gathering wasn't much help, after all," Featherpaw murmured. Sunpaw flinched at the reminder, an image of Badgerpaw flashing through his head.
In one graceful bound, Firestar leaped up onto the low branch of the Great Oak. There was no exchange of words between any of the three leaders - Firestar simply dipped his head to Blackstar and Onestar, who all but ignored him.
"StarClan above, is this a Gathering or what?" Sunpaw muttered.
"RiverClan's here," Featherpaw meowed. Sunpaw turned his head and sniffed the air. Sure enough, the fishy scent of RiverClan wafted through the air.
The RiverClan cats followed the example of the other three Clans and remained closely knit. Leopardstar left the ranks of her warriors to join the leaders on the lowest branch of the Great Oak.
"Leopardstar looks awfully uneasy tonight," Featherpaw noted, narrowing his eyes.
The golden tabby molly was touching muzzles with Firestar, but her tail flicked impatiently, her gaze flitting around the clearing.
The island was quiet, filled with murmurs rather than boisterous talking. It seemed that there was no point in waiting any longer.
"Let all the Clans gather beneath StarClan!"
Blackstar's loud meow sounded from the Great Oak. The four leaders were lined along the lowest branch, silhouettes in the moonlight, their eyes shining in the dark. Featherpaw sat down beside Sorreltail. Sunpaw squeezed in front of his brother and sat beside Stormfur.
"ShadowClan brings happy news," Blackstar announced. "We have three new kits born to Tawnypelt."
Meows of congratulations rose from the crowd, the loudest from Squirrelflight. "Well done, Tawnypelt!"
Blackstar went on. "They are named Flamekit, Dawnkit, and Lizardkit!"
Sunpaw raised his head. If they're Tawnypelt's kits, they'll be our kin! He turned around to say so to Featherpaw, but his brother was watching the leaders too intently to pay attention. Sunpaw turned back around to see Onestar rising to his paws.
The WindClan leader wasted no time with pleasantries. "WindClan would like to formally announce the loss of our apprentice, Harepaw. He was shaping up to be a fine warrior, and is gone too soon." Despite Onestar's words, there was no warmth for Harepaw in his voice. His eyes rested on ThunderClan as he spoke. ThunderClan warriors began to bristle. Thornclaw even got to his paws, tail lashing.
Firestar lifted his chin. "ThunderClan mourns with you," he meowed. Onestar's gaze snapped to the ThunderClan leader, his eyes narrowed to slits.
I'm sure, he seemed to say.
"ThunderClan, too, faces a loss." Firestar looked down at his own warriors, his whiskers drooping. "Badgerpaw was a kind and lively apprentice, and we will miss her radiance with every day."
Sunpaw dipped his head, his throat tightening and his heart clenching. He held back a whine.
WindClan warriors began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Say that again!" A voice rose above the murmurs. Sunpaw whipped around, startled, to see Featherpaw on his paws, fur fluffed out and eyes blazing.
"Featherpaw, what's the meaning of this?" Firestar asked.
Featherpaw didn't answer. He stalked forward, brushing past his Clanmates, until he stood nose-to-nose with a WindClan warrior - Owlwhisker, if Sunpaw remembered. "Say that again!" he spat.
Owlwhisker looked surprised that a half-grown apprentice had approached him, but he quickly shook out his pelt and flattened his ears. "I said," he growled, "that Harepaw would be alive if it wasn't for her!"
Featherpaw gave a caterwaul and launched himself at the WindClan tom. ThunderClan warriors and WindClan warriors alike burst into appalled yowls. Sorreltail rushed forward, sinking her teeth into Featherpaw's scruff, and pulled him off of Owlwhisker. Featherpaw lashed out with his paws, clearly not done.
"That is enough!" Firestar yowled. He leaped down from the Great Oak and stormed up to Featherpaw. "There is a truce. You will not be the reason it breaks!"
Featherpaw huffed and puffed under Sorreltail's grasp, but he stopped flailing his claws. Sunpaw stared in dismay as Firestar locked eyes with his brother. Finally, the ThunderClan leader whipped around to face the other leaders.
"Leopardstar? You've shared no news," he meowed.
"There's no news to share," Leopardstar replied curtly. "The fish are returning to the edge of the lake. Hunting is good. My Clan is well."
"I'm pleased to hear it," Firestar meowed. He turned away. "The Gathering is over."
"We have not discussed StarClan's will!" Blackstar protested angrily. "They do not want us here around the lake!"
"StarClan's will can wait another moon," Onestar snarled, leaping down from the Great Oak and shouldering past Firestar. He signaled with his tail. "Come, WindClan!"
Owlwhisker spared a glare at Featherpaw before turning up his nose and following the rest of his Clan. WindClan padded away from the Great Oak, disappearing into the trees and beginning to cross the tree-bridge.
Sorreltail placed Featherpaw onto the ground, allowing Firestar to speak sternly to the young apprentice. Sunpaw strained his ears to hear what was happening.
"…no punishment this time, but this must never happen again. Do you understand?" Firestar was meowing. Featherpaw did not reply. "I said, do you understand?" Featherpaw looked up at his leader.
"Yes, Firestar," he meowed begrudgingly.
Firestar nodded. "Good." He took in a deep breath and raised his head. "Let us go home, ThunderClan," he meowed. He flicked his ears, and the ThunderClan cats began to move across the clearing.
Sunpaw noticed that while Leopardstar bounded down from the low branch of the Great Oak, Blackstar remained perched with a sour look on his face. Sunpaw had a bad feeling that the bitter relationship between the Clans was not going to improve any time soon.
NOTES
Tigerkit is now Lizardkit because 1. canon can be stupid sometimes and 2. there isn't enough goodwill in the Clans right now for Tawnypelt to do something so bold as name her son Tigerkit.
ALSO. At this point, we are all caught up with the story as I've posted it on Ao3. So, there won't be any more daily updates - sorry! Updates are now on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Questions? Comments? Let's hear 'em!
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