Chapter 4

A few days had passed since SunClan decided to insult me. I heard about it from Pineclaw, but he had refused to give me details. Duskpelt told me exactly what happened and I was furious. The Gathering was tonight and neither of us is looking forward to it.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a clan meeting!" Wingstar yowled. "Tonight is the Gathering. As you all know SunClan is using every chance they get to infuriate us. We don't want to have a war."

"Please do not react if you are insulted by anyone," she continued. It was pretty obvious she was talking to me and Duskpelt with that part. "Or if your friends or family are insulted. Don't let them get to you. That's what they are trying to do."

"Clan dismissed," Wingstar said. "Silkshade, may I talk to you?"

I walked over to her. "What?" I asked.

"Would you like to go to the Gathering?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied. "I would rather hear what they have to say from them than hear about it later."

"I'm planning on taking cats who won't make matters worse," Wingstar said. "I want to make our clan seem united. Any cat who opposes you won't show that."

"Thank you," I said.

...

"Silkshade, Songheart, Silentstorm, Boulderfang, Deathpaw, Pineclaw, and Cranepool will be going to the Gathering," Wingstar listed. "And of course our two medicine cats and Duskpelt."

Flurrytail seemed pretty mad to be left out and stormed into the warriors den. She was the least of my worries tonight.

NightClan was the last to arrive. I saw the group of cats Coldclaw was talking to. Since my first Gathering Grasstail, Barkpaw, Prancepaw, Thawpaw, and Whitepaw have all joined the numbers.

"Hey, Deathpaw," I said. "I can introduce you to someone from a different clan if you want to."

"Okay!" she agreed.

"Don't go stealing my apprentice," Boulderfang joked.

"I'm just borrowing her," I said. Is it just me or is he acting nice to me?

"Hi, Silkshade!" Snakeheart greeted me. "Who is this?"

"This is my half-sister Deathpaw," I said. "I thought I could introduce her to Molepaw."

"Is this your first Gathering?" Snakeheart asked her.

"Yes," Deathpaw answered. "I can't really enjoy it with my littermate though. She's training to be a medicine cat."

"At least you two can still be friends," Snakeheart said with a glance at Coldclaw. "Give me a moment and I'll find Molepaw."

She returned a moment later with Molepaw. "Hi!" He said.

"Hi," Deathpaw said. "I'm Deathpaw."

"I'm Molepaw," he said. I noticed a she-cat looking around nervously. "This is Moonpaw. She's from SnowClan. I met her last moon. She's a bit shy, but she's really nice."

"Hi," Deathpaw said.

"Hi," Moonpaw said. "Do you have any littermates?"

"I do. She's training to be a medicine cat," Deathpaw answered. "Do you?"

"I do. One is training to be a medicine cat," Moonpaw said. "The other is hanging around with those mean cats." She gestured at Coldclaw and the others.

"My sister does too," Molepaw said.

"This is my half-sister, Silkshade," Deathpaw said.

"My clan gossips quite a bit about her," Moonpaw said. "Is it true you're a kittypet?"

"My mother was," I answered. "I was born away from twolegs and want nothing to do with them."

"I call this Gathering to order!" Icestar yowled. Deathpaw went over by Boulderfang and I sat beside my two friends.

"All's well in SnowClan," he said.

"Same with RainClan," Lightningstar said.

"NightClan is doing fine. We had some rouges on our territory, but they're gone now," Wingstar said.

"SunClan is doing well," Lightstar said. "Let us not forget NightClan alone did not chase off the rouges."

"Of course we didn't," Wingstar said. "A SunClan warrior, Snakeheart, saved one of our warriors. She was attacked while out alone and might have died if not for her."

"But what warrior was it?" Lightstar pressed. "What warrior couldn't hold their own ground?"

"I hardly think that matters," Wingstar said.

"It was Silkshade. The kittypet," Lightstar said. "I've heard that was the fifth time she's needed rescuing." That's a false statement. It's been many more times than that.

"And that's your business?" Wingstar asked.

"You say I'm wrong for having a rouge when you have a weak little kittypet! Who said this rouge was evil? The little kittypet who can't beat a single rouge!" Lightstar said. "She'd say a mouse was scary!"

Several cats seemed to be agreeing. None from my clan though.

"Lightstar this isn't a discussion we need to have," Wingstar said.

"It is. You and your kittypet loving deputy need to listen. Kittypets don't belong in clans," Lightstar said.

Duskpelt's fur was bristling. Silentstorm looked like she was about ready to rip Lightstar's pelt off. Songheart looked like she couldn't believe a cat could say such things.

"Do you two think kittypets belong in clans?" Lightstar asked the other two leaders.

"No," Lightningstar answered.

"Of course not," Icestar said.

"See?" Lightstar said, victoriously.

"But Silkshade is not a kittypet," Lightningstar said. "She hasn't seen inside of a twoleg den nor a twoleg."

"She's been raised as a warrior and her father is a warrior," Icestar said. "Of course this is all Wingstar's decision."

"She's a kittypet and I'm sure many cats here will agree with me," Lightstar yowled. "Wingstar, get rid of her! Your clan will be much better off!"

"Is that a threat?" Wingstar asked.

"It is," Lightstar said. "And you might want to get rid of that kittypet loving deputy as well!"

"Stop this!" Dawnfur yowled. "There is a truce!"

"You just don't want to hear me say the truth about your brother," Lightstar said.

"I agree with her," Violetnose said. "We don't want to make StarClan angry."

"They are probably already angry there is a kittypet among us," Lightstar said. "Come on, SunClan! We are leaving!"

"The Gathering is over!" Wingstar yowled.

I saw many glances of hatred or disgust come way. If only I could disappear.

"Did you two really mean what you said or were you just not wanting to start a war with us?" Wingstar asked the other two leaders still here.

"Parts of it," Lightningstar replied. "She is half kittypet, but she is not a true kittypet."

"I do wonder if she still doesn't have some kittypet instincts," Icestar said. "I do not question she has earned her place in your clan."

"If only all of your clanmates felt that way," Wingstar sighed. "I cannot pretend all of mine approve of my decision."

"May StarClan light your path," Icestar said as the two toms jumped off the rock.

"NightClan, let's go!" Wingstar called. I could hear cats whispering about me as we left Tall Tree.

...

We got back to camp. Wingstar headed to her den.

"Wingstar," I said.

"What is it, Silkshade?" she asked.

"SunClan is about ready to start a war. They obviously don't want me on any clan territory," I said. "Should I just leave?"

"Of course not," Wingstar replied, surprised by my question. "You're a valuable warrior. Sometimes the easiest path isn't the right one. I do think the only reason Lightstar is acting like this is because of what we said about Murderscar. She feels that because we made her judgment look bad she has to do the same for us."

"Well, goodnight," I said.

"Silkshade, you have a hard path ahead of you. Have faith in StarClan," Wingstar said and left me wondering how much she actually knew about my problems.